The Nasty Stuff That Happens to Your Skin When You Don't Clean Your Makeup Brushes

Pop quiz: Would you ever put something covered in staph and bacteria on your face? Answer: You probably already are.

Despite all the warnings to wash your makeup brushes on the regular, we’re willing to bet it’s been quite a while since those babies have had a bath (after all, who has the time?). But while you’re slacking on your cleaning routine, those brushes are gathering dust, dirt, and bacteria—which, until you wash off, you’re putting directly onto your face. Ew.

Your bristles can get bombarded with any bacteria that has come into contact with your skin or contaminated your makeup (yet another reason not to lend your mascara to your bestie), but the most common germs are Staphylococcus and Streptococcus—the bad boys of the bacterial world responsible for staph infections and strep throat, says Sejal Shah, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in New York City.

So how to avoid this from happening to you? “I recommend cleaning brushes once a week, sometimes more or less depending on how much use the brushes are getting, what they are being used for, and the person's skin type,” says Sejal Shah. Those of you with super-oily or acne-prone faces may want to wash more often. If your brush is no longer soft or has gunky build-up, it’s wayyyy past due.

There’s a wide array of brush cleansers and conditioners to choose from, but baby soap works just as well (and is inexpensive). And in between weekly cleanings, Shah recommends spritzing on a quick-dry daily brush cleanser—like Make Up Forever Instant Brush Cleaner ($12,sephora.com)—to keep things fresh before you apply your makeup.

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/

Skinny Jeans vs. Wide-Leg Pants for Men? A Vogue Editor Defends the Slim Cut

             

Baggy or narrow? Boxy or tight? This fall, the pants debate extends to the guys, too. Below, one Vogue editor tells us why this season, emboldened by the likes of Saint Laurent, he’s sticking to his skinny jeans. And over here, another point of view.

I bought my first pair of skinny jeans after seeing them in W magazine. This was sometime in 2007 or 2008. It didn’t matter that the jeans on the page were for women; I soon decided that the sun had set on my mid-aught days of wearing True Religion boot-cuts or Rock & Republic standard fits. (Pictures of me from 2005 in bleached True Religions as a teenager at Marquee in New York seem wantonly ridiculous now.)

The pair featured in W was from Ksubi (once Tsubi), the sometimes-dead, sometimes-alive Australian streetwear brand. (It’s alive right now, with its financial woes righted, it seems.) This, in and of itself, captured my attention—why the hell wasn’t I born a skateboarder from Sydney? At that point, I was just an ex-squash player from Long Island, drinking my way through sunny college. Yet, beneath that unsexy side-by-side, I think I finally recognized the permissibility of going tight—that there were clothes out there for men with bodies like mine. A little research revealed that Ksubi-slash-Tsubi had a store on Mulberry Street. So down I went with my friend Chloe, and, lo, it was revealed to us that they designed men’s clothes in addition to women’s, and behold, I walked out of the shop wearing my debut pair, a warm gray wash of narrow drainpipes, the company’s double-cross logo standing proudly on the back of my left thigh.

These days, 90 percent of my denim wardrobe consists of Ksubi skinny jeans—I own around 20 pairs. My favorites are the very skinniest, one pair in uniform black, one in greasy noir. Years ago, I would wear this cut—I believe the label calls it the Van Winkle—with outré trendy pieces, like Prada’s rhinestone-encrusted golf jacket or Givenchy’s Rottweiler sweatshirt. No longer. But while those pieces have been deep-sixed in my closet, the skinnies live on. For instance, as I write this, I am wearing a pair with Stan Smiths and a Yeezus at Glastonbury hoodie. I look far too casual to be in the office, perhaps—but I like how I look. The skinnies are the anchor. To note, I also own Acne Studios and Saint Laurent, those fancier skinny- jean hawkers, but I don’t put them on so often. The Ksubis are, for all intents and purposes, spray-paint-tight. Wet suit tight. That’s why I like them so much. That’s why I wear them so much. Here’s my rationale:

1. I’m 6-foot-6 (6-foot-4-ish with my worrying posture), and I have thin legs—not runway thin, but the sort that look like they’re drowning and gawky when covered by, say, a chino from J.Crew or a dress pant from Theory. Even “slim-fit” looks big and kind of gross on me. So, the tighter, the better.

2. Skinny jeans give me, and presumably other thin guys, an illusion of “an ass,” which is something I’ve never possessed otherwise and something I think I might like to have one day if I ever make it to the gym for more than 10 minutes without losing interest. The perkiness is a total mirage, but in anything other than skinny jeans, I feel depressed and flat-butted. There’s one other potential hazard in this arena, around front: the male camel-toe—but that’s for another post.

3. Because they’re cool! Hedi thought so at Dior Homme; he still thinks so at Saint Laurent. For those worried about the “trendiness” of skinny jeans, I’d venture that they aren’t really “a trend.” They’re a basic, if you like them. That’s it. A wardrobe classic for the 2000s, as normal as—I don’t know—the waistcoat for the 1920s.

I’m not suggesting that everyone should wear skinny jeans. This is merely a defense as to why I wear them. A defense as to why Dylan Brosnan, Pierce’s lanky Saint Laurent muse of a son, wears them. A tip of the hat to female skinny-jean aficionados, like Olivia Palermo, Gisele Bündchen, Miranda Kerr, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. I suspect that for a lot of guys “built” like me, they too err on the side of the long and lean—other fits just don’t work.

 http://www.vogue.com/ 
                             

THE MAGIC OF SHEA BUTTER: A MIRACLE MOISTURIZER, AND A SOURCE OF JOBS IN AFRICA

If you use shea butter to moisturize, then you know about the good stuff. Shea butter is the best lotion money can buy! You needn't go to beauty school to know that many high-quality beauty products such as conditioners and smoothing creams use shea butter as a main ingredient, but did you know that it's also a main ingredient in cooking oils, medicines, and more?

SHEA BUTTER IS GOOD FOR EVERYBODY!

          

Not only is shea butter a miracle oil, it's also keeping women employed in West Africa! Because shea products are in such high demand around the world, and also because procurement of the product is laborious and time-consuming, the job pays well for those who are in the industry.

NO NEED FOR A SITTER

               

Much of the world's shea butter comes from Ghana. Since global demand for shea 

butter has increased over time, the market in Ghana is booming; there are many

agricultural businesses that grow the magical kernel. Many of the companies employ

mostly women, providing them with stable jobs. In addition, the women can bring their 

children to work with them, and are encouraged to pool their money and put it in

savings so as to be more financially independent in the long-term.

FROM THE TREES OF WEST AFRICA, TO YOUR HOME

       
The butter starts with a tree, the shea tree, a native in Western Africa. The tree takes between 15 and 40 years to mature and produce fruit, depending on the environmental conditions in that time span. The fruit that grows on the tree is an incredibly smooth, shiny nut. Within the hard smooth nut is pulp, and buried in the pulp is a tiny almond-shaped kernel from which shea oil is extracted.

IT ALL STARTED WITH A KERNEL

           

From that oil comes food, medicines, beauty products, and stable employment for the women of many now-thriving villages.

http://www.exclusivechrisbrown.com/

How to Make Shampoo Out of Avocado Seeds

We eat a couple avocados a month. Lucky the avocados we buy are almost a year round indulgence, and come from a farm three hours from Melbourne. The same farm supplies all of our citrus fruit in winter, growing the best blood oranges EVER.

I try my hardest to use up as much of the food I buy. Right now I have a pot on the stove full of food scraps that I am turning into broth. And if part of a vegetable can’t be used in some way, then it goes to compost. Avocado seeds were one item I threw straight into the compost, until recently.

