Choosing the Right Shampoo and Conditioner For You

There are over hundreds of hair shampoo and conditioners out there for you to choose from, but what are the best products out there for your hair type? I've added some of my favorite and not-so-favorite items below to guide you on what shampoos and conditioners to take into account when shopping for your hair supplies. Keep on reading to find out!

From personal experience, I've learned that expensive products for your hair are way better then the cheaper kind you can get for $2 or $4. But the price isn't the only thing that can help you decide what better products are for you. Your hair type is something that you should know when you buy shampoo and conditioner. Buying a certain kind of shampoo can dry out your hair, or make it even oilier.
So what are the best products out there for your hair?

Dry Hair

If you tend to have dry hair, then chances are you're not using the adequate hair products to moisturize your hair correctly. One of the best hair shampoos and conditioners I recommend, and that I also use on my own set of hair is Dove Therapy Heat Defense Shampoo and Conditioner. Their shampoo and conditioner gives you amazing coverage when blow drying or ironing your hair. Plus, it also adds on some extra oils to your hair so that it won't poof out anymore or have those annoying split ends we all hate. 

Another great shampoo product is Herbal Essence's Hidralicious. This shampoo and conditioner is professionally equipped with those extra vitamins and oils you need to create that shiny, glossy look most celebrities seem to have on their hair. And what's the best part about this product? The smell of course! The unique thing about Herbal Essences is the lovely aroma your hair gets once you're out of the shower, and how that soft, flower scented aroma can last for days. I've fallen in love with their complete line of shampoo, conditioner, and hair cream that makes your hair moisterized and healthy for a long lasting effect you'll love, too!

Oily Hair

When you tend to have oilier hair, it gets a bit more tricky. Most expensive hair lines are designed to help enrich your hair with extra molecules that create a glossier effect, but when you already have too many oils in your hair, then looking for a cheaper shampoo and conditioner would be one of the recommendations I'd give you. You see, most cheap shampoos dry out your hair faster than any other shampoo product. But when looking for shampoo and conditioner for your hair, try to avoid ones with olive oil or any products that ensure you to give you glossy and shiny hair: these are the ones that make your hair oily!

One of the best products out there are citric-based shampoos and conditoners; these will help eliminate that excessive oil particles in your hair and give you shiny, healthy and clean hair!

Also, try washing your hair every day for a few weeks. This will help prevent the oils to build up on your roots and give that oily appearance. 

Straight Hair

For those out there with straight hair, finding a shampoo that can maintain or give your straighter hair is one of the first steps to getting natural, healthy straight hair. When I was young, my hair was always straight. But as I got longer, it tends to get wavier then how I had it as a child. Therefore, using a shampoo professionally made to keep your hair strands straight and strong, I would suggest using Herbal Essence's Dangerously Staight products. Their line is amazing, and as I mentiones before, the scent it leaves on your hair is super sweet and delicious!

Not only this, but it helps give your healthy, shiny hair. When I started using their line, I didn't even have to straighten my hair; instead, I let it air dry and it gave me a healthy look without having to use heat on it!

Curly Hair

I absolutely love curly hair. The way it gives you volume and shape to your face is amazing. But I just can't stand seeing unhealthy, dull curls loosely hanging off of someone's skull. That's why using a shampoo and conditioner to give you tight, big curls can help improve your curls even more. Using Garnier's Hydra-Curls is an amazing line that I strongly recommend for curly, or even wavy hair. Plus, the scent is refreshing and wonderful. 

So there you have it. Great shampoo and conditioners that you can find at your local supermarket, but that can give you amazing results. Nothing is more important than healthy hair, no matter what shape, length or color it is. The more you care for it, the healthier it'll shine afterwards. 

Contact me at BeautyHairMakeup@gmail.com

How To Stop Nail Biting Habits

So I've struggled with this habits for a while now; nail biting is one of the most popular habits out there, and the worst, too!
Nail biting is caused mainly from stress and tension, and without us noticing, we start biting our nails to relieve some of this stress, or to focus our attention on something else. Sooner or later, it's going to become a bad habit you'll have trouble getting rid of!
So what to do when you find yourself with the desire to have beautiful, presentable hands but you can't stop yourself from biting and nipping at them? I've listed some quick and simple steps and ideas to stop your nail biting habits once and for all!

