Feb 162013
 

Is your waterproof mascara a standout or a washout? We reduced 5 subjects to tears in order to find out

It’s an all too common scenario: one dip in the Mondrian pool and our mascara (despite the “waterproof” label) has us looking like Tammy Faye Bakker after a run-in with Hurricane Floyd.

The ultimate challengeFive human guinea pigs from beautyscene’s extensive research department put some 15 waterproof mascaras to what they determined was the ultimate test: to slice their way through a bag of yellow onions. On the whole, most waterproof mascaras might hold up in a dense fog, but are simply no match for your average Barbara Walter’s interview/Gilroy Garlic festival/shotgun wedding. Here are the winners: Continue reading »

Feb 142013
 

Arriving at your destination is one thing, but looking fabulous when you get there is another… Jacqui Stafford arrives in style…

The average person arrives after a long flight looking as if they’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards: greasy hair stuck to one cheek, skin dehydrated, swollen ankles, parched lips—and green with envy at the sleek, chic few who effortlessly glide through the arrivals hall looking fabulous.

Lyn Coade, for example, the impossibly glamorous founder of Inventives, one of London’s hippest event organizers, steps off a six-hour New York-to-London flight carrying the requisite Louis Vuitton travel bag, not a crease in her Armani trousers, her fresh-faced skin glowing, and infuriatingly managing to look as if she’s just stepped out from a spa. Continue reading »

Dec 242012
 
cal

Pedicurist Nuyen Tan of the Nail Room selects shoes for different feet problems and suggests some helpful dos and don’ts.

1) Bunions

Although bunions are hereditary, wearing ill-fitting shoes can aggravate the problem.

“If your shoes are tight or too pointed in the front, they may force your big toe inwards even more,” Nuyen says.

The best remedy is to wear open-toed shoes and sandals that don’t squeeze the toes. Here she selects a snazzy pair of slipper’s that allow all the toes to “breathe”. Continue reading »

Dec 232012
 

Oil of Olay’s  introduces the anti-ageing qualities of BHA (Beta Hydroxy Acid), a substance which is being hailed as skin renewal technology for the next generation. Reena Gurbaksh speaks to Richard Chen, head of Proctor & Gamble’s beauty care research centre in Japan, about this revolutionary new product.

WHATEVER new changes the next millennium holds in store, one thing isn’t likely to budge very much–a woman’s quest for beautiful, youthful-looking skin. In fact, the advent of new and improved technology is only likely to reinforce this search with new fervour.

To serve the skincare needs of women of the next century, it appears that major cosmetics companies are racing to come up with that all-new “millennium product” which will take beauty care to a whole new level. Continue reading »

Dec 132012
 

foundation_2

 

supercat-lipsFoundation Must Have. If your foundation is not surviving the summer heat by mid-day, then check out Cover Girl new Limted Edition Simply Summer Powder Foundation! ( http://www.covergirl.com/beauty-products/face-makeup/foundation-makeup ) This fab lightweight formula will help you get thru the day and nite without a major meltdown. It offers Spf 15 protection, while hiding flaws, and keeping shnailpolish_2ine away! Be sure to also check out some of the new summer lipsticks ( http://www.covergirl.com/beauty-products/lip-colo ) and nail polishes ( http://www.covergirl.com/beauty-products/nail-polish ) in hot coral, pinks, and plummy shades too

More Summer Limited Editions. Almay has some of it’s own summer fun limited edition items to grab while they last: For the perfect summer pout, try the Stay Smooth Anti Chap Lipcolor in Sunburst, a gorgeous coral shade. This lipcolor doubles as a lip protectant by helping prevent lip chapping and drying while packing Spf 25. You’ll also want the matching Limited Edition One Coat Nail Color- ideal for on the go summer looks!

Perfect Self-Tanner. If you want to get a fast sunny glow this summer the healthy way, then pick up a bottle of Elizabeth Arden Quick Spray Oil-Free Self-Tanner. This excellent formula gives a fast, natural looking tan without the harmful sun’s rays. No orange effects! The easy to apply spray makes reaching the tough spots(ankles, elbows, etc.) a breeze.

Sole Support. If your fave fashionable sandals are causing your feet pain, be sure to grab a bottle of The Healing Garden Mintherapy for Feet on your next drugstore shopping run. This Vitamin E and aloe enriched minty scented formula revives, cools, and soothes tired, aching feet. Leaves your soles soft and feeling refreshed! Use before bedtime and wear a pair of cushiony socks for an extra treatment for those burning soles and rough, dry patches- your feet will thank you in the morning!

