Going Gaga Over Mineral Makeup

Mineral makeup is making a buzz nowadays, with the increasing health conscious market this cosmetic product has been gaining popularity all over the globe. It is highly recommended by dermatologists everywhere because of its benefits thus boosting  the sales of mineral cosmetic products.

What Is Mineral Makeup?

Mineral makeup is made from naturally existing mineral elements, its main components are zinc oxide, titanium dioxide and 100% micronized minerals that are free from talc, fillers,wax, oils, mica dye, silicone, artificial fragrance, rice powder and alcohol. Mineral makeup contains iron that helps in absorbing heat and vitamins that  gives that healthy glow.

What Are The Benefits Of Mineral Makeup?



1. It is hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic it is non irritating and makes it safe to use for all skin types. Women who suffers from severe acne and rosacea cab safely use this product.

2. Its inorganic components prevents microbial growth and makes it last longer than regular products. It is also free from preservatives.

3.Has UV protection that helps prevent skin aging.

4. It has a natural feel and feels light on the skin unlike traditional makeup that feels heavy on the skin.

5.  Does not clog pores like regular makeup.Prevents wrinkles while traditional makeup enhances wrinkles because of its chemical components,

6. Gives a more natural look. Its mineral ingredients reflects light and helps minimize fine lie appearanvce on the face. This gives the face an expressive and natural finish.

7. It is cost effective because a little product goes a long long way. Mineral makeup are also very affordable.

Note: Check the labels before  buying some companies advertise their products as mineral makeup but they put additives like bismuth oxychloride a product of lead and copper processing and is known to irritate the skin. Stick with products that sticks to the highest standards.

Choosing The Right Shade:

In choosing the right shade of foundation you must choose the shade matching your skin color to give you that natural look. Sample the products at the makeup counter to get the right shade. For some products you need to mix 2-3 shades to get the shade matching your skin. Some companies sends out free samples for you to try, you can request by visiting their website, usually you pay for the shipping fees.

Identify Your Skin Undertone:

Warm Undertones: Often referred to as having yellow, peach, orange undertone

• You look better in cream then white
• You wear more yellow gold jewellery
• The veins on your wrists appear more green
• You are drawn to more winter/summer colours

Cool undertones: Often referred to as having pink, red, blue undertones

• You look better in white than cream
• You wear silver or white gold jewellery
• The veins in your wrist appear more blue
• You are drawn to more spring/autumn colours

Neutral undertones: Normally found in those with a natural tan or dark skin. As the differences in undertone refers to the richness and depth of colour rather than an undertone.
Identify your skin tone

• Light or fair skin (burns easily)
• Medium skin (burns before tanning)
• Tanned skin (tans easily)
• Dark skin (naturally dark or olive skin)

Makeup Essentials:

1. Face primer- creates a smooth canvass on your face for the foundation to apply evenly and smoothly, giving you the smooth natural finish not cakey!

2, Lid primer- serves as a base for your eyeshadow making it last longer and helps the colors to come out better.

3. Lip primer- creates a silky foundation for your lipstick so that it glides smoothly and evenly. Making it last longer and prevents smearing.

4. Lip scrub- sloughs off dead skin cells on your lips and prevents chapping. It gives more color to your lips, scub your lips once a week for a smooth finish.

5. Lip moisturizer- conditions the lips to prevent chapping.

6. Concealer- use a concealer corrector quad instead of single correctors. Single concealers may not be enough for a makeup emergency. A good concealer is non oily and would hide skin blemishes and dark circles under the eye without using too much product.

7. Makeup remover- a good makeup remover is non oily and has no alcohol. Read product labels before buying and try out different products before sticking to one. This helps remove makeup that sticks to the skin easily and makes it easy for you to clean your face.

8. Brushes- invest in a good brush, a brush is like a magic wand, good brushes works wonders, it helps in the even application of the product. Save money by investing on a good set of brush, choose brushes for quality, most brushes that are sold in drugstores are of low quality, when you dip it on the product the bristles fall out. You might want to avoid buying that.

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Heads Up Pretty Gals!

Hi Single Sassy Chicks!

