Puffiness

1. Caffeine has a natural effect in taking out that extra bulge in your eyes.  As a simple trick, save the teabag you used during your tea break ( Black Tea is preferred) – place it in a small container and refrigerate to keep it moist. Place the cooled tea bags in your eyes for 5 minutes. You may also look for eye creams that contain caffeine to help de-puff your eyes in the morning.
2. Limit your cocktails. Too much alcohol can cause dehydration and swelling on your peepers. Limit your alcoholic drinks to a glass or two, and drink a glass of water before and after to help keep hydration on check.
3. Get enough sleep.  Having that eight hour’s worth of sleep is the easiest and cheapest way to get rid of your puffy eyes. So try to make it a habit to hop into the sack by 10pm and get yourself ready for the sweetest dreams ever – and start waking up with a more radiant looking you. Do note and over-doing your sleep and going beyond 10 hours will also cause puffiness.
4. Lessen your salt intake.  Sodium causes bloating to our entire body and our eyes are not exempted. Limit your sodium and load up with water and that should lessen the swelling.

Dark Circles

1. Use SPF. Too much sun exposure can also cause darkening of the skin around your eyes. Look for an eye cream that has SPF to use during the daytime to get it protected.
2. Treat your eyes. A lot of eye creams now offer a range of benefits that fits your concern. Look for creams that specially target pigmentation and offer ingredients that repairs past sun damage.

Dryness

1. Less coffee, more water. Increase your water intake if your eyes start feeling dry. During this time, lessen your coffee intake as it has a diuretic effect that can further drive water loss.
2. Sleep without your eye makeup. Sleeping with makeup still on your face can actually cause irritation, and this does not exempt your eyes. Ensuring that you sleep with a clean face will help avoid unnecessary irritations and rashes. Keep in your bathroom a bottle of eye makeup remover to ensure that the ingredients are gentle to your eyes. You can also keep baby wipes near your bed just in times where you are just so tired to wash up.

Fine Lines and Wrinkles

1. Wear your shades. Over exposure to the sun causes premature ageing.  Make sure you don’t leave home without your favorite sunglasses to shade your eyes and prevent yourself from squinting from the sun’s rays. This will allow you to enjoy your day under the sun, protect your eyes and look your fashionably best.
2. Moisturize. We often put moisturizers on our face, but forget our eyes. Chose from a variety of eye creams to help keep your eyes moisturized to help prevent and delay those fine lines in your eyes. Avoid using face creams in your eyes, as they might cause undue irritation. In applying your eye cream, do use your ring finger and gently tap the cream around your eyes. Never rub the cream around your eyes as the pulling motion will only contribute to an earlier sagging of the skin around your eyes.
3. Careful with your eye makeup. All the pulling and tugging of your eyes will cause damage to the skin around your eyes. Use makeup brushes in applying your eye makeup – if you really want to use your finger, do use your ring finger for a more gentle application. When you remove your eye makeup, soak a cotton ball/ cotton pad with the solution and gently place over your eyes for at least 25 seconds and gently swipe it outwards.

1. Concealer + Lip Gloss = Nude Lipstick

   Using your lip brush, scrape off a small amount of concealer and blend with your favorite lip gloss. Once the consistency is smooth, apply to your lips for a very natural lip color.

2. Mineral Powder + Moisturizer = Tinted Moisturizer

   Create your personal tinted moisturizer and have that perfect blend of shade to fit your skin tone. As an added tip, look for a moisturizer that contains SPF to ensure better protection to your skin. Using a clean plate/ surface, blend-in the usual amount of moisturizer you use for a single application with a dash of mineral powder. You may opt to put more powder to get the right shade. Once texture is smooth, apply moisturizer to your face and neck for a natural and light coverage.

3. Lipstick + Moisturizer = Cream Blush

   Love the lipstick shade you have and wish you had a similar shade for your cheeks? Swipe your favorite lipstick at the back of your hand a couple of times (four to five times). Dab a small amount of moisturizer into the lipstick at the back of your hand and blend using your fingertips. Lightly tap the texture in the apples of your cheek for that cute and pinking flush.

4. Sugar + Olive Oil = Lip Scrub

   Make sure you have your kissable lips ready anytime by sloughing off dead skin cells and flakes by performing a do-it-yourself lip scrub. Mix a tablespoon of olive oil with a teaspoon full of granulated sugar and rub in a gentle circular motion to your kissers. Leave for 3 minutes and then rinse.

5. Lipstick + Talcum Powder = Long Wearing Lipstick

   Love your lip color, but you can’t seem to make it last longer? Pat lips dry and dust a light layer of talcum powder on your lips. Apply your favorite lipstick as you normally do, then dust another layer of talcum powder to seal-n the color.

Eyeliner

Most women who want their eyes to pop line their eyes incorrectly.  Look, unless you’re an Indian Goddess with huge, lotus-like eyes, you don’t need to line the upper and lower lids completely.  In fact, lining both lids actually makes the eyes appear smaller.  Instead, think Angelina Jolie.  Have you ever noticed her eyeliner?  It’s mainly on the upper lid, and it doesn’t go all the way to the inner corner.

Image via Wikipedia

Next, think shape.  You don’t want massive, Elizabeth-Taylor-playing-Cleopatra wingtips extending over your temple, because it detracts from your eye.  Try for a shape that makes your eyes look doe-like.  Thickness is also important.  You want just enough thickness to achieve the shape, but not so much thickness that all you can see is liner.

Finally, choose a color based on your eye color.  If you have blue eyes, choose black for maximum impact.  Green eyes pop in black, dark brown, and sometimes a dark blue.  Brown and black eyes should go for a dark teal or a purple.

Eyeshadow

You don’t want a smokey, heavily contoured eye.  You don’t want dramatic colors.  All you want is natural.  Pick a shade of eyeshadow that is one to two shades lighter than your skin but is still the same color.  You can also pick a really light shade of eyeshadow in the sand/bone/tan spectrum and apply a thin strip underneath your eyebrow.  Be sure to blend it well.  (Women of color, go for a lighter brown here.)

Eyebrows

Speaking of eyebrows, how do yours look?  Do they have a natural-looking shape?  Are they the right thickness?  If they’re too hairy they will make your eye seem smaller –  pluck them, or have them waxed or threaded.  If they’re too thin, get an eyebrow pencil or a matte eyeshadow the same color and fill them in.  Don’t underestimate how important your eyebrows are.

Mascara

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To achieve this look, you want thick, rich looking lashes.  Unless you’re a natural blond, get the darkest black mascara you can find.  (Blondes should get a brown-black.)  Beware the spiky, unnatural look that’s been popular for the last few years — anything unnatural looking will distract.

The Rest of Your Face

You don’t want any part of your makeup to detract from your eyes.  Pick a shade of lipstick that is rich but natural looking, or skip the lipstick altogether.  Wear a natural looking blusher or bronzer.  Put some conealer under your eye if you have circles.  Again, think of Angelina Jolie.  Her face is made up but looks very natural.

I hope these steps help you.  Please leave a comment if you have a question.

First, get some cotton swabs and soak a couple in baby oil or makeup remover.  Put these on the side so you can fix any minor mistakes as you go.  Or you may also consider buying a makeup eraser pen.

Second, identify the hand you write with.  This will be the hand with which you apply the eyeliner.  Practice holding the liner as you would hold a pencil or a paint brush — however feels comfortable to you.  Get ready to apply by either taking off the cap or loading your makeup brush.

Image by dreamglow via Flickr

Third, close the eye you want to line and very gently pull the skin next to your outer eye towards your hairline with the hand that isn’t holding the eyeliner.  The point of this step is to pull the upper lid into an almost perfectly straight, horizontal line.  This should not hurt and if it does, you are damaging your skin.

Fourth, apply the liner as close to your eyelashes as possible.  Some people prefer to dot along the lash line and then fill in the gaps, whereas others will simply paint a line.  You may need to experiment with this step a lot before you finally develop a good looking line.  Always make sure your line is try before you open your eye, otherwise it may smudge or smear.

Fifth, repeat the step on the other eye.  Now, applying to each eye will be different because on one eye your writing hand will have plenty of room, and on the other eye your writing hand will have to fight for space with the hand at your temple.  You may find that the technique for your left eye is completely different from the technique for your right eye, but that’s OK as long as both eyes look relatively the same.  Eventually you will get the hang of it.

Lining the lower lashes is easy — just look up and stick the liner under the lashes until you create a line.  But most people should skip this step, as liner on the bottom lash can really make the eyes look smaller.

Smooth Mineral Blush Blush naturally. price: $9.00
This blush is easy to apply, doesn’t leave harsh streaks and stays on all day. It looks natural, soft and smooth.

IDEAL SHADE Concealer Stick price: $6.00
This concealer stick is my favorite form of concealer. It is to say the least, ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! This stick fits anywhere and is soft and smooth when applied. It does not weigh down your face and is ideal for tiny touch ups and dark circles around your eyes. This is CHEAP for six dollars!

IDEAL SHADE Loose Powder price: $9.00
This loose powder makeup lightly gives your skin glow and looks bright and natural in any lighting! I love this powder because it adjusts to your skin shade and it looks as if you’re not wearing anything!

Supershock Mascara price: $8.50
AVON offers a wide variety of mascaras but I always go for anything that starts with “SUPER” because I love long, full lashes. This specific mascara has a large wand with tiny brissles to minimize clumping. Your lashes look dark and beautiful all day!

GLIMMERSTICKS Eye Liner price: $6.00
I always wore pencil eyeliners but after finding this Glimmerstick, I was completely hooked for life. This pencil doesn’t smudge like pencil eyeliner does and is easier to apply. The stick “self sharpens” itself and is a must have for every woman!

AVON makeup, in my opinion is a great alternative to everybody who cannot afford expensive makeup such as MAC. AVON makeup is about twenty dollars cheaper but has the same impresive quality as many other makeup brands. The products above are only a few of my favorites. Go to http://shop.avon.com/shop/default.asp?col=2 or google “AVON makeup” to access the online store!

Face

Using your usual foundation during the summer is a big no no.  You sweat more than usual, opening your pores. So sweat and make-up clog your pores, causing spots.  Generally, wearing any kind of face base is a bad idea during the summer but if you feel you really must, go for a tinted moisturiser or light oil-free foundation.  If you’re on a bit more of a budget this summer, try mixing some sun-cream with your usual foundation (1 part foundation to two parts sun cream).  This means you’re also protected from the sun.

Eyes

For eye shadows, choose a bronze or gold colour to optimise your tan.  Bronze looks best on brown eyes, while gold brings out blue or green eyes.  Both colours suit hazel eyes.

If you want a bit more colour go for blues and greens.  Blue is particularly hot this season.  Go for lighter shades during the day and then add a bit more drama at night with the darker shades.

If you are using liquid eyeliner, put powder on your eyelids first to stop the liner smudging and don’t take it to the inner corners, as this is the place most smudging happens.  

If you are using a pencil eyeliner, make sure it is not a greasy formula, as this will smudge easily.  Use an eyeshadow brush to gently smudge the line you draw and get rid of any excess.

The best type of eyeliner to use is a good-quality gel eyeliner.  This is the least likely to smudge and now comes in a variety of colours.

Note:  Eyeliner along the bottom lash line smudges more than along the top so keep the liner at the bottom to a minimum.

There are lots of waterproof mascaras on the market nowadays too.  It’s really likely that your favourite mascara will also have a waterproof version so look out for it.  If brown or black are too dark for you in the summer, try a blue tone.  My favourite mascara is Anna Sui Long Lash Mascara in 100 Blue.  It’s a beautiful shade, which is subtle enough for women of any age to wear but still stunning.

Lips

There is little need for much lip colour during the summer, especially during the day.  The best colours to choose though to really set off your tan are coral shades, apricot shades or slightly more golden colours.  Coral shades also look good on pale skin, while golden shades look good on dark skin.

Save gloss for the evening, as it can look a bit heavy during the day.  Also, if you are going to the beach, the breeze will continue to blow your hair towards your lips and it will stick!

I like to stick to lip balm with SPF in.  My favourite is the strawberry flavoured Chap-stick with SPF 15.  

Above all, enjoy your summer.  Everybody ends up with a holiday glow, which no form of makeup could achieve. And if all else fails, carry a pack of makeup wipes and a compact mirror in your beach bag!

Enjoy your holidays, guys!

