Friday, December 21, 2007

False Eyelashes - “How to Apply”

False Eyelashes - “How to Apply”


Nothing can make your look more dramatic and expressive than beautiful long full eyelashes. But even with the best mascara, only a few of us can achieve that result. Luckily, we always can rely on our little beauty secret - false eyelashes

Now, if you already have a set of false eye lashes or you are considering to try one - the most important thing is that you do it right. So, let’s watch and learn from the fabulous Tricia Sawyer - one of the most famous Hollywood make-up artists.

Get Rid of Adult Acne

Get Rid of Adult Acne


Adult acne is definitely an unpleasant thing to have, especially if you are a woman and care about how you look. If you are well above the teen age and suddenly start developing blackheads and blemishes on your face, which do not want to go away no matter how careful you are about your personal hygiene, read the following facts on what causes adult acne and what you can do to get rid of it.


What makes more than 60 millions of adults in the States (the vast majority of whom are women!) develop middle-age acne, while it is still a rare condition in more traditional societies? The answer is definitely in our industrial lifestyle, bad dietary preferences, and extreme environmental pollution. The basic causes are the following:

1. Bad diet is number one cause of adult-onset acne. Bad diet, which robs us of essential nutrients and disrupts both digestive ecology and healthy hormonal balance, usually consists of the following:

- overconsumption (more than 100 grams a day) of carbohydrates, especially in the form of processed breads, pastas, sugar, sweets, soda pop, etc., which stimulates insulin production and severely worsens an acne condition;

- giving preference to newfangled vegetable oils, margarines, and trans fats in processed foods, instead of eating traditional animal fats with antimicrobial and hormone-stabilizing properties (coconut and marine oils, natural butter, cultured cream, etc.);

- eating non-organic meats and dairy products, which contain a big amount of residual hormones and other medication that are fed to the cattle on a regular basis. Consumption of such impure products is especially dangerous for women, because female hormones are very sensitive and can easily get out of balance due to foreign synthetic medication in the food. In time, this bad diet manifests as PMS, pregnancy complications, pathological menopause, and adult acne;

- eating mostly “dead”, cooked and processed, foods, which do not provide friendly bacteria for the digestive tract. It’s interesting to note that women who regularly eat natural yogurt, home-made pickles and unpasteurized sauerkraut, rarely suffer from adult acne.

2. Hormones, which, again, easily get out of balance due to inappropriate food, stress, hormone-containing medication, birth-control pills, and changes brought by the monthly cycle, menopause and pregnancy.

3. Genes. Hereditary element can worsen adult acne, especially in severe cases of so-called “scarring acne”.

4. Synthetic face-care products and makeup, which clog the pores and disrupt the acid-alkaline balance of the face skin. Needless to say that, if you want to have a clean skin, you always should opt for natural and preferably home-made creams and other beauty products for your face.
What are the solutions?

Change your diet, switch to natural face-care products, and be patient - your body will need some time to restore the balance and cure your skin. A great natural approach to treating adult acne is described here.

However, if you want immediate results, you can try some of numerous acne medications (which usually just mask the symptoms and which I therefore do not recommend).

5 Practical Tips on Dry Skin Care

5 Practical Tips on Dry Skin Care





1. Dry skin is usually sensitive and, since winter tends to worsen the condition, it requires thorough care. The best approach to managing dry skin is to avoid using commercial creams and lotions that contain mineral oils and other petroleum products. Creams and other skin-care products that are based on natural hypoallergenic ingredients are the best.


Every morning after showering, pat your entire body with virgin coconut oil, cocoa butter, or shea butter. They contain naturally occurring nourishing ingredients, such as essential oils, skin-friendly Vitamins A, C, D and E, and protein. Natural creams and lotions are extremely beneficial for dry skin - they heal, deeply moisturize, and protect skin from aging.

2. If your face skin is dry, try not to wash it with tap water since it often contains chlorine, fluoride, and other undesirable chemicals. Instead, use cold mineral water or ice made with it, or, better, clean your face with an alcohol-free cleaning lotion, toner, or cosmetic milk, made of natural ingredients. They gently refresh dry skin without causing irritation, while respecting its balance of moisture. Toners and milks effectively remove daily impurities and makeup, purify and refine pores, and leave dry skin feeling clean, soft, and hydrated.






3. If your skin is dry and irritates easily, try to cut back on the amount of time you bathe or shower - some dermatologists even suggest spending no more than three minutes a day in water! Use the mildest soap available and do not overdo it - use soap every other day only. Scrubbing is usually not recommended for dry skin. Instead, once a week use a mild oatmeal soap, which will gently exfoliate your skin without causing irritation. After bathing or showering, do not rub your skin with a towel, instead, softly pat it dry. Apply a natural oil or butter when the skin is still moist, and pay the most attention to your lower legs where skin tends to be the driest.

4. If your skin or scalp develop dry, irritated, itchy spots, do your best to avoid scratching. Apply shea butter or coconut oil several times a day and try to prevent water from splashing on irritated areas. Dry skin is also prone to eczema and other uncomfortable skin conditions. A good preventive measure is to augment your diet with essential oils contained in raw organic butter, cod liver oil, Omega-3 eggs, coconut oil, and fresh cold-water fish.


