[Saving $$$]: DIY Eyebrow Maintenance

If you really know me, you know that after several awkward years in eyebrow hell, I emerged an eyebrow maniac. My name is Aly and I am addicted to maintaining my eyebrows at home to always keep them arched like I just walked out of the salon (or at least until I think they look decent). Plus, I'm "frugal", so saving $7 bucks every 2 weeks is a HUGE reason as well (Hey, that's a nice lunch or 1.5 gallons of gas)! The economy sucks right about now, so any little bit of savings will help your bank account, right?

Well, here are some of my tips on how to maintain your eyebrows at home and my general thoughts about this risky endeavor.



The last time I got my brows done professionally was in February. Since then, I have been maintaining them myself. They usually look okay when I keep up with them. Unfortunately, they don't have that freshly waxed look (I kinda miss that...), but they look okay enough for me not to go back to the salon for a few months.

DISCLAIMER: I do not advise home maintenance for people who are pluck-happy or who don't know when to stop. For those people, the results could be disastrous. Also, in general, please tweeze at your own risk. I have definitely messed up a couple of times, but in my case, the benefits outweigh the risk. If you don't trust yourself, don't try it. Anyway... I hope I didn't scare anyone away... I just want everyone to be careful because eyebrows frame your face and it sucks to mess them up!

My eyebrows, a few weeks ago.

1. Get your eyebrows arched by a salon professional who you trust. If you just moved to a new area or if you have never gotten your eyebrows waxed before, ask someone who has nice eyebrows where they get theirs done! The arch is the most important thing if you are going to be maintaining it for an extended time between waxes. You don't want to maintain something that doesn't look good to begin with. If they have been arched perfectly, they will correspond to the lines on the image below.

2. Get the proper tools! The most important tool that you will be working with is the pair of tweezers that you have. In the past, I have used brands such as Trim and some of the others that you will find at the drugstore. Those don't work! My brow addiction came on once I discovered Tweezerman mini tweezers. They get every single hair - even the tiny ones. You will also need a small pair of grooming scissors. You can get the ones with the rounded tips if you are scared of cutting yourself. You also need a brow brush/comb, brow gel or clear mascara and an eyebrow pencil in your shade.

3. After your trip to the salon, you can sit pretty for however long it takes for those tiny hairs to start growing back in. Zap them as soon as they come up! This is the key to at-home maintenance. Never ever let your eyebrows grow too much before plucking. The longer you wait, the higher the chances are that you will over-pluck in an effort to regain control of them. When plucking, take your time and only pluck one hair at a time. Make sure you are doing this in a clean mirror (not a magnifying one).

4. If your eyebrow hair is unruly, use your eyebrow brush/comb to brush the hairs down and then trim lightly. Never trim too much, or your brows will be bald! Some length is needed to cover the ends of your brows. Just barely trim the hairs along the shape of your arch. This trick will also keep your brows looking freshly done.

5. When you finish, lightly coat your brows with brow gel to keep them in check. There are tons of fancy products on the market to achieve this, such as brow wax, but I haven't tried them as yet, so I won't recommend them at this point.

6. If you have accidentally plucked that one hair that seemed to make all the difference (don't you hate that?), use an eyebrow pencil to fill in the bald spot. Use very light strokes to draw short, hair-like lines. This way, it looks very natural. Also use eyebrow pencils if you want to add some va-va-voom definition to your perfect arch. Again, use light, short strokes to accent underneath the arch, going down to the tail of your brow. Use the brow brush/comb to blend the color for an even more natural look. Brow powder is also another option, instead of a brow pencil. I like the one featured above, by Clinique.

These are my tips for maintaining your eyebrows at home. My way is definitely not the only way or the best way, so please share your knowledge of any other techniques or products. Also, again, please be careful when messing with your brows. Any type of plucking at home is always an at-your-own-risk thing.

[5ive]: Ways To Always Look Your Best {on the GO}

We all have those days where we just don't care how we look or what anyone has to say about it. Those days where you don't even mind leaving the house in sweats, hair undone - looking a mess. We have all been there, so there is no shame in admitting it!

