Weekend Beauty Read

A Touch of Blusher ----> Bring It Back!! Calvin Klein Cosmetics
Ageless in Los Angeles ----> Celebrity Beauty: Cameron Diaz
Beautiful Makeup Search ----> Don’t just bronze, bronze yourself with benefits.
Beauty and Fashion Tech ----> Benefit Cosmetics Realness of Concealness Kit
Beauty and Personality Grooming ----> Choose the right sunglasses for your face
Hello Dollface ----> Awake Cosmetics new Stardom line, love it!
Pretty by Nature ----> How Burt’s Bees is Setting the Natural Standard.
Spa Blah Blah ----> The Girl’s Guide to Biking and Baking: LUCA Sunscreen Review
The Life of a Ladybug ----> Lips by Rimmel and Sally
The Mineral Makeup Blog ----> Mineral Makeup Review : Jane Iredale Pure Pressed Base

Skin Care Throughout Life

From the day we are born, our skin requires much care to remain smooth and healthy. It begins with soap to keep us clean. Then, there are creams,powders, and ointments to keep diaper rash from our bottoms.

During the first few years of our lives, our skin will do well with soap for cleaningand the occasional lotion or cream for moisture. Then come the teen years. Our raging hormones bring out the oily skin, the pimples, and a host of other conditions. It's important to understand that everything that comes in contact withour body affects our health and the condition of our skin. That's why choosing natural skin care products and ingredients is important.

The liver filters the toxins and poisons from the food we eat, but whatever we place on our skin is directly absorbed. This includes deodorant, lotions, gels, cleansers, toners, make-up, perfumes, and more. As we age, our skin becomes more sensitive, and we need to be even more careful with the beauty treatments we use.

Hair Loss : Avoid using too many hair-styling products

Gels, waxes, sprays all add to the build-up of deposits on your scalp.

Don't colour, perm or straighten your hair too frequently
Repeated exposure to chemicals while colouring, perming or straightening could lead to permanent damage and loss of hair. Colouring should be done by a professional and always insist on a pre-colouring hair protective conditioner before applying colour.

For brittle hair, apply an egg white over your hair for 15 minutes and shampoo.

For dandruff, apply tea tree oil (available at shops selling essences and natural oils). Lemon juice or vinegar mixed with a spoon of olive oil can also be applied an hour before shampooing.

Weekend Beauty Read

Beauty read from my friends from Beauty Blog Network :

PJ at A Touch of Blusher tells us about Dior's Summer 2007 Collection.

Beth at Ageless in Los Angeles talks about Prom: No Longer Just Gowns And Corsages, Now Botox And Restylane.

Michelle at All Lacquered Up breaks down the who, what and why about toxic chemicals in nail polish.

Carleen at Beauty and Fashion Tech talks about the top 5 skincare products for any skin type.

Aparna at Beauty and Personality Grooming has a quick remedy for dandruff.

Henna at Canadian Beauty talks about great Mother's Day Presents.

Elke of the Elke Von Freudenberg [Blog] ponders a new way to make it in the makeup business. Briefly.

Anden at Let's talk about beauty and health shares some information on skin cancer, learning how to self screen.

Teri at Pretty by Nature tells us all about PhytoOrganics - a hair care line from Nexxus.

Toya at the Life of a Ladybug tries lips by Rimmel and Sally.

Christina at eBeautyDaily addresses a common home hair coloring problem and its solutions.

Happy Mother's Day

Simple healthy tips to prevent cancer

1. Don't Smoke

Smoking is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths. If you smoke cigarettes, cigars or pipes, or use "smokeless" tobacco, stop now. (Avoid second-hand smoke as if your life depended on it. It may.)

2. Wear a Hat

Exposure to the sun can lead to skin cancer. Use SPF15 sunscreen,
wear a hat and cover up. Avoid tanning booths, too!


