Posts Tagged ‘Beauty’
Consumer 101 – Killing Beauty
June 13th, 2010 | Author: admin
Drop Dead Gorgeous
How far would you go to be the fairest of them all? In Elizabethan times, women rubbed lead on their face and mercury in their lips to achieve beauty. The health problems were innumerable and serious. During the Italian Renaissance, a certain Signor Toffano created an arsenic-laced face powder. This lovely little gimmick was marketed as a way for rich women to rid themselves of their unwanted husbands. One flick of a powder puff was enough to see him buried. Today we would baulk at such a risk but we still happily slather ourselves in chemicals so strong they are handled with protective clothing in laboratories. Is it possible the cosmetic industry is still peddling beauty to die for? How do we know, after all just reading the ingredient list in a moisturiser seems to require a biology degree.
Lets start with the ubiquitous sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). This chemical is used in almost everything from toothpaste to shampoos. But its side effects can include eczema, irritated eyes and skin (with prolonged exposure) and possible inflammation and infection of the urinary tract and vagina. Checking children’s products to make sure they use the less harsh sodium laureth sulphate is a good idea as SLS has been shown to permanently damage children’s eyes.
Other dodgy ingredients include EDC’s. These gender-bending chemicals are linked to falling sperm counts in men. Some, like Nonylphenol used in cosmetics, Butylated hydroxy anisole (BHA) and E320 (which can leach into cosmetics from PVC containers) are restricted by the EU with a defined tolerable daily intake. However, overtime they build up in our body tissues and some experts consider there is no safe level for use.
Alpha hydroxy Acid (AHA). The cosmetic industrys favourite discovery AHA and BHAs are fruit and milk sugar exfoliates respectively. They work by rubbing off the outer layer of skin to expose the younger-looking? skin beneath. They cannot, as advertisers suggest, permanently improve your skin. In fact, they could ruin it. The epidermis (top layer) of skin is an important barrier protecting the body from UV rays and chemicals we come in contact with. The body’s natural reaction to having it rubbed away is to create a thicker tougher epidermis, trapping you into a cycle of exfoliating. If you choose to regularly use products containing AHA’s then you will also need to use a stronger sunscreen. AHA’s have only been around ten years and their long-term effects are still unknown.
Natural products and extracts show the beauty industry has got wise to our desire for a more natural life. But too often “natural” ranges are just repackaged old products with small amounts of “extracts” added to keep the consumer happy. Really ?natural? products may also need higher levels of preservatives to keep them from going off, and so end up with the same number of chemicals found in all cosmetics and toiletries. Finally of course natural products such as plants and animal extracts can easily be as poisonous as chemicals.
Baby soft skinBabies and young children are particularly susceptible to infection, so products for children under three must have 50 times less microbes then adult products- according to EU law. This does mean they have many more preservatives in them- including benzoates. Benzoates can cause gastric irritation, mouth numbing and urticara and are often used in baby wipes. Perhaps the best option is to choose products with the smallest list of ingredients possible, and use baby soap and water where possible.
Animal magicThe Romans once painted their nails with a mixture of animal blood and fat. While this would horrify the public today there are a surprising number of animal products on our bathroom shelves. If you are a vegetarian this can make life difficult. Some animal-derived ingredients are pretty easy to spot other telltale names include:
Tallow, CI 77267, CI 77268, Collagen, Elastin, Gelatin, Hyaluronic Acid Keratin, Musk, Serum Albumin, Unipertan
Even if cosmetics say they have not been tested on animals, the individual ingredients are sure to have been tested, but not necessarily by the manufacturer.
Are you worth it?
Before you get too alarmed remember few people suffer serious health problems from cosmetics although many find certain products don’t agree with them. Buying simpler products, that don’t make us pay for wildly unrealistic advertising is probably a good idea. Cosmetics and toiletries can clean us, make us smell sweeter and enhance our looks but for real health and beauty, throwing money at the beauty counter is not an answer.
Boring but true: the only way to make your skin and hair healthier, and eyes brighter are the old tried and tested methods of health and nutrition. This means eating a balanced diet, drinking plenty of water and getting enough sleep. It also means staying out of the sun, exercising regularly and quitting smoking. It may not come in the most glamorous package- but your body and health are definitely worth it.
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Fashion and Beauty tips!