Image via Wikipedia

Eyelashes are hair follicles that grow out of the edge of the eyelid and on an embryo they usually develop between the 7th and 8th week.  Everyone has tiny worm like mites that live within the follicles of our hair called Demodicid and if you have to many of these critters trying to live in one follicle it can cause your eyelashes to easily fall out.  There are also a variety of diseases including Thyroid conditions that can cause your eyelashes to fall out but many women chose to use make up such as mascara to give the illusion of thick, luscious lashes.  Sometimes when an eye lash falls out it can grow back, but that mainly depends on why it fell out, if it fell out because of disease it may not grow back.  Recently there have been some drugs discovered that are believed to help eyelashes grow, however there is still much controversy on those drugs. 

There are basically two types of mascara, water proof and water soluble and it is available in many different colors and tints with either straight or curved applicator brushes or wands.  They are made of waxes, water, wax thickeners, film-formers and preservatives and the wands often contain rayon or nylon fibers to help thicken the lashes.  Mascara is used to help create thick, long eyelashes which helps to draw attention to the eyes and enhance the beauty of a person’s eyes.  Expensive mascara does not guarantee the mascara will be better than other less expensive mascara, it just guarantees that you will have less money to spend on other items.  

I have heard of a few different techniques for applying mascara,  one even included a blow dryer, but most people just apply it with a wand or brush.  You should not pump the wand into the tube numerous times because it pumps air into the tube and will cause it to dry out faster.  You should not use another person’s mascara because it can transfer bacteria from their eye to yours and if they have an infection you could get it.  If your mascara is dried out you should not use it because you could end up pulling out your lashes.  You should throw away your mascara every 3 months because bacteria can build up in the tube, after all it is a dark, warm place and bacteria can easily thrive in those conditions.  Mascara can flake and these flakes can get into your eye and cause infection and irritations so it should be removed as soon as possible.  Water proof mascara is harder to remove but less likely to give you raccoon eyes should you happen to get caught in the rain or cry.  Mascara can be heavy on your eyelashes and cause them to be weighed down or break off.  Mascara can also irritate your eyes and cause redness and itching as well as infections.  If you should happen to be careless with the brush or wand and accidentally stick it in your eye, your could do serious damage to your eye and your sight.

Your eyes are very important and it is important to take good care of them, all of them including your eyelashes so it is best to limit your use of mascara especially if you would like to have eyelashes as you get older.

Dramatic Eyes

One of the most important colors for winter 2009 will be rich gradations of purple. To go along with this new emphasis on purple, look for smoky, mysterious shades of this regal shade to play up the eyes and add intense drama. Purples will be accented with touches of burnished gold and copper which can be worn alone for a fashionable winter look Eyeliner will be dark and more dramatic to balance the heavy emphasis on the eyelids. Look for the return of black eyeliner along with dark shades of brown, purple, and smoky grey. These combinations make eye color pop and enhance the look of almost any eyes creating a strong statement for winter 2009. To frame dramatic eyes, eyebrows will be heavier so put away your tweezers and opt for a more natural eyebrow look.

High Impact Lips

To balance the emphasis on eyes, lips will take on a new color story of their own. Red lip color will retain its popularity and will be joined by rich berry shades to compliment the purples of fall and winter. If you’re dramatic with the lips, tone down the eyes a notch or two to avoid makeup overkill. Despite the emphasis on drama, a trend towards sweetly natural lips will also prevail where just a touch of clear or pale pink color is used to give a naked lip look. This is the perfect look if you don’t like heavy lip coloring. Winter 2009 is all about choices.

Sheer and Natural

When it comes to foundation, sheer and natural is in. Mineral makeup will continue to be hot and skin that’s been gently exfoliated and moisturized to give a healthy glow will add to the look for winter. Take care of your skin and exfoliate on a regular basis to get the flawlessly natural look that will be so popular for winter.

Enjoy the new winter 2009 cosmetic trends!

Lipstick(s) that you want to reuse

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Cuticle pusher Or a Metallic nail file (with the pointed tip)

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What we are going to do is: First, using the cuticle pusher or your filer, scrap out the lipstick from the lipstick container, which maybe the cap with the smashed lipstick or the base with the last bit of your lipstick. Put this in a small microwave safe container. If you have any broken lipsticks, you know when the stick just breaks out, add those to the container too. Oh, what I forgot mentioning is, its okay to use 2-3 different shades of lipsticks too, once we melt them down and mix them, you’ll have a new shade, one that will be unique. If you are not the experimental type, just stick to one shade.

