Halloween on the Upper East Side: Blair Waldorf Beauty Looks

Last year Zephyr wrote a great piece on copying Blair’s style with excellent pointers on her hairstyle, too, so here are the pointers for how to achieve her signature beauty look.
For makeup, start with a light coverage foundation. Blair’s skin is flawless (I’m totally jealous), so you’ll want to make sure skin is plenty moisturized before applying. I’m hearing rave reviews about the dreamy smoothness of Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse Foundation.

Next, take a shimmery bronzer and dust it over your entire face to get a little bit of sparkle. Use it a bit more heavily underneath your cheekbones to give them shadowing and definition. I think Too Faced Mini Pink Leopard Bronzing Powder has a nice mix of shimmer and color.

The rest of Blair’s daytime makeup look is polished with a glossy lip. For eyes, use a light taupe/golden eyeshadow on lids and blend a darker brown shadow in your creases. Line your eyes with a brown or gray eye pencil, and finish by curling your lashes and adding a light coat of mascara. For her lips, pick a really shiny gloss–I like Clinique’s Full Potential Lips Plump and Shine.

If you’re going after Blair’s evening makeup, all you’ll need to modify in the steps above is that you’ll use a darker base shadow–like a dark gray–and then blend a black shadow (either sparkly or matte, your choice!) into the creases of her eyes. Layer on the mascara more heavily, and take a shimmery white shadow and highlight under your eyebrows and in the inner corners of your eye.

You’ll be glammed up for the most exclusive social event of the year!

Various Stylish Evening Dresses in Gossip Girls

 

You Can Sell Your Junk Cars for Cash

The aftermarket for automotive parts is a thriving one. Even if your junk car doesn't run, it has parts that can be used on comparable models. Auto salvage lots sell the parts from junk cars to vehicle owners and repair shops at a fraction of the cost of new parts. That's why they're willing to pay you for a junk car, even if they have to come tow it away. To sell junk cars for cash, this is your market.

1. Obtain the vehicle title. Establish ownership of a junk car to be sold with a title that bears your name. A legal business will only buy a car from the owner.

2. Assess the vehicle to be sold. Make a list of any body damage and systems that do not work. Include a list of any parts have already been removed. Check tire wear and interior condition. An auto salvage dealer may ask you several questions about the vehicle before offering a purchase price. You can expect anywhere from $35 to $50 for a junk car that's not running.

3. Repair the car. Get the car working and roadworthy, and drive it to a salvage lot. If it's at all possible to make a junk car run, it will sell for up to 10 times more than a disabled one.

4. Call for quotes from auto salvage dealers in your area. Call each of them to see who will give you the best price. Be sure the company is willing to send a tow driver to your location. A lot that's too far away may not be willing to pay for long-distance towing.

5. Deliver the car yourself. Use a tow bar, tow dolly or other legal towing means to deliver the vehicle to the lot. Some salvage yards will pay more for a junk car they don't have to tow.

Most Popular Wedding Day Music

Selecting your ceremony wedding music may seem like a daunting task. Jan Trerise of Vancouver’s Musical Occasions shares their list of the most popular and requested ceremony songs in the 20 year history of the company.

For the Processional and Registry Signing:

Canon in D
Bridal Chorus (Here Comes the Bride)
Air on a G String
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring
Ave Maria
Gabriel’s Oboe
Flower Song
“Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen
What a Wonderful World
The Prayer and Con Te Partiro

For the Recessional:

The Wedding March
Trumpet Voluntary
La Rejouissance
Spring from the Four Seasons
Ode To Joy
“When I’m 64″ by the Beatles

Coffee Art

Make Barbie Doll Clothes

Barbie dolls have been a favorite of little girls for generations. They have evolved over the years, but the essence of Barbie remains unchanged. Much of the entertainment has always been Barbie's wardrobe and accessories. Collecting the different styles and fashions is what makes playing with Barbie dolls so enjoyable for young girls.
A seamstress with basic sewing knowledge and skills can easily add fun and attractive clothes to a young girl's Barbie doll wardrobe. There are many free downloads available that include both patterns and the instructions for making Barbie clothes; see the Resources section below to download the pattern outlined here.

Sew the Pants
Serge the lower edges of the pants and stitch the lace to lower edges of pants, if desired.

Attach the elastic to lower edges of the pants by sewing a zigzag stitch around each leg edge.

Serge across the waist edge of the pants. Make a small casing for the elastic along the waistline of the pants. Insert a small elastic piece to fit Barbie's waist and secure the elastic within the casing. Sew the back edges together and serge the edge to finish.

Serge the crotch of the pants legs together with the right sides facing each other, then turn the pants right-side out.

Sew the Shirt
Fold the strap pieces in half with right sides facing each other. Sew together. Turn the straps out and press each strap.

Sew the straps to the top of the shirt with the right side of each strap matching the right side of the front of the shirt.

Sew the back piece of the shirt to the front piece with right sides facing each other. Turn the shirt right-side out.

Serge along the lower edge and sides of the shirt. Sew the lace to the lower edge of the shirt, if desired.

Gather the top edge of the bottom portion of the shirt to match the width of the top of the shirt. Sew the gathered piece to the top portion of the shirt with right sides facing each other.

Sew the back of the shirt closed but leave the top portion open near the straps. Attach Velcro to the portions left open.

Tell you How to Read a Skincare Product Label

It is important to understand what your skincare products labels mean. By knowing what the words stand for, you can become an expert in what you need in your skin care items. People with allergies and sensitive skin may find it important to know what the ingredients listed on their skin care labels are and what they do.

1. Learn skin care terminology. You will want to understand what oil-free, alcohol-free, hypoallergenic, organic, dermatologist-tested and natural mean. For example, oil-free means it is not oil-based; hypoallergenic means that most of the people that were tested did not have allergic reactions to this product, such as rashes or itching.

2. Research the ingredients. If it is a humectant, it moisturizes the outermost layers of skin. If it is an emollient, it will lubricate dry skin. If it contains botanicals, it means it has nutrients that are plant-based. If your skin care products contains vitamins, it is made to protect your skin from things like sun damage and age, according to "The Beauty Workbook."

3. Identify the active ingredients. Acne treatments generally have Benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid in them. Most brands will list active ingredients as just that, and there will be no mistake.

4. Read the order of ingredients. Ingredients are listed in order of highest concentration to the least. The exception is if an ingredient is classified as a drug, then that ingredient is listed first. Dyes and colorings are generally listed last.

5. Know what irritates your skin. You do not want to put something on your skin that has a high probability of making you itch or giving you a rash. Some irritants include perfumes and artificial fragrances, which can irritate more than just the skin.

 

Take Pets on Family Vacations

Some pet lovers travel without their furry friends, while others can't bear the thought of hiring a pet sitter or using boarding facilities. Traveling with pets and planning a family vacation with them in tow presents a whole new set of travel challenges. Whatever type of pet you have, there are ways to make taking a pet-friendly family vacation with your sanity in check.

Instructions

1. Locate pet-friendly accommodations. Not all hotels, motels, rental houses or bed and breakfasts will allow you to bring your pet along. You need to do a little bit of research before you leave home to assure that your pet receives a warm welcome.

2. Travel by car. If you insist on taking a family vacation with your pets, you should consider taking a trip that can be navigated by car. If your pets are in a confined space with you, rather than in a crate in a pet compartment, they'll feel more secure and you can be sure to make the necessary amount of stops for relief and fresh air.

3. Observe all rules. Make sure that you know what restrictions exist before you start out on your vacation. For example, there may be weight restrictions on the dogs that are allowed to stay, or certain accomodations may not welcome scaly or feathered critters.

4. Be respectful of your fellow vacationers. No matter where you end up staying, it's important for your pets to be as invisible and as quiet as possible while you're away. The people around you in a rental community or hotel are on vacation, too, and they don't want to hear a barking dog all day or a parrot's incessant chatter.

