How to Make an Interesting Art Piece Using Tree Branches

How to Make an Interesting Art Piece Using Tree Branches

Rainbow Cat Undercut Is The Hottest New Hairstyle On Instagram

Like cats? Like funky hairstyles? Ever thought about combining the two? No, I don’t mean giving your cat a mohawk. I mean shaving your cat into the back of your head!
Russian Instagram user Katichka has certainly thought about it. In fact, she’s done more than think about it. She’s actually done it. Take a look at the pictures below to see the result for yourself.
“I always take my sleepy cat with me,” reads the message she posted alongside the picture. The style follows a new trend called hair tattoos, where an image or pattern is shaved into an undercut beneath the hair at the back of the head. The picture remains hidden and is only revealed when you brush your hair aside.
The skills behind the scissors is St. Petersburg-based hairdresser Aliya Askarova, so you know where to go if you’re looking for a new haircut.
More info: Instagram
“I always take my sleepy cat with me”

DIY Painted Glass Bottle Vases

Creating something new from things that are going to end up in the garbage is always so rewarding. It takes the saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” to a whole new level. Making your own DIY Painted Glass Bottle Vases are a perfect example of that concept! They are as easy as pie and require just 2 supplies — glass bottles and paint.

DIY Painted Glass Bottle Vases
Adding a pop of color can become a happy little unexpected element that helps to brighten a room. DIY Painted Glass Bottle Vases are so simple but also easy to personalize! I used reds and pinks for Valentine’s Day!

To create your own, gather a few glass bottles in various sizes and shapes. Then, choose your paint colors. An ombre’ effect is simple to create with a hue purchased in different shades.

Next, prep your bottles. To remove stuck on labels, soak your bottles in very hot and soapy water. Then, peel off the labels as best as you can. For stuck on glue, use a glass safe scrubbing pad. Keeping the glue warm and damp helps to remove as much of it as possible. Allow your bottles enough time to dry completely before applying the paint.

To color your bottles, simply pour a few tablespoons of paint into your bottle. Roll your bottle around to evenly distribute your paint along the sides. Sometimes it helps to smack the side of the bottle against your hand. Be gentle, and watch out for paint splatters!

When the sides of your bottle are evenly coated, set your bottles upside down to remove the excess paint. I did this using a cookie rack and a baking sheet covered in wax paper. Your bottles will need at least 3 days of drying time.

If you find that any of your paint looks uneven after drying, simply pour in a little extra and repeat the process. My bottles never needed more paint, one application was all that they required.

PRE-MADE HENNA PASTE

Pre-made signature henna paste in an 8 ounce carrot bag. (made with organic henna powder, lemon juice, sugar, and an essential oil blend of tea tree, cajeput and niaouli).  Each carrot bag makes 8-10 cones.  250 grams of henna paste.

signature henna reciept
250 grams of paste / 8 ounces
made with organic henna powder
mixed with essential oils
contains sugar
made with lemon juice for a longer shelf life
packaged in carrot bag
ready to use
Our pre-made henna paste is made with our freshest organic henna powder and essential oils.  Each 8 ounce carrot bag is ready for use--fill up your applicator for henna body art and do henna!  Each batch is hand mixed to the perfect consistency.  The paste already contains sugar so the henna will stay on the skin for longer without flaking off too soon.  The carrot bag helps you fill your cello or mylar cones quickly.  We recommend you packaged your henna paste as you want, and freeze the paste. 

Signature Recipe:

Our signature recipe contains the following ingredients: 
Organic henna powder (lawsonia inermis)
lemon juice
sugar

• tea tree essential oil
• cajeput essential oil
• naiouli essential oil
• Recommended Uses:

We recommend you use this paste for henna body art applications.  When the paste arrives to you, fill your applicators and freeze them individually.  When you are ready to use your henna, just thaw one cone or bottle at a time. Each 8 ounce carrot bag of pre-made henna paste will make about 8-15 cones, depending on the size of your cone.  If you are using this paste with squeeze bottles, we recommend that you divide the paste into small bags and freeze them individually.  Keep in mind, henna paste is perishable, and will lose dye quality if you freeze and thaw the paste multiple times

THE HENNA PASTE PROCESS:

Henna paste must be carefully made to perfection in order to get the right consistency, stain quality, and flow. Our henna paste is handmade in small batches and tested each time for stain quality.  Henna paste starts with raw materials.  The henna is grown in hot, arid climates, like the farms of Morocco, India, and Pakistan.  The henna is harvested just before the cooler months and monsoon seasons.  Once harvested, the plants are put in the sun to dry.  When the plants are dry, they are moved into large bags and transported to an indoor facility.  This is where the henna plant gets ground up into a powder.  Industrial machines help seperate the leaves from the veins and sticks.  The leaves get crushed into a powder and sifted multiple times to yield a smooth, silky powder. 

