On Making Makeup that Really Lasts, straight from Beyonce's long time make up artist

Beyoncé's Makeup Artist Shares The Secrets Behind Her Looks during her
Coachella performance on April 15nth, after the performance that dubbed
Beyonce as the first Black woman to headline Coachella.

She made history the moment the Coachella gates opened.
According to Refinery29, Beyoncé stepped on stage with dewy, glowing
skin, a glittery lid,
and matching lips and cheeks — and it all stayed in place through her
entire show.


Beyonce's Make up secrets revealed by her long time make-up artist,these
secrets were taken from The '80s Movie That Inspired The Makeup
Her make up artist says:
" She wanted to look young, fresh, and like she wasn't trying too hard.
I was really inspired by the dress rehearsal,
I didn't want to take her out of the element of the show by making her
too girly or too minimal or sleek, I wanted her to look like a college
girl on campus.
Remember the movie School Days by Spike Lee? That was my inspiration."

The Secret Behind The Glittery Eye Look
" I created a glittery lid by mixing a few different glitters.
I started with a warm, terracotta base, mixed in an iridescent purple
then applied glitter on the center of the eye.
For eyeliner, I used MAC's Brownborder on the bottom and a black liner
on the top. I always tell women,
even though you make your wing with black, coffee eyeliner on the bottom
is the best finisher because it doesn't weigh down the eyes.
Then I used the Lash Paradise mascara by L'Oréal and the brand's
Infallible Chocolate Lip Color on her lips."

He says:" On Making Makeup Really Last It's basically like keeping
your makeup on through two hours of cardio [laughs].
Layering is the key, so you want to use a liquid foundation, then set it
with bronzer; a cream blush, then set it with powder blush;
eyeliner, then set it with shadow. No matter what part of the face, it
has a double application."

The Body Makeup That Won't Budge" I found this new body makeup called
AllEven, it's a spray makeup but it will not move.
You can have white sheets and sleep and it won't transfer. I use it on
her boobs, arms, and legs.
We had four changes so we wanted something transfer-resistant."

He says On What To Expect of him
" I walked out into the field yesterday and it was so cool to see so
much makeup — seeing everyone wearing glitter as highlighter?!
I got a beer and some popcorn and just started taking photos of girls,
a couple girls kinda knew who I was and went a little crazy,
but for the most part I was out there undercover."

On What You Don't See" You literally have about 45 or 50 seconds to
touch her up [during a wardrobe change] —
if you have a full minute, that's a dream. Someone is also pulling off a
dress, or a zipper breaks, or something doesn't work,
so I am basically holding her face still with one hand and then applying
powder or blotting off sweat with the other.
The funny thing is, you have to stay really, really calm — when the
energy is going up, you have to go down and just chill.
The best thing I can do is offer her zen vibes and usher her back out
onto the stage".

Penelope Tom @ReflectSA
Picture source Refinery29

Join Conversations with Michelle Obama on empowering girls around the world.

Two days Just after my birthday which was on the 06/March, the world celebrated International Women's Day on the 08/03/2018, which I took as part of my birthday celebrations, as I am still celebrating my birth month.

  I came across this awesome initiative by Mrs. Michelle Obama, where for International Women's Day, Michelle Obama and the Obama Foundation teamed up with Refinery29 to shine a light on the importance and urgency of empowering girls around the world — 

to ensure they can reach their full potential through education and, 

in turn, support their families, communities, and countries. 

Mean while according to Refinery29, harsher realities have been exposed that affect the #MeToo movement, 

they have spent much of the past year fixing problems of prejudice and inequity.

The #MeToo movement, believes that, International Women's Day is also an opportunity for  all to look outward affecting factors. 

as often the education of girls worldwide is treated as "  some far-flung impossible dream"  —

 "  The power of young women should be a top priority for both the United States and the rest of the world"   . 

According to the United Nations,

"    countries lose more than 1 billion dollars a year by failing to educate girls at the same level as boys.

 And studies from the Brookings Institution report that just one extra year 

of secondary school can increase a girl's future income by 10 to 20% "   .

 

Below are conversation by Mrs. Michelle Obama and four young women from Nepal, Ghana, Guatemala, and Chicago, 

a critical dialogue she hopes will remind us that this is our issue to face, as much as anyone else's.

"To celebrate International Women's Day, I wanted to reach out and connect with girls around the world 

— including in Chicago —to hear their stories and to share some of mine," Mrs. Obama tells Refinery29. 

