pinkroom

Hair can tell you a lot about a person. Things like their sense of adventure, desire to embrace or defy convention and even their creative expressiveness.

Black Sheep Parlor, a funky beauty salon in the Greater Heights area, is quickly becoming the go-to spot for vibrant coloring, edgy cuts, modern trends and personable, creative stylists. Patrons from all over Houston visit Black Sheep for services likepixelization, pastel dyes, bright ombres, subtle and bold balayages and brand new 'dos.

The name Black Sheep was an easy choice for co-owner Shay Corley. “The name has a simple meaning: You are not going to be basic if you are a guest at this salon. You will stand out. You will be asked, ‘Where did you get your hair done?’” she says.

Black Sheep has built a reputation around edginess, but co-owners Corley and Kassidy Motal say all sheep—not just the black sheep—are welcome to flock to their parlor. “We have a really laid-back vibe. We want our clients to feel like they're being pampered with luxurious services, but in a comfortable, fun environment. We are the farthest thing from being snooty or pretentious, and I think people respond very positively to our atmosphere,” Motal says.

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Corley and Motal opened the Heights shop just over a year ago and have grown quickly by referrals and clients’ praise-provoking haircuts. Corley originally owned a baby Black Sheep Parlor in the Woodlands, but always wanted to open a larger storefront in the Heights near where she lived.

An encounter with Motal at a punk rock show sealed the deal. The two became fast friends, bonding over a shared passion for fashion, music and style. Corley graduated from the Paul Mitchell school and has been working in salons for years, while Motal has a background in bartending, management and public relations. Their combined talents and small team have garnered a long and growing list of clientele.

The space, which sits next to Hugs & Donuts and Fat Cat Creamery , is designed with a Victorian and Vaudeville style in mind, featuring black and white checkered floors, vanity mirrors, sheep skulls, a playful photo booth and an overall bright rock-and-roll vibe.

“We loved the idea of taking different eras that are inspirational to us and making them fit together in an eclectic way. The mixture is a true reflection of our personalities, and we hope that translates into the diverse work we do here,” Corley says.

As to what styles and dyes are currently in vogue, Corley and Motal say they’re seeing trends all over the spectrum, including subtle balayage highlights, beachy waves, long bobs (known as lobs), grey and silver hues, pastels and more. “It's the little things—change your fringe, add a pop of color, try a different shade of blond. The list goes on,” Corley says. “Embracing a little change at a time often leads to more daring experiences.”

Perhaps the most appealing quality of Black Sheep is its celebration of the beauty in difference and diversity. “We all know what it means to be the black sheep of the family, and it's a concept a lot of people relate to,” Motal says. “Black Sheep Parlor celebrates being different, standing out and rebelling against the status quo.”

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A good reason to not marry me is that I am not exactly a financial genius. While I’ve always been good at making my own money rather than asking for it (except for when I asked the federal government for $50,000 to go to college with and they were like, “Yes, def,”), paying bills the moment my paycheck dumps into my bank account, and shopping wisely at the grocery store, I am not terribly good at things like saving, planning ahead, or not going apeshit at Sephora on a weekly basis because I have an obsession with becoming a Rouge VIB cardholder as if that will somehow make me better-looking.

So when Joe and I sat down to do a dry run of the budget for our wedding a few months ago, needless to say, my heart fell into my colon. I was stressed. I was stressed to start Googling the real numbers behind this giant, amoebic “wedding” thing I’d convinced myself could cost between just $25 and $60 total if we tried hard enough, and I was stressed that Joe would finally see me for who I really was: a deeply indebted con lady with an incredibly well-appointed liquid eyeliner arsenal, who didn’t know how to save a single penny.

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It’s not that we’d never talked about money—during the early days of our relationship, when I was at a soul-leeching job that paid peanuts, Joe would cheerlead me out of teary meltdowns when my checking account dipped into double-digits, over and over again. When we moved into our first apartment together, he, ever marriage material, volunteered to pay more than half of our expenses: he was debt-free, while my loans and lower salary put me at a handicap. And today, now that we’re more or less equal, I love where we stand on money. We’re both independent, hard-working, sometimes foolishly frivolous (me more so with makeup and flatforms; he less so with takeout and in the Playstation 4 marketplace), and off to a great start as life partners.

Unless, of course, I totally blow it in the wedding savings department and he realizes I have the financial skills of an upside-down turtle and leaves me for a woman who has an MBA and more than ten actual dollars to her name. This panic is what I felt when I realized —after lots of Googling, calculating, and factoring in contributions from our very generous families—we were left with a grand savings goal total of about $14,000. Not a big deal. Just almost the price ofthis decent-ass Italian boat.

Mind you, our wedding is not going to be a Kardashian/West-level affair, with white tigers serving caviar-packed knishes from silver platters strapped to their backs, so please spare me the lectures. This is for a basic, nice, happy wedding, a wedding we want to have, a wedding on a modest farm in a bramblefuck town in Maine, a wedding that will cash in at a grand total of around $25k-$30k, which is just below the national average. We will be sending our families very fancy, Papyrus-brand thank-you cards to express our gratitude for covering the venue, food, bar tab, and photographer. The rest is on us, that grisly $14,000, is on us.

$14,000 divided by one bride and one groom = $7,000 each.

$7,000 divided by approximately 15 months of savings time between the day of my calculations and the day of our nuptials = $466 per month.

