Ingredients For Beauty Found In Your Grocery Store
Tamsen Fadal
Reporting
(CBS) NEW YORK Is there really such a thing as food that will make you beautiful? You may be surprised to find out, but you really are what you eat. That means if you're looking for fewer wrinkles, healthier nails, or stronger teeth, you'll want to head straight to the grocery store where you'll find all you need for the "Beauty Diet."
According to Self Magazine editor Beth Janes, you could get a total body makeover just by strolling through the aisles of your favorite grocery store. For exapmle, if it's wrinkle-free skin you're after, go fishing for wild salmon, Atlantic mackerel, sardines, and herring.
"All of these things are really packed with Omega-3 fatty acid and that's wonderful for your skin," Janes tells CBS 2 News' Tamsen Fadal.
Janes says eating fish three times a week is more than enough, but to keep yoru skin smooth, add some beta carotene to your shopping cart.
"You want to look for rich colored vegetables like carrots, leafy green vegetables, sweet potatoes, butternut squash and tomatoes," Janes says.
Strawberries, citrus, broccoli, and red bell peppers should also be part of your diet as they're filled with vitamin C for healthy collagen.
"And you really will see a difference. If you start making just a couple of changes to your diet you will look amazing, but you will feel amazing too," Janes says.
And of course, a great smile always compliments nice skin. Janes say calcium filled foods such as skim milk, lowfat yogurt and lowfat cheese will brighten your whites.
If you are spending too much money on hair, nail and skin products, put your wallet away and head to tje meat department. Lean beef, oysters and fortified cereal have all the iron and zinc you'll need.
While it sounds easy enough to head to the grocery store and try the beauty diet, experts say that even though some items can be healthier than others, concentrating on a balanced lifestyle can make a big difference as well.
"A balanced diet, hydration, exercise, good sleep, reduced stress, sunscreen -- it's a combination of several things. It's never one specific item that is going to make the biggest difference," says Dr. Paul Jarrod Frank, a dermatologist.
And that's just another reason not to skip dessert. Janes say on the beauty diet, dark chocolate, sunflower seeds and green tea are packed with antioxidants to protect your skin from the sun.
For more information on the Self Magazine Beauty Diet, and a sample eating plan, click here.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FREE articles about self-help, self improvement, wellness, holistic health, and fitness. To see our full line of e-Books visit: www.ebooks4selfhelp.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AmbrosiaServices.comGet a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report
One-eyed grandmother keeps beauty-treatment tradition alive
October 14, 2006
The art of "wan-lian" -- a beauty treatment for facial skin involving removal of hair and cells using a maze of fine string held in both hands and the teeth of the practitioner -- is thought to be a dying trade by many, but in the hands of Jiang Jian-shen, 86, it is alive and well.
Jiang is a wan-lian practitioner living in Huilong, Taoyuan County. For more than five decades, she has relied on her two hands to make her living, and more than 100,000 people have come to her to be made beautiful. The finesse of her operations has made her popular with men and women alike, and even foreign laborers come here to experience her special treatment.
Over a decade ago the "wan-lian lady" was injured in a car accident, which caused her to lose the sight in her left eye. But her finely honed wan-lian skills were not affected, and, with more free time, she began to devote even more time to her beauty business, conducted in front of the Fude Temple.
Jiang's customer base is broad, and those wishing to come to her for a "lucky" treatment can often face an hour-long wait. Jiang's business hours are 6 a.m. to noon; and she generally sees five or six customers daily, with as many as a dozen showing up on some days. At times, her customers first make an appointment with her and to avoid a long wait.
The local village head, Jiang Qingwan, says that Jiang Jianshen's skills go far back, and that she can improve a customer's complexion without the use of other products. Her work is its own advertisement. For more than five decades customers have sought her out, without her ever having set up so much as a stand or cart to do business from, let alone a sign, and she has become a village treasure.
Zhang Huang-yao, head of the Taoyuan City Medical MALL Plastic Surgery and Beauty Center, says that "wan-lian" has the advantage of thinning the stratum cornea of the skin. In Jiang's generation, it was believed that thinning this layer made makeup go on better. Two or three days after a treatment, however, the skin cells will plump up and the pores will return, and any hair that was removed will grow back, so wan-lian is only a temporary solution.
Most people are concerned about their skin becoming thin or experiencing a proliferation of capillary vessels that might break easily as the result of having sensitive skin undergo wan-lian. Some people undergoing wan-lian have showed symptoms of flushing, and have had to seek medical treatment.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FREE articles about self-help, self improvement, wellness, holistic health, and fitness. To see our full line of e-Books visit: www.ebooks4selfhelp.com---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AmbrosiaServices.comGet a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report
Faces that could launch thousands of votes
With bevy of attractive candidates, Democrats may benefit from beauty gap
By Shailagh Murray
AUBURN, N.Y. - Maybe Democratic candidate Michael Arcuri is running strong in this Republican House district because he pledges to expand health coverage, balance the budget and raise the minimum wage.
Or maybe it's his piercing Italian eyes and runner's physique.
"He is pretty good-looking," observed Paula Ferrin with admiration, as the 47-year-old district attorney worked the crowd at a local senior center.
"What we want is brains, honey," scolded her friend Rose Oliver.
"True," Ferrin answered, "but handsome doesn't hurt."
The research is unambiguous that Ferrin is right: Attractive politicians have an edge over not-so-attractive ones. The phenomenon is resonating especially this year. By a combination of luck and design, Democrats seem to be fielding an uncommonly high number of uncommonly good-looking candidates.
The beauty gap between the parties, some on Capitol Hill muse, could even be a factor in who controls Congress after Election Day.
Skewing hot?Democratic operatives do not publicly say that they went out of their way this year to recruit candidates with a high hotness quotient. Privately, however, they acknowledge that, as they focused on finding the most dynamic politicians to challenge vulnerable Republicans, it did not escape their notice that some of the most attractive prospects were indeed often quite attractive.
There is a certain logic to the trend. Back in 1994, when Republicans seized power in Congress from Democrats, the GOP had a number of fresh-faced challengers who knocked off incumbents who had grown worse for the wear after years of committee hearings and fundraising receptions.
This year, it is the Democrats who have several ripe opportunities to unseat Republicans, some of whom have grown gray and portly during their years in power.
To gain the 15 seats needed to recapture House control, the party is targeting about 40 GOP-leaning districts, including New York's 24th, where veteran Rep. Sherwood L. Boehlert (R) is retiring and where Arcuri is campaigning.
In most of the races, the Democratic challengers look a lot like standard-issue politicians — not likely to impress the judges at Atlantic City. But there is another group who, while they might not have movie-star looks, are certainly well above the C-SPAN median.
The list is decidedly unscientific, but it includes several whose names come up often on Capitol Hill for reasons other than their policy platforms. Among those on it, in addition to Arcuri, are Brad Ellsworth, a swaggering Indiana sheriff; businesswoman Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, who has chiseled features and rides a motorcycle; and Heath Shuler of North Carolina, a strapping former quarterback for the Washington Redskins. In Tennessee, Rep. Harold E. Ford Jr., a lean and stylish 36-year-old, has drawn admiring looks.
Republican Bob Corker, who is running against Ford, has acknowledged the disparity. "I know I'm not as good-looking," Corker said. He hopes his business experience will compensate.
The crop of eye-pleasing pols has party operatives calculating the politics of beauty. "There's a fine line, and you can't cross it," said Rep. Rahm Emanuel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Voters don't like men who look like pretty boys or women who resemble bimbos. "If you're too good-looking, people won't take you seriously," Emanuel said.
Carl Forti, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, agreed that attractive candidates often have an early advantage. But he said voters' decisions in the polling booth are rarely skin-deep, especially in a closely contested race.
