How to Tutorial Guides

How to Guides

How to guides, tutorials, and step-by-step directions. Beauty tips and hacks for the best mascara application, How to correctly use Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat, How to clean makeup brushes, How to use a mascara fan brush, etc.

How to Use Tea Tree Oil for Skin and Hair

May 27, 2019 · 8 Comments

Tea Tree Oil is well known for its’ antiseptic, antibacterial, antivirus properties, as well as having a scent that repels mosquitos, Tea Tree Oil also has several beauty and health applications that make it a powerful multi-tasker in your beauty arsenal.

Here are ways to use Tea Tree Oil for scalp health, hair loss, acne, moisturizing skin and to prevent razor burn.

Why Tea Tree Oil belongs in your beauty arsenal

TEA TREE OIL & HAIR

Tea Tree Oil induces hair growth by unclogging hair follicles and nourishing roots. It also helps prevent hair loss and hair fall.

To use Tea Tree Oil for hair growth, first choose a carrier oil. Jojoba, safflower, grapeseed, and almond are a good choices for hair and scalp care. Add a few drops of tea tree oil, and massage it into the scalp. It should tingle, but not burn. Straight Tea Tree Oil is too potent for direct contact with the scalp.

When first using Tea Tree Oil, hair may seem a bit dry, this is normal until the scalp finds a balance. If hair seems dry, use less Tea Tree and focus the massage treatments directly on the scalp.

TEA TREE OIL AND SKIN CARE

Tea Tree Oil for acne is gentler than other remedies. It does not irritate the skin, it stops breakouts. It does not preclude using anti-aging treatments on same areas.

There are two ways to use Tea Tree Oil for acne.

The first way is to mix a ratio of 90% water to 10% Tea Tree Oil and dab it on the spot with a Q-tip or cotton ball, twice a day.

The second way is to combine one teaspoon of Aloe Vera Gel with two drops of Tea Tree Oil and apply the mixture to acne with a q-tip. Let it dry fully, wait a few minutes, and wash with warm water followed by moisturizer.

Tea Tree Oil can gently treat acne breakouts but is gentler on the skin than benzoyl peroxide. It also heals while it treats so there is less dry, flaky, red skin after acne treatment.

Treat dry skin with Almond Oil and Tea Tree Oil and gently massage it into skin ten minutes before bathing.

Tea tree oil added to water can lather and used for shaving. It moisturizes the skin and can soothe the skin after waxing or threading. Tea Tree Oil prevents razor irritation or a “razor burn” rash. Add Tea Tree Oil to your regular shave cream, oil or soap to pre-empt the razor burn.

Get Clean Makeup Brushes in 30 seconds with the Lammcou Makeup Brush Cleaner

May 21, 2018 · 4 Comments

The other day my dermatologist was showing the latest feature of her skin analysis machine: the bacteria analyzer. There is both good and bad bacteria on everyone’s face, and she was impressed at how low my bad bacteria score was. There are a lot of ways that bacteria gets on your face: touching your face with your hands, not changing out your pillowcase enough, but a big one is dirty makeup brushes. Keeping your makeup brushes clean is a huge step towards keeping bad bacteria off your face, and keeping your skin clear. That is why we love the Lammcou Makeup Brush Cleaner.

A good set of makeup brushes can be a big investment, and many cleaning methods can be rough on the fine hairs of a brush. Lammcou understands this and has developed a system to thoroughly wash and dry your brushes using only mild soap and water.

Here’s how it works best for us:

1) Find the collar that properly fits your makeup brush and insert the end of the brush handle into the collar. Attach it to the MiraCleaner.

2) Fill the bowl halfway with soap and water.

3) Insert the brush into the soapy water and turn on the brush cleaner. Choose the level of power you want depending on how much and what kind of product are on the bristles and how delicate the brush is.

4) Keep the brush in the water for ten seconds, and then turn the brush cleaner to check if the brush is clean. If it isn’t, put it back in the water and clean for another five seconds.

5) Once the brush is clean, take it out of the water and press the power button again to dry it. My fluffy blush brush was dry in less than 15 seconds.

What I really love about how fast this device works is that I can use a brush for one product, like foundation, and then I can clean it and use the same brush for a different product, like liquid blush, in the same sitting. This makes the Lammcou Makeup Brush Cleaner an ideal device for travel and destination weddings if packing space is at a premium and you can’t bring all of your brushes.

It is also fantastic for cleaning off an eyeshadow brush if you are blending several colors together. I love using the deeper shades in any of my Urban Decay Naked Palettes, but then there is dark eyeshadow on my brush when I want to use one of the lighter highlight colors. This brush cleaner gets the dark color off fast and cleans the brush so you don’t cross contaminate between pans.