$466 divided by two pay periods per month = oh hell nah, fuck this whole thing, let’s elope.

The cool thing about Joe, besides his good bone structure, is that he already has his $7,000, and plenty more, in his savings account, because he works for himself as an independent contractor in a profession that has virtually no overhead and is responsible and doesn’t shop and because life is super good for a white man jk babe love you.

Yours truly, however—not so much. At the time of calculations, I had a cool $88 in my savings, and big plans to blow it all in a puff of purple sparklesmoke at Forever21 for no reason later that week. Now, at press time, I’ve impressed myself as I careen toward the $2,000 mark (checking my privilege every step of the way). Every $150 and $200 savings deposit feels as victorious yet disgusting as a bodily purge: I’m finally managing my money like an adult, but the thing I’m saving for isn’t very...practical. And here we are—the anxiety again. The anxiety that I’m doing my money wrong, and this time, I’m doing it wrong for all my family, friends, and in-laws to see.

Would I be a more comely wife-to-be if I were choosing to spurn the concept of a wedding entirely, instead funneling all of my money toward paying my debts, so that I may emerge solvent and financially spotless on July 16, 2016, the day of my marriage, which would take place in a courthouse, and culminate over frozen burritos and boxed wine with Joe and my parents and a few friends? Would my responsible, thrifty, money-maverick dad be prouder to walk me to the bank to drop the check on my last loan payment than he will be to walk me down the aisle lined with peonies that I paid for with my precious dollars? Am I being stupider than ever with money, even though I’m trying to be more mature than ever with it?

It’s too late to matter. The deposits are down, the date is set, and, by the way, I, an adult woman, really want to do this. I guess part of being mature with your money is having the conviction to go through with the financial decisions you make. That’s the difference between taking out a loan as a knock-kneed 18-year-old with the credit of a gooey newborn duckling, and choosing to work the 50 or 60 hours a week necessary to get the money to buy the stuff to have the special day to celebrate the incredible odds that you and some perfect handsome other person crossed paths one day many years ago and started to fall in love. I’m going to buy this party. It’s the kind of investor I am.

In the meantime, I’ll continue to pay $80 extra on my loans every month. I know now that a little bit can add up fast over time.

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As soon as Kim Kardashian announced her pregnancy, it wasn't her new baby that I was looking forward to seeing. Well I am, but that's yonks away. Right now, I'm much more interested in Kimmy's maternity wardrobe.

After a three years of being dictated to by Kanye steering her into a well-curated hybrid of vamp meets demure, where she sometimes wears high necks and long hemlines but at other times wears mesh over those famous curves, it was always going to be interesting to see her debut a new bump. And she didn't disappoint.

Kim's first appearance as a pregnant woman was in a nude latex dress. If you're not familiar with latex, it's similar to the stuff they use to make balloons. BALLOONS. On a three-month pregnant body. I don't know about you, but even at four weeks pregnant I felt like I had a bloated balloon in my uterus and couldn't wear anything tighter than a cotton t-shirt for fear I might suffocate. Babies in the belly need room, I found, not to be strapped down with ultra-tight rubber.

But that would be so unKimmy, wouldn't it? We don't want to see her walking around dressed like a normal pregnant woman, because then she wouldn't be living up to her part of the celebrity contract. You know the one, where they agree to wear amazing clothes and parade in photographs and we agree to ooh and ah at appropriate intervals.

Besides, the key to Kim's styling is all about enhancing her curves, even if this particular curve will be one across her tummy. Her other maternity outfits have been a series of clingy tank dresses that show off not only that booty but also her burgeoning cleavage which, helped along by baby weight, is eye-poppingly spectacular. All while she totters along on 15-centimetre spiky heels.

So we can ogle for as long as we like, then tut tut about whether it's the kind of thing a pregnant woman "should" wear, but this is exactly what we expect from our most famous Kardashian. And it's started to trigger a different kind of reaction in me. One that has me reaching for stretchy dresses I've never even thought about wearing previously.

My whole life, I've dressed to downplay my curves: the less lumps and bumps the better, was always the message delivered to me. So I am a curve camouflager. I wear dresses to skim over hips, pants that mask my bottom and shirts that don't give away my bra size.

Kim Kardashian is the opposite. That is her trick. She plays up every single curve on her body. Even the curves she has on her ankles. Even the curve in the small of her back. Every outfit is chosen specifically to enhance certain ebbs and flows along her body, even if she's just going to the shops or getting on a plane. It is the complete opposite to how women have been dressing for the last 50 years.

Maybe it's time to keep this kind of thinking in mind the next time you go shopping. If you too have traditionally been a curve camouflager, instead of buying a loose dress, try on something fitted. You might discover those curves you've chosen to hide are actually your best feature.Read more here:red prom dresses

Strawberries as a facial cleanser, petroleum jelly as a primer and washing hair with beer are just some of the vintage beauty hacks championed by old school Hollywood beauties such as Marilyn Monroe and Rita Hayworth.

Other tips included making the most of what women had in the past, like using rags instead of hot rollers and a dousing ice water bath instead of a facial.

Read more from:www.sheindress.co.uk

There are also handy make-up pointers from the past, such as applying white eyeliner on the waterline of the eye and using two shades of blusher to enhance cheekbones.

