10 Things Every Woman Should Have In Her Purse

10 Things Every Woman Should Have in Her Purse

If being prepared for anything is your mantra, then you know that your purse is the vehicle by which you live your life – far more than just a place to stash your cash and keys. Whether you believe in toting half the house, or you like to keep it light and simple, there are ten essentials that all ladies must have in their purses at all times. Let’s take a look at those must-haves so that you will be ready for anything that life throws your way.

1. Lipstick

As any woman knows, a dash of lipstick can perk up even the worst case of the blues, and having your favorite shade within reach is imperative to keeping you looking your best. Lipstick works to create a beautiful focal point on the face – so even if you don’t have time to put on a complete face of makeup each morning, lipstick will still make you look glamorous and put-together.

2. Mad money

The emphasis here is on money, not plastic. Mothers used to give their daughters“mad money” when they went out on a date, just in case the guy ended up to be Mr. Totally Wrong. Mother was wise to do so; there are many instances that may arise when you will need cash in hand, not a debit or credit card, so keep at least twenty bucks in cash safely stored away in your purse.

3. Tampons or pads

Let’s face it ladies; we never know when Mother Nature will come calling. Be discreetly prepared to face her head on with a small supply of feminine protection.

4. Baby wipes

Whether or not you have little ones, baby wipes come in handy in so many situations – none of which you will be able to think about until the time arises that you need one or two.

5. Aspirin or Tylenol

How many times have you been out of the house and taken a headache? If you are human, chances are you have often wished for a bit of pain relief on the road. Stay prepared by always keeping a few aspirin, Tylenol, or other pain remedy at hand.

6. A pen

While it may seem like commonsense, when faced with the prospect of needing a penor pencil, many women dig and dig through their massive purses only to come up with a fairly good substitute: an eyeliner. Keep a few pens in your purse and you won’t end up giving someone your number with a Cover Girl Slick Stick.

7. Emergency contact info

Again, a commonsense thing to carry with you (right alongside your identification) isemergency contact information; this will come in handy if you are mistaken as a terrorist, locked in solitary confinement, and someone has to come in to vouch for your identity. In all seriousness, emergency contact info is crucial if you are (heaven forbid) involved in an accident and unable to speak for yourself.

8. Mace or pepper spray

The day and age in which we live dictates that all women must carry some form of protection, and Mace or pepper spray fit the bill. This modern “weapon” is non-lethal but very effective in stopping bad guys in their tracks.

9. Hand sanitizer

Every time when you are at the grocery store you grab a cart that has been used many times and never wiped down. You count out money or meet someone new and shake their hand. For these and many other reasons, you should always have hand sanitizerin your purse. It will help protect you as well as anybody you come into contact with from spreading those terrible germs.

10. Lighter or matches

Okay, you don’t smoke and you don’t carry a lighter because you think that you’ll never need it. Trust me, I don’t smoke but I always carry a lighter or matches for emergency purposes, such as burning off stray threads on clothes, and lighting candles on cake. Moreover, if you’re ever stranded in the wilderness and need to light a fire, you will be well prepared! So make sure you always have a lighter or matches in your purse!

So remember, an ounce of prevention truly is worth a pound of cure. Pack your purse with these ten essentials and you can feel a bit safer and more secure when you are out and about.

10 Ways to Protect Your Eyelashes from Damage

Like hair on any part of the body, eyelashes can be damaged or even lost. Even makeup and beauty practices can cause problems when it comes to eyelashes. You want to enhance the lashes that you have, not lose them. To avoid damage to your eyelashes, follow these ten tips.

1. Limit Mascara Use

Daily mascara use can be very harmful to eyelashes, though it isn’t clear why. Experts recommend that you wear mascara on limited occasions and that you take holidays from the product if you wear it often. Additionally, avoid daily use of mascara that is designed to stay in place for long periods of time. Twenty-four hour mascara may be convenient, but it can be very damaging to your eyelashes. Look for mascara that contains vitamin E and other essential oils that are good for lash health. Consider wearing eyelash primer, which goes on before mascara and protects the lashes from the harsher ingredients in both mascara and eyeliner. Look for primers that contain pro-keratin. And don’t forget to remove mascara before bed, even if you wear primer.

2. Throw Old Mascara Out

If you use mascara, then never let it get older than three to six months. Old mascara can harbor bacteria that can lead to infection and lash loss or damage. If you can’t avoid mascara, at least use fresh product.

3. Moisturize

Believe it or not, your eyelashes need moisture just as much as your skin does. Lash serums are commercially available, but you can also make your own. Castor oil, Vaseline, and Vitamin E are the essential ingredients in any lash serum. Vaseline alone works wonders for moisturizing lashes and encouraging their growth.

