Categorizing our skin type gets rather difficult, and we often incorrectly assume that we have combination skin. This leads to a constant battle with the same old pesky skin troubles. Hence, knowing your exact skin type is crucial, as you can then choose products, which will give you the desired results. You must be wondering how are you to find out your skin type? Don’t worry; we have come to your rescue.

Finding your skin type
Oily: If you are constantly battling with the heavy flow of sebum on your face, it means you have oily skin. Another giveaway is the greasy residue that accumulates on the surface of our skin through the course of the day.

Dry: If your skin feels taut, means you have dry skin. To be sure of this you should not apply a moisturizer for an entire day, and if at the end of the day your skin feels stretched and parched, you can be sure you have dry skin.

Sensitive: Sensitive skin is prone to redness and flushes. The higher histamine level in the body makes the skin extra sensitive and more susceptible to inflammatory conditions like Psoriasis, Rosacea and Eczema. .

Combination skin: Combination skin is also called normal skin by many people. People who have this type of skin have medium pores across their facial skin. People with combination skin have healthy looking colour with good circulation.

Acne prone: The cause of acne prone skin is due to larger pore size or over reactive skin, this in most case’s, is due to genetics. A person’s age determines whether the acne is bacterial, hormonal or even hereditary. Consistent and careful care is the only way of ridding your skin of acne. In more severe cases, it is advised to visit a dermatologist.

Dull/Ageing skin: The skin starts aging on the basis of one’s age and the environmental factors to which you have been exposed. Sun exposure and high stress levels are the most common factors. Things like pigmentation, blotching, fine lines, wrinkling and sagging are all results of a lack of collagen and are the characteristic signs of aging skin.

Read the ingredients at the back of the product carefully to choose the one that perfectly suits your skin.

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•  EMBRACE ANTIOXIDANTS – Anti – oxidants are something that prevent free radicals in your skin, thus making it look younger, tighter and healthier. Oxidation of skin is caused due to pollution, smoke and constantly facing the elements of nature. What your skin needs is a safeguard against all these! And where do you get these safeguards? It’s easy; there are plenty of antioxidant rich foods to make your skin dance with joy. You can gorge on berries as they are one of the richest sources of antioxidants – it’s the strawberry season – so load up! Try the tuna fish salad or sub next time you are eating out – you’ll just up your antioxidant quotient. And if all this isn’t enough – sip on white tea and green tea – enough to arm you against those menacing free radicals.

• SIMPLIFY – All that glitters isn’t gold. Just because that lipstick cost you a wallet scrunching amount of money does not ensure its quality. Be sensible about what you buy. Make sure what you buy suits your skin. Ask for expert help if required. And honey, don’t apply everything from your vanity closet on your face. Stick to sunscreen, moisturiser and light make up. You can look gorgeous with just this much!

• SING THE SUNSCREEN SONG – Listen to the song and follow the advice – you need sunscreen! Skin cancer cases world over are rising at an alarming rate. All it takes to protect yourself is some sunscreen. Anything with an SPF count of 15 is enough to keep you going. Don’t forget that sunscreens are not just for the summers – the sun rises during winters as well and can cause as much damage. So do yourself, your skin and your life a favour and use sunscreen!

So what are we waiting for…skin care products do work wonders but they alone can’t get us that lustrous gleam we all crave for. What we need is a skin resolution for the New Year.

Following these simple steps is a sure road to success – unblemished, youthful, clear skin!

• STRESS – DESTRESS – Hectic lives, hectic schedules, crazy working conditions, late nights, early mornings, client screaming, boss yelling, life falling apart – sounds familiar? If all this gets you down, doesn’t it? How do you think your skin reacts? Your skin needs relaxation too. Heck, it’s the largest organ in your body and you better pay attention to its needs or it is going to revolt. Revolt with bags under your eyes, dark circles, wrinkles and skin that looks dead. Want to avoid it? Take a break. Pamper your skin to some good night’s sleep. Don’t speak to that pest of a boy friend one night or skip that boring party and sleep. Get your honey to massage you one day or book yourself an exclusive distressing massage at a spa. Need more tips? Try using aromatic sea salt scrubs when you take a bath – your skin will thank you for it!

