BEAUTY

Get Cassie’s Super Sharp Blonds’ Runway Show Beauty Look in 3 Easy Steps


Milani EYE TECH EXTREME Liquid Eye Liner
Using liquid liner can be tricky, but Milani makes it foolproof with the easy-to-apply felt tip design of this pen.



Milani Black Magic Nail Lacquer
Copy the singer’s raven digits with fast drying nail lacque

 Milani Red Delicious COLOR PERFECT Lipstick
Put your best lips forward and adorn them with this red hot color.


We've always been super-curious about weaves, so we're thrilled that Naomi is here to give us the deets!—Sparkitors
As a person of African descent with horribly frizzy natural hair, I chose to get myself a weave.
What is a weave, you may ask? Well, it's basically your real hair combined with synthetic or human hair pieces. Sometimes, all you can see are the hair pieces. Other times, they are used more like extentions.
I tend to go with a braided weave, because my mom won't let me get a full one, as some things should wait for when you're older (her words, not mine).
According to the grapevine, everybody likes to hear the bad news first, so I will start with that.
Cons
You have to repeatedly get your hair done. Over and over again. It never ends. I get mine done about every month to six weeks. Some weaves last longer, but those tend to be more expensive ($120, $180, $200, etc.)
When you get it done, it will take FOREVER. Just kidding. But it will take a while. The time varies, depending on who does your hair, but mine takes about three hours. The longest it’s ever taken was six hours. Not fun. At all.
After a while, your natural hair will blossom through the braids. You know when somebody dyes their hair, and after a while, their natural color starts to show at the roots? It’s kind of like that, except a bit more “raggedy” looking. Which is partly why you must get it redone.
Taking out the braids is a drag. It takes at least an hour, usually two or three, my hands get tired, and all that I have to get me through are countless episodes of Glee, Pretty Little Liars, and Modern Family.
Now for the good stuff! Pros:
Versatility! Do you hate straight hair? You can have curly hair! Do you hate curly hair? You can have straight hair! I am personally attracted to curly hair. So I get it. And I don’t have to worry about waking up in the morning and straightening or curling my hair. I just wake up, finger comb my hair, and it looks great!
The versatility also applies to hair colors as well—you can literally get any color you want. YAY FOR EVERYONE!
Super-easy styling. I love that I hardly have to put any effort into my hair. I mean, for Pete’s sake! I already take long enough on my makeup. If I had to style my hair as well, my first period class would not know who I was.
I don’t have to wash my hair as often. Also. the oily/greasy thing isn’t a problem. I know some girls are obsessive about washing their hair every day with shampoo and conditioner, but that's a hassle that I can happily avoid!
There are a lot of options. Short hair, long hair, light hair, dark hair. There are a lot of varieties so you can find the one that's PERFECT for you!
It looks pretty natural. If you get a color that goes with your skin tone and flatters you, people hardly ever know that it's not your actual hair!
No gray hairs! Gray hairs are one of my biggest fears about getting old, but with a weave, I don't have to worry about them!
Lastly…
Water doesn’t damage it (at least, not too much)! I can swim with my braids! And my curls stay perfect!
I’m guessing a weave isn’t an option for everybody, but I just wanted to share my “hair world” with other Sparklers!
We would LOVE to wake up with perfect hair! A weave sounds awesome to us—do any of you have one?


How to Look Hot When You Have a Cold




I have a head cold, and I know I’m not the only one. Cold and flu season is upon us, which means more sniffling, hacking, and sneezing than other time of year (discountingallergy season, but that’s different for everyone). My issue with getting sick is that I always look worse than I feel. Flaky skin, chapped lips, and a dull complexion mean that zombies think I’m their friend. Luckily, I know some tricks to fix myself up and at least fake the look of health.
There are four major beauty areas to hit when you’re suffering from a cold: the nose, lips, eyes, and skin.
Nose
All of that blowing and rubbing leaves the nostrils flaky and red. Nix the soreness and dryness by dabbing a thick healing ointment, like Eucerin Aquaphor, on the nose and gently rubbing it in. Wipeaway any excess and dab a dense cream foundation onto the red areas with clean fingers until the redness is mostly obscured. Max Factor Pan-Stik works really well.
Skin
Since colds divert the body’s function from homeostasis to germ fighting, less important organs, like the skin, tend to suffer. Take moisturizing to the next level with a creamier lotion formula with heavier emollients and oils. It’ll help your skin deal with the environmental abuse from frosty weather and harsh wind and the internal abuse of a cold, both of which lead to extra dryness. Try Aveeno Moisturizing Oil.
Instead of using your usual foundation, it’s best to switch over to a tinted moisturizer. Foundation tends to stress sick out skin by cutting it off from ambient oxygen, which on top of the dryness can lead to congested and clogged pores. To avoid throwing a zit party, smooth a tinted moisturizer all over your face to tone down redness and warm up a deathly pallor. Your skin will be hydrated and have little bit more of its usual color. My favorite tinted moisturizer is Physician’s Formula Organic wear 100% Tinted Moisturizer. The shades work on most skin tones, blend really well, and balance out skin nicely. Plus, this brand is a fairly economical option.
Inject a little life back into your skin by blending a cream or gel blush on the apples of your cheeks. Powder formulas tend to emphasize any dryness and flakiness by settling into cracks, crevices, and minute wrinkles caused by dehydration. A cream formula will leave you looking dewy. Per-fékt Cheek Perfection Gel in Blushed adjusts to each individual skin tone, leaving you with the perfect shade of blush.
Lips
Do clogged nasal airways have you breathing out of your mouth like Darth Vader? Then you probably have some really dry lips. Take a warm, damp washcloth and lightly exfoliate your lips. Swipe on copious amounts of the previously mentioned healing ointment and let it soak in for a good 1-2 minutes. Blot away the majority of the ointment and massage the leftover excess into your lips. Top off with a richly tinted lip balm like Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Red Dahlia. It’s universally flattering and the color won’t dry out lips or settle into lines and cracks.
Eyes:
Depending on how your eyes react when faced with a germ takeover, you could be experiencing dryness, redness, wateriness, itchiness, and general discomfort. Skip the eyeshadow, liner, and mascara as they can smudge, run, and flake into your eyes. Instead, curl your lashes. This will open up your eyes and won’t irritate your peepers more.
Calm down any under-eye puffiness with an eye mask made of two cooled tea bags. Just brew the tea beforehand and leave the used bags in the fridge. Lie down and place the bags over your eyes for a few minutes. The caffeine and cool temperature should decrease the swelling and increase circulation. If you’re pressed for time, keep an eye serum with caffeine on hand, like Clinique’s All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Eye Massage.
I can’t wait until cold season is over. In the meantime, I will carry on looking fabulous.
Are you hot despite your cold?
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