What toner does: Toner is an after-cleansing facial product meant to restore and rejuvenate the skin. It’s often used as part of a three-step process- clean, tone, and moisturize- applied before makeup. Toner maintains the skin’s natural level of acidity (pH balance) and keeps it level.

Why you should wear it: Although many cleansers do their job well, toner can help get rid of any final impurities trapped under the skin’s surface. You want to keep your skin hydrated and fresh, especially if you wear daily eye makeup, blush, or foundation.

How to select a toner: They tend to be divided into three different varieties- alcohol-based, water-based, and toners created with both a water-based and glycerin formula which may contain floral extracts as well. Experts usually advise avoiding alcohol-based formulas because of their chemical nature (in fact, this is the main reason that toners have earned themselves a poor reputation).

Dermatologists recommend different varieties based on your skin type. If you have a dry complexion, it may be a wise choice to try a gentle product to prevent skin from drying out further (such as Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner).

Tips for wearing summer fresh eye makeup:

- Be sure to apply eye primer before any color.
- Apply eye makeup first (before lip colours, highlighters or facial blushes).
- If you have green or blue eyes, you can tone down and compliment green eye makeup with brown eye liner or other earth toned liners/eye shadows.

If green eye makeup is new for you, it makes sense to stick with cost-effective products available at your local drugstore. Some of our favorite products for creating a beautiful green eye makeup look include:

Eye Shadows
L’Oreal Bright Shadow Duo in Showy Shade
Rimmel London – Glam’Eyes Trio Eyeshadow in Tempting Shade
CoverGirl Intense ShadowBlast in Extreme Green Shade
L’Oreal Colour Riche Eye Shadow in Blue Haute Couture
Almay Wakeup Eyeshadow in Revive Shade

Eyeliners
CoverGirl Liquiline Blast Eyeliner in Green Glow
Almay Liquid Eyeliner in Brown Shade
Maybelline Unstoppable Eyeliner in Pewter Shade

Mascara
Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes in Brown Black Shade
CoverGirl LashBlast Luxe in Black Emerald

Check out MakeupByEman’s fun green eye makeup tutorial below for more tips and tricks.

Scientific advancements have always been a big part of the latest breaking beauty products, but a new line of skin cell based products is taking your skin care to a new level of advancement. Stemulation Luxury Skin Care uses stem cell technology to rejuvenate your skin and claims to offer a fresh new face to aging skin.

As you age, stem cells die and Stemulation wants to help revive the stem cells in your skin, which they say will in turn help you look younger. They say their new products have created a way for stem cells to be absorbed through the skin. It uses an antioxidant to get the formula into your skin.

Related: Stem Cell Facelifts

Stemulation says it can reduce fine lines and wrinkles by 46% and tighten the skin by 65%. It also claims to be able to reduce the look of sunspots and be eco-friendly to boot.

Stemulation products come in a variety of forms including cleansers, lotions, scrubs and serums. Prices range from $35 for a cleanser to $380 for the serum and crème set.

While there don’t seem to be any official reviews of the collection online, it could be worth a shot to get younger skin.

Ombre hair has been a popular sight on both runways and city sidewalks since at least 2010, but with summer on the horizon, it leaves us with the desire for an update. While ombre is still in style, it’s changing with the seasons, with a new twist on the hair trend for 2013. Here are some suggestions for updating your ombre hair if you’re looking for a newer look:

1) Soft blending: In the past couple seasons, ombre looks have been striking and determined to stand out, with dark roots and sunkissed ends. However, the trend is slowly inching toward more of a graduated effect, with the two tones being from a similar colour family. This softer effect is perfect for the warmer months, great for pairing with printed sundresses and flowing tops.

2) Natural warm tones: Ombre doesn’t have to be jet black roots ending in edgy violet. If you’re aiming for more of a subtle effect appropriate for the office, warm caramel locks ending in dark blonde are a perfect way to keep the ombre trend simple and sophisticated. The key with the new ombre is to keep things light, neutral, and basic for summer.

Related: Beyonce’s Spring 2013 Ombre Hair

3) Reverse ombre: Ombre becomes trendy and unique with this year’s trend of lighter roots ending in dark tips, a contrast from what we’ve become used to known as “reverse ombre”. Lauren Conrad wears this look perfectly, with beach-ready waves and just the right amount of lighter blonde at the ends.

4) Plenty of body: Ombre hair is no longer limited to straight, overprocessed locks in an attempt at perfection. The trend is shifting in the direction of bigger waves, curls and bouncy hair which is ultimately healthy and not in denial of its natural texture. Demi Lovato has embraced this updated trend with her shiny, sleek curly ombre touched with red gold.

