Archive for October, 2006:
I found a good lipstick tip that I thought made a lot of sense, because I’ve actually been doing this for quite some time without actually thinking it was a viable “beauty tip” because I had been doing it for a while without thinking it actually did any good, that I was just making it up in my head that it helped.
When you apply your lipstick, or even chapstick or lip plumper, to make sure that you get the full effect, it’s best that you open your mouth wide while you are applying it. This way, the lipstick color deposits in all the crevices of the lips, allowing the color to last longer, as well as filling it with moisture, making them appear more “filled out”.
Same goes for lip balms and plumpers. Especially the lip plumpers, because when they are depositing into the crack and crevices of the lips, they are helping to further volumize the lips by “filling” the crack in for your and making the lips appear fuller and keeping them moisturized for longer.
The only type of lip plumping agent you may not want to try that with would be one that contains cinnamon and other “hot” irritants that are only meant to make the lips appear more flushed by irritating and drying them, because you may actually end up overstimulating the lips, and making them even more irritated, since the irritants get deeper in to the lips. For reviews on lip plumpers : Lip plump reviews.
It appears the latest “cosmetic surgery” craze may be one that’s a little out there. The new surgery will give long, sweeping eyelashes to any woman willing to pay $3,000 per eye (yep, that’s a grand total of $6,000 for new eyelashes!). How does this somewhat odd surgery work?
Well, the few plastic surgeons who are trained to do the operation will harvest about 30-40 hair follicles from the back of your head, and then manually sew then into the area of the eyelid where your eyelashes grow.
The really unappealing part of this surgery to me is that you would actually have to trim your eyelashes as you would your hair, since unlike real eyelashes, your hair grows at a faster rate, and also has the ability to grow much longer.
I’m trying to picture if this would even look right, blending real hair from your head with the thicker eyelash hair? Also, would there be any concern that the colors may not match, or what if the person has extremely kinky, curly hair? I guess those are all issues for the surgeon to worry about though!
The eyelash transplant is expected to be the latest beauty craze in what is becoming a cosmetic surgery and beauty-addicted culture. Let’s hope this one fades away fast – it just doesn’t seem “right” to me! I would think false eyelashes would produce a better look, but that’s just me!
I was in Target recently, and since I’m scraping the bottom of my Lip Fusion bottle right now, I thought maybe I’d take a look and see what types of cheaper lip plumpers they had in the drug and department stores, and maybe save myself more than a couple bucks since Lip Fusion if about $40 a pop (althought worth every penny, to me at least).
What I ended up settling on was a pink tube Sally Hansen “Thin Lip Collagen Boost”. I liked the name, and thought wow if it could really boost my lips noticeably like it claims on the package, I’m all in. The cost was about $7.00 at Target. I put it on immediately when I got in the car since my lips happened to be parched (ok, ok, I was also curious to see what it was like).
It goes on sort of like it has a grittiness to it, almost as if it has some sort of larger particles in it, which I’m not sure I like the sensation of so far. It has a pleasant smell and taste, but it does not impart any of the fun but subtle glossy shimmer that the Lip Fusion Lip Plumper does, so I was a little disappointed by that.
As far as moisturizing factor, it really doesn’t moisturize so much, because I had to put my regular chapstick over it after it had only dried on my lips for five minutes. I did not notice any noticeable plumping of my lips, although I think I might have tricked myself into it for a few seconds, but then decided I was probably just fooling myself, making myself feel better about adding yet another product to the cosmetic graveyard in my bathroom.
Oh well, it was a nice try. I might keep it around for a little while and see if it grows on me….
For additional lip plumper reviews see : Lip Plump Reviews
I was watching TV tonight and saw a commercial on a new product by the popular Oil of Olary Regenerist line of anti wrinkle and anti aging products. This one is a cream that you can put on target areas that have age spots on them.
So say you have a freckle sized age spot on the side of your cheek (I say that because that’s where I’ve seen them on my own skin), you would put the needle pointed tip on it and dispense the cream and rub it in a little.
Age spots result when you are exposed to the sun. The sunlight’s damaging UV rays actually darkly pigment your skin in certain areas where it tends to hit more (on me it’s my cheeks because they are fairly prominent on my face, or on others it may be their forehead or other areas that tend to get a lot of sun exposure).
Age spots are usually a light brown color, and sometimes they may be slightly darker, depending on the extent of the UV damage that’s been done. They are a sign of aging that we can’t totally avoid, unless we’ve used sunblock since the day we were born and were never exposed to the sun.
We can, of course avoid them though with the use of strong sunscreen. And maybe we can reverse them too now without the help of a laser – with this new Olay Regenerist Age Spot cream – I might try it.
I’m out of my all time favorite lip balm/gloss plumper and moisturizer – Lip Fusion again. I swear I must just sweep it on my lips at least 5 times a day, so I don’t know why I’m surprised I went through it so fast. I think I’m hooked on it, or at least my lips are, because no chapstick or balm comes close to moisturizing it for a few hours at a time.
Since I’ve used Lip Fusion, I’ve only had to put on lip balm a couple of times a day, whereas before I would put it on about ten to fifteen times a day ( I know, ridiculous, I’m a bit of a nut about my lips).
Anyways, gotta order some more….
I picked up a reasonable lip liner yesterday at CVS pharmacy. It’s a cheaper brand of makeup called Prestige, and I figured I’d give it a try, since it was only about $5 for a lip lining pencil that had shine in it also.
I’m not a fan of lip liners usually, but I like the nude color I got and thought it would go well with my skin tone, plus I liked the idea that it was a glossy liner, not a matte liner, and thought I could use it as an allover lipgloss/stick instead of just a liner. I tried it on not too long ago, and I think I like it.
I can’t tell if it’s going to be longwearing or not (probably not), but I love the color, which is called Honeysuckle, and I do like the hint of shine it gives, along with the subtle color, which probably would look good on most skin tones because it’s so neutral.
Bottom line of Prestige Lightshine Sheer Gloss Lip Liner : I like it, and for $5, what the heck.
I found this article fascinating. It’s about the benefits of a compound found in some fish oils called EPA, which is also beneficial to heart health, and its positive effects on the skin (anti aging skin care, pulls skin “up” by helping to prevent sagging etc.). Enjoy!
Incredible though it sounds, fish oil containing
eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA, appears to slow down the
ageing process and help us to look younger by protecting
the skin and inhibiting the chemical processes that take
place when our skin is exposed to damage-inducing stimuli,
like the sun for example. Evidence suggests that aside
from all the other documented health benefits of EPA, it
can make our skin more resistant to sunburn, improve skin
elasticity and tone and helps to prevent saggy skin and
wrinkles from forming.
Most of us know that UV radiation from the sun is public
enemy number one as far as the skin is concerned.
Overexposure results in premature ageing and wrinkles as
well as reduced immunity to disease, and possibly even skin
cancer. When our skin is exposed to a lot of sunlight we
produce abnormal elastin that causes the skin to stretch
and collagen fibres begin to break down. In response to
this we produce a large number of enzymes called
metalloproteinases or MMPS. This would normally be a good
thing as these enzymes try to repair the damage, but it is
inefficient and over time, MMPS produced as a result of UV
radiation actually results in a break down of collagen and
finally wrinkles appear.
A study published in 2005 in the Journal for Lipid Research
investigated the effect that EPA had on MMPS arising as a
result of ultra violet radiation from the sun in human skin
and found that EPA inhibited overproduction of MMPS and
reduced the amount of damage to the skin. The researchers
Kim et al concluded that EPA could possibly prevent as well
as treat skin ageing. Then more recently in 2006, Drs Black
and Rhodes found that EPA offers protection against
sun-induced damage to skin cells by making the skin more
resistant to the sun’s rays in the first place.
Participants taking fish oil showed a higher “minimal
erythemal dose”. This basically means that the lowest
amount of radiation needed to produce erythema (an
inflammatory effect on the skin or sunburn) was higher for
those taking fish oil. These studies show that EPA not only
protects the skin, it limits the damage too, but these are
not the only benefits of EPA.
The properties of EPA
EPA is known to have powerful anti-inflammatory and
anti-thrombotic properties, both of which help to slow down
and minimise the effects of ageing and wear and tear on the
body. From the moment we are born, we are subjected to a
number of environmental pollutants that put pressure on our
skin. Oxygen-free radicals from pollution, for example, are
everywhere and result in a process known as oxidation.
Oxidation leads to an increase in inflammatory responses
and too much can cause premature ageing and wrinkles as
well as contribute to the development of many skin
conditions. The anti-inflammatory properties of EPA can
inhibit the production of pro-inflammatory chemical
messengers responsible for these inflammatory responses.
Increasingly as we grow older, our skin starts to thin out
and stretch as collagen fibres lose their elasticity, the
skin starts to lose its ability to repair itself and can no
longer retain moisture as well as it did. Consequently,
many people begin to rely on external lotions and potions
to keep the skin moist and supple. EPA can help the blood
to flow more efficiently throughout the body and contribute
to healthy and radiant looking skin. It is interesting that
a lack of Omega 3 fatty acids in the diet manifests itself
most noticeably as skin problems.