5. Know your pet inside and out. If your pets don't do well alone or can't easily adjust to new spaces, you may have to think about the unthinkable and possibly leave them behind. Just because you found pet-friendly accommodations doesn't mean that you'll be able to bring your pets along with you on museum tours or to the beach.

6.Practice meticulous cleanliness. Even though your pets may be welcome where you're staying, it doesn't mean you have carte blanche. Your pets shouldn't be allowed on the furniture nor should they be allowed inside until paws are clean and dry.

7. Plan a vacation that's close to home. No matter what mode of transportation you decide upon, it's easier on the whole family if you keep your destination to within a few hours of travel time. This places less stress on your pets, and you as well.

Keep Your Hair Color from Fading

Avoid anyone knowing your hair color is fake by preventing premature fading of the color. Every six to eight weeks, women visit the beauty salon, or the hair color aisle at the drugstore, to touch up their roots or highlights. Evade an early visit by changing your hairstyling routine or using color-treated products for your hair. Hair color can have a long lifespan, at least until the roots start to show, if it is cared for and maintained between salon visits.

Instructions
1. Wait 48 hours after you wash your hair to add faux color, and then wait another 48 hours after the color to wash. The natural oils in your hair, which will develop over the 48 hours before it is colored, will help the color adhere to the hair follicles. During the hair color application, the stylist will clean the hair; therefore, wait another 48 hours after the color to wash to prevent premature fading.

2. Avoid hot water when washing your hair. The hot water will blow open the cuticle and cause premature fading. Use tepid or cold water to wash your hair for the best results. In addition to keeping your color intact, the cold water will give a natural shine to your hair.

3. Use products for "color-treated hair" only. Other products that are not formulated for color-treated hair could fade the color. Avoid using volumizing shampoo because, like hot water, the shampoo will blow open the cuticle and cause premature fading.

4. Shampoo your hair less frequently to maintain the scalps natural oils and the color. Wash hair every other day to protect the color and maintain its vibrancy. Your hair can be conditioned daily, with a color-safe conditioner. In addition, apply a deep conditioner once a week to maintain color and shine.

5. Avoid using heating elements more than four times a week. These items include curling irons, hairdryers and flat irons. If you must use a hairdryer daily, apply a heat-protection serum to the hair prior to use and use a cool setting. It is best to let color-treated hair air dry. Other items, such as flat irons and curling irons, should also be used less than four times a week. If possible, let the hair air dry and then use a heated styling product. Avoid using a heated styling product after a hairdryer.

FALL DRESSES FROM T-SHOW

Is Ambition Good or Bad?

Usually ambition is the decision one makes and the resolution with which he carries out that decision. It provides us with the required driving force to accomplish any undertakings in our life. Just as Joseph Epstein, a famous American writer put it, “And as we decide and choose, so are our lives formed.” Indeed, once we make up our minds to choose to do something, then our life becomes meaningful and specifically orientated. This notion of life, as far as I observe, is closest to truth and does apply to almost all aspects of life.

At first, ambition renders us a sense of mission. No matter what decision you make you have to be responsible for your choice. Your choice procures you a sense of orientation, or more specially a sense of mission. And only a strong mission may enable one to accomplish greatness. Caesar of the ancient Roman Empire was urged by his ambition "I came, I saw, I conquered." And became an unrivaled empire builder in the history of Rome. John Milton, stimulated always by his ambition that aimed at writing some "mighty lines" which England would unwillingly forget, had in due time secured his position as the second Shakespeare in the history of English literature.

In the second place, ambition can bring one's potentials to the full. Ambition may well serve as a catalyst activating one's dormant potentials. Without ambition one's potentials will remain slumbering like a dormant volcano. A case in point is Ms Zhang Haidi, a Chinese Helen Keller. It was her ambition to be a useful person has turned the almost paralyzed Zhang Haidi into a well-accomplished figure whose achievements would dwarf those of some normal people aim at the sun, though, at worst, they may probably land on the moon.

Influential as it is upon us, however, ambition must be channeled in the right direction. If wrongly directed, one's ambition may bring havoc on him and others. Hitler, whose ambition was the example.