5. In cold and dry winter months, consider investing in a humidifier and placing it in your bedroom or other apartment area where you spend a significant amount of time. The additional moisture in the air will help your skin condition improve almost immediately.











5 Tips for Whiter Teeth

5 Tips for Whiter Teeth








1. Certain drinks, like caffeine, soda pop, black tea, red wine, or candy, as well as smoking, dull the gleam of teeth. If you cannot deny yourself a pleasure of sipping a cup of strong coffee in the morning or a glass of red wine in the evening, or if you are having a puff every now and then, you need to take care of your teeth more carefully.Be sure to brush them thoroughly every time after you have drunk wine or tea, have eaten a candy, or smoked a cigarette. Whitening toothpastes, which contain polishing agents, can be helpful to a degree to remove stains from the surface of teeth, especially if they are used on a regular basis.



2. Aging and some prescription drugs, such as tetracycline antibiotics, can dull the color of your teeth. There is really not much you can do about it yourself, but modern dentistry can certainly make wonders!



3. To get back the sparkle of your teeth, ask a dentist to recommend you the best over-the-counter whitening product that would suit the needs of your teeth. Remember that yellowish teeth, which have changed colour because of beverages or smoking, usually lighten well, but if your teeth have a brownish or greyish tint from taking antibiotics in a young age, commercial whiteners may not help.The most popular and budget-friendly teeth whiteners, whichusually contain hydrogen peroxide, include:




- a dental tray together with a gel kit, which visibly lightens teeth in about a fortnight period;- whitening strips, which are effective for whitening front teeth; and

- paint-on gels

- a bit messy, but all teeth can be covered.


4. A more expensive but also more effective way to lighten teeth is to use a custom-made tray, manufactured by your dentist just for you. Such trays contain carbamide peroxide solution and fluoride, which work more gently and lighten teeth faster. A disadvantage of this method is that it can increase teeth’s sensitivity. The cost can vary from $300 and up to $450.


5. If all the above methods of teeth whitening are not effective, or if you want to have even whiter teeth, consider bonding (a resin put over teeth) or porcelain veneers, which are manufactured in a dentist laboratory. The cost is more substantial - up to $300 for bonding and up to $1,500 for porcelain veneers (per tooth). A big advantage of these two methods is that you can choose sparklingly white “new teeth” which will last you for the rest of your life!

5 Quick Steps to Soothe Chapped Lips

5 Quick Steps to Soothe Chapped Lips



It is always better to prevent than to cure. Chapped lips can be caused by a number of factors, and many of them, such as being for a long time in a dry and cold environment, eating very salty dishes, or kissing outside in a windy weather ;) , can be avoided or at least minimized. Other causes of getting chapped lips may be due to the thyroid hormone imbalances or Bvitaminsdeficiency, which can be cured by a long-term adherence to a healthy, natural diet.

Chapped lips can also be triggered by your hypersensitivity to a new lipstick, in which case throw it into the garbage and never buy any product of the same brand again. No matter what the cause is, if you have already developed chapped lips, use the following tips to cure them as quickly as possible:

1. Our grandmothers used goose or duck fat to facilitate the healing of chapped lips. Those are truly wonderful remedies, so next time when you are making a roast duck with apples, do not discard the fat, but keep it in the fridge as a traditional medicine. If you do not have any, do not despair - coconut oil, or olive oil, or shea butter, will work great, as well. Apply frequently until your lips heal.

2. Do not use any gel, balm, or lipstick that contain alcohol or petroleum products - they for sure will worsen the condition and will make your chapped lips feel even dryer and more painful. Use only natural remedies. A good rule is to put on your lips only edible ingredients (this rule also works well for any other body care products, because the skin rapidly absorbs all contents of lotions and creams, both good and bad ). In other words, if you cannot eat it - do not put it either on your lips or on your skin!

3. Abstain from eating any hot, spicy, or salty foods for as long as your lips are still dry, cracked, and painful.

4. Avoid going outside if the weather is dry and windy. If you must, use a generous amount of natural oil to protect your lips from unfriendly environment.

5. Be patient. It may take up to a week for your lips to heal completely. In the meanwhile, be sweet and compassionate to yourself and make your boyfriend prepare a comforting dessert with a delicious and relaxing warm drink. Indulge in pampering your taste buds and forget for awhile about your chapped lips! :)

Skin Care Tips According to Your Skin Type

Skin Care Tips According to Your Skin Type






In the previous article, we learned about five different skin types, namely, normal, dry, oily, combination, and sensitive and a necessity of a proper skin care that would be adjusted for your particular skin type.



Today, read our skin care recommendations that are designed to guide you through a wide sea of various beauty tips and products towards finding what you really need in order to keep your skin smooth, young, and gorgeous.