3. Watch What You Drink

Alcohol is not recommended, but if you do drink, the USDA suggests you do so in moderation.
If you must drink, make water your only choice.


4. Cut the Fat

Your daily consumption of fats should be 30% or less of your total calorie intake.
High fat diets contribute to several forms of cancer, including breast and colon cancer.


5. Eat Your Vegetables

Fruits/vegetables at least 5 servings a day will help provide Vitamins A, C, E and other substances that contain known anti-cancer agents. Especially good for you are deep green and yellow/orange vegetables.


6. Rough It

Roughage and fiber help prevent cancer of the colon; eat 6 servings daily (20-30 grams)
of fiber filled beans, whole grains and vegetables.


7. Stay In Shape

Overweight people are at greater risk for cancer and heart disease.
Get in the habit of exercising regularly and eating a balanced diet.


8. Learn to Relax
Stress weakens the immune system, which reduces your ability to fight cancer and other disease. Work out, walk, garden, meditate, etc. Find a method that works for you.


9. Keep a Healthy Home

Eliminate toxic chemicals and cleaners around your home. Switch to environmentally safe
cleaning and yard products.


10. Take Control of Your Health

Next to prevention, your best defense against cancer is early detection.
Make it a habit to get screening tests for cancer, such as a mammogram, PAP test and prostate exam.

Skin Cancer & You : Learning How to Self-Screen

YOU are your own first line of defense.

Most of the spots on your skin — freckles, birthmarks, moles — are normal, but some may be more susceptible to skin cancers. There are three main types of skin cancers:

Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC)
Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC)
Melanoma

Melanoma is the third most common form of skin cancer and the most deadly. Fortunately, each of these can usually be discovered at an early stage when they are readily curable. If you ever spot any freckles, birthmarks, moles or other suspicious or changing growths, see your dermatologist promptly.

The A, B, C, D & E's of Skin Cancer

Learning how to check yourself for signs of skin cancer is the easiest and most important step in reducing your skin cancer risks.

Stand in front of a mirror and check your entire body for moles, freckles, birthmarks or other unusual spots. Use a hand mirror to check any hard-to-see places. Examine each one, and if you notice any showing any signs of the symptoms described below, contact your dermatologist and schedule a skin exam immediately.

Asymmetrical : Most early melanomas are asymmetrical, meaning a line through the middle would not create matching halves. Common moles are round and symmetrical.

Borders : The borders of early melanomas are often uneven and may have scalloped, notched and fuzzy edges. Common moles have smoother, more even borders.

Colors : Common moles usually are a single shade of brown. Varied shades of brown, tan or black can be the first sign of melanoma, and may progress to the colors red, white and blue.

Diameter : Early melanomas usually grow larger than common moles — generally to at least the size of a pencil eraser (about 6mm or ¼" in diameter).

Evolving : When a mole is evolving (changing), see a doctor. Be alert for any change — in size, shape, color, elevation, bleeding, itching, crusting or any other trait — in an existing mole.

LOSING HAIR !!!! Here some helps.

After the age of 20, most of us suffer from hair loss to some degree. What we don't realise, however, is that with proper care, precautions and a healthy diet, half of our hair problems would be over.

1. Identify your hair type

If your hair does not become greasy even after five days of your last shampoo, you have dry hair. Normal hair needs to be shampooed one or two times a week. More than a shampooings per week means you have oily hair.

2. Use a shampoo that suits your hair type

Avoid excessively drying shampoos for oily hair, as it may stimulate the scalp on the rebound to produce more oil. Instead, use a shampoo meant for normal hair. You can use it more frequently, even daily if needed. Frequent washing does NOT lead to hair loss.

3. Oil once a week

Olive oil or almond oil are your best options. Massage it in with your fingertips to boost scalp circulation. Don't leave in for more than one or two hours. Avoid hair oil if you have acne on your face and forehead.

4. Conditioning

Use conditioners as per hair type:

Oily: a light or volumising conditioner.
Dry: a smoothening one or almond oil-based conditioner.
Rough: papaya or aloe vera conditioner.
Dull: henna-based conditioner.

Don't apply conditioner to roots -- use only on the ends and the hair shaft to avoid loss of volume. Special intensive repair conditioners need to be left on for 20 to 30 minutes under a hot towel wrap. Use collagen based conditioners for excessively treated, permed or straightened hair and colour-protecting conditioners for tinted hair.

Hair Care

All the hair you’ll ever have on your head is determined at birth. That’s because hair grows from a root in your scalp and the number of roots cannot be changed.

Each hair grows from the root to a certain length depending on your unique genetic makeup, then slows down, then stops naturally. At some point, it’ll die and be shed. You lose about 100 hairs every day from this life cycle. The lost hair will be replaced by a new-growth shaft.
You can help make your hair grow longer by taking good care of each shaft: gentle brushing, using a mild shampoos, giving your self gentle scalp massages regularly, and limiting coloring and perms. You can increase the volume of individual hairs, and thus make your hair appear more full, with protein shampoos and conditioners that coat each shaft.

Your hair is mostly made of water. To be shiny and supple, your hair needs to be adequately hydrated. You lose water from the sun, too much processing, and blow- drying. Oil from your scalp coats each shaft and acts as a barrier against evaporation.

Your hair also needs proper blood circulation to remain strong, which can be increased with brushing and scalp massage. If you wear your hair pulled back in a French Twist or ponytail, give your hair a break once in awhile by letting it hang freely. Those styles put a lot of pressure on the hair, especially at the front hairline. Also, don’t use any uncoated elastic bands in your hair! Elastic grabs at the shaft and will break it.

7 DON'T after a meal

1. Don't smoke- Experiment from experts proves that smoking a cigarette after meal is comparable to smoking 10 cigarettes (chances of cancer is higher).

2. Don't eat fruits immediately - Immediately eating fruits after meals will cause stomach to be bloated with air. Therefore take fruit 1-2 hr after meal or 1hr before meal.

3. Don't drink tea - Because tea leaves contain a high content of acid. This substance will cause the Protein content in the food we consume to be hardened thus difficult to digest.

4. Don't loosen your belt - Loosening the belt after a meal will easily cause the intestine to be twisted & blocked.

5. Don't bathe - Bathing after meal will cause the increase of blood flow to the hands, legs & body thus the amount of blood around the stomach will therefore decrease. This will weaken the digestive system in our stomach.

6. Don't walk about - People always say that after a meal walk a hundred steps and you will live till 99. In actual fact this is not true. Walking will cause the digestive system to be unable to absorb the nutrition from the food we intake.
7. Don't sleep immediately - The food we intake will not be able to digest properly. Thus will lead to gastric & infection in our intestine.

Some of the problems cured by Ginger

Colds/Flu ---> Kills influenza virus by improving immune system's ability to fight infections. Ginger also relieves headaches.

Increases Circulation--> Increases the muscular contractions of the heart atria, there by increase in overall circulation. Ginger has been proven to prevent internal blood clots and lowers blood pressure. Ginger Root stimulates the central nervous system controlling the heart and respiratory centers. Ginger helps reduce serum cholesterol, which can slow down circulation.

Ginger Relieves Motion/Morning Sickness--> Ginger is one of the most effective herbal remedies to get rid of Motion/ Morning Sickness.

Digestive Aid - Indigestion, Stomach Ache--> Ginger Root increases production of saliva in the mouth and dramatically increases digestive enzyme amylase in the saliva to additionally aid digestion. Ginger Root also contains a very effective digestive enzyme zingibain.

Women's Health--> Ginger Root is good for the uterus as well as the intestinal tract and may ease menstrual cramps

Skin Very cleansing--> Reduces pus in infected wounds as well as boils. Clears spots caused by chicken pox and shingles. Useful for burns, sores, sunburn, ringworm, warts, herpes, athletes foot and even for dandruff.