"Working to empower girls across the globe is my passion, and through the Obama Foundation, 

it will be something I work on for the rest of my life"   .

" I hope readers everywhere will be inspired to join me in this effort."

Want to learn more about how you can help educate girls around the world? Visit 

go.obama.org/iwd and follow @obamafoundation on Twitter, Facebook,

 and Instagram to get updates on the work the Foundation will be doing in the weeks and months to come"   .

Mrs Michelle Obama.

By: Penelope Tom

source: Refinery29.com

Pictures:  Refinery29.com

Join Conversations with Michelle Obama on empowering girls around the world.

MEET PEARL NIKI QUARMYNE, 20, FROM MFANTSIMAN, GHANA

Pearl was raised in a small village by her grandmother and grew up selling pastries and toffee to provide for herself and her two brothers.

 She was able to attend high school with the help of Camfed, a nonprofit that helps girls go to school in sub-Saharan Africa.

 Now a college student, she works with girls in her community, funding their needs with the proceeds from her business selling ice blocks to local fishermen.

MICHELLE OBAMA: Pearl, what barriers did you have to overcome in order to achieve an education?

 What made you decide you would do whatever it took to overcome those obstacles?

PQ: "My barrier was financial. I'm the only girl in my family and was raised by my grandmother, who never went to school, and aunties, who were never able to finish school. I helped make ends meet by fetching and selling water; washing clothes for other families; and selling sugarcane, pastries, and toffee. Many girls I knew dropped out due to pregnancy or because they couldn't afford the materials. I couldn't afford books myself, so I would ask teachers and friends to borrow them. I was determined, because I loved school and wanted to be a teacher; I would often read ahead and help teachers with their lesson plans."

PEARL: Mrs. Obama, how do you define success?

MO: "On your own terms! Success isn't about how your life looks to others — it's about how it feels to you. I also think a key measure of success is how you handle adversity.

 It's not just about how you act when you're healthy and happy and everything is going according to plan, 

but also what you do when life knocks you to the ground and all your plans go right out the window. 

In those darkest moments, you have a choice: Do you dwell on everything you've lost,

 or do you focus on what you still have and find a way to move forward with passion, determination, and joy?"

Join Conversations with Michelle Obama on empowering girls around the world.

MEET ALEJANDRA TELEGUARIO SANTIZO, 17, FROM QUETZALTENANGO, GUATEMALA

Last year, at just 16 years old, Alejandra began to speak out against sexual violence and acoso callejero — 

or street harassment — in her community through local radio programs, with the help of Rise Up's Let Girls Lead initiative.

MICHELLE OBAMA: Alejandra, why is an education so important to you and to other girls in Guatemala?

AS: "Schools in my community in Guatemala are missing many basic infrastructures, like computers, desks, and materials,

 as well as curriculums that promote both the personal and social development of young girls, particularly indigenous girls. 

Recently, an indigenous friend of mine was forced by her family to drop out and marry because she got pregnant. 

It's still a common cultural practice for indigenous girls and girls in rural areas to live in informal unions when they're very young,

 which is something my network of girl leaders is advocating against."

ALEJANDRA: So, Mrs. Obama, many girls like myself look up to you as a role model. What advice do you have for girl leaders like me?

MO: "My best advice to girls, including my own daughters, is do not be afraid to fail. So often, our own fear of failure is the thing that keeps us back. 

We think we have to be perfect, that if we make even the tiniest mistake, it's a catastrophe. That's simply not true! In fact, the only way you succeed in life is by failing and failing well. 

And by that I mean you cannot let your failures eat you up or make you want to quit. You have to learn from them, let them challenge and inspire you to do more — 

to take some risks and to step outside of your comfort zone."

Join Conversations with Michelle Obama on empowering girls around the world.

MEET EVA LEWIS, 19, FROM CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Eva is an activist and artist who grew up on the South Side of Chicago. She's now the founder of The I Project, a nonprofit focusing on intersectionality that promotes activism through art, and is studying at the University of Pennsylvania.

MICHELLE OBAMA: Why is an education so important to you and to other girls in Chicago?

EL: "My mother's parents, who migrated from Mississippi and Alabama to Chicago during the second Great Migration, raised her to know their history and reap the benefits of education so that she could emancipate herself. She instilled those same values in me. Education gives us the tools to advocate for ourselves — and write narratives counter to the ones that have been written for us.

"Education also grants us a fighting chance. We are constantly being beaten down by the multiple layers of systems that oppress us. We live in a world that sexualizes us for being women and ostracizes us for being Black. So education is a Black girl's weapon. Audre Lorde, Alice Walker, and Kimberlé Crenshaw couldn't create terms like Black feminism, womanism, and intersectionality to spread the word about our struggle without that knowledge."

EVA: Similar to me, Mrs. Obama, you grew up on the South Side, attended a selective-enrollment high school outside of your community, and went on to an Ivy League institution. What did that academic journey teach you?

MO: "Yes, I'm a product of the Chicago public school system. I went to the neighborhood elementary school around the corner from my house, and my parents were very clear from the time my brother and I were little that school was our number one priority. So I always put 120% into it. I always wanted to be the top student; I wanted to talk, and I wanted to raise my hand.

"And then I got the chance to go to a magnet high school called Whitney Young, which was a new college prep school that you had to test into. I absolutely knew it was the place for me. I wanted so desperately to be at a school where you weren't treated like you were strange because you liked to read, study, and strive to succeed.

"So much like you, I would wake up before dawn every day, get on a bus, and ride for an hour and a half to get to school and then ride for another hour and a half to get home at the end of the day. I spent three hours a day commuting because I was determined that this high school was going to be my stepping stone to college.

 I learned a lot about discipline,

 perseverance, and time management, and it was absolutely worth it. Because of the education I got at Whitney Young, I was able to attend Princeton and Harvard Law School and pursue the career of my dreams."

Join Conversations with Michelle Obama on empowering girls around

MEET NIRUPA KATUWAL, 21, FROM KATHMANDU, NEPAL

Nirupa grew up with a single mother who pushed her to get the education she never could. When Room to Read, a global education nonprofit that promotes literacy and gender equality in Asia and Africa, arrived at her school, Nirupa was given the opportunity to excel. She recently graduated from college with a degree in business and now serves as a mentor for Room to Read.

MICHELLE OBAMA: "  Nirupa, what barriers have you had to overcome in order to achieve an education? What made you decide you would do whatever it took to overcome those obstacles?

NK: "My father left us when I was just nine months old, leaving my mother to fend for herself and a baby. Uneducated, she took a job in a garment factory making paltry wages, and she had no option but to leave me in the small room where we lived. I often skipped meals and struggled to attend school; I can still remember my friends asking about my father, and I had no answer. I personally know how life can treat you when you don't have an education — I've seen the cost my mother paid for being illiterate. But she never complained, and even when she was sick or needed help with chores, she always said, 'Focus on your studies.' She knew the value of education."

NIRUPA: What are your future plans to enhance women's empowerment and girls' education worldwide?

MO: "Back when I was First Lady, we launched Let Girls Learn, an effort to help girls worldwide attend school. And we saw that whether it's a head of state, a corporate CEO, or a teenage girl, when people hear the stories of girls who are not in school, they're moved, and they're outraged. And better yet, they want to help.

"That was certainly true for me. As I've said, I plan to continue this work for the rest of my life, and I'm proud that my husband and I are creating a global adolescent girls' education program through the Obama Foundation. I want every girl on the planet to have the same kind of opportunities that I've had, and that my daughters are having, to fulfill their potential and pursue their dreams. I look forward to sharing more about our work with you soon, and I hope all of you will join us."

8 nail polish secrets to making your manicure last much longer

8 nail polish secrets to making your manicure last much longer.

Moisturize Your Cuticles
Dry, peeling cuticles can be both ugly and painful, especially when they
turn into hangnails. Keep cuticles moisturized, especially in dry,
winter months, with a good cuticle cream or oil. (See my list of the
best cuticle oils and creams).
Once cuticles are softened, you can use an orangewood stick covered in
cotton to push back the cuticles.
Don't have cuticle oil on hand? Use a rich hand cream or even lip balm.
Choose the Shortest Nail to Cut By
Not sure how short to clip nails? Choose the shortest nail as your
guide. Once you've clipped, line each finger up with its opposite,
cuticle-to-cuticle, to ensure you cut short enough.
Prep Nails by Filing
After you clip nails, file them into an oval shape mimicking the curve
of your nail base. Some women prefer square nails. My hands happen to
look better with oval nails, but other women swear their look better
with squared nails. It's really your preference.

Remove Oils from the Nail before Polishing
It's important to wipe nails with a nail polish remover before applying
polish even if you don't have nail polish to remove. Oils left on the
nail (like the hand cream or lip balm) will keep polish from sticking.

