These braided bangs were inspired by this video from leafTV. I used her technique to ‘messy up’ the braiding, but only braided one strand for either side of my head. I usually don’t do a whole lot with my bangs so I was happy to get them out of my face and primp up my regular hairstyle. L’Oréal’s matt&messy spray is wonderful for adding a little extra texture for more workable hair.
After coming home to a beautiful but dry Canmore, I needed something to rejuvenate my skin. I find it’s difficult to argue in favor of spending a lot of money on body scrubs, they are on the skin for a few seconds and wash off immediately. After exfoliating, you apply other products, rendering an expensive scrub relatively pointless (brand name sand). I am a big DIY fan of beauty products and when I saw this particular scrub I immediately ran to the kitchen to gather the necessities. I have heard many great things about using coffee as a beauty treatment including; skin refreshing antioxidants and firming properties resulting in the appearance of less cellulite (90% of women have cellulite) . Be prepared to get a little gritty and grimy, but trust me it leaves your skin feeling silky smooth and refreshed.
Ingredients:
-3/4 cup of ground coffee
-2 tablespoons of Cardamon
-1/4 cup of brown sugar
-Shea Butter
Method:
Mix the dry ingredients all together in a mixing bowl, add the Shea butter until you get a dough like texture.I found this organic shea butter from amazon
This past week I finally got around to a little spring cleaning. I sorted through all my makeup, tossing out the expired, giving away the neglected and finding old loves. I love using gift boxes to store lipstick and eyeshadows. It felt so good to clean up the dust bunnies and make way for a fresh clean start, ready to be inspired! Next to tackle is my closet!
I used to be scared of nail art but forced myself to give it a try after seeing so many adorable patterns; everything from zig-zags and polkadots to pretty bows and hearts. I don’t know why I was so afraid because it is SO easy to create hearts, all you need is a toothpick!
1. Begin by painting your nails whatever colours you fancy; I chose pink, naturally.
2. Make a dot, then another dot so they are side by side.
3. Drag the center of the dots downwards, this will create your heart shape!
4. You can leave it plain or go for full on sparkle, I just added a few bits while the nail polish was drying.
Finished! Add as many hearts as you like, use as many colours as you like! Happy Valentines day!
I am quite jealous of my cousin, Rebecca’s long bob. She chopped her hair for a new look this semester and it makes me want to do the same! The side swoop and loose curls is only one of many styles you could do with this cut!
I thought I would share my current evening makeup routine, nothing too flashy here as I like to keep things pretty simple:
- Start by using a primer so that your makeup lasts all evening.
-Even your skin tone using your favorite foundation, a fuller coverage makes for a flawless base.
- Conceal under the eyes and on any problem areas.
-Powder is key especially down the center of your face.
-Bronze the skin on the high points of your face where the sun would naturally hit, temples, cheekbones, nose and chin. Sometimes I even use bronzer as a blush and apply it on the cheeks as well.
-Highlighter is always nice for an evening out. You want to apply it so that it catches the light, on the tops of your cheekbones and under the brow bone.
-Define Brows, if I am going for a more dramatic eye I like to make sure the brows are strong.
-Use a primer if you are going to be using eye shadow, I started by sweeping a gold colour all over my lids, then took a kohl liner and smudged my upper lash line, bringing it underneath my eye as well. I then set the black with a plum coloured eyeshadow and made sure everything was blended well.
-I love using a light frosty pigment just on the inner corners of my eye and brow bone, you can use a frosty eye shadow if you don’t own pigment. I find this step really makes a big difference in opening up the eye!
-Go for a neutral gloss, I always follow this rule if the eyes are dramatic then go for a neutral lip colour. If you want to wear a bright lip then keep the eyes simple.
This is just how I like to wear my makeup, you could go for dramatic eyes pared with bold lips, glitter and fake lashes, but I like to keep things pretty simple and still feel like myself:)
For me there is only one perfume; that is the Miss Dior Cherie. I have used this for years now and I am still in love with it. One spray is good enough to last all day & the packaging is so special. It smells like summer, which is why I am loving it even more in the winter since summer feels like forever away.
I have never tried a luxury nail polish before and have been looking for the perfect blue colour that is dark enough to go match with everything. I have to say this one by Este Lauder called blue blood is one of my all time greatest nail polish discoveries! It goes on so smooth and finishes shiny, with just one coat! This would be a perfect Christmas gift to give, the entire Este Lauder Christmas range has such gorgeous colours!
xx
Cleaning makeup brushes is just one of those tasks that takes time and patience but is REALLY important. Once a week I like to do a really good clean of my brushes getting rid of any old makeup, bacteria dirt, oil and all the other lovely things brushes tend to gather. This is the method I follow to clean my brushes:
1.Set up a towel for your brushes to lay on!
2. Begin to rinse your brushes with lukewarm water
3. Take any cleaning product of your choice (soft soap or shampoo) and run the brush back and forth in your hand. You will see the old makeup rinse away!
*can also substitute the side of the sink if you don’t want to use your hand.
4. Squeeze the brush gently, the water and makeup will continue to rinse away.
5. Repeat if necessary! You may have to assess the brush situation, there could be more makeup in the brush than you think!
6. Lay the brushes flat to dry completely before returning them to your kit!
This could be a good new years resolution for those of you who don’t wash your brushes very often! Cleaning your makeup brushes is an important part of your skin care routine because you don’t want to apply bacteria and dirt to a nicely cleansed face:)
Its not often I branch out from classic red colours in the winter time, but I am so glad that I did! Essie’s “gold as gold” mimics a true gold, sometimes a little distracting as I keep looking down and admiring the colour. While I’m no nail expert, the consistency of the polish made it so easy to use making for a perfect finish! What colours to do you like to wear in the winter?
xx
ashressaday