Ginger is sometimes recommended as an alternative to aspirin for people who can not take aspirin because of its irritating effect on the gastrointestinal tract.
Ginger cures following ailments

Asthma - Adults
Athlete's Foot
Acne
Boils/ Blisters
Cold Sores
Cuts
Cold
Flu
Gingivitis
Glandular Fever
Gum Infections
Head Lice
Infections
Insect Bites / Stings
Mosquito Bites
Mouth Ulcers
Mumps
Ringworm (tinea)
Skin Conditions - Antiseptic
Sore Throat
Warts

With all the benefits to the average person, ginger should be included in the diet every day. Especially for a person who are suffering from heart problems, cold/flu, stress problem, motion sickness a daily dose of ginger combined with other herbs to enhance their effectiveness is part of a sensible, healthy diet.

The benefits of GINGER

What is Ginger

Ginger is a strengthening food that has long been used to maintain health. Ginger has a long history of both culinary and medicinal use in Chinese, Japanese and Indian medicines. In ancient China, ginger was regarded as a healing gift from God and was commonly used to cleanse and warm the body.


Qualities of Ginger

The major active ingredients in ginger are terpenes and oleoresin called ginger oil. These two, and other active ingredients in ginger, provide antiseptic, lymph-cleansing, circulation, and constipation relief qualities.

--> Ginger is good for the respiratory system
--> It is good to fight against colds and flu
--> Ginger offers substantial protection from stroke and heart attack because of its ability to prevent blood clotting
--> Ginger, a multifaceted herb, is crucial in the battle against cardiovascular disease
--> Relieves headaches and pains
--> Helps to clear sore throats
--> Good for upset stomach and indigestion
--> It is very effective as a cleansing agent through the bowels and kidneys and also through the skin

Tips for your skin (Part 2)

7) Use humidifiers and keep room temperature moderate to keep your skin away from dryness.

8) Hot water blushes your skin and you don t feel fresh unless you have bath with little cold water. If you have shower for a longtime, dead skin will be automatically be removed. Do not rub with towel, be gentle on your skin.

9) Take food which contains more A and C vitamin.

10) Grate carrot and boil. Massage that mixture to body to get fair and smooth skin.

11) For natural bleaching: - mix milk and lemon juice. The milk will break as soon as you mix the lemon juice in it. Use that mixture to massage on your body. It works as natural bleaching.

12) If you go into sun your skin will lost the fairness. To get your skin color to normal take equal quantities of cucumber juice and tomato juice and apply on to skin. Shower after 10 minutes.

13) Massage mustard oil to your skin for 5 minutes and have shower with gram flour or mild soap.

14) Mix cream on the top of milk and all-purpose flour and apply that paste on to your skin avoid eyes, eyebrows and lips. Shower after 5 minutes. This will make skin smooth.

15) Mix curds (yogurt) with wheat flour and apply to your skin and take shower after 5 minutes.

16) Grind rose petals and mix with cream on the top of milk and apply to your body. Shower after 10 minutes.

17) Scaly skin is a result of fluorine deficiency. Fluorine is the anti-resistant element of the human body, the absence of which creates problems in the blood and spleen. Since cooking and heating foods destroys fluorine, it is better to eat uncooked raw fruits and vegetables. Other foods rich in fluorine are goat milk and cheese, rye flour, avocados, sea plants and cabbage, cream whey and cottage cheese.

18) Wrinkle skin is a result of Sodium deficiency and makes skin sticky. Cucumbers are ideal for combating and preventing sodium deficiency because they are not only high in sodium, but also help in keeping the body cool, a great summer' s treat.

19) Skin rashes are the result of silicon deficiency. To avoid pus and rashes, eat plenty of sprouts, alfalfa, barley, tomatoes, spinach, strawberries and figs.