Watch how easy it is to wash and clean your brushes:

Find the Lammcou Makeup Brush Cleaner at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074SL6X6V/

Style Chicks received the Lammcou Makeup Brush Cleaner in exchange for our unbiased review and received compensation for our time and effort. However, our experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% ours.

Sponsored Post: Beauty Wellness with the Eucerin “Prepare to Repair” Video Series

February 22, 2018 · 33 Comments

Here at Style Chicks, we love the concept of Beauty Wellness: the things you do for your wellbeing that have an added beauty benefit, whether it is better posture, better sleep, or simply doing something that puts a glowing smile on your face. There is also no denying that we are huge skincare enthusiasts here, and we know you are too. The folks at Eucerin have combined Skincare and Beauty Wellness into a fantastic video series called “Prepare to Repair!

The Eucerin “Prepare to Repair” video series has simple, effective tips from board-certified dermatologist Dr. Debra Jaliman to help repair skin’s moisture and from Fitness Instructor Kirsten Trued to help repair muscles. These tips will help optimize your total wellness efforts! In this series, Kirsten teaches a series of exercises that use a small ball for gentle firm pressure, emulating a known therapeutic sports massage technique.

HANDS AND FOREARMS

Our hands endure plenty of wear and tear during the day, ranging from using computer technology gear to washing dishes. The repetitive motion can be grueling to the tendons and muscles of the hand, which makes regular, gentle stretches so beneficial.

Fitness Instructor Kirsten Trued recommends two effective stretches to ease achiness and repair both hands and forearms, while moisturizing skin.

ECZEMA CAUSES

Winter wreaks skin havoc, causing dryness and redness, including Eczema flare-ups. To help pre-empt a flare-up, Eucerin Eczema Relief Body Creme contains colloidal oatmeal that soothes while Ceramide-3 acts a barrier to lock in moisture. I especially like to use this in dry environments such as those with indoor forced air heat, like my office building.

POST WORKOUT ECZEMA RELIEF

Sweating during a workout can provoke eczema breakouts, which means regular workouts can begin a vicious cycle. Eucerin Eczema Relief Flare-Up Treatment Creme is intended for use during an active flare-up. It contains Licochalcone A, a licorice extract which is clinically proven to significantly improve the skin’s appearance during flare-up phases.

The rich-feeling creme is fragrance-, steroid- and dye-free.

BACK AND CHEST

Keeping the muscles in your back, chest, and neck strong and toned is vital for proper posture. Good posture makes you look slimmer and taller, and feel younger and healthier. Have you noticed how people round their shoulders and extendedly bend their necks forward while using their phone, tablets, and laptops? These simple exercises not only will help undo some of the stress we put our neck each day but impart a smoother, more elegant neckline and collarbone.

I’ve been remiss over the years about upper body skin care. While I carefully slather my face and throat with skincare topicals and sunscreen, I’ve been haphazard with my shoulders, decolletage, and upper arms. But these areas all belie age with sun damage, dryness, lack of firmness and wrinkles.

What can be done to compensate for upper body skin neglect? Two Eucerin products that help reverse time are Eucerin Intensive Repair Lotion and Eucerin Advanced Repair Lotion.

AHA TO PROMOTE FIRMNESS, COLLAGEN, AND SMOOTHER SKIN

Eucerin Intensive Repair Lotion contains one of my go-to favorite ingredients: Alpha Hydroxy Acid, also known as AHA. AHA, a natural acid found in foods, is a superstar of the skincare realm. AHA’s are often used in anti-aging products and treatments due to their ability to gently but effectively remove dead skin layers without the unsightly peeling or redness that manual exfoliation can cause.

For those with sensitive skin, AHAs can be drying, but Eucerin Advanced Repair Lotion and Eucerin Intensive Repair Lotion contain several buffering ingredients that keep skin hydrated enough to stay soft and supple while benefiting from AHA. What a great duo these two make to treat, protect and hydrate!

As a side note, I find the AHA in Eucerin Intensive Repair Lotion quite helpful with Keratosis Pilaris (KP), better known as those “chicken bumps” that appear on upper arms. For optimal skin health, KP treatment requires both exfoliation and hydration which makes Eucerin Intensive Repair Lotion and Eucerin Advanced Repair perfect for the job. And I like that they are fragrance-free and absorb quickly without leaving residue on skin or clothes, which is highly preferable to any medicated KP treatment. Eucerin Advanced Repair Lotion keeps you hydrated for 48 hours.

QUADS AND HAMSTRINGS

Are your legs sore at the end of the day? Whether from wearing high heels or chasing toddlers the leg muscles often need attention. These exercises work the entire quad and hamstring inch by inch and add in a stretching component for a deep muscle massage. Doing these exercises daily makes legs far more comfortable, even after a busy day on your feet.

