Essential How-To's for Shining Shoes

Essential How-To's for Shining Shoes

Today there are so many offices opting for casual workplace attire that formal dress shoes are being used less and less. Even an office, in which you expect people to be wearing suits, such as a bank, is opting for casual pants and polo shirts instead. Although there is nothing wrong with the whole world going casual, there are fewer and fewer people who are learning to shine dress shoes. There does come a time in everyone's life that they will need to shine their shoes or pay someone else to do it for them. Often times a wedding, funeral, or even a church service will require dress attire. In these cases, wearing scuffed shoes is not an option. If you have enough time to find someone to do the task for you, by all means, go ahead. If you are running behind however and just need to get it done, check out this easy shoe shining process that will get the job done in less than ten minutes.

What You Need
The first thing you should always have on hand is a shoe shining kit. Now, this does not need to be an expensive kit that you purchase all together. You can purchase each piece and throw them all into an empty shoe box if you wish. It really doesn't matter either way, but keeping everything together will cut down on time. Make sure that you have liquid polish with an applicator built-in, paste polish, a horsehair applicator, a horsehair brush, and buffing cloths. If you are rushed for time you will only need the liquid polish, the brush, and a buffing cloth. However it is great to take the time every now and then to try the paste polish.

The Process
The first thing you should do is to remove any dirt or debris from your shoes. You can do this with a moist towel or with a dry one; depending on how much dirt you have on your shoes. Remember that if you get your shoes too wet the polish will not take, so be sure to use a minimal amount of water. Allow the area to dry completely. If you are in a big hurry, don't use water at all.
Next, you can grab the liquid polish and apply it as directed to your shoes. Be sure you have a matching color for each pair of dress shoes you own. Spread the polish all over your shoes, concentrating most on the toe and the heel of the shoe. Allow the shoe to dry as you move to the next shoe. Be sure you take the time to let this part of the process dry. Liquid shoe shiner dries very fast, so you won't be waiting long.
When you are certain the shoes are dry, take your horsehair brush and start working with the first shoe. You will need to buff the shoe with the brush. Try to remove the entire wet areas until you get a little shine. Some people will actually stop here because they will think the shine is good enough. If you feel that the shine is good enough, then feel free to stop.
You can really get a good shine if you continue however. Next, take your buffing cloth, which can be an automotive towel or even an old t-shirt and get to work. This part works best if you put your shoe on first. Hold onto each end of your buffer and slide it along the shoe with a little pressure added throughout. Repeat this step until you get the best results.

Cautions
As you can see, it is very easy to shine shoes in no time. You can do this after wearing your shoes so that the next time you need them they will be ready, or you can wait to do it right before walking out the door. Whatever you choose, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, never shine your shoes when you are wearing light colored clothing. It is best to do this before getting dressed. Shoe polish can easily transfer onto clothing and can be difficult to get off, if you are lucky enough to get it off at all. So, be sure to shine your shoes, wash your hands, and then get dressed. It would be a shame to have great looking shoes and a stained shirt.

Choosing makeup colors for a brunette

Choosing makeup colors for a brunette

This article discusses cosmetic colors that are right for brunettes.
Brunette women are lucky. We really do have the widest choices of colors available when it comes to cosmetics. Because brown hair covers such a wide spectrum, from light golden brown, to coffee bean, most women find they have an equally wide range of colors to choose from.

The first thing a woman needs to look at when choosing makeup colors if she is a brunette, is, of course, her hair color. Where does she fall on the brunette scale? Those in the lighter ranges generally do better with lighter colors, while those in the darker ranges can often carry bolder colors successfully.

Skin tone also plays a major role in a brunette's palette. Brunettes run the gamut here, also, from a peaches-and-cream complexion, to ruddy, to porcelain, to olive. A woman's unique combination of hair, skin and eye color will determine her best shades.

It may be easier to discuss what colors to avoid. Brunettes rarely, if ever, look good in peach. Salmon, vivid coral, maybe. But true peach? Nor often. It tends to give a brunette's skin and hair a gray cast. Peach accents, such as piping on a T-shirt, may work, but too much gives an ashen appearance. So, a brunette should avoid peach-toned blusher or base. Most brunettes wear pinks well, darker or lighter, depending on skin and hair tones. They should also usually avoid orange, mustard, chartreuse and lime greens. If a brunette has sallow or ruddy skin, these colors will tend to emphasize it ? and not attractively.

Teens will want to go for trendy tones, but a mature brunette woman will want cosmetics that play up her strengths and camouflage flaws. One good example is eyeliner. A non-teen brunette will want to look at dark brown, navy, charcoal, smoky blue or black eyeliners, with a preference going toward the brown and smoky tones. These define the eyes and make them "pop" without looking too stark.

Regardless of hair color, women should go with as neutral a base as possible. They should aim for one that closely matches their skin. Wearing a pinker tone to reduce sallow skin, or a yellowish one to reduce ruddiness rarely works. Remember: yellow and ruddy make orange. Less desirable skin qualities can be camouflaged better with powder and a good blusher.

Eyeshadow is another area where the color is limited mainly by the brunette's imagination. In general, eyeshadow should match, or not compete with, the colors a woman is wearing at the time. Blue and green should be used carefully and sparingly, but there is a whole rainbow available, otherwise. Most brunettes should have a warm brown and a light tawny shade in their arsenal of eyeshadows. These colors match almost any outfit or situation. They will usually not compete with anything. A brunette should also have a plum shade and a lavender and a pink shade in the palette, as well. Armed with these colors, she can go anywhere!

Lipstick pulls together a woman's makeup. Lipstick should be chosen in consideration of hair, skin, clothing and occasion. Most brunettes wear red well. They may look better in reds that have a warmer undertone or a cooler one, but every brunette should have a knockout red lipstick in her cosmetic case. A good, solid pink or rose is usually a good brunette choice. Brunettes should not choose lip colors that are so neutral as to make the lips blend in with the rest of the face. With darker hair, this makes their faces appear unbalanced. A blonde might be able to get away with very neutral lips, but brunettes must have some color. A neutral lipliner is good as a base for most colors. It gives the lipstick something to cling to and helps it last longer.

Brunettes should generally aim for clear colors. They can be soft, even "smudgy," but should never be muddy. Brunettes (and all women) should choose colors that make the most of their good points, and minimize their flaws with subtlety.