Category: Beauty and Fashion Tips

The average woman owns around forty makeup products. Makeup is clearly important to women of all types, especially professional women. 

Of course, it can be difficult for women in the workplace to use the appropriate amount of makeup. You want to wear enough so that you look presentable but not too much because you might distract your coworkers. 

Luckily for you, we’ve got several helpful professional makeup tips for proud career women to help you out. So keep on reading and we will take you through everything that you need to know!

1. Know Your Audience

Your professional makeup routine should fit the workplace that you are part of. If you are someone who works in an office for a law firm, then you want to go with a specific and conservative look. If you work for a magazine or trendy website, then you can probably get a little more creative with your style.

For your average workday, you want to make sure that you look polished but not shiny. You don’t want people to look at you and think to themselves that you’re wearing too much makeup. 

2. Go for a Natural Look

While your nighttime or evening look might involve eyeliner, red lipstick, highlighters, smoky eyes, and bronzer, your workday routine should help you obtain a more natural look.

You don’t want to look like you’re going out to the club.

3. Keep It Light

While you might feel tempted to try out some deep contouring on your cheekbones or cat eyes, you should avoid using too much makeup. Instead, go with a cream blush, lash extension kit, brown eyeshadow, filled-in brows, spot concealer, and tinted moisturizer to create a more light style for the workplace. 

4. Make Sure Your Skin Looks Nice

You want to make sure that you have the right foundation and tinted moisturizer for your skin. You want to have some concealer on and add a small amount of polish.

You don’t want to a face that is very powdery. Spot correcting for blemishes is a good idea. It is also going to be good for your skin.  

5. Highlight Your Best Features

In order to look refreshed and polished, you don’t have to put on a ton of makeup. You should consider the features that you feel the most confident about and highlight them more.

It could be softly defined eyes, nicely shaped eyebrows, or fresh and glowing skin. Show off whatever makes you feel self-assured and comfortable.

6. Keep Your Nails in Check 

As fun as nail art is, glittery and bedazzled nails are not appropriate for most workplaces. If you work in a big office where not everyone knows each other very well, then you don’t want to be known as the girl with the crazy nails.

Most importantly, you just want to make sure that your nails are manicured and neat. Neutrals and light pinks are usually the way to go. However, if you work in a place that is more creative, then you go with a soft pastel, deep blues, or bright reds. 

7. Bring a Little Makeup Bag

You should bring a small makeup kit with you in your work bag. It should contain all of the makeup items that you are going to need to keep your look fresh. It could include a tinted moisturizer, mascara, face mist, a brow pencil, a lip color, blotting papers, and powder.

You can use moisturizer and face mist for a touch-up in the middle of the day. This will help to keep you looking and feeling fresh and it will hydrate the skin. It’s also a good idea to keep some breath mints in the bag too. 

8. Try Multi-Use Makeup

Stick makeup and multi-use makeup products that you can blend with your fingers are good because they are easy to use. Especially when it comes to being easy to wear and for touch-ups.

When it comes to makeup for your eyes, eyeshadow sticks are easy and quick to apply. You can put them on, blend them, or even just put a small amount under your eyes to achieve a more polished look.

You can use stick makeup with a finger so that you don’t need to carry around a makeup brush with you all the time.  

9. Wear Makeup Products That Feel Comfortable

You want to make sure that you don’t wear makeup products that are going to distract you from doing your actual work. If you apply something that you are going to be feeling self-conscious about all day, or you need to constantly apply touch-ups, then it’s going to affect your ability to be productive;

You want to make sure that you look together, confident, and comfortable. 

10. Make It Quick

Nobody enjoys spending a lot of time in front of the mirror every day putting on their makeup. You should come up with a routine that you can apply quickly to your face so that you can get ready and get to work. 

The Importance of Knowing the Top Professional Makeup Tips for Proud Career Women

Hopefully, after reading the above article, you now have a better idea of what the top professional makeup tips for women in the workplace are. As we can see, you should aim to keep things natural, simple, and light in order to be as productive as possible.

Make sure to check out the rest of our site today for more helpful articles! 

 

During the coronavirus pandemic, more people than ever tried DIY beauty at home. For those who got weekly manicures and pedicures at a nail salon, it was a whole new world learning how to do their own nails properly. 

Many people learned that doing this at home and by yourself can actually be a very fulfilling and relaxing experience.

Sure, you may miss the salon, but you can get very creative, stay safe, and save a ton of money when you DIY. 

So, how do you DIY a french manicure? This timeless manicure technique may be a bit tricky, but you can be a master in no time by following the steps below. 

Grow Your Nails

French manicures look much more striking when they are longer. If you recently cut your nails very short or have a habit of chewing them, you may want to wait a little bit until you have a good amount of nail area grown in to work with.

Because a french manicure is all about the tip, having short nails can cause the look to come across as more stubby than elegant. 

If you have trouble growing your nails, consider using a nail polish that is strengthening. This can help harden your nails so they have an easier time growing in without breaking off. 

Clean It Up

Before you begin any manicure, you want to make sure you clean up your nails. Remove any traces of old nail polish, and clean out from under your fingernails. 

Make sure to wash your hands afterward. French manicures, in particular, are all about a clean look, so it’s essential to start with a clean nail. 

Do a Shape up 

Getting the right shape is essential for the perfect french manicure. Generally, for a classic french manicure, you want to go for the short square shape. 

Just try to avoid broken edges so your lines stay symmetrical. To achieve this, file the tips of your nails into straight lines. 

After, gently file down the edges of your nails into natural curves. If you did this correctly, your nail shape would almost mimic the shape of your cuticles. 

If it is too squared or curved, it will look off when you apply your french tips. Try to get it straight with a soft curve, and don’t be afraid to reference pictures to help guide you. 

Buff the Nail Plate

Buffing your nails is an important part of any manicure, as it helps the nail polish last longer. It also improves circulation to your nails, so it can help your nails strengthen and even grow faster. 

There is a common misconception that buffing your nails is harmful, but this is only if it is done improperly.

In fact, there are so many different benefits of buffing your nails that it should be done with every manicure. 

You can find different nail buffers for sale online, usually ranging from $5 – $20. 

Don’t Forget to Hydrate

After you buff your nails, soak them in a cuticle oil for a few minutes.

Then, push back your cuticles and exfoliate your hands with a body scrub. Lastly, apply a hand cream to lock in the moisture. 

Before the next step of applying the base, apply nail polish remover on your nails to remove any hand cream, to prepare them for the polish. 

Use a Base

If you’re wondering why most manicures at a nail salon last longer than DIY manicures, it’s because they don’t skip the base coat. 

You’re going for a natural nail base coat, so it doesn’t have to be too fancy. Just choose something that will protect your nails and keep the polish shining as long as possible. 

Make sure your base coat is dried thoroughly before going on to the next step. 

Try Guide Strips

One of the most useful DIY french manicure hacks is the use of guide strips.

French manicure guide strips make it much easier to achieve that perfect tip because it prevents you from getting the polish anywhere else.

You can buy pre-made guide tips, which are a half-moon shape. You can also make these guide strips using regular tape, as the process is the same.

Simply press the guide strips or tape on your nails, leaving the tips of your nails exposed. Press it down firmly, and begin applying thin layers of paint on the tape and over your exposed tips. 

Continue until you have the proper amount of coverage, and then carefully peel and remove the tape or guide strips. 

Consider a Brush

If you’re wondering how to do a french manicure without guide strips, don’t worry, it’s not impossible. 

If you want your nails to appear longer, allow the polish to curve with your natural nail. Use a fine brush and start from where your nail tips begin growing, then make a curve from the edge to the other side. 

Once these curves are connected, create the line at the edge to finish it off. 

To perfect these curves, keep the brush still and roll your nail for the best line. Hold your brush between your thumb and middle finger and rest your forefinger on the cap to get the best grip. 

Apply the Sheer Pink Shade

Now that you applied the classic french tips, you can finish it off with the sheer pink shade. This will make your french manicure look more natural and will cover up any imperfections that might have occurred.

It will also hide any yellowing of the nails and will make the manicure look even more professional. 

Finish With a Topcoat 

Just like with the base, a topcoat is essential for protecting your hard-earned french manicure. Once the rest of your creation is dried, apply a thin layer of protective and shiny topcoat.

This will allow your manicure to last a lot longer, which you’ll definitely want after all the time you have put into it. 

Perfect the DIY French Manicure

Now you know how to DIY a french manicure, so what are you waiting for? Gather your supplies and start practicing! 

It may take a few tries, but soon you’ll be able to experience the classic french manicure anytime you’d like. 

If you’re looking for more DIY tips, browse through the DIY section of our blog today! 

In 2018, the global candle industry was worth 3.45 billion US dollars. Though they are the world’s oldest form of light, it’s safe to say that the popularity of candles has not yet burned out.

The primary consumer of both scented and unscented candles are millennial women. That said, most people, regardless of their demographic, appreciate candles for their significance in culture, their aesthetic, and their ambiance.

