Festival season is right around the corner and for all you Coachella goers, it is just a few days away! You’re probably wondering what to pack and what makeup to wear.  Let’s face it. Coachella gets HOT! The last thing we want to happen is looking like a sweaty raccoon. And if you’re camping, you will especially want to make sure you don’t look like a dirty hippie. Here are a variety of tips on mastering the sweat-proof makeup and looking fabulous during all 3 days at Coachella!

#1: Sun Protection

There is a reason why this is tip #1- it is the most important rule of all! WEAR SUNSCREEN! If you opt out of using sun protection, you could end up having some really bad sun burns. Ouch! Although there are shaded areas on the festival grounds, shade is not enough to protect your skin. Every person should wear at least SPF 15 on a daily basis. However, for this type of outdoor festival, the higher the spf, the better. Just remember to reapply every few hours and you should be fine.

#2: Primer

You would be surprised how much difference a primer makes. Not only does it prep your face for makeup, but it also minimizes pores and helps mattify your skin to keep it shine-free. Some primers also contain spf which is an added boost to protect your face. If you plan on wearing eye makeup to Coachella, an eye primer may not be a bad idea as well!

#3: Tinted Moisturizer

Say hello to your new best friend called tinted moisturizer! For an event like this, you don’t want your face to look like it’s melting. If you’re going to wear any face makeup, the lighter the better. Trust me. Investing in a good tinted moisturizer will be enough to give you a natural glow and even out your skin tone.

#4: Waterproof Everything!

From eyeliner to mascara or whatever else you desire to wear, make sure it’s waterproof. This is a MUST, considering you will have very limited resources for cleaning up. The only place you are bound to find a mirror is in the tiny, smelly port-a-potties, so don’t count on touch-ups. If anything, use a makeup sealer, but to make things easier on yourself, just go with waterproof cosmetics. You will save yourself the worries of having a makeup meltdown. LITERALLY!

#5: Lipbalm

Your lips are also prone to being sunburned. Take care of them by keeping them moisturized and if possible, choose a lipbalm with SPF 15 in it. There are a variety of tinted lipbalms out there if you want some added color as well.

#6: Sea Salt Spray

Hair product can be a bit of a drag during this festival. Not only does gel and hairspray have sticky results, it will also tend to look gross when you are smoldering in the sun. Go for a bottle of sea salt spray and spritz onto damp or dry hair. Finger–style and twist pieces of hair for a wave-tousled look.

#7: Body/Face Scrub

You are going to be walking around A LOT all weekend and if you plan on wearing open toed shoes, expect to have black feet by the end of the day. Not to mention, people’s sweat suddenly becomes your sweat after the inevitable contact while running through the crowds. Gross, right? But have no fear! Once you have a chance to shower (yes campers, there are showers), you’re going to need to scrub all of that dirt, sweat, and dead skin cells away! That’s when a body scrub comes in handy. In case you didn’t know, sugar is a natural exfoliant, so if you want to scrub your face, bring some sugar packets with you. Wet your face with water and make small circular motions with the sugar. Rinse and WAH-LA!

#8: Deo

You know why this is important. Do everyone a favor and save yourself any embarrassment when you have your arms high up in the air, rooting for your favorite band. Don’t be a smelly girl (or guy)!

#9:Hand Sanitizer/ Baby Wipes

Before you eat. After you use the port-a-potty. Before you touch your face…etc. Stay germ free or carry around baby wipes for extra cleanliness. You will be thankful you have them on hand!

#10: Oil Blotting Sheets

As the day goes on, you are going to look shiny. Keep a pack of shine-blotting sheets in your bag and blot any excess oils from your face. You can follow with a mattifying oil-absorbing powder afterwards if you desire for added coverage. If you don’t have any blotting sheets on hand, toilet seat protectors do the job as well. Rip a few pieces of it and throw it into your bag for a budget-friendly way to stay shine-free!

Now, you are well on your way to make heads turn at Coachella! Keep these tips in mind and you’ll be a knockout! Remember to stay hydrated as well! I hope you festival attendees have found these tips to be beneficial and handy for the weekend. Happy Coachella 2012 and hope to see you all there!

Finals week is upon us and we all know what this calls for: endless all-nighters at the science library, late night fast-food runs, drowning our insides with gallons of coffee, and days without taking off our makeup. Sound familiar? During this exhausting and stressful time, we want to be as minimal as possible, but still look presentable. My darlings, here I am to help you fake those 8 hours of sleep!

Here are some steps to follow:

1. Stay Hydrated! If this isn’t as important to you as taking showers, then you need to think twice! Our body is in-taking so much coffee this week that we forget to drink water. Yes, coffee has its benefits. However, caffeine stimulates hormone production in the brain and causes unnecessary stress on the body, which boosts oil production. Make sure you have your recommended 8oz of water to flush out any unnecessary toxins in the body that may lead to breakouts.

