How to: Fake Wide-Awake Eyes

School has begun to drag on over the past month, but just because its Monday, doesn't mean you have to start your week off with tired looking eyes. There are ways to fake the wide awake and fully rested face...

The Tear Duct Trick:

It all starts in the tear duct, pick a light pink shade of eye shadow. Avoid chalky, silver colored highlighters, they tend to look more blue, making your eyes, especially the tear ducts area, appear drawn and tired; the opposite of what we want. Also try to avoid heavier products. Some liquids work, but most liquids and creams can be thicker on the skin and you do not want that in your eye area. Pink is a color that flatters all skin tones, as well as balancing out yellow and pink undertones.

White Water Line:
Another easy way to make your eyes appear more awake and ready for the day is to line your bottom water line, the piece of skin between the eye and your lower lash line, with a white eye pencil. This brightens the eyes and makes them look bigger. Using a waterproof eye pencil for this will be essential if you want it to stay all day.

Eliminate puffiness:
Puffy eyes are a dead give away of sleep deprivation. Using something chilled— a bag of ice, frozen peas— should do the trick as long as you hold it on the area for 10-15 minutes. 

Exfoliation:
Not only does this brighten your skin to make you look more awake, but it has many other benefits for your skin to stay healthy. Its best to use a treatment that contains dead skin dissolving fruit acids.

Curling Eyelashes:
When your eyes aren't cooperating, curling your eyelashes is a must! It makes mascara application simpler and easier. For the biggest impact, apply the curler once before mascara application, and once after they have completely dried.

Eye Shadow Trick:
You might think a shimmery light shade will brighten up your eyelids, but the truth is, when your tired it can exaggerate puffiness. A warm brown shadow is perfect for visually deflating bloated lids. Try to stay away from anything with pink or red undertones.

Blush to Cancel Under-eye Circles:
Using a little bit of peachy pink blush on the apples of your cheeks or on the cheekbones can detract from your tired eyes' under eye circles that tend to have blue or purple undertones. This also adds warmth to your complexion. 



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Jelly Watercolor Nails!

  Having trendy nails is a fun way to express your style and creativity as the seasons change. Its also an easy way to meep you looking put together and can brighten up any outfit or add a little color to your day.

For this nail look its good to have a few (3-4) bright pastel colors for a variety on each nail. Oranges, yellows, pinks, blues, and purples are all good colors to try for this one. 
Since autumn has just begun, try incorporating some fall-type colors into your design.. Try mixing reds, oranges, pinks, and yellows. 
I prefer Essie nail polishes because they have a thin consistency and are great quality products that last on your nails. For this type of nail art, it is beneficial to use more sheer colored nail polishes in order to layer the color and have it look the best.
You also want a base color (something neutral, or white even) as you're starting layer. Lastly, for easy application of the color in the "watercolor" or marble type effect we are going for, its good to have a few cheep makeup sponges. These can be found at any beauty retailer, are extremely inexpensive, and can be used for a bunch of other beauty-type situations, which i will cover in another blog. :)
You can cut them into smaller pieces to fit your nails.
Start out by applying the base coat to your nails, you may want to use a few coats to make sure its opaque.
When that is dry, you are ready to add the color.
Take a small piece of the makeup sponge (that you have previously cut into many smaller pieces) and dip it into a small amount of nail polish on a piece of paper. Dab it on the paper a few times to get the access polish off before transferring it to your nail.
Using thin layers, take each color and being to form your masterpiece. 
Pretend your nails are paper and paint away!

After its dried, apply your long lasting top coat to preserve your painting. If you are feeling extra creative, you can try adding jewels or nail stickers to an accent nail. This look has unlimited color combinations and possibilities, let your creativity run free and flash your beautiful talent to the world!


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Kitchen Cupboard Beauty Heros

  You don't always have to go to the department store and spend a boatload of money on expensive brand-named products. Especially when a lot of what makes store-bought products so expensive is the fancy packaging and labels. You might be surprised how many all natural beauty ingredients you already have sitting in your kitchen, or just a quick trip to the grocery store away. In addition to being cheep, anything you make at home will be 100% natural, making it a great option for people with sensitive skin. Not to mention that DIY is all the rage this year. Here's a few you might want to try:

1) Shea Butter
This has a ton of benefits for your skin, along side the fact that it smells amazing. Its nourishing texture makes it great for anti-aging treatment. It has SPF 5 for natural sun protection, which means it can be used as a daily sunscreen. Organic Shea butter also has anti-bacterial properties. This helps prevent stretch marks, and heal wounds. 

2) Easy Exfoliates
Exfoliates are great for the skin and so easy to make with about anything you can find in your kitchen. Mild exfoliating once or twice a week, in addition to daily cleansing, can dramatically improve the results of your skin care routine by removing dry and dull skin cells from the surface of your face which keeps your pores from becoming clogged.
One of the easiest recipes I know combines sugar, olive oil, and warm water. 

3) Simple Blackhead Remedy 
Blackheads can appear all over the face and can be extremely frustrating. Luckily there are a few easy kitchen tricks to help illuminate them! 

• One uses a mix of 1/2 teaspoon of Cinnamon and a tablespoon of honey. Using your fingers, dab onto dry skin.
• Another option is a egg white mask. Taking two eggs, separate the whites from the yokes and apply to face. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes. This will help tighten pores, giving you smooth and clear skin.

4) Strawberries for white teeth?
Mashing up a strawberry and adding a little bit of baking soda is a quick and easy way to get whiter teeth! Use your toothbrush to scrub on for about 5 minutes and you're good to go.


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5 Must-Have Beauty Products for Summer

This Summer was hot, and so are these must haves to keep your skin, face, and hair ready for the sun and the sand of the pool and the beach!

1) The first must-have for your Summer hair product check-list is the Pronto Braid Paste

The best way to keep hair out of your face when the temperatures really heat up is with a braid or top knot, and this product will make sure your 'do stays all day long. It has a great long-lasting, non sticky formula, which makes it perfect for all hair types. You can pick this up at Ulta or order it off of oscarblandi.com for just $25.

2) NYX Dewy Finish Setting Spray = Great "Summer looking" skin!

While this product doesn't do the best job of making my makeup last all day it does do a great job of giving my face the nice dewy Summer finish we all love. Also, NYX as a brand itself is generally very affordable so that is one perk of this product over something on the high-end scale. This setting spray goes for about $8.

3) Garnier BB Cream... foundation and moisturizer in one?!

BB Creams are big this year, especially for the Summer face because not only do you get coverage for blemishes but you are also protecting your skin from the harmful rays of the sun (yay)! *Also, this product works great for dry skin without getting too oily! This BB Cream by Garnier comes with SPF 20 built into the smooth formula and comes in a variety of shades to fit any skin color. Price ranges around $13-- which can be a little pricy for such a small bottle.

4) Bad pool hair? Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray.

Take advantage of your beachy waves while you're in the sun with a few sprays of this hair renewal spray! The large bottle is great for home, but pick up a travel size to carry with you on vacations as your must-have quick fix to a bad hair day.

5) Absolute must for running late; Dry shampoo by Herbal Essences

Don't have time to shower? Not a problem, at least for your hair. Herbal Essences Dry Shampoo smells great and helps to soak up oils in your hair that tend to make it look greasy and unappealing. Great, inexpensive product to throw in your beach bag and carry with you on-the-go! 

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