"When each side is spending four or five million, people know the records, and it doesn't have the same impact," he said. He noted that Shuler's popularity has declined in recent weeks following reports that his real estate firm was late in paying taxes. "That's gone back to being a close race."
The two candidates here in this Upstate New York district have similar résumés. Both Arcuri and his GOP opponent, state Sen. Raymond A. Meier, are lawyers. The two first crossed paths in 1985 while working on opposite sides of a local election recount. Polls showed they entered the race with roughly even name identification. They have the same Oneida County political base.
Meier's advantage is that the 24th District is home to 45,000 more registered Republicans than Democrats. But Arcuri is a popular prosecutor, the first Democrat elected to the post in 40 years. He's also tall and thin, with dark, gray-flecked hair and sharp features. Meier, who is 53, wears glasses, and his hair is brown and thinning. His look would seem to be perfectly pleasant but nondescript.
Arcuri's image is plastered all over his campaign materials, from yard signs to the trading cards that are distributed at campaign events. In his official campaign photo, he leans forward with one hand on his hip, looking suave and casual. His Web site shows him finishing a marathon.
His political friends tease him about his fashion-magazine persona, but they acknowledge that it's a valuable asset. "He's a young, good-looking guy," said Charlie Evangelista, Ontario County Democratic Committee chairman. "He's going to connect with people."
Arcuri's theory is that voters have an immediate, visceral reaction to candidates that, if powerful enough, can trump ideology or party affiliation. "How do you get around the status quo? You look for younger, energetic faces," he said. But while people may decide in an instant whether or not they are able to vote for him, he said, "then they have to know you can do the job."
He added, "I spend a lot of time assuring people I can be congressional."
His theory might be correct. An independent poll in the district released last night showed him with a 10-point lead.
Some of the academic research on beauty and voting goes back decades, to the early 1970s. In 1990, political scientist Lee Sigelman, then at the University of Arizona, posited that Democrats were losing ground nationally, despite an advantage in voter registration, because their looks were a turnoff. He rated all governors and members of Congress on an ugliness scale and found that of the 26 least attractive, 25 were Democrats.
The playing field these days is more level. Research has shown that if candidates invest a little effort in their looks, the payoff can be huge. Campaign consultants hover around candidates, ordering them to change their hairstyles, get in shape and update their wardrobes. "The bar has been raised, without question," said Sigelman, now a George Washington University political science professor.
He singled out three Maryland statewide candidates, Republican Senate nominee Michael S. Steele and gubernatorial rivals Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) and Martin O'Malley (D), "as playing the image game really well." Politicians today, said Sigelman, strive for "the personality and looks of talk show hosts." The goal is to be "well turned out."
One candidate who made a high-impact adjustment is Diane Farrell. The Connecticut Democrat used to wear her blond hair pulled back tight, but after a gentle nudge from a campaign aide, she allowed it to hang loose for a more natural, relaxed look.
The looks factor can be maddening for the opposition. One writer on an anti-Shuler blog expressed annoyance at the candidate's wife, "with all her quips about how cute Shuler is. What a way to decide how to vote!!"
Perhaps not surprisingly, research has shown that voters who are easily swayed by social trends tend to favor more attractive candidates. Conversely, people who resist social trends prefer unattractive candidates.
The latest wave of research examines a possible root of political attraction: how closely candidates and voters resemble each other. A Stanford University study this year suggested that little-known candidates can increase their electoral support by as much as 20 percentage points by tweaking visual features on their campaign materials so they look slightly more like a targeted group of voters, for instance Asians or Hispanics.
The less voters know about the candidates, as in races such as the Arcuri-Meier contest with no incumbent, the more looks seem to matter. An examination of a 2001 British local election by a team of Texas Tech University and University of Plymouth researchers found that, in the absence of facts, people who are considered attractive by survey respondents are more likely to win.
The findings were presented to the American Political Science Association's 2003 annual meeting, with the caveat that they "may offend notions of democracy that candidates should compete fairly and on the basis of issues not appearance."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FREE articles about self-help, self improvement, wellness, holistic health, and fitness. To see our full line of e-Books visit: www.ebooks4selfhelp.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AmbrosiaServices.comGet a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report
Film Shows How Cover Girl Beauty Isn’t Real
The makers of the beauty bar Dove are trying to change the perception of what’s beautiful.
They’ve created an eye-opening film debuting on the internet.It’s an incredible transformation – an average Jane evolves into a stunning supermodel.
The short film by Dove entitled “Evolution” shows how that perfect look – the swan-like neck, wide eyes and high cheekbones – is really achieved.
It ends with a bold statement: “No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted.
”People we showed it to say they film is powerful.
"Everybody likes to feel beautiful, not everybody can be flawless, it's an important message," one viewer said.
We are bombarded by images of beautiful women every day in magazines and in the media, and a global study by dove shows that only two percent of women think they're beautiful.
Dr. Michael Lee is with the Scripps Clinic Center for Weight Management, and says these images do have an impact on self-image, especially teenaged girls.
“I have girls less than 100 pounds who have lost a lot of bone mass, they are having fractures, they have no menstrual cycles, they face a future of infertility and kiidney damage,” Lee said.
He commends Dove, and its Campaign for Real Beauty, and hopes their ads and this film begin to change the way we see ourselves.
“I think it's a really important way of starting the dialogue with teenaged patients, their families, doctors, teachers and friends,” Lee said.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FREE articles about self-help, self improvement, wellness, holistic health, and fitness. To see our full line of e-Books visit: www.ebooks4selfhelp.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AmbrosiaServices.comGet a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report
Hot chocolate! A beauty trend that's good enough to eat (but don't)
BY MADELEINE
MARRmmarr@MiamiHerald.com
One word for today's hottest bath and beauty trend: Suh-weet!!!
Keep your eyes -- and nostrils -- peeled. Drugstores and cosmetics counters are starting to resemble chocolate shops, with fudgey hued lipsticks carrying names like Mocha Silk (Revlon), Chocolat Show (Guerlain) and Brownie (Lancôme).
The dessert station continues with a calorie-free menu of mocha exfoliating scrubs, moisturizers infused with authentic cocoa beans and body washes swirling with intoxicating morsels.
''In many beauty products, the caffeine in chocolate can help to stimulate circulation and promote a healthy glow,'' says Michelle Ventura, store manager at Bath & Body Works at Dadeland Mall.
No sugar, no fat, no pounds -- just pure pampering and delicious decadence. Who could find harm in that?
Marcus Monson, national makeup artist for Givenchy, sure doesn't.
''I'm very much a sense person,'' he says. ``If it smells or looks like something good to eat, I'm all for it.''
Givenchy's latest collection, Délice de Chocolat ($14-$52 at Sephora-South Beach), is comprised of eye, lip and nail colors that speak to the cocoa-holic in all of us. The Sweet Chocolate nine-shadow palette is modeled after a box of glam truffles, flecked with bits of pistachio, zests of orange and pops of caramel glitter.
''All the pleasure without the guilt,'' says Monson. ``It's almost like you want to push the whole thing open to see if there's a cherry inside.''
What is inside -- mother-of-pearl particles that change with the light, nourishing honey extract and a soothing amino acid. The palette even comes in a crumpled candy bar-esque wrapper.
Talk about appetizing packaging -- Bourjois' newest bronzing powder, Delice de Poudre, $18 at Sephora, also resembles a box of three, square milk chocolates -- and smells accordingly.
Speaking of noses -- they're one of the major benefactors of this chocolicious trend.
LuckyScent.com, a cyberdestination for rare fragrances, has cooked up a crop of seriously sniffable perfumes. And don't worry -- none makes you feel like you're slapping on Eau de Hershey Bar, says Franco Wright, co-founder of the site.
''There's a complexity to them,'' Wright says. ``They can be spicy, woody, creamy, bitter, or gourmand -- aphrodisiacs for the senses.''
A sampler: Chocolat by Il Profumo, with notes of mandarin, plum and nutmeg, $80; Spicy Cocoa by Comme des Garcons, a peppery mix of cardamom, chili, coriander, grapefruit and dark chocolate, $82 (or $3 for a small sample); Temperare 03 by Temper Chocolates, an earthy, rich blend of fig, vanilla, honey and oak moss, $120.
Mouth watering yet? There's more.
Jaqua -- run by sisters Jennifer and Sara Jaqua out of Santa Barbara, Calif. -- can always be counted on for products that look good enough to eat. Their famed Buttercream Frosting line really does smell like a decadently creamy cupcake. The duo calls their latest fragrance, Mint Chocolate, ''the most indulgent yet.'' Reminiscent of a few Baskin Robbins scoops, it's available in a body lotion, hand cream and shower syrup ($8-$18 at Bath & Body Works). Hold the cone.
Though most of the sinfully scrumptious products are for tactile, aesthetic and olfactory gain, one company -- Borba, also out of California -- had the gumption to market an edible dark chocolate treat with -- what?! -- anti-acne properties ($8 at Nordstrom stores).
''I admit it is a bizarre oxymoron -- that we could deliver a skin-clarifying chocolate bar,'' says Scott Vincent Borba, company president. ``But respondents reported a reduction in breakouts by an average of 52 percent in just 28 days.''
How in the world? Seems the handmade, dermatologist tested (yet not FDA-approved) block of chock contains extracts from pomegranate, green tea and walnut husk, which help skin regenerate and detoxify.
Oh, and the flavor rocks, thanks to haute input from chocolatier to the stars Kristy Choo of L.A.'s Jin Patisserie. Containing 270 calories, the Borba bar, while not exactly slimming, is loaded with antioxidants and phenylethylamine, an unromantic sounding plant compound that protects cells from damage and gives you those fleeting symptoms of being in love.
Ah, the rush. That must be the point of all this.
Borba thinks so. ''Chocolate is universally addictive,'' he says. ``It's really hard to find something wrong with it.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FREE articles about self-help, self improvement, wellness, holistic health, and fitness. To see our full line of e-Books visit: www.ebooks4selfhelp.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AmbrosiaServices.comGet a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report
How I See It . . . . .
By Linda Bruch for the Cut Bank Pioneer Press
Thursday, October 12, 2006 11:22 AM MDT
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. In the world of women's health, this could be one of the most important months of the year. It serves as a gentle reminder for all women to schedule their yearly mammogram and any other uncomfortable exam that may be necessary. We don't take pleasure in any of those yearly exams, however, the importance of completing them far outweighs a few moments of embarrassment or unease.
Mammograms save lives or add years to a life that may have ended much sooner had the cancer not been detected in its early stage. My mom's cancer was first found in her breast and though that ugly disease ultimately took her life, her yearly mammogram gave her more years than she might have been given otherwise.
Mom did all the right things as far as taking care of herself. She ate right, exercised by walking every day and never missed going in for her annual mammogram. It didn't seem fair that if you did all the right things to ensure good health, it could still be stripped from you. However, I am also of the belief that it is because of those good things she did for herself that earned her more time in this world.
While cancer can take so much from a life, it couldn't take away the core of who my mom really was. It couldn't take her dignity, quiet grace and the overall beauty she had on the outside and the inside.
It never gave her reason to complain nor was it an excuse for not getting something done or being nasty or mean to those she loved. Cancer was never a reason for rude behavior or for treating others in a cold or callous manner. In Mom's eyes, feeling bad didn't warrant bad behavior. She was so right.
When cancer took its hold, Mom dealt with pain beyond comprehension. Yet one week before she died, she put the finishing touches on 50 handmade Christmas cards, cutting out little green Christmas trees and handwriting a Christmas message inside each card. I know how difficult and painful all of this was for her as I sat with her that day helping her make the last Christmas card any of us would ever receive from her. Each movement was deliberate and slow and required more effort than she really had to give. Yet she didn't stop or whine and at the completion of the project, a brief smile passed over her lips. I've never seen a more impressive display of determination and perseverance in my whole life.
Breast cancer has the tendency to run in families and I live with that thought everyday, as do many others who have had someone close afflicted. I can only hope that the fortitude, determination and strength I got from my mom as a gift of being her child, will never leave me, no matter what life throws at me.
I'm glad October has been set aside as the month in which all of us will think about, be aware of and learn what we can do in the fight against breast cancer. So ladies get those yearly mammograms and other icky exams out of the way. They aren't all that bad and besides they are the only steps we have towards prevention, so that makes them even more necessary.
On top of that stay healthy, exercise and live every moment for all it's worth, because each one is worth a lot.
Thanks for all the wonderful moments I had with you in this world, Mom. There is a special place in my heart for each one. I miss you so.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FREE articles about self-help, self improvement, wellness, holistic health, and fitness. To see our full line of e-Books visit: www.ebooks4selfhelp.com---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AmbrosiaServices.comGet a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report
Vigorous Massage is a Great Detox Boost for Body
By LINDSAY CLYDESDALE
CUTTING-EDGE beauty treatments in the UK are usually only to be found in London or the more expensive hotels.
So when I discovered a small salon in the south of Glasgow was pioneering the fantastic Thai Compress Massage, it sounded too good to be true.
Fortunately it wasn't.
Although the therapy does originate from Thailand, this is nothing like traditional Thai massage. Using bags which look like two enormous clootie dumplings, the therapist thumps away all over the body.
While it is a very vigorous treatment, this is an excellent way to combat trouble areas which are prone to cellulite and it gets the circulation moving.
Inside the giant 'dumplings', which are disposable and used only once, are 20 natural ingredients, including lemongrass, ginger and lime.
Everything from skin to circulation, and the lymphatic and nervous systems, can benefit. It also eases joint pain.
It's relaxing, destressing and many of the ingredients are anti- oxidants which have lots of health benefits and protect against premature ageing and some diseases.
The bags, made from muslin, are soaked for a few minutes and then placed in a steamer.
Smaller bags are used to massage the face and neck.
I had a full body massage and after the initial treatment, picked the detox oil, a blend of peppermint, ginger and lime.
The other choice is a relaxing mix of ylang ylang and nutmeg.
The massage is an exceptionally strong detox so I felt I was giving my body a lift.
The Thai Compress Massage is available from Harmony health and beauty salon, 51 Ashore Road, Glasgow. Call 0141 633 5111. Prices start at pounds 25 for a back, neck and shoulder treatment.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FREE articles about self-help, self improvement, wellness, holistic health, and fitness. To see our full line of e-Books visit: www.ebooks4selfhelp.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AmbrosiaServices.comGet a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report
Jane Cosmetics targets the natural market with new beauty range
By Louise Prance
10/10/2006- American cosmetics manufacturer, Jane Cosmetics, has announced the launch of its new line, Be Pure Mineral make up, aimed at the fast growing natural and organic cosmetics market.This move marks a distinctly new direction for the company, with it is original target audience being the mass cosmetics market, retailing in large department stores and better drug stores throughout the US and Canada.
Aiming to use only natural ingredients, the company describes the make up line as a ‘talc free, oil free, wax free, fragrance free pure mineral make up that will not clog pores’ said Lisa Yarnell, CEO of Jane and Company.
It states that the product range is directly aimed at women who have never before used face make up because of sensitive skin or a concern for a heavy looking foundation appearance.
The rich minerals ingredients in the range provide the skin with essential nutrients and anti-inflammatory properties, which enable a healthy glow and prevent skin breakouts.
In order to compliment the outward benefits of the range, the application process has also come under scrutiny, giving way to a new soft brush applicator that allows for a ‘flawless coverage and an easy no mess application’.
Extensive R&D and quality testing has been an important part of the making of Jane products, an asset it has stuck to rigidly with the making of the new mineral range.
With the retail price of niche market products being notably high, the Be Pure Mineral range has managed to stay within the mass market price range delivering ‘value and prestige’, with retail prices set to range between $3 - $7.
Jane and Company was established in 1994, aiming to target young women. The brands created focused on current cosmetic trends, a strategy that has continued with the new mineral range, accessing the market leading organic cosmetics market.
A strict no-animal-testing policy is adhered to with all of the company’s products, and the ingredients that are used within them. The complete Jane range has over 250 products for lips, cheeks, face, eyes and nails.
Having announced a new equity investment with Stone Canyon Venture Partners and The Walnut Group it would seem to be a thriving time for the company.
The consumer quest to find simple products formulated with ingredients they can relate to means that the growth of products based on natural and organic ingredients will continue to be developed with many larger companies, such as L’Oreal, taking on the initiative and developing products to suit.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FREE articles about self-help, self improvement, wellness, holistic health, and fitness. To see our full line of e-Books visit: www.ebooks4selfhelp.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AmbrosiaServices.comGet a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report
Beauty is tooth, tooth beauty
To form a more perfect smile, dental clients are putting a whole lot of their money where their mouth is.
By Dwayne CampbellInquirer Staff Writer
In the age of Zooms and BriteSmiles, veneers and Invisalign, Laura Ahtes could be the queen of extreme tooth care.
She avoids "biting" into food with her bonded front teeth; eschews tea, coffee and colas; uses Crest Whitestrips once a month, and brushes twice in the morning and twice at night - with two brushes and a blend of three different toothpastes. She recently upped her dentist visits from two to four times a year.
"Going to the dentist is like going to my hairdresser. I spend as much time on my teeth as I do my hair and make-up," says Ahtes, Mrs. Delaware 1994, who estimates she spent "easily" more than $10,000 on her pageant-ready smile.
"Most people know their hair color," she adds. "I know my bonding color - it's A2."
Ahtes, 41, a Wilmington paralegal, may seem obsessive about her pearly whites, but she is part of the wave of Americans who hop into their dentist's chair for way more than health reasons, spending from about $400 for basic whitening to several thousand dollars for veneers and more involved cosmetic procedures.
According to the Academy of General Dentistry, a trade and education organization, cosmetic dentistry contributed about $15 billion to the $70 billion U.S. dental industry in 2003.
Increasingly, dentists are advertising cosmetic specials, often for occasions such as proms and weddings (yellow doesn't go well with white). And dental spas, where you can see the orthodontist or get your teeth whitened before a facial and a massage, are popping up in some cities.
At Smile Health Spa in New York, for example, before (or after) you open up for dentist Irene Grafman, you can get a Vitamin C peel, a lip or eye rejuvenation, and paraffin treatments for hands and feet.
Joseph Roberts, a Rittenhouse Square dentist in business for two decades, says his own patients, mostly those who come in for cosmetic procedures, are making more beauty inquiries.
"I've had people whiten their teeth and asked about where to go to color their gray. They have asked about referrals for Botox," he says.
According to a 2004 survey conducted by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD), an industry advocacy group, aesthetic services in dental offices grew an average of 12.5 percent in the previous five years.
Some dentists, the study indicated, saw that part of their practices increasing by as much as 40 percent, with tooth whitening being the most-requested service. Tooth whitening and bleaching has increased by 300 percent over the last five years, the survey also notes.
For Ahtes, it was entering pageants since age 13 that put her on the path to pursuing a perfect smile. For many others, it's wanting the smiles movie stars and TV anchors wear - and knowing similar ones can be bought.
On television shows such as The Swan and Extreme Makeover, participants get everything done - and their smile is one of the first things changed. Jagged or discolored teeth become polished and perfected.
"People are more aware now of all the technological advances and are asking for things to help them look better," Roberts explains. "Before... you went to the dentist to fix or prevent problems. Now adults want youthful smiles and white teeth."
Despite the tremendous growth in the quest-for-perfect- teeth industry, dental professionals say health care and prevention, not image makeovers, remain the foundations of dentistry.
"I don't think there's a conscious shift" among practitioners to concentrate more on cosmetic procedures, says dentist Scott S. DeRossi, the assistant dean of admissions at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine.
While dentists may be making cosmetic suggestions, savvy patients are driving most of the demand.
"People are saying, 'Now that my teeth are healthy, I'd also like them to look better,' " says Center City dentist Barry Dubin.
Sometimes, Dubin says, he has to coax patients eager for instant straight whites to go with invisible braces and whitening over quicker fixes such as veneers.
A significant number of the people requesting cosmetic dentistry are baby boomers, who are turning 60 with strength and vigor, and money in the bank.
"You have one of the largest population bubbles we have ever seen coming of age at the same time and they have the discretionary income," says Marty Zase, a Colchester, Conn., dentist who is president of the AACD. "They're working out, they're dieting, and they want a great smile."
Says Penn's DeRossi: "Now, instead of making complete dentures and removable plates, we have patients who are managing their dentitions longer, later, and asking for braces at age 50."
Among patients 50 and over, the AACD says, most get crowns and bridges, but whitening comes next in popularity, followed by veneers.
Some people, however, become obsessed with cosmetic dentistry, particularly whitening. As a result, their teeth can become translucent and seem almost blue.
"These people are hyper-focused on their teeth," says Matthew Messina, a dentist and spokesman for the American Dental Association. "It becomes more of an image issue than a dental issue. It's like anorexics - we think they are starving to death, but in their eyes they are fat."
Choosing the whitest white available is also a hazard, especially for older people. "It screams 'fake'," says Roberts. "Especially if you're over 50 and have these toilet-bowl-white teeth."
After retiring from a New Jersey state job five years ago, Charles Tarr, 63, pondered a mouth update. This summer he left the job to Dubin.
He smiles often to show the results: 40-year-old fillings and some worn teeth replaced by new crowns and teeth that gleam.
"Friends have come up and noticed the improvement instantly. Some people say they know there's something has changed but they can't immediately tell what," says Tarr, who lives in Center City and New Hope and now does volunteer work. "It's well worth it."
Bright Whites
Cosmetic dentistry continues to grow in popularity. Here are some common procedures:
Whitening (bleaching): Brightens teeth that are discolored or stained. May be done at the dentist's office or at home with materials provided by the dentist.
Bonding: Improves the appearance of teeth that are chipped, broken, cracked or stained or have spaces between them. Tooth-colored materials are applied - bonded - to the tooth surface.
Enamel shaping: Modifying teeth to improve their appearance by removing or contouring enamel. Often combined with bonding.
Veneers: Thin, custom-made shells designed to cover the front side of teeth. Made of tooth-colored materials, veneers treat spaces between teeth and teeth that are chipped or worn, stained, poorly shaped or slightly crooked.
Braces: Straighten crooked or crowded teeth. Usually performed by an orthodontist.
SOURCE: American Dental Association
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FREE articles about self-help, self improvement, wellness, holistic health, and fitness. To see our full line of e-Books visit: www.ebooks4selfhelp.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AmbrosiaServices.comGet a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report
By CHAT ALEJANDRO
Crystals and gemstones are regarded as objects of beauty, opulence and wealth since the time of our ancestors. These gifts from Mother Earth were highly revered by ancient spiritual leaders because of their healing properties.
Feng Shui experts talk about the energy from the earth that men can harness and benefit from. The earth ch’i is very vital and is associated with good Feng Shui.
In the relationship between heaven, earth and man, earth ch’i has the most meaningful influence on our wealth, health, wellbeing, thoughts and emotions.
Dory Alvendia, president of The Flower Club Philippines who is also a specialist and collector of crystals, gemstones and other mineral stones, explains that when we energize the earth element with crystals and semi-precious stones, we energize for wealth, good health, good relations and other aspects.
A bowl full of semiprecious stones is a very effective enhancer when placed in the southwest, northeast, northwest or west, Dory explains.
A wealth ship filled with coins, ingots and crystals will energize wealth and luck when placed in the east sector of the house.
Add a jar filled with earth (or soil) coming from a wealthy person, different currencies, paper bills, gemstones and crystals; placed in a very wellconcealed area in the bedroom will invite good fortunes to stay in the house household.
Each crystal and gemstone has a different purpose and function, Dory relates.
The south sector of the home, office or business establishment is designated to popularity, good relationship, recognition and fame. To enhance this sector, Dory suggests placing red colored gemstones.
The southwest is the love sector and for enhancement, put a pair of rose quartz. The north on the other hand is for career success, hence, put an amethyst tree or any blue colored gemstone.
Jade or emerald will enhance the east which is the sector for family, health and luck; while for intelligent children, put crystal globe on the west sector.
Quartz is the most common mineral on earth and it has quite a number of varieties, according to Dory.
Quartz is composed of silicon and oxygen atoms, some are made of large crystals while others form into microscopic crystals packed into a mass. Colored quartz results from the mixing or blending of some atoms of other elements into the structure of the quartz.
There are several types of quartz — first, the clear quartz described as colorless, clear, shiny and transparent. But it may contain milky, cloudy parts or veils formed by gas or water bubbles trapped within the quartz.
Sometimes, too, rainbows are formed by fractures or intergrowth of crystal.
Amethyst is purple or violet. Chevron amethyst has white and purple bands. This is a great healing stone says Dory. It calms minds and is good for meditation and enhances intellect.
Rose quartz is translucent pink, rarely forms large crystals. Its energy is gentle but strong. The rose quartz balances the heart and mind. It also enhances love and romance.
Citrine quartz is golden yellow or orangebrown. It can be natural or artificially made by heating amethyst. It is a physically or mentally energizing stone.
Milky quartz contains a high amount of gas and water bubbles and is white in color and has soft and gentle energy for comforting, soothing aches and pains.
Smoky quartz is pale grey-brown to brownishblack. It is a good grounding or cleansing stone.
Rutilated quartz has rutiles that look like gold or yellow strands of hair or blades of grass. It heals torn muscles or broken tissues, sprains, swollen ligaments.
Tourmaline quartz has tourmaline crystals embedded in it. Mostly the crystals look like fine black or other color needles. This is a strengthening and protecting stone.
Aventurine is massive, usually green or blue and identified by tiny spangles of silver mica or shiny gold pyrites all over. The green variety is good for heart balance and blood flow in the body. It also enhances one’s creativity and strengthens motivation.
Carnelian is orange to orange-red translucent quartz which is a gentle energizer and is very useful of healing or soothing.
Chrysoprase is a quartz that forms a mass of bright apple green. It is also known as chalcedony.
It is good for relaxation.
Bloodstone or heliotrope is dark shiny green with patches or flecks of bright red jasper. It is a gentle healer or energizer of the body.
Jasper is opaque with various colors. Most common of which is brick-red; also green blue or yellow. It is an allaround protecting and grounding stone.
The breciated jasper is good for body health; the eve jasper is for fast achievement of goals; fancy jasper promotes honesty and dignity; red jasper enhances love; picture jasper helps creative visualization.
Agate comes in various parallel colored bands, usually wavy or concentric; and in all colors.
Sometimes, for decorative purposes, agate is dyed when cut. This type of quartz serves as a cheer-giver.
Onyx is similar to agate but has straight black and white lines. Sardonyx has an additional brown layer. It repels and detects treachery.
Tiger eye is formed when quartz replaces minerals of asbestos to form characteristic play of colors across the brown, yellow, red and blue fibers. It has a stimulating and stabilizing energy.
It also enhances dynamism and practicality.
Opal is a white crystal with microscopic globules and high water content that creates a wonderful play of colors. It enhances the emotion.
Other gemstones and crystals and their purposes are:
Amazonite – enhances love and oral communication; aragonite – for career security; blue stone and blue sapphire or aquamarine and turquoise – enhance one’s ability to express himself and for relief of tension; quartz crystal – for spiritual growth; leopard skin – for compatibility and harmony; mahogany obsidian – for mental strength and relief of tension;
muoline stone – absorbs bad energy; new or pale jade – wisdom and good luck; dark green jade – business luck and travel safety; snowflake obsidian – increase self-confidence and self esteem; sodalite – promote truthfulness; white howlite – for patience, calmness, relief of pain; teltite – defense against evil intention; amber – for healing;
diamond – long lasting friendship; emerald – hope, optimism; ruby – fame, popularity, courage; topaz – good memory, thoughtfulness.
Dory Alvendia says that everyone must have at least two or three of these stones or crystals according to his needs. They also make wonderful gifts to friends or loved ones to give them protection, enhance their business or love life, etc.
When you give a stone or two to a dear friend, it is like wishing him or her well or sending good feng shui energy.
Dory warns of "fakers" and "pseudo specialists" who prey on trusting, over-eager amateur collectors. She will willingly reveal her sources for those interested. Contact her through the Flower Club Philippines.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FREE articles about self-help, self improvement, wellness, holistic health, and fitness. To see our full line of e-Books visit: www.ebooks4selfhelp.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AmbrosiaServices.comGet a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report
Ancient Hair Remedies Unveiled By Amazon Beauty, Cocoon Hair Studio and Ecoagents
Amazon Beauty (Cocoon Hair Studio) and Ecoagents, an environmental advocate, are collaborating efforts to launch the exclusive Rahua, a powerful ancient serum that breathes new life into the hair, bringing beauty and creating the healthiest hair and scalp possible.
New York, NY (PRWEB) October 6, 2006 -- Amazon Beauty (Cocoon Hair Studio) and Ecoagents, an environmental advocate, are collaborating efforts to launch the exclusive Rahua, a powerful ancient serum that breathes new life into the hair, bringing beauty and creating the healthiest hair and scalp possible.
Fabian Lliguin, notable New York City hair stylist and color expert, started applying the exclusive serum on his clients several years ago. Now after treating clients for some time, Rahua has become a success with the New York City community. Now, women from places as far as Japan and Germany are contacting Lliguin in hopes of possessing and benefiting too from this ancient Shamanistic knowledge.
This intriguing pure and natural oil, Rahua, has a very unique history. For hundreds of years, deep in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest, women from the Quechua-Shuar tribes have been collecting Rahua nuts from the jungle floor during the gathering season. The next cycle of the ancient tradition is dependent on nature, when the moon is full and when the orchids are peaking into bloom. Once the natural oil is prepared, the Rahua is then infused with wild sweet gardenias and medicinal herbs hand picked from the Amazon jungle floor, creating exquisitely rare fragrances taking the senses to new heights.
This is an exciting time where ancient knowledge is offering many solution to today's issues. Now a revolutionary product, Rahua, is curing dry, damaged, brittle, frizzy and over-exposed hair as well as scalp unbalances. These issues are a direct result of the daily use of heat tools harsh chemicals and medications which affect and deteriorate the health of the hair and scalp. These common hair and scalp conditions have made Rahua the exclusive answer for everyone who desires beautiful glossy natural hair and a healthy balanced scalp. A couple of drops of Rahua will unlock the magic of every mane.
The Creators
This truly amazing product, Rahua, has been perfected by Quechua women over the centuries using nature's ancient technology combined with Amazonian shamanistic knowledge. As the tribe members are sharing their knowledge in turn they are receiving a new boost to their local economy. Also exciting is the revival of customs on the verge of disappearing, and a new sense of pride among these tribal women.
Anna Ayers is a gifted trend forecaster and fashion designer in New York City. Ayers is a full-hearted ecological agent involved in many projects that promote the preservation of the Amazon Rainforest.
