Spring Already?

Yes, it is, and time to lighten up and dust off those decorative items you have been storing away all year and freshen up the look of your house, your diet, yourself, and your style.

Let's start at the top, with yourself, yes, you can lighten up a bit, wear your hair off your face in a smart low ponytail, or brushed back, or lighten up that hair color just a bit.

What about your house? No need to race out and spend a lot of that dough in your pocket. Decorate a mantle, a side table, a kitchen table or put fresh flowers around the house.

Allergies? No problem, indulge in some tuna salad sans mayonnaise, drink lots of hot hot water with fresh squeezed lemon, hot or iced herbal teas, eat more salads and ease up or ditch the dairy products. Put hot steamy towels on your face to ease any eye swelling before putting on your face for the day.

Don't forget your daily exercises, oh, too hot, too cold? Try doing some simple weightlifting upon waking up in the morning, at least before noontime, or a few stretches before bed if you aren't really into walking around the neighborhood letting the entire world know you need to lose a few pounds; keep it to yourself, your house or apartment has plenty of room to start your daily exercise routine and it will clear your head as you decide what to wear for your stellar day remembering a bit of sun is good for your hair, your skin, and your outlook on life as you live it with what? Style.

Gel Eyeliner Tips

In a nutshell? I love gel eyeliner, great invention, but you have to experiment with one that works for you. My favorites are made by Bobbi Brown, Urban Decay and Maybelline, but I am sure there are others that may work for you. But how do you use it? It is meant to stay put all day and a word of warning, you cannot "fix" it or touch it up during the day, it will flake off.

The best way to use gel eyeliner? It's not for the person terrified of eye makeup or terrified to make a statement, it is a must to practice with it, take a photo of your finished eye to see if it looks the way you want it.

Tips:

1) Start with a clean eyeliner brush, yes brush. Normally one comes with the product or make sure you are buying a gel eyeliner brush, they are very tiny and thin. Bobbi Brown sells her own with her product, so start there; Maybelline has a brush that comes in the package.

2) Clean your brush after each application; wipe on a tissue during applications and clean with a brush cleaner found in any store, like Ulta, or found online.

3) Paint the eyeliner on the top and bottom of the eye at the lash line; use it as an eye shadow base, especially if you have problems with oily eyelids and streaked eye shadow.

4) Working quickly, set the gel eyeliner with black, deep navy or dark brown matte powder eye shadow using a small stiff bristled brush. 

5) As a eye shadow base, set the gel with matte eye shadow color in neutral tones using a standard shadow applicator or Q-Tip, and set it and leave it. Don't start wiping it away or piling more on, it will flake and you will have to start all over again.

Here's a good example to get you started; experiment with different looks and colors and you will find your makeup looks good and stays put until you are ready to take it off: