How to get sexy legs

How to get sexy legs

Aside from her crazy love life and appearances on  The Simple Life, Paris Hilton is made famous by her long, sexy legs.  What’s the secret to a great pair of legs? Simple: Smooth and even skin-toned.  Hairy or spotted legs is unheard of in the fashion or beauty world.  Here are some tips on how to get sexy legs!

 

How to get sexy legs : Waxing

get sexy legs by waxing legs

 image: removinghair.co.uk

If your leg is a little bumpy or overdue for a shave, opt out from the razor. Using a razor can result in cuts and uneven shaving. Instead, wax your legs. Refer to previous entry for home made wax concoction. Waxing removes hair from the root. As a result, it takes longer (3-8 weeks) for hair to grown in again. Waxing does not cause cuts, pigmentation, or badly smelling skin. It is also thought that the skin that grows after waxing is finer and softer, though I have not found much supporting evidence for this. (Please comment if you know more about this). Of course, avoid direct sunlight and heat(hot bath) before and immediately after waxing. If you are a user of Vitamin A cream or tablets (such as Differin, retin A, or isoretinoin), waxing may not the best alternative for you as these medication may make your skin more prone to tearing when you peel off the wax.

 

 

 

 

 

How to get sexy legs : Exfoliating

The outermost layer of your epidermis consists of 25 to 30 layers of dead cells. These cells can act as a physical support and protective barrier to your body. Though an excessive of dead cell, especially on your face, can be unattractive and aging. The key is to maintain a healthy balance between bodily protection and beautiful skin. This can be achieved by limiting the amount of exfolitation to no more than twice a week. Excessive exfoliation may result in abrassive skin

 

Modern exfoliation cream is revolutionized to include age-defying skin care to provide beautiful, healthy, glowing skin. As in the previous post, I recommend The Revitol Skin exfoliator.  Like many cream in this category, The Revitol cream contains an exfoliator (oatmeal-based) to remove the dead layer of skin on the surface of your skin.  However, what set this cream apart from its competitor is that it contains essential vitamins and anti-oxidants to rejuvenate your skin. In addition, you will also benefit from photoaging, irregular pigmentation, and cleansing skin. Refer to their website(click here) for additional information.

 

Revitol Exfoliator

 

Get glowing legs using Revitol's Exfoliator cream

 

Ingredients:
Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Carbomer, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Tricaprilyn, Hyaluronic Acid, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Meal, Squalene, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Prounus Armeniaca (Apricot) Seed Powder, Aminomethyl Propanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Fragrance.

 

How to get sexy legs : Moisturizing

 

Dried skin can result in flaky skin and are more prone to damage. It is recommended that you apply an all day moisture after showering. Try a body butter. Body butters provide thicker and longer lasting cover. You can find body butter at a local Body Workshop, Bathand Body or Walmart (for cheaper and works just as well).

 

How to get sexy legs: Shimmering legs

 

 

get sexy legs by applying shimmering lotion

 

 

 

 

 

 

Homemade Leg Wax Recipe

As a rule of thumb, it’s generally a good idea to have fewer leg hairs than the guy you’re dating. In today’s world, salon waxing is not only time consuming, but it is also expensive and painful. So today, I’ll be teaching you how to make your own homemade leg wax for the days that you’re too lazy to leave the house. Not only is it cheap, easy, and less painful, but you’ll be able to do so while in the comfort of your own home.

Homemade Leg Wax

Homemade Leg Wax Recipe:

-1/4 cup lemon juice

-1/4 cup water

-2 Cups white sugar

-Cooking Thermometer

-Wide-mouthed jar to store wax

Start by measuring all ingredients into a saucepan. Stirring constantly, heat the mixture on high until it reaches about 240 °F. Do not allow the mixture to exceed the caramelization point of sugar (248 °F) otherwise it will begin to thicken and darken, making it harder to spread during the waxing stage. Remove the leg wax from the heat source at around 240 °F, at this point the mixture should turn into an amber color. The lemon juice will act as an inverter, breaking down the sucrose in the sugar, reducing the size of the sugar crystals. It basically creates a smoother leg wax which is easier to spread.

