Life's A Stage: The Tips And Tricks Of Grease Makeup

Whether you are thinking about using grease makeup for a theatrical event, a special Halloween party or some other occasion, you need to know what products are out there and how to apply them.

While grease makeup takes more time and preparation than regular water-soluble face paint, it also lasts much longer. Most importantly, grease makeup will not fire or run under hot lights or conditions where you might perspire. With grease makeup you can create a more dramatic and even professional look.

In addition to your grease face-paints and pencils you will need:

• face-cleanser or cream cleanser and / or baby shampoo
• clean towels or paper towel
• clothing cover-up and hair-ties or shower cap
• possible shaver for men
• mirror if you are not working from home
• good quality painting brush, powder brush
• professional setting powder, talcum or baby powder and applicator (see below)
• Q-Tips or fine painting brush, tissue paper, paper towel are all handy
• Other items that you might also consider:
• light moisturizer
• baby oil (to fix mistakes after painting has 'set')
• charcoal pencil for eyes
• mascara
• sponge
• mister or water-spray
• glitter and other decoration

Before you start applying the makeup, you need to prepare your face so it goes on smoothly. Thoroughly clean your face, tying back hair where necessary, and for men, have a shave. (Bearded men can apply grease paint makeup but it can be tricky keeping it out of the hair.) Remember that grease makeup will stain clothes, so put on an old button-up shirt. After your skin dries, apply a very light moisturizer.

Working with the lightest color first - usually white - and a good quality brush or sponge, or your fingers, you can outline the area and then fill it in. Alternately you can paint following the contours of your face. The grease makeup may not go on smoothly if it is too cold, which you can remedy by putting a little dab of the color of in the palm of your hand for a minute. After painting, use your fingers to 'pat' the makeup into your skin.

Unlike water-based makeup, grease makeup requires you to paint your face and then 'set' it with a professional setting powder, or baby or talcum powder. (If you go with talcum, be sure to confirm beforehand that you do not have an allergic reaction to it.) You can 'set' the grease makeup either in stages following each color's application, or at the end of all the painting. Some people prefer the latter, applying all the colors before setting with powder, because they can fix mistakes more easily. The downside is that you risk mixing colors accidentally and smearing your work.

Whether you're set in stages or at the end, one reliable way to apply the powder is to partially fill a small, clean, cotton tube sock with the powder, tie it up, and then gently dab your face. Allow the powder sit for a half a minute or so before dusting the excess off with a powder brush. The painted areas should no longer feel moist or sticky - if this is not the case, you probably need more powder. Once the grease makeup has set, it should be fairly smudge-proof. If something needs correcting at this point, you can use Q-Tips soaked in baby oil, but remember that neighboring areas could now be smudged.

Be careful not to apply the grease face makeup thickly or in layers. If you do have too much in one spot, press down on it with your fingers to smooth it out. Continue to refine your face, using Q-Tips or a fine brush for the smaller areas. Grease pencils also can be used for the face, charcoal pencils for the eyes, and do not forget color for your lips too!

Allow the grease makeup to thoroughly dry, and apply a last light coating of powder, dusting off any excess with a brush or tissue paper. A damp cloth at the end can help remove the excess powder, or spray with a very light mist of water. In warmer climates you can probably skip this step because the extra powder will absorb any perspiration.

If you are applying glitter, it should be done at the very end. Generally glitter is most effective when applied over the eyes or on the cheeks, A glitter gel is often used instead of dry glitter to minimize the chances of it flaking into the eye. With dry glitter, first slightly dampen your face and cheeks, then 'poof' on the polyester glitter. Remember to let the makeup settle for about half an hour before you go out. If you have stray paint on your eyelashes, cover it with mascara.

Products available

For just about any type of face design you will need at a minimum white greasepaint foundation and a black greasepaint pencil, but of course there are many colors in between and you will probably want to try at least a few of them. The leading producers of grease makeup are Mehron and Ben Nye. Mehron grease makeup is focused on the theatrical professionals who want ease of application with good coverage. Ben Nye also appeals to the same community, although Ben Nye grease makeup is actually a cream. Grease face makeup comes in a range of forms, from palettes (generally sold as a kit), to individual liners. Pencils, crayons and sticks are useful for smaller areas of the face. Both Mehron and Ben Nye also make eye-shadows, blushes, a range of glitter and setting powders and sealing mists. You may also want to consider sweat-blocker sprays for the face to help reserve the greasepaint under strong lights or in a hot environment.

