Tag: natural

How Do You Wear YOUR Eye Liner?



There are more ways to wear eye liner than Carter has liver pills. No, I haven’t lost my mind. I’m just incorporating a phrase my grandmother used to use on me, “You have more excuses than Carter has liver pills!” I guess Carter made a lot of liver pills.

Anyway, there are lots of fun ways to wear your eye liner, beyond the standard solid line on the lower lash line. Let’s take a look at a few.

The Cat Eye



The Cat Eye is a the go-to glam eyeliner technique for a polished look, both day and night. This is an eyeliner trick that every beauty buff should master. Simply trace eyeliner along upper lash line and let the tail extend a little further past your lid (think Audrey Hepburn, a la Breakfast at Tiffanys). The Cat Eye doesn’t have to be basic black or brown. Play up this look with bright liquid eyeliners and keep the rest of your makeup neutral. Is this look a bite too tame for you? Go ahead and make that line thicker for added drama.

The Winged Eye



Think of the Winged Eye as the Cat Eye’s flirty cousin. The trick with this technique is to turn the bit of liner past your lash line upward so it mimics a thick eyelash. Want the look of fake eyelashes without the actual fake eyelashes? Try this: Add an extra wing to your eyeliner line to give you some spice!

Is there a difference between the Cat Eye and the Winged Eye (a hotly debated question)? Honestly the difference is subtle. The Cat Eye has a wing effect which includes eyeliner on both the top and bottom lid, while the Winged Eye is more of a day time look, and requires liner on the top lid only. I really like the Winged Eye for a daytime look. I’ve been playing with this look a lot lately, pairing a nude eye with a subtle wing. Meaning I keep my shadow nude, using colors like Flirtatious and Chai (or our NEW pressed colors coming this Fall, Porcelain and Tippy Taupe), with our Jet Set liner on both the top and bottom lash line. My wing is VERY subtle. But I know it’s there. It’s a very classic, non-made up yet glamorous look.

The Drop Eye



This technique consists of lining your entire upper lash line and the outer half of your lower lash line. Keep the lower lines thinner to prevent a clown look. The tighter you can keep the line against your lashes, the more natural the look. You can add a wing to the top line if you choose.

The Colorful Eye



Trendy colorful eyeliner can work on anybody! Apply color to ONLY your upper OR lower lash line. Keep the rest of your makeup more neutral. For more subtle color, try applying regular eye liner (like Jet Set or Belgian Chocolate) and go over top of the eye liner using a coordinating PowderColors shade. For example, you could apply Belgian Chocolate, and then Sedona over top of it on your upper lid for some added sparkle. Or try using PowderColors alone as eye liner. Wet an eye liner brush and dip it into the powder. Then line. When doing the Colorful Eye, keep the rest of your eye in the same color family, if you’re not going for a neutral look.

Just because you’re applying eyeliner doesn’t mean it has to be a show-stealer. Eye liner can be applied in a very thin line to give your eyes just a bit of pop and put the attention on another part of your face, like you lips. Remember, doing the same thing yields the same results. Try something different with your liner. You just might like it!

Top Ten Signs You Have Gone Over the Garden Edge


I love gardening. I really do. To me, nothing is more therapeutic than being alone outside surrounded by beautiful plants and the serenity of nature. And after a long winter, I need my therapy.

I found this list from The Gardeners Network and it made me chuckle. I hope you get a laugh too.

Top 10 Signs you have gone over the garden edge:

10. Your favorite poem is “Roses are Red, Violets are Blue.

9. Your kids are named Rose, Violet, Daisy and Zucchini.

8. You have 8 X 10 family pictures of your Tomatoes and Peppers on your office shelf.

7. Your idea of Saturday Date Night is going out in the garden and hand pollinating the plants.

6. You think a cocktail is liquid fertilizer.

5. You rush home from work and go straight to the garden and hug your roses. (Ouch!) Then, you go in to your house and see you family.

4. On Christmas Eve, visions of “Sugar Peas” dance in your head.

3. After the first frost, you are seen holding funeral services in your garden.

2. You take your kids multiple vitamins from them to use as a supplement to your plants fertilizer.

And, the number one sign that you have gone over the garden edge is…

1. Every Spring your family files a “Missing Person’s” report. You remain missing all summer, and mysteriously re-appear in the fall.

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!



How old are you?

That question can be met with pride or prejudice, depending upon whom you’re asking.

Ask a toddler how old they are, and he or she will proudly hold up their fingers and loudly proclaim, “I’m three!!”. Kids want to be older. They older they are, the more freedoms they might have. This trend continues well into the teenage years. “Mom, I’m 14! And everyone else can go to the mall by themselves!”

