Braid Waves
- Start with damp hair; this is important for helping the waves set properly. I prefer to dampen the bottom two thirds of my hair using a squirt bottle, leaving my roots dry.
- Run a heat protecting serum (I like to use Redken Smooth Lock Heat Glide) throughout the bottom two-thirds of hair and then brush through hair to distribute the product and to remove any knots in the hair—it’s important to have smooth, tangle-free hair when braiding.
- Section hair into 5-10 big sections and braid each into a loose braid. Keep in mind that the smaller the braid, the tighter the waves and the larger the braid, the looser the wave. It’s also important to continue to spritz hair as the untouched sections dry; to create consistent results throughout, each braid needs to be equally damp when initially braided. Also, if you braid from the tip of the root to the very end of the hair you will have a more texture than if you start each braid a few inches from the roots. Because braids start to become smaller as you move down the shaft, I like to stop braiding a few inches before I get to the end of the strands—this allows them to dry with their own natural wave instead of becoming extremely kinky (which is the result of a super small braid). Because hair is its most fragile when wet, it’s important to be gentle when braiding to avoid breakage.
- Once all sections of hair have been braided, use a blow dryer to add heat to the braids until they are completely dry—removing the braids before they are 100 percent dry will change the results of the waves, leaving them with less hold.
- For extra staying power, run a flatiron over each braid. Let the braids set while you continue your morning routine—finish you makeup, eat breakfast, get dressed, check your email—giving the braids a chance to cool completely.
- Once braids have cooled, begin to carefully undo each one. Do not brush or comb through waves—this will cause them to deconstruct. Finally, Spritz hair with a light hold hairspray (like Kenra Platinum Working Spray 14).
Natural and Quick Beauty Remedies
If you’re looking to save money and are tired of expensive beauty products or if you just need a quick and immediate fix and would rather use natural ingredients, the following tips will help you out. Tackle these common (but still irritating) issues with these natural remedies:
1. Teeth whitener
Do you wish you could keep that fresh-from-the-dentist look all the way until your next cleaning? You really can with this inexpensive and easy natural solution. Forget all those strips, gels and goo. All you need is dental floss and baking soda. Only do this once a month. It’s very hard on the enamel, but a very effective natural whitener. Here’s what to do:
Brush and rinse as usual. Rub baking soda between your top teeth. Use the dental floss to create a mini sander between your teeth – be sure to get into the gum line a bit. Rub the baking soda on the flats of your teeth. Do the same on the bottom. Brush your teeth and rinse again. Shade your eyes and smile!
2. Face mask
If you are all dried out from the cold, dry heat of winter, try this incredible natural mask. It is formulated not to cause problems with any other current conventional face-wash products to help the dryness caused by these products.
1/2 cup powdered oats (powder in a blender)
2 tbsp honey
1 squished gel-cap of vitamin E
1 teaspoon sunflower, or any other liquid oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract DON’T use if your skin is irritatedAdd water to make a paste. Warm skin and open pores with warm compresses. Apply mixture to skin and leave on for 10 minutes or more. Rinse. Rub a tiny bit of liquid vegetable oil on normally dry areas.
3. Pimple Relief
If you have a big pimple, or even a little one, and you want it gone quickly, try this natural approach to aiding your body and healing the pimple.
Hot compress, 10 minutes. Cool compress 10 minutes.
Do another hot compress. If the pimple came to a head, gently (KEYWORD: GENTLY) push it out. If you tried and it didn’t come out, do one more hot compress, one more cold compress to take the swelling back down.If the pimple is way down: do the hot/cold again the next night.
If the pimple is near the surface: before you go to bed, mix a bit of baking soda with a little water to make a paste. Put a dab of that mixture on the pimple and put a band-aid on it to hold the baking soda on the pimple. It should be a lot better in the morning. The baking soda does two things, it absorbs some of the oil from the pimple and kills bacteria. Do the hot/cold compresses again the next night and it should pop right out. If not, do the baking soda again.
4. Blackheads gone
The easiest, and least expensive, way to get rid of blackheads is naturally. Try this non-toxic and natural approach to solving your blackhead problems. It works!
Use warm compresses to open the pores and soften the blackhead. Gently pop them out – they won’t scar. If they don’t pop out easily, do more compresses.
Wash well with natural soap. Wipe with witch hazel or lemon juice. Apply a cool compress to reduce redness.
5. Proper moisturizer
For a deep and penetrating moisturizer, try this natural approach that helps feed your cells and the results will last for days and days.
Use warm compresses to soften skin tissue and open your pores. Apply a good coating of any natural vegetable oil such as extra-virgin olive oil, sunflower oil or coconut oil. Re-heat your compress and lay it over your oiled skin for about 10 minutes. Wash with a natural soap and rinse. You will definitely see and feel the difference that natural makes for your skin.
6. Cuticle health
1/2 tablespoon cooking oil
natural soap
toothpickRemove nail polish. Wash hands in warm water with natural soap to clean and soften you cuticles. Dry hands. Rub a small amount of cooking oil on each fingernail. Be sure to get oil all around your fingernails. Use a toothpick to clean under your nails. Wash your hands again in warm water with a a natural soap. Use a toothpick to rub the cuticle all around each fingernail. Enjoy your perfect cuticles!
