Coconuts are full of vitamins and minerals that make your hair stronger so that you’re less likely to get split ends or breakage. It works to hold in moisture so that your hair becomes highly nourished and soft. You can either purchase coconut oil on its own, and apply it your hair or you can buy products such as deep conditioners that will give you great results as well.

Emu Oil

This oil is packs a heavy punch of Omega 3 and makes your hair softer, shinier and more manageable. So, if you have frizzy, course or wild looking locks, this is the ultimate natural product for you. It also promotes hair growth so if you’re losing your hair you should give this oil a try along with a dose of Biotin vitamins.

The only ones who are allowed to process the natural oils of the mystical Argan tree are the women of Morocco. Argan oil can be applied to your hair to make it look shiny, healthy and thick and it can be used on oily hair as well as dry hair without making the hair look greasy.

One of the most moisturizing hair oils there are, Jojoba oil loosens tangles, tames frizz and improve the texture of your hair. It works magic on making dry hair soft and has wonderful thickening powers that will make your mane look fuller.

If you’re fighting a losing battle against dandruff, a couple of drops of rosemary oil can be your strongest weapon. It has moisturizing properties that smooth away and flakes that you have so that you can feel confident about wearing dark colors. An added bonus is that this is another oil that promotes hair growth.

Emu image source flickr

Argan image source flickr

Jojoba image source flickr

Rosemary image source flickr

Strawberry Face Mask

Great for all types of skin but in particular great for oily skin, you’ll find that a facial mask made of these sweet berries is not only tasty but worth the effort.

Use a fork to mash up ½ cup of strawberries until they are small and clumpy. Add 1 tablespoon of sour cream and mix well. Apply the mixture to your skin using your fingertips to make small circular motions. Leave it on for 15 – 20 minutes and then wash it off with lukewarm water.

Strawberry Scrub For The Face

Those tiny little seeds found in strawberries can be used as gentle exfoliators for the skin. They are small and round enough that they won’t hurt you but will remove the dead skin cells that make your skin appear to be dull.

Mash five strawberries  and add 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice. While mixing the concoction carefully drizzle in some olive oil until you a paste. Using small gentle circular motions apply it to your face being careful to stay away from the eye area. Rinse with lukewarm water.

Strawberry Scrub For The Body

Just as good for your body as for your face, a strawberry scrub will leave you feeling clean and refreshed.

Mash ½ cup of strawberries and mix in 1 tablepoon of fresh lemon juice. While mixing the berries and lemon juice slowly drizzle in some olive oil until you a paste. Add ¼ cup of oatmeal and mix well.  Using small gentle circular motions apply it to your skin. Rinse with lukewarm water.

Strawberry Hair Mask

Getting thick shiny hair isn’t too difficult when you have a powerhouse like the strawberry on your side.

Simply mash up a ½ of strawberries and pour it into your hair while it’s wet. Cover your locks with a shower cap and leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes. Wash out the strawberries using lukewarm water.

As far as the skin goes, you’ll also see great results if you simply cut a strawberry in half and rub the juice directly onto your skin. Just be careful not to eat all of the berries before you get to use them.

Strawberry Beauty Image Source flickr

Strawberry Face Mask Image Source flickr

Strawberry Scrub For The Face Image Source flickr

Strawberry Scrub For The Body Image Sourceflickr

Strawberry Hair Mask flickr

Sharon Osborne took the bob and gave it a great twist to give it a more personal feel. By getting chunky layers, long bangs and adding some volume she created the more mature version of Emma Watson’s pixie cut. The hair is still close to the head on the sides, but the volume on top gives it just enough dimensions to keep it interesting. The color is also fabulous and looks great on her.

http://www.sharonosbourne.com/

Kate Hudson is seen here with a very popular hair style worn by many women of all ages today. The best part is that you can get a fun, romantic, sensual style quickly, without much effort and without paying a fortune. All you have to do is wound up  your hair in some medium sized curlers and blow dry it or use a round flat iron for a faster job. If done properly the effects can last for a few days so you’ll always look great.

