Community Magazine June 2012

Personal Care Mrs. Esty Saadia, Makeup Artist Keep Your Makeup Brushes Clean: Unclean makeup brushes have germs and bacteria that can cause acne. To clean makeup brushes effectively, use anti-bacterial dishwashing soap and olive oil. The soap removes oils and pigments and kills bacteria, while the olive oil helps recondition the brushes so they don’t dry out the hair. 1. Pour soap and a little olive oil onto a plate. Take your dirty brush and stir it in the plate. 2. Wipe it back on forth on a tissue to remove all the pigments and kill bacteria. 3. Rinse your brushes with warmwater. (Hot water damages the brushes.) 4. Take a paper towel to dry your brushes. (Cloth towels can leave lint on your brushes.) 5. Stand the brush face down in a glass cup so gravity will push moisture away from the handle, and the glass will collect the moisture, keeping your brush dry. (Laying the brush down or facing upward allows water to seep into the brush handle, which could ruin it.) 6. Wash your brushes often to keep them looking new. Picture It Morris Antebi, Photographer Night Shots: When taking nighttime photos, many people complain about weird streaks of light that develop with the picture. The reason for this is the contrast between the flash and the surrounding darkness. The trick to taking good nighttime photos is to use a tripod to hold the camera still. Simply ensuring the camera does not shake can avoid this problem entirely. Mortgage Matters Larry Aboudi, Senior Mortgage Consultant Trigger Leads: Don’t Be Exploited by the Credit Bureaus Some predatory mortgage companies will pay up to $100 to major credit agencies for your name and personal information when you apply for a home loan. These companies will then try to solicit your business – often deliberately discrediting the mortgage professionals you may already be working with in the process. Your name, address, phone numbers, mortgage history, and even your FICO score range can be sold by the credit bureaus to mortgage companies, and no legislation currently exists to prevent credit agencies from divulging such information. Some companies that engage in these practices may use bait-and-switch tactics to lure customers, promising very attractive rates. But the fact is, mortgage lenders are by-and-large using the same sources to obtain mortgage money, and so it’s unlikely that a borrower will find an unbelievably low rate without an unbelievably high upfront cost. So to avoid being inundated with unsolicited offers, prior to applying for any loan program, visit www.optoutprescreen.com to ensure that credit bureaus won’t sell your information to unknown lenders. As you embark on what could be the largest financial transaction of your life, it’s important to work with a mortgage professional you trust – someone who will provide comprehensive solutions, while clearly explaining all of your available options. Garage Gab Ralph Czeisler, Emil’s All Tire Nitro filled tires saves time and money. Low tire pressure can result in uneven or worn tires, and lower gas mileage. Nitrogen filled tires maintain proper pressure better than regular air. So unless you plan on checking your tire pressure often (you can purchase an inexpensive gauge), opt for nitro-fill to save money in the long run. – edited by Rachel Dayan They are the trained professionals, experts in their fields and masters of their domains. Community magazine’s savants share their best tips on how you can make your life a bit simpler, more economical, and more efficient. Are you a savant in your field? Email your hints and advice to editor@communitym.com. Tech Know Morris Massry, Technology Partners Assoc. Microsoft Office for Your iPad or Android Tablet Recently, CloudOn (free) has successfully brought a fully-loaded version of Microsoft Office to your Android and iOS, so you can edit documents on-the-go using all of Office’s features. You can open Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files and email attachments directly in your workspace. And, breathe easy because your changes are saved automatically – always. You can even store your documents right into your Dropbox, Google Drive, or Box.net account. Savant 44 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE