Hair Color

Hot Tips on Hair Color

Kathryn M. D�Imperio

There�s just something so sexy about being a woman. Buying new lingerie, donning a new look with a great makeover, trying out a new hairstyle or hair color�. We all need a change sometimes, and what better to change than the color of our hair?

Dyeing our hair a new shade shifts us into a new sense of being, gives us a new persona to assume and fulfill. We can be the boisterous blonde we never were, the seductive brunette, the electric redhead or the mysterious ebony-haired beauty. And with this exciting new shade also comes a stunning blast of self-confidence and invigoration.

Changing the color of our hair gives us freedom and a sense of renewal, even if the only thing different from yesterday to today is the color of the strands on our heads. Depending on your comfort levels, you can try at-home coloring kits or you can make an appointment with your stylist. Opt for highlights only or color your entire mane for the ultimate head-turning factor.

Tips and Tricks:

Try to stick pretty close to your natural hair color if it is your first time. This way it won�t be the end of the world when your roots start growing in.

Also, you might consider a temporary washout color treatment if you are a beginner. This gives you the freedom and flexibility to remedy the situation if you don�t like the new color of your hair.

If you opt for do-it-yourself highlights, have a family member or a friend help you, if possible. It is always nice to have another set of eyes to guide you through things you cannot clearly see. Mirrors may be deceiving, so having someone there to help really could be the difference between an okay dye job and an excellent one.

Follow the instructions closely and thoroughly. No skipping steps. Test a small area of your hair as instructed, just to be sure you aren�t allergic to anything in the dye.

Leave your hair down as you color it and you will achieve a more even look. Pinning your hair on top of your head leaves more to chance.

Part hair into sections and apply color from roots to ends, starting near the temples. Double-check the instructions to be sure you are following them properly.

To prevent hair from dripping on your skin, apply a thin layer of moisturizer or petroleum jelly to the skin at your hairline. Most hair dyes will not drip, but in case they do, this makes cleanup so much easier!

If you want beautiful blonde tresses, consider seeing your stylist for best results. Dyeing darker hair into a lighter shade, especially blonde, can be a tricky task. Even if you�re an at-home hair dyeing professional, remember that it�s easier to do it right the first time than to cover up any boo-boos.

More Home Coloring Tips: Deep condition before you color your hair. Wait two days after shampooing before coloring. The color will adhere better, since your scalp is more sensitive after shampooing, it will make the process more comfortable. Plus the natural oils in your hair will protect it.

Quick Fixes for Your Hair

Quick and Refreshing Fixes for Your Hair

Kathryn M. D�Imperio

Have you ever had one of those �perfect hair days� where your hair looks fabulous just before you�re about to hop in the shower? Knowing full well that you�d be generously lucky for your hair to look half as nice, you grab that quick shower, even though you just washed your hair this morning/last night.

You needn�t wash your hair repeatedly to ensure remarkable results, so why not skip a shampoo or two? Remember, the more you wash your hair and the more styling products you apply, the greater the amount of buildup that adheres to your silky strands.

Every once in a while, forego the routine washing by twisting your hair up into a towel or piling it into a shower cap before you step into the shower. To alleviate your concerns of how your hair will smell, look and feel without shampooing it just this once, try these tips to keep your hair vibrant and refreshed.

Freshen Up

You�ve got your perfume and your body spray, so why not something sweet and tantalizing for your tresses? A number of well-known companies offer deliciously delightful fragrances for hair, like Clairol�s Herbal Essences Style Refreshing Mist. It comes in a compact pump spray bottle with flirty floral fragrances that are sure to keep you feeling great about your hair.

Another option � if you simply must wash your hair every time you shower, so be it. Shampoo and condition your hair, but do without the blow dryer during the warmer months. Twist your hair up and secure it to your head with a hairpin or some bobby pins. Try a sexy style with some little claw clips or pull your hair back into a classic braid.

