My girl Annie sent me an email that I think is worth sharing with you. Annie is an eyebrow goddess, and therefore I implicitly trust her advice (though I haven’t yet tried this trick myself). 
Here is her brow wisdom.
DC,
Two words for you: castor oil. Rub it in 2 times a day, then use what remains on a finger on lashes. You’ll find it is in almost all brow/lash growth products, and that is actually how I fell upon that beauty jam.
Love,
AM
Castor oil has many useful applications, including breaking up scar tissue I hear. One word of caution, after some advice from a well-known body worker, my friend Trisha rubbed castor oil all over her midsection in an effort to break up scar tissue from a gnarly accident and subsequent surgeries. Trish tends to do things balls to the wall and the intensity of her bedtime castor oil application wasn’t any exception. The next morning after a vigorous 2 hour yoga intensive, Trisha darted back to her apartment, but didn’t quite make it before she shit her pants. Even worse? She dropped her drawers and ran up the stairs Porky Pig style (shirt + no pants), and a dude was walking his dog in the alley and caught her bare shitty ass running up the stairs. Let Trisha’s humiliation serve as your warning. Castor oil is great, but take it easy or you can shit your pants. 
Know what really gets my goose? When my makeup gets gouged. It has happened twice lately to two different expensive gel blushes – Kevyn Aucoin and Urban Decay. The compacts break and then the hinge digs into my precious product. Such a bummer. 
Fear not, there are remedies. If the container isn’t metal, you can stick the product in the microwave for a few seconds to melt it down. A space heater works too with a heat-safe plate. I use a lip on the top of my fireplace that works well too. Get creative. I’ve seen folks do it junkie style with a spoon and a lighter. Based on my experience, these warming techniques work to reconstitute and resurface creams, gels, or viscous liquids. As the product melts down, carefully remove it from the heat source and allow it to cool. Once it sets, your makeup will have that fresh-glazed, right-out-of-the-package look.
Remember to supervise this hair-brained scheme because it probably isn’t that safe or smart. Please don’t set yourself or your home on fire trying to save your blush. Promise? 
I was reading this month’s Bazaar and there was an article about the new breed of facial oils. Rodin has fronted the luxury end of this trend with their $150 Olio Lusso face oil. Rodin blends jasmine, apricot kernel, almond, jojoba, evening primrose, calendula, sunflower, and argan among others to create their specific concoction. 
That said, you really needn’t throw down $150 for one precious ounce. Long time readers know I’m a big fan of Burt’s Bees Baby Bee Nourishing Baby Oil ($9 for 4 oz) and more recently NOW Solutions Sweet Almond Oil 100% Pure Moisturizing Oil ($11 for 16 oz!). Experiment with these less expensive options first. If you are spooked on massaging oil into your whole face, begin with the delicate eye region. 
Keep in mind that oil can inhibit the efficacy of some ingredients, so stagger the use of your facial oil with your other potent products. Explore the notion of giving your skin a break from all the irritating chemicals and integrating some nourishing oil in your routine. 
Over the last handful of years pop-up threading joints have migrated to every corner of the country, so surely I don’t have to explain that threading is a hair removal technique traditionally popular in Asia, India, and the Middle East. I’ve been interested in threading for awhile, but have been a little too shy to try. The threaders nearby have these kiosks or little store fronts set up that don’t provide for much privacy. Who wants their epilation done on display for all the lookilous? Public hair removal is a dignity issue ya’ll.
This past Tuesday it was an especially quiet morning for shopping. When I passed by the threader’s shop, I noticed it was empty and she was sitting quietly reading a book. After walking just beyond the window front, I decided it was now or never. I turned around and crossed the threshold.
“Hi, can you do anything with these?” I gesticulated hesitantly to my forehead. You see I was laboring under the delusion that threading only worked on coarse hair, and I was not bestowed with a Brooke Shields brow bounty.
“Yes, Yes,” she said and motioned for me to recline in her chair. She had me hold my own eyelid down with one hand and pull my skin tight from above by placing the other hand on my forehead.
My eyes were closed, but I felt the thread running across my brow pulled taught across her fingers like dental floss. Almost too quickly to detect, she wove the thread through a row of hairs and yanked them all out with one quick maneuver. Does it hurt? Well, yeah, pulling hair out by the root hurts. However, I do find it less painful than tweezing or waxing. Whatever discomfort does surface is over and done with quick enough; in total she spent less than 5 minutes total shaping both brows. When she was done a single tear rolled down my cheek which she dabbed away gently with a tissue as she sat me up and placed the hand mirror in my grasp for the big reveal.
As far as I’m concerned, it may be the best five minutes I’ve spent on self-improvement all week. The lines are precise and laser sharp. The area above the brow, the brow bone, and between the brows is completely free of errant hairs as though it was waxed. The procedure produced some redness, but it was quick to diminish, and I haven’t experienced the attendant breakouts so common with waxing and depilatories.