We keep this up, sometimes even lying about being older than we are, until we hit the magical age of 21. At 21, the world opens up to you. You are officially an adult. 21 year olds want to be carded at a club. They’re proud to be 21.

Between 21 and 30, age isn’t much of an issue. It’s just there. A guy asks how old you are, and you don’t think twice about telling him you’re 26. But after 30, things change. Women may not be so honest about their age. After all, they’re not in their 20s any more, and we are a youth-worshipping society. Thirty is the gateway to middle age. And who wants that?! Women are fearful that once they pass their thirties all of their attractiveness vanishes, an idea which is reinforced by Hollywood and the media. Aging is something that must be hidden at all costs. Lying about one’s age is just a way of preserving the illusion of youthfulness. Women who are over 30 and single are twice as likely to lie about their age. There are two main reasons for this. One, is because if men are considering a long term relationship, they may look at a woman over 30 as a ticking fertility time bomb. This is even more so the case if the woman is over 35 and single. The second reason is for career issues. A firm may not be as willing to hire a single woman in her early 30s, thinking if she settles down with a guy, she will want to start a family right away which means time away from the job. It’s in our 30s where age starts to become an issue.

By a woman’s 40s and 50s, the age issue could swing either way. If a woman is 45 and looks like she’s 30, she’s more than happy to tell you she’s actually 45. But if she’s 45 and looks 50, it’s best not to ask. Women at this age are reaching their ‘second adulthood’. Career goals have been met, children are grown and they are starting to finally focus the attention on themselves. We’re living longer now, and hopefully healthier lives. So 40 is the new 30, and 50 is the new 40 so to speak.

It’s at some point in the 60s where we start to resort back to the toddler enthusiasm. I remember if someone would ask my grandmother how old she was, she would proudly proclaim “I’m 89.” I guess it was her way of saying, hey, I made it this far and I’m still in one piece. Older folk tell you how old they are even if you don’t ask them. “I’m 75 years old, and when I was your age, we didn’t go out with boys unless our older brother went with us.” Or sometimes it’s even more random, “ I’m 82 years old and when I was your age the color blue was green!” They just like to throw the age thing out there. It becomes a status thing. A badge of honor.

How old am I? Old enough to know better. That will be my answer until I revert back to toddlerhood 🙂

Oil Pulling – Huh?



When I first heard about this, I had to look into it because it sounded so weird. And I’m all about weird stuff.

What is Oil Pulling?

Oil pulling is a traditional Indian folk remedy that involves swishing oil in the mouth. To be more specific, you take approximately one tablespoon of oil (coconut, sesame and sunflower oils are the most recommended) and put it in your mouth, swish it around back and forth through your teeth for 15–20 minutes on an empty stomach (before eating/drinking), and then spit it out. NEVER swallow the oil, since it supposedly pulls the toxins and bacteria from your mouth – yuck. Follow by rinsing your mouth with warm water, and brushing if you choose. It can be done up to three times a day, but it is typically done first thing in the morning, before eating.

So what does it do? Well some sites claim it does everything from whitening your teeth to healing eczema. Oilpulling.com suggests it cures the following:

•Acne
•Allergies
•Arthritis
•Asthma
•Back and Neck Pain
•Bad Breath
•Bronchitis
•Chronic Fatigue
•Colitis
•Crohn’s Disease
•Constipation
•Dental Cavities
•Dermatitis
•Diabetes
•Eczema
•Hemorrhoids
•Hypertension
•Insomnia
•Migraine Headaches
•Mucous Congestion
•Peptic Ulcers
•PMS
•Periodontal Disease
•Bleeding Gums
•Sinusitis
•Tooth Abscess

Several scientific studies have verified that oil pulling is helpful for oral health. I think other claims would be very hard to measure.

Okay, I thought I’d give it a whirl. I chose extra virgin coconut oil because I use it for everything else and thought I could tolerate the taste. I read comments from others who have tried oil pulling who couldn’t make it through the first few minutes without gagging. Great, I already have a weak stomach. I figured I’d stay in the bathroom the first time I tried it, just in case. So I scooped some coconut oil into my mouth (no, I didn’t measure) and allowed it to melt under my tongue. I think that’s the most difficult part. I might try melting it first from now on. Anyway, once it melted, I started swishing. After about two minutes my cheeks got tired and I had to take a break. Then back to swishing. I had no idea how I would last 20 minutes since I have the patience of a gnat, so I started getting ready for work. I took a shower, started putting on my make-up, all while still swishing. Finally at 20 minutes I spat out the oil into the toilet (I didn’t want the coconut oil clogging up the plumbing in my sink). Then I rinsed with warm water several times and brushed my teeth. They felt clean. But not much more than that. Of course I shouldn’t expect much after only one try. So I’ll keep doing it for a week or so and see if my teeth get any whiter. Others claim they’ve seen results after only a week. We shall see.

