Dark Circles

Hello everybody, how has your day been? Well mine was pretty good, except I noticed something odd. School has been keeping me up until the wee morning hours finishing projects, studying, blah blah blah. All of that determination and lack of sleep is finally over, but it has left me with dark circles and blemished skin. When I do not get enough sleep, my skin gets unpredictable and dark circles form. Well, don't get me wrong, I already had dark circles, but they were not noticeable. Dark circles are common, most of us are naturally "gifted" ( what a gift) with them. There are many creams and serums that can "get rid of" these harmless skin issues, but a few simple tips can help to reduce the appearance of them. Dark circles can appear due to many health and environmental factors, such as age, sleep deprivation, bruising, rubbing the eyes, genetics and even seasonal allergies. Often times, a change of diet, medication or even just leaving your eyes alone can banish dark circles for your face, or at least make them less noticeable.Now that the problem is solved , I can give you four tips that may help you diminish the appearance of these guys. Let's start!

Makeup For Glasses

Welcome back, how has the week been for all of you? I hope it went well. I’ve decided to put up two posts today, so look out for the next one ^_^ The posts on my blog have been coming out every few days due to the fact that I’ve been rushing round everywhere. Well, on to today’s post!

Some people that wear glasses think that they have to go bare-faced when wearing their specs. Well, the truth is that you can still wear glasses and wear makeup, it’s a no-brainer. I know that it can be difficult wearing makeup with glasses, because of the lens glare, smooshed eyelashes, and any other issues. However, a few tricks can be applied to bypass these problems. With glasses, any look can be modified, but do not think that this tutorial is the only way. Experiment 

 until you discover the right looks for yourself.

I decided to make my second makeup demonstration for the bespectacled, but these looks can be achieved for those who do not wear glasses. The amount of makeup being applied would have to be reduced, in order to allow for the looks to work. I put more eye makeup on because my glasses do not have a non-reflective coating, so it is harder to notice the pigments with the glare. If you happen to have a non-reflective coating or even something remotely similar to Crizal lenses, you can use a less amount of eye products, as it will show up slightly better. Now, put on those specs and get moving!

 

Step One : To start, apply a good concealer underneath your eyes, and set it with powder. This is a good step to take, as glasses usually cast dark shadows under the eyes, though dark circles are not present.

Get Greek Summer Hair

 Hello again! Summer is officially here, so I decided to do a quick hair post for all of you. This look is inspired by the wonderful weather in Greece during the summer. Though I have not been there, I have seen movies and pictures shot on the wonderful island.  Have any of you been to Greece? This is a four step look, and should not take longer than about 6 minutes to complete. My hair is a little bit over two feet; it’s like my personal trademark. It looks shorter in the last picture because I was looking down so most of my hair fit in the photo. In reality, it goes down the middle if my back.

If you have hair that is a similar length, it should work just at well on your locks. To be honest, this hair style is the most flattering on hair that grows a little bit past your shoulder. This style works best on freshly washed hair, and naturally wavy hair. As you can see, my hair is naturally wavy.It’s an easy way to enhance this natural texture, because of the minimal hair styling. Let’s start.

1.      If your hair still wet, wait about an hour for it to become the perfect dampness. Make a side part that lines up with the center of your brow and separate the hair on both sides of the part.

2.      Take a 3- 4 cm section of hair from just behind your ear, on the larger section of your hair and plait it, leaving about 1-3 cm on the end. Make sure that the plait is even throughout the piece of hair, if it is not, tug on a few sections until it uniform. Secure with a hair thing. Take a 4-6 cm strip of hair from the same side and separate it in the front form the rest of your hair.

3.      Now, hold the plaited piece inn your hands, and flip it vertically, so it points straight up in the air. Gently, pull it taut and begin to wrap it over top of your scalp and ends behind your ear, so it looks like a head band.

4.      Secure behind your ear with bobby pins that are stout and  harder to open like these: 

5.      Take the strip of hair that was separated earlier, and gently twist it and secure it to the back of your head. The loose twist should cover over part of the plait (just above your ear).

6.      Now you’re done!! If you want to add more to this look, play up the natural texture of your hair by spritzing it with a sea salt and water mixture, scrunch, and set the rest of your hair in a low ponytail.

There you go, effortless summer hair in less than 10 minutes. On a side note, I took a look at my audience stats, and noticed a couple of you avid readers are from Germany. I would love to do frequent posts on worldwide fashion and beauty, so if any of you shy guys want to request anything, drop me a line on the “Electric Advice” page.  I also added a Google translate widget to the sidebar, so it is more convenient for you to read my articles in any major language.Keep checking back often, as I will post up my new twitter account here later today.

Happy Third day of Summer

^_^

Quick Update :D

Hello everyone. I've been neglecting this blog for about a week, due to the large amount of attention that goes towards exams. My last exam is tomorrow, so please be patient. I have a hair post ready to publish on here, but I might wait until after the exam. If I'm able to, I will post it today. Anyway, study hard if you too are a study slave (tears) and enjoy the first week of summer. 

^_^ 

Happy Second Day of Summer

Trend Update: Long Skirts

Hello lovely readers, how are you guys feeling today? I hope you're in the mood for my latest trend update. A classic summer staple, the long flowy skirt, gets a makeover this year. The overall shape of the skirt remains. The fresh look of the skirts involves the use of sheer fabrics, instead of the standard opaque shades. This fresh changes adds more of a care-free beach go-er vibe than ever before, as it makes it easier to just throw on an over-sized graphic tee and a flowy skirt. You can never go wrong with the original white skirt, it goes with everything.

   

 image complied and made through polyvore.com





If you`re worried about wearing a see-through skirt, don`t be, as some of these skirts have a built in half slip( available in thigh length to ankle length) to make this more approachable for the slightly modest folk. Another change evident among these skirts, is the use of more sweet-girly accents, such as lace detailing all over the fabric and pleating. The use of tulle fabric reminiscent of a ballerina tutu,is also popular among this skirts, which add a grunge feeling to this innocent staple. If you are an avid trend watcher, then look out for skirts with bright splashes of colour, but not neon, you do not want to over work the trend. Also,try to look for skirts with watercolour-like detailing, it give a more relaxed yet put together feel. These skirts can be worn with lace up boots, heels, basically anything. There`s the trend update,now go and get creative!

Happy Experimenting,

^_^

Summer Should Be the ONLY Season

   Summer is almost here! The sun is coming out more, the dragonflys are zipping around the air and I am done with school of the year. Well, almost. I have two exams coming up next week, and then I'm officially done. How about you guys? You have any exams? I have a love-hate complex with this time of the year. I love the end of the school year because you don't have to see any more homework or the people that you do not get along with. I hate the end of the year because of stupid exams and having to cram. I guess you can never win. Today was officially the last day of classes, and the locker cleanup was last block. I even took a picture of my empty locker. A few of my friends were crying ( sorry guys my blog hahahah) and hugging,and others, like me, were just giggling and hugging. I guess its our own way of crying. The weather outside was pretty melancholy, as there was ash in the air from the forest fires, and a steady downpour began just as everyone went outside. I'm excited for next year though. Well that's the end of my little post there. I have a hair tutorial and a makeup tutorial planned for this week, then I will take a brief hiatus to study >.<.

Happy Summer Adventuring ( makes no sense but hey, no school)

^_^

Lip Balmin'

  Hello again, how are you guys? I decided to dedicate a post just to lip cream/balm. There are so many to choose from: SPF, tinted, flavored, non-flavored, glossy, plain, coloured, clear. Lip balm, or as I like to call, it lip cream, is a product I`m constantly reapplying thought I already have a bit on my lips. I go through a tube in about 2-3 weeks, so you can imagine how many different kinds I have tried. One of the basic beauty and health necessities has to be lip cream. In my opinion, moisturizing the lips several times a day is essential, in order to avoid chapped, dry, or even cracking skin on your mouth. Try to find lip creams that suit your lip type, drier lips should use more waxy lip balms, as those seem to moisturize better, while normal lips should stick to thinner formulas. I personally prefer the thicker formulas over the thinner ones, as it moisturizes my lips longer.You`re only born with ONE set of skin, so treat the largest living organ of your body with care, by moisturizing daily, and protecting it from the Sun.  Let`s face it, healthy lips are less of a hassle to tend to than bleeding, damaged lips. Scroll down for some of my favorite lip creams. 

Happy Moisturizing ^_^ 

 Nivea Milk and Honey Lip Care 

This lip cream goes on smoothly without any stickiness. It moisturizes lips for hours, so I didn't have to apply so often. It has a slight milky scent, but is only noticeable when you smell the tube. It does not stain your lips, despite the orange-y hue, and lasts pretty long.

Blistex Raspberry Lemonade Blast

 










Blistex has always made good lip creams, as they sooth and protect damaged lips in only a couple of minutes. This one has SPF 15, so its ideal to use out in the sun. The tangy raspberry lemon flavor doesn't hurt either. I currently owns and use this one daily. 

Neutrogena Lip Moisturizer SPF 15

This lip cream is both unscented and has no colour, which means that your lips will not have to be stained by any leftover pigment. It instantly softens the lips, and doesn't feel too watery or to waxy.

The Body Shop Born Lippy Watermelon Lip Balm

This lip cream has to be one of my all time favorites, as it smells tasty, and also does not stain the lips. Its also Community Trade, and is from a company that is known to be free of animal testing. it went quite quickly for me, but it was from being enticed by the lively scent.

Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer

The last lip balm I am going to list, is from the Burt's Bees line of skincare items. This is a tinted lip cream that gives a pretty shine with a hint of colour. The colours look natural, and it also contains a minute amount of shimmering glitter in it.  This product is also 100% natural.

Well, there you have it, the best lip creams you can find. I'm going to start writing my hair tutorial post, so check back in a few days to see it.

Happy Moisturizing ^_^

All product names and images are the sole property of their owners.

Trend: Lash Stains

        Hello, my lovely readers! As summer is coming around the corner, it’s the perfect time to dump any old makeup and start anew. How about replacing that favorite old mascara for something a little different? That “something” could be a lash stain. A lash stain is a product that is applied the same way as a mascara. Its results are similar to long wear mascaras. The only difference is that is supposed to last for a few days, instead of only lasting for a couple hours. However, I would not recommend wearing this trend for more than a day. There is a possibility that it will smudge when sleeping. It’s never good to sleep with cosmetics on your face, but if you prefer the hard-to-remove-raccoon-eyes look, do at your own discretion. I have not used a lash stain yet but I’m itching to try one. This wonder product has a good side and a bad side:

♥Good: 

•   Lasts longer than the conventional waterproof/ water-resistant mascara
•   Good for partying, hitting the pool/beach, etc.
•   Easy to apply
•   Can be applied alone, mascara could be applied with it as well
•   Some brands dry quickly

:'( Bad:

•   Hard to remove, most lash stains require an oil-based makeup remover to get rid of the product

         To my knowledge, there are only two available brands of lash stains/inks out in Canada at the moment. There could be more, but I haven’t seen or heard about them. The first one is the Tarte 4 Day Lash Stain (CAD $18), a higher end mascara that claims to stay put for 4 days (pictured below).

The next one is the Hard Candy Lash Ink- 4 day Lash Stain (CAD $7) (below).  I hope this trend update taught you something new.

Happy testing ^_^

XO

Images taken directly off of:

Tarte Cosmetics http://tartecosmetics.com/tarte-item-4-day-stay

Hard Candy http://www.hardcandy.com/products.php?cat=12&country=can#519

Cobalt Thunder

          Cobalt is making a comeback in both the beauty and fashion world this spring. What is cobalt exactly? Think about it in this way: a charming mixture of rich indigo and a loud dark blue. Cobalt is used in fashion and art, because of its ability to be fresh and classic at the same time.  

This is a slightly lighter version of cobalt

 It’s bold, yet wearable, without looking too overpowering. Cobalt also holds the title of being a colour that works on most skin tones. It makes a great addition to any wardrobe or makeup bag, so why not give it a try? I put together an easy way to wear this fearless trend. This simple tutorial will show how you can incorporate this wonderful colour into your life. Not only is this an easy tutorial, it is also usable for the people who are willing to try this colour without making a large commitment to the trend. The created look is called “cobalt thunder”, because of the “electric” shade of cobalt being used. The colour used is from one of my favourite brands, Cargo Cosmetics. I am using the cobalt colour on the upper right corner of the Wet/Dry Eyelining Palette ($32.00 CAD). If possible, you can use any other cobalt eyeliner/shadow, but it has to one that can be applied wet or dry. Now, grab your makeup, sit back, and enjoy the transformation!

1.      Start with a freshly washed and moisturized face. Wait until the moisturizer sinks into your skin, and then begin prepping your eye area. Using a large, fluffy brush (or a clean ring finger), apply a small amount of pressed powder onto your all over your lids, including the under-eye area, eyelids and brow bone. Gently blend it into your skin by lightly patting your ring finger or the brush, to avoid injuring the eyes.

2.      Find a thin eye lining brush or a sponge-tip applicator, and wet it. Pat the tool once on a paper towel to get rid of any excess water. It should be damp, and not soaking wet.

3.      Now, mix around the brush in the colour.  Draw a couple of practice strokes on the back of your hand until you reach the perfect consistency with the wet eyeliner. The colour should be vibrant while still being dark.

4.      To get a perfect line every time, lean the hand you’re going to use to line your eyes against your face, for extra support. Then, make a line starting from the center out, then from the inner corner to the center of your eye. Avoid pulling on your eyelid. Redraw the whole line with a steady hand. 

5.       Wing out the liner until you reach the end of your eye socket (a little bit past the lash line. To wing out the liner, go to the outer edge of the eyelid, and draw a slightly angled line out towards the eyebrow. Repeat steps on the other eye. Lastly, apply a coat of mascara on the top and bottom eyelashes (optional, as the look is fine without it too)

         There you go :) You just completed a bright and simple look with hardly any effort. Have a look you want me to explain? Write your suggestions in the comments below.

Happy Practicing ^_^