Not only is nail biting a nasty habit, but it also prevents your nails from growing. Healthy nails should have a natural shine to them and feel and look strong. The more you bite down on them, the weaker they'll get, and sooner or later you'll feel self conscious to even show your hands to others. 

1:

The first step to quit biting your nails, is to look at your nails, and visualize them long and strong. If you feel like taking a picture of them and hanging them on your wall just to remind you how awful they look all bitten and torn up, then do so! 

One of the most important things when quitting a bad habit is commitment; without commitment, you won't get anywhere. So make sure you're fully dedicated to wanting pretty nails for the rest of your life! 

2:

Get yourself a manicure! Even though your nails aren't presentable now, you do want them to be in the future. So go to the salon and talk to your stylist about how you want to quit biting your nails. A manicure will do you some good, since cutting and pushing your cuticles back will increase growth and make them look longer.

Most nail biters don't have "moons" on their nails, so having your cuticles pushed back is a good way to begin forming a nice and clean nail. 

3:

Paint your nails. Although this sounds like it might not work, it did work for me! Getting your nails painted helps to stop your habit, and fast. When you tend to bite down on your nail, there's nothing that will stop you from doing so, but if you're biting down on painted nails, then you'll "remember" that Oops! you can't bite them anymore!

Painting your nails reminds you that you shouldn't be biting them, and if you get your nails painted with a two coat base, plus a thick coat of gloss, then you'll be able to feel that layer of paint on your nails and stop yourself from going any further.

If you're not a fan of getting your nails painted too often, then go for a soft French manicure look, or a one-coated pale color similar to your natural nail color. 

4:

Buy a Nail Strengthener Nail Polish to help your nails become stronger. You can find these in almost any drugstore or market. There's a wide variety you can choose from, and most of them will help your nails get that firm coat they'll need to become stronger. Nail strengtheners aren't designed to make your nail "stronger;" instead, they're designed to protect your nail from any damage and breaking, so your nails can grow out stronger and better looking.

When buying a nail strengthener, always look for one rich in proteins. Look on the list and make sure that any time of hydrolyzed collagen or proteins are listed on their. These proteins help form a protective barrier that prevents the nail from losing moisture.

5: 

If your biting habits are too serious, then try using lemon juice or a spicy ingredient on your nails. I personally used lemon juice for a while, since the acid was a reminder to stop biting them. It feels gooey and sticky at first, but once it dries off, you'll end up forgetting that you have it on.

Also, try using hot sauce or any other spicy food such as cayenne pepper to prevent you from biting them. Sometimes you just don't remember you're even biting them, so make sure to use a reminder that works.

Another good alternative is a nail inhibitor, bought from your local pharmacy. These nail polishes are designed to taste funny, so that they can stop you from biting them all the time. Carry it along with you and place it on whenever you feel like you're going to start biting them.

6: 

Find a substitution for your nail biting habit. Try wearing a bracelet on your hand and playing aroud with that when you're nervous or stressed. Try painting, drawing, reading, or any other hobby or activity that can stop you from biting your nails all the time. Most of the times we bite our nails from boredom, so using an alternative can really help eliminate the habit quickly. 

Soon enough, you'll find that your nails are getting longer and stronger! In about a month, you'll see the results and whenever you change your nail polish or get another manicure, you'll find that your nails have grown a lot. 

Beautiful nails are something that we should all have, since they give a good first impression of you and how much you truly care about yourself. You don't need acrylic nails or fake nails to make them look prettier; pretty, natural nails are a cheap way to have wonderful looking hands, and they'll last a lifetime!

Contact me at BeautyHairMakeup@gmail.com

Makeup By Eman

Hey guys,
 So I just wanted to quickly add one of my favorite, if not my favorite, YouTube makeup artists. Her name is Eman Aziz and she's a professional makeup artist from Vancouver, Canada. Her makeup techniques are amazing and she's been one that has inspired me into makeup and hair.
Just check out her YouTube site and her website; I've added the web page below as well as her blog here on blogspot :)

Have fun!

