How to Stretch out too small Shoes

With the advent of the internet came internet shopping and with that, the oh too familiar cry of "It doesn't fit!" minutes after that shiny new parcel arrives in the post. The majority of retailers are actually quite good at letting customers know what size will suit them with measurements etc but there's still room for error, Brick and mortar stores invented change rooms for a reason after all.
Shoes seem to be an area of particular concern, with UK sizing and American sizing frequently being out of whack I have ended up with shoes that just don't fit on numerous occasion, too big can be dealt with thanks mostly to socks being back in fashion, however shoes that are too small? What can we do?
Lucky I have two techniques for stretching out small shoes involving common household items that you should already have lying around, and they're both easy to achieve. Method one will suit leather better, method two can be tried on other fabric shoes. Please note they will not work miracles when the shoes are sizes too small, but that extra 1/2 to one full size? Give them a go, you've got nothing to lose and wearable shoes to gain!

Shoes available from Dune London

Hair Dryer available from Priceline

Socks available from Topshop

Method one

You will need:
Two pairs of socks
Blow drier
Shoes in question. I have tried this with normal leather shoes with success, but I don't know how it would go with patent, let me know if you have tried it!

Put the two pairs of socks on your feet and the shoes over the top, it will be a very tight squeeze, but the socks should cushion so you don't feel pain, once you have all that on your feet, get your blow dryer out and give the shoes a blast all over for  few minutes on a hot setting, careful not to scorch them! You want the shoes nice and warm but not too hot. This will help make the leather pliable.
Once the shoes are warm, get up and walk around your house until they have cooled down.
Lather, rinse, repeat as necessary! Do it at least three times or until your shoes feel more comfortable without the socks.

Marc Jacobs Shoes available from StyleBop

Plastic Zip Lock bags available from Coles

Freezer available from The Good Guys

Method two

You will need:
A freezer
Tough zip lock plastic bags
Shoes in question

This method works particularly well for shoes that pinch, and where you would use some extra toe room.
Stuff the plastic bags into your shoe so that the opening is accessible, and the bag reaches into the nooks of your shoes.
Take this contraption over to the sink and pour some water into the bag, not too much, you need there to be room in the bag for the water to expand into, make sure you squeeze out air from the bag too before snap sealing it closed.
Pop the shoes into the freezer overnight with the toes angled down.
Again you may need to repeat the process, and I'd be hesitant to try this out with patent shoes, but I have done with with leather shoes without issue.

Thanks for reading! Have you tried these methods before? How did they work for you? Do you have any foolproof methods for stretching shoes? Let me know in the comments!

How to choose the right Fake Tan for your Skintone

Summer's coming, for a lot of us out there it feels like it's already here too! So here I'm going to tell you how to avoid a common dilemma with an ubiquitous Summer product.
How many of you out there have used fake tan only to leave the experience looking like a Cheeto/human hybrid? Or even something more interesting? This has scared lot of girls into never going there again or worse, shelling out far too much money at the professional spray booths. Sunless Tans come in a massive array of brands and varieties that it can be hard to find which one will work for you, but hopefully you will know your skintone, and that can make selection a lot easier.

How to Fake a Beestung Pout in one step

I finally caved and bought the lipsick du jour and I'm so glad I did! Ruby Woo by MAC really is an excellent go to shade for those with cool colourings and the impact is amazing. When I wear it I feel like a gorgeous forties starlet, when lipstick was bold and glamorous. I find it really fascinating that when economies go down sales of prestige makeup actually goes up, even if ladies can't buy designer clothes they still want that designer pout!

My favourite tip for lips any day is to use a brow highlighting pencil to create that pillowy, Angelina Jolie look that both men guys and ladies swoon over. A good budget option I love is this one by Models Prefer, available from Priceline. Simply trace the outside edge of our cupids bow and the lower outside of your bottom lip before you apply lipstick and liner, to see what I mean have a look at the picture below:

Once you have drawn the lines, use your ring finger to gently pat the product to blend any harsh lines.

This is a great trick to use with any lip colour, but if you want to look even more pouty, dot a bit of complimentary shimmery eye shadow in the middle of your lips (gold or silver are ideal). I skipped this step as my lips need a little boost, not a full on transformation.

What I really find interesting is that when I went to a MAC counter some years ago and asked for a good matte red they didn't suggest this one. I may or may not have a large MAC red lip collection but when a brand does them so well it's hard to stop at just one.