How to Choose the Best Wedding Catering Company

The ability of a wedding caterer to work with certain locations is an important thing to be aware of. Many caterers will work with areas in churches, major meeting halls and even some outdoor areas around the London or midlands areas. However some wedding catering companies will have limits with regards to how many people they can support for different catering needs. It will be best to see if a good amount of versatility is involved when it comes to getting a wedding caterer ready.

It helps to see how far a wedding caterer can be from the site of the wedding. There are a number of different caterers around the London and midlands areas along with other parts of the UK. There are also plenty of wedding facilities around the London and midlands areas too. Therefore it will help to see who is relatively close to a facility that a wedding will be taking place at.

This is an important consideration to be aware of in that many wedding caterers will charge extra for travel from one area to another. This is an important thing to see in that the costs that are involved for travel and gasoline can vary in accordance with each UK caterer. After all, traveling from London all the way to the midlands can be something expensive for a caterer to be able to handle.

Another thing to see is that in some areas a facility that can handle a wedding reception will work with its own catering company. It will help to take a look at what that facility has when it comes to getting foods prepared for a wedding. If the services that are being offered by that company are not good enough then it would be best to hold the wedding reception in some other area so that another caterer can be used.

All wedding catering companies can work with a variety of different types of foods. A good thing to do is to check out all of the options that can be made available with regards to foods that are available for serving to people at a wedding. Cuisine options can include tapas, salads and soups, main entrees, side dishes and desserts. Each caterer will work with all sorts of options for every palate so it helps to take these factors in mind.

The alcohol policies that different caterers can work with should also be considered. A caterer should be one that can offer a good drink list that includes not only non-alcoholic drinks but also plenty of alcoholic options. Some will offer wines that can come from large wine lists while others can offer different types of beer and even some specialty drinks.

Be sure to take a look at how the alcohol can be sold. Sometimes a company will offer a cash bar where people have to pay extra money for certain alcoholic drinks. In other cases a company will include the drinks with the rest of the catering materials.

An important thing to see deals with how well the caterer can adjust to the dietary needs guests can have. There are many cases where some people who are attending a wedding could have to avoid certain foods due to health reasons. In many cases people might avoid certain foods because of personal reasons. Whether a person is a vegetarian, is allergic to certain ingredients or is supposedly to avoid certain types of foods it will help to be sure that a wedding cater can be found that can adjust its cuisine and cooking habits in accordance with different people in mind.

The last thing to check out with regards to the foods at the wedding deals with, of course, the wedding cake. Many wedding catering companies can work with in-house bakeries that can help to get cakes prepared. A variety of cake designs can be made available by a catering company so it will help to take a look at what options are available. These include cakes that can come in multiple tiers. Do not forget to also watch to see that the cake that is being prepared is one that is large enough to where it can be enjoyed by everyone at the wedding.

Be sure to think about how early in advance a catering service should be planned. In order to get the most beautiful foods ready for any palate it will be important for a caterer to have plenty of time to prepare. In most cases a caterer will require a customer in the UK to book services in London or the midlands about a month or earlier in advance. Therefore it will help to take a look at how soon a client needs to get reservations ready.

Do not forget about the costs that are going to be involved. Some wedding catering companies will charge clients by the head or by the amount of food that is going to be handled. All companies offer different billing rates so it helps to take these options in mind when getting a catering company to work for one's needs.

It is great to take a look at all of these things when looking around for wedding catering companies around the UK. There are many London and midlands wedding catering companies to choose from and when looking around for different companies like these will help to take some things in mind to make sure that a caterer is one that can work with one's wedding event needs in mind. This is so a good wedding reception can be enjoyed by all and that there will be no problems involved with the entire event.

Cool Stocking Stuffers for Everyone on Your List

While the pile of wrapped gifts under the Christmas tree each year draws oohs and ahhs, the little trinkets stuffed inside the stockings hanging from the fireplace mantle can often be the coolest gifts of the season. This year, there are more options than ever before to give great but tiny gifts to all your friends and family. Many of them are even priced at twenty dollars or less.

If you like to put a little greenery inside the stockings of your loved ones, make the wrapping part of the surprise. The Green Bilz Box is a puzzle into which you can place cash, gift cards, concert tickets or other like-sized items. The recipient of the gift can have a great time trying to get at the interior prize by rolling a ball through a bi-level maze. It's challenging and fun and two gifts in one!

