Tip Time!

When filling in your brows, depending on where you direct the downward slant, your brow actually helps shape the face- round, square, oval or long... See the diagrams below.  (Click on the diagrams to see a larger view)

• If your face is round, the tip of your eyebrow should point to the top of your ear.  Curved brows emphasize the round shape of your face.

• If your face is long and narrow, keep the line above the ear almost straight across to lessen the appearance of length. 

As a single gal who just turned 31, I really enjoyed this list that Glamour came up with for the 10 Beauty Tricks That Make Guys Melt.  I don't know how accurate all of these are because all the guys I know tend to prefer a girl rock the "no makeup" look.... which for most women, requires a lot of time and work to pull off looking naturally flawless.  I found this post entertaining and I love makeup. Have a few product reviews coming up this month for makeup and beauty products so stay tuned for that! 

Anyhow, I thought I'd share these with all of you!!

Courtesy of Glamour.com

Beauty trick: Use blue eye makeup to amp up your bedroom eyes.

Break out of a black-and-gray eye makeup rut by swapping in a navy eyeshadow for a more subtle and sophisticated smoky eye. Apply color to both your lid and lower lash line, then gently blend. (Hint: Remove any dark shadow from your brow bone with a Q-tip to avoid verging into Snooki territory.) To steal Jessica Szohr’s look, try Maybelline Eye Studio Color Plush Silk Eyeshadow in Sapphire Siren.

Beauty trick: Flash him your sexy—and bright!—smile.

A killer smile is always a foolproof way to get his attention. To brighten up your teeth, try Crest 3D Whitestrips, and highlight the apples of your cheeks with a glowy cream blush, like Eva Mendes does here. Our pick for a peachy shade like hers: Josie Maran Cream Blush in Coral. Now show him that gorgeous grin!

Beauty trick: Make your lips extra kissable.

A fire-engine red lip will definitely make him do a double take, but leaving your mark all over his face will likely remind him of his over-affectionate aunt—probably not the impression you were trying to leave. To get lip color that lasts, layer different textures, says makeup pro Gucci Westman. Apply a stain first, like Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain in Flame, swipe a matching lipstick on top, then add another coat of stain. Unless you kiss and tell, your lips (or rather, your lipstick) will be sealed!

I might go with a more natural lip if I were trying to get a guy to want to kiss you because most guys, prefer not to have red or bright lipstick stains left on their mouths and faces... 

For more, keep reading! 

In the last several years I started actually listening to my mother's sage advice (imagine that) and I started taking better care of my skin.  It doesn't take a lot of money to do so.  A good moisturizer, age appropriate eye cream and a good SPF are pretty much all you need to maintain good looking, healthy skin.  I have acne prone combination skin and in recent years have found that using gentler products actually eliminates my acne far  more effectively than the creams marketed specifically for acne.  I prefer to use products that are gentle and made with natural ingredients without artificial colors or fragrances.  With my sensitive, acne prone skin, I need something that works well without irritating my skin causing breakouts or further damage.  The funny thing is that I swore by acne products in the past and thought that the only way to clear my skin up was to use as many of them as possible.  Acne products serve their purpose but if you use too harsh a cream or don't replenish the moisture that they strip from your skin, it not only causes irritation but also leads to dryness that can start the aging process prematurely.

I also use a multivitamin serum made by one of my favorite brands, Dermalogica.  It's a serum that I put on my skin before applying moisturizer that not only gives my skin a smoother feel and texture, but it helps to heal my skin and even out the color and texture without causing any irritation.  Though this product is marketed for aging/mature skin, it works quite well for me (remember prevention is better than correction).  It's in a slender 0.75 FL. oz / 22 ml silver tube (much like the Dermalogica Skinperfect Primer that I use) that retails for $65 (US).  All you need is a small amount (less than a pea sized drop of the serum) to spread all over your face.  Follow that with your regular moisturizer and eye cream and you're ready for the day.


Here is what Dermalogica says about the Multivitamin Power Serum:

An age-fighting serum containing micro encapsulated vitamins A, C and E to help increase skin recovery, decrease fine lines and age spots while defending against skin aging. Boost elasticity levels with a skin-strengthening protein peptide that overrides biochemical triggers that lead to skin aging. Formulated without artificial fragrances and colors. 

• It helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles
• It helps stimulate collagen synthesis
• It enhances cell turnover and cell renewal
• It provides antioxidant protection
• It helps control pigmentation
• It can be worn during the day and/or at night
• It is not suitable for use during pregnancy due to the high concentration of Vitamin A
• This product replaces MultiVitamin Power Concentrate
• It was developed to target mature or prematurely-aging skin, however the vitamins and nutrients will benefit all skin conditions.

