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When the buzz about the uses and benefits of coconut oil first started up, lots of people just assumed it was either hype, or a bunch of nonsense from the “all-natural” advocates out there. Well, as it turns out, it’s neither. You can use it for everything from healthy cooking, to flavoring smoothies and coffee, to cleaning and conditioning wood! Coconut oil and what it can do really is remarkable. And in terms of its beauty uses? The possibilities are almost endless!

What to look for when buying coconut oil?

Once you decide to give this little miracle oil a try, you might be overwhelmed with your choices. To insure you’re using the best product for your skin, look for unrefined organic coconut oil. And also, you will want to get a large container of it, trust us. Not only will you be able to find more uses for it every day, but you’ll find that a little goes a long way.

So what are some of the ways coconut oil can be incorporated into your beauty routine?

• Body lotion – This one is probably the first use you’d suspect for using coconut oil as a beauty implement. Why not just use a regular store-bought lotion? Many, if not most, of them are petroleum or water-based. Coconut oil, on the other hand, is all natural and can moisturize your skin more effectively without any additives.
• Shaving cream – Constantly suffer from those tiny red bumps after shaving? Skin too sensitive to use with many shaving creams and lotions? Try coconut oil! Use it as you would any other shaving product. Wet the area, smooth on the oil, and shave. Your skin will be unbelievably soft and supple afterwards.
• Face mask – Coconut oil is naturally antiseptic, with many antifungal and antibacterial properties. It’s also antioxidant rich, which works wonders for your skin. There loads of great face mask recipes online, all using coconut oil as the base. You are sure to find one or more that will address your skin concerns and skin type beautifully!
• Makeup remover – Many makeup removers use oils to breakdown the heavy-duty mascaras, shadows, and liners we use these days…but not all the oils they use are good for your skin. Coconut oil, though, being all natural, will remove all your eye makeup completely while not aggravating your skin. Simply apply a bit to a cotton pad, remove your eye makeup, and rinse the area clean of any remaining oil. Remove the rest of your makeup as usual.
• Makeup brush cleaner – You know that you risk a serious bacteria build-up by not cleaning your makeup brushes at least once a month. The good news is that by combining a little antibacterial soap with a little coconut oil, you can not only get your brushes clean and free from bacteria, but for those brushes made from natural hair, the oils will help to condition the bristles.

The grass is always greener on the other side, right? Unfortunately, this also often applies to how we view our own pear-shaped figure. Someone else’s figure is better… and ours is lacking, difficult to dress, makes us look horrible. Well, it’s not that the grass is greener on the other side…it’s that the grass is greener where you water it! That means you need to start embracing your pear shape (which, by the way, is the most common female body type), learning to dress it properly, and yes, finally learning to love it. And we’ve got at least one of those covered in these tips to dressing a pear shaped figure (the rest is up to you)!

What identifies a pear-shaped figure?  Usually, pear-shaped figures have wider hips and thighs, narrower shoulders, wider bottoms, and smaller busts. Ideally, your clothing should all be aimed at taking attention away from your hips, and lengthening your silhouette.

Tops: Here’s where the focus needs to be…on your top. To be more specific, that means well-fitting tops, like button-down shirts and cardigans. Also look for shirts with embellished necklines, like ruffles, details, and bling. This way, the eye will be drawn up to the smallest part of your body.

Bottoms: Pants should be structured. Look for those that fit your natural waist, skim the hips and thighs, and have wide hems. Be sure to skip pants with embellishments, like big front or side pockets, bling, or embroidery.

Dresses: A-lines, full skirts, and flowy wrap dresses that cinch at your waist will be your best friends!

Shoes: Of course, heels will always be a plus for elongating your silhouette, but in general, even if flats are called for, try to look for shoes with pointed toes and low vamps (the “upper” part of the shoe that covers where the toes connect to the foot).

The Big 3: Jackets, shoulders, and accessories. These three will go a long way for camouflaging your hips while drawing attention to some of your best assets! Jackets can add loads of embellishment (zippers, snaps, buttons, pockets, etc.) which will draw the eye upward…just make sure the jackets don’t go lower than your waist! Your shoulders, being narrow, can also help to draw the attention above your hips, so look for spaghetti, asymmetrical, and halter tops. And you can’t forget bling! Necklaces of all types will work, just try not to go for those that are too long. Earrings, too, can help to keep the attention focused at your face, neck, and shoulders.

If you’ve got hooded eyes, then you know what a challenge applying eye makeup can be. While everyone else seems to just sweep on a fierce cat-eye, you’re trying to figure out how to keep it on, let alone apply it. Sure, some of the most popular young celebrities today, like Blake Lively, Taylor Swift, and Jennifer Lawrence, have hooded eyes, and their eye makeup manages to look fabulous all the time, but they also have the benefit of countless makeup artists at their beck-and-call. Lucky for you though, there are some simple tips you can use to make your hooded eyes really pop!

• Primer is your best friend – This is the single most important element of applying makeup for hooded eyes! Since your upper lid tends to fold over and hide your lower lid, any eye makeup you apply there is likely to be rubbed off quickly by the friction, so primer (like Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, or Benefit Stay Don’t Stray) will provide your products with loads more staying power. Apply from base of lashes to just below the brow bone and blend in, then allow to dry before applying any other products.
• Brows – You might not realize it, but unkempt brows can actually make your hooded lid look even heavier. Likewise, an over-plucked brow creates the appearance of more lid space, which draws attention to your hood. If you are unsure about the best shape for your face, go to a salon. They can help you get the basic shape established, so then all you will have to do is maintain. To keep them filled in, the best eyebrow makeup is usually powder, applied with a stiff angled brush. Powder often looks more natural than pencil, but the best brows usually combine both! Try a combo of Anastasia of Beverly Hills Brow Wiz and Smashbox Brow Tech.
• Use smudge-proof, water-proof liner and mascara – Again, if you constantly wrestle with disappearing eye makeup, the formulation of your products could be the culprit. You might have shied away from “smudge-proof” or “water-proof” before, but there are such great products out there, like the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil, that go on smoothly, blend effortlessly, and, most importantly, stay on! If it’s the removal of those smudge-proof and water-proof liners and mascaras that has you fretting, a product like Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover will quickly and gently wipe your eyes completely clean.
• Shadow placement – This is probably the second most important element in hooded eyes makeup, right behind using primer. With the sagging skin of hooded eyes, typical eye makeup tutorials often don’t apply to you. But don’t lose heart! You just need a slightly different placement technique. The goal is to camouflage the hooded skin to create the illusion of a more balanced, open eye using light and dark color placement (light colors bring forward, and dark colors recede). So, after your lid primer is dry, sweep a light, shimmery shade all over the lower lid. Next, apply a darker, matte shadow into the outer V (extending it a bit up and out). And now for the real magic…looking forward, with your eyes relaxed (so you can clearly see the hood), sweep a darker matte shadow in and slightly above your crease (yes, onto the lower part of the hood). In a light, windshield-wiper motion, bring the shadow about half way in, then connect it with the shadow in the outer V. The darker shadow will help to recede the skin of the hood. Always remember, if you’ve got hooded eyes, always have a matte shadow pallet handy!