How Long is Makeup Good for?

Hope you all are enjoying a bit of down time this holiday season. I am spending my down time preparing for the new year, finishing end of year paper work and cleaning. I have this compulsion to go into the new year with a clean house! That also includes cleaning out my old makeup. It's time to get rid of the old stuff and buy some fun new makeup to freshen up my collection. Maybe even buy a new makeup case with my Christmas money!

Click here see my post on makeup cases

Here is your annual reminder about how long makeup is good for.

Mascara: 3 months
Cream Blush and Eye Shadows: 6 months
Concealer: 12 months
Liquid Foundation: 12 months
Lipstick: 12-18 months
Lip and Eye Pencil: 3 years (sharpened regularly)
Powder Shadows and Face Powders: 2-3 years

Makeup Brush Cleaning Tips:

Use a makeup brush cleaner, gentle shampoo or a liquid soap to wash your brushes followed by a good rinse. 

Pat them with a towel and give them a shake to remove excess water. 

Reshape them with your fingers and let them air dry.  

Clean foundation brushes and sponges after each use. Liquid anti bacterial soap works great on makeup sponges.

Other brushes, such as blush and powder, should be cleaned once a week or every other week.

More Tips:

Always use clean brushes and applicators when dipping into your cosmetics to help keep them clean.

If a lipstick or any other cream or liquid makeup doesn't smell right, toss it.

It is especially important to replace your mascara every 3 months. 

Start your year with fresh clean makeup.

Have a Beautiful Day!

xo

Jill

Orange Almond Salad Recipe

Orange Almond Salad is a simple fresh tasting salad. My mother in law just loves it and asks me to make it for just about every family gathering. Many people ask me for the recipe so I am posting it for you all! 

It consists of romaine lettuce, red onion, mandarin oranges and almonds with a vinaigrette dressing.

There used to be a restaurant, some of you may remember, called The Magic Pan. It was a crepe restaurant that made a tasty orange almond salad. I loved to get the spinach souffle crepe with an orange almond salad. mmmmmm! I want to share with you my mother's orange almond salad recipe which is very similar to that Magic Pan salad.

Not only is this salad yummy, it is packed full of nutrients. We have a new year just around the corner. Why not add eating more salad to your resolution list!

Orange Almond Salad

This healthy salad is a great source of Vitamins A, B, C, E, K, protein, calcium, omega 3 fatty acids, iron, a variety of minerals and lots of antioxidants. The vitamin C in the oranges and in the romaine lettuce helps the body absorb the iron in the romaine. The Vitamin C also aids in the absorption of the calcium in the romaine.

The Salad
1 bunch of romaine lettuce
1 11 oz. can of mandarin oranges (You can use 2 cans if you want more oranges!)
1/2 of a red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted (See almond toasting tips below)

The Dressing
1/2 cup oil of your choice, I use olive oil 
3 tablespoons wine vinegar or white vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar, shake well and set aside. Drain mandarin oranges. Wash, dry and tear romaine lettuce into bit size pieces. Put the romaine in a large bowl. Add drained oranges, sliced onion and toasted almonds. Add the dressing when you are ready to serve the salad. Toss to combine.

Almond Toasting Tips
Toasting almonds gives them a more intense nutty flavor and crisper texture. There are a few ways to toast your slivered almonds. In a pan on the stove or in the oven on a cookie sheet. I like to use the stove top method with a little butter. I find it easier to keep an eye on them so they don't burn. They burn easily, believe me, I get distracted and burn them often! Keep it vegan by skipping the butter.

They say you can also use the microwave. Put the almonds on a microwave safe plate and microwave on high for 1 minute, stir them and continue microwaving at 30 second intervals until they are toasted. The microwave method doesn't appeal to me. I never toasted almonds that way.

The Pan Method:
1. Heat a saute pan over medium heat. I like to add a little butter for more flavor but you don't have to. About 1 tablespoon or less of butter.

2. Add the slivered almonds so they are in a single layer.

3. Stir them with a spatula often to help them toast evenly and prevent burning. It should take about 4 to 8 minutes for them to become fragrant and golden.

4. Remove the almonds from the pan to cool when they are done. If you leave them on the hot pan, they will continue to cook and get over done. I put them on a paper towel to cool.

The Oven Method:
1. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spread slivered almonds in a single layer on an ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake for about 3 minutes then shake the pan or use a spatula to turn them. Continue baking and turning the almonds until they are fragrant and golden. It will take approximately 10 minutes.

4. Remove the almonds from the cookie sheet to cool when they are done. If you leave them on the hot cookie sheet, they will continue to cook and get over done.

Want more salad recipes? Here is a nice salad cookbook!

                                                                                                                            

Visit my recipes page for more recipes!

Have a Beautiful, Healthy Day!

xo

Jill

PS: Thanks for using my affiliate links💋

Candy Cane Nails and Strawberry Santas

My 2015 Christmas nail designs

I'm getting ready for Christmas with my candy cane nails designs and strawberry Santas! 

A couple years ago I made these cute little strawberry Santas for Christmas breakfast. They were a big hit. Each one seems to have it's own personality. I think I will make them again this year. They are really very easy to make.

Strawberry Santas

The leafy top of the berry will be the bottom of the Santa. Prepare the strawberries by cutting the top off straight across so that they are flat and will stay upright, then hull them. Cut the pointed end of the strawberry off. It will be Santa's hat.

