Tips Guides

Fashion. Some people live and breathe it, some loathe it. It’s something we can’t escape from, it’s thrown in our faces on a daily basis via adverts, the internet, television programmes and even in the work place. It’s something that people can follow or it’s something you can rebel against. It defines social groups and movements, sends signals to the opposite sex and describes your personality without even saying words. Whether we like it or not, fashion is part of our daily lives and with cheap shops offering the latest trends, being “in fashion” or rebelling against it is now easier than ever.

Fashion has been around for centuries and it’s is one thing that has stood the test of time, changing and shape shifting to suit new generations. We have come a long way since the Edwardian S-bend corset and the 1920’s Flapper dresses, however the these fashion trends are being recycled and are finding their way into the modern day. What may have started as Victorian detailing on items or seventies style colourings has now blossomed into fully fledged fashion re-runs.

It’s something I began to notice a while back, it was the re-introduction of the Peddle Pushers that really made me stop and think that trends never really die out - they just get recycled. Buying my first pair of Peddle Pusher trousers at the age of fifteen, I felt cool and couldn’t wait to show them off, but when my mum said ” I remember wearing those in my teens” I felt strangely proud rather than horrified.

Since then we’ve seen the 50’s poodle skirts, 60’s baby-doll dresses, 70’s high wasted trousers, 80’s leg-warmers and leggings, and 90’s new rave fashion hit our shops with a modern twist. New fashion trends are few and far between, but it’s old fashion that has really taken off.

With that being said, certain trends should never see the light of day again, and so far, have not re-emerged. I am left wondering, once they tire of the old fashion periods and have exhausted resources, will they turn to the fashion faux-pas?

A dark time for fashion was the “fitness fashion” era otherwise know as the late 1980’s. We are yet to see the popularisation of the Shell Suit again, yes those high visibility, crunchy, crinkly, matching top and bottom, nylon suits. Who will be brave enough to design a new range which has been influenced by the Shell Suit, Chanel - no, Christian Laxcroi - perhaps.

What about the ingenious Global Hypercolour t-shirts of the 1990’s, they are yet to be revived. Some whizz kid thought it was a brilliant idea to make t-shirts which change colour with heat, so people could openly see when and where you are sweating on a hot day - brilliant. The Global Hypercolour range was never made into dresses, skirts or shorts, so a designer could really run with this idea again. What a horrendous thought.

It’s anyone’s guess as what the next big fashion trend will be, which era they will visit next or whether they’ll try something completely different. Perhaps we’ll all be setting our own trends next year, a sort of ‘wear what you like style’.

Fashion faux-pas, period fashion, and vintage fashion with a modern twist - one thing we do know is that people will follow it nonetheless. From catwalk, to celebrity, to high street - the process will always same but the hard part is defining the new trend. Designers get your thinking caps on and pencil sharpened, the autumn/winter collection is just around the corner.

Maxine is an expert Research and Travel consultant. Her current interest is in Birmingham Airport Parking and Luton Airport Parking

Is age getting you down because you started to notice a few more grey hairs, your skin is not quite as firm as it used to be and those fine lines in your face have gotten a bit deeper? No one likes growing older. We would all like to remain youthful but none of us are impervious to the affects of age. Even if we opt for cosmetic surgery it is only a temporary fix. It does not stop or reverse the aging process. Perhaps some day someone will find a way to do so and it will be as easy as taking a pill or going to our doctor’s office for a shot but until then we must accept the fact that we all age. But just because we get older it doesn’t mean that we can’t look and feel good.

There are many factors that affect the way we look and feel. Those factors include a person’s state of health, diet, exercise, lifestyle, genetics and even attitude. Some people age better than others and many if not all of those factors can play a role in how a person ages. You may not have any say so over the genes that you inherit from your parents but you do have the option to make healthy choices in your lifestyle.

You can help yourself to age gracefully by eating a proper diet, exercising and getting adequate sleep. For example, fruits and vegetables are filled with vitamins and nutrients beneficial to your health both inside and out. Exercise is also a necessary component in maintaining good health and staying youthful longer. When you don’t get sufficient sleep it shows in your appearance. When you skimp on sleep on a regular basis your skin becomes dull, you develop dark circles under your eyes and your general appearance makes you look older than your years. You need the proper amount of sleep each night. Sleep really is one of nature’s beauty aids.