De-Frizz and Smooth Out

So the end of the day is nearing and you�ve still got your dinner date in less than an hour. You may not have time to shower and get prettied up all over again, but you can at least apply some frizz-fighting gel or styling product to smooth out your hair.

If you can�t possibly dream of going on a date without a shower to freshen up, take the fastest shower of your life and get moving! Apply a leave-in conditioner or other anti-frizz styling solution to your hair and follow the instructions for drying your hair, or allow it to dry naturally if you have time.

Preserve

While you may not have all the time in the world to get ready, it doesn�t hurt to catch a glimpse of yourself once in a while to be sure your hair is behaving and your makeup hasn�t smudged. Be careful not to whip out your compact in front of your date and surely avoid the obvious gawk at your reflection on a tinted car window as you walk by.

Excuse yourself for a brief trip to the ladies room, and failing all else, use a tiny bit of water or a small dab of hand cream to assuage any hair catastrophes.

Flat Irons

Flat Iron Tips

By Lisa L.

Still can't live without your straightening iron? Once you know how to achieve that sleek, smooth look it's hard to go back. It really doesn�t matter which flat iron you use: ceramic, thermal, metal or ionic - they all damage your hair with over-use and inappropriate use. They heat keeps your hair dry and over time will damage the ends of your hair.

Here are 10 tips to help you and your flat iron work side-by-side without damaging your hair.

1. Keep your flat iron clean. It will last longer and do less damage to your hair.

2. Use a styling aid to prevent frizz before you blow dry. Sealed Ends by BC Bonicure seal the ends of your hair locking out frizziness by 79 percent. Use it after your blow dry to get rid of frizz.

3. Practice before you head out to any major event. It's very easy to use once you get the knack of it.

4. When using the iron on your hair comb, on the section you are using first, before running the iron through it.

5. Try avoiding using any products until you finish straightening out your hair.

6. Use small sections. The smaller the section the flatter and more weightless your hair will be.

7. Use even pressure while stroking your flat iron from the root to the end without stopping on any part of the sectioned hair.

8. Use a wide bristle brush on your hair while brushing your desired shape into place.

9. Use a lightweight serum to smooth any frizz left over. You'll only need a little.

10. Let your iron cool; clean its surface with a cloth so you�ll be ready to use it again tomorrow.

Blonde

Sheer Blonde

By Lisa L.

Ok blondes, we all know you love to soak up that sun but so does your hair. Natural sun and heat damages your hair vaporizing all the moisture needed for your hair to look healthy and shiny. Texture doesn�t really matter nor does the shade of blonde, as they all are more prone to damage in the sun. Frizz is common in the summer and with good conditioner and frizz control you can look like any celebrity.

Try Frizz-ease or Split Ends by BC Bonicure to control frizz after or before your blow dry. For added protection apply a blow dry sealer before you start to blow dry your hair. It will protect your blonde hair from heat and this is for high damage control. There are also newer sprays and conditioners specifically formulated with SUV protectants helping your hair from damage. For a great feel try Back to Basics - Kiwi Melon Body Boosting Conditioner.

If your hair starts to go a green from being in the water a little too much, Resolve by JOICO is highly recommended. It will strip the chlorine buildup letting your hair breathe. Eventually you'll get back to your great color.
Sheer Blonde is available at most drug stores. It's formulated to enhance your blonde while protecting it from further damage.

Frederic Fekkai Baby Blonde Conditioner is a daily conditioner and enhances your hair with a great shine. Using sunflower seed oil, lemon peel and other natural products it helps with your hair's elasticity and this product is used specifically for color treated blonde hair.

For further protection, use a wide toothed comb or pick while your hair is wet. If you need a great detangler, BC Bonicure�s Spray Moisturizer is the best product on the market for detangling those hard annoying tangles.

Blonde will always have high maintenance and expensive to maintain. The tips above are to help you in between visits to your stylist. It�s still more fun to be blonde at any cost!

Updos

Easy Hair Updos

By Lisa L.

