Beauty Product Expiration Dates

Most every woman you know, has a drawer, or two, full of makeup she doesn't use or only "sometimes" uses. She might be hoarding it all until she learns the proper techniques in applying the various products. The problem with this is that beauty products all have expiration dates. Companies put these dates on products to decrease the risk of harboring germs.

Here are a couple of guidelines for you to keep in mind:

Concealer - Shelf life of 12 months

Brushes - Wash every 2-3 months in a mild detergent

Sponges - Wash weekly and discard monthly

Foundation - check the ingredients: A water-based foundation will last up to 12 months, oil-based will last up to 18 months. You may find you need two different shades of foundation eat year: One for summer when your skin is naturally darker and one for winter when you're lighter.

Mascara - This product expires the fastest: Throw out after 4 months. Extra tip: If you don't want your mascara to expire faster than its fresh date, don't pump the wand in and out--you're only exposing the product to drying air.

Cheek Blush - 1 year shelf life

Sunscreen - 2 year shelf life

Liquid Foundation - Replace every 3-6 months

Eye and Lip Pencils - Shelf life of 1 year

More Random Beauty Tips

1. Eye Makeup Tips:
    * When applying an eyeliner, start from the inside corner of your eye and work outwards toward the outside.
    * Curling your lashes will make your eyes appear wider, healthier and much more youthful.
    * If you have green or hazel eyes, use brown, apricot, purple, plum, deep khaki or forest green eye shadow.
    * All you need is a light application of eyeliner to enhance the beauty of your eyes. Remember not to over do it.
    * Replace your mascara every 2-3 months. Old mascara is full of germs and bacteria.
    * Always curl your lashes twice for a more natural and rounded curl. Each curl should take about 30 seconds.
  
2. Beauty Foods Tips:
    * Sweet potatoes contain lots of vitamin A, which is a remarkable anti-aging and anti-wrinkling vitamin.
    * Eat two or three servings of fruits everyday.
    * Garlic is a miracle food that can combat wrinkles and sagging skin.
    * For whiter teeth, mash strawberries in a small container, cover your toothbrush with the mashed berries and brush vigorously. Strawberries will remove both yellowing and stains.  

3. Eyebrows Tips:
    * When you pluck your eyebrows, make sure to pluck hairs between your brows, and not hairs from above your eyebrows.
    * Your eyebrow should start right above the inner corner of your eye, peak at the middle of your iris, and curve down at the outer corner of your eye.
    * When you pluck your eyebrows, make sure to pluck each of the hairs singly as close to the root as possible. This will leave a cleaner finish.
    * Try plucking your eyebrows right after a shower. The heat from the shower helps to loosen hair follicles, making plucking easier and less painful.
    * Always comb your eyebrows upward and outward.
    * After plucking your eyebrows, you can use wet tea bags to soothe the skin around your eyebrows.

4. Hair Care Tips:
    * Your hair is weak when it's wet, so never rub your hair dry with a towel. Instead, blot the wetness out with a towel and fluff it with your fingers.
    * When you blow dry your hair, keep the blow dryer at least 6 inches away from your hair and keep it moving constantly so you don't overheat your hair.
    * Vitamin E can make your hair shine. Good sources include: brown rice, nuts, wheat germ and leafy green vegetables.
    * Vitamin A helps keep your scalp healthy. So snack on more carrots, as they are full of Vitamin A.
    * Brush and comb your hair only when it's dry. Wet hair is weak and brushing wet hair can easily damage it.

5. Lip Tips:
    * If you have thin lips, use a lighter colored lipstick. A dark shade makes your lips look smaller.
    * Line your lips with a soft lip pencil and use a sponge applicator to blend your lip edges. this will make your lips look fuller and sexier.

6. Skin Care Tips:
    * Keep your skin healthy by avoiding stress, sun exposure, and cigarette smoking.
    * Baby wipes are excellent makeup removers as well as hand and face refreshers.
    * Nourish your skin by drinking plenty of water each day.
    * Get 8 hours of sleep each day to maintain your healthy and youthful skin.
  
7. Eye Care Tips:
    * Avoid salty foods. They can cause fluid retention and eye puffiness.
    * Slightly elevate your head whle sleeping to prevent extra fluid from settling around eyes and making them puffy.
    * Use a good quality eye moisturizer (like Mary Kay), to hydrate the skin around your eyes. This will keep your eyes looking healthy and fresh.

8. Nail Care Tips:
    * Store your nail polish in the refrigerator to maintain its smooth consistency.

  

Keeping your "cool" look in hot weather!

Here are some tips/hints to help you beat the heat while looking great!

Try puttin your cleansers and/or moisturizers in the refrigerator prior to application. The cooling sensation is an amazing feeling! Try using chilled yogurt as a mask to balance your skin's pH that has become agitated by the sun and wind. Add 1/4 teaspoon of honey for extra hydration.

Forget the foundation in the summer. Try using a tinted moisturizer with a sun protection factor. Or blend equal parts of face lotion with your regular foundation.

Dab excess shine with blotting tissues. The tissues soak up the excess oils on your skin making your makeup look fresh and new.

Does the sun tend to bring out your freckles? Wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen, hat and sunglasses will help. Besides, you'll look 10 years younger than your friends who are continually tan themselves. Your skin will be smoother, firmer and free of age spots.

Since humidity boosts oil production, swiping a toner on oily skin twice a day will help. Using a clay mask weekly will also draw out impurities.

Water-resistant mascaras are a summer must. Oily skin and allergy prone eyes make for lots of smudging. The water-resistant mascara also holds curl longer.

Opt for an eyeshadow base that controls oil on the lids. Matte, mineral shadows are the best formulas for hot summer days.

To keep your lips from becoming sun burnt, use a lip balm with SPF before going out in the sun.

If your sunscreen is breaking you out with a case of "high school pimples," try using an oil-free or non-comedogenic formula.

Doubting

Why is it that people will believe in the person of Christ, yet not in His teachings? Most are quick to believe what they hear in the news media, but they don't believe in the Bible, which is God's holy word? Even the brothers of Jesus didn't believe in his miracles, healings and teachings. His brothers doubted everything about Jesus, except for the obvious fact that he was family.
The setting is the Feast of Tabernacles - commemorating the days when the Israelites wandered in the desert and lived in tents/booths. Jesus' four brothers are urging Him to go to the event. They knew there were Jews who wanted to kill Jesus in Jerusalem, yet they encouraged Him to make the journey. Now why would they do that? Did they want to see Jesus killed?
I believe they were trying to set Jesus agenda; to get Him to go so they could witness the ruckus He'd stir up amongst the people there.
Jesus refuses to go. He's on God's timetable and He's not about to let his brothers talk Him into something that God doesn't want to have happen. How often do we allow our friends, family, co-workers, talk us into doing or saying something we really ought not do or say? This kind of sounds like school days, doesn't it? How often do we, as adults, allow that to happen though? How often do we go with the flow, not upholding the truths we stand for? We let the world and those around us set our agenda and we just go with it. How much more strength does it take for us to just stop and say, "NO! I will not!"
God has a plan for your life, but only if you've given your life to Him to plan. In the book of John, Jesus tells His brothers that, "the right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil."
Any time is right for them, because God has no plan for those who don't belong to Him. There is no agenda for those who don't follow the scriptures. They follow their own teachings and beliefs. The world can not hate those who don't stand up for evil. The world can only hate those who go against the flow; those who boldly stand up for what God says is wrong in His holy word.

Random Beauty Tips

1.  Beauty Foods Tip:
            * Eat wheat germ every day to get rid of blemish breakouts. Adding wheat germ to your cereal, yogurt, or cottage cheese can make it tastier.
            * Carrots can help protect the outer layer of your skin and prevent premature aging.
            * Swiss, cheddar or gouda cheese can block bacteria in your mouth and prevent cavities.
            * Eat plenty of tomatoes, which are rich in vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium; all are great ingredients for beautiful skin.
2.  Nail Care Tips:
            * Drink enough water each day to keep your body hydrated and to maintain healthy and strong nails.
            * For healthy nails, eat a diet of 50% fruits and raw vegetables, and drink plenty of water each day.
            * Fresh carrot juice is high in calcium and phosphorus. It is great for strengthening your nails!
            * Keep your nails nice and trimmed. Nails longer than 3 centimeters (about 1 inch) are more likely to carry bacteria and fungus.
3.  Lip Tips:
            * Always apply your lip liner before applying lipstick, and never use a lip liner that is darker than your lipstick.
            * Always apply lip gloss with a lip brush, then smooth it out with your fingertips.
            *  It's best to smooth your lips with a waxy lip balm and use your fingertips to massage the balm into your lips.
            * To keep your lipstick on all day, pencil your lips with a soft lip pencil, then apply your lipstick.
4.  Eyebrow Tips:
           * Eyebrows should be about two shades lighter than your hair color. The opposite is true if your hair is blond or gray.
           *  Pluck just enough eyebrows each time, and never over do it. You don't want to lose all                      your eyebrows!
           * Plucking your eyebrows in the direction of the hair growth will be less painful and will leave a more natural look when you're done.
           * Use a pencil and powder in the correct shade to fill in your eyebrows (light skin: blonde shade; olive skin: brown shade; darker skin: gray shade).
5. Eye Makeup Tips:
           * If you have brown eyes, use copper, bronze or brown eye shadow.
           * Wash off your mascara every night before bedtime.
           * A thin line of eyeliner in black or brown can greatly define your eyes and make them appear brighter.
           * You can use a hair dryer to heat your eyelash curler. The warmth of the eyelash curler will help curl your lashes more efficiently.
6. Hair Care Tips:
           * Drink 8 glasses of water each day. Water helps keep your hair silky and shiny.
           * Massaging your scalp can improve circulation to your head and promote hair growth.
           * Stress can cause hair loss, so find ways to relax and rejuvenate yourself to keep your precious hair!
           * For shiny and healthy hair, mash up an avocado, mix it with a tablespoon of olive oil and rub it through your hair. Wash your hair after 15 minutes.
7. Eye Care Tips:
           * You can use cool cucumber slices to reduce eye puffiness and dark circles.
           * A slice of raw potato can be placed under your eyes to reduce dark circles.
           * Placing a cold black tea bag on each eye for approximately 10 minutes can help reduce eye puffiness.
           * To reduce eye swelling, use a metal spoon, hold it under cold running water for a couple minutes, then gently press it onto the skin around your eye.
8. Skin Care Tips:
           * Use a combination of Epsom salt, sea salt and baking soda in your bath to help pull out toxins from your skin.
           * If you want firmer, smoother and younger looking skin, you need to exercise everyday. Exercise brings oxygen and nutrients to your skin.
           * Prevent age spots by avoiding sun exposure and use sunscreen with an SPF 15 or higher.
           * Strengthen your skin by choosing skin moisturizers that contain vitamin A and Vitamin E.

A few make up tips...

To make your eyes POP, use an eyeliner to draw a V-shape to extend your outer lash line. Make sure to use mascara to help make your eyes appear larger than life.
If you want to draw attention to your eyes, be sure to go easy on the lip color; go with a soft neutral shade.

Paying attention to your eyelashes may not seem important, other than the application of your mascara. However, making sure you focus your mascara on the outer corner of the eyes, can make your eyelashes look longer and thicker. Use an eyebrow/eyeliner brush to comb through your lashes and don't forget to curl them!

Eyebrows frame the face, so proper care of them is very necessary. Make sure you trim and shape them on a regular basis. Then making soft feathery strokes, use an Eye Definer pencil to lightly fill in your brows. Keep your brows in place by using a Brow Brush and Brow Gel.

If it's your lips you'd like to draw attention to, line and apply a rich bold color. For the appearance of fuller lips, use a lip liner to fill in the lip itself. Apply lipstick over and finish with a shiny lip gloss. Be certain to use a simple eye look if it's the lips you're focusing on.

If you want people to pay attention to your cheeks, apply a sparkly highlighting powder to the tops of your cheek bones. Pulling your hair back into a ponytail or tied into a bun, away from your face, will make your cheeks really stand out!

The Bread of Life

After Jesus performed the amazing miracle of feeding 5,000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish, He withdrew from them to find a quiet place to be alone. Later that evening, the disciples got into their boat and headed across the lake to Capernaum. Before they knew it, a strong storm came upon them with no warning. They were so terrified of drowning, that when they saw Christ coming towards them, walking on the water, they freaked out! Christ assures them that it was indeed Him and to not be afraid. They arrived at their destination safe and sound.
When the rest of the crowd arrives in Capernaum, they ask Christ when He arrived. Now mind you, they had seen one boat leave from the other side of the lake, but Christ was not in it. When they realized none of the disciples nor Christ was on their side of the lake, the people got into their boats, crossed the lake, in order search of Christ and His disciples.
Once they arrive, they see Jesus and ask when He arrived in Capernaum. Now this might not seem like a big deal, but think about it. They ask Him WHEN, not HOW. Wouldn't you want to know how He had gotten to the other side of the lake without getting into a boat? I suppose He could have walked around the lake on the shore, but the distance would have taken more than just an evening.
Jesus accuses the people of not looking for Him because of the miraculous sign He just showed them with the fish and loaves of bread, but because of the fact that they were hungry for more fish and bread! They figured once they found Christ, He would feed them their breakfast, just like he did their evening meal the night prior.
Christ then tells them, "Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you."
The people then question Him by asking what type of work needs to be done? I can see this picture in my mind. A group of people being told they needed to work for their food. What? Work for our food? Seriously?
So, they ask Him what is the work God requires, to which Christ replies, "The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent." In other words, Jesus tells them to believe in Him.
Being told to believe isn't what the people wanted. Do you know what they asked for in order to believe? A MIRACULOUS SIGN! They just saw one the night before and now they're asking for another! Ridiculous? Perhaps...
They go on to say that Moses provided them with manna in the desert, so why won't Christ give them their breakfast now? Jesus has an answer for this, too. He says (I'm paraphrasing, but you can look it up in John 6 of the New Testament), Moses didn't give you the manna. God sent it from heaven...." For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world..... I am the bread of life..."
The crowd begins to grumble, first because they are hungry and second because Christ just claims to have come down from heaven. They knew his father Joseph and his mother Mary, so how can He make such a claim?!
Jesus goes on to tell the crowd that only through Him, will they have eternal life. He is the One who gives life to those who believe. He is this bread, not in a physical sense, but in a spiritual one. The crowd didn't get it. They were too focused on their stomachs to understand that unless they come to Christ to get their fill of the Bread of Life, they will die and not receive the gift of eternal life He was offering them.
How many times do we miss the mark on a specific point someone is making? It goes right over our heads, because we only listen with our heads and not our hearts. Sometimes we need to open our spiritual eyes in order to see what it is God is trying to teach us. We need to stop focusing on our physical hunger and start realizing we also have a spiritual hunger that can only be satisfied by the Bread of Life.