Why Wear Makeup?

It was the Roman Dramatist Plautus who wrote, "A woman without makeup is like food without salt". You do not need make-up to be beautiful. Makeup helps those of us who wish our cheekbones were higher, skin more evenly toned, or jaws more prominent. Makeup is also a way to celebrate features we love and want to draw attention. From an unusual shade of eyeliner and long, flirty eyelashes, to a brighter lipstick and a bit of sparkle across the cheekbones - make up is the grown-up equivalent of dressing-up.

Bindi - Beauty of Forehead

Add a zero to figure one and its value will increase ten times. Likewise, place a bindi (dot) on your forehead after make-up and the charm of the face will enhance ten times. Bindi (also called bindiya) is a symbol, not only of beauty but of your Suhag too - an indication of a married woman. A married Hindu woman uses various symbols - sindur, bangles, man gal sutra, bichhuye on the toes and' alta' on feet. Likewise, bindi is a symbol of good luck and purity. It has found its way in folk-literature, poetry, sculpture and other forms of arts and literature.

In ancient times bhasm (sacred ashes) or chandan (sandalwood paste) were used on fore­head by men. Women decorated the forehead with a red dot symbolic of good luck like the rising sun. They used materials varying from roli, kumkum, sindur. Today, bindis are available in different colours to match your makeup and dress. Although, traditionally only a round dot is permissible, these days the bindis are available in many shapes, some of them being religious symbols like trident (trishul), conch (shankh), star (tara), lamp (deepak) and so on. Today even unmarried women use bindi.

The colour of your dress and the shape of your face should determine the shape, size and colour of the bindi you choose. Some popular motifs available are - round, long, oblong, triangular, crescent moon, a round bindi with small dots surrounding it, etc. You are the best judge to decide what suits you. Some tips are, however, given here. A small forehead appears large with an oblong bindi. A broad forehead looks good with a round bindi. On a fair complexion, red looks striking whereas on dark complexion pink, orange or sandalwood colour appears prominent Wheatish complexion requires a light red bindi. If the skin is very dark, do not use red, steel grey or chocolate colours. For large eyes, big bindi is suitable, for small eyes a small bindi.

Height and shape of body are also determining factors. For example, a tall woman should use round shaped bindi, a short woman should put on longish-shaped bindi. If you have a brut forehead, place bindi in the middle, but if you have a narrow forehead put it betWeen eyebrows. In summers, light-tinged bindi looks pleasant; in winters and at night bright colours appear prominent. If bindi matches your dress in colours, entire dressing-up acquires a typical beauty. For middle-aged women it is advisable to use deep colours which lend gravity and soberness to their personality.

Bindi can be in liquid or cream form. Powder bindi is difficult to use and requires cream vaseline as base. Glass, lac or plastic bindis can be stuck with a little spit. Some women make it a point to match their bindi with their dress, irrespective of the fact whether they are going to a wedding, a festival, or a party. But, this is an erroneous attitude. Because instead of heightening their beauty, a wrong decision can make you ridiculous and uncultured. So, you have to be choosy and wise in your choice of bindi. A bindi is much more than a mere dot on the forehead. It can make or mar your charm.

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Beauty Sleep

Skin makes new cells twice as fast during sleep time as during walking hours. Several studies have found that sleep deprived humans have lower levels of a growth hormone the skin needs to repair environmental damage and produce new skin cells. When skin cell replacement falls behind then wrinkles and slackness results.

While individual sleep requirements vary between 7 and 9 hours is average. As you get your beauty rest, avoid creating bed wrinkles by sleeping on your back. Lying on your side or stomach means squashing your face into a pillow and then walking up with crazy crease marks. When we are young these folds smooth out almost instantly. But as we age our collagen and elastin grow less resilient meaning those creases can stay for hours or even permanently.

Tip for Plenty of nourishing beauty sleep
Plently if nourishing sleep is one of the secrets of a good complexion and a healthy body. Try to maintain regular sleep patterns.