The most common and accessible candle is the classic tealight candle. Let’s take a walk through history and explore some interesting tealight candle facts

Primarily Utilitarian

Today, the tealight candle is mostly associated with mood lighting and cheap but chic decor. However, its humble beginning was purely utilitarian.

In Victorian England, wealthy people had their trays of food and tea warmed by candles. These thin candles, placed in cylindrical metal candleholders, were the original hot plate.

These lights were primarily used to warm tea in a tea warmer. Hence the term “tealight” candles.

Symbolic Candle Lighting

Candles have been used to demonstrate symbolism across various religions and cultures for centuries. Perhaps the most notable tradition involving tealight candles is the Japanese tea ceremony. Though each type of Japanese tea ceremony stands for a different height of Zen, they all have several factors in common, including the use of tealights. Lighting candles signifies the time and mood change from daylight to dusk.

religious ceremonies around the world feature tealights in their candle-lighting traditions as well. This is typically ascribed to monotheistic religions.

For instance, in both Christianity and Judaism, candle light symbolizes the light of God. It can also mean the continuation of the life of a spirit after a person passes away.

In the Catholic religion, a traditional candle mass is held annually in the beginning of February. It is meant to symbolize the feast of the purification of The Virgin Mary, or else the presentation of the Lord. During this special mass, Catholics hold lit tealight candles and form a procession around the church.

Tealight Candle Facts and Specs

The average tealight is a small, cylindrical candle. It’s wick is usually fused to the bottom of the candle’s metal casing.

These lights have a burning capacity of two to five hours, and they are marketed for one-time use. They give off a gentle, warm glow which is dimmer than more modern candles.

Though they already come in their own metal casing, tealights usually need to be lit in a larger holder. Today’s tealight holders vary in size, shape, and even material. For instance, this lantern set is purely decorative; it’s meant to enhance the visual appeal of the basic tealight.

　

What They Are Made Of

Traditionally, tealight candles are made of white, unscented paraffin wax. However, many variations stem from this basic standard.

Soy Candles

A trending topic among health enthusiasts is whether paraffin candles are toxic. Several studies suggest that the chemicals in paraffin can cause cancer if ingested through fumes.

This research is inconclusive at best, but it sparked the creation of the soy-based candle. Though basic tealights are still made of paraffin wax, some are also made of soybean. Those candles are marketed as more eco-friendly and even hypoallergenic.

LED Tealights

Those who enjoy candles but don’t love their flames need not despair: Flameless, LED tealights became available in recent years.

The case for LED candles is strong:

• They are great for mood lighting
• They don’t require cleanup
• They are not a fire hazard
• They can be used outdoors in nearly any weather

Flameless tealights are ideal to use at outdoor vigils on windy days, for example. The flames won’t burn out, nor will the wick be wasted as it would be with traditional candles.

Tealight Candles In Current Culture

While tealight candles were originally utilitarian and later symbolic, now they’ve taken on another type of importance in popular culture. They are relaxing and romantic. But why are tealights so readily loved by consumers eager to relax and revel in love?

It’s all In the Lighting

There’s no need to spend your last dollars on a five-star romantic candle lit dinner; just buy a bag of tealight candles and recreate the intimate ambience at home.

but why is a candle lit dinner so desirable, anyway? Why does it signify romance?

Tealight candles emit soft and dim lighting. The glow is intense but not too bright.

This type of lighting sets a relaxing mood. Soft candle light can also mimic so-called “bedroom eyes,” since it causes a person’s eyes to dilate. A relaxed mood and bedroom eyes combined equal romance.

Candles In Film

Candles are associated with romance most strongly through film. For instance, the ladies from the 2000’s HBO show Sex and the City would regularly use tealight candles to set the mood for their dates.

That said, tealights are used in film in a more practical and fascinating way these days as well. In the British show Wolfblood, tealights were used as both a prop and a form of lighting for the set. They were used as lighting during all of the nighttime scenes. These casual candles catered to the camera while replicating nighttime darkness.

Ready to Learn More?

Are you ready for more fun facts and tips about lighting and decor?

Don’t stop here; once you take in all of these fascinating tealight candle facts, browse our site for more tips and content. We’re here to inform you about all things home-related, and we want to entertain you with more savvy tips. Come back regularly to browse through our content. We take care to update it regularly.

Millennial moms are on the rise!

There are around 17 million millennial moms in the United States alone. While getting your child’s ears pierced is an exciting milestone for any parent, it’s extra special when you’re a first-time parent.

To help your child have the best experience possible while also minimizing the risk of infection, we’ve created this complete piercing guide. From learning how to clean piercings to picking a hypoallergenic metal, we’ll tell you everything you need to know.

So take a look! The information you’ll learn in this article will keep your child safe and happy.

What Age Is Appropriate for Ear Piercings?

When is the best time to get your child’s ear pierced? It depends on a few factors. First, it’s always a good idea to check in with your child’s pediatrician before committing to piercings. After getting a green light from your pediatrician, you’ll have to decide what matters to you the most.

Do you like the idea of your child being able to choose whether or not they want to pierce their ears? If yes, we suggest waiting until your child’s 10 years old so that you can have a thorough discussion. Waiting until your child’s older will also make caring for the piercing easier.

Baby Piercings

If you want to pierce your child’s ears while they’re still a baby, wait until they’re at least 2 months old. Why? Around 2 months of age, your child should be up to date on their first round of vaccinations, including the tetanus vaccine.

While there’s almost no risk your baby would get tetanus, it’s better to play it safe. Lastly, if you wait until your baby’s 5 or 6 months old, you could have problems with them pulling at the jewelry.

Go to a Reputable Piercing Company

Once you know what age you want to pierce your child’s ears, you can begin looking for a quality piercing location. Since 35% of the nation supports piercings, you’ll discover there’s a ton of places to choose from.

However, you should start your search by asking your pediatrician if they perform any type of piercing services. While it’s not common, some pediatricians will have on-site staff that can do the piercing for you.

If they don’t provide piercing services, ask your pediatrician for a referral. When all else fails, you can always call up a different pediatrician’s office to ask for their advice on where to go.

Avoid Jewelry Stores

You should avoid going to a jewelry store or mall kiosks at all costs when it comes to ear piercings. First, jewelry stores and mall piercing locations don’t always train their employees on proper piercing procedures.

You could wind up with uneven piercings, or worse unsterile conditions. Another reason to avoid the mall piercings is that they typically use piercing guns rather than needles.

You can thoroughly sterilize a piercing needle, but piercing guns are harder to clean. Lastly, jewelry store employees usually have very little supervision, so it’s more likely a piercing mistake will happen.

Minimizing Pain During Piercings

Next, let’s look at how you can minimize pain during the piercing procedure. Ask your child’s pediatrician to prescribe a topical anesthetic that contains lidocaine derivatives. The anesthetic will gently numb the earlobes to minimize pain.

For the best results, apply a thick layer of the anesthetic about 1 hour before the piercing takes place. If you don’t get an anesthetic, you can also try numbing the area with ice.

About 15 minutes before the piercing, carefully plastic wrap a small piece of ice to each ear. Keep in mind that an anesthetic or ice won’t completely remove the pain. However, these methods can minimize the pain so that it only feels like a tiny pinch.

Best Jewelry Metals for Kids

Once you have a safe location and a way to minimize the pain, you’ll need to pick out the earrings you want to use. On your search for the best kids jewelry, focus on finding hypoallergenic metals.

Here are the top 6 hypoallergenic metals that are kid-friendly:

1. Surgical stainless steel
2. Titanium
3. Niobium
4. 14K and 18K gold
5. Platinum
6. Pure silver

Surgical stainless steel is a great choice because it’s both affordable and hypoallergenic. There are different varieties and grades of surgical stainless steel. However, when it comes to piercings, it’s best to stick with either low carbon or vacuum produced metals.

Next, titanium costs a little more; however, the high-quality material is very durable. The titanium’s biocompatible properties make it easier for your body to accept the metal rather than creating an adverse reaction.

Niobium is also biocompatible, and it has an attractive shine to it. You can find niobium in a wide range of colors, which makes it easier to find the perfect pair of earrings for your child.

Moving on, both 14K and 18K gold are the perfect types of gold for piercings. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of jewelry out there that claims to be gold.

However, it is just gold plated metals that can rub off and cause infections. To avoid getting gold-plated metals, buy the jewelry from a reputable company and verify the karats.

Next, platinum and sterling silver are also great choices when it comes to hypoallergenic metals. Both metals provide an attractive shine and come in all sorts of styles. Lastly, you’ll want to opt for stud earrings so that they’re comfortable for your child to wear.

How to Clean Piercings

The first step will be to prepare your cleaning station with a cotton swab, antibacterial soap, and a bowl of warm water. You’ll want to avoid using things like isopropyl alcohol or hydrogen peroxide since these chemicals can be too harsh for your child’s delicate skin.

The next step towards clean piercings is for you to wash your hands. The CDC recommends washing your hands for at least 20 seconds. While you’re washing your hands, cover every area of your skin, including under your fingernails.