We all know damn well what a good eyebrow shaping can do for a person: open up their face, make them appear rested, and maybe even look a few years younger. Most people won’t know exactly what you did, but they will know you look better. And this shit is a lot less expensive than fillers or botox. In fact, threading is surprisingly economical. Most threaders charge between $7-$12 for both brows. I am so impressed by the outcome, next time I’m considering letting her do my whole face.
Threading. If you are curious, try. Too many times I just walked curiously by. Now after one visit, I’m not only a threading convert, I’m an apostle. Piss off waxers.
As I prepare for this move, I am appalled by the number of partially used beauty products on my shelves. I usually do really well until I get 75% through the product, then I tend to move on to a new one and lose interest in the original before I get to the bottom of the jar.
Disgusted with this wasteful habit, I vow to finish this hodge-podge collection of halflings before I purchase anything new. I’ll throw out any potion outdated or past its prime, but otherwise it is time to steward the responsibility of the investment through to its natural conclusion.
I’ve been working my way through the L’Oreal EverCrème product line and have yet to be disappointed. I’ve tried the Nourishing Shampoo, the Intense Nourishing Conditioner, and my favorite – the Nourishing Leave-In Spray. 
I’m not big on heavily fragranced products, but I frequently receive smell-good compliments when I use this effective detangler. 
Overall, EverCrème has proved a highly enjoyable return for little investment. Worth a try. 
Juice Organics Pomwash Exfoliating Facial Foam
Caudalíe Instant Foaming Cleanser
L’Occitane Brightening Cleansing Foam
I get a lot of sunscreen inquiries, but haven’t loved any one product enough to drop a full-on endorsement on my faithful DC readers. Either the SPF isn’t high enough, the finish is too greasy, or the product rubs off and burns my eyes. For example, I really wanted to like this Alba Organics SPF 30, but in addition to causing eye irritation, it migrates and you end up tasting it. This creates a grossly unpleasant and uncomfortable experience, especially during any kind of physical activity.
In response to dissatisfaction with all the obvious big players (Neutrogena, Coppertone, Aveeno), the pendulum swung way to the other end of the spectrum, and I invested in this Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral SPF 30. The plastic end houses peachy colored powder that dispenses through the brush. First off, when the product arrived it was difficult to tell if any actual powder trickled down through the bristles. I pulled off the end and dumped half the product on the floor. At around $30 bucks (on clearance now as low as $12), $15 was wasted by this careless accident – super annoying for sure! Can’t really blame PTR, but the mistake soured my overall impression. 
The powder formulation skirts the typical perils of cream or oil sunscreen as mentioned above. It doesn’t run into the eyes or mouth. Instant mineral isn’t greasy, and it doubles as a loose powder by providing a matte finish. The main drawback is it is difficult to tell if you’ve achieved adequate coverage. Furthermore, like most other sunscreens, it sweats off. I don’t hate this product, but it is most useful as a scalp sunscreen. It doubles as a dry shampoo and crown protector. Sun-roof and convertible babies, this one is for you. 
Of all the sunscreens tested (far more than discussed here), Ocean Potion Face SPF45 Clear Zinc Oxide is my favorite. Unlike many carcinogenic sunscreen ingredients readily absorbed into the blood stream and linked to hormone disruption, zinc oxide is an inorganic compound which provides complete UVB/UVA protection, has anti-inflammatory properties, and is considered a safe sunscreen ingredient. It is also about the only sunblock approved by the FDA for children under 6 months of age. This particular light weight cream absorbs easily and does NOT leave that weird white film many of us associate with standard zinc oxide sunscreens. The best part? This stuff is very reasonably priced. Find this one ounce jar widely available for less than $2, and with a little research, bargain hunters can track it down for only $.67! 
Confession time. Awhile back I tried EverPure and really, really, really liked it. Typically, I’m loathe to recommend anything L’Oreal due to their well-known history of testing on animals. However, L’Oreal claims not to test EverPure on animals or include any animal ingredients in the formula. 
If you are hardcore about the sulfate thing, EverPure claims to be sulfate-free. However, it contains Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate and Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate which seems a little like skirting sulfate on semantics, but whatever; this stuff gives great suds. After trying several expensive and budget varieties, with and without sulfate sudsing agents, EverPure shampoo tops them all. Don’t mess with the conditioner though, it sux. 
After finding shampoo nirvana, a high-performing natural conditioner became priority number one. Conditioner often justifies the expense, but you don’t have to drop major coin on a daily detangler. Juice Organics Brightening Conditioner is absolutely delightful. The natural conditioner actually has a recognizable ingredient list:
