What’s the difference between liquid foundation and powder? How important are good makeup brushes? What is a lip stain? Makeup can be very confusing but you ladies will have your entire life to explore all the many products and tools out there. Here are a few suggestions on stepping into the vast world of beauty:

-Expensive does not always mean better. The makeup counters in department stores and major retailers like Sephora and Ulta can be tempting with their funky packaging and creative names, but many of beauty’s best makeup products are classics that can be purchased at your local drugstore. Feel free to match that one-of-a-kind turquoise eye shadow that was $25 you just had to purchase with a $1 eyeliner and $3 mascara. At no point should your makeup look break your pockets because the most important part of it was free: your natural beauty.

-Make sure to always start and finish a look with a clean face. Many of us often are using makeup to cover minor imperfections like a small pimple of acne scar. That’s fine, as long as we’re not making the problem worse in the meantime. Washing and moisturizing your face before applying makeup is providing you, the artist, with a new canvas. It is even more important to thoroughly wash your face when you are done rocking your look. This helps prevent future breakouts and gives your skin a chance to breathe. If you’re lazy like me, keep some of those makeup removing cloths right beside the bed to use before you snooze.

-Experiment in your free time, not when headed out the door. If you try it out beforehand, you might discover that robin’s egg blue eyeliner and purple lipstick might be a little too much for 4th period Biology. Makeup is meant to be fun and creative, but should also be appropriate. Testing your makeup also will help you develop a simple, quick everyday look. Note: For special occasions like Prom or the Homecoming dance use a professional at a makeup station to achieve your desired, fabulous look.

-Less will always be more. Owner of Lamik Cosmetics, Kim Roxie, chose the tagline “Where beauty is enhanced, not applied.” to describe her line and I love it. Ladies, we should not be applying tons of makeup to our faces covering natural beauty to create a look where our own family and friends can’t recognize us. Your look should simply say “This is me, just refreshed and fun.”

Your most important beauty asset will always be your smile. If your inner beauty is not shining through people will only see a painted canvas, not your masterpiece!

- Demi L. Motley

Clean, Fresh, Chic and Fly…is the way you want your face to look every time you walk out of the house. But here is the problem your parents aren’t supporting your Mac makeup habit or you realize you barely have time to take a shower in the morning and would be impossible to add applying make up in your sched. So hmmm how do you get out of this pickle? Well, glamorous gals you don’t have to worry about applying a face full of make up to achieve that look. As much as you don’t think but having a fierce and arch eyebrow not only brings out your features but it’s a time saving way to feel like you have to apply a new face. There are 3 different methods to achieve the “Perfect Arch.”

Check it out…

Wax On, Wax Off!- Waxing is one of the most common methods to achieve a defined arch. Now, before getting your eyebrows wax always make sure to go to licensed esthetician in a clean and safe environment. The last thing you want to do is have uneven eyebrows or a rash. When you got get your eyebrows wax make sure you let them know the shape you’re striving for or even show them a picture. This way they can use it as a reference. The process is quick and gives your hair 2-6 weeks before it starts growing back. Also make sure that the esthetician cools the wax before applying it to your skin.

Needle & “Thread”- This is the newest method that’s been sweeping the nation for past years. Originally beginning in India, threading is a method where a thin cotton thread is used to remove hair at one time. More and more areas are introducing “threading” for an affordable price. Make sure that both the environment is clean and safe as well before you get your eyebrow threaded.

Pick Up the Tweezers- So you already crept into your mom’s medicine cabinet and experimented with tweezing your eyebrows? This way is a perfect way to save money, especially if you master the technique of tweezing. If you or a professional tweezes your eyebrow you will be able to pluck and still see the shape of your brow. Plucking and tweezing is pretty painless but you have to maintain the brows every few days.

-C.O.R.E Family

Eyes rolling, lip smacking and hair tossing are all traits that you think are super “cute” to do. With all the serious faces you see in each magazines or billboards of models, you figured being happy or atleast looking like you’re enjoying life is out of style. Even seeing older girls or adults being stressed all the time, you may think looking miserable is the key to look older or even more mature. Hmm well…FALSE. By no means walking around like you’re sucking on a sour jolly rancher is not scoring you any extra cool points in life. You just look like you’re honestly having a bad day and may be pushing people away that you don’t even know you were. Still don’t see the perks of not looking like the world is attacking you? Here are a couple perks to keep you from frowning.

Inside Out- If you don’t believe me that smiling and laughter encourages a healthier lifestyle, ask any doctor! Numerous studies conducted over the years have proven that smiling and laughter can even and improve your immune system. Ok, so you’re saying “immune system, who really cares?” But a healthier system can help to reduce your risk of developing everything from the common cold to chronic diseases such as cancer. So crack jokes and laugh your heart out. it might save you a trip to the doc’s office.

