How to Co-Wash Natural Black Hair
November 8, 2008
If you wear your hair natural, you are probably familiar with co-washing, or washing the hair with conditioner only. Conditioner washing avoids harsh results from frequent washing with shampoos and helps to keep natural black hair soft and manageable. Co-washing can be done as often as you’d like, even several times a day (this is a plus for natural hair wearers in the hot days of summer).
Oftentimes the question of “How do I co-wash my hair?” comes up. The answer would seem simple, but there are some steps you can take to get the most benefit from this technique and do it with ease.
* First, find a conditioner that works for your hair type. Search online for keywords “hair types” and narrow your hair type down to one or two close categories. You may be a combo 3c and 4a. This will help you better understand which type of conditioner to purchase among the many available.
* Get to know your ingredients. The long, hard-to-pronounce ingredients on the label can be overwhelming. But with familiarity, you can learn to spot which ingredients you want to keep and which you want to avoid. Ingredients like propylene glycol, cetyl alcohol and panthenol are common. Search online for ingredients lists. One such list can be found at http://sci-toys.com/ingredients/ingredients.html.
Flawless Makeup: Are You Using the Right Tools?
November 7, 2008
Like organizing our closets we must from time to time clean out our makeup cabinets and make sure what we have is still working for us. If you want flawless makeup and professional looking results you must use the correct makeup tools. The right blush brush for example, will make it possible that your blush gives you a perfect glow rather than a harsh streak or blob. Also, the right tools are necessary to do the job correctly ? to define and conceal.
ESSENTIAL TOOLS:
Sponge: A sponge makes it possible to get into difficult spots and controls makeup application; used correctly a sponge will give your foundation an even finish. A sponge is great for touch-ups and is less likely to pull on the skin. Buy them in bulk and change them often.
Brushes: A good blush brush is soft with bristles that are about 1½ inches. Don’t use the small, hard brushes that come in compacts because it will be difficult to get a nice even finish. An eye shadow brush should also be soft. Look for a lipstick brush that is retractable. It helps keep the brush clean and in great shape. A blending brush should be about ½ wide and will help blend the different color eye shadows together to create a natural look. Use a brow brush to keep eyebrows under control and give them a smooth look. Your powder brush should be large, soft, firm and fluffy.
Makeup Tips for 40, 50, and Beyond
November 6, 2008
Growing older doesn’t have to be a burden. Aging is a part of life and if we learn to appreciate our bodies and faces we will feel much more comfortable and live a much happier, stress-free life. It seems odd that some younger women are more concerned about how they look and dwell on flaws when they are at their physical best; when some older women, who are happy to be alive, feel good about themselves, accept their bodies and faces for what they are and rejoice in living.
If you are worried about getting lines and wrinkles and would like to feel better about how you look, the first step is to change your attitude toward yourself and aging. Start by evaluating the ideas and beliefs you have about aging and where you got them. If you see older women as unattractive then you are going to have a difficult time looking in the mirror at an aging face. Aging is the kind of thing that sneaks up on you and then one day ? boom, you’re there. I have met women who are fifty and beyond who are very attractive and exude self-confidence (yes, they have lots of lines and wrinkles and a not-so-perfect body). Their attractiveness comes from feeling good about themselves and knowing they are more than the outside package. Self-confidence crosses all barriers, people notice and see the beauty.
Splitting Hairs - What Can You Do About Split Ends
November 5, 2008
Isn’t it a shame when you have to worry about covering split ends (or trichoptlosis)-the bane of every self- respecting woman’s life! They happen when the protective cuticle has been stripped away from the ends of hair fibers. Split ends are more likely to develop in dry or brittle hair, and typical causes of damage include excessive dying or vigorous brushing.
Once the hair cuticle is removed, it is impossible to replace. Typically, the hair splits into two or three strands, and can be as long or two to three centimeters in length. The best treatment is to cut off the split end of the damaged fiber.
But you don’t necessarily have to go to the salon every week to keep your split ends in check. Back in the sixties and seventies, women used to burn off their split ends! Sure that’s a little excessive. And there are easier ways to get rid of those dead ends before they split further… do-it-yourself hair trims.
These do-it-yourself trimming tips are for women who are happy with their hair; for those who don’t need a restyle, but simply want to freshen things up with a ‘homegrown’ sort of look. If you are in any doubt, leave it for the professionals!
Facts about Cosmetic Dentistry
November 4, 2008
Cosmetic dentistry has become more popular in the recently years with the improvements in dental techniques and materials. Many people have taken advantage of cosmetic dentistry to “enhance their smile”.
What is cosmetic dentistry?
Cosmetic dentistry is the procedure to improve the appearance of teeth. With the recent developments in dental techniques and dental materials, cosmetic dentistry has made it possible for many people to have better looking smile.
Do you need cosmetic dentistry?
You might consider cosmetic dentistry if you have one of the following conditions with your teeth: gaps between teeth, cracks or cavities, broken or crooked teeth, stained or discolored teeth, uneven teeth, chips or rough spots.