I am super duper excited to receive my samples from one cosmetic company. I don't mean to sound so cryptic lol but I do not want to divulge just yet what the samples are. I'm going to test the samples and post a review here for all of you to read. I can't wait anymore, I think they are in transit now.  Hopefully I'll get your views on this by leaving comments on the page.

Today, I have worked hard enough to find a good read about improving this blog and I still have tons to read and learn. I want to give you my very best and I'm working hard on it. I have also contacted a company that sells this beauty product that works wonders and it's 100% natural, I'm looking forward to sampling their product and I would like to do a product review on it here in the Single Sassy Chick blog so everyone would get tons of information about it. I'll keep my fingers crossed until I hear from them.

I also spent time today responding to MyLot comments on my posts and posting new ones too. I am enjoying this community so much not because I am getting paid by the site just by participating on a daily basis (which they do) but because it's a great community. I meet great people everyday and the exchange of ideas fires me up. People are so helpful there, they give you tips and suggestions on almost everything and they teach one another how to make extra money online. By the way guys I'm nearing my very first payout for this site! If you'd like to join this community click on my article on making extra money and just copy and post the link in a new browser and sign up. There is no fee in signing up, it's like Facbook or Myspace but this one rewards you for your participation.

Finally, If there is anything you would like me to write about or feature in an article kindly leave your suggestions in the comment box and if possible leave your email address so I can contact you should there be a need.  Thank you guys for visiting  The Single Sassy Chick blog .

All the best,
Your Single Chick

The Single Chick's Guide In Making Extra Money

Many of us single women have financial issues. Either its because we overspend or we are underpaid. When I graduated from college and landed my first job I thought I was going to be financially independent from that day onwards. I was wrong I wasn't bringing home the fat paycheck that I had imagined, and to make matters worse it could hardly pay all my bills. I had to live in an all girls dormitory because it was cheaper compared to renting an apartment. I struggled to make both ends meet every single day. I had to walk several blocks from the dorm to my workplace because I could not afford a cab or any means of transportation.  I was poor as a church mouse! No, it was not the fab life I have dreamed of, it was a nightmare!

During that time I could barely buy new clothes or shoes, I no longer ate in  fastfood chains  or fancy restaurants but I learned how to eat food sold at the side walk because it was very cheap and frankly speaking it was all I could afford. This was one of the toughest times of my life but I learned valuable lessons from it. I have learned to be frugal and do away with the luxuries I enjoyed previously. I learned how to look fab without spending a fortune and yes I found out who my real friends are. Some friends left me because I could no longer hang out with them at expensive restaurants or spend a weekend in a 5 star beach resort. Sounds superficial but some people are really superficial.

I wish I had learned before what I have learned now, that it is not so hard to earn extra cash. See, because of my lack of exposure to money making ideas, I had the wrong mindset. I thought that to earn extra cash I would have to do odd jobs that was strenuous and time consuming like babysitting. I did not know that I could really make money by using the internet for only a few minutes a day.

Perhaps you have read about this or have heard it from someone else but you are quite skeptical to try it out. Try being positive for once and give it the benefit of a doubt. I was skeptical too until I tried it. Yes, there are many money related scams online that is why you have to be careful with the sites you join in.

Things To Keep In Mind When Joining Money Making Sites:

1. Checkout the site. Read The FAQs, About Us and Terms of Service. This would give you information on what the site is about, what are the rules you should follow, how you could earn and when are you going to get paid and how much. It will also give you information how you could increase your earnings and if there is a fixed amount of daily earnings.

2. Do a background check on the website through online forums. This will give you an idea on what kind of site will you be dealing with. Check how long have they been in operation and if the really pay their members.

3. Money making sites are free, you would only pay a certain amount to upgrade your membership but other than that there should  be no joining fees. If there are joining fees and they ask for a large amount and promise big payouts, steer clear from this site. it could be fraudulent.

4. Find out other money making sites do not just sign up. Compare each one and choose the best. Ask any of your friends if they are into money making sites and compare notes.They would be eager to share this information since you are a potential recruit or down line and they could earn if you sign up under them.

