7 Tips on How to Love Again after a Painful Breakup.

It can be difficult to love someone again after a painful breakup or divorce, but it’s possible. You might feel fearful, insecure and distrusting, but it’s common and you can overcome everything if you don’t dwell on your past. So, if you’re trying to recover from a breakup, here are a few tips on how to learn to love again.

1. Muse on your past relationship

Although it’s hard and painful to reflect on the memories of your past relationship, it’s really necessary. A failed relationship can teach you many things about yourself and what you want in your next partner. This will help to make your next relationship better. This is also one of the first steps to letting go of your past relationship.

2. Let go of the past

You’ve already reflected on your past relationship, so now it’s time to let go of it. When a relationship ends, many of us are at a standstill because we can’t let go of the past. Just because your past relationship failed doesn’t mean that your new relationship will fail as well. Don’t dwell on your past, forgive your ex or yourself for anything that he or you did, and move on.

3. Love yourself

If your ex initiated the breakup, your ego may be still hurt. One of the most important ways to love again after a painful breakup is to love yourself first. Think about your emotional needs, those wonderful things you enjoy doing in your free time, and your major goals. Take care of yourself, because you really deserve it

4. Go slow

While it takes some time to get over the pain of a failed relationship, your heart will eventually heal and you will want to find your love again. Even if you think you’re ready to enter the dating world, it’s better to go slow. Don’t rush into a relationship, just enjoy the company of your friends, meet new people and make new friends.

5. Enjoy your single life

It’s important to learn how to enjoy a single life. Since you don’t have a partner, you have more time and freedom to do what you want like hang out with friends or family. It’s also the perfect time to do those things you’ve never had enough time to do. Now, you have more freedom to make new friendships. Pursue activities you enjoy, meet people who share your interests and surround yourself with positive things. You know, relationships come and go, but friends will always be there for you.

6. Realize that love is a risk

It’s important for you to realize that love can be a risky ordeal. Sure, you don’t want to get hurt again, so you put walls around your heart to protect it, but do you really want to be single for the rest of your life? It’s frustrating when a relationship fails but once you’re able to get over the pain, you will find your love.

7. Enter a new relationship

Once you start a new relationship, make sure you forget about your old one. Never compare your new boyfriend with your ex. Don’t bring emotional baggage from a past relationship into the current one since it’s a fast way to doom it. Also, don’t assume your partner is going to cheat on you as your ex-boyfriend did. You should trust your significant other.
It’s okay to be hesitant about entering a new relationship again after a painful breakup, but I hope these tips will help you. Do you have any other tips? Share them please

10 Reasons to Love Drugstore Beauty Products.

Beauty products can be found almost anywhere these days including department stores, beauty supply stores, drugstores, supermarkets, discount stores, and online. If you have ever bought makeup at a department store or moisturizer from a television infomercial, you know it can be expensive to maintain. Drugstore beauty products are another option, and here are 10 reasons to love them.

1. Save Money

The number one reason to buy drugstore beauty products is to save money. A bottle of foundation can set you back $30 to over $100 at department stores and specialty stores. You can find a bottle of foundation that is often the same quality for $15 or less at a local drugstore. If you buy a lot of makeup frequently throughout the year, that savings will add up quickly.

2. Availability

Is your favorite department store brand only available in one store? Do you have to drive 40 miles to get there and pick up your favorite products? Maybe they run out of stock frequently. Drugstore beauty products are almost always in stock, and most people have a drugstore within 5 miles of their home. You also don’t have to wait for it to arrive in the mail if you order it online or from the television.

3. Testing Products

Some department stores let you test products, but not all of them do. If you’re shopping online, not only can’t you test anything, you can’t even be sure that the shade you see online will look the same in person. In a drugstore, you can test out most products before you buy. If there isn’t a test product available, ask a store associate if you can open one to try it out.

4. Convenience

The Internet has made saving money on products much easier, and it has opened up new markets allowing you to find products that may otherwise not be available to you. Unfortunately, it comes at a cost. You have to wait for the product to come in the mail, and you probably have to pay for shipping. You can buy a product at a drugstore within minutes and you don’t have to wait for shipping. Plus, more products are becoming available in large drugstores such as Walgreens or Rite Aid, including organic, natural products.

