Archive for the ‘Miscellaneous "Fun Stuff"’ Category:
I decided that it would be fun to have a pair of colored contacts. I often will get bored with my look and just try something somewhat subtle in the looks department to shake things up a bit. What better way to shake it up than to change, tastefully and not too dramatically, your eye color for a day? So, I set about finding the best non prescription colored contacts that I could find, since I wanted to be able to use mine with my glasses, and since I’ve tried prescription colored contacts by Freshlook and Ciba vision, but quite frankly they just made me look oddly unnatural.
I came across the most natural contact lenses for dark brown eyes on Google, and many people said that the Waicons, although expensive, were both the most comfortable and that most realistic and pretty looking colored contacts you could get for darker brown eyes.
Often times those of us with darker colored eyes have a hard time finding colored contacts that actually change their color, but these Waicon tricolors are the best ones I’ve tried after trying a few US brands that ended up making me look like I was wearing costume lenses and had a bright, almost cartoonish hue to them that really wasn’t flattering at all unless that was the phony look you were going for.
With the Waicons, I noticed that they help set off my eyes a little more than if I was just wearing my normal makeup on my eyes with my regular ol’ brown eyes. I purchased them in both green and grey, and so far I think the grey are the prettiest and the ones that actually change my eye color a little more dramatically, but I do like the greens as well.
A lot of people who have tried the grey Waicons who have dark brown eyes agree with this as well, and I think the grey colored ones are the best seller for that reason. I believe that a few celebrities probably use these as well, although you can’t say for sure, but these are definitely something celebs would love because they change things up without looking obvious.
One of the celebrities who for sure wears colored contacts to change her brown eye color is Paris Hilton, who it is rumored wears a brand by CIBA vision to change her brown eyes to blue.
I’m a coffee drinker. Now, I don’t drink three cups a day or anything like that, but I do drink a cup about 5 days a week, sometimes less, sometimes more depending on the week, and how tired I am. I also tend to like foods and drinks that stain the teeth, such as darkly colored soda, teas, blueberries, dark cherries, you name it. If it’s dark, I love it! Well, that’s a good think by the way, because darkly and richly colored foods actually are usually higher in nutrients and powerful antioxidants. But I digress.
What’s good for the goose isn’t always good for the gander, so to speak, so me liking darkly and vibrantly colored foods and drinks isn’t in the best interest of keeping gleaming white teeth. Everyone wants whiter teeth. It seems time doesn’t go by without a new whitening product coming out. In fact, the Kardashian girls just released one that’s supposed to be pretty good from what I understand actually.
Whitening your teeth definitely adds a new dimension of beauty to your face. You don’t even realize it until your teeth are white, how much better your smile looks when they’re bright and white. You can over do it however, so don’t go over whitening your teeth either. I’ve seen some celebrities whose teeth look like they could glow in the dark, and that’s not what you’re going for (anyone recall a great Friends episode where Ross whitens his teeth to impress a girl, yeah, that’s what you want to avoid!)
So, find yourself a good teeth whitening kit or gel that’s gentle enough you can use it fairly often. You don’t want anything that wears the enamel away, so you can use it over and over again without it actually doing any damage to your precious teeth. I’m not a fan of the whitening strips. They tend to leave your teeth yellow in the crevaces they can’t reach, so get something that maybe uses a tray, or a formula that just sticks to the teeth pretty well and foams up that you can spit out in five or ten minutes. Also, you might benefit from a more expensive, polishing toothbrush that is geared toward whitening. They have them at Wal-mart and Target, just look for the ones that claim they help whiten teeth.
Trust me, white teeth do get noticed. Even your dentist will notice if you’re using a good, quality whitening product. And keep up with it. Don’t do it once and then expect the results to stay. Keeping your teeth white is like keeping cellulite away, you’ve gotta have a good maintenance program, and good products to get the job done.
There’s something about healthy looking fingernails that are nicely cleaned and filed to finish off a well groomed and polished appearance. There are some useful tips and information to keep your fingernails healthy and attractive.
One of the most common complaints about our fingernails is that they are prone to splitting and breaking easily. The most common cause of split fingernails is constant and repetitive contact with water from dishwashing, housework or tub baths.
Another contributing factor to split fingernails is frequent use of nail polish remover. Generally speaking, split fingernails are rarely caused by a vitamin or mineral deficiency. Certain prevention measures can be taken to minimize the occurence of split fingernails. When washing dishes or doing any other housework where your hands will be immersed in water, use a pair of rubber gloves with a cotton lining.
Don’t take long tub baths or use a hot tub or whirlpool for extended periods of time. Limit the use of nail polish remover to two times a month or less. If your nail polish chips, just retouch it in between nail polish removals. When you must use nail polish remover, use the type that does not contain acetone.
After you wash your hands, apply a moisturizing lotion not only to your hands but to your fingernails too. Do not get your fingernails manicured too often. Trim your fingernails and file them to reduce rough edges that can catch on fabrics and increase the chance of splitting. If you round the tips to a gentle curve, this will minimize splitting. If you have a fingernail split, you can repair it with either a nail glue or clear nail polish.
Acrylic nails used in manicures, most of the time, do not harm the natural nails. However, if there is a gap between your natural nail and the acrylic nail from it being bumped or jarred, there could be a hazard. This can create a problem as it sets up a warm, moist environment between the natural nail and the acrylic nail. In this environment, either bacteria or fungi can grow readily.
Another problem that can occur with acrylic nails is from them being left in place for too long or from a salon that uses unsanitary tools for the application. Either of these factors can cause an infection which will require the attention of a dermatologist. To prevent any potential problems with acrylic nails, avoid wearing them for too long, remove or replace them if they loosen and go only to a reputable salon that is licensed.
Well, I’ll say it again, I love Plus White whitening toothpaste. It’s dirt cheap, you can get it pretty much anywhere – the grocery store, the pharmacy, target, wal-mart. It also works pretty well. I’m sure it’s not as good as some of those premium teeth whitening products out there today, but it does the job, and it has a nice flavor. The only thing I’m unsure of with Plus White teeth whitening toothpastes is how easy it is on the enamel, and that does worry me sometimes, so I try to only use it about every other tube of toothpaste. It keeps my teeth pretty white even when I’m on a coffee and tea drinking spree, and even though I have blackberries and blueberries every single morning for breakfast, so I can’t complain!
I always think it’s fun to buy my mom and sister at least one gift that’ll be a nice little pick me up for them, and that usually ends up being somewhere in the beauty and self improvement category, since those are two categories where we tend to skimp when we’re feeling a little pinched financially.
When I buy beauty products for any of the women in my life, I always try to buy things that they wouldn’t necessarily get for themselves, maybe a nice expensive moisturizer or some sort of skin serum that feels like dynamite and makes you look amazing, but costs a little more than you normally like to spend.
Or another example which is actually what I got my mom and sister this year (one for one, one for the other) are things like the microdermabrasion home kits, and a nice chemical peel home based kit that can be done in the comfort of your own abode, without the cost and hassle of paying an arm and a leg and leaving your house. Another fun gift might be a good teeth whitening kit. Teeth whitening at home has become immensely popular, especially since coffe and tea are hugely successful drinks here in the US, and we Americans like to eat and drink very staining foods and drinks, so our teeth do suffer for that.
Perfumes are a really popular gift also. Women also tend to put this purchase on a back shelf when they’re watching their money, as many are now due to the current recession we find ourselves in. Another good one might be gift certificates to beauty websites or a Sephora store, where someone can go and pick out their beauty favorites on their own, and get exactly what they want.
Apparently a drug that is used to help fight glaucoma of the eyes, which is a clouding of the retinal area of the eye that clouds the vision and makes it hard for those afflicted to see clearly (it mostly affects us as we get older), appears to also help create fuller, longer eyelashes, something that even the best of mascaras can’t promise to do on everyone.
Might it be a new cosmetic and therapeutic drug? Maybe not, considering it is still a serious drug that is aimed to treat something specific and probably also has side effects and other unpleasant consequences of taking it.
Not so fast though, the FDA might not ixnay the use of the drug as a cosmetic enhancer, as it is also reviewing the drug for cosmetic purpose approval, so it could soon be available to those who want to take it for fuller lashes. A bit overboard? I’d say, considering there are false lashes, great mascaras, and a whole slew of ways you can make your eyelashes appear fuller very easily temporarily, without popping a drug for it.