Updos - see Heidi Klum - are back. The nice plush updos that look like they took hours to make piling up so high upon your head are in fact very easy to do yourself. 5 Minute Makeover

First consider using hot rollers - see Salma Hayek - even if you don't want a curl. It's easy volume without having to work for it. If you can, then curl a few pieces on the top and sides with a curling iron - see Hillary Swank.

Flip your head over towards the front. With a pick or large comb tease your roots. Tease it with small fast strokes until you feel a little nest forming at your roots. Give it a little spray using JOICO�s Ice Finisher to add a little hold.
Flip your hair back and assuming your standing position with your paddle brush smooth out your hair into your desired shape.
You can use a big bristle brush if you want to see more definition in your updo. Hair SOS

Start with the back of your hair and grab a piece of hair like you�re doing a ponytail. Twist clockwise bring up and put your bobby pins in. Four to six usually do it and don�t forget to criss-cross the bobby pins if you feel you need a little support in the back of your updo. Take your top piece that�s left over and twist very lightly.

Once it is secured and you have the desired height you want on the top, pin it down with 2 bobby pins. See Reese Witherspoon. Now take each side twist it back to secure on the top building into a pile. Fix your bangs and pull any front hair back that�s been left over and secure with a bobby pin.

Combination Hair

How to Take Care of Combination Hair

By Anna Lynn C. Sibal

There are many different types of hair. There are thick types and there are fine types of hair. There are curly ones and straight-falling ones. Some hair types are more prone to the accumulation of sebum (the natural oils that our skin secretes) than others, while some hair types are just naturally dry. There are various ways of taking care of hair according to its various types.

But what if your hair happens to be a combination type of hair? What if your hair is very oily near the scalp but has the tendency to be dry to the point of brittleness as the strands reach the ends? How do you take care of hair like that?

Fortunately, there are a number of ways to care for the combination type of hair. With the appropriate use of the right products, you can prevent damage to your hair, protect it, keep it healthy and even enhance its beauty. So how do you effectively care for the combination type of hair?

It all starts with the proper washing of the hair. In shampooing, never use hot water to wet your hair. Hair strands are susceptible to extreme heat and hot water will only damage it. Instead, just use lukewarm water.

Be choosy with the products that you use for your hair. If you have the combination type hair, avoid using shampoos formulated for oily hair. It might worsen the condition of the dry tips of your locks. Instead, opt for shampoos specially made for normal hair.

Do not use too much shampoo to wash your hair. Just a dollop the size of a quarter will do. Apply the shampoo directly on the scalp and just let the suds flow to the ends of your hair. Never apply the shampoo directly to the tips because the shampoo will wash off the oil that your hair tips need so much. If you must, just scoop some suds from the top of your head and use it to wash your hair�s tips. Never overclean your hair�s ends and be careful in handling them. Rinse the shampoo off carefully and thoroughly until it is not slippery any longer.

After shampooing the hair, apply a rinse-off conditioner. Just as you should never apply shampoo directly to the tips of your hair, you should never apply conditioner directly to your scalp either. The moisturizing agents in the conditioner will cause the scalp to produce too much oil. Instead, concentrate the application of the conditioner to the tips of your hair strands, and then rinse your hair thoroughly, this time with cold water to lock in the moisture and to discourage your hair from secreting too much oil.

For added TLC for your combination type hair, indulge in deep conditioning treatment once a week. Apply moisturizing conditioner to the dry parts of your hair, wrap it with a towel and let it be for a couple of hours before washing it off completely. You can substitute olive oil for commercial conditioner if you wish. Also, make it a habit to have your hair trimmed once every two months to get rid of your hair�s brittle ends.

The combination type of hair need not be a hair care nightmare. All it needs to keep healthy and beautiful is the know-how for its proper care.

Versatile Haircut

Our hair frames our face and the way it is cut and done should highlight the best features of our face.

However, inasmuch as there are so many hairstyles out there that we can pick and choose from, there are some haircut styles that may look good on some but not on others. A hairstyle we may like may not look good on us, and mainly because that haircut does not flatter the shape of our face.

