Anti-Aging Tip #2

 

Use Antioxidants Orally and Topically.

Antioxidants prevent and repair the damage done by free radical action on the skin. They are the body’s defense against ruin, and may be ingested or applied topically. 

Vitamin E and C  help protect the skin in this way and are utilized in many topical skin care formulations. A particular form of Vitamin C has a melanin-surpressant and is helpful in treating hyper-pigmentation (darkening of skin due to exposure to sunlight) 

Betacarotene, which is converted into Vitamin A in the liver, is also another well-known antioxidant.

Minerals such as Zinc and copper also help prevent reactions from starting.

Japanese green tea extract has been receiving much ado lately, though it is believed that white tea packs the most antioxidant punch. 

Antioxidants found in skin care also include grapeseed extract and maritime bark extract which contain proanthocyanidins (I can’t pronouce it either but I can spell it!), which are known to be powerful antioxidants. Sunscreen also contains antioxidants which prevent damage to the skin from the sunlight. 

Antioxidants are photosensitive (sensitive to light) so ensure that skin care products that contain antioxidant ingredients are properly packaged to maintain the integrity of the ingredients especially in the cases of specialty serums and what-not. If you can see that a product is darkening in a jar, this is a sign of a good product gone bad; the antioxidants that may have been present in these products are no longer effective.

For more info on the power of antioxidants in your diet see  Anti-Agers

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Eat up!

Supernova

Related GC post Anti-Aging Tip #1

 

 

Drama Glamour

Liquid eyeliner may just be one of the most challenging cosmetic products to apply. However thanks to advancements in technology, liquid eyeliner now comes in a variety of forms including:

~ Pots

~ Pencils

~ Tubes/ Bottles

Liquid eyeliner gives a more severe, dramatic look to the eye than the pencil eyeliner. It is used to create from intricately sculpted editorial looks to the basic ‘cat eye’, where the eyeliner is flicked upward after leaving the natural top lash line. The ‘cat eye’ is a simple yet classic sophisticated look, which requires nothing more than an eyeshadow in your natural eyelid shade and a (properly) lined upper eyelash.

The key to proper application of liquid eyeliner is to maintain an even line flow as well as to keep the line exactly  on on the lash line. 

Liquid eyeliner pencils are the most simple to use. They look like a pointed felt tipped pen and are used in the same way as you would use a pencil eyeliner. However most do not usually deliver as opaque a colour, as other types of liquid liners.

Using liquid liner directly from the tubes can be challenging.  It is difficult to maneuver the brush as well as the rod that is full of liquid liner, between the eyelid and the eyelash without it smudging either.

A trick is to get yourself an angled brow brush, a brush with short, stiff bristles that is slanted in an angle, usually 45 degrees or less, as shown in the illustration.

- Saturate the tip of the bristles of the angled brow brush with the liquid liner by wiping the tip of the brush along the rod of the liquid eyeliner brush.

- Then, line the upper lash line with the angled brow brush containing the liquid liner. You can use a full smooth motion along your upper lash line or, for more controlled application, you can choose to dab along the lash line with the brush containing the liquid eyeliner pigment, being careful to smoothen out any breaks in application of the line as you apply.

- Carry the liquid liner line past your eyes for the ‘cat eye’ effect’. Be sure to continue the line slightly upward.
This will give a sensual definition to the eye ” “, Continuing the stroke downward will make your eyes appear droopy. ” “

For added drama, start with a fine line at the inner corner of your eye (the corner closer to your nose) and gradually thicken the line as you near the end of your eyes. The larger the size of your natural eyes, the thicker you should make the width of the line as you near the outer corner of your eye (the corner that is close to your ear) to create this dramatic effect. Smaller eyes can be overwhelmed using this technique so experiment to find out which look works for you.

This trick can also be used with eyeliner gel pots or with your powdered eyeshadow.

To use powdered eyeshadow as liquid eyeliner:

- Wet angled brush with water and remove any excess water with a flick of the wrist. 

- Smudge damp angled brush in powdered eyeshadow, creating a thick paste in the immediate area. This does not have to be a huge section of the eyeshadow

- Apply the damp eyeshadow on the angled brow brush to your upper lash line using the same technique described above.

This is an excellent way of doubling your existing shadows – dark brown, grey, black, green, navy, plum…as eyeliners, and saves you money!

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Practice makes you better when it comes to using liquid eyeliner.

Do experiment to see the number of looks that you can create using this technique.

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Happy lining!

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Holiday Glam: Face Bling
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Trend Spotlight: Embellishment
 

 

Random music of the day: Shaggy ft. Barrington Levi

” I love to see the ladies take full control,
Independent woman don’t depend on a soul.
Confident in the fact that she has her own,
Nobody has to tell her how to play her role”

- Full Control, Shaggy ft. Barrington Levi

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Happy Weekend y’alls!

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