Summer Intensives- 6 Tips for Preparing and Surviving!

Summer classes & Intensives are always my favorite part of the year. You go into classes and everyone is tan and cheery and you've had a nice break and your ready to get back to work. That is something your teachers will use to their advantage.

They are going to work you hard, but if you follow these suggestions for rest, and beauty, you'll be prepared!

1. A colorful leotard! I've been searching for a really bright, but all I've bought are dark blues, maroons and purples. I'm sure places like 'Discount Dance Supply' or any sort of performance supply store near you.
Find leotards here: http://www.discountdance.com/dancewear/leotards/page1


2. Jet Glue- I can't stress this enough!!! For those who don't know, Jet Glue is for a Pointe Shoes. We all know that pointe shoes are EXPENSIVE! But you can make them last longer by using Jet Glue. Put a little bit on the soft parts of the shoe and let it dry and it'll harden it to make them last longer- a miracle, right? Remember, don't wear them right after glueing! You can find Jet Glue here:
http://www.discountdance.com/dancewear/style_JET764.html?pid=670&Shop=Style&SID=358962549


3. Ice buckets- for your toes! If your toes are killing you one night or at the end of the week, fill a bucket (or a large bowl) with cold water about just under 3/4 full. Then put a few large handfuls of ice into the bucket. Brace yourself- it will be cold! But it'll make your toes feel much better and hurt less. Band-Aids and Neosporin help too......

Ice picture from:
http://www.layoutsparks.com/pictures/ice-0

4. Crunches- I know what your thinking. Crunches? Really? I though this was supposed to be enjoyable! Well, as annoying as crunches are, they are brilliant for engaging and toning your core, which is obviously a huge deal when it comes to dance. They might hurt but they pay off in the long run! For those who are un-familiar with crunches, you start out on your back with your feet near your behind, like sit-up position. Instead of going all the way up to your knees, instead put your hand on your ears and go only partially off the floor without taking your lower back off.

5. Drink lots of water! The summer heat is undeniable but it can be overcome with a lot of water. Don't get dehydrated at any point during the summer, whether your dancing or not. A fun and motivating way to keep drinking is to get a reusable, personal and fun cup to refill with water!

6. Finally, don't focus ALL your energy on dance. Save most of your energy, but get out and have fun! Once Intensives are over go on vacation, hang out with friends, head to the pool! Nothing helps you survive a tough week like a swim, a tall glass of lemonade and your best friends!

Stay safe and have fun over the summer! If you have any requests or questions please tell me in the comments or tweet me on Twitter @innerbeautyout1!

Xoxo
Anna

Summer Intensity- A Tutorial

A few nights ago I was asked by some friends to go see a fireworks show. Not only were the fireworks spectacular and we jumped in the pool right afterwards, but I was the most pleased I've ever been with my makeup. So, I'm going to post my first non-performance related tutorial on this blog. But, to set the mood, listen to this song while reading the tutorial!



1. I started off by priming my face with L'Oreal Paris Magic Lumi Face Primer. This is a great nighttime primer because it gives a soft light illusion and is very pretty under any type of lighting.

2. I don't like using foundation during the summertime, because I feel like summer should be about natural skin and less cakey. I picked up my first BB Cream for this summer, and it is L'Oreal Paris's BB Cream. I wear the shade "Light", because even though it looks extremely pale, I goes on the skin a bit darker. I applied this all over my face with a foundation brush.

3. To cover up my dark circles and the redness around my nose, I'm going to use Neutrogena's 3-in-1 Concealer in the shade "Fair". I actually really like this concealer. I used to use my Nars Stick Concealer but I've slowly been realizing that I prefer liquid concealers. I bought this in Target and I really like it. As for coverage I think it provides a good amount and will work for most skin types.



4. I went onto to use my Mac Mineralized Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle. With a Mac 100 brush I brushed it on to the tops of my cheekbones to create a sort of sculpted effect. It's very shimmery and catches the lights so it looks gorgeous as a highlighter.

5. Next I wanted a very suddle pink blush on because the eyes and the highlighter were so shimmery. I picked out my ELF Studio Blush in Pink Passion and used my Sonia Kashuk Blush Brush on the apples of my cheeks.





6. The fun part is the eyes, at least, in my opinion. I went for a shimmery silver, and gold look. Starting off with a lid color, I picked out this color from the Bobbi Brown Palette I have. (Names are slipping my mind). I believe the palette was the "On the Go" palette that came free with purchases over $50 or something. This is the top left-hand color. It's a white-gold shimmery color that looks beautiful on and it's very easy to work with.

7. Next I took a Sonia Kashuk pencil brush and in the crease I put on a color from NYC's Individual Eyes Palette in Union Square. I used the shimmery (I swear, everything I use in this tutorial is shimmery) dark brown color. I put quite a bit of this color in the crease because when I blend it out it'll look smooth but defined. And yes, I know the primer and illuminating highlighter part of the palette are pretty....gross. When I blend it out I'm going to use a flat lid brush.





8. With a dense little brush from Sonia Kashuk I took yet another shimmery Individual Eyes color, except from the Smokey Browns Palette. It's the silver highlighter color and I'm in LOVE with this color. It's ridicuously beautiful. With the dense brush I'm pressing the color into my lower lash line. It's a real cool effect to get a smokey look and very..chic.



9. To darken up the look, I'm bringing in one of my favorite gel eyeliners: Bobbi Brown's Black Ink. A medium to thick line will do the trick, and I did wing it out a teeny bit.

10. Now to "seal the deal", curl your lashes and use your favorite mascara!

11. To finalize the look, I wanted a nude lip. Nude lips are tricky for me because with minimal makeup it makes me look washed out, and it has to be the perfect nude lip. This seemed like a dark enough tutorial for a modern nude lip, so I went with my Revlon Lip Butter in Creme Brulee. It's one of my two favorite nude lipsticks- that, and the Mac Lady Gaga Lipstick.

And we are done!