Sites I Recommend:

It's not easy to search for an online legitimate paying site. If you search on the net the results could give you plenty of sites and choosing the right one would not be that easy. I have found some legitimate sites through trial and error and I am pleased to share this with you.

1. Freelancers.com - You could sign up as a provider of services and at the same time as a "buyer" or one who hires and pays for the service. There are a wide range of tasks available that you can choose from and they will send you email alerts for tasks that matches your skills.
What makes this site cooll? You can earn so much from  the tasks and it could lead to a long term part time job. The pay is good depending on the type of task required from you. As a buyer you get things done quickly and spend less than when you hire a permanent employee.


click on the banner to go to the site!

2. oDesk.com- Same with Freelancers you get paid for every task you accomplish and you can also hire people to do things for you at a specific rate that you specified in your job post. The pay is also good.



click on the banner to go to the site.

3. MyLot.com- This is a social networking website like Facebook and Myspace but the difference is that you get paid while using the site. There is a task bar where you can see  the available tasks  and you can sign up for a task and as soon as you finish the task the payment will be credited immediately into your MyLot account.

www.myLot.com?ref=candyfairy21
copy and paste the code to your browser.



4. Lockerz.com - This is a cool site where you get paid to watch short video clips and your earnings increases when you sign up your friend under you. The points you earn can be converted to cash or used to get cool gadgets like Ipod touch and Macbook. This is an invitation only site. You could ask me to send you invitations, just leave your email address.

5. Create a blog- This could take time and hard work but you can make money out of it if you write quality articles on your blog. You can sign up with Google Adsense and they will place ads on your blog page that is related to the content of your blog. You make money every time a visitor clicks on the ads posted on your blog. You can also sign up with Amazon or any online company that would pay to have their ads placed on websites or blogs. Create a free blog at blogger.com or wordpress.com Use free exchange traffic like Traffic Swarm to get traffic to your site and attract potential readers and ads.






There are other money making sites such as PTCs or paid to click sites but I do not recommend them that much because the earnings are not quite as good as the above mentioned sites. Survey sites are good sources of online income but if you reside outside of the U.S and Canada you  cannot get surveys regularly. However, I would be posting down legitimate sites just in case some of you would be interested in trying it out, after all its for free.

Start earning extra cash now and augment your income. You don't have to live from  paycheck to paycheck because the choice is yours to make.  I can guarantee that you could earn from this sites because I am making extra bucks from these sites too. :) 

The Single Chick's Guide to Budgeting

Most single chick's concern of all concerns is budgeting. Handling  finances and sticking on a budget could seem like a great challenge for some. I know, I know don't stare at me like that! I can quite relate to you baby doll, I have been there so many times. I couldn't seem to stop myself from buying this and that and whatever I laid my eyes on. I have been nearly broke several times because I did not stick to the budget. I spent more than I should.

The tendency to over spend among women is quite common. Especially among single, never been married, never had children women. There is the temptation of buying new shoes just because it was on sale, new clothes well because we would want to always look our best or impress the cute guy at the office, its just that sometimes our spending habits are out of control. We come up with all sorts of excuses and rationalize about what we did. In the end we are living in denial that something is seriously wrong with our spending. In the end we suffer the consequences of our action.

Ever watched the movie "Shopaholic"? The whole time I was watching it I kept saying oh "that's me" . I used to live like Rebecca Bloomwood. I'd spent left and right and ended up barely with nothing. It was insane, I guess I had gone mad. Another girl I could quite relate to is Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City. She was addicted to shoes and high fashion, in one episode  she spent around $40,000 for Manolo Blahnik's shoes! Insane right? I remembered in one of her lines she said she could have bought an apartment if she did not spend so much on shoes! I guess I would have a fat bank account right now had I not squander all my money on those girly stuff. Sigh.

There's good news for everyone, there is still hope for all the shopaholics out there!  You don't need to be a math whiz to figure things out. What you need is self discipline and bulldog tenacity when it comes to sticking with your budget. I know  whenever you walk the shoes on display at the corner store winks at you. The mannequin on display with that  cute red dress with the $100 price tag waves at you hahaha. You gotta learn to restrain yourself sweetheart because the world will not run out of things to sell, what will run out is the green bucks on your pocket and you could end up poor and homeless.

