How to Shop for the Perfect Make-up

Do you ever wonder what would happen if you weren’t too pale, too freckled or too blemished? Do you wish you had longer lashes, rosier cheeks and lips that would put Angelina Jolie to shame? Well, aside from the long list of cosmetic surgeries you can go through to achieve a more presentable “you”, don’t forget that there’s always a remedy that’s cheaper and safer. 

Without going through the knife, you can transform yourself within minutes if you have the right make-up on. It’s therefore imperative that you purchase the right type of cosmetics for that important job interview or a romantic dinner date. Well, below are proven tips to ensure that you make the right purchase. So read ahead!

Find out your Skin Type – You have to evaluate your skin type and your specific needs. Take into consideration any personal preferences that you have. If you have breakouts or you’re prone to skin irritation, consult your doctor about certain limitations he/she may impose while you are on treatment. If you have allergies to certain chemicals, you may have to consider this as well. Better safe than sorry as they say!

Determine your budget – This would in turn determine the brand or site you should look into to meet your make-up needs. Remember that looking good would be twice as fun if you don’t have to worry about next week’s allowance or some unpaid bills. So spend within your means!

Ask for a consultation – For skin care consultations, you will be asked questions pertaining to your skin type (oily, dry or normal) or the amount of make-up you usually use (minimal or heavy and the like). Then suggestions will be made according to the specific details you have provided. Do you see those testers or samples they give out? Well, if you’re requested to try them, grab the chance to do so! It will give you firsthand experience on the texture, the scent and the color of the item before you can truly decide to buy it or not.

Follow these simple steps and celebrate your assets with the perfect make-up!

Name that Blog!

For many of us, blogging has become a favorite past time. It’s a practical and new method to express our feelings, concerns and ideas under the online sun. It allows us to relate to friends, acquaintances and even complete strangers in an avenue that’s convenient and easy to use. But do you know that for some people, blogging has become a very profitable hobby as well?

It all starts with a purpose, a wonderful plan and of course that perfect blog design to usher in viewers! So what do you do first? Well, how about coming up with the ideal blog name to match your goal? Here’s a simple guide to do just that…

Sounds Good -  You have to make sure that it’s pleasant to the ears. Find something that excites the senses, both yours and the reader. Make a list of probable blog names you would like to consider. Afterwards say each of them out loud and see if it works.

You may even ask your friends to listen and evaluate the names you’ve created. Don’t try too hard or be too cutie cute about it. You’ll want something that doesn’t necessarily activate a violent reaction or somebody else’s gag reflex for that matter. Just kidding! I personally wouldn’t be enticed by blogs that are named Tick, Plurk or Orkut. So make it sound good!

Catchy – Do make sure that your blog name catches enough attention. Is it memorable or forgettable? Remember that most people go through a minimum of 5 blogsites or websites in a day.

The chance that they would remember a name that’s long enough to be a sentence is pretty slim! Make sure you do away with boring, mundane and mediocre names that will never really deserve a second look. Can they spell it out properly? Does it relate to the content of your blog? If so, then go ahead and give that name a try.

Short and Sweet – You have to keep it short and simple. If you’re very fond of articles (a, an, the), then now is the time to ignore them. Opt for more concise names that are unique and easily remembered. There’s an unwritten rule for this. Keep it no more than four syllables and you’re bound to be safe. If it’s longer than that, it simply becomes a bore to recall.

So make that name click-worthy!

Have Fun with Splashes of Fuchsia!

Now, you might be thinking, why “fuchsia”? For some unknown reason, most of us have the tendency to squirm whenever we hear this Barbie-doll color mentioned. It may stem from the fact that we associate it with overly sweet girlie stuff or it may trigger our conservative side as well. Who needs fuchsia when you have basic blacks right? Wrong!

It’s high time you ditch your limited fashion sense and explore something more risky! And yes, if you’re not a 12-year-old or a big fan of Hannah Montana, I’m sure you haven’t really tried wearing something fuchsia! So why don’t you embark on a little adventure today and find out the many ways to pull this trick off…

Here goes…

First, the key is to simply take a subtle approach. Fuchsia is a loud color so it does demand attention. If you have a lot of neutrals in your closet than you’re in a lot of luck! For starters, there’s no need to go all the way and buy a full-colored fuchsia trench coat. Rather, mix and match it with your everyday essentials. For instance, your regular black pants and white shirt might need some spicy details in the form of a fuchsia printed scarf or a fuchsia leather belt. Incorporate that in your daily work ensemble and you’ll be turning heads in an instant! My recent favorite is a combination of muted gray and stark white colors amplified by a splash of fuchsia to break the monotones.

If you are steadily gaining confidence to wear this wonderful color then go ahead and splurge on some mini dresses in bold fuchsia prints and fancy cuts. However, you can instantly tone it down by pairing it with black pumps and a black purse or a gray belt and gray leather shoes. Anything that’s glittery and silvery is not welcome by the way, unless you want to cause eye sores wherever you go!

And lastly, don’t be afraid to pair hot pink and fuchsia pieces with basic colors such as brown, green, blue and even tan! The key is to make sure they’re not the same rich hue to balance each other out. It would also be a good idea to keep your make-up light and natural for this one. Fuchsia doesn’t need competition from your bright red matte lipstick!

So go ahead and try these tips out today!

Is Your Site Search-Engine Friendly?