5) Accidentally on purpose: At best, ombre should look like a happy accident, and not a forced dip-dye effect with a complete difference in colour tone (as we were used to seeing in 2011 and 2012). Enjoy what is naturally yours, and don’t be afraid to work an ‘accidental” ombre look with grown-out highlights. While Lea Michele’s hairstyle might be more professionally made than a professed mistake, we still like the highlighted effect with darker bangs which makes the colour appear a little faded!

99 Calorie Margarita

Use fresh ingredients to make your warm weather margarita a healthier drink. Combine 1.25 oz or tequila, 2 springs of cilantro, 4 slices of cucumber, 2 slices of jalapeno, 1 oz of lime juice, 2 ox of distilled water and 2 packets of Splenda in a glass over ice and serve.

107 Calorie Lemonade

Stay refreshed in the backyard with this sugar-free lemonade option. Combine 50ml of whisky with 25ml of lemon juice, 25 ml of lime juice and diet lemonade. Add ice and enjoy.

95 Calorie Mojito

This classic summer drink doesn’t have to break your diet, since it comes in at under 100 calories. Mix 50ml of rum with mint and lime wedges. Add 25ml of gomme sugar syrup, ice and soda water to complete this traditional summer drink.

65 Calorie Strawberry Daiquri

When you think of daiquri’s you probably think of a high calorie drink loaded with sugar, but this summer drink is a healthier option. Mix 50ml of rum, 25 ml of lime juice, 50ml of strawberry syrup and ice until smooth. Pour in a glass, add some fresh strawberry and enjoy.

173 Calorie Sangria

One of our favourite summer drink, this should be mixed up in a punch bowl and served up for the girls on a warm day. Pour three bottles of light to medium red wine in a bowl. Add slices of apple, oranges, and grapes. Fill up the rest of the bowl with diet lemon soda such as Sprite. Mix and enjoy in some chilled glasses.

[Photo via Katherine Price, Recipes via Shape & Marie Claire]

With summer long weekends starting up, now is the time to ensure you have everything you need to look great this summer. If you will be spending your long weekends at the beach or backyard barbecues  you probably want to look good without wearing too much heavy makeup. We have gathered easy light makeup that fits with your summer schedule.

Waterproof Mascara – You never know when you might want to hop in the pool for a dip or work up a sweat playing beach volleyball, so make sure you invest in great waterproof mascara. Lancome’s Hypnose Drama Mascara ($26) gets dramatic volume so you can still bat your lashes at the boys.

Related: Best Waterproof Makeup

BB Cream – Skip all of the heavy skin makeup that is just going to weight you down. L’Oreal’s Age Perfect Instant Glow BB Cream ($16) offers sheer coverage that helps to even skin tone and moisturize. With an SPF 20 included, it gives some sun protection as well to keep your face looking beautiful.

Lip Gloss – If you are out getting active this summer, you don’t need to fuss over which shade of lipstick to wear. Get a lip gloss instead to highlight your lips with a summery shine. Pick up Sephora’s Cabana Cutie Kit ($22), which comes with a Color Reveal Lip Balm that works with your natural pH to create your own custom shade of pink glossy lips.

Pop Of Eye Shadow – You can’t go through the whole summer without any colour. When you do need some summer glam, get a vibrant summer shade of aqua or bronze eye shadow on your lids. The Color Me In Eye Crayon ($12) from Mark can be kept in your purse to go from day to night for some added eye colour when needed.

Body Spray – You don’t always want a heavy perfume in the summer, but a nice misting of body spray over your hair can be a pretty finishing touch. Halle Berry’s Halle Classic and Pure Orchid fragrances both come in a light body mist to give you a refresh.

We’ve all heard that pain is beauty, but how about beauty rituals based on the animal kingdom’s creepiest creatures? Don’t ever be surprise how far a woman will go in the pursuit of refreshed skin, softer feet, or a more youthful visage. Here are five creepy beauty treatments available now:

1) The Geisha facial: The Japanese beauty treatment (also called “uguisu no fun”) is made with the powdered droppings of nightingales mixed with green tea and other traditional ingredients, making it quite literally a “bird poop facial”. Historically, geishas would use the substance to remove makeup and brighten their faces. Shizuka New York Day Spa in New York City offers the service, at $180 for a one hour treatment.

2) Fish pedicure: The controversial spa service made an appearance in Canada in 2008 after becoming popular in Asia, and has since been banned in many parts of the country due to its possibly toxic nature. Spa patrons would dip their feet into a tank filled with water and “doctor fish”. The tiny creatures would then nibble away at dead skin on the toes. Unfortunately, using the same tanks for multiple clients can lead to an increase in infections.

