GUEST POST: Creative Ways to Display Your Purses

Handbags and purses are a favorite accessory for many women. They’re widely known as the fashion item that always complements, and the perfect purse can take your outfit to the next level. But if your collection is too large, it can be hard to display them all. Too often you decide to throw out a purse you really love because of limited space, or you deny yourself the joy of buying the perfect bag because you don’t know where to put it. Since we at Modernize love offering tips for displaying cherished items in a unique way, here are some creative display ideas to organize your closet and turn your beloved bags into art.  

One favorite decorator’s secret is to create a gallery wall made completely of handbags. This statement lets everyone who enters your home know about your love for fashion. Just hang some vintage hooks along your wall, one for each  bag, eventually filling the entire wall. The display can be sporadic or organized, depending on your personal taste. There will be no question about your love for accessories with this display, and you’ll be able to easily see each purse when choosing your outfit for the day. Hang your pretty hooks on a brightly painted accent wall, or try an all-white wall so that your bags can be the focus.

via Driven By Decor

Some of your handbags may not have handles, and for these clutch-style bags, hook displays will not work. Try a modern shelving unit to display this style of bag. One fun option uses the U-shaped cubbies of a wine rack to display your clutch bag selection. Choose a rustic style to contrast the chic purse fabrics. Your clutches will be easy to grab and will make a big impression on anyone who sees them.

via Roomnations

For your most treasured bags, surround the purse with a frame to make it a focal point in your home. If you’ve received an heirloom-style bag or have a purse of sentimental value, hang it carefully on your wall. Find an old vintage frame from a flea market and paint it with a fresh coat of metallic-colored paint. Surround the special purse with your new gilded frame and take pleasure in making the purse an art piece and wow factor to your decor. 

via A Fine Farmhouse

A final suggestion for creatively displaying your purses is sourcing old store fixtures. You can often find used store fixtures at closeout sales, flea markets, or online. These fixtures will organize and display your purses like a pro. Your purse assortment will look as good as a boutique, and everything will be well organized and easy to access. You can often haggle to get the best price for these used displays, and they are often collapsible and easy to store when not in use. Your wardrobe will look like a chic boutique window, and you’ll be so proud to show off your collection.

 **A big thanks to Kelsey, from Modernize, a fabulous home remodeling site.  Check it out for inspiration, tips and tricks.**
    

Guest Post: Summer Makeup Tips and Tricks

Summer is a season of fun, and your makeup should reflect that. You don't have to spend hours prepping and primping yourself to look flawless just to hang out with friends or spend some time in the sun. We’ll list some of the easiest ways to make (and keep) your makeup looking flawless during the summer months without a lot of extra effort.

Runny Makeup? 
If you're oily skinned and your makeup seems to run right off your face, start your daily routine with a really fantastic primer. Once your primer is on, your foundation should slide effortlessly onto your face. Set it with a good powder, and you'll be amazed at the staying power you get!

Oily Skin?
Got oily skin? There's a number of things you can do. First, eat the right foods and keep the junk off your plate – there is still some truth to the old adage ‘you are what you eat’. Carry blotting papers around with you to help dull down middle of the day shine. Make sure that you wash your face every single night before you lay down for bed, keep your hair pulled back out of your face, and wash your pillow cases every other night. Finally, look for the right makeup – you want makeup that’s made for oily skin, and there are increasingly more options available to you.

Dry Skin? 
Dry skin can be a hassle when trying to get your makeup just right also- it can make you look flaky and dried out. If you have dry skin, make sure to wash your skin every night, drink plenty of extra water, and moisturize your skin every night before bed. Apply sunscreen before going outside, and keep your showers cool and short.

Want To Go Bold? 
For a bold look this summer, you can either highlight your lips or eyes. To highlight your lips, go for an all-natural face paired with bright, shimmery lips. To highlight your eyes, keep your face and lipstick matte, and then choose dark or bold colors for your eyeshadow, with plenty of mascara.

Foundation Doesn't Match Anymore? 
You should always go one shade up from your winter shade during the summertime. This is because spending extra time out in the sun leads to a darker complexion, while during the winter, most people tend to (naturally) be less tan because they spend less time out in direct sunlight. It’s unlikely that you’ll have the good fortune of using the same foundation in the Winter and Summer, but if you’re really opposed to buying new foundation or your complexion changes often, you could always use some bronzing liquid to darken your existing foundation.

Foundation Too Runny? Or Too Thick? 
If your foundation is too runny, you can add ¼ of teaspoon of cornstarch or flour to thicken it up without drastically changing the coloring or look good properties it contains. If it's too thick, you can add ¼ of a teaspoon to a full teaspoon to your bottle to loosen things up a bit. Add just a smidgen at a time do you don't overdo it though.

Want Some Good General Tips? 
Stay hydrated, and eat right. Remember that what goes into your body, must come out- and it comes out through your skin. Everyone should wash their face and moisturize every single night. Steer clear of slippery lip gloss during the summer months because it will be even more prone to slipping and sliding off of your lips. Always go minimal. The less foundation, powder, concealer, or whatever it is that you put on your face, the less of a chance you run in clogging your pores.

That's it ladies! Those are our summer makeup tips and tricks, we hope you enjoyed them! If you have anything you'd like to say about our tips, or if you would like to offer up some of your own, please feel free to do so in the comments below. We'd love to hear from you!

Author Bio: Amanda is a skincare fanatic and author of SkincareHQ.org where she shares her favorite beauty products and tips and tricks. Aside from writing about cosmetics, Amanda loves to travel and one day dreams of visiting Africa. Questions or comments for Amanda? Feel free to  connect with her @Skincare_HQ on Twitter!

Guest Post: How to Protect Your Skin From External Pollutants

Pollution does not only affect the natural environment but also human health. While there are more serious effects brought about by pollution to the human body, examples of which are cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, most individuals are not aware that pollutants, such as dust, smog and dirt, also produce grave consequences to the skin. To prevent the untimely appearance of dry, aged skin cells, people should be aware of ways on how to protect the skin from external pollutants.

 • Skin Protection from Air Pollution 

 Air pollution is generally the number one culprit for damaged skin cells. Proper facial hygiene with the use of daily cleansers is of extreme importance. Further cleansing is achieved when exfoliation is done twice a week.

In addition, moisturizing should be also carried out everyday as this does not only hydrate the skin but also effectively serves as a protection from free radicals, which are typically present in dust, smog and dirt. These air pollutants eat up the oxygen in the skin, thereby resulting in skin damage.

• Skin Protection from Sun Exposure 

Due to the thinning ozone layer caused by pollution, more harmful rays of the sun are able to penetrate the earth and reach the skin. To prevent the formation of fine lines and eventually cancer of the skin due to UV radiation overexposure, people must consider wearing sunscreen every single day, especially on sensitive areas like the neck and face.

 Gloomy days are not an exception at all. Ensure that a sunscreen’s sun protection factor (SPF) would not go lower than 15. To save oneself from purchasing too many products, it is wise to select moisturizers and cosmetics that already include a good amount of SPF in them.

Moreover, special consideration should be taken on the areas surrounding the eyes since it is in here where crow’s feet or fine wrinkles easily form. To give additional protection to this region, a nice pair of sunglasses is recommended. Aside from this, aloe may be applied on the skin as a post-sun exposure regimen.

• Skin Protection from Water Pollution 

Although increased oral water intake is recommended to give further hydration and promote skin regeneration, it is still important to properly select the type of water that keep in contact with the body’s integumentary system. Water pollution does not only threaten one’s digestive wellbeing but also the healthiness of the skin.

The chlorine in tap water is no good to the skin’s health since according to the New York Department of Health, it is also known as a toxic substance that could bring about premature skin aging and eventual skin damage. This is due to the fact that such chemical could seep into the dermis and may remove natural oils; hence, the skin is prone to dryness, cracks and wrinkles. Therefore, chlorine should be filtered from drinking water, and people should apparently spend less time in swimming pools.

Lastly, to successfully eliminate the amount of external pollutants that enter the body, one should increase the intake of antioxidants that aim to remove free radicals in the human system. Green tea, organic fruits and vegetables as well as foods rich in Vitamin A, C and E are great sources of antioxidants.

Sophia Mendelshon is the owner of the Obaging and Beauty-Spot websites, both of which focus on giving valuable pieces of information on Obagi products and beauty tips, respectively. You may check out her most recent posts on popular Obagi products as well as home remedies to grow eyelashes.

PS - Thank you so much, Sophia, for your amazingly informative post!!


 

GUEST POST: Mandy from MandysSecrets

Hey everyone!  Many thanks to Christina for being kind enough to let me invade her blog AGAIN!  Although she gave me very strict instructions that I'm just here for a visit and not to redecorate the whole place in her absence.  (Yes, I may, or may not, have planned to turn her whole blog pink and Hello Kitty themed...) [NOTE FROM CHRISTINA: Mandy, this would not have gone over very well, let me tell you...ha]

**Ahem**  Anyways, today I have a very fun nail post for you!  I've recently fallen in love with this website called Design Seeds.  Basically, 1-2 color palettes are uploaded for you to glean inspiration from, and while I think they're fantastic for finding new color schemes for your home decor or blog, I'm ecstatic over the color blocking nail polish.

The palette I used this time is Sugared (neon), which is pictured above.  I've always had a thing for Pop Ices and I thought the colors were very bright and appropriate for spring.  Here's what I came up with:

 NOTE: I decided to use a more cerulean-based light blue instead of the bright turquoise shown in the palette because it's what I say when I actually looked at the picture.  I think it could really go either way, but...I like my way best (of course.)

Polishes used:

• Color Club Almost Famous (yellow)
• Ulta Blue Streak and Color Club Chelsea Girl (bright blue)
• Pure Ice Wild Thing and Sinful Colors Irish Green (bright green)
• Color Club Pucci-licious (purple)
• Sinful Colors Paradise (light blue) 

I hope you've enjoyed my post!  Design Seeds is a seriously cool website and I think you can get a lot of inspiration from it.  Be sure to check it out if you have time!

I'd like to thank Christina again for having me over to visit today.  Her blog is seriously one that I read religiously, so it's an honor that she asked me to post for her!

Thanks again Mandy for your awesome post!  Be sure to look at Mandy's blog at MandysSecrets 

GUEST POST: Laura from Applied Glamour

 Just how fabulous and gorgeous is Debbie Harry?  She spent the late 1970s singing catchy, infectious tunes like "Heart of Glass" and "One Way or Another" with her band, Blondie, at New York's legendary CBGB's...when she wasn't hanging out at Andy Warhol's Factory, dancing up a storm at Studio 54 and becoming world famous, that is.  Her bleach blond hair endeared her to the punk scene while her band's dance-worthy synthesized songs were popular with the new wave crowds, ensuring her mass popularity.  Beyond the stage and dance floor, Debbie Harry appeared in music videos and on magazine covers with unassailable rock star coolness and colorful makeup that every girl wanted to emulate.

 

 Her signature blushing cheeks, heavy eyeliner, candy shop eyeshadow and glossy lips are just as popular now as they were then!  Here's how to create your own Debbie Harry inspired makeup look.  I imagine a rock star on tour won't have a lot of room in her makeup bag for a bunch of single products, so load up on palettes!

Kat Von D True Romance Eyeshadow Palette in Mi Vida Loca, $36: Almost every color of the rainbow is in this gorgeous eyeshadow palette!  It's perfect for recreating Debbie's signature candy colored eyelids.  Go especially crazy experimenting with pink, blue, and purple, her favorite shades to wear.

Tarina Tarantino Dollskin Cheek Palette, $45: Our Debbie is also a fan of blushing, sculpted cheeks and this palette gives a nice variety of different shades depending on the look you want.  Plus, the bright pinks can double as eyeshadow when needed!

Smashbox Cream Eyeliner Palette, $32: Black eyeliner is essential but sometimes other colors are also necessary.  This cream liner palette includes every shade you could want in your beauty arsenal, including neutral brown, smoky silver, inky blue and royal violet.

Exude Lipstick in Red and Coral, $30: Another signature look of Debbie's is her glossy lips.  Exude is a liquid, glossy lipstick with a plastic tip applicator that never wears down!  It won't melt if you accidentally leave it on your tour bus in the summer.  I think Debbie would be partial to these shades in particular, don't you?

Pixi Succulent Lip Twin in Pink Peony, $18: A stunning shade of pink liquid lipstick (think "Heart of Glass" video) with a matching pink tinted lip balm attached makes for two perfect products in one.

Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil in Jet Black, $4: A rock star can never have too many black eye pencils, am I right?  This one is kohl inspired and the deepest, darkest shade of black.

L'Oreal Paris Voluminous Smoldering Eyeliner in Black, $8: This formula is great for smudging and creating a smoky eye.  Oh so essential for a rack star.

Check out more of Laura's fabulous writing and amazing posts at her blog, Applied Glamour.  Thanks again Laura for your awesome guest post!!