Beauty> Style Tips for Summer Parties

Text by: Tanya Munshi

Summer parties call for careful selection of clothes and accessories so that you can enjoy without sweating it out. After all, it is most essential to strike a balance between comfort and glamour during summers. Here is how you can go about it:

1. Pick suitable fabrics
Experiment with colours and fabrics suited to Indian summers like khaadi, cotton and linen. Stick to floral prints that have shades of lavender, mauve, white and light blue; shades of pastel, off-white and cream go well too. Wear kurtis or tunics with sequined V-collars or halter and sleeveless short tops. Beige cotton or linen trousers, linen shorts or Capri compliment all tunics or tops. Knee and calf length skirts and trendy linen dresses are also apt for summer parties. However, avoid sequined and glitter tops for day wear.

2. Lighten up your make-up

Keep your make up as light as possible. Summers make us sweat and if it’s not in an air- conditioned venue, you wouldn’t want the make up to spoil the look. Go for water based foundation, kohl, mascara and nude lip gloss. If you tend to sweat a lot, avoid eye liners and liquid foundation. Powdered compacts are better, you can always reapply if you want, but do so lightly and evenly all over. If it’s an outdoor day party, use sunscreen.

3. Go for breezy shoes and accessories
Compliment your summer party wear with nude colour shoes. Colours like beige, brown, pastel green and light yellow work well for summers. Avoid black shoes, boots and footwear that cover your feet completely. Instead, go for strappy sandals like studded gladiator shoes that are stylish and glamorous. Match your bag with a similar shade of your shoes. A clutch purse is ideal. Just ensure it’s easy on the eye, with not too much glitter. For accessories, silver and platinum with or without precious stones are classic choices but funky costume jewelry could spin its magic too, depending on what you are wearing. However, be careful not to go over board.

4. Keep your hair in control
Tie your hair up high in a ponytail or straighten your hair and pull a portion back from the crown area with a clip and allow the rest of the hair to fall on your shoulders. The idea is to achieve a clean look.

5. Smell good, feel good

Before a party, take a shower with citrus or lemongrass body wash with exfoliating beads or with a deodorizing menthol soap to cleanse and smooth your skin. Use perfumes or deos with 24 hour protection, powered with lemon scents like Caribbean lime. If you sweat excessively, use talcum powder as it absorbs sweat but don’t overuse it. Use a wet towel to wipe off extra powder from your body. Avoid using it if you’re wearing a sleeveless top. And just before you step out, sprinkle some foot powder between your toes and wipe out extra to keep your feet smelling nice. Now, go out there and sizzle in your summer best!

Published in tips4me.com, May 4, 2009

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Beauty> Beauty and the Recession

Text by: Tanya Munshi
Don’t let recession play spoil sport when it comes to your beauty regimen and skin care. You can still look a million bucks with all the home made beauty tips and secrets. You don’t need to spend anything extra; whatever you use at home can be used on your face, skin, hair and feet as well.

Here are a few of them:

Skin Care

1. Mix 1tsp honey, ½ tsp lemon juice and 1-2 tbsp of chickpea flour or besan. Mix this in a bowl and apply as a face pack. Wash after 10-15 minutes or when the pack goes dry; this will clear up your skin. Preferably do this at night, before hitting the sack. When you wake up, you will find your skin glowing with renewed freshness. You can apply this pack on your arms and legs as well. Its a great remedy to rid of that tan.
2. Gently rub papaya, banana or orange peels on your face, hands, arms and neck. Leave the juices or residue on for 5-10 minutes and wash off. These fresh nutrients will reach directly to your skin in the most natural form.
3. Take 2-3 tbsp of fresh cream from milk and add besan to it. Use this mixture massage on your hands and legs before a bath. You will notice your skin glowing with health.
4. To shoo away pimples, dab the affected area with aftershave lotion. The alcoholic content of aftershave lotion will kill the germs. Within a day or two, you will find the pimples gradually fading away.

