History and Origins of Perfume, Fragrance and Cologne.

When the Emperor Napoleon of France was about to return from battle, he sent a message to Josephine. “Am returning in three days. Don’t wash.” While modern-day noses may not agree with Napoleon’s sentiments, there is some evidence that lovers are attracted by each others’ natural smell above and beyond the scents of soap, perfume, fragrance, cologne and chewing gum. That we are influenced by naturally-emitted scents called pheromones, so subtle and yet so powerful that we can be drawn to or repelled by people for reasons we don’t even understand. (History doesn’t record whether or not Josephine obeyed Napoleon’s order.) 

Olfactory research has shown that certain odors can prevent shoplifting, inspire confidences and make us hungry even when our stomachs are full. The perception of fragrance is embedded in the portion of our brains where emotions arise, making smells from childhood immediate memory triggers, and creating a strong emotional pull towards or away from smells depending on the positive or negative associations of the memories they are attached to.

Choosing a perfume is like choosing a lover: you don’t rush; you learn everything you can; you take your own feelings seriously. With an eye to these requirements, the aim of this article is to teach you about the types of fragrance, the fragrance families, the right ways to wear perfume, and how to shop for the perfect perfume.

smoky Eye Makeup Tips and Techniques: Application by Steps

Smoky eye makeup is a hot trend in the cosmetics world, with ladies using it not only for formal evening events but also for dramatic and sexy day wear style. While you can certainly visit a department store makeup counter like Sephora, you can use less expensive brands of makeup, like Cover Girl, to get the same smokey results. If you don’t know how to properly apply smoky eyeshadow, you could end up looking like you have a black eye. To get perfect technique and application, use these smoky eye makeup beauty tips to help you create a smoldering look. 

Step 1: Preparing The Eye Area for Shadows
Before you start with the steps of smoky eye makeup application, you must prepare the eye area. Apply a thin layer of foundation across the eyelids. Then use a good concealer to cover any dark circles which may be showing under your eye or in the corners of your eye. Always use a concealer that is a shade lighter than your natural skin color. You’ll want to be sure you have great base coverage because you will only want the smoky look on the lid, not under your eye.

Step 2: Choose Your Eye Makeup Colors and Begin
Depending on your eye color, hair color and skin tone, you can try using brown, grey, black, dark plum or navy for this task. Stick with one color group for this task. Blue eyed beauties can use any of these, but fair skinned gals might want to steer clear of black unless they want an extremely dramatic emo look. Green eyed girls will look best with brown, grey or black. Browned eyed ladies should stick with brown, black, dark plum or navy. Pick an eyeliner color to match. Using eyeshadow brushes start the color process by sweeping the lid with a neutral flesh-colored mineral shadow. You can use a sparkly shadow if you’d like more flair.

Step 3: First Layer Of Eyeliner
Start in the inside corner of your lash line and start by lining the upper lashes with your dark eyeliner choice. As you go from the inner corner to the outer area, make the line gradually get thicker. You can get an even more dramatic look by drawing on the inner rims of the eyes as well. Use a cotton swab stick to help you blend the color. Next, be sure to line the lower lash line, either one third of the way across or all the way from the inner corner to the outer area. You can try both to see which one you like best. You may want to use an eyeliner pencil for this task, unless you are experienced with liquid eyeliner as liquid eyeliner is very difficult to use.

Step 4: Start Shading With Eyeshadow
Start by applying a dark sweep of color to the outer corner of your eyelid, up to the crease. Blend it well and gradually add more color until you get your desired look. You can do this by lightly adding more layers of the eye shadow and blending upward as you go. The color should fade evenly, from your lash line to the crease.

Step 5: More Eyeliner
Next, do another line of eyeliner on the top eye lid line and smudge it with your cotton swab. This will add further drama to your look. Be sure to use the cotton swab to blend the shadow so there aren’t even layer lines noticeable. Also, you use easily use it to clean up any stray shadow. For stray marks you may need to dip a clean cotton swab tip into foundation or base powder and use it on the marks.

