BANISH BLACKHEADS -

BANISH BLACKHEADS -

'I have a fair complexion but my skin is very oily. I have blackheads on my nose because of my oily skin. Please suggest a home remedy for removing the blackheads.' - Arathi, Mumbai Blackheads are caused by pores blocked with oil. We tend to believe that the black appearance is due to dirt, but in fact, it is simply oil or sebum which has turned black due to the oxidizing effect. While it is easy to clean the surface of our face, making sure that our pores are clean takes a little more work than just a perfunctory splash of water. Removal strips Blackhead removal strips are readily available at all major departmental stores. All you need to do is to wet the strip, place the strip on your nose, which is where blackheads are very likely to form, leave it on till it dries completely, and peel it off. Steam You could also try removing blackheads yourself, but make sure you are gentle, or you may cause scarring. Steam your face for around ten minutes with a steamer, or by placing your face over a vessel of boiling water if you do not have a steamer. Form a tent with your towel over your head and around the bowl, to trap the steam. This opens and softens pores, and makes the blackheads easier to remove. Then take a wad of cotton in both hands, and use the cotton to gently squeeze out the blackheads. Exfoliate Make sure the blackheads don't reappear by exfoliate your skin with a face scrub, to get rid of dead skin so they do not block pores. Use it on your nose, or wherever you have blackheads. Scrub the area gently. Do not be too harsh as you may cause further damage. While you need exfoliate your face only twice a week, many women have reported that their blackheads on their nose have totally disappeared after they started using a face scrub on their nose on a daily basis. Homemade face scrub You could purchase a face scrub from the market, or make one at home. Beat up the white of an egg, and add a tablespoon of salt. Apply to your face with your fingertips, massaging gently. Wait for it to dry, and wash off with warm water. You could also make a scrub by adding salt to a lemon and honey mixture. After scrubbing your face, apply a little yogurt to soothe your complexion and balance the pH level. Prevention These are temporary remedies, and blackheads will keep re-appearing unless you target the source. Make sure you keep your skin clean, by cleansing, toning and moisturizing it twice a day. Do not apply make up if your face is sweating. Always clean your face before applying make-up. Make sure you wash off all traces of makeup before turning in for the night. Never, ever go to bed with make-up still on, as it contributes to blocking pores, and will lead to pimples and blackheads. Avoid using oil-based make-up if you have oily skin and are prone to developing blackheads.

LIP SYNC -

LIP SYNC -

Your lips are the most exquisite and sensual part of your body. Make the most of them. Your lips. They're undoubtedly the most exquisite and sensual part of your body. They provide pleasure, and they provide function. You talk, eat, pout and kiss with them. And best of all, they can smile and brighten up a room. Lips are delicate, sensitive and are the first to show signs of bruising. So if you chew them, lick them and pick at them just to amuse yourself, stop now. Here's how to treat them with the care they deserve. LIP TIPS 1. Add brushing your lips to your morning ritual. Apply Vaseline to lips and brush lightly with a soft toothbrush to get rid of dead skin. Follow up with another coat of Vaseline or lip balm. 2. Apply a generous coat of lip balm before turning in for the night. If you've run out of lip balm or Vaseline, a great substitute is eye cream. 3. If you're gonna be out in the sun, apply a moisturising lipstick with sun-block. Just because lips don't tan doesn't mean the sun's rays don't harm them. 4. Turn your old lipsticks into new pots of lip-gloss. Simply scrape lipstick out of the tube and place it in a tiny box. Add an equal amount of Vaseline and microwave it for about 30 seconds. Stir until it's smooth, let it cool and apply your lip-gloss. 5. Every once in a while you'll notice that while applying lipstick, tiny vertical lines show up. Simply apply lipstick vertically instead of horizontally to make these lines less noticeable.� 6. Do you hate the dry-lips feel you get when you've applied matte lipstick? Try this: apply your regular moisture-rich lipstick and top it off with a lip pencil. 7. Similarly, if you want your lipstick to last longer, first coat lips with a liner and then apply your lipstick. 8. If your lip pencil is hard, simply apply lip balm before applying the pencil. 9. Chill too-soft pencils in the fridge for about half an hour. This makes them easier to sharpen and apply. 10. Do you stay miles away from red lipstick? And are all those tubes just lying and rotting at the bottom of your dresser drawer? Pull 'em out! Applying a touch of brown lipstick to red lip colour plays down the red, and looks great. Experiment a little with reds and other shades. You'll be surprised at the results! 11. Carry some lipstick with you and keep reapplying during the day. Colour on your lips brightens up your face like nothing else can. 12. If you're plagued by dark, almost black lips, here's what you could do: Mix equal amounts of almond oil, glycerin and honey with rose water, shake well and apply. Do your thin lips have you down in the mouth? Cheer up! Here's how to fool Mother Nature. 13. Apply a light shade of lipstick (darker tones make lips appear smaller). Define lips with a pencil, but for heaven's sake, do NOT go outside your natural lip line. Apply the liner to the outermost edge of your lips and fill in with lipstick. 14. Drawing a line with brown pencil on the center of the upper lip, and then applying your lipstick will also make your top lip look fuller. Glossy lipsticks and frosty shades make lips look fuller, while matte shades make lips look thinner.

