At-Home Manicure

I love a good manicure, but I'm short on $$. I've decided to learn how to give myself a manicure at home. I've painted my nails in the past, but I've never used a base coat. So, I went out and bought one. For the top and base coats, I'm using Sally Hansen Double Duty Strengthening Base & Top Coat and for the color, I'm using Sally Hansen Hard as Nails 08 First Blush. This is a soft, romantic pink. I almost did a soft white, but I'll try it next.

Manicure

1. Clean nails with nail polish remover, even if you don't have any color on.
2. Shape your nails. Use clippers and a nail file to shape nails. When you file, don't saw back and forth -- it can weaken nails. Instead, start at one edge and move across the top in one fluid motion. I'm keeping mine short-ish. The nail will still be over the finger. The shape will be slightly round.
3. Soak in soapy water for a few minutes to soften cuticles. Use warm water and add dishwasher detergent to it - no too much!
4. Use a cuticle cream. Rub in and then push back cuticle.
5. Wash off and then add a lotion to hands.
6. Use polish remover again on nails. Dry.
7. Add base coat. Dry for 1-2 minutes.
8. Add two coats of color. Always apply polish by starting on the side of the nail. You should be able to cover the nail in three stokes, one on each side and one in the middle. Be sure you let them dry between coats.
9. Apply top coat.

There you go! I recommend doing this while watching a movie you love and have seen before.

And Something About Her Air... - Posture

I have a tendency to hunch. I know I shouldn't. I've thought about it in the past, but I keep on not standing straight. I'm going to try to make a conscience effort to have better posture. For one, it does make you appear thinnner.

According to Genevieve Antoine Dariaux in Elegance, slouching creates an image of discouragement with life, of being older than you actually are. Women tend to stand straight when trying on clothes, so don't be surprised if they no longer appear the same outside of the dressing room!

I love Elegance; it's filled with great ideas. But Dariaux's opinions do cause me to rethink how I walk. Whether we like it or not, we give off an image and theme when we go out in public. I really need to stand straighter and retrain myself.

Tweezing Eyebrows

You might be noticing my crazy eyebrows. They're insane. Even Audrey Hepburn fixed hers later on. I am a tweezer; I have been since high school. I'm not liking how one eyebrow is higher than the other. I'm not sure if it's natural or me. I'm thinking it's natural. Crap.

So, I need to revamp my plucking. Here's how.

Finding the Places to Begin -The space between your brows should be equal to, or a little wider than, your eyes. To find where your brow should go, take a long eyeshadow brush or pencil and hold it parallel to the side of your nose. Where the brush meets your brow is where your brow should begin. To find the end of your brow, extend the brush diagonally from your nostril, following the outside edge of your eye toward the brow. Where the inside edge of the brush hits is where your brow should end. The best brows have a slight arch. To find yours, hold the brush parallel to the outside edge of the colored part of your eye (the iris). Where the brush meets the brow is where the highest part of your brow should be.

Yes, you can tweeze the top and bottom! Don't listen to Kurt on Glee.