So here are my tips for you my fellow shopaholic.

1. You gotta sit down and write down your net pay. Meaning the amount you get to take home every month after taxes. Write down the basic bills you have to pay and then the groceries.

Example:
Net Pay for the Month of March: $2700
Less expenses:
Light: $50
Water: $50
Rent: $500
Phone and Internet: $ 49.99
Cellphone: $99
Subtotal: $748.99
Groceries: $150
Grand Total: $898.99

2. Learn to pay yourself. Open an account this should be your "do not touch" account. This is for your life savings or retirement. Pay yourself  %10 from your total net pay so that should be $270/ month that should go into this account.

3. Create an emergency fund. This account could be an atm account so in case of emergency you could easily withdraw. Ahemmm... may I say it again "real emergency cases only", not shopping emergency! You could deposit at least $75/ month. Oh don't complain girl remember this is all for you. You can spend $200 on shoes why not pay for the future?  In a years time you could earn $ 900 in the account plus interests. Now do not keep your card in your wallet chances are you are going to use it.

4. Open a debit card account primarily for your bills. Keeping different accounts keeps you on track in budgeting and gives the assurance you will not over spend or touch your other accounts.

5. Set up another account for traveling, that's if you like to travel. Perhaps you can deposit $75/ month, in a few years time you can  take your dream vacation. the amount you deposit all depends on you.

6. Again set up another account for your wish list. For example if you would like to buy a car perhaps you could deposit $100 into this account per month. It will give you quite a good amount for down payment of a new car, in about a year's time.

7. Set up a fund for spending or shopping for personal items but keep that at minimum.  Let's say you have given yourself $200/ month shopping money. Make sure that you stick with it. Discipline yourself not to over spend. Forget that you opened other accounts in the bank that way you would not think of withdrawing all your money.

8. Pay your debts with the extra money that you have. Now let's check our budget list.

Net Pay: $2700
less:
Light: $50
Water: $50
Rent: $500
Phone and Internet: $ 49.99
Cellphone: $99
Subtotal: $748.99
Groceries: $150
Grand Total: $898.99
Savings Account: $ 270
Travel Account$ 75
Emergency Fund: $ 75
Wish list: $100
Shopping Fund: $200
Subtotal: 1610.99
Debt Payment: $600
Grand Total: 2218.99
You still have an extra amount of $481.01. What you do with the extra money is up to you but I do suggest you open an account that could pay for a new house. So if you save $481.01 per month, in a year you will have $5772.12. It may not suffice to buy a new house yet but that is money saved and that's better than having nothing. Plus you get an interest too, so your money will grow.  I suggest that you put it in time deposit that way it will yield better interest rates.

8. Just keep only 1 credit card for emergencies. Choose the card that has a lower interest rate. Keep your card at home and not in your wallet.

9. Gather all loose change in a small jar. Those little pennies could pay for Christmas gifts come December. That way you don't have to over spend during the holidays. Another tip is buy Christmas gifts during sale period because you will pay less. Then you can store those items until Christmas time.

10. Cut down on going to Starbucks or eating out. If you could just bring your own lunch that would be better. You are assured that the quality of your food is good and fresh plus you do not have to spend extra.Mostly in the office you could have free coffee, if your office do not provide free coffee you can bring your own coffee , it is cheaper that way.

11. Keep your receipts and track down your weekly expenses. Remember self control is the key in staying on the budget.  Change your mindset about money, do away with the one day millionaire mentality, it is not healthy for you at all.

Finally, after reading this I hope you will put all of these steps into action and let's see if you will not be debt free and financially independent in no time. Hope this tips have been helpful to you. You could print this out and read it over and over until it make sense to you. I would want to hear great testimonials from my fellow single chicks! Hit the comment button below if you have great things to share or if you need help. Your Single Chick sistah will get in contact with you very soon.

Best Regards.

