Pretty Obsessed

Bollywood eyebrows are the HOTTEST depilatory fad since the Brazilian bikini line! It has long since become a major craze for salons and high-end spas across the country. Threading is an ancient Indian art of hair removal used to give flawless shape to the eyebrows and a clean look to the face by removing access hair.

It involves rolling and twisting cotton thread over hairlines pulling rows of hair from the root. Unlike tweezing or waxing the process is quick and precise. The beautician will begin by looping the thread around her hands about ten times and then pulling it taut over the area of hair. Her experienced hands will then cast her thread lasso-like around the ‘hairy’ region and remove the hair.

The standard hair threading session can last up to 20 minutes depending on the area you need cleaned. Any desired shape and thickness can be given so be sure to voice your desired look to the skilled beautician.

Like most hair removal methods, threading can be a little painful but no more than waxing and tweezing, and in the end the results are worth it. To alleviate some of the pain place a cool cloth on the skin when you get home and apply light moisturizer to the area.

Your sharp new look should last you about three weeks. Splendid!

Are YOU in a slump?

I feel like I’ve been in a slump on and off for the past couple of weeks. True, there is a lot going on in my personal life to make me feel this way but it’s never too late to provide ourselves with what we need in order to feel better, right? Of course I’m right.

I’ve been pretty hard on myself lately and like any bad habit it’s beginning to take a toll on me. But instead of continuing this way I would much rather move towards a more positive relationship with myself, after all I am THE most awesome person ever! It simply feels unnatural to be in a slump…

So here is what I’ve decided to do to get my butt back into gear:

I am dumping the routine. Me and routine get along very well actually and though I love it from time to time, for the sake of my sanity I need to get rid of it for now. This for me means taking control of some of my day to day acts. I will no longer eat greasy fast food at work, nor will I come home after a long day of work and stress over things I have no control over. Instead, I will walk my overweight dog, get enough sleep and take long, relaxing showers like I use to do. Less worry, more pampering.

I need some form of exercise in my life period…there are so many obvious benefits to exercising, do I really need to list them all? You look great and feel great. Be creative, exercising does not have to mean expensive gym memberships and boring jogs through the park.

I make “to do” lists to clear my mind of clutter. Jotting down all those things that keep getting pushed back ~~ servicing the car, parking ticket, class readings, calling a friend ~~ builds up and overtime drags you down. Write down what you need “to do” and specify when and how you will accomplish that task. It does not mean that you have to do everything all at once. The point is to get all those thoughts out of your head.

Lastly, take up something that will bring joy to you…something you’re Pretty Obsessed about

Fashion week is in full swing and Ms. Roxanne Valinoti is the lead member and educator for Creative Nail About MeaLing and has been spilling the beans on what’s hot this fall in the nail color department before it even hits the runway. Expect to see a variety of deep reds, shimmery blacks, browns, purple and creamy, iridescent neutrals.

 I don’t do dishes! Not only is that a fact, but it is also currently my choice in polish.

My Choice: I Don’t Do Dishes by OPI Nail Lacquer            

Jessica Alba has been seen all over the place looking frumpy and miserable since the news of her pregnancy hit the stands. But it looks like motherhood is treating her very well. We’ve seen her wearing dramatic makeup before, but it’s been a while since she’s gone all out and I think she looks fabulous.

Frumpy to fabulous…love it.

Super skinny brows with high arches have been pushed aside to make room for the full natural looking brow. In other words, the unnatural astonished expression some gals walk around with can finally be laid to rest.

If you were born with sparse brows or went tweeze happy, there is a simple solution to filling in your eyebrows.

You’ll need:

Soft Pencil (shade lighter than your brows)

Powder, or eye shadow (Match the shade to the color of your brows)

Brow Brush (Small, angled brush with pointed bristles)

Clear mascara, or clean mascara brush

Grooming 101:

Since the pencil tends to stick to the skin, not to the hair, you will lightly shade in the area where the hair should grow using short, feathery strokes. You want to create an appearance of natural hair so avoid making any definite lines. Next, using the brow brush dab some powder along the brows. Be sure to swipe some over the pencil as well blending in the color perfectly. To pull the look together, take the clear mascara and brush eyebrows into place.

It’s easier than shooting a fish in a barrel!

