5 Steps for a Flawless Face

You wouldn't think that the order in which you put on your makeup makes much difference, but it does. With so many options for products, knowing which order to use them will make your morning much easier.

Follow these five steps for a flawless face every time.

STEP 1 - PREP

CLEANSE

Use a cleanser that exfoliates to remove dead skin and create a smooth surface. Cleansing your skin every morning and night not only gets rid of dirt and oil, it helps prevent breakouts and irritation.

TONE

An oil-free toner will help keep you shine-free throughout the day.

HYDRATE

A light moisturizer is perfect for daytime, whereas a heavier cream is better for overnight.

SUNSCREEN

Don’t skip this step! Sun protection is important all year round. Pro tip: Use a moisturizer with sunscreen to skip a step.

STEP 2 - SKIN

PRIME

Your primer should go on first. Make sure your moisturizer and sunscreen are fully absorbed before adding anything else.

CONCEALER

This step is for concealer, both green and skin toned.

BASE

Put on your foundation, and make sure it is completely blended. Using a cosmetic sponge or beauty blender will prevent the transfer of oil from your fingers to your face, and give you a more even base.

CONTOUR

Heavy contouring will make you look plastic, but light contouring with powder helps define your face. Use bronzer on your temples, the sides of your nose, and your jawline. Brush highlighter above your brows, on your cheekbones, down the middle of your nose, and dab a little on your chin.

Don't forget to blend!

BLUSH

Dip your brush into your blush, and tap or blow on it to remove the extra powder. Brush it onto the apples of your cheeks.

SET

Use a loose or pressed powder to set cream and liquid foundation, or a setting spray to keep everything in place. 

STEP 3 - EYEBROWS

    BRUSH     

Get your brows to behave by gently brushing them with a spoolie (the brush that looks like a mascara wand). Brush in the direction you want your brows to go.

PENCIL

Lightly line your brows with a pencil, and use small, soft strokes to fill them in.

POWDER

Create a fuller look by filling in your brows with powder. Powder also looks more natural than only using pencil.

HIGHLIGHT

Place a line of highlighter directly underneath your brow to brighten your eyes.

STEP 4 - EYES

   LINER    

Starting with liner gives you a better idea of where your colours will go. Line your top eyelid, and the rim of the bottom of your eye.

BASE COLOUR     

This is the colour that goes over your entire eyelid. A neutral tone will even out your lid and give you a solid base to work with.

Mix it up by blending two or three colours across your lid. Pro tip: Use whichever colours you used on your top lid along the bottom of your eye. Brush a small amount of the same colours on top of your bottom liner to mimic the shades you have on your eyelid.

INNER CORNER

Choose a light tone, and put it on the inner corner of your eye. 

CREASE COLOUR

Choose a dark shade to fill in the crease of your eyelid. This will make your eyes look bigger. 

LINER (AGAIN)

Touch up the liner you started with. Blending eyeshadow will have obscured the line.

LASHES

Start by putting mascara on your bottom lashes. Curl your top lashes, then brush on the mascara. Using several coats will give you thicker, darker lashes. 

STEP 5 - lips

    LINER   

Lining your lips with a pencil will prevent the colour from bleeding onto the skin around it. Once the colour smudges, your lips will look sloppy. 

Trace the edge of your lips with the pencil, being careful not to go outside your natural lip line.

LIPSTICK

Use small strokes to put on your lipstick. Do your bottom lip first, and gently press your lips together to transfer the colour to your top lip. Fill in the empty space on your upper lip.

GLOSS

Top off your lips with a gloss for a glam look, or use a mattifying top coat for everyday. 

Models Needed

We're looking for models for the Head2Toe Girl's Night Out event on Friday, September 29! Last show we had six models, and this time we want the show to be bigger and better.

If you are a size 8 to 18 and want to model in our show, email Chelsea at customerservice@orchidoak.com, or contact us on Facebook.

This is a volunteer position, but we're offering 50% off a purchase at Orchid & Oak.

The Ta-Ta Towel

Image from www.theberry.com

Every busty girl knows the humidititties that comes with getting ready to go out on a hot day. Check out this post from TheBerry that introduces the Ta-Ta Towel.

It's safe to say we want one.

How to Shop on a Budget

Whether you are out for retail therapy, a day with the girls, or just in need of a particular item, it’s easy to overspend when you go shopping.

