• I will drink at least 8 cups of water each day.  Water does not just do good things for the inside of your body, it can also help your skin too.  Drinking plenty of water means that your skin will be more supple and hydrated.  That leads to younger looking skin, and I’ll take that.
• I will wash my face before I go to bed each night.  Some nights I get lazy and I crawl into bed without washing off the day.  The next morning I pay for it.  My skin feels flaky, tight, and just plain gross.  I am going to make an effort to avoid that at all costs.
• I will use SPF every single day.  There is nothing worse than leaving your skin unprotected from the harsh sun.  If you want to keep your skin looking as young as possible, SPF is your best bet.
• I will exfoliate regularly.  Exfoliating is different for different skin types.  Some only have to do it once a week, others use a gentle exfoliation every day.  No matter how often, I will do it regularly.

Do you have any beauty or skin care resolutions that you will be making in 2012?

For one thing, there was a time when sandpaper was used as a kind of primitive microderm abrasion.  Can you really imagine rubbing the delicate skin of your face with sandpaper?  I can’t.  And, the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra actually used spoiled milk to exfoliate her skin.  The acid that built up in the sour milk acted to sort of burn off the dead skin cells (and it probably smelled terrible, too.)  Check out this infographic for more of history’s bizarre ways of treating skin.

If you follow the steps in the video you will not have to spend time reapplying and redoing all of your makeup.  It is simple and you can use this for all types of situations requiring you to spruce up your makeup without starting from scratch, like after a workout when you just need a little touch up to get by.

Do you have any helpful five minute face tips?  It is so amazing what can be done in so little time!

Skin.  It does not matter if your skin type is dry, combination, or oily, everyone needs to be sure to moisturize more in cooler weather to avoid dry tight skin.  The best way to allow your skin to drink in that needed moisture is to exfoliate.  Gently exfoliate all over once or twice a week, and this does include your face.  When you exfoliate you remove the dead skin that lays on top and prevents your moisturizer from really working.  So, after exfoliating, lather up on that lotion and face moisturizer.  Dry skins look for creamy and rich lotions while oily skins can choose oil free options.  Don’t forget your lips either!  To exfoliate them gently, use your toothbrush and apply a lip balm afterward.

Hair.  My ends get dry, my scalp gets flaky, and some days it looks like I slept on a balloon because of all the static in my hair.  There are a lot of tricks that you can do to keep these things from creating a bad hair day.  My favorite is washing your hair less.  Like my skin, my hair tends to be very oily but washing every other day really helps it to stay healthier looking during the winter.  When you do wash, don’t use hot water which can cause dry scalp and if your ends are in serious need of hydration, do an at-home olive oil treatment.  Simply apply olive oil to the ends of your hair, clip it up and wait for thirty minutes.  Shampoo you hair as normal (applying shampoo only to the roots).  Your hair will reveal softer and less brittle ends.

Your best bet for looking your best when it’s chilly out is to remember hydration.  Drink plenty of water, moisturize as often as you need all over, and you should get through this time of the year looking polished and radiant.

No matter what your age or skin type, keeping your skin looking beautiful is something that we all should take a little bit of time doing. For those of you that say you don’t need to take care of your skin because you are still young and don’t have problems think about it like this. Do you want to wait until you do, or prevent them from happening? You might change your mind about scrubbing off the makeup at night and keeping your skin clean and healthy.

If you struggle with acne there are many different products that can help you fight it. Everyone is unique so some people have to take a different approach to creating clear beautiful skin. If products on the shelf don’t help or give you the results that you desire, try going to the dermatologist to get your skin under control and back to looking its best. The top 3 products that you can get without having to go to the dermatologist are…

• Exposed Skin Care
• Zenmed Derma
• ClearPores

If you are on the other end of the problem and are beginning to get lines or wrinkles around your eyes, mouth, and forehead there are several products that can help. If this is happening to you don’t worry, it’s a natural part of aging but it can be slowed with proper help. The best products for eye wrinkle relief are…

• Prototype #37-C
• Oxytokin
• 7 Second Eye Lift
• Hydrolyze
• Cellatox

The best products for all over wrinkle relief are…

• LifeCell
• Hydroderm
• Revitol
• Athena 7 Minute Lift
• Anti Wrinkle 55 Gold
• 3LAB “M” Cream

Taking care of your skin is 10 times easier when you have useful products that help you stay looking your best. If you are ready to take charge and find the best way to make your skin beautiful, clear, and wrinkle free there are great products that can help you. In addition to products that can help you doing little things like removing your makeup when you go to sleep, and using gentle or sensitive skin products will reduce the harm to your skin.