5. Variety

Department stores are not known for their variety when it comes to beauty products. They usually carry only one brand associated with the store. At a drugstore, you can find hundreds of different products from dozens of reputable brands for hair products, skin products, and makeup. The larger the drugstore, the more you have to choose from.

6. Coupons and Deals

Sometimes online stores or department stores have sales, but it’s nothing like drugstores. Beauty products have coupons available every week. Hold onto the coupon until a sale comes around and you can save 50% or more off the retail price. ‘Extreme couponers’ have been known to get shampoos, conditioners, and body washes for free or almost for free using coupons and deals.

7. Regular New Products

With dozens of different brands comes dozens of new beauty products every year. Drugstores always want to have the latest products to get you in the store. Beauty product companies almost always have coupons for new products. That means you always have lots of new products to choose from that are inexpensive to try out.

8. Try it before You Buy it

You won’t be able to try shampoo or body wash before you buy it, but you can usually test out foundation, concealer, or other makeup products before you commit to a purchase. Ask a drugstore employee if there are any samples you can try if you don’t see any. They might open up a few and add a ‘sample’ sticker to give you a chance to test.

9. Often the Same as the Expensive Products

Television commercials are always touting their ‘breakthrough’ products that are absolutely better than anything else available. The truth is that many of the products available at department stores are the same as those available in drugstores. In fact, many of the less expensive drugstore brands are better than what’s available at the mall.

10. Make Your Own Choices

Buying makeup can be frustrating when you’re looking for the right shades and colors. Now add a pushy saleslady that is trying to push the most expensive products on you in order to get a commission.  In a drugstore, you can take your time browsing and never have to worry about someone asking you if you need help every 2 minutes.
You might have a department store brand that you swear by, but don’t underestimate drugstore beauty products. They are less expensive to try out and might be even better than what you’re used to. Take a trip to the drugstore and look at the available hair, makeup, and skin products.

10 Instant Ways to Contour Your Face.

Contouring makeup can be difficult. Unless you have naturally chiseled cheekbones and a finely structured jaw, then you may want to “sculpt” your face with makeup. The key is to understand how to play light and shadow off one another. Check out ten different ways to contour your face and pick the ones that work best for you.

1. Primer

A primer is designed to keep other things in place. Primer is a necessity when contouring because you need shadow to stay out of highlight areas and vice versa. A good primer can make the difference between strong contours and a mess of makeup that blends together into one uniform color.

2. Dotting Base Shades

Use your fingers to apply two different base shades over your primer. The first shade, which is one shade lighter than your skin tone, will go in the center of your face. That means you should put a dot on your nose, forehead, and chin. Put one dot on each cheek, at the highest point. Follow up the dots of light shade with a color that is one shade darker than your skin tone. This shade goes around the perimeter of your face (near your hairline, along the base of your jaw, and near your ears) and in the creases where your nose meets your face. Blend the two shades together with a natural bristle brush. This technique works well for foundation shades and can be combined with other techniques, such as highlighting powder.

3. Highlighting Powder

Highlighting powder should be two shades lighter than your foundation. You will want to use this only on the brightest highlight areas of your face (cheekbones mostly). Remember to dab it on. If you do brush, do so with short, gentle, circular strokes to avoid moving your foundation.

4. Glimmer versus Matte

Brighter, glimmering colors work well for light areas. Matte colors work best for the shaded regions of your face. Matte absorbs light, while shimmers reflect it, so use these finishes accordingly. You want a bit of reflection on the highest points of your face, but never on your jawline.

5. Use a Kit

If you are new to contouring, you may want to consider a kit. Kits usually contain the three shades you need to create contour and instructions as to how to use the shades appropriately. Kits may not provide the perfect shades for your skin tone, but they can take a lot of the guess work out of the process for beginners. A kit is a great place to start learning.

6. Use Blush

Blush offers a nice final touch to a contour job by adding a little color to your face. In general, you want to use a slightly pink tone and apply it just a little behind the apples of the cheeks. Make sure the blush has a little bit of glimmer in it. Never use a flat or matte blush, always go for a cream blush.

