Learn your Lipstick Tactic

Arm yourself with your favorite lip gloss and heed these tips for the most gorgeous kisser.





...Full
Embrace: Lipstick, creamy glosses, and balms in blush to deep colors. Your lips are made for flaunting, so take advantage!

Avoid: Flesh colored shades and shimmer formulas. They'll wash you out and just overwhelm an up already lush mouth. Keep it soft with a lip balm.



...Thin
Embrace: High-shine glosses, which create the illusion of fullness, and neutral lip liner, to trace lips and fill them in before lip gloss for a plumper look.

Avoid: Dark dense shades and matte textures. They'll just make your lips look even thinner. Stick to pinks and peaches for a juicy mouth.



...Small
Embrace: Tinted balms and caramel glosses, to blur the borders of your mouth, making lips look bigger. Play up your eyes with liner and mascara to balance out your look.

Avoid: Lipstick that are matte or have thick formulas. They make lips look smaller.



...Uneven
Embrace: A pink-brown lip liner, and trace your lips all around,extending the upper lip line just outside your neutral line. Fill in with liner, then apply your favorite lipstick.

Avoid: Steer clear of deep colors and applying gloss only on your lower lip. Give your top lips its own coat! To make your upper and lower lips look even.

• Find the perfect lip stick. A color that's just two shades darker than your lips is perfect for daytime. For evening, pair it with mascara, blush, and shimmery eye shadow.

• Protect your lips. Touch up with an SPF-laden lip balm every hour and after eating and drinking to keep lips moist and damage free. Balm also preps lips fpr smooth lipsticks application.
• Lipstick hangover remedy. If last night's lipstick won't come off, try a make up remover.Otherwise, keep applying a clear balm to ips to keep them soft until pigment fades.
  

How Smoking Burns You Down Below

You know cigarettes damage your lungs and your looks. Discover how they mess with your reproductive system.

Cervical cancer. Research shows that smokers infected with human papillomavirus have a greater risk of developing invasive cervical cancer than nonsmokers with the virus. The chemicals in cigarettes may weaken the ability of cervical cells to fight off the infection, explains Carolyn D. Runowicz, a gynecologic oncologist and member of American Cancer Society’s national board of directors.

Fertility issues. Studies indicate that smoking can make it harder to conceive. Chemicals in cigarettes may alter cervical mucus, making it toxic to sperm. What’s more, women who smoke cigarettes are at two to four times higher risk of ectopic pregnancy (when a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus).

Period problems. Lighting up may mess with hormone levels, causing irregular menstrual cycles. And smokers appear more likely to experience killer cramps, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

For those couples out there who are smokers and really having a hard time to have a baby you may want to consider this advice… stop smoking and live a healthy lifestyle.

Losing Hair in the Shower

A certain amount of hair loss while showering is normal. But you notice a sudden acceleration in the amount of hair in your drain, your nutritional intake may be to blame. Women who diet excessively or don't get enough iron (present in red meat, seafood, and fortified cereals) are prone to a higher rate of hair loss. It may also be a sign of a hormonal problem, such as an under active thyroid. Luckily, a thyroid condition is easily treatable with medication. Check in with your derma or primary-care physician. She or he will run some tests and prescribe meds that will reverse the shedding.

Rx for Sprains

The next you sprain your ankle running outdoors or strain your elbow from a racquet sport, just remember this word RICE- Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation- to lessen pain, bring down swelling, and hurry up healing.
Rest: Avoid using the injured part until the pain and swelling die down. If it's an injured part from running, keep your running shoes in the closet for the next 1-3 days.

Ice: The cold temperature of ice helps lessen swelling and pain. Grab some cubes from freezer or a cold pack from drugstore. Wrap them in a thin towel and keep it on the injured area for 10-30 minutes, then remove it and rest the area for the next 30-45 minutes. Repeat as often as you can. Ice the affected area for the next 3 days, or more serious cases, 7 days.

Compression: An elastic bandage wrapped on the injured area gives firm yet gentle pressure to make the swelling go down. Using an upward, spiral motion, wrap the bandage starting a few inches below the injured area. To use ice and pressure at the same time, wrap a bandage over an ice pack.

Elevation: As much as possible keep the injured area raised above the heart for the next 3 days so that any excess fluid is drained.

The Best A.M. Stretch

This Luxurious stretch feels incredible and helps your bod rid itself of toxins. Stand in a door way and raise your arms over your head, keeping elbows bent at 90 degrees angles.Grasp the sides of the door frame with each hand. Now lean forward while sticking out your chest so that you can feel the stretch in your shoulders and pecs. Hold for a few second, then repeat. "If you slouch a lot, this realigns your posture. It also releases a ton of tension in your shoulders, chest and upper back, helping you instantly feel looser and more relaxed," says Nicole Doorish, a massage therapist. Do it first thing in the morning to get over the stiff, sleepy feeling or after you've been sitting at your desk or in a car for hours.

The Truth About Cosmetics

Before rushing to buy the latest “miracle” beauty product, listen to the advice of Paula Begoun, author of best-selling beauty guide Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter without Me.

• Spending more doesn’t mean better. An inexpensive drugstore brand can be just as good (if not better) than a luxury brand priced ten times more. Focus on how your skin reacts to the product, not the brand name or the price tag.
• SPF comes first. Everything about beauty and skin cares begins with proper sun protection. The most expensive makeup and beauty treatments are wasted on somebody who does not bother to protect herself against the number one cause of wrinkles and aging.
• Keep it simple. Layering on too many products with the hope of speeding up their desired effects can lead to product build-up on your skin, which in turn can cause acne. Choose carefully which products you really need and resist the urge to slather on every new thing.
• Age doesn’t matter. Categorizing products according to age is a marketing tool used by cosmetic manufacturers that may have little basis on reality. There are plenty of teenagers with extremely dry skin, and thirty something women with oily, acne-prone skin. It’s best to understand what your skin’s unique needs are, rather than rely on cosmetic manufacturers to generalize for you.
• Take celebrity and “expert” endorsements with a grain of salt. Celebrities, dermatologist, and makeup artists receive a fee for endorsing certain brands. Some of them don’t even use the` brands they endorse. Don’t let a celebrity endorsement be your sole reason for buying a particular product. If the product simply doesn’t bring the right results, ditch it.