Cuticle Care | Tip Off Tuesday

This is a quick step to help keep your cuticles soft and pushed back.  Dry, cracking and over grown cuticles can be a problem year round but as the months get colder it gets harder to maintain pretty fingers.

When you step out of the shower your hands are softened from the steam.  Take this oppurtunity to gently push your cutlicles back when you dry off.  All you have to do is use your towel to quickly push them away from growing up the nail.  Add your moisturizer generously.  I make the most of my facial cream in this step, read my method here.

Tip Off Tuesday | Keep Your Skin Plump, Free Anti-Aging!

Collagen and Elastin play a large role in keeping our skin's youthful appearance.  Collagen gives our skin strength.  Collagen fibers bind and attract water to keep the skin hydrated.  Elastin gives our skin flexibility, it keeps it bouncing back and looking toned.

Aging decreases both collagen and elastin production causing skin to sag and wrinkles to form.  Proper skin care is crucial for the preservation of your facial appearance.  To keep that production up, stimulate the fibers often by massaging in your creams and giving brief pressure point massage (Shitasu) to the common areas of concern.

See the Shiatsu post for more information.  This is my favorite free anti-aging tip!

Hydrate Your Skin by Drinking Water | Tip Off Tuesday

Drink More Water by amariebeauty on Polyvore

One of the easiest and most overlooked ways to keep your skin hydrated is by drinking enough water.  By keeping your body system running optimally with plenty of water you do your skin a huge favor.  Great skin is about more than what you put on it, what goes in your body matters most.

When your body isn't getting enough water it pulls the hydration from every available source it can leaving your pretty skin dull, depleted and dehydrated. 

Drink up!

How to Lift Drooping Eyelids Using Makeup | Tip Off Tuesday

Drooping or low eyelids can be visually lifted using makeup to correct the look.  Obviously this is no miracle, we won't be picking up a scalpel or anything just using a little cosmetic correction technique. 

• Keep the under area of the outer brow tweezed to provide a better arch.
• Use eyeshadow to shade along the eyelid fold, blend and smudge outward.
• Place highlighter directly under and along the eyebrow arch.
• Eyeliner should be applied very thin and thickened slightly at the outside corner in a point to provide a lifted look.

The RIGHT eye pictured marked R has the eyebrows tweezed less and no highlighter added.
The LEFT eye pictured marked L was tweezed using the method described above and the highlighter was added along the arch.

In doing the outlined steps above you keep the attention from drawing downward and away from the lowering eyelid.

Highlighter on the arch of the brow is a nice way to showcase any eye type.  Keep those eyebrows looking precise and held in place using this DIY brow gel.

side note:  I realize my eyelids aren't exactly hanging low but you get the idea of how you can open and lift the space.

Make Nail Polish Last Longer | Tip Off Tuesday

Keep your favorite polish looking good longer.  Instead of shaking it before polishing your nails roll it between the palms of your hands for thirty seconds, give or take a few ;)  It mixes as evenly, creates less air bubbles and keeps the polish running smooth longer. 

Read more nail polish and manicure tips here.

Wet Eyeshadow Pulls Double Duty | Tip Off Tuesday

Any eyeshadow can double as an eyeliner by simply wetting a liner brush or q-tip before dipping it in the eyeshadow color then applying..

You can also apply the eyeshadow wet all over the eyelid for bolder, more intense color, turning your eyeshadow into a double duty product.  Win win.

DIY Lip Exfoliation & Lip Plumping Bonus | Tip Off Tuesday

 
To keep your lips looking lush you can purchase lip exfoliation sets or even get lip treatments at your salon but to smooth your lips at home all you need is a toothbrush and a great lip moisturizer for this DIY beauty routine.


Gently brush your lips in circular motion with a wet toothbrush, do this until the flakes have fallen off and the dry areas are smooth.  Next wipe clean and apply a good quality lip product to moisturize.
Bonus alert!  Lips appear fuller after lip exfoliation.  This DIY treatment pulls double duty as a problem solver and lip plumper.

How to Make Your Lip Color Last | Tip Off Tuesday

 

Powdering lips gives lip color or gloss something to cling to for longer, smoother wear.

Simply dust your lips with a little powder before applying the lip color or gloss.  Make sure your lips are well moisturized and not chapped or both the powder and the lip color will soak in. 

Remove Mascara Mistakes | Tip Off Tuesday

Use a "magic" eraser to remove mascara or eyeliner smears.  

Take a qtip and lightly coat it in foundation.  

Use it as you would a pencil eraser and clean up the smears without wrecking your finished makeup.

Shimmer Eyeshadow Settles in Fine Lines | Tip Off Tuesday

Eyeshadow that is shimmering, metallic or containing glitter tends to settle into fine lines and wrinkles. To avoid making lines more apparent use shimmer sparingly or not at all in delicate areas.  Instead opt for a little shimmer on your cheek bones or in your lip color.

3 Tips to Prevent Ingrown hairs | Tip Off Tuesday

  

This list of shaving tips to prevent and minimize ingrown hairs was designed with a man's beard in mind (and those unsightly and painful razor bumps) but these very same actions work well for women dealing with the same issue.     