Wrap the Tips of Your Nails with Polish
When applying polish, be sure to bring it over the front edge of the
nail and slightly under the tip. This helps prevent chipping.
When polishing, 2 thin coats are better than one thick coat. You'll find
it dries faster. If the polish chips, it's best to remove the paint from
the nail and start over.
If you don't have time, dip your finger in nail polish remover and
smooth over the chipped area and re-apply a topcoat.

How to Maintain Fresh Polish
Keep your mani/pedi looking fresh by adding a new layer of topcoat every
other day. A proper manicure should last 1 to 2 weeks. A pedicure should
last 2 to 4
How to Deal With Smudges and Stains
Smudged your polish while painting? Try this trick: dip your finger in
nail polish remover and use it to smooth the surface, repainting with a
topcoat.
The secret to keeping nails from smudging is proper drying time.
Surfaces will feel dry to the touch after 10 minutes, but don't be
fooled. It actually takes an entire hour for nails to completely dry.
Fingers stained from nicotine, berries or too dark polish can be fixed
with whitening toothpaste like Rembrandt. Then brush the skin or nails
with a toothbrush
How to Deal With a Broken or Torn Nail
When a nail breaks, the best thing to do is to cut it off. But here's a
trick if the break is low down (and painful, undoubtedly): cut a tiny
strip of gauze from a tea bag, place it over the tear and the paint over
with polish.

The Trick to Longer-lasting Pedicures
Want your pedicure to go the extra mile? Cheat by painting nails with a
neutral or clear polish.
My pedicures can last more than a month without obvious chips because I
always opt for a light pink. It looks great with a tan but isn't obvious
as the weeks wear on that I haven't had a pedicure in a while. My
friends who get bright pinks or reds have to be more careful, nail
growth and chips are very obvious.
about.com

--
Ayanda Penelope Tom @ReflectSA

Why not compare to a model?

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Welcome to 2018, where again we will do our best to look beautiful and
presentable, mostly comfortable in our own skins,now here is why you
should stop comparing yourself to models.

Reason No. 1: Many Are Photoshopped to Look Thinner
Models are notoriously thin; in some circles, anything over a size eight
is considered plus size. But even the thinnest model is often not thin
enough for fashion editors. Graphic editors slim and carve out the
features of these beautiful women, making them impossibly skinny.
They've also been known to lengthen legs, narrow necks and enlarge busts
so the models look more like a cartoon than a real person.

Outside of the magazine, models look more normal. They're still thin,
but with regular proportions. If you want to give yourself the model
treatment, play around with the liquify feature in Photoshop. You can
turn yourself into a size zero, six-foot model anytime.

Reason No. 2 Models Get Airbrushed
While modeling may seem like a glamorous gig, it can be hard on people.
The days are long and grueling, and models often go without regular
meals, water, and proper sleep.

That lifestyle can make their skin break out or become very dry. Many
models backstage have heavy circles under their eyes due to poor sleep.

Airbrushing makes the skin look poreless and wrinkle free. Under-eye
bags are eliminated, dark spots deleted and features blurred until the
skin looks like satin.


It's no use bashing your own skin; even the models on the pages don't
have such perfect complexions.

Reason No. 3 Makeup Artists Are Magicians
Makeup artists can work wonders with cosmetics. With some powder and
creams, they can define cheekbones, slim down jawlines, and make noses
look smaller. They can make lips fuller and eyes bigger, and of course,
give models lush eyelashes.

Unless you are trained as a cosmetologist or hire your own makeup
artist, it's impossible to replicate the looks of models. Under all that
makeup, they're just normal women.

Reason No. 4 Models Wear Extensions
While you may envy a model's thick, long hair, chances are, it's not
entirely hers. For almost all runway shows and photo shoots, models have
hundreds of grams of hair extensions added to their hair. Sometimes it's
just to add thickness, but they are also used to add length.

If you want to try the look yourself, you can buy clip-in hair
extensions at any beauty supply store and have thick, long hair.

Reason No. 5 Models Have Off Days, Too
Don't beat yourself up for throwing your hair in a bun and wearing yoga
pants. Models do it too! If you walk the streets of Los Angeles or New
York, you'll see models in their sweats, sans makeup and with their hair
in a ponytail.

They enjoy a break from the heavy makeup and hair styling, so own your
look.

ARTICLE BY:JULYNE DERRICK from liveabout.com
PICTURE: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

Penelope Tom @ReflectSA

Reflect SA Publicity management for Brands: For all your make up needs book an appointment wit...