How can this become a reality? Permanent makeup. Permanent make-up is when you tattoo, or permanently change the pigment of your skin. Permanent makeup can be used to enhance your face, eyelids, eyebrows, and lips. Why would you get a tattoo in these locations?

You should consider permanent makeup on your face and skin if you have unwanted noticeable scars. The pigments of the scar can be tattooed a different color to better camouflage your imperfections. If you struggle to get your eyeliner perfect every day and are tired of wasting hundreds of dollars on waterproof eyeliner over the years you should get it tattooed on perfectly and never have to worry about it again. For those who have gone through an event such as cancer, old age, or any other reason for the loss or discoloration of your eyebrows tattooing the color that best suits you either under or in place of your eye brows will allow you to not be self conscious any more. Moving on to the lips, how many times a day, a week, a month, a year do you spend putting on lipstick and lip gloss? Not to mention all the time spent trying to find the perfect shade, and the money spent on trying out hundreds of wrong ones. Wouldn’t it be great to find your perfect shade and never have to worry about applying it again? If you think that permanent makeup is right for you, contact a local plastic surgeon. Some actually do the tattooing themselves while others can give you the best recommendation for someone who is experienced and has a high success rate.

If you are planning on getting permanent makeup you should talk to someone who has had it done so you know what to expect. Also if there are several people in your area that preform permanent makeup, meet with each of them and see who you are more comfortable with. As with any tattoo or procedure there are certain things that you have to do after the initial tattooing, these may include covering, ice, Vaseline , and touching up spots later on.

Waking up being beautiful is something that everyone dreams of but few of us actually do. Permanent makeup is the fast and easy solution to your makeup needs. Give it a shot and “wake up to makeup”.

To take some of the guess work out of swim suit shopping here is a guide to finding the perfect swimsuit to highlight your cable bundles.

If you are apple shaped-

You have broader shoulders and narrow hips. You want to focus on finding swimsuits with a thicker strap and higher neckline to help balance out on the bottom. You can also try bright pattern bottoms to help create a balanced look.

If you are pear shaped-

You are smaller on top and have larger hips and thighs. This is the most common shape of women. When choosing a suit you want to draw the eye upward to take the focus off your lower half. Look for bright pattern tops to draw attention. You can also try a simple short skirted bottom or a wide banded bikini bottom.

If you are hourglass shaped-

You have the most desired body type. You have a balanced bust and hip measurement and a well defined waist. You’re one of the lucky ones that can wear just about any style you would like. The to show off your sassy curves try a bandeau top or a monokini.

If you are Athletic Shaped-

Being athletic is a great thing but you don’t have the desired curves just yet. You stick to great bikini’s to shop off your tone figure. You can pull off fun, flirty designs and details without a problem. You can also wear high cut one pieces to add shape to your waist and hips. You want to avoid solid and vertical striped one pieces. They will make you look less curvy than you are.

Eye makeup

Eye makeup is one of the most noticeable aspects of makeup. Keeping your eye makeup from smearing all over  is very important. One great way to keep that from happening is waterproof eye makeup serums.

Bare Minerals has an eye makeup serum called “Weather Everything”. This product waterproofs   all of your eye makeup.

Another great product is Lancome’s “Hypnose Waterproof Serum”. This product is a waterproof  mascara serum that will last all day, as well as adding volume to your lashes.

Benefit also has a highly waterproof mascara called “BadGal”.

Along with needing the perfect mascara you can’t forget about your eye liner. M.A.C. liquid eyeliner is a waterproof formula that will  lasting you all day and night.

If you want your eyeliner to match your cute swimsuit Urban Decay has the perfect waterproof eyeliner for you. Urban Decay’s 24/7 waterproof eyeliner and lip liner come in a variety of colors and are built to last.

Concealer

When you spend a lot of time out in the sun or have had a long night and need to hide your raccoon eyes waterproof concealer is a great product to add to your makeup bag.

