May 5, 2009

Working Mommie Monday

Hey my working Moms, so much to do so little time to do it!!! This article is about our kids, there is a misconceptiont that we working moms dont connect with our kids, and I simply dont believe that is true. I know its hard keeping it all together, working, cooking, cleaning, sports and making all the birthday parties. Its a tough job. So I am giving each of you a "NO" pass, its ok to miss one practice, its ok not to go to all the parties, and its ok not to volunteer even if you feel pressured. "NO" is not up for negotiation "NO" really means no not maybe, not I will think about it, but NO!. With that being said we really need to cherish the time we have with the kids, here are a few simple things we can do to connect with our kids.

1. No cell phones or radio in the car with the kids, use this time to talk.
2. Eat dinner together at the table no TV just talk to the kids about their day.
3. Commit to reading a bed time story once a week, more if you can.
4. Hugs, Kisses, and I Love You... my aunt who lost her child when she was 9 told me you can never hug your baby too much.
5. Go to the park often..and take your camera
6. Movie Night my family use to have movie night on thursday but we moved it to friday.. includes popcorn. milk duds soda we even have special movie night popcorn bowls.
7. Dance or Workout with your kids, you need it and they need it to.
8. Sing together, if you child is too young for the car conversastion sing songs they know
9. Let your child help you cook...they love to be little helpers, let them get the spoons, or let them stir you can even let them help you melt butter in the microwave
10 Do a picnic once a quarter.
11. Take them to your job

EYELINER BASICS 101

Hey Bellas,
One frequently asked question most beginners have is how to apply eyeliner, and running a close second is how to make my eyeliner last longer. Lets start at the begining. Eyeliners are used to define the eye, by using them in various ways and eyeliner can make your eyes appear larger or smaller. Eyeliner can be used alone with any other eye makeup, and some forms can be used as an eyeshadow base/primer. Eyeliners have endless possiblities. The price range for eyeliners start at .99 cents and can go up $30 or more.

TYPES OF EYELINER
Gel - This liner is soft and will need to be applied with a brush
Pencil - Pencil eyeliners are changing - they come in several forms, pencil, creamy textures, khol, and retractable form
Liquid - This liner is smooth and will need to be applied with a brush
Felt tip - This is a form of a pencil liner; like its name it is more like a felt tip pen.
Glitter Liners - come in the form of a liquid or gel, these liner add spice to your look.

First let me say there are no rules in makeup, you can use liners in any shape form or fashion you choose. Here are a few tips and tricks I have learned along the way.

Gel liners are great for lining the upper lash line, with its smooth texture it does not require you to tug or pull at your eye, it has a very smooth texture. Please note that this liner requires a brush and that is the tricky part, finding a brush that you feel comfortable with, we will get to that in a sec. I also use gel liners as a base/primer on my eyelid for eyeshadows.

Pencil Liners - Old faithful, they are cheap and come in a variety of colors and textures. Great for travel, quick touch ups and quick looks.

Liquid Liners - Liquid liners are smooth and silky. They are not the easiest to work with and depending on the one you choose can smudge.

Felt tip - Depending on the brand - the texture and finish vary. I think these were created because they are easy to use.

A eyeliner brush is a big deal, there are 100's of brushes out there and I dont endorse any, find one that is easy for "YOU" to use. Many counters will try and sale you theirs and the makeup artist will put it on with ease, but you need to try it for yourself before you make a purchase.

Things to look for when you are buying an eyeliner brush

is it stiff enough, for apparent reasons you dont want it too hard but will it be able to hold your proudct.
How comfortable are you with it
- a cost effective alternative is the sonya kashuk brush from Target it cost about $6 and it looks strange with its angle tip but many people including myself find it easy to use.
-MAC makes several angle brushes that are great and can be easy to use, go to the counter and try them.
-Laura Mercier eyeliner brush was a top pick
-I bought a lip liner brush and used it for my eyeliner brush it -- it worked for me
-The eco tools set comes with an angle brush.

How to apply
-use dashes and take your time
-apply a little at a time until you get the hang of it
-apply or"set" liner with an eyeshadow. By this I mean to prevent your liner from smudging apply shadow on top and it will set it.
-a khol liner is created to smudge and create smoky looks, if you are looking for precision this is not the liner.
-Keep pencils sharp this helps keep your lines smooth and helps keeps the product from breaking when trying to apply.
-Keep lids and tops. By keeping the lids and tops on eyeliners it helps keep down the introduciton of bacteria as well as keeps them from drying out.

Hope this helps