April 5th, 2010 | Author: admin
Are you a woman who follows your own beauty tips or do you usually take beauty advice from someone else such as people and beauty books and magazines.
With beauty, you must always take care of your skin, face, eyes, lips, nails and hair and you can’t forget your body as well.
Did you know that drinking eight glasses of water a day will rehydrate your skin and when you cleanse your skin, you should always use a foaming cleanser which is so much better for your skin with products such as beta hydroxy which provides a mild exfoliation that makes a small, but meaningful contribution in the battle against fine lines. So don’t get lazy when it comes to washing your face.
However, your beauty tips for yourself should never be a complicated thing and always buy essential products and techniques that should set you up for life and your make up should determine the best of the best with over so many make up and skin products to choose from.
Olay regenerist is one product that is so good because it contains a peptide that helps build collagen for your skin which is also a great moisturizer and Neutrogena is also great because it contains UV Ray filters with a very high SPF.
For your lips: Covergirl amazements is kind of like a lip miracle that looks great and goes great with your skin tone.
Note: Your skin products should be like your house keys, meaning you should never leave home without it.
When buying make up: You should always make sure that you buy good quality make up because any cosmetics could do double duty.
I’ve recently read about some hair myths and it was said that lemon works perfect for your hair because it gives you that shine and mayonnaise is used as a conditioner and avocoado as well and beer also works for your hair because it’s known as a a body builder for your fine tresses and you should always sleep with a satin pillow to prevent your hair from running flat and dry.
Although, a great make up job will play out your looks and make you look fabulous and maybe even enhance your looks and layering moisturizers will give your skin that lift, in other words: pop, define, and finish.
It’s a known fact that concealers always cover up your under eye darkness and puffiness around your eyes and making you look less tired with that droopy eye look that might just add years to your looks.
With clothing and dressing yourself: You should always wear nice high end clothing and shoes without breaking the bank with all of those affordable fashion pieces which is financially sound.
Now you can pear off your outfits with a little bit of sparkly jewelry because it’s all about the accessories to bring an outfit together.
know that: With any well tailored pair of jeans, a great pair of shoes will go great with it.
Now certain dresses speaks for itself so you won’t need any accessories at all to go with it and you can maintain a fabulous look with not that much money by shopping at affordable stores such as Target, H&M, Old Navy, The Gap, Forever 21, and all of those other high end designer shops that sells Manolos, Chanel, Gucci, Prada, and every other brand you can name with a fraction of the cost.
When dressing yourself: You have to respect yourself or even look like you do because you don’t want to walk around with a bad look and just keep up with those latest trends when you’re out shopping and when you want to meet a man and meeting Mr.Right isn’t going to happen when you’re dressing that wrong because what man do you know that’s going to take you serious when you’re dressing bad and you don’t want to wear any outdated clothing so focus on yourself because in all actuality men want to take a woman out if she’s definitely dressed the part because he will want to parade her around town and show her off becase a bad outfit is not so easy on the eyes.
So never do shirts that are too short or jeans that don’t fit right because you might want to really dress your body and in order to hook a hottie, you might want to dress nice at all times and it starts off with the right jeans and shoes and a bad outfit speaks a lot about a person so you’ll need to wear something that portrays you as a woman and that speaks confidence and every woman deserves to look beautiful.
So when it comes to beauty tips, fashion and style, and of course shopping for the latest trends, you deserve to always look good and giving yourself a vast improvement with a nice upgradable look that speaks WOW.
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Beauty and Body Image in the Media
March 29th, 2010 | Author: admin
The pictures of female bodies are seen being displayed all over the place. These women along with parts of their bodies are used for selling everything from cars, clothes to food and more.
In the present times famous film and TV actresses are seen becoming slimmer and trimmer, taller and younger in age. Women’s magazines are seen to be full of these overwhelming articles that promise losing the last twenty pounds will turn out to be the perfect solution for situations in life – from marriage, sex, children and career.
The question that arises is that why are women being made to live up to such stringent standard of beauty? Certain analysts suggest that this approach is more economical where a steady and overwhelming growth is seen and maintained in the diet and cosmetic industry.
Youth is definitely clubbed along with this concept and standard of beauty where “thinness” is the mantra of today of being beautiful. Women are being constantly bombarded with this idea of thinness and beauty concept. If one does not require losing weight, surely she will be aging and will need to maintain a false and superficial appearance. In the world of the beautiful “age” or “aging” is a disaster that must be managed.
