We all know you're not supposed to pop your pimples. But we also know that it is extremely tempting. That said, it's very likely that you pop them regardless of the damage a pop zit can leave behind. Don't worry, you wont have to go into hiding till your skin heals—we've got some tips to get you back out in civilization without humiliation.

1. Reduce Swelling. The swelling of a blemish makes it stand out, hold an ice cube on your popped zit. The coolness will help reduce the swelling and minimize the chance of a further infection.


2. Get The Red Out. Putting a few drops of anti-redness eye drops on your blemish will help take the redness out of your zit and make it less noticeable.


3. Treat It. Dab on some benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid based acne treatment to help start the healing process. Popped your zit on the go and don't have an acne treatment? Mash one pill of aspirin with a small amount non-comedogenic lotion and apply it to your pimple. Aspirin has anti-inflammatory properties that will help reduce swelling.

The holiday season is upon us and that means holiday parties and taking plenty of photos to cherish the memories made with friends and family. To avoid doing an endless number of retakes before getting a picture you like follow our top ten tips for looking photo ready:

1. Mask It: Treat blemishes or dull skin prior to your holiday party with an acne busting or brightening mask.


2. Prime It: Applying primer to your skin prior to your foundation application will smooth lines, minimize pores and help reflect light giving you the look of flawless skin.


3. Conceal It: The flash of a camera can bring attention to imperfections so be sure to use a concealer on any blemishes or dark spots.


4. Sculpt It: Want to look thinner for the holidays? Contour under your cheekbones and along your hairline and jawline to create the subtle illusion of a thinner face.


5. Dry It: Oily skin happens so keep a stash of oil absorbing sheets in your purse to dab along your t-zone before posing for the camera.


6. Shine It: Use a shine spray in your hair to give your locks luster and dimension in your photos.


7. Tame It: Take charge of flyaways with an on-the-go sized silicone based serum.


8. Highlight It: Draw attention to your eyes in a photo by highlighting your brow bone, waterline and the inner corners of your eyes with an eye brightening pencil.


9. Pop It: Add a pop of color to your face with a bright lipgloss or lipstick. May we suggest a firey and festive red?


10. Brighten It: Everyone loves a beautiful smile in photos so be sure to keep yours sparkling. Didn't plan ahead and whiten your teeth before your holiday party? That's okay, there are teeth whitening strips that can do the job in just two hours!

My favorite makeup is eyeliner and I am obsessed with cat eye makeup. I l-o-v-e it. However, I rarely do my makeup this way because I have such a hard time making both of my eyes look symmetrical. At least I used to until I came across this handy trick—scotch tape. Yes, scotch tape isn't just for wrapping gifts. All you need is two pieces of tape for each eye and volia—purrfect cat eyes.

How to Be a Girl: Cat Eyes By Magic! from The Hairpin on Vimeo.

Do you have any tricks for creating the perfect cat eye makeup look?

Eat your way to beautiful skin. Sound good? Of course it does, who wouldn't want to indulge in some yummy food while getting all the benefits of flawless skin? Check out our five favorite food for skin health:

1. Strawberries: Strawberries are a great source for vitamin C which has wrinkle fighting properties.


2. Tomatoes: Tomatoes contain lycopene and lutein. Lycopene helps shield your skin from the sun while lutein works to keep your skin hydrated.


3. Dark Chocolate: Dark chocolate contains flavonoids that work to fight free radicals that can cause skin damage.


4. Green Tea: Green tea is full of antioxidants that work to protect your skin from free radical damage.

Want to make your own face mask using skin friendly foods? Check out these home remedies that use food to keep your skin acne free.

Yes, it's September but we're still not giving up on summer—especially when it comes to hair. Beach inspired waves are very easy to create and will give you an effortlessly chic look while you're transitioning from summer to fall.

How To Create Beach Wave Hair

Supplies:

• A curl defining hair product (we like L'Oreal Paris Silky Curls Gel)
• Blow Dryer
• Hair Elastics
• Curling Iron
• Hair Spray

Steps:

1. Before you go to sleep shower and work a dollop of curl defining hair product into your wet hair.
2. Blow dry your hair till it is only slightly damp.
3. Separate your hair into sections (about six) and braid it from your ears down, then secure each braid with a hair elastic.
4. Now hit the hay and sleep in your braids.
5. In the morning, take out the hair elastics and shake out your braids.
6. Wrap each section around the outside of your curling iron to help heat set your waves.
7. Spritz your hair with hair spray to set your style after you've finished with the curling iron.

Now you're set to spend the day looking like a beach goddess!

 

Do you have powder blush that you no longer wear in your makeup bag? Put it to good use by turning it into a custom tinted lip balm.

How To Make Your Own Tinted Lip Balm

Supplies:

• Powder Blush (or pink/peach/red tinted powder eye shadows)
• Vaseline
• Contact Lens Case
• Paper Plate
• Spoon

Steps:

1. Start by putting a dollop of Vaseline on your paper plate.
2. Add a small amount of your blush to the Vaseline and mix well with a spoon.
3. Test the color on your lips, add more powder if you want a darker balm or add more Vaseline to make it lighter and more like a gloss.
4. Once you have your desired color, scoop up your balm using your spoon and put in it your clean contact lens case.

