Be Fragrant and Fresh!

Men and women alike covet fragrances that keep you feeling and smelling fresh all the daylong. They come in various types and may categorized as classic Perfumes, Eau-de-Perfume, Eau-de-Cologne and Eau-de Toilette. The only difference between all these types is mainly due the concentration of fragrant oils that are naturally extracted or synthetically made and diluted using water and high-grade alcohol. Of course, the fragrance type with highest concentration of oil lasts the longest. Cologne has 4% essential oils while Eau de Toilette or deodorant has 8% to 15% oils. Eau de Perfume or Parfum) has 15 to 22% of essential oils and Perfume or Parfum Classic has the highest concentration of more than 22% of essential oils.

On the same note, cologne and deo lasts for only two hours; eau-de-perfume may last for as many as four to five hours; and perfumes can last up to more than six hours at length. Testers or the miniature bottles of original fragrance are available in many retail stores as the introductory products to judge the clientele response and are quiet cheap. Besides these, mini-bottles that can be easily kept in purse or shaving kits are also available in the market for traveling purposes. However, some of them are marketed in some of the most innovative and artistic bottles shaped in various ways and have attracted the attention of many collectors.

The best way to wear perfume us to dab some on the points that keep warm such as inside of elbows, back of knees, wrist, neck and cleavage to make the fragrance last longer. It is better to start with lower body points and upwards while dabbing. Another way is to layer the perfumes for stronger smell. Keep group of similar fragrances available. Use the shower or bath gel of the group while having your bath and then rub in the body lotion or bath spray just after the bath. Then apply the perfume of the group as suggested above or spray it into the air and walk into the fragrance and allow your body to absorb the sweet smell. While synthetic aldehydes, coumarin, heliotropine, vanillin and ionone brought an olfactory revolution in the modern perfumery, the perfumes can be put into eight major families known as Floral, Chypre, Oriental (masculine and feminine), Woody, Aromatic and Hesperide (masculine and feminine).

Beauty Of Nails

Classic red, iridescent blue, soft pastel or bright orange are only some of the thousands of nail color shades available in matte, gloss and sparkle finish. Two-toned colors are also gaining favor with the beauty conscious day by day and being color correct and keeping pace with the fast changing trends of nail culture is becoming more and more difficult. Here are some sensible advise from the beauty and nail experts for you to use:

• Coloring your nails draw greater attention to your hands. So, don't forget to moisturize your hands every time you wash them with special hand creams with aloevera so that they don't dry off easily.
• Once a week manicure and a dipping your hands in lukewarm olive oil bathe with salts will give you smooth skin on hands and beautiful, healthy and glowing nails.
• Soften the skin on the nail by applying oil or cream in it regularly. Dip the fingertips in olive oil to nourish the grooves beside the nails and skin under them. It will make pushing it back easier and will nourish the nail bed thus, enhancing the growth of the nail.
• Soft nails are not brittle and easier to cut, file or shape. You may also polish them after smoothing its surface by gentle filing strokes.
• Use a multicolored lacquer to polish the nails for that sheer tinted look and you may also dye them with bright nail colors with high gloss with a steady hand.
• You can use more than one color or paint designs using stencils on your nails or get them pierced too. You can also get them gilded or put sparkles on them for the funky look.
• To remove or redo the nail color, use a gentle nail polish remover and nourish it with rich nail cream or oil. It is also advisable to leave the nails without coloring them for some time after every two weeks to keep them healthy.
• Today, nail culture and care has gained special attention to itself and you can get professional help too for specific occasions or to deal with a specific problem.

Hair Trends 2005

Hair trends, cuts and styles for 2005 have a wide range of hair lengths, layers, fraying and shears. Here are some ideas that are 'in' this year and easy to maintain at home:

• The simple pony can get trendy with red hairstreaks and lots of gloss. Use hair gel for luminosity and more structure and distribute it by moving fingers from front to the rear of the head.
• The bob cut with a difference and air-blown effect can be achieved by keeping the chin-length hair with jagged cut points. Use gel generously on your neck hair in upward strokes.
• If you have fine hair, gloss the short razor cut with wax and use hands to paint your hair in vertical strokes in muted colors.
• Symmetrically round long hair with a blunt cut at the end look well in a horsetail bind from the middle of the head to the end. Brush the hair well and give them a little volume and you have got it!
• Long frayed cut and shearing makes the thickest and most unruly hair manageable. Use humidity cream to soften the hair and use flat paddle brush to tame them.
• Curl the fine long hair using the rollers and the hair spray and flaunt your waves. Use a round brush on the pony.
• For very smooth and fine hair, go for a round or blunt cut with a razor or frayed look on the sides. You can use a small round brush to get that mushroom look of the models on the ramp.

Windstar Windspa

A sea and a spa, was there ever a more natural combination? Sink into a spa bath fragrant with seaweed and sage, and all cares melt away. Let an aromatic massage purify your mind. Skilled spa therapists are ready to soothe your body, mind and spirit with herbal wraps; massage; skin, hair and nail treatments; fitness and nutritional programs.
In the glorious WindSpa, a staff of ten stands ready to direct their expert attention to the muscles that need it most. Find a respite for a weary body or spirit here with soothing herbal wraps, massages and beauty treatments.

A sea and a spa, was there ever a more natural combination? Sink into a spa bath fragrant with seaweed and sage, and all cares melt away. Let an aromatic massage purify your mind. Skilled spa therapists are ready to soothe your body, mind and spirit with herbal wraps; massage; skin, hair and nail treatments; fitness and nutritional programs.
In the glorious WindSpa, a staff of ten stands ready to direct their expert attention to the muscles that need it most. Find a respite for a weary body or spirit here with soothing herbal wraps, massages and beauty treatments.

Grow Old Gracefully!

Young to old, teens to mature, all girls, women and ladies would like to follow in the footsteps of the ramp beauties and movie stars and look beautiful, made up and in perfect shape - always. Here are some tips for all age groups to look as beautiful, graceful and respectable as you grow old that others grow envious of you and yet look up to you as their beauty icon:

• Twenties:

The flexible stout skins that can weather the night outs of twenties need humidity binders such as cream with urea. A light day cream for skin care and a transparent primer for a soft tint for that radiant look are good enough until it comes to fighting off pimples and acnes. A T-zone with shiny forehead, nose and chin need daily washing with mild face wash and wash gel and peeling once a week for deep cleansing. For trendy party looks, you can try playing and experimenting with three eyelid shades at once. Use the brightest tone on the inner side and the darkest on the outer side and be funky with sparkles, tattoos, gilding and crystals.

• Thirties:

Use humidity binder creams to protect the moisture and use concealer for the fine lines. Mild are cleansing milk and lotions are desirable and take care of dark under eye area and panda rings by using eye gels. Indulge yourself with thicker layer of creamy. It is advisable to move on to more neutral shades of eye shadows.

• Forties:

Splurge into wrinkle-free creams in gentle circular motion directed from inside outward and down to upward. Look younger by using darker shades for your eyelids. Avoid too much sun exposure and be careful enough to use sunscreen every time you step out into sun. Heavier upper eyelids and slip eyelids can be cured a little using quality eye creams. Use light beige shade on upper eyelids, use highlighter as a primer and cover the folds of eyelids with dark eyelid shades such as brown for dark colored eyes and grays for light colored eyes, to make the eyes look larger and more alert. You may try using anti-aging creams too that put on a flexible silicone film on your face and hide out the fine lines.

• Fifties:

Use vegetable and vitamin oils to make up for the fat and humidity in the face. Face serums and creams with high humidity binders, along with brighter tints, ink mascaras and outline pin for beautiful lip makeup, are needed. Use sexy red or warm red-brown lip colors.

• Sixties:

Lip-gloss in rosewood shade for that soft yet nude lip look is wanted. Skin becomes thinner but has fine pores and protection against skin is wanted more for the health than the beauty requirement. Use rich day cream and special creams to fight off pigmentation. Use lip balm with fats to maintain beautiful lips.