Did you know the seed can be turned into shampoo? Me either! Turns out avocado seeds are used in a variety of ways. You can grind them into powder, to use as an exfoliant. The seeds are used for cooking in Mexico. It has been ground up for use as an age-old dandruff remedy. And some people even put them into smoothies. I will stick with the shampoo today…

                          

Trying alternate shampoo methods, seems to be a rite of passage, for the plastic-free and zero wasters out there. At the core of both of these lifestyles is the desire to reduce impact on the environment, swapping out the commercial products for more natural choices with minimal packaging.It’s no secret that most of the commercial shampoos out there are full of weird concoctions and are not the healthiest for us or the environment, plus there is the added packaging.

I have tried bicarb and apple cider vinegar with poor results. Both irritated my scalp, leaving it sore and red. Rye flour too was not a successful swap for shampoo. It took far too long for me to wash out of my hair, meaning I was wasting water. In between my two failed attempts to use simpler methods, I have been refilling my bottles with shampoo from local bulk stores.

After trying these two methods, the idea of trying the avocado seed shampoo was not that crazy.

The method of making avocado seed shampoo is pretty simple, and what I like about it is that it might be a way to wean myself off of shampoo and move to water only. Oh and there is that awesome money saving aspect that appeals to me too!

I followed the method from Bread with Honey.

• Pull your seeds from the avocado, wash and dry. I kept the seeds in the pantry until I had three ready to use.
• Put 6 cups of water into a pot
• Grate the seeds. The colour of the grated seed will be white but will turn orange (made me wonder if you could dye fabric cloth with it?)
• Place the grated seeds into the pot and bring to a boil, and then let simmer for 30 mins.
• Strain into a bowl, cool and pour 3 cups into a bottle with ¼ cup of your shampoo. My original 6 cups cooked down to exactly 3 cups.

                         

I have only used it once. My hair is clean; my scalp does not feel dry or irritated.

                       

If all continues to go well, I will try using avocado seed without adding shampoo or might try castile soap. I use castile soap for cleaning the house, washing dishes and as hand soap. I have tried it as shampoo before but found it too heavy. Diluted in avocado seed liquid could alleviate that heaviness.

What do you wash your hair with? Have you ever tried or currently clean your hair with only water?

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/

How to Wear a Winter Cape: 8 Styling Ideas

When searching for your coat of the season, consider the cape. After all, what other winter coat will have you feeling like a superhero-meets-very-chic-detective? Not only does it pair superbly with everything from much-loved denim to a festive party dress, but it also allows our arms to peek out just enough to show off our favorite fall knitwear.

From satin tuxedo styles to preppy double-breasted silhouettes, there are tons of chic ways to pull off this caped crusader style this winter. Check out the lovely ladies below and get inspired for everything from daytime office looks to date-night dressing.

                             

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A great pairing for thigh-high boots, go for a luscious navy cape that hits right at your knee this winter. Whether embellished, like above, or classically solid, it will become your extra special go-to when sporting everything from jeans to a pencil skirt.

                         

                            

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There's nothing like a bit of embellishment to get you into the winter spirit. It's just the thing to take that gray cape to the next level.

                        

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Kick your LBD and sneaker combo up a notch by opting for a simple cape in a camel hue.

                          

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For a night out (or dressed-up daytime look), seek a cape option with a silk lapel, styled like a black tie tuxedo jacket. It will look awesome with slim leather pants or tailored trousers.

                    

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For those looking for something more traditional, reach for a style with more tailored sleeves—it's the perfect cape-coat hybrid!

                  

When wearing a simple black skirt and white button-down outfit, seek a cape style with a bit more flair. We love menswear-inspired patterns, like this brown houndstooth check.

                 

Make your cape the focus of your look by seeking a closed-front style in a bold color or colorblock pattern.

                 

When seeking that extra something special to add to your go-to denim look this winter, slip into a cape in classic navy or hunter green.

  http://www.glamour.com/

Ways To Wear The Oversized Coat

     

Impeccable fit has long been the mark of a well-dressed man. But on runways, outerwear has been blowing up. “It’s not about ordering the next size up so it’s baggy,” says celebrity menswear stylist Ashley Weston. “You still want the coat to fit the same way, in terms of length of the sleeves and the overall length.”