Since we are re-using stuff, I would suggest using an old contact lens case or a pill case as your lipstick palette. But if you prefer to have a proper container, you could buy a lipstick palette or even better; get a lip gloss container, the small glass ones. You could ask the person at any beauty counter for their sample container, they’ll give them out for free!!

Once you have the lipstick in the container, put it in the microwave for a few seconds. Depending on the quantity of the lipstick, the time will vary. For an entire lipstick, do 30 seconds first. Check if the lipstick has melted completely. If not, microwave another 15-20 seconds. Remember, never let the lipstick boil to a liquid, microwave it just until it melts. Over heating will separate its oxides and the glitter that the lipstick contains, you don’t want that! Once melted, pour out your lipstick into the palette you have chosen. Let it cool, either in a fridge or just at room temperature, until its firm again. The new lipstick can be applied with a lip brush or your finger.

Another advantage of lipstick palettes is they are compact, easy to carry in a purse, very handy and they give you a chance to form new fun shades each time. If you are travelling or want your makeup to take lesser space, it’s a great alternative.

Make your own lipstick palette:

Melting lipstick video tutorial:

This is a video showing how to melt lipsticks on a stove. If you prefer stoves to microwaves, this video is for you.

For a lipstick stick that is broken at the base: A simple quick fix is to attach the stick back to its base. For doing this, just blow dry the bottom of the broken stick on low, do the same with the base in the lipstick container. When hot and they look like they have melted a bit from the heat, press the lipstick onto the base firmly. Keep in the fridge for 15-20 minutes so that your lipstick sticks nicely to the base. It’s ready to be used again!

Other articles that might interest you :

Weekly Handy Tips Series: Reusing Cosmetics Before Trashing

Weekly Handy Tips Series: Dandruff Control

Weekly Handy Tips Series: Bye-bye Blackheads

Get Naturally Gorgeous in Eight Days

Home Remedies for Cold Sores

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An estimate $18.8 billion was spent on cosmetics and perfumes just in the USA in 2000. Some women confess to spend at least 65% of their money on cosmetics alone, each month. So you see, the numbers are big and being stingy is sensible.

What you could do with your broken Eye Shadow:

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Don’t you hate it when your eye shadow breaks, it makes such a mess in the makeup bag. Worse if you break one in the purse, everything gets covered with the coloured powder. If you ever have a broken pigment, all you need to do is add a few drops of 70% rubbing alcohol and press the pigment back neatly into the container. I always use this shorter, quicker method. The video below shows a better and neater way to fix the broken eye shadow or compact face powder. It’s very easy and reusing is always better than throwing them away.

What else you could do with your broken Compact Powder:

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Another thing you could do with broken compact powder or blush is to make your own homemade lip balm or lip gloss. I prefer nude or light colours for the lip gloss or lip balm, just a little bit of shimmer and lots of moisturising. But if you like yours coloured, you could try using eye shadows also. When making a lip balm it’s advisable to stick to more basic colours and nudes, since for the balm we are going to use petroleum jelly. When you apply it on the lips, it tends to spread a bit and a dark shade will look untidy if it spreads out distorting the shape of your lips. For the lip gloss we are going to use castor oil, its polar in nature and sticks well on the lips. All commercial lip glosses contain castor oil. So your gloss can be as bright coloured as you like.
Using the back of a spoon or a butter knife scrap out the pigment (when I say pigment it means eye shadow, compact face powder or blush) so that you have a fine powder. If the pigment is broken already, put it in a Ziploc bag and crush it to a fine powder by pressing it with a spoon. Add the powder to your petroleum jelly or castor oil, depending on what you are making, balm or gloss. You can add roughly about a pinch of powder to 2 table spoon of balm or oil. Proportions can vary according to choice. Mix very well and transfer the contents to a tight lid container. For the gloss, you can get lip gloss containers from any art supply store.

