Month: January 2014

Makeup For Hooded Eye

Posted on Cybil SolynLeave a commentPosted in How To, Makeup

Who hasn’t tried to recreate a look in a magazine only to find that your eyes now look itty-bitty or bulging and buggy? That’s because certain makeup techniques work better than others at enhancing your unique characteristics. For instance, there are seven different eye settings: close-set, wide-set, deep-set, prominent, down-turned, hooded and monolid. You can have any one or combination of these settings, but all of them are beautiful — it’s just a matter of knowing how to enhance your unique eye-setting. Today, we’re focusing on how to enhance monolids.

Although this type of eye is common among Asian people, it can be spotted in people of all ethnicities and is characterized by a slight or complete lack of a crease on the eyelid. Sandra Oh, Jenna Ushkowitz and Ming Xi are a few celebrities with this eye type.

Many women with monolid eyes find it difficult to wear makeup and some have given up altogether. Don’t lose hope beautiful. Instead, try faking a crease with these tips:

  • Apply a light shade of eye shadow from lash line to brow bone.
  • Apply a medium or dark shade of eye shadow to the outer corners of your eye and blend along the area that would have a crease, if you had double eyelids.
  • Use a shimmery highlight on the inner corners of your eyes and along the brow bones.
  • Curl lashes and apply a couple coats of mascara to complete the look.

Here is another technique you can try to make your hooded eye aka monolids appear more open:

  • Dust a light shade of eye shadow all over the eye.
  • Apply a medium shade of eye shadow at the crease, blending to the upper outer corners of the eyes. Make sure to blend shadow vertically up, which will help open the eye.
  • If you want to, apply the darkest shade of eye shadow along your creases and hoods. Blend up shadow up, but don’t apply as high as you did with the medium shade.
  • Then apply a thin line of eye liner, tightlining your upper waterlines, before curling your lashes and applying two coats of mascara to the top lashes only. Tightlining your eyes will intensify and enlarge their shape and thicken your lash base, which can vanish under the hood.

Regardless of which technique you use above, another eye look that work fabulous with monolids is the classic cat eye. Now that you have these tips, there’s no reason to fret over your eyes. We have empowered you with the knowledge you need to enhance your beautiful peepers. Now you just have to practice. If you’d like to learn more about how to enhance your unique features, contact us and set up an appointment today.

Exercise and Skin Care

Posted on Cybil SolynLeave a commentPosted in Skincare

By all means, when you’re at the gym, work up a sweat. A solid workout routine will do wonders for your overall health, but it can create a few problems in the skin care department. That sweaty layer you’ve got going on is dropping the pH level of yout skin and creating a breeding ground for congestion and bacteria. Don’t let a little sweat stop you from having radiant skin. Just follow these skin care tips:

Remove the makeup
Ladies, if you’re hitting the gym after work, head to the restroom first and wash the makeup off your face. You can put on a fresh batch if you, like me, don’t like to go out without your second skin on. But even an excellent mineral makeup like Jane Iredale has worked hard all day blotting oil and collecting dirt and debris from getting onto your skin. As soon as you sweat thought, all the stuff on top of the makeup will end up rubbed around your skin and in your pores – eew! If you don’t wear an all mineral makeup then please take it off and keep it off during your workout. The combination of gunky makeup and sweat spells disaster for your skin. Use a basic face wash to remove the makeup from your face.

If you’re working out in the morning, be sure to wash your face and apply a light moisturizer. No need for all your products since you’re going to sweat them off, but a clean face stops the goo you’re face has made overnight from spreading all over the place. The moisturizer protects from dehydration and irritation. Once again an all mineral makeup like Jane Iredale is fine to workout in. But when you’re done rinse it off and reapply. That sweat needs off your face!

Exercise needs a gentle face wash
Don’t have time for a full on wash before working out? Why not use a microfiber cloth like the Magic Mitt from Jane Iredale. It removes all makeup, dirt, and debris (even waterproof mascara!) with some warm water and a few swipes. You can rinse and repeat post workout too, saving yourself product and the potential for over washing the skin. The biggest probelm I see with cleansing before and after a workout is stripping. Too much washing can strip the skin of vital moisture and break down it’s natural protective acid mantle. So be sure that gym bag cleanser is very gentle.

Wash or at least rinse your face immediately
Once you’ve finished your workout wash your face again. Yes, it’s a little repetitive, but it’s the best way to keep your skin clear of sweat-induced bacteria. Your skin is a bit sensitive after working out so be mindful not to apply the heavy duty anti-agers or acids within 20min of a hard, sweaty, exercise session. The same is true for applying product before a workout. Sweats pH can reactivate acids and enzymes making them burn or irritate the skin.

Use a clean towel
Using a clean towel when working out is vital. Rubbing sweat off your face and body with a dirty towel is, well, dirty! And don’t go without one either. Even a clean gym can have some nasty surfaces. What if the lady before you didn’t wipe down those dumbells after picking a rock out of the tread of her shoes? Or that mat you’re lying on had someone’s unwashed hair all over it? Bring a towel and keep it clean.

3 Ways for More Hydrated Skin

Posted on Cybil SolynLeave a commentPosted in Skincare

Dry facial skin is a real problem this time of year, and keeping the skin moist with the proper hydration serums and moisturizer may not be enough. So here are some other things to do to keep your cells hydrated.

Cool down the shower
Hot, steamy showers might feel relaxing, but they wreak havoc on your skin. Hot water dries your skin; so consider taking cooler showers to keep your skin from freaking out.

Use a humidifier
Most heating and cooling systems are pumping and circulating dry air through your house. To battle this problem, consider using a humidifier. Set it up in your living room, or wherever you spend the most time. A humidifier is fairly inexpensive and releases water vapor into the air, which will help keep your skin moist. It’s also great for reducing allergens in the air and keeping a more constant temperature in the home.

Remove dead skin cells
Use a Cactus Cloth for the body and a good digestive enzyme facial exfoliant for the face a couple times a week. This helps your products penetrate the skin better.

Facials and body treatments
The benefits of skin care are amplified when you come in for a monthly dose. Monthly facials and even a body treatment (just a facial for the body really!) allow me to power through the dry and rough so you look your best.