So you need another reason to have sex? How about this: a new report is claiming that a healthy sex life could make you look younger… up to 7 years younger.
Dr. David Weeks spoke at the British Psychological Society today and informed the group that because of the special endorphins (also called the “feel good chemicals”) released during sex, circulation is improved which is good for the heart and causes human growth hormone to be released. This makes the skin more elastic. Stress and anxiety levels are also reduced and a sense of overall satisfaction is usually achieved.
This is especially helpful for the elderly Weeks said.
My message is that love making is good.
The stereotype of an elderly person is that when they get their pension and bus pass, they stop having sex, and that’s not true.
“Sexual satisfaction is a major contributor to quality of life, ranking at least as high as spiritual or religious commitment and other morale factors, so more positive attitudes towards mature sex should be vigorously promoted.
“Sexuality is definitely not the prerogative of younger people and nor should it be.”
Branden Lee is a blogger, screenwriter, producer, and actor, currently residing in Boston, MA. Follow Branden on Twitter and Tumblr.
My last articlerevealed that beautiful people aren’t taken seriously as long term romantic partners. Apparently the respect pretty people don’t get when it comes to dating is replenished in the workforce.
A new Michigan State Universitystudy shows that ugly people are more likely to be teased, bullied, and belittled at work.
114 employees of an undisclosed health care unit somewhere in the southeast United States were surveyed about their mistreatment in their place of employment.
Additional people were asked to rate those who were surveyed based on their attractiveness.
Age, gender, and duration of employment were also factored into the results of the survey.
Overall the ugly ones were the least liked and most harassed at their jobs.
I guess I can’t blame being too beautiful as to why I’ve been fired from most of the jobs I’ve ever had.
Branden Lee is a blogger, screenwriter, producer, and actor, currently residing in Boston, MA. Follow Branden on Twitter and Tumblr.
Jezebel reports that men are embracing the aesthetic grooming rituals of women and utilizing makeup, waxing/hair removal, and skin care products.
1000 people in the US & UK were surveyed and the results showed that 12% of men use eyeliner, 45% wax and have undergone laser hair removal, and 60% of those surveyed use “women’s skincare products”.
In addition 51% of men carry “man bags” 16% wear sarongs, 12% wear women’s jeans, and 72% believe that children shouldn’t be taught outdated and repressive gender specific roles/behaviors.
Buzzfeed has compiled a list of plenty of male celebrities that love wearing makeup such as Russell Brand, Adam Lambert, Dwyane Wade, Johnny Depp, Cristiano Ronaldo, and many more.
On the bright side ladies and gents, men are taking care of themselves. Hopefully back hair will be fully eradicated!
On the other hand, ladies may soon have to compete with their boyfriends over who has the best purse.
But everyone wins in believing that no matter you’re gender, you should be allowed to wear and dress your body however you choose. Your body your choice.
Gender roles and stereotypes need to be annihilated, and the new generation is fostering that.
New Yorkers were amazed as the wonders of mother nature and the manmade concrete jungle came together in perfect unison yesterday to form something marvelous.
Ladies, if you thought giving up high heels would be necessary to minimize or avoid bunions and other toe problems, you can breathe a sigh of relief.
Kind of.
High heels do not cause bunions or hammertoes after all.
High heels do cause a lot of other problems including strained calf muscles, shortened tendon muscles, posture problems and twisted ankles.
But according to Dr. Marian Hannan, leader of the recently published study, “Blame Your Parents for Bunions,” she argues that bunions and other toe maladies are more genetically inheritable than environmentally caused.
The largest study of its kind, Harvard Medical School looked at over 1,000 men and women with toe problems.
Wearing high heels may exacerbate bunions and hammer toes (the pressure on the arch and toes aggravates pressure and pain), but the fashionable shoes doesn’t cause the problem. The leaders of the study conclude, “Our study is the largest investigation…of common foot problems confirming that bunions and other toe deformities are highly inheritable.”
This news is helpful but it still leaves many women in a quandary: what to do about the pain and irritation bunions and hammertoes cause? Surgical problems are available but results are not guaranteed and recovery time is lengthy.
According to feet experts, the most helpful actions to soothe aching feet and prevent worsening conditions (while still wearing your heels) include:
Soak the feet in warm to hot water and Epsom salts.
Wear heavily padded insoles in heels. These act as a shock absorber.
Act like a runner- stretch out before and after wearing heels.
Put your feet up and give them regular breaks from heels.
If wearing heels is a must, choose to pay a bit more and buy higher quality shoes with a thicker heel.
Many people might argue that giving up high heels would be the most logical approach to the problems of aching feet.
Perhaps it is. But as Marilyn Monroe once said, “Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world.” The sentiment is still felt by many women today.
What can we say? Old habits die hard.
Melissa AuClair blogs about freelancing, drinking coffee and working towards a location independent lifestyle at http://www.launchyourcreativelife.com She still wears high heels to her day job.
Your skin is an outer reflection of the foods you put in your body. Some of us are prone to dry skin, and seasonal weather changes can make our skin dryer as well. There are a few things you can eat to enrich and hydrate the skin from the inside out.
You can give a great gift for mom and not break the budget. Here are a few gifts that are easy to find and a bit different from the traditional Hallmark card and bouquet of flowers.
Fun Fashion Gifts for Mom
Think: “spot of color.”
This season is full of accessories from shoes to scarves that are bright, colorful and fun.
It might be hard to pick Mom a winning wardrobe piece. But accessories are fun, easy and (usually) affordable. I really like the scarf idea.
1. Fun and Colorful Scarf
Scarves of every shape and color are popping up in stores. You can spend as much or as little as you want. From department stores to Anne Taylor’s Loft, scarves are priced from $12.95 to $39.50.
2. Fun, high end costume jewelry
High end fashion jewelry is a step above Claire’s. It’s quality without the gems (or the cost). Go for something fun and trendy by shopping at Anne Taylor Loft, department stores (the jewelry on the rack, not under the glass) and look for the sales! This is when all the procrastinators can benefit from late shopping.
The pickings may be a bit slim but the sales will be good between now and Mom’s Day.
3. A trip to Paris….or not.
Has mom always wanted to visit (or revisit) the City of Lights? Get her the next best thing- a book that will transport her mind to beautiful Paris!
Check out these books:
“Lessons from Madame Chic: 20 Stylish Secrets I Learned While Living in Paris” is a fun book by Jennifer L. Scott about translating Parisian fashion culture into our American lifestyles. On sale at Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and bookstores in both ebook and print formats.
Another fun read for moms who love Paris and cooking. While “My Life in France” is the story of Julia Child’s early years, it was not published until after her death. The books was co-written by Julia and her grand-nephew. Julia passed away in 2004 and her nephew finished the book (and wrote a very touching introduction). “My Life in France” was published in 2006.
3. Make Mom brunch!
I’m all about families returning to the kitchen and cooking together. As Julia Child was known for saying frequently, “Cooking together is such fun!” Instead of asking mom to cook, make her a cup of coffee and invite her to sit in the kitchen and talk while you cook!
If you have siblings in town, get them involved too. Have someone take pictures. Put on some music.
It’s Mom’s Day! Have fun!
4. For many of us, our moms are not close enough to see or visit. Stick a card in the mail. For extra fun, remember a funny memory or recall something special she did in the past and thank her for it. Include a picture of when you were a kid. Sometimes it’s the little things that touch a mom’s heart the most.
5. Do something with all those photos!
Shutterfly is offering a 40% discount on photo books this week! For less than $15.00 you can give your mom a hardback book full of pictures of you, the grandkids, memories, quotes, letters, etc.
This is a fun gift that will not be forgotten!
These are so much fun to do. (warning: they are also a bit addictive!) Check out http://www.shutterfly.com
O.k. so this won’t get her by this Sunday. But, you can do what I’ve done in the past and make a “It’s Coming!!!!” card with a picture of the gift.
BONUS: When in doubt, Amazon.com is a fabulous source of gift items. Plus, with their expedited shipping items, you can get mom’s gift to her in time. So whether it’s a “I Love Lucy” DVD, the latest James Patterson novel or a fancy cookware gadget, Amazon mostly likely has it and can deliver.
Melissa AuClair blogs at www.launchyourcreativelife.com, a website for location independent women creatives. This week she’s working on recipe development and photo styling Mom’s Day desserts to be featured on her latest endeavor www.bakeperfectcookies.com (with a book soon to follow). You can follow her at Twitter @Melissauclair
Determining your natural eye shape is just as important as finding the most flattering colors for your lids. Knowing how to apply eye shadow and liner will help you better translate trends and techniques to fit your face. We turned to makeup guru Jeffrey Paul (who has worked with Christina Applegate and Zooey Deschanel) to discover tricks for each specific eye shape—so you can make the most of your peepers!
DEEP SET EYES
Deep set eyes are large and set deeper into the skull, creating the illusion of a more prominent brow bone. Jeffrey suggests brightening up the natural shadowing by dusting on a beige or warm metallic hue on the lid (think peach!) and highlighting under your arches with an illuminating crayon. Because the ends of your lashes likely graze your lids, be sure to apply waterproof mascara to prevent smudges.
MONOLID
Monolids are flat on the surface and don’t have much of a crease, if any. “The brow bone is less defined,” explains Jeffrey. Create definition and the illusion of dimension on your flat surface with a gradient of eye shadows, dark to light. “Shade the darkest color closest to the lash line, the soft neutral hue in the middle, and the shiny color at the brow bone,” says Jeffrey. Always curl lashes for a lift.
HOODED EYELIDS
Hooded eyes feature an extra layer of skin that droops over the crease, causing the lid to appear smaller. “To draw the focus upward, diffuse darker shadow over and out past the crease,” says Jeffrey. Tightline the top waterline to intensify and enlarge your eye shape, and thicken the lash base, which also can disappear under the lid fold.
PROTRUDING EYES
Protruding eyes create the appearance of projected lids in the eye socket area. Luckily, the bulge gives you plenty of lid space to play with! “To keep the lid from overpowering your look, blend darker tones all over your eye,” says Jeffrey. “Because dark tones recede space and size, smoky eyes work great with this eye shape!” Apply thick liner along your upper lash line to further diminish some of the space.
UPTURNED EYES
The upturned eye takes the form of a classic almond shape, with a natural lift at the outer corner. “The lower lid has more emphasis and looks longer than the top lid,” explains Jeffrey. To even out the upper and lower proportions, he suggests applying dark shadow or pencil along the outer lower corner to bring down the lifted effect. Whether you’re creating a standard smoky eye or a vibrant masterpiece, always use the mirror effect by swiping the colors along the bottom lash line.
DOWNTURNED EYES
Downturned eyes have a slight dropping on the outer corners. This is the perfect shape for creating a sexy cat’s eye shape. “Apply a liquid liner along the top lid and extend outward and upward at a 45 degree angle,” says Jeffrey. This effect will create symmetry and add va-va-voom!
CLOSE SET EYES
Close set eyes are less than one eyeball width apart. “Creating the illusion of more space is simply a matter of using light eye shadows in the inner corners,” says Jeffrey. Try frosty white or sparkling nude hues. “Dab extra mascara or add individual lashes to the outer corner to pull the focus outward.”
WIDE SET EYES
Wide set eyes are more than one eyeball width apart. To bring your peepers closer together, “Rim your top and bottom lash line with a black liner as close to the inner tear duct as possible,” says Jeffrey. Use a mascara comb to swipe all of your tiny lashes from mid eye to nose.
Spring is coming through to the East Coast and it’s time to get out and enjoy the beautiful (albeit, still a bit chilly) weather.
While you enjoy the weather- jogging, walking, biking, picnicking or chasing your kids and grandkids in the park- don’t forget to protect your skin.
Skin care simply means caring for your skin, our biggest organ, the one that protects us from an onslaught of potential hazards and diseases. Skin care has two goals:
1. Protect
2. Prevent
We can help prevent skin cancer and accelerated aging of our skin by protecting the skin from what is considered by doctors and skin experts as the skin’s number one enemy: the harmful UV rays of the sun.