Along with the team at Hairtrade.com, FEMAIL have given the beauty fads of days gone by a twenty-first century update so you can channel that vintage style in your day-to-day look.

1. Sea salt in the bath

Sea salt is your skin’s best friend, it can flush away infections and leave skin silky soft. Ladies of the past used to bathe in the exfoliant to get a glowing complexion.

Update it: Try using scented bath salts with a sea salt base, this way you’ll get all the benefits without smelling like a pack of ready salted crisps. For brownie points, bathe in epsom salts, which are loved by celebrities for their detoxing properties.

2. Baking soda as teeth whitening

Back before we had super advanced toothpastes, baking soda was used to get sparkling pearly whites. Big in the 60’s and 70’s, vintage beauties would rub baking soda onto their teeth then rinse.

Update it: To make the taste a bit more bearable, try adding lemon and peppermint oil to create a paste then use once or twice a week.

3. Strawberries to clean face

Now we have access to an array of face washes but English roses in the swinging sixties would blitz strawberries in a blender then use as a cleanser. The pink colouring of the fruit acted as a natural glow as well as leaving their skin smelling sweet.

Update it: Try adding strawberries to a mixture of mashed banana and honey and apply as a facemask.

Using a white pencil to line the inner water line of the eye is a well-known trick of the trade from Marilyn Monroe, use Benefit's eye bright, left, to copy her look. Instead of rubbing rose petals together and dabbing onto cheeks and lips for a rosy glow, try Charlotte Tilbury's Beach Sticks. Women would apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly over eyelids and then cover with neutral skin-toned powder, use MakeUp Forever's eye prime from Debenhams

4. White eyeliner inside eye

Using a white pencil to line the inner water line of the eye is a well-known trick of the trade from Marilyn Monroe. The Hollywood starlet loved her signature sultry eye look to make her blue eyes pop.

Update it: Try using pastel coloured eyeliner with white undertones for a playful nod to this classic beauty tip.

5. Mint leaves for dark circles

Hollywood pin-ups like Rita Hayworth and Sophia Loren were all about having fresh, wide-awake skin so ladies of the time were desperate to get this flawless look. One tip was to crush mint leaves and leave them under the eyes to banish dark circles.

Update it: For a less messy version, dab a tiny amount of toothpaste under your eyes before going to bed to wake up bright-eyed and bushy tailed. If you're looking for a dedicated beauty product to target this, Codage Eye Contour Cream, which works miracles at reducing puffiness, or No. 7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Eye Cream, will do the trick.

6. Spray perfume onto hairbrush

Coco Chanel famously said that women should wear perfume wherever they would like to be kissed. Having a feminine smell was extremely important in those days so women would spritz their hairbrushes with perfume to carry their scent with every swish of their locks.

Update it: Try investing in a perfume designed specifically for hair that will nourish it as well as smelling good. SHOW Beauty have a great version in the form of their Decadence Hair Fragrance.

Women would use parasols and wear huge hats to protect their skin from the sun's glare but Olay Regenerist Luminous Brightening & Protecting SPF20 Moisturiser, left, will do the job. Pantene Pro-V Hydra Intensify Velvet Crème Infusion will give you lustrous locks like Rita Hayworth. Coco Chanel famously said that women should wear perfume wherever they would like to be kissed so women sprayed their hairbrush with a fragrance. SHOW Beauty have a great version in the form of their Decadence Hair Fragrance

7. Use petroleum jelly on eyelids

The vintage look is all about having dramatic eye make-up. Women would apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly over eyelids and then cover with neutral skin-toned powder all the way up to the brow line and blend a darker shade into the crease for theatrical deep crease impact.

Update it: Use an eyelid primer instead of petroleum jelly for long-lasting vintage peepers. Urban Decay's eyshadow primer potion or MakeUp For Ever's Eye Prime will do the trick.

8. Cold water treatment

Joan Crawford famously told how she splashed her face with ice cold water 25 times every morning to keep her legendary face smooth and taut.

Update it: If you can’t bear dousing yourself with freezing water, try mixing together sugar, warm water and lemon juice to cleanse your face for a fresh complexion. Dr Hauschka's Lemon Lemongrass Vitalising Body Oil is perfect for an all-over fresh and zesty glow.

9. Olive oil on hair

A favourite trick of auburn-locked Rita Hayworth, to keep hair looking lustrous, she would shampoo hair then apply olive oil to the ends and wrap up in a towel for 15 minutes. She would rinse with hot water, cleanser and lemon juice to get rid of any residue.

Update it: If you haven’t got time for all this in the morning, try using an oil-based serum - like TRESemme Salon Smooth Serum, which is infused with argan oil - or Pantene Pro-V Hydra Intensify Velvet Crème Infusion on wet hair then leave it wrapped in a towel whilst you do your make-up. The serum will absorb into your hair without needing to rinse.

Codage Eye Contour Cream, which works miracles at reducing puffiness, will have the same effect as popping mint leaves on the eyes, Burberry's new Lip & Cheek Blooms give the same effect as crushed roses dabbed onto the skin and No. 7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Eye Cream will soothe puffy eyes like mint leaves

10. Two shades of blusher

In the days of black and white photography before forgiving Instagram filters came into play, having high cheekbones was highly desirable. A trick credited to Grace Kelly was using two shades of blusher, a lighter shade on the bone and darker in the hollow.

