Signs of low vitamin D

It's called the "sunshine vitamin", because we naturally produce it in our skin in response to the suns rays. But for six months of the year from October to April, 90% of the UK lies too far north to have enough sunshine necessary to make vitamin D, and a large proportion of us are thought to be vitamin D deficient. This is significant because increasing research is linking low vitamin D levels to various cancers, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, immune disorders, chronic muscle pain and bone loss, to name just a few.

Here are 5 signs that you might not be getting enough vitamin D-

10 Nail tips you need to know

Think you know every trick in the book when it comes to painting your nails? We've got the secret DIY hacks that will change your regime for life. From tips for smoothing out a smudge to getting glitter off in a sweep, they're super simple tricks and tweaks we couldn't be without.

Skin tightening secrets

A sagging face is arguably one of the most prominent signs of aging. Yes, wrinkles are up there too, but one could acquire wrinkles at a young age from squinting or even smiling too much! But sagging skin is something that comes with getting older.

10 old school beauty tricks for you!

Back in the day, people didn’t have as many product options as we do now, and they had to make do. And you can, too! Rather than shelling out big bucks to solve your beauty woes, the antidote to your puffy eyes or dull hair might be waiting for you inside your cupboard or even in your purse! Check out the list below for ten surprising (and maybe a little strange) tips to up your beauty game.

Easy acne spots treatment

We’re blaming Murphy’s Law for last-minute acne breakouts. You know, those huge, honking red zits that pop up right before an important event? And no matter how much you pray, poke, and prod, they still won’t disappear! Drastic measures aside, how do you minimize the impact of surprise acne flare ups without an impromptu (and expensive!) visit to the dermatologist? Try these three time-tested, do-it-yourself solutions and watch your blemishes vanish.

Ice Beauty Secrets

Sometimes a chilly rinse or frozen facial is just what the doctor ordered. Icing your skin is believed to improve circulation as well as ward off wrinkles. Plus, it’s refreshing after spending a day with your radiators on blast. Here are a few tricks to try with ice the next time!

3 Cure-all Baths

Not a bath person? Here’s a hot tip—try thinking of a bath as medicinal rather than just hygenic. A hot water soak may not get you squeaky clean the way a shower does, but the steamy water is sure to cure what ails you. 

The mood lifty juice

 I’ve even got a beverage for you to juice up: my amazing feel-better-mood-lifty juice! Full of happiness-boosting antioxidants and micronutrients, this juice will help set your jangled nerves on the road to recovery.

Juice Away the Blues

Secrets for a perfect at-home/self-tan

Ah, self-tanner. It's the beauty product every fair-skinned girl develops a love/hate relationship with right as prom, graduation, or the first beach day of the year rolls around. You want a glowing complexion, but you definitely don't want the skin damage that comes along with baking in the sun for hours (or, even worse, a turn inside the tanning bed). Apply self-tanner correctly and you'll triumphantly leave the bathroom with golden skin that constrasts beautifully with your new ultra-white sundress. But if application goes awry, you could be left with streaks, patches, or an orange Oompa-Loompa color that every self-tanner newbie dreads.

Redhead beauty tips

Best Shades for Your Eye Color

Green Eyes: pinks or plums (these have red undertones) Blue Eyes: tawny gold based colors and peaches (these have orange undertones) Brown Eyes: any color works on brown eyesHazel Eyes: champagne, mauve colors, gold-flecked, and jewel-tone eyeshadow

Happy Father's Day

How to use temporary dyes

This is the final part of our hair color series, and we couldn’t end it without looking at the big, colorful world of temporary dyes. With rainbow shades being an ever growing trend with beauty daredevils of all ages, it’s time we break down the basics of temporary hair dye and open readers up to the possibility if this versatile color option. We spoke with Hairstory Studio’s expert colorist Roxie Darling on the pros, cons, tips, and tricks behind temporary dye.

Facial Faux Pass

Frowning and squinting and smiling, oh my! Beauties, we are all guilty of engaging in bad habits when it comes to our complexion—and most are without even knowing it! Simple everyday actions can create wrinkles. To clear up any confusion you might have, we chatted with New York City-based celebrity dermatologist David A. Colbert, M.D., (clients include Sienna Miller, Rachel Weisz, and Victoria’s Secret supermodel Adriana Lima) about the Top 3 most common facial faux pas.

How to pamper your own feet

Easy tips to take care of your feet. 

*Bye bye old polish

Remove all traces of old polish on your toe nails with nail polish remover.