Protecting your skin against the harsh elements of sun, wind and cold is also necessary to maintain a youthful appearance. Moisturize your skin daily. It is important to keep your skin well hydrated by drinking plenty of water every day. The attitude you have about aging will also be affected by the way you perceive yourself. What do you consider as old? Do you feel that someone who is forty, fifty or sixty is old? Society has put such emphasis on youth and beauty that we can allow ourselves to be relegated to the realm of old age when we don’t even feel as though we are old. Forget about societal standards. Age nor beauty do not determine the value of a being. Everyone is a valuable being at every age.

All things change. Our bodies change. We change our minds. We change as people due to our life circumstances yet we are still the same. Your body may look different at 16, 25, 35, 50 and so on, but inside you are still the same person. You are just progressing through the different life stages as we all do. So don’t let age get you down. Age does not define you. The person you are within is ageless.

Susie Brown owns an online Beauty Supply Store, where you will find all your Favorite Brands of Beauty Products.
EveryDayBeautySupply.com

Many people plagued by acne say steam efficiently helps improve their skin condition. Let us take a look at four advantages of steaming, ideas on how to get the most out of it and some precautionary measures. At the end of this reading, you would have learned how to correctly steam for acne and find out for yourself if it works.

Applying steam on acne can help in four ways. First, it gets the pores to open. Dirt and debris becomes soft when steamed. This allows you to easily get rid of the impurities from clogged pores.

Secondly, steaming encourages you to sweat. Your body temperature will increase and soon you begin sweating. Your sweat contains salt and that kills the acne causing bacteria.

Thirdly, steaming gets your blood moving. The steam increases your body temperature and this leads to better circulation. The skin then receives more oxygen and nutrients carried by the blood vessels. Improved circulation also generates the growth of new tissues, thus giving your skin a youthful look.

Last of all, the steam moisturizes your skin. Without moisture, you skin becomes dry and pimples become worse.

You can make steaming for acne work even better when you apply the following suggestions. Mix to the boiling water with essential oils or herbs. Use mint to free clogged pores from dirt and oil. Lavender stops you from getting breakouts and lessens skin inflammation.

When using steam, give your face a wash before and after the treatment. Cleaning your face prior to steaming removes make up and impurities. This simple practice makes it easier for steam to rid your pores from undesirable particles.

It takes a while for the steam to saturate your skin. So make sure you don’t cut short the steaming time because then the steam won’t be able to permeate through your skin. 10 minutes is the minimum time for steaming.

Splash your face with cool water after the steaming session. Your skin becomes soft with the warm steam. So when you clean your face now, the dead skin cells can be removed easily. After toweling dry, apply on your face a mild moisturizer which also holds acne fighting ingredients.

Definitely steam can combat acne but there are some precautions you need to know about. It is common practice to steam for acne 2-3 times a week. Don’t go overboard as too much steaming can dry out your skin. This leads to your body producing more oil and in the end, pores get clogged. Of course, more breakouts will take place.

If you have severe acne and cysts, steam may not be advisable. The effects of it could make your condition worse. Stop immediately if you develop severe irritation or inflammation after steaming.

Sauna and steaming are quite alike. However, unlike steaming that concentrates only on your face, sauna works on your entire body. Using steam to treat and prevent pimples and zits does aid in improving the condition. If you experience severe inflammation or if your acne takes a turn for the worse, quickly consult your dermatologist.

Steam for acne is a superficial treatment. Consuming special formulations for acne increases your chances of relief. Acnezine helps you fight acne at the root of the problem. Read Acnezine Review and you will discover how it helps you become acne free for good. Visit skinmorphy.com/acnezine-review.php

A person’s eyeglasses are usually his or her most important article of clothing and usually the one accessory that most people are self conscious of. Not only can the appearance of your eyeglasses effect other people’s perception of you, more significantly, they can affect you perception of yourself.