The drug, now only used for glaucoma, is made by Allergan, and if it is approved as a cosmetic lash enhancer, it will be named something else for the different purpose. Some of the problems that occurred in patients during trials of the glaucoma/eyelash enhancement drug were eye dryness and inflammation, but it was a relatively low amount of people considering the number of those in the study.
Allergan would be able to boast that this is the first eyelash enhancement drug on the market. I just wonder if this type of drug would sell?
We all want white, pearly healthy looking teeth and gums, but do we ever think of what we are using to clean our teeth on a daily basis? There are many different varieties of regular toothbrushes available from a soft bristle to medium to hard bristle to manually meet our oral hygiene needs for oral health.
However, to do an even better job of maintaining our teeth and gums, there are professional grade toothbrushes to assist us in preventing gum disease. One variety that caught my eye on my last dental visit was the Rota-dent one step.
The Rota-dent one step has patented brush tips to reach and clean problem areas. The Rota-dent one step removes plaque and bacteria twice as fast as a regular toothbrush. The effective plaque removal in difficult areas such as the gum line and small grooves and pits that regular toothbrushes can’t reach helps prevent both cavities and gum disease.
The brush tips featured with the Rota-dent one step include the hollow cup brush head, the short pointed tip brush head and the elongated tip brush head. The hollow cup brush head cleans below the gum line and between teeth and is effective for stain removal and polishing your teeth.
The short pointed tip brush head works well for people with braces, removable bridges or crowded teeth. The elongated tip brush head effectively cleans large spaces between teeth or under fixed bridges.
Four brush heads are included with your original Rota-dent one step and additional brush heads can be ordered. The Rota-dent one step is available only through your dental professional. It is comparable to the equipment used to professionally clean and polish your teeth.
The Rota-dent one step comes with a lifetime warranty. More information can be obtained about the Rota-dent by logging onto www.prodentec.com.
It’s something that some American advocates are jealous of and want to happen over here in America, but it may not because of the lobbying going on, or at the very least may take longer for anything as radical as this to happen over here, but in Australia, the government arm that controls tanning and beauty salons is reportedly forcing tanning salons to post skin cancer warnings after lobbyists have complained that the indoor tanning industry does not post warnings against skin cancer.
The indoor tanning industry over here in the US has long denied that frequent indoor tanning has any effect on the likelihood you will get skin cancer in it’s most deadly form which is the melanoma form of skin cancer, but the statistics have shown that skin cancer has increased almost 50% amongst the age group of women who also happens to be the demographic that goes to tanning salons the most. It’s a young age to be diagnosed with such a serious skin cancer, and many researchers point to the popularity of indoor tanning as the primary culprit.
While I agree that frequent indoor tanning definitely damages the skin cell’s DNA and leads the way to melanoma cancer, I also think that avoiding the sun all together can be dangerous as well, since the sun is our primary source of producing vitamin D on our own (and the best, most cancer-protective form of vitamin D can only be made by our bodies via sun exposure and vitamin synthesis from that).
I think that as long as you wear sunscreen during long exposures to the sun and take into consideration your concentration of melanin for the amount of sun you do get, you should be fine, but little jaunts into the sun without covering up head to toe can actually be more beneficial in the end as far as creating this protective vitamin that trying to avoid sun exposure all together. This is all just coming to light in a body of research about vitamin D’s protective and preventive qualities when it comes to cancer because it was found that vitamin D lacking patients who had cancer had less chance of surviving the cancer than those who had enough vitamin D.
Do I think Australia’s warnings are a good thing? Absolutely! It’s the real sun that is most therapeutic to us anyways, so the indoor tanning salons really are harmful because of the way people tend to use and abuse them and go way too often to form a deep tan, which is very damaging to the skin and can definitely lead to skin cancer in the end. There’s always your best buddy if you really want that deep tan, self tanners nowadays are my favorite fashion accessory because the create that deep tan without all the damage to your skin.