Do you have a go to brand for lipsticks? What shade do you find yourself reaching for again and again?

How to hand wash your Delicates

Hand-washing. Ugh, who has the chance to do it honestly? So much time that I could be doing things I actually enjoy.That's why I'm glad I found this method, it makes it an utter cakewalk, and the results are much better then handwashing in a basin. This method is ideal for small delicate items, such as bras, knickers and slips made of lace and silk.

Take a large jar that you have washed thoroughly (or put through the dishwasher, we're talking low effort here!) I like to use Kilner jars, the ones with the slip top lid and rubber seal or giant Moccona coffee jars.

You will also need:
Laundry Powder suited to the items your washing
Water
Dirty Delicates!
That's about it actually ...

Put a small amount of washing powder in the jar along with some hot water. Seal the jar and shake shake shake!
Once the powder has dissolved, fill up the jar to about halfway, pop in your laundry. One item at a time works best but it depends on the size of your jar really. Continue to shake for a minute or two (See? It's a workout and laundry in one! Time saved!)
Repeat with any remaining smalls until you're done, you can use the same soapy water but replace it if the water becomes murky ...
Replace the soapy water with clean cold water and shakes again to rinse. Replace the water as required.
Once they're washed, lay your smalls on a clean dry towel  and blot them with the other end to mop up excess water. Delicate items don't tend to like being wrung out so please don't do that.
Hang them out to dry!

This method works much like a small washing machine in order to give great results with maximum safety for your clothes. Because fabrics such as silk actually get weaker when wet it's a common occurance for them to tear when washed in a machine.
Make sure you wash the lid properly too, We don't want bits of dinner on our freshly laundered bras!.

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Cheap trick to make stockings last longer

We've all had it happen to us, you're going about your daily business when something catches your stockings and ping, you have a great tear in them. I used to be pedantic enough to carry a spare pair whenever I was wearing them, but I was told this quick and simple trick to help them last longer. Brilliant for your gorgeous expensive finds like silk stockings, fully fashioned styles or ritzy brands like Wolford. You just need three items, and your chosen stockings

Gather your supplies: Hairspray, a sealable freezer bag, a freezer and your stockings.

Spritz stockings lightly with hairspray.

Place stockings in sealable bag and squeeze excess air out, I found rolling really helped.

Freeze overnight.

Pull out of freezer 15 minute before wearing to allow them to warm back up.

Put them on and go!

You will have to repeat the process for every time you wash them, but the hairspray and freezing help make the fibres stronger against snags, and will even stop runs from being as bad as they would be otherwise. But I've found it a treat for helping to keep my pricier pairs in better nick for longer.

Have you tried this trick before? How did you find it worked for you?

Tip of the day: Applying Liquid Foundation

Over time I've come to learn that different strokes work for different folks, and this is especially true when it comes to liquid foundations. There are a stack of reasons to use either your fingers, sponges or brushes, and ultimately it all depends on you as the individual. Here are some notes for each method.

Fingers:

• The warmth from your fingers help make your foundation blend on your face easier.
• Easier to work around your nose for a better finish.
• Uses less product then other methods.
• The acidity in your fingertips can sometimes alter the colour of your foundation.
• Effective for lighter coverage but less so for fuller coverage.
• Quick application.
• I find it easier to hide pores with my hands
• Free! They come already attached.

Sponges:

• Easier to blend with then a brush.
• Comes in different shapes depending on the job to do.
• Soaks up foundation.
• Can carry bacteria if washed infrequently.
• Need replacing more frequently then other tools.
• Inexpensive, you can buy bags of these without forking over much money.

Brushes:

• Creates a gorgeous airbrushed look with ease.
• Last forever if properly taken care of.
• Stippling brushes are better to work with then flatter foundation brushes in my opinion.
• Can be hard to use around nose edges.
• Can be expensive.
• Fun! I personally love painting my foundation on.

A good trick to remember with all three of these methods is to apply your foundation to the back of your hand to warm it up before application, the product will go further and look more like skin. The method I use the most would be my stippling brush, followed briefly by my fingers to smooth over any problem areas like around my nose.

Which method do you use? How do you find it works for you?