• Seventies:

Use creamy and tinted cosmetics for an even look and use skin care products with enough oils and humidity binders and moisturizers. Since, skin becomes permeable, thin and dry with age, use wash oils for hands and use body lotion with much urea after the shower. Face creams with urea, creamy foundation and brighter tints should be used.

All About Tummy Tuck

The medical term for tummy tuck is Abdominoplasty. In this procedure surgery removes the extra fat and skin in the middle and lower portions of the abdomen. And stitching the loose tissues and muscles together tightens the abdominal wall. Thus decreasing the bulging abdomen to a great extent. If the skin on the lower abdomen has stretch marks it may be removed. Other stretch marks may improve a little. Abdominal skin is pulled down and the extra is removed. A small incision is made for the navel. The surgery will leave a permanent scar depending on the extent of correction required. But it will result in a flatter and tighter stomach than before. People, who want to reduce only the lower abdomen, can undergo a mini tummy tuck instead of the whole procedure.

A person who wants to undergo abdominoplasty should be healthy and his weight should more or less be normal. The person should have extra skin and weak muscles in the stomach region. An overweight person will be asked to shed some weight before the surgery can be conducted. This surgery can be useful for men and women. The results of the surgery also depend on the individual's age and skin tone. The plastic surgeon will take all these factors into consideration while deciding whether the individual is fit to undergo Abdominoplasty. The surgeon will brief the patient about the risks involved and the kind of postoperative care that is required. The information given by the doctor should be clearly understood and instruction accurately followed. This will ensure the best results and a speedy recovery.

After a tummy tuck, the patient's abdomen will remain firm and flat for a number of years. But if there is significant weight gain or loss or the patient becomes pregnant the results of the surgery will be lost. A few years after the surgery if the patient is again unhappy with the way his stomach looks, he can undergo another tummy tuck to improve his figure.

Get Rid of Stretch Marks

When a person gains weight suddenly, the skin expands to accommodate the increase in body weight. Skin is elastic and can be stretched to a certain limit. Once the limit is crossed the innermost layer of the skin tears as it can stretch no more. As the underlying layer tears and the ones above are intact, the skin appears to be streaked. As soon as the skin tears, pink or purple lines appear as the capillaries burst. After some time these lines look slivery white. These are called stretch marks, which are in fact scars that are a result of skin tearing. Stretch marks occur in the dermis, which is the middle layer of the skin and is elastic and hence allows the skin to retain its shape. When repeatedly stretched the dermis breaks causing stretch marks. Women and men can have stretch marks on their thighs, abdomen, hips, breasts and upper arms. Once stretch marks appear they are permanent and difficult to get rid of.


As stretch marks are permanent they cannot be removed. Products that claim that their use can either prevent or remove stretch marks are misleading. The only thing possible is to reduce their visibility. Here are a few ways that visibility of stretch marks can be reduced:

• Using lotions: lotions sold for the treatment of stretch marks contain alpha hydoxy acid (AHA) which removes the skin cells on top thus allowing healthier skin cells to grow. These lotions work very gradually and must be regularly used. If use is discontinued the results will be lost. Formulations with vitamin A, C and E help in diminishing the appearance of stretch marks.
• Surgical Treatment: Chemical peeling or lasers can remove stretch mark scars. This treatment can be used only to a depth, which allows skin to be removed without causing scaring. The result of this treatment will depend on the age and skin color as well. This treatment is not used on people with dark skin. In a tummy tuck the skin below the abdomen is removed. Therefore if there are stretch marks in this region they can be easily removed by this surgery. If you want a tummy tuck you can get rid of your stretch marks at the same time. This is the only sure shot way of getting rid of stretch marks.
• Nutrition and Diet: Eat foods rich in zinc like nuts and fish, foods with a high content of vitamin A, C, and D like citrus fruits, dairy products and carrots and protein rich food like eggs can improve the quality of your skin and prevent stretch marks. Drink plenty of water, at least 8-10 glasses per day. Adequate water intake will make your skin soft and supple thus preventing it from tearing. Reduce intake of tea, coffee and carbonated drinks.

Eat nutritious food and maintain a healthy diet to keep your skin young and healthy and prevent stretch marks.