I Know I Know The Dreaded Winter is still here...But Spring is right aroung the Corner Check These Spring Nail Colors....

A daring manicure has become just as statement-making as the of-the-moment accessory or the season's most-wanted shoe—it's a dip into the outrageous without being over the top—so we couldn't help zeroing in on New York Fashion Week's hottest spring 2011 nail trends. While nude shades held court at many of the shows, including Marc by Marc, Catherine Malandrino, and Thakoon, we spotted five eye-catching trends that really nailed it.

1. Moon Manicures—These moon manis made for a beguilingly fun, retro feel: Butter London kept the vibe refined with a nude base color while model's at Ruffian sported nails with a rounded, black French tip and monogram, matching the 1940s French Foreign Legion-themed collection.



The Tip: Sometimes you need more than a steady hand to get these moon shapes looking crisp. A nail art pen offers you more control if you can't manage a brush!



The Tools: Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen, $7.48, available at Ulta; Butter London Nail Lacquer in Yummy Mummy, $14, available at Beauty.com; Butter London Nail Lacquer in Union Jack Black, $14, available at Beauty.com; CND Nail Polish in Washed Down White, $9, available at Time To Spa; CND Nail Polish in Putty, $9, available at Time To Spa; CND Nail Polish in Blackjack, $9, available at Beauty Brands. Ruffian photo via CND. Vena Cava photo by Mr. Newton.



2. Metallics & Gold Foil—The flash of metal got an updated, gritty twist for spring 2011: CND manicurists layered an iridescent top coat over a dark gray at 3.1 Phillip Lim, the nails at Gottex also got the CND treatment, with a mix of a Silver Chrome, Putty and Ice Blue Shimmer, while the distressed, gold nails at Cushnie et Ochs topped off the collection's earthy, fairy vibe. Dashing Diva's Patty Yankee used gold foil to achieve the look, but a deliberately chipped gold polish does the trick too.



The Tip: Paint a layer of clear basecoat and messily apply gold foil onto your nail tips with a tweezer. Wait until dry, crumble the excess gold foil off, then secure with a layer of clear topcoat. To rock the look with gold polish, use a small piece of plastic to block the parts of your nail you don't want to paint, and randomly reposition it on your nail as you apply gold polish to the tips with short strokes.



The Tools: Dashing Diva Nail Lacquer in Golden Opportunity, $8, available at Dashing Diva; CND Nail Polish in Copper Shimmer, $11, available at Beauty Brands; Revlon Nail Anamel in Gold Get 'Em, $3.89, available at Target; Charlotte Russe Two-Way Nail Art Brush and Pen, $3.99, available at Charlotte Russe. 3.1 Phillip Lim photo courtesy of CND; Cushnie et Ochs photo courtesy of Dashing Diva/Eric Yu.

Have That Fresh Face Without alot of Makeup.....

One of the first things you should do to make sure your makeup looks polished and beautiful is to prime your skin with a little bit of skin care.
Use a light-reflecting moisturizer on the skin- it will make your skin looking glowing and beautiful. You can use your fingers or a sponge to apply the moisturizer. Start into the centre of the face.

A well hydrated skin will allow the makeup to slide over very easily and to last longer.
It’s very important to use a special eye cream around the eyes, because the skin around the eyes is a lot different than the skin on the face. The eye cream should be refined in order to absorb well into the skin. Using an eye cream will help prevent the fine lines around the eyes.
The next step is foundation. You should use foundation cream to cover up any little blemishes and it will give your skin an even and natural finish. Make sure you don’t apply too much foundation because it may look like a mask on your skin. Use a foundation brush, because it will apply even amount of the product. Start with the centre of the face, blend it outwards.
The concealer will conceal the shadows and the imperfections. It’s perfect for concealing dark circles under the eyes, pimples and spots. Apply the concealer underneath the eyes, around the nose, around the mouth and a little bit around the chin. When you use concealer it’s better to use a concealer brush which is similar to the foundation brush, but is much smaller and is meant to be used in smaller areas. Dot the concealer around the eyes first and then blend. Make sure you get next to the bridge of the nose, because there is always a dark shadow in the area. You can also apply concealer around the nose, the mouth and the chin. This way everything will look more even and natural on your face.

