Make Over FUN! And Magic Too!

By CountryDutchess.com

Okay, let's see a show of hands:

How many of you have lusted after that too fabulous brunette Katie Holmes bob - but were scared to death to shore off your own long blond tresses?

And how many of you have secretly always wanted to be a beach blonde ...but wouldn't dare take the plunge for fear of looking like Baywatch 1985?

And finally, how many of you have spent HOURS and we mean HOURS online searching for the perfect make up shade, only to have it arrive and ...well, you know the rest. There's a drawer in your bathroom vanity overflowing with product and color mistakes!

Well...what if we told you there was not only a way to avoid all those color/product mishaps - but also find the absolute perfect shade of everything from foundation to blush to eye liner and shadow, lipstick and gloss .... AND try on a zillion new hair colors and hair dos ....ALL WITHOUT LEAVING YOUR COMFY BED????

Well you can do it! And you can do it for FREE at RealBeauty.com - the most sensational new website with a beauty tool so revolutionary it will 4Ever change the way you shop for , well, just about any make up or hair coloring ( or cut or style) around!

To play the new "do -it-yourself- make-up-maven" simply upload a photo to the site ( which by the way is super fast and soooo easy ). Or if you don't have one handy, just grab an image off your webcam or use one the images they provide that most looks like you.

Then, press one button and be presented with a dazzling array of NAME BRAND make up products in all the most popular colors - which, magically, mysteriously, almost downright mystically you can apply to your picture, with just ONE CLICK ! ( And by the way, make sure you notice the slider bars under the palette selections which allow you to control how much make up you want to apply!

Brands include MAC, Smashbox, Cargo, Estee Lauder, ELF, Covergirl, Olay, Almay, Stila - and many more - all in the newest, most popular shades!

You can choose eye shadow colors, mascaras, liners, blush, bronzers, lipsticks and foundations - and vary the coverage as well as the intensity.

Then when you're all done, select a fabulous new hairstyle - and, well, you'll hardly know it's you!

We tried it - and here is the results:



Can you Believe IT? We couldn't, so we tried it again!

And again!

TOO MUCH FUN!

Now if you're dying to jump right over to RealBeauty.com and give it a try, we don't blame you! But to make sure you get great results, here are few tips.

1. Think of your face as a blank canvas - so choose a photo where you are wearing the least amount of make up possible. If you can take one with a freshly scrubbed face you'll get the most true results in terms of choosing make up colors and foundation coverage.
2. If you choose a photo where your hair is pulled back off your face you'll have the widest selection of new hair styles to choose from. Hint: Only a few styles have bangs so if your photo has bangs they're going to be in every picture.
3. Photos which feature head and shoulders to about mid bustline work best in terms of spacing new hairdos and touches like lashes. If you find that the lashes are place too far off your face, choose a different photo.
4. Pictures where you are facing straight out forward work best for choosing hair styles.
5. Don't overlook the pink button that lets you resize your face when trying on hair styles. It's easy to use and keeps your new portrait from looking like your 5 year old niece went bonkers with crayons!

Now a few cautions:

1. The system isn't perfect and you may need to try a few different photos before you net the one that works best.
2. There is an ultra annoying pop up screen that appears on the lower portion of the make over page that continues to POP UP at maddening rate. The best way around this: Use your scroll feature to get your makeover picture as high up as possible so you can ignore the pop up screen. By the way, joining does not make it go away.
3. The makeover tool is not obvious when you first arrive at the site. You'll have to highlight "Skin and Make UP" first and then click on the first link : "Instant Make Up Makeover". You'll have access to all the tools including hair styles.
4. Skip hair color. This is the one tool that's not perfected. Instead of changing your hair color it just puts a murky funny looking shadow on your entire picture. That said, some head shots do work better than others, so it might be worth giving it a try.

So, there you have it! Instant makeover magic - and a way to finally get that "Should I be a platinum blonde" thought out of your head once and for all! Now you can be ....without getting all that stinky bleach in your eyes ! ;)

For round-the-clock fabulous time & money saving beauty and style advice visit CheapChicDiary.com - or visit us anytime at CountryDutchess.com - Your Source For Fabulous Fashion Jewelry & Accessories - on a budget!

Copyright by ElleMediaNetwork - 2010 All Rights Reserved.In addition to US Copyright, the text of this CheapChicDiary article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.

Color Me Beautiful ...and SMART!

By CountryDutchess.com

Okay, let's see a show of hands : How many have squeeled with ecstatic delight on finding the PERFECT shade of make-up....only to come home and discover it makes us look like Morticia from the Adam's Family ( and no, you didn't really want to !) ? Uh huh...we thought so. That's because EVERYBODY makes this mistake!

The reason? Our make up experts tell us we are all caught up in the "pink vs yellow" corundum - a debate that, at least according to our favorite make up guru Daniel Chinchilla,
shouldn't really exist!

" Your foundation should always be yellow based. It is what looks most natural on the skin. Nobody is PINK, and when you wear a pink-based foundation, it looks too rosy or it makes you look sick instead of giving you a healthy ," says Chinchilla, creator of Beauty Perfecting Mineral Fluid one of our super fav foundations.

While you may have some pink in your skin, says Chinchilla, your undertones will always be yellow.

What you should do, however, is look for the shade of yellow that works best on you.

"Some yellows are are a little warmer than others so they are right for those people that have some pink in their skin, " says Chinchilla.