Update it: Try using a highlighter on your cheekbones and dab above your brows for the ultimate minimalist chic. RMS Beauty's Living Luminizer is perfect for achieving the look (and Miranda Kerr is a fan) or even a spot of Neal's Yard Remedy's coconut oil.

11. Embracing porcelain skin

Before the days of fake tan, porcelain skin with a flawless complexion was seen as beautiful. Women would use parasols and wear huge hats to protect their skin from the sun’s glare.

Update it: Carrying a parasol on the bus to work might attract some strange looks so try investing a moisturiser with a high SPF to protect your skin from harmful UV rays. We love bareMinerals' Complexion Rescue - the best bits of a BB, CC, tinted moisturiser plus SPF 30 - and Clinique's Super City Block SPF 40 and Olay Regenerist Luminous Brightening & Protecting SPF20 Moisturiser.

A favourite trick of auburn-locked Rita Hayworth, to keep hair looking lustrous, she would shampoo hair then apply olive oil to the ends and wrap up in a towel for 15 minutes12. Crush rose petals or beetroot to tint cheeks

Back in the days of old school romance, a lady’s gentleman caller would always present her with a bouquet of roses. Before they withered, these blushing dames would rub the petals together until they produced liquid then dab this onto cheeks and lips for a rosy glow.

Update it: Try mixing the petal liquid with a clear lip gloss to create a natural colour with some extra shimmer to take you through the night. Or, Burberry's new Lip & Cheek Blooms or Charlotte Tilbury's Beach Stick will cheat the look.

13. Homemade rollers

In the fifties, having thick curly hair was all the rage but hot rollers were expensive and uncomfortable to sleep it. Pioneering vintage beauties worked around this by rolling damp hair around pieces of fabric, tying off and leaving overnight.

Update it: Use the same trick but spritz your hair with sea salt spray once in the ‘rollers’ for a more tousled, bedhead look. VO5 Give Me Texture Wave Creation Foam (£3.99) is infused with sea kelp extract to create a soft textural twist. Perfect for those looking to achieve that on trend LA heathy hair wave.

14. Beer shampoo

Rinsing hair with beer is an old wives’ tale that some still swear by today. After the liquid evaporates from the hair, a residue of hops and barley is left giving hair more body and weight.

Update it: If you don’t fancy smelling like a brewery, try using a deep-conditioning treatment on your hair once a week to keep it thick and well maintained.

15. Talcum powder

Even retro beauties suffered from greasy roots! Their saviour came in form of talcum powder, which they shook onto hair then ruffled up.

Update it: This tip only works well for blonde-haired babes. Nowadays we have dry shampoo for locks in need of a boost. Batiste do a great range of dry shampoos for different hair colours.Read more from:prom dresses uk

The air is chilly, bright colours and parties are on everywhere! Are you ready for it?

Winter is kicking in. And that literally translates into a couple of dry months that give you freedom to indulge -in food and drinks, bright clothes, seductive makeup and unbridled partying. So, how could we possibly not help you decide what's cool this season? We spoke to some experts and came up with just the stuff that can help you survive and thrive on the party circuit as well as on the streets this winter.Interested? Well, read on...

MUSIC AND DANCE MOVES

The current playlist boasts highenergy numbers. "The focus is on beats rather than melody . Tracks like Dance Basanti, Bang bang, Tu tu meri, Pyar mein dil pe, Abhi toh party shuru hui hai, Devil song, Nacho sare G phadke, Lovely, Ping pong, Countdown, Animal, Who's ready to jump, Party on my level, Freaks are sure to be played. Listen to it in the car on your way to the party to get in the groove," said DJ Akash Rohira. DJ Vicky adds that the other songs on the floor would be Alcoholic, Love dose, I could be the one, Alive raise your hands mashup, Ten feet tall revive mix and A sky full of stars. "To get your limbs moving and get the groove right, you can join a zumba or salsa class. Show some belly dance steps like shimmying on the dance floor to grab the spot light. Girls can work on whacking ala Beyonce and twerking like Miley Cyrus. For men, grinding is in. But keep it sexy and subtle. It can get vulgar if you don't get it right. So, practise your moves beforehand. There are plenty of videos on YouTube that you can follow," said choreographer Amit Shaw.

CLOTHES, SHOES AND ACCESSORIES

Women can go for shades of blue and grey with dashes of bright yellowredorange. "This season is the right time to show your inners.Grab different loud printed fitted tops, leggings or socks and throw in a translucent dressskirtjacket on top. A nice Fedora hat will make the look super interesting. Matching jackets and skirtstrousers is another hit for both men and women. The idea is to go all bold with the colours and prints. For people like me who like androgyny over feminine, it's time to wear your boyfriend jeans again -ripped, washed or torn.Wear a cropped top and an oversized jacket or shrug," said actor-stylist Neha Panda.

For men, there's a lot to do this season. "Men are ready to throw on a lot of big shawls of different textures and prints. This is very bold and should only be followed by few who know how to carry it off. Wearing long printed crumpled socks over your denims or your chinos can be a great. Try knit shirts and pull a cardigan over it," Neha advised.They can also wear those hand-knitted woollens with ripped denims.

Go for nice warm capshats.Stylish and comfortable. Sunglasses are also a must. However, stay away from bright, summery frames.