Yet, have you ever been caught looking thoroughly unpolished in public, by a friend you haven't seen in ages? All of a sudden, that "I don't give a ----" attitude goes out the window and all kinds of shame kick in. That kind of embarrassment is a horrible feeling! Wait... here is the holy grail of embarrassment...

You're in Publix browsing the ice cream aisle in your pajamas (or what might as well be pajamas... yes, Vickie's PINK counts as pajamas), when all of a sudden you see a great-looking guy, who is impeccably dressed. You want to flirt, but all of a sudden realize you appear to be a bum.

Basically, some opportunities only knock once, so don't be caught unprepared to answer the door!

You might be in college with an amazing internship, but face the facts - if you look like a bum, people will perceive you as such, regardless. It's human nature to make an assessment of people you meet based on your first impression, which includes how people are dressed.

It's hard to look your best 24/7. Lord knows I went on a late-night run to Burger King the other day in my pajamas. Did I care at the time? No. But I was definitely ashamed. I was praying my car wouldn't break down, etc. so I wouldn't have to be seen by a soul. It was not a good feeling. I vowed after that to make sure I never feel that way again.

Here are 5 ways to always look your best on the go. Even if you might not have time to primp and preen, that is no excuse to not look presentable.

1. Always Have an Beauty 911 Kit: Every woman should have these things in her purse/bag at all times. Get a little, cute makeup bag to keep everything organized and portable. Make sure you have extras of your products specifically for this kit.

• Mascara
• Lip gloss or balm (one or two... or several in my case...)
• Blush or bronzer
• Body spray or a perfume sample
• Breath mints or gum
• Oil blotting sheets

This way, even if you leave your house in a rush, you can quickly fix yourself up on the way to your destination (never while driving though)!

2. Plan your outfits in advance: If you plan your daily outfits from at least the night before, accessories and all, you reap several benefits. You can afford to hit the snooze button one more time. Also, you have the added confidence that comes with knowing you are well put together. Life is too short to spend time worrying about why you didn't put more effort into your appearance, especially when something as simple as planning ahead can save you that stress.

3. Buy cute "bum-wear": To avoid potential embarrassing situations, purchase cute yet comfortable lounge wear. You can buy a nice sweatsuit or "comfy" jeans and some nice hoodies so that even if you don't feel like being dressed to the nines to go to the store, you will always look presentable. Note: Say peace out to your ratty high school P.E. uniform. It is NOT okay to wear that in the streets!

4. Stand up straight: Listen to what Grandma told you. Even if you were to wear the ratty, 7 year old P.E. uniform, if you were standing up straight you might look like you were trying to rock a new style. Confidence makes anything look good. Yet, it's hard to be confident when you know you are not presenting yourself to the world as the fabulous chica that you are. I have posture issues because of my scoliosis, but I try to make a constant effort to keep my shoulders back. It has to be a conscious decision to do this.

5. Try to keep a positive attitude: A smile does a lot for one's appearance. Now, I know that nobody is happy at all times. It's impossible. Sometimes mustering up a tiny smile can seem the most gargantuan of tasks. I'm not saying that you should be fake either, but trying your best to accentuate the positive in your life goes a long way. You will feel better and others will feel better about being in your presence. Also, it's free! As India Arie so wisely sung, "It doesn't cost a thing to smile. You don't have to pay to laugh." Hell, even that notion should make you smile with gas prices as high as they are!

Follow these 5 principles and you are guaranteed to feel better about yourself at all times. Again, life is too short to worry about not looking your best!

[True Self]: Makeup & Self Esteem (Includes Poll Results)

"Do you feel beautiful without makeup?" was a question that I posed to you, the readers, last week. According to the results, 66% of you said "Of course!," 25% said "Somewhat, I can make it work," and 8% said that they "Never leave home without it."

Makeup is something that is used for manifold (I love that word) reasons. It is used "to color and beautify the face," to cover up zits and scars, to create illusions and to just have fun with (it is definitely fun to play grown-up "dress-up" from time to time). As great of an invention as makeup is, should it be used as a security blanket? At which point does makeup use become a mask to hide behind, which is ultimately detrimental to one's self esteem?