The powder is stored and packed in a temperature controlled facility.  When we import the henna, we store the powders in a cool, dark place.  Contrary to modern thought, henna should be stored in a cool, dark place, and NOT in the fridge or freezer.  The powder is exposed to too much moisture in the fridge or freezer and will lose dye quality if not stored properly.

We mix the henna powder in small batches for our various pre-made pastes and cones.  The henna powder gets mixed with lemon juice or water and sugar.  We then add essential oils (for body art paste) and let the mixture rest.  This resting time allows the henna paste go through dye release.  Dye release is the time henna requires in order to release the lawsone dye molecule.  This molecule is released with the presence of heat and acidity.  We wait about 8-12 hours before packaging the henna paste. 

The henna paste gets packaged into carrot bags first.  Our Pre-Made paste is packed in carrot bags so the user can fill his/her own applicator.  To make henna cones or mehndi cones, the henna gets squeezed into mylar or cello cones from the carrot bag.  We then individually seal each henna cone and tape it shut.  Each cone is then stored flat in our freezer until it is ready for use.  We store ALL of our henna paste in the freezer.  Henna paste can last up to 6 months in the freezer, 3-5 days in the fridge, and only 2-3 days at room temperature.  It is best to store unused henna paste in the freezer.  Repeated freezing and thawing will make the paste lose dye quality. 

The Ultimate Guide to Gel Nail Polish Removal

Gel nail polish has created a buzz in the fashion and beauty industry. Gel nail paints last super long (read weeks), look shiny and can be conversation starters! The only flip side is the elaborate and often difficult process of removing those nail polishes. Today I will share with you the proper guidelines about removing your gel nail paint, without harming your nails.

 In the words of celebrity nail expert Tracy Lee, one should never buff, file, push, pick, or peel off gel polish as it will remove the delicate keratin layers of your nails and weaken them. Unlike our skin, nails don’t regenerate the same way, so once a nail is damaged, it needs to grow out with all of the layers intact, which can take up to three or four months.

Step 1:

• Lightly buff the gel top coat with a buffing block or soft grit nail file. Don't put excess pressure.

• There will be polish intact on your nails after buffing, but the shine will be significantly dulled. Don’t try buffing until the polish is gone as it will severely damage your nails.

Step 2:

• Remove the gel polish by soaking it off in the following two ways:

• Liberally coat your cuticles and the surrounding skin with a good cuticle oil or thick moisturizer to protect the skin from the drying effects of acetone. Soak cotton balls in acetone and gently place them over the entire nail surface to cover the gel. Wrap each finger with small strips of foil to hold the cotton in place. Wait for around 10 minutes and check one nail. If the gel remains, rewrap the nail with cotton and foil and soak in five minute increments until all of the gel is off.

• Coat your fingers in a thick layer of a hand cream to protect the skin from the acetone. Pour acetone in a glass bowl. Soak fingers in the bowl for 10 minutes. If any gel remains, re-soak in five-minute increments until all of the gel is off.

Step 3:

• Don’t forget a hydrating and relaxing manicure.

• Treat your nails to a manicure session. Gently file nails, push back cuticles, and apply a nail strengthener like OPI Natural Nail Strengthener or Jessica Nail Cure Liquid Strength. Then, hydrate and harden the cuticles by massaging oil into each nail for 10 seconds.

Christmas Makeup Ideas to Copy This Season

23 Christmas Makeup Ideas to Copy This Season

Your makeup is just as important as your outfit, gifts, and the Christmas dinner on the big day itself, so get it right the first time. We’ve brought you plenty of inspiration with these Christmas makeup ideas to copy this season!

