How to apply false eyelashes

Before adding fake lashes

Looking to spruce up your eyes and make your eyeshadow application pop? Well, this is a great solution for daytime or nighttime, just make sure you don't choose lashes that are too dramatic. A good way to tone down any pair of lashes you buy is to cut them in half and only apply one half of the lashes to the outer corner of your eyes. This will drastically reduce strain on your eyes and make them very wearable, and you don't risk looking like a clown (it also reduces your cost because you can turn each eyelash set into two separate sets).

One false eyelash cut in half can be worn on both eyes

First, do your eye makeup application in full, including your eyeliners, a cats eye look is great with false lashes because the winged tip of the eye liner masks the seam of the false lashes. Make sure your hands are washed and disinfected thoroughly before you attempt to place false eyelashes on because you don't want to get any nasty bacterial infection or allergic reaction. 

Then, you want to use a medical-grade lash adhesive such a Duo, I personally prefer the white formula which dries clear because it masks any mistakes you may accidentally make. Place a small dollop on the back of your hand after your thorough cleaning. Then, working relatively quickly before the glue dries (but don't worry, you have a good minute or more), run the backing of the eyelashes through the glue and let them sit for 15-30 seconds while the glue becomes tacky. 

Fake lash application

When placing the lashes, try to get them as close to your natural lash line as possible but do not, under any circumstance, place them over top of your actual lashes. Getting the glue in your eye can be painful and you want to avoid this. If you have a thicker eyeliner application, it makes putting your lashes on much easier because there will not be any skin-colored gaps between your lashes and the fake ones. If you are using a full-sized fake eyelash, you want to begin placing it down from the inner corner of your eye, and then tack on the outer corner, pressing down on the middle only after you have secured the ends. But if you are using my method of cutting your fake eyelashes down, then you will want to start at the outer corner and tack the end on where you feel it will look nicest (probably where your liner starts to wing out).

You can see from the finished picture that using only half of the eyelashes and turning them inside out (so that the shortest hairs go over top of your lid and the longer ones go to the outer portion of the eye) makes for a subtle, beautiful and feminine look. They look like an extension of your own eyelashes. You can finish off the look by adding black mascara to combine your own eyelashes with the fake ones for even more of a seamless look.

Completed half-lash application

Water-Marbled Nails

Finished design from this tutorial

Do you want to achieve salon-grade manicures at home with interesting designs but you're not very artistic? Well, I have the solution for you. Don't bother spending your money on magnetic nail polishes or nail polish strips, you can learn to do this right at home without having to go out and purchase anything.

Tools for this project

What you'll need:

• Q-tips
• Toothpicks
• Nail polish colors (at least 2, must not be fast-drying)
• Top-coat (can be fast-drying)
• Nail polish remover 
• Nails (real or fake will do)
• Tape (any kind really)
• A disposable cup
• Room temperature water
• Paper towels

You will want to prep your nails before you do anything else and make sure they are well cleaned, and apply a coat of nude colored nail polish so that the variation in color in your own nails does not affect the water-design and show through. Then you will want to set up your work space by placing down a paper towel to cover the table you're working on so you don't get it all dirty. Fill your disposable cup about three quarters of the way up with room temperature water (you can use filtered or tap water, some people say filtered water is better because there will be less bubbles in it). It is important that you use room temperature water because hot water will cause the polish to spread too fast and cold water won't let it spread enough. Place tape around your nail and on your fingertips so that you don't get your fingers all messy and have to go back with tons of acetone to clean them off. This step is a definite time-saver, although it may not seem so at the beginning.

Open your nail polishes up because time is of the essence when you are doing this, this doesn't mean rush, be meticulous but quick. Carefully place a drop of nail polish in the water and then place the next color inside the middle of the previous color. Do this over and over until you have your desired bulls-eye of colors.

