It’s really an interesting procedure because it doesn’t look like it would really do much of anything.  When they showed the woman getting the lipolaser treatment done to her midsection, she was fully clothed, and a laser that took the shape of windmills on her dress in her abdominal area kind of rotated up and down and back and forth, over her clothes. 

It was a red laser light, and it’s supposedly a cool laser technique that is newly being used for spot fat reduction after it was discovered that a laser can not only help melt fat internally (smart lipo), but it can also help the body melt (destroy) fat cells when utilized from the outside, and nonsurgically, and then the body’s own lymphatic system is supposed to rid the body of the destroyed fat cells. 

While I admit that such a simple procedure looks intriguing for those that want to spot reduce fat on their body, it is pricey, and it does require about five sessions, which usually run anywhere from 3,000 to 4,000 dollars total.  Also, it does not work for everyone, so there is a chance that either it may not work for you or that you may not get the results you want to get.  They did studies to see if this had any effect on the cholesterol levels of those who had the treatments, since it does release fat cells from the body, and so far it looks like it may in fact help cholesterol in some way as well, but those results are not yet totally conclusive.  At any rate, it had me intrigued! 

It’s called lipolaser, and you can read about it online if you just google lipolaser.  The company, Meridian, who manufactures this laser has some good information on the web about it. 

Well, I must say that sometimes seeing even the most beautiful and successful women get cellulite may sometimes make me feel a tad bit better about my own struggles with the spongy stuff, it still makes me mad that we have to deal with this on top of everything else a woman is made to feel insecure about by looking at all the fashion magazines and dealing with the increasing onslaught of near nudity in films, showing unrealistic figures and little to no real body fat.

However, we “regular women” do have several weapons against cellulite that we can use, and we can use them very successfully in our own homes, with dramatic results if we just use the right tecniques and the most effective products we can get our hands on.  Most cellulite creams contain ingredients that help to reduce puffiness on the surface of the skin, by doing this, they tighten the skin and make any dimples that appear in the skin’s surface much less noticeable. 

But you can add to the effectiveness of even the best cellulite treatments by using your own elbow grease to help smooth the lumps out.  When you apply your cellulite treatment, make sure you apply it with plenty of pressure and also make sure that you apply the pressure going up toward your heart, instead of down toward your feet.  We are trying to work against gravity - not with it, and you are trying to bring your skin and lumps up, not down. 

Also, it may be slightly more effective if you use a cellulite massage, which is very inexpensive and can be found in even drugstores today, in the shower, when your tissue is heated and you can actually get better results since your tissue is more malleable and when it is heated it may be more conducive to smoothing out, at least temporarily. 

MAC also has reeled me into being a devotee to their eyes collection now too, since I have tried one of their limited holiday edition eyeshadows that one of my good friends got me as a Christmas gift, and also two of the holiday limited edition eyeliners, the Pearlglide variety, in Molasses and Black Russian.  What makes them a holiday edition is the fact the they have these subtle little sparkles in them that lend themselves to a more festive look, although it’s not in your face and not tacky.

The eyeshadows that they put out around Christmas time also tend to have extra sparkles and shimmers in them, so they’re perfect for those festive holiday parties that your office might hold, and any of those family and friends parties as well.  The Pearlglide eyeliners that I bought were in brown and black colors, although the black is not a super intense, deep black, which I like because I can still get away with wearing it during the day as well.

It’s called “Pearlglide”, and boy does it hold up to it’s name.  Not only is it shimmery like a pearl, but it glides on easier than most other eyeliners I’ve ever tried.  It does smudge a bit, but the color is long lasting and remains very stay put and dramatic looking for hours after you apply it.  I wouldn’t say it’s totally smudge proof though, but as far as a lasting effect, it gets a definite “A”.

The colors of course are rich and dramatic, as with most other MAC brand cosmetics, which is one of their signatures.  The brown is perfect for a thin or thick line, for day and night looks, and it’s got that earthy look for those that don’t like blacks, blue and purples, and the black russian color is perfect for the smokey eye look or just as a more dramatic statment during the day, or if you want to wear a “power suit” and draw some attention to your eyes.

I would recommend the Pearlglide eyeliners by MAC to anyone who loves good, quality, easy to use and apply makeup. 

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.   

These days, we not only have some great cosmetic procedures that are minimally invasive to use in our arsenal against the ravages of aging and the environment and our lifestyle choices on our skin, but we also have perfect conditions for the innovation and creation of new skin care products that are of a clinical quality. 

They use high grade vitamins, minerals and acids that used to only be reserved for the types of skin care products that cost hundreds of dollars just for one tube or bottle, and they used to be harder to come by since we hadn’t yet really experienced the full access that the internet offers us today to a wide range of products, giving the consumer the ultimate end-say and power in the types and range of products they can buy with their money. 

