Beauty Best Buy: Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure

7:10pm: Slick on hot pink lip gloss. Tonight's is MAC LustreGlass Lip Gloss in Venetian.

7:10pm and 30 seconds: Catch a glimpse of my obnoxiously peeling blue nail polish as I'm finishing my lips. Alarm! Alarm! The day got away from me, and now, in the 11th hour, I remember I forgot to get a mani. I have 10 minutes before my husband and I leave for a first date with another couple. Ah! My husband can rely on his solid handshake and eye contact to make a good first impression, but for a woman, nails are the x-factor that say it all. Chipped nails don't exactly scream polished, put-together or stylish. My options are slim. I can either a) sit on my hands during our dinner, but that's not going to fly being that I'm a hand talker and hungry or b) wiggle myself out of this beauty pinch pronto.

Shades from Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Collection

7:11: I remember a PR person recently sent me a sampling of shades from the new Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure collection. The new formula is supposed to take care of all 5 steps of a manicure in one bottle (base coat, strengthener, growth treatment, color, top coat). Hoping I'm not falling prey to a marketing gimmick that exploits every woman's weakness --time savers -- I bet on Sally and hope she comes to the rescue. After quickly removing the polish remnants, I whip out my Sally lacquer in the silvery hue Pedal to the Medal.

What I'm wearing now: Sally Hensen Pedal to the Medal

7:15: I'm not very experienced in DIY manicures and don't have the steadiest hand, but the wide, flat brush made it so easy to apply the color to my entire nail bed in one swipe, and I never went outside the lines. All it took was two coats, and my nails are stunning in silver with 5 minutes to spare for drying time! I'm hooked on Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure! Thank you Sally for this time-saving manicure-in-a-bottle. My nails feel and look great, and this paint has definitely earned itself the title of my Product Of The Week.

Best Hot Tools For Your Hair,Hair, waves, curling iron, Hot Tools, remington, Sultra

We're all on the quest for enlightenment. My "aha" moments are not always as profound as Oprah's, but they do come. A few years back I was meeting with a top hairstylist who was showing me how to create the Victoria's Secret waves every women wants (heck, we may not be blessed with those Amazons' curves, so at least let our hair have their body). He whipped out the curling iron and went to town twirling sections of my hair around the wand. The thing is, he never once touched the clunky clamp that is normally used to set the curl. That was my OMG moment. Who knew it was a million times easier to curl your hair by simply wrapping it around the barrel, holding hair in place for a few seconds and then gently loosening your grip. This instantly became one of my favorite tips, and I've been sharing it ever since. Well ladies, the curling iron community has finally caught on. Two of my favorite new models are sleek and simple sans the old fashioned, hard-to-use clamp.

Sultra's Bombshell curling iron has a one-inch rod and comes with gloves so your fingertips can perfectly style each kink without being bothered by the heat.

Remington's new TIStudio Pearl Ceramic Professional Styling Wand is designed like a cone (it's narrower at the tip and wider at the base) so you can create skinny and fat curls and also comes with a heat-protective glove.

I stopped by Ulta on State St. for the product launch and learned that not only does the iron have a smart design, the new T-Studio line, which also includes a dryer, hot roller set and a flat iron, is made with a breakthrough Pearl technology that infuses a heat-protective and shine-enhancing silicone-based conditioner into strands. I spoke with said celeb hairstylist Richard Marin (shown below), a favorite of Megan Fox, Tina Fey and Cindy Crawford, who said he's a fan. "The technology makes hair shiny and gives it better slip so it's easier to work with."

What I'm Loving Right Now -- Nars Vintage Nail Polish

If I'm not a big enough name to convince you that the new limited-edition Nars polishes are as coveted as a vintage Versaci, look to celebs including Jada Pinkett Smith and fashionistas like Rachel Zoe (shown left), who are crazy for the stunning shades. The release of the Vintage collection re-introduces five high-gloss lacquers with a longwear formula that's water and detergent resistant. United by the theme of classic cinema, each color is named for a movie and its original launch date is listed. I'm mesmerized by Zulu. What about you?

Mash (1996): Army green infused with gold; King Kong (1996): Copper brown infused with gold; Midnight Express (1996): Deep navy; Zulu (1996): Forest green; Full Metal Jacket (1998): Gunmetal grey

Click here to purchase the polishes ($16 each) while supplies last.

Tuesday Giveaway: Win Whooga Boots -- the New Uggs!

I cheated. The first day I felt a tinge of guilt. However, I'm so smitten, I'm going public with my new love affair and revealing my latest find to all of you -- Whoogas!

