Home Remedy for Dry, Weak Hair

Is your hair dry and weak? Is your conditioner just not cutting it? There are alternatives that most people don’t even consider. Try looking in your fridge. Do you have mayonnaise? There you have it. That (along with some water and shampoo) is all you need to help moisturize your hair and keep it soft and shiny.

1.       Use a spray bottle to dampen your hair with water.

2.       Apply mayonnaise to your hair, making sure to work it into the roots. Use a fine toothed comb to help get the mayo through all the strands of hair.

3.       Once your hair is completely covered, let the mayonnaise sit for thirty (30) minutes.

4.       Once those thirty (30) minutes are up, shampoo and rinse your hair. You may need to shampoo and rinse it a second time, depending on how greasy the mayonnaise is.

5.       Let your hair air dry. Once you’re done your hair should be soft and shiny.

Kitty Litter Mask

It sounds disgusting, right?! Who in their right mind would put kitty litter on their face? I would. The basic ingredient of unscented kitty litter is Bentonite clay, which is from volcanic ash. This clay is very rich in minerals and acts as a magnet for toxins. If it helps, call the litter clay. ;)

1.       Start off with a clean face.

2.       Purchase unscented cat litter.

3.       Put 2 tablespoons of litter into a mixing bowl.

4.       Add a small amount of water, just enough to cover the litter and for it to appear muddy.

5.       Add any key ingredients you like, such as oils or aloe vera.

6.       Mix well. It should still be a bit watery but should look muddy as well.

7.       Put the mixture in the microwave for twenty (20) seconds to warm it up. The heat will help open the pores, making it easier for the mixture to get down into them to remove more toxins.

8.       Apply the mixture to your face. Be sure to just apply the watery part and not the little pebbles/rocks.

9.       Let the mask dry. This usually takes about fifteen (15) minutes. After the first five (5) minutes, you should feel a tingly feeling across your face.

10.   Rinse off with warm water, towel dry and apply your favorite moisturizer.

Let's Talk Color

In any sort of design—fashion, makeup, hair, interior, etc.—color is a central theme. You wouldn’t paint one wall magenta and another wall lime green. It just doesn’t mesh well together. Being knowledgable about color and how it works is essential in any of the previously mentioned careers. Since not everyone can afford to take art classes, this entry will cover the basics on color theory and how to apply it to makeup.

Let’s break colors down:

PRIMARY COLORS-Primary colors are colors that cannot be made by combining colors together. Primary colors consist of YELLOW, RED and BLUE.

SECONDARY COLORS-Secondary colors are colors that are made by combining two primary colors. Secondary colors consist of GREEN, ORANGE and VIOLET.

TERTIARY COLORS-Tertiary colors are colors that are made by combining a primary color with the secondary color adjacent to it. 

Tertiary colors consist of RED-ORANGE, YELLOW-ORANGE, YELLOW-GREEN, BLUE-GREEN, INDIGO, and MAGENTA.

Now let’s break down a few details:

SHADES-Shades occur when you mix a color with black.

TINTS-Tints occur when you mix a color with white.

NEUTRAL COLORS-If you drew an invisible line down the middle of the color wheel, through purple and yellow, that consists of your neutral colors.

WARM COLORS-Warm colors consist of yellow, red, orange, and violet.

COOL COLORS-Cool colors consist of yellow, green, blue, and violet.

You may have noticed that yellow and violet fall into cool and warm colors. This is because they are neutral colors and have an equal balance of those warm and cool colors.

The best way to make eyes stand out is to go with a complimentary color. For example, if you have blue eyes your complimentary color (the color directly across on the color wheel) would be orange. The closer the colors are to orange the more your eye color will pop. Here is a chart to help when deciding what colors are best to use with your eye color:

I hope this entry helps you when picking colors for your eyes. If all else fails, experiment! Your eyes are custom to you, so it never hurts to have a little fun!

Beauty on a Budget

Let's face the facts. We all can't afford to shell out $50.00 for that Naked 2 Eyeshadow Palette, or $20-$30 on a MAC eyeshadow brush. Although they are nice treats to work towards, for those of us who use makeup on a day to day basis, it just isn't feasible. We all know that you get what you pay for, but what if I could tell you there are products out there that have great payoff on your face, and are kinder to your wallet than those large beauty brands found at your local Ulta or Sephora?

With today's economy failing, and gas prices rising even before we can blink, it's important to explore your options. Drugstore makeup can offer a great color payoff, and save a few of those extra dollars to put towards your tank, but there are other alternatives for shopping if you're willing to wait a few days. The following is a short sample list of products that can be found at your local drugstores (NYX can be found at Ulta if it is not sold in your drugstore.) that offer great color payoff and longevity, and the comparison price from my favorite discounted makeup website:

(BeautyJoint refers to the website, www.beautyjoint.com.)

NYX Round Lipstick 
Retail: $4.00
BeautyJoint: $2.50

NYX Single Eye Shadows
Retail: $5.00
BeautyJoint: $4.75

NYX Fly With Me Mascara
Retail: $12.00
BeautyJoint: $11.50

Milani Color Perfect Lipstick
Retail: $5.49
BeautyJoint: $3.99

Milani Runway Eye Shadows
Retail: $6.99
BeautyJoint: $4.99

Milani Distinct Lash Mascara
Retail: $6.99
BeautyJoint: $6.25

Those are just a few comparisons, out of many, from one website. A simple Google search can bring up loads of websites for discounted makeup. All it takes is a bit of research and you'll be saving money on your favorite products in no time.

Welcome

First off, I just want to say thanks to everyone viewing this blog. It means so much to me that you all would take time out of your busy lives to hear whatever it is I have to say. Hopefully, with time, you'll gain as much knowledge about the makeup universe as I have. As I record and edit a batch of videos for my up and coming YouTube channel, I figured it was time to start a blog to introduce myself and give a bit of background.

I began my journey with makeup at a young age. By sixth grade the popular thing to do was white eyeliner with glitter over the top. I look back now and think, "What the hell was I thinking?". I'll chalk it up to the fact that I was young and really didn't know much about makeup. After my parents divorce two years prior, my dad eventually ended up with custody, so learning makeup application became something I would have to figure out on my own. By high school the only bits of makeup I owned were different drugstore eye shadows, a black eyeliner pencil, mascara, and some lip gloss. I didn't want to go to school with full on foundation, because I assumed it was only for special occasions.

After high school my makeup collection grew slightly. I added foundation eventually, got some powder, blush, and a slew of other basic items. My application was simple, never really playing with much color. It wasn't until I was 22 did I actually start taking an interest in makeup. I came across a slew of videos online about various makeup applications, including some more theatrical work. The people made it look so easy, and that very same day I purchased a large eye shadow palette, some gel liner, and a bronzer. Besides the eye shadow, these items were something I never used, nor did I have a clue how. In addition to makeup, I also began to work on various nail art; painting things from flowers, to cupcakes, to Christmas lights on my nails.

Fast forward to now, almost 3 years later and my obsession has grown into something some would probably deem insane, should they ever come across my collection. Over the three years I have practiced many different techniques, purchased various products to test, as well as worked on the faces of others to refine my skill. Yet, the fun is still not over. Every day there are new products coming out, as well as being created. The world of makeup is growing, thanks in large part to the online community. We've gone from using our fingers, to having a multitude of brushes for every detail. We've gone from painting our nails different colors, to stickers with intricate designs that only need some filing and a top coat. Beauty has evolved, and in this blog I intend to show how, as well as dive into some of the more traditional techniques from our history.

Enjoy.