7. Contour Your Nose

Contouring can be used to make your nose look smaller or larger, though most people opt to minimize the nose. A darker tone on the underside of the tip of your nose will make it appear to protrude less. Darker colors in the midsection where the nose meets the face, can help to smooth the transition from the widest part of the nose, making it appear smaller. Applying highlighter to the bridge of the nose can make it appear thinner.

8. Diagonal Strokes to Thin Your Cheeks

The diagonal application of a shade of foundation that is darker than your skin can be used to thin your cheeks. Start at the center of your cheek and stroke toward your ear using an upward motion. It can help to make a “fish face” while doing this so that you know where to put the color (on the upper side of the depression created). Once the darker color is applied, blend it together with the highlight color to produce smooth transitions.

9. Enlarge Your Eyes

If your eyes appear larger, your face and nose will appear smaller in comparison. To make your eyes look larger, apply mascara to your upper lids, fill in your brows with a pencil, and trace your lower lash line with a pencil that is slightly darker than your skin tone. Trace your upper lash line with a light blue shade. End with a shimmery neutral shade on the center of your lid.

10. Shape Your Eyebrows

The right eyebrow shape can make a huge difference in the appearance of your face. A higher arch will make a round face look thinner and taller. A less prominent arch will help make a tall face look more robust. Pay very close attention to your eyebrows as their shape can drastically alter the appearance of your face.

10 Ways to Get Perfect Skin in 2 Weeks.

Сlear, radiant, soft skin not only looks great, it feels great too. If you want to get healthy, flawless skin, then these ten tips should put you on the right track. Keep in mind that everyone’s skin is a little different, so you may react differently to these treatments.

1. Determine Skin Type

The first step to addressing your skin is to determine whether yours is oily, dry, in between (normal), or a combination of dry and oily. Dry skin usually feels taut and tends to flake. People with dry skin will have small pores (they may not even be visible) and often complain of itchy skin. Oily skin, on the other hand, feels greasy to the touch and tends to be shiny. People with oily skin will have large, visible pores. Normal skin falls in between the extremes of dry and oily, with pores that are moderately sized and often not visible (except after exercise in some cases). Normal skin is supple and smooth. Most people fall into the combination category, with oily skin in the T-zone (nose and forehead) and normal or dry skin elsewhere.

2. Clean, Tone, and Moisturize

When you clean your skin, do so gently using just your fingers and soap or a mild exfoliant. People with dry or oily skin will do well with an exfoliant. After cleaning your skin, pat it dry (never rub it) and apply a toner. Toners help to reduce wrinkles and strengthen skin. Finally, if you have dry skin, apply a moisturizer advertised as “noncomedogenic,” which means it won’t worsen acne. People with oily skin generally don’t need moisturizer, except in dry winter months. As a side note, a few drops of fresh lemon juice make an excellent toner.

3. Wear Sunscreen

The sun is the single biggest threat to your skin. It can worsen acne, accelerate the effects of aging (more wrinkles and spots), and even lead to skin cancer. Wear a sunscreen that blocks both UV-A and UV-B rays and that is rated at least an SPF 15. There are many sunscreens on the market designed to accommodate different skin types, so choose one that is right for you.

4. Always Remove Makeup

Makeup is for covering your skin, not for improving its health. In fact, makeup can damage the health of your skin and the longer you leave it on, the worse its effects can be. You must remove makeup every night, all the way down to clean skin. Makeup that needs special chemicals for removal is probably doing more damage to your skin than makeup that comes off with soap and water.

5. Eat Well

A diet high in fruits and vegetables and with fewer processed grains will provide you with all of the right vitamins and minerals for good skin health. Avoid eating too much sugar, greasy foods, and red meats. Caffeine is okay in moderation, but don’t overdo it. Lycopene, found in tomatoes and watermelon, can reduce redness and fight wrinkles, so eat up.