Hair Care

1. Use flat beer as an after wash hair conditioner to add the extra sheen to your hair.
2. Massage vinegar mixed with water – 2:2 ratio in your hair half an hour before a bath. You can apply this mixture after you have applied hair oil. Vinegar helps in fighting dandruff.
3. Boil Neem leaves in water and cool. Add a mug of the Neem concentrate in your bathing water. This will not only cure your skin of any infections, but it will keep a check on the dandruff in your hair. Keep the rest away in the refrigerator, use this concentrate for your next head bath.
4. Always heat hair oil before applying on your hair. Once you have heated the oil, allow it cool till it’s bearable. Then with a cotton wool massage it in your hair. Heat water in a large bowl or bucket, it should be lukewarm, not too hot. Dip a large cloth/ towel; remove it and squeeze the extra water from it. Wrap it around your hair for a minute or so. Repeat this procedure for 5-6 times. The steam from the warm water will allow the hair and the scalp to get the best out of your hair oil. The results, after a shampoo and conditioner, your hair will look amazing!
5. If you’re applying henna at home, then add a teaspoon of coffee, or boiled tea leaves, 1 tsp of vinegar or an egg. Whatever you fancy, all this will enhance your hair colour and texture.
6. To tend to oily scalp, massage half a lemon on your hair half an hour before a head bath. Rubbing lemon on your scalp will cut down the oil, and after a shampoo and conditioner, your hair will be shiny and smelling fresh.

Foot Care

1. You can do your own pedicure at home. In warm water, add one whole lemon juice, one capful of liquid soap or shampoo, one capful of liquid anti-septic and a handful of salt. Use an old tooth brush to clean every nook and corner of your feet. Almost every household has a nail file and a nail cutter, you can shape your nails and cut them the way you want.
2. After bath or before going to bed, wash and scrub your feet well. Then massage glycerin on your feet that will leave your feet soft, supple and heal the cracks.

Beauty> Fade Those Dark Cricles Away!

A common beauty and dermatological complaint, dark circles make you look much older than your age. Here are some tips to cure dark circles effectively.

What Causes Dark Circles
In medical terms, it is called ‘oxidizing haemoglobin’ where tiny blood vessels spread around the delicate skin around the eyes. Since the capillaries are too small, the red blood cells clog up in a single line in order to pass through. As a result the enzymes present in your body break down the red blood cells, including the haemoglobin. This leaves a dark blue-black colour around the skin area. Since the skin around the eye area is thin and the capillaries are closer to the skin, dark circles are more visible around the eye area.

Home Remedies For Dark Circles
o Place used and refrigerated tea bags on your eyes for about 15 min.
o Before going out, apply concealer, foundation cream and powder to cover up those dark circles.
o Get into the healthy habit of eating well, sleeping at least 6-8 hours and drinking lots of water.
o Practice yoga exercises such as palming. Rub the palms of your hands together till you find them warm. Then gently place them on your eyes for about 2-3 minutes. Repeat this exercise as often as you want.
o Place a metal spoon under cold running water for a few minutes, dry off the water and hold the spoons gently to your eyes for at least 60 seconds.

Beauty Remedies For Dark Circles
o Cool half a cucumber’s juice in the refrigerator. Apply a few drops of lemon juice and gently apply around the eye for about 10 minutes and rinse.
o Apply thin slices of cucumber on your eyes for about 5-10 minutes to soothe and cool your eyes.
o Make a paste of turmeric powder, tomato juice and lemon juice, apply it around the eye area and wash off 10 minutes later.

Medical Remedies For Dark Circles
o If the dark circles persist for a long time, it’s time to visit an ophthalmologist or dermatologist.
o You could use certain medicated Vitamin E creams meant for treatment of dark circles around the eye area.

Published in Tips4me.com, on May 14, 2007
Link: http://www.tips4me.com/tips/beauty/others_main.asp?file=/tips/bodybasic/eyes.htm

Beauty> Complementing Make up with your Attire

Text by: Tanya Munshi

While you learn the correct technique of applying makeup, it is equally important to compliment your makeup with your attire. There are makeup combinations which go well with certain shades of outfits that you wear.
Furthermore Professional make-up artist Ayesha Khan, says, "It also depends on how you carry yourself with the makeup." Sometimes, we can make a mistake with the combination and styles.

Here are some easy tips to remember.

Earthy tones
For colours such as beige (a very light brown), browns and other earthy attire, you can apply mascara or kohl and a light brown matt or glossy lip colour. In fact, when you are wearing clothes in these colours, any colour will go well on your lips.

Pink/ red tones
For colours such as pink, red or orange, you can apply a little mascara and the lip colour can have a hint of pink. Even a light shimmering lip colour will go well. Whites/ off-white/ creams
For colours such as whites, off whites and creams, you can wear kohl/ mascara and experiment with any lip colour. Try not to wear a red lip colour, as it will look pretty odd on any complexion.

Blues
For shades of blue, you can go for kohl and/ or mascara. Your lip colour choices can include magenta, fuchsia pink, mauve and lavender.

Greens
For shades of green, you can go for kohl and/or mascara. Opt for a mauve lip colour in a matt or glossy finish.

Quick tips

~ Any makeup that you do should complement your face, style and attire.

~ Makeup is meant to enhance your looks and not make you look too artificial.