Women who wear makeup should follow a regular routine of cleansing, toning and moisturizing. This has to be done preferable twice a day and not just in the evening when we get back from work. If you get into this routine then it is less likely that problems like acne will haunt you.

1. CLEANSING

Cleansing remove old make-up, grime and grease that have accumulated through the course of the day.

1.Keep your hair off your face with a hairband before you start on this regimen.
2.Remove mascara with a cotton bud dipped in eye-cleansing lotion.
3.Remove mascara with a ball of cotton wool dipped in the eye cleansing lotion.
4.Pour the cleansing lotion into the palm of your hand and dab it generally over the nose, chin forehead and cheeks using two of your fingers.
5.Massage the cream into the skin, starting under the throat, using a gentle upward motion.
Continue massaging the cream up to the forehead, using the fingertips.
6.Gently massage the cream from the eyes to the nose.
7.Massage cream back over the chin, which is particularly prone to blackheads. Use the index finger.
8. Once this is over, remove the cream from the face with tissue pads in each hand. Start under the chin and work over the cheeks and on to the forehead.

2. TONING

Toners remove all traces of dirt, make-up or cleanser that remain after cleansing. Furthermore it will tone the skin and help to minimize the pore size and will promote a fine textured skin.

Immediately after cleansing apply toner to the forehead and cheeks on a pad of cotton wool.
Apply the toner to the crevices around the nose.
Apply the toner to the crevices around the chin.

3. MOISTURISING

Without moisturising, the skin will not remain smooth and supple. The face is exposed to the drying effect of the weather, so moisturisers — which form a film over the skin — contain and augment the natural moisture.

Using the tips of the fingers, dot moisturising cream lightly all over the face.
Press the fingers of both hands into the centre of the forehead and work the cream slowly outwards. Pat the cream gently around the eyes.

Work the cream around the jawline, chin and mouth with the middle fingers of both hands.
Massage the cream over the throat with alternating hands, using upward strokes from collar-bone to chin.

We recommend you to start this daily regimen immediately. You will see a difference in the face in a matter of 6-7 days.

Here are some guidelines that you can follow while applying eye shadow, these enhance the distinct shape and beauty of the eyes. We need to start by defining the eye shape which can be almond, narrow or round and size – whether you have large or small lid area with a clearly defined crease or is it flat with no marked crease.

Traditionally the tips followed while applying eye shadow are these:

For almond-shaped eyes with a distinct crease, place the deepest tone on the outer edge of the lid and half way up into the crease, keep the inner half of the lid lighter.

If you have narrow-shaped eyes with a small crease and want to use dark tones, keep them very close to the lash line, and consider highlighting under the brow bone.

For round-shaped eyes, keep the deepest tone toward the center of the eye blending upward from lid to crease.

For large lids, graduate tones, startine with a liner, then filling in with color to create depth.

For small lids, keep tones light, or you’ll tend to close up the area and make eyes look smaller.

For eyes with no visible crease, try a deep shadow across the entire lid, then play with a fabulous midnight-blue or shiny black mascara.

1.Clean Skin in a jiffy

In order to take out the oil and to refresh your makeup, lightly mist your face with toner, then pat with a tissue. Finish witha dusting of loose powder.

2.Unlock your hair!

If scalp grease (or too many products) have left your light hair looking dirty and without life,sprinkle translucent powder over your roots, then brush through.

3.Moisturize your skin instanstly

Use conditioner to moisturize your hair and body bas well!! Just massage it in neck-to-toe in the shower, rinse and dry off. The conditioner will hydrate nearly as well as body lotion – without the time of waiting for it to sink in.

4. Get Gorgeous Nails immediately

Remove all polish, clean under your nails (with lemon juice, if you have it) and massage the thickest lotion you can find (lip balm will suffice in a pinch) into your cuticles.

5.Use Pink to Fake Perfect Skin

Surprise! Concealer is only half the battle when it comes to fixing flaws. To really perfect your complexion (no matter what your skin tone), try wearing lipstick in a warm pink. This distracts people’s eyes from blemishes and other imperfections.