To find the best match for your complexion, Chinchilla says always look to try foundation on your jawline and not the back of your hand!

" It is best to choose a color that matches your jawline perfectly, or is a tad bit darker if you are planning on getting some sun," he says.

BEST COLOR TIP: DO NOT rely on bronzer to darken up your foundation, it will make your makeup look “muddy”.

Put The Pow in Powder!

When it comes to buying powder, however, the color rules change just a bit. If you have combination/oily skin go for a powder that is slightly lighter than your complexion. Why?

"As the powder absorbs your oils throughout the day, it will get darker and you will have your perfect match, " says Chinchilla.

If it's powder over foundation, choose a translucent shade with no color so you don't change the shading of your foundation. Remember, whatever color you put on your face last will be the color that people see first.

BEST TOUCH UP TIP: " Never use a foundation powder (dual powder) to touch up your makeup throughout the day. They are intended to be put on once and re-applying will result in your makeup looking dry and heavy," says Chinchilla. Instead, try a light dusting of translucent powder to refresh your look.

Finding The Perfect Concealer: Look For This:

When choosing a concealer, Chinchilla says look for peach tones to cancel out darkness under the eyes. Pink and yellow concealers can make the skin look ashy and unnatural. If you're looking to hide a few of those smile lines around your eyes, try liquid concealer instead of cream. Chinchilla says they blend better, look more natural, and are less likely to go into the fine lines and make them more prominent!

For round-the-clock fabulous time & money saving beauty and style advice visit CheapChicDiary.com - or visit us anytime at CountryDutchess.com - Your Source For Fabulous Fashion Jewelry & Accessories!

Don't Miss the new SUMMER EXOTICS COLLECTION Exclusively at CountryDutchess.com






!Copyright ElleMedia 2010 - All Rights Reserved.In addition to US Copyright, the text of this CheapChicDiary article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. AllFormatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.

Summer Nail Care Tips

By CountryDutchess.com

Nails looking a little ragged? Manicure budget now going towards the rent? You're not alone babycakes! When the going gets tough, the tough start doing their own nails! It's practically a fact!

But while it may be easy to swish on some polish and go, when it comes to summer nail care -including those sandal -baring tootsie nails - if you're like most of us, you're at a loss about what to do!(That's what you get for reading the National Enquirer instead of paying attention to what you nail tech was doing! )

But not to worry, we've got you covered! We've consulted with Dr. Dana Stern - one of our favorite New York City dermatologists - who has a slew of summer nail care tips for keeping your fingers and toes looking great even on a tiny budget!

Nail Care Tip 1: Use nail hardeners sparingly – or not at all. " The take home message here is that products used in salons are not miracle cures – and a lot of them do more damage than good, and this is particularly true of nail hardeners," says Stern. She reminds us that healthy nails are flexible nails, so to keep yours from breaking try massaging them with a natural oil ( like vitamin E) and skip the nail hardeners.

Nail Care Tip 2: Ditch the acetone-based polish removers – The one product that all dermatologists agree you should avoid if you have brittle nails are the acetone nail polish removers – it has been documented time and again that it strips the nails, causing them to become brittle. In fact, that's the finding of a new nail study jconducted at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City where Stern says she and her colleagues also found that women who have professional manicures have more nail breakage than those who do their own nails at home - mostly due to the harsh chemicals used by many salons.

Nail Care Tip 3: Avoid orange emery boards - They cause small cracks and fissures in nails that lead to breakage and tears. Instead, opt for a smooth diamond file – and never “saw” those nails back and forth. File in one direction only and do it slow and easy to reduce the risk of breakage.

Nail Care Tip # 4: Switch Shampoos! Yes you read right shampoo! What most women never realize, says Stern, is that shampoo can be the culprit behind nails that are dry, brittle and prone to breakage. This she says is true even if your hair looks great! The reason? Many shampoos contain detergents – particularly those for oily hair or the ones that add volume,. Both can strip oils in order to give hair more fullness - but in the process, also strip nails of vital oils necessary to stay strong! The solution? If you just love your shampoo, make certain to condition nails with a cuticle oil after ea ch and every hair washing. It will put back what you took out during the shampoo!

Nail Care Tip # 5: Take biotin supplements - In several studies researchers found that biotin supplements (a member of the B vitamin family) increased nail thickness and prevented splitting and breaking. In one German study of 71 people with severe nail problems, 2.5 mg of Biotin daily for several months benefited everyone in the study – with 91% citing significant improvement. Results are apparent in about two to three weeks.

Nail Care Tip # 6: To Avoid Chips, Wrap Nail in Color - Swoosh some polish under the nail tip allowing it to “wrap” your entire nail. .This will protect the ends from cracks and splits and help the color stay on longer.

Nail Care Tip # 7: Never Polish Nails Before Bedtime – While this applies more to toes than fingers, the issue here is cotton sheets, which can leave marks and dents in a nail finish. The key is to put at least two hours between the time your nails are dry and the time you slip between the sheets. You'll be amazed at how much longer your manicure will last if you do!


Earrings and Photo courtesy of CountryDutchess.com

For round-the-clock fabulous time & money saving beauty and style advice visit CheapChicDiary.com - or visit us anytime at CountryDutchess.com - Your Source For Fabulous!

Copyright by ElleMedia 2010 - All Rights Reserved.In addition to US Copyright, the text of this CheapChicDiary article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. AllFormatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.