It is a gift that a grandparent will use and appreciate every day is a Picture Pen. This neat little stocking buffer is a click pen with a plastic casing into which you can insert a photograph of a grandchild, a pet, or other favorite subject for Grandma or Grandpa. This is a gift that so many people will appreciate, and it's less than six dollars.

The handy gadget for any friend or family member who is just a little bit hard of hearing is the telephone amplifier. This small device installs easily between the telephone and the handset, and it features fingertip control for turning the sound up to three times as high as normal. It can be used with almost any standard or electronic telephone and makes a really thoughtful gift.

Youngsters in the family will love a Kids Lap Desk. This is a portable desk that children can take with them in the car, to the park or anywhere they want. The hard writing surface sits on top of a soft bottom that rests on the child's lap. Side flaps with zippered compartments hold all the crayons or other craft supplies they want to take along. This is a gift that gives to Mom and Dad, too, as it keeps them little ones entertained for hours.

Other take-along item that will keep anyone entertained for hours is Pocket Solitaire. This hand-held game device features several classic Solitaire games, a timer challenge, as well as a game-review function. It runs on two AA batteries, so it's easy to keep it running for as long as the player wants it to go. It's small enough to fit in a purse or pocket, and it's a quiet, fun game.

Other fun stocking buffer for friends, family or pets is the Flying Monkey. Dressed in a cape and mask, this stretchy simian can fly up to fifty feet when you fire it like a slingshot. It even gives out a monkey cry as it flies. Dogs love to chase it as much as kids and adults love to fire it. Made of plush wool, it's a great plaything.

Speaking of pets, everyone will have fun with the Dancing Pet Speaker. This cool stocking buffer can be attached to an iPod and many MP3 players. The music comes out of the cat or dog speaker, and both animals dance to the beat. Pose the arms, turn on the music, and everyone dance.

The Electronic Hampster is another fun toy for people or pets. It's cute and furry, and it rolls freely around the room when powered by one battery. Watch the kids or the dog chase it around the house-taking care, of course, to supervise. It looks so real that you might even startle your friends when it scurries in front of them.

If practical jokes or gags are your favorite type of gift to give, there are several from which to choose this year. A Car Bandaid Jumbo makes a great gag gift for a friend who tends to ding his car. Frankie the Fish is a perennial favorite, moving his mouth and head while singing "Give Me Back My Filet O'Fish" -it's great for fishing enthusiasts or anyone who likes a fish sandwich. Give your friends some harmless fun with Racing Grannies-a pair of wind-up old ladies who race each other across the kitchen table. And who would not laugh when the Singing Toilet Paper kicks off its rendition of "Jingle Bells" as it begins to unroll?

There are plenty of coin banks for the money savers on your Christmas list. Choose a Chocolate Hershey's Syrup Bank, a variety of Elvis guitar banks, or a Miller High Life Bottle Bank. You can even choose a Customizable Money Jar that lets you put the recipient's favorite photograph on display. Or give your favorite saver a Coin Counting Bank that will automatically total the contents when they drop in a coin. Each of these banks will nestle down inside a stocking, just waiting to be put to use for next year's Christmas savings.

Consider these awesome gifts for everyone on your list this holiday season!

Crafts For Kids Birthday Parties

Aside from the foods, souvenirs are one of the most anticipated products that youngsters look forward to when youngsters birthday celebration get-togethers. If you're a parent who is considering what souvenir your child can give out to his or her close close friends for the duration of the special birthday bash, then look at home-made friendship bracelets.

If you do not have much of an artistic knack, probably the most uncomplicated thing that you are able to come up with is an elastic friendship bracelet as a keepsake. These are bangles or "wristlets" which are used being a piece of fashion accessory but in this instance, these can be worn by your child's good friends to symbolize their friendship.

The good thing about it is that it will not only assist you reduce costs by getting cheap materials for your bracelet but can also serve as a bonding activity for you and your child. Apart from that, the practice of producing the bracelet itself is amusing and quick.

While carrying out the merchandise, it is possible to squeeze out the creative juice in your child and encourage him or her to explore divers possibilities in the craft. This very activity can also enable them being thought to people the they cares about.