22) Skin eruptions are the result of Chlorophyll. And are found in wheat grass and other green leafy vegetables

Tips for your skin (Part 1)

The following list are tips on how to maintain your skin clear and healthy. These tips are good and easy to do. So, let's try it :

1) Drink at least 8 glasses of water every day.

2) Cut some beet root into small pieces and grind them. Squeeze juice from beet root and massage to your face for 5 minutes. Shower after 10 minutes with mild soap or gram flour.

3) Mix sandalwood powder with rose water and add 4 to 5 drops of milk in it and apply on to your face and body. Shower after 15 minutes with warm water.

4) Mix honey in water and drink daily in the morning to keep your skin shiny and smooth.

5) Warm honey and mix with lemon juice and apply on to face. Wash after it dry.

6) Massage your skin with milk. Milk has moisturizer, it will keep your skin smooth.

A complexion lightening mask

Another tips for clear and fairer complexion :

1. Take four almonds with a teaspoon and a half of gram flour, a teaspoon of milk and four drops of lemon juice. Mix it and apply it on your face. Leave it on for the bleach to take effect.
2. Take lemon juice, mixed with gram flour, milk cream and honey for dry skin.

3. Replace milk cream and honey with sandalwood powder and curd for oily to normal skin. Apply it on your face to ensure a clear complexion.

4. Add milk, rose water, carrot juice and cucumber juice to the above to remove freckles. Leave on for 15 minutes and rinse off.

7 Reasons to Drink Green Tea

The steady stream of good news about green tea is getting so hard to ignore that even java junkies are beginning to sip mugs of the deceptively delicate brew. You'd think the daily dose of disease-fighting, inflammation-squelching antioxidants - long linked with heart protection - would be enough incentive, but wait, there's more! Lots more.

CUT YOUR CANCER RISK

Several polyphenols - the potent antioxidants green tea's famous for - seem to help keep cancer cells from gaining a foothold in the body, by discouraging their growth and then squelching the creation of new blood vessels that tumors need to thrive. Study after study has found that people who regularly drink green tea reduce their risk of breast, stomach, esophagus, colon, and/or prostate cancer.

SOOTHE YOUR SKIN

Got a cut, scrape, or bite, and a little leftover green tea? Soak a cotton pad in it. The tea is a natural antiseptic that relieves itching and swelling. Try it on inflamed breakouts and blemishes, sunburns, even puffy eyelids. And that's not all. In the lab, green tea helps block sun-triggered skin cancer, whether you drink it or apply it directly to the skin - which is why you're seeing green tea in more and more sunscreens and moisturizers.

STEADY YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE

Having healthy blood pressure - meaning below 120/80 - is one thing. Keeping it that way is quite another. But people who sip just half a cup a day are almost 50 percent less likely to wind up with hypertension than non-drinkers. Credit goes to the polyphenols again (especially one known as ECGC). They help keep blood vessels from contracting and raising blood pressure.

PROTECT YOUR MEMORY, OR YOUR MOM'S

Green tea may also keep the brain from turning fuzzy. Getting-up-there adults who drink at least two cups a day are half as likely to develop cognitive problems as those who drink less. Why? It appears that the tea's big dose of antioxidants fights the free-radical damage to brain nerves seen in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

STAY YOUNG

The younger and healthier your arteries are, the younger and healthier you are. So fight plaque build-up in your blood vessels, which ups the risk of heart disease and stroke, adds years to your biological age (or RealAge), and saps your energy too. How much green tea does this vital job take? About 10 ounces a day, which also deters your body from absorbing artery-clogging fat and cholesterol.

LOSE WEIGHT (I love this part!)

Oh yeah, one more thing. Turns out that green tea speeds up your body's calorie-burning process. In the every-little-bit-counts department, this is good news!

3 simple tips for losing weight

1.Go to sleep.