A woman with a round face should wear her hair in such a way that it lessens the width of her face and should go for hairstyles that add length. In contrast, hairstyles that add length should be avoided by women with long faces, and these women should go for hairdos that add width to the face.

Read more on best hairdos for your face.

But whatever the shape a woman�s face may have, there are indeed a few haircuts that would look good on her regardless. This all-around hairstyle is so simple and versatile that it would look good not just on any type of face, but also on any kind of occasion.

What are the elements of this all-around haircut that goes well with any shape of the face?
There are two elements to the all-around hairstyle.

The first element is layering. The layers of the hair should act as arrows that direct the eyes to whoever is looking at you to the best features of your face, such as the eyes, the lips or the cheekbones. So, the layers of your hair should be done to the front of the face, rather than in the back. However, avoid having your layers done too short; hair layers should not fall above the eye or above the earlobes.

The second element is length. Try to keep the length of your hair to just about your shoulders. Long hair that falls to the middle of the back and cut without any shape or layers should be left to teenage girls.

But if you want to wear your hair long, wear it with layers around your face. Also, have the length at the back cut to a round shape, or a V-shape. Long hair cut straight and without any shape can make a woman look either too old or too juvenile, but long hair that is done with layers and with the ends shaped at the back can make you look sophisticated and sexy.

The all-around haircut is perfect for any face, regardless of the shape. Why don�t you try it and see for yourself?

Right Way To Wash Your Hair

By Anna Lynn C. Sibal

Most of us think we have this all down pat, but for all we know, we might be wrong. After all, we have been washing our hair all our lives. How could we go wrong with something like washing our hair? However, we might be washing our hair the wrong way and contribute to its damage without actually knowing it.

What we should remember about our hair is that the individual strands of our hair, no matter how thick or strong it looks, is actually very delicate. So we cannot just tug and pull at it, or else it would break. We would not want to have hair breakage, would we?

So, what is the right way of washing the hair?
The first thing you should do is to comb the tangles out of the hair before you wet it so the hair would wash easily and the tangles would not worsen. And then, wet your hair thoroughly under the shower. You can use either warm or cold water if you like, but for best results, you can wet your hair with warm water to open the scale-like cuticles of the hair and wash all the oil and dirt off. And then, you can rinse your hair with cold water afterwards to close the cuticles and add to the shine of your hair.

Rinse your hair under the shower to rid it of the leave-on conditioner and styling aids you have used previously, using gentle strokes of your fingertips. Then, pour a dollop of shampoo in the palm of your hand. Rub your hands together, and then apply the shampoo to your scalp. Take note that you should put the shampoo on your scalp and not at the ends of your hair, as the shampoo would dry your hair's ends and cause it to weaken and split. Also, do not mix your hair all over your head as you shampoo because it will get all tangled up. After this, rinse the shampoo off.

More often than not, we need to shampoo our hair for a second time. The purpose of the first shampoo is to clean the oil and dirt off; the second shampoo is supposed to let the shampoo treat our hair. So, repeat the process, but let the shampoo sit on for around a couple of minutes. Rinse the hair completely after this.

To get the excess water off your hair, just squeeze the water out. Do not pull or tug at the hair because the hair is at its most delicate when it is soaked. When the excess water is out, apply a dollop of conditioner - mane event - and apply it along the hairline, the nape and the ends of the hair. Pile your hair then inside a shower cap and let the conditioner stay there for around ten minutes. And then, rinse it off completely.

The process described here does seem tedious and time-consuming. But remember, having great hair takes time and effort. And it is definitely worth it for a picture perfect hair.

Also see: Hair Highlights - Salon perfect results at home.

To Blow Dry or To Air Dry?

By Anna Lynn C. Sibal

Should the hair be blow dried or air dried?
It is a matter of preference, actually. Some people do not have much time to devote to styling their hair, or want to achieve the maximum styling they can get for their hair, so they opt for blow-drying it. On the other hand, there are some people who think that blow-drying is a waste of electricity and is the quickest way of damaging the hair, so they opt to have it air dried.