3) Bee venom serum:  Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, made beauty headlines recently after her use of bee venom as a facial treatment was announced. Bee venom in the form of a mask or cream is said to give the skin a younger appearance and minimize wrinkles. Companies, such as Rodial, are creating full bee venom lines to give you a more youthful appearance.

Related: Bee Venom Sales Are Soaring

4) Snake venom skincare: You probably wouldn’t want to be bitten by a poisonous snake, but would you apply the same venom to your skin as a lotion? The killer toxin from the Asian Temple Viper snake has been added to anti-aging creams and is said to be the secret to Gwyneth Paltrow’s beauty. The cream contains a skin-plumping substance found in the venom known as “syn-ake” to keep fine lines under control.

Related: Dragon’s Blood Facelift

5) Snail slime: You may not think of the little slimy beings in your gardens as exactly glamorous, but snail slime has been used in creams to fight aging and acne. The mucus-like properties found in the slime have been used in healing and skin repair lotions by Dr. Jart + and Labbconte.

Related: Snail Slime Face Gel

Sci-fi diva Rachel Nichols has moved on from the skies of Star Trek to the time travelling world of her hit TV show Continuum. While Rachel Nichols may not be hitting the silver screen this weekend in the Star Trek sequel, she will be starring on the small screen. We asked his science fiction beauty what keeps her looking so lovely. Here are Rachel Nichols’ five favourite beauty products:

1. I have a very dear friend, Francesco Clark, who owns a company called Clark’s Botanicals. The story is pretty amazing. I use his products aggressively. He named a chap stick after me called Rachel Red. He has an anti-puff eye cream that is one of my favourite things in the entire world. Some days on set or in real life, you go to bed after having a cry or do a scene that is very emotional, and I walk up with what I call mole face – Clark’s Botanicals Anti-Puff Eye Cream.

2. I am a big fan of Clinique Moisture Surge. I know that a lot of people think you have to spend a lot of money on moisturizer and skin cream. I say not really!

3. I like eye cream. When I was 20 my publicist said I should start using eye cream. I will splurge on that. I have a library of eye creams.

4. Sunscreen. It’s a important beauty product for me. I go straight up Neutrogena 100 SPF. The highest I can get. I am an avid fan of sunscreen, especially because I live in LA. I’ve been wearing sunscreen every day of my life since I turned 21.

5. I think the best beauty accessory is water, which I drink a massive amount of.

Related: Orphan Black Star’s Favourite Beauty Products

The high sleek ponytail is a fun flirty summer hair style and as Uhura in Star Trek: Into Darkness, Zoe Saldana has mastered the look. We found a few tricks, so that you can get the same sleek high ponytail as Zoe Saldana.

Lock In Product – After you wash, apply a hair gel to towel dried hair. Work hair gel through your hair. Next apply a heat protector to keep your hair safe from all of the styling. Now it’s time to get out the blow dryer. Aim the blow dryer down to the ends of the hair and all of this will lock your product into place in the cuticles.

Related: Effortless Hairstyles To Try Now

Heavy Duty Iron – It will be easier to get Zoe Saldana’s super sleek hair with a heavy duty flat iron. You will need a wide flat iron to get your hair straight all of the way to the end. Be careful to use one smooth motion to avoid kinks.

Extend Yourself – If you have shorter hair don’t be scared of using extensions to get this look. You can get a really beautiful long ponytail using extensions. Nowadays you don’t have to commit to permanent extensions. Get clip in extensions to change your look for a special event.

Related: Tricks To Getting The Perfect Ponytail

Watch this video to learn how to get this look using hair extensions:

Oscar winning actress Mo’Nique shows it is never too late to get fit by showing off dramatic weight loss on Twitter. Mo’Nique said that in 1999 she weighed around 300 pounds, but now she has slimmed down to 218. Her final goal is near at between 190 and 200 pounds.

Mo’Nique lost the weight the old fashioned way with a lot of exercise and hard work. She said it was her husband Sidney Hicks and children who inspired her to lose the weight. She’s been documenting her weight loss journey on Twitter hoping to inspire other people to get in shape as well. Mo’Nique tells her followers on Twitter “Take that fighting spirit inside of you and knock out that quitting spirit. Fight for your life. NO PAIN NO GAIN” and “We can always get a quick fix. However what will be the long term effects. Do it naturally, benefits…PRICELESS.”

Her 80 pound weight loss will surely be an inspiration to many women.

[Photo via Twitter]