What you should do

Previous to accomplishing this activity, the initial thing that you need to do is to ask your child if he or she wants the home-made friendship bracelet as a keepsake to be provided immediately after her special birthday party. If he or she agrees, then ensure that their youngster are going to be a component of the complete process like choosing the materials, the designs, along with the governing colors to be utilized.

The initial step in making the friendship bracelet is usually to purchase the necessary supplies which include sets of colorful beads of your or your youngsters alternative, elastic nylon string, a pair of scissors, glue gun, bits of glue stick, tape measure or ruler, and also a round nose pliers should you choose to include locks and various metal items in the bracelet. You can find things in your house or buy these within the crafts store nearby.

Once you've all the compounds which you need, ask your child to segregate bits of beads as reported by his or her preference. Or to make the procedure quicker, you can probably segregate bead pieces by yourself. Next is to develop a bracelet design and attract on a piece of paper. The following, it is possible to request your youngster to come up with their style and integrate it with yours.

After which, get the elastic nylon. Utilizing a tape measure or a ruler cut the string according to your desired length with a pair of scissor. Then, gather the beads that your have segregated and selected earlier and start stringing the beads into the elastic string. Soon after that, knot the two ends of the string soon after you threaded the beads in it. Make sure to tie the final knot twice so it will not lighten up. Cut the excess nylon string applying a scissor.

To make sure that the ends would not calm down, you can put glue around the knots and flatten it with round nose pliers. You now have unique souvenirs that you are able to give out during kids bday events.

Teacher Appreciation Gifts - Never a Bad Time

When I was growing up I wanted to be a teacher. I used to sit my dolls at their little desks and I teach them a lesson on my easel chalkboard and everyone always had homework. I loved grading the papers! I had no idea what a hard job teaching really was until I had kids. Mixing all those personalities, dealing with temper tantrums and the EXCUSES ... and that's just from the parents!

Every year when my kids started the new school year, I said my prayers and hoped beyond hope that they would like their new teacher ... and just as importantly that the new teacher would like my kids. Some years were not so great and personalities clashed, but when we had the perfect mix I wanted that teacher to know how much I appreciated them and I wanted to think of some teacher gift ideas that showed how I felt.

When you think about it there is no one other than you who is spending more time with your child than their teacher. You want that teacher to know that their efforts are appreciated and when your child is praised and inspired by their teacher you want them to know how good it feels to be acknowledged and loved. Teacher Gifts do not have to be big and expensive but they should be thought and caring.

Let your child's classroom teacher feel the love and your appreciation by sending a note once and awhile and maybe a small teacher gift such as a lunch tote, some banking or a teacher's mug. There is no need to wait for Teacher Appreciation Week to be thoughtful ... stand out from the crowd and send something the first month of school to wish them luck on a GREAT year. Donate some school supplies or age appropriate books to the classroom or send a birthday sash that every child will get to wear on their special day. Be creative and find little ways all year to say thank you and show your appreciation. On Halloween you can send your child to school with some gourmet chocolate or homemade sugar cookies and in the Spring maybe a plant or a gardening tote. Teachers are always celebrating the kids birthdays but how about a birthday gift for the teacher such as a desk set, a hand painted wine glass or some delicious chocolate covered pretzels? End the year with a picture of the class in a personalized picture frame to commemorate the school year.

You may think that I am just talking about grade school teachers but if you think it is hard to make a five year old happy you probably have no idea how difficult it is to motivate a teenager. One year I sent a thank you note and a small teacher appreciation gift in the middle of the year to my son's high school english teacher just to thank her for taking the time with my son to encourage and inspire him to do his best work. She wrote back thanking me and telling me how much my actions had meant to her and I think we both felt really good.

I am in no way saying that we as parents should be sending expensive gifts to teachers all year long. I am just saying that today, as a society, we often take the time to complain when something is wrong BUT how often do we stop and say thank you when something is going right? If someone takes the time to do something nice then maybe we should return the favor ... what a wonderful world that would be?

5 Tips That Make Buying Gifts For Men Simple

One of the most difficult things that you will do for your father, husband, brother, or friend is to get them the best gift. Without any knowledge on how a man's mind works, gifts for men can be quite a mystery. Women find it difficult to find the best present because they do not know any existing guide out there that could lead them to the right present. So what are the things that you need to remember when getting gifts for men? Here are some tips that can make things easy.