The stakes are high. It has been observed that women are insecure about their body statistics and facial appearances tend to purchase more of these beauty and weight loss products. In view of today the diet industry is itself worth 40 to 100 billion US dollars. Research and study suggests that this image of young, thin and ultra-model women has its links to depression, unhealthy eating habits and lack of self esteem.
The Research group of the American Nervosa and related eating disorders, Inc. reports that one out of every four college-going woman tends to have eating disorders and use unhealthy weight reduction methods such as skipping meals, over dieting, excessive fasting, rigorous exercise, use of laxatives and puking. The Canadian women’s heath network has also reported that girls as young as 5 to 6 years of age are implanting unhealthy weight reduction and diet programs on themselves.
In the year 2003, the Teen magazine reported that 35% girls aged between 6 and 12 was on at least one diet program and 50-70% or them considered themselves to be overweight when actually their weight was normal. This falsified concept of beauty and remaining young is taking its toll on the younger generation and research substantiates that almost 90% of the women are experiencing some sort of dissatisfaction regarding their image, appearance and self esteem.
Unattainable Beauty
The media tends to portray an image of beauty that is unattainable and perfect beauty figures and appearances can be achieved and attained only by a small section of women who are professionals and perfectionists. The rest will never reach this standard, but should strive to achieve it.
Researcher trying to develop a computerized model of a woman according to the proportions of a Barbie doll found out that women would actually die from malnutrition and weakness. It is estimated that almost 99% girls in the age limit of 3-10 years own a Barbie doll.
Seeking to achieve unhealthy standards of weight is an epidemic that can have devastating consequences on health. In 2006 a statistical survey revealed that nearly 4, 50,000 Canadian women were suffering from some kind of eating disorder.
The Culture of Thinness
Researchers have also highlighted the fact the women’s magazines have more articles and advertisements on thinness and weight loss as compared to that of men. Films and television portray the thin body of a standard and measure of the worth of a woman. It has also been reported that healthy women experienced some sort of negative comments from their male counter parts because of their bodies.
There has been an effort to change the trend where in Madrid in the year 2006, ultra-thin models were banned from walking the ramp. The Quebec magazine Coup de Pounce is continuously adding images of healthy and normal sized women. Furthermore, Spain has undertaken a project where clothes would be standardized according to normal body statistics of woman.
Despite these efforts the advertisements “Thinness is the ultimate standard and pillar to success” and “become thin to attain a perfect body” still prevails. Today models weigh 23% less than an average woman. Advertisers believe thin models sell products better than an average sized women, so the hype is all the more.
They continue to believe and remain convinced that only thin models can spur the sales figures of beauty products in the market.
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Explore Spas And Beauty Salons In Puerto Vallarta
March 13th, 2010 | Author: admin
Vacation at Puerto Vallarta is incomplete without relaxing and utilizing the facilities of Health Spas and Beauty Salons. Puerto Vallarta poses as a major attraction for many living in the US and Canada. Not only does this place offer an adventurous and exciting vacation, it is also a treat for those conscious about beauty, health, spirituality and relaxation. This gay friendly tourist resort has a lot of exciting attractions for the gay community as well.
Puerto Vallarta beauty salons have a wide range of treatments for men and women. It is known that the ladies desire more pampering but Puerto Vallarta spas do not ignore the needs of men and thus proves to be an equally comfortable and relaxing resort for all. “Blu Salon and Spa,” equipped with latest technology can help you get an entirely new look, ranging from highlights to lowlights, hair extensions to therapeutic, energizing massages and facials. The numerous facilities available make this salon more popular in Puerto Vallarta. As the ladies pamper themselves and eagerly try out new features and facilities available, the men don’t leave disappointed either. Blu offers “Man- scaping”, a new program sure to keep the men pleased as well.
Explore the beautiful gay resort Puerto Vallarta and enjoy luxurious massages together with the beautiful view. Visit “The Spa at Las Caletas,” which can be accessed by sea. This secluded cove resides on the Banderas Bay, away from the population of the city ideal for purifying aromatherapy treatments and natural spa treatments. The spa treatments include Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, aromatherapy, reflexology, holistic facials and salt scrubs all equally helpful for good, calm mental and physical state. This Oasis is a combination of indulgence and pampering that should not be missed.
Tropical tan is an absolute must during vacation to the beaches. Vacationers can visit “Salon Diva’s,” open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm located at Plaza Marina G-17. Established almost ten years ago, it has established itself as a distinguished salon and continues to offer new facilities. Discover the fabulous and awesome results of tan and quantum phoenix massage from Salon Diva’s, and you will not be disappointed by this experienced gay staff. If you need assistance in renting a condo or villa near or on the beach, please contact our renowned company pvrpv.com for best services.
For a more magnificent vacation, visit “Grand Velas All Suites and Spa Resort,” in Nuevo Vallarta, Riviera Nayarit, located on the North of Puerto Vallarta. This resort runs one of the most renowned Spas of the world and has even been awarded as a Luxury (Five- Star) Hotel. Grand Velas not only offers invigorating Spas and massages, but is also renowned for very spacious Spas and Imperial suites. For couples, this place offers diamond bath therapy in a grand Jacuzzi. This indulgence is further complimented with wine and strawberries dipped in chocolate to make your visit more memorable. Pvrpv.com offers best services relating to villa and condo rentals near or on the beach in Puerto Vallarta city.
Discover the magic in Puerto Vallarta forests and see for yourself the healing properties in honey, volcanic ash, chocolate and vanilla. Experience a spa at “Rancho La Puerta.” This fitness resort is a delight for the men as well and they have an entirely separate health center. This Spa excels in making body wraps out of native Mexican ingredients such as aromatic oils, herbs and seaweed. This treatment helps muscles to release energy and relives the body from pain as well.
Get information on rental properties in Puerto Vallarta, also abbreviated as PV, contact www.pvrpv.com at the following numbers. Their Mexican office number is 322.222.0638. If calling from the USA or Canada, call on local Vonage number 206.388.3703. You may also email Tim at tim@pvrpv.com. For more details visit www.pvrpv.com which has been successfully servicing the tourists & local community for the past four years. They have a knowledgeable and friendly staff that may help you about rental properties in Puerto Vallarta.
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Beauty Tips & Secrets for Summer
February 28th, 2010 | Author: admin
Beauty is a part of the women. Beauty is defined as a prominent practice of optimistic expression associated to one’s own survival. Eye liner is a makeup that is used to better define the eyes. Eyes are not just a part of your face but they are very important feature as well. Eyeliner can make even the smallest eyes appear larger. The eyeliner is there to help you out in this regard. Eyebrows play an important role in heightening the beauty of eyes. Perfect eyebrows almost transcend the beauty of the face and make an immediate visible impact in a makeover session. Eyebrows are shaped and colored all the time. Today, there are a variety of pencils for the eyebrows, in different colors and brands. Your hair reflects your general health. Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet is important for healthy hair. There are certain specific foods that are important for healthy hair. Don’t use hair removing lotion on your eyebrows. Also, it is perfectly normal for hair to grow quickly on your eyebrows.
Summer, like winter, requires it’s own special beauty tips. During the summer your skin can change quite a bit. It’s usually a few shades darker (hopefully from self-tanner only, of course), oilier due to heat and humidity or a bit parched in dry heat climates which can upset your tried-and-true makeup and skin care routine.A good water-resistant sunscreen, with an SPF of 15 or higher, should be applied to dry skin at least 15 minutes before going outdoors. It should be reapplied after swimming or spending any length of time in the sun. Certain foods and beverages, such as herbal teas, avocados, and fruit, help in purifying and nourishing the skin in summer. Spicy or hot foods should be avoided if you plan on spending any length of time outdoors, as these may cause skin irritations or inflammations. Drinking lots of water is absolutely essential to replenish moisture lost to the drying effects of the sun.
Summer Beauty Tips
1. Skin tends to get oilier in summer.
2. Use lighter facial skin care products to avoid clogging your pores.
3. Rehydrate your skin after exposure to the sun, sand and salt at the beach.
4. Protect your skin from the sun. The sun’s UV rays can cause skin cancer, so be wise and use sunblocks.
5. Apply a bit of conditioner to hair before shampooing, concentrating on ends.
6. Be sure to get a trim every 4-6 weeks to keep ends healthy.
7. Apply 3 tablespoons of olive oil to dry hair. Let sit for up to an hour, wash thoroughly.
8. Hair needs protection from the sun just like the skin. Use a shampoo and conditioner that contains sunscreen.
9. Never Underestimate the Power of Moisturizer.
