I am personally a big makeup lover, but the problem is, I don't have enough money in my pocket to get all the makeup products that I want. I'm restricted to getting solely those makeup products that I actually need. I know that there are many other teens like me out there, so I decided to share what I believe are the make-up essentials every girl should have in her makeup bag.

Suncream

I always buy foundation with SPF, but that doesn't mean I'm still a little wary of how many sun rays might hit my skin. So for a little extra protection for my face, I put on some suncream before I put on foundation. Better safe than sorry.

Foundation

Duh!

Concealer

I honestly couldn't live without concealer. I get pretty bad under eye circles and some parts of my skin need a little extra covering up. Concealer is a savior for those who need to cover up those pesty imperfections.

Powder

Powder is literally something I cannot live without. Powder smooths out my face, powder makes sure I avoid that horrible shiny-face-syndrome, powder sets my foundation and concealer, and powder just makes everything look perfect. Powder is the best finishing touch for every girl's makeup look.

Blush

A little color on your skin can go a long way. In Korea, it's in vogue for students to slap on a whole heap of foundation that is two shades lighter than their skin and wear absolutely no color on their cheeks. It honestly looks super scary and unflattering. Blush is a must, people. Those rosy cheeks will give so much life to your skin.

Eyelash curler

If you're blessed with naturally curled lashes, good for you! I, and millions of other girls, on the other hand, are not so lucky. But thank goodness for eyelash curlers!

Mascara

This is the first makeup product every girl gets and for good reason. Mascara really opens up the eyes and makes you looks more awake. Mascara is a must have in every girl's makeup bag for sure.

Eyeliner

Eyeliner is what puts a little more glamour into your makeup look. Seriously, a little eyeliner can go a long way. Besides, eyeliner also accentuates the shape of your eyes and makes them appear bigger and more open (similar to mascara).

Neutral eyeshadow palette

You have the greens, the blues, the pinks, but what you REALLY need in your makeup bag is the neutrals. Neutral eyeshadow goes with every outfit and with every look. You can't live without a neutral eyeshadow palette.

Lipstick/Lipgloss

What's a makeup look without any color on your lips? I am a bigger fan of lipstick than lipgloss as I love the matte look of lipstick, but both lipstick and lipgloss perfects your makeup look to a T. Lip color is a must have.

So these are my make-up essentials. What are yours?


-Barista Mia-

Image: Andy Rennie Read more »

Okay. With all our college acceptances in our back pockets, it's now time to choose which school to attend for the next four years of our lives. But how the heck do we do that?

List out the pros and cons of each school

List out everything that matters to you from the social atmosphere to sports to professors and classes... Write down every reason you would want to attend each school and write down every reason you wouldn't want to attend each school.

(Re)Visit the schools on your list

Visiting schools does wonders. It can help you like a school even more or it could help you like a school a little less. Either way, it can help you to reshape your college list.

Compare the aid awards

How much you pay for a school can impact your entire future. No school, not even the best school in the world, is worth ending up in deep debt. Only keep the schools that are actually financially feasible on your list. Say good-bye to the rest.

Keep your end goal in mind

If your goal is to get to medical school, it's a good idea to pick the cheapest option of all your schools (medical school can get hecka expensive). And it's probably a pretty bad idea for a premed student to go to a school with grade deflation. GPA is important when applying to med schools, after all. Just like this, keep your end goal in mind and compromise with it. Don't veer off track.

Good luck with finding the right school!


-Barista Mia- Read more »

Makeup is so common these days. Everyone (with rare exceptions of a few very individualistic girls who usually go to Steiner schools or something) wears makeup. I say this with surprise because I come from a "natural-is-good-makeup-is-evil" kind of background myself.

Even now I spend most of my time without a single makeup product on. When I go out, whether I put any on depends only on how much time I have to do so.

It is fun to layer on the blusher, eyeshadow and lip gloss like crazy when you have a big party to go to or are doing it as a sleepover activity. Putting pretty makeup on can also be a fun and calming thing to do when you're on your own. It can be rather like art therapy- it's pretty and enjoyable, and something you can get really good at.

However, I think it's a shame when girls feel like they have to have some kind of artificial coverage on their face at all times in order to feel complete. The belief that people actually care about it dominates them.

Often the difference between how you look makeupless and your natural look are too big not to be very noticeable, and if you went out without anything on your face one day people would notice the change. We're used to our made-up look, that's why we can easily begin to feel uncomfortable and bare without it.

But it doesn't have to be like that. You have probably heard it said a million times over that natural is beautiful, and it is- just in a different way to the heavy paintedness we're bombarded with in magazines, TV shows, and on the Internet. Try it- to get used to it, first just wear a little of the products that really make a change to your appearance, such as eyeliner, and gradually lessen it to even less, and finally nothing.

As many of you will have seen from the influx of special no-makeup selfies being posted on Facebook at the moment, there is a campaign going on in which you get sponsored to do this. The money goes to cancer research.

What better a way to start ditching the cosmetics and helping charity at the same time? Others aren't going to judge you, especially if they're also doing it themselves!

My own no makeup selfie

-Barista Sabita-

Image: Lexie Terry, Barista Sabita Read more »

After writing that post on lazy, bad hair days, I thought it would be neat to write a sister post on what to do with your makeup when you're so busy that you're just like "what the heck". This is me almost every single day. I consider my hair more important than my makeup, so after spending thirty minutes styling my hair, I find it impossible to find time to do makeup as well as I do my hair. A couple years of doing this, I now consider myself an expert in quick makeup for busy days.

Anyway, enough back story, here are my busy day makeup steps:

1) Just put on some foundation

Yes, really. This is what I normally do every day. I just slap on some BB cream on my face. Obviously you won't look dressed up and stuff, but I think this is good makeup for school. I mean, you're covering up some flaws and you won't look gross.

But if you're lucky enough to have more time to paint your face...

2) Put on concealer and powder your face

Put on a little concealer on certain spots like underneath your eyes and powder your face for the big finish. Voila. Your face will look flawless.

You have more time? Well then...

3) Slap on some lipgloss or lipstick

This way, you won't look too pale and dead like the way most people look when they only put on some face makeup.

If you still have more time, though...

4) Curl your lashes and put on some mascara

I've still not mastered the art of the liquid eyeliner (I abhor pencil eyeliner. I don't know why.), so I tend to skip putting on eyeliner unless it's a special occasion (I need around two minutes to put on my eyeliner. If you can put on eyeliner quickly, though, go for it!). Mascara, on the other hand, is easy peasy. Plus, mascara makes everyone look so much better. Oh, and you can always put on eyeshadow before mascara-ing your lashes, but it's an optional step. You don't NEED to put it on, especially not when you're running out of time.

You still have more time, you say? Then...

5) Apply blush

Yay for a little more color on your face!

Yes, I know this is a weird order to put on makeup, but this guarantees that you'll look good on any step you decide to stop on. I mean, you never know when you'll run out of time perfecting your makeup.

I know I've missed out several crucial makeup steps like bronzer, eyeliner, etcetera, but if you have the time to do more than what I've mentioned here, it's not a busy day for you. It's a not-so-busy day. And these makeup steps are only for busy days, so get lost.

Kidding! No, seriously. Stay and read some more. Heh.


-Barista Mia-

Image: Alex Read more »

Do you ever have those days when your hair is an absolute bird’s nest, but you just don’t feel productive enough to make your hair look presentable? I do and so do a billion other people in the world. Thankfully, I have some solutions on what you can do with your hair when you’re having both a lazy day and a bad hair day at the same time. Here they are:

Solution #1: The Dancer Hairstyle

Dump a whole heap of wax onto your hair and pull every single strand of your hair back into a tight, tight ponytail. You can see a lot of dancers doing this, hence the name. The wax can easily make you look impeccable. After your hair is in a ponytail, you can get a little creative. Make a braided bun, keep it in a simple ponytail… whatever.

Solution #2: Wear a hat

A simple solution to an impossible problem. Grab a hat on your way out of your house and voila. No one will notice that you’re having a horrible hair day. The only problem is that wearing a hat can get a bit annoying.

Solution #3: Wear a headband or bandana

A less annoying solution than Solution #2. If you hair isn’t so bad that you need to literally cover every inch of it with a hat, wearing a headband or bandana is a cute idea to make your bad hair into nice-looking hair. Plus, headbands and bandanas are in style where I’m at. They’re super cute.

Solution #4: Go au natural

Honestly, no one will care as much about your hair as you do. We are our own worst critics after all. And when someone does notice, make a joke about your hair. This is a sure way to get laughs from friends and some more confidence about yourself.


-Barista Mia-

Image: StarMama Read more »

 

Ah. Those envious elementary school days when we all had flawless skin. Sigh. But unfortunately, now that we've all grown up, our skin has, well, turned less than pretty. Acne, scars, blemishes... Ugh. Now we spend a lot of our time trying to find the best concealers, foundation, and everything to look like we have perfect skin. Now we all know that eventually, to have good skin, we need to have good face washes. So what are the best ones out there?

Cetaphil

You can buy these at your average drugstore. Cetaphil, a classic face wash, is perfect for almost any type of skin. If you have shiny, oily skin, Cetaphil might not be the best for you. However, if you have dry or normal skin, this product is the One. It doesn't leave your skin all dried out and it doesn't have any chemicals hiding behind the product. Plus, it's affordable too!

Purpose

Another one that you can find in the drugstore, Purpose is great for all skin types. Don't be turned off by its cheapness, though. It's recommended by dermatologists all over for being soap-free, oil-free, gentle, and effective. Many of us feel our skin tighten after washing our faces, but Purpose doesn't do that nor does it leave any type of residue. Whoop!

Dr. Hauschka Cleansing Cream

For those wanting to go natural, I would suggest the Dr. Hauschka Cleansing Cream. It's not very traditional, so you might get a bit of a fright when you use it. It leaves your skin slightly oily when you're done, but very clean. Don't worry, though. Even if you have oily skin, this product will work fine. And the product seems more like a mask when washing your face with this cream. This exfoliates (really well, I might add) too. It's actually very, very good. Your pores are cleaned, your blackheads disappear, and your pores get smaller. A lot of people say their skin glows and that they get compliments about their complexion after using this product. The catch: for this product to work effectively, you need to use Dr. Hauschka's press and roll technique (Youtube it!). And for the BEST of the best results, use this cleansing cream with Dr. Hauschka's Cleansing Milk. Oh, and as you only need to squeeze out, like, a pea size worth of cleansing cream, this face wash lasts forever, so no need to run away from the price tag.

These are my top three face washes in my opinion. You should really check them out. They're really good!


-Barista Mia-

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I'm a straightener type of gal. I straighten my hair every single morning. And even when I feel like curling my hair instead, I can always use my trusty straightener to curl my hair into the most perfect curls ever. With years of hair straightening experience under my belt, I thought it would be neat to put the laws of hair straightening that I learned through trial and error finally on indelible ink pixels.

Use a heat protectant

I never used to bother with heat protectants, but since I started using them, I've come to realize how much healthier my hair looks. And even better, I don't have to go to the salon for a trim as often as before.

Use a tail comb

Straightening your hair without a tail comb is possible and I recommend it if you are in a hurry, but if you're not, straightening your hair with a tail comb guiding it makes for cleaner lines in your hair, if that makes any sense.

Divide your hair into manageable sections

Your straightener will work MUCH better if you divide your hair into smaller sections. A big chunk of hair isn't going to get as much heat as a smaller chunk of hair. You want to give enough love heat to each of your hair strands, don't you?

Don't ever DARE to use a straightener when your hair is wet

Just. Don't. Unless you want your hair fried.

Don't straighten your hair often

I know. I'm being hypocritical as I straighten my hair every morning, but my hair is stronger than usual hair, so I have an excuse (kinda). But for the average person, I would not recommend using any type of heat product every day.

The straightener is le best hair tool ever

You can straighten your hair, curl your hair, wave your hair, flip your hair, crimp your hair... You can literally do almost every single hairstyle out there in the world with a hair straightener. All you need to do is be a little creative.



-Barista Mia-

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You have just come to the realization that you've indeed run out of makeup remover. You take one look outside and shudder at the snowy weather. There's no way in heck you're running outside in the freezing cold to get the makeup off your face. But at the same time, there's no way in heck you're sleeping with a face-full of makeup on. No way. You've run into a dilemma. But there's no need to fear. Unbeknownst to you, there are some natural makeup removers right there in your kitchen!

Olive Oil/Almond Oil

The best thing about olive oil and almond oil is not that they're cheap makeup removers that can be found in the kitchen, but it's that they are waaay softer and nicer on your skin than your average eye makeup remover.

Plain Yogurt

Yogurt can get rid of all your face makeup while moisturizing your dried up winter face. Aaaand you could even scoop up some of the extra yogurt and stuff it in your mouth. Yum.

Aloe Vera

Ah. Aloe. I love it. It isn't greasy, it smells nice, it tastes good, it's a great moisturizer, and now, it's a great eye makeup remover too!

Milk

This is a good time to reuse that almond oil (not olive oil) to remove that old makeup off your face. Just a few drops should do it. If you don't have any almond oil at home, don't worry. Plain milk works well too.

Please, PLEASE don't forget to wash your face thoroughly afterwards! Although all these products may be natural, it is absolutely NOT a good idea to keep all that on your face. Trust me.


-Barista Mia-

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We've all experienced it before. We dye our hair a beautiful color and a month later, the color's faded to some disgusting color that resembles diarrhea. It's totes gross and the only thing stopping us from dyeing our hair again is this exact result. Even highlights look horrifying. And *shudders* when you dye your hair a very special color like pink... the aftermath of dyeing your hair is not pretty, I'mma tell you that. So okay. We've established that the Hair Color Fade is the worst thing ever. But is there a way to avoid it?

PS. I'm not saying this will prevent the color fade forever, but it will extend the color's life and that's good enough IMO.

Wait To Wash Your Hair

I know. That sounds like gross advice, but if you start washing your hair right after you've dyed it, the Hair Color Fade will begin much faster than it is meant to. And no, you don't want that. You need time for the color to settle in. Wait at least 2-3 days before washing your hair.

Shampooing

Be especially careful when you're washing your hair. First, don't wash it too often 'cause shampooing will strip the color from your hair. Maybe you could wash it every other day. That's not too bad, is it? Second, buy some of that shampoo that is specifically made for your new hair color.

Conditioning

Quite the opposite from shampooing, conditioning can actually keep the color in your hair longer. This is because conditioned hair is much more ideal for color than dry hair. Anyway, you don't want to look like a horse after destroying your hair with all those chemicals, so what's to lose?

Avoid Hot Stuff And Styling

No hot water. No hot products. Nada. Try your very best to avoid heat damage on your newly colored beautiful hair. No more damaging, please. And as for styling that doesn't include burning your hair, yeah, that's not cool either. Get that hairspray out of your head. But if you insist, get one that is made for dyed hair.

Stay Far Faaaaaar Away From The Sun

This is pretty practical advice, don't ya think? Yes, vitamin D is great, but the sun isn't your dyed hair's best friend. It will dry it out and fade out the color. Yikes. So keep your hair as covered as possible and put some hair sunscreen on your hair. Especially for you who are in the middle of summer right now. I'm looking at you, my lovely New Zealand.


-Barista Mia-

Image: Andrea Rose Read more »

The holidays are almost here and that means one thing: Lipstick.

Lipstick is gorgeous, no question about that, but it can get super annoying. Reapplying that thing hour after hour as you continually excuse yourself is just plain embarrassing. Is there any way to stop this nuisance from happening? Luckily enough, there is! Here are the steps to keeping lipstick longer on your lips so you don't look like a dead corpse who keeps going to the bathroom.

Step One--Exfoliate

An important, if not, the most important step. When you exfoliate your skin, don't miss your lips! You need to get rid of all those dead cells and let new, baby cells grow in place. This is especially important in the winter when everybody's walking around with chapped lips.

Step Two--Moisturize

Get that chapstick out and coat your lips. This will keep your lips from cracking and doing other weird winter stuff like that. It's much easier to apply lipstick on smooth, moisturized lips. While you're doing that, you should moisturize the rest of your face too.

Step Three--Prime and Line

Use a lip primer to ready your lips for the lipstick that is a-coming. And once that's dried, outline your lips with a lip liner. And finally, using that same lip liner, color in the rest of your lips with the side of your liner to make your lipstick last longer.

Step Four--Apply Le Lipstick

Now it's time to get that lipstick out of its tube and start slobbering it all over your lips. Okay. Not really. But you know what I mean. Apply it and then grab a tissue to blot it a couple times. Then, apply a second coat and blot with a tissue again!

Step Five--Powder

Yes. Put powder over your lipstick for longer-lasting lipstick. Don't use anything too thick or noticeable, though. That'll just make your lips look gross. Just dab a bit of light powder onto your lips.

Step Six--Conceal

Concealer is a life saver. They literally cover up everything and, in this case, help make your lips look flawless. With the concealer, get rid of all the jagged edges and make your lipstick look perfectly smeared on to the shape of your lips.

And voila! Now you have lips that will actually stop disappearing. No more staining everything your lips touch. You're welcome.


-Barista Mia-

Image: UrbaneWomenMag Read more »

You get a haircut and then you look at yourself in the mirror. You were sure it looked gorgeous on the model whose photo you took... on you, it just looks like a hair disaster. Sounds familiar? This might be a case of My-Face-Shape-Is-Different-From-Yours-Syndrome.

So what kind of hairstyles actually match your type of face?

Oval Faces

Those with oval faces are lucky. Almost literally anything suits them. The only thing you need to worry about is outdated hairstyles that no one wants. So the thing you need to work on with oval faces is highlighting a facial feature of yours that you want to show off or accetuate. This is where layers, bangs, and different hairstyles come in. Be creative!

Round Faces

 

For round faces, you need to either go short or medium to long-ish. Short hairstyles add height and medium to long-ish styles can make your face look thinner. When you go for layers, go for super long layers (but none near the face!) or else your face might look even rounder.

Heart Faces

The best thing for heart-shaped faces are chin-length hairstyles. And if you have bangs, which are actually a good idea, make sure they're side-swept or you'll suffer from looking like you have a short and wide face.

Square Faces

Side-swept bangs work really well on square faces too. One cool thing about having a square face is the ability to get away with long and wavy hair (man, I love this hairstyle). It softens your features and jawline. But if you aren't into having such long hair, bobs work just as great.

Oblong Faces

Now this is another hairstyle that suits long hair, but don't forget to add some layers near the cheekbones for emphasis. This makes your cheeks look wider so your face will look more oval than rectangular. Another thing that works is straight across bangs so that your forehead is covered up.

Doesn't it feel great knowing what kind of hairstyle your face shape needs? That's another hurdle of your life that you've jumped over. Woo hoo! No more My-Face-Shape-Is-Different-From-Yours-Syndrome!


-Barista Mia-

Images: Richard Sandoval,  Gage Skidmore, jmm, GabboT, Joella Marano Read more »

Winter is a season where most of us pretty much can’t be bothered to do...  anything really. Well, besides maybe snuggling up with a hot water bottle and a mug of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream a fatal amount of marshmallows. As comforting as that can be, it’s important to not neglect your skin.

1) Face masks!

Some of the oddest, most unexpected ingredients can make your skin feel softer than a baby’s butt. Before mixing anything together, take a moment to determine your skin type- dry, oily, normal or do you maybe have a lot of blemishes? Combine certain ingredients depending on your requirements...

Dry skin *sigh*. It makes everything just ten times worse, especially applying makeup. Two great natural moisturisers (that won’t worsen your situation) are banana and yoghurt (this also tightens pores); both of these are a good base for any face mask no matter what your skin type is. Extra virgin olive oil is fab for dry skin too and works as a surprisingly effective makeup remover. Aloe vera is also extremely effective for treating flakiness.

Despite the numbingly cold weather, many people still have oily skin. Most of us have been there, I mean, it feels gross, it makes your pores look colossal and it’s just... ugh. You might be relieved to know that oily skin actually ages better than dry skin, however, you’re probably not concerned about that at this moment in time and you probably also want to get rid of the damn problem, like, now. One way to do this is to apply lemon juice to the skin, or combine it with other ingredients, as it is a natural astringent. Additionally, ground oats work wonders if you want to get glowing skin within a matter of minutes. You can also use them as often as you wish. (I’m not usually a tree hugger or anything, but this natural stuff actually works!).

Last but not least: blemished skin. Whether you have acne or have had a small constellation of zits suddenly emerge out of nowhere, you can put something together to reduce the redness and make them disappear faster. Tea tree oil is a magical substance which is helps fade blemishes and reduces pimples. In addition to this, applying a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water can also help acne prone skin, however doing this too often can cause drying, so be careful.

2) Don’t over scrub

Most of us are guilty when it comes to over-exfoliating. I mean, it makes sense; your skin gets dry so you scrub away the dead cells to make it cleaner, right? Except- that isn’t really true. Over scrubbing can actually damage your skin and dry it out even further. You see, you need to allow time for your skin to regenerate after the process. So it does work, but in moderation. You should exfoliate around twice a week, depending on your skin type. If your skin is more sensitive, it would be a better idea to give it more time to recover. A simple scrub you can make at home consists of just honey and sugar (please use it on your face. It’s edible, but not recommended...)

3) Replace caffeinated drinks with water

You’ve probably heard this a million times but water is soooo much better for your skin than things like coffee or sugary, fizzy drinks. It may be a little difficult to reduce your intake of caffeinated drinks, but when you start to see results (and you will), you’ll want to soldier on. Coffee isn’t just bad for your skin, but also your teeth and various other things that I won’t go into. You don’t necessarily have to gulp over two litres of water a day and nothing else. There are an array of different flavoured herbal teas available which can actually taste as good as any sugary, unhealthy beverage. Green tea is pretty much a magical elixir filled with antioxidants and provides us with an endless list of other health benefits. Chamomile is an ingredient which not only known for aiding relaxation but also has anti-inflammatory properties which help reduce puffiness and dry skin.

Incorporating these three simple steps into your routine won’t require too much effort and I can assure you, they will save you time and money as well as preventing those all too common (and all too stressful) ‘bad skin days’. Since you can’t physically embrace your skin, show it some love by taking care of it this winter.


-Barista Ria-

Images:  UrbaneWomenMag, Greg Riegler Read more »

Myth #1: Trimming your hair makes your hair grow faster

Nope, it really doesn't. The only thing it does is make your hair SEEM longer as you no longer have unhealthy tips. So getting a trim isn't a bad thing, but it doesn't make hair grow like people imagine it to. I feel a little guilty saying this as I have never had a trim for the past few years. I should go to the salon, but laziness forbids me to leave the house.

Myth #2: Your natural hair texture can't be changed

Wrong. I've actually experienced this myself. I was born with super, super straight hair. It was so straight my mom had to resort to getting my hair curled 'cause my hair would annoyingly stick to my face. But as I grew older, my hair started to turn curly and now, it's so curly and dry and ugh. I WANT MY OLD HAIR BACK!

Myth #3: Washing your hair more often is good

No, it's not. This is a horrible idea. Your scalp will be stripped off their natural oils. And those natural oils on your hair doesn't mean greasy, nasty hair. They mean healthy, strong, and shiny hair. Yay!

Myth #4: Shaving makes your hair grow darker, and thicker

Both my parents warned me about this myth when I bought my first razor. I got a little worried at first, but then I asked my best friend, the Internet, to double, triple, and quadruple check. And this myth? A total fake. Shaving just makes the re-growing hairs appear thicker and darker because of the blunt bit at the tip that you shaved off.

Myth #5: To keep healthy hair, brush your hair often

I believed this myth for a long, long time. Apparently, it's the exact opposite. Brushing your hair could actually hurt your hair. Brushing your hair once gently is good, but doing it again and again could lead to breakage and split ends. Ouch.

There! Now those are five hair myths busted. Do you know any others?


-Barista Mia-

Images:  Ed L, Sodanie Chea, Desi, worak, Klaus Post Read more »

Hunger Games fans! Tributes! Citizens! It's nearly upon us! Just two weeks till the premiere of Catching Fire, the second movie in the series, and everyone's getting ready- in Katniss' case this involves having twenty enormous designer dresses made complete with real fire. We have to be content with copying the Capitol looks though- there is such a thing as health and safety, after all. And how funky these are!

•Eyes

I am in love with the Capitol eyes. Big liner. Big shadow. Bright shadow. Wide shadow. Stripy shadow. Beautiful shadow. And as long as you don't twitch (easier said than done, I know), it's easy, too.

• Hair

  

Even more outrageous than some of our own world's people are, the Panem fashion-plates like bight pinks, purples and oranges in puffy bobs. (Game: what fruit does each citizen resemble?) If you don't want to take risk and do this to your hair, you can curl it, sprinkle in a generous amount of glitter, and tie it up with a big fat coloured ribbon- viola!

• Dresses

Simple dresses- you probably already have ones like these in your wardrobe- can be turned into a Capitol outfit when you add the makeup, hair and accessories.

•Handbag makeover

Take 1 plain handbag, apply approx. a doz. sparkly bits of ribbon, beads, etc. Sit back and enjoy the frilly, frizzy result! If you have Effie Trinket in mind while making it, you'll get just the right look.

•Shoes

Funky, chunky heels. 'Nuff said.

•Nails

The Capitol people really love their bright, unusual colours. If you're being really adventurous, try these! I'm going to.

• Dress up as a character

Or why not dress up as Katniss herself? Her District 12/hunting outfit is quite simple to copy- just add your leather jacket and long lace-up boots to a plain shirt and trousers. Instead of putting glitter on your frizzy hair, put it into a lose French plait that moves down toward one side. You could even add a bow and arrows; though be careful not to get chucked out of the cinema for use of dangerous weaponry...