6. Exercise

Exercise increases the flow of blood to your skin, which helps your body remove waste. It also releases endorphins and reduces levels of hormones known to negatively impact skin structure. Exercise has even been shown to improve acne. As an added bonus, exercise can leave you with a rosy glow that lasts hours after your workout is over.

7. Wash Pillowcases Frequently

Pillowcases are something people tend to forget about. They wash them, but often not regularly. You don’t have to wash all of your bedding every week, but you should wash pillowcases at least that often to reduce bacteria that can cause breakouts. Washing pillowcases weekly will also improve the quality of your sleep, which is another factor in having healthy skin. Be sure to sanitize your phone at the same time. Anything that spends time near your face needs to be as free of bacteria as possible.

8. Consider Retinol

Retinol, or vitamin A, actually helps your skin repair itself faster and speeds the rate at which your skin grows. In other words, retinol causes skin to turn over faster so that you always have fresh, new skin cells on the surface rather than old, dry ones. Retinol also boosts collagen production, which can help to reduce wrinkles. You can see results in as little as two weeks with some products.

9. Avoid Hot Water

Hot water causes your skin to dry out and can even cause mild burn. The result is red, scaly, and even swollen skin that can take as much as two hours to recover. Warm showers are okay, but you don’t want to see steam wafting up around you.

10. Wear Sunglasses

The skin under your eyes is thinner than the skin on almost any other part of your body. As such, this skin is more prone to damage. Wearing sunglasses provides more protection for the skin around your eyes than sunblock ever could. Not only do glasses shield the skin from the sun, they prevent you from squinting in bright light, which also helps to prevent wrinkles.
Caring for your skin is a lifelong process. The tips above are designed to get you up and feeling good in just two weeks, but the best thing you can do for your skin is to take care of it day in and day out. Treat your skin well to keep it looking healthy and beautiful your entire life. What are your secrets to perfect skin?

10 Seemingly Necessary Beauty Products We Don’t Need.

The advertising industry are experts at creating need and selling us items that are either completely useless or can be substituted for something that costs a fraction of the price. Most of us have bathrooms that are filled with lotions, potions and jars of sweet-smelling creams that do little more than make us feel better after applying them. The following items are all products that you can almost certainly live without.

1. Shower Gel

Most people prefer the feeling of shower gel to soap as it leaves the skin feeling soft and hydrated. However, most shower gels contain harmful chemicals such as sodium lauryl sulphate, parabens and diethanolamine that are all absorbed into the bloodstream and carried to the brain and other organs. Natural soaps made from olive oil are far more healthy and economical. After a while your skin will adjust to using soap and will not feel so dry after a shower.

2. Cellulite Creams

If cellulite creams really worked, then the beaches would be full of smooth, dimple-free skin as just about every woman would be shelling out for this miracle cure. Unfortunately, cellulite creams are nothing more than snake oil designed to pray on our insecurities. Healthy food, exercise and massage are the only ways to reduce the appearance of cellulite.

3. Toner

Toner was designed to remove scum and build-up left behind by soaps and cleansers. Modern cleansers do not leave behind any residue so using a toner after washing your face only dries your skin out. If you really need to use a toner to remove heavy makeup, try a dab of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar on a clean piece of cotton. It will remove all traces of makeup left on your skin without drying it out like alcohol-based toners.

4. Split-End Remedies

Serums or shampoos that claim to repair split-ends are nothing more than a clever marketing ploy. The only way to get rid of split-ends is by chopping them off. Split-end remedies only mask the problem by smoothing the hair down. To prevent split-ends occurring in the first place, try to limit the use of hairdryers, straighteners and curling tongs to only a few times a month.

5. Suntan Lotion

Many suntan lotions are now available in ridiculous strengths up to SPF 100 that do not offer increased protection from harmful UV rays. Suntan lotions with a strength of up to SPF30 offer 97% protection from harmful UV rays, and this does not increase significantly with a higher SPF. Overuse of suntan lotion with a high SPF also stops the body from absorbing UVB rays which are essential to produce vitamin D.