Then use your toothpick to swirl the polish or drag it in and out to create a pattern. My personal favorite is starting from the second line and dragging it into the middle, but make sure you do not pull up, push the toothpick into the middle so that the nail polish does not separate. Wipe your toothpick clean after each swipe with the toothpick because the colors will stay on it and affect your design in a not-so-pretty way when you place it back in.

Place your fingernail down into the water wherever you think the design looks nicest. You can even put all of your fingers in at once if you want a random-looking swirl on each finger. Do not lift your fingers out of the water immediately. You will want to leave your fingers in the water and wait about 30 seconds until you take a q-tip and clean out the excess polish in the water (around your fingers). This will clear away any potential polish like a thin skin so that it does not affect your beautifully designed nails. Then you can lift up your nails. Wait a little while for them to dry and then remove the tape from around your fingers carefully so that you do not smudge anything. Use a q-tip dabbed in nail polish remover to clean up the sides of your nails and your cuticles of any nail polish. Repeat this process with all of your nails.

Before removing the tape

After removing the tape

Apply a topcoat as the final step to stabilize your design and make it glossy and this will also help to get rid of any excess water bubbles floating on the surface of your nail. You can make all kinds of designs with this technique, I only experimented with two nails so far but I've seen some beautiful designs on Google!

How to make your own feather earrings

Since feathers are all the rage in style and accessories of all sort, including hair extensions, scarves, and jewelry, I have come up with a way for you to incorporate them easily in your jewelry making. This is a very inexpensive project for those of you who are into the bohemian chic look of recent fashion.

Supplies you'll need:

• ear hooks for making earrings - from your local craft or bead store or online
• craft feathers - from your local craft store or they can be bought cheap online
• bendable wire (preferably something you can mold but that won't come apart later)
• charms, chain or anything else you wish to attach to your feather earrings
• flat-nosed pliers
• wire cutters

What you first want to do is pick out the feathers that you would like to use, whether it be just one pair or multiple kinds of feathers. You can use various sizes and shapes depending on what your personal style is or what you think would look cutest. Trim the stem of the feather so that there is only a little bit left for you to wrap your wire around. After this you want to wrap your bendable wire around the top part of the feather multiple times. Form a loop on the end of it that is going to be attached to the ear hooks and make sure you cut and tuck the end into the rest of the wire and press it together so that it doesn't stick out (cut using your wire cutters and press the wire together with your flat-nosed pliers). The wire can be in any color you choose and you can trim it after you are finished.

Open the loop of the earring hook and place the loop extending from the feather inside the open loop. Here is your chance to further customize your earrings by adding any embellishments you would like to the earring hook. Then when you are finished adding baubles, close the loop of the earring hook securely with your flat nosed pliers to let your feather dangle freely.

Scar Therapy Reviews - Getting rid of your scars as inexpensively as possible

This post is for all of you ladies and gents who have unsightly scar tissue that is irking you to no end. I have thoroughly reviewed and tested many products on myself and can tell you from personal experience which products do work as claimed or surprisingly well, and which products are complete duds. Having experienced major surgery that has left significant scarring down my entire abdomen, I have spent literally years trying to find the product that will get rid of pitting scars, raised scars, hypertrophic scars (slightly more mild than keloid scars) and that reduces the reddish pigmentation of said scar. I'm also highly prone to burning myself on a curling iron or in the oven while I'm cooking, so I find it absolutely necessary to have a good product in the house that protects against scars forming and helps them heal. I have not had personal experience with acne scarring but I do know quite a few individuals who have been affected by this problem and, I believe, these same treatments will work for you.