Getting enough sleep every night keeps you thin. Why? When your body doesn't get the 7 to 8 hours it needs every night, it doesn't get a full resupply of serotonin and dopamine, two feel-good brain chemicals it craves. So it looks for ways to replenish them, and guess what immediately releases both in the body: sugary foods. That's why when you're tired, you start craving sweets! So tuck yourself in early and stay slim.

2. Keep your hands full.

You'd think that sitting around playing video games, solitaire, or surfing around Yahoo! would be an invitation to putting on pounds. Nope. When your fingers are flying, they're not knuckle-deep in a bowl of chips. Now that's not to say that endless hours on your duff are good for anybody's waistline, but when you keep your hands and brain occupied, you're not reaching automatically for something to eat. In fact, you're probably not even thinking about food. So the next time you start to open the fridge door, turn on the computer, or pick up your knitting, instead.

3. Pick and stick.

Yeah, sure, variety may be the spice of life. But it can also be the death of dieting. When you have a lot of choices for a meal, it's a lot easier to slip out of good eating habits and into buffet binges. One way to avoid trouble is to eliminate choices for at least one meal a day. Pick the meal you rush through most and automate it. For most people, that's lunch. Find a healthy lunch - maybe salad with grilled chicken or a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread - and have it for lunch every day. Every day. Yes, every day. The less you think about food, the easier it is to control you appetite. And decreasing choices decreases temptations.

All three tips are from two weight-loss experts: RealAge superdocs Michael Roizen, MD, and Mehmet Oz, MD, authors of the huge bestseller, YOU: On a Diet.

Tips for beautiful and sexy lips

Your smile can make a big difference in your appearance. A pleasant disposition with a pleasing continence can make up for any number of beauty flaws. But you mustn't stop there. A big smile can make you look positively beautiful.

Your smile has two components: teeth and lips. The biggest improvement you can make to your appearance is making sure your teeth are white. This has never been easier than it is today. Tooth color is genetic. Some people are just born with yellow tinted teeth. By avoiding certain foods and beverages, such as coffee, red wine, and tea, you can keep teeth whiter. Any foods that stain your clothes will stain your teeth. If your teeth have become discolored, you will be surprised at the results of teeth whitening. The procedure can be undertaken at home or at your dentist's office. The home products are reasonably priced, but require some discipline for about three weeks to apply the whitener, to avoid eating after it is on, and to remove it in the morning. Dentists can perform various teeth whitening procedures that usually cost about $500 and are not covered by insurance, but produce quick results in a visit or two.
Lips should look inviting and kissable. Take good care of them by making sure there is no dead skin on them, and regularly maintain them with vitamin E or balm to make them look polished and soft.

Matte lipstick is strong on color without shine but can be drying and look dull. If you like the matte look, get a good expensive lipstick. This is one time where cheap isn't better.

Crème – nice color without shininess and more moisturizing than matte

Glossy – the least drying

Lip shape tricks:

Lips too full? Avoid strong colors or you'll look like Ronald McDonald. Tone down the color with soft sheer hues and no lip liner. Also, play up your eyes to draw away from or balance out your full lips.

Lips too thin? Strong colors will just emphasize their thinness. Instead, use light, sheer colors. Never use lip liner outside the natural lip line to try and fake bigger lips. You'll just end up looking like a clown.

Crooked lips? Gently use your lip liner to even them out.

Lip color depends on your skin tone as well as your clothing colors:

Best lip colors for fair skin: pales
Best lip colors for medium skin: deeper colors
Best lip colors for olive and yellow skin: browns and plums
Best lip colors for dark skin: dark red, beiges and berry colors

Drink soup and lose weight

Soup is a good source of fluids and is considered as low energy density food, which can help with lose weight.

Just a cup can sneak more antioxidant - packed vegetables into your diet. It also can go long way toward filling you up and reducing your calorie intake during a meal. For best result, stick to broth - based varieties and watch the sodium. Recommended range is from 400 to 500 miligrams of sodium per cup.

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

.................You're My Inspiration..........................