RUSTLING UP A SPREAD

The must-try drinks this season are twisted margaritas, smoked cocktails and warm sangria. "This winter, simple and sophisticated cocktails -with a twist of undiscovered tastes -are back internationally. I twist the traditional margarita with ingredients such as wasabi and jaggery . The other recipe is to infuse jalapeno and cheddar cheese with salty and buttery notes of popcorn," Mixologist Irfan Ahmed said.

The sangria, too, has got its own share of twist. "The twisted Scorpions sangria warmer is a slightly stronger version of the original sangria, but fortified with flambeed dark rum poured over a zesty orange peel and served warm," Irfan added.

The other must-try this season is smoked cocktails, wherein the glass is smoked with flavours such as cigar, applewood, jasmine or earl grey tea and cinnamon to lend that smoky flavour.

As for food, no one really has a full meal when they are out to party . So, your go-to option is bitesized food full of cheese. Think small pizzas, fondues, tarts and cheese balls. "Cheese fills you up instantly , keeps your body warm, lines your stomach before you go on a drinking binge. What else do you need? Just remember, the smellier the cheese, the better," recommended chef Megha Jhunjhunwala.

MAKE-UP AND HAIR

Eyes are in focus this season and so are glitter eyeliners."Forget smoky eyes for some time. Put nude eye shadow, go for a nice winged eyeliner and top it with a glitter liner matching with your outfit. Some kajal on the inner rims, two coats of mascara, and your eyes are ready . Go for red, orange or peach lips," said makeup artist Abhijit Paul. As for the hair, the messier the better. You can go for interesting hairdos so that the hair doesn't get sweaty and in your face while you rock that dance loor.

Also, if you are having a bad hair day and don't have time to go to the salon for that blow dry, don't fret. Get hold of dry, don't fret. Get hold of some party props like Santa elves hats and boppers to cover your mane and rock the dance floor. "This apart, hair extensions in funky colours like electric blue, pink and red are much in demand. They add that extra dimension to your look," said Swati Siotia of a party props store in the city. The men can continue with their Movember beards and flaunt it if they have it. Let us tell you, girls love that stubble. Go with unruly hair on the head. Lastly , smell good. Read more here: white prom dresses uk

Sweating helps shed the kilos!

Sweating helps shed the kilos It's confirmed! You need to sweat it out to lose weight. Usually it's the water and fluid that make a person feel heavy. So this 'water weight' can be eliminated through sweating. But it's also important to gain back the lost fluids through water (avoid aerated drinks as they are dehydrating). Sweating can also help boost the immune system..

Adds up to better circulation The process of sweating through exercise can boost the circulation. As you work out or even do a brisk walk, your heart pumps blood faster and the metabolism and circulation improves.

Gives softer and smoother skin: Want an easy and free glow on the face? Just sweat. While the toxins and impurities are expelled, the skin pores are opened and the face looks fresh and smooth. Remember to cleanse and tone your face after this happens.

Enhances the mood There's no better de-stresser than purging out all that sweat! Exercise of any kind - whether a walk or jog or even a gym workout - is known to make a person feel good. Studies have show how physical activity reduces depression and anxiety as well as feeling of irritability. Exercise stimulates chemicals in the brain, which leave a person feeling relaxed and happier.

Reduces risk of kidney stones: Research has shown that exercising regularly helps a person flush out the system better and thus reduce the risk of occurrence of kidney stones. As you work out and sweat, you tend to have more water and other fluids like nariyal pani. This helps keep the kidneys flushed and clean. Read more here: white prom dresses uk

It doesn't feel like cheating but it's the cause of one in 20 divorces in India. As the rate of digital infidelity rises, Times Life peeks into the private lives of connected India

It starts out rather innocently - you receive a friend request on Facebook, from an ex-lover, a friend's friend or a guy you got casually acquainted with at a party. You add them to your friend list and then take your conversations forward on the instant messenger. One thing leads to another and before you know it, the language of your online conversations becomes casual, the content of your chats more personal, even flirty. You discuss your day-to-day life, talk about your dreams and disappointments with the person on the other side of the screen, instead of your spouse or partner... Sounds familiar? If yes, you are indulging in `digital infidelity', a rising urban trend among today's internet generation. According to a new study conducted at the University of Indiana, US, social media users in committed relationships, frequently use their online accounts to keep in touch with `back burners' (also called back-up husbands or wives) i.e., exes or platonic friends they could connect with romantically. On an average, the participants revealed that they had romantic or sex ual conversations with at least two people, besides their partner.

You may argue that a few cheeky SMSes, flirty direct messages (DM) or private emails don't amount to cheat ing. But when you are going through a rough patch in your existing relationship, these online friends become your temptations.

No guilt attached

Cyber lawyer Pawan Duggal says, "It takes one casual online encounter for cracks to appear in a committed relationship. In America, Facebook is the cause of one in five divorces, in India it is one in 20." Sujata Parashar, the author of In Pursuit of Infidelity explains why digital infidelity is easier and doesn't amount to guilt. "Internet has hugely impacted the nature of human relationships.People are available 24 x 7, they have wider choices, and can communicate without leaving a dent in their pocket. At times, these may happen when your spouse is sitting just a few feet away! Because it is virtual, people exchange intimate information without feeling fearful or guilty."

