GlamityCalamity

Short hair is all the rave. More than a cut, short hair is a personality, one that you can’t fake and have to get just right. In the right cut, short hair can be an effortlessly chic, no brainer. However, not all short cuts are created equal. The right short ‘do for you will depend on many factors including, but not limited to:

- The shape of your face

- Your social lifestyle

- The natural texture of your hair

- The thickness of your hair

- Your wardrobe

- Your personality

- Your bank account balance/ stylist hookups

for example.

If you are thinking about making the transition to short hair, or even if you’ve already made it and find some difficulty in maintaining it, check out some of the tips below on what to avoid:

1. Blunt cut on curly hair

It may look on ‘fyah’ when you are in the salon, but when you walk out and that humidity hits you can end up looking like the poodle down the street.

With curly hair, there’s no telling where the chips will fall when the natural curl instinct kicks in after it’s first wash, meaning you will never be able to wash your hair and make a dash (lounging around at the beach/ pool perhaps), or engage in any activity where humidity is involved, including being anywhere outside when it rains. eeek!

To keep the unkempt poodle look, try a short cut that is layered. The curlier the hair the less layered it should be though, because the more curly the hair the greater the shrinkage, and the more likely the ‘layers’ will turn into a ‘mullet’. Not cool.

2. Too blunt. 

Too helmet gear-ish. Kinda-sorta like wearing a masculine cut jacket WITH super spongy shoulder pads, this look is overly severe. Blunt AND straight AND stiff is just about the recipe I’d say.

This only works on the runway I’m afraid, where , to the average human being, almost everything else looks like it’s made for another planet.

Even if it’s a blunt cut, soften by adding some layers, or by removing some of the weight from the ends by using the texturizing process.

3. Wrong proportions

Find the right proportions. If you are voluptuous avoid cutting hair too close to the scalp to avoid looking like a pin head. Likewise, if you are petite avoid overly layered, voluminous hair, which would make you look top heavy.

4. Lack of maintenance

Not keeping up with a chic short cut is a clear sign of a Diva wannabee. Short hair needs to be cut every 4-6 weeks depending on your rate of hair growth as well as the cut. If you have neither the time nor the money to keep up with this, go for a layered cut instead that would be more forgiving when your hair grows out.

5. Not styling 

Short hair needs to be styled daily, especially if you’ve opted for a style that the hair you were born with doesn’t follow, naturally. Depending on your cut and hair texture ’styling’ can be anywhere from following with mousse after wetting every morning to full hundred breaking out the flat iron. 

Consult with your stylist on the styling routine required by the cut on your hair before making the commitment.

6. Over accessorizing

Ladies, short hair is already chic. With short hair your face is put on front street. Don’t mask it with dangly earrings AND a glittery bandeau AND loud makeup AND a necklace – too much.

Choose one accessory to focus on. 

**Where applicable, the tips above go for male or female – so long as you have hair that needs to be both maintained using some cutting device and styled.**

Snip away!

POSSIBLY RELATED GC POSTS

Blonde Ambition
Hair | Working with natural tone and texture
What is it? | “Dry Scalp”
Dress Your shape | M-m-m-m-melons 
Women | 6 Simple Style Rules

Ok. I like wearing weaves. 

But it is particularly unnerving for me to see  someone wearing something that looks like a spat out wool ball.

YUCK!

It’s very difficult for someone to focus on what you’re saying when they are trying to figure out what the hell is really going on with you upstairs.

I had that experience the other day, wanna know how I knew it was a sewn-in weave? Well, she didnt bother to cover the exposed tracks…*sigh* sigh*…*siiiiiigh*… Made me wanna snatch it out and do it over for free.

A weave is a good way to add some volume, length, highlights, a new colour, lowlights, curls, go straight, add bangs without cutting…. the list just goes oooooon! But there is a good way and a bad way to wear a weave.

These are my tips on how to get the best from your weaves.

1. Understand your features.

Pull your hair back into a bun or a ponytail and sit in front of your vanity. Look in the mirror and take in your features. It is necessary for you to consider these things, because for a weave to be flattering, the hair must match your face.

To look most natural, hair extensions must compliment your facial features, or you will draw unnecessary and unwelcomed interest to the fact that the hair on your head isn’t yours.  You should also match your hair perfectly to the weave, as the difference will be noticed immediately.

So, even if your hair is relaxed but still manages to retain a bit of its previous coarse or curly texture, there should be no trouble at all to find a weft that matches this texture perfectly, as there is more than enough variety out there to choose from.

2. Next, chose an appropriate colour.

Really, you can go two shades darker or two shades lighter than your original colour; a little lighter with the help of a professional Stylist. In choosing a colour, take into consideration not only the colour of your skin, but the colour of it’s undertones. Usually medium to darker skin tones have a yellow undertone, while fairer complexions have a pink one. The colour you chose should compliment your skin colour rather than make it look sallow.