DO.

Keep regular hours for sleeping and waking.

Try conscious relaxation or meditation before bedtime. It helps to calm the mind.

Add a tablespoon of honey to a glass of warm milk and drink it before bedtime.

Keep the room at a comfortable temperature.

Try reading a book.

Have a bed switch, so you don't have to get up to turn out the lights.

DON'T.

Exercise just before bedtime.

Try to sleep immediately after a meal.

Have stimulants like coffee before bedtime.

Keep your TV set in the bedroom.

Force yourself to sleep. It's a sure way of keeping awake!

Breathe To Get Smarter

A recent study by the Massachusetts General Hospital has shown that meditation not only reduces stress, it may also make you smarter. Daily practice of meditation thickened the parts of the brain's cerebral cortex responsible for memory, decision making and attention. And in another study by the University of Kentucky, test subjects were divided into three groups and each told to meditate, sleep or watch TV as a way to rejuvenate their minds. Those who meditated did the best in psychomotor vigilance tests that required them to hit a button whenever a light flashed on a screen. So the next time you feel your brain crashing, close your eyes, visualise a scenic place in your mind, slow your breathing and relax for 20 minutes.

True Beauty

True beauty isn't just on the outside, but it is really something that comes from the inside. You can appear to be attractive, but if you don't have an attractive personality to go along with it, then that just ruins the whole purpose of being a beautiful person.

How far do you think a pretty face will take you? It's the beautiful person on the inside that makes all the difference. You can decide whether you want to be just another pretty face or a girl with an absolutely fantastic personality. I'm sure that you've seen girls who are not so good-looking with a whole flee of guys around them.

The answer is simple. It's because they have great confidence in themselves which makes them look desirable, and people, especially guys, like being around a girl who is comfortable in her own skin. Act the way that you would like to be treated.

What is Collagen

Collagen is a protein. It is mainly found in the dermis, the layer below epidermis (top layer) of the skin. This collagen in the dermis supports the epidermis. Without the support of collagen the epidermis would collapse on the muscles and bones. The collagen gives us the plump and young look. Collagen forms the structure on which the epidermis rests. You can think of pillars in a building that support the roof. Collagen does similarly to support the epidermis.

Why collagen breaks down? As we age, the collagen begins breaking down. Sun is the main culprit. As the collagen breaks, the skin develops wrinkles. The skin sags. In the youth collagen is replaced fast. But as we age, this replacement becomes slow. So there is insufficient collagen in the dermis and we begin looking old.

How do wrinkles form? Wrinkles form as we age. Our face begins aging soon after we cross our twenties. It begins with fine lines on the face. As we age, the fine lines become deeper. At the same time our facial expression makes permanent changes in the skin. We develop laugh lines, lines on the forehead, etc. As we age the collagen that is the main constituent of our dermis begins breaking down.

No wonder, my beautician keeps on telling me to add collagen every time I did my facial treatment.

Henna Tattoos

Search Amazon.com for henna tattoo
Henna tattoo (or Mehndi) is the application of henna as a temporary form of skin decoration, most popular in South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Somaliland as well as expatriate communities from these areas. It is typically employed for special occasions, particularly weddings. It is usually drawn on the hands and feet, where the color will be darkest because the skin contains higher levels of keratin, with which the colorant of henna, lawsone, enters a permanent bind.

I've been fascinated by tattoo since I was a teenager. Over the last few years, I've seriously thought of having a permanent tattoo done but each time when I think of it, how would it looks like when I get older. But, Henna is a safe option. I had few times done on my hand and feet, it lasted about 2 weeks and to be honest, by that time I was glad it had gone. The process of having it done was pain free, a little cold at first but that was all. You just have to wait for it to dry up. I’ve also brought some henna kits I've used for myself. I think henna tattoos are good alternative to permanent tattoos. If you didn't fancy the idea of a permanent body tattoo, why not consider a Henna Tattoo instead?