But it's not just accessibility Robert Weiss, an international sex addiction expert, says that in digital affairs, there is a degree of `control' that one cannot have in real life. He explains, "For instance, when you are tired of a person, or feeling cranky, you simply log off, allowing you and your online partner to avoid a lot of bad moments. In a non-virtual relationship, you don't get that kind of space and land up arguing."

Theatre writer and director Meherzad Patel says, "Your phone or laptop never say `no' to you; there is rarely any confrontation or intervention when you are in a digital relationship. Also, whether married or in a committed relationship, at some point, almost everyone regrets being with their partner or think they could have done better. At times like these, when an ex or someone available lends you a shoulder to cry on, the temptation of an easy, virtual affair can be very hard to resist."

What you are left with is all the highs of a relationship, while conveniently blindsiding the negatives. You constantly romanticise this alternate life. It's a bit of a fool's paradise. However, if it feels like paradise in our overstretched lives, who minds being a fool? Adds Weiss, "In cyberspace, you can also tweak your image, control how you are perceived by others. In reality, it's harder to maintain a facade."

Screen is the boundary

Social media expert Zafar Rais says, "When a connection is built over the phone, email or through social network, Sex people don't immediately see the warning signs of emotional infidelity." It's almost like the computer or phone screen acts like a boundary. But infidelity begins in the mind. Research shows that digital and in-person infidelity are equal in terms of how much harm it does to a relationship. "Betrayed spouses and partners say it's usually not any specific sexual act but the constant lying, secrecy, and flat-out denial that hurts the most," says Weiss.

Psychologist Ty Tashiro says in his sought-after book The Science of Happily Ever, published early this year, "In the end, a successful and happy marriage boils down to two things: kindness and generosity." All the real life frustrations a couple faces, makes it impossible to find warmth and understanding from one another. The new person, the cute acquaintance or the ex-flame "who could have been" becomes a promise to a happier life. What hasn't been lived, as they say, is always dreamy, and just a click away.

Studies say...

Facebook users in relationships frequently use the site to keep in touch with "back-burners" - exes or platonic friends.

Men have back-burners at roughly twice the rate than women. But among both genders, the practice is widespread.

On an average, respondents in relationships had romantic or sexual conversations with two people besides their current partner.

As many as half of all women keep in touch with a `back-up husband' they could contact if their current relationship doesn't work out.-Study by the University of Indiana, US

'Ping' anxiety

Digital infidelity can raise a few health issues. Here's what you need to know... Smartphone anxiety, which is a serious ailment of our times, takes over a person who is hooked on to his gadget to connect to his digital `back burner'. If there's an emotional attachment with the person whose message you are expecting, your body language visibly changes. You get irritated when the battery is dying, you constantly leave family gatherings to secretly check your messages.

Then there's the `typing awareness indicator' - the three dots that appear on your phone when someone is typing to respond to your message, and in anticipation, your heart rate goes up.

These added challenges, along with the constant nagging feeling that the person on the other side of the screen is the answer to all problems, can make you sad, and eventually depressed. Read more here: red prom dresses uk

Francesca Tolot, Beyoncé‘s longtime makeup artist, recently released a photo book called One Woman, 100 Faces. Done in conjunction with photographer Alberto Tolot and model Mitzi Martin (along with a grip of hair stylists and set designers), the coffee table book spans what Tolot describes as “a fantasy tour of fairytale characters” in which “every woman can discover one or multiple facets of herself.”

Tolot chatted with us about three specific looks from the book that we think any woman could create for a dramatic holiday makeup look; from a cocktail party to a holiday dinner to a full-on gown wearing extravaganza—here are some tips to look flawless for the holidays, as told to Radio.com by Fancesca Tolot herself.

Thin eyebrows are not really in right now, it’s more of a thicker brow. I used a pencil on this one. I actually would define the look and give it a Spanish feeling, which was my intention in this particular picture. It’s definitely the eyebrows, the very dark, defined eyebrows. At this time, Mitzi did have thinner eyebrows, so I used the thickness of her own eyebrows in the beginning part, closer to the nose. Then I covered her eyebrows at the end in order to create this almost straight line, using wax and makeup. That’s not recommended for regular women to do so. Instead following their own natural shape, fill the eyebrows in and try to make them appear thicker than they are. I use pencil when I want a very dramatic look. Otherwise, I prefer to use powder because it’s a softer, more natural look.

The complete lid is painted and extended in a liner shape—but it’s the whole lid that’s painted. Actually what you see is brown, the photo shows a light shadow. So the brown that you see, that’s light. The bottom of the eye is lined with a turquoise eye shadow. Makeup needs to be adjusted to every single individual. One makeup doesn’t look good on everybody. If you have a heavy top lid, then this look is not going to look good on you.

If I want to do a makeup to last a long time, I do like to use some primer. I like the clear one, so the color of eye shadow I will use shows up as the actual color. If you use color primer, like a beige or a pink, that will change the color of the eyeshadow when you apply it.

I mixed this lip color myself by using some very bright orange and gold. When you mix gold with color, it becomes very reflective. It picks up the light and reflects where it hits directly, showing the gold. I love using colors that are opposites from each other, or colors that you wouldn’t normally think of putting together, like the orange lips and turquoise eyeshadow here.

For her cheeks, I put on intense pink blush and some contour because I wanted drama. So the cheeks are contoured with some brown and then blended with the pink blush.