All products shown are available from Manicare

Tip of the Day: Avoiding dark circles from lower lash mascara

With my ethnicity, I'm beyond prone to pesky dark circles below my eyes. You can eat as healthy as you like, get as much sleep as you need, use potions and lotions and ice cubes and everything else in the entire world aimed at solving the problem. But unfortunately, some people will never be rid of them completely. (Spackle has been rather tempting on very bad days.)
However they can go far in lessening the problem, and I find in an absolute bind, applying a cold compress can go far after a night of poor sleep or after having a right old sooky cry.
But enough about that.
One trick I have picked up after years of being too afraid to wear mascara on my lower lashes -and you may kick yourself for not thinking of it- is to use waterproof mascara on your lower lashes. I find using the Mascara Guard endlessly useful for this too, as the entire problem comes about when your mascara smudges onto your skin during the day, creating a nasty shade under your eyes that can make you look tired. Waterproof mascara also generally gives a more subtle effect then your usual mascara which again is a win for lower lashes, if you use a really oomphy-super-turbo-fat-ass-lash-creating mascara it can come back to bite you.

What tricks do you use to avoid shadows under your eyes?

Remove ink stains from clothing

We've all done it, left a pen in our clothes pockets and then put it in the wash, or haphazardly drawn a line on our sleeve, what is great about it is how easy it is to remove most pen inks.
The trick is hairspray!
By no means do I suggest you now run and go all Picasso on pieces of your wardrobe just to test this out, but if you're struggling to get the stain out next time, or haven't even tried anything else yet, grab a can and spray it on the offending ink, You need to pretty much drown it, and it should actually fade on the spot. Then chuck it into the wash to get rid of that crispy hairspray! Wash, dry, iron as normal afterwards but if it has worked, you will know before you even put it in the wash.

Do you know any super effective but random stain removal tips? We all like looking after our clothes after all!

Product review: Mascara guard

This is one of those cool little gadgets that they come up with in Asia to make your life simpler. an all in one tool that you use to stop your mascara going all over your eyelids during application (both top and bottom lashes) and then a comb to separate lashes afterwards. It might seem like a silly product, but when you can buy then for less ten $5, who is really complaining?
Here is what it looks like.

I have to admit that it did seem like a superfluous tool to me at the start, but I've come to love it, especially for lower lash application. To use it you gently nestle the tool up against the skin you're trying to 'guard' and paint away.

Also a tip for those who are new to it - don't try and use it for the first time during a busy morning where you don't have time for mistakes, I wound up stabbing myself in the eye with my mascara, and completely ruining the make up job I had already done! And I leave mascara for last ...

You can pick one of these up really easily from eBay by typing in "Mascara guard" I bought mine from the guys here (they sell a lot of bathroom and beauty stuff)

Do you guys have any quirky make up tools that you swear by? I want to hear about it!

Link Love: April 3 2012

Sometimes you just have to share the love.

How to deflate puffy eyes - Has anyone else been having these issues lately? I get seasonal allergies every Autumn, which is a pain because it's my favourite season. (Who doesn't like the colour of the leaves and the extra excuse to buy warm and new clothes?) Katrina Lawrence of Primped shows you how to fix them up.

Mad Men Makeover: You work hard for the wolf whistles - Journalist Marion Power tries out dressing up like they did back in the day to see what it's like how how the public react. It's not as easy as it looks!

Ten uses for Coconut Oil - Coconut oil is becoming a buzzword in the beauty and food industries, here Siobhan O'Connor talks you through ten uses she's found and whether she rates them or not.

Galactic Manicure - Love this look, and it's super easy too! Check out how Adiel does it.

Polish your buns!

Tehheh, I just had to with that title. Of course I am talking about the buns you have on your head!
So I've found an awesome trick to give your buns a more polished look. Without doing this, you can get ends that stick out awkwardly and can ruin the look, and date it back to the nineties.
When you are prepping your hair, heat yourself up your curling iron and curl the very ends of your hair, for the sake of ease it's good to take a wide barrel with the wider bar to hold in the ends. Otherwise use your straightening iron to flick the ends.
What you'll find this does is help your hair shape itself back into your your bun a sleeker bun or topknot. Giving you a more polished and perfect look.
Give it a try next time you put your hair up!

Mix your Foundation and Primer

I have issues with Foundation, major issues. While the fact remains that I still haven't found anything that will get me through an entire day without sliding off my oily nose, there are still tricks I regularly hunt down to try and improve the durability. One of the goodies being Primer.
Primer creates a barrier between your skin and your make-up and gives the make-up something to adhere to. I've been using it for a few years now, but it was only recently that I've started mixing it with my mousse foundation, as well as applying a layer beforehand.
The benefits I'm finding with this technique is that my foundation doesn't cake, and it's lasting longer. I'm still applying it with a damp sponge because of the coverage it gives me over my nose, it melts over my skin without making my pores obvious to everyone.
It also doesn't take anything away from the coverage, which is also important for my skin, of course this depends on the ratios you use, you can up the amount of primer you mix with foundation to create a more sheer coverage too.

How to make your eyes brighter

Eyes are one of the features that we notice first on each other, but unfortunately because of their fragility they're also the first to show when you're tired, and the first to age.
There's a few tricks you can employ to make your eyes pop, making them sparkle will lift up your whole look. These are just some quick cosmetic tricks, nothing will still beat good sleep and an effective skincare routine in the long term.

Eye Drops: When I went to an optometrist late last year to get some new specs and lenses I didn't expect him to comment on how dry my eyes are. Have you ever thought about how dry yours are? So I started using eye drops regularly and it's improved not only the moisture, but I look and feel more awake if I have used them in my morning routine. This step can go quite nicely with my saving time routine post from a few months back. It's a little tricky to learn to apply them but as with anything practise makes perfect, it's also a trick they use backstage on models. I'd recommend asking someone at your local pharmacy too recommend eye drops for your needs.

White eye pencil: While it can be hard to find one that will last all day and go the distance, this is one beauty booty product that I don't mind touching up throughout the day. Just lining the inner rim of your eyes will help make them completely pop and give you more of a doe-eyed Zooey Deschanel eye shape, find me someone who isn't startled by and adoring of her eyes!

Pop!

Opposite complementary colours: Back in art class we learnt all about how opposite colours work with each other to make the other colour stand out. This can easily be applied to your eyes too by using eye-shadows and liners. Make up Brand Almey has a range specifically created for this theory, with the idea that blue eyes suit brown shadows, brown suit purples, etc. they also have kits that follow the same colours as your eyes to complement eyes too, but for real  "Notice me!" eyes I'd recommend the Intense i-color satin-i kits. Just select the kit that is recommended for your eye colour and give it a try.

Almey Intense i-color satin-i kits

The colour wheel

Have you ever tried these ideas before? What do you find works for you?

Sources: Go4celebrity & Almey

Recap: January 2012

Wear it first:

Twin bag Trend

Wish granted: 

De-Slick in a Tube

Cheeks to die for: 

Benefit Hervana

Make it flattering: 

Quick fix a bad neckline

What stories did you enjoy this month?

Tip of the day: How to make legs appear longer and slimmer

Of course I would make a post about this while the weather is utterly monsoonal in Brisbane ...
A quick trick for making your legs appear longer and slimmer is an oldie but a goody, and the more (Fake) tanned your legs are the better the effect will be.
Take one shimmery high lightening make up product. The best for this is some sort of stick, but you can also use liquids or even a nude shimmery eye-shadow if you're in a bind. Try to find one that is paler then the skin on your legs for the best effect, silver for pale legs, gold for tanned, and champagne will go with a lot of in between. The next thing you want to do is locate your shin bone down the front of your calves, it's pretty much dead centre, from kneecap to ankle. Swipe your product down the bone and then blend from side to side until there are no tell tale lines.
How this works, is a lot like those optical illusion dresses with darker panels down the sides, by placing a subtle lighter stripe down the centre of your legs, you are creating an optic trick that will fool onlookers into thinking your legs are incredible.
Isn't science fun?

Source: Digitally Refreshing

Avoiding hair product overload

So tell me, where do you first start to apply products to your hair? Whether it be mousse, gel, or oil out of habit it will often be the very top and front. But when you do this, your hair will become greasy and lanky in a flash, while the ends of your hair will be relatively product-less.
The trick to applying these sort of products is to start at the ends of your hair, it's easier if your hair is longer, but try to just apply product to the ends of your hair with your hands, and once you're done with that, grab a brush or combs and brush through the rest of your hair as your normally would.
The brush will carry some of the product up to your roots but not overload this section of your hair, where product overload can cause all kinds of limp, lank problems.
Of course it's also wise to start with just a tiny bit of product, less then what you think you need as you can always add more, but once you've applied too much you'll have to wash your hair!
This also doesn't apply to powder products, dry shampoo and hair powder/dust are designed to mop up grease at the roots, so you are fine to apply these there. My trick with hair shampoo is to spray it on, and then rough your hair up with a towel to distribute, this way there is much chance of that dandruff type build up you can get from dry shampoo.