Which is better, you may ask?
Both ways of drying the hair have their advantages and disadvantages, and there are proper and improper ways of doing both. Read on and find out what these are.

Air drying. Air drying is usually done by people who have short and low-maintenance hairstyles, or by people with curly hair. There are also people who have long hair yet have their hair air dry, as air drying does not subject the hair to excessive heat. Therefore, the hair is not as susceptible to damage as hair that is blow dried.

If you are going to have your hair air dried, it is very important to remember that the hair is at its weakest when it is wet. So, take care not to rub your hair dry with the use of a towel. The friction caused by rubbing the hair with a towel will make the hair brittle and eventually break. Rather than rubbing it, you should instead blot the moisture out of your hair with the towel. Also, be careful not to tug or pull at your hair that much when it is still wet. Once the water is blotted out of the hair, fluff it out with your fingers.

Blow Drying. Blow drying the hair is the most convenient way of doing it, and because most people live fast-paced lives, blow drying the hair is the way most people want to do it. Moreover, drying the hair using a blower adds volume to the hair. But inasmuch that blow drying is very convenient, it is also dangerous to the hair, especially if overdone. It can make the hair very brittle.

If you blow dry your hair, make sure that it is not soaking. Blot the water out with a towel first. Do not hold the dryer too close to your head; keep it at least six inches away from your hair and move the dryer constantly around your head. Protect the outer strands of your hair from being over-dried by bending over and blow drying your hair with your hair hanging upside down. Also, try not to dry your hair completely with the blow dryer. Stop while the hair is still slightly damp.

Whether you air dry your hair or you blow dry it is completely your own choice based on your own lifestyle and preferences. But whatever you do, always remember that the hair is fragile. Be careful while handling it.

How To Shake Dandruff Flakes Away

By Anna Lynn C. Sibal

If you have dandruff, do not worry about being alone with your problem. With one out of every two people in the entire world having, or having had, that same problem as yours, you are definitely not alone with it. Dandruff is a common hair problem. Embarrassing indeed, but a very, very common problem nonetheless.

What causes dandruff? Well, you see, our entire skin, from our scalps to the soles of our feet, sheds dead skin cells on a daily basis. We get a complete coating of new skin every 28 days or so, but we hardly even notice it.

Our bodies also play host to a lot of microorganisms like bacteria and fungi, feeding off on the sebaceous oils that our skin produces. Our scalp in particular is home to a kind of fungus called malassezia fungus, and its food is the oils produced by the hair follicles of our scalp. Dandruff happens when, for some reason or another, the malassezia fungus goes crazy and irritates our scalp, causing the dead skin to shed a lot faster. So, instead of shedding the dead skin cells of our scalp for a month, the shedding happens in less than two weeks, and the oil that our hair follicles produce cause these dead skin cells to clump together and become dandruff. Until now, the factors that trigger this phenomenon with the malassezia fungus are still the subject of research.

Dandruff is an embarrassing hair condition, and it can recur despite your best efforts. But with proper hair care, the recurrence of dandruff can be controlled. The best way to keep the flakes at bay is to shampoo your hair every day - picture perfect hair.

Dandruff can, of course, become stubborn, so if washing everyday with your regular shampoo does not stop the flakes from becoming haywire, the next best thing to do would be to start using anti-dandruff shampoos. Look for anti-dandruff shampoos with zinc pyrithione, selenium sulfide, salicylic acid or ketoconazole as the active ingredient. To keep your scalp from developing immunity to these shampoos, go ahead and rotate brands at least once a month.

For optimum results, you can lather your hair with the shampoo of your choice twice. The first wash will clear the scalp of the flakes and the oil buildup. The second one would let the chemicals in the shampoo get absorbed by the scalp - haute hair.