Single and Free: Guide to Moving Out

You just got your first job and your moving out from mum and dad's to live a life of your own, is every single chick's dream. The day has finally come when you  have a place of your own and you can do whatever you want to do. Back at mum and dad's you cannot rearrange or redecorate any part of the house without first consulting them and getting their approval, probably you shared a room with your sister and today's the day you have been waiting for to finally have your own room and getting your much deserved privacy. But moving out isn't always that fun especially if you are unprepared. So here are a few pointers to make your move stress free and fun!

Before You Move Out:

1. Decide if you want to live alone in an apartment or share it with a friend.
Living alone has its advantages and disadvantages. The good thing in living alone is that you don't have to adjust to another person, you can decide when you are going to do the laundry and when you are going to clean. Next, you have privacy and if you are someone who cherish your privacy then living alone is a good choice. You can decorate the apartment as you wish and no one will go against you. The main disadvantage though of living alone is that you have to shoulder all the bills. Check your budget first if you can afford to live alone or not. The other disadvantage of living alone is that if you get sick and unable to get out of bed no one will be there to help you. I strongly suggest that you make a list and write down all the advantages and disadvantages and study how it may affect you.

2. If you decide to get a flat mate or housemate make sure that you really know the person well. You don't want to live with a stranger with queer habits or one who is mentally ill like in the movie The Single white Female... alright, alright I'm not trying to scare you but its better safe than sorry!

3. Determine your budget. Do you have enough money to rent an apartment by yourself? or do you need to share the apartment with a friend? Make an estimate about your monthly bills and if you can't afford it then don't get that extra service. The basic services you need in your apartment are light, water, heater, fan or air conditioning unit, and gas. If you have a cellphone you may not get a telephone service just yet because it would be an added bill. Remember you are just starting out so eliminate unnecessary bills.

4. Scout for flats or apartments close to your workplace. If you could just walk from the apartment to your workplace that would be great. This will save you a lot of time from commuting. Checkout the neighborhood as well, remember your safety comes first.

5. If you have found a place to rent, call on the landlord and ask how much the rent would be and the payment system. Ask if he has a contract and ask to read the terms stipulated in the contract before signing it. Read the fine print as well. Know what amenities in the building is for free and what is not. Some places would include an internet service at a lower price if you share it with the others in the building than when you apply for one on your own. Check out if they would repaint the apartment before you move in and who is in charge of paying the painting job. Find out if they charge extra for building maintenance or if it is free.

6. Check out the building security. See if they have security guards on duty or they have cctv installed, it is wise to also check their safety and security policies.

When you have done all this and sealed the deal with your new landlord you are ready to pack up your things and let me tell you how.

Tips on Packing up Your Stuff:

1. Take a look at your stuff and sort them out. Decide what you need to bring and what you would leave behind or give to friends or charity.  Place all the stuff that you don't need in one box and you either ask yor relatives and friends to come and take things that they like from that box or directly give it to charitable institution.

2. Buy big plastic boxes and determine how  many do you need. Plastic boxes are great because you could see what's on the inside and when you move into your new place you know where each box would go.

3. Organize your stuff. Put all clothes in one plastic box, all shoes in the other, books in the other box and so on. Then use a white tape and label each box.Example shoes/ bedroom; toiletries/ bathroom. This way its easier to determine where each box would go. Paste a piece of paper outside of the box containing a list of what's inside the box for easy inventory. Do not include your valuables in these storage boxes.

4. Put all your valuables together in one box and place it inside a bag if its not that big. You may want to check out the local banks nearby for a safety deposit box while you are just moving in as you are not so familiar yet of  your new neighborhood.

5. If you do not have so much stuff to bring maybe your mum or dad can drive you to your new home. I bet they would love to come as they would like to checkout your new neighborhood too. If they could not help you with the move and you do not have a car check for moving services and how much they are going to charge you. Another idea is ask any of your friends who have cars to help you with the move and then you can all enjoy a happy house warming once you get there, this should be fun too.

One thing before I forget is do not move your stuff yet if your new place is not yet ready. What I mean is if your landlord is still repainting the walls do not drag your things there as they could get lost or stolen.  Make sure that the place is clean and tidy before you move in so that its easier for you to arrange your stuff. Ask help from your good friends to help you unpack your things, you could supervise where each would go (quite cool lol) and you can tell them where to place it. I guess that's what girl friends are for hahaha... Just don't forget to order pizza or cheese and mac for the hungry bunch :). Have a happy move sistah!

