Hiatus and other things Nails

Hi Everyone!

I apologize about my hiatus. I have been fairly preoccupied with all things professional life the past week or so and blogging has suffered as a result. Looking for a job in this economy has been a futile search, but we shall see, I have been interviewing.

BUT...my friend Lindsey, who I will be asking to do some hair product reviews in the near future, has been asking me to do some tutorials. I know, I know...I have said I wouldn't do one, but I changed my mind for this particular technique I am going to teach. As I will say in the video, I kind of had no choice because I need both hands and taking pictures wasn't enough instruction for the level of activity involved. So, here is my first attempt at a video. I am going to be teaching you a really neat nail technique called water marbling.

ENJOY!!!

 
                             

Bright Pink Lipstick!

I've mentioned before that I don't really talk about lip color too much only because lip colors really depend on your skin tone and they can look completely different depending on who is wearing them. However, today I thought I would break my own rule. I am pretty obsessed with the bright pink lipstick trend. I think I first fell in love with the color that Christina Aguilera was wearing for some event.

It is really funny because a blog had the same picture and called the color ugly. Oh well, I like it.

Ever since I saw it on her, I had to get my hands on a tube of it. However, hot pink and bright red lipsticks are probably two of the hardest colors to find the right shade of...unless you are going to a make-up counter of course. I think all together I have four that are my favorites. Each are different and hit at two different price points. Here they are in order of favorite to least favorite.

1. Napoleon Perdis - Calypso
I love the Calypso color because it is so intense. It is a very bright pink, but has a bit of a reddish in it, which went very well with my skin as you can see in the picture below. It goes on very smoothly, but I would definitely recommend using a lip brush to apply it. I like to wear my Cottage Cheese NYX pencil as a base and then put the color over it to give a little more shimmer. Still, it is very shiny on its own. I guess the only drawback is price. This lipstick is great, but also $22.00. I bought it with a gift certificate a couple of months ago at Ulta.

Of course the lighting in my dining room does it no justice, but I think you
can get a somewhat good idea of how bright and shiny it is. It is really an intense pink. 

2. Milani - Fuchsia Freeze
Milani is great because a lot of their shadows and lipsticks are really good quality, but for a really good price. The Fuchsia Freeze is a slight bit lighter than Calypso, but definitely just as beautiful. It also has a bit more shimmer than the Calypso of which I like. I bought mine at Walgreens, but I didn't see it on their webpage. If you find it at Walgreens, it will cost you $4.99, but Amazon has it for $3.88. I did see one color called Rose Hip on the website, but I think if you have a more yellowish skin tone it would not be good. It seemed to be more fitting for someone with blonde hair or African American women.

3. Loreal Colour Riche- Minx
Minx is kind of a tricky color. It looks like of dull and almost purply on the hand, but it is a pretty intense shade. I really like Loreal Colour Riche lipsticks. I think they make up more than half of my obscene lipstick collection. They are moisturizing and the colors are also very diverse. They also don't seem to feather as much either. If you were looking for a pink that is a little more subtle, yet still bright, this might be the right color for you. Of course, I couldn't find it on the Walgreen's website, but they may still have it on the shelf. That probably goes for the Milani color too. I did find it on E-bay brand new for $2.99 though.

4. Milani Sheer Color Lipstick - Luscious
I have a swatch below of all four colors, but if you go looking for this color, make sure it is part of their sheer color line and has a pink base with a gold cover rather than a full gold case. They also make a color called luscious that is very dark and red. I like this color least only because it is a much lighter bright pink and is definitely more opalescent than rich with color. Still, it is a really beautiful shade. This one again could not be found on the Walgreens website. I think it was on sale when I bought it, so you would need an alternative location to find it. I did find it on Amazon for $6.20.

So, those are my four favorite pinks and here is a swatch of each one!

Ugh, I really need to do something about the lighting in here and get my camera fixed. This was taken with my phone camera and I don't feel the colors look as nice. Sorry guys!

Pictured from left to right.

1. Milani Luscious
2. Milani  Fuchsia Freeze
3. Napoleon Perdis Calypso
4. Loreal Colour Riche Minx

DIY Nail Polish Colors

I am on a nail polish kick this week and wanted to share a really cool trick I learned for making your own nail polish while performing my nightly research. First, I want to thank Afreen at Marafy for posting this. 

There are two methods, so you can choose whichever you like. The first option is for a one-time application and the second will be for those of you who wish to keep the color you have created. 

The best part about this technique is that it will only cost you price of a clear nail polish and an old eye shadow you don't use anymore!

You Will Need:

• Paperclip
• Eye shadow you don't mind destroying
• Clear nail polish (no top coats or base coats)
• OPTIONAL - small case for keeping color
• OPTIONAL - extra nail polish brush so you don't ruin your clear polish brush

Method 1 - One-Time Quick Use

1. While a loose powder would be most advantageous for this method, you can take a paperclip and scrape shadow out into a container or in a small mountain on piece of paper. I have a ton of extra contact cases because I get a new one with each saline purchase or optometrist appointment, so I use those as my containers. 
2. Start by dipping your nail polish brush into your clear nail polish.
3. Dip the nail polish soaked brush into your shadow color.
4. Apply it to your nails.
5. Voila, it is that simple. You may need to add multiple coats to ensure the color is thicker, and a top coat is a necessity. However, it is that easy and you can use any color you wish.

Method 2 - Multi-Use Method

Start by prepping your container. 

1. If you are using a loose powder, decide if you want to add your shadow to the nail polish bottle or you want to add the polish to the loose powder container. The difference here is that if you add the shadow to the polish, you no longer have a clear nail polish color. Also, if you have too much powder, you will run out of space within the bottle. While my choice would be to add my polish to the shadow, I would also highly consider using a separate container so you can keep adding a little powder or a little polish if your ratios are off. If you have a pressed shadow, you will want to use your paperclip to scrape shadow into a container or on a piece of paper to be used as a funnel should you want to add your shadow to your polish bottle.
2. Regardless of whether you are using a powder to polish or polish to powder method, you will want to ensure your polish is at a 4 or 5:1 ratio. In other words, your shadow will go a long way, but it is extremely important to ensure you have a lot more polish in the mix than shadow so that it will not be too gritty when it is applied.
3. Mix the new polish color until all particles are smooth and you can see that the mixture is more glossy than pure color. It will kind of look like the nail polish is floating above the color, but it actually isn't.
4. Then, apply as usual and add a top coat. 