Now you have a new lip color that can travel with you. Take advantage of the contact case having two caps and experiment with the depth of the colored balm so you can carry two shades in your case—one for day and the other for night.

Professional teeth whitening can be very costly and keeping up with whitening strips can end up costing more than they're worth too. Just because you don't have a big budget does not mean that you can't have a big bright smile. Whitening your teeth at home is simple, cheap and very effective.

How To Make A Custom Whitening Tray

Supplies:

• 2 Mouth Guards
• 1 Cooking Pot

Steps:

1. Begin by boiling a pot of water. After the water has come to a boil, remove the pot from the heat.
2. Take one of your mouth guards (you can find these where sports equipment is sold or online) and submerge it in the water for 5 seconds.
3. Remove the guard and put it in your mouth over your top teeth. Quickly suck in as much air as you can while pressing the guard to your teeth. This will help guard form to your teeth creating a custom tray.
4. Repeat steps two and three with the second guard to create your custom bottom tray.

After making your custom teeth whitening trays, you can purchase a teeth whitening gel at your local drug store or online for very little cost. Some last up to 60 uses, way more than the popular teeth whitening strips that do not even cover all of your teeth from back to front. Happy smiling!

 

 

Make your eyes pop with these simple makeup tricks:

Larger Eyes:

If you are wanting your eyes to look larger try a highlighting your eyes in a pearly white or soft champagne shade of eye shadow. Apply the shadow to your lids and the inner corners of your eyes. You can also trace the inside rim of your lower lids with a white eye pencil for extra widening.

Close Set Eyes:

If you want to make your eyes appear to be closer set try applying a shade of shimmery brown to your lids. Swipe this color on your lids and blend into the inner corners of your eyes. A sable brown shadow will help draw your eyes together while also catching light and brightening them.

Lifted Eyes:

If you want to make your eyes appear to be more lifted apply liquid liner to your top lash line only. Create a cat-eye at the outer corners of your eyes to fake a lifted look. Finish by curling your lashes and applying a lengthening mascara formula.

Check out our newest video on how to apply nail polish strips:

 

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Check out our new tutorial video on how to create newspaper nails:

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Alright, we're not guaranteeing that you'll be in charge of a kissing booth after this "how to" but we can guarantee that your lips will be irresistibly soft.

Follow these steps before getting your beauty rest and wake up with smoother, softer lips:

1. When washing your face before you go to bed, gently work some of your face wash over your lips for a few seconds to help remove any makeup or oils.
2. Exfoliate your lips by gently running a clean and soft toothbrush over your lips. Don't have an extra toothbrush handy? A moisten wash cloth should do the trick or use your powered cleaning tool if you have one.
3. Moisturize your lips with a hydrating and protecting balm—we like Burt's Bees medicated Lip Balm.

 

Know when to hold ‘em, know when to toss ‘em out because they’re old.

 

 

 

Okay, the song doesn’t go exactly like that but it should when it comes to the life of your cosmetics.

Here is a quick guide to know when to let go and start anew:

Mascara: Typically mascara lasts about three months. Around this time you may notice that your formula will become dry or clumpy which will make for a messy application. If you get an eye infection toss out your mascara—using it will only cause a reoccurring infection.

Facial Creams: These can last up to one year, which is great news for those of you who are feeling iffy about spending money on expensive creams. But if the cream is in a jar you should toss it out sooner because your fingers can introduce bacteria in the jar each time you apply the cream.

Nail Polish: Polish should last for about 12 months. Once you notice a change in color and consistency it’s time to toss it. If it doesn’t go on smoothly it does not belong on your nails.

Perfume: Over time, each spray of your favorite fragrance allows air into the bottle which will speed up oxidation that may change the scent. The change will be slight so you can count on your signature scent being fresh for 2 years.

Do you love those pore strips that remove blackheads from your nose?

We do too! But we don't love the extra cost. Luckily, there is an easy and affordable way to create your own homemade strips with ingredients you may already have in your kitchen.

How To Make Homemade Pore Strips

You'll Need:

• Milk (any grade will be fine)
• Unflavored gelatin
• Microwave safe bowl
• Makeup brush

Steps:

1. Put one tablespoon of milk and unflavored gelatin into your microwave safe bowl.
2. Mix the ingredients. They should form a chunky paste.
3. Heat the ingredients in the bowl in a microwave for 10 seconds. The paste should be a gooey liquid after being heated.
4. Allow the mixture to cool a bit so as to not burn your skin.
5. Once the mixture is warm enough to apply, use your makeup brush to brush the mixture across your nose in the area where a pore strip would normally reside.
6. Allow your homemade pore strip to dry for about 10 minutes.
7. Once it's dry, peel it off and reveal your freshly cleaned pores.

Let us know how your homemade pore strip experience went by leaving a comment, sending us an email or giving a shout or on Twitter or Facebook!

Ever wonder what makeup brushes to use where and with what product? Check out this video to get the low down on the variety of makeup brushes that are available and their uses:

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Check out our new tutorial video on how to style your hair into a top knot:

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We are going to be working on more vlogs in the future so let us know if there are any tutorials you'd like us to create!