•  TRASH IT – Are you one of those who can’t throw away that vitamin-something-enriched-face-hand-foot-etcetera- cream you bought a year ago because you spent a bomb on it? Well then you are definitely heading for disaster! Nothing can cause as much harm to your skin as products that have been sitting on your vanity shelf long after their expiry date. Anything moist provides a favourable environment for bacteria to grow. Also, every time you use a product, a lot of bacteria are transferred from your fingers to the product. Dermatologists recommend that you throw away any product that has been with you for over a year as it could cause more damage than prevent it. As far as cosmetics are concerned – the time period is even shorter – 3 months. Cosmetics include a lot of chemicals and synthetic colours that degrade after a point of time. You need to update your vanity bag every three months to make sure what you use isn’t causing you any harm.

•  CLEAN UP – Dirt, sweat and grime – numero uno enemies of your skin. Learn to wash your face at least 3 – 4 times a day. This simple routine could save a lot o trouble later on. A clean skin looks good, is healthy and makes you look fresh. Nothing can refresh you more than a splash of nice cold water on your face after that really long and boring meeting in the afternoon. Use a good face wash and dry your skin after washing it. Keeps stress, weariness, bacteria and pimples at bay!

The look: Colour eye shadow.
Making use of exquisite bold shimmering brown’s and dazzling gold eye shadow in order to highlight your eyes for a night out would catch everyone’s attention. “When selecting eye shadow one must consider a blend of warm and cool colour palettes” say experts at Oriflame.

Get the look: 1. Start by creating a layering effect using bright shades of purple, neon green and blue blended into neutral cream, mauve, gold, grey and bronze shadows. 2. Pastel eye shadow goes perfectly with a hint of shimmer, on your primer.

 The look: Thick & dark eyebrows

The trend of thinly plucked eyebrows has been passed over, the in thing now is having natural and thick eyebrows. Even runway trends depict this to be a style statement and the newest trend.

Get the look: 1. Combing your eyebrows upwards helps giving you a more prominent brow arch. 2. If sparse, use an eye pencil to fill your eyebrows lightly, keeping in mind the shape of your face.

 The look: Winged eyeliner

Cleopatra eyes or the winged eyeliner was made largely popular by actresses like Sharmila Tagore and Audrey Hepburn. The subtle elongation at the tip of the eye, hand in hand with the swept-up hair or a bouffant, set pulses racing and bred romance across hearts everywhere.

Get the look: 1. Use a pen or a liquid liner to apply the eyeliner. 2. Make it thicker as you curve up the wing. 3. Another good tip is to draw a slightly winged line for the day, which could be made bolder for the night.

 The look: Nude lips

When you wear bold and glossy make up; it’s often difficult to strike that balance and look subtle and classy. One great solution is nude lips as they accentuate our natural features.

Get the look: 1. Firstly, you must make sure your lips are well exfoliated. 2. Gloss your lips to a nice shimmering nude or a sheer nude depending on your preference and mood. 3. Never go to dark or to light with the shade in accordance to your skin tone. 4. Also, lining your lips just a slight bit would make for further definition.

The look: Flushed cheeks

Contradictory to the bronzed cheeks that everyone’s sported for quite some time, we see a revival of the delicately flushed, pastel pink cheeks.

Get the look: 1. This look tied with minimal make up suits milky skin the best. 2. To apply, use a tinted moisturizer and apply blush on the top, this will help keep the blush on longer. 3. Match your lipstick in similar flushed natural shades.

 Article source:

http://idiva.com/photogallery-style-beauty/get-the-look-2012-make-up-trends/10331

DRINK WATER:

The first and foremost thing to be kept in mind is drinking an ample amount of water to keep our skin hydrated. Carrying a bottle of water at all times is essential. Another great alternative is drinking herbal tea to escape the cold. Keeping your skin hydrated will ensure you have that fabulous healthy glow to your skin, so drink up ladies and let’s not let our skin go thirsty.

USE A SUNSCREEN:

Just because summer’s over doesn’t mean the use of sunscreen is as well. You must remember to apply at least a 15 SPF sunscreen before stepping out of the house. Apart from the sun this will guard you skin against the other elements. Another great tip is mixing your sunscreen with a moisturizer as your skin would gain the benefit of both products here.

EXFOLIATE:

A good body scrub and a facial exfoliant greatly help digging out and removing all the dead skin cells from your body. Adding this to your skin cleansing routine at least once a week is vital. Apart from you, even your skin will feel fresh and rejuvenated. We can now, move on to moisturizing.

Don’t lick your lips:

This is something which we involuntarily do when the weather starts getting chilly, and not so surprisingly it leads to our lips getting further chapped. A simple solution to this is to carry a lip balm in your purse at all times.

Fingernails and toenails are decisive indicators of a person’s state of health. Maintaining a healthy and well-balanced diet is one of the primary ways to having good nail health. Plenty of protein and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables is the key. Another integral thing to be kept in mind is maintaining good water intake, at least six to eight glasses of water a day. Apart from keeping us hydrated during the hot summer, water also creates moisture for nails.

Some of the frequently asked questions when it comes to keeping your nails spick and span are:

Q. I have weak nails that break easily. How do I tackle this persistent problem?

Solution: Nails that break easy (chip, peel, crack) – are indications of poor nutrition and a lack of protein and minerals in the body. You should drink carrot juice as it’s very rich in vitamin A, which your body needs. Also consuming food which is high in zinc and calcium would greatly help you. Another effective measure would be using the Oriflame Beauty Nail Food regularly; this would result in visibly stronger nails.  

Q. I want my nail polish to last for a long time. How can I make this happen?

Solution: The best possible solution would be to first apply your desired nail polish and then apply a top coat over it. This would definitely help in making your nail polish last for a longer span of time.   

Q. I have rough and uneven cuticles. Can you suggest a few products that could change this?

Solution: Factors like the weather, climate and harsh conditions all affect your cuticles by making them dry which leads to cracking and peeling. Apart from the pain it causes a person it also makes the edges of your nails look very worn out and unhealthy. One great product you could use is the Oriflame Beauty Cuticle Remover Gel. This would condition and soften the cuticle area. This particular product contains tomato and cucumber juices, sweet almond and olive oil. All one needs to do is apply the product and push back the cuticles using the applicator.

These days, women seem to be quite careful about their nails. Chipping of a nail is worse than heartache for almost all of us and therefore taking the utmost care of our nails is mandatory for us. Hence we should maintain a healthy diet as it affects our skin, body and even our nails.

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The biggest challenge a girl faces while choosing make up is ‘What’s the right product for me?’ We keep getting emails upon emails from countless number of women out there fretting over which product will be perfect for so-and-so skin type…what colour lipstick works best with a dark/fair/wheatish skin tone…is it OK for someone with oily/dry/combination skin to us such-and-such cream and many more!

We know, it’s not an easy task to find the perfect combination of skin care products and make up to suit one’s skin type and tone! So, we decided to make life a little easier for all of you.

We’ve developed an amazing app that not only allows you to find the perfect product for you based on your skin type and tone, but also takes into account your personality and your character traits! Wondering how we managed to pull this trick? Well, the answer lies in the amazing Oriflame Make-up Horoscope app.

While this app takes into account your skin tone and type, what sets it apart is the fact that is also takes your zodiac sign into consideration. This means not only looks at the details of your skin, but also gives you truly personalized recommendations based on the kind of person you are and the kind of character traits you have.

All you need to do is choose your zodiac sign, skin tone and skin type, and voila! You will get a perfect description of your skin and what would best suit you. For example, if you’re a Gemini with wheatish dry skin, some products you must use would be (insert name here) body lotion with green tea extract, an Oriflame Beauty Lip Balm and a Giordano Gold Lush Fascination Mascara.

So what are you waiting for? Visit our Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/zK3X3A and give this remarkable app a try. Oh! And don’t forget to let us know what your beauty-scope was! We’re waiting to hear from you!

