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5 Things Every Woman Should Keep in Her Manicure Kit

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Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012

Being a woman takes a lot of upkeep. Fortunately, there are some shortcuts women can take to stay on top of it all, without putting themselves completely out. At the top of that list is being prepared. For women who prefer to keep their nails primped and polished, having a well-stocked manicure kit on hand (no pun intended) at all times in a must. That way, she is always prepared in the event of those unexpected snags and tears that can turn a good manicure into an eyesore.

Here are five things every woman should keep in her manicure kit:

Cuticle remover. Nothing can ruin a perfectly good set of nails like raggedy cuticles. Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to keep cuticles looking their best without regular attention. Buy a small bottle of cuticle remover cream and rub it into your cuticles every day. Let it sit for a few minutes and then use an orange stick to push the cuticle off the nail. You’ll be amazed at what a difference this can make with your manicure.

Nail clippers. Sure, you never leave the house thinking you’re going to have to clip your nails, but accidents happen. There is no better fix for a torn or hanging nail than a basic pair of fingernail clippers.

A nail file. Any time you have a slight snag in your nail that catches on things (like your hair – ouch!), then the best solution is to file it down with a nail file. This works on those occasions where using a nail clipper is too much. Also, nail files are invaluable when it comes to shaping your nails just the way you want them.

Nail glue. If you happen to tear your nail and can’t get to the manicurist right away to fix it – and you don’t want to just cut it off – then you can repair your nail using nail glue. Just remember that nail glue is like superglue, and be careful not to overuse it, or let it get into the wrong hands.

Clear nail lacquer. Clear nail lacquer is like lip gloss: it is an easy way to look polished even when you’re in too big of a hurry to do much else. If you are in between manicures, trying to grow your nails out, or even just allowing your nails some time off the color, it is a good idea to keep them looking healthy and shiny with just one coat of a clear gloss nail lacquer.

There are certain things that women should have in their arsenal, and manicured nails are just the thing to top any look off. Make sure you have these five items in your manicure kit at all times.

About the Author: Kai Harshfield owns her own nail salon and one of her trademarks is the individual manicure kits she keeps for each client, ensuring cleanliness and safety in tool choice. Every client who purchases a manicure kit gets to choose a signature nail color to keep inside, ensuring they at least have access to their favorite shades at all times!

Disclosures: Girl Gloss at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page

About the Author: Carleen Coulter

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Categories : Color, Nail Polish

Tags : Nails

My Love Affair With Red Lipstick! (By Rachael Sage)

By Carleenp · Comments (0)

Monday, May 21st, 2012

Today day we have a guest post from recording artist Rachael Sage! You can learn more about her at RachaelSage.com.

My name is Rachael Sage, and I’m a recording artist, actress & record label-owner.

I love dressing up and wearing wild, sparkly makeup – and I often change my

performance style depending on whether I’m in the mood for sequins, feather boas or

tutus…but one thing I can never do without is red lipstick!

I’ve been wearing red lipstick on a daily basis since I was in 7th grade (even though my

parents didn’t know it and I’d put it on once I got to school). Before then, I reveled in

wearing it at ballet recitals, on Halloween, and in grammar school plays where, for some

reason, obscene amounts of makeup were always the norm. My mom wore red lipstick,

Marilyn wore it, Ginger Rogers wore it, all my favorite ballerinas in The New York City

Ballet wore it, and of course, Madonna maintained it as a modern classic; to me it was

always an instant reflection of glamour, sophistication and confidence. Plus, as a pale

Jewish girl with blue eyes and dark hair, I felt that the extra pop of color kept me from

totally disappearing, especially when everyone else but me seemed to have a tan. A

red lip always just felt “right”, and I’ve rarely gone a day without it, even if I’m home by

myself or it’s just me and my engineer in the recording studio.

I may love red lipstick, but I’m definitely not a “makeup snob”. With clothes, I firmly

believe that while luxury brands and designer names have their place and are great for

special occasions if you can afford them, the only thing that really matters is that you

feel great in whatever you’re wearing – even if you bought it at Target or on the street

on St. Mark’s Place (my favorite cheap-o shopping street in NYC). With makeup, my

philosophy is the same; I buy a particular shade of red lipstick when it beckons to me

from the drugstore display, versus when I “need” it. I might go into a Ricky’s Drugstore to

buy some shampoo, but then get sidetracked by the perfect Mattése bright red lipstick,

or be in an airport on tour and go into a shop to buy eyedrops, but end up with a more

exciting new magenta-red shade of Revlon lipstick. I’m not brand-loyal at all, and for me

it all comes down to richness of color and something slightly different in the shade of

red or the level of shine, from others I may already have. I love Wet & Wild as much as

I love Lancome. My mom had very fancy makeup, but it’s just never been a priority for

me. After all, if you can buy 3 slightly different shades of red lipstick for the price of one

fancier, and they all look great on you, what’s the problem? The proof is in the mirror, not

on the price-tag.