Here’s the deal.

You sell products that are of the highest quality and you have a constant market. You update your site as necessary and you cater to all your customer’s requests.

Yet even if you go through hell and high water for your online business, your site still manages to be nowhere near the top 50 search engine results. Hmmm, looks like a problem to me! Well, don’t fret just yet.

Below are some key guidelines for you to make sure your site is totally search-engine friendly.

Ready, set, read!

Lesser Images – You have to understand that the internet system is not very fond of images at all. That’s right! You have to add descriptions or texts apart from the usual pictures and videos on your site. The reason behind this advice is pretty simple.

A lot of search engines actually just rely on the text that they detect and not on any image. Most of them aren’t that sophisticated to perform this function. So do make sure that you write content for each wonderful picture or video you display and you will be rewarded well!

Validate HTML – It’s also a good idea to make sure that your HTML code is validated. Apart from any grammatical mistake of some sort, you need to know if your HTML code is actually free from errors. I

t doesn’t matter if you write your code manually or you employ a program such as the WYSIWYG editor. It is imperative that you still run your code over HTML and CSS validators to be sure. If your HTML code actually has numerous errors then only segments of your site will be included in a search engine’s database report.

Specify Title Tags – You have to make sure your title tags speak for themselves. Take note that a huge number of search engines give more weight to your site when they see the text appearing on the HTML tag specific to your page.

Rather than just place a nondescript title you have to give it more meaning. For instance, on a page that discusses your product and its characteristics, don’t just place “Product X”, how about a more precise title such as “PRODUCT X features”?

Follow these tips and boost your site’s success in the search engine rankings!

Compliant Filed: wink-mall.blogshop.com

As part of SH’s preparation for a friend’s birthday, she went gift hunting. Seeing that her target item (a pair of Doraemon Kigurumi pyjamas) was nowhere to be found in any mall she went to, she tried online shopping instead. To her luck, she found a site that sold Doraemon pyjamas for quite a reasonable price.

http://wink-mall.blogspot.com/

Before making any transactions, SH was careful enough to make the necessary background checks. Upon seeing that the site, called *Wink-Mall*, had no questionable feedbacks on the web, she contacted Elsa Jin (the person in charge of the site) on a Wednesday, June 16, 2010.

A prompt reply was received from Jin the following day. The pyjamas in question cost 70 US dollars along with the postage because it was in the cartoon series. And although a picture of the item wasn’t available on the site, Shiau ordered them just as well.

Instead of the pre-order form found on the site, Elsa Jin recommended that she orders through email instead, stating that it would be easier. She further explained that she places the orders during Wednesday’s if it already exceeds three orders.

Jin then assured SH that since there were already 4 orders for the same item, it wouldn’t take long for the item to arrive. At the same time, Jin added that if the necessary payment can be arranged by 12pm on the following Tuesday, then a pre-order won’t be needed anymore.

Assured of the seemingly safe transaction, SH sent all the necessary order details to Jin on a Saturday, June 19. The details included the description of the item, the mode of payment and delivery desired and SH’s contact information.

On that same day, Jin replied with her account number for the transaction to be completed. She also stated that a confirmation should be made by SH once the money transfer has been accomplished and that there was a no-refund policy in action.

After the due transfer was made though, the prompt replies and assurances failed to materialize. Up until now, Shiau has yet to hear from Elsa Jin and the pyjamas she ordered have yet to arrive. SH has even resorted to threatening and calling Jin to no avail.

This is one perfect example of one well-meant shopping attempt that has clearly turned into a disaster. If there’s anything we can all learn from it, it’s that we should be very careful about choosing a reliable site and trusting the right people online.

Items that Revamp Your Office Wear!

What can be a tad bit too boring than yet another day at your 8 to 5 job? Well, it may well be that same old office attire you’re wearing!

Let’s face the fact that office wear has yet to evolve from being old-maidenly to fabulous. But on the way to that wonderful transition, did you know that you can add some interesting touches to your basic work wear by simply accessorizing? Yes, you heard it right. You don’t have to endure your stiff wardrobe and miss out on all the fashion fun!

So read on and make use of these special items. They might be lurking somewhere in your closet or your bedroom drawer…

1. Why don’t you fish out some colorful scarves from your closet? They don’t only work for beach picnics or weekend barbecues you know! Update your classic white shirt and pants ensemble with a vibrant hint of color around your neck. Give that pearl necklace a rest. If you don’t want it worn along your collar, then you can tie it up as a naughty bow around a bag to spice up your office day! Remember, just because you work in an office doesn’t mean you can’t flaunt your soft feminine side with a wonderful scarf!

1. How about a brooch for that hint of sophistication? As a side note, this can be a bit tricky for some people to pull off. So if you still want to retain that professional polished look, go for pieces that are sleek yet ultra chic and elegant. Don’t be too daring on this one! You can use your brooch to clip a bow or to tie your scarf. If you’re afraid of spending too much, hunt for brooches with semi-precious stones or other fancy ones which look just as convincing!

1. Shoes, shoes and more shoes. For the ultimate fashionista, we all know it’s all about the details, right? Well, find comfortable, interesting footwear that will surely make your outfit pop no matter how gray your suits happen to be! Add some interesting colors as well. Personally, I’m a great fan of red in key pieces of black, brown, gray and white. It just makes an ensemble stand out!

So be the next office trendsetter!