Though this serum is not "all natural" like many of the other products I use on my skin, I gave it a chance because I love so many of the other products that Dermalogica has to offer.  I got it a couple months ago and wanted to give it a real try so I put off reviewing until now.  It was the only thing I added to my current regimen that has worked for me for quite some time.  I changed nothing else.  Over the two months, I noticed that my skin was instantly smoother and my pores appeared smaller.  In the course of one week, the redness in certain areas of  my face was reduced and the dry spots around my nose and mouth were more supple and the dry areas were gone.  After about a month and a half, my skin tone was more even and the dark spots I had from previous sun damage and acne scarring were lighter and less noticeable.

So down to the point.  It's $65 for 0.75FL oz (22 ml) of product.  It's expensive for the amount of product you're buying.  At first glance, one might be instantly turned off by the price and I totally understand that.  I wish it were cheaper.  If you try the product, however, you'll realize it's worth every penny.  I've tried EVERY single other skin tone correcting cream and this is by far the best I've used, plus it has vitamins and helps to prevent and correct premature aging.  Do you have to be a certain age to use it? No.  Remember, prevention is better than correction.  It will work as well on younger skin as it will on aging skin.  I'd say anyone over the age of 25 would benefit from this product.  I don't think people younger than that would really need it although it does help with skin evenness and texture so it's worth trying if you have problems in that department.

• Instantly improves the look and feel of skin.  
• Creates smoother skin texture and evens skin tone. 
• Lightens acne scarring. 
• Helps prevent premature aging, fine lines and wrinkles. 
• Helps makeup apply more evenly because your skin is smoother. 

• At $65 for 0.75 FL oz, it's kind of pricey. 
• Availability limited to specific salons which makes it more difficult to find than other products. 

Disclosure: This review contains a sample product sent for consideration by the brand or its PR firm.  Our priority is to you, and we honor that commitment by being honest! We don't do paid reviews or guarantee reviews. We're going to give you the truth and nothing but! For more information, please read our disclosures & policies page.  This specific product was sent by the brand for me to try and review on their website.  I really like this product so I decided to do an additional review of it on my website as well.

These are my go-to's and must-haves for my beach bag:

• 1.  You gotta have a pretty bathing suit or bikini.  I opt for a full piece suit because I'm not as hawt as some of the other ladies I see at the beach.  That and I swim a lot and bikinis do not go well with my full figure or large bust.  haha.  My favorite suits lately are by Speedo.  This is for two reasons.  The first being that they have a large range of sizes and are available from $20-$60 at Costco and other retailers and they have a vast selection of colors and styles.  The second reason is because I am a strong swimmer and swim a lot, I like a suit that I know won't fall off when I'm diving under waves.  This suit is one I actually own.  It fits perfectly and the print is flattering and helps make me look like I'm in better shape than I am. 
• 2.  Cute earrings.  Like Nicole said in her beach bag post, Hawai'i is a small place and living here means that at any given time you may run into someone you know and perhaps you don't want to look like you're unkempt or what some of us in Hawai'i refer to as "all hash" which basically means you look like crap.  That's why I take some cute accessories with me for after I leave the beach so just in case I'm at the store and run into someone I know, I don't look awful. These earrings are lovely but way overpriced.  I own a few pairs similar to these that are made by local designers that don't have websites yet so I couldn't find a picture to use.  I find that anything that is slightly dangling works really well with a beachy, sunkissed look. 
• 3.  Kai perfume oil is a must have whether I'm at the beach or not.  It's the perfect gardenia scent.  It's not cheesy or overpowering like other gardenia scents I've sniffed in my lifetime.  The scent is balanced and floral and not overwhelming yet it lasts on your skin all day.  This roll on is handy to keep with you at all times.  It's worth the money in my opinion.  Utter perfection if you like floral scents!
• 4.  I actually own these Oliver Peoples aviator glasses.  I got them as a gift from my mother and they are my most treasured accessory as they were rather expensive.  I have a hard time finding glasses that fit my head and my nose and these fit perfectly.  I am so lucky to have an awesome mom who just got them for me one day.  Thanks mom! 
• 5.  Waterproof mascara is a must have!!  Lately I've been loving the Maybelline Falsies Volum' Express Mascara Waterproof formula in black.  It doesn't give the results you see in those commercials, but it gives me the right balance of length and fullness and doesn't wash off or smudge when I wipe my eyes.  Winning!  You can find the mascara at Drugstore.com!
• 6.  I use the Fresh Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15 every day whether I go to the beach or not.  It really leaves your lips soft like butter and has a pleasant smell.  It has a soft pink tint that really flatters every skin tone.  I love this stuff!
• 7.  I just put any brush that I have on hand in my bag.  I need it to keep my hair from getting tangled.  I use it after I rinse and wash my hair before I leave the beach. 
• 8.  I use the Molton Brown Vitalising Vitamin AB+C Bath & Shower pretty much every day.  I discovered how much I loved it after I got it in a free gift with purchase at Nordstrom or something and since then, I've been hooked.  It cleans without leaving a film or drying my skin out and it smells great.  You may be thinking, why is she taking body wash to the beach?  Most beaches here on Oahu have showers, most of which are cold but I don't mind. The majority of people use it to wash up with soap and shampoo because a lot of people go out right after spending time at the beach.  
• 9.  My favorite sunscreen for the last 4 months is the Aveeno Active Naturals Aveeno Hydrosport SPF 30 Spray, 5 oz.  I am super sensitive to sunscreen and if I wear one that doesn't agree with me, my skin itches and my eyes burn.  This one by Aveeno is great because it does not burn my skin or eyes, it lasts all day and when you spray it on, it doesn't leave white spots.  
• 10.  I absolutely love my Surf Stitch canvas bag that I got from one of my best friends on my birthday.  I found it online here.  There are lots of readily available and cheaper canvas bags like this available all over the place during the summer.  In fact, I saw some really cute striped canvas bags at Barnes and Noble for around $10 with purchase of a few books.  
• 11.  I am absolutely in love with this necklace by Heather Gardener although I am pretty sure this love will be unrequited as it's too expensive for my taste.  The turquoise is lovely.  This is a perfect beachy necklace.  I'm sure you could find something equally beautiful for much less at places like Forever 21, Aldo Accessories or somewhere like that. 
• 12.  Gotta love the simplicity of Kieh's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Lotion.  It's simple but it works.  My skin is acne prone but this oil free lotion doesn't cause me to break out but it gives the perfect amount of moisture. 
• 13.  I have a few of these Tie Die Hibiscus beach towels.  They're soft, absorbent and the colors don't fade when you wash it.  
• 14.  Hawai'i has some of the most beautiful and crystal clear blue water but it also has killer currents and at some beaches, big waves.  I usually take my fins with me to the beach because I like to swim the expanse of the area we are going to be swimming at to check for sharks or anything that might attract sharks (like sea turtles).  Call me paranoid but as someone who spent every day of my life at the beach for a few years, I've seen a shark or two when I was body boarding.  They never bothered me but when I have my son with me, his safety is my first concern.  My favorite brand is Da Fin because they're short but they help me swim along and against the current. 
• 15.  Reef slippahs (flip/flops anywhere out of Hawai'i) are pricey but my favorite to wear.  I walk a lot in slippahs so I like having something that has support, lasts a long time and is aesthetically pleasing.  
• 16.  This Cool Change Pom Pom Tie Die Dress is effortlessly chic at it's best.  It's loose fit is flattering with or without a belt and it's really breezy so you can put it over a wet suit and it dries really fast. 
• 17.  I've been using the Philosophy Clear Days Ahead Oil-Free Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment Cleanser 8 oz for about a month now to clear up my skin.  I actually am working on a review of it right now but I wanted to give it a full 6 weeks before I post my thoughts. So far, so good.  It works really well without burning my skin.  The line is very gentle but effective.  You don't get any of that burning sensation that other acne products tend to cause.  I like using it after the beach because it cleanses my skin thoroughly without causing any irritation which is really important to me. 
• 18.  Being a photographer, I always like to have a camera on me though I haven't taken any photos of underwater critters yet.  I usually just take snaps of my son and nieces.  I love this Lumix TS3 point and shoot waterproof camera.  I've used many point and shoots in my day including a lot of other "waterproof" models and none work as well or as clearly as this one. 
• 19.  I don't use Wen on a daily basis but when I go to the beach, it's a must.  Wen normally makes my hair too oily since I have a naturally oily scalp.  When I go to the beach, Wen is perfect because it's a shampoo/conditioner in one, it's sulfate free and it leaves your hair silky smooth.  
• 20.  Last but not least, the most important thing besides sunscreen for me to bring to the beach.  I get this Aladdin 16oz perfect water bottle at Target.  I take 3-4 of these when I go for my son and I to share.  This is hands down the best water bottle I've ever used.  It keeps my water ice cold.  I've gone to the beach for over 5 hours and still had ice that was only half way melted.  Add to that the fact that this is BPA free, it's an amazing product. 

This is the most popular and widely available version of the Yu-Be Moisturizing skin cream.  At roughly $16.00 for 1.25oz, it's not what I would consider cheap but it works much better than any other moisturizer, oil or vaseline ever did on my rough elbows and knees.

Jennifer Lopez -'On The Floor' make-up tutorial  - Pixiwoo