Shine Your Light-It doesn’t matter how beautiful you are, no one is going to want to be around you if you are not approachable. Your smile is not only for you but it gives off positive energy to everyone around you as well. Your good mood can trigger a domino effect for the person net to you who is having the worst day ever. Once you smile at them they may pas it on to the next person.

Did Someone Say Stress-Free?- Yes, it’s true the more you laugh the more your body release endorphins.Endorphins are the “feel good” group of hormones. These are the same group of hormones responsible for the runners high. Can’t make a workout today? Just add a dose of smiling and a bit of laughter to boost these natural, stress relieving hormones

-C.O.R.E Family

Women of all ages enjoy the opportunities for creativity makeup presents. All day you can be a fresh-faced beauty but with a few touches of eyeliner here and a dark lip gloss there, tonight you could become a glam queen. From lips to eyes, brows to cheeks, makeup creates endless possibilities and therefore might create a crowded makeup bag. It’s difficult enough to try to keep your skin clear and healthy while going through puberty’s woes, but you would be surprised what harm expired makeup and never-been cleaned brushes can cause your skin also. Just like your locker or your dreaded, never-ending pit of a bedroom, your makeup bag needs to receive maintenance too. Here are a few tips on maintaining a clean makeup bag…

1. You should clean out your makeup bag as often as you do your closet. When you find room to bring back your favorite leg-bearing short shorts this spring, get rid of that deep plum lip gloss for a fun, fresh apricot. As the seasons change three months will have passed which is the typical usage life for most cosmetics. After three months your items will begin to harbor bacteria which can lead to breakouts and other skin problems.

2. Remove any products that you have never used or that you have several multiples of to create room for the essentials and maybe some new goodies. A full makeup bag doesn’t equate to anything but a full makeup bag. If you only have those few, key pieces to create your desired look there’s no need to crowd in other alternatives.

3. The usage life for each product is as follows:
•Mascara and Eye shadows: Three to four months
• Foundation: Up to two years
• Lipstick and lip gloss: Up to one year
•Eye and lip pencil: Up to three years (as long as you sharpen them before each use)

• Powder-based products: Two years

4. Do NOT forget to clean your brushes! Many professional makeup distributors like MAC and Clinique sell makeup brush cleaning solutions as well as offer brush cleaning services at their counters but there’s nothing wrong with purchasing the Revlon brand makeup brush shampoo at your local drugstore. Your brushes should be cleaned each time the bag is cleaned or whenever they are no longer working properly.

As you clean your makeup bag it will feel like you’ve made a new space for your creativity with looks to begin. There will be more room for new products to enjoy as well as less time spent rummaging through all those things you never used. Toss out the old ladies to create room for the beautifully, refreshed new you!

-Demi. L Motley

It doesn’t matter if you’re laying out on the beach this summer or out around the city,make sure your nails make a statement. Not only throwing fun colors on your nails is the perfect accessory to any outfit but give your nails a remix! Time for some nail art! Check out a couple of easy techniques to have killer nails this summer.

Newspaper Nail Art

Galaxy Nails

April flowers, May showers and then SUMMER TIME! Fun Summer nights, road trips and summer crushes are all the perks of being a teen in these hot months. Before you start your fun and start rocking your cute open toe shoes and flip flops don’t forget about your precious feet. No worries, you still have time to whip them into shape! Check out a couple tips of how to get your feet ready for this summer.

Check it out…

Hey Beauties!

Spring is almost here! I know, it’s kind of scary how soon it’s approaching. So with that being said, it’s time to get your hands and feet together for the warm weather months! Don’t have the time or the money to dish out to get mani’s and pedi’s every two weeks?? No worries! Check out these vids of how to do fierce nail art at home!

Hey Gorgeous Gals,

Ok, so you had a tough week. You made it through your biology test, a 2 hour extended volleyball practice and a 5 hour lecture from your parents about how you need to be more responsible. You wish you could have a spa day but realize that you don’t have $200 bucks to dish out. Well you can bring the spa to you! Check out these beauty goodies that you can get all under $15…

Superstar Nail Lacquer Bombshell Blue- $10.oo

Hello Kitty Big Smile Gloss- $9.00

Target Red Velvet Cupcake Candle- $10.00

Extracts Brazil Nut Body Butter- $9.00

Aromafloria For Feet’s Sake Foot Scrub- $11.99

I wish I had the wherewithal to go natural in high school. I probably would not have struggled through years of hair abuse at the hands of braids, weaves, relaxers, bad hairstylists, mineral oil laced conditioners, and the like. Most of all, my confidence and self esteem would have probably been such that I believed I was beautiful just the way I was made.