Lancome has a waterproof under eye concealer called “Effacernes”. Effacernes will stay put all day, and even make your sunglasses tan seem to fade away.

Maybelline has a great new waterproof concealer called “Cover Stick”. Cover stick comes in a variety of skin tones and is hypoallergenic.

Lips

When your basking in the sun and  don’t want to be glued to your lip gloss but still want a hint of color try Cover Girls “Outlast Lipstain” Outlast Lipstain will last all day and comes in an easy to apply marker format.

For shine that lasts through the waves try Hawaiian Tropic’s “Aloha Kiss Moisturizing Lip Gloss” Aloha Kiss is a waterproof lip gloss with a built in SPF of 25.

All Over

Make Up Forever has a product that can be used to waterproof eyes, lips, and cheeks. It’s called “Aqua Creams”. Aqua Creams is ultra waterproof and is used by many swimmers.

If you want to combine your favorite foundation with the waterproof formula Dior has beat you to it with their “DiorSkin Forever Extreme Wear Flawless Makeup” on top of being a great waterproof foundation Dior also has a built in SPF of 25.

• At-home Whitening Polish – Once a week, create your own tooth polish to help scrub off stains.  Mix together 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, add in a small drop of essential oil–think peppermint or spearmint.  Use a wet toothbrush to pick up the polish and go to work.  The mixture will physically help to buff off stains and also chemically thank to a water/baking soda combination.  Remember only do this once a week or less, otherwise it can be too harsh.
• Eat Smart – When you are choosing a snack, opt for foods that actually encourage production of saliva.  Most fruits like strawberries and apples, and some veggies like carrots will help to create more saliva.  When you produce saliva, then the bacteria in your mouth is removed more often, thus reducing stains.

There are also some veggies that help to protect your teeth from stains thanks to the natural minerals in them.  Vegetables that are dark green in color–spinach, broccoli, and others–are able to give your teeth an added shield to keep the stains at bay.

Steer clear of sodas especially.  The acids that are in sodas will actually wear down the enamel on your teeth, and stain them as well.  If you must have a soda, then choose to use a straw.  Black tea and coffee need some milk.  If you like you coffee and tea fully black, then you may be getting some avoidable stains.  If you add just a bit of milk to either, the formula of the beverage that causes your teeth to be stained will actually be changed reducing the stain factor.

• Natural Toothpastes Can Whiten – If you are looking to go completely all-natural when it comes to whitening your teeth, then opt for an all-natural paste.  There are many natural ingredient toothpastes that will give you the same whitening benefits without harsh chemicals, so take advantage of that.
• Lipsticks Can Do the Trick - If you still feel like your teeth are not as white as you would like, then find a lipstick shade that has blue notes in the undertones.  These hints of blue give the color a cool look that instantly acts as a teeth whitener.

A little bed head doesn’t hurt anyone, and lucky for us, messy is a summer must-try look.  When hair is involved, sometimes we all tend to opt for the lazy side of things and the messy look is oh so easy.  If you are looking to give off a relaxed vibe, then it is definitely the style you want.  You can take your wavy and natural look anywhere from brunch to the beach and still look chic.  No matter how long it takes you to achieve an undone look, it still must look like you rolled out of bed with it looking that fabulous, so don’t fret if not all the hair is perfectly coiffed.  For star inspiration, think JLo wearing her hair down with the natural wave.

One of the easiest hairstyles out there is the ponytail, but this summer there is just one word to describe the ponytail trend, sleek.  This summer your ponytail should be smooth, shiny, glossy, silky, and lustrous, and it happens to be the perfect look if you’ve just left yoga to hit the grocery store, or if you are looking to be more formal.  There are numerous ways to make a sleek ponytail your own, but our favorite star inspiration is Kim Kardashian’s always silky do.

If you’re looking to spice it up for an extra hot summer date night, or for a sweet night out with the girls then this style is definitely for you, it’s the always classic Hollywood look.  A glam look is the perfect accent to a flirty and fun summer dress, and it can take your look from hot to hotter.  Your summer outing is sure to be a hit when you look this good.  You’ll also have more facets and spring to your hair, which you may not have thought possible.  Take a look at fabulous Rachel McAdams rocking the old Hollywood vibe.