If You Want to Look More Awake in the Morning, Try This Simple Face-Framing Trick

Everyone, at times, experiences mornings with sleepy eyes and dull skin. No matter how much under-eye concealer you apply, nothing will make you appear to have slept. In addition to makeup techniques, you may wish to create the illusion that you slept 8 hours by changing how you frame your face.

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This is NOT a 12-step beauty routine, nor does it require a complete makeover. We're discussing a quick and easy technique that takes advantage of the light, shape, and where the viewer's eye goes. It is essentially using "stage lighting" rather than a total renovation to enhance your facial features.

Step #1: Bring Light Back into the Center of Your Face

Flat faces usually resemble a tired person. To correct this, bring light to the center of your face. Apply a small amount of a brightening product to 3 areas after your skincare: The top of each cheekbone, both inner corners of the eyes, and right under the tail of your eyebrow.

Use either a liquid highlighter, a glow primer, or a light, creamy concealer, which is one shade lighter than your skin tone. What you are looking to achieve is a soft, radiant glow, NOT glitter. Blend completely so there are NO hard lines. When these areas reflect the light, your eyes will appear wider, your cheeks will look higher, and your entire appearance will be more awake.

Step #2: Create a Soft Facial Frame

The next trick is creating a soft facial frame around your features. A soft facial frame will make you appear more refreshed. You don't want to define your facial features as much as create a soft outline around your features.

Apply a small amount of a sheer bronzer or a neutral contour along the hairline, temples, and under the cheekbones. Think of this as drawing a soft oval around your face. A soft facial frame provides structure without appearing heavy. Leave the center of your forehead, nose bridge, and the tops of your cheeks bright so your features stand out.

Glasses can also be included as a frame. If you wear glasses, such as Wayfarer glasses with a slightly heavier frame, you can use them to draw focus to your eyes and give them the appearance of being larger, even though you're still half asleep on the inside. Just choose colors that complement your skin tone so they add life, not shadows.

Step #3: Awaken Eyes Without Heavy Makeup

Now, here is the area where many people fail. When you're tired, you may feel the urge to put on a lot of dark liner. However, doing so will typically cause your eyes to appear smaller. So, instead of applying a lot of dark liner, lightly define your upper lash line and leave your lower lash line almost bare.

Just curling your lashes and applying a lengthening mascara should do the job. If your eyes are extremely red, you can apply a nude or soft peach pencil to the lower waterline. This will provide a subtle brightening effect without looking obvious.

Finally, apply a very small amount of color to the lips and cheeks in the same family (e.g., rose or peach) to tie everything together so you look like yourself, just a little more rested.

Will this replace sleep? Of course not. However, this simple face-framing trick can help you appear like you got some rest, especially on those days when getting real rest isn't an option.

Framing Your Face: The Overlooked Beauty Trick That Never Goes Out of Style

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The right pair of glasses can change everything - not just how we look, but how we see the world. For many of us, they’re both a daily necessity and one of our most personal accessories. Yet while we obsess over skincare routines and lipstick shades, our glasses - the frames literally sitting at the centre of our faces - often go unnoticed.

More than an accessory

When you think about it, glasses are the one beauty item that you wear pretty much all day, every day. They shape your features, highlight your eyes, and can silently elevate your entire aesthetic. But they are also functional in that they help you see clearly, stay focused, and feel comfortable in your own skin.

That’s the real power of a great pair of specs: they blend style and purpose seamlessly. Choosing frames that suit your colouring and personality is one part of the equation. The other is keeping them in good working order so that they perform their role of sight correction. We’ve become too used to thinking of style vs substance; the reality is that the two can as often as not work in tandem.

A subtle refresh for both vision and style

If your prescription has changed, or your lenses are showing the signs of everyday life, that doesn’t always mean that you need to change your glasses. Sometimes, a small update is all it takes to make a big difference. Having your lenses replaced or choosing to reglaze glasses can restore clarity and give them a fresh feel - without losing the frames you already love.

It’s an approach that is practical as much as it is personal. Instead of starting over with a new pair - which can be tricky as they slide down your nose or press on your temples - you’re investing in what already works for you, making a quiet nod to the idea that sustainability and self-care can work hand in hand.

Updating your lenses isn’t just about keeping the same setup but bringing it into a more functional place. It is possible, at least with some frames, to change the cut of the lenses to look sharper, cleaner and more modern; again, a small shift, but one that can make a fundamental impact to the way you look and feel.

The confidence of clear vision

It is easy to forget how much our sense of confidence - and therefore the charisma with which we move through life - is tied to how well we see. When your lenses are crisp and your frames reflect your personality, everything simply works better, from your makeup application to your overall presence. Updating your lenses when needed is as much a beauty decision as it is a health one. 

If you want to refresh your style and your sight in one go, it is certainly worth looking into getting your lenses updated and bringing your favourite frames back to life. It’s a small act, but one which can make your world - and your reflection - feel clearer in an instant.

Look a Decade Younger with These Beauty Tips

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Most of us, once we get to a certain age, would like, if we are honest, to look a bit younger, or at least a bit more youthful in our appearance, and you know what? Thanks to modern makeup and beauty tips, it has never been easier to get a more youthful glow, and in fact, you could effectively “shave” as much as a decade off your look without ever having to resort to plastic surgery. Sound good? Here’s what you need to do.

Wear flash lashes

False eyelashes have been around for a long time now, and with good reason. They are one of the best ways to achieve a more youthful appearance because, when you put them on, they make your eyes look bigger, and bigger “doe” eyes naturally make most of us think of youth. Of course, they can also dramatically change your look by giving you fuller, more pigmented lashes too, so they are never not a useful part of your beauty arsenal.

