Pretty Obsessed

Archive for September, 2008

Black eye liner and shadow is a makeup must have, it compliments everybody’s eyes. However, if you look deeply into your eyes (like the creepy guy at the gas station does), then you will notice that there are flecks of color that are different from your main eye color. You may notice you have a bit of gold or violet shining through in the light. Use the color you see to really make your eyes pop! Adding just a little color will add dimension to your look.

If you’re unable to see any flecks then simply line your eyes in a color that contrasts with your natural eye color.

 Brown Eyed Girl

Lucky ladies with brown eyes can wear any color to bring attention to their peepers. Brown eye shadow can be used everyday for a natural makeup look, but to add zing to your look shadow the eyes in a contrasting color. Brushing the lid with navy blue, green, or purple eye shadow is the key to accentuating your eyes.

Green With Envy

Consider yourself blessed if you have green eyes. There are so many colors that compliment your color, everything from charcoal gray to brown.  My favorite choice for you green eyed beauties would be reddish black, the color looks amazing against green eyes.

Baby Blues

Black can look gorgeous with blue eyes, but the look is much too harsh for everyday wear. Instead opt for a rich espresso eye shadow and liner. The look is subtle yet very sexy.

If you want your skin glow and glisten then you must try the Murad Lighten & Brighten Eye Treatment and Essential-C Day Moisture SPF 15 set. Each of these products works to keep your skin bright and beautiful. I started using these products last month and I have fallen in love.

First, the Lighten & Brighten Eye Treatment seriously works like magic. It’s no secret I have not been sleeping much the past two weeks so every time I use this treatment I wake up without any bags, or dark circles near my eyes. All you need is a teeny tiny dollop on your finger, then gently massage it into your undereye area and out toward the outer corners of the eye. The ingredients in the eye cream include rosa damascene flower, clove flower, sage, orange, grapefruit—doesn’t it sound delicious? Using the treatment on a daily basis will ensure you look gorgeous and hide any unattractive eye issues caused by sleepless-party nights.

And let’s not forget the Essential-C Day Moisture SPF 15. I hope I don’t have to remind you to wear SPF every single day, whether the sun is shining or not, right? Good girl. This moisturizer works to fight against sun damage and free radicals. It is light, creamy and non-greasy. Again, you will only need a small amount, about the size of a quarter. Massage into your face before you apply your makeup… You Glow Girl!!!

Tip: This set retails for $75 at Sephora’s website, which is quite a bargain when it normally costs $107.

I couldn’t help myself…I had to put the before picture up to remind Y’ALL how far Ms. Spears has come.

Britney Spears is back from the dead and will be releasing her sixth studio album, Circus, December 2^nd! Save the date!

I hate to admit it, but her music always gets me pumped up to party and I am looking forward to hearing her first single, Womanizer, which will drop September 22.

The former trailer trash recently walked away with three Moonmen awards at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards. She was bubbly and showed class…who ever trained her did a magnificent job because she looks great!

Whitening your teeth can make a huge difference in the way you look, literally brightening up your entire face. Improving the way you care for your teeth will result in a brighter smile,

unless you’re Amy Winehouse.

~Clearing your mouth of stain causing materials such as tea, coffee, dark sodas, wine, or cigarettes is a good start. If you have no desire to quit any of these habits then start carrying a travel size kit which includes toothbrush, toothpaste and mouthwash. An effective rinse helps to kill bacteria that can produce bad breath (gross), plaque, tarter and stains.

~Visit your local health food store and purchase a non-peroxide brightener/polisher.

~You can also make your own teeth whitener combining strawberries, orange peel and some baking soda! It is a mild polisher but much milder than bleaches. Overusing bleach can leave your teeth and gums feeling sensitive…ice cream will never be as enjoyable again, and is that something you really want? Of course not.

Achieving the sexy come hither cat-eye look is easier than some of my gal pals. To draw attention to your beautiful eyes, simply follow the steps below.

But first, take time to perfect your eyebrows. Tweeze any stray hairs, lightly fill them in with brow shadow and sweep them in place. Because cat-eye makeup is dramatic, any un-tweezed hair will draw unwanted attention!

Now that the top part of your face has been groomed you can start on your eyes.

Apply your foundation/powder and concealer as you normally would to allow the natural glow of your skin to shine through.

-First you want to start with some black shade stick and apply it all over the eyelid so you have a dark black smokey look. Come out at the end as you would normally…now lift it right up towards the direction of your brow. The end of your brow can be a good guide for the lift placement. Be gentle on making the end shape, you do not want a sloppy look. Then, you want to add just a little bit at the outer corner on the lower lash line.

TIP: If your shade stick is a bit scratchy, rub it between your hands to warm it up for a more creamy application.

-When you have your shape, take some black eye shadow, while using a small brush apply the black shadow over the shadow stick to give it some depth. This will help set the look and prevent lids from getting ugly eye shadow creases.

-Now blend a small amount of light colored highlight cream, or shimmery light gold shadow under your brows.

-Lastly, curl your lashes and add two layers of dark black mascara. Avoid clumping by building the layers gradually, once finished comb them out with a lash brush.

Meowwwwww!            

The Master Cleanse aka The Lemonade Diet or the Maple Syrup Diet is a 10-40 day fast that claims to remove toxins from the body. In other words it’s a detoxification program used to cleanse the body of any impurities and internal ailments and is also a popular way to lose weight.  The fast became wildly popular after Beyonce Knowles lost 20 pounds in 10 days for her role in Dreamgirls. The Master Cleanse was first developed by nutritional guru Stanley Burroughs, which he published in his book The Master Cleanser. The main purpose of the fast is to cleanse the system, the weight loss occurs naturally and normally you gain half the weight lost back once off the fast.

The detoxification program is NOT for everyone; it’s always smart to check with a physician before starting any kind of diet.  Keep in mind, the idea of the body needing a special detox is questioned by many doctors, as the body does detox itself without any special fast.

During the fast, your sole source of nutrients and energy will stem from the 6-8 glasses of “lemonade” intake per day. Your nutrients will be in the form of freshly squeezed lemons, Grade B maple syrup, and cayenne pepper.  You will also be flushing your system using salt water and drinking laxative tea each night.

The most difficult part of the fast is to overcome the psychological need to eat, particularly on the first three days. Once you get past the first three days you feel a sense of control that should motivate you to complete the cleanse. Before you begin your cleanse I suggest you prepare yourself by cutting out meat and processed foods from your diet. By doing this you are slowly prepping your body for the liquid fast making the transition much smoother.

Ingredients needed for daily 60oz serving:

12 Tbsp of Lemon Juice (do not used canned/bottled lemon juice)

12 Tbsp of Grade B Maple Syrup

1 Tsp (or as much as you can stand)

2 liters of water

Light grey celtic sea salt (for the flush) or Organic Sea Salt

Preparing the Lemonade:

Measure out the ingredients (minus the sea salt) and combine the ingredients in a pot of water. Measureing out 1 Liter at a time is much easier since finding a pot that holds 2 liters of water can be tough. Add the cayenne pepper only when you are ready to drink the mixture this way you don’t risk making the juice too spicy.

It is recommended to drink 6-12 glasses a day.

The Salt Water Flush:

32 oz  of lukewarm spring water

2 tsps of grey celtic sea salt or organic sea salt

Planning when to drink the Flush:

You must finish the whole mix in order for it to work. Planning when to take it is very important because once you have downed the solution, you will be on guard for a bowel movement. You can expect the knock at the door in 30-60 minutes, so planning your day around the flush is important. Doing the flush in the evening I think works best, this way the crappy process HAHA crappy…the process will not get in the way of your normal day-to-day routine.

Finishing the entire amount is necessary and a challenge. My suggestion? Pretend you’re a freshman in college doing a keg stand, nothing stopped you then right?!

If ‘pounding it’ is not your thing then drink at your own pace, just make sure you finish the entire mix.

Rumble in the Jungle:

Like I said, it generally takes about 30-60 minutes before your belly starts to rumble. You will have several bowel movements and don’t expect it to be a walk in the park. You are after all removing solid matter from the digestive track, and you have months and months of waste to expel. Reminder, it is unpleasant but you will love how light you feel afterwards.

The next morning you can start your cleanse and repeat this process for the next several days or however long you plan on doing the detoxifying your body.

After your last day you may be tempted to stuff your face silly but don’t. All that hard work will go down the drain. Instead ease your way out of the fast the same way you eased yourself in. It’s really important to do it this way otherwise you risk feeling nauseated, constipated or even worse. Again, if you are feeling unwell contact your physician.

Start by switching to orange juice the first day, veggie juice and soup the second day, fruits and vegetables the third day…and on the fourth day you can go back to your normal (hopefully healthy) diet again.

Pros: More energy, clear skin, better sleep, cleansing digestive system, and overall improvement of the immune system. Bonus: weight loss

Cons: Cravings, headaches, loss of muscle definition due to weight loss, requires a whole lot of willpower!

Just looking at them makes me happy…and maybe a little envious. The musically inclined couple recently added another addition to their family, Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale. Maybe he was conceived at Zuma Beach…and Kingston in Kingston Town? This could be very true, it probably is.

The rocker parents are amongst my favorite in Hollywood…I’ve been a fan of Gwen Stefani since her Don’t Speak days, and Gavin Rossdale since he married her.  I hope the seemingly normal rocker parents and their children live happily ever after.

Shampoo and conditioner alone won’t give your dry hair the quench you crave. For luxurious locks you need to eat right and make time (at least once a month) to deep condition your hair. This will help you replenish lost moisture and leave you with touchably soft, shiny hair. If time and money are not your friends then turn to your fridge for the best at home treatment.

Recipe:

½ Avocado (whole if you have long hair)

1 small jar of mayonnaise

Plastic food wrap

Hair towel

Peel and remove pit from avocado and mix with mayonaisse until it’s a consistent green. Start by massaging mixture into scalp and roots and work you way to the ends until your hair is thoroughly saturated. Pile your hair into a bun and secure it with a clip. Take the saran wrap and cover your hair. Next, take a pre-heated (from the dryer) hair towel and wrap it over the towel. The heat from the towel will further help with the deep conditioning process.

You can leave in the conditioner for about 15 mintues, I prefer to leave it in for 30.

Once the time has passed, rinse your hair and shampoo as usual.

Note: If you have an oily scalp, avoid putting the mixture on your roots and drench the rest of your hair as usual.

 Click here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnRUKIMegn8

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are hilarious!

Crying may help us cleanse our soul of emotional burdens and stress. But it will leave you looking less than presentable pretty easily. As someone who is very prone to tearing up in public I have picked up a few tips to cover up the emotional redness.

The first rule of crying is to not rub your eyes. Blindly wiping under your eyes and pressing a tissue over your eyelid will smear your mascara. Instead, fold a tissue several times and gently blot under your lash line and towards your leaky inner corner. You’re not removing your makeup, just trying to prevent mascara lines. Now, get your butt to the ladies room and do some damage control. Tap some water on another folded tissue and blot again lightening up the eye makeup. Next, apply some eye drops clearing your eyes of redness or puffiness. If your crying has left your face blotchy then simply take a warm paper towel and press firmly on your cheeks and neck. Lastly, re-apply a very light layer of makeup (don’t bother reapplying mascara), take a deep breath and smile… You’re now free to cry tears of joy!

Tip: If you know you will be crying (you rented The Notebook, going through a breakup, watching Feed the Children infomercials, etc.) then skip the waterproof mascara. Seriously! Waterproof mascara will run, and it will be difficult to wash away leaving you with tarantula lashes.