How to remove makeup stains

Have you ever smudged foundation on your collar, dropped a mascara wand on your pants, or spilled hair dye on your shirt? Regardless of the surface you’re working on (garment, flooring, or furniture), you must identify what kind of stain you’re dealing with in order to treat it. Oil or wax-based lipstick is the most common clothing offender, while nail polish and foundation fall closely after. We’ve all had our makeup mishaps, but it’s possible to clean up the mess with these stain-fighting solutions.

Which hair colour is perfect for me?

So you wanna dye your hair, huh? Today, we have our pick of thousands of shades, tones, washes, and color rinses to alter our hair. We have rainbow dyes and natural stains, color shampoos, and pastel tints. And what about the application process? Are you in the market for painted streaks? What about chunks or a fade? Maybe an all over saturated wash? The possibilities are endless.

How to take care of your false eyelashes

Are you keeping your false lashes clean? We know, at the end of a long day adding yet another step to our beauty regime can feel like a chore—but you’ll thank us when your lash stash is still going strong months into wearing them.

The dry skin diet

If you have dry skin, you know that lotions and moisturizers help. But can certain dietary choices combat dry, itchy, scaly skin?

Everything about skin exfoliation

Dead skin cells often need a little help to slough off. A skin exfoliant with ingredients like an alpha hydroxy acid or a beta hydroxy acid can leave you looking fresh and feeling smooth again.

Shrink your pores

Pores are so important to skin health. They allow hair, which keeps our bodies warm, to grow through the skin. They secrete an oily substance known as sebum that keeps skin moisturized and protects it from germs and environmental stress. But enlarged pores feel like more of a nuisance than a benefit. Hard to cover up, and even harder to shrink, large pores can put a damper on your best-laid makeup plans...and your confidence.

DIY: Lip Balm

Easy and effective.

Ingredients:

8 Drops peppermint oil

2 Tbsp carrier oil (such as almond oil—this dilutes the peppermint oil from a burn to a tingle)

1 Tbsp beeswax pellets

Glass dropper

Glass jar

Containers

Optional: lipstick shavings for a hint of tint

Are you drinking your water correctly?

We all know drinking water does wonders for the skin, but what does that mean exactly? And how much water do you drink anyway? Is there such a thing as too much of it?

Concealer Basics

Concealer is everybody’s friend. We’ve yet to meet a person who couldn’t benefit from a dab here and there. It brightens up the complexion and targets discoloration more effectively than foundation. Here are some of the top spots we cover up daily.

How to make a lip liner work for you

Everybody, and we mean everybody can benefit from a little lip liner. While lining your lips runs the danger of creating an outdated, overdrawn, unblended pout, it’s time to stop shying away from lip liner for fear it may leave you looking like a Real Housewife. Here are the real 3 ways to make lip liner work for you.

How does botox work

Botox is a brand name of a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. There are other brand names forbotulinum, such as Xeomin. In large amounts, this toxin can cause botulism, which you probably associate with food poisoning. Despite the fact that one of the most serious complications of botulism is paralysis, scientists have discovered a way to use it to human advantage. Small, diluted amounts can be directly injected into specific muscles causing controlled weakening of the muscles.

Ten reasons to practice yoga

Derived from the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit, the word Yoga literally means yoking, as in yoking a pair of oxen. The modern meaning of the word is when used in relation to the practice of Yoga, as we know it, is union – the union of the mind, body and spirit. Yoga is a great form of exercise is beneficial to both the mind and the body and, many people claim that Yoga can be a life changing experience that improves both health and beauty and here are ten Yoga benefits and reasons why you should be trying Yoga. It’s more than just an exercise routine.

Can makeup cause acné

The answer is yes. 45% of women in a recent Brazilian study had dermatoses (skin disease) associated with the cosmetics they were using. 14% had active acne lesions due to cosmetics. 

All you need to know about Permanent Makeup

Permanent makeup, or cosmetic tattooing, is a fast-growing part of the health and beauty industry.

If you have faint eyebrows, no eyebrows, or partial eyebrows, a cosmetic tattoo can help. A lip tattoo can reduce "lipstick bleed," and give definition to the lip line. With a colored lip tattoo, lip scars disappear, plus you can kiss lipstick good-bye. After an eyeliner tattoo, you can put away your eye pencils for several years.

Noise from traffic can make you fat

Exposure to noise from traffic, trains and planes may be linked to a burgeoning belly, Swedish researchers report.

Tattoos may pose health risk

Getting a tattoo may put you at risk for long-term skin problems, a new study warns.

"We were rather alarmed at the high rate of reported chronic complications tied to getting a tattoo," said senior investigator Dr. Marie Leger, an assistant professor in the dermatology department at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City.

Your guide for long and healthy hair

Whoever coined the "long hair, don't care" phrase had it all wrong. (Lil Wayne circa 2006 in Lloyd's single, "You," was it?)