Step 6: Finish Up Your Smokey Eye With Mascara
To finish your smoky eye look, the last step is to apply several layers of mascara. Choose a dark mascara in navy or black to this look. Apply one layer of volumizing mascara, then a second. Be sure to add the second coat before the first coat dries completely, so you’ll avoid clumping.

Use Eye Makeup to Make Small Eyes Appear Larger

Chances are if you’re like most other women, you’ve always wanted larger eyes. While we can’t change our genetic make up, the good news is we can create the illusion of larger eyes with eye makeup tricks and tips. In fact, if you’ve ever noticed a celebrity photographed without makeup you most likely have noticed how much smaller their eyes look than their photos where they are all dressed up and made over for most red carpet events. 

To make your eyes appear larger use these eye makeup tips!

• One of the easiest secrets to utilizing eye makeup routine to correctly make your eyes look larger is to curl your eyelashes. It’s important you curl your lashes BEFORE you apply the mascara! If you forget to do it before applying your dark mascara, be sure to wait until the mascara has dried completely and then go ahead and curl them. If you find throughout the day your lashes aren’t as curled as they were in the morning when you first applied your makeup, you can always re-curl them later in the day since your mascara will be very dry by then.
• Many women think they don’t need mascara on their bottom eye lashes. However, most makeup experts believe adding mascara to the lower lashes can help to enlarge their appearance. The trick is to know how much to use on those bottom lashes! Start by applying the mascara to the top lashes. Then, with whatever is left on your brush (without redipping it into the mascara formula), apply it to the lower lashes. Hold your brush vertically and sweep it back and forth over the lower lashes to get the right look.
• If you want to go for a dramatic dark night time effect, you may want to try your hand at false lashes. Most celebrities do use false lashes for big events. If you know how to do the lash application properly, they can be beautiful and natural. Many larger department stores can help you learn how to apply lashes at one of their cosmetics and beauty products counters but they are also available at drugstores. Be sure to practice before your big event. You can also remember to use scissors to trim them (before applying them) if they are too long.
• Another technique to use involves the creamy white eye liner pencil. This can help you get a doe-eyed style that will brighten and widen your eye appearance. To get this look, simply line the lower lids with the creamy white eye pencil. You can find great liners from Sephora, Loreal or Estee Lauder. To further brighten your eye area, use this soft color also on the inside corner of both the upper and lower lids.
• If you don’t like the idea of the white shade of liner, you can also use a platinum highlighter to open up the eye area. Simply apply your shadow as usual and then use the highlighter on small dots along your browbone. Blend it in with the shadow in that area, apply it to the inner corners of the eyes and enjoy your new look.
• For larger appearing eyes, you must also pay attention to your brows. Be sure you manicure them well. It’s a great idea to visit a professional to get your brows waxed, tweezed or threaded. A pro can help you shape them properly. In between pro visits you can maintain them by tweezing. If you have a slight arch to your brows, you will find your eyes look larger.

How To Apply Cat Eye or Winged Eyeliner Eye Makeup

While Angelina Jolie is well known for her famous for her style, fashion sense and bold cat eye makeup, you can have the same look using inexpensive cosmetics from drugstore brands like Cover Girl and Loreal. The cat eye makeup look has been around for hundreds of years, with Angelina Jolie obviously not being the first to rock this look. In fact, Cleopatra was well known for her cat eye makeup and was likely the first documented female who sported this fun and sexy eye makeup trend. 

Beauty and Makeup Tools You Will Need for the Cat Eye Look

• Liquid (harder to do) or Pencil (easier to do) Eyeliner
• Magnifying Mirror
• Eye Primer
• Eye lash Curler
• Mascara
• False Eyelashes (optional)
• A Steady Hand!

How to Apply Liner & Mascara for the Cat Eye Vintage Look

1. Decide the type of eyeliner you want to use. Cat eye makeup starts with a major choice. You must decide if you want to take on this task of trying to apply cat eye makeup liner with a liquid liner or a pencil liner. If you’re new to applying liner, pencil liner is much more forgiving. But, liquid can give you bolder results. To figure out which works best for you, it’s a great idea to try out both. You can also find liquid pen liner which is kind of the best of both worlds offering easy application and bold color! When choosing the liquid pen, be sure you find the shortest pen tip available because it will give you the most control possible. You can choose any dark color but black is obviously the most common choice for this task.
   
