Hi everyone,

You don't need to scorch your hair to create beautiful curls! This tutorial will show you how to take something simple like a brown paper bag and create no-heat curls—no electricity required. Enjoy!

I curled my hair this way when I was 10 years old, way before I started playing with curling irons. This is a very old method of curling the hair, and what better way to save your money and your hair than to use paper bags?! Here's to recycling!! :D

Have you tried this method? How do you curl your hair?

<3 Mish

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With it all the time...gotta clean it!

Hi everyone,

These days, our phones go everywhere with us – the bedroom, the bathroom, the classroom, the nightclub, the grocery store, the gym, and just about everywhere else. Think about all those places for a minute… and then think about how these phones aren’t just attached to our wrists; they’re attached to our faces. *Shudders*

Because of all of the environments and germs that they are exposed to, our phones accumulate a lot of germs. Add in the fact that we use our hands to operate them and it’s one big, nasty germfest. Now think about how every time you talk on one of them, you’re pressing these substances against your beautiful, delicate skin. Unless you’re using an earpiece or speaker, you’ve basically just applied a film of filth on your face. Yuck!

It’s obvious, then, that phones can pose a very real problem for your skin. This isn’t news to anyone, but it’s a really good reminder… Our parents and grandparents probably never thought to associate phone-care with skincare! Now, though, you gotta. Here are some tips on how to wipe that baby down and help reduce breakouts on your face:

• Before you do anything, it’s safest to turn off your phone, remove any case, and take out the battery if you can. Do your research and check out what the manufacturer recommends. The Internet is a gold mine too! Here’s a useful article with some more info.
• If your phone has buttons, you can use a dry q-tip to first get any dust out from in between the buttons.
• If you have a plastic phone backing and/or a screen protector on the front of your phone, you can use alcohol or a disinfectant on a soft cloth to gently wipe it down. Use as little as possible and check up on what’s recommended for your model beforehand. (Apple actually recommends that you just use a lint-free cloth to remove any oils and substances on the surface.)

Do you clean your phone? What’s another everyday item to be careful of?

<3 Mish

Related:
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DIY Sun Soothers
Beauty School: Choosing a Foundation Brush
DIY: My Ultimate Brush Cleaner 

We're excited to bring you another great article from BellaSugar, a fantastic source for beauty news, how-to's, celebrity beauty trends, and giveaways galore. Today, BellaSugar is sharing "5 Ways To Use A Carrot-Colored Concealer"...

Orange might not look good when it's streaked across your skin à la a bad self-tanner incident. But when used for color-correcting the complexion, the warm hue is perfect for balancing out unwanted cool tones in the skin. There's more to this carrot-y shade than that, though; find out more when you keep reading.

• Under-eye circles: The highly pigmented shade of orange works wonders on concealing under-eye circles on olive skin tones. Orange also helps to counterbalance the deep bluish hues associated with extreme under-eye darkness.
  
  
• Spot on: If it's freckles, age spots, or hyperpigmentation you're looking to mask, try an orange-hued primer or corrector.
  
  

  Click here for "How to Wear Nude Lipstick"
   For more of BellaSugar's concealer tips, just keep reading! 

• Ashes away: To combat ashiness in medium to dark skin tones, use a caramel- or peachy-toned primer for an instant lift. If your skin has a golden tone, you can still use these shades of primers, which will provide you with an extra glow.
  
  
• Say no to carrots: An orange corrector doesn't have to be literally bright carrot-orange in order to be effective. Look for mellow tones of the shade in apricot, tangerine, peach, or salmon if orange is simply too overwhelming for your skin tone. You'll be pleasantly surprised how much this warm shade blends right in.
  
  
• Other uses: For help in temporarily fading away blue-green veins and tattoos, mix an orange corrector with a little of your regular concealer.
  
  

Do you use an orange concealer?

More great articles from BellaSugar:
5 Ideas For Styling a Trendy Topknot 
How to Get a Graffiti Nail Art Look 
Melanoma Risk Factors: What You Need to Know 
How to Wear Hair Baubles on Every Length  

Try Laura Mercier's Under-Eye Perfecter ($22), Judith August's Cosmetic Solutions Orange Masking Creme ($30), Giorgio Armani's Master Corrector in Orange ($36), or Jane Iredale's Enlighten Concealer ($29).

Photo is from here. 

Hi everyone,

We all know how important it is to clean your makeup brushes, but one thing that you don’t hear about quite as much is the importance of cleaning your actual makeup itself. Makeup products can accumulate germs and bacteria that transfer back onto you with each application. These can cause acne, eye infections, lip problems, and more, so it’s really, really smart to make sure that every item in your beauty collection is always nice, neat and sanitary. Remember, you’re putting this stuff near your eyes and mouths!

Spray mist makeup cleaners work really great and are easy to use. It’s a faster process than brush cleaning, and every bit as important.

Do you ever clean your makeup?

<3 Mish

Related:
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DIY Sun Soothers
Currently Loving: Egyptian Magic
DIY: My Ultimate Brush Cleaner

Photo is from here. 

Hi everyone,

Each day it's getting a little sunnier and little warmer outside. It's nice to spend this time outdoors, and while it's also nice to get a little Vitamin D for your skin from Mr. Sun, what's not nice are those painful sunburns you're often left with as souvenirs.

Sunburns can be annoying, painful, and peel-y, and once you have one, they tend to be hard to forget about until they fade away. Your skin needs a little TLC when it's burned. Here are some of my sunburn soothing tips to help out when your golden glow is more of rosy red...

1. Wear loose clothing. Your skin is trying to breathe and heal when it's burned, and your layers of skin need to be able to peel and rejuvenate with ease. Wearing constrictive clothing is both uncomfortable and counter-productive to the healing process.
2. Drink tons of water. You need to hydrate extra well to compensate for the dryness in your skin.
3. Aloe, aloe, aloe. Aloe is your best friend when you're burned! It's a super soother that you can apply for both instant and long-term burn relief.

There are a lot of different ways that people like to use aloe. You can use it alone or blended with other beneficial ingredients. Click here for a cool idea (literally!) that involves the freezing of aloe in ice cube trays, and below is a DIY soothing concoction that uses some coconut oil!

Ingredients:

• 3-4 in piece off an aloe vera plant, sliced in half
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil, in liquid form
• 1/2 – 1 tsp raw honey or propolis

Directions:

1. Apply the three ingredients as separate layers; first, apply the aloe. Next, apply the coconut oil, and finally, apply the honey or propolis.
2. Wear the mixture to bed and wake up to much happier skin!

Think of your burn as your skin asking--or yelling at--you to please wear more sunscreen and be more careful with your time spent catching rays!

Do you burn easily?

<3 Mish

Related:
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My Sleepy Morning Beauty Routine
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Photo via

Hi everyone,

Have any of you ever tried Egyptian Magic? It’s an all-natural, all-over cream that’s actually more of a jelly. It’s made of olive oil, bees wax, honey, bee pollen, royal jelly and bee propolis, which a sticky substance that bees collect to use to seal up their hives. It’s really, really soothing and moisturizing, and lately I’ve been all about it! You rub it together between your palms to warm it up and make it easier to apply before putting on your skin. This gives it a smoother, more malleable texture - in the tub itself it’s a little more wax-y. Because it’s pretty thick, I would recommend using this only at night... it would take a long time to absorb if you planned to wear it under clothing or makeup during the daytime (it’s for face and body!).

Most people associate moisturizing your skin with the winter, but it’s so important in the spring and summer months, too! Your skin gets tougher and dryer the more exposed to the sun it is, so I always love finding new ways to moisturize this time of year, too. This will also help retain water retention in your skin so that when you wake up, your skin will look more hydrated and healthy.

I’m new to this product but so far I like it. I’m curious to know how many of you are using  it or have used it before, too?

What are some moisturizers that you are loving these days?

<3 Mish

Related:
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Beauty School: Choosing a Foundation Brush
Beauty Dare: Your Neon Eyes
My Sleepy Morning Beauty Routine 
 

Hi everyone,

The dangers of toxins and nail polish is a topic that’s come up in beauty news more and more recently. It’s a debate that changes all the time - sometimes we’re told there’s nothing to be worried about, other times we’re told that we should all be very afraid.

I don't know everything that there is to know on this subject, and the truth is, it's always changing as newer and better polish formulas are developed. But what I do know is that nail polishes and the nail polish industry have always dealt with toxins since the beginning, so it’s nothing really new. I think that because more and more people are starting to do their nails at home, they’re starting to realize that a lot of these nail polishes are toxic when they just weren't aware before. This wasn't as talked about in the 90s because people would go in, get their nails done, and leave; they weren’t messing around with big collections of nail polishes at home like they are today.