1. Normal skin, although being the least problematic type, still requires cleaning, nourishing, and moisturizing. In the morning, refresh your skin with rose water or an alcohol-free astringent tonic and moisturize it with a mild, non-greasy cream, preferably made from natural ingredients without petroleum by-products. Use a good quality make-up, but do not overindulge. Before bed, gently wash your face with a mild soap, such as goat milk soap, and put on a bit of an oil-based nourishing cream, paying particular attention to the areas around your eyes. After about 15 minutes, gently pat your skin dry with a napkin. Once a week, use an egg yolk mask, or any other natural and non-drying mask to feed and rejuvenate your face skin. Do not forget to take care about your body, as well. Every day after showering, use a mild moisturizing lotion to keep your body skin supple and healthy.


2. Dry skin requires a more thorough care, since it is prone to flaking, irritating, and fast aging. If your skin is dry, you should use only natural and rich skin-care products, such as undiluted shea butter, extra-virgin coconut oil, or home-made herbal oils. Apply them twice a day and allow some time for your skin to absorb nourishing and moisturizing ingredients from the oil before putting a hypoallergenic make-up on. Try not to use tap water but, instead, clean your facial skin with mild cleansing milks or herbal infusions. With good care, dry skin will always look healthy and smooth.


3. Oily skin requires the opposite approach - instead of putting an emphasis on nourishing, you should focus on removing excess oil from it, hydrating, cleaning enlarged pores, and preventing or treating acne. Wash your skin about 2-3 times a day, but use a mild soap only once a day, because otherwise oil glands will be stimulated to produce even more sebum. Use only non-greasy moisturisers and tone your face often with alcohol-free herbal tonics or ice cubes, which will restore the health and balance of your skin. The best masks for oily skin are those featuring drying and hydrating ingredients, for example, clay, papaya, or yogurt. Apply once a week and make sure to rinse your face thoroughly with cool water after about 20 minutes. In case of acne, remove sugar and other carbohydrates from your diet and make sure not to eat any processed foods.


4. Combination skin may be complicated to manage, because it has both oily and dry areas each requiring different care. The trick is to use oily skin tips for the facial areas of oily skin (usually, on the forehead and nose) and to apply dry skin tips to the areas of dry skin (around the eyes and on the cheeks).


5. Sensitive skin is always very dry and irritated - this is why you should take a very thorough care of it using the above tips for dry skin. Additional hints: watch what you eat and make sure to consume a fair amount of essential fatty acids, organic protein, yogurt, and lacto-fermented fruits and vegetables. Remember that women who eat a vegetarian, or even worse so, a vegan, diet, usually develop very dry, wrinkled, and irritated skin.


What Skin Type Do You Have?

What Skin Type Do You Have?



Knowing your skin type is absolutely necessary in order to make a right decision about a proper skin care or treatment, which is suitable for your particular skin needs. The initial quality, or type, of your skin is genetically determined - meaning that you are born with it. However, the health and beauty of your skin later in life largely depends on what you eat and how you take care of yourself. A popular Russian saying states that, after the age of 30, a woman looks the way she deserves… To always look great, the first step is to determine your skin type so that you can match it with the best recommended methods to improve your look and slow the aging process.


Generally, we can single out five basic skin types: normal, dry, oily, combination, and sensitive, with each having particular characteristics and requiring specific care and/or treatment. To determine your type, use a simple test with a clean facial tissue (or paper) to wipe your face in the morning, when you have just woken up:

1. If you skin belongs to a normal type, the tissue will not reveal any traces of oil. Your skin should feel vibrant, elastic, and supple. Normal skin is the least problematic type. It looks clean and smooth and has a good circulation and healthy complexion. Even with a minimum care, it will look good well into your advanced age.

2. If your skin is dry, the paper will be clean, too, but your face skin will feel flaky, dry, and tight after you have wiped it. Dry skin can easily develop a sallow tone, wrinkles, and fine pores, and it is very prone to aging and irritating. It might still look great on a young person, but, to keep it healthy, you should apply thorough care and use regular treatment with natural masks and moisturisers.

3. If you have oily skin, the paper will have spots of facial oil on it, corresponding to the areas of your cheeks, nose, and forehead. Oily skin is problematic - it usually looks greasy, thick, coarse, and shiny, has enlarged pores, and tends to break into acne. A good thing, though, is that oily skin is not prone much to aging and wrinkling. Careful cleaning, minimizing of carbohydrate consumption, and avoiding rich creams can be helpful in improving the quality of oily skin.

4. If you skin is combination, like that of most women, the tissue will have traces of oil coming from your nose and forehead, but will be clean in the areas that touched your cheeks. Combination skin has patches of both dry and oily skin, and it requires different types of care in relation to particular facial areas. Dry zones, which are usually located on the cheeks and around the eyes, should be treated with rich creams and moisturizers, while oily areas, usually on the forehead and nose, will benefit from frequent and thorough cleaning.
5. Sensitive skin is usually very dry, tends to feel tight, and becomes inflamed and irritated easily. Typically, sensitive skin develops reddish and scaly areas, can be itchy and tingly, and is prone to breaking into spots. It is the most problematic and fragile type of skin, which needs a very special type of care.