LOOK BEAUTIFUL -

LOOK BEAUTIFUL -

Everybody's in a hurry. Rushing to college, to a party, to a meeting, to pick up the kids, or to office. You grab your breakfast as you rush out of the house, brush your hair in the car, and if you have the time, you swipe a tube of lipstick over your lips. There. You're all set. Or so you think. Most women go through life with looks bordering on average, never realizing their true potential. Then on the other hand there are those women who do take time out to apply make-up, but somehow they don't reach their beauty peak. They just don't get it right! It may come as a surprise to know that you could look at least 40 percent better than you do, if you take the time, and make the effort. Here are a few tips to get you looking your gorgeous best. Apply foundation Not only does foundation even out your skin tone making you look fresher, it also protects your skin from the heat, dust and pollution. Mix your foundation with a drop or two of water, or better still, apply it with a damp sponge, so doesn't coat your face heavily. Foundation should be completely invisible. Target lips or eyes, not both There should be one area of focus on the face: lips, or eyes. Either apply a heavy eyeliner, or a dark lipstick, not both. Indian women usually have beautiful eyes, so make the most of them by lining them with kohl and layering on the eye shadow. Apply mascara Apply a quick coat of mascara to your upper and lower lashes. It opens up your eyes and makes them stand out some more. Thread your brows If you think you do not need to thread your eyebrows, think again. Clean, sharply defined brows really bring out your eyes, so if you have never threaded them, it is time you started. Keep a tweezer handy so you can clean them between threading sessions. Stay away from bright colours during the day Save those blood red and maroon lipsticks for after nightfall, and stick to pastels or neutral shades during the day. Light pinks and glosses look great in the day. Get rid of fuzz It never fails to amaze me when I see women walking around sprouting a moustache, when getting rid of upper-lip hair is so easy. Always, always remove fine hair on your upper lip, by waxing or threading it off. You could bleach it too, but this does not leave as neat a result as waxing or threading does. Similarly, if you have hair under your chin, remove it. If you have very few hair on your chin, pluck it instead of threading it. Wax or shave regularly, to get rid of all unwanted body hair. Groom your hair Wash your hair three times a week to keep it clean and healthy. If your hair is dry and damaged, wash it less often, perhaps just once a week depending upon the extent of damage. Keep frizzies at bay by applying a frizz-ease, or by applying 2-3 drops of oil to wet hair. Choose a hairstyle that complements your face cut, and trim it regularly. Untidy hair draws from your looks, so keep a brush handy. Experiment, experiment Don't be afraid to experiment. Keep trying out different looks and hairstyles. You'll never know what looks good till you try it out. Checking out hairstyles on your photograph on some computer screen isn't as good as the real deal. You have to get out there and try it out for real. Don't stick to a look So you found a great hairstyle or lipstick shade, and feel that this is THE one for you. Well, you could be surprised. Maybe it looks good, but then again, maybe you still have to stumble upon something that looks better! So even if you are happy with your present look, after a while, opt for a change.

BEAUTY SECRETS FROM THE KITCHEN

BEAUTY SECRETS FROM THE KITCHEN

Some more easy-to-implement body care tips. 1.Watermelon juice clears the skin of all its blemishes leaving it fresh and lovely. Grate a watermelon, squeeze out the juice and apply it on your face for 15 minutes. Now wash it with hot water and then splash on cold water. 2. Fenugreek leaves (methi) cure pimples, blackheads, dryness and early appearance of wrinkles. Make a paste of these leaves and apply it every night. Next morning, wash off with warm water. This improves your complexion. 3. Tea leaves and lemon juice helps prevent hair fall. They also lead to soft and shiny hair. You need to boil the leaves in water and strain out the tea. Add a little lemon juice to this concoction and wash your hair with it. Rinse your hair thoroughly. 4. Bengal gram flour (besan) mixed with curd can be applied daily on your face and hair! It will not only give you a glowing complexion, but also long and lustrous locks. 5. Orange juice is great for an instant glow. All you need to do is dip your fingers in the juice and pat your cheeks, chin, neck and forehead. Wash off after ten minutes. Your kitchen shelf has been secretly storing all these beauty secrets for years. It is up to you to discover more. And when you do, don't forget to share them with us!

