iBeautyTip.com

With more and more people becoming sensitive to fragrance these days, there tends to be a new trend in fragrance etiquette.

In wearing fragrance apply it sparingly so people aren’t smelling you long after you’ve left the room… one way to help give yourself long-lasting fragrance without filling an entire room is to layer your fragrance with bath products of he same or complimentary scent.  For example if your favorite perfume has notes of orchid and you don’t have the matching bath product, use an orchid body wash or lotion to layer the fragrance and then apply your fragrance! 

To keep from overloading on perfume, try changing your scent every once in a while since our noses can become desensitized over time and we end up applying more and more just to be able to detect it on ourselves.

Also, extend the life of those expensive perfumes by keeping bottles out of the bathroom (the heat and humidity can cause the scent to turn).  Some say to store frangrances in the refrigerator… I personally do not recommend this – especially with more expensive fragrances because cold can cause chemical reactions that could cause a fragrance composition to turn as well.  Body sprays or mists could be an exception… these can usually be store in a refrigerator for a nice way to freshen up in those warmer months.

Some people, are sensitive to scents – not allergic but hypersensitive to the scent itself.  Try to remember that less is more.  When someone is close to you they will notice a nice fragrance.  No need to go overboard – going overboard with fragrance is not only a waste of money – but as it happens it is becoming poor etiquette.  So remember… layer your fragrance, don’t over-mist yourself!

Well… I hope the name isn’t offensive because the product is fabulous!  It can be used as a shaving lotion or even as a hair conditioner… and it really is a pleasure to use.  It makes shaving sensitive areas so much more bearable and it really leaves your skin soft and moisturized.  My skin is sensitive and if it works for me… I think it will be great for most people!  Some people in my Avon-realm, my family, friends, etc… know about my affiliation with Pajama Parties.  Pajama Parties is a Direct Sales company who sells “Romantic Enhancers”… and the bath and body products that go along with all that.  They sell Coochy Shaving Lotion in this awesome pump dispenser, perfect for the shower.  I have included a picture, of course.  I am writing this right after showering – and I wanted to let everyone know how great this product is.  If you want to purchase this… go directly to the Pajama Parties website at www.pajamaparties.com and ask about an Advisor in your area… or purchase direct from the site!  Or… contact me at phyllis@pajamaparties.com and I will hook you up with some nice specials.  Of course, if you are looking for extra income and would like to become a Pajama Parties Advisor… well… contact me at phyllis@pajamaparties.com, as well!  Anyway… back to Coochy Shaving Lotion!  It’s excellent!  I highly recommed it for anyone who shaves anything on their body at all!  It’s even great for men – for facial use.  You’ll love this product!

MY ACCIDENTAL DISCOVERY – NOW A BEAUTY TIP

Avon has a collection of Body Spray and Bath items called Floral Prints.  These are very versatile and they can be used in conjunction with your other fragrances to add a little boost of a certain note… or a little complexity.  This was a beauty tip I learned accidentally… and it emerged as an almost everyday thing!  One day I was wearing the Avon fragrance, Today… part of the Today, Tomorrow, and Always trilolgy.  I usually get compliments when I wear this fragrance… but on this particular day I had already packed my demo bottle of Today and I needed a boost.  I reluctantly (or perhaps lazily) grabbed my bottle of Floral Prints Honeysuckle Body Spray… and that put the fragrance over the edge!  The two fragrances blended so harmoniously it was sheer poetry!  I had more compliments than ever that day… one very upper-class-looking woman asked me what I was wearing… wrote it down and proceeded to tell me that she just couldn’t believe how it just *fit* me.  I told her it was Avon, and that I sell Avon products… and she purchased both the Today and Floral Prints Honeysuckle and more.  I am writing about my accidental fragrance tip because I believe this will add a new dimension to your Avon selling… your expertise as an Avon Representative.  Just learn the notes of some of our fragrances and pair them up with some of our Floral Prints.  As I learn more awesome pairings I will share here on BeautyWagon.com… if I get really good at it I will make a chart!  I love fragrance… and if you enjoy playing and experiementing as much as I do, you will LOVE playing with Floral Prints and our Avon Fragrance line too!  So, make Avon Fragrances your own… be your own fragrance designer, you will see (or smell) some amazing results!!  Fragrance is fun!

This isn’t about the new Red Hot collection Avon has unveiled… this is about COSMETIC SAFETY!

Information everyone should know… and for those of us who sell cosmetics this is information turned marketing piece!  Now is a great time to share this!  I found this information and just designed the template based my findings.  It is great information to share with your customers any time of year.  This is all about cosmetic safety.  It helps you and you customers determine when it’s best to ditch that mascara, eyeliner, perfume, foundation, etc.  Download it here! 

