Dabbling Divas

Archive for the ‘Beauty’ Category

Is winter taking a toll on your skin?  Here are five great tips to keep your face looking fabulous and your skin soft or restore it from the winter blues.

1. Don’t use astringents, like Seabreeze, during the dry winter months as they can remove the natural oil from your skin it needs this time of year.  Use a mild foaming cleanser instead.
2. No super hot showers or bathes!  I know it’s tempting when it so cold out to want to get super toasty warm but it can do more damage to your already dry skin.  Lower the temperature of your bath and add some oatmeal or Alveno for happier skin.
3. Don’t forget the sunscreen.   In the cold weather sometimes we forget that our skin still needs protection especially your face.
4. Think body butter when in doubt of what to use on your skin.    This seems to be the most full proof without have to read all the labels to make sure there isn’t anything that would dry out your skin more.
5. Keep your feet soft, silky and ready for warmer days by applying petroleum jelly to them and wearing a nice think pair of socks for a couple of hours now and then.

Don’t fear warmer days are near!

1. Never push back dry cuticles. Pushing back dry cuticles can crack polish at the base, which leads to chipping your polish.  You don’t want any cuticle skin on the nail’s surface (it can interfere with your base coat) — so loosen ragged edges by rubbing in a softening cream. Then gently cuticles back with an orangewood stick.

2. Don’t soak your fingertips. When you soak your nails, they absorb water, which temporarily puffs them up — but they go back to their normal shape when the water evaporates. This expansion and contraction causes chipping, peeling, and cracking of polish.

3. Get the surface clean, clean, clean. Any traces of moisture, dust, or leftover enamel will get in the way of new-polish adhesion.  Use a nail brush or an old toothbrush to clean hard to reach areas of the nail.  Then wipe your nails with an acetone polish remover to temporarily dehydrate your nail.

4. Shape up. To maximize nail strength, tips should be rounded and corners left somewhat square. Filing is healthier than clipping, because clippling can crack the nail. Use a fine-grit nail file and file in one direction.

5. Apply a base coat. A base coat sticks to nails better than polish does.Try Avon’s Smooth Beginnings Base Coat.  It instantly smoothes and evens out ridges.

6. Once polish is on, seal it with a slow-setting topcoat. Quick-dry polish evaporates too fast and leaves polish soft and prone to denting. Avon’s UV Gloss Guard Top Coat prevents nail enamel from yellowing and fading.

7. Polish should be applied in three narrow, even strokes — one down the center and one down each side — and then be allowed to dry for two minutes before a second coat is applied. The thicker the layer is, the more difficult it is for the solvent — the liquid agent in enamel — to evaporate, boosting the chances that polish will peel.

8. Practice good maintenance.  Every other day, apply a layer of quick-dry topcoat  to form a protective shield and increase shine.

9. Moisturize your polish. The more your enamel dries out, the greater the likelihood that it will separate from your nail. Since topcoats don’t seal in hydration, apply oil to nails and cuticles before bedtime, and slather on a thick hand cream twice a day.

Questions or comments? Join our discussion on our message board.

Doesn’t it drive you mad when your kids get gum in their hair!?  Yesterday I was watching a show where they took several “tips” on how to remove gum from hair.  We had the old school ice cubes, nah didn’t work and people werent too peachy about using it.  Then came the peanut butter, which worked wonderfully and I have used that many of times and will use it again if needed.  However, the thing that worked the best and is preferred, was cooking oil!  Of course you have to let it sit for about 20 minutes or so, but that gum just slid right off.  So whatever your preference is, at least you know, you don’t have to freeze your fingers anymore with ice!