Whip heavy cream with a little confectioners sugar, about 1 tablespoon to taste, and a splash of vanilla and set it aside.

Arrange the berries on a flat surface such as a plate or a cookie sheet.

Put a dollop of whipped cream on top of the strawberry. Add the pointed piece of the strawberry. Add a little dab of whipped cream on the point for the ball of Santa's hat. Fuss with the whipped cream to fashion Santa's beard, face and base of this hat. Don't forget to give him a button!

Use 2 mini chocolate chips for his eyes.

Soooo cute!

Visit my recipes page for more recipes!

Candy Cane Nail Design 

I start my design by applying a nice shimmery red polish on the entire nail and letting it dry well. My favorites are OPI An Affair in Red Square and Zoya Andi.  Then, I add the white stripes with acrylic craft paint. I like the acrylic because it's easy to work with and it dries super quick. Next, I add the silver striping tape. A coat of Seche Vite top coat finishes it off.

Vary the stripes on each of the nails to make the design interesting. That's it. It requires a bit of patience and a steady hand.

How to Apply Striping Tape

Striping tape for nail art comes in a roll and is sticky on one side. It creates beautiful, sharp looking, shiny stripes on your nails. You can also use it for negative space stripes and creating straight lines with paint. That's for another day. Today I will talk about how to apply a stripe with the striping tape.

Tips on working with striping tape:

Dry Polish

Apply striping tape to dry nail polish to get the best adhesion.

Don't over handle

Avoid handling the tape too much with your fingers. It will become less sticky. Try using tweezers to hold the tape.

Cutting

Use small scissors to cut a piece of tape a little longer than the length you want for your design.

Application

1. Hold one end of the tape with tweezers.

2. Stick the other end of the tape where you want your stripe to begin. Keep it a hair away from the edge of the nail to help prevent it from lifting.

3. Lightly press the end in place with your fingernail or with an orangewood stick.

4. Lay the stripe on the nail.

5. Trim the end of the tape with small scissors keeping it a hair away from the edge of the nail to prevent lifting.

6. Press the tape on the nail using your fingernail or an orangewood stick.

Seal the design

Seal up your design with a fast drying clear nail polish.

Have a Joyful Holiday Season! 

xo

Jill

Holiday Makeup

Time to sparkle and shine! It's holiday time and there are parties to attend and events to look cute for. That means it's time for special holiday makeup!

A smokey eye with a nude lip is always a great dramatic party look that focuses attention on the eyes. I have been busy doing festive party makeup at the salon this holiday season. 

Here is a beauty that I did over the weekend. You may recognize her from previous posts. I have given her many different looks over the years including special bridal makeup. I'll show some of my favorite things that I used on her to give her this luminous holiday makeup.

She wanted a warm peachy look with smoky eyes and a nude lip. She also wanted a slightly matte look to her skin with a bit of luminizing, aka strobing, on the cheeks.

For her eyes I worked with one of my favorite palettes, the Smashbox Full Exposure Palette. 

The lightest matte went on her brow bone. The 2 mid tone taupe colors were used on her eye lids and slightly in the crease. The darkest soft black color was her base eye liner. I added a deep plum shimmer shadow as a liner on top of the soft black to add a bit of color and punch. Then, I dabbed a bit of shimmer shadow on the eye lids for sparkle.

Shop for the Smashbox Full Exposure Palette

Her lashes got two coats of Cherry Blooms Lash Extension Fiber Lash Extensions Mascara. This mascara is always great for creating dramatic lashes!

Shop for Cherry Blooms

The cheeks got a dusting with two peach toned powder blushes, a bit of bronzer and a touch of luminizer or highlighter or strobing, if you will!

My favorite luminizer is Josie Maran Argan Enlightenment Illuminizer. It gives the skin a beautiful glow and is full of anti aging antioxidants.

Shop for Josie Maran Argan Illuminizer

Her lips were lined with NYX Mauve lip liner. I like that color liner for my client because it was close to her natural lip color to define the lips without changing the color of the lips. The nude lipstick I used on top of the liner was Newlywed Nude by Your Name Cosmetics. 

It's a great nude that has a subtle shimmer to it. 

She and I were really happy with the way her makeup came out! Visit me at Styling Point in Media, Pa for your party or Bridal makeup. 

Click here to see my client's bridal look

Have a Beautiful Day!

xo

Jill

PS: Thanks for using my affiliate links💋

Favorite Red Nail Polish

Who doesn't love beautiful shiny red nails? 

You know, there is a red for everyone. There is light red, medium red, dark red, blue red, orange red, coral red, pink red, frosted red, cream red, shimmer red, glitter red even matte red. With all the choices, everyone can find their perfect red.

Here are some of my favorite reds.

OPI An Affair in Red Square

OPI Big Apple Red

OPI Amore on the Grand Canal

Prolana Glitterati Red   It's my favorite Christmas red! It sparkles and glows but unfortunately, Prolana has gone out of business😞

Zoya Elisa

Zoya Posh  It has a modern looking matte finish. Posh is now a discontinued color now

Zoya Carmen

Zoya India

Zoya Sarah It's on my toes right now. 

Shop for OPI Reds 

Shop for Zoya Reds

Have a Beautiful, Color Filled Day!

xo

Jill

PS: Thanks for using my affiliate links💋