Whoogas are the new Uggs. I never thought I'd find a boot I'd be more attached to than my comfy Uggs. Then again, I never thought I'd go blonde.

Whoogas are made by an Australian company that uses Australian merino fleece. They look very similar to their competitors and ship directly form China just like major Ugg labels.

So why my change of heart? When Whooga first contacted me to try out a pair, I was skeptical. I was happy with my Uggs (I'm not a commitment-phoebe who's always looking for the next best thing). But, I indulged the offer and picked out a pair of the Short Gold Sheepskin Boots (shown above).

I don't like to think of myself as easy, but as soon as I slipped them on, I was sold. They're lightweight and cushiony. Even if you wanted to wear socks, I recommend you don't because the soft inner fleece feels like a blanket on your feet. And I have to say, they're amazingly good looking. The brushed metallic finish gives them a stylish edge that has earned me so many compliments, you'd think I was wearing $600 designer shoes!

I want to share the love so I'm giving 2 people the chance to win a pair of the $129 Short Gold Sheepskin Whoogas.

To enter to win, comment on this post with your shoe size, follow me on twitter (twitter.com/NPTheBeautyGirl) and RT this message.

How to Pluck Your Eyebrows

Once you have your pair of tweezers, plucking a naturally-shaped brow is simple. You should take into consideration the type of hair that makes up your brow: it is coarse or fine, light or dark? Do you plan to use eye pencil to enhance your brows, or do you prefer a natural solution? Fine, light eyebrows may need to be slightly thicker in order to establish them in the overall look of your face: light brows that are too thin will disappear, giving your face a rabbity look. Eye pencil is a great way to slightly darken super-blonde brows: choose a shade just slightly darker than your natural shade for a subtle enhancement. Thick, dark brows can be either professionally lightened at a salon or plucked slightly thinner to minimize their impact.

1. Start by patting your eyebrow with warm water to open the pores and make plucking less painful.
   
   
2. Getting eyebrows too thin is an even bigger mistake than leaving them too heavy, so start by plucking only the hairs that definitely don't belong. Pluck in the direction of the hair's growth to avoid irritating the skin.
   
   
3. Remove hairs between the brows, and then begin to clean up the area under the brow line by plucking the hairs that fall outside the main brow.
   
   
4. You may want to shorten your eyebrows if the hair continues past the outer corner of your eye.
   
   
5. Never pull out several hairs at once: that's a great way to get a "bald" look! Take out one at a time.
   
   
6. Once you have created a clean brow area, you can further define brows by adding or increasing a slight natural arch that rises just above the middle of your iris. Go carefully here and keep the arch very slight, or you will wear a look of perpetual surprise!
   
   
7. If your eyebrows are very thick, you may want to remove a few hairs growing in the middle of the brow. This should be undertaken carefully, since removing a defining hair can leave an empty patch in your eyebrows. Brush your eyebrow up with a small brush and see which hairs are too thickly grouped. Grasping a single hair with your tweezers, but without pulling it out, move the hair away from the rest of the brow to see the potential effect of permanently removing it. Does it leave a "hole"? If so, don't pluck it, but try another hair. When you can pull out a hair without leaving an empty space (the rest of the brow should brush back and neatly cover the tweezed area), remove the hair.
   
   
8. After plucking your eyebrows, dab them with witch hazel or tea tree oil to soothe the skin and prevent breakouts.
   
   
9. Pluck eyebrows (as the hairs regrow) from underneath to maintain a neat look.

Must Haves in Your Beauty Care Kit

Other additions to your beauty kit should include an eyelash curler and nail care tools. Curling your eyelashes only takes a minute and adds to the sparkle in your eyes. Just press the lashes into the eyelash curler, hold for a few seconds, and release. Your eyes will look brighter because the upwards-curling lashes will display your upper, inner eyelid rim. The whiteness of the rim combined with the white of your eye makes your iris appear brighter in contrast as well as giving your eyes a wide-awake look that's also appealing. And when it comes to dealing with fingernails and toenails, your beauty supply should definitely include a set of files, buffers, orange sticks and creams for at home manicures and pedicures.