Pour the homemade leg wax into a jar, At this point, you can also mix in about 1 tbs of Glycerin, Glycerin is commonly used as a food preserver in pharmaceutical formulations. This will allow you to keep the wax up to about 9 weeks. If you don’t have any Glycerin, you can store the wax in the refrigerator, warming it up when needed.

Note:

With any type of hair waxing, you may experience ingrown hairs, red bumps, or minor bleeding. This is more likely to occur if you’re waxing an area with thick hair. This is also likely to happen the first few times you wax when hair follicles are strongest. For those with thicker hair, it may be recommended to use a wax free method of hair removal, you can try Revitol’s Hair Removal Cream or any other waxless removal system.

Also, to avoid irritating the skin, applying baby oil after waxing will reduce the ill-effects of waxing. Also regular exfoliation will help reduce the effect of waxing over time. Consider using a skin exfoliator to remove dead skins. Try Revitol’s Skin exfoliator Cream.

short break from blogging

Final exam week in grad. school. Will be back immediately after!

Home Hair Care recipes

Shine and Volume Boosting Hair Rinse:

To add some volume to your hair with this recipe. In a bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and 2 cups of warm water. Pour this mixture on freshly shampooed hair. Try to catch the runoff in another bowl and rinse your hair again. Repeat three to four times. This will retore the natural balance of your hair and add shine and softness.

Hot-Oil Treatment:
To make a hot-oil treatment for dry hair, place 1/4 cup of canola or soybean oil in a glass measuring cup. Place the cup in a bowl of hot water, and allow the oil to warm. Any vegetable oil will work, but canola oil is a good choice because it contains no added ingredients. Use hands to spread the warn oil through wet hair, leave it in for two minutes tops. Wash hair thoroughly with shampoo. You’ll have softer, shinier hair!

Frizz Taming Conditioner:

In a bowl, mix together 4 tablespoons of plain yogurt (not low-fat) and one egg. After shampooing, pour the yogurt-egg mix onto your head and thoroughly massage it into your hair, working from roots to tips to make sure all your hair gets coated. Leave this on for 5-10 minutes. Rinse out well with lots of cool water. This is especially good for softening up dry hair and preventing fly-aways and frizzies.

Home Recipe for Teeth Whitening

Never underestimate the value of a smile. It can communicate happiness and health, and a smile can be a beauty-focal point of your face. Haven’t you noticed perfect smiles on the red carpet? It’s those straight, white teeth, and red lipsticks that are begging paparazzi to keep coming back for more Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears. (Or perhaps it’s more than just their smiles =) ). 

The craze for that perfect smile has flooded Hollywood and has leaked into our everyday life. We are bombarded with television infomercials promising white-out shade teeth in “just 30 minutes a day.” Even your local drug store is lined with teeth whitening kits promising “10 shades lighter in just five minutes a day.” However, little is shade about the pricing of these services: a bleaching session with a dentist can cost upwards of $400, while strips and trays are priced at ~$40 and requires continual usage. Is there a home recipe for teeth whitening that can accomplish the same task for cheaper?

Quick research on the web will suggest that hydrogen peroxide is a good agent for teeth whitening. However, dentists have reported that the over-the-counter peroxide is not the same ingredient as ones found in bleaching gel. Bleaching gel contains carbamide peroxide as well as some concentrated hydrogen peroxide. If you want to whiten your teeth but would rather not pay for the strips or professional service, try the home recipe for teeth whitening : Take one teaspoon of baking soda and some drops of hydrogen peroxide (no more than 3%). Mix these ingredients and form a paste. Brush your teeth with this paste. To prevent decay, you must brush your teeth again with a fluoride toothpaste . Repeat once a week or two. You’ll love the result!