Product: Marigold (Calendula) Cream

The Theory: For many centuries, various cultures have been using this flower for its medical properties.This cream is derived from a type of marigold flower and is supposed to have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anti-viral potency. It is theorized to help heal acne scars, skin diseases and scars all over the body. These flowers are high in flavinoids which are substances which protect against free radicals that cause damage to your cells and kill them.
Actual Results: Actual human testing results only indicate that it may be useful as a preventative ointment to damage against radiation and inflammation and possibly help to heal minor wounds from first degree burns.It is mostly beneficial as a moisturizer to skin soften up if you have dry skin. I have personally used this cream but it did not do anything to my hypertrophic, red scar tissue. I suggest using it in the winter-time to moisturize your skin because it goes on pretty thickly and provides good coverage for unscarred skin, if you can stand the potent smell.
Retail Cost: around $10 and can be found here
Overall Scar Reducing Rating: 1.5/5

Product: Bio-Oil

The Theory: Bio-Oil is marketed as a mixture of vitamins (A and E) and plant extracts (from calendula, lavender, rosemary and chamomile) with a patented PurCellin Oil ingredient that is supposed to open up your pores and easily inject the beneficial ingredients inside your skin. If applied in a circular motion on the area of scarring twice daily for 3 months, it claims to improve your skin's appearance.
Actual Results: The formula is extremely oily (albeit it does get absorbed faster than actual oil) and apparently does soften stretch marks, but there are no reports about color changes, or actual improvement on larger scars. I used it for months, applying it generously, and did not see improvement in my scar. I'm not sure about its claims to improve skin elasticity either, because there is no ingredient in the formulation that would increase the collagen's elasticity. It has a pleasant smell but it is too fragrant for my tastes, and would probably be very annoying to put on your face for acne scarring. It is also made with many unnecessary chemicals to achieve its fragrance and dyes to achieve that orange coloration.
Retail Cost: approximately $10 and can be found here
Overall Scar Reducing Rating: 1/5

Product: Contractubex gel

The Theory: This product out of Germany's independent pharmaceutical company, MerzPharma, claims that it can treat stiff scars that impair skin's movement which are old or new.  It is believed to exert its positive influence over scars which were caused by physical accidents, operations, acne, or burns (basically any type of scar). The intended usage of this treatment is two to three times a day for as many months as necessary. One of the active ingredients is cepae extract from onions which is anti-inflammatory and kills  bacteria, allowing for a healthy reduction in swelling. Another ingredient is heparin which loosens the tissue, causing your scar to soften and helping water bind to hydrate and moisturize the area. Allantoin, the final active ingredient, promotes healing and soothes the area by promoting circulation/blood flow. The claims are that the ingredients will enhance and complement each other's functions and the base of the gel will allow the active components enter the scar, while creating a film over top of the scar that protects it from further damage.
Actual Results: This product was an absolute god-send for me and helped restore my confidence completely. I saw results within a few weeks and was not even diligent about applying it two times a day, I put it on as often as I remembered to. The scar tissue broke down and started to be a lot more elastic, some of my nerve endings regained function because I could feel the skin when I touched it, before I was incapable of feeling anything over the scar because it was so stiff. My raised scar tissue flattened out after months of usage, and the color of my scar faded to the exact color of my skin. I was absolutely delighted with this product, even though at the time I had to order it from Germany and it cost me $100 per bottle. It was worth every penny. Now you can get it much more readily in North America, and I urge you to use it for all your scars, they truly don't lie about the formulation and how the ingredients work. Unfortunately, the only draw-back is that it did not raise the pitted portions of my scar, but these don't bother me nearly as much as the hypertrophic, raised and colored portions of the scar. This cream achieved what skin grafts and plastic surgery don't often achieve for a fraction of the cost and no pain, and for that I am extremely grateful. For those of you who suffer from acne, I suggest giving this cream a try because it will reduce the overall lumpiness of your skin and the coloration, but you will probably need to find a product with collagen in it in order to raise your pitted scars.
Retail Cost: around $30 and can be found on eBay (no longer available on Amazon).
Overall Scar Reducing Rating: 4.5/5

Product: Vitamin E oil

The Theory: For many years, vitamin E oil has been used as a cure-all for skin diseases because it is an antioxidant that reduces the formation of free radicals that stop your skin from healing. Vitamin E is also thought to cause the production of collagen.
Actual Results: There is no proof that vitamin E oil has any protective effects on the skin from upcoming scarring. Also, there is no evidence to suggest that it would improve the way a scar looks or feels, and it has a high chance of causing allergic rashes on the skin. The oil feels very unpleasant on the skin and does not seep into the skin very easily. Vitamin E does have some beneficial properties so it may help in softening the skin and even raising pitted scars, but you first must make sure that you are not allergic to it and that it does not have detrimental effects on your skin. Like all other things, you will not see results quickly, but it may help break up your scar tissue but not necessarily improve the cosmetic appearance of your scar. I personally did not see any improvement in my large scar in appearance, texture, or stiffness from using this product.
Retail Cost: approximately $10 and can be found here 
Overall Scar Reducing Rating: 2/5

Product: Mederma

The Theory: Made by the same company who makes Contratubex, MerzPharma, Mederma makes a very similar product with a slightly different onion extract, named allium cepa, as the active ingredient as well as allantoin. However, this formulation is missing the active ingredient Contractubex also has, called heparin, and instead contains aloe leaf juice. MerzPharma claims that this topical formulation's gel based on an onion extract is going to make your scars softer, smoother, and improve their appearance.

Actual Results: Overall research shows that this product does not live up to its predecessor, Contractubex, because people have found it to actually be less effective than plain old petroleum jelly. There is no significant change in the appearance or smoothness of hypertrophic scars but it may overall improve the appearance of stretch marks. I was very disappointed in this product personally because I had expected it to be just as great, if not better (since it came out years after Contractubex), than anything I've tried before. Unfortunately, it does not live up to its hype and is very expensive for how little it actually does for your skin. The smell is also very unpleasant because it is a combination of what smells to me like expired onions and perfume over top to mask it.

Retail Cost: around $30 and can be found here

Overall Scar Reducing Rating: 2/5

Product: Scarguard MD

The Theory: Scarguard MD's claim to fame is from the 5 active ingredients which come from various schools of treatment that work together to reduce your scar's appearance, stiffness, and size. This product uses silicone, which is used by plastic surgeons to get rid of scars, to shrink scar tissue and stop the creation of new scar tissue. Also, this product uses cortisone to reduce inflammation and irritation and allow the healing process to go on. It also has an infusion of vitamin E for softening and moisturizing the skin. The product itself creates a layer over top of your skin of protective film which increases the surface tension and circulation to the scar.This type of covering is waterproof and protects the scar tissue from any external factors that may promote its further scarification. Scarguard is supposed to encourage the body to produce the natural enzyme collagenase which stops the body from continuing to scar in that area.
Actual Results: I recently came across this product after I burned myself and ran to the grocery store for a solution, I picked up this product because of the ingredients inside and found myself pleasantly surprised. After a week or two, my ugly burn almost disappeared, and with me that is very unlikely to happen naturally because I've had a burn in a very similar place on my hand that took a year to look semi-normal again. I have not seriously attempted to use this product on a large scar yet, but it does not change the color of a scar or pitted scars, it merely lowers a raised scar or stops a scar from forming. This company does have a product called Scarlight MD which claims it will lighten any of your darker scars over time. I am happy with this product because it does what it says it's going to do.
Retail Cost: around $30 and can be found here
Overall Scar Reducing Rating: 4/5

In conclusion, all of these treatments require time and patience, scars are formed slowly but they must also be treated very slowly and in a diligent manner. No matter what you do, you will not see results over night. I don't suggest going to get scar revision surgery from a plastic surgeon unless you know for sure that you will not scar afterwards. If you are prone to developing scars from injuries, the likelihood is high that you will develop scars from any procedure a plastic surgeon can provide you because the majority of our skin's healing properties and elasticity comes from our genetics.The reality of the situation is that you may have to use many products over years to get various different effects on the same scar. You will never find a product that raises a scar, flattens a scar, discolors a scar, and shrinks a scar all in one. You may have to do your research and take a few test runs until you find what works best for your situation. I think I've covered a good amount of options for you and I am not affiliated with any of these companies so I give you my truthful and honest opinion.