Who is to blame for this phenomenon? I'm sure it is the perennial scapegoat - the media - yet again. You always see those "Celebrities Without Makeup" pictures plastered on tabloids. God forbid someone left their house without makeup. The media has persuaded women all over the world that we NEED makeup to validate our self image, instead of just want it to create fun looks or enhance natural beauty. I'm sure companies like Estee Lauder don't mind that you have low self esteem....

Aishwarya Rai with and without makeup. I think she looks nice without it, but the media always makes a huge fuss!

I will bet money that every single human being on this earth had a problem with self esteem at some point in their lives. Nobody is THAT arrogant (sometimes, it is even those seemingly arrogant individuals who have the worst issues).Yet, throughout all of the struggles with self-image, many people have that one thing that they do that makes them feel better. It could be a hobby, playing a sport, retail therapy or going to real therapy. Is putting on makeup equivalent to all of those things? Should it be?

Personally, I love makeup. However, I think that those of us out there who sincerely do not feel pretty (inside or outside) without makeup need to unhand the eyeshadow - even just for a day - and sit down and think about what qualities really make a person beautiful. If you sit down and write the qualities that you see in those who you think are beautiful, I'm sure that you will have jotted down something besides how they look on the outside. Trust me. You are beautiful. You have to see it too, or nobody else will. They won't be seeing the real you, but only a painted on facade.

Actually, I think that regardless of anything, every single last person who reads this should sit down for 5 minutes and write this list. Include characteristics about yourself that you find beautiful. When you've finished, you can use the list as a daily affirmation or to boost your spirits on "one of those days."

Some of my list is as follows (prepare for random stream of consciousness):

eyes, heart, kindness, giving, caring, goal oriented, smile, curves, laugh, voice, honesty, talent, jokes, intelligence, unique soul, poetic, joyous, dedicated, spontaneity.... What is on your list?

This list will be a reminder of who the REAL you truly is.

Besides this little exercise, here are some helpful tips to help boost your self-esteem in general or on a "fat"/"ugly"/"bad hair"/"horrible, terrible, no good, very bad" day:

• Get enough sleep, eat healthily, get regular exercise, take good care of yourself hygienically, etc.
  
• Plan a "Me, Myself & I" night in or out! Go to a movie, take a nap, get your nails done, plant a tree, buy a poodle, learn to meditate-whatever you love to do!
  
• Remind yourself of your strengths & achievements by making a list of things you like about yourself (We already did this).
  
• Forgive when you don't meet all of your goals. We are truly our own worst critic! Go easy on yourself sometimes, especially when you already feel down.


• If all else fails, fake it 'til you make it! When you treat yourself like you deserve to feel good about yourself, you'll begin to believe it!
  

I really hope this helps! I know I'll be referring back to this myself when I feel down (tee hee)

Source: http://www.utexas.edu/student/cmhc/booklets/selfesteem/selfest.html

[TIPS & TRICKS]: Liquid Foundation for Summer

Have you ever tried to wear full coverage liquid foundation in the summer? Usually, by the end of the day, it ends up looking cakey or leaves you with a greasy face (Ew!). Also, most of the time, you end up looking waaay overdone. The summer is the one time of year to go easy on the makeup, let your pores breathe and allow natural radiance to shine through.

My old solution? I totally stopped wearing foundation, even when there were times that I wanted my skin to look more polished. I just made the sacrifice to avoid my face looking like a shiny lightbulb! I forgot where I heard about the trick of mixing liquid foundation with moisturizer, but one day I decided to give it a go. It was perfect! I am now addicted to this makeup trick because it lets me wear liquid foundation in a watered down version. Basically, a home-made tinted moisturizer. You get the same effect without all the issues. This trick solves most summer foundation dilemmas and you don't have to spend major cash on buying another product.

It's as easy as 1, 2, 3!

EXTRA: Mix your foundation with an SPF 15 or above moisturizer to kill 2 birds with one stone.

Try it and let me know what you think!