Appealing Aid for Feet
If a banana peel is the foot’s sworn enemy, the contents can be its best friend. The fruit makes a superior skin softener, says Robin Jones, the spa director at the Lake Austin Spa Resort, in Austin, Texas, who developed this mask for weatherworn heels: Mash half a banana in a bowl, mix in a few drops of honey, then massage into your heels. Wrap your feet in plastic wrap and allow the mixture to soak in for at least 10 minutes. Rinse, then gently exfoliate the area with a pumice stone.
Eye-Opening Tip
Depending on how you apply your makeup, your deep-set eyes can go from sunken looking to sultry in a blink, says Tina Turnbow, a celebrity makeup artist based in New York City. “Instead of using flat, dark brown or charcoal eye shadows on your lids, sweep a pale, shimmery color from lash line to crease,” she advises. Light will reflect off the pigments and bring your eyes forward ever so slightly so that they don’t seem as recessed. Finish with brown mascara.
Make the Cut
You can do a bang-up bang trim at home, says celebrity hairstylist Mark Townsend. First, gather your bangs in your nondominant hand while holding a pair of hair-cutting scissors in the other. Pull the hair down until your thumbnail rests vertically on the bridge of your nose. Trim right around the tip of your thumb. This will give you a gently rounded arc from temple to temple, which is more flattering than a straight, Buster Brown fringe.
DIY Eye Depuffer
From Rosario Gonzalez of the Alchimie Forever Spa, in Washington, D.C., comes this trick to help brighten and tighten the skin’s appearance around your eyes temporarily: You’ll need 2 bags of green tea, steeped and slit open at the top; grated cucumber; and 1 snack-size bag filled with frozen peas. (1) Stuff ½ teaspoon of cucumber into each tea bag, then place a bag over each eye. (2) Lay the bag of frozen peas across both eyes. (3) Remove after 10 minutes. The brew is high in antioxidants; the chilled peas reduce puffiness.
Easy on the Eyes
Neutrals are nice, but it’s fun to spice things up a tad. For a simple, speedy way to wear color on your lids, New York City makeup pro Sonia Kashuk recommends going monochromatic—with a twist: “Use three shades of the same color. Apply the lightest one all over the lid, the darkest near the lash line, and the medium-toned one from the lash line to just above the crease.” Blend. Done.
See Spots Run
If you have visible sun damage, you’re probably guilty of skipping the SPF—be sure to apply sunscreen religiously. And to help even out your complexion, try this trick from Los Angeles facialist Kate Somerville: Three times a week, gently rub a (washed) strawberry on discolored areas. Keep the juice on your skin for two minutes before rinsing. The fruit acids may help lighten splotches. (Best for nonsensitive skin.)
Help for Ticklish Tootsies
If you wriggle instead of relaxing during a pedicure because your feet are ticklish, try this distracting trick from Marcela Correa, a medical pedicurist at the Julien Farel salon in New York City: Wrap your hands around your leg right beneath the knee (as if putting it in a choke hold) while the technician files the calluses on that foot.
Eye Makeup Made Easier
In makeup, as in life, timing is everything. If you tend to apply concealer first (as many women do), try starting with eye makeup instead, advises New York City salon owner Kimara Ahnert. That way, you can easily clean up any powdery residue that migrates below your eyes—and that could cast dark shadows—with a cotton swab soaked in makeup remover. Then top with concealer for a bright-eyed finish.
Master Purrfect Eyes
Can’t seem to conquer the cat eye? Try this trick from Carmindy, a New York City celebrity makeup artist with Sally Hansen Natural Beauty: “Place a credit card flat against your skin, so that you form a roughly 45-degree angle from the outer corner of your upper lash line to the outer corner of your brow. Sweep liquid liner along the upper lash line and as far past the corner of the eye as you like, using the top of the card as a guide.”
Cut Down Product Buildup
Most people glop hair products at the front of their heads and work backward. But according to Stefanie Henriquez, a stylist at the Frederic Fekkai salon at the Mark in New York City, this method causes too much product to pile up at the hairline, weighing down the roots. Instead, gather your hair at the nape of your neck and begin the application at the ends, working toward the crown. Use what’s left at the hairline.
No comments:
Post a Comment