You can also try homemade remedies to wash the flakes away and to keep the dandruff from recurring. What is considered the best homemade remedy to dandruff is a vinegar wash. Mix two teaspoons of vinegar with six teaspoons of water and rub it against your scalp before you go to bed, then wrap your head with a towel. Apply the same solution to your hair once again in the morning when you wake up, then rinse it with water. You do not have to worry about the smell of vinegar in your hair, as the smell of vinegar does evaporate eventually.

Whatever you do, never, ever scratch the clumps with your fingernails. It will cause wounds on your scalp.

Dandruff is an embarrassing hair condition, but it is not unmanageable. Just take good care of your hair and the flakes will go away.

Eyeshadow Pencil

Using an eyeshadow pencil...

You should not draw the pencil across your eyelid as this could cause stretching of the skin.

Instead, apply the color to the palm of your hand, then pick up some of the color with your pinky and apply gently to your eyelid.

Puffy Eyelids

Remedy For Puffy Lidded Eyes or Eyes With No Defined Crease

1. Apply a touch of black eyeshadow in the center of the upper lashline.

2. Sweep a taupe or natural color eyeshadow over the crease and slightly above it.
.....(Remember, we're working with minimal space here...not Cher's lids! ).....

3. Use an eyeshadow shade that's lighter on the browbones and lids.

That way, when the light hits your peepers, the highlighted area of the eyes will stand out as the crease appears, well, creased! The upper lids lined with black shadow in the center provides a contrast with the highlighted lid to create more visible lids.

By Jamie Bratslavsky, Staten Island

Perfect Eye Shadow

How To Match Eye Shadow With Your Eye Color

Need an eyeshadow shade that looks cool with your eye color? Here's help.

FOR BLUE EYES

1. Tried and True: taupe, gray, violet, purple, deep blue (a darker shade than your eye color makes your eyes really blue), black (mix it with bright blue for a smoky effect)

2. Funky Favorites: silver, turquoise, fuschia (brightens any shade of blue)

GREEN or HAZEL EYES

1. Tried and True: brown, apricot, purple, plum, deep khaki or forest green (because they are in the same greenish family, they brighten green eyes)

2. Funky Favorites: gold, glowing, lime-green, really light green, bright purple (super modern)

BROWN EYES

1. Tried and True: copper, bronze, champagne Uma Thurman (soft pink with a touch of apricot), brown (for a doe-eyed look), beige, and khaki-green (lighter shades add highlight)

2. Funky Favorites: tangerine, royal blue, hot pink, lime-green (the contrast adds punch to brown)

ALL EYES

1. Tried and True (Classic): navy or charcoal base to define and a powder-blue shadow for highlighting (it brightens your brow bone so any eye color pops)

2. Funky Favorites: silver-sparkle shadow makes all eyes look edgy.

Bigger Eyes

Make Him Melt With Big, Doe Eyes

Problem:
My eyes are very small. Are there any makeup tips to make them stand out more?

Solution:

Eyeliner is the magic wand for creating the illusion of bigger, more expressive eyes. Line the entire top lash line and extend the line slightly at the corners. You can also line the bottom of your eyes, but concentrate color only on the outer third and extend it slightly past the edge. (We're not talking Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra here.) A soft, smoky look will open your eyes more than a thin, hard line. Stick to dark, neutral colors with a hint of black for lining, as bright shades will only make them seem smaller.

Lashes can also be a great eye-opener. Curl them three times before applying mascara -- at the base, halfway up and at the tip -- to create a gentle, rounded curl. Fan out your lashes while applying mascara. Brush the inner third in toward your nose, the middle third straight out and the outer third toward your temples.

Contrary to popular belief, dark, dramatic eyeshadow will not make your eyes stand out. In fact, it'll do just the opposite. If you have small eyes, keep it simple by using only light-colored shadows, and never wear more than two shades at once. Brush a subtle base color from lash to brow, and then use a slightly darker shade to create subtle definition in the crease.

Curly And Longer

How To Curl And Lengthen Your Eyelashes

Since we can't all be blessed with long lashes, thank goodness mascara can make it look as if we were. Here is a very simple method of applying mascara for every day wear.

1. Draw wand out of mascara tube and remove access on a piece of paper towel.

2. Hold wand horizontally and slowly twirl as you move the brush from the roots to the tips.

3. To set curl, hold wand and lashes together at the tips for a several seconds.

4. Apply second coat before the first coat has dried to avoid clumping.

5. Apply mascara carefully to the bottom lashes, holding wand vertically.

6. While lashes are still wet, comb through the lashes (carefully) with a lash comb to separate each lash.

Tips:

Be sure to wash off your mascara each night. Not only will it smear during the night, you won't be able to apply more until your lashes are free from the old mascara.

Mascara is a breeding ground for germs. Be sure to replace it every three months.

Never pump the wand into the tube. This procedure only adds air to the mascara, drying it out.

Lining Eyes

Lining Eyes

It takes steady hands and the near precision of a neurosurgeon to put on eyeliner. We asked makeup artist Pamela McNeally for the tips that will save you 4 years of medical school:

Dust a sheer, loose powder on the upper and lower lids so the eyeliner sticks better. If you are going to curl your lashes, do it now. (Otherwise you could smudge the line.)

Choose the right formula. For a cleanstraight line, use a liquid version (try one with felt tip, like those from Lancome or L'Oreal). To create a softer, more subtle line, pencils are best.

Rest your elbow on a hard surface to minimize shaking. Start in the middle of the eyelid, and drag the liner to the inner corner of the eye, drawing as close to the lashes as possible. Go back to the center of the of the eyelid and repeat the process outward.

To make your eyes look smoky, dab eye shadow (in a similar shade) over the line and lightly fan it out. This will also help the liner stay in place.

If the liner smudges, don't reapply more. Instead, clean up the line with a dampened Q-tip.

Remedies For Puffy Eyes

Remedies For Puffy Eyes

* Take a metal spoon and run it under cold water. Place the metal on the puffy area for at least 60 seconds.

* Apply hemorrhoid cream (look for brands that contain ingredients of yeast and shark's liver oil) to the puffy area. Insiders have known for years that in just the way it gets the swelling out of that other area, it works the same way for the face.

* Thin cucumber slices used as compresses over closed eyes will relieve sore, puffy eyes.

* A black tea bag soaked in cold water on each eye for ten minutes will reduce swelling caused by fluid retention. Gently press from inner to outer corners to hasten drainage.

* Avoid salty foods, which cause the under eye area (and the rest of your body) to hold fluid.

* Elevate your head when you sleep, to keep fluid from settling around your eyes.

Eyeshadow That Stays

Eyeshadow That Stays Beauty Tip

Melting eyeshadow is a problem for many women, but there is a way to make it "stick" a little longer.

If you use a damp eyeshadow brush and apply a layer of face powder to your lids and allow to set, the shadow will stay in place for the day.
Takes an extra second or so but the effort is well worth it.

Around The Eyes

Caring For Your Delicate Eye Area

For many people, the eye area is a real problem. This is one of the first areas to show the signs of ageing and is also a problem area for fluid retention.
Here are some tips on caring for the delicate eye area:

* Certain moisturisers should not be applied to the eye area as they cause it to swell up.

* Separate eye creams/gels are a must if you suffer with puffy or ageing eyes.

* Hold a metal spoon under cold running water for a few minutes and then gently press it onto the eye area to soothe, cool and reduce swelling.

* Thin cucumber slices are an old remedy, but still a good one for reducing puffiness and soothing tired, sore eyes.

* Haemorrhoid creams containing sharks liver oil and/or yeast applied to the puffy area, are fantastic for reducing swelling.

* Soak used tea bags in cold water for around ten minutes (making sure they are really cool) and place them on the puffy area. Start at the outside of the eye and roll them gently inwards.

* Elevate your head when you sleep to encourage fluid to drain away from the eye area.

* Place a slice of raw potato underneath your eyes. The potassium in them counteracts dark circles.

* Diet, again! Avoid salty foods as these can cause fluid retention.