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Wednesday 8 August 2012

How to control/reduce under eye circles


Hello Beauties:)

As requested by one of our followers, here is how to control or reduce persistent under eye circles.

We all suffer from under eye circles from time to time and they are not a pretty sight. These may be caused by several factors. 

One of the main causes is lack of sleep. Lack of adequate sleep can cause one’s skin to appear paler, therefore increasing the appearance of darkness under the eyes, and also it reduces circulation. If you suffer from insomnia, I would recommend applying an eye crème in the evening before bed and in the morning when you wake up. Make sure that the eye crème that you choose contains Vitamin K and Retinol since these significantly reduce puffiness and discoloration. The eye crème that I use is Nutriganics smoothing eye crème by The Body Shop. I like this product because it is an organic type of product since 99% of the total ingredients are from natural origin. Also, I like how it reduced the puffiness around my eyes and it also reduces the appearance of the first lines and wrinkles. 



Another cause is an unhealthy diet and lifestyle, which is the cause of many ailments in our body. By eating a healthy balanced diet and take the necessary vitamins and the right amount of water, under eye circles should be reduced. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, especially spinach and cabbage since these have a lot of necessary vitamins. Also, take a vitamin supplement if necessary. 

Smoking does not do your eyes and skin any favors. Smoking causes vascular problems that not only threaten your life but also make your blood vessels appear more prominent and bluer. 

Under eye circles may be the result of an allergic reaction. The most frequently occurred allergies are to, for example pasteurized milk from hormone- treated cows, processed grains, fruits and veggies with residual pesticides and other products that people had never eaten until just several generations ago. Allergies can also be caused by mascaras. Personally, my eyes experience an allergic reaction to water proof mascaras and become blood shot and puffy. 

Natural Remedies

1  1)    Use Cucumbers:- Cucumber slices have long been used to reduce puffiness and refresh the appearance of skin around the eyes. Place a slice over each eye, extending over the darkened area. Do this three times a week coupled with lying down for 10-15 minutes.

2  2)    Apply cool tea bags or an ice cube wrapped in a soft cloth:- The ingredient of Tannin in tea bags reduces swelling and discoloration. Lie down, preferable in the morning, and leave the cool and damp tea bags over your eyes for about 10-15 minutes.


3  3)    Drink green tea:- Green tea is a natural anti oxidant. It is very beneficial for one’s general healthy lifestyle and also to reduce and control under eye circles. 




4  4)  Use a frozen spoon:- Put a spoon in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Take it out and cover your eyes with it. Hold it there until the spoon is warm again. 



Extra Tips
  • Be gentle to your under- eye skin, as this is the most delicate skin on your body
  • Avoid rubbing your eyes. The rubbing irritates the skin and can break capillaries underneath, causing both puffiness and discoloration.
  • Wear dark sunglasses to protect your eyes.
  • Drink water
  •  Do not drink too many fluids before bedtime. This can contribute or add to bags under your eyes.

I hope this post was helpful

Until next time

Take Care

Jessica :)

Sources:- 

http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Black-Circles-Under-Your-Eyes
http://allwomenstalk.com/five-tips-on-how-to-get-rid-of-under-eye-dark-circles-and-puffiness/2/
http://www.totalbeauty.com/content/article/how-to-reduce-under-eye-circles

OOTN:- Outfit Of The Night

Hello Beauties,

This evening, Rachel and I had the first ever Beauty is our Passion Blog meeting :) There are a lot of blog posts planned for the coming weeks so stay tuned.



For our first meeting I decided to dress up :) This is the outfit that I wore:


I really love this dress!! First of all, I love its bold fuchsia color and also that it has a Hi-Low hem line. I am obsessed with this trend at the moment. It is somewhat form fitting at the top with its ruxing detail. I paired this dress with casual wedges and also with a small hand bag that I both bought at Shana Outlet B'Kara. For accessories I opted to wear only a pair of pink dangly earings, since I taught that they were somewhat of a statement piece.