Also, if you are going to go go lighter or darker with your extensions, make sure that any hair that is left out, for the purpose of covering the hair tracks, is properly dyed to match them.

3. Choose the right method 

Ask your hairstylist which method would be best for your lifestyle. If s/he is knowledgeable s/he would be able to explain these matters to you.

For example, if you have a really busy lifestyle, then the sewn-in option would be best. However, do understand that once this option is styled it cannot be changed easily.

If you have a more easy going lifestyle, or like to change your look often then maybe you can opt for the glued in method. This is usually a very temporary method of putting in extensions, but it lies flat on the scalp so it is less detectable by the general public. Let the stylist cut it into a more natural style when it is inserted, and walk out of there looking like the million dollars that you are.

However, we are NOT finished yet.

4. Hair Care

Never make the mistake that once you leave the salon, your hair will take care if itself. Newsflash – it won’t. 

You now have the job of taking care of your new hair. Please do NOT sleep with the hair out, all cascading on your pillows. Moisturize the natural hair that you left out and put it all away in a head scarf. 

WASH your weaves people. Rancid hair smells something disgustingly fierce. Just because it ain’t naturally yours does not mean that you don’t have to shampoo it.  Also when you get your locks washed, make sure that you have the tracks dried properly, or you get that musty smell, which is just as nasty.

You really should not wash weaves that have been glued in because the conditioner causes them to slip right out, but it should not  be a problem because you are going to change it within two weeks right???  Nice.

5. Be comfortable

Last but not least, don’t walk around touching it constantly; You will draw attention to its newness.

And before you leave the house please make sure your tracks are covered – nothing is worse than sitting next to or behind someone and you can see the tracks of their weave. Even though everyone is probably aware that you bought your ‘do, you don’t have to take the mystery out of it.

And put some makeup on. Well-kept, gorgeous, healthy looking hair, but the face looks like it just washed up on the shore with last night’s seaweed? Come on. Seriously? Who’s going to believe you?

At least put on the basics: a little blush, some mascara, a little eyeliner, some gloss and head out there and blow them away!

Forward ever!

.

POSSIBLY RELATED GC POSTS

Blonde Ambition
Ooops! | Short Hair Mistakes
Hair | A lifestyle
Wash mindfully
Holiday Glam: Hair Bling 
Lets keep it together ladies.
 

Of all makeup products, eyeshadows offer the greatest way to add personality to the face.

Eyeshadows can be used to:

- Soften the eye area
- Create light and dark illusions that can make subtle changes to the eye area
- Correct and/ or enhance eye shape.
- Accent the eyes

Top 10 tips regarding eyeshadow application:

1.  Never use an eye-shadow that’s the exact shade as your eye colour.

 The same colour family – lighter or darker, sure. But using one that matches your eye colour exactly, over your entire eyelid will make you look like you have one big eye, or well two… if you do that on both eyes.

2. Use natural colours for day, more unique colours for night.

 Shadows in tones like bronzes and metals, golds, coppers, tans, tawnies, chocolates, whichever variations of your natural skin colour, work well for day.
You can snaz it up a bit at night or for special occasions by going for eggplant, navy or smokey greys as your accent colours, for example.

3. Use an eyeshadow base for prepping the eye.

 It can help to even out the eye area, in the event there is any uneven pigmentation or discoloration.
It can also help the eyeshadow to either adhere better or prevent it from creasing, especially in the case where dramatic eye shadow colours are used.

4. Apply a light to medium shadow, from the lash line to under the brow as the first step.

This creates an even canvas on eyelid and helps facilitate colour blending.

5. Use larger, fluffier eyeshadow brushes for blending, and for shadow application in larger areas.

Use smaller, angled brushes for accenting smaller areas.

6. Soften edges of medium to dark eyeshadows by blending with a lighter shade of eyeshadow

7. Avoid letting eye shadow get too far out of the sides of the eye

As far as possible, keep eyeshadow within the boundary of the eye. To establish this boundary, draw an imaginary line from the corner of the eye to the end tip of the natural eyebrow. Keeping eye shadow in this area will help you look like you are awake.

Veering too far under this line can age eyes, or make you look like you’re sleep walking.

8. Use lighter eyeshadow colours to highlight or emphasize unique areas of the eye.

 For example on brow bone areas, or in the inner corners of the eyes to open up the eyes.

9. Use darker colors to create depth and definition

 For example when creating the illusion of a smokey eye

10. Use wet shadows for liners if necessary

For example if you have oily skin, or when you would like to line over false eyelashes.
Wet shadows can also be used as liners to create a variety of liners that match your shadows exactly, without having to spend a fortune. <- My kind of party.