A pair of ugly and clunky old frames can be embarrassing. On the other hand, the right pair of frames can be both sexy and stylish. Moreover, the right pair of eyeglasses can come to look so natural it can reach a point where a person appears unrecognizable without his or her usual specs.

With so much selection in the retail optical stores and, even more overwhelming, the ridiculous array of choices available on the internet, it can be a chore to find the set of eyeglasses that will perfectly compliment your features. You can’t very well try on every style in the store, or if you’re shopping online, you may not get to try them on at all.

Some websites sport a “try-it-on” feature, where you upload a digital photograph of your face and then past the various frame styles over top to get an idea of the final look. But even this can be an arduous process. It’s good to have an idea about the conventions of eyewear fashion before you go randomly searching the racks or the web pages for your next set of glasses.

Most eyewear professionals will tell you there are seven basic types of face shapes. While we know everyone is unique, knowing which of the seven shapes is closest to your particular facial features is helpful to determine which frame style will best compliment your features. A round face is one with few angles or sharp curves. As the general rule with eyeglass frames is that they should contrast the face shape, a person with a round face will look best in narrow, angular frames.

A person with a square face, on the other hand, will look best in round frames, while an oblong face would be complimented by frames that are thick from top to bottom so as to make the face seem shorter. If one’s face is like a base-up triangle, frames that are wider at the bottom will look best and vice-versa for a base down triangular face.

When it comes to color, the opposite is true: the color of the frame of a person’s eyeglasses ought to be congruent with the person’s coloring. A person’s coloring is determined by their skin tone, eye shade, and hair color. For the purpose of eyeglasses, people fall into two distinct coloration, either warm or cool.

For skin tone, color is less important than undertone. Pink or bluish undertones are cool, whereas pale orange or yellow undertones are warm. Dark to medium brown, dirty blonde, black and salt-and-pepper hair are cool while light brown, red, blonde, and white hair are warm. Eye color is more difficult to categorize given the nearly infinite shades of the human iris, but generally speaking, dark blues, greens and browns are cool, while pale blues, greens and amber browns are warm. As we said earlier, frame colors ought to match a person’s overall coloration. Warm colored people should seek out light frame colors such as orange, beige, and bright reds or greens. Cool colored people look best in dark frames, such as deep blue, dark brown, or even black.

When choosing any pair of eyeglasses keep in mind that the frames should always be in scale with a person’s head size and overall body size. Big glasses look good on big people, while smaller people tend to stick to the rule that less is more.

Eyeglasses and prescription glasses come in a variety of shapes, styles and colours. They also are available with the most popular designer frames on the market today.

For anyone who’s attending a Renaissance or Medieval faire, the fun can be increased by having your own costume. Wearing street clothes to a faire is completely acceptable, but it often makes people feel as though they’re only tourists, watching what’s going on but never participating. A costume, or “garb” of your own can make you really feel like you fit in. If you want to experience a little bit of times gone by, here are some tips on choosing a costume for the faire.

1. Decide what your priority is. Some people really love authenticity when it comes to their historical costumes. They know which elements of common faire clothing, like grommets and modern fabrics, are out of period, and which are truly authentic. That doesn’t mean that everyone has to live up to that standard - there are just as many fantasy barbarians and fairies at most faires as there are people who look like they’ve stepped out of a painting. However, it’s a good idea to decide what you want out of your faire costume before you start sewing or before you buy any clothing items.

2. Think about your character. Most people who attend the faire in costume have a specific character they’re trying to portray, whether it’s a real historical figure, a general type, or a fun fantasy invention. To make sure that you have a costume that looks like it was made to go together, think about the sort of person you’re dressing as. Peasants look peculiar in silks and velvets, and their aprons and tankards don’t work well with a high court outfit, either. Don’t just match colors in a faire costume - match fabric types, styles, and every element of your outfit. No matter what you’re dressing as, your whole costume should work with it.

3. Don’t be afraid to do research. For people who love history, this is real books and paintings type research. Take a look at the fashions of the past and get some ideas about how to put things together. For those who are just there for fun, the research is a little different. Take a look at what others are wearing to the faire, and get an idea about how to put your costume together.