Web links:

http://emanmakeup.com/
(This is her website)

http://emanmakeup.blogspot.com/
(Her blog)

Newests video: She went for the Lauren Conrad look and she's right, this really is a nice look for an everyday look or even a bridal look!

How To Get A Healthy, Natural Hair Shine

Hair that looks silky with a natural shine is a sign of good health and also shows that one cares about your appearance. The shinier the hair, the nicer it'll look, no matter what your hair cut or color is! Here I've added some great home-made products you can use to help give your hair that natural shine you've always wanted. Also, what products would I recommend to improve that shine radically? Keep on reading to find out!

Home-Made Products

1: Eggs and olive oil

Ok this may sound icky, but trust me; it really works! It's simple, and the products are very easy to get your hands on. This is an old, but efficient recipe for all hair types. If you have short hair you should use two eggs, if your hair is long use three eggs instead. 

Here is how you prepare the mask: you mix the eggs with two table spoons of olive oil (or just one spoon of olive oil if you have an oily hair type). Then you apply this mixture on your hair, beginning with the roots and down to the ending of the hair. You should leave this hair mask on for about 30 minutes. Then wash your hair with your regular shampoo and dry it gently.

2: Avocado

Avocado is a great nourishing fruit for hair so you can use it by its own for treating your hair. 

Here's how you apply it: Mash one avocado (or two if you have a long hair) in any bowl you have around in the kitchen and do that until you get a thick paste. Apply this paste from root to tip and wait for 20-30 minutes. After you are done with that you can wash your hair as you normally do each time.

3: Coconut oil

This solution is most ideal for women who have a dry hair type or have a severely damaged hair. If you have an oily hair type you should not use coconut oil as it will only make your hair even oilier. 

So, first you should prepare a warm/hot towel (depending on how you can stand the heat) as you will wrap your hair with it after applying the mask. Then warm up three or four spoons of coconut oil and prepare for applying it on your hair. The coconut oil can be applied quite easy if using a comb. So, apply a little bit of coconut oil on the roots and then gently comb your hair so that you spread the oil till the tip of the hair. After finishing this, wrap the hair in the hot towel and wait for 30 minutes to pass. Afterwards you should wash you hair with shampoo and rinse it very well.

4: Apple Cider Vinegar

This is a great solution for women who have oily hair. After washing your hair with your regular shampoo and rinsing it with water, you should rinse your hair again with a solution made of half a cup of apple cider vinegar and one quart of water. After drying your hair you will notice that it looks shinier and it seems softer than before. 

5:Lemon Juice

Lemon is a great allied for blonde locks. After washing your hair with shampoo and rinsing it with warm water as you normally do, rinse it one more time with a solution made of one lemon’s juice and one glass of water. Your hair will look a lot shinier and will also get blonder after repeating this procedure in the next days.

I would only recommend this to those with blond hair, since lemon juice is a bit tricky to work with; it can give your brown or black hair a very orange-y color to it, so be careful when applying it to your hair!

So these homemade recipes for shinier hair are perfect and a cheap alternative when with a low budget. But, if you're looking for a wonderful shine to your hair that will have an even longer lasting effect, then I would recommend the following treatments to your hair.  Remember, most of them have chemicals in them that can change your hair, so be careful when going to a salon and make sure that they know what they're doing to your hair!

1: Brazilian Keratin Hair Treatment

This new and amazing treatment is wonderful for those with frizzy or very dull hair. It'll give you a stunning shine to your already beautiful hair, and even straighten it! It has a long lasting effect (up to 4 or more months!) and the results are breath taking. If you're looking for this treatment, then be ready to pay a little extra, since most of the products are shipped from Brazil, and it is a little high in price. 

Not looking for that high of a price? Then ask your hair stylist for a normal Keratin Hair Treatment. These aren't as expensive as the Brazilian one, and they also give amazing results! I've personally done a few on my hair over the past few years and am quite happy with them, especially due to that fact that they're natural and don't harm your hair at all!

2: Lay off the heat!