Not to be contradictory, but a little bit of UV exposure is good. Natural sun light helps our bodies to make vitamin D, a substance necessary for bone strength and to fight certain diseases such as jaundice, rickets and psoriasis. Exposure to early morning light helps wakes us up and may even help ward off depression.
It’s the darn UVA and UVB rays that cause havoc on our skin.
The World Health Organization states, “Prolonged human exposure to UV solar radiation may result in acute and chronic health effects on the skin, eyes, and immune system.” The World Health Organization reports 2.5 million types of skin cancer diagnosed each year. Many are preventable.
Two types of damage harmful UV rays can incur: damage caused by sunburn (the scientific term is erythema) and the damage cause by photoaging. Photoaging is a fancy way of saying early wrinkles and sagging skin due to too much sun.
It’s Easy to Keep Skin Beautiful and Protected
We’ve all heard the statistics. But do you know how easy it is to take avoid preventable skin cancer and early wrinkles and sagging?
It takes about two minutes to protect skin in the morning and at night. You need two minutes twice a day and some very basic skin care products: a cleanser, toner, and moisturizer. There are other helpful products but these three are the essentials. Look for products that are free of alcohol, paraben and added fragrances. These products are more gentle and nourishing.
Protecting the skin- specifically your face and neck where most of the exposure hits- entails is washing the face, using a toner and basic protective moisturizer and an eye cream. Make sure the day cream has a SPF in it (or use a SPF on top of the moisturizer). Day creams act to protect the skin while night creams work to restore the stress of the day and heal the damage of the day.
We have enough on our plate to worry about. Skin cancer and premature aging don’t need to be among our list of concerns.
Beauty = healthy. Healthy is clean and protected. Wash, Tone, Moisturize. Two minutes. Easy and breezy and done.
Melissa AuClair works by day as a skin care and cosmetic consultant and a blogger and writer moving towards a location independent lifestyle by night. You can follow her on Twitter @melissaauclair or on her blog http://www.launchyourcreativelife.com/blog
I have acne-prone skin. I have that terrible hormonal adult acne which means whenever that female monthly time comes around, I have breakouts mostly around my chin.
Well, the past few months have been very stressful which resulted in my skin and body reacting in some very extreme ways. One of the most annoying body reactions was excessive breakouts all over my chin and cheek area which led to dark marks, uneven tone, and dull looking skin.
My skin had started to peel and no amount of added moisture (my favorite oils, vaseline, face lotion, etc) seemed to do anything with my skin to give it the moisture it needed.
And then I had a light-bulb moment and realized I may just needed to do some exfoliating. I don’t know why, but for some reason I oftentimes forget this step in facial skin care. However, now I am a true believer!!!
Since it was late and I was at home, I decided to make my own natural homemade exfoliator.
I simply used salt, Kosher salt, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, and a smidgen of castor oil.
I combined all 4 components into a paste-like texture that looked liked this:
I went into the shower and used my homemade exfoliator by making gentle circles all over my face. I made sure to not scrub hard as the Kosher salt is pretty thick and coarse.
Any leftover exfoliator, I applied to other needed body areas such as my feet and elbows. And since I don’t like the feeling of excess oil being left on my face, I washed away most of the oil using my Tom’s Sensistive Skin facial bar(I’ll have to write a review about this amazing soap later).
After I’m done, my skin is glowing, soft, and moisturized; and as an added bonus, my dark marks seem to have lightened by at least 50%!
I’ve been doing this routine once a week and so far it has helped me get rid of those small red bumps that would appear on my cheeks and chin, significantly lighten my dark spots, smooth out my skin and even the tone, and leave a nice glow to my face.
My face is loving it!!
You can try to make your own scrubs with: salt, Kosher salt, baking soda, sugar, brown sugar, or oatmeal.
And mix it with any of the following: plain water, your favorite oil (olive oil, coconut oil, castor oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, etc), lemon juice, or honey.
Keep in mind that exfoliating, especially over-exfoliation, can lead to dryness and skin damage, which is why I make my scrub with oil so that prevents any drying effects. And be as gentle as possible in order to prevent skin damage.
The best part about making your own exfoliator is that it cost me nothing since I already had what I needed in my pantry cabinets.
Next time, I’m going to try some other combinations like salt with raw honey.
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