2. Prime Your Eyelid for Makeup Application. Before you start with the liner however, you must prime your eyelid area. Most people choose not to use bold shadow when they are doing cat eye makeup. So, go for a neutral highlighting shadow and sweep it over your entire eyelid before you start with the eyeliner. A shimmery shadow can help you get the sexy look you’re looking for.
   
3. Use a magnifing mirror to make eyeliner application easier. After you gather your eyeliner, simply set up a hands-free mirror. If you have a magnified mirror, you’ll have better vision throughout the process. After all, when you apply liner you’ll want to be able to clearly see what you’re doing!
   
4. Start drawing a line with eyeliner as close to your lash line as possible. Starting with the inner corner of the eye, touch the pen lightly to the lashline and drag it toward the outer corner of the eye. The main point here is to draw the line as close to the lash line as you possibly can. A thin line to start is fine. You can always go back and fatten it up to get better results and shape.
   
5. As you get to the end of your lash line, you can slightly turn the line upward toward your temple. The length of the shade line is up to you but you can always shorten it if you overdo it by dipping a Q-tip in makeup remover and erasing the edge of the line. The placement of the winged tip is more crucial to the beauty results than the length.
   
6. Curl lashes or apply false lashes, then follow up with mascara. After you have the eyeliner perfectly applied, it’s time to work on your lashes. For the most dramatic look, false eyelashes are a great option. However, you can learn to do use your own lashes for this as well. If you don’t want to try false lashes, simply start by using an eyelash curler on your lashes. Hold it in place for ten seconds and then immediately apply bold black mascara to the lashes. Allow them to dry and do the same for the other eye. Then add another coat of bold black mascara to finish them off.
   

French Manicure Instructions: How To Guide for a Natural Look Without Going to the Nail Salon

The French manicure is often considered the most elegant thing you can do with your fingernails, since it combines perfect polish with a natural look that looks smooth and classy. If you're going for a job interview or just want perfect hands to show off a new ring, the French manicure is ideal. The French manicure can easily be done at home, with some patience and the right tools. 

Tips for Beginning any Salon Quality Manicure at Home

Any manicure starts with scrubbing your hands, filing your nails and caring for your cuticles. Use a diamond file instead of the cheaper metal ones: it's about a dollar more expensive, but it files much quicker and smoother. For a classic French manicure, your nails shouldn't be dragon-lady long, but should have a smooth, oval shape that's slightly elongated to make the most of the white nail tips. You're going to need:
 

Instruction Guide to a French Manicure

A base coat in a subtle, neutral color like pale peach, nearly-not-there pink, or beige. The contrast comes with the white nail tips, which point up the hint of color in the base coat.

1. White polish for the tips.
2. Nail tip guide strips
3. A clear top coat.

After filing your nails and tending to your cuticles by softening them and pushing them back away from the half-moons, paint your entire nail with the base coat color and let it dry. If you have chronic problems with getting the nails on your second hand painted cleanly, you may want to start by putting a little petroleum jelly on the skin of your fingers around the nail. The petroleum jelly keeps the polish from sticking to your skin if you should slip up while painting, making for easy clean-up and a neater look overall.
 

Using French Manicure Stencil or Template Products

Once the base coat of polish is completely dry—never try to rush this step—put the nail tip guides on your fingernails. Apply the strip guide to the area where your actual finger ends. The white tip of your nail shouldn't comprise more than 20% of the overall fingernail when you're done. Make sure to place the guide strips on each finger so that the tips of your nails are the same length for each.

Once the guides are in place, you can brush white polish onto your fingernails. This is a time for especial care, so that you stay with the guides and get no white polish on the lower part of the nail. Don't remove the guides until the white polish is completely dry, or you'll ruin the tips.

Once the white tips are dry, remove the guides. If they leave any sticky residue behind, use rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball to take it off. Don't forget and use nail polish remover or you'll ruin your whole manicure!

Professional Salon Finish to Any Mani or Pedi

Finish your French manicure by painting the entire nail with the clear top coat of polish. This does two things: it helps your manicure stay fresh longer by protecting it, and it gives a shiny and unified gloss to each nail.

You can buy a manicure in a kit, great for the new DIY nail maven, because they come with designs, color options, style ideas, instructions and all the products you need for a manicure or pedicure. You can try the new manicure polish pen, buy fun stencils and templates or go for a natural look with a brand like Sephora, Opi or Sally Hansen. For professional looking fingers and toes, you don't need a history of salon work: you can get everything you need online or from your local drugstore. And for a quick version of the French look, you can buy a nail whitening pencil. Slide it under the edge of your nail to white the tip, et viola—instant (not as elegant, but very nice) manicure!

Steps to Create the Perfect at Home French Manicure

• Clean and push back cuticles (no cuticle cutting please!).
• File names into a rounded, slightly enlongated shape.
• Base coat nails is a subdued, natural color like pale peach. Let dry completely.
• Apply the french nail tip guides from nail bed to where you actually finger ends. Leave no more than 20% of your nail showing. Tips of all nails should be the same,
• Polish nauls with guides in place and take special care not get white polish under the guides.
• Let nails dry completely, then carefully remove guides.
• Polish a final coat of clear top coat to protect all the work you just did.
• If this sounds like too much work, do it with a friend or visit your local nail salon for a relaxing manicure. French manicures normally cost between $20-$35.

Cure a Common Ingrown Toenail With a Foot Bath Home Remedy

Although most foot care experts say that clipping toe nails straight across helps prevent in grown toenails, you may still fall victim to one anyway: it doesn’t mean you’re a bad person, it can happen to anyone. Shoes that don’t fit right can cause an ingrown nail, as can just being on your feet or walking a lot. If a nail is becoming ingrown, you’ll first notice that it’s feeling tender where the nail is pushing into the side of your skin. You may find yourself favoring that foot, or pressing your toe against the inside of your shoes. 

If you don’t catch it soon enough, the toe will become inflamed where the nail is digging into the soft skin of your toe. People who ignore their ingrown toenails end up having surgery, because things can get infected pretty fast. I saw a picture of a neglected toenail once, and I’ll never get the image out of my head.

If you think you’re getting an ingrown toenail, soak your foot in hot water, and even add some lavender or tea tree oil to help soften the skin further. After you’ve given it a good soak, say twenty or thirty minutes, see if you can pull the embedded nail up on the corner, lifting it away from the skin. You can use a nail file for this delicate operation, just barely, slowly sliding it under the edge of the nail. Be careful that your hand doesn’t slip –the pain will be enormous. (I probably don’t have to tell you to be gentle –the agony in your toe will make you ever so careful!)

--Editor's Note --------------------------------------------------------------

Step into a Relaxing Foot Bath to Steam Your Ingrown Toenail Away

Did you know that the common household $35 footbath could be the relaxing end to your ingrown toenail woes? Don't fret over visiting the doctor to remove your ingrown toenail before you try to this common home remedy. Try a little self indulgence. See some inexpensive foot bath styles that are readily available.

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Sometimes it takes more than one soaking to get the nail soft enough to lift from the skin. Especially if you have thin, sharp nails, they are more likely to bite into the sides of the toe. If you don’t succeed the first time, dry off your poor foot, dab on lavender or tea tree oil (they both have antiseptic and antibiotic properties) or some Neosporin, and try again tomorrow. In the mean time, stay off your foot as much as possible, and when you put your shoes on in the morning, first wrap your toe with a thick, soft bandage to cushion it.

A newly ingrown toenail will usually concede de-feet (har-har) after three or four days of gently soaking and cautious prying. Once the nail lifts past the skin, trim the nail with a small pair of scissors, and if your toe’s not too sore, file it smooth. Now you will have a tender, pink channel in your toe where the nail once pressed. Keep it bandaged and clean. To prevent infection, apply antibiotics after bathing until your toe doesn’t hurt anymore.