1. Research on what he does for a living

Men are perceived by what they do. Practicing doctors will be labeled as doctors even if they are no longer in the hospital setting. This only means that you are what you do. Presents for your loved ones should be functional in the work setting. For instance, even the simplest custom made pen could be a good present as long as it could be used for documents in the office. This is the reason why you want to know what it does for a living.

2. Know the hobbies and interests

Hobbies and interest different among men. It is also usual for men to spend a lot of money on things that they love to do on their downtime. It could be hunting, or it could be some other outdoor sport. These hobbies and interests will give you an idea on what type of product you are going to look for.

3. Electronic gadget

Men are typically more tech savvy than women. This means that it is usually a good idea to offer them the latest gadgets. You may find these gifts expensive though. If you want to please them with an electronic item, you may want to consider getting these items during the black Friday sale. This way, you can easily get items for a much cheaper price.

4. Anything car related

Whether it is a free coupon for a car wash or a discount for new wheels, if there is anything universal about men, it is their love for cars. You can never go wrong when you provide gifts that would improve the looks or the performance of his car. Does this have to be expensive? In reality, you can have a variety of options that would have different price ranges. For instance, you can buy a new bumper sticker or you may opt to purchase a hard drive to store the music for his car. These are only some of the options that you can go for when it comes to his car.

5. Beer accessories

Men love social drinking. Whether they go for beer or whiskey, it is a trend for people to go on weekends to the nearest bar to have a drink with friends. With the number of presentations related to beer accessories, you will be surprised just how you can make your loved ones happy with these types of gifts.

Gifts for men today vary from simple to expensive gifts. You need to know the different options that you can go for in order to pin point the right one for your brother, father, husband or friend. These five things can help you less the trouble and be able to find the present within your budget.

Bearings in Everyday Items

The mere mention of bearings may put a great many into a panic state, convinced they know nothing of this high-tech, mechanical device that is instrumental in the functioning of many pieces of equipment and machinery.

These same people may also be surprised to learn that while bearings do play a pivotal role in the functioning of large pieces of equipment that they are relatively simply designed. They are also found in a great deal of ordinary everyday items.

Bearings are not nearly the scary creatures many believe them. They actually serve very useful functions in everyday life as they are essential parts in a great many thing that's used daily with very little thought being given to the mechanics of the item.

Bearings also boast a strength that greatly surpasses most anything like them in the industry today, making them a vital necessity in a great deal of machines and devices.

Bearings come in a variety of types for a range of uses. For example, many automobiles have wheel bearings, which nearly everyone is familiar with. However they also have a great deal of other types of bearings that are vital in the smooth operation of the vehicle. From the transmission, steering and even the air conditioning a vehicle relies on bearings for a great deal of its operations.

There are also a great deal of household items that also contain bearings. Items such as blenders, ceiling fans and skateboards all use different types of bearings to make sure they run smoothly and the proper bearing used for the type of operation they are responsible for.

Other items in the home, such as bar stools and drawer slides also use a bearing type mechanism to run as that's intended. These bearing may not seem as advanced as those used in a car but they are bearings, the same. Any type of household item that features a pivotal point or rotates most likely has some sort of bearing.

Toys are another item that could not get the full use from if it were not for bearings. Children thoroughly enjoy toys with moving parts as the toy version of an item often mimics the live version.

Toy trains, trucks and almost anything with a mechanically moving part as operated with the use of a bearing. These bearing need very little in the way of upkeep to appeal to the use of them in items typically used by children.

Electronics also have a use for bearings. DVD players, CD players and computers, basically anything that spins a disk, uses a bearing to rotate the disk.

Household appliances such as the washer and dryer, air conditioner and even fans are all driven by bearing that keep them operating smoothly as they carry out their daily jobs and tasks.

Almost anything that has moving parts has some type of bearing in it. The sheer number of bearing that a person could meet in their daily life is a true testament to the importance that they plays operation of a number of items or devices.

They are critical for almost every company or business that concerns on anything from a computer to heavy equipment to carry out their business practices.

Many do not even give a second thought as the how bearings affect their lives. From the cars that are driven to the seats being sat at and now even vital household chores all rent on the power of a bearing.

Available in a wide variety from wheel bearings to roller bearings of cylinder bearings All types get used for a variety of applications. These bearings are vital as they carry out some of the most necessary functions of the equipment or devices. Without them the world would certainly be a different place.