 

6. Hand and Foot Cream

The idea that we need a different cream for every part of the body is evidence of just how well the advertising agencies can manipulate us. Whilst some areas of the body do need extra care than others, simply slathering on an extra layer of your regular body moisturizer will almost certainly do the trick. For those that live in harsh climates or work with chemicals, smothering your hands and feet in Vaseline and then wearing clean cotton gloves and socks overnight will soften dry, chapped skin

9 Quick Beauty Treatments to Do on Your Lunch Break.

Our busy lives often get so hectic that we lose the time we need to pamper and take care of ourselves. Don’t let this be your fate, however, and be sure you take every chance you get to maintain your great looks even if it’s on your lunch break. Enhance your beauty while you make the most of your precious time with these great lunch break tips.

1. Professional Makeup Application

With an appointment and twenty odd minutes, you can achieve a beautiful makeup application. Try this on late Friday lunch when you have a date after work. A professional with adept skill applying cosmetics can have you looking your very best while you enjoy a sumptuous pampering session. Sit back and relax for twenty minutes while your makeup professional enhances your beauty. When you return to work, your colleagues are apt to sit up and take note!

2. Pluck Your Brows

This might not be as soothing and relaxing as a massage, but it can leave your face looking polished and rejuvenated. All you need is a mirror and tweezers to revamp your brows. Chances are you won’t need more than ten minutes per brow. If you have a private restroom or a cozy nook in your office, you can achieve this simple but effective beauty treatment on your lunch break.

3. Moisturize Your Skin

A deep moisturizing session over your lunch break will have your skin feeling revitalized and ready to finish the day. Apply your favorite soothing lotion on all your visible skin to keep it protected from the elements and looking its best. You’ll feel refreshed when your skin is treated to a nourishing lotion. Play some soothing music in the privacy of your office and you’ll feel quite relaxed before heading into your afternoon.

4. Relieve Your Puffy Eyes

If you have cold cucumber slices or some cotton rounds soaked in green tea, you have your beauty treatment at hand. Yet truth be told, all you need is an ice cube or two and you can rid yourself of the puffiness around your eyes. Simply rub the ice cube around your eye area to rejuvenate the skin and wake up the look of your face.

5. Clean Nails

While hitting the nail salon may involve more time than you can spare, you can still take care of your nails by enhancing them with a lemony-fresh cleaning and some shaping with a nail file. Be sure to bring a lemon with you to work. On your break, simply cut the lemon in half and place your fingertips inside. You only need to keep them submerged in the lemon for about two minutes. Your nail whites will look whiter and you can then shape them as you like. This easy treatment is the perfect beauty enhancement to enjoy on your lunch break.

6. Strawberry Teeth Scrub

Save some of the strawberries from your lunch and mash them up into a paste. When you brush your teeth with this natural whitening agent, you’ll not only enhance your smile, you won’t even take up much time doing it. You’ll only require about ten minutes to perform this great treatment.

7. Lip Scrub

There are many great lip enhancing products on the market. You can slough away those flaky lips in ten minutes by applying a sugar-based lip scrub that sooths and nourishes your lips. Not only will your lips be softer, smoother, and moisture-rich, they’ll even be more firm for applying your lip color. This is an easy treatment you can perform on your lunch break quite often for great effect. If you have the time you can also make your own DIY lip scrubs using ingredients like sugar, honey, and olive oil.

8. Get a Trim

You don’t always need a brand new hairstyle to rev up your looks. Just maintaining your tresses will go a long way to bolstering your look. You can simply have your ends and bangs trimmed for an instant beauty enhancement. Your hair will look revived and healthy with just this simple trim. It won’t take a capable stylist long to give you a quick trim up, but it helps to have an appointment so you can be in and out and back to work in no time with your great hair!

9. Massage

Treat yourself to a soothing massage. A thirty minute massage will help alleviate stress. You may not regard this type of treatment as a beauty enhancement, but a stress-free face is a thing of beauty, indeed. If you can spare forty minutes so much the better! Top off your massage with a delicious and healthy smoothie and you’ll feel like you’re walking on air! Once you make an appointment you’ll have something to look forward to all morning long.
A lunch break is not only about replenishing healthy calories, it’s a great time to enhance your beauty. What’s your favorite beauty treatment to do on your lunch break?