Pretty much everybody is on a budget. Fortunately, this doesn’t mean you can still go shopping – you just need to keep a tight grip on your wallet. This is easier said than done. Amazing sales, a shopping high, and too many lattes make it inevitable that you will spend more than you intend to.

Here are our top 5 tips to prevent overspending the next time you go shopping.

Bring cash.

Before you head to the stores, take out the amount you set yourself in cash. Leave your credit cards at home so you won’t be tempted to use them. My husband’s grandmother used to put her credit cards in a jar full of water, then hide it the back of the freezer. By the time she got it defrosted, her urge to use the card had passed.

This may be a little extreme for a day of shopping, but the theory is still applicable. If you have to go all the way home for your card and back out just to buy something, you probably won’t want it by the time you return to the store.

Set a realistic budget.

Budgeting is one of those things we know we should do, but just don’t want to. It’s not particularly interesting, and it makes us feel broke.

When it comes to shopping, your budget needs to be realistic. This means not too much, but also not too little. Of course you don’t want to spend your rent money on shoes, but if you set yourself a limit of $20 for the day you won’t enjoy going out.

If you’re going for the day, include things like coffee, lunch/dinner, or snacks in your budget. Sadly, that extra shot of espresso and jumbo cookie aren’t free. You don’t want to get to dinner and find you have no money left.

To keep your food and drink money separate from your shopping money, put it in a different part of your wallet or purse. This way you have to consciously dip into the cash to spend it on something other than what you intended.

Pro tip: Put your dinner money in a separate wallet. Physically keeping it separate makes it less tempting to spend it. 

Don’t get sucked in by sales.

Sales are great. Finding the things we want at a cheaper price is always a plus. When stores have too much merchandise left from the previous season, they anticipate receiving a large amount of new inventory, there is a new promo coming up, or sales are slow, they put things on clearance.

However, the fact that something is on sale shouldn’t be reason enough to purchase it. There are a few things you need to ask yourself before buying anything marked as clearance:

Would I like this if it was regular price?
Do I have anything that goes with it?
Would I actually wear this?
Can I afford the sale price?

If you answered yes to the questions above, go take advantage of the great price! If not, it’s probably a waste of your money.

Remember that if the price has been reduced because it is damaged, it isn’t worth buying. Damages are a last-ditch effort for stores to reclaim some of their expense. Anything damaged that can’t be sold gets written off, whereas if you purchase a damaged item you get home with something you have to fix to be able to wear.

Also, if something is out of your price range, it doesn't matter how big a sale it is. 

Prioritize what you want to buy.

In a perfect world, we could go out and buy one (or two) of everything. For those of us who live in the real world, we have to decide what to purchase and what to stare at through the window.  

Before you go, decide which items are at the top of your priority list. Do you need shorts for the weekend, or a dress for a special event? Deciding which items are the most important will help you spend your money rather than throw it away.

Prioritizing your shopping goals also means you’ll feel more accomplished when you get home. Because you’ll have everything you intended to buy, instead of a pile of stuff you hadn’t even thought to want, you can feel good about how you spent your hard-earned money.

Leave behind anything you aren’t sure about.

Not everything you find on a shopping trip is a winner. When you find an item you love, grab it. Anything you absolutely love that fits right and is a good price is worth the money.

Then there are the items that you're on the fence about. After more than ten years in retail management, I can assure you that the vast majority of the time people put items on hold, they don't come back for them. Putting the item on hold gives you time to think about the purchase without the risk that someone else will buy it. Most stores will only hold the item until the close of the day anyway, so there is a limited amount of time for you think about it.

If you don't want to buy the item, leave it behind. Placing items on hold is waste of time. If you like an item enough to buy it, then do so. 

Odd vs. Even Sizes

We’ve all been there – you go into one store, and the sizes are even numbers. Then you go to the next store, and the sizes are odd. And then you get to dresses, and the sizes are way off from what you’re used to.

We set out to answer the question once and for all, so you never have to be confused again. So here is the comprehensive answer to the question, what gives with odd and even numbered sizes?

The Scoop

We know that not all sizes are created equal. Something that is labelled a 14 in one store may be a completely different fit from a 14 in another store. The phrase “runs true to size” no longer means anything, because each brand makes their items fit the way they want.

The same is true of odd and even numbered sizes. There are some general rules that apply to understanding odd and even numbered sizes, but there are exceptions.

Odd Numbers

Most frequently, odd numbers refer to junior sizes. Sizes like 00 are even, but are usually sold in stores that are aimed at older teenagers (anybody else remember Stitches and Urban Planet?). Although the store’s branding is aimed at older teenagers, the sizes fit juniors.