Fabian Lliguin, a 20-year veteran of the hair industry, comes from a long line of hair stylists from his native Ecuador. Among his attributes Lliguin has been recognized as the Hair Shaman, due to his expertise of formulations and treatments from the Amazon Rainforest, and his natural hair coloring techniques. He has trained with Vidal Sassoon, Wella, Lanza, Redken and more, and has worked throughout Europe including London, Monaco, Paris, and Berlin, as well as throughout South America. He has styled for New York City’s "Fashion Week," and his expert opinion is often sought after by upscale media publications. Since coming to America in 1986, Lliguin has owned and operated several salons in New York City, most recently Cocoon Hair Studio, on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
As ecological agents for the Rainforest, Lliguin and Ayers often travel to the Amazon Rainforest and educate tribesmen and women. As a result of his long-standing personal relationship with the Quechuan Indians, Lliguin has been able to bring this ancient hair treatment to the upscale market in the "modern world." He has spent the last seven years researching and perfecting the use of Rahua to give his clients the most beautiful healthy hair. This completes the circle and a mutual gift is shared that transcends time and borders creating a brighter future for the world.
Contact Information: For more information, interview requests, and photography contact:
Anna Ayers at Amazon Beauty 318 East 70th Street NY, NY, 10021 or call 212.879.5630
cocoonhair.com
ecoagents.org
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FREE articles about self-help, self improvement, wellness, holistic health, and fitness. To see our full line of e-Books visit: www.ebooks4selfhelp.com---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AmbrosiaServices.comGet a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report
Easy Homemade Beauty Recipes
By Patricia Carol Brooks
Courtesy of BlackDoctor.org
If you have the time, it is always better to try and make your own beauty products. In fact, you may not know it, but your kitchen is packed with some of the best beauty and healing ingredients out there. So pick a weekend, invite a girlfriend over and treat yourselves to a pamper party!
Here are few of my personal favorites:
Ginger-Chamomile Facial Mask (for oily skin)
What it does:
Get a beneficial spa-like treatment at home with this blend.
The buckwheat works as an astringent cleanser and purifier, the ginger warms the skin, leaving it feeling tingly, while the chamomile calms the skin.
How to make it:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoons buckwheat flour
1 1/2 tablespoons spring water
1 drop essential oil of ginger
3 drops essential oil of chamomile
Massage gently onto the face. After a few minutes, rinse and pat dry. Apply a light moisturizer.
Chamomile-Basil Steam Bath
What it does:
The therapeutic properties of basil and the soothing action of chamomile make this bath experience a pleasure.
How to make it:
Ingredients:
3 cups boiling water
1 small handful fresh basil leaves
1 small handful of chamomile flowers
12 drops lavender essential oil (add to bath water only)
1 large towel
Add basil leaves and chamomile flowers to boiling water, set aside for 10 minutes. Run your bath to a comfortable temperature, 95 to 100 degrees. When the bath is nearly full, add lavender essential oil and your steamed ingredients. Relax for about 20 min.
Soft Skin Oil
What it does:
Elderflower and lavender are both healing herbs for the skin.
How to make it:
Fill a (dark glass) jar with elderflowers and lavender. Add enough jojoba oil to cover the herbs. Store in a dark, sunny place and shake daily for two weeks. Strain before using. Massage the oil into your skin.
Lavender Body Scrub
What it does:
Lavender is the most used herb in the world and is excellent for all skin types.
For that reason, lavender should always be part of your beauty regimen.
How to make it:
Ingredients:
1 cup of dried lavender flowers
2 cups of sea salt in a jar
6 drops of lavender essential oil
Mix together and leave in a dark place to infuse, for at least two weeks.
Citrus Bath Fling
How to make it:
Ingredients:
5 drops mandarin essential oil
2 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops cedarwood essential oil
1/2 teaspoon jojoba oil
Add this mixture to the bath water.
Enjoy! To read a special Q & A with our Beauty and Skin Expert, be sure to visit our Skin & Hair Blog. By Patricia Carol Brooks, BlackDoctor.org Skin & Beauty Editor
This article is provided courtesy of BlackDoctor.org.Find More on Black Voices Health
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FREE articles about self-help, self improvement, wellness, holistic health, and fitness. To see our full line of e-Books visit: www.ebooks4selfhelp.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AmbrosiaServices.comGet a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report
Beauty Boils Down to a Simple Average
Sara Goudarzi
LiveScience Staff Writer
LiveScience.com
Sun Oct 1, 4:00 PM ET
Johnny Depp may be easy on the eyes, but in reality he is just easy on the mind, a new study suggests.
While eyes are the vehicles for receiving visual images, the brain decides how attractive those images are. Attractiveness appears to be related to how easy you can wrap your brain around a face.
"A stimulus becomes attractive if it falls into the average of what you've seen and is therefore simple for your brain to process," said study author Piotr Winkielman, of the University of California, San Diego. "In our experiments, we show that we can make an arbitrary pattern likeable just by preparing the mind to recognize it quickly." The average effect
Often times, we are shocked when someone who appears quite average is deemed beautiful by society. This phenomenon, known as the beauty-in-averageness effect, was illustrated by previous research in which a composite of 16 faces—essentially an average of all those faces—was deemed more favorable than any of those faces individually.
Prototypes are easy for the brain to process as measured by the speed with which people are able to characterize what they're looking at, the researchers suggest in the current issue of the journal Psychological Science.
"What you like is a function of what your mind has been trained on," Winkielman said.Why the typical rule
An explanation behind why the average beauty gets a second look is that averageness is a sign of health and fitness—a quality that attracts the opposite sex for successful breeding. Unusually protuberant eyes might be a clue to disease, for example—and so is a kind of shorthand for the value of a potential mate, the researchers said.
But this explanation fails when it comes to inanimate objects or animals of other species that provide no mating potential for humans.
Winkielman and colleagues set up an experiment in which they used objects free of reproductive benefits: dots and geometric patterns. They prepared each participant's brain by getting them used to a prototype and then asked them to rate variations of the same pattern.
"As predicted, participants categorized patterns more quickly and judged them as more attractive when the patterns were closer to their respective prototypes," the researchers write.
"Critically, the less time it took participants to classify a pattern, the more attractive they judged it."
The researchers repeated the experiment but this time hooked up electrodes to the faces of the participants to detect if they smiled or frowned when they saw the images. Once again, images that were similar to the prototypes induced a more positive response.
"The mental mechanism appears to be extremely simple: facilitate processing of certain objects and they ring a louder bell," Winkielman said. "This parsimonious explanation accounts for cultural differences in beauty—and historical differences in beauty as well—because beauty basically depends on what you've been exposed to and what is therefore easy on your mind."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FREE articles about self-help, self improvement, wellness, holistic health, and fitness. To see our full line of e-Books visit: http://www.ebooks4selfhelp.com/---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AmbrosiaServices.comGet a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report
Beauty/Fashion Mags Shop for Page Lifts
Lucia MosesSEPTEMBER 25, 2006 -
Beauty these days is hardly skin deep: celebrities are flogging their own makeup lines; twenty-somethings are applying anti-aging cream; even retailers like Target have become fashion-forward. Yet some beauty/fashion publishers are failing to capitalize on this and have had to rely more on non-endemic advertisers such as automotive, consumer electronics and food to fill their coffers.
Through August, ad pages for Toiletries & Cosmetics and Apparel & Accessories, the cornerstone of beauty and fashion magazines’ businesses, were essentially flat, according to the Publishers Information Bureau. But that hasn’t deterred the category’s publishers.
Through October, Hachette Filipacchi Media’s Elle increased 13.1 percent to 1,919 pages compared to the year prior, reports the Mediaweek Monitor; Glamour’s pages rose 6.8 percent to 1,546, and Condé Nast’s Allure was up 7.8 percent to 1,285 pages thanks to an influx of new advertisers such as Kodak and Toyota. Allure has had to broaden its scope of non-endemic ads. Over the past five years, beauty spending fell to a 60 percent share of its business from 80 percent, said publisher Nancy Berger Cardone.