 

Dec 132012
 
Facial-Cloths

With the cleansing power of a liquid cleanser, toner, mask or scrub in one cloth, these cloths gently exfoliate and smooth skin’s texture in less than one week. They also remove dirt, oil and make-up – even mascara – 2x better than basic cleansing. Just add water!

Summer Face Treat. Treating yourself to a facial has never been easier! Olay Daily Facials Cleanser Cloths will replace many of the items that you may be using individually, such as makeup removers, cleansers, toners, and exfoliators. The cloths are specially treated and come in formulas to suit different skin needs. They are packaged in their own plastic container. The cloths have two sides, one that is gentle enough for using on the delicate skin in the eye area for removing makeup, while the other side is textured and exfoliates and smooths the skin. They are easy to use, just run under running tap water, and the cloth will lather with its special cleansers and conditioners. After use, your skin will feel smooth, clean, and soft to the touch. Visit the Olay website for more info. “http://www.olay.com/”.

These specially textured cloths combine soap-free lather and essential Olay conditioners to leave your skin clean and hydrated.

  • Soap-free
  • Dermatologist tested

Application instructions -  Wet cloth with water and rub to lather. Cleanse face, even around the eyes, and then rinse (for best results, use cloth). Throw away cloth (do not flush).

Full Ingredients
petrolatum, peg-100, glycerin, cocamidopropyl betaine, decyl glucoside, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, cyclodextrin, butylene glycol, peg-14m, vitis vinifera seed extract*, tocopheryl acetate†, fragrance, polyquaternium-10, phenoxyethanol, benzyl alcohol, panthenol, salicylic acid, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, chamomilla recutita extract (matricaria), methylparaben, propylparaben, disodium edta, sodium ma/diisobutylene copolymer, silica, bht, sodium laurate. *grape seed extract, †vitamin e acetate

Nov 222012
 
saw

Lip corner cracks are caused by angular cheilitis. This problem is also known as cheilosis, angular stomatitis or perleche.

A lip corner crack occurs as a result of an infection of the corner of the mouth by a fungal bacteria. This kind of infection generally follows a long exposure to the sun or to the cold weather.

Thing is, the sun and the cold wind can cause the lips to become dry and irritated. To reduce the irritation, a person may start to lick the lips and as a result, saliva accumulates in the corners of the mouth and favors the infection. Continue reading »

Nov 182012
 
big-butt

Big butt, no butt, droopy butt?


The list goes on. Well, we’ve got news for you. Your butt happens to consist of several muscles – mainly the glutenous maximums, glutenous medias and glutenous minimums. And where there are muscles, there is a chance to shape them up.

Ironically, you can’t count on walking and running for some rear control. That’s because the complete range of motion of your hip joint – from a fully flexed to a fully extended position – covers an arc of up to 165 degrees. Running and walking don’t cover that range. Furthermore, to develop your butt muscles, you need exercises that apply strenuous resistance throughout this full range of motion. To help you zero in on the specific problems for your butt type, to create these butt-sculpting exercises.

TOO-ROUNDED BUTT

* CAUSES: Genetics, and too much fat deposit in the region.* BUTT CURE: You need to trim as much fat as possible through proper diet and exercise. Turn up the calorie sizzle without adding bulk by training on an elliptical trainer, for instance. When weight training, use high reps of 15 to 20 to avoid increasing muscle size.

* EXERCISES: Floor get-up (beginner); butt lift-and-hold (advanced).

FLAT BUTT

* CAUSES: A person with a flat butt has insufficient muscle volume in the area.* BUTT CURE: Building muscles in your derriere is the best fix. For best results, do reps in the range of 10 to 15 for 2 to 3 sets each.

* EXERCISES: Cross-legged squat (beginner); wall squat and one-legged dead lift (advanced).

SAGGY BUTT

* CAUSES: When poor skin elasticity (from aging) fails to hold up the excess fat (from a sedentary lifestyle), a saggy bottom is what you get.* BUTT CURE: First, reduce fat through proper cardiac workouts and diet; second, use butt-tightening exercises to firm up muscles and improve skin elasticity. Stick to high reps of 15 to 20. Light weights and static contraction work best for this problem.

* EXERCISES: Floor get-up and cross-legged squat (beginner); wall squat (advanced).

 

WIDE BUTT

* CAUSES: Wide hipbone and fat deposits on the sides are to blame.* BUTT CURE: Lose fat through exercise and proper diet to reduce the overall hip size. Then build muscles in the upper body to create a proportionate look. High reps of 15 to 20 are suggested.

* EXERCISES: Off-set squat (beginner); wall squat (advanced).

Nov 172012
 
fl

When we blossom from within it connects us on all levels, we start to radiate Love and Kindness and our appearance is Beauty.

Inner Beauty

To find inner Peace – balance and harmony, we need to take good care of our true essence.

To give ourselves the time and space, we need to get to know the feeling of inner peace to be present.

Our inner Peace thrives from acceptance and serenity in our Loving Heart and Soul.

To Love our inner self

The way we look at ourselves – to lovingly see ourselves and embrace the true feeling of Love and Compassion from within and believing in

our inner and outer beauty is a key to remember. Continue reading »

Sep 132012
 
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Colors and textures this spring and summer are so exciting that I’m tickled pink, or violet, or yellow or berry. And rather iridescent if I might say so. For weeks I’ve been toting makeup bags filled with goodies to photo and video shoots, painting the faces of news anchors, models and celebrities, not to mention inviting my friends over to paint our faces, wipe it off and paint some more. So here’s the spring makeup I’ve checked out so far and, if you have a favorite makeup product that you’d like to share then by all means write in.
Continue reading »

Sep 062012
 
home gym; ...

Home gyms, Find the best home gyms to maximize strength training and get your best workout.

Home gyms are an excellent way to build and maintain muscle mass through strength training workouts.  Thanks to the advances in home fitness equipment, home gyms are less cumbersome, more compact, and easier to maintain.

There are various designs of  home gyms, from pulley type universal machines, to combination free weight and machine.  Either way you will be sure to get a health club quality workout with emphasis on strength training.  Some of these home gyms come complete with a Smith Machine squat rack for doing multiple strength training exercises, such as squat, bench press, bent rows and more of your favorite workout routine exercises.

“Combine home gym safety with free weight training for your workout routine.

One of the best home gyms is the BodyCraft Smith Machine.  This modular designed machine allows you to add different attachments to create a complete strength training system.   Attachments include Lat/Row, Pec Dec, Plate Tree, Dip, for upper body and back workouts.  The smith machine has an Olympic bar that has a capacity of 700 lbs, for heavier strength training.

For those of you that are looking for more free weight movement in a home gym strength training system, the Gold’s Gym XR 35.  This popular home gym offers a lot of value for it’s low price.

A complete strength system that delivers six robust stations, including bench, high pulley/lat tower, preacher curl, squat station, leg developer and weight storage rack. The preacher curl features an extra roll of padding for ideal comfort. Continue reading »

Sep 032012
 
Weight training

You need weight training in addition to cardio exercise, to gain muscle mass and burn fat.

Many people believe that just doing cardio exercise at home is enough to burn fat.  For anyone wanting to get into shape, your goal should be to lose fat and gain muscle mass.

The truth is that yes running, biking, or other types of aerobic exercise is good for burning fat.  It’s also good at burning your muscle tissue as well, if you are not weight training.  This is why you need to include weight training into your regular daily fitness routine.  Remember Balance and consistency are your key to gaining muscle mass and burning fat.  When I say balanced, I mean training all of your body parts equally, eating a well balanced diet,  and at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise in your daily exercise routine.  I also recommend vitamins and supplements to enhance your body’s fat burning process. Continue reading »

Sep 022012
 
strong through weight training

strong through weight trainingIf your goal is to get strong through weight training, how many sets per exercise do you need to get the optimal benefit from your workout? There has been controversy for years as to what type of training program most effectively increases maximum strength and its carryover to speed-strength activities like jumping and sprinting. One side of the fence says that one set is enough for strength gains, and the other insists on three sets. Who is right?

For the general public – meaning you and me, the people who want to get the best rewards for our efforts – a new research article may give us some answers. The Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina has published “Short-Term Performance Effects of Weight Training With Multiple Sets Not to Failure vs. a Single Set to Failure in Women”. Specifically, the researchers tested women to see if they got better strength results through performing 3 sets of 10 repetitions versus 1 set of 8 to 12 repetitions for each exercise in each workout. Continue reading »

Aug 242012
 

Get MovingWalking is one of the best and most enjoyable forms of exercise. It’s easy, cost-effective, and best of all, it can be done in the great outdoors. The popularity of walking as a fitness activity is growing by leaps and bounds. Low risk and easy to start, walking has proved its health benefits in numerous studies. An eight-year study of 13,000 people found that those who walked 30 minutes a day had a significantly lower risk of premature death than those who rarely exercised.

A regular walking program can help reduce blood cholesterol, lower blood pressure, increase cardiovascular endurance, boost bone strength, burn calories and keep weight down. Moderate walking also improves digestion, aids in sleep, reduces stress, improves endurance and is good for managing lower-back pain, arthritis and diabetes. The benefits you can get from walking outside come on many levels. Continue reading »

Aug 242012
 
Tennis Anyone

Tennis AnyoneTennis season is finally upon us. The popularity of the game has seen a resurgence in recent years. Serena and Venus Williams have been instrumental in infusing the game with new blood. Why not improve your game by training like the pros?

Tennis magazine recently gave insight into Venus Williams’ routine. Three times a week, Williams hits the weights early a.m. for a 75 minute workout incorporating arm, shoulder and triceps exercises. She is quoted in the April issue of Tennis Magazine as saying ‘I want to make sure I don’t have any injuries and that I maintain my muscle weight,’ she says. She also jumps rope — ‘five minutes of real intense jumping’ — to warm up before practicing.

Other jump rope options to consider: 

Williams’ workouts concentrate on drills borrowed from other sports. She throws a football or baseball the length of a court for 30 minutes to help her service motion. Williams works out with boxing gloves and a speed bag to fine-tune her reflexes for volleys. She surfs to help her balance, and runs a mile for stamina and does sprints of varying lengths.

The premise of the training is to enhance the game. Throwing a medicine ball is a great way to help improve the serve. The key is to mix it up and cross train. Too much of any one kind of exercise becomes boring and results in over-use injuries.

Stretch it out
During a tennis match, you end up in more positions than a yogi. The challenge is, while you’re twisted up or stretched out, you’ve got to be able to execute forceful shots and volleys.

That’s why tightness is the seal of death for a tennis player. A good, basic stretching program will keep limbs and joints functioning through a full range of motion and also make you a faster, stronger, more resilient player.

There are other benefits as well: Stretching reduces muscle tension. It also helps correct some of the posture imbalances that often develop in sports like tennis and golf, where the stress to joints and muscles is unequal on opposite sides of the body.

No one wants to walk or play lop-sided! The following stretches target the areas most critical to tennis players. You should always warm up your muscles with 5-10 minutes of low-intensity activity like jumping jacks, jumping rope or jogging in place. Stretch to a point that’s challenging but not painful, and hold for 15 to 20 seconds, breathing normally. Repeat each stretch two to three times on both sides of your body.

An exercise mat is useful in doing the following:

Posterior shoulder stretch
Stand and hold your left arm out in front of you. Place your right hand behind your left elbow. Pull your elbow across your body with your right hand. Let your left hand fall over your shoulder, but don’t let your trunk rotate. Switch arms and repeat.
Calf stretch
Stand in front of a wall or pole, with one foot placed 2 or 3 feet behind the other, toes pointed forward. Keeping your back knee straight and your heel on the floor bend your front knee, lean forward until you feel the stretch. Switch legs and repeat.
Spinal twist
From a seated position, bend your right leg and place your right ankle on the outside of your left knee. Bring your left arm over your right knee and, while looking over your right shoulder, slowly turn your shoulders and torso to the right. Switch legs and repeat.
Quadriceps
Stand on one leg and grasp your other foot or ankle. Keeping your back straight, pull your foot up behind your butt so that your knee is pointed to the ground (don’t twist the knee). For balance, extend your arm in front of you or hold onto a wall. Switch legs and repeat.
Hamstrings
From a seated position, bend your left knee and place the sole of your left foot against the inside of your right knee. Keeping your back and right knee as straight as possible, reach toward your foot with both hands. Switch legs and repeat

Aug 102012
 
Treadmill Maintenance Tips

Once you’ve obtained your treadmill, it is important to maintain it properly. A Quality treadmill should not, however, require a frequent maintenance schedule. Treadmill upkeep includes periodic dusting and, if need be, infrequent belt lubrication. The following tips are for prolonging the life of your fitness investment.

Treadmill Maintenance Tips

Keep treadmill clean and dust-free.
Dirt is the number one cause of premature belt failure. Weekly dusting between the belt and deck will ensure longevity of the machine. Deck should be dry and free of debris. Make sure the area where you place your treadmill is relatively dust-free. Continue reading »

Aug 082012
 
Senior Fitness

Walking has to be the most fundamental human fitness activity. Walking offers distinct fitness benefits no matter what shape you’re in:

A walking program is convenient and easy to start. You can do it almost anywhere. All you need is decent shoes.

If you’re not very fit, start slow and don’t go far. Build up speed and distance gradually. (If you suffer risk factors for heart disease like high blood pressure or chest pain, talk to your doctor first.)

It burns calories and helps to keep your weight down.

When you begin, walk slowly enough so you can talk at the same time. Walk at least 30 minutes a day, which studies show, may decrease your risk of dying before your time. If you can’t walk 30 minutes all at once, break it up into several segments over the day. Continue reading »

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