This is the same principle that is used in marketing toys. Toy companies show a toy that is meant for an eight-year-old being played with by someone who is twelve. At that age, people want what the older kids have. This idea is applied to clothing by showing someone who is seventeen or eighteen wearing something that is intended for consumers who are fourteen or fifteen.

Often the sizes go from 00 to 15 or 17. For an adult who is usually a 14 or 16, this seems like good news. Remember that these sizes are not designed for adults, so you will have to put some effort in to make them fit.

Junior sizes can be adapted to adult sizes. Simply round up to the next size. For example, a size 15 will round up to a size 16. Theoretically, someone who is a size 16 could wear a 15. However, the fit will be hit and miss.

Keep in mind that you should try these items on before you buy them. Adapting a size designed for a tween to fit an adult isn’t an exact science – rather, it involves a fair bit of guesswork. You may usually be a size 16, but you may end up with 17 or 19.

Junior sizes also don’t allow for curves. Most women under the age of 15 don’t have the same curves as someone who is in her twenties. When it comes to making larger sizes for juniors, manufacturers simply add more fabric. The entire item is proportionally larger that its smaller counterpart.

This doesn’t always work for adult women who fit the larger sizes. Shirts may not be long enough, or wide enough around the bust, and junior jeans are not intended to accommodate curvy hips or thighs. Pants also probably won’t be long enough.

Even Numbers 

Even numbers are designed for adults. These are the sizes that we see in stores that are aimed for people who are over eighteen. You can tell which ones these are because they carry things that are appropriate to wear in an office, like blazers, blouses, and dress pants.

Like junior sizes, adult sizes span the range from 0 onward. In most stores, the sizes stop at 10 or 12. Fortunately, more brands are recognizing that not all women fit into this bracket. Many stores that previously capped off at size 12 are now carrying size 18 or 20.

Unlike junior sizes, even sizes are designed for adults. This means they will have a far better fit than any item adapted from a junior size. Even-numbered sizes are designed with a fully developed body in mind, meaning there is room for curves.

Even sizes are a conversion from the number of inches around a given area - e.g. your hips - to a numerical value. For example, a 32 inch waistband on jeans is usually a size 10. Remember that each store makes each item fit the way they want, so a 10 in one store might fit perfectly but a 10 in another store could be way off. 

Dresses

Sizing for dresses is different than sizing for individual items. For example, you might be a size 12 on top but a 16 on the bottom. When it comes to dresses, the size refers to your overall fit.

In many cases, tailoring is the only option to make dresses fit properly. Try on each dress before you buy it, and make sure it fits the largest part of you, whether this is your shoulders, bust, or hips.  

A lot of the time you can estimate your dress size by looking at your sizes for tops and bottoms. If you are a 12 on top and a 16 on the bottom, try a size 14 dress. 

The Ultimate Guide for Finding Your Bra Size

In 2008, a company that manufactures bras conducted a study to see if women are wearing the correct size bra. As it turns out, we aren’t. Triumph – the company that completed the study – found that 80% of women wear a bra in the wrong size.

You’ve probably heard that statistic before. However, the part that may be new is that 70% of these women were wearing bras that are too small, while the remaining 10% wore bras that are too big.

Finding the right sized bra isn’t necessarily easy. Each store has styles that fit differently, depending on the material, cut, and internal sizing guides. Throw in some bra with padding, some with push up, and some that are thinly lined, and you’ve got a variety of bras to choose from that are all labeled as the same size but don’t fit the same.

Am I Wearing the Right Size?

Now that you know so many women are wearing the wrong bra size, you’re probably wondering if yours is right. There are some signs that indicate you are wearing the wrong size. In order to make sure you always have the right size, get a bra sizing every year. Over time your bust will change – hello, gravity – so you need to stay up to date with getting the right size.

Too Small	Too Big
The band rides up your back, instead of sitting straight across.	You have the bra done up on the tightest hooks and you can fit more than two fingers between the band and your back.
The band or straps dig in or pinch your skin.	You feel the bra slide around under your clothes.
You overflow the cups.	There is a gap between your breast and the top of the cup.

Tips for Larger Cup Sizes

Larger busts need more support for the simple reason that there is more there to work with. Fortunately, there are some tips for getting extra support from your bra.

Choose a bra with a higher center gore.