At Home Pedicure and Manicures

There are few body parts that serve us as well as the foot. Our feet take us through the world, let us dance and explore, and wander around in shoes ranging from ratty sneakers to upscale heels and leather boots. Don't they deserve some special treatment from time to time? Here's how to keep your feet happy and healthy:

A foot bath. Now, you can certainly arrange a footbath during your regular bath, or you can fill a plastic tub with very warm water, essential oils or bath salts and lower your aching tootsies in. (If you have polish on your toes, remove it before starting to soak your feet). Soak for at least five minutes, and using a nail brush, give your toenails a good scrub, getting out lint, grime and whatever else accumulates under nails. Use a pumice stone to rub away calluses—but don't try to remove them in one sitting! Calluses take time to create and they take time to remove; often several months of pedicures will be needed before a callous is gone.

Clip your nails with a good pair of nail clippers, being careful not to cut any living skin. (Little tags of dead cuticle can be trimmed off, but if it hurts it's not dead, so don't cut it.) Round the nails slightly with a file so that sharp edges don't cut into the delicate skin of your toes. On the tops of toenails, smooth the nail with a file into a pretty, slightly curved shape.

Once you have finished clipping and filing your nails, you may want to give your feet another quick soak and scrub. Next, dry your feet and between your toes with a soft towel, and rub in a good cream. If you aren't planning to polish your toenails, rub them with essential oil or coconut oil to replenish the oils and restore shine lost during your pedicure, and your pedicure is done.

If you do plan to add polish, don't put cream or oils on your toenails or the polish won't adhere properly. Dry your feet, add cream to the foot but not the toenails, and follow with polish. You may want to put cotton puffs between your toes to prevent the polish from smudging before it dries. After a coat of polish, you may want to add a top coat in order to keep your polish from chipping.

Give Your Eyebrows the Perfect Shape

Perfectly shaped eyebrows take a lot of practice. And, since everyone is not blessed with full brows and great arches to work with, some women have to work a lot harder than others to have the same effects. Eyebrows are a focal point of your face—when they are done well, they add a beautiful touch to your eyes, make your cheekbones more noticeable, and give you a polished look. When they are not done well, everyone notices that they are crooked or overgrown, or that you have a perpetual look of surprise because you have too-high of an arch. Using the right pair of tweezers can make the difference between polished and poorly maintained brows. Whether you work best with slanted, flat, pointed, or dual-tipped ones, a great pair of tweezers is an important beauty tool that you can’t live without.

Beauty Care Made Easy with the Right Tweezers, Manicure and Pedicure Tools

Shopping for tweezers can be confusing because there are so many different shapes. Which tweezers are best for plucking eyebrows? Which kind should you buy for removing splinters? When it comes to shaping brows, creating the perfect arch or doing minor clean-up between waxing or threading, a great pair of tweezers can make the difference between staying hair-free and getting a little shaggy around the edges.

Celebrity eyebrows can be deal-breakers: where would Judy Garland have been without her thick, trademark brows? Eyebrows that enhance the beauty of the face are created by stylists and maintained by aestheticians. Waxing is one popular option in shaping brows, but because individual hairs grow at different rates, you sometimes need a more targeted approach. Slant-tip tweezers (try these from Tweezerman) are the acknowledged top of the line when it comes to defining the shape of the eye through a classical arch of the brow. Slant tips can grab the hair easily because they have more area than pointed tweezers, and because the pressure is stronger at the tip of the tweezers where it lies closest to the skin, the hair is easier to pull from the follicle.

Beauty Benefits of Goats Milk Based Soaps and Skin Care Products

Milk based soaps have recently been rediscovered, largely due to the current research on milk proteins that is teaching consumers about the way skin benefits from contact with whey protein and lactic acid. Lactic acid helps smooth skin by exfoliation, and milk also contains Vitamins A and D, whose benefits include giving skin strength and suppleness. Many milk based soaps are made of goat's milk, which has the same ph as human skin. Goats produce a high fat, creamy milk that's easily digested because its molecules are smaller than those of cow's milk.

People allergic to cow's milk often drink goat's milk instead because of the protein profile of goat's milk, which more closely resembles that of human milk, and which makes goat milk easier to digest. The other upside of using goats' milk in all kind of products is the fact that goats are more easily farmed than cows or sheep: they forage on all kinds of feed, are resistant to injury and disease and are providers of wool, meat and milk.

How is goat’s milk soap made?

But you can't make soap from milk alone. Other ingredients could include natural oils from seeds, nuts, and vegetables, such as soybeans or coconuts. Soap has two main ingredients; lye and fat. When lye combines with a fat, chemical interaction hardens the oils, creating a bar of hard soap. When our great-grandmothers made their all natural soap, they used wood ashes and lard: the ashes were soaked in water, which leached out lye. Cooking lard with lye created soap. Original lye soaps were unscented and very harsh. They were also used for scrubbing laundry and floors, so their harshness helped pioneers get their clothes and homes—as well as their families—clean.

Why soap making is usually left to professional crafters

Today, you can make your own soap much more easily than the pioneers did. Buy soapmaking ingredients online, at some craft stores, or at co-ops and natural food stores. Lye is a caustic agent though, and you have to be careful when using it because when it's undiluted, it can eat holes in your skin as easily as it can destroy your clothes. There are rules for working with lye; never make lye-based soaps as a fun craft for children; it's just too dangerous. But once lye combines with fats and saponification takes place, it's no longer the caustic agent it started out as. If you aren’t crafty, but still want access to milk based soaps, there are many online retailers online that sell this wonderful soap.

If you want to try soapmaking at home but don't want to deal with lye, the easiest, gentlest soap in the world can be made with three ingredients; glycerin, water and scent. Glycerin is derived from fat, either animal or vegetable and can be bought in blocks or chips at any place that sells soapmaking supplies. Melt glycerin on the stove over a low temperature, add essential or fragrance oils for scent or food coloring for hue, then pour the liquid into soap molds. When the soap is cooled, simply unmold it.

What ingredients, like scent and exfoliants, are added to homemade milk soap?

Aromatherapy soaps include natural and organic scents such as lavender, vanilla, and rose oils. For aromatherapy purposes, only buy soaps scented with organic essential oils; "fragrance" oils are based on synthetic chemicals and don't have the beneficial neurological properties of essential oils.

Adding ingredients like goat's milk to a soap base as a liquid ingredient allows the beneficial properties of the milk to become part of the cleanser. You can use regular or powdered milk in soapmaking. (For a classic milk bath without soapmaking, add a cup or two of milk powder to hot water and climb in for a skin-smoothing soak). Other healthy ingredients include oils like olive oil, almonds, oatmeal, honey, herbal ingredients, vitamins and exfoliants like cornmeal or coffee grounds. Soaps of synthetic glycerin and organic soy milk or soy protein are a vegan bathing delight. There are recipes for therapeutic use, acne prevention and sensitive complexion and body care. Homemade soap makes a marvelous gift, too!

Do it Yourself: Make Your Own Natural Beauty Products at Home

Beauty doesn't have to be expensive. Everything you need to make your own natural beauty products can be found right in your kitchen. Whether you want to avoid the chemicals in commercial beauty products, save money, or live a greener life, you can create a complete beauty regimen with a few simple, natural ingredients.

The Basics for DIY Beauty Products

When you're ready to raid your fridge, go for the three basics first. Honey, oatmeal, and eggs can be combined with a variety of ingredients to make natural hair products as well as natural skin care treatments.

Honey can Moisturize

The benefits of honey are manifold. The water, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants that constitute honey make it an ideal hydration choice for both skin and hair.

Have dry skin? Honey is a humectant—it pulls in and helps retain moisture. Poor some into a hot bath and soak in it. For even softer skin, add a little whole or powdered milk. When your bath is over, mix some honey with eggs and yogurt and apply liberally for a refreshing mask that will tighten and purify your skin.

Struggling with dry, frizzy hair? Just add a little olive oil to your honey, egg and yogurt mixture, and turn your mask into a conditioner!

Oatmeal Exfoliates

Oatmeal is a natural exfoliant that can help soothe dry, itchy or irritated skin. As a bonus, the beta-glucans found in oatmeal aid in skin firming and regeneration and make oatmeal a perfect ingredient for a cleanser. Just mix with water and powdered milk or brewer’s yeast for a refreshing face wash.

Suffering from sunburn or summer mosquito bites? Add powdered oatmeal to a warm bath and soak in it for some quick relief.

Eggs Cleanse & Strengthen

Eggs are a versatile base for many beauty products, from scrubs to masks to hair conditioners. The lysozymes contained in egg whites fight bacteria and help cleanse skin. A mask made of egg whites and honey will draw out impurities and clear up blackheads while also smoothing, firming and hydrating.

Eggs are also chock full of protein, which, when used as a base for shampoo or conditioner, will strengthen and add volume to your hair.

Assemble Your Ingredients…And Experiment!

The best thing about making your own beauty products is the endless way to combine ingredients. Gather your do-it-yourself basics and some fruits and vegetables and go wild! Put cucumbers or potatoes over your eyes; slather mayonnaise in your hair; mix egg whites and lemon juice for a toner; the possibilities—and benefits—are endless.