Since I am not great at HTML, I have trouble getting my pictures to line up with steps when I use auto-number. So, here are some pictures of the process along with swatches of how it comes out. 

Sorry the pictures are kind ofdark, but this is what the quad looked like after I scraped out my color.  I used that paperclip to do it. 

This is what the colors looked like after I mixed it with the clear polish. You can see with the purple in the bottom right hand corner that the clear polish kind of has that effect where it looks like it is siting on top of the coor. 

Here is a swatch of all four colors. I put it over my Cottage Cheese NYX pencil for ease in getting it off, but also so you can see it better. If you make colors like my peach or even that light purple next to it, you may wish to add a white coat as a base first to ensure the color is really potent. It is up to you though. 

Product Review: Lip Plumper, Tigers and Bears...Oh My

Funny story...a little over a  year ago one of my cousins bought a lip plumper called Lip Fusion by Fusion Beauty. If you are interested, read on, but they sell for $29.00 at Ulta. She obviously bought this thing because she wanted fuller lips, but quickly realized she didn't like it very much.

Now, some background is that this particular cousin and my sister know that I am a make-up junky. So, when then dislike a product or think the color is off, they usually give it to me because they think I will be able to pull it off, or maybe I will just experiment with it. Either way, it is better than throwing it out and wasting the money.

Well, since she didn't like it, she gave it to me in a bag with a couple of others items. I left it in my purse for maybe a week or so forgetting I even had it until I needed a lip gloss in a hurry. I was trying to hurry up to go somewhere and I needed the gloss to go under a lipstick I loved, but really needed a boost of moisture. Without thinking twice, I grabbed the pale pink, sheer gloss and threw it on (the color's name is Sweet). However, as I started to rush down the stairs of my building, I began to feel kind of strange. My lips were burning a bit, they felt swollen, and numb. I first thought they may be a little chapped, so I started to smack them together, but all that did was make the feeling more intense. Then I began to worry that maybe I ate something I was allergic to, but that couldn't be, I hadn't eaten anything and why would only my lips get numb.  

As I made my way into my sister's car, I folded the mirror down only to notice that my top lip was slightly fat. I was mortified because I already have pretty thick lips. That is probably the moment I realized I better look at the lip gloss because it was the only thing I used that morning that differed from any other morning. Sure enough, I noticed it was a plumper. My sister had a good laugh at me over it and I warned my cousin she better let me know the next time she buys some crazy product, but it was pretty funny.

The worst part is that I couldn't bring myself to throw the lip gloss away because of how much she spent. Of course this means that since that day I have used that lip gloss accidentally many times over since it looks like any other gloss you might have. Each time I got the same reaction and freaked out cursing my cousin "Oh, P-Nut, damn you and your poisonous lip gloss." Then again, what else are female relatives for? Good memories, scary make-up product hand-me-downs, and drama with a capital D.

With that said, my thoughts on the product are this:

If you are looking for a very effective lip plumper, this may be a good product for you. I don't think it can compete with lip injections, but I also think that is a good thing. You don't want a fake look, you just want an added boost if this is a look you are going for. This lip plumper definitely feels unsettling, but it does the trick and the bad feeling only lasts fifteen minutes tops. Then again, it only lasts that long before the product wears off, so you are going to have to re-apply it throughout the night. I would warn against making out in this lip gloss, you don't want to plump your guy's lips or have numb lips while doing so. Probably not a good look, right? So, I leave the decision to you. For $29.00 is it really worth it to have all of these conditions for plumped lips? I would rather be happy with my own features and just wear a really pretty lipstick color. Or, learn new tricks on how to make your lips look thicker. In honor of this post, I will post a follow-up on just how to make thin lips look larger without the purchase of a plumper.

New Fun Nails Mix and Match

Hi Everyone, I hope you all had a great weekend. Did anyone watch the MTV VMAs? I sure did. I was looking for inspiration, hot new trends, really fun make-up looks to talk about, or anything else that caught my eye. However, I didn't find much. Selena Gomez definitely had a gorgeous dress, I really liked that train back to her black dress. However, no else really caught my eye with the exception of Deena Nicole from Jersey Shore. I usually hate gaudy, but that rainbow dress with the blonde streaks in her hair was very bright and reminded me of sunshine. In any case, so because I couldn't find much to talk about, I wanted to bring you my latest fun nail project.

As you can see it is mix and match. Definitely a look that wouldn't pass a fashion inspection a year ago, but today I keep seeing this concept everywhere. Fun nail designs and colors are definitely a hot trend this summer and fall. It was a very simple look to achieve, I will give you the deets on what it took to make it work. 

I started out with my Essie Sand Tropez completely covering my thumb, index finger and pinky. I then added my OPI Ski Teal We Drop as an accent to those three nails. The thumb is a simple french manicure. I didn't use a stencil, so it wasn't perfect, but it is up to you if you would like to perfect the look. The index finger is just simple dots I added using the OPI brush, but again you can use a toothpick for a more precise dot. As you can see on that finger one of my dots got a bit smudged. Still, perfection isn't supposed to be the goal here. The pinky was done using the same OPI brush and I just painted vertical lines along the nail. Generally, you can do any kind of design you would like to achieve this fun mix and match look. However, I am sure you are curious about how I got that abstract swirly look on the pointer and ring finger. This is actually very simple.

Items needed

• Two nail polish colors
• Small, wide tub, such as a shallow bowl, filled half way with water
• Toothpick, bobby pin, needle, or something else thin and cylindrical

1. Position yourself in an area where you can sit for a bit since you will need to wait for your nails to dry. I would opt for your bathroom or an area you don't mind getting messy or wet if an accident occurs.

2. Start by pouring a blob of your darker color polish into the water first. Make sure you pour slowly rather than allow droplets of polish to fall. If this occurs, they will just bead at the bottom and make your bowl more difficult to clean later. 

3. Follow by pouring your lighter color in a smaller blob next. As you can see, I made a little design with mine, but this really will not matter due to the next step. 

4. Next you will want to take your mixing tool (i.e. bobbypin, toothpick, etc.) and drag the tool throw the colors so that you get a nice swirl. You can zigzag through it, or make lines through it, whichever you fancy most. Make sure you do this step quickly after pouring the polish colors in because they will dry quickly and make a film at the top that will create issues.

5. Once your swirly pattern is made, you will want to dip your finger in the mixture parallel to the top of the bowl so that only the top of your finger is covered with color. If you dip your finger straight in, this will not work. Again, make sure you are doing this quickly before the polish dries or else you will need to start over.