This is an almost Marilyn Monroe-looking photo. I wanted to be, again, dramatic. This photo is in the same family as the one previously described but the difference in the contour here is that I didn’t use the strong color on the cheeks. It’s neutral—you won’t detect it here, but the apple cheek is here more highlighted. I wanted the eye shadow, the lips and the color of the wig to be the most important and jump out of the picture.

I wanted to have a semi-modern Marilyn, who is more contemporary. Blue eyeshadow is a retro thing, it was used by our mothers and grandmothers. That’s all they used back in the day. Their only color options were green, blue, brown and black. With only those choices, blue was definitely the most popular color in the ’50s. It has a stigma to it, but there are different ways you can modernize it, especially if you have light eyes. It’s harder if you have dark eyes, brown eyes specifically. But women with blue eyes who use it lightly and very blended, it can be very modern. The highlight on the cheeks and the eyes make it more contemporary here. And obviously the pink hair.

I like the pairing of this intense eye with a matte, girly lip. It makes it more modern also. In this picture, imagine if I had the typical ’50s red lipstick. It would change the whole feeling of the look. It’s still dramatic, in a pastel way, but contemporary.

Lately, I’ve stopped using lip liner. I go straight for the lipstick. When I work it’s for pictures or a video, so I’m there the whole time to make sure it doesn’t bleed or reapply it. But for real life, it does still help to keep your lipstick in line and lasting longer.

This look features a full strip of false eyelashes. I always do the whole makeup, completely including mascara, and then I apply the eyelashes last. The reason why is, if you apply those first you will end up with particles and dust from your eyeshadow falling into the lashes and that’s very hard to clean. It will take the thickness and intensity of the lashes away when they’re dirty.

The glow of her skin is due to the light, which as you see comes from the top and highlights the cheek, nose, forehead and hands—you can get that effect with highlighting powder or cream on the apple of the cheeks, the nose and sometimes on the chin to get that three-dimensional effect on your face.

The eye here is fully painted black, similar to the first look, but higher on the lid. Here it goes above the crease. I did this look with liquid eye makeup because it’s more defined.

The application of the lipstick is a little transparent. It’s more of a lip gloss than a solid lipstick in a cranberry color. To maintain it at a party, you just have to reapply it. It’s very hard to predict if it will last or not—it depends on how you behave and what you do with your lips. For someone who bits or licks their lips a lot, it’s best to use a lip stain. It will last much longer. Read more here:evening dresses london

Francesca Tolot, Beyoncé‘s longtime makeup artist, recently released a photo book called One Woman, 100 Faces. Done in conjunction with photographer Alberto Tolot and model Mitzi Martin (along with a grip of hair stylists and set designers), the coffee table book spans what Tolot describes as “a fantasy tour of fairytale characters” in which “every woman can discover one or multiple facets of herself.”

Tolot chatted with us about three specific looks from the book that we think any woman could create for a dramatic holiday makeup look; from a cocktail party to a holiday dinner to a full-on gown wearing extravaganza—here are some tips to look flawless for the holidays, as told to Radio.com by Fancesca Tolot herself.

Thin eyebrows are not really in right now, it’s more of a thicker brow. I used a pencil on this one. I actually would define the look and give it a Spanish feeling, which was my intention in this particular picture. It’s definitely the eyebrows, the very dark, defined eyebrows. At this time, Mitzi did have thinner eyebrows, so I used the thickness of her own eyebrows in the beginning part, closer to the nose. Then I covered her eyebrows at the end in order to create this almost straight line, using wax and makeup. That’s not recommended for regular women to do so. Instead following their own natural shape, fill the eyebrows in and try to make them appear thicker than they are. I use pencil when I want a very dramatic look. Otherwise, I prefer to use powder because it’s a softer, more natural look.

The complete lid is painted and extended in a liner shape—but it’s the whole lid that’s painted. Actually what you see is brown, the photo shows a light shadow. So the brown that you see, that’s light. The bottom of the eye is lined with a turquoise eye shadow. Makeup needs to be adjusted to every single individual. One makeup doesn’t look good on everybody. If you have a heavy top lid, then this look is not going to look good on you.

If I want to do a makeup to last a long time, I do like to use some primer. I like the clear one, so the color of eye shadow I will use shows up as the actual color. If you use color primer, like a beige or a pink, that will change the color of the eyeshadow when you apply it.

I mixed this lip color myself by using some very bright orange and gold. When you mix gold with color, it becomes very reflective. It picks up the light and reflects where it hits directly, showing the gold. I love using colors that are opposites from each other, or colors that you wouldn’t normally think of putting together, like the orange lips and turquoise eyeshadow here.

For her cheeks, I put on intense pink blush and some contour because I wanted drama. So the cheeks are contoured with some brown and then blended with the pink blush.

This is an almost Marilyn Monroe-looking photo. I wanted to be, again, dramatic. This photo is in the same family as the one previously described but the difference in the contour here is that I didn’t use the strong color on the cheeks. It’s neutral—you won’t detect it here, but the apple cheek is here more highlighted. I wanted the eye shadow, the lips and the color of the wig to be the most important and jump out of the picture.

