Lifestyle Choices

Simply said, aerosol sprays have an image problem. The rap against them goes like this: aerosols harm the environment; they contain CFCs, which destroy the ozone layer; and you should avoid them at all costs. (more…)

It is one of life’s beauty ironies that your skin can be perfect when nothing interesting is happening in your life, and look dreadful when something important is in the offing. Excitement, tension and a little jiggling of the hormones don’t help. When you want to look good and your skin doesn’t, someone like Barbara Daly, a top British make-up artist, can come to the rescue. Here is her advice:

“Nobody’s face is flawless, and concealer is a magical piece of make-up. Choose a shade which will blend in with your skin tone and use a lip or eyeshadow brush loaded up from the stick just as you would if you were going to put on lipstick. (more…)

You have no doubt heard someone say — or been known to say yourself — “I can’t possibly go out looking like this!” “This” is usually a small crop of pimples, a bruise that will disappear within days or a temporary dose of dark shadows under the eyes. So just imagine the distress and feelings of social isolation suffered by someone with a real skin disfigurement such as a massive birthmark, scar, disturbance in pigmentation or any major skin disorder. (more…)

Electrolysis can remove superfluous hair permanently, but don’t expect an instant miracle. It takes time and money. Just how much of both depends on many factors, including how extensive and heavy the growth, and whether previous plucking or waxing have distorted the hair follicles. The entire situation will be discussed on your first visit, but don’t expect any electrolysist to be able to tell you exactly how many visits you will need. (more…)

Hot, wet action is what you’re after (as ever). But don’t just slap some water from the sink across your cheeks and start scraping. Shaving takes time. It’s a process—one that’s better left unrushed. Start with a warm shower. (You can shower while you shave, but why combine two of the most private, reflective periods of your day?) (more…)

There’s something to be said for a woman’s touch—and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by just how violent and corrective these can be. Facials are great for cleansing, exfoliation, and extractions (that is, removing pore buildup with manual manipulations). (more…)

We age. Our circulatory system pumps more slowly, bring less blood to our skin and causing dehydration. We make fewer new cells, and the cells we do create lose their ability to adhere to one another. Melanocytes, which control pigmentation, become fewer and work less efficiently: we get blotchy or lose color. Collagen production slows down, making our skin less elastic. And that’s just the natural aging process. (more…)

There are no right or wrong answers, but be sure to answer all the questions, or your score won’t be valid. Answer accurately and truthfully, but don’t ponder over your answers too much; there are no trick questions or hidden meanings. The questions are designed to determine whether you have a super young appearance — the higher your score, the more likely you are to be among the super young. (more…)

A Brush With Heaven

Good brushes make a huge difference, not only to how well you apply make-up, but to how much fun you have doing it. MAC, Jane Iredale, Trish McEvoy and some of the other top ranges offer an intelligent collection of great brushes to help even an amateur with a shaky hand achieve a professional look. Owning a few beautiful brushes makes the make-up ritual a luxurious affair. (more…)

THIS: Imagine you have a companion who has just come to Earth. She is your age, but without your experience. It’s your job to care for her with all the love and compassion you would give a child, a best friend or an animal you cherish. She needs a name, so you give her your own with ‘San‘ added at the end, for example ‘Kara-San‘. (In Japanese the suffix ‘San‘ is a way of showing respect.) (more…)

Choose somewhere you like in your bedroom or bathroom. Ideally the place should have a good source of natural and artificial light (for applying make-up or styling your hair) and be near an electricity socket. Sanctify this space by removing anything unnecessary. (more…)

THE WELL-GROOMED THATCH

You know the deal with waxing; the aesthetician has you splayed out like a chicken and pours a bit of warm wax on a portion of your private parts; then she lays a bit of cheesecloth on the wax and snatches it up, one millisecond before your brain registers scream! If waxing is a pain, take two aspirin before you’re waxed to dull the pain. Also, after waxing don’t go out in the sun for twenty-four hours. (more…)

These are massaged into the scalp several times a week. If used regularly, they will improve the condition of your hair and scalp. There is no need to wet your hair first. Choose an appropriate base for your hair and scalp condition, e.g. orange flower water for dry hair, witch hazel for oily hair and up to 15 drops of essential oil. (more…)

A few eye-spy looks to try:

Bambi: Janet (Miss Jackson to you) takes the doe eyes to the max with the help of false eyelashes. Cut a strip of lashes into small sections, pick each up with tweezers, and apply _astrip of glue to the back of lashes. Apply the shortest where your own lashes are shortest, longest at the center. (more…)

When we relax our own hair, one of the biggest mistakes we make is applying the chemicals to the entire hair shaft. If you must straighten at home, keep the following in mind: (more…)

As the world continues to spin on its axis, here are six things that will always be true of our unique strands:

1. There is no such thing as the perfect hairstyle. Black hair is inherently delicate, so it is best to change styles frequently to minimize possible breakage points. For example, whether your hair is natural or relaxed, vary the style—two or three days loose, three or four days twisted or pulled back. (more…)

Whether you’re swinging from the chandeliers or swinging with another culture abroad, you’ll need some guidance on how to keep your hair looking fabulous. (more…)

The finest oil to use for the hair is extra virgin olive. The oil is known to strengthen the hair shafts, thus giving the hair body and shine. In fact, a dessert spoonful of the uncooked oil should also be added to your food daily, for it is rich in fat-soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids, which are extremely beneficial to both hair and skin. (more…)

My grandma had mass hairloss in her middle age. My mom too. I persuaded myself it wouldn’t happen to me.

But I was wrong. I had experience hairloss when I was 28. It never stopped. I used to have these beautiful thick hair, it left thin one.

I started to complaint my mom. Why the inherited hairloss diseases pass only to me not my brothers?

I have been worrying about my hair and my look. I was not sure when I am going to bald. I was just not ready for what I am going to be.

Another thing in family I think is the oily skin. I have been thinking maybe the oily skin has lead to the mass hairloss. I tried dieting in order to get rid of the oily food. I kept my dieting slim at fruit ad vegetables. I felt healthy inside but nothing having been changed of my hair.

The root of hair is quickly becoming oily and moisturized. I have been trying different kind of chemical formula to control oil in order to prevent mass hairloss.

None of them has been working for me. “Inherited, you have to accept it” my mom used to tell me. But think of the ugly bald for women, it is hard to accept it. (more…)

Washing you hair is not so much for health as for appearance; six times a year would keep it healthy but probably looking awful. So it really depends on how it is worn, and what you see in the mirror. Try washing it every 6 to 10 days. If it is oily you will need to wash more often, if dry, less. (more…)