Good luck and post if you have any better suggestions for treatments.

DIY: Make your own glitter nail polish!

This is a very interesting idea and you can either make these for yourself if you're tired of the same old boring nail polish colors that you see at the store or aren't willing to pay a lot of money for new shades. You can either give these as stocking stuffers or gifts to your friends and family.

You can make your own glitter nail polish very simply and the tools you will need are as follows:

• inexpensive topcoat or nail polish in any color
• nail glitter or crushed makeup pigment/mineral eyeshadow
• funnel (or a makeshift funnel made out of paper)

First you will want to take your selected nail-polish or topcoat (choose a topcoat if you want the glitter to be on a clear background) and shake it up so that it is homogenized. Then you should choose which colors of glitter you want to use, they can be chunky glitter or fine mineral pigments and they can even be both. What you choose should reflect your personal style and you can achieve infinite amounts of different looks with this technique. Then you will want to funnel your chosen glitter, one at a time, into your nail polish bottle. Finally, all you need to do is shake your bottle and make sure you get the glitter evenly distributed throughout. This is a great way to make inexpensive nail polish colors from the 99 cent drugstore brands (like Wet 'n Wild).

As a tip for application, if you want to achieve a gradient effect, so that the tips of your fingers look as though they were dipped in fairy-dust, apply your first coat of transparent glitter nail polish starting a quarter of the way down your nails (if your cuticles are the uppermost, as in the picture above). Then apply the second coat only on the bottom half, and finally the last coat (or as many as you need for the desired effect) only on the bottom quarter

"The Doctors" - Variety Show Review

For years now, I have been bombarded with strange tidbits of information regarding the daytime show "The Doctors" which airs all over North America on CBS. This show is a monster-baby of the long-running, recently ended "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "Dr. Phil". I caved after many years of avoidance, and due to utter lack of willpower to find the remote and change the channel, and watched my very first episode today in its entirety.

The main host seems to be Dr. Travis Stork, who is a bootleg version of a Brad Pitt-esque leading man. There are numerous other co-hosts, I think I counted up to five of them, each of which has a different 'specialty'. One is a plastic surgeon, who obviously thinks that the solution to every problem is going under the knife for one of supposedly "simple" procedures (of which they never explain the full spectrum of side-effects). Another doctor who seems to be the most genuine of the bunch is an OB-GYN who speaks in a more matter-of-fact way. On top of that they even have Jillian Michaels who is a fitness-guru, constantly sporting her spanx, as if she doesn't go anywhere in regular clothing. Now that I think about it, none of them ever seem to be wearing regular clothes, the doctors are usually wearing lab-coats or scrubs, except for the plastic surgeon who dresses like a mob boss. These so-called doctors are extremely hard to trust because of their appearance, they are so overly made-up that you cannot see a pore on their skin and they don't come across as having a shred of humanity. They are cold, concrete and downright seem like they don't care at all about the information they're dispelling or the people on the show. Also, can you trust a host who first came into notoriety through participating as a love interest on "The Bachelor" TV series? That's a rhetorical question because you can't.

This show has the makings of a reality soap-opera with a Gray's Anatomy fragmented plot. Basically each segment is a story about how one viewer or another has a medical issue and these doctors/hosts either defer to colleague or attempt to diagnose these very simple and obvious cases themselves. The majority of the information that is given on this show is extremely diluted for the audience and does not inform the public in a proper and intelligent way. Rather, after you've finished watching an episode you wonder if you've learned anything at all. You're definitely better off reading the Wikipedia article on a disease, or better yet, visit your doctor!