The higher this bit is, the more support you’ll have in the front. This is because more of the fabric of the cups is attached to it, so it is harder for the cups to flop forward.

Look for wider straps.

As any ladies with large busts know, the girls can get heavy during the day. This leads to straps that dig into your shoulders, resulting in bruises, red marks, and sometimes cuts.  

Wider straps help deal with this. Instead of having all of the weight of your bust being held up by a quarter-inch of elastic, it is held up by a wider strap. Because there is more fabric, the weight is distributed more evenly.

Get wider wings.

This also helps with weight distribution. Instead of having a flimsy foundation, wider wings take some of the pressure off the straps. It will also help prevent the band from digging in under your arms.

Pick higher cut cups.

Cups that are cut lower – often called “demi” cut – are not as supportive as full cups. Since the fabric doesn’t go up as high on your bust, there is less material to hold everything in place.

Find Your Size

Despite the fact that each store sizes their bras differently, having an accurate measurement to start with will save you tons of time and trouble. You can get measured at any lingerie store, or you can do it yourself before you go.

Measuring yourself at home will give you the most accurate measurement, because you can measure without having a shirt or extra padding from your current bra getting in the way. All you need is a measuring tape.

Step 1- Put on a bra without any padding.

Having extra padding or fabric will change the measurement. You’ll end up with a higher number because of the added material. If you’re at home, skip putting on a shirt.

Step 2 – Measure.

Use a tape measure to find your inches in the following areas, and record the numbers as you go:

The Band

Wrap the tape around yourself under your bust. Make sure the tape is even all the way around, and not higher in the back than it is in the front.

The Bust

Above Your Bust – Wrap the tape just above your bust. This is where the straps and the cups meet. Once the tape is in the right place, put both your arms down at your sides to get the most accurate measurement.

On Your Bust – Wrap the tape around your bust at the fullest part. Put your arms down, hold the tape lightly with your fingers, and take a deep breath. The tape should be snug but not tight. This is the number part of your bra size.

If you come up with an odd number on either measurement, round down to the nearest even number.

Step 3 – Calculate your size.

Bust size minus band size = bra size. This gives you the letter part of your bra size.

Each inch in difference is a cup size. Check the following chart for quick reference. Please note these are Canadian/American sizes. Some stores will use repetitive letters (e.g. DDDD) whereas others will use the next letter in the alphabet (e.g. DDDD = G).

DIFFERENCE (in inches)	CUP SIZE
Less than 1	AA
1	A
2	B
3	C
4	D
5	DD/E
6	DDD/F
7	DDDD/G
8	H
9	I
10	J
11	K
12	L
13	M
14	N

Step 4 – Put the parts together.

Your bust measurement is the number part of the bra size, and the calculated difference in inches is the letter part.

For example, if you measured your bust as 40 inches, and the difference you calculated is 4 inches, your bra size is 40D.

Before You Buy

Before you buy a cute new bra in the size you calculated, make sure you try it on. As we mentioned, each store fits a bit differently, so you may find that the size you figured out isn’t what the store says. Each manufacturer has a margin of error, which can be as much as an inch. For most items, this doesn’t make much difference, but for a bra it can change your cup or band size.

Follow these tips for trying on potential bras to avoid bringing home the wrong one.

1 - Use your calculated size as a starting point, and try on a few different styles in that size. A padded bra will fit differently than a lightly lined one.

2 - Do the jump test. In the fitting room, jump up and down. If anything comes flying out, you’ve got the wrong size. Of course, bits will move, but bouncing is acceptable. Bend forward, and make sure you don’t tip out of the cups.

3 – Pick one from the back of the drawer. The ones at the front, or on top of the table, have likely been tried on by someone else. If it was the wrong size, it has probably been stretched out. This will impact how it fits you.

4 – Try it on the loosest hook. Unfortunately, the elastic doesn’t last forever and over time your bra will stretch out. The bra will be at its most snug when you first buy it. Having it fit comfortably on the loosest hook means you can tighten it as it stretches out instead of buying a new bra. 

We Love You, Ashley Graham

If you haven't seen the video posted by Goalcast featuring model Ashley Graham, you need to. In this video, Ashley talks about how she learned to love her body the way it is, and not the way the modelling industry says it should be.

We absolutely loved this video, and wanted to share it. Check out our Facebook page to view it, or click here.

We've said it before and we'll say it again - women should feel beautiful no matter what the size on the tag says. This certainly isn't an easy process. There are days when you wake up feeling like a goddess, and others where you're pretty sure you look like a walking disaster.

