It’s a known fact that skin repairs itself at night and for that it needs oxygen. If you’d smear a thick layer of makeup, you are breaking the flow of oxygen to the cells, which then cannot repair and multiply itself. Further when makeup gets clogged in pores, it enlarges and aging leads to a rapid decrease in the collagen level, which in turn prevents the pores from repairing itself. Eventually, it leads to considerable-sized open pores, which you make zillion attempts to cover it up with cosmetics.

Forget the face, eyes get the worst part of the deal as the skin around the eyes is three times more fragile than the facial skin. Leaving eye shadow on again cuts the supply of oxygen, leading to puffy tired looking eyes, which darken, in spite of a good amount of sleep. It’s ironical how women lust after luscious and thick eyelashes and would sleep with mascara on when they know that mascara tends to stiffen the eyelash hair, which could easily break if they rub them in their sleep.

Sleeping with makeup on could also lead to infection as the cosmetic products might react with the skin or with each other and that is why every dermatologist advises to not keep makeup on for longer hours.

Some good makeup removers

Some people use separate removers to remove different cosmetic products from their face but there are certain makeup removers that totally wipe off the makeup from every nook and corner of the face.

Always read the label before picking up any product, no matter how popular it is. A lot of people are allergic to some ingredients in beauty products and hence it is imperative that you pick one that is sans any allergy-causing ingredients. Secondly, take your skin type in consideration, there are separate removers for oily and dry skin.

Cetaphil is a dermatological recommended makeup remover that has been deemed fit for sensitive skin. Overall, although, the label says that it is suitable for all skin types, Cetaphil works best for those with an oily skin.

Lancome Effacil is a one-in-all wonder product that gently removes makeup from the entire face without leaving any oil residues. Works perfectly with all skin types.

Rimmel gentle makeup remover is by far the best product if you are seeking only an eye makeup remover. It leaves every trace of even those dreaded mascara and does not leave behind a heavy and oily feeling lid.

St. Ives makeup remover and cleanser is all you need if you want to remove makeup and thoroughly cleanse your skin. The product is great and removes eye makeup too (the label doesn’t mention this). It also mattifies the face and hence is a great choice for those with an acne prone skin.

If you are barely able to keep your eyes open and makeup remover is the last thing on your mind, use a quick face wipe. MAC, Estee Lauder, Cetaphil and all the other major brands have launched makeup removing wipes. A convenient and hassle-free product, these wipes are great for removing makeup on the go.

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German beauty Diane Kruger always manages to look chic and stylish and the Inglorious Basterds actress managed to get it right with all her appearances at Cannes this year. Whether it was in asymmetrical chiffon gown by Jason Wu or the rose gold sequined Vivienne Westwood number she managed to elicit a thunderous appreciation from the media and fashion critiques alike.

The look that managed to catch our eye and which can easily be labeled as her best choice for the day was the Giambattista Vali’s one shoulder gown in mint. It was minimal, it was refreshing, it was just right.

So what exactly do we like about the look? Everything! The one-shoulder dress with pleats imparted a more graciously glamorous look, a welcome reprise from the almost see-through assortment of clothes that were anything but glamorous or even attention worthy. The mint green color was a perfect choice for the weather and where red carpets are usually adorned with reds, whites or reds and whites (refer to Cheryl Vole’s dress, which gave more like an illusion that her train is made up of raw flesh and conveniently merged with the carpet itself).

We love the layered pleats and the hint of a train, it might not have been figure hugging but it definitely did bring out the best in her. In our opinion she managed to outdo herself in this Vali dress and although her other three looks so far was as stunning as this one, the mint ensemble was just a class apart.

The pulled back hair did perfectly complemented her overall look, but is is a bit too safe an option we believe, a side braid or maybe beach wave hair would have been apt for a more playful and casual look but the tightly pulled back hair in a high bun gives a more mature yet sophisticated demure to Kruger.

We love how she hasn’t gone overboard with scarlet lips and neon eyes, keeping the makeup to low key. The smoky eyes, hint of a blush and subtle lip color makes for a good choice with the gown.