Do you have any other tricks to stop product overload in your hair? Tell me in the comments!

Tip of the day: Quick fix for a bad neckline

Fashion Math time! There's always a dress on the rack that you adore and everything works on it for you, except the neckline. High necklines only ever seem to flatter those with a smaller bust because when a larger bust wears it, it can make you look ... well large. Meanwhile the opposite can be said as well, a low cut neckline on a small frame has made some of the girls I've seen out there look like a chicken wing. (Perhaps I was hungry at the time?)
Either way, there is a quick fix to this that doesn't involve a tailor. Grab some statement necklaces!
The big chunky bib styles that have been fashionable recently are amazing for this. In effect they create a new line for the eye and cut through that massive expanse of either skin or fabric, the bigger and bolder the necklace, the better job it does.
So next time you're trying on a dress with a neckline you would normally discard, think of what you already have (or could pick up cheaply) to try this trick with!

What other tricks do you use to make an otherwise unflattering style work? I'd love to know!

Christmas gift ideas: Crafter

The problem is with some crafty types that sometimes they stick to their niche and don't really stray from that. There are stacks of crafty activities; knitting, sewing clothing, scrap-booking, card making, crochet, quilting, pottery, even glass-work. So I'll try to come up with ideas that will cross a wide variety, but even then, you may end up poking them into something they love with a gift a bit to the left of what they're already into.

Under $30:
One major problem that I find that comes with being crafty is that it is damn messy! and I never have enough space to put everything, looking into what sort of craft they do and finding a suitable storage solution to what they already do will be infinitely appreciated. Little plastic sets of drawers are great for papercrafts, while storage portable suitcases are good for sewing, Even tackle baskets are awesome for sewing bits and pieces.

Under $50:
Updating your friends stock of tools she uses is another good idea. as I often don't even realize that the needle I've had in my machine is about 5 projects old, and I didn't even realize that I shouldn't use the same pair of scissors to cut both fabric and paper for a long time. Buying them a new set of scissors, a new crochet hook set (and roll to keep them in!) can prove invaluable.
Another idea is to book them into lessons in a craft that they have mentioned in the past, but this is a tricky one, you need to have listened really carefully, and maybe even stalked their google history!

Under $100:
This present can seem a bit nana-ish, totally get that but so can half of crafty activities when you think about it, I still get called a babushka for my willingness to sew my nieces and nephews presents (FFS! it's cheap and chips and really personal, what's wrong with that??) So I'm going to suggest a Cuttlebug machine, or if they already have one, some  stencils for it. It's worth hunting on the internet as they come in a wide variety of sizes, big shot are sturdy and can cut more materials, Cuttlebugs are your go to user friendly machine, there are other ones and if you're really confused, find yourself a shop assistant or online forum to see what other people think.

Cuttlebug 2

Loving this week: Wrap kit by Kikki K

I am a massive fan of creating inviting and awesomely wrapped gifts, crisp paper, shiny ribbons, all topped off with a cute gift tag. Sitting under the tree for Christmas, (Can you tell I'm really in the mood?)
Not everyone has the time to go out and go through Spotlight to pick up separate bits and bobs to create beautiful and coordinated packaging, so here is a great package to pick up from Stationery store Kikki K. It comes with cards, tags, stickers, strings for wrapping, some paper, a tree stamp and more. Otherwise, it's a good starting point for putting together a kit of your own? It's often a mad dash to the shops to buy a card, or get some ribbon or some other final touch really isn't it? Set up a kit, I keep mine in a vintage suitcase!

Christmas Wrapping Kit in Frost by Kikki K

Why you shouldn't wear babydoll tops with low waist skirts ...

I have seen this about town and I can't help but practically shake my head in disgust. How can you not realize how pregnant this makes you look? Come on ladies! look in the mirror.
Basically it happens when you wear an empire line top tucked into a skirt, sometimes, only sometimes when you pair it with a very high waisted skirt it works alright because it doesn't poof up around your middle.
Want to know the trick to tell if you'll look OK,when you have your outfit on? Reach your arms over your head and then bring them back down. Does it poof out around your tummy? Yes? Then FIX IT! Change your top, or put on another skirt or trousers, if it looks good untucked then don't tuck it. but Please, you have no need to look preggers when you are not.