You have much more to offer the world than what you look like. Show off that confidence in your attitude and your outfits.

Makeup Tips for a Sunburned Face

It’s the time of year where sunburns are everywhere. Even if you apply sunscreen religiously, where a hat, and sit in the shade, you may end up with a sunburn. Keep up these good habits, as they drastically decrease the likelihood that you will get a burn.

If you’ve ever had a sunburn you know how to treat them – cool water, aloe vera, and no sun. But when it comes to a sunburned face, these treatments aren’t always practical for the workday.

Assuming your sunburn isn’t severe (there’s no blistering, peeling, swelling, or fever) you can consider applying makeup. Of course, your health needs to come first. If you find that your sunburned skin reacts badly to anything, see your doctor. Makeup isn’t worth permanent skin damage.

Applying makeup to sunburned skin requires extra care in comparison to your usual beauty routine. Here is everything you need to know about makeup for a sunburned face, from application to removal. The key to each step is to be as gentle as possible.

Start Clean

Before you put anything on your skin, cleanse it. Use cool – not cold – water to rinse your face. Apply a gentle cleanser, and massage your skin with your fingertips. Keeping your sunburn clean will help it heal more quickly.

Avoid exfoliating, since this will irritate the skin. If you find that your sunburn is flaking, use a super soft wash cloth. Rub very gently in small circles to loosen any skin that is ready to come off. Apply too much pressure will lift skin that isn’t ready to go.

Skip the Chemicals

If your usual post-wash routine includes toner and moisturizer, be careful what you put on sunburned skin. Since the skin is so much more sensitive than usual, the things you use on the regular might irritate it. For example, anything with retinol in it will likely make your face feel like it is on fire. 

Try using a toner with witch hazel in it. This is a natural astringent so it won’t be as harsh on your skin. Apply a small amount with a cotton ball, and be sure to dab instead of rubbing.

Instead of your usual moisturizer, try one with aloe vera in it. You may be able to get a sample size for free from a cosmetics counter – this should be enough to get you through the worst of your burn. If not, try a thin layer of aloe vera gel.

Even better, use a moisturizing sunscreen with aloe in it.

Use a Disposable Sponge

Keeping your damaged skin clean is priority #1. Use a disposable makeup sponge to apply your foundation. Your fingertips have oil on them, which you don’t want to transfer to your skin.

The ‘disposable’ part is important. Even when you wash your beauty blenders, they don’t always come out completely clean (click here to read about cleaning your beauty blenders).

Any bacteria left on your application tools can easily cause an infection in burned skin. This is the last thing you want to do to your face - it will hurt, and take a while to clear up. 

Go Easy

When putting on your makeup, err on the side of lighter coverage rather than darker. It’s super tempting to layer on everything in your arsenal, but the more you put on the worse off your skin will be.

Keep your skin simple – foundation followed by a light dusting of powder is best, and don’t even think the word ‘contour’. The blending required for contouring is pretty much guaranteed to make your skin worse.

To apply your foundation, gently pat it into place. The goal is to cover up the redness, not rub the foundation into the pores. Use the softest brush you have to apply the powder. Tap off any excess, and use small circles to apply it to your face. 

Stay Away from Red/Bright Pink

This includes lips, blush, and eyeshadow. These tones will draw attention to the fact that your face has taken on a cherry hue. Any warm tones (think red, pink, orange, copper) will accentuate the sunburn instead of covering it up.

Instead, try a blue or green. Cool tones will counteract the warmth of the red. This is the same reasoning behind green concealer. Again, take it easy on the colour.

For your lips, stick to a nude shade. Adding a bold lip to the mix won’t help. If nude isn't your thing, try a pastel purple. Since it is a cool tone it will mix well with the other colours, and it won't be so bold as to overdo your face.

Keep this in mind for your clothing, as well. For the duration of your burn, try sticking to neutrals and cool colours.

Try a Natural Remover

We’re big fans of Erase Your Face cloths. These super gentle cloths are reusable, wash like a dream, and don’t require any makeup remover to take everything off your face. They are incredibly soft so they won't irritate sensitive skin, and they do a great job of taking off cosmetics. 

If you don’t have these at hand, try a remover with a natural base ingredient, like coconut oil.

Use a Soft Wash Cloth

If you’re opting for makeup remover and a wash, use the softest cloth you can. Avoid rubbing too hard, and take your time.

Like before, use cool water. Rinse thoroughly, and pat dry.