Did you know that there are things you can do that are relatively simple and not such a huge pain in the butt, even if you happen to be a smoker, that can help you maintain white, clean looking teeth and add a ton to your appearance and smile? The first tip is actually focused for coffee and tea drinkers and some may not like the idea, but it definitely reduces the contact of the staining factor to the teeth, which is what is needed for stain avoidance.
Try drinking staining beverages through a straw. This way, the drink passes by the teeth and goes straight down the throat, minimizing contact and therefore also minimizing it’s potential to stain the teeth.
The reason that teeth absorb deeply colored foods and beverages is that they have a degree of porosity to them, just like every bone in the body, and because of their porous quality, they do absorb and take on deep colors, making them appear brown or yellow instead of their natural white.
As we age, you see this process compound, since our teeth have absorbed thousands of staining foods and beverages as we get older and consume more and more over time. Plus, the aging process alone can leave teeth duller and tinted. Drinking damaging beverages through a straw will help with the introduction of these substances that speed the staining process up.
The problem is that the stronger you drink your tea or coffee, the more staining potential it has since it takes on a deeper “stain”, and has more ability to stain your teeth because it is more concentrated. Similarly if you eat darkly colors fruits, esepecially blueberries or grape juice or lots of dark wines, you will notice that they have strong staining factors that sometimes are almost immediately visible.
If you are a smoker, you really can’t avoid the tar that emits from smoke from clinging to your teeth and sinking in to create a darker appearance, but there are some products you can try that help to take the tar off, but they must be used once every night at least, especially after a day of smoking.
One is a mouthwash called Targon which is used prior to brushing the teeth. It helps to pull tar stains out of the teeth, and loosening them up so that when you brush your teeth you are actually brushing tar stains out. Many smokers swear by this one.
Strawberries are actually a natural tooth whitener, especially when eaten raw and by themselves. Not only are they a natural teeth whitener, but they are also high in antioxidants and tasty, so noshing on strawberries daily can help to whiten teeth naturally.
There are several tooth whitening chewing gums available now that claim to help combat stains and keep teeth white and bright. If you pop a piece of this gum after you’re eaten a meal with staining foods or a beverages that is dark in color, this may help to offset the effects of the food or beverage consumed.
Also there are some quality teeth whitening toothpastes that can be purchased at your local drugstore that have teeth whitening capabilities, especially if they’re used right after consuming something that may stain the teeth and take away the whiteness even more.
I bought a tube of a Colgate whitening toothpaste, hoping that it would polish my dull teeth back to a bright white after I’ve been having breakfasts of blueberries and yogurt for weeks now, in an effort to eat healthier. I’ve also added in a lot of other teeth staining foods and drinks as of late, and my teeth, although they are still a shade of white, are definitely showing a bit of the dulling and staining effects of the foods and drinks I’ve been choosing.
So this Colgate Simply White toothpaste that is supposed to dramatically brighten and whiten teeth pretty quickly according to the advertisement looked like a genuine bargain at two for five bucks at Giant Eagle, undoubtedly a promotional price to get the newer teeth whitening product off the ground. I only bought one tube though, just in case I didn’t like it or my teeth were made too sensitive by using it, which has been known to happen with my finicky teeth.
The problem with a lot of the whitening products is that they do create teeth sensitivity. While I can say this Colgate Simply White doesn’t promote sensitivity, it doesn’t really seem to be doing much of a job at whitening or getting the stains out after about one week of use. And, I’m not sure what the deal is with the tube, but it’s built so that it comes out of two chambers, one if a blue gel and the other is a white paste, which I think is the “whitening” part of the concoction.
Problem is, I’m not sure if I got a defective tube or not, but hardly any of the white paste comes out and all I get is a big glob of the blue gel pretty much. This might mean I’m totally missing out on the whitening action of the paste, but every time I squeeze it’s barely any paste.
I’m hoping that as the tube dwindles in size, the paste will come out naturally more on its own and I will get more whitening action. As for right now, Colgate Simply White seems to be just an ordinary toothpaste, it does not appear to be whitening my teeth any more than any other run of the mill “whitening” toothpaste. My money’s on the treatments at this point, like Crest White Strips or the trays – you just have to be really careful with the trays because they do create a sensitivity sometimes in those with sensitive teeth or gums.
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