Another thing I love to do for live performance is add glitter to my red lipstick, so it has

a slightly different, sparkly hue. If I have a show and I’m wearing purple, I might add a

purple iridescent glitter to just the very center of my lips, or if I’m wearing black, I like

to accent them with a little gold or silver glitter. Last spring I was on tour in the UK and

found a great “edible glitter” from a cupcake shop, and it really sparkles…I use it on my

eyelids too! I saw it on the cupcakes and asked if I could just buy the glitter and not the

baked goods, and even though they’d never done that before, they said yes. When you

love something that might not be for sale, it definitely pays to have “chutzpah” and ask

anyway!

This year I had the opportunity to attend The Grammys. When I went to pick up my

tickets there was a rep from Smashbox giving away free makeup who asked if I was

an artist and when I said yes, she gave me a whole bunch of amazing samples from

powder to blush and also – woohoo! – a new red lipstick. I’m definitely a fan of the brand

now, and was very happy with the way it lasted throughout the day, especially since I ate

and drank a lot at The Grammys and it was a very long event! Still, I’d never really want

to only wear one kind of red lipstick at the expense of having others in my arsenal. Just

like I wouldn’t want to write only one kind of song; sometimes I want a blue-ish red or an

orange-y red, or a red with a dot of hot-pink glitter in the middle.

Once in a while, a makeup artist or photographer will ask me to consider wearing a

totally nude lip. I used to agree to try it, even though I’ve never liked how any photos

came out with it; I just felt bland and like I disappeared…So these days I really try to

avoid it and speak up and be honest that I’d just prefer to do a bolder lip. For my new

album, “Haunted By You”, however, I really wanted my cover to look like a Victorian

portrait. I was inspired by John Singer Sargent’s “Madame X”, and I knew that to have

that period look, I’d have to blot my lips a lot and go a little more pink than in the past.

As soon as the shoot was over though, I put my own bright red lipstick back on…it’s just

what makes me feel most “me”, and I don’t think that will ever change!

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Categories : Color, Lipstick

Tags : Lancome, Lipstick, Rachael Sage, Revlon, Wet and Wild

Choosing The Best Eye Make Up To Complement Your Eye Colour

By Carleenp · Comments (0)

Tuesday, May 15th, 2012

When it comes to make up, there are so many different looks you can achieve with a few reliable tools in your make up collection. We show you how to choose the best eye make up for your eye colour and how to avoid those make up faux pas.

Smoky Eye Effect
Best for: Blue and green eyes

The smoky eye effect is incredibly striking and is an easy look to achieve with only a few tools needed. A selection of grey eye shadows, black liquid liner and black mascara will help you achieve this look which will complement blue and green eyes beautifully. Start with the darker colour in the inner corner of your eye followed by a lighter grey shade blended towards the edge. After an application of mascara, it is easy to swipe a thick line of liquid eyeliner which you can then further blend outwards.

The smoky eye effect is easy to achieve and is great for illuminating light eye colours. Be careful not to overdo the dark shadow as it can make even the biggest of eyes look small and overdone.

Green Goddess
Best for: Brown eyes

Green eye shadow isn’t for everyone, but when executed well it can look stunning on those with brown eyes. Pick a shade that suit your warm eye colour: avoid lime greens and think more warming olive green colours. Apply a flick of dark brown eye liner to complete the look along with some chocolate brown mascara.

Pretty Pinks and Purples
Best for: Grey eyes

For those with grey eyes, a light baby pink or lilac eye shadow will look great on you. Sweep a range of pinks and purples over your eyelids and apply a sweep of mascara for a fluttery look. With pinks and purples, a dark grey liner will look great and add a depth element to your eyes.

Glasses wearers needn’t shy away from shadow

Those who wear glasses often feel they must steer clear of bright eye shadows for fear of over-doing it. But fear not, for a bright eye shadow can look great – the key is knowing what is complemented by your glasses style. If you’re wearing large, heavy retro frames you have the opportunity to awaken the style with some bright shadow to accentuate the frame. For those glasses frames that are bright or bold in design, try sticking to one colour shadow but using it in different ways to accentuate the colour frame you’re wearing.

Amy writes for DirectSight, a leading provider of glasses online.