Cosmetics Safety Sheet

Many professional make-up artists believe the perfect shade of blush should match the color of your cheeks when your skin is flushed or when you are working out.  In other words, pick a rosy or peachy shade.  Other professional make-up artists claim that the perfect blush color is the one that matches the pink/red that shows on your fingertips (palms up).  For this, simply compare the color of your fingertips to the different shades at make up counters and pick the one that matches the most – or have your Avon Representative assist you in choosing the shade best for you.  Be sure to visit my Avon shopping site at http://pconcordia.avonrepresentative.com/ and click on SHOP NOW.  There you will find a variety of blush formulas from AVON and mark. – powder, mineral, gel mousse, creme, and sticks – all available in a beautiful selection of colors!  Questions about our formulas?  Contact me.  (I am consistently working on geting more product reveiws and tips each and every day up on Beauty Wagon – so keep watching!)

Color Recommendations
Pale Skin: Light pinks and corals are the way to go. Steer clear of anything dark or bright to avoid looking garish.

Yellow-toned: Warm pinks, plums and roses will flatter a yellow complexion. Stay away from brown shades that can bring your skin’s natural vibrancy down.

Dark Skin: Warm, tropical tones look hot on dark skin – think warm, terra cotta shades, deep plums, and brown pinks or peaches. Avoid light colors at all cost because they will look ashy or may not show up on your skin.

Rule of Thumb: The darker your skintone, the darker your blush color should be.

A major trend for Fall and Winter 2007 makeup is the return of lipstick. After numerous seasons of sheer lipsticks and bold but soft lip glosses, dramatic shades of red, crimson and wine are now back in style.  Avon has a collection of Red Hots – new shades of Lip and Nail Color to help you find *your* signature red this season!  Thanks to new and ever evolving technology, lipstick pigmentations are smoother and can actually benefit lips thanks to the addition of ingredients such as Vitamin E and botanical antioxidants. A popular look is the classic, 1940’s femme fatale of red lips, bold eyebrows, black eyeliner on top lids only and long, swept lashes. I love this look… it’s similar to the cat’s eye look but more dramatic and more elegant.  Other top makeup looks include:

·    Monochromatic colors – peach-pink and soft gold, amber and taupe can translate from season to season if using one color for eyes, cheeks and lips. To intensify colors for eyes, dampen eye shadow utensils before applying. Add a touch of shimmer to only one feature to avoid looking overdone, such as a dusting of highlighter on cheeks or shimmer gloss on top of lipstick.

·    Matte eye shadow – for those who could never master or cared for shimmery eye shadows, matte colors are also back! Plums, taupe and even black and gray are now available in bold, dramatic pigmentation which can also double as eye liner if used with a damp eye liner brush.

·    Defined lashes – a trend that translates year round but for fall, lashes are long, fluttery and dense black. False lashes, once playful with rhinestones and bright colors, are also in classic shades of black.  Avon has a mascara formulation for you!  Ask me.

·    The smoky eye – a fall classic that’s been updated by using matte black, gray, navy or plum.

·    Eye liners – along with classic pencils, eye liners in mousse, gel, pot and liquid form help create a soft daytime look, a classic, winged-tip eye or bold, dramatic smoke eye.  Avon has Daring Definition gel-based highly pigments liners in pot form… and mark. has it’s Pop-In gel-based to go along with other mark. collections.  Trendy metallics are available in both Avon and mark. collections!  With so many liners to choose from, ask me which will help to create the look you want. 

·    Dewy skin – to create a healthy glow and help get skin through winter. To get the look, use an illuminating moisturizer under foundation or mix 1-2 drops of liquid luminizer to moisturizer or foundation with a foundation brush.  Also up and coming from Avon Look Alert Eye Brightener… three shades for a variety of skin tones and my personal favorite – made for all – Illuminating Pearl.  Be sure to ask me about Look Alert Eye Brightener… you will want this product!!

For those of you who shave or wax, ingrown hairs are probably a huge nightmare. The only way to prevent ingrowns is regular exfoliation. There are also treatments out there to help with ingrowns - while Sephora still sells a product called Tend Skin at a cost of and up… this claims to improve the appearance of razor bumps, ingrown hairs, and redness caused by hair removal.  Well… if you liked Avon Bump Minimizer products and don’t want to incur the cost of Sephora’s product… here is a recipe of a homemade version of Tend Skin I found online… and IT WORKS!  The major ingredients are aspirin, alcohol and witch hazel. I have tried it on myself and trust me it works – my bumps were gone overnight!