I wanted to have a semi-modern Marilyn, who is more contemporary. Blue eyeshadow is a retro thing, it was used by our mothers and grandmothers. That’s all they used back in the day. Their only color options were green, blue, brown and black. With only those choices, blue was definitely the most popular color in the ’50s. It has a stigma to it, but there are different ways you can modernize it, especially if you have light eyes. It’s harder if you have dark eyes, brown eyes specifically. But women with blue eyes who use it lightly and very blended, it can be very modern. The highlight on the cheeks and the eyes make it more contemporary here. And obviously the pink hair.

I like the pairing of this intense eye with a matte, girly lip. It makes it more modern also. In this picture, imagine if I had the typical ’50s red lipstick. It would change the whole feeling of the look. It’s still dramatic, in a pastel way, but contemporary.

Lately, I’ve stopped using lip liner. I go straight for the lipstick. When I work it’s for pictures or a video, so I’m there the whole time to make sure it doesn’t bleed or reapply it. But for real life, it does still help to keep your lipstick in line and lasting longer.

This look features a full strip of false eyelashes. I always do the whole makeup, completely including mascara, and then I apply the eyelashes last. The reason why is, if you apply those first you will end up with particles and dust from your eyeshadow falling into the lashes and that’s very hard to clean. It will take the thickness and intensity of the lashes away when they’re dirty.

The glow of her skin is due to the light, which as you see comes from the top and highlights the cheek, nose, forehead and hands—you can get that effect with highlighting powder or cream on the apple of the cheeks, the nose and sometimes on the chin to get that three-dimensional effect on your face.

The eye here is fully painted black, similar to the first look, but higher on the lid. Here it goes above the crease. I did this look with liquid eye makeup because it’s more defined.

The application of the lipstick is a little transparent. It’s more of a lip gloss than a solid lipstick in a cranberry color. To maintain it at a party, you just have to reapply it. It’s very hard to predict if it will last or not—it depends on how you behave and what you do with your lips. For someone who bits or licks their lips a lot, it’s best to use a lip stain. It will last much longer. Read more here:evening dresses london

This is a guest blog by Juliette Denny, managing director of Growth Engineering, and finalist in the 'Iris' category at the NatWest everywoman awards.

How many female role models can you name in the technology space? You'll probably be able to name a few, but the likelihood is that your list will pale in comparison to a similar list of male role models. When there are women in technology the media often depicts them in a negative way; as bitches (like Marissa Mayer, Yahoo CEO) or bull dogs (Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook).

When you think about women in technology, you don't think about them coding, innovating or leading. They are more likely to be in an operational role. There are too few examples of women creating, innovating and succeeding in leading great technology businesses.

This is why both the FDM everywoman in Technology awards and the NatWest everywoman Awards are so important - in particular the Iris category, which recognises female technology entrepreneurs.

As a founder and managing director of a technology business I think it's vital that we increase the visibility of women being successful in technology. It's essential that we see women being successful in innovating and building technology businesses. It's vital to the younger generations of women coming through and it's important to recognise the success that has been achieved by women in the technology sphere already.

There are some attributes of women that, whilst not unique or ubiquitous across the female sex, could be said to be common. For example, I'm a woman who is interested in clothes, fashion, style and all things beautiful, and that has had an influence on the way I like to see technology designed. The older I get, the more confident I get in what I like and don't like - and, frankly, I think that a lot of technology is simply too ugly and difficult to use to ever get adopted!

According to Gartner, 99.9% of mobile apps will be considered financially unsuccessful by their developers. And did you know that 70% of all web-based applications fail to achieve their original goals? Clearly I am not alone in my views - but maybe if we had more people who cared about how beautiful and user-friendly technology was we could start to move that dial!

'Technology' is not just about code - it's about how people use technology and interact with it. It's all about how the user 'connects' and builds a relationship with it. The magic that technology unlocks happens when the technology application and the user interact; so if they never interact, if they hate interacting or the relationship does not grow over time, then the technology is not working as it should. Far too much of the technology around us is not user-focused - it's focused on processes, which can make the technology clunky and dispiriting to use.

When it comes to creating technology here at Growth Engineering, I have three rules (other than it has to work and be bug-free!):

1) People have to love it and want to engage with it, so from the get-go we are thinking about how they feel about it. We want them to have a feel good connection with it so they are confident in using it.

2) It has to be fun, because when it's fun people are happy and they are more likely to engage with it and be confident using it.

3) It has to be beautiful, because life with more beauty is more harmonious, and with more harmony life feels easier.

Now I am not saying that the above rules are there because I am a woman, though they do have a 'touch of the girl' about them, but I do believe they have contributed to our success in some way. They have given us a different lens through which to view online learning than other businesses in our industry, and as a result we have grown faster than many of our competitors.

So thank you NatWest everywoman Awards, and to anyone reading this, please make sure you push any females that work in technology to enter next year, as we need more role models to inspire us to the next level of innovation and growth. I missed the FDM Technology Awards entry window this year, but I am proud of reaching the final in the NatWest everywoman 'Iris' category (sponsored by IBM), which is given 'to the most inspirational and successful female entrepreneur who runs a business that uses technology in an innovative and disruptive way'.

That's certainly our aim here at Growth Engineering - our mission is to wage war on dull online learning, and we do that by creating a Gamified social learning portal that helps clients create vibrant, engaged learning communities that transform organisational performance. Our Academy was recently crowned the #1 Gamified LMS and #1 NextGen LMS in the world for being so far ahead of the game and shaking up the online learning landscape. I'm excited about what the future holds for women in technology! Read more here:bridesmaid dresses uk