{Bombshell Beauty} Tips & Tricks of the Trade

As I've mentioned in previous posts, my sister (aka Sissy) is an amazing hairstylist. In fact, she's a hair genius, and that is not a partial or exaggeration whatsoever. I'm telling ya, she just knows her stuff!

Over the years, we talk about hair, makeup and beauty products. We tried lots of them, too. Here are a few "tricks of the trade" I found have helped me maintain my Bombshell status over the course of time.

What are your tricks to live by?

Here goes my list:

Tip #1: Volumizer is flat hair's BFF. There are a million out there and I've still not settled on a favorite, but volumizer is a MUST for my hair (lots of body, fine-to-medium texture, color-treated.)

Tip #2: The best time to use hair products, like a volumizer, is after the bulk of your hair is try and it feels just slightly damp to the touch.**

Tip #3: Take the time to learn how to dry your hair properly. Who knew that I've been doing it wrong for, oh, my entire life? You know that beautiful, blown-out look your hair has after returning from the salon? The trick is to gently squeeze out all excess water from your hair before starting to blow dry. Also, a wide-tooth comb is a handy tool to gently work through tangled tresses. Set your dryer to high temp, high air flow, maintain a distance from your hair (about 12-18") and KEEP IT MOVING. No one likes scorched hair. Then, when it is just barely damp (**This is the time to add your products), turn down the heat to warm, pin up the bulk of your hair and, using a round brush, dry small sections slowly (about a 1-2" chunk works well for me.) Slowly work around the non-pinned, then take out a small amount from the remaining hair until it's all dry. *Note: You shouldn't have to keep going over the hair with the dryer using a round brush to get it dry. If you are, then it's not ready for the brush...keep drying on high all over until more of the moisture is out, then start with the brush/warm heat combo.

Tip #4: Cetaphil is the best face wash I've ever used. I have oily, pimple-prone skin. I tried everything...Mary Kay, Proactiv Solution and just about every drug-store brand out there. In nearly every case, I didn't get a clean-feeling face OR I was felt too dry and my dry skin would break out my face. Finally, I read somewhere that Cetaphil was worth a try. Less than $10 and a few weeks of daily washes later (in WARM water only, please) my skin has never been better. Even my momma swears by it now. She had areas that a dermatologist couldn't smooth out...Cetaphil worked like a charm. Great for all skin types and ages, it's affordable, gentle and leaves your face feeling very clean. The daily face lotion is great, too!

Tip #5: 99-cent drugstore nail polish remover is just fine. I like a non-acetone formula, personally, and for anyone wearing artificial or acrylic nails, it's a must (unless you want to melt your nails!) Best way to take it off is to soak a cotton ball, hold it between your pointer and middle fingers and thumb, put the polished nail place between the cotton and your thumb and hold for a few seconds. Then, after the remover starts to break down the polish, gently rub the cotton with your pointer/middle fingers holding the cotton. No more wasting remover or having to buff out your nail bed to remove polish remnants!

Tip #6: Daily lotion is a drink of water to your skin. In addition to keeping hydrated, moisturizers and lotions are a great helper for your skin, especially in cooler weather when indoor heating saps skin's moisture. I love cheap cocoa butter lotion, but Bath & Body Works' Body Cream and Body Butter are dreamy, too. When's the best time to apply? Right after your bath or shower, but not until after you're dry. Despite popular belief, applying moisturizers onto damp skin only waters down the product. Towel off before slathering on!