What you will need:

26 Uncoated Aspirin
5.5oz 70% Alcohol
2.5oz Witch Hazel
1 Measuring Cup/Bottle
2 Bottles used to shake mixtures
1 8oz or more Spray Bottle/Container to keep finished product

What you need to do:

1. Pour the alcohol into one bottle.

2. Drop 18 uncoated aspirins into the alcohol. Cap bottle and shake.

3. Pour the witch hazel into the second bottle.

4. Drop 8 uncoated aspirins into the witch hazel. Cap bottle and shake.

5. Wait a while (30 minutes to a whole day) for the aspirins to dissolve in the liquids. Shake periodically to help dissolve aspirin and mix.
Note: Not all of the aspirin will dissolve but that is okay.

6. Now combine both the alcohol and witch hazel mixtures together into one bottle. Make sure you shake it up before you pour them out so you also get the aspirin residue into the new bottle.

Directions: Use 1-2 times a day. Reduce usage if you experience dryness or flaking or irritation. DO NOT USE IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO ASPIRIN. Make sure you shake it well before each use.

Applying an eyeshadow base is crucial if you want staying power and vibrancy in your colors.  Creasing is can be prevented by using a base – an eyeshadow primer can be helpful, but any foundation or concealer can help (although a concealer stick can actually make matters a little worse – Avon Personal Match Concealer Stick works well for this though).  After applying foundation (or concealer) and allowing it a moment to dry you can then use an eyeshadow brush to apply a thin coat of powder or mineral make-up if you prefer (which I believe works best). Make certain base products are thinly (sparingly) applied.  Then you can proceed with creme eyeshadow application… but remember you should do both foundation *and* powder both sparingly and then the creme.  (This also works for powder eye shadow as well.)  I really love Anew Eye-Lifting Serum Eye-shadows more than any of the others we carry… regardless of age.  You *could* use the Mark Creamy Shadow as a base… but still… this should be applied lightly and followed with a light coat of powder.  Creme eye-shadows are especially tricky if you have oily skin.  Some professionals use Vaseline as a base if you really want a dewy look with your creme shadows but I do not recommend this in general… it is a trick best left to the pros because it is prone to need touching-up if not done with the right touch… if done incorrectly you will have eye-shadows slipping and sliding around even more.  Anyway… even if you have oily skin creme eyeshadow can be done right with a good base.  My personal favorite set-up for cremes is like I said… this is how I applied my own make-up today and I haven’t needed to touch-up at all:  Coat of foundation (I used Anew Age Transforming)… coat of powder… (I used Personal Match Mineral Make-Up in Transparent Glow)… eye-shadows… (I used Anew Eye-Lifting Serum Eye Shadow) and then I used Mark – On The Edge Liquid Eye Liner… followed by Avon Uplifting Mascara.  Again… I haven’t touched up all day.  Mark Cream Shadows can work too using this same method… I just love the Anew cream shadows best – regardless of your age.

Make-up brushes can be easy to care for if you know how.  Remember, even if you are the only one using your brushes – and you are the only one who should be) your brushes harbor germs and oil that you are putting back on your face each time you use them.  Natural bristle brushes can be cleaned using any good skin cleanser which does not contain oil.  Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser is the choice of many skin care and make-up professionals – but you can use any oil-free cleanser that you normally use for your skin.  Mix lukewarm water with a drop of your chosen cleanser and swish gently – swishing until the water no longer gets discolored.  Rinse the brush thoroughly under softly-running tepid water.  Make-up brushes love to be hung upside-down to dry, but prior to this blot them gently with a clean lint-free towel.  Make sure they are thoroughly dry prior to their next use.  With this in mind, you may want to have two sets of make-up brushes.  Nylon brushes are easily cleaned as well.  Simply wet the brush and a bit of your chosen cleanser and gently work in.  Do not rub up the shaft of the bristles… only rub downward repeatedly.  As with a natural bristle brush – nylon bristle brushes should be blotted gently and hung to dry.  Never set a wet brush on its handle, and never use heat on any of your brushes.  For a quick cleaning – when you don’t have time to wait for extended drying use a brush cleaner such as Japonesque Professional Brush Cleaner.  This has a mild citrus scent and helps to condition the bristles – but this should not replace a good soap and water brush cleaning.  Vinegar and water can also be used and has some disinfectant properties as well.  Remember you need not purchase any special products to clean your brushes.  If your facial cleanser removes dirt and oils off of your face it will remove dirt and oils off of you make-up brushes.  Just handle your brushes with care and they will serve you well for years!

If your skin and hair are rough and lifeless, your water may be the culprit.  Chlorine added to tap water is drying and minerals in hard water can cause build up resulting in roughness and dulling regardless of the season.  Installing a filter that also softens water can make a big difference in the effectiveness of your beauty products and routine.