Spring Cleaning, Naturally



Sure commercial, chemical-based cleaning products are convenient, but at what cost? The American Association of Poison Control Centers recorded many exposures to household cleaning substances were serious enough to require treatment in a health care facility. Testing of 20 top cleaning products commissioned by Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE) for the report Dirty Secrets revealed hidden toxic chemicals such as toluene, 1,4-dioxane, phthalates, chloroform, a synthetic musk and several known allergens. Because cleaning product companies are not required to disclose ingredients, consumers have no way to know that these chemicals are lurking in products they buy and use in their homes. In the US, 1 in 3 people suffer from allergies, asthma, sinusitis or bronchitis (US National Center for Health Statistics). Treatment for these conditions should include reducing synthetic chemicals in the home environment.

There are many inexpensive, easy-to-use natural alternatives which can safely be used in place of commercial household products. Here is a list of common, environmentally safe products which can be used alone or in combination for a wealth of household applications.

Baking Soda – cleans, deodorizes, softens water, scours.

Soap – unscented NATURAL soap or castille in liquid form, flakes, powders or bars is biodegradable and will clean just about anything.

Lemon – one of the strongest food-acids, effective against most household bacteria.

Borax – (sodium borate) cleans, deodorizes, disinfects, softens water, cleans wallpaper, painted walls and floors. Is borax safe? Borax is considered a mild skin irritant similar to baking soda. The MSDS lists borax as a health hazard of 1, similar to salt and baking soda. A health concern with borax is with its potential to disrupt the reproductive system. Studies have not been done in humans regarding this; however, potential reproductive issues in mice are suspected from high levels of ingested borax. Use of borax for home cleaning formulas, where no borax is ingested, has not been shown to pose health hazards. Borax is a natural substance which is non-carcinogenic, does not accumulate in the body, or absorb through the skin. It is not harmful to the environment.

White Vinegar – cuts grease, removes mildew, odors, some stains and wax build-up.

Cornstarch – can be used to clean windows, polish furniture, shampoo carpets and rugs.

Salt – scrubbing. Thick kosher salt gives power to your elbow grease. To clean stubborn soap scum, combine baking soda and kosher salt and scrub.

Hydrogen Peroxide – disinfecting, removing stains. Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful disinfectant. To kill mildew, combine baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to create a paste, put on mildew and allow to sit for a few minutes before wiping away.

There are other healthy habits you can institute which will keep your home clean and free of toxins:

Exchange Indoor Air

Many modern homes are so tight there’s little new air coming in. Open the windows from time to time or run any installed exhaust fans. In cold weather, the most efficient way to exchange room air is to open the room wide – windows and doors, and let fresh air in quickly for about 5 minutes. The furnishings in the room, and the walls, act as ‘heat sinks’, and by exchanging air quickly, this heat is retained.

Minimize Dust

Remove clutter which collects dust, such as old newspapers and magazines. Try to initiate a ‘no-shoes-indoors’ policy. If you’re building or remodelling a home, consider a central vacuum system; this eliminates the fine dust which portable vacuum cleaners recirculate.

Use Cellulose Sponges

Most household sponges are made of polyester or plastic which are slow to break down in landfills, and many are treated with triclosan, a chemical that can produce chloroform (a suspected carcinogen) when it interacts with the chlorine found in tap water. Instead try cellulose sponges, available at natural foods stores, which are biodegradable and will soak up spills faster since they’re naturally more absorbent.

Keep Bedrooms Clean

Most time at home is spent in the bedrooms. Keep pets out of these rooms, especially if they spend time outdoors.

Use Gentle Cleaning Products

Of the various commercial home cleaning products, drain cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners and oven cleaners are the most toxic. Use the formulas described above or purchase ‘green’ commercial alternatives. Avoid products containing ammonia or chlorine, or petroleum-based chemicals; these contribute to respiratory irritation, headaches and other complaints.

Clean from the Top Down

When house cleaning, save the floor or carpet for last. Clean window blinds and shelves first and then work downwards. Allow time for the dust to settle before vacuuming.

And let’s not forget how expensive cleaning products can be. Why buy them when you can make SAFER products for just pennies using ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen? For some great natural cleaning recipes, check out our “Spring” board on Pinterest.