Now that your hands are clean, dip the cotton swab in the warm water, apply soap, and begin swabbing the piercing area. Double-check that the earring backing is secure, and then slowly rotate the earrings.

Everything you do should be slow and concise so you can avoid pushing or pulling on the earrings. You’ll need to clean the piercing site at least 2-3 times a day, or whatever amount your pediatrician recommends.

What Not to Do With Piercings

Whatever you do, don’t take out the ear piercings at any time. The piercings should stay in place for the entire time your pediatrician recommends.

You can expect to wait anywhere from 5-6 weeks before it’s safe to take the piercings out. If you take the piercings out too soon, the holes can close up, or infection can form.

Fidget With the Piercing

Clean piercings reduce the risk of infection, but only if you avoid fidgeting with the piercing area. Avoid touching your child’s ears unless your hands are clean and you’re cleaning the piercing site.

If they’re old enough to understand, let your child know the importance of leaving the earrings alone while their ears heal.

Fit Earrings Too Tight

When the earrings are clasped too tightly, this can also cause an infection. If it appears that the earring backs are pressed tight against the skin, loosen them slightly.

However, be careful not to loosen the backings so much that the earrings fall out. We find that using earrings that have a comfortable clutch or a screw-on clasp work best.

Swimming

Your child should avoid swimming in any body of water after the piercing takes place. This includes lakes, rivers, hot tubs, and swimming pools. 

Rigorous Sports

It’s never a good idea to wear earrings during sports activities. However, it’s even more dangerous after a recent ear piercing.

If sweat and dirt get into the piercing site, it’s likely an infection will occur. However, once the ears are fully healed, the risk of infection goes down.

Signs of an Infection

Of course, your main goal is avoiding infection after piercing ears. However, even if you do everything right, it’s still possible infection will occur. The good news is that by quickly identifying an infection, you can take swift action to protect your child.

Here are the top signs that an infection is forming:

• Pain at the piercing spot
• Swelling
• Yellow discharge at the piercing spot
• Fever

If your child develops any of the symptoms on the list above, reach out to their pediatrician right away.

Protect Your Child

There you have it! The best advice around for getting your child’s ears pierced. When you take the time to clean piercings the right way, you can greatly minimize the risk of infection.

However, the location you choose to get the piercing done is just as important as keeping things clean. Reach out to your child’s pediatrician today and ask them if they can recommend a reputable piercing location. For more pro tips like these, check out another article.

If you like to wear jewelry or buy it for someone else, you may want to know a little more about it. One precious metal, gold, reached a twenty-year high in 2019, its performance up 20%. If you are searching for the ultimate jewelry metals list, keep reading because you’ve come to the right place.

Jewelry Metals List

When it comes to the list of metals for jewelry, the most common are gold, platinum, palladium, silver, stainless steel, titanium, and tungsten. You can bet that when you approach any local jewelry store or venture online, you will find jewelry made with these metals. 

Gold has been a popular choice for many years. It comes in yellow or white, and you can get it in 10, 14, 18, or even 24 karats. 

Platinum has become more popular in recent years but is more expensive than other metals. This is because it is purer than gold and denser. 

Palladium is in the platinum group of metals. It is lightweight and easy to polish. It is also cheaper than platinum in most cases. 

Silver is a grayish-white color and costs less than the other metals. It looks much like white gold or platinum without the added cost. It is a softer metal and more prone to oxidation, which can turn the metal black. 

Stainless steel is a white metal and durable, so it is rugged. It is inexpensive, and though not used often in fine jewelry, it is still a popular choice for rings and bracelets. 

Titanium is a gray or silver color. It is great for people with allergies to other metals because it is 100% hypoallergenic. It is strong because it is the hardest metal in the world. 

Tungsten is gray or dark silver. It is strong but also a heavy metal, so if jewelry bothers you, this may not be the best option because you will feel it on your skin. 

Choosing the Best One

When viewing the list of jewelry metals, you can see there are many options. It helps to know what you like and what looks good on you or the person you get the jewelry for. 

Some people are hard on jewelry, and some have jobs that make wearing certain metals dangerous. It is important to know this before buying any metal ring. 

When it comes to purity and durability, you can learn more here. There is a lot to know when it comes to the list of jewelry metals. 

Metals may look similar but have different weights and strengths. You may want one that won’t bend or one that can be, depending on the type of jewelry it is and the person wearing it. 

All About Choices

When looking at the jewelry metals list, it is all about choosing what you like. There are options for the budget-conscious and elegant wearer. 

With so many options, you can find what you like and spend what you want. Knowing a little about the different metals used will help you pick the right one for any occasion. If you want to find other smart shopping ideas, check out our other articles!