4. Creativity is okay. Too many people are frightened or intimidated by the historical element of the faire, or by faire culture. This results in costumes that look nearly identical. Don’t be afraid to step out of the mold, and come up with something that works well at faire, but isn’t the same old thing.

5. Bargain shopping should be done with caution! Like many other things, with Renaissance costumes, you get what you pay for. That doesn’t mean you should never look for a good deal, but it does mean taking a good look at the products you’re buying. It doesn’t matter whether you’re purchasing fabric for a costume or a finished piece of clothing. Good quality and (when appropriate) good construction are important. Many bargain items won’t hold up for more than a few faire seasons, and worse yet, they’ll fit strangely long before then. It’s worth it to invest in high quality costume items if you want to look your best.

Author regularly attends renaissance festivals, wearing renaissance costumes.

When you speak with someone, you will generally look at one of two areas: the eyes and the lips. However, the effects of time and gravity can cause eyelids to become droopy or wrinkly, while lips can sag or appear less full. With simple procedures like blepharoplasty or lip enhancement, you can help your face get its youthful, alert appearance back.

Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

The eyes are the most expressive feature of one’s face. One of the first signs of facial aging may be droopiness of the upper eyelids or lateral eyebrow area (excessive wrinkling of the skin, puffiness or fatty bags of the upper or lower eyelids, and generalized sad or tired appearance). These features are more commonly seen when one approaches the late thirties to early forties and a correction can give a youthful, fresher and more rested appearance.

Many of these signs may be caused by other factors in addition to aging. Excessive sunlight exposure, poor nutrition or health, excessive alcohol intake, smoking or drug use, hormone imbalance, etc., are among these. Many of these signs may be hereditary or familial. Men usually inherit eyelid characteristics from the mother’s side of the family and women from the father’s side.

Often eyelid surgery can be performed in conjunction with a forehead or brow lift which will elevate the center or outer portion of the eyebrows. In addition, this can be performed in conjunction with facelifts, cheek implants, facial sculpturing, chemical peels, etc.

Sometimes the excessive skin of the upper eyelid area may be sufficient to cause obstruction of the visual fields. We usually recommend that our patient obtain an evaluation from an eye physician. If patients expect possible insurance reimbursements, questions concerning insurance application or reimbursement are often based on that evaluation.

Eyelid surgery has been performed successfully by us for many years with excellent results. Our goal is to create a more youthful, natural eyelid appearance while maintaining one’s natural expression.

Lip Enhancement and Verafil Saline Implants for Lips

Wrinkles, acne scars, the desire for fuller cheeks, lips and chin, and correction of depressed areas after tumor removal or trauma, continue to stimulate innovative work. The field of plastic surgery is still searching for the ideal “filler material.” For many years collagen & newer fillers has been of benefit in these areas and has worked well but its duration is limited (six months) and requires re-injecting once, twice or more per year. The utilization of one’s own liquefied fat has re-emerged as an option over the last couple of years. The fat is removed through a fine needle-syringe aspiration technique from the stomach wall, buttock, hip or inner knee areas, then injected into the lip areas, acne or scar depressions, wrinkles hands, etc. It can also be used to add fullness to one’s cheek bones or chin. We would like to stress it is not recommended for the breast areas as it can later manifest calcifications which may be suspicious on mammograms.

There is other work being performed on the use of other liquefied tissues of the body such as cartilage, dermis, etc., although this is in the clinical investigative stages.

How long will it last?

Fat seems to be ideal with the exception of its somewhat unpredictable resorption rate. Approximately fifty percent of the injected fat will resorb over four to six weeks. The remainder may stay stable for several months or may continue to slowly resorb up to a year. At least a 25% improvement is felt to be stable. Many patients maintain an improvement for up to a couple of years but, again, the exact predictability of resorption is really based on one’s anatomy and physiology. Sometimes an improvement lasts longer after several injections.

Is there a concern about allergic reactions using fat?

No. It is your own tissue.

LookingYourBest.com an online resource for plastic surgery in Tulsa, OK. Learn more about facial procedures and cosmetic surgery procedures.