For more on applying wet eyeshadows as an eyeliner see GC post Drama Glamour

Related GC posts
Drama Glamour 
Beauty | Flawless Face
Holiday Glam: Face Bling
Frump to Fab in 10 steps 

Life happens every second of every day.

It’s not a dress rehearsal. You’re on the stage, the curtains are pulled, the lighting crew has put the spotlight on you. It’s your time to shine. Let the show begin.

Laugh

Enjoy the humourous (and not so humourous) in life. It is said that life is a tragedy in the short term and a comedy in the long term, so pay the present just the amount of seriousness that it needs, then let the good times roll.

Sometimes you have to laugh through your battles to help you keep your mind.

Love

You spend so much time catering to others. Love your family, cherish your kids and travel light.

Make peace with your parents, for they may not be around much longer. They cannot undo the mistakes they’ve made and neither can you. If you are judging them so harshly, hopefully you are/will be a better parent for it.

Make mental peace with those who you believe have wronged you. Feelings of happiness and resentment cannot reside in the same emotional space. 

Most of all love yourself actively. To love others you must first understand how to love yourself.

Live

Be present in your life. Make the best choices that you can everyday in terms of your career, what you eat, who are your friends, and what you want for your family, how you live. Be an active part of what you are receiving in this life.

Your past is your past.

You need not keep reminding yourself of it, because you’ve lived it. Don’t worry, you wouldn’t forget it. It walks around with you everyday, so yes it’s there. It just doesn’t have to do all the talking for you.

Instead, flood your senses with who you are now and what you are going to become. Give thanks for that which you have and are about to receive. 

Live proactively, not reactively. Find something that excites you.

And most of all filter. Not everything in this life is for you, as not everyone around you has something to say that you need to hear.

Charge forward from this day onward, with a renewed sense of being. 

Unwind

Put aside some time to unwind. It doesn’t have to be as grand as one day a week, it could be as little as 15 minutes everyday.

Drink a glass of wine with your dinner. Take 15 minutes before you go to sleep to read a few pages from a chapter of a novel, or some pages of your favourite food/lifestyle/ fashion/ fitness mag. Take up knitting. Learn something new on the history/ discovery channel. Read more about whatever you are interested in. 

Create rituals for yourself. For example, put aside time every week to soak your feet or yourself in a bath of dead sea salts. Let the goodies stimulate your skin and get rid of those pesky dead skin cells. When you are finished, not only would you be well relaxed, but you will have fresh glowing skin too!

No-one’s judging you. Take the time to do whatever makes you happy.

Dance

Music is a universal language. It can lift your spirits as well as lower them. When you feel the stresses of life creeping on, crank up the music that gets you moving and let the feel good vibes flow.  

Break out your best 80s moves, however well coordinated they may be. Like singing karaoke, it’s much more fun when the professionals stay out of it.

Plus, dancing the fool doubles as a good workout.

.

Viva la dolce vita!

Related GC posts
 “Brazilian bikini wax is a must!!!”
Nova Monologue: Upgrade you
Lets keep it together ladies.
10 Top Skin-Care Faux Pas
Epic fashion failure
 

Great skin is your best accessory. Why not consider inviting your best features out with some face bling? And unlike the season’s latest fashion trends, you can repeat wear.

These looks are neither for the meek nor are they for the club wallflowers. These are for the Divas who can bring it like they own it, as wearing them will signal to all that you just landed from another planet to chill with us lesser mortals. Needless to say these looks should be worn at night. Choose ONE of the following:

1. Bejeweled eyeliner

Used as a single eye statement, gel eye colour (in pots), eyeliner pencils as well as liquid liners in bejeweled (shine and updated glitter) jewel tones look absolutely stunning on darker skin tones.

Pair with a complimentary eyeshadow in your skin colour and flawless skin/ foundation and concealer application.

Thickly line both upper and lower lids and allow them to meet at outer corner of eyes in a point. The final look will look something short of a cat woman eye mask, only more majorly so.

Finish with ultra black, thickening mascara. Consider also pairing with eyelash extensions, oui papa.

Minimalista glam:

Thinly line upper and lower lids with jewel toned eye liners, or with black shimmery eyeliner. To up the ante, consider lining upper lid with jewel toned liquid liner… yeaaah, wild side here you come.

2. Smokey shimmery jewel-toned eyes

Another awesome look on darker skins as well, it is your usual smokey eye, just on steroids. Consider substituting your usual matte dark grey/ black eyeshadow for jewel tones
- Emerald/ Dark Green
- Sapphire
- Navy/ Midnight blue
- Purple/ plum

Fairer skin tones can try jewel tones in lighter, brighter colours such as aquamarine, amethyst, or jade for example.