6.Take away the frizz

To flatten frizz, dampen your hands with water and a drop of hand lotion, then gently pull your hair back into a French twist. Wait 10 minutes; take your strands down. Voilà – frizz free!

7.Focus on the front alone!

You have just had a shower and have to rush off to the Internet City? Do the the T-zone blow-dry: down your part and around your hairline only. The front and top of your hair will look finished.

8.Sexy evening eyes in a second

Eyeliner is the fastest way to look sexy. Trace your top lash lines to just past the outer corners of your eyes.

9.Pull it together with a ponytail

There’s nothing wrong with resorting to a ponytail -after all, it’s the ultimate easy style. Pull your hair back haphazardly with your fingers and spritz with hairspray. Last, twist a stray tendril around your hair elastic, pin.

10.Revive Your Face Rapidly

To look alive after a long night, pat concealer onto the inner corners of your eyes, under your lower lashes and next to your nose. Finish by swirling bronzer over your cheeks

Is your skin as soft and beautiful as you would like it to be. You may be harming it by doing things unawares. You will findbelow three common habits that can cause a lot of damage to your skin. Do your skin a favour by coming out of these.

Bad Habit No.1

Dry shaving - Dont we all indulge in this when we are in a hurry! And our underarms and legs suffer because of it. We dry shave and this shaving legs or underarms dry can cause irritation, ingrown hairs, and razor burn. Inorder to nurture your skin and keep them soft we advise you to soften it in the shower for about 10 minutes. Then apply shaving cream or even conditioner. Do not use soap as this will dull the razor and invite cuts. Shave in long strokes. After the shower nourish your skin with body loion.

Bad Habit No. 2

Walking in the sun – We generally tend to ignore the incidental sun exposure ie, the exposure when we walk from the car to the office or to the shopping mall. Yes this may not be as damaging as spending hours in the beach. But just a few minutes exposure here in the Middle East can cause wrinkles. Our advise to you(or rather request to you) is to wear a SPF lotion formulated for the face. My favourite brands are Clinique and Neuterogena as these work very well underneath my makeup.

Bad Habit No. 3

Avoiding exfoliation – The buildup of dead skins cells can cause itchiness and rashes specially in a climate like ours. While in the shower scrub daily with a puff or a grainy exfoliator; this will sweep away the rough skin. After the shower use a moisturizer to make it soft

Ingredients

8-9 whole strawberries

3 tablespoon honey

Using a fork mash strawberries into a pulp, add honey. Mix. Don’t over blend or it will be runny. Apply directly to the skin, let sit for a few minutes then rinse off.

Did you know

Strawberries – The Romans prized wild strawberries for their medicinal properties. Ounce for ounce, strawberries have more Vitamin C than citrus fruit. According to the American Cancer Society, foods rich in Vitamin C may lower the risk of cancers of the gastrointestinal tract.
Source: American Cancer Society

Honey is primarily composed of fructose, glucose and water. It also contains other sugars as well trace enzymes, minerals, vitamins and amino acids. Source: Honey BoardBody Cleanser Every 2 hours drink a cup of hot water with lemon juice. It flushes out built up toxins. Sea Salts also draws toxins out of the body. Make a paste of sea salt & water and rub onto your body before a shower, allow it to sit for atleast a minute before washing off. Feels refreshing.

I have a friend who has long, curly hair. Her perpetual problem is that it never behaves itself! Knotting and tangling are major irritants. She had a session with her stylist the other day and these are some of the tips that she got.

Shampoo gently

The way you shampoo can determine the state of your hair and this could easily be one of the major causes of tangles and knots. What needs to be done is to massage the shampoo into the scalp gently. Do not lather the entire length of the hair. The shampoo will move down the hair as it is rinsed.

Condition throughly

Make sure that the conditioner reaches every part of the hair. What normally happens is that we put a handful of conditioner into our palm and then we try lathering our hair completely. Instead if we moisturise our hair in parts will produce good results. When the hair is divided into sections and then when we apply conditioner to each of these sections, you will do a more thorough job which will leave the hair smooth and conditioned well.

Throw the brush away

Curly hair should never be brushed. It has to be always combed. Brushing will only result in the hair being frizzy. So always use a large toothed comb for separation. This will allow each curl to fall into a more natural position.Wet hair should especially never be brushed. It tears the cuticle since hair is in a more delicate state and, if you brush a knot, chances are you will just rip it right out.

