Nail Stains: how to avoid and remove them

I’ve always been obsessed with dark nail polishes. The’re edgy yet classy and are very flattering on my pale skin. And they also look great on short nails like mine (I can’t stand long nails, they aren’t practical at all).

But dark shades are hard to maintain and they can even stain nails yellow. If that happens you could always apply nail polish to hide the stains or just wait a few months for your nails to grow back, but let’s face it: those solutions aren’t ideal. So, what can you do?

Use a base coat

Preventing dark nail polish from staining your nails is very easy. All you need to do is use a base coat. This will create a protective layer on your nail so that the polish won’t get in contact with the nail plate and stain it. In addition, a base coat provides a smoother surface for your polish to adhere to and makes it last longer.

Squeeze some lemon juice

If you forgot to use a base coat and your nails are now an unattractive yellow color, don’t panic. Go to the kitchen, get a lemon, squeeze the juice on your nails and rub it for a few minutes. Or you can just pour the juice in a bowl and soak your fingers in it for 10 minutes if you prefer.

When you’re done, you’ll see that your nails are already whiter but you may need to repeat this treatment a few times for the stains to be removed completely. In addition, lemon juice can dry skin and nails, so you should always apply a moisturizer afterwards.

If it doesn’t work

If the lemon juice trick doesn’t work for you at all, then the yellow nail stains can be a symptom of a more serious condition, like diabetes for instance. If this is the case you should consult your doctor immediately.

Do you have any more tips to prevent or remove nail stains?

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How to avoid getting lipstick on your teeth

Lipstick can enhance your lips and totally transform a look but it can also ruin it if it travels to your teeth. And that can be very embarrassing too! Luckily, there are a couple of things you can do to make sure your lippie will stay off your teeth. Here’s how:

Prime and set: apply a lip primer before putting on your favourite shade of lipstick. This will make the color stay put on your lips. Then place a tissue on your lips and dust some powder through it to set the lippie.

Remove excess lipstick: once you’ve applied lipstick, put a finger in your mouth, close you lips gently and slide it out. This is a trick used by models so that any excess lipstick will end up on your finger instead than your teeth.

Do you have more tips to avoid lipstick getting on your teeth? Share them in the comments.

Loose Pigments vs Pressed Eyeshadows

When I first got into makeup, I used only pressed eyeshadows. That’s because I rarely saw pigments around as most stores didn’t carry them back then and I thought pressed shadows were more easy to use anyway. It was only about five years ago that I was introduced to pigments and since then I became addicted!

That doesn’t mean that I have abandoned pressed eyeshadows though. In fact, I still use them a lot as  I don’t really think that one type of shadow is better than the other. They both have some pros and cons and which kind to use depends on what look you want to achieve and how much time you have to get ready.

Color payoff

Pigments are pure colors and therefore they are said to have better color payoff than pressed eyeshadows. However, that’s not always true. Some pigments contain fillers to help the color stick to the lid or to add shimmer, but they also reduce pigmentation. I have a lot of pressed eyeshadows that are very pigmented and pigments that apply sheerly and viceversa. So, personally I don’t think that pigments have better color payoff than pressed eyshadows in general. In the end, it all depends on the specific product in question.

The messy factor

Pigments can be very messy and for this reason, if I’m in a hurry, I avoid to use them. They usually come in jars or in those little sample plastic bags that are very prone to spill the powder everywhere, which doesn’t make them very travel-friendly. I always bring with me pressed eyeshadows when I travel as they don’t make a huge mess in my suitcase.

In addition, loose eyeshadows are also prone to fall out when you apply them, which almost never happens with good quality pressed eyeshadows. To reduce fallout, use an eyeshadow primer (a cream eyeshadow or a pencil will do too) on your lid to create a sticky base for the powder to adhere to. Also, use a brush with dense bristles to apply pigments and pat the color on. I also prefer to do my eye makeup first, so if there is any fall out I can easily remove it without ruining my face makeup.

Pigments are multi-purpose

Pigments are very versatile and can be used for several purposes. They can be used as dry or wet eyeshadows, or as eyeliners (but then so can pressed powder shadows), or on the face as blushes or highlighters. You can also mix them with glosses or nail polishes to get your own custom colors. The possibilities are endless!

But be careful as not all shades are versatile: for instance, some aren’t eye safe while others can be used on the eyes only. This information is usually printed on the label so make sure you read it before experimenting.

What type of eyeshadow is better?

I honestly don’t think one type is better than the other, I love them both equally. I like the versatility of pigments but pressed eyeshadows are more convenient to use especially when you travel. What about you? Do you prefer loose pigments or pressed eyeshadows?

Why does my foundation turn orange on me?

The search for a foundation that matches our skin tone can be a real challenge. And sometimes, when we think we have found the perfect match, suddenly, it turns orange on us! Why does that happen?

Why does foundation oxidizes?
When a foundation oxidizes, it turns orange, or one or two shades darker, on your skin. The oils on your skin or those present in the product can affect the pigments of the foundation, intensifying their color. This is why people with oilier skin are more prone to experience a change in the color of their foundation.

How to prevent foundation from oxidizing?
The only way to know if a foundation won’t oxidise on you is to try it before buying. Ask for samples or test it at the counter and then go for a walk. Wait one or two hours and if the foundation hasn’t changed color, go back to the store and buy it. If, instead, the foundation has turned darker, try testing a lighter shade and see if once oxidised, it matches your skintone.
I also read on some forums that using a primer may help. That makes sense because primers create a barrier on the skin so that your sebum won’t react with the foundation. But from what I heard, this method doesn’t work for everyone. Still, it’s worth a shot.

Has this ever happened to you? And have you got any tips to prevent your foundation from oxidizing?

Are you addicted to lip balm?

Hello,

I’m Giorgia and I’m a lip balm addict. I have at least a dozen lip balms laying around the house and every time I go out I have to make sure I have one with me. I apply lip balm on my lips at least 20 times a day. I also apply it every night before I go to sleep. I just can’t live without it.

Recently, I stumbled on an article in a magazine that mentioned lip balm addiction and it got me thinking: am I really addicted to lip balm? I mean, I’ve always used them because I like how they feel on my lips, they taste and smell good and some of them even give a hint of color.

But could lip balm cause a real physical addiction? I’ve done some research on the topic and here is what I found out:

Lip balms stop lips from producing natural moisture
When you apply lip balm, you create a barrier on the skin that slows down moisture loss. Because lips are moisturized, skin cells stop producing their own natural moisture. So, when you’re not using your lip balm anymore, it takes a while for cells to start producing natural moisture again. But in the meantime, your lips feel dry so you reapply your lip balm again. This make cells stop producing moisture until you don’t use lip balm anymore. And so on.

Drying ingredients
Some ingredients in your lip balms, such as fragrances, preservatives, lanolin and colorings can cause sensitivity and irritation. As a reaction to these ingredients, your lips feel dry.
Another ingredient that can cause chapped lips is phenol. It is added in lip balms because it provides temporarily relief. However, it also an exfoliant that removes the top layers of the skin, causing lips to become dry.

Lip licking
Some lip balms smell great and taste so yummy we keep licking our lips. This causes them to dry out. Saliva evaporates quickly, removing not only the balm, but also the moisture from your lips, which are left feeling drier.

Psychological need
Some experts claim that lip balm addiction is a psychological need and not a physical one. People don’t apply lip balm because they need but because they are so used to doing it and so accustomed to the feel of moisturized lips, it becomes a habit hard to break.

As far as I’m concerned, I think my addiction is a psychological one. I’m so used to wearing lip balm, that I feel naked without it. What about you? Are you addicted to lip balm as well?