Exfoliate

Regular exfoliation is one of those things many of us skip because we simply do not have the time or inclination for it, but it is one of the simplest ways to look younger. Why? Because it removes the older, duller layer of skin that is just on the surface, giving you a cleaner, fresher, more glowing, and youthful appearance. Of course, with exfoliation, you want to do it just enough that you look fresh-faced, but not so often that you end up with skin that is red and sore because you’ve hit it too hard. Once or twice a week is usually enough for most people.

Change your hair

As you get older, your skin changes and you may get more fine lines, and your complexion may also undergo a transformation too. The shape of your face may even change a little as you lose plumpness. All of this means that your existing hairstyle and color may no longer be as flattering as it once was. Luckily, talking to a good hairstylist who can recommend a style that frames your face and matches your coloring, is often all it takes to get that youthful look back.

Concealer is your friend

As you get older, you are going to need to rely more on concealer than ever before. Not only is it great for hiding blemishes on the skin when you are younger, but it does an excellent job of hiding dark circles, age spots and duller skin as you get older, too. Use it liberally but make sure that you blend it properly if you want to have a flawless glow at any age.

Collagen

Getting more collagen in your diet, whether via the food you eat (bone broth is great) or by adding a supplement to your beauty regime, is vital as it will increase your skin’s elasticity, which means fewer wrinkles, and a much smoother, glowing appearance. It’s a simple fix, but once that really works.

Here’s to looking 10 years younger!

How To Make A One-Floor House Extension Work Best For You

Photo by Karl  Shields: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-man-working-on-a-house-renovation-16767783/

If you’ve applied for planning permission on your property but have only been approved for one storey, you may feel a little upset. After all, two floors will make for better value, more room, and wider potential. There are all manner of reasons why you may only be approved for one extension by your council, and it’s usually because of development restrictions put in place.

However, ther are many ways in which this effort could work for you, if you plan it right. How to do that? Let’s explore some options, below:

Think About Footprint & Floor Area

A single-storey extension doesn't mean you can't go big, it just means you need to think horizontally instead of vertically. We’d suggest thinking about pushing the extension out as far as your plot allows, because it’ll give you much more of usable space, and that's something that adds a little more value to the property. Planning restrictions on height might be in place, so make sure you know what the limits are.

Keep in mind that open plan layouts work well here, because they allow a better view lines and give the impression of even more space than you've got. You're not building up, so think about how the ground floor flows and connects, how natural light travels through the space, and where your sightlines go. All of that matters when you're working with horizontal constraints.

Bring In Natural Light

Sure, you might not be able to make a vast space, but you can bring in light to help it feel bigger. Glass rooflights across the ceiling are great for a ground-floor space, as they make it feel open and connected to the sky above. If you flood the area with daylight and make the extension feel bigger than it actually is, perhaps the space will feel more inviting than a second floor ever could have.

You can also help this effect with large windows on external walls if placed alongside the main walkway. Then you’ll be drawing light in from multiple directions, and that's how a modest extension starts to feel generous. However, think about the sun's path throughout the day, because morning light hits differently to evening light and you'll want to optimize the potential of both.

Implement Multiple Areas Within One Level

Just because you’re limited to one storey doesn't mean the space has to feel like a monotonous extension and nothing else. If you integrate different ceiling heights, a slight step up or down between areas, or perhaps raised platforms for seating or dining, you’ll have curated some real visual interest and it’ll feel new throughout.

You can achieve this through furniture placement and use of partitions, which should make separate zones if you’re able. If the lounge area flows into a dining space which connects to a kitchen, the one-floor extension should have more dimension and purpose, and you’d be surprised how much personality you get as a result. 

With this advice, we hope you can more easily make a one-floor house extension work best for you.

Keeping a Clutter-Free and Organised Home

Do you feel as though your home is utter chaos? If so, then now is the time for you to try and work on that. If you don’t then you may find that it is almost impossible for you to keep things organised and that no amount of tidying, helps your home to feel clean and tidy. If you want some help with your home, then this is the guide for you.

Source: Pexels

Declutter by Category

One of the best things you can do, if you want to restore order to your home, is declutter by category. If you want to gather a more methodical approach, then go through each category rather than trying to deal with things room by room. Take all of the clothes you have and then put them into piles. If you have one to keep, one to donate and then one to throw, away then this will help you to sort through everything with a high level of efficiency. Repeat this process for all of your other items, too, including your kitchen appliances and your sentimental items. This is a great way for you to sort through everything, and it also allows you to work through a lot of items in a very short space of time.

The One-Year Rule

Another good rule for you to adopt would be the one-year rule. When you are trying to decide whether to keep something or to throw it away, consider this rule. If you have not used something in over a year, then now is a good time to get rid. Of course, there might be a sentimental reason for you to keep something, and there is nothing wrong with this, but with that said, you can follow that if you want to get rid of clutter without too much stress. The guru Marie Kondo has some other good rules you can follow if you want to step things up to that next level, so be mindful of that. If you are concerned about having too much clutter, then you can look into MW Skip Hire as a way to get rid of the things you don’t need. That way, you don’t have to make endless trips to the recycling centre.

Use Self-Storage

If you have a lot of stuff but you don’t know where you are going to keep it all, then that is also understandable. One way for you to work around this is to try and use self-storage. Self-storage is a good way for you to make sure that you’re not keeping things that you don’t need around your home, but at the same time, it stops you from having to throw things away that you might not be quite ready to get rid of yet. Self-storage is also a very valuable way for you to keep any bulky furniture to the side while you organise everything, so try and keep that in mind if you can as it could make a major difference to your mental health and your home.