When you are wearing a flowy gown, your shoes doesn’t get as much attention as they deserve and that is where people tend to compromise on, but Kruger scored brownie points for the peep toe and completed the look with a hint of silver jewelry on her ears and a Judith Lieber clutch (not in picture). She could have played a bit around with the color here and a purple, beige or a black clutch would have been a much better option to bring a bit of combination to the otherwise slightly monotonous look.

Her other three looks were the talk of the tabloids too. The short dress makes for a more casual and chic look and a laudable break from the monotone of longer gowns, but of the three, the best choice so far has been the rose gold dress that fits her like a dream. We love how she teamed it up with black Jmmy Choos and a Judith Lieber clutch. The side swept hair, the hint of a slit, the minimal accessory and the subtle makeup. Diane Kruger knows how to hit the nail on the head- every single time!

MissVegas Fashion Police gives her 9.5 out of 10.

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To get your tresses to look like they are “naturally” straight you need more than just an iron. Here is a step by step guide to achieve perfectly ironed hair.

Things you need:

• Leave in conditioner
• Heat protection spray or mousse
• Frizz control serum or straightening cream
• A good quality flat iron- these come in various sizes and if you do not want to invest in an assortment of different ones, go for the wider plate one. Some of the renowned brands are Chi and Babybliss and always opt for ceramic, titanium or tourmaline as the material because they do not damage the hair as much.
• A wide tooth comb
• A medium sized round brush
• A few clips

Start with freshly washed and conditioned hair, there a number of pre straightening shampoos that have silicon, which sets the base right for ironing . If you have hard curls, go for an anti-frizz shampoo and conditioner in the shower.

Towel dry your hair and apply leave in conditioner to smoothen out semi-dry hair. Conditioning is a must because the longer your hair grows, the more the edges become brittle and prone to breaking, which is why you should condition them regularly and particularly before ironing.

Make sure that your hair is not wet as ironing soaking wet hair could burn and dry out your hair. It would even smell pungently burned, instead use a blow dry to both dry your hair and half straighten it.

Section your hair horizontally into 3-4 sections depending upon the length of your hair using a wide tooth comb and divide each section into half such that you have no more than 2 inches wide hair on each side. Now take each section at a time and clip the stray ones to avoid getting them in the way.

Spray heat protector generously and take some in your hands to apply on the roots that could be a bit difficult to reach. You can additionally use a straightening balm and smear it on your hair.

Now take the half of each section and loosely wind the upper part of the hair around the brush. Start blow drying your hair from the upper part and slowly moving towards the tip and follow it up with your flat iron. Start an inch below the root and inch downwards. The hair near the root does not need a lot of heat so remember to adjust the temperature to cause less damage to your tresses.

If you want a more flat look, take that section of your hair and iron straight. For a more voluminous look take the flat iron and move your hand in a curve, like you’re drawing an inverted C.

If you see steam, do not be afraid. It’s natural but do not keep the iron on a particular portion for more than 10 seconds and if needs be, make repeated strokes but do not keep the iron idle on the hair for long.

Finish it off with a shine spray to get that smooth shining look. If you are planning to style your hair in a French plait or a bun, do opt for a hair spray to keep it in place.

A quick tip- To keep your hair straight the next day as well, just wrap it in a thin piece of cloth before going to bed.

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Oily skin can really be a curse for their proneness to breakouts and zits

Oily skin is generally genetic but it could also be triggered by hormonal changes, wrong diet pregnancy, birth control pills and changes in temperature. This skin type is characterized by large pores, black and white heads, acne and visible shine, especially along the T zone.

Taking care of Oily Skin

Nothing speeds up breakout and acne more than a wrong diet. Yes, those fries and sodas taste great but the oil and sugar content are disastrous for those with an oily skin. Add a couple of cups of caffeine and you have the perfect recipe for acne prone tendencies. Fatty acids, caffeine, sugar and citrus fruits have been proven to make oily skin greasier and lead to breakouts. In fact, in some cases, even milk has been reported to disrupt hormones as they are derived from lactating animals.

Drink at least 8 glasses of water to flush out the toxins from the body and opt for juices and green tea instead. Some people tend to wash their face often to get rid of the natural oil. You should at most wash your face thrice a day, no matter what your skin type is. Keep a wad of blotting paper to absorb oil from your face while you are on the go.

Cleanse your face once in the morning and once at night and instead of the normal milk cleanser, go for astringents. If you tend to wear a lot of makeup, always remove them before cleansing your face and never ever sleep with your makeup on. Even generally sleeping in your makeup is bad for the health of the skin but for those with an oily skin type, this could spell doom. Stale makeup would further enlarge the pores on the skin and react with bacteria leading to pimples.

Always use makeup that is suitable to oily skin type. Cosmetic products that are gel based, is a much preferred option than the ones with greasy cream as the base. Read the label before buying any makeup product.

A general myth that seems to be doing the round is that since oily skin type is naturally greasy, one does not need to moisturize it further. The notion is to hydrate the skin and not just add a layer of grease on it. The natural oil secreted by the body does not hydrate your skin and there are moisturizers for oily skin type that both hydrates the skin and mattifies it to reduce shine.

Apart from moisturizer, a sunscreen is a complete must. Here again, there is a plethora of variety available for this skin type and you can take your pick from the best brands in the market. Clarins, Nutrogena Ultra Sheer dry touch and Clinique City Block are some great options for oily skin.

A clay based makeup mask can do wonders for that extra oil secretion and shine. Clay or fullers earth are especially great if you add a few drops of rose water and lime juice. The mask absorbs the excess oil and also reduces any pigmentation or scar marks over a period of time.

Taking multivitamin supplements has been deemed good for oily skin and some dermatologists also suggest taking medicine for hormonal imbalance, one of the major causes for oily skin.

Follow these steps for a healthy glowing skin that you would love to show off to the world.

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So, applying mascara to lengthen and add volume to the lashes is a centuries old practice and this blog post is not centered around the pros and cons. Rather, as a makeup artist, I see a lot of experienced women not giving due care to the correct application of mascara and the lashes, which should look “naturally” fuller and long end up with evidently visible clumps.

There’s no rocket science involved and although, the liquid state of the mascara requires additional care while applying, dexterity and experience is all that you need along with a few tips to turn your peepers into seductive poppers?

First off, choose the perfect mascara keeping your needs in mind and not just because you liked the commercial. Black is the most commonly used color but some people might have lighter or close to brown colored eyelashes and they should not opt for black as the clumps would be more prominent against lighter colored hair. Clear mascara would be your best bet.

Women apply mascara to either lengthen their lashes or make it voluminous, figure out what specifically do you need mascara for? Do you want to add volume or would you rather concentrate on making your lashes sensuously longer? Although, there are products that guarantee both volume and length, you should zoom in on individual specifications. Go for a Clinique High Impact or Extreme Party by Bobbi Brown for that dramatic volume and for those seeking length, Diorshow Blackout Mascara by Dior might be a slightly expensive pick but gives great length and is one of the most pigmented products in the market.

Most people just settle with a few quick swipes to the lashes and lo and behold, they’re done. In fact, the technique to proper application is not at all time consuming, just more effective. You should start with curling your eyelashes with a curler, a lot of women are afraid of using the eyelash curler for fear of hurting their eye. I have another tutorial where I’ve explained how to correctly use a curler.

After you’re done with curling your lashes apply a single coat starting from the inner part of the lash. Now, another consideration here is to not take extra product than necessary, always rub off the extra mascara on the inner side of the tube and see to it that there are no clumps on the mascara brush. If there are, chances are your mascara is a couple of months old and needs replacement. To get rid of the clump on the brush, either rub it against the inner side or pick it up with your fingers.

Starting from the inner lashes, do not inch upward in a single sweep, rather, you should separate the lashes with the brush as you move up. Just move your hand slowly and slightly towards right and then to left in a wiggling motion while sweeping in the upward direction. This would separate the lashes and add volume, making it look thicker. You can also use an eye comb to separate the lashes before applying mascara to give it a more voluminous look.

Ideally, mascara should be applied after you are done with you apply line and eye shadow. If you prefer to do your eye makeup at the end, keep a tissue on your cheeks to avoid any excess products from accidentally falling on the face.

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