Step by Step Guide to Perfect Eyebrows: Miss Kerala 2014

Step 1: Evaluate your brows, you want both sets of brows to end up looking symmetrical. I have thin brows that need to be filled and defined with a powder or brow gel.

Step 2: Brush out brows.

Step 3: Pluck stray hairs.

Step 4: Trim any unruly strands.

Step 5: To fill in brows: place brush from the corner of your nose, to the inner tear duct and line straight up. This is where your brows should start.

Step 6: The arch, or highest point, of your brow should be from the corner of your nose to the outer edge of your pupil straight up.

Step 7: The outer corner of your brow should be from the edge of your nose straight up to the outer corner of your eye.

Step 8: Using these landmarks, use a brow gel, or powder to fill in gaps.

Day to Day Haircair! Part 2: Miss Kerala Pageant 2014

Styling my hair is must for me, or else it will  end up drying like a big frizzy mess!  I, like most other women, used straighteners in the past to achieve stick straight hair. ( Why is it we always want the type of hair we don't have!) However, the damage of straighteners- no matter what brand can be detrimental to the health of your hair. Such high temperatures and direct heat destroy the fibers of your hair. So, as a solution I learned how to perfect my blow drying technique, along with using great heat defending products!

Must have products for the prefect  at- home blow dry:

1. Blow dryer: Use one with a quick drying time to prevent extended heat exposure. One with ionic technology is preferable as it helps eliminate frizz. Use an attachment to target heat- this is especially useful when trying to create body at the roots. Try the Conair Infinity Pro for a great but affordable option.

2. Round brush: My recommendation is to use a boar bristle brush. Personally I use a mixed brush- boar and nylon bristle to help distribute hair oil, reduce time to finish blow drying, and style my hair like I want.

3. Protect, Protect, Protect! Always protect your hair before heat styling.
If you want to splurge on a great heat protector: try Kerastase Resistance Ciment Thermique Heat-Activated Reconstructor Milk. 
For a great day to day protector: try It's a 10! Miracle leave in product.
And, for a cheap alternative, try Suave Professionals Keratin Infusion Heat defense Leave - In treatment.

4. Add shine! This is especially important in humid weather or on rainy days to protect all your hard work.
My favorite products to use include Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Moroccan Oil Treatment or L'Oreal Smooth Intense Frizz Taming Serum.

Day to Day Haircair! Part 1: Miss Kerala Pageant 2014

For those not blessed with thick, silky, hassle free hair... hair care and styling takes a good deal of time and effort. These product recommendations are things I have been using religiously for the past 3-5 years. They consistently get great reviews all over the Internet and are a great value for what they do. Remember, the cost of a product does not necessarily mean that it works better. Here are my tips for healthy yet well styled hair!

1. Try to go as many days as possible between washings. I used to wash my hair everyday- horrible idea! I noticed that when switching to every other day or every 2 days, my hair has become less dry, color jobs last longer, and it looks healthier overall.

2. Use a gentle, high quality shampoo. For my course but fairly thin hair, I recommend Redkin All Soft Shampoo. I have tried almost every drugstore shampoo- Pantene, Garnier, Loreal and this Shampoo is the only one that consistently gives me results. It provides moisture without weighing down strands, does not  strip my hair color, and leaves my hair more manageable.

 

3. Only apply Shampoo to the roots.  There is no need to directly apply shampoo to the ends of hair. Only the scalp needs to be cleaned. 

4. Use a clarifying Shampoo around once a month. Any shampoo you use, along with styling products will cause build up in your hair. Build up will make your tresses dull and weight them down. A good clarifying shampoo will remove buildup so that any product you use will work like new again. My favorite one is Neutrogena Anti- Residue Shampoo. 

5. Condition and rinse hair in cold water. There are some great conditioners that don't cost a fortune. For the past 5 years I have been using Aussie Moist Conditioner.

Just like shampoo only needs to be applied to the root, conditioner should be applied everywhere but at the roots. 

6. Use a deep conditioning treatment about once a month. Especially with heat styling, deep conditioning is a must. 

Click here for my post on Aussie 3 Minute Miracle. 

7. Never brush your hair in the shower!  Hair should be treated like fine silk. When it is wet, it is most vulnerable to breakage, so brushing hair could lead to it snapping and breaking.

Part II to come soon...

Teaming up with Miss Kerala India Pageant 2014!

Images via Miss Kerala Facebook page and page of Miss Kerala 2012 Deepti Sati

Some exciting news to share with you all...this year I will be teaming up with the Miss Kerala 2014 pageant as a beauty adviser! The Miss Kerala pageant started in 1999 with it's first winner being Swapna Menon. It is hosted by Impresario Event Management India. The most recent winner is Deepti Sati, pictured above. Being 100% Malayalee, and obsessed with all things beauty- It is SO exciting to see how far the pageant has come especially with the most recent winner. Deepti Sati has a modern and edgy beauty that translates well throughout all of India. Her style seems to be on point- pulling off both modern and traditional clothing, hair with shine and body, and great skin. She has gone on to be a finalist in the fbb Femina Miss India 2014. Other winners have gone on to fashion, modeling, business, entrepreneurship etc. I think it's a great platform for women of Keralite decent. The perception that most Americans of Indian decent have is that the beauty and fashion hub of India is centered in the north and within Bollywood, but it is nice to see south India gaining a hold on this as well. 

The pageant has started plans for this year, so make sure to apply if you think you have what it takes!

I can't wait to share my beauty secrets and tips, catering to women with hair and skin like mine!

Please visit Miss Kerala's facebook page or website. 

Don't forget to follow me on Instagram as well!!