Signs of Omega 3 fatty acid deficiency
• Dry and flaky skin
• Dandruff
• Hard and cracked skin
• Eczema
• Psoriasis
• Acne
• Poor wound healing
• Dull and lifeless looking skin
Most of us are also well aware that stress and anxiety can
speed up the ageing process resulting in ‘worry lines’ as
well as more serious conditions and threats to our health.
The amazing thing is that EPA has demonstrated considerable
success in alleviating depression, anxiety and stress so
not only does it help us to remain healthy and look younger
with better skin and fewer wrinkles, but it has a
‘feel-good’ factor too which helps keep those worry lines
at bay.
Conclusion
All this is very exciting, particularly when we consider
the amount of time, money and effort spent on the
ever-increasing number of products available to help keep
us healthy, young and beautiful. The implications are that
we can do the same job naturally through diet by taking
fish oil supplements containing EPA and benefit not only
from healthy more youthful looking skin and all the other
documented health-giving properties of EPA but possibly
gain a new lease of life too.
About the Author:
Dave McEvoy is an expert in EPA with over 20 years
experience; for more information about fish oil and how it
can help come and visit. http://www.mind1st.co.uk
http://www.mind1st.com
My first lypossage appointment is today, and I’m pretty excited, although I know I won’t see results for at least 6-8 sessions. The before and after pictures of the women who got it done from the same practitioner I am going to were pretty impressive, and if I even get results close to those I will be thrilled. I’m not “overweight” to begin with, but I could stand to shave a little off my thighs definitely.
Although lypossage is not a weight loss treatment, it can actually reduce the look of fat, and therefore make you lose inches of fat, so it can make you appear like you lost weight.
I’m intrigued to say the least. It’s not cheap, but it’s all natural, and I’m very optimistic about what kind of results I’ll get in cellulite reduction! You’ll get the full scoop of course after my appointment.
I was in Sephora (the actual store, not the online shopping place), and noticed that the Fusion Beauty line has come out with another (unfortunately very expensive) beauty product that of course I’m dying to try. It’s called Glow Fusion, and it’s a self tanner that supposedly does not give your skin that horribly unpleasant smell that most other self tanner do.
It also claims that it lasts up to two weeks, instead of the five days (if we’re lucky) that regular self tanners do. I’m wondering if it lives up to this promise or not? If anyone reading has tried this product yet, please feel free to add your honest comments and remarks about the self tanner, so we can all benefit!
The product’s active ingredient is sugar cane, and it claims it sinks in very quickly without feeling sticky. I would hope that it really does last up to two weeks with a $55 price tag for a bottle that may not last all that long. The product is sprayed on, not rubbed on apparently also.
I have to be honest, I have not gotten the best results with the spray on tans, perhaps because I just can’t seem to get it applied right, and it’s very annoying because you really can’t tell where you’ve sprayed it – it’s not easy to get an even self tan with sprays, which is why I only use creams exclusivey now that are tinted usually – it just works better for me.
I find it curious that Glow Fusion advertises is does not give off that distinct DHA smell though, when DHA is listed as one of the main ingredients? This does not make sense to me, and they advertise that the active ingredient is sugar cane, which, ehem, is basically what DHA is made of. I’m wondering if this is not just a marketing ploy? I don’t know, call me skeptical.
I’m really hoping they come up with a better alternative to self tanning soon, as I really do not like the smell DHA produces, and the results fade too quickly in my opinion. Who knows, maybe that self tanning cream I talked about a few posts ago will be come a reality! Bottom line of Glow Fusion : I’m not so sure I’m gonna drop the $55 to try this, as I’m convinced it may be full of overblown claims.
I’ve been using the Strivectin anti wrinkle formula now for about four weeks, and I think I may have seen my first signs of improvement. The problem is, I admittedly have not been using the product three times a day every as recommended, so I’m not sure if my results would be that much better if I was able to follow this (somewhat annoying) rule of application.
I actually like the smell of this product. I say that because some of the reviews I read the reviewers complained of the smell. It’s a very pepperminty smell, and it actually fells kind of refreshing when you apply it to the skin. I have a hunch that part of the reason this product works is because of the vigorous method of application.
They say you should massage it firmly into the skin in a circular motion. And they say to do this three times a day. I think the massaging part is probably key, as this helps to break the wrinkles down, and helps to kind of “pull” the skin to where it needs to be, which is not in a wrinkle formation.
I purchased my small tube of the Strivectin SD product for $55 as I did not want to purchase the big tube if I hated the product. So far so good, I’ve noticed a slight decrease in the depth of my crows feet, which is the basic area I was targeting. I generally do not use it anywhere else by on my forehead and under my eyes, since this is where I want to target wrinkle and line reduction.
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