Do not put up your hair on top of your head

Finally do not ever wad your hair on top of your head after a bath. This will certainly create knots as you are bunching up your hair in one small area.

After coming to the Middle East I have been losing hair like crazy. Sometimes when I comb my hair I try not to look at the amount of hair I have left on the brush. While the water is a valid reason for the hair loss, I would not want to blame water completely. If you are also in the group who has been loosing hair on a daily basis, I think you would want to read on to find out some of the reasons for this very common syndrome.

The truth is, a certain amount of hair loss is normal (anywhere from 50–100 strands per day), but excessive hair loss and hair thinning indicates that something is not right. The causes of accelerated hair loss are very individual and depend on a complicated set of factors, including hormonal and metabolic imbalances, emotional stress and nutritional deficiencies.

So let’s talk about why women lose hair and what you can do about it.

Causes of hair loss in women

A strand of hair is made of compact dead cells. All the things that you put into your body finally comes out in your hair. This usually can be seen within 3 – 6 months. This is similar to the growth rings in trees, from a single strand we can find out your present state.

The reasons for hair fall could be many and could include any of the following:

Stress (emotional and physical)

Hormonal imbalance, specifically androgen sensitivity

Genetics

Immune system irregularities

Thyroid disorders

Nutritional deficiencies (especially iron or vitamin A)

Cosmetics (allergies and harsh treatments)

Radiation/chemotherapy

Dental treatment

Blood loss

Drugs

Disease

Surgery

Scarring

Hormones and hair loss

Eliminate dietary causes of hair loss

Eat a balanced diet comprised of whole, protein-rich foods — the more organic the better.

Avoid or limit refined sugar and other simple carbohydrates as this may increase insulin sensitivity.hair loss

Address vitamin deficiency hair loss. Take a rich multivitamin daily that includes hair-healthy vitamins such as B, C and E.

Other important nutrients are calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, and iron.

A fish oil supplement containing vitamin D and essential fatty acids will help boost immunity and soothe inflammation.

Consider herbal supplements.

Scalp massage and acupuncture can be helpful in stimulating blood flow to the scalp and supporting normal follicle function.
Finding healthy ways to express yourself and your anger can go a long way toward reducing stress. If you are under severe psychological stress, your hair loss should improve a few months after the stress is relieved.

If your hair loss does not improve with these measures after six months, talk to your practitioner. He or she may recommend undergoing the tests. Ask to see the results and where they fall in the range of normal. The closer to the midline the better. If you notice any irregularities, talk to your practitioner about targeted supplements or treatment targeted toward hair growth.
Remember that the condition of your hair mirrors what’s going on inside your body. It only makes sense to consider natural options that nurture your whole health before you spend a lot of money on expensive shampoos, conditioners and hair thickening products. While some of these products may enhance the appearance of your existing hair, they don’t generate new hair. Nurturing your health from the inside out, including your emotional health, should improve the quality and quantity of your hair, as well as your life!

I am sure all of us with long hair has faced this at some point in life. This is specially irritating when we are trying to grow our hair as these are annoying hindrances to the growth and the beauty of the hair.

So how do we remove them? Try these to ensure continuous growth of healthy hair:

1.Take small sections of hair and carefully twist them in a gentle downward motion.

2.Any split ends will automatically stick out.

3.Carefully snip into the twist with sharp scissors. Don’t cut right through; just cut into the thickness to remove the damaged cuticles and give a natural layered effect.

4.Be careful to cut roughly the same amount from each twist.

Are split ends preventable? Yes certainly. Follow the follwing steps to prevent hair from splitting:

1.It’s best to use a wide tooth comb if your hair is vulnerable to splitting.

2.If possible allow hair to dry naturally. You can use dryer once a while.

3.Minimize tangling. There’s detangle spray available in the store. Another way is using conditioner.

4.If you’re using hair color take caution with chemicals. They can make your hair weak and cause split ends.