After applying the foundation and the concealer, you can apply a powder. Powder is great to be used during the day on these areas of your face that get shiny. It is good for fixing your foundation and adds a natural finish to the skin. It’s best to use a translucent powder to avoid looking orange or pink. Use a powder brush and apply to the centre of the face, very similar to the foundation application.
The next step is the blush. The blush will make you look healthy and glowing. Use a rose-tone blush color. Put it right to the apples of the cheek and make sure you dont put too much.

Stress on the skin...OMG!

For years, stress has been linked to numerous health issues. High blood pressure and migraines, for instance, may be signs that we’ve got way too much on our plates. But did you know that one of the first places stress shows up is on your skin? The skin is our largest organ. Like many people, you might think of it as a barrier to keep negative influences out and what’s positive in. But the skin is also a busy immune organ with direct and indirect connections to the brain.

The Science of Stress
Whenever we feel anxious or overwhelmed, the hypothalamus signals the pituitary gland, which sends a chemical message to the adrenal glands. The adrenals then produce cortisol—a major stress hormone. This pathway is called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and news travels through it in seconds. Once cortisol is pumped into our system, it communicates with all of our organs and causes inflammation as a reaction to stress. Inflammation produces oxidants that damage a cell. Short-term inflammation helps fight off disease, but chronic inflammation severely harms the body and is linked to a wide variety of diseases, such as diabetes, arthritis and asthma. What does that mean to the skin? When a pore is inflamed, it becomes thick and swollen and is more likely to become clogged. When collagen becomes inflamed, the matrix breaks down and results in a wrinkle. Acne, wrinkles, dryness and itchiness appear with inflammation—they’re telltale indicators of what’s really going on inside.

The Emotional Effect
All too often, we try to blame external influences—chocolate, dust, even the weather—for the state of our skin. But the real cause of a so-called “bad skin day” is often emotional. You go to the office or supermarket and run into a friend who asks what’s going on as soon as she sees you. A stomachache is internal, but a blemish you can’t hide. That’s the thing about the skin: You have to deal not only with how you feel but also with how others react to you. The flip side is that once your skin starts to mend, people notice immediately and tell you that you look great.

Is the Cure in a Bottle?
Today, anti-aging treatments are flying off the shelves of pharmacies as well as high-end department stores. Women are buying these products at ever younger ages—a sign that you’re never too young to worry about the aging effects of stress. Even teenagers are reporting soaring stress levels—and it’s showing up on their skin. A recent study found that teen acne flare-ups become 23% worse around exam time. This rise in breakouts isn’t due to excess sebum—the oil that clogs pores and causes acne. The culprit is inflammation.

How To Handle Stress
Our healthy habits are often the first thing to go when we get stressed. We may skip the gym, smoke, eat junk food, forgo our skin-care routines and withdraw from our family and friends. Learning to take control of the things that are truly under our control—and, believe it or not, many stressors fall into this category—is a great help. Preparing for times of stress and giving ourselves a break is the first step toward managing it. Start by working on the small issues first—it will have a positive impact on your brain and help decrease stress hormones.

• Find an ally—a friend, relative, therapist or member of the clergy—and talk about what is going on in your life rather than isolating yourself.

• Go against the grain. You may feel like skipping a workout or eating junk food, but doing what you can to counter these impulses pays off in the end.

• Exercise. Walking for as little as 15 minutes a day helps raise your level of endorphins, the moodboosting chemicals in your brain. 

• Zone out to help you “zone in” later. Find a healthy way to relax. It could be massage, yoga or meditation—anything that has a quieting effect.

• Sleep! Sleep is anti-infl ammatory, a time of heaing when cortisol levels are at their lowest. Getting enough will keep your best coping skills at hand.

• Throw out your magnifying mirror—it only encourages you to critique and pick at your skin. The body and mind are more connected than we realize. The good news is that we have the capability to lessen stress by taking small steps each day. Try a few simple lifestyle changes, and your face will show the results sooner than you’d imagine.