Sometimes the best beauty fixes really are the easiest, and we’ve found 3 that will serve you well now and for the rest of your life: perfect eyeliner technique, tons of water and (can you guess?) apple cider vinegar! From more beautiful eyes to a healthier body and more radiant skin—plus a few more health fixes and benefits—check out these 3 super-easy tools to add to your “I’m Gorgeous Arsenal.”
CUT Your Eyeliner Mistakes
There’s a lot of advice on how to apply eyeliner, and while some of them are OK, some of the others—that don’t seem to matter now—will hurt you in the long run by causing premature aging of your lids and the skin around your eyes. So check out these tips and apply as many as possible now:
Don’t use a dull, dirty pencil: There are 2 crucial reasons to always use a freshly sharpened eye pencil. First, it makes application exceptionally difficult because the pencil’s dry and it drags. But second—and more importantly—eye pencils harbor germs. Always use a freshly sharpened pencil to not only give you a smooth, clean line but to lift off the contaminated layer (yes contaminated—that’s a scary enough word to keep a pencil sharpener in your bathroom and your handbag isn’t it?!)
Don’t use liner all around: Yes, stark black winged eyeliner is all the rage but have you noticed—if you wing the top, you don’t line the bottom? And unless it’s done perfectly, you’ll make your eyes look smaller. Try to learn to use no liner on the bottom but if you really want it, then do a complete line on the top but line only the outer corner—no more than a 3rd—of your bottom lash line.
Look down—do not tug: Maybe today it will “help” you get a straighter line, but over time, it damages the tissues and causes premature aging. Instead, look down into the mirror but also lift your head up slightly in order to get the top line straight and close to your lashes.
Do line your waterline: That’s the little strip of skin between your lashes and your eyeball. But: Again use a super-clean pencil and use only white or nude liner for a healthy, wide-open look.
Ditch black or dark liner: Again, while black wings are all the rage (for now), it won’t be long before a harsh dark line will look dated (and it’s starting to already if you watch the ads). Also, again, dark liner all around will close your eye. Instead, learn the art of smudging for a stunning evening look.
UP Your Water Intake
You hear it all the time, but the truth is, “8 glasses a day” is the average advice. Your body may need more, so if you see any of these signs, up your water intake pronto:
Your mouth is dry and sticky, or you’re thirsty: Don’t just pop a breath mint or a calorie-laden hard candy. Grab a glass of water. Even at school, you can tote a small water bottle all day long. Important warning: If drinking more water doesn’t clear this up, see a doctor pronto. Excessive thirst can be the first sign of an otherwise hidden illness.
Your dry skin lotion stops working: On either face, body or both, if you’re slathering on the lotion, but nothing is happening, start slugging down more water.
You’re tired all the time: Yes, maybe you need more sleep, but maybe you also need more water. Give it a shot and see!
You’ve got a headache: Try a glass of water instead of aspirin or Advil and give it a few minutes to work. Because guess what? Sometimes it’s the glass of water you drink with the painkiller that really kills the pain!
You gain unexpected weight: A little bloat before your period or after too much pizza is one thing. But if your diet is healthy and consistent, but you’re still putting on pounds, slug down more water before you grab a snack. Sometimes you think you’re hungry, but you’re really thirsty. (And yes, the old trick of drinking water before a meal really does help!)
You’re cranky or moody—and it’s not PMS: Same thing as above—give a couple of glasses of water a go and see if it doesn’t help.
You’re constipated: Water is what makes your digestive system run, well, smoothly!
You get too many UTIs (urinary tract infections): You need water to flush out bacteria. You can also add a little cranberry but what you need most of all is water. Not coffee, not soda, not juice—water.
Fact: The average person “needs to go” about every 90 minutes to 2 hours. So yes, you will visit the ladies’ room more often because you’re drinking more water, but that is not bad! And is it is not “too much.” That will get you through 2 class periods or one reasonable length movie (providing you’re not sucking down soda). Plus, holding it in too long over time can cause all kinds of damage from repeated infections to kidney malfunction or just plain not getting the toxins out of your body.
ADD Apple Cider Vinegar
“An apple a day (supposedly) keeps the doctor away,” but apple cider vinegar—who knew? But yep, that little bottle on the bottom of the grocery store shelf can be a beauty godsend.
Facial toner: It’s full of acids and enzymes that are great for your skin. Recipe: 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar to 2 cups water, apply a little with a cotton ball and don’t rinse—let it dry naturally
Hair rinse: To cut product buildup and residue, you can use your facial toner recipe or up the ante with a 2:1 ratio of 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar to 1 cup water. Wash your hair, douse it with the vinegar mix, rinse and then apply your favorite moisturizer. Bonus: This can also help with dandruff!
Bye-bye bug bites & razor bumps: Use it straight out of the bottle—undiluted—pat on with a cotton ball. Voila!
Get your motor running in the morning: Try an apple cider vinegar cocktail to jump start your day for that morning workout routine and also as a pick me up if you hit the dreaded 3:00 o’clock slump. You can mix this in a little thermos to keep in your backpack or locker. All you need is this:
- 4 ounces pineapple juice (try to get organic or at least all-natural)
- 1 tablespoon organic apple cider vinegar—also make sure it’s unfiltered
- 1 teaspoon organic raw honey (you might need to heat it a little to get it to melt in)
- Juice of ½ a lime for a little kick (but this is optional)
Shake it up with a little ice to drink at home, or make a shake to tuck into that thermos.
Apple Pie Cider Vinegar Smoothie
Here’s a smoothie recipe that tastes like apple pie!
http://blog.coldstreamoutdoor.com/apple-cider-vinegar-benefits-and-smoothie-recipe/
Huge Bonus: A bottle of apple cider vinegar—even 100% organic from the health food store—is way cheaper than any bottle of toner or hair product on the market. You can’t beat that!
For more beauty tip check out our blog: https://sparkleprom.com/blog/category/beauty/