From the episode I watched, what I retained as information was that if you're unhappy with the way your face is sagging you should have plastic surgery, albeit you may even want to consider not even going under for the procedure (that's a disgusting thought, isn't it?). I also learned that if you have cankles, where there is no clear definition between your calf and your ankle, you should have liposuction to remove it or make your calf muscles bigger by bouncing up and down with really heavy dumbbells. What kind of advice is this? Am I dreaming? How can they actually be advising people to have plastic surgery when they haven't explored any other options? Why not focus on diet, water retention and sodium intake, why not focus on skin-care through natural means? This show exhibits little to no common sense.

Even if there's any shred of truth in this show, it is counter-balanced by the absolute recklessness of advising an entire demographic of what I assume to be mostly stay-at-home moms that they can be better looking and healthier through very little actual inconvenience by performing surgeries. Now I know a thing or two about surgeries, and if there's one piece of advice I can impart on my appreciated fellow readers, it is not to take any surgery lightly. The risks of secondary infection, scarring, drug addiction and a myriad of other factors are so large that I can assure you, you are much better off trying to diet and control your insignificant aesthetic problems naturally. Nobody needs a panel of uppity doctors to yell at them through the TV screen with sob-stories of people who have let their problems go on too long without ever visiting a real doctor. This show is one paternity test away from being Jerry Springer or The Maury Show.

Getting Thicker and Fuller Eyelashes

As we age, we inevitably lose a lot of our youthful allure, and along with this comes the thinning out of eyelashes. In a society that covets beauty and eyelashes that touch the sky, most women are highly concerned with keeping the drapes of your eyes beautiful. Eyelash loss can occur from aging because your lashes will shorten and wear at the ends and grow more sparsely, appearing thinner. Some people have allergic reactions or trichotrillomania where they inadvertently pull out their eyelashes because it feels good to them. Allergic reactions can be to various chemicals in the makeup you're wearing (specifically in mascara, eye pencils and eye shadows). One way to avoid makeup reactions is that Sometimes we have to be conscious of the fact that even the creams and cleansers we are using to keep ourselves looking 'young' may be causing hair loss due to allergy. Certain medical conditions, such as the reaction to chemotherapy for cancer treatment, alopecia (systemic hair loss due to autoimmune condition whereby the immune system attacks the host) and hypothyroidism can result in losing your eyelashes and all over the body.

Obviously if you are playing with your eyelashes, try to keep that down to a minimum or do not touch your eyes at all, if it can be helped. If there are products that you suspect are inhibiting the growth of your lashes, stop from using them. Make sure to stop using your mascara after every 3 months, replace it immediately. If you use the same exact one every day, you will probably want to replace it every month even if the bottle is not finished because there are contaminants on the brush and you don't want to be passing bacteria. You never, ever want to share your makeup with anybody under any conditions because eye infections and other diseases are highly transferable this way. If you suspect that you have a serious medical condition and that is why your eyelashes are falling out, make sure you visit your doctor and do a thorough investigation.

How to fake longer lashes

There are some beauty tips and tricks to use if you quickly want your lashes to look longer and fuller. Make sure you use a lengthening mascara with false fibers and volume that will add to what you naturally have. Apply your eye liner very close to the base of your lashes to give the appearance of fullness and to frame your eyes. You could place false lashes on your eyes if you feel comfortable with it, and if not, you can visit a cosmetologist to do it for you.

What can you do aside from wearing false eyelashes on a daily basis or tons of coats of mascara? These options are much more difficult and unnatural-looking than just having naturally beautiful eyelashes. So let's review the options for how to grow our own eyelashes more plentifully.

Natural remedies
First you may want to try applying Vaseline on your lash line while you're sleeping as the petroleum jelly may promote moisture in the environment and increase lash growth. Olive oil and vitamin E oil can have the same effect, just make sure you don't get it into your eye during application. Remember to remove anything you apply to your eyelashes at night during the morning before you apply your makeup. Brushing your lashes with a designated lash comb can improve circulation and promote hair growth, so do this as often as possible if you know that you do not have a rash or skin problem. Improving what you eat  and your overall nutrition can affect your body's vitamin balance which will promote hair growth. A deficiency can lead to thinning of hair all over your body and not just your lashes.