7. Exfoliant and Natural Dermabrasion
There are two methods for dermabrasion, chemical and mechanical. Chemical dermabrasion damage the top layers of skin, causing the skin to peel off with a course lubricant. Mechanical dermabrasion simply removes the dead layers of skin with a course lubricant. You should consider choosing only mechanical methods of dermabrasion which don’t damage the skin but will bring out a natural healthy glow. You can add whatever you want to this basic recipe. Powdered flowers, oats, bananas, essential oils or herbs. Feel free to be creative and use what you enjoy.
Basic Dermabrasion
1 tablespoon baking soda
warm water to moisten skinWet skin. Using hands or a wash cloth, rub baking soda gently on your skin. The baking soda kills germs and removes oils and dead skin cells. Rinse.
8. ‘Girl area’ bump reducer
Bumps in this area are caused by the hairs being cut off below the surface of the skin. Conventional body care products add irritation because these chemicals are too strong and can cause symptoms of contact dermatitis such as swelling the cells around the freshly shaved hair. Choose to use a new razor, a natural soap without ingredients you can’t pronounce and follow with a witch hazel wipe to kill bacteria and reduce swelling of the tissue caused by irritation from shaving.
9. Pimple treatment
Use this quick fix only as needed. When you do get a pimple, you should let it heal on its own. However, there are times when you need the pimple gone now. This solution will help make it go away in a day or two.
Ingredients:
Baking soda
Honey (preferred)
Lemon juiceAfter you wash your face at night, apply a bit of baking soda wet with water, honey (preferred) or lemon juice to the pimple in a tiny paste, enough to cover the pimple. Pop a little band-aid on top. In the morning, it should be a lot less noticeable or even gone. If it swelled up worse, wash your face then use an ice cube to reduce the swelling. Do the treatment at night until the pimple is gone, only one or two nights. Keep that area clean with witch hazel.
10. Relaxing bath blend
I love long, hot, relaxing baths. Here are a few things you can throw in your tub to make a bath an experience that’s a whole lot more relaxing than a tub of plain water.
1 cup powdered oats
2 cups Dead Sea salt
1 cup Epsom salt
3 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons vegetable oil such as extra-virgin olive oil, sunflower oil or coconut oil.Add to your hot bath water. Climb in with a book or magazine and enjoy!
Source: http://voices.yahoo.com
SlytherInna’s Nest on @weheartit.com - http://whrt.it/V0CezZ
What habits do you have that are making your skin age faster than usual? Be careful what you put in your body, because it could have negative long term effects!
1. Smoking- This is one of the strongest ways for you to age your skin. It’s very hard to quit… but you can do it if you are willing and dedicated! The carcinogens in the tobacco is affecting not just your organs, but the skin on your face!
2. Not wearing SPF- Sun damage can really age your skin. Whether you have dark skin, light skin, or medium skin, wearing sunscreen is a must. Believe me, you’ll still get tan!
3. Super Sugary Diet- A diet high in sugar can largely affect your complexion. So moderate the amount of sweets you take in your body, and you’ll notice your skin clear up in no time.
4. Chewing gum- the constant motion of chewing your gum can cause face wrinkles and just sore jaw. So moderate the amount of gum you chew!
5. Sleeping Positions- The way you sleep is important for all over beauty. Sleeping on your back is the recommended way to avoid face wrinkles and reduce swelling in your face.
6. Not Wearing Sunglasses- when you don’t wear sunglasses notice your face wrinkle up around the eyes to protect your pupils from the sunlight. Wearing sunglasses not only looks chic but prevents wrinkles.
7. Too Much Stress- When your stressed your immune system weakens and you are more prone to cardiovascular diseases and conditions. So take a deep breath and let it go…
Sending love your way my beautiful friends! Let’s treat our insides with care and I guarantee you will see your outer beauty radiate!
Since it’s my birthday tomorrow, (woo!) I really wanted to post this. Everyone has the right to look and feel amazing on their birthday, even if you end up eating chips on your bedroom floor while wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt. But, what if you’re having a party? A lot of people want to stand…
Hello,
And happy Sunday. This is for women who do not like wearing makeup or for those who do not know where to start. Just some simple outlines on how to make yourself look fresh on a daily basis with minimal makeup.
Wear BB cream
Blemish balm, wear it lightly to hide any imperfection that…
This is from one of my favourite sites The Beauty Department (<—Click to see the whole article). I thought this was a great breakdown of what different curling irons can do. Same pretty much goes for curling wands of the same size.
Simplicity is beauty..
If you feel like a day without foundation or any make up on but still want to look glamorous yet natural?
APPLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF CHICK TINT ON YOUR CHICK BONES AND LIL ON YOUR LIPS. (Spread it evenly) THEN CURL YOUR LASHES (up to you wether you want to put a lil bit of mascara) LAST APPLY A LIPGLOSS (Just the natural one w/o color)
I am a strong advocate of embracing the beautiful body that we were blessed with in this world. That is not to say that I get self-conscious sometimes when I start obsessing about a particular feature that is giving me trouble.
No need to get plastic surgery, no need to change what you have, but there are ways you can easily apply makeup to enhance your features.
If you are concerned about the shape of your nose, there is this nifty little step-by-step guide to sculpting your nose into the shape you want! Just follow the steps and use the makeup you have. I guarantee you will be satisfied and self-conscious free!
beauty tip number sixty-seven
A great way to depuff in the morning: Wash your face with very warm water (not too hot) and then slash with very cold water. This will stimulate blood flow and reduce puffing.
(Source: occasionallyjane)