http://www.bestcelebrityhairstyles.com/

Known to be a trendsetting icon in her own time, Madonna was waaay ahead of her time when she combined long bangs, a deep side part and a flip to the bottoms of her hair. All of these details are big hair trends this winter and work beautifully together. If you’re not into the side part either do a part in the middle or just comb it all back.

http://entertainment.ca.msn.com/

As far as I’m concerned Diane Keaton can do no wrong and her latest hair style proves it. The flips, long bangs and length variations all work together to create an energetic and youthful look that can be worn by a woman in her fifties. She also has several different shades highlighting her hair and they work nicely together. If you want to try this be sure to go to a colorist whom you trust or you’ll walk out looking like a five year old tried to highlight your locks.

http://www.thehairstyler.com/

For the woman who likes a simple clean line there’s always inspiration by Gwyneth Paltrow. If you already have straight hair then you’re lucky and will save a lot of time and money on styling. Otherwise you’re going to need a great flat iron to get your hair this straight. Oh and don’t forget the center part.

http://cuttingitshort.tumblr.com/

There are some great hair styles out there for older women that will work to make you look like a glam goddess. Get out there and find one that’s right for you.

For those of you with short hair, check out our post on celebrities with short hair

Waxing can be painful, sticky and frustrating if you don’t know what you’re doing. In many cases people try it once and never go back to it again because their first attempt was less than agreeable.  On the other hand many people find that it gives great long results and swear by it. Here are a few waxing tips to get you started so that you’ll be prepared when the strip of muslin first touches your skin.

Pre Waxing Tips

• Before getting treated, take a warm shower and exfoliate your skin. This will help to open your pores so that the hairs come out more easily and will also eliminate any dead skin cells that may cause pain.
• Delay your morning coffee until after the procedure is done because the caffeine can wind up your nerves causing more pain.
• Apply Emla to the area that you want to work on so that it becomes numb.
• Take a couple of Advil half an hour before your appointment to help ease the pain.
• If it’s that time of the month move back your appointment for two or three days so that you won’t be as sensitive.
• Don’t wax if you have a rash, acne or a skin disorder. You’ll only worsen the situation.
• Don’t even attempt to wax after tanning because your skin may become irritated and infected.
• Make sure that your hair is about ¼” long so that the wax and muslin will be able to pick it up.

The Process

• Make sure to go to someone that is highly experienced and knows what they’re doing. If you want to wax at home first get it done professionally several times so that you can see firsthand how it’s done and then go on your own.
• If you want to wax at home, start by warming up the wax but be careful to not make it too hot or you’ll burn your skin. Apply some wax to a test area of your skin before smothering it on to a larger area just to be sure that it’s not too hot.
• Using a wooden tongue suppressor apply the wax to an area that is about two inches horizontally and four inches vertically. This may seem like a small area to cover but it will give you a precise treatment and won’t allow the wax to get cold and unusable.
• If you’re applying wax to an area that you don’t want to remove all of the hair, such as the eyebrows, keep in mind that wax spreads so you should leave some room between the wax and the hair that you want to keep. Otherwise you’ll end up removing hair that you didn’t want to remove.
• Gently put the muslin over the wax and smooth down. Be sure to leave yourself enough room on the muslin to be able to grab a hold of it.
• Pull the skin back so that it’s taught.
• With one quick movement pull the muslin in the direction of the hair. Don’t go about this slowly- you must be fast.

Post Waxing Tips

• Once you’re done, apply some baby oil to the treated area to remove any excess wax and then dust over it with baby powder .
• Don’t shower for 10 hours and then stay away from the hot shower for a couple of days and go for a warm or cool one instead.
• If you get any ingrown apply some Tend Skin to the area to get them out quickly and easily.
• If you’re waxing your body, be sure to wear loose fitting clothes made from cotton as to not irritate the skin.

While the process may not be totally pain free, it will be much better that if you don’t use these suggestions. Good luck!

First image is from flickr

Second image is from flickr

If you want an edgier cut that hugs your face and brings attention to your features try one of the shaggy bob hairstyles. It can be worn at any length and looks great on long, round or heart shaped faces. Although Meg Ryan has been rockin’ this look for years it has recently been adopted by celebrities such as Gwenyth Paltrow,   Katie Holmes and Kiera Knightley to name a few.

Like the bob cut but prefer something below the shoulder line? Try a long layered version that is pretty, feminine and not too difficult to manage. The way to make this look work for you is to keep most of the layers in the front, near the face and to take it easy on the back of the hair. This way you’ll have more control over your style and will have more fullness and body.

The image of Lisa Rinna is from The Hairstyler

The image of Kelly Clarkson is from Hair Boutique

The image of Charlize Theron is from Hairstyles New 2012

The image of Rhianna is from Black Hair Styles

The Natural Look

http://www.ourvanity.com

Just because you’re wearing makeup it doesn’t mean that anyone has to know about it. You can get natural looking makeup by keeping the use of colors and cosmetics down to a minimum. As far as eye shadows and lipstick go stick to the pink and brown family so that you look as if you wake up looking your best. If you choose to highlight your cheeks make sure to use the slightest touch of blush – after all the look is natural not eighties punk. Many celebrities like Jennifer Lopez adapted this look and modernized it by adding some bronzer and shimmery nude colored gloss. Whether you prefer the classic version or the updated one you really can’t go wrong in any way.

http://www.bugsbeauty.com

Apply some smokey eye makeup and red lipstick to be turned into a sultry glamor queen fast. When done during the daytime this look is bold and daring but at night it’s sexy and sophisticated. The best thing about it is that it looks great on anyone regardless of their skin tone and age. Old favorites such as Audrey Hepburn looked beautiful in this markup look and new favorites such as Gwen Stefani are also known to love it.

beautyjunkiecorner.blogspot.com/

While most classic makeup looks bring attention to both the eyes and the lips or just the eyes this one brings attention to the lips. By using a bold color on your lips and using a neutral colored shadow with a touch of liner and mascara your lips will be the star of the show. This look is another classic used by many celebrities on different occasions.

http://connect.in.com

Punk makeup is no longer just for ladies with multiple piercings and Mohawks. Many women today find that pink inspired makeup is a great way to explore their own creativity and add some color to their palette. The theme here is heavy eye liner, fat lashes and either natural or red lips. Not too far of a stretch from what a sophisticated look is before the final touches. The main difference comes in when you do a little bit of face art such as drawing a heart on your cheek and going punk with your hairdo.

http://geniusbeauty.com/

All of these classic makeup looks are versatile and can be modernized so try them all out and see which works the best for you.

http://cutescarlett.com/

The holidays are right around the corner and right on its heels is the New Year. By now you’re probably making plans, shopping for something to wear and thinking about how you can stand out. Here are some holiday makeup tips that can get you on your way.

• Get the ultimate holiday eye makeup by using glittery shadows in shades of green or gold. If you want to really sparkle use both colors to create a festive smokey eye look. On the other hand, if you want to shine but prefer toned down colors then use bronze shadow or create s smokey eye using bronze and gold.
• Want to get your skin to look radiant? Applying some shimmery bronzer to give your skin will give it a healthy looking glow and bring out the best of your features. If you’ve never used bronzer before check out our guide on where to apply bronzer which is an easy step by step guide.
• Get inspired by poinsettias, the Christmas flower and apply a red lipstick. If you’ve never considered showing off a red pout before there is no time like the present to try on different shades until you find one that you love. Remember – just because a sheer red doesn’t look good on you it doesn’t mean that a burgundy won’t look classy on you. Use a shimmery red or a gloss for a truly festive feel.
• Your look will never be complete if you don’t do your nails. Skip the French manicure and apply some sparkly nail polish instead. You will find that there’s no shortage of glittery polish in the stores right now and that every color imaginable is available to you.

We hope that our holiday makeup tips get you started on a joyous evening and a happy New Year. Enjoy.

Enveloping your hands fully in a decorative design and coloring in the fingertips fully gives a rich feel to the tradition. Using black henna will give you a more sophisticated look but the brown is more gentle and works well for the summer months. Brown is also a better choice for this design because it’s less overpowering.

Image from flickr

If you do want to use a henna hand design where you color your fingertips in but want to tone it down a bit all you have to do is use less design on the rest of the hand. It’s important to marry all of the detailing together so it’s a good idea to do a simple design running down at least one of your fingers, leading to your palm. While it’s very much possible to color your fingertips and then do a drawing on your palm you would miss out on the sophistication of the art.

Image from flickr

You can still get a beautiful entanglement of sorts by simply painting the tops of your hands and skipping the palm area. No matter whether you choose to try a more traditional style or a modern one you will find that there are millions of things that which with you can stylize your hands. Traditionally the sun and flowers are used but nowadays you can do anything you like. Don’t forget to make a little bracelet on your wrist area to finish the look.

Image from flickr

Until now all of the henna hand designs that you’ve seen have been done in brown. This is an example of one done in black so that you can see the difference between the two colors. Although the artwork here is very basic, the use of black makes stand out much more giving it a more powerful appearance.

Image from flickr

You can save a lot of time and energy by getting the keratin treatment (aka the Brazilian blowout). For a stretch of about three months your hair will look and feel shiny, soft and healthy as if you’ve just had a professional blow out. On the other hand the keratin hair treatment dangers are so high that you should definitely think twice before getting it done.

Keratin hair treatment side effects include hair loss, itching, nose bleeds, getting lung and respiratory disease, eye irritation and even the increased possibility of getting cancer. The main problem is the use of formaldehyde which many of the manufactures claimed that they don’t use, but then were caught using. The FDA has said that it’s ok for people to take in up to .2% of the chemical however studies have shown that some of the brands have up to 10% of the lethal ingredient. That’s a 9.8% difference.

If the danger was only present when the process was being done on the hair, while dangerous it still would have been better. However, after you have been under this treatment every time you flat iron your hair you are being exposed to it all over again therefore increasing your chances of developing health problems. In response to these issues, the manufacturers of the keratin have come out with a formaldehyde free version which is said to be safer for everyone involved with its use. This is the first step taken by them to show that they care for the wellbeing of the clients.

If you have any questions about the keratin treatment risks or process just talk to your stylist. Make sure that you go to someone that you know and trust so that you get all of the latest information. Good luck and say healthy.

Image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/walkersister/4703647883/sizes/m/in/photostream/

http://www.crest.com/

Sure you use toothpaste to get minty fresh breath and to brighten up your smile but there are other ways that you can use it. Did you know that uses for toothpaste include several home remedies that can improve your beauty routine?

Toothpaste Acne Remedy- There are a lot of people who will swear by using toothpaste to clear up acne and get clearer skin. The trick is to make sure that you leave it on overnight so that it can work its magic. Leaving it on for just a few minutes is a waste of time and toothpaste.

Get Shiny Finger Nails- Make your nails super shiny by rubbing a touch of toothpaste on each one. For a heightened experience massage your nails gently so that the blood in your fingers gets flowing and your nails get stronger.

Alleviate Itchy Bug Bites- Mosquito bites and bee stings can be annoying and painful causing you to constantly want to scratch at your skin. However a touch of toothpaste can cool down the area so that there is less of an itchy or burning sensation.

Heal Bruises- Have some black and blue marks? Applying some toothpaste to the hurt area can make the color go down so that you will go back to your natural beautiful color sooner than later. This isn’t a quick fix and will take a few days to work but it does help quicken the process.

Chill The Burn- If you get a minor burn you can apply a little bit of toothpaste on the area to give it some relief. The keyword here is minor. If you have a severe burn get yourself to the doctor or the hospital.

The best part of all of these uses of toothpaste is that you get an inexpensive remedy that works.