For more ideas check – Reusing Broken Lipsticks to Make New Ones

What you could do with expired Eyeliner and Mascara:

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Ever heard that you are not suppose to use your eyeliner or mascara for over 3 months after the first use? What do you do with them after 3 months when you still half the product still left? One, you just toss it in the bin, and second, get creative with it. Use the eyeliner to directly paint a temporary washable tattoo. And if you have mascara left, use a paint brush to paint the tattoo. It’s easy, fun and looks like just any other temporary tattoo. You can remove it with some cleansing milk and cotton as you would remove the eyeliner or mascara. Simple, right?

What you could do with Eye Pencils and Lip Pencils:

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We all have some odd coloured lip liners that are not usable either because the shade is weird or because you do not have a lipstick of a similar colour. Sometimes we just buy some eye pencils on the spur of the moment but then never use it even once. What do you do with such extra pencils? You obviously know that an eye pencil and a lip pencil are inter-changeable. You can easily use one in place of the other. What you can also use them for is face painting or making coloured tattoos. If they are good to use on your lips and eyes, they are safe to be used for your child’s face for painting tattoos. They give a neat and professional look and are easier to use than wet paints.

What you could do with Shampoos and Liquid Soap:

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The liquid hand soaps that you get in the market are so thick and rich. One drop is enough for onetime wash. But the dispenser usually pours out more than a few drops of soap onto the hands. What a waste! So is the case with body washes and shampoos. Add about 2-3 caps of water to the hand soap, body wash and shampoo. It won’t in anyway affect the effectiveness of the soap or shampoo but will make them go on a few more washes longer. Remember not to dilute too much, just increase the quantity by 10-15% water.

You anyways wet your hands, body or hair before applying them, so a little dilution will not harm, you are using them economically, that’s all. If you have kids in the house, just this little bit more helps. Kids have a tendency to pump soap out 2-3 times for a single wash. Teach them that more soap does not mean cleaner hands or body, extra soap will just dry out the skin more.

What you could do with Conditioners and Body Lotions:

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All your washing liquids i.e. dish soap, hand soap, clothes detergent and body wash they all have the same basic detergent, it’s just in a different dilution and has different colours and fragrances. Same is the case with your different creams, lotions and conditioners, the basic ingredients remain the same in all. So, a body lotion will moisturise or condition hair just as well as a regular conditioner, but if you do not apply it correctly, your hair might turn out really oily. When your conditioner or body lotion is almost over, (almost over means when the bottle or tube seems like it contains no more product, but it does, the last few drops, which are actually about 1 to 2 spoons of product if you squeeze it out or drain it properly), use the last bit of it to make a nice leave-in conditioner for your hair.

If you have the lotion or conditioner in a bottle, then simply add 2-3 caps full of water and shake the bottle well. Pour out the contents into a spray bottle and you have a leave-in spray conditioner for your hair. If the product, that is the conditioner or the lotion, is in a tube, using the back of a spoon, squeeze out all the contents into a bowl. You could cut the tube and just scrap out the product too. Mix enough water to make it of spray-able consistency and transfer the solution to a spray bottle. After shampooing your hair, spray the leave-in conditioner and you are set. No need to rinse the hair again since the conditioner is already diluted.

What you could do with Dried Nail Paints :

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We all know that a thickened nail paint lacks shine and peels off or starts flaking sooner than normal. So do you keep nail paints in the fridge to extend the life of your nail paints and keep them from drying up? NO! The condensation makes the nail paint hard and it will take ages to dry once you apply them. Then what do you do with nail paints which have already dried or started getting thick? Instead of throwing them away, add a few drops of thinner. Close the bottle and shake well. Check for the consistency and add more thinner if required. How do you know what the right consistency is?

Well, you should be able to apply at least 2 to 3 neat coats of the paint without having to re-dip your brush for more paint. Thinners are good for prolonging the life of your nail paint. Once you have added the thinner, wait for 10-15 paint minutes before applying the nail paint. Lot of people use nail paint remover instead of a thinner, but removers contain water and so do not mix well with the nail paint. Thinners are made for the purpose of thinning the nail paints.

Other articles that might interest you:

Reusing Broken Lipsticks to Make New Ones

Weekly Handy Tips Series: Dandruff Control

Weekly Handy Tips Series: Bye-bye Blackheads

Get Naturally Gorgeous in Eight Days

Home Remedies for Cold Sores