And because even skin that is not exposed to the elements can still become very dry, this Eucerin series pairs Eucerin Original Healing Lotion uses simple, safe ingredients to help repair skin. It is paired with the Eucerin Skin Calming Creme for a total beauty wellness leg care plan. The Eucerin Skin Calming Creme is formulated with natural oatmeal to calm skin and keep it moisturized.

CONCLUSION

The Eucerin “Prepare to Repair” video series makes the most of easy to implement, reparative stretching exercise techniques paired with effective skin products targeted to specific skincare needs. The Eucerin Repair line provides dry, itchy, rough skin with long-lasting hydration, using safe, effective ingredients that are non-irritating. Skin instantly looks and feels so much better. Eucerin replaces the dull, dry look of winter skin with a hydrated and smooth glow that quickly dries down to a non-greasy finish. Warmer weather is just around the corner, and it’s time to get skin ready to be seen. You put time and effort into your beach body workouts, don’t forget your skin!

Style Chicks wrote this article and received compensation for our time and effort. However, the opinions expressed are 100% ours.

TIPS & TRICKS for Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

January 19, 2018 · 2 Comments

I wondered about Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, how could I not, it’s everywhere, even my Mom said I should try it. But every mascara makes claims, and every mascara had its’ die-hard fans. Many “BIG LASH” mascaras seem like shellac-like lash-clumpers that turn into fallout and flakes. I want full but defined lashes from a mascara that stays put. I’ll shell out the big bucks if it works, but that’s a big IF. Here are our thoughts on Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara and how to get the most out of it.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara comes in regular formula and waterproof

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara comes in a regular and waterproof formula

MY FANTASY MASCARA THEORY

I was a big fan of two discontinued Shu Uemura Mascaras, the Basic and the Fiber Extensions. I’ve never really gotten over them and I haven’t found something I ADORED since, but as faithful StyleChicks readers know, we’ve tried plenty of mascaras to forget my long-lost mascara loves. I want it to be BLACK BLACK dark, lengthening and separating, and to be able to keep a curl. I like a major lash, but reasonably natural looking, not a terrible mess of clumps and smudges and flakes.

TOO FACED’S CULT-FOLLOWING

There were the devotees who said this was the best…but I didn’t believe it until became mascara desperate and saw a 2-pack at Ulta that had a full size with a free waterproof mini. It is also $12 for the mini, which is not so little considering the full size is absolutely huge. With Ulta’s amazing return policy, what do you have to lose?

Picked up Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara with a free Waterproof mini on an Ulta haul.

PUTTING TOO FACED BETTER THAN SEX MASCARA TO THE TEST

I found the regular and the waterproof to be very similar, albeit the waterproof seems a little drier, not in a dried out way, just a slightly less wet formula.

THE WAND: I do like the wand brush that comes with this mascara, and it works well if you do only one coat for the day.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara brush has an hourglass shape, clumps tend to accumulate at the tip and require attention to clean

BUT, I prefer to do three VERY thin coats throughout the day, and this way, I get NO clumps and virtually no fallout. I apply first in the morning at home during my typical makeup routine, then a coat before lunch to refresh the curl and add some intensity. Then a fuller, more dramatic lash for dinner and after-hours plans. That sounds like a lot of mascara, but hear me out, it looks natural if applied carefully.

HOW I APPLY TOO FACED BETTER THAN SEX MASCARA

Each coat I do VERY lightly by dipping a disposable mascara wand into the tube just once per eye for both upper and lower lashes. Then I comb through with a dry disposable mascara wand or my trusty MAC or Paula Dorf Mascara Fan Brush.

MAC 205 Mascara Fan Brush Bristles allow for defined wispy mascara application

A fan brush eliminates any clumps and gives lashes a wispy look. I bring extra disposable wands with me for use during the day, and my trusty mascara fan brush, and a few cotton swabs just in case.

STYLECHICKS hack: Apply wet mascaras with disposable wands for maximum control

FIRST COAT: Thin first coat, lashes feel soft, it is difficult to hold a curl, but it is fine for the morning in the office, gives the effect of tight-lining the upper lashes
SECOND COAT: A midday quick one-stroke coat to refresh for lunch plans.
THIRD COAT: A final third coat before dinner plans gives GIANT bombshell eyes. GIANT. For best curl hold all evening, I do a final thin coat of the Waterproof mascara after allowing the final coat to dry, give a quick curl, and the Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof Mascara nicely sets the curl.

After application, comb through wet lashes with a dry, clean disposable mascara wand for a well-defined lash finish that won’t clump

USING DISPOSABLE WANDS

I use Wayne Goss’ trick of bending the brushhead of the mascara wand, but I use a clean disposable wand, this gives me best access to upper and lower lashes and allows me to use the least mascara to get the best effect. I can also get in nice and close to the actual lash line, which gives a tight line effect and makes eyeliner use somewhat optional or minimal.