Did you know that too much heat on your hair can eliminate those natural moistures in them? Instead of blow drying your hair, air dry it or let your towel do the work for you! Too much heat can eventually damage your hair and give it a dull, dry look. 

When using your flat iron, curling iron, or your blow dryer, don't forget to apply a heat protecting spray! These sprays are professionally designed to protect your hair from all that excessive heat. 

Once of my favorite websites to search for heat protecting sprays is http://www.flatironexperts.com/

They have a large amount of sprays and products you can use to protect your hair when using your flat or curling iron. 

3: Deep Condition Your Hair

The simplest way to give your hair extra shine without having to pay too much is to deeply condition it when washing your hair. The mayority of people don't really know how to properly apply and rinse out hair conditioner!

When applying your hair conditioner, make sure to massage the product into your scalp and roots. This will help create stronger, and healthier hair in the near future. Make sure to make your way down your hair, and add a bit more of conditioner onto the tips of your hair, since this is the part where your hair is mostly damaged.

Also, don't forget to comb your hair with either your fingers or a brush. This will help smooth your hair out and help spread the conditioner throughout your hair.

Want to know my secret? After applying the conditioner into my entire hair, I let it stay there for a few minutes before rinsing it out. This will help moisturize your hair, so that when you go ahead and wash it out, some of the conditioner will still be in your hair to help make it look shiny and naturally healthy. 

Hair is by far one of the most important parts of our physical features. Make sure to give your hair that extra care, since lack of care can lead to hair loss and bad quality of the strand. 

Make sure to tell your friends about these easy ways to take care of your hair! 

Contact me at BeautyHairMakeup@gmail.com

How To Get Perfect Eyebrows

The secret behind perfect eyebrows is really not that difficult. Eyebrows can either make your face look longer and leaner, or shorten it up. So how to know what the perfect eyebrow shape is suitable for your face? And what products can you use to make your brows look beautiful throughout the day? Keep on reading to create a gorgeous eyebrow shape in these quick and easy steps!

Plucking your eyebrows is something we've all done in our lives to create a perfect eyebrow that suits our face. But when having your eyebrows waxed or plucked professionaly, beware! Some face structures aren't suitable for all eyebrow shapes.

If you have a slim and long face figure, then chances are you need an eyebrow shape that doesn't make your face look too long. Therefore, plucking your eyebrows with less of an arch is suitable for your face shape. If you're the ones that have a smaller face structure, then forming an arch higher than those with slimmer faces will make your face look longer and help widen your face features.

To properly pluck your eyebrows, take into account that your face is symetrically designed to help you pluck them properly. With the following image, look into the mirror and using imaginary lines, use those lines to guide you through the right angles you should properly pluck them. 

Now, the true secret to perfect eyebrows: makeup! What better way to give your eyebrows a fabulous final touch than with professionally designed brow makeup to help seal you brow's shape and to give it the shape you truly desire it to be.

One of my favorite eyebrow makeup gel is MAC's Set In Brow Gel "Girl Boy." This gel lightens your brows up, while filling them in with color and helps seal the shape in place for a 24-hour look.

The first thing you should do before applying this onto your brows is to brush your brows up to help form that arch in them, and then apply the product into them, helping form the brow and giving it a final touch. 

If your eyebrows are already a light shape, then I would suggest using a dark pencil brush to fill them in to give them a natural look. Try using one of MAC's brow pencils to fill them in. Try using Lingering Brow Pencil by MAC, which gives you a dark, yet sutil look to your eyebrows. 

Then using an angle brush, blend it into your brows and give them a longer look at the end of your eyebrow.

Another beauty tip for your perfectly shaped eyebrows would be to apply a light white shade of eyeshadow right under your eyebrow on your brow bone. This will help contour your eyebrows and widen your eye up as well. You can use MAC's White Frost Eyeshadow, which will give you that look.

So there you have it. The secret to a perfect eyebrow. It wasn't that much of a secret, now was it? Once you know how to properly shape them and sculpture them to perfection, then you really know the secret to a wonderful eyebrow! Try it out and see how they look!

Contact me at beautyhairmakeup@gmail.com

Fun Nail Designs 2011

What a better way to enlighten your look with a fun, unique nail design this summer! Those tons of nail designs out there, I've chosen my favorite nail designs to wear for a fun and eccentric look to show to your friends. Enjoy!