Here’s how to pull off the Yeezy look, with equal levels of confidence.

The Duster

Oversized coats can drown smaller guys. So avoid looking like you’re wearing dad’s hand-me-downs by steering towards a lighter material, like this duster from ASOS.

“With proportions you really want to pay attention and make sure the rest of the outfit stays streamlined and tailored,” says Weston. Keep your trouser leg to a slim-fit and go for chunky-soled footwear. They’ll stand out from – and up to – something this long.

                          

The Denim Jacket

One of the best times to play with proportion is with wardrobe staples. An oversized denim jacket puts a twist on a classic, taking your street style from simple to surprising. It also gives your transitional looks an edge, working equally well with a tee on warmer days and a chunky knit on colder ones.

But don’t go oversized crazy. “If you’re going to have a looser fit item and the rest of your outfit is loose, it doesn’t look good,” warns Weston. So keep your layering snug.

                                

The Modern Hoodie

treetwear’s long been where proportion goes to experiment. So a hoody is a natural piece to give a dose of Miracle Grow.

Because Juun.J’s sits close at the waist, you can enlarge your fits elsewhere; start with a longline tee (just keep things monochrome) then graduate to roomier trousers too.

The Camel Coat

Camel is everywhere right now, so why not combine two of this season’s biggest trends? This camel coat from H&M, with dropped shoulders and raw edges, is a great piece to test out both these trends without maxing out your credit card.

Paired with a roll neck and dark wash jeans, it will quickly become your go-to autumn outerwear.

The Bomber

The traditional bomber hits right at the waist, but its lack of structure means it’s an ideal oversized piece too.

This lightweight bomber jacket from Zara stays slim in the shoulders and arms, but runs slightly longer than standard to relax your silhouette. Chuck over a hoody for an effortlessly cool way to layer against the chill.

The Minimalist

If you want the mobility of the anti-fit look, but don’t fancy heading all the way into oversized territory, steer soft. Here, that means raglan sleeves and minimal padding so the fabric hangs off your body, instead of hugging it.

Because it’s classically cut, this Rag & Bone coat will work with everything from suits to sportswear. So you’re on-trend this season and sartorially suited for the next few as well.

                               

The Doubly Oversized

If you hadn’t heard (and we’ve mentioned a couple of times) checks are firmly in this season. And as well as enlarging your fit, Alexandre Mattiussi has oversized the pattern. Just be thankful he’s kept it to an eminently wearable monochrome.

“Whether you’re playing with proportions or playing with colour, choose one standout piece and keep the rest classic, easy and neutral,” says Weston. Translation? Slim black jeans and an equally inky crew neck.

                           

The Zip-Up

For a street style take on anti-fit, opt for an easy zip-up like Weekday’s long oversized overcoat.

It’s more fashion-forward than a waist-length design, which can appear a touch too track-and-field, but it’s an equally easy wear; just pair with skinny jeans and your most battered Converse.

                          

The Transitional Coat

Autumn weather is nothing if not unpredictable, so a coat that works in the changing temperatures is an important addition to any wardrobe.

This felt oversized version from Zara is as suitable in early autumn with a button-down as mid-January with a heavy gauge jumper and boots. And since it’s slim-fitting at the bottom, it’s also a safe choice for your commutes.

                              

The Winter Parka

The parka is a savvy place to blow your outerwear budget. It’s warm, will last through the years, and can be coupled with anything from tailoring to sweats. The oversized flight parka from 3.1 Phillip Lim brings style and warmth with a detachable hood and an alpine aesthetic.

Because this piece is oversized, you’ll be able to fit more layers underneath on blisteringly cold winter days, and you won’t be trading style for comfort.

                              

http://www.fashionbeans.com/

Best Bras for Every Top / Dress.

 You all know how difficult and frustrating it could be when you fall in love with a dress or top? and you want it so bad.., but the problem is finding a perfect bra that goes well with it. 

Here is a video by You Tuber Spankie Valentine  showing  12 ways on what Bra to wear with Backless, Strapless and Racerback.