So what wacky looks are you guys planning for Catching Fire? Tell us in the comments below!


-Barista Sabita-

Images:  Courtney Rhodes, Leonid Mamchenkov, K.oa, danielle_blue, Tomasz Stasiuk, Courtney Rhodes, GabboT Read more »

Yeah, long hair can get pretty tiresome and heavy and oily and ugh. I totally understand when people want to chop their hair off. But the problem is that it's really hard to gather the courage to actually get a haircut. I JUST managed to cut my waist-length hair and now my hair comes up to a third of my back. Even saying good-bye to 15cm of hair was bad enough, but imagine those women in Hollywood who actually took a step further and are baring their necks for the world! The horror! But then again, these women are actually beautiful, so they don't really need hair to frame their faces to begin with. Humph.

Well, now that Jennifer Lawrence has got her new haircut (because her hair was waaaay too fried from dying it again and again for different roles, by the way), I guess it's time to list some celebrities who actually had the heart to sport a pixie haircut.

Jennifer Lawrence

Before:

After:

Say hello to the most recent addition to Team Short Hair: Ms. JLaw!

Charlize Theron

Before:

After:

Can't I please look like Charlize? She's absolutely stunning.

Emma Watson

Before:

After:

As much as I love Emma and her new hair, I kinda miss Hermione. *enter sad face* My entire childhood...

Vanessa Hudgens

Before:

 
After: 

She doesn't seem to like her short cut very much. She keeps adding extensions. Dunno what her problem is, she's be-u-tiful

Shailene Woodley

Before:

After:

OMGOMGOMG! I SIMPLY CANNOT WAIT FOR THE FAULT IN OUR STARS!

Miley Cyrus

Before:

After: 

And... this haircut marked the demise of Miss Hannah Montana. *bows head*

Anne Hathaway 

Before:

After:

Sigh. The sheer emotional intensity of her portrayal has Fantine has yet to be rubbed off my eyes. Can't believe she actually chopped off her beautiful hair for just, like, 30 minutes of a movie, though.

I just don't get it. I look like a man without my hair. But then again... These celebrities get the advantage of professional makeup artists. *wink*


-Barista Mia-

Images:  Mingle MediaTV, Ms. JLaw's Facebook, Gage Skidmore, Charlize Theron's Facebook, Worthy FM, Emma Watson's Twitter, Vanessa Hudgens's Instagram, Mingle MediaTV, Nick Step, Shailene Woodley's Instagram, Philip Nelson, Miley Cyrus's Instagram, GabboT, DWNews Recent Celeb Gallery Read more »

With everyone plucking out their eyebrows nowadays, where has the appreciation for eyebrows gone? All I see on the streets are lines on people's faces where their eyebrows should be. Yeah, it looks messy at times, but a lot of people can actually pull heavier brows off. Plus, it really brings out the eyes if you have lighter eyes.

Now with the deficit of eyebrows, let's take a look at some non-mutilated brows. Check these celebrities out. And let's all admire their gorgeous, thick, bold brows, because we all need to.

Mila Kunis

Do you see how nicely those eyebrows shape her eyes? Or even her entire face?

Keira Knightley

Eyebrows are like the equivalent of hair on your head. You're bald without it and it makes you look like Golum.

Anne Hathaway

I have strong reason to believe that much of these stars' success comes from de eyebrows.

Cara Delevigne

As much as I like eyebrows... uh... Well, at least she can pull it off. I wouldn't try it if I were you though, unless your name rhymes with Cara Delevigne.

Emmy Rossum

Look how happy those eyebrows are making her :) Aw.

Camilla Belle

You see how classy them eyebrows make her look?

Lucy Hale

We have a prime example of beautiful eyebrows right in our TVs!

Lily Collins

Ugh. Thick brows suit her so much that it makes me want to cry.

Sigh. Looking at these pictures just make me jealous as heck. Asian isn't necessarily the best race for eyebrows unfortunately. Well... at least these people exist for me to ogle over their eyebrows. You guys be showing off those eyebrows for me as I can't get me a pair of those.

-Barista Mia-

Images:  Gage Skidmore, Paul Bird, Mingle MediaTV, Cara Delevigne's Instagram, Pulicciano, Joella Marano, Lucy Hale's Instagram, Gage Skidmore

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