“There’s not a publishing company that hasn’t recognized what’s happening in beauty,” Cardone said. “My competitive set used to be the fashion/beauty titles. Now it’s every magazine. The fitness titles have continued to grow their business, the celebrity magazines have picked up beauty business. I feel like I always have a bull’s eye on my back.”
Rodale startup Women’s Health, for one, has seen significant increases in fashion and beauty advertising. Fashion pages grew 70.1 percent this year through September over last year and included such new advertisers as Victoria’s Secret, Nike and Ecco; beauty pages grew nearly 18 percent thanks in part to new advertisers like L’Oréal, Coty and Nivea, said associate publisher Randy Frank Leeds. “Both fashion and beauty are core aspects of a woman’s lifestyle today,” she stressed.
While beauty/fashion spending has migrated to other publishing categories as well as other media, a soft economy and consolidation of retailers such as Federated’s store brands haven’t helped matters.
“With Macy’s, you had a lot of spending in different banners,” said Brenda White, vp, director of print investment, Starcom Worldwide. “What you are seeing is a consolidation: You’ve got [fewer] brands out there. That’s something the fashion/beauty magazines are concerned about.”
To alleviate the pain, beauty and, to a lesser extent, fashion advertisers, are adopting new platforms that they believe can better reach their target customers and measure the efficiency of their ad spending.
“We’re living in an age where return on investment is critical,” said Peter Gardiner, chief media officer at Deutsch. “It’s so much easier to see that online than in a magazine. They suffer from their inability to prove results. For beauty, online has become a powerful place to advertise. Fashion, even though it’s so much more image-oriented, is going to be slower to move away from magazines, but a lot of fashion brands are involved with buzz events, quicker ways to get word of mouth.”
Some traditional fashion and beauty books are fighting back with non-print programs like Condé Nast’s Fashion Rocks concert and Hearst Magazines’ 30 Days of Fashion, a marketing program of fashion shows, parties and other style-related events. “We’ve been pushing a lot of fashion/beauty to go beyond the page,” White said.
But not all magazines are seeing a slowdown in spending. Hearst’s Harper’s Bazaar has rebounded following a string of editor changes, said Valerie Salembier, senior vp, publisher. “The two strongest categories for us continue to be exceptionally strong,” she said. “January to September fashion and beauty are up 124 pages. Frankly, I’m thrilled.”
Meanwhile, Condé Nast’s Jane is still working on a comeback, after advertisers opted to take a wait-and-see attitude while the new management team restored stability. Ad pages through October fell 27.1 percent to 478, but publisher Carlos Lamadrid said a turnaround is in the works. Jane has doubled its space allocated to beauty and fashion editorial. New advertisers on board include Prada, Dolce & Gabbana and LVMH fragrance and beauty.
Although it’s been more of a challenge as of late, media buyers applaud publishers’ efforts to stick to their knitting. They caution that as publishers grow less reliant on fashion/beauty, they should ensure that non-endemic business doesn’t undermine their editorial brand. “You have to make sure it still is relevant to the reader,” White said. “Advertising is part of content, when it’s done right. The readers aren't going to want to hear about dirt bike riding.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FREE articles about self-help, self improvement, wellness, holistic health, and fitness. To see our full line of e-Books visit: www.ebooks4selfhelp.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AmbrosiaServices.comGet a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report
My Mom Said: Beauty knows no pain
By:Elaine Doll-Dunn, Black Hills Pioneer
Back in the days of mandatory girdles-regardless of your weight-and of high heels and matching EVERYTHING, my mother would quietly remind us whiners; "Beauty knows no pain."
That was all there was to it, we just stayed "babed" and dealt with the discomfort.
It was right up there with, "Better dead than out of style."
Referent to the details one endured to at least attempt to look good and stay somewhere within the confines of fashion and good taste.
This makes Mom sound like a high fashion maven ... not so.
She had little to work with monetarily, but could make haute couture out of a flour sack.
And I remember when she agonizingly spent what she considered an extravagant amount on a suit and blouse for herself ... she then wore that outfit for every occasion forever!
But, she always looked good in it.
She was a beautiful woman, always neat and clean; every day she wore what were then called "house dresses."
Plain cotton dresses from the Montgomery Ward catalog that had to be washed, starched, and ironed each time they were worn.
She was impeccable in them.
She did own one slack suit; it was pale pink, consisted of loose trousers and a tailored shirt, but she only wore it when she rode my grandfather's prize palomino in a horse show.
(Not a comfortable activity for her, she was a satisfactory horsewoman, but never really at home in the arena because she didn't do it very often. I thought she looked elegant mounted on that big golden horse, with her dark hair and pink outfit; and ... matching pink turban? Hey, it was the style, who can predict?)
"Stand straight, stand tall, hold your stomach in, smile"... she didn't really nag, but there was no deviating from her expectations. Also, curled hair, clean face, brushed teeth; "
Girls, at least look like you've been worked on!"
Her admonition to, "Think 'pretty' girls, but stay away from the mirror." Was a not-so-subtle message, and the ubiquitous, "Pretty is as Pretty does" as well ... I got that one a lot for some reason; I may have been just a little obnoxious, because I also remember her quiet admonition after some extremely clever comment of mine, "Nobody loves a smart aleck..."
So ... that's several pages from the flip chart of 'Mom' sayings, but they're all those that speak to the obligation she felt we all had to be the best that we could be, and look as good as we could doin' it. Personality was paramount, but the package should be attended to.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FREE articles about self-help, self improvement, wellness, holistic health, and fitness. To see our full line of e-Books visit: www.ebooks4selfhelp.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AmbrosiaServices.com
Get a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report
The Things We Do For Beauty - New Research
by Jo Fairley
-Radox reveals a new in-depth study into the history of beauty-
Beauty products may be becoming more scientific and hi-tech than ever, but new research from Radox shows that some of the ingredients used have been popular since ancient times. Josephine Fairley, author and beauty expert, has been working in conjunction with Radox to conduct the first ever comprehensive study into the history of beauty practises. The results are revealed today to celebrate the launch of the new Radox Daily Elements range.
The new Daily Elements range combines minerals with active ingredients to create a range of products that are very effective and care for your skin. Whilst the range may be new, the minerals used to create it have been used for centuries. Ancient Egyptians, and even the Queen of Sheba herself, enjoyed the benefits of a mineral rich Dead Sea mud bath (sometimes enhanced by crocodile excrement, believed to have cleansing powers!) The Ancient Chinese discovered that crushed pearls could produce youthful, lustrous skin. However, they also believed it could improve eyesight, a claim that modern science may disagree with. Not all beauty products were originally used for that purpose; sea fennel is a popular ingredient in many modern cosmetics, but was first used by French sailors in the 1800’s as a source of vitamin C and minerals on long voyages.
Brits are among the cleanest people in the world, with only Americans showering or bathing more often. But the pursuit of cleanliness started in ancient Babylon, where archaeologists discovered the first ever soap made from a mixture of salt and ash. Luckily the process for making soap has improved somewhat in the last two thousand years. French Chemist Nicholas Le Blanc first patented the process of making soap from fats and soda ash in 1791, which helped turn soap making in Europe into an art form using ever more sophisticated scents and ingredients. Soap remained the preserve of the rich in England as it was heavily taxed – Gladstone finally abolished the Soap Tax in 1853 making cleanliness achievable for everyone.
However, research shows cleanliness has never stopped with simply washing. Ancient cultures have indulged in some pretty unusual ways of keeping sweat and unwanted odours at bay. Both the Egyptians and the Chinese used alum, a mineral with odour-reducing effects, which is currently undergoing a beauty renaissance. Other Egyptian methods were decidedly less appealing, such as mashing a ball of porridge, scented with incense, and placing under the arms to limit sweating. Radox has launched its first ever deodorant as part of the Daily Elements range, created from everything Radox knows about essential minerals – and not a porridge flake in sight.
People take a hot shower for granted today as a way to relax and cleanse ourselves. But the shower as we know it has taken centuries to develop. Ruins from the Egyptian city of Tel-el-Amarna reveal an early form of shower, a series of aquaducts, to provide the rich with water for showering – although they would need a team of servants to pour the water over them. Ancient Greeks went in for outdoor showers, spouting from fountains. And it wasn’t until 1767 that the first patent for a shower was granted, but still using cold water. A hot, steaming shower only became possible in 1889 when Edwin Rudd invented the automatic storage water heater.
It seems that soft, pampered skin has always been top of women’s priorities when it comes to beauty products. Noble Roman women famously bathed in asses milk to keep their skin soft, but other more unusual practises have been discovered. Mary Queen of Scots incurred the wrath of Queen Elizabeth with her extravagant habit of bathing in sweet white wine. On the other side of the Channel, French socialites at the time of the Revolution would bathe in the juice and pulp of strawberries and rasperries in the quest for radiant skin, others swore by the milk of almonds, water distilled from honey and roses, melon juice – or even veal broth!
The fascinating facts revealed in Jo Fairley’s research show that bathing, showering and the quest for soft, cleansed and fragrant skin have involved some bizarre practises throughout history. However, among the more natural ingredients have been herbs and minerals that time has proved to be highly effective in the pursuit of beauty. Radox have used this knowledge to create their new range, using nature’s minerals to care for your skin.
For further information about the Radox Daily Elements range, or to see the full research, please contact Ruth Barley (ruth@slice.co.uk – 0207 3095722) or Emma Kettlewell (emmak@slice.co.uk – 0207 3095219).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FREE articles about self-help, self improvement, wellness, holistic health, and fitness. To see our full line of e-Books visit: www.ebooks4selfhelp.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AmbrosiaServices.comGet a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report
Tessa! : Now, class, let’s talk about anatomy
By Tessa Prieto-ValdesColumnistInquirer
Posted date: September 24, 2006
HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED about the ideal “whiteness” of your teeth? Here’s a good rule of thumb: They should only be as bright as the whites of your eyes. Any whiter and your teeth would look like dentures.
After many months of delay and decay, I finally visited my dentist, Dr. Pio Tripon (2/F Tesoro Building., Arnaiz Avenue, Makati, tel. 8923249), who gave me an informative lecture on tooth decay while I was having some cavities filled. Doctor Tripon has some newfangled, amazing dental equipment that can photograph and zoom in on the areas of decay in the teeth.
I never knew that tooth decay is actually a contagious bacterial disease. I was shocked to find out that a high percentage of decay is due to infection being passed down—from simple things like sharing drinking glasses or utensils or by kissing. Most of us can probably give up the first two but not the last! In fact, since I can’t avoid the last item with my husband, I will just have to make sure his teeth are germ-free.
In the world of dentistry, the advancement of technology has been quite remarkable. My sister, Sandy Romualdez, and I have hilarious memories of my mother’s dentist in Escolta. His pasta tasted like cement and his metal, manually adjusted, dental chair was attached to an irritating, screeching drilling unit. No wonder our collective memories of dentists are so bad—a visit to the dentist was akin to a trip to a torture chamber!
Not anymore! These days, there is soothing music and a chair that has more functions than the space shuttle.
According to Tripon’s space-age dental equipment, my Decay Risk Level is medium-risk with cavity-prone areas. In short, no more midnight snacking of chocolates, chips and other desserts. He suggested chewing gum or mints containing Xylitol, a natural sugar from birch trees that has significant effects against decay-causing bacteria.
I’m a sucker for new products, so I rushed out to buy some Orbit sugar-free gum to start my battle with decay and have my teeth heal on their own, all while still getting to snack on demand.
Eyes
There’s really nothing like good health. So it’s not only my teeth that have been occupying my time lately. My eyes were part of the Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines’ campaign called “Tears of Hope, Tears of Health.”
With the support of Visine Refresh and PowerBooks, Dr. Minguita Padilla, founder and chair of Eye Bank, produced a book of all the exquisite photos taken by top lensman Jun de Leon.
My particular photograph was taken when I was still heavy and pregnant with Athena, but Jun, being the master of beauty through the camera, made me look smashing.
The book is now available in PowerBooks and National Bookstore, and by purchasing the “Behind the Tears” book, you would be supporting the sight restoration programs of the Eye Bank.
To all my friends reading this, you may already have an idea what your Christmas gift this year will be.
Breasts
This column is sort of an anatomy class, because from teeth and eyes, now I can move on to my breasts. Both took center stage earlier this month for the Beauty, Brains & Breastfeeding Campaign of the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef).
Since I was breastfeeding earlier this year, my baby Athena and I had a photo session with outstanding photographer Pancho Escaler for this advocacy. Little did I know that my photo would be chosen for all the posters and campaign materials.
For the whole month of September, the largest mall in this part of the world, Mall of Asia, has a photo exhibit of mothers and personalities who truly believe in the benefits of breastfeeding.
Thanks to Pancho’s expert lens angling, my breasts maintain a G rating. Athena’s cute mouth and hand perfectly conceal the naughty bits while still projecting the breastfeeding message.
The pictures are so huge that not even famed body sculptor Dr. Vicki Belo can augment me that well!
Recently, gracious host Vicki told me all about the possibilities of beauty enhancement over a dinner for the benefit of cancer-stricken Benjo Marquez. She opened her house to generous friends like Hotel Elizabeth owner Beth Fernando and made sure all enjoyed the dinner menu by master chefs Ed Quimson and Heny Sison.
Vicki and I discussed the theory that having fat removed from the back shoulder area may cause the breast to become larger, as body fat moves from one area to another. Let’s call this the “40-something But Still Hoping” Theory.
Speaking of which, that’s a perfect segue to another short paragraph on my Assumption Velada. Vicki is one of my big-hearted friends who are supporting the Assumption Mission Schools. I guess with all the weight the jubilarians are losing from homecoming practices, we are now firmly in Vicki’s target market.
Stomach
Continuing our anatomy lesson, let’s not forget the stomach! Makati Shang’s executive chef Christopher Romine pulled all the stops at a birthday dinner for me at their classic Red restaurant.
Rustan’s soon-to-wed Rhoda Campos prepared games and giveaways and I threw in special “non-party” giveaways from my fave graphics couple, Mye and Norman Cruz of adworksgrfx (www.adworksgrfx.com.ph, tel. 6880085).
While going through chef Romine’s range of delightful dishes, Shang’s new, dashing VP and GM, Philippe Caretti, told me about their new Filipino High Tea at the Lobby Lounge. An interesting twist is some of the dishes are very Pinoy like bibingka. The ongoing festivities overlook a garden with newly installed whimsical sculptures by Claude Tayag.
Feet
Today’s body tour ends with my feet, which got ample use while dancing at Embassy after the BMW launch of their new and bold colors for the 1 Series and 3 Series Limited Edition models. Well-loved designer Rajo Laurel designed the models’ black, white and red gowns to match the cars’ striking colors.
These cars are such wonderful, foot-activated instruments, really! Just the sort of thing one can truly enjoy driving around while flashing a big, white, toothy, Xylitol-enhanced grin after a tummy-filling Filipino High Tea at the Shang.
E-mail me at seaprincess@inquirer.com.ph
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FREE articles about self-help, self improvement, wellness, holistic health, and fitness. To see our full line of e-Books visit: www.ebooks4selfhelp.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AmbrosiaServices.comGet a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report