Pull up a chair, get your makeup bag ready, and perch yourself in front of a mirror. It’s time for us to start playing around in your makeup box!

1. GOLD GLITTER EYES + RED LIPS

When it comes to Christmas, you can’t get a more iconic look than red lips and gold glitter eyes – two of the biggest shades associated with the festive season.

Your makeup is just as important as your outfit, gifts, and the Christmas dinner on the big day itself, so get it right the first time. We’ve brought you plenty of inspiration with these Christmas makeup ideas to copy this season!

Pull up a chair, get your makeup bag ready, and perch yourself in front of a mirror. It’s time for us to start playing around in your makeup box!

1. GOLD GLITTER EYES + RED LIPS

When it comes to Christmas, you can’t get a more iconic look than red lips and gold glitter eyes – two of the biggest shades associated with the festive season.

To achieve this brilliant eye makeup look, you’ll need to start with a primer – this is important to make sure your eye makeup doesn’t move at all. Glitter has a habit of getting everywhere, so make sure you apply / hold a piece of tissue underneath the eye so you can mop up any spills. You could also consider putting translucent powder down, and then brushing it all away, with the excess glitter, when you’re all done.

Eyes: Makeup Geek eyeshadows in Frappe (crease and lower lash line) and In the Spotlight (inner corner), ABH eyeshadow in Hot Chocolate (crease), ABH Self-Made Palette; shade Selfmade (lid), and MAC Gold Glitter.

Lips: MAC Diva

2. DRAMATIC SMOKEY EYE

The smokey eye look is a favourite among the festive season, because it goes with practically every party outfit you could think of. The one thing we don’t appreciate, however, is removing the smokey eye makeup the next morning … because you know we won’t remember to do it before we go to sleep that night!

Here’s a great tip if you’re having a hard time removing old makeup, and it’s super good for your face too! Coconut oil is not only a great makeup remover when used with a cotton wool ball or pad, but it also nourishes and hydrates your face, all at the same time!

Products used: Monarch Palette by Kat Von D, NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk (waterline) Anastasia Beverly Hills SO Hollywood Illuminator (inner corner).

3. DARK GREEN EYES

Green is a very brave old shade to wear in makeup, but it’s totally achievable once you know how to rock it properly. You need to know the right green shade to wear for both your skin tone and hair colour, and you also need to know how to apply it properly so that it packs the maximum impact.

You should start with your eyes when going for a bold shade like these dark green eyes – leave the foundation and everything else until you’ve finished. The brows and eyes are going to be the most eye-catching part of this look, so start with them and then mute the rest of your makeup regime down to match / highlight the green shades, not clash with them.

Link for the tutorial – Metallic Green Smokey Eye

Eyes: Makeup Geek eyeshadows – Bake Sale, Cabin Fever and Epic.

4. FESTIVE GREEN AND GOLD LOOK

And if you’re not bold or brave enough to go for a solid green eyelid, how about green eyeliner? We love the way it’s been teamed with the gold pop here, bringing the two festive shades together. If it’s Christmas makeup ideas to copy this season you’re on the hunt for, you could do a lot worse than this.

Here’s a great tip if you don’t have a green eyeliner to hand, and let’s face it, who does? You can use a regular eyeshadow as eyeliner with a small lid filled with water, and your regular green eyeshadow. Dip the brush in the water, brush the excess moisture off, and then dip in the green eyeshadow, applying and building up as you would with regular eyeliner. You may find that you need a couple of layers to get that green pigment through, but you can achieve exactly the same look as a liquid eyeliner.

Eyes: Too Faced Christmas Tree, NYX Ultra Pearl Mania, MAC Heirloom Mix, and Amrezy Palette LBD & Morocco.

Lips: NYX Big Cherry

5. DARK GOLD EYES + DARK LIPS

It’s hard work wearing big eye makeup and big lips at the same time, but this gold and dark red combo shows you how to do it the right way.

The eyes, although packed with shimmer and shine, are quite muted, leaving the big red lips to do the job they were intended to do. That tiny hint of white / pale shimmer on the inside corner of your eyes really help to open them up to, and it works with the gold eyelid shade!