Heading to an exciting Christmas party this year? Here’s how you can flaunt a perfect festive look :-

Radiant Face: Create a natural look shades of makeup that is “nude” Apply a foundation that creates a silky-smooth look that will give you an impeccable matte finish that lasts. Get a sun-kissed look with a bronzer that will give the needed radiance on your face.

Products recommended:

- Oriflame Beauty Matte Control Foundation: http://bit.ly/vXLo4K

- Giordani Gold Bronzing Pearls – Natural Radiance: http://bit.ly/sM2XQX

Elegant Eyes: Eyes are perhaps one of the “strengths” for many women and Christmas Eve is a good time to highlight and to paint them as never before. Create “smokey eyes” that will definitely draw some attention towards you, but if you want to vary slightly from last year you can create purple and lilacs eyes well. Do not forget to apply two coats of mascara, but before you do yourself curly lashes so they look beautifully arched and bulky.

Products recommended:

- Oriflame Pure Colour Eye Shadow Palette Blues & Lilacs http://bit.ly/w20MRe

- Oriflame Beauty Eye Liner Stylo: http://bit.ly/uddKvl

- Oriflame Beauty 2FX Mascara – Black: http://bit.ly/uUkNrh Lush lips: Red is one of the colors that symbolize Christmas. Create vibrant lips with a lip liner giving a precise pout. Use the liner to give a curved effect. Complete with a rich red colour, OB Triple Core Lipstick -Dazzling Cherry is ideal; and now you’re ready to-go!’

Products recommended:

- OB Triple Core Lipstick 4g Dazzling Cherry: http://bit.ly/uXlpR2

- Giordani Gold Gloss Supreme: http://bit.ly/sjZtpF

Soap bars are the most traditional and proven method of personal cleansing.
The first known soap bar was a mixture of boiled fats and ashes, and actually used for hair styling in Ancient Babylon (around 2800 B.C.).

Around 1500 B.C., the Egyptians mixed animal and vegetable oils with alkaline salts to treat skin diseases and for washing their skin.

By the 17th century, soap-making in Europe had become an established craft. The main producers were Italy, Spain and France; countries which also produced the raw materials for soap bars, such as olive oil. At this time, soaps were produced by mixing vegetable and animal oils, plants and fragrances.

By the 19th century, modern soap production techniques had developed and soaps could be produced in large scale, ushering in soap production as we know it today.

Click here to view our range of soap bars: http://bit.ly/vHD1nO

Even if you are in a hurry, always remember to splash cold water on your face. This will help to constrict the blood vessels and reduces puffiness around the eyes. Click here to view our products: http://in.oriflame.com/products/

Never forget the three basis steps: Cleansing-Toning-Moisturising !

All Eyes on you: Our eyes can reveal that we are tired, sad or frustrated. Dark circles can kill your look and make you look like a zombie. You can hid these by using a good concealer and foundation. Further, a touch of kajal and a mascara can make your eyes look brighter.

Chubby cheeks : A sweep of blush on the apples of your cheek can open up your face. A cream or liquid based blush goes on faster, than a powder-based one. For the day, stick to a matt colours like beige, pink and at night go more sparkly and dramatic colours like red, maroon etc.

luscious lips: With the winter approaching its very important to protect your lips by using a good lip balm.  Use a lip gloss to give you a shiny finish.

Nail it: Nail care is extremely important because your hands are always visible. Dirty or unkempt nails can ruin your look. Use a buffer to make them shiny. A hot red or a pretty pink shade can cover the dirt in your nails and make them look freshly manicured. A French Manicure is the safest bet. It gives a very sophisticated touch!

Healthy & lustrous hair: Try to use mildly cold water while washing your hair. Finish, if possible, with cold water, this will close the cuticles. Hide oiliness, by sprinkling some baby powder on the scalp and then combing through. Messy hair can be quickly tied in a neat ponytail. Use mousse or gel to scrunch wavy hair to create pretty curls. Do not use a hairbrush until your hair is dry; the wet hair can be easily damaged. Let your hair dry naturally.

Now you’re all set to step out!