4. Limit Fake Eyelash Use

Fake eyelashes can be great when you want to stun an audience or make a lasting impression, but they also cause a lot of damage to your real lashes. The glue used to keep fake lashes on will pull out the real thing and it can also cause irritation that can affect the hair follicles over time. Never, under any circumstance, sleep with a fake lash on. In most cases, professionally applied fake lashes will have less impact on your real lashes, so have a professional do it if you can.

5. Curl Gently or Not at All

If you must curl your eyelashes, do it gently and never apply heat. It is best to avoid the process of curling if you can, but if you cannot, give your eyelashes extra attention by brushing them gently each day. A gentle brushing will stimulate growth and keep the lashes moisturized by spreading oils over them. When curling, never pull on your eyelids.

6. Avoid Prescriptions

There are FDA-approved lash-enhancement products on the market and while they can do wonders for people who have damaged or missing eyelashes, you should never use them on healthy lashes and never for longer than sixteen weeks. If you require a product like this, use it under the direction of a physician.

7. Be Gentle

Never tug at your eyelashes if you can help it and don’t rub your eyes when they are itchy. Dermatologists recommend patting your eye when it is itchy rather than rubbing. They also suggest that you keep your hands clean so that you don’t introduce bacteria to your eyes or the surrounding skin when you touch them.

8. Use Quality Cosmetics

Anything you apply to your skin should be of the highest quality you can afford. This is especially true of mascara, eyeliner, eye shadow, and other products that go in and around your eyes. Quality products will be extensively tested and come with warnings if they can cause potential allergic reactions.

9. Use Egg Whites

The proteins in eggs are great for skin and hair, including your eyelashes. Mix one egg white with an equal volume of Castor oil. Brush the mixture on to your lash line and leave it until it dries. Rinse it away after fifteen minutes and pat your eyes dry.

8 Helpful Tips for Applying Mascara

Do you think you’ve heard all the hints for applying mascara? I’ve got some really helpful tips for applying mascara that you might not know about yet! The beauty world is continually discovering new ways to apply mascara, so we need to keep ourselves updated with the latest developments!

1. Powder puff

Applying powder to the under eye area is one of the helpful tips when you are using mascara. Sometimes when you put mascara on your bottom eyelashes, it smudges because it is attracted to concealer or eye cream. Avoid those dreaded eyeliner smudges and mascara smears by applying powder under your eyes and keeping the area matte and nice!

2. Brown and black

Another lesser known tip for applying mascara is to use two different mascara colors on your eyelashes. Applying black from the roots and then coating the tips with brown mascara will make your lashes looking thicker and longer. Many makeup artists prefer to coat the bottom eyelashes with brown and the top with black. Try experimenting to find out which works best for you!

3. Primer

The next mascara tip is to use lash primer before applying mascara. Lash primer prepares the eyelashes for mascara and also add length and volume. This is a perfect option if you want to make your eyes look stunning and dramatic and don’t want to use fake eyelashes.

4. Layer mascara

Another mascara tip is for girls who want their eyelashes to really stand out and are not really seeking for a natural look. Layering several types of mascara with different wands and formulas can give you unbelievable results. Patty Dubroff, makeup artist, recommends using at least three or four mascaras. She loves to mix mascaras with a thin brush for lower lashes and inner corners, full brushes to get length, and a comb wand to define and separate lashes.

5. Wand

When you purchase a new mascara, pay attention to the wand. Check out the features of the brushes, as it can make a big difference in how your eyelashes look! Narrow tips works perfectly on the inner corners of the eyes, a slender wand makes it easy to coat the tiny corner eyelashes and shorter bristles pick up less mascara for a more natural look.

6. Consistency

When you are using mascara, make sure to use consistent strokes so you do not end up with clumpy eyelashes, and avoid applying a lot of mascara. If the wand deposits too much mascara, use a lash comb to get rid of mascara clumps and separate your eyelashes. If you don’t have a lash comb, blot the wand with a tissue before applying.

7. Wiggle room

Application is as important as the mascara wand and formula you use. Gently wiggling the brush at the base of your eyelashes and working it up to the tips will make your lashes look thicker and longer. Placing mascara near the roots (not the tips) creates the illusion of longer lashes.

8. Replacing

If you have a few tubes of mascara, keep track of the date you purchased the mascara. To avoid hanging on to an old mascara, write the date of buying with a marker on the tube. Old mascara can foster bacteria that can cause an infection. Moreover, it is dry and will not do much for your eyelashes when it’s old. Throw out your mascara after three months to keep your lashes and eyes happy.

Everything from the formula to the mascara wand you use can make a huge difference in how your eyelashes look. What other tips for applying mascara do you know? Share your thoughts, please!

10 Effective Ways to Cover a Blemish

A blemish arises when skin becomes inflamed. The inflammation is a normal body response to foreign materials that clog up pores, to infections, and to other sources of irritation. Unfortunately, this normal body function can be unsightly and embarrassing. Hopefully, the ten tips below will help you minimize and conceal blemishes.