It was just another ordinary summer day at Borders with my studious boyfriend…or so I thought. I was in a dreadful mood probably over something disappointing like how I never receive enough hugs throughout the day, when my ever so sweet love decided to buy Chelsea Handler’s book to cheer me up. And as soon as I started reading the book my world flipped upside down. Where has Chelsea Handler been all my life?! The book is absolutely HILARIOUS! It had me going from beginning to end. I knew she was funny, but I had no idea how brilliantly clever she was…Are You There , Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea is a great read if laughing is something that you enjoy doing. It will not disappoint. I miss the book dearly and I am seriously thinking of buying it.

Taupe-hued lids and natural soft lips topped off with beautiful undone french twists go wonderfully with the latest fall fashion trends. It’s a soft look that calls attention to your natural beauty.

Skin/Face:

Use foundation and pressed powder to even out the skin tone to create a natural canvas.

Use a combination of bronzer and blush to give yourself a warm glow: the bronzer is placed on the outer cheeks while the blush goes on the apples of th cheeks.

Eyes:

Use light goldish brown colors across the lid and inner corner of the eyes, gently tap some shadow across the bottom lash line as well. Next curl your lashes before applying dark brown volumizing mascara.

Lips:

Keep it simple; a hint of color keeps the look sophisticated and fresh.

 Hair:

You want to seem as if you just pulled up hair up after spending a day swimming.  To create this look, apply cream gel to damp hair roughly blowing it dry. Next wrap small sections of hair around a curling iron creating lose waves. Once curled, pull the hair back and pin it into a messy french twist before back-combing the pieces at the top of the head to make for a more prominent forelock.

Don’t worry about it looking too perfect, the point is to look natural!

I don’t believe a product is worth buying unless I see a visible difference. I have always been a bit skeptical of plumping lip glosses…that is until I actually used one that worked. You can actually feel it working thanks to the strange tingling feeling you get after applying it. The change is very subtle still there is in fact a change. Pretty impressive right? The ingredients in the gloss which can include ginger and chili pepper gently irritate the lips making blood rush to the site temporarily causing the lips to plump. It’s cheaper and more practical than getting collagen injected into your face.

My favorite is MAC Lip Plumper in Oversexed

The bikini line should never be ignored. I have pretty strong opinions about the subject and being nicely groomed down there is the way to go as far as I am concerned. I am a firm believer in waxing- not shaving the bikini line. Shaving in between is fine from time to time, but waxing will leave you looking great for weeks. It may feel strange at first having a stranger handle your genital area, but keep in mind she is dealing with vaginas all day long and has seen it all. So don’t feel too self-conscious it will all be over in a matter of minutes. She will apply baby power, wax, and in the end lotion and leave you feeling beautiful.

 How far you go with the waxing is really up to your taste or partners preference. If you love the au natural look so be it… if not there are other options:

The basic bikini wax involves removing excess hair from the sides and shaping what remains into a neat little triangle. It’s the least painful and least invasive way to go if you’re the shy type.

The Brazilian removes everything from front and back and in between except for a little landing strip of hair on top. It might be a little embarrassing to talk about the “back” but I still come across girls who don’t know what to expect when getting waxed. If you order a Brazilian wax the aesthetician will free the entire perianal area of hair… you can thank her later by tipping her.

Feeling creative? You can ask to have your pubic hair shaped into anything that makes you happy. A heart for Valentines day maybe? Or your special someone’s initials. Tacky? Sexy? You decide.

My tricks and tips:

·          I always wear a skirt when I go to my appointments because after being waxed the skin is extra sensitive and rubbing against clothing can irritate the skin. Going commando is key  ;-)    Just be careful not to flash your Britney to strangers.

·          I swear by Nad’s Ingrow Solution I will not use anything else. This stuff is amazing!

·          Buy a pair of loofah gloves and gently exfoliate daily using soap. The gloves will help with getting rid of any dead skin cells and this way you avoid ingrown hairs.

·          Baby powder is great for the first few days after getting waxed. It keeps baby skin silky soft and it will do the same for you!

·        And always make sure the waxing area is clean and that any wooden spatulas used to spread wax on your body are brand new. If you are not sure, do not hesitate to ask, you are paying for the service!

 It’s not very surprising that Halle Berry and her arm candy Gabriel Aubrey would make gorgeous babies together. Everyone wanted to see what this gene pool could produce but you won’t find their new baby Nahla on the cover of gossip magazines- she’s too busy having fun with the family to do photo shoots. The impossibly beautiful newbie was born in March and her full name is Nahla Ariela Berry-Aubry…eat your heart out Shiloh!