It is important to choose rich, deep shades, think of the colours that you would find on a King’s crown, at least the ones in Disney flicks, and not ashy ones. Yes, there are dark ashy shades as well.

Black shimmery eyeshadow can also be used.

Pair with jet back mascara, or consider using eyelash extensions.

Minimalista chic:

Use the same smokey eye application technique, only in neutral jewel-type skin tones. This way eye gets the definition through understated glam.

3. Bejeweled juicy lips

Apply the season’s richly pigmented dazzly lipglosses over bold lip colour in matching or complimentary shade. 

For bold lip colour application click here -> Lady in Bold

Pair with understated glam eye makeup and eyeliner in dark brown for lighter skin tones or jet black for medium to darker skin tones. Add jet black mascara, or consider using eyelash extensions.

Minimalista chic:

Rock the season’s richly pigmented dazzly lipglosses alone or over lip balm. Applying over lip balm tends to dilute application as it allows the gloss to spread easier.

*** Caution***
These looks are very high maintenance and should be worn only if and when you are in the position to act like a lady. If you plan to get ‘wasted’ and ‘party like it’s 1999′ all over again, stick to a minimalista chic look. This way even though you may look the fool falling off the table top or topping down the stairs when you are being escorted out the dance, at least your makeup wouldn’t look a hot mess. The paparazzi is everywhere these days man. 

For more makeup application tips click here -> Frump to Fab in 10 steps

Go Glam! 

. 

Supernova
Related GC posts 
Holiday Glam: Hair Bling 
Holiday Glam: Nail Bling
Trend Spotlight: Embellishment
Trend Spotlight: Animal Print 

.

The natural nail is a living organism.  It is composed mainly of keratin, which is the same protein that is found in the hair and skin, only the keratin that is found in natural nails is harder. 

Healthy nails should be whitish and translucent in colour with a pinkish colour showing through the nail bed. 

The nail plate, the most visible part of the nail which you cut and file, is relatively porous to water. It allows water to past through it much easier than water would pass though normal skin of equal thickness.

The water content of the nail varies according to the humidity of it’s surrounding environment, i.e. if you are in an area with high humidity your nails will contain more water than if you are in a drier, less humid atmosphere.

Although it may look dry, a healthy nail has a water content of about 15 to 25 percent. Any less and nails become dry hard and brittle, any more, for example when soaked, and nails become water-logged, overly flexible and susceptible to damage. 

To maintain optimal hydration of the nail, an oil based nail conditioner, rubbing the nail plate with oils such as:
- Vitamin E 
- Jojoba oil
- Olive oil or
- Almond oil for example.

As nail-polishes coat the nail plate, they too reduce water loss and allows the nail to maintain flexibility. 

The natural nail unit consists of many parts.

Probably the most important part is called the matrix, which is located at the base of the nail plate. It is a non-visible portion of the nail, just where the nail plate grows from the finger tip. 

The matrix is where the natural nail is formed, and where the nerves and blood vessels that nourish the matrix cells are located. It is important that the matrix is well nourished and kept in a healthy condition as this is the only way that it can continue to create new nail cells.

If an individual is in poor health, has a nail disorder or disease, or has damaged the matrix through aggressive nail treatments, or injury for example, the growth of the nail can be affected. In some cases this damage can be permanent 

The shape of a normal healthy nail plate, (its thickness, width, and curvature)  depends on the length, width and curvature of the matrix. For example, a longer matrix produces a thicker nail plate and a highly curved matrix creates a highly curved free edge.

Nail growth varies, but in the average adult, it is about 1/10″ or 3.7 mm per month. Nails grow faster in warmer months, like summer, than they do in cooler months, like winter. Children’s nails grow more rapidly than those of an elderly persons.

Due to changing hormones, nail growth decreases rapidly during the last trimester of pregnancy. As do hormone levels in the body, the nail growth rate decreases even more dramatically after delivery, and then returns to normal.

It is a myth that prenatal vitamins accelerate nail growth; Nail growth rate will accelerate whether or not a woman takes these vitamins.

And finally of course, toenails grow slower than fingernails, but they are thicker and harder.

.

Interesting tidbits.

.

Works consulted: 
Milady’s Standard Nail Technology 

Related GC Post -> Nail Salons: Infection control    

.

.

.

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

.

Eat up!

Supernova

Related GC post Anti-Aging Tip #1

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!

.

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.

.

Happy lining!

Related GC posts 
Frump to Fab in 10 steps
Holiday Glam: Face Bling
Holy Concealer Batman!
Trend Spotlight: Embellishment
 

” 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

.

Happy Weekend y’alls!

.