1. Reduce Inflammation

Everyone can get pimples that can cause irritation and redness. The redness of a zit is an inflammatory response. In addition, the inflammation is characterized by swelling and pain. If inflammation is the cause of blemishes, then it stands to reason that reducing inflammation will help to reduce the size and color of a blemish, thus making what remains easier to conceal. For a long-term treatment, sulfur-based creams are a great solution for cutting inflammation. For a quicker fix, mix a light moisturizer with foundation and then apply makeup over top of that. This will conceal the blemish and reduce inflammation at the same time. You can also use ice cube, soaked tea bags, or lemon juice to hide the redness until your skin heals. However, if you want to have a healthy skin, you should always stay hydrated. I drink 8 glasses of water each day to give my skin that plump, healthy feel and look. I also like to add some fruits and veggies to my water to make it more delicious. If you drink enough water each day, it will help your skin to return to its naturally clear and calm condition.

2. Layer Your Makeup

Skin-correcting makeup is available in a variety of textures and colors meant to cover up all types of blemishes. Sometimes you will need to use several different types of makeup and tools for hiding your blemishes. Some of them can require multiple layers of foundation, concealers and powder, depending on the severity. Layering is a great way to conceal a blemish because it adds depth to makeup, which not only reduces color differences, but also reduces shadows due to surface irregularities. Start by spreading a foundation that matches your normal skin tone over your entire face. Put a concealer on top of that, but only on areas that are obviously a different shade. The concealer should be two shades lighter than your skin tone so that it can mask the affected area without looking too dark. Finally, finish up with powder to keep everything in place. If you use the make up when you have some blemishes, you will feel more confident about your appearance. Just be careful, because if you use too much makeup, while you are having acne breakouts, you could end up with a caked-up face. Maybe you are tired of hearing that but a little makeup goes a long way.

3. Highlight

If you highlight your face you make your skin glow, but make sure the color of the product that you use to highlight your face with is the same color of your skin tone, and be sure to avoid using a darker tone. You’d better choose your concealer really carefully. With the help of highlighter and contour, you can accentuate some features of your face. You can make a nose look narrower or bring out your cheekbones, if you have an accent on this parts of your face, no one will notice your blemishes. Use a highlighting pencil or highlighting cream to color the blemish in and make it lighter. Go over that with a thick concealer about one half of an inch from the center of the blemish and blend the highlighter and concealer together to create a smooth, even tone. This will lessen the color difference between the blemish and the surrounding skin. Apply a little bit of a translucent powder to your blemish, but don’t overdo it. The powder will blend into your skin tone and create a more natural look. Stay relaxed and no one will know that you have some skin problems until you tell them.

4. Shift Focus

Sometimes drawing an onlooker’s eye away from the blemish is easier than covering the problem. If a blemish is on your forehead, go for an exciting lipstick. If the blemish is on your chin, emphasize your eyes and play down your lips. Use this in combination with concealing techniques to get the best effect. If you have a great lip make up you will look bright and incredible. Everyone will pay attention to your lips.

My favorite way to shift focus is to use a good lipstick. I think woman’s lips are the most attractive part of her face, and no one will deny this fact. Try to pay more attention to your lips and use a high quality lipstick so that everyone’s attention will go to your beautiful lips, not to your blemish. Every woman has different lip shape and there are some rules of putting on the lipstick, especially if you want to wear a red lipstick. You need some practice to learn how to apply it correctly. If your lips are dry, consider applying a little bit of lip balm before applying the lipstick. If needed, try to conceal the lines around your mouse with some foundation or concealer first.

5. Visine

I know it is unexpected to see the medicine for eyes in the list of the ways to hide the blemishes. Visine is for your eyes, right? Well, Visine is designed to constrict blood vessels in your eyes, which reduces redness and even helps to reducing itching. As it turns out, Visine affects blood vessels anywhere in the body in the same way it does those in the eyes. Soak a cotton ball in Visine and then hold it to a blemish for five minutes. This will cause the surrounding blood vessels to constrict, which will reduce redness and inflammation. If you don’t have Visine, you can use any other red-eye formula eye drops.

I don’t recommend you to use Visine on a zit right before you try to hide it with makeup. The thing is, Visine could temporarily reduce the redness of a zit, and the redness will come back when the eye drops wear off. If you are not going to apply any makeup, then you can use red-eye formula eye drops. Just carry it with you so that you can hide your blemish anytime and anywhere without using makeup. This tip is ideal for women who enjoy going makeup free.

6. Pit Dark against Light

Use light and shadow to your advantage to make your blemishes less noticeable. After putting on makeup, a blemish may still be visible because it is raised from the surface of your skin. This is where the shadow effect comes in handy. To lessen the appearance of a blemish, apply a lighter concealer underneath the zit, where the shadow usually falls, before putting on your powder. You should apply the powder right after the concealer and foundation to give the brighter look to the makeup. You need to dip the brush in the powder and pat it removing any excess. Also you can blow on the brush if you wish. Don’t apply powder to the entire face to avoid having a caked-up face, apply it only to your blemish, or press the brush into the skin under the eyes and in a line from your forehead, down the nose to the chin. When you are choosing the powder, you should always be attentive and always check if a powder matches your skin. The most effective way to do it is to put some powder on your skin; the right shade will quickly disappear into your skin. Don’t opt for lighter or darker shades of powder.

7. Aspirin

Using aspirin against the blemishes is an old but effective trick. It has been passed down from generation to generation. If you are allergic to aspirin or have sensitive skin, this technique is not for you. It is rather simple to make a mixture from the aspirin. Take an uncoated (doesn’t say “enteric” on it) aspirin and crush it up. Mix it with a small amount of water to make a paste and apply it to the blemish. You can leave it for five minutes or for several hours to reduce swelling and redness. Don’t leave the mixture on the skin for a longer time and don’t sleep with the mixture on your face. A few minutes work wonders for me. Be sure to wash your face properly with warm or cold water, and then moisturize your face. Many creams contain salicylic acid, which is almost identical to the active ingredient in aspirin, so you can use these creams to achieve the same effects as the aspirin paste, if the concentration of salicylic acid is high enough.

Since I’m suffering from adult acne, I also love doing aspirin face mask once a week. To make an aspirin mask, you will need to crush the aspirin into small pieces, add in the fresh lemon juice (approximately 1 tablespoon per 3 aspirin), and let the aspirin dissolve into a paste (it may take a few minutes). If you have dry skin, you can add a tablespoon of warm honey or a little bit of olive or coconut oil. Stir well and apply the mixture to your face. Allow to dry and rinse it off with a warm water.

8. Use a Creamy Foundation

Liquid foundation will not offer the volume you need to cover a blemish, so go for something with more substance. A creamy foundation of medium weight is the best option, though you can use any foundation you have. Apply it to your blemish with a brush to get better control and then pat it with your index finger to blend everything together.

In fact, all the foundations are of different textures and different types and it’s important to choose the right foundation, depending on many things like the occasion, the level of coverage required, or the skin type. If you are a woman with dry skin, you should opt for cream and liquid foundations. It’s recommended to apply the cream foundation with a damp makeup sponge. Firstly, you need to damp the sponge a little bit and then take the needed amount of foundation on the sponge. If you have a square sponge, you’d better take the foundation on the edge of your sponge. Start from the jaw line area and near the ears. Then follow up with putting on the foreheads, the nose area, the chin and the neck area. You will like the result that you will see.

Read also – 10 Beauty Boosts That Take 5 Minutes or Less

9. Dab, Don’t Brush or Rub

There are two reasons why you should always dab your makeup on when dealing with blemishes. The first is that dabbing ensures that underlying layers don’t move around. If you take the time to put lighter concealer on the underside of a blemish, as in step six, then you don’t want to push that concealer around and ruin the effect.

The second reason dabbing is so important is that brushing and rubbing can irritate blemishes and make them more obvious. Dabbing with a brush is always the best option when you can do it. If you can’t do that, then put your makeup with your finger. Whatever you do, do not rub your face. Rubbing the face can do some real damage. It can cause more breakouts and can even cause fine lines and wrinkles. Remember, the more you rub you skin, the more it will stretch. If you can’t apply your makeup without brushes, make sure your makeup brush is clean. Always clean it right after you apply your makeup. The thing is, makeup brushes get clogged with excess powder and oils from your skin and this can be one of the major reasons why you are breaking out.

10. Use the Blemish

If you have just one blemish, you may be able to use it to your advantage by turning it into a beauty mark. A dark brown eye pencil will usually do the trick. People don’t remember every detail of your face so, if the blemish is not too big, this technique will work well, of course, if you meet new people. Chances are, your family, friends and coworkers will notice that it’s not a beauty mark. Moreover, this trick won’t work if you have a few blemishes. This is where you need to follow the aforementioned tips on how to cover a blemish.

Blemishes can be embarrassing, but careful application of makeup and anti-inflammatory products can go a long way to lessening their appearance. As with any makeup routine, covering a blemish starts with a good foundation. Personally I don’t use any foundation and powder in my everyday makeup routine, BB cream is what I need to make my skin look beautiful. But I always keep a bottle of high-quality foundation and powder in my makeup bag, in case I will need to cover my blemishes. No matter what your imperfections are, you can look beautiful daily. Just take your time and follow the tips above to get an outstanding result.