Link for the tutorial – Gold Eyes & Dark Lips

6. GLITTER CUT CREASE

The cut crease is such a hard look to achieve at home, especially if you’ve never practiced it before. The one tip we would definitely give to you is practice, practice, practice!

Work on the cut crease first, and then clean it up afterwards if necessary. Trying to achieve the nude eyelid, and then adding the darker or brighter cut crease later, is much harder to achieve.

Eyes: ABH Master Palette by Mario, StarCrushed Minerals eyeshadow in Ice Queen (inner corner), EuniqueBeauty Glitter.

Lips: Jeffree Star Cosmetics liquid lipstick in Unicorn Blood.

7. BROWN SMOKEY EYE + GLITTER EYELINER

If you don’t want to go for a traditional black smokey eye, how about a brown one instead? With the right shades blended together, the look is just as popping, but it’s much easier to wear than the harsh black and dark grey tones that you’d normally find.

You can use the brown hues from your highlighter and contour palette if you don’t have the right tools for the job. We’ve managed to recreate an entire brown smokey eye look just with that one contour palette alone and a big fluffy blending brush.

Mini tutorial for the look – Brown Smokey Eye

Products used: Lime Crime Venus Palette, Vivienne Sabo gel liner, NYX Eyebrow Clear Gel, and Makeup Forever glitter (#11).

8. GOLD EYES + NUDE LIPS

To get the right nude lips, you should first start by making sure you have good condition lips. Use a lip exfoliator first, and you could even use a homemade sugar scrub with a soft toothbrush to brush those dead skin cells away first.

Then apply your balm, and give it plenty of time to soak in while you do the rest of your makeup regime, and then at the end, use a lip liner first to “overline” them slightly – this is what gives them that fuller appearance. Once you’ve added your nude lip shade, and then the gloss (if you want it) over the top, dab a touch of highlighter to the centre of your bottom lip to make it light-reflecting and appear bigger.

Eyes: ABH Master Palette by Mario,  Touch In Sol Metallist Liquid Foil & Glitter Eye Shadow Duo Eldora (lid).

Lips: MAC Stripdown lip pencil, Peach Stock lipstick and Oyster Girl lip gloss.

9. BLACK GLITTERY SMOKEY EYE

For a real difference this party season, don’t just settle for a plain old smokey eye – add a touch of glitter! It instantly brightens things up, and can also stop from you looking too “gothic” if your smokey eye has come out much more smokey than you’d first anticipated.

If you want easy Christmas makeup ideas to copy this season, add a touch of glitter. It doesn’t matter what colour or shade you’ve used for your smokey eye – brown, black, charcoal greys, or even colour such as greens and blues, they instantly look more festive with a touch of glitter!

10. MATTE PLUM LIPS

If you want to wear darker shades of lipstick, and wear them well, you should keep your darker shades for the evening, or big events. Wearing a really rich plum look to the office during the day might be a bit much, unless you keep the rest of your makeup relatively nude and subtle.

If you don’t know what shade of dark lipstick to wear for your light-eyes, a burgundy with a hint of pink about it would be just right, and darker eyes can opt for something with a brown tone.

Eyes: ABH Master Palette by Mario, and ABH eyeshadow in Noir, NYX glitter in Gold Dust.

Lips: Lip Fanatic matte liquid lipstick in Special.

12 Times Nail Art Told You A Story

12 Times Nail Art Told You A Story

Sometimes it seems like it has all been done before when it comes to nail art. I mean, there are just so many creative, talented people churning out awesome nail art designs that generally leave us in awe. How can there be more stuff to cover? 

Well, the short answer is: there will always be more! See, that's the thing about having creative, talented people on your side—they're always ready and willing to do something new (and do it well). So, since the nail art world is filled with so many of these lovely people from all over, of course we've got something super awesome and pretty new to talk about today: nail art that tells a story! If that doesn't sound clear to you, peruse this list and be amazed.   

1. Let's start with a love story...

...is there any better way to start anything? 

2. Everyone's favorite story, E.T.!

This one's incredible and there's so much detail. The alien himself complete with a flashing finger tip! 

3. Like literally... the whole story in 10 fingers. 

Hats off to brevity. 

4. What is it about this that's totally perfect? 

You'll have to tell me. I can't put my finger on it... but definitely is perfect.