The truth is, if you’re doing anything with varnishes, it’s going to require certain chemicals. No matter what formula you use, you should always try to protect yourself as best you can. So if you're going to do your nails at home, I recommend that you wear a mask to protect your nose, face, and lungs from breathing in all of the toxins. Salon manicurists always wear these masks, so why not be cautious and wear them, too?

So that’s what I recommend; just wear a mask and do everything in moderation. Don’t paint your nails 24/7; just do them once every other day if you’re someone that has to do them frequently. And until we know more, just wearing a mask can help shield yourself from some of the toxins.

Does this topic ever worry you? Tell me what you think in the comments.

<3 Mish

Related:
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Polish photo via

Hi everyone,

Foundation brushes are some of the easiest brushes to buy, because some of the best foundation are actually synthetic!

If you’re using anything with liquid, it’s actually best to use synthetic fibers. That’s because the brush follicles on a synthetic brush are not going to absorb the fluid, so it’s not going to put any of the product to waste. This is opposite for when you’re dealing with pigment; then, you need the brushes to pick up the pigments and that’s why you need the holes in the hair. But with liquids, it’s actually better to use synthetic for a really nice, even coverage. (Nylon brushes are really good for this.)

A stippling brush is really good, the filbert brush (which is the regular foundation brush that makes a sea curve) is really nice, and sponges are good too. However, if I were to use any out of all of them, I would just use a standard foundation brush because it’s the most versatile. Sometimes it can be hard to apply with a stippling brush because you don’t have as much control over the amount of foundation you're working with, but with a foundation brush, you do.

It’s kind of like a painting brush, and that’s why painters still use like a regular painting brush after all these years...it’s something that's been developed for so long and works the best.

What kind of brush do you use for your foundation? What brush do you want to learn more about next?

For more Beauty School, click here!

<3 Mish

Related:
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Photo: via Marmalade

Hi everyone,

Holy moly you guys. I am so impressed by your submissions for the Neon Eyes Beauty Dare a few weeks ago. You guys are so talented. O_O I loved how many of you tried this out…isn’t it fun to experiment with bright colors sometimes?

I liked looking through all of your photos so much that I wanted to feature a few of them here on the homepage. I wish I could share them all! For now though, here are a few that were especially impressive… I hope these provide some bonus inspiration for the rest of the week. Thanks for sharing!!

Maria T. chose a bright sea foam liner. Maria says, “I just LOVE this colour.” – So do I!

Alex L. went with a creamy orange look! Alex says, “My lighting washes it all out, but I feel runway ready!”

YuHai T. did a really bright blue color for her neon eyes. She says, “Makeup is like a little treat to myself…”

Silvia K.’s photo is so fun!! Lol! You can see her bright blue eyeliner even though she’s not closer to the camera. Silvia says, “here are some pics of me wearing MAC aqualine :)) sorry, i'm not an expert on make up.” – you don’t have to be :D

Alyssa D. went with a dramatic hot pink look. Alyssa says, “Here are my neon eyes… I really like the look! Stay beautiful! <3” – Love this

Elizabeth O. chose a really bold look for her neon eyes. I used a similar yellow shadow for my neon eyes. Elizabeth says, “Nothing is more fun than a Neon eye!”

And finally, Sheryn F. did a “double dare” and rocked TWO different neon eyes looks:

Sheryn says, “Don't really think this is quite a dare/ challenge for me, cause I do this most of the time during spring/summer... esp. when my outfits are boring.” – Makeup is a great way to balance out your outfit and accessories. : )

Which color is your favorite?

<3 Mish

P.S. What should the next Beauty Dare be?

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Hi everyone,

I've been doing a lot of traveling lately, and while it's incredibly fun and rewarding, it can definitely wear a body out! This photo was taken after getting into New York City at 1AM from New Zealand and then waking up at 5AM the following morning… X_X

There was no time to sleep, though, so I opted for some eye patches and espresso instead. I've gotten so many questions about the eye patches since posting this photo, so I thought I'd share a little more about them today. : ) They are a Japanese product from Biore - here's a photo of the pack:

They're great! The self adhesive eye masks reduces bags and puffiness. I use these in the early mornings when my eyes are extra puffy, and within 15 minutes, the puffiness is gone! Coffee scrub is another great wake-me-upper for your skin. It helps reduce puffiness too by removing excess water from the skin. And let's be honest - on those mornings when you're extra sleepy, more coffee always sounds like a great idea!

What do you add to your routine when you’re sleep deprived?

<3 Mish

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