7. You are done. Yes, your finger will be covered in polish, but once it dries, you can use a q-tip or cotton ball and some nail polish remover to get rid of the excess. Once you removed the excess polish, put two thick coats or three thin coats of your favorite top coat over your nails since the designs will be slightly raised and easier to chip. If you have thick enough coats, you shouldn't have an issue though. 

Note: The bowl pictured in my examples is not what I used to get the look. This is far to small to dip your finger in effectively, which is why I suggested the bowl. The item in this picture is a rubber cupcake holder I had in my kitchen just for giving you a visual concept. 

Good luck and have fun. Bring any issues or questions back to the blog and I can try to troubleshoot with you.

Reader Feedback - Help Me Entertain You

I posted this maybe a month ago, but didn't get a lot of feedback. Essentially, I want to ensure that I am providing my readers with things they are interested in hearing about. If you are a loyal reader then you know, I am pretty swift with returning my opinions on your requests or answering your questions because this is important to me. I developed a short survey to gather more information on who my audience is, so I can bring you more posts like it. Please fill out this short survey to keep me updated with what your thoughts are. It should only take five minutes at the most.

Keep it Fashionable Ladies,

Michelle

Are You A Good Make-up Brush Mommy?

One of the best things that ever could have happened was the creation of cheaper, yet good quality make-up brushes. However, now that we have access to these brushes, there is responsibility that comes with the territory. One of these responsibilities, and probably the most important, is brush cleaning. Of course suggestions run the gamut, but I am going to give you a couple different ways to ensure the brushes you use are in good condition for make-up application, reduce bacteria build-up as often, and ensure your skin stays clear.

That's right, I said it, if you are new to make-up brushes for concealer or foundation, and you notice you are breaking out more often, your brushes may be to blame. This is one of the reasons why make-up brush cleaning is so important. If you are one of these people I described, or you have acne-prone skin, this first method is probably the way to go. 

Brush Cleaning Process 1

1. Purchase a daily brush cleaner. Sephora makes the cheapest one I have seen. It is called Sephora Professionals Daily Brush Cleaner and will run you $6. You can purchase it online here. You can also investigate some of the brush cleaners sold at Sephora, but I warn you, they are generally double, if not triple the price. 

2. Then, what you will want to do is use the spray after each time you apply your make-up. You will spray either your brush or a paper towel and wipe away the make-up traces. This is very important, especially for the items you use that are cream make-up products, such as concealer, foundation, cream eye liner or shadow. The reason is because these products tend to build bacteria faster than powders and can clog your pores or even infect your eyes if you get some in it, which we all know happens. 

3. To ensure your brushes are completely clean, you will want to do a deep cleansing maybe once every month for really acne-prone skin or once every two months if not. I will outline the deep cleaning method below. 

Brush Cleaning Process 2

If you are not particularly acne-prone, don't feel like buying a spray and would rather use something around the house that does not require a strict regiment, the following process should work fine. Just remember, whether you are lazy or busy, cleaning your brushes not only keeps bacteria from building, but it also ensures the colors you apply are clean and as they appear. By using brushes with traces of old make-up you can sometimes end up with a mixed color that doesn't blend well. Trust me, with the highly pigmented make-up, cleaning your brushes is extremely important in avoiding this issue. You will want to do these steps once a month, at least, to ensure your brushes are clean. Some experts suggest weekly, but lets face it, that is kind of a tight cleaning schedule when we are all busy with life. Still, keep in mind that a clean brush equals healthy skin and nicer make-up application. 

You will need

• paper towels or two clean hand towels (not wash rags, the next size up unless you want to use rags, but you will need more of them depending on your brush collection size). 
• hair shampoo, Dial soap, or Dawn dish detergent.

1. Start out with your first brush by running it under warm water.

2. Take a small bit of soap and lather your brush. For flat concealer brushes you can rub the brush between your thumb, and pointer and middle finger. For liner brushes with thin, stiff tips, you will want to essentially scribble the brush on your finger as if you were writing applying gentle pressure. For shadow brushes you can spin the brush between these fingers.  You will notice the color starting to come off in your hands. 

3. Once you are confident you have gotten the brush clean, rinse it under the warm water until the water runs clear. You will also want to rub the brush between you fingers to ensure the water is washing away all soap between the bristles or hairs. 

4. For concealer and foundation brushes, you may want to repeat these steps three or even four times. I have noticed that those brushes are the stiffest and hardest to get clean, so repeating the steps is very important to make sure all make-up is gone. 

5. As you finish each brush, lay it on a clean towel or paper towel until you are done with all brushes.

6. Once all brushes are clean, move the brushes to a second clean towel or paper towel for drying. If you are doing this in your kitchen or bathroom, please move the drying brushes to a new location, such as where you do your make-up. It is incredibly nasty how much bacteria floats around in places like bathrooms and will defeat the purpose of your washing if you leave them in these locations. 

7. Wait for them to dry. 

Note: For the shampoo you use, use something gentle. I used my Nexxus Dualiste volume, color formula because it smells great and isn't very harsh. You can generally use anything, but I try to avoid full color formulas because I worry about what that may mean for washing color out of my brushes. Try also to avoid straightening shampoos as some of those chemicals may be too harsh for delicate brushes. 

My brushes drying after their latest cleansing. 

ELF Fake Lash Set Review

Here we go on day 2 of my ELF review. Today I am going to review the lash set. As I mentioned yesterday, I was feeling like the NYX lashes I have are better and seem more natural. I still feel that way, but what I did to test them was put on one lash set from NYX and one from ELF. Back on August 2nd I shared a Tiffany D video about fake lashes. I can't remember if this tip came from her or somewhere else, but it basically was that one of the steps to making fake lashes look real is by ensuring they are the right size. To do this, you will want to trim the inner corners down so that it isn't a thick lash all of the way across your eye. This is to ensure that your fake lashes mimic real lashes and as real lashes are, they thin out and become shorter and more sparse in the inner eye. As you will see in my pictures, I have already trimmed the NYX, but I didn't trim the new lashes because it was my first time using them. The ELF lashes do give you a lot of room for trimming because they are super wide. This is definitely a must. Here are some of my impressions of the lashes aside from that necessity.

I tried the fake lashes using the applicator clip and found it to be too restricting. It didn't curve naturally with my lid shape, so it didn't really work and I couldn't get it close enough to my lash line. However, I did like it for once my lashes were on to ensure that they were as close to my real lashes as possible. I find the most success with applying fake lashes by applying the thing layer of glue and then kind of bending them inward so that it starts to get tacky and shape more similar to my lashes. This makes it easier to apply. The clip really didn't lend a hand in this process.