Animal Print

So this year using animal prints on nails is actually something quite popular. From zebra inspired looks, to cheetah and leopard dots, they're everywhere! Even celebrities are using the look, such as Fergie and Gwen Stefani. 

Using animal print on your nails is a simple and fun way to make people stare at your nails and admire their unique design.

3D Nail Art

What funner way than to add 3D figures to your nails? Find amazing 3D nail art in almost any drug store out there! It's a completely different way to get your nails looking glamorous every time! 

(What a cute way to use your favorite characters: on your nails)

Check out http://kawaiinails.com/

They have an amazing list of 3D designs you can choose from!

Air Brushed Nails

Ever wonder how perfectly flawless those three colored nails look? Don't think they were painted like that; they were air brushed on! Nowadays even nails are designed to look dynamic and one of a kind. Air brushing nails is easy to get extremely complicated designs onto your nails. Ask your nail artist about this technique and check it out for yourself!

Food Designs

Now food isn't just eaten; it's used for nail designs as well! From watermelon, to candy canes, food designs are a great way to get people asking you what a weird and eye catching design you have! In my personal opinion, they look cute and not too overly done, perfect to wear anywhere!

If you want to check out even more exotic and crazy designs, go to http://www.nailartgallery.com/

Nail professionals, or artists out there? Stay tuned for my Acrylic and Nail Material Review on the latest and best nail products out there on the market! 

BeautyHairMakeup@gmail.com

How To Cover Up Freckles

Personally, I've had tiny freckles lined onto my cheeks and nose for the past ten years or so. Although it's not a large amount of freckles, it is enough to want them to disappear every now and then whenever I do my makeup! So here's an article on how to cover up your freckles and give your skin a healthy, shiny glow to it as well. Plus, I'll add some great products to use to help fade away your freckles if you want them to disappear in time.

Before I begin, I do have to say that freckles aren't ugly at all! Just because you would want to cover them up doesn't mean that they're not beautiful in their own way. Those tiny dots on your skin look cute, and even sexy if you love your body the way it is. But sometimes, we just want to make our skin look like a permanent PhotoShop withOUT the PhotoShop! Here's how!

So the first thing you'll need is a light, and soft concealer to work with. 

Although concealer is used primarily to eliminate bags under your eyes or any redness on your face, it's also a wonderful way to eliminate freckles as well. 

In my previous article, I mentioned Maybelline's Mousse Concealer, which is a soft and creamy concealer that gives you a long lasting effect. Make sure the concealer you use is 2 to 3 shades lighter then your natural skin tone. I would recommend this since freckles are dark spots, and the lighter the concealer, the better it is to fade them away.

To apply your concealer, take an even amount of it and start tapping your skin (where your freckles are located) and let it stay there for just a few seconds. Dab it over your cheeks, nose, forehead and wherever there are freckles or dark spots on your face. 

Then, with your fingertips, smooth it out onto your skin. You'll notice right away that your freckles are almost faded away!

After applying your concealer, take a bit of cream foundation and apply it evenly onto your skin. My favorite dark spot removing foundation is Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind Cream Compact Foundation (Number Light 5). Apply your foundation all over your skin. This will help make your freckles go away.

Finally, add a darker blush tone to your skin, especially on your cheeks and cheek bones to give your skin a glowing, tanned look. The more foundation you apply, the better you can eliminate your freckles. 

Makeup is a fabulous way to eliminate those freckles on your face, but preventing them is an even better way to avoid even more unwanted freckles on your skin.

Using a stong UV factor sun screen on your face can help avoid unwanted dark spots on your skin. 

La Roche-Posay is a dermatologist approved face sun screen that doesn't have oils that create blemishes on your skin, so I would recommend talking to your dermotologist about oil-free sun screen lotions for your face.

If you really want to eliminate those dark spots on your skin with a healthy product that won't damage your skin, go to a professional dermatologist near you. I personally went and I was given a lightening cream that I use daily to help them fade away. Remember, dermatologists will give you even better products that are oil free and good for your face. After a few months, you'll really see the difference. 