For my hair, I decided to experiment a bit and came up with a messy bun which at the same time it gave the dress a more put together look.



If you want a hair tutorial for this up do please leave a request in the comments below or comment on our Facebook page. 

Hope you like this post,

Till next time,

Take Care

Jessica :)

Monday 6 August 2012

Review: Montagne Jeunesse Chocolate Infusion Intense Conditioning Hair Treatment


Hi Beauties :)

Today, I will be reviewing another Holy GraiI hair item. I use this treament with my 
Joico Smooth Cure shampoo, using it as a deep conditioner when I heat style my hair during the weekend or special occasions since my hair is not easy to manage and style. The product is not runny so you can apply it to your hair without it dripping everywhere. I tend to leave the roots uncoated and concentrate more on the ends combing it through with a wide wood comb to prevent breakage. Although I have oily hair I make sure to deep condition it at least once a week so, this will act as conditioner and a treatment in 1. I recommend leaving the mask for at least 5 minutes, this will make sure that the product is soaked into the hair cuticle. It always leaves my hair softer, shinier and sleeker. It has a delicious chocolate scent which lingers during the day. Like most of my hair products, Montagne Jeunesse does not add harmful chemicals, do not test on animals and is suitable for vegetarians.
The only cons I found were that Montagne Jeanusse products are very limited in Malta. I searched everywhere, (browsed all pharmacies in Valletta and couldn't find these masks except Lyzette, which stock 5 every fortnight). A single sachet which contains 10ml is priced at 1.50euros which is reasonably priced. I also would like Montagne Jeunesse to make this product in a bigger container since a single sachet has only one use.

http://www.montagnejeunesse.com/


Nonetheless, I still highly recommend this product.

I made some research about Kukui Oil. Here's what I found:
Kukui nut oil has been used for many years throughout the islands of Hawaii. It is used to moisturize and protect the skin and hair from sun, salt, wind and other environmental elements. This oil penetrates the skinand hair easily and leaves it silky and smooth. Kukui oil contains vitamins A, C, and E. Kukui nut oil can be used as a treatment for an itchy scalp or dandruff. It has the same regenerative effects on the hair and scalp as it does for the skin.

Take Care,
Rachel
xoxo 




Thursday 2 August 2012

July Favorites


Hello Beauties :)

Here are my July Favorites. There are a few products that I like; however there are 5 products which have exceeded my expectations. 


The first product is Essence Gel liner in the color Berlin Rocks 03. First and foremost I love the color since it suits my eye color and also I prefer it from straight up Black. The color is a purple color with very tiny shimmers throughout. It has a very creamy consistency and it is highly pigmented. I was also impressed because it stayed on all day and it did not smudge at all. I really like this product and I would recommend it to anyone. 

Essence Gel Liner: Berlin Rocks




ELF Angled Eyeliner Brush
I apply this Gel Liner with ELF angled eyeliner brush. It is a very precise brush therefore you can apply it as thick or thin as you want. Also the price beats them all, a quality brush for only 3 sterling J. I think that this brush and the gel liner make the perfect pair. 
                                                   


The next product is Maybelline Colossal Volume Express Mascara. This is one of the best mascaras that I have tried so far. Its formula is perfect for elongating the lashes and building up volume. Also the brush is neither too large and neither too thin therefore it can reach even the smallest of lashes.

Maybelline Colossal Volume Express Mascara


Another Maybelline product is the Maybelline Color Tattoo in the color Turquoise Forever. The first thing that caught my eye is the intensity of the color. Personally I love blues and this product’s color is perfect. It has quite a creamy consistency and it applies evenly without tugging your eyelids. It also lasts quite a long period of time and it is perfect as a base for the eye shadow. 

Maybelline Color Tattoo: Turquoise Forever

The last product is a hair product and it is CHI Silk Infusion. I apply this product at the ends of my hair while it is still damp, before blow drying it. It is a very good heat protecting product and it leaves your hair shiny and silky. I have the smallest bottle of this product and it is not a cheap product however this small bottle has lasted me more than a year, since only a pea size amount goes a long way. 

CHI Silk Infusion
 Hope you liked this blog post.

Take Care :)

Jessica

Monday 30 July 2012

Review: The Body Shop Banana Conditioner

Hello Beauties :)


The Body Shop: Banana Conditioner
Today, I will be reviewing one of my Holy GraiI hair item. My hair is fairly thick, wavy, oily roots and dry ends. I use this conditioner mainly on week days because I do not heat style my hair during the week. This is quite a heavy conditioner however it does not weigh your hair down, nor does it make it filmy or greasy. It leaves my hair super soft and healthy especially the ends. I use this conditioner in conjunction with my Joico Smooth Cure shampoo as it is paraben free like the Banana Conditioner. Together, they defriz my hair wonderfully. I use the Banana conditioner similar as a deep treatment; I put the conditioner from my ears down, comb it through with a wood wide tooth comb (to prevent breakage) and eventually put it in a bun leaving it for about 7 mins. I always make sure I am using cold water to rinse it out. Regarding the scent, it smells too sweet, but it does not linger in my hair. I would prefer this conditoner to have a pump instead of squeezing the product out, since it is quite a thick conditioner as I have to open the top to scoop out some of the product. 


I would recommend this conditioner for any hair type, especially with dry hair and for those who use heat tools constantly. 


Take Care,
Rachel
xoxo

Wednesday 25 July 2012

My Favourite Lip Combination

Hello Beauties :)

These past few weeks I have been wearing bold lips every time I go out, I think they brighten up every outfit and makeup look. In my opinion I think the perfect bold lip is MAC Magenta lip liner together with MAC Rebel lipstick. They make up the perfect pair :)



This is how I apply it:

Step 1:- Before applying the lip liner, always apply your favorite lip balm first so as to moisturize your lips and to have a smoother application and in the end a better color outcome. This step should be done for every type of bold lip that you decide to wear. It makes a big difference.

Step 2:- Apply the Lip liner around the perimeter of your lips and also fill in the entire lip. This will help to make the lipstick color more defined and prevent the lipstick from feathering throughout the day. In this case I applied MAC Magenta Lip liner. The reason why I apply the lip liner all over the lip is because when the lip stick fades the lip liner leaves a tint so you do not need to keep re touching your lip stick all the time.



Step 3:- Apply the bold lipstick of your choice to your lip. I prefer to apply straight from the tube because I find that the color payoff is better this way when compared to applying the lipstick with a lip brush. If I do any mistakes I arrange them by applying some concealer around the lip. In this case I applied MAC Rebel lipstick. You could also choose to apply some clear lip gloss to have a shinier finish, but in this case I prefer a somewhat matte finish, I think that the lip gloss is too much.




I hope you like this Post, if there are any suggestions for future post please leave them in the comments section.

Take Care

Jessica :)


Thursday 19 July 2012

Sephora duo eyeshadow review



Hello Beauties,

Today, I will be reviewing 2 SEPHORA duo eyeshadow.

Hot Brown No3
Gorgeous Pink No4
I own Hot Brown No3 and Gorgeous Pink No4. Each duo was on sale for 3 so I couldn't pass this up. The packaging is very sleek and sturdy. According, to the SEPHORA website these shadows are described as ''A duet of highly pigmented, long-lasting, exclusive shadows that reinvent color intensity''. In fact these shadow are highly pigmented and true to colour however not long lasting as stated. These eyeshadows creases without a primer within 2-3 hrs of wear. With Too Faced Shadow Insurance (an eyeshadow primer) the eyeshadow held for 8+ hrs. I didn't experience any fallout with these shadows. These eyeshadows blend very well with each other as well as other brands shadows. All shadows have the right amount of shimmer.

I would recommend any duo from this collection.
Top: Without TFSI
Bottom: With TFSI
Take Care,

Rachel