SKIN CARE SECRETS -

SKIN CARE SECRETS -

Did you know that there's a beauty parlour hiding in your kitchen? Working women have it tough. In between rushing to work and back, juggling car pools, co-ordinating with baby sitters, cooking and house-keeping, they scarcely have time to take a deep breath. As far as visits to the beauty parlour are concerned, they are at the bottom of the priority ladder! But fear not, help is at hand. Take a look around your kitchen shelf. You'll be surprised at what you find. Did you know that tomato and lime are excellent bleaching agents? And this is just the tip of the 'ice' berg. Find out more as you read on. 1. Unboiled milk is an excellent cleanser. Dip a piece of cotton wool in a little cold milk and rub it gently on your face. You will see a lot of dirt on the cotton. Keep cleaning your face in a circular upward movement until the cotton comes out completely clean. 2. Ice-cold water is an excellent astringent and skin freshener and serves to close the pores that have opened while cleansing. It also tones the skin. 3.Cream or 'malai' is a very good moisturizer and it needs to be applied to replace the oils that are lost while cleansing and toning. It will keep your skin supple and young. 4. Equal quantities of corn flour, jowar flour (atta) and cream (malai) can give you an instant facelift. You need to make a paste and apply it on your face. Wash it off after it dries. While jowar atta will remove the dead cells, corn flour will tone up and tighten the skin and the cream will moisturize it. 5. Cabbage juice mixed with a little yeast and a tablespoon of honey is an excellent remedy for dry skin. Leave a thick paste on your face for about 15 minutes for best results. 6. Lettuce juice mixed with an equal quantity of rose water and a few drops of limejuice is an excellent remedy for oily skin. It should be applied for at least 30 minutes for best results.

SUNNY SIDE EFFECTS -

SUNNY SIDE EFFECTS -

People tend to look upon the sun in a friendly way. It is what gives us warmth and life. It is associated with good times and cheer. Yet the sun can affect your skin in a distinctly unfriendly fashion. Ask anyone who has stretched out under the fiery rays on a beach in search of the perfect tan and got burnt instead; or someone whose face is a mass of freckles. None of them could be very happy with what the sun has done to their skin. Here are some practical ways of coping with the effects of the sun. Freckles If your skin has a light smattering of freckles, pat some lime juice or buttermilk onto the freckles and then leave it on till it dries. Radish is also useful in combating freckles. A combination of four tablespoons of grated radish and a few drops of vinegar makes a good bleaching paste. You can also boil grated horseradish in milk to make a mild bleach. Fresh green beans boiled and then mashed can be applied as a poultice. Rum is also helpful, but the idea is not to drink it, but to mix two ounces of lemon juice to one ounce of rum and then apply this mixture to your freckles. If you need to use something stronger for those stubborn freckles, a stronger bleach can be prepared by boiling an ounce of horseradish in half a litre of butttermilk for about an hour. Strain the solution and then apply on your freckles. Another strong bleaching agent can be concocted by mixing sixty grains of borax powder with five ounces of lemon juice. Apply this paste at bedtime. A good tip to keep in mind is that any fruit or vegetable that contains Vitamin C can be used to bleach freckles. Sunburns Excessive exposure to the sun's rays makes the pigment in the skin come up to the surface in order to protect the skin from burning. This is the reason your skin becomes darker. The phrase cool as a cucumber is not completely baseless. Cucumbers are very useful in soothing sunburns. Peel and grate a cucumber. Then take out the juice and mix it with half a teaspoon of glycerine and half a teaspoon of rose water. Pat this solution onto your skin and experience the cooling effect. You can also soak some pieces of cucumber in a cup of milk for a few hours and then apply the milk on your sunburn. A mixture made of equal parts of lime water and linseed oil is also a good alternative. Cod-liver oil, potato juice and even a solution of ordinary tea can have a cooling effect. A homemade face mask constituting one egg-white mixed with a little honey and witch hazel is also very effective in dealing with sunburn. Darkened skin For some people a fair skin is of utmost importance. Here are a few simple home bleaching ideas. Mostly all the sunburn remedies also have a bleaching effect. However, they are more suitable for oily skins as they also have a drying effect. So if you are going to use these remedies, remember to follow them up with some nourishing cream if you have dry skin. Those with dry skin who would prefer not to use the above remedies, could try soaking one slice of lemon in one cup of milk. Then strain the milk and apply it on your face. This serves as a mild bleaching agent and does not dry the skin as much. You could also substitute a pinch of bicarbonate of soda for the lemon. Grapes are gentler on the skin than lemon juice. What you need to do is to wash a bunch of grapes thoroughly. Then sprinkle them with alum powder and salt. Next, wrap them in aluminium foil or brown paper and bake for 20 minutes in an oven. Finally, squeeze out the juice and wash your face with it.