What I like about the Revitol line of skin care products is that they use these high grade ingredients, and yet they are still reasonably priced, so you don’t have to be wealthy to be able to afford the best in skin care.  Some of the ingredients I speak of that I favor for their extreme abilities to reverse the signs of aging and also to help fend off new signs of aging, are vitamin C, Alpha lipoic acid, hyaluronic acid, DMAE, and a host of other firming, anti sag and color enhancing ingredients. 

Even using one of these ingredients alone can make a dramatic difference in your skin, but using them in tandem is like putting those wrinkles in a small barrel and shooting them, it’s easy pickins. 

While I don’t agree with obsessive or excessive plastic surgery or cosmetic procedures, I believe that they do have their place for many in modern society who use them wisely, and don’t get too carried away with changing their features so that they become a shadow of their former selves.  After all, one of the greatest things about humanity is that we all have a uniqueness that makes each and every one of of special, and some of that should be honored, since we don’t all want to look like cookie cutter versions of eachother.

Some people are opting to undergo cosmetic procedures so that they can look better in their sendoff to the afterlife, or whatever it is they happen to believe in after we die and pass off of this earth.  Most likely the reasons are often that they want to look at their personal best for a wake, or that they simply want to look their best when they pass away, and take comfort in knowing  that post mortem they will get the treatment they want. 

Do I understand it?  No, not really, but as with everything else, it’s a personal choice, and who are we to judge what others deem suitable in their lives?  Naturally you can understant how this practice may raise some eyebrows though!  No pun intended

As far as your eyes go, the holidays are the time to get a little more dramatic and a little more bold with your color choices if it’s something you’re comfortable with.  Heck, even if it’s a little out of your comfort zone, go for it anyways, you never know when a little experimentation will lead to a new favorite color of a new favorite application technique. 

What kinds of colors can you expect to see in your local Sephoras and drugstore makeup sections?  Well, there seems to be a lot of greens showing up on shelves near me.  Greens are a great color choice, because depending on your coloring, you can choose earthier tones to make a more understated statement, or you can go with a bit brighter of a color of green, but you have to be careful with this because this may only look good on the cooler skin tones.

I’ve seen a lot of bold golds too.  Golds are usually only good for women who have warmer skin tones, so I would avoid golds, if like me, you are fair skinned and have a cooler skin tone.  However, if you really must try it and are cooler toned, then look for a light gold, and one with some hints of white or silver in it to offset the glittery gold color. 

Purples are a fun and festive option too.  Sure, they’re not really your traditional holiday color, but they can be festive when paired with the right accessories and outfit, and you can wear purples whether you have cooler skin tones, or warmer, because purples come in so many different shades that are suitable for both.  You can also choose to pair it with a dark brown eyeliner or a black one, but I choose a lighter charcoal hinted black because you don’t want to overly state the eyeliner when pairing with purples - at least that’s my opinion, so that the purple stands out a bit more.

Absolutely - in fact, she may be the model of the cliche phrase “suicide blonde”, since she is the epitome of a woman who was trapped and limited by her own siren status, and couldn’t handle certain aspects of her life, feeling many times not good enough or sexy enough, obejctified and not valued for who she was but for how she looked. 

And yet this was the image she pursued to have for years as a relative unknown until her star shone brightly when she had her first major breakthrough.  Some of the earlier images of Marilyn Monroe show a clean, fresh faced and beautiful young lady who was full of life and still had an innocence about her.  The 100 photos that are going on sale at world famous Christies auction house, where only the super rich go to buy art and other artifacts and memorabilia of yesteryear, are expected to fetch at least one million dollars from the lucky winner. 

Fast forward a few years, and we see that she dyed her hair blond, poofed it out and wore the vampiest of makeup with the darkest of eyes and poutiest mouth.  It’s as if she transformed from the girld next door, farm raised catholic girl to the images we evoke when we think of sultry nightclub singers who’ve been around the block more than a few times. 

And yet, Marilyn Monroe still is one of the biggest beauty icons, with some women still emulating her look and persona today.  Think of how Madonna went through her Marilyn look alike phase.  Then there are some other starlets who also have modeled themselves after the sexy fifties persona, with the heavy eye makeup and vampy mouth, like Chirstina Aguilera and countless other young ladies who strive for the look of glamour and sophistication from decades ago.

We still see huge photos of the passed actress everywhere, and even some great artists have done rederings that will be around for centuries of the troubled, yet glorified actress and icon.  While we’ve gone back to an earthier look, I’m sure that this glammed up, vampy look will always have it’s place in the beauty world, and it certainly will periodically circle around again, as styles do every thirty years. 

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?