The glue that comes with the lashes is ridiculous, just toss it if you buy them and purchase DUO lash glue from  any drugstore or Walmart, Target, etc.

To complete my lashes, I like apply them first, add some eyeliner and then use my mascara to make sure my real lashes are blended with my fake lashes. The NYX lashes are no more real hair than the ELF lashes, but what I did notice is that my mascara adheres and blends my lashes better to the NYX than the ELF. The ELF lashes are just not as flexible, which is kind of a bummer. I still got it to blend, but it took some extra effort. The last thing I noticed is that the NYX lashes have a more natural look in that they are thick at the base and thin as they come to their tips like real lashes do. The ELF lashes are fairly thick the whole length of the lashes, which makes them look less real. STILL...I am going to be honest, though, in the pictures I am showing you really can't tell. In person, the NYX look better, but in pictures, the ELF look just as good. In fact, they may look better. Here are some pics.

The ELF lashes are on the left eye and the NYX are on the right eye. The NYX are longer, but the ELF are thicker. I think the NYX look more realistic. 

In this view you can see I need to trim the ELF lashes (left side), they are waaaaay to long.  I actually think I have to shorten the NYX lashes now that I look. Sorry about my shine, I didn't put pressed powder on yet and it is hot in my apartment. 

This is a side view of the NYX lash. From the side it looks pretty good, somewhat fake, but no one should be looking at you that close up. BTW, I am wearing colors from the bright beauty manual by ELF. The lighting in my apartment is pretty bad so you can't see how bright the lid color is. 

This is my ELF lash eye. Yet again, the lashes need to be trimmed, but the thickness looks to be a problem. What I might do is trim them upward to thin them out a bit since I paid for them. However, I probably wouldn't purchase another pair....bummer.

Is ELF the Cat's Pajamas?

That post title is probably more on the cheezy side than anything, but for some reason I have had the expression "cat's pajamas," in my head all day.

Soooooo....as I mentioned last week, I ordered some things from ELF and was waiting for them to arrive so I can review them. I haven't been purchasing make-up much lately because I have a ton and I don't have a lot of income to play with, but I found an old gift certificate and used it to buy the make-up. Don't you love when you find those old gift cards, fun stuff. I received everything today and wanted to share my feelings about the products.

My total order consisted of three beauty manuals (12 shadows, one pencil, and a run of the mill eye shadow applicator) in smoky, natural and bright. I also ordered their eye transformer quad, a false eyelash kit and brow stencils. While I haven't tested out everything just yet, I did play around with the beauty manuals.

My first observation is that their packaging is pretty terrible. Since eye shadows are so fragile, I was really expecting at least bubble wrap around the products instead of just a bubble-wrapped envelope, so I was pretty disappointed to see that one of my eye transformer shades was a little broken. My first observation of the products is that the colors are a little drab compared to what they looked like online, the lashes are really cheap and plastic looking compared to my NYX lashes, but I do like that the pack came with a little clip that helps apply the lashes and a stand to store them in. Now on to the actual review of the beauty books.

Thus far I have only put on a couple of the colors from the bright eye palette, but I did swatch a couple of the other colors from the smoky and natural beauty book. I don't think they have good pay off and I noticed when I was applying color it is definitely a shadow with more comparable properties to a drugstore brand, such as Maybelline, Almay or Covergirl. They are kind of dry and I had to dab color on and go back multiple times to pick up color to make sure I had enough on my lids. I wasn't wearing a primer when I did this, but there have been many occasions when I wore my Too Faced, Smashbox, Manly and Coastal Scents colors without a primer and the only issue was ease in blending. This is not the case with the ELF shadows. They are not very moist or fine in particulates, so it takes more effort. I think the look I made with them was pretty, but I wouldn't rate them in my top ten.

The pencil that came with the books is also not great. A brown pencil came with the natural set and a black pencil came with the other two sets. The pencil is very dry and doesn't have good color extraction. I could barely see it go on and it came off very uneven. I definitely have found better liners by other brands including Urban Decay, Milani, and Studio Gear. I probably will not be using the pencils at all.

Overall, I am not a huge fan of ELF and I find this very frightening for one reason. After ordering the products I looked at a bunch of reviews of their products and one was talking about how they used to have worse quality. So, if this is what they consider better quality, I can't imagine what it was before. I would say; however, the value isn't bad. I bought three beauty books on a deal (3 for $10) of which usually they run $5 a piece. I think even at their regular price, $5 dollars isn't bad for 12 shadows, you get your money's worth. Still, I would probably opt for spending more and getting more shadows by ordering Manly or Coastal Scents. I am going to try their other products soon and will report back with my thoughts on those. Perhaps ELF is better in some areas than others. If you disagree with my assessment, please share. Perhaps the quality of the palettes isn't as great as their singles or other products they carry. I just call it like I see it and thus far, I am not seeing greatness, but I am not completely unhappy with my purchase either.

The Trick To A Good Blow Out

A good blow out is something I have always found somewhat difficult. I am not very skilled in the art of blow drying my hair without a straightener. However, from what I have heard over and over again, is that the second you put that straightener on your hair, you are just asking for heat damage. Even if you use a heat defense spray, you can't be sure you are always going to keep your hair from suffering.

Today, I am going to give you the five most important things you will need or steps to do regardless if your skills are novice like mine or just plain pro.

1. Light Weight Blow Dryer w/ a Nozzle

One thing I learned is that a light weight blow dryer can go a long way. If you have a heavy blow dryer it means that your blow dryer is probably somewhat cheap, but also far from professional-grade. I tend to like the Conair blow dryers or my current blow dryer is called Pro Beauty Tools (I bought it from a Meijers, but they have it at Walmart for $35.99 and it got pretty decent reviews). While there are a ton of blow dryers out there that are far better than what I use, they are also very expensive.    I would say that my newer blow dryer is heavier than my Conairs, but it has a curved neck that makes keeping control of the blow dryer better. So, if you find that you are going to buy a heavier blow dryer, make sure you can control it. If you go to most stores like Target or Walmart, they will often have the blow dryers set up so you can hold them and pick them up. Try practicing in the store to determine if you can lift it over your head with ease before making that purchase.

The second thing you will want in a blow dryer is a nozzle that comes with it. Although this is a blog about straightenening, if you are a curly or wavy-haired person, you will definitely want a diffuser nozzle that you can buy separately or that comes with the dryer. My blow dryer came with the diffuser piece as you can see above. If you are straightening, you will want some extender piece that narrows at the bottom. The reason for this is that when you have no nozzle on your blow dryer for any type of drying purposes, you are getting a direct heat that can have more damage-inducing properties than one that has a nozzle. The nozzles distance and break up the heat so that you can apply a more reasonable amount to your hair without damaging it as bad. My blow dryer came with this nozzle as well.

2. Dry on Warm at Low Speed
Although it can take longer to dry your hair, did you know you can completely straighten your hair on the cool setting? It's true. I haven't done it personally, but I know others who have. While I don't necessarily recommend it if you want to leave your house before the next decade is over, my suggestion is to dry your hair on the warm setting as opposed to high at a low speed. Not only do you minimize the heat temperature by drying it on warm, but you also slow the speed to control your drying easier. When drying your hair on the hottest and fastest speeds, you have to know that  you have a good heat protecting spray and a really great amount of skill for drying because otherwise your hair is going to dry fast and suffer more damage. This is actually a tip my stylist told me years ago and I have to say it does make a huge difference. Even though I am still not a great blow dryer, I can say that when I am done blow drying on low speed at a medium heat, my hair is straighter than before I learned this trick.

3. Thou Shalt Not Blow Dryer Soaking Wet Hair
One of the most important lessons I can impart is not to start drying your hair when it is still dripping wet. While this is pretty demanding considering that we all have tight schedules in the morning, there are a couple of methods I have to make sure I don't break this rule. First, before you get out of the shower, ring your hair out. Once out towel dry it to get excess water out. I then generally put my make-up on with towel dried hair put up in the towel. While I know your faces are all in disbelief because this seems like it would melt my make-up as soon as I turn the blow dryer on, it doesn't. Because I don't dry at high heat, my make-up generally stays together and in place. A second alternative is to dry your roots once your hair is towel dried. Your hair dries faster when your roots are dry, so sometimes to ensure great volume as well as faster drying hair, I will take my blow dryer to my roots and dry it first, then put my make-up on. This definitely speeds the process up quite a bit. You should always straighten your hair when it is damp.

4. Styling Tool Essentials
This isn't anything new, but a girl who needs to straighten her hair needs to essential brushes, a ventilated paddle brush and a thick, ventilated round brush. These two brushes over you the most control. When my hair is above shoulder length, I generally don't use my paddle brush much, but any longer than shoulders the paddle brush comes in handy. Also, for the round brush, you don't have to wrap your hair completely around the brush, you only need to curl it up enough to get some friction, maybe a quarter turn should do the trick. Light weight brushes are also very helpful, but if they are ventilated, this shouldn't be as much as a problem. I get my brushes from a variety of places, including Walgreens or Ulta. Ulta has a giant selection of brushes in all price ranges. Just make sure you buy one that doesn't have sharp bristles. The sharper the bristle, the more split ends you will have. I have heard a lot of recommendations for soft bristles because they add shine and do less damage, but personally, I dislike them, so it is really up to you.

5. Products, Products, Products
The fifth most important thing is hair products. You will want to have a good heat defense spray and some sort of styling gel, cream or spray. I have used a couple of different products. Kevin Murphy makes a decent heat defense spray (Heated Defence, $21 on Amazon), but it is a bit pricey and if you put too much in can make your hair feel starchy or coated. You can find this product by doing a search engine inquiry. I bought mine from my salon. I have also used the Got2B guardian angel ($4.72 at Walmart) which is much cheaper and advertises it works best up to 425 degrees. I actually like this spray a lot. Or, I have also used the Nexxus Heat Protexx Heat Protection ($11.99 at Ulta). My stylist actually told me that if you don't have a heat defense spray or you have run out, most cream products or some sprays can work in its place as long as the thing that is heated first is the product. Matrix actually makes a couple of different products that I have found to work, including their Step 3, Sleek Look Smoothing System spray. This kind of works as a smoother and heat protecting agent. In addition to a heat spray, you will also want a cream or gel that you can put in your hair to help the straightening process. I personally like the Catwalk Sleek Mystique Blow Out Balm, but again it is going to run you $13.50 or more depending on where you shop. I saw the $13.50 on Amazon, but I bought mine from Ulta. However, like I said, you can really use a bunch of different things as long as you get your hair treated in whatever it is. Try brands like Garnier, Tigi or anyone that specializes first and foremost in hair products rather than make-up brands that started working with hair products.

Also, to apply the creams or gels properly, start with a dime or quarter-sized dollop and work the product into your ends first before moving up through your hair. Since your ends are the most sensitive, you want to make sure they have a nice coating. If your hair is shorter, start with the dime-sized dollop. Also, if you want stick straight ends, you can always use your straightener after, just remember to apply your heat spray again or even a hair spray to protect them. If you have a bob, this may be necessary to get that sleek look; however, if you have long flowy hair, avoid the straightener as it will diminish a fuller and thicker-hair look you probably want.

In summation, these five steps have always worked for me, leaving my hair shiny and healthy for an extended period of time when I wear it straight.

Heel Tastic is Fantastic

So, lets take a pole, how many of you get dry or cracked feet in the summer after wearing your flip flops constantly for days on end? Come on, don't be shy, it couldn't only be me. Dry heels are just a reality of the sandal wearer no matter whether you put lotion on your feet in the morning or not. Sometimes it just happens. Now, I don't have a horrible case of cracked heels or anything like that, they just get a little dry and even my best cream lotions just don't seem to do the job. Since, most of my previous summer was spent in the office or writing papers for school, I was just getting myself prepared to live with it. After all, it only seemed to be an issue in the summer and there are three other seasons in which my flip flops lye in wait. However, my mother and sister have a worse case than I do and they found a fantastic product. These two ladies have tried everything out there also. If it was on TV, they bought it, if it was at Walgreens, Walmart, Target, etc....they bought it. They had scrapers, buffers, lotions, creams...well, you get the picture. However, then they came across the infomercial for heel-tastic.

I must mention, my mother and sister are not your gullable informercial impulse shoppers, I think that is more my speed. However, I think when you have something that nags at you, you will often find yourself trying whatever is out there just to get rid of it. So, they found heel-tastic at Bed, Bath, and Beyond and tried it. They didn't recommend it to me right away. In fact, I don't recall them recommending it all. I think we were sitting at their house one weekend and I noticed my mom's feet looked really good and said something. So, here is the secret to getting rid of those dry, sandpaper heels to ensure your summer feet are glorious.