2. Stay Active. Go to the gym. Go out for a walk. Run for a mile. Not only is being active good for your body, it also acts as a stress reliever! You’ll be surprised at how good you’ll feel right after that workout.

3. Mask it On. With all this stress on our skin, we tend to get breakouts, blotchy-ness, and uneven skin texture. Do yourself a favor and invest in a good oil-controlling mask. It provides pore-cleansing benefits, while enhancing your skin tone! Keep the oil and shine at bay by using a mask 2 to 3 times a week. If you don’t have a mask, try Mark’s Shine Fighter ($10). Not only does this product do all of the above, but it also contains vitamin A and C rich apricot extracts! How about that for a skin saver?

4. Moisturize! Moisturize! Moisturize! A person can never get enough moisture and sun protection, even if the weather is gloomy.

5. Define your brows. Even if the rest of your face looks flawless, a “finished” look can’t be achieved unless your eyebrows are well groomed. It will make such a difference to the shape of your face if you define your eyebrows and clean up those straggling hairs. Don’t over tweeze though! If you need help, ask a friend or see a beautician to help you find your brow’s natural shape.

6. Conceal those bags, girl! Got dark circles and puffiness? Concealer is your best friend! Just a few dabs underneath the eye area and the inner corners of your eye will make you look more awake!

7. Get a Tint. A lightweight and oil-free moisturizer with just a hint of color will be enough to even out your skin tone and give you a natural glow. Apply this to all over the face and make sure you blend it out evenly. Feel free to swipe some natural-looking blush on your cheeks for more color.

8. Coat ‘dem lashes! Want to make your eyes pop? Sweep a few coats of mascara on your lashes. You can even use an eyelash curler beforehand if you need an extra curl. We want to avoid any time consuming cosmetics, such as eyeliner and eye shadow. Honestly, no one is going to care whether you forgot to put your cat-eye on or if you don’t look like you came from the MAC counter. Stay simple, ladies! Mascara will do the trick.

9. Slick and Polished Hair-Do’s. Whether you have a high-impact ponytail or a pretty handband, these looks are ideal for hiding flyaways and frizz. Just run a root –lifting spray or give hair a glossy shine to make it look healthy.

10. Get an It-Girl Pout! Use a tinted lip balm, chapstick, or a sheer lip gloss to put your look together. There are some very good lip products out there that contain SPF and vitamins. Your lips are very sensitive and can get chapped easily. Take care and moisturize them!

I hope this will help you to look your best this week. Take care of yourselves and don’t let your beauty regimen slip! Feel free to send questions, product recommendations, or suggestions over to iveydee@gmail.com, with “Beauty Junkie Corner” in the subject line. Good luck on your finals lovelies!

Xoxo,

Ivanna

With finals and projects crammed into a week’s time, students just can’t seem to avoid the prolonged lines at the local coffee shop. Caffeine is a hell of a drug that can certainly get you through those all-nighters, which as you might already know, could have been avoided if not for those long nights out at the local bar. It’s a quick fix for procrastinated study time. But who’s to blame – this is college, right? Well, it turns out that caffeine isn’t the only substance students abuse in order to avoid going astray with their studies. I’m talking about a little pill you can swallow that can give you an “I can study ten weeks’ worth of notes within the first hour of Schindler’s List while still feeling jolly all around” kind of feeling. That’s right, ladies and gentlemen – I’m talking about Adderall, and it doesn’t necessarily come with that description.

Adderall, as you may already know, is also known as the academic steroid, which consists of ingredients such as dextroamphetamine, amphetamine, and other amphetamine salts that I still have trouble pronouncing, much less understanding their chemical nomenclature. However, what I can tell you is that Adderrall is a brand-name amphetamine most commonly prescribed to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, in patients who struggle with simple, focus-requiring tasks – such as studying. All in all, Adderall is an effective medication when prescribed to those who need it. So what does this mean for the rest of the world who, fortunately, do not suffer from ADHD?

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Well, ladies, have you ever looked in the mirror lately, wondering whether or not it’s time to hit the gym? Then here is the perfect solution for you! It will only cost you $12.95 and will ship within a 7-10 day period. Now doesn’t that just sound perfect? There is just one catch, though: this weight lifting system isn’t for your arms, legs, or your stomach; it’s for your vagina.

The “Laselle Kegel Exerciser” is a weight that looks like small, pink, silicone ball, with a white string hanging from its side. How it works is that you insert the small ball into your vagina with the string facing downwards. Every time you move or walk, the weight inside the ball will shake as well, reminding you to flex your pelvic floor muscles. This flexing motion is what we call a kegel, and over time this constant flexing will strengthen your pelvic floor, with wellness and sexual benefits.

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