• exfoliating brush or mitt, loosens hairs that are becoming ingrown and is the best prep before shaving
• cleanser with salicylic acid, helps keep dead skin cells from layering up on the skins surface allowing new growth to come in unblocked
• a shaving gel or cream that isn't just a foam, the foam based products can dry out and irritate your skin

Share this tip with a man who is need of some razor burn freedom and he will forever be grateful to you or stash the info for yourself or a friend to keep that bikini line looking smooth.

Bold Waterproof Eyeliner | Tip Off Tuesday

A good makeup look for the beach that will keep you looking polished is bold eyeliner.

Water makes it tough to keep a made up face but if you want to add a little flavor that will stay put do a bold thick stroke of eyeliner along the top eyelid.  Pair that with waterproof mascara.

This look adds personality to the beauty routine for the heat I published on Monday as part of the Summer Beauty Series.

How to Protect your Hair from Pool Water | A Free DIY

To protect your hair from all the chemicals in pool water and prevent swimmers hair try a do it yourself spray on hair protector.

If you get into the pool with dry hair your hair soaks up the water and chemical treatments in the pool.  Preventing that is simple.  Don't get in with dry hair.  Wet your hair with a spray made of 10 parts water to 1 part conditioner.  Having your hair already wet means the water doesn't absorb right in to your hair and the conditioner is an extra shield of protection.

This is great to stash for the kids near the pool or in the beach bag to go.

Read more posts from the Summer Beauty Series.  Later in the series we are making another DIY hair spray for summer.

Makeup Brush Care for the Summer | Tip Off Tuesday

I covered the topic of cleaning your makeup brushes and cosmetic bags earlier this year but with the temperatures getting hotter and the faces getting greaser I thought we would revisit the issue.  Trying to combat oil and shine is tougher in the summer so be diligent with keeping your brushes clean weekly to avoid makeup and oil build up which will only add to the dilemma.  Click the links below to read my original posts.


How to clean your makeup brushes.  Don't worry it's quick, cheap and easy!
Don't forget your makeup bag!  It can harbor bacteria.

Use Lip Balm with SPF | Tip Off Tuesday

If you are planning on spending some time in the sunshine don't forget to protect your lips from the UV rays. 

Have you ever had a lip burn?  It's not hot.  On my first trip to the beach I loaded up with my usual gloss and ended up with tight, bright, shiny and sore lips.  Mob wife style.  Save your self the drama and pick a lip balm with SPF for your summer fun.
 

 Summer Beauty is a series!  Read the intro here if you missed it yesterday. 

Absorbing Facial Oil On the Go | Tip Off Tuesday

You've probably heard of blotting papers.  Stash some in your bag as the temperatures get warmer to attempt to keep some makeup in place and avoid being as shiny as the sun.
Looking for a favorite check these out from NYX by clicking the link below.

 All out?  As a substitute use a paper towel, toilet paper or a tissue.  Just fold and press to blot the oil and
shine away.

Making a purchase through an affiliated link on Amarie Beauty helps support this blog and the featured products.

Hide Nail Polish Chips | Tip Off Tuesday

Hide polish chips in between color changes with this fun and easy trick.

 "Silver Glitter Nail Polish. Each week I change my base coat and tip it off with silver glitter. When the glitter chips, just add a little more. You can't tell they have been touched-up because of the texture. I hate nails that look touched-up." -Jen of Whitefield Awesome Blog
 
See her manicure here in her weekly Obsession Confession Sunday post.  Look around for some laughs and great photography.

More quick tips using nail polish.
A Free Quick Dry for Your Mani
Fast Fixes Using Clear Nail Polish
How To Keep a Steady Hand

Image Source

Removing Eye Makeup | Tip Off Tuesday

It's all in the details.

• With your eyes closed hold a makeup remover pad on top of the lid for about 10 seconds.  This loosens the makeup off your lashes and makes wiping away the liner and mascara easier.
• Use gentle pressure and wipe down and inward toward the inner corner of the eye, repeat until all mascara is removed.  
• Use enough moisture so you are not dragging across the delicate eye area.  

On Monday we are making our own eye makeup remover pads.  Come back and make your own too.

How about cleansing the whole face?  Read my DIY facial here.

Get Badger Balm for Double Duty | Tip Off Tuesday

Badger Balm is a perfect multi use product.  Use it as a lip balm, for cuticle care and to smooth heels, elbows and other rough areas.

image source

Badger Balm is USDA organic and packed with powerful active ingredients.  No artificial fillers necessary.  The bases are made from extra virgin olive oil, beeswax and aloe.

It softens cuticles better than any specialty cuticle formula I have ever used, try it with your next at home manicure.

Fight Lack Luster Skin on an Airplane | Tip Off Tuesday

The stale air in an airplane depletes the skin of moisture leaving it dehydrated.

Traveling Skin Tip by amariebeauty

To keep your skin looking it's best when flying use a water, not oil based moisturizer.  As the skin dries out it draws whatever is on the surface through the pores in an effort to stay hydrated.  If it's pulling a water based moisturizer it can be absorbed and skin has a fighting chance of staying supple.  If there is a heavy weight oil based moisturizer it is not easily absorbed by the pores and as it pulls what ingredients it can  the heavier oils are left pooling on your face leaving behind a greasy complexion.

Pack light, on your face at least.  The more makeup you have on the bigger the mess it can be.  Apply your water based moisturizer and some light makeup for the best results.  Touch up or add more before you land to complete your look if you have to be ready to roll upon arriving.