Things to know when considering cosmetic dentistry
If you are considering cosmetic dentistry, you should keep the following facts in mind: First of all, cosmetic dentistry is costly and usually not covered by dental insurance. Some procedures might cost you over $1000 per tooth. You should make sure you can afford it because you do it. Also, the procedure might need to be repeated every 10 to 15 years because some materials used in cosmetic dentistry might not last very long.
Look Years Younger In Minutes
November 3, 2008
Now whether you are just beginning to notice your first few lines or you are experiencing more advance signs of aging you can painlessly and safely achieve a healthier, youthful, wrinkle free beauty in minutes with these simple professional techniques used by the world’s top makeup artists.
Lift a Sagging Jaw line ? After applying your foundation apply a very thin line of highlighter from ear to ear along the top of your jawbone. Blend thoroughly. Next apply a thin line of contour cream or shadow on the bottom and the underneath area of your jawbone. Blend thoroughly.
Make Wrinkles & Lines Disappear ? Before applying foundation use a Q- Tip or very thin makeup brush to apply a professional line filler product or highlighter inside the creases of your lines and wrinkles. Using the thin end of your makeup sponge or a clean Q-Tip gently blend.
Perform An Instance Face Lift ? A well groomed medium width brow with a strong arch will visual lift your face instantly. To create a well groomed brow with a strong arch pluck clean the area underneath the brow bone and shape the brow with widest part of the brow at the inner corner of your eye and the brow getting thinner has it goes out toward your temple. The highest part of the arch should be just above the outer edge of your pupil.
Top Ten Tips for Beautiful Skin
November 1, 2008
Is Beauty Skin Deep?
The answer is yes and no. It’s a paradox, isn’t it? True beauty begins from the inside out. Don’t you wish there was some way to "wriggle your nose" and regain that soft skin you had as a child? Well, until someone comes up with the true "Fountain of Youth" we are stuck with what we have.
The best route to healthy skin is to take care of what you have. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? The truth is that your skin takes a beating from the environment every single day. Here are some of our favorite tips for keeping your skin fresh and healthy:
1. Stay hydrated and do it with plenty of water! That doesn’t mean soda, caffeine or any other type of liquid even if it is low cal. Soda (even diet soda) has a high concentration of sodium. Sodium retains fluids. You need fluid that will hydrate and flush your body free of toxins. Make sure you are drinking at least 8 glasses a day!
Eczema: Tips On How To Care For Your Skin
October 31, 2008
Eczema can best be described as a non-contagious skin condition, which is characterized by hot dry itchy skin, with symptoms that often fluctuate seasonally and even over the course of the day. Eczema typically begins in early childhood. Research indicates that eczema may be genetically determined and studies show that there is often a family history of allergies, asthma, eczema or hay fever. Children who experience eczema may also suffer from asthma or hay fever as well.
Like an allergy, eczema tends to flair up when exposed to certain triggers, especially mechanical irritants, allergens, emotional stress, heat and sweating. When exposed to an offending situation, inflammation producing cells come to surface of the skin and release chemicals, leaving the skin red, pealing and thickened. Sometimes tiny blisters form, rupture, weep and crust over.
Eczema most often appears in and round the creases of joints of the arms and legs and around trunk of the body. For some, it also emerges on their hands and on the sloes of their feet. Sufferers also experience an intense itching makes them want to scratch it, causing additional damage which can lead to bleeding and infection.
My Teeth are Now Zoom! Whitened
October 30, 2008
Let me tell you about my Zoom Whitening experience. For those of you who are unaware about teeth whitening products, the Zoom product is professional use only. Works rather quickly as opposed to the every night crest whitestrips. But it does cost more.
I went to the dentist’s office and was setup with the dental assistant. She went over my teeth to remove and plaque or residue to have a clean tooth surface to apply the zoom gel. They put something on my gums to protect them from the gel. It felt like rubber, but it was a gel that was in a tube. They had an appliance to hold my mouth open so I didn’t have to hold a terror scream position the entire time I was there.
Cotton ball rolls were used to hold my lips off my teeth. They basically want your teeth exposed, only your teeth, and to just let them hang there in the air while they apply the gel. She painted on the gel, which is a hydrogen peroxide gel. Then they used a Zoom light to enhance the whitening. It looked like a black light. She told me that it made the peroxide act quicker and faster, and after researching, I found that using the light helps by over 33%.
Blinded by the White?
October 29, 2008
Washington DC-By J. S. Ronnette-Patients traveling the road toward whiter teeth have a dizzying array of options to choose from. There are so many whitening products and treatments out there that some dental consumers get blinded in the glare of choices. From paint-on bleaching gels to stick-on whitening strips to in-office power bleaching-what’s a white-smile-seeker to do?
The current methods break down into whitening at home and at the dental office, with a growing interest in whitening at the dentist’s office. "Many of our patients are busy professionals, and they would rather come in for a one-visit power bleaching session to get the job done right away," says Dr. Daniel J. Deutsch, of the Washington Center for Dentistry. And many patients are not new to the world of whitening, having already tried over-the-counter techniques.
Home teeth whitening
· The brush-on method sounds wonderfully easy and unobtrusive. Just brush on the bleaching gel before you go to sleep. Let it sit on your teeth all night long and brush it off with your toothbrush the next morning.
