Archive for March, 2008

I’ve been curious about mineral makeup for years now. The first time it crossed my radar was a little over 4 years ago. I was a bridesmaid in an extravagant wedding, and the bride brought in a pricy makeup artist to transform us all into a picture-perfect wedding party.

As the makeup artist spread out her stash of goods on the counter, she was raving about the new mineral makeup she had just started working with. She was anxious to try it out on all of us.

Mineral makeup looks like loose powder, and is touted for being more natural-looking, as well as better for your skin. Instead of containing harsh chemicals and animal products, it’s made of natural minerals like mica and potassium. (Learn more in this USA Today article.)

She dipped her brush in the powder and glided it over my cheek. The mineral makeup went on smooth, sheer and gave my skin a soft glow that I instantly fell in love with. I had to have some.

I hunted around for some mineral makeup of my own and found that, 4 years ago, it was only sold at high-end department stores. I found it, alright, but one small compact cost more than I was willing to spend on a nice pair of shoes, let alone some crushed powder. I gave up the dream.

Fast-forward to now. Turns out mineral makeup has staying power. As with most advances in fashion and beauty, it started out in the high-end market and has made its way into the mainstream. Now, cosmetic companies like Revlon, Neutrogena and L’Oreal are marketing affordable lines of mineral powder, eyeshadow and blush.

I picked some up. For the same price as a sticky liquid foundation, I now have a light, airy powder that I can dust on and feel good about. It makes me feel fresher than regular makeup, and less like I need to wash my face.

What do you think? Are you ready to jump on the good-for-you, environmentally-friendly bandwagon when it comes to your makeup? What does your make-up training school teach you about mineral makeup?

Practitioners of this ancient Tibetan healing system use light hand placements to channel healing energies to the recipient. While practitioners may vary widely in technique and philosophy, Reiki is commonly used to treat emotional and mental distress as well as chronic and acute physical problems, and to assist the recipient in achieving spiritual focus and clarity. A method of spiritual healing that involves the channeling of positive energy from the practitioner into the client. It is meant for relaxation and stress reduction. In Reiki, the healer places the hands above the recipient; however, it is the recipient that draws in the energy as needed. Thus, the individual being healed takes an active part in the healing process as opposed to having a passive part in traditional spiritual healing. Reiki is believed to have begun in Tibet several thousand years ago. 

Please be sure to take massage therapy courses before attempting this technique.

This past weekend, I was talking with some of my girlfriends, and we started talking about ponytails. There seem to be so many celebrities these days strolling down the red carpet sporting them. You even see all those perfect-looking girls on the street with ponies. Not as a quick “OMG! I didn’t have enough time this morning” fix, but as an actual style.

My friends Wendy & Kelly lamented that no matter how hard they try, they just look like they woke up late and needed to do something – ANYTHING with their hair. And fast. They claim they can’t make their ponytails look like a style. So I did some research for some quick tips on how to make that everyday ponytail into a style. And hopefully the following tips can help everyone – including Wendy & Kelly.

Here are some basic tips and pics to illustrate how you can create a great style out of your ponytail:

1. Play up the part! Start by parting the hair on one side. You can either go with a straight  part or criss-cross for more drama. I like taking the part back about 1.5 to 3 inches. Then pull it back gently into the ponytail. You don’t want to pull it too tight because you don’t want to lose the sweeping movement. If you have straight hair, make sure you ARE getting rid of any bumps, though. If you have curly or wavy hair, try keeping it pretty loose so you can take advantage of the natural movement of your waves, which will also easily cover imperfections.
2. Frame the face. If you have shorter layers up front, don’t be afraid to let them hang loose – don’t force them back into the pony. You can always tuck or pin the hair behind your ears. If you have bangs, even better – let them do the work of framing your face. Just be aware of the layers and lengths of your hair, and use them to your advantage.
3. Make it sleek and shiny. If you have long hair, you can go uber chic by pulling it back high on your crown. This is a high-drama look that keeps hair out of your face, but still lets it cascade down your back. If you have really straight hair, pulling it back smooth and tight can create a very elegant look. If you’d like to go a little funkier, add a twist for some interest and volume.
4. Pump up the volume. Don’t be afraid to play with twisting or teasing your hair. Creating more volume around your crown will show that you meant to make your ponytail look like that. Thus…it’s a style. Gwen Stefani has her signature look, and a number of other celebs have been captured sporting similar types of hairplay.
5. Accessorize…in moderation. Your ponytail will look more deliberate if you decorate it. You can pin a flower in the side of a tousled pony look for a casual, colorful touch. You can also use a thick headband or ribbon to make your look more stylish. I like using a ribbon closer to the hairline after I’ve teased, smoothed out, then secured the ponytail itself. This accentuates the volume and really makes the look more polished. You can also use decorative hair ties or clips. But don’t go overboard. If you have to stop and ask yourself (or someone else) if it’s too much – it probably is. Remember, ponytails are so beloved because of their simplicity. Don’t ruin a good thing. 
6. Choose sides. The low side ponytail is my personal fave, when it comes to pony styles. You can do this easily by parting the hair and using the parted section of hair to frame the face. Pull the rest of the hair back smooth, but loosely, and secure it at the base of your skull on one side. The ponytail should easily rest over your shoulder (on the front side). This can work as both an elegant and a casual look.
7. Don’t ignore your styling products! Your styling products are there to help you style your hair. If you want to do a ponytail as a style, use what you already have as a resource. If you have wavy or curly hair, enhance the movement of your hair with styling products. If you’re working with very straight hair, use a shine enhancer to help decrease flyaways and to really turn up the dial on your hair’s sheen. If you have short hair that just barely makes it back into the ponytail, have fun by using a touch of styling wax to spike it out! And everyone can benefit from a little bit of hairspray to help keep it all in place once you have it perfect.

Just remember – a ponytail is like any other good style. It takes some practice to make it perfect. So, take some time out on a weekend or evening to play around with some of these tips and find out what looks best on you. I think it’s safe to say that the ponytail isn’t a style that will go away anytime soon. So it definitely won’t be any time wasted!

Here’s a video showing how to do a formal updo for prom or a wedding.

Formal hairstyles can be tricky to keep in place while dancing and having a good time. If you have any tricks for keeping your locks in place, please share them!

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

You can add this video to your site by copying and pasting the following code into your page:

<object width=”425″ height=”350″><param name=”movie” value=”http://www.youtube.com/v/tV_DnN4fCco”></param><embed src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/tV_DnN4fCco” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” width=”425″ height=”350″></embed></object><br /><strong><a href=”http://www.beautyschoolsdirectory.com/blog/category/videos/”>Watch more beauty videos.</a></strong>

Manual Lymph Drainage is a form of gentle, whole-body massage aimed at stimulating the lymphatic system to carry away excessive fluid in the loose connective tissue. This non invasive, painless therapy is intended for conditions such as acute and chronic edema (swelling), neuromuscular disorders, headaches, acne, and sinus congestion. Working under a physician’s referral, certified therapists also treat post-mastectomy patients’ pain, edema, and fibrosis.

Please remember that massage can be damaging if not done correctly. Find a massage therapy school near you where you can get proper training.