If the toenail is stubborn and you can’t get it out after several tries, hobble off to the doctor, who will put it to rights for you.

Ingrown toenails are like ear infections: some people go their whole lives without having a single toenail upset, and others are plagued by then. Once you get one, it’s more likely to recur, so make sure you treat your feet nicely, buy good shoes that fit right, and pay attention to any toe pain that arises.

I like to read the old books on how to be beautiful, and one important adage is to buy the most expensive shoes you can afford, even if your feet are strange sizes and your shoes have to be custom-made. It makes sense, considering the importance of foot health to daily life. Bad shoes can add corns and bunions even to young feet, and they affect your posture and back health. Not sexy topics, but prevention is everything when it comes to caring for your ten dancing toes!

Stop a Nail Biting Habit with Proper Natural Nail Care

the first thing we can all do in having good-looking hands is to keep them
clean by washing regularly. It’s amazing how many people (guys especially, but some women and girls too) walk around with grubby non manicured finger nails. Get a nail brush and put it by the sink, so it’s convenient whenever you wash your hands. An added plus of a nail brushing your fingers is the way it feels: those soft bristles and the luxurious soapy lather take your hands on a daily very mini spa vacation. Always follow up with a nice hand cream or lotion to keep your hands moisturized 

Stop nail biting. Break your toddler or child's habit early.

Beautiful hands and nail care start with basics, and not having raggy, bleeding cuticles is a primary step in having presentable hands. Granted, one of the hardest habits to break is to stop fingernail biting, but it’s also one of the more disfiguring things that can happen to a hand. We all know someone who bites their nails to the quick, then starts on those ragged cuticles. Nail-biting usually starts in early childhood as a toddler with some people never outgrowing it, while others only revert to nail-biting in times of stress.

A finger nail biting cure that helped remedy 18 year old girl's problem from when she was a child.

I know a New York woman who stopped biting her nails when she was eighteen, because she wanted to be a flight attendant, and she had read in one of those “How to Be a Flight Attendant” guides, that bitten nails would keep her from being accepted into “Smile School”. (It was a long time ago, when airlines also had age limitations for stewardesses.) I admired her greatly as she stopped through sheer willpower.

At first, she went retro and wore gloves a lot. She also started carrying a nail file in her purse so that when a nail got split or roughened, she could take care of it on the spot. She wore gloves because taking off a glove to bite a nail is a great way to make yourself pause and consider, and then stop the behavior before it starts. She never did become a flight attendant, but she did have her hands photographed for a newspaper ad for the Chicago manicure and nail salon that she frequented and once more a few years later for a Los Angeles nail care and manicure salon.

Nail care and nail biting products

There are some products on the market to stop nail-biting, super-hot or bitter things to paint on your nails. I've heard some nail-biters say that the nasty taste didn't stop them, but they must work for some people.

--Editors Tip ----------------------------------------------------------------------

Attention Nail Bitters - Where to Seek Help

I am not a nail biter myself, but I have had several visitors point us at this website that specializes in products to stop nail biting. Find more information and helpful products to help you stop this unconscious bad habit, check out this nail biting help resource.

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Finally, for nail-biters and non-nail-biters alike, hand cream right before bed is a great way to keep your skin smooth. When things are looking rough (or if you’re a biter who’s trying to quit), you can get some wonderfully thin cotton gloves, slather on a hand cream like Sephora’s Bliss Glamour Glove Gel and glove up until morning. The cotton will keep the hand cream off the pillows and on your hands where it belongs. And for a real spa-treatment, get some little cotton socks and give your feet the same experience.

Nail polish shows off those fingers.

And for a little something extra try a nice bright nail polish for your next manicure. OPI nail products give a great professional finish that looks like you went to a manicure salon or spa. But buyer beware of the "fake" acrylic manicure. Your own natural nails are better than using fake "glue on" nails. If your manicurist doesn't properly clean tier tools, acrylic nail application can cause the dreaded nail fungus that has to be specially treated for months at a time. My advice save the acrylic french manicure for a special event or occasion like attending the Boston symphony in a black sleek gown.