The Imelda in All of Us

There is an Imelda Marcos in all of us, most women can't resist the urge not to buy another pair of shoes especially if its on sale. Shoes are like candies or chocolate, to resist the urge of not buying another pair is torture. I could quite relate to that, I have  too many pairs of shoes yet it seems I still need more.

Shoes are my friends,they go with me to every party, to every date and yes even through every bad breakup. I love shoes simply because they make me look good and feel good. As a single chick living in the big city shoes has become the symbol of class. Women of class wear a distinct brand like Louboutins,  Blahnik, YSL, Louis Vuitton, just to name a few, that only the elite class could afford. The middle class would wait until the stores would announce the SALE period, where they could buy these famous shoes at a big discount.

It would not surprise me if one out of 4 women would buy shoes than pay their bills, I know this sounds quite neurotic but its true. It would not even surprise me if 9 out of 10 women spends so much on shoes than any other thing. My thing with shoes started when I was about 5 years old. I would wear my mom's and my aunt's high heels and play a make believe game that I was Cinderella, it is funny but I know most of us women did that when we were kids. I love the way every shoe looked, the unique designs, the different colors to match different dresses. I just fell in love with shoes.

The most famous shoeaholics  are Imelda Marcos, former First Lady of The Philippines. She owned 2700 pairs of shoes!  Marie Antoinette of France with 500 pairs of shoes! These women is way above everybody in terms of addiction. If I have that much shoes around I guess I would need to rent a storage space in order to keep them. See women of all ages love shoes, shoes does not make you look fat or old, unlike other things we have. High heels gives you an invisible surgery, it gives you power and transforms you in a quick and easy way that no makeup or type of clothing can give you. It makes you feel who you wanna be.

If shoe addiction is really a kind of addiction I'd prefer that compared to alcohol or drug addiction. Why? It does not give me a hangover or withdrawal symptoms, however it makes me look good and beautiful ...hahaha. I mean what woman would not like to look good and beautiful? :)

Here are a few smart tips in buying the right shoes:

Get The Right Fit!

* Your feet spreads with age so you must measure your feet every time you buy shoes.Measure each foot because each foot has a different size. Buy shoes that fits the bigger foot.
* Choose the right fit do not wear shoes that are uncomfortable, this could give you callus, blisters and in prolonged use could even lead to the disfigurement of your feet.
* Measure your foot in centimeters of inches to get the right size, each shoe maker has different sizes, don't stick on one size.
* The toe box should be roomy enough to wiggle your toes. Do not buy shoes that has tight toe boxes as they could be uncomfortable.
* Shop for shoes in the late afternoon or evening as they are in their largest. Have your feet measured by the sales person while standing up because under the weight of your body your foot spreads.
* If you are quite heavy or has calluses or bunions go with lower heels. High heels shifts the weight of the body forward on the toes or front of the feet and this could cause quite a discomfort.
*  If you have tendinitis opt for a moderate heel.

Select The Right Heels and The Right Style:

* Pointy toe shoes squeezes the toes together, this could cause calluses and corns. This applies pressure on ingrowns and make it painful as well as it increases the likelihood of getting hammer toes.
*Mules are slightly high heeled but it lacks heel support. You could get injured if your foot slips out of the shoe.
* Platform shoes are quite unstable and you could turn your ankle and cause muscle strain.
* Heels should ideally provide slight elevation (between 3/4" and 1") for the foot, whether there's an actual heel or just a sole that's thicker toward the back of the shoe. The counter -- the part of the shoe that curves around the back of your heel -- should be stiff enough to prevent ankle strains and sprains. The back of your foot should fit snugly into the heel of the shoe, not slide around inside it.

Choose The Right Colors:
Every woman must have the basic colors in her shoe closet that is black, white, brown, beige and red. Whether its a close shoe, open toe pumps, or flat sandals.  These basic colors would match any of your clothes. Then add two great colors that could also go with most colors and that is gold and silver. Then slowly add other colors to your shoe collection to get an even better choice for your wardrobe.