Pay Attention to Portions
With New Year’s Resolutions upon us, many people will set their number one goal to weight loss. A quick tip aside from diet and exercise is portion control! The easiest way to cut back on overeating is to use smaller dishware. For example, every morning I eat my cereal out of a mug instead of a bowl that way you are getting the correct portion size.
Invest in a Good Eye Shadow Primer
Not happy that your eye shadow seems to disappear as the day goes on and never seems as vibrant as it does in the palate? You must invest in a good eye shadow primer! The primer offers a non-oily base for your eye shadow that helps it stay in place all day. My favorite is by MAC and Urban Decay. A bonus is they seem to last forever. I have been using the same one from MAC for the past year and there is still a ton left. The result is beautiful, crease-proof eye shadow all day and into the night.
Cool Off Your Locks
We have all heard the trick to use the cool shot function on our blow-dryers to close the hair follicle to help fight frizz and add shine. However, most of us use a heated tool (such as my fav: the InStyler) after we blow-dry our hair. Here’s a quick healthy hair trick: After you are all done styling your hair, spray a little bit of shine spray (just a little so that your hair does not get greasy) onto your hair and then blast it with cool air. Finish with a bit of hairspray and voilà! Beautiful and shiny hair!
Inexpensive (and Clever) Boot Care
Knee high or over-the-knee boots are hot, hot, hot but trying to store them in your closet is not! They constantly fall over or fold up and get a crease in them, right? Stores do sell boot inserts but those are pretty pricey. Want an easy solution? Go to the store and by fun noodles that you use in the pool! Cut them into sections and place in your boots so that they stand up!
Moisture Is Key
Winter months wreak havoc on our hair and skin because of the lack of humidity especially in our homes where we all have the heat running 24/7. Humidifiers are great but again they are pricey. A quick fix is to take a big pot of water and put in grated orange rind, whole cloves and cinnamon sticks. Let it boil but PLEASE keep an eye on it! As the water boils out it helps put moisture back into the house and the smell is amazing! Another great trick, if you have heating vents in the floor, is to take little jars of water (I like to add a little scented oil to them) and place them on the vents. This will also help to make your house smell great and to put some moisture back into it.
DIY Fridge Facial
Raid your refrigerator for the perfect at-home facial to combat dry skin. I like to take one very ripe avocado and mash it up really well, add honey, a little olive oil and brown sugar. The brown sugar helps to exfoliate dry flaky skin away where the avocado, honey and olive oil moisturize it. Just a note: I use very little (a teaspoon or under) of the olive oil and honey. If it is too thick, add a little milk or water to it. I apply the concoction in little circular motions so that the brown sugar can really do its job and after it is all applied, I let it sit for about 15-20 minutes. Rinse with cold water and pat dry!