5 Biggest Mistakes You Make Putting on Eyeliner

It's probably the trickiest part of your makeup routine — but it's also the one that makes the most difference.

1. Overdoing it on the bottom lid.
Heavily lining your lower lid — especially with a very dark color — can make your eyes look smaller, says Mary Clarke, a product analyst in the Good Housekeeping Research Institute beauty lab. Plus, you’re more likely to end up with under-eye smudges. If you want to define your lower eyelid, use a light pencil or, for an even more subtle look, a light brown or taupe eye shadow. Clarke recommends MAC Pro Longwear pencil, a top-performer in our tests.

RELATED: 7 Best Long-Lasting Waterproof Eyeliners

2. Putting it on unevenly, resulting in a jagged look.
It's so frustrating to have to wipe off that line on your upper lid with makeup remover a million times before you get it right. To keep liner straight, avoid tugging at the outer corners of your eyes, makeup artist Laura Geller told Good Housekeeping. "This can cause skin to crinkle, and your line will not be as smooth." Try pointing your chin up and looking down, so your lids are half-closed but you can still see them. And if you’re using gel liner, apply it with a slanted brush for a smoother look. You can also use a light pencil to draw in the line to give yourself a guideline.

3. Only using black and brown.
A little white or nude eyeliner on your bottom lid can work wonders to make you look more awake and refreshed. Gently pull on your under-eye and trace the line between the lower lashes and the inside rim.

RELATED: The Right Makeup for Your Eye Shape

4. Not knowing the differences between pencil, gel, and liquid.
Pencil eyeliners are best if you’re in a hurry: They’re the quickest to put on and resist smearing, Carl Ray, makeup artist to Michelle Obama, told Good Housekeeping. (Here’s his easy tip for applying pencil liner smoothly.) Gel liners give you a more glam look, are water-resistant, and allow more control over line thickness. Our top pick: Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner. Liquid liners are the "advanced" kind. They apply more precisely, but you really need a steady hand to put 'em on. If you’re a beginner trying a wing-tip or cat-eye, use gel instead of liquid. "Liquid liner is a powerful product that delivers a strong, fluid line," says makeup artist Sonia Kashuk. "Its intense pigmentation creates definition at the lash line and by controlling the thickness of the line, you can create a range of looks."

5. Not smudge-proofing.
Here’s how to do it: Apply your liner with a pencil or a tiny brush, and then trace over the line with a matching powder shadow. To make it last even longer, wet your shadow brush with Visine first, Jo Davis, artistic director for Trucco Cosmetics, told Good Housekeeping.

The 15 minutes could changes your Life Sex

The romantic woo: the flowers, the dinner, the compliments. Maybe you hold the door open. Maybe you have perfected some Casanova moves in the boudoir that makes your lover swoon.

But if you really want to leave a lasting impression, the most important thing may be what you do immediately after sex.

We’re not saying you’re the kind of cad who loves and runs. You just might have been better trained in foreplay than the after play. And science is telling us the denouement and subsequent cool-down matter.



 15 minutes of post-coitus cuddling boosts relationship satisfaction, according to a pair of new studies published recently in the Archives of Sexual Behavior journal. Academics from two universities near Toronto queried more than 450 adults about their post-love-making actions and general relationship happiness.

The “duration of post sex affection was associated with higher sexual satisfaction and, in turn, higher relationship satisfaction,” reads the abstract. “The findings suggest that the period after sex is a critical time for promoting satisfaction in intimate bonds.”

Not all couples view cuddling equally — stereotypes say women want it, and men don’t. But stereotypes are meant to be broken. And sometime it’s the men who want the snuggles. Whatever your inclination, the truth seems to be that taking a few extra minutes to bask in each other’s glow will do wonders for your relationship.

This worked over the course of three months of lovemaking — no word on if it matters after years of marriage, but at least, it still matters after the first blush.

So if nothing else, she’ll be more likely to think fondly of your romantic time together if you take some time afterward for a little more togetherness. And she’s sure to make the rest of us say, “I’ll have what she’s having.”



Read more: The Scientific Secret to Better Sex | Acumen | OZY

How to lose weight?

More than one-third of adults in the United States are obese. In fact, the furor over obesity, which some have termed an “epidemic,” has reached such proportions that one big-city mayor has gone about banning large-sized, sugary soft drinks and the First Lady has been on a crusade to control the dietary offerings in public schools. Even many adults who do not fit the clinic definition of obese are still overweight, and a large percentage are looking for the best ways to lose weight. Shedding pounds largely comes down to the two-pronged factors of diet and exercise. Not modifying the first one enough, and not getting enough of the second one, ends up giving the individual a recipe for being overweight.

Conditions related to obesity include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Counseling someone to eat less and exercise more might be the simplest advice possible, but it’s also, partially, an oversimplification. When it comes to diet, no one needs to starve themselves in order to lose weight. It has more to do with the types of food you eat than how much you eat. Reduce the amount of red meat in your diet. If you don’t want to eliminate red meat altogether, choose cuts of meat with less fat content. Limit your intake of salt and starches. If you've got to have potato chips alongside your sandwich at lunch, opt for the baked potato chips that are less greasy and contain less fat than the deep-fried chips. You might find you’re really not sacrificing that much in terms of taste. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, egg whites, skinless poultry, fish and nonfat dairy products will certainly aid in the mission of losing weight. Drink more water and less sugary drinks. If you have to have a soda, a diet soda is a better option, but seltzer is an even better choice than that.

In terms of exercise, it’s important—if not always easy—to make sure you get at least some physical activity each and every day. Cardio and strength training burn lots of calories. If your feet or your stamina level won’t allow for a regular jogging regimen, then make sure you take lots of walks. Next time you need to mail a letter, walk to the mailbox instead of driving. Try to work in a daily walk in your neighborhood. And if you intend on more rigorous, formal exercising at the gym or fitness center, be sure to pace yourself and don’t build up to an overly ambitious workout agenda too quickly. There are thousands of diet fads among us.  However, sometimes the best advice is common sense.  Work towards a healthy diet and integrate regular exercise.  You would be surprised at the results small changes can make.