Tips To Avoid Makeup Melt-down In Hazy Hot Humid Weather

Makeup melt-down. If it hasn't happened to you yet, consider yourself lucky.

But for the rest of us, who have opened up our makeup bags on a hazy, hot, and humid day only to find melted eye pencils, gooey mascara, and mushy lipstick, it isn't a pretty scene.

Since a major part of the country is sweltering in 95-100 degree muggy temps for the rest of the week, we thought we would share a few key beauty tips to avoid makeup melt-down.

Ladies....the refrigerator is your new makeup BFF. Oh, yeah. You can store your foundations, eye makeup, lipsticks, glosses, and balms in the fridge. The best way, is to take a Ziploc bag and dump your makeup in one, and then place in the cool refrigerator, or even the freezer, if you need your beauty essentials firm and ready for application in a few minutes.

Here's an example.....we took out our brow and eye pencils this morning, and tried to sharpen them for use. Well, duh...it's was already 85 degrees when we were starting to put on our makeup. The pencils melted and 'smooshed' inside our eye pencil sharpener Yuck....when you need to be somewhere and your makeup isn't co-operating.

We ran downstairs and popped the brow and eye pencils into the freezer for 10 minutes. Went back up and the pencils were firm enough for sharpening and application.

We should have kept all the makeup in the fridge overnight, and we wouldn't have had a makeup meltdown.

You get a nice, cool sensation, applying makeup that has just come out of the fridge. Foundation glides on smoothly. And lip balms and lipsticks feel so refreshing on a hazy, hot, and humid day.

1. DON'T wear heavy eyeshadows on sweltering summer days, unless you apply a powder underneath or a good primer. Creases can develop quickly on triple H days.

2. DON'T leave makeup in the car on very hot days. You'll ruin a bag of your go-to beauty essentials, because they will melt, and very rapidly.

3. GO EASY on the makeup when you're spending a day in the sun. A decent tinted moisturizer looks polished and pretty, along with a lip balm with an SPF. And don't ever forget the sunscreen to layer on top.

4. WATERPROOF makeup can really help, too, especially, if your fun involves pools, lakes, beaches, and swimming. Waterproof mascara really works!

5. SPLASH on a fragrant body spray when you need a super, cool pick-me-up. Keep ready in the fridge at all times. We wouldn't chance a pricey fragrance sitting in the fridge, but an inexpensive body spray will work just as well.

6. POWDER...it does a girl good. Mineral makeup is a wise choice if you really want to keep away from heavier foundations and blushes. Powder your nose and try oil-blotting sheets to keep the greasies away.

Girls Go Goo-Goo Over Lady Gaga Circle Contact Lenses

Goo-goo over Gaga. We knew this would happen sooner or later.

Actually, we love what this bizarre beauty trend does to make eyes look enormous and pretty, but at what cost?

The trend has been popular for several months now, and has generated even more major buzz with Lady Gaga's new 'Bad Romance' music video. And her wide-eyed look there, might have been computer-enhanced, rather than the result of wearing circle contact lenses. (See Gaga photo).

The trend did not originate here. Wearing circle contacts is popular in Japanese anime and in high schools across South Korea, Japan, and Singapore. Circle lenses are unique, in that they make the eyes appear bigger because they cover not just the iris, as regular contact lenses do, but also part of the whites.

Teenage girls and college students have been able to easily buy a batch of these colored circle contacts all over the internet illegally, for about $20-$30 a pair. This has eye experts seeing red, so to speak. And popular YouTube videos are showing up everywhere with demos on how to put these circle contacts in. Makeup artist Michelle Phan has a super how-to get the doll-like Lady Gaga look. Click here. By the way, Michelle's YouTube video has had more than 9.6 million views.

Here in the United States, it is illegal to sell contact lenses without a prescription, and no major maker of contact lenses in the U.S., at the moment, is selling circle contact lenses. Doctors fear, that girls are buying lenses that have not been fitted properly, and risk eye infection, along with damaged corneas.

Are you going goo-goo over Gaga's bizarre beauty trend?? If so, please be very careful where you buy these circle contact lenses. We're not sure the doll-like look is worth the risk of injury, infection, or in some cases, blindness.

Pop These Five Pills And Stay Young Forever, Well, At Least Increase Your Odds

We know a few folks who pop lots of healthy pills each day. We are also friends with some, who only take a multi-vitamin with their orange juice. And even several others, who don't pop any pills. And we're talking about vitamins and supplements.

So who's following the correct procedure to stay beautiful on the inside?

Let's be honest.....those who are popping tons of supplements don't really look any healthier to us, than those popping zero pills.

But if you really want to replenish the beauty from inside, then here are 5 'magic' pills that will help you stay young forever. Or for a really long time.

Dr. Michael Roizen, co-author of the popular book, You: Staying Young, has the daily dose for a more beautiful you:

1. One multi-vitamin. And for maximum absorption, take half of this pill at breakfast, and the other half at dinner.

2. 600 mg. of DHA/omega-3 fatty acid, better known as a fish oil pill. Great for brain function.

3. 1,000 units of Vitamin D for bone health and a healthy heart.

4. 600 mg. of calcium for bones. Fight back against osteoporosis!

5. And 200 mg. of magnesium to get rid of the bloat and constipation that can result in taking the calcium pill.

There you go. Does it really work? Well, we know a lovely women who just turned 88-years-old. She looks darn good and she takes 4 of the pills, except for the magnesium. She's not worried about the bloating problem. And her doctor says she's in tip-top shape.

Laura Linney Shows Off Super Toned Arms And Shows You How To Get Them

Laura Linney. Not only is she a wonderful actress, but take a look at her super toned arms. Ladies, Laura Linney is 46-years-old! And there she is on the August cover of Prevention magazine.

So, how does the 3-time emmy winning beauty keep that fab, show-off, sleeveless baring body?

Through a sensible diet that does not include too much meat and a solid exercise program, Laura has been able to stay fit and show off those fab arms.

Laura explains her easy fitness tips to Prevention magazine:

1. Push-Ups. After 2 months, Laura was adding this basic and effective routine to her work-outs. And she can now do three or four sets of 12-to-15 push-ups easily.

2. Plank Pose (Yoga). We didn't even know what this one was, but check out the photo above. No, you don't have to bend your body like a pretzel to achieve this pose. Hold each plank for 30 seconds. This one targets your core muscles.

1. Begin on your hands and knees, with hands directly under shoulders, keep knees under hips. 2. Move feet back until the legs are straight and you’re balancing on your toes, feet together. 3. Keep the shoulders pulled back and down, with arms straight. 4. Don't let belly sag--contract muscles. This is the Plank Pose.

We like these 2 simple exercises. You don't need a fancy gym or expensive equipment. Patience and hard work will get you there. And your arms will thank you.

From Copper To Cherry To Auburn--Red Hair Is Celebrity Hot

Red hair. It is so beautiful and can turn all heads in a crowded room.

But here's an important Beauty Tip Today, from master colorist and celebrity stylist, Kim Vo. We asked him this:

Which head of hair poses the biggest challenges for coloring---blonde, brunette, black, or red?

Kim Vo: "The biggest challenge are reds. The red color molecule is the smallest of all colors. It's like a tropical rainstorm. It's tempest and dramatic at first and then quickly fades."

But the beautiful hair risks don't seem to be stopping sexy celebs like: Rihanna. Eva Longoria. Kristen Stewart. Christina Aguilera. They've all headed into the red zone.

And some are much bolder than the rest. Just look at beauty chameleon Rihanna. She's lovin' her cherry red do. Ah, we're not liking it, but the singer is always changing it up, is fearless when it comes to bizarre beauty trends, and she's very young. Although it hurts to do it....we are giving Rihanna the thumbs up! We can only imagine the endless trips to the salon to keep the scarlett shade fresh and strong.

Eva Longoria surprised us, when she showed up to debut a new line of refrigerators. Yeah, that's right. The Desperate Housewives star wowed her fans in a plum-colored dress with wavy auburn locks, as she launched the new LG combi fridge at the San Miguel market in Madrid, Spain.

And then there's Kristen Stewart. We're all used to seeing the young actress with raven hair. But not any longer. Kristen lightened up her hair and softened her looks, by adding some pretty copper highlights. And just in time for the important premiere for the brand new Twilight Eclipse movie in New York City last Monday night.

Always blonde Christina Aguilera, has also gone the strawberry/copper route. Not sure if hers include hair extensions. She has been busy filming Burlesque with Cher and Stanley Tucci, so it might be for her movie role.

Red hair is lots of fun and gets you tons of attention. The maintenance isn't easy, that's why your stylist will become your new BFF. Just remember, that skin tone means everything:

Kim Vo: "Skin tone is the most important factor in deciding your perfect color. It takes a professional eye to determine, but for a simple read, use the veins on your wrist. If your veins are blue, warm tones like chestnut and auburn tones are for you. If your veins are more green, caramel and golden hues will compliment you. If your veins are blue/green, then warm and cool tones can be added seamlessly. "

Everyone Smacking Lips Over New Glaceau Vitamin Schtick Lip Balm

Glaceau(the Vitamin Water drink folks) and Bonne Belle(of Lip Smacker fame) have come up with a very clever and useful little beauty product. In fact, some friends we know, are already addicted to this little tube of lip balm.

So what's the big deal about the Glaceau Vitamin Schtick Lip Balm?!

This one's got an SPF of 20, and is formulated with Vitamin E and other good stuff. So you get very nice sun protection for your lips in a yummy-scented moisturizing balm. The balm consistency is more like a gel, and thicker than your average balm. The appealing scents last on your lips, but there really isn't a flavor included, which is unfortunate.

Only $2.99 at drugstores like Walgreens. Even Urban Outfitters sells them by the register. And the Glaceau Vitamin Schtick Lip Balm comes in scents like:Kiwi Strawberry. Lemonade. Dragonfruit. Acai Blueberry Pomegranate. And Fruit Punch. How could you not want to sample a few and toss them into your makeup bag or purse?!

We all want soft, kissable lips. And believe it or not, the sun can do a number on them. Lips don't have enough melanin to protect us from the searing heat. Melanin is the natural skin pigment that filters out the strong and damaging UV rays. Lips are also thinner in skin structure, very sensitive, and lack protective oil glands. That is why you need to have a lip balm with an SPF of at least 15. An SPF of 20-30 would be best. So, Glaceau's Vitmain Schtick Lip Balm is a good one to wear while you play out in the sun

And we've talked about this before. Dermatologists are now warning women about the dangers of wearing lip gloss in the sun. Sounds crazy, but this can maybe cause skin cancer.

According to NYC dermatologist, Dr. Bruce Robinson, it's the moisture in the gloss that attracts the sun's harmful rays. "Take a magifying glass and put it over your lips." When you apply shiny lip gloss and go out into the sun, "that's essentially what you're doing."

Just don't go out under the sun with bare, naked lips. Always wear a conditioning balm. And save the gloss for after sunning.

Summer Safety: Go Easy In The Sun And Avoid Tanning Beds

Tanning. We all do it, or have done it, and/or continue to do it.

And for those who really want that golden glow year round, there's the tanning bed. Unfortunately, that's where the extreme danger lies, so to speak.

We saw a very sad story today, about a lovely young woman from Texas, Jaime Regen Rea. Jaime spent her high school lunch hours at a tanning salon. She wanted to always look tanned and pretty. Her mother says Jaime spent a lot of time in the sun, but really became addicted to the tanning bed.

At age 20, she was diagnosed with melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. And Jaime Regen Rea was dead, just 3 weeks before her 30th birthday.

Her heartbroken family has decided to honor Jaime's memory by joining in the American Academy of Dermatology's new TV and print public service advertisements. These ads aim to educate the public about the increased risk of melanoma from tanning beds and sun exposure..

This story isn't a rare one. We have spoken several times, here at Beauty Tip Today, about the dangers of too much sun exposure and the alarming statistics of young people using tanning beds.

No one needs a long lecture here, but... researchers have found that deadly skin cancer is on the rise for younger women, but not for younger men. Cases of melanoma among women have jumped some 50%, according to a study published back on July 10, 2008 by the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

"It's worrying," said Mark Purdue, a research fellow at the National Cancer Institute, who led the analysis published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. "What we are seeing in young adults right now could foretell a much larger number of melanoma cases in older women." .

Have fun in the sun, but remember to do it in moderation and arm yourself with plenty of sunscreen. As far as tanning beds go, well, the statistics alone, should have you thinking twice before lying down on one.

It's best to use a self-tanning lotion. You can fake a pretty decent tan. Lindsay Lohan has a nice product she put out last year, called Sevin Nyne ($35, at Sephora). LiLo developed the unique faux tan styling mist with Lorit, an expert celebrity airbrush tanner. The product is chemical-free and smells delicious. And its made with natural products like---goji berry, chardonnay extracts, caramel, and a sugar coconut base.