I always knew I wanted to go natural but I was also always afraid of what the boys might say.  Though my freshmen year at a historically black college, I would dream that my micro braids were locks, I was still afraid to actually bare all. I still remember all my girlfriends running to the local hair salon to get their relaxers and rollersets. The smell of dorm room hallways full of the smoke from flat irons is fresh on my brain. I remember all the young men starring at the women with the flowing hair and sorority girls with the bouncing wraps as they strolled through the courtyard. I still remember seeing my new growth after months of wearing braids and being so excited that I would be going natural. I remember one day, after a surprise birthday gift by college friends, a guy I had been crushing for months came over. He was, in fact the surprise. I was so happy to see him as we stood on the back stairs. He asked me the most awkward question that made me forget he existed for the next five years “When are you taking your braids out?”as his eyes lunged at my new growth like it was fungus.

Did he feel as though I had maintenance issue? Did he think I was nasty? Did he dislike my obvious and glaring 4B/C coarse  kinks displayed? Probably all of the above.

The relationship between our hair and our boys is something serious. For me, attending an all black college, where maintenance and show stopping was as important as the education-his words stung. I grew up with a father who told me I was beautiful and my hair was just as beautiful. Could it be that this young man was the anti-thesis of what I thought? Oh but indeed he was. Not only did he feel this way, but I learned that many other young men on campus felt the same way. From that day on my senses were keen to what curl pattern was acceptable and what was not. How a shoulder length wrap could take one from being mediocre to pretty. How an undetectable weave could make you the star of the yard.

I ended my anonymous natural hair journey many times for many boys. Though I always preferred my own hair coming out of my own head it took a lot to feel confident walking around with it on my head. I didn’t want to be called “Queen” or “Sista” by the catcallers on the streets. But then I realized that I didn’t like being catcalled at all. I didn’t want people to think I was angry at the man. I wanted to be witty and flirty and funny too. I didn’t want all the white boys to think I was so “beautiful;” I wanted validation from the corner boys too. I learned to be myself-To rock my own coils in various ways maintaining its health and growth. I learned while working for the man that I was angry (and funny and witty and flirty too). I learned how to rock my hair in the classroom and in the boardroom. I learned that I did like poetry, shopping at thrift stores, and crying during Love Jones. And it wasn’t because I wore the same hair as I did when I was 4. I learned that I cut my hair all the way off and 4 years later it was longer than all of the girls that the boys were gawking at on the yard in college.

Fear is the reason that a lot of young women and older women alike are afraid to go natural. The stereotype that natural hair is unfeminine and unkept is annoying and ignorant. When labeled and stereotyped by our own young men, many young women find it an obstacle to dating and socializing. But in a world where young women are often too shallow, isn’t it okay to be perceived as deep? Sometimes it isn’t the way others see us, but it is how we see ourselves. Your natural hair should be an extension of you-healthy, happy, and full of life.

-Tenicka Boyd

“Ugh, what do I wear today?? My hair is not doing what its supposed to do! Are these jeans getting tighter?? Am I gaining weight!  Gross, I feel soooo ugly!” are the  thoughts you mumble to yourself before you head out the door in the morning. You finally make it to school but paying attention to Mrs. Williams 1st period Health Class is the last thing on the mind. Even though you do not want to look “vain” you feel you have no choice but to pull out your compact from your bag and keep asking for a hall pass to give yourself another look over before you even think about opening a book.  All day you go back and forth  thinking about how you look, looking from side to side admiring everybody’s characteristics except your own. Now to make things worse, your secret crush just walked by as you try to turn your head quickly in the other direction since you  already assumed in your head he will never look your way.  You finally make it home throw your half read books on your bead and ask yourself “Am I Pretty??”

Of course you are! Now I know you’re saying yes that’s what I’m suppose to write but it’s TRUE! Now, it’s just your job to believe me and yourself. Three ways to get there

Say Something?- “Sticks & stones may hurt my bones but words stick in your mind forever.” Yes, that was my remix of that saying. We definitely do not give words enough credit. Especially what we tell ourselves over and over about ourselves. Even though you might not understand the damage of a short comment of “Ugh, I feel soo ugly today” but you just determined your mood the entire day. Even if you may not feel like it the next time you’re in the mirror tell yourself “I am gorgeous with our without make up. I’m just too fly to be stressed!” Trust me once you plant a new seed you’ll see a difference.

Look to Your Left- Left, right but never center are where your eyes go. You constantly compare yourself to other girls around you, secretly wishing you had their characteristics. Well that stops now. It’s normal to but just make sure to appreciate and love your own beauty just as much as you appreciates the girl next to you.

Discover, Define, Do- Yes just like a 3 step program Discover, Define & Do! First you have to discover your OWN beauty. Beauty is not one right answer. It comes in all shapes & sizes so you first must embrace your own beauty! Once you find out the traits that make you stand apart of the crowd,define it and play it up! If you have killer cheek bones or a great smile rock it hard and make it your own. The last part is to simply do you! Be comfortable and do you.

Beauty ultimately is just inner confidence shining through on the outside, so once you understand that you are simply priceless your beauty will have no choice other than to beam across to everyone!

Miracles & Blessings,

C.O.R.E Family