Whether you are a busy executive or a free home maker, we are sure you would enjoy these home made beauty treatments that we have put together. Each of the recipe’s put out have been tested by our beauticians based in the Middle East and have been OKed by them.

1.Honey Mask Recipe

The best facial mask is honey. Place a cloth in warm water and apply to your face to open the pores. Smear on honey, and leave on for 15 to 30 minutes. Rinse off with warm water, then use cold water to close the pores. Use once a week.

2.Avocado Facial Recipe

Avocado is a naturally rich moisturizer. Mash the meat of the avocado into a creamy texture. Massage into the face and neck . Leave on for 15 minutes and gently rinse off.

3.Facial Mask Recipe

Squeeze half a lemon and mix the juice with one beaten egg white. Leave on your face overnight or, for a quick pick-me-up, just 15 minutes. Splash warm water on your face to rinse. It helps to removes blotches, because the lemon works as a bleaching agent.

4.Lighten Circles under Eyes Recipe

To lighten dark circles under your eyes, wrap a grated raw potato in cheesecloth and apply to eyelids for 15-20 minutes. Wipe off residue and apply an eye cream.

5.Egg & Honey Mask Recipe

Mix together 1 tablespoon honey, 1 egg yolk, 1/2 teaspoon almond oil and 1 tablespoon yogurt. Honey stimulates and smoothes, egg and almond oil penetrate and moisturize, and yogurt refines and tightens pores.

6.Egg, Avocado & Mud Facial Mask Recipe

Clay is available in powder form at any health food store. Mix 1 tablespoon dry clay with 1 egg yolk, 1/4 of a mashed avocado and enough witch hazel to create a smooth mixture. Mud dries excess sebum while the egg yolk and avocado replenish lost moisture. Witch hazel tones.

7.Facial Exfoliater Recipe

2 heaped tsp fine oatmeal
1 tsp. baking soda

Combine ingredients, and add enough water to make a paste. Apply to skin and rub gently. Rinse and gently pat dry.

8. Banana Wrinkle Fighter Recipe

Banana is wonderful as an anti-wrinkle treatment. Mash 1/4 banana until very creamy. Spread all over face and leave for 15-20 minutes before rinsing off with warm water followed by a dash of cold. Gently pat dry.

9. Grape Cleanser Recipe

Grape juice makes an excellent cleanser for any skin type. Simply split one or two large grapes, remove pips and rub the flesh over face and neck. Rinse off with cool water.

10. Oily Skin Mask Recipe

Mix 1 tsp. brewer’s yeast with enough natural yogurt to make a thin mixture. Pat this thoroughly into all the oily areas and allow it to dry on the skin. After 15 – 20 minutes, rinse off with warm water, then cool water and blot dry

Whether you are a busy executive or a free home maker, we are sure you would enjoy these home made beauty treatments that we have put together. Each of the recipes put out have been tested by our beauticians based in the Middle East and have been OKed by them.

Remove Hair Build-up Recipe

1/4 cup vinegar
1 cup water

After conditioning the hair use this as a final rinse. Leaves your hair soft and shiny.

Hair Egg Conditioner Recipe

1 teaspoon baby oil
1 egg yolk
1 cup water

Beat the egg yolk until its frothy, add the oil then beat again. Add to the water. Massage into the scalp and throughout your hair. Rinse well.

Hair Conditioner One Recipe

Combine mashed avocado with some coconut milk. Comb it through the hair and let sit for 10 -15 minutes, rinse out.

Shampoo Recipe

In a blender, combine 1 ounce olive oil, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar. Use as regular shampoo.

Remove Conditioner Buildup Recipe

Baking soda removes conditioner build-up from your hair. Rub in and rinse thoroughly, then shampoo with your regular shampoo.

Hair Conditioner Two Recipe

Mayonnaise is a great conditioner for dry hair.

Depending on the length of your hair, apply approximately 1/2 cup of mayonnaise to your dry hair. Work into hair really well and then cover your hair with a plastic bag, allowing to set for about 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and then shampoo as usual.

Egg & Olive Oil Hair Mask Recipe

Mix two whole eggs with four tablespoons of olive oil. Smooth through hair. Wrap head with plastic wrap, and leave in hair for 10 minutes. Rinse well.