First, get yourself to Bed, Bath, and Beyond and buy yourself the stuff. I'm not sure what makes it so great, but it does really work. It should cost anywhere from $7-10 dollars. I think I paid around $8.00 for it. They usually have it stocked on the end caps by the register.

However, before you leave make sure you stop at the beauty section. This is a very important purchase too! Buy yourself a pair of the gel insert footsies. I call them footsies, but I think they are called gel booties. The brand is Earth Therapeutics. They may have other brands and those are fine too, just make sure they have the friction stickers on the bottom and a gel insert inside. Mine are pink with maybe peace signs on the bottom, but I saw a green pair online at Bed, Bath and Beyond with little footprints on the bottom. I don't recall my pair costing $19.99, but that is what it says on the website. I don't know where else to get them, so if you have a pair you already like or know where else to get them, you can use those too. Just don't us a regular pair of socks.

Next when you go to bed at night and make sure you are in bed or are maybe watching a TV show that will not require you to get up for at least 20 minutes, apply the heel-tastic to your feet, and anywhere else your feet are dry. I like to rub it on the whole sole of my feet and the side of my big toe. Those are dry-prone areas, so that is my strategy. Carefully put on your footsies and hang out. I usually leave mine on for an hour or until my feet just feel incredibly warm, whichever comes first. I recommended not using regular socks because they just absorb the heel-tastic. Be careful if you do stand up as you will be slipping and sliding all over the place and it is rather dangerous. If you are desperate, just take very slow, small steps, or you can do what I do, "David, I am wearing my footsies, can you get me a glass of water, please?" The Hubz would rather get me water than see me bust open on the floor, call it a good hubby, or maybe just not looking forward to a ride to the emergency room, but either way.

Once your time is up, take them up and let your feet air dry a minute to let the heel-tastic absorb into your feet and then you are ready for bed. It maybe take a couple of weeks of doing this every night, but I swear, your feet will look and feel heel-tastic. Corny, I know, but go and try it, it is really great.

Cost Plus World Market - Ode To Accessories

One of my absolute favorite stores on this earth is Cost Plus World Market. Cost Plus was developed in 1958 in  San Francisco. The name comes from how they priced their items (cost plus 10%). The World Market moniker is due to the types of products they carry. I would essentially call it a more worldly and humble Pier 1 Imports. They have anything from furniture and food items to jewelry and cookware. While I have a lot of different things from Cost Plus, one of my favorite departments in the store is the jewelry and accessory area. They have a lot of beaded necklaces, metal jewelry with charms or pendants and really cute scarves and hats. I would highly recommend visiting one if you have one nearby. Here are a couple of examples of some of the cute accessories they have. Oh, and also, if you go to their website, don't let the prices on their fool you, there are a lot of different things carried in the store and most are not so polished like what is online nor that expensive. In fact, I am not posting any jewelry because most of what they have online doesn't really reflect what is in the store and it is only available online.

These scarves will run you between $12.99 and $19.99 and when you go in there you will find a lot of things will be marked down in price as well. 

Update on Loreal Magic Smooth Souffle Foundation

Previously, I shared that one of my new favorite foundations was the Loreal Magic Smooth Souffle Foundation. I somewhat raved about it and have been using it religiously since I posted. However, I wanted to share an update on my feelings about it now that I have been using it regularly for a month or so.

Previously I talked about its full coverage of which I still really like. Yet, one thing I have noticed is that it can be kind of pilly sometimes. What I mean by pilly is that I will use a concealer or foundation brush to put spots on my face and then blend them in with a foundation brush or sponge, but when I apply it to my skin, sometimes the product gathers together in what looks like pilling on a sweater. I still think it smooths out well, but I wanted to mention it because this is an annoying detail. The reason is because when the product pills like that, you are getting much more foundation than you really need.

So, my tip is use it in small amounts. You don't need to put a lot on to get this foundation to give you full coverage. If I keep to that tip, I have noticed that I have no problems. I still may not be a repeat purchaser of this product, but I think if you have it, it should be fine until it runs out or we find something better.

Window Shopping

Okay, so I managed to get back everything I thought I lost when my computer shut down. You have got to love how Firefox and Chrome restore your tabs for you when your computer unexpectedly shuts down. Oh, and if you do have chrome, make sure you find the add in for re-opening closed tabs. I actually use that little add in quite a bit when I accidentally close tabs I mean to close.

In any case, so I went on a window shopping spree and found some stuff at at a couple of different stores that I liked. I haven't seen a whole lot of exciting stuff out there lately, which is why my posts have been more hair and make-up-based, but I am going to keep trying.

1. Black Skinny Leg Denim - $16.90 at Love Culture
If you are looking for a super stretchy pair of skinny jeans in a truer black, these look like they will fill the role. They are made up of a healthy does of cotton and polyester, so they should be thicker than leggings, but not stiff as true denim. I love that they are super black and would tremendous with a pair of boots I will show on this post in a bit.

2. The Blue Version of Above - $29.90 at Love Culture

I know this pair of jeans is the same as above (with the exception of color), but I fell in love with the blag jeans and then saw the blue right after and had to post 'em also. I really like that the fading on this pair of jeans is subtle. One thing I learned is that if you have thicker thighs, that fading is not your friend. All it does is expand the look of your thigh and we all know that is a no-go. I also like that the color is not your average denim blue, it is more gray-toned. Again, like the black jeans, it is made with cotton and spandex, so you get some thickness to your pants without having them as stiff as regular denim, which is just what you want in a skinny jean. They are too cute and would also look good with the boots I picked out. 

3. Brash Boots for Payless - $44.99 at Payless

I really like the edgy, punkish look, so even though the big fashion capitals may be moving a bit away from the look, it will probably hold on for at least another year in order to allow the midwest to catch up. Plus, its kind of fun to mix the chunky boot with feminine and softer fabrics. I thought these boots would be super cute with the jeans I showed above or a really cute pair of tights with a lace or design-look to them with a skirt or dress. Although the picture I am showing doesn't have what they look like on a model, there was a picture I saw and they are pretty loose in the leg. This means you will get the right look. If you go to the store to try them on and the boot is too tight to your leg and you can't loosen it, don't bother with them. However, based on the model's leg, they looked pretty accommodating even if you don't have chicken legs. 

4. High Slit, Black Crochet - $33.20 at Urban Original

I know I was saying on a previous blog that I wasn't sure how much the crochet thing was going to pick up, but it looks like a lot of companies are jumping on it. This sweater definitely caught my eye. It might be hard to see, so please visit the link in the title (it will go directly to this shirt), but the sides have these slits that make the sweater almost more like a poncho. I like that detail as well as the curved bottom. The v-neck is also very complimentary, but not too low. I think this is a really cute casual piece that can be dressed up a bit, or just worn down with a pair of jeans. 

5. Lying Games Dress - $30.90 at Love Culture

Did any of you happen to catch the new ABC Family series last night, The Lying Game. The two-hour premier was on last night after Pretty Little Liars. The show has a collection of really good songs in the commercials and as it turns out, the episodes too, so I got a little hooked. In one seen, Sutton, the rich adopted twin, is wearing a really cute dress to a party. This dress is certainly not exact, but reminded me a lot of it. It is clear Sutton's dress was definitely much more expensive and certainly designer, but this dress will have people none the wiser. I really like the sleeve length and off the shoulder thing it has going on. I also like the puffy sleeve and the checkerboard print in it as well. 

     

Sutton Mercer's Dress

6. Oatmeal Collar Button Sweater - $19.90 at Love Culture

This sweater is super simple, but super cute also. I really like the wooden buttons on the color and the thin fabric. The sleeve length is also very cute to wear on a casual outfit day. It also comes in black, but the oatmeal just has a very classy look to it that would be adorable with brown shoes and earthy-toned accessories. I wouldn't wear a necklace with this shirt unless it is your simple everyday necklace, but a cute pair of earrings would do the trick.

7. Burgundy Tiger Stripe Sweater - $19.90 at Forever 21

I'll admit, I'm not super crazy about the tiger stripes, nor the color they are in, but I do like the length of this sweater. One of my favorite details in shirts over the past couple of seasons is that longer length. I think it is really cute with short jackets, over skinny jeans or leggings or even with a short skirt and a belt around the waist. This sweater would look cute with simple jeans or black pants, but like I said, the pattern is a little off-putting. Still, I wanted to share it because I really liked the length and the band at the bottom of the shirt. 

The Aggravation Cha Cha

This really isn't beauty related, but I had to share with you my aggravation cha cha of the morning. So, I have been a night owl for the past two weeks. I can't fall asleep at night and wake up way too late. This morning was no different, but I woke up kind of foggy. I started doing some research for Sense and Frugality and realized that  working in my my bedroom was just not working. I moved my stuff into my dining room where I usually write and put the computer down. A pair of boots caught my eye and I got distracted, so it shouldn't have been any surprise that my computer shut off maybe two minutes later. However, it was a shock because I had not realized that I forgot to plug it in. Great right? I lost some the stuff I found, so now I have to recover everything I didn't save over yet.

I say this for one non-beauty tip I have learned as a three-time laptop owner. If you have a laptop, remember that their batteries are independent women. If you keep your laptop plugged in all of the time you are going to ruin the life of your battery and it will not know how to function on its own always wanting to rely on the charging cord. This is true for most laptops also. I have had two dell laptops and now I have a Vaio. It wasn't until the Vaio that I found out why I keep losing battery time on my computers. So, with that said, take a lesson from my experience and I apologize for my late posts today. Hopefully I can wrestle up everything I had.

1,2, 3 To Perfect At-Home Eye Brows

If there is one thing that I can say about getting my eyebrows done at a salon it is that I don't do it. I have been tweezing my own eye brows since the beginning of time. I would consider myself somewhat lucky because there is a lot of real estate just in case I make a mistake, but they are also super dark, so mistakes are more obvious. I think if you go to a salon to get them done, keep going. However, if you want a method that has been used forever and a day, keep reading.

Now, before I begin I figured I should explain why I don't get my eyebrows done professionally because I do have two reasons for it.

Happy Eyebrow Thieves

1. if there is one thing I know about getting your eyebrows done professionally it is that sometimes the individual makes it so that you have to fill them in. They get them to this perfect shape, but it requires a pencil or wax and a powder. This is not necessarily bad if you want to fill them in all of the time; however, it is also awful if you don't want to fill them in. I know for myself, I am not a morning person. I hate waking up early and filling in eyebrows is the last thing I want to do, so if you want to wake up and go, having someone who gets happy with tweezing is not a good thing. 
2. The second reason over-tweezing is bad is that sometimes you don't get the chance to grow them back in and try again with someone new. Unfortunately, eyebrows are finicky and what will often occur is that hair will not grow back where it once resided. For those of you who have done this you are already familiar. However, if you haven't, just think about the hair under your brown before you started tweezing. I remember when I first realized I needed to get my eyebrows tweezed. I had what essentially looked centipedes growing on my face. However, over the years of maintaining my brows, I noticed that below my brow, the hair wouldn't grow back as plentiful and if it does, it is much lighter. So, if you do get an over tweezer, look for someone new immediately or just start doing it yourself, but be very careful.

The 1,2,3 in Tweezing

      1.  Set yourself up at a mirror. I prefer to stand up when I do this because it means I am further away from a mirror. I think this is better because it forces you to stand back and look at your brows after plucking a couple of hairs.

      2.  Grab yourself a long make-up brush and put it next to the thin part of your nose. You don't want to put it next to your nostril, but rather on top where the thin part begins. Angle the brush so it creates a line to the outer part of your whole eye. This is where your eyebrow should start. Mark that spot with an eyeliner pencil. If you have hairs that go outside of that spot, you can carefully pluck them. My picture isn't the greatest because I don't have a model nose for showing this since I have smallish nostrils, but it should give you a good idea. 

      3.  Next you will want to make sure your brush is back in the proper place against your nose, and looking straight ahead, connect the brush so that it starts at your nose and goes right over your pupil. This is where your arch should start or in plainer terms, this is where the brow should start to get thinner. 

    4.  Next you will want to take the brush back and position it straight up. This is where your brow should end. 

So, these are the simple steps to determining where your eyebrow should begin, arch and end. From there you can begin to pluck the hairs carefully under your eyebrow along their natural row. You don't want to pluck too much, so you may wish to use a stencil to determine thickness or just just a hair or two and step back to see how you have done. Remember that one hair can make a huge difference.

Also, some say it is a myth that you shouldn't pluck above your brow and others say it is truth. I personally never pluck above my brows unless there is peach fuzz or thin hairs above. Instead, I use a beauty trimmer or pair of nail scissors to trim the hairs evenly along that arch. Here are two pen trimmers that Ulta carries. I have the second one only because it came in pretty colors. It is quite effective even though Remington is a more reputable brand.

Both trimmers are $9.99 and here are the links.

1. Remington Pen Trimmer

2. Clio Pen Trimmer

Just Say No to Closed-Eye Pictures

I was blessed, or cursed, depending on how you look at it, with fluffy little cheeks. I like them because they tend to make a face cheerier and friendly, but I hate them because they always make my eyes close in pictures. Yes, I am that girl who makes the photographer do fifteen shots to make sure her eyes aren't closed. The worst part is that I now have a collection of pictures from when I was younger where I'm not flashing a warm smile because I had to be cognizant of my eyes closing. However, when my husband I were getting married, our wedding photographer taught me a really great trick to relax your facial muscles and kiss those closed-eye pictures goodbye!

The next time you are going to get your picture taken and a smile is required, press your tongue to the roof of your mouth. I'm not sure muscularly how this helps, but you can feel it. When you press your tongue up there, you can feel the muscles under your eyes relax, thereby freeing your eyes from being pushed closed by your cheeks! It really works well. The following two pictures will show you the difference.

                                 

                     

The fist picture was taken at a friend's wedding. It occurred after mine, but I think I already had a glass of wine or two by this time so I forgot my technique. As you can see I have the same smile in both, but in the first one my eyes are near closed. In fact, the lighting in the open-eyed picture is brighter and I still have my eyes open. Try it out, I swear it works.

Clarifying Shampoo

It is a common misconception that shampoo effectively cleanses our hair of the products we put in it. The truth is, your shampoo is often just like your cream cleansers. It will wash away left-over make-up and some dirt, but you really need a good exfoliant to clean off dead skin cells and deep-rooted gunk. Your hair is the same way. So, if you use a fair amount of products in your hair, you will definitely want to invest in a clarifying shampoo that can be used maybe once every three or four months. However, I also know that the only clarifying shampoo I was willing to invest in that isn't nearly as expensive as other brands is still fairly costly. So, after I provide you with my clarifying shampoo, I will also give you a an at-home remedy that does essentially the same thing. 

Nexxus Aloe Rid Clarifying Shampoo

A caviat before going searching. I haven't purchased this product in a little while because it lasts a really long time. So, when I went searching for a picture and price, I realized it was nowhere to be found. I even checked the Nexxus website to no avail. I wrote to the company to ask if they still make it. So, in the meantime, you can check your local Walmart, CVS, or Walgreens to see if they still have it on the shelf and I will follow-up with you when I hear back from Nexxus. 

Essentially, all you had to do was shampoo with this product and leave on for a minute or so. It is kind of a green gel looking product with a very distinct smell. I wish I could provide a picture of mine, but it seems to have disappeared as well. When you rinse the product out you can feel that your hair is cleaner and smoother.  I usually followed-up with a deep moisturizing conditioner like Neutrogena Triple Moisturizing conditioner and  my hair comes out cleansed of all of the build-up as well as a nicer shine and feel. So, while I wait for my answer, you can try the following cheaper method!

Baking Soda

As I mentioned in my previous post about using baking soda for your teeth and skin, it can also be used for your hair to remove build-up on your scalp and on the strands. I usually add a thing helping of baking soda into my shampoo and massage it in. I don't leave it on, just make sure my scalp and my strands are thoroughly  sudsy (a technical term of course) avoiding my ends and wash it out as I would with any other shampoo. I say avoid your ends because they always tend to be dryer than the hair closer to your scalp, so you don't want to irritate them more. Once you are done you should have a similar result to the Nexxus clarifying shampoo. 

Beauty Magic right from your Kitchen

I am always looking for great natural products from my kitchen to replace the gobs of money I spend on skin care products. So far, hands-down, the best ingredient I have learned of is baking soda. Not only is it extremely cheap, but it also is a magic cleanser for your house. You can use it in your fridge or in a garbage can to eliminate odor, it can be used on a sponge to remove stove stains, and best of all, it can be used for your skin, hair and large pores where black heads love to hide.

Today, I am going to talk about its advantages for your skin and teeth. I will cover its magic for your hair in an upcoming post on clarifying shampoo.

Teeth Whitening
One of the most important things you can have is white teeth. A great smile can go a long way in a job interview, when meeting a guy, or just for boosting confidence (the most important benefit). However, I have found that teeth whitening trays can ruin your enamel and make your gums and teeth more sensitive. So, if you want to a good way to whiten your teeth on a budget, keep reading for easy steps. I do this once a week.

1. Wet your tooth brush and poor a thin layer of baking soda on your toothbrush. You want to be able to see it, but you also don't want a huge mountain of powder. 
2. Brush your teeth as you would normally using the baking soda and then rinse your mouth out thoroughly. I tend to brush my teeth for at least a minute or more total. Just be careful not to brush too hard. Oh, and try not to swallow it. I find that if I do accidentally it tends to upset my stomach a bit. You are better off spitting in the middle of brushing.
3. Follow by brushing your teeth with your normal toothpaste. I use the Crest gingivitis formula to make sure my gums stay healthy, it really works well. However, you can use a regular teeth whitening toothpaste or regular formula. I wouldn't use it with a powerful teeth whitening toothpaste like Super Smile because it may be too corrosive for your teeth; however. I also highly recommend Crest because  I have been using it my whole life with no cavities. I know some part of this has to do with your genes, but I do love sugar and all things bad for your teeth, so I can say it works pretty well. 

Reducing Large Pores and Exfoliating

I tend to have larger pores around the apples of my cheeks and nose. They are a devil of a time to get rid of, I know. However, using baking soda regularly has really made a difference in my skin. Follow these easy steps to reduce the size of your pores. You will be amazed as it seems to start working almost immediately. For this procedure you may find it difficult to pour right from your baking soda box, but you can pour some in a clean spice jar for more control on how much product comes out. 

1. Wet your face and make sure your off-hand is also damp in order to absorb the baking soda. I am right handed, so my off-hand is my left.
2. rub your hands together to get a semi-paste mixed and massage it into your face. You will want to go in circular motions focusing more time on your larger pore areas. Remember, it isn't how hard you press, it is how long your massage it in that makes it effective.
3. You will want to focus maybe 30-60 seconds on each spot. 
4. Rinse your face thoroughly. You should feel that your skin is already smoother because the baking soda exfoliates as well as kills bacteria in your pores.
5. Wash your face with a gentle cleanser. I like to use my Freeman wash after this treatment.
6. Put on your nighttime lotion and other skin care treatments for bed!

Note: I would suggest doing this at night because sometimes my skin gets a little red after using the baking soda and you don't want to put make-up into your opened pores. However, if you are desperate, make sure you do a cold water splash on your face afterwards because that will close the pores.