So there you have it. Just these simple products and steps are the perfect way to eliminate your freckles and give your skin a wonderful look to it. Use it on your nights out and shock your friends with your flawless face!

Contact me at BeautyHairMakeup@gmail.com

Basic Everyday Makeup Tutorial

Running late for work or school? Need a look that makes you shine in less than 5 minutes?
We all want beautiful skin and eyes that pop whether it's on a daily basis, or if we just want to add a bit of makeup for a healthy look. Keep on reading to see how to go from dull to glistening in less then 5 minutes!

I usually use this look on a dialy basis such as for work, or when going out. The fun and interesting part about it is that it's a look that can be used just as it is, or you can add a bit more of makeup if you decide to go for an evening look. You can pull it off with cheap, or expensive brands such as MAC cosmetics, but you can also use drug store products and they work great as well!

Here are the steps to this fresh and easy look:

Step 1: Foundation 

When buying or applying foundation on your skin, always aim for a tone that's not too light for your skin, yet not too dark, either. Look for a foundation that's just one skin tone lighter than your natural skin tone to make your skin get that natural, shiny glow, and at the same time to make it look more natural.
One of my favorite brands that I usually use would be Maybelline cosmetics, mainly because of their low economical price, and also because they're easy to work with products.

When adding your base, make sure not to add too many, since you're looking for a natural appearance. Concentrate on your cheeks and forehead. Dab a bit of the foundation on your cheeks, forhead and nose, and spread the product softly and evenly onto your skin using the tips of your fingers, making sure you add it evenly.

Step 2: Apply concealer and a primer to seal your makeup

Using a concealer about 2 to 3 shades lighter from your natural skin tone will help cover up those bags under your eyes from lack of enough sleep, or dark spots on your skin. Also, applying just a speck of primer onto your eyelids will help seal your makeup for a long lasting effect, and also prevent crease marks.

A good and cheap concealer can be Maybelline's Mousse concealer, since the soft texture is smoother to add onto your skin.

Step 3: Soft, smoky eyes in less than 2 minutes

For a soft and eye popping effect, apply a light, cream base coat onto your eyelid, from the crease of your eye downwards. 

Next, apply a bit of white eyeshadow just below your eyebrow onto your brow bone, blending it with a puffy brush. This will make your eyebrows more accentuated and make your eye look wider.

With the same brush, add a medium dark brown color to the crease of your eye, focusing more on the outer part of your eye, to give it a smoky look. Blend in the color to create that smoky effect. 

With an angle brush, apply that same brown, or a darker tone to the bottom part of your eye, just on the eyelash line to create an even smokier look. If you're aiming for a more natural look, then skip this part. 

For the final touch, apply a light amount of mascara just on your upper eyelashes. If you desire, add false eyelashes or individual eyelashes just on the outer parts to give your eye a nicer look. 

I use Maybelline's Expert Wear Eyeshadow kit, that even comes with the basic instructions on the back. Also, it comes with the colors already labeled on how and where to apply them. These are perfect colors to use when looking for a natural and fresh look to your eye.

Step 4: Blush

For a natural glow, apply a peachy-pinkish color onto the apples of your cheeks. Use a big, puffy brush to blend in it more naturally into your cheeks. This will give your cheeks a soft touch to it, and a natural glow.

Don't add blush onto the brims of your cheek bones if you want a natural look for everyday wear. Unless you want a more dramatic look, then add a darker shade of blush onto the brims of your cheek bones. 

Step 5: Lips

For your lips, add a peach lip gloss onto them, and since your eyes aren't dramatically overlooked, then you can use a natural gloss on top of them if needed. A peachy lip is wonderful to a natural look, and it also gives them that extra volume, too. 

And you're done!

This look is wonderful to use for an everyday natural shine to your face. To spice things up, add eyeliner to your eyes, or a darker lip color. Playing around with colors and looks will give you something different and unique to wear on special occasions or for a new look, so using this look as a base for another makeup idea can work as well. 

If you're looking for other makeup or hair ideas, then check in on my blog each week to see what's new! 

Contact me at BeautyHairMakeup@gmail.com