Bend a disposable mascara wand for optimal control and to get in close on bottom lashes

The angled bent brush gives the best access to little lashes even in corners

I Forgo eyeliner other than tight lining or upper rim only for when I really want to bring it. Full-on liner is just too much, like crazy eye kind of big eye. If using an eyeliner, do so very gingerly, perhaps something with a soft metallic such as a copper or taupe, or a smudge of shadow for some definition.

CONCLUSION

Currently, this is my favorite mascara, I don’t use anything else. At $23 it is a bit steep, but it lasts for as long as one should hold onto a mascara (three months). The $12 mini is not so mini, it can last you a good six weeks to two months.

Lashes can look huge with one coat from the full specially shaped brush, and it is buildable, like how I use it in multiple coats throughout the day. It does not get stiff, so lashes remain workable, but this is more difficult to curl. The waterproof leaves lashes more curl-able, with no discernable difference to me in appearance, only in the feel of the application. I personally found any of the reported Better Than Sex Mascara dupes to be flaky, whereas actually Better Than stays put. It eliminates the need for eyeliner on most days and defines the eye so well, I don’t need much else as far as eye makeup for a dramatic yet natural looking eye.

PROS:

No flaking. I mean none
Dark black that makes eyes look huge
Nice lush looking lashline

CONS:

Removing the mascara at the end of the day. I use safflower oil-soaked cotton pads, let them sit on my closed eyes for about 30 seconds to melt it all, then wash my face. Not dramatically worse than other mascaras, and there is no tugging involved if a proper oil remover is used.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara has a thick brush with an hourglass shape

WHERE TO BUY IT

Find Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara at TooFaced.com, Ulta, Macy’s, and Sephora

StyleChicks Approved Mascara Application Hack + 3 Bonus Tips For Applying Wet Formula Mascaras

August 25, 2017 · 8 Comments

Wayne Goss has such great makeup application techniques and recently gave this simple but highly useful tip: bend the mascara wand before completely pulling it out of the tube, so the wand is at an angle.

Angled mascara brushes are not a new concept, some mascara brands even have built-in angled brushes. The angle does make an impressive difference in both control of where you apply the product and importantly, how much produce is distributed, especially getting in nice and close to the lashline.

Watch Wayne’s technique in the video below.

We tried the Mascara Application hack for ourselves, and it is actually pretty amazing on getting mascara right in close at the lash line, especially on the lower lashes, the shorter “arm” to the handle makes a difference in how much control there is in the application.

STYLECHICKS ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS

Three additional suggestions to make the most of this mascara application hack:

Bend a disposable mascara wand for optimal control and to get in close on bottom lashes

Use Disposable Wands: Instead of using the wand that comes with your mascara, use disposable mascara wands. They are very inexpensive at places like Amazon and Sallys Beauty Supply (under $10 for like 200 of them). The disposable wands are a cheaper plastic and often more flexible, thereby less subject to breaking off the wand head by accident. This way, you can bend your wand without fear of breaking it off and getting stuck, leaving you with no cap for your mascara.
Try angles other than just a 70 to 90-degree angle: You can shape the brush of your disposable mascara wand into other shapes including a c-shape to reinforce the curling capability of your wand.
Curve a disposable wand into a c-shape to enhance the curl of top lashes
FAN YOUR LASHES OUT. It is easier to manipulate the thin brush handle of a disposable wand between your fingers, so let the brush do the work to reduce smudges and fan out lashes. Rotate the thin arm between your forefinger and thumb to move the brush head so that the angle faces outward instead of inward in order to “fan out” the outer lashes, then give them one last brush forward.
CLEAN UP: You can even follow up with a clean disposable mascara wand for combing out any clumps or to get the direction of lashes just the way you would like it. Just hold the clean wand in front of your lashes and blink through the comb to remove clumps.

SIDE BONUS: Disposable mascara wands give much better control and product distribution for very wet mascaras or mascaras with fibers such as Too Faced Better Than Sex, Benefit BADgal, DiorShow, and Urban Decay Perversion Mascaras, to name a few.

Wet mascaras like Benefit BadGal and UD Perversion apply more evenly but with all the glamour when using a bent disposable mascara wand

Got any good mascara application tips to share? Tell us in the comment section below!

RESOURCES:

Wayne Goss‘ YouTube Channel
Disposable Mascara Wands:
- Face Secrets Silicone Disposable Mascara Wands come in a variety of wand shapes for thickening, lengthening, curling, and close tip work application, $3.29 at Sally Beauty Supply
- G2PLUS 100 Disposable Mascara Wands, at Amazon