 

If the recipe works so well, why use it only once a week? Baking soda is abrasive and can damage your gum and can permanently damage the enamel of your teeth. Baking soda can dissolve orthodontic glue. Do not use this method if you have braces or a permanent retainer. Please do not go out and buy concentrated hydrogen peroxide in attempt to whiten your teeth. Hydrogen peroxide is a strong oxidizer and can cause damage at a concentration higher than recommended (3%). Beware, using strong hydrogen peroxide for rinsing may result in abnormal hair growth, so keep an eye out for a hairy tongue. In addition to the hairy tongue, you may even subject yourself to hydrogen peroxide burns. (Just stick with the 3% hydrogen peroxide).

(photo from Americanrocketman.com)I’m sure you’ve heard about using lemon juice to whiten teeth. My advice is to not do it. Lemon juice is an acid and with the nature of all acid, it can be damaging, especially to tooth enamel. Initially, you will notice “whiter” teeth; this is because the lemon juice causes the teeth to lose calcium (has an off-white color). Once the calcium is gone, your teeth are more susceptible to decay.

If the self assembly, home kit is too much of a hassle, try professional bleaching products. These products often contain low sensitivity formulas and a higher percentage(~20%) of carbamide peroxide, the form of peroxide that dentist use. Check out products by the SmileSalon at this link: The smile salon. The results can be drastic (several shades) in one sitting. However, if you have a few weeks  to spare, the above home recipe for teeth whitening should work.

Happy brushing!

 

1. Teeth Whitening Blog- What is the Best Way?

2. Answers to Your Dental Questions

How to Remove Waterproof Mascara

Water mascara is probably one of the best inventions when it comes to cosmetics enhancement for the eyes. Mascara will lengthen and add volume to your lashes. Imagine, what is more flirtatious than fluttering your long lashes? Why stop your lash-action at the bar when you can take them running, dancing, or even swimming. Now imagine doing all this without the raccoon eye effect and not having to reapply! That, Ladies, is the magic of waterproof mascara. With every amazing product, there is usually a drawback. And with waterproof mascara is removing them at the end of the day. Here is how to remove waterproof mascara:

Contrary to popular belief, waterproof mascara is not bad for your eyes. Actually, you can get waterproof mascara with SPF effects. The old fashion method of removing waterproof mascara is using baby oil and a cotton ball. However, this method may cause eye damage. The petroleum in the baby oil is damaging to the eyes. Instead, use olive oil. Dab some oil on clean cotton ball and place it over your lashes (eyes closed). Hold it for about 30 seconds to allow the oil to break up the makeup. The lipids in the oil will act as a detergent and dissolve/break up the pigment. Gently wipe your lashes clean. Reclean the area with your daily cleanser. If this is too much work for removing your waterproof mascara, try using a makeup remover cleanser from your local drugstore. These products may have beneficial ingredients such as green tea extract and vitamins. 

Whichever of the above method you’ve decided to use, it is important that you do not rub the lashes. Doing so may cause them to fall out. Also, I would not suggest wearing waterproof mascara on a daily basis. It is more difficult to clean and the process may cause you to lose lashes.  And this is not a good thing if it happens too often. Save waterproof mascara for the weekends.Other tips for how to remove waterproof mascara, but have yet to try. If anyone has tried any of the following, please comment.

1. Ponds cold cream
2. Hypoallergenic baby wipes
3. Baby shampoo – recommended by a health specialist.

  Hope the above tips on how to remove waterproof mascara helps!

Related articles:

1. How to Get Flirty Eyes- From False Lashes to Tinted Lashes

2. What is the Shelf Life of Makeup

Does Equate Night Time Firming Cream Work?

The search for a more youthful appearance is at large. How much do you spend on skincare? Personally, I’ve donated a large sum of my paychecks to the latest miracle in a jar that promises to slow down Nature’s effect on my skin. Though, I’ve recently encountered generic versions that can perform against name branded products. I am sure many of you have come across the Walmart brand, Equate, during a browse of the beauty product aisle. Does Equate Night Time Firming Cream Work?Better yet, is Olay’s Night of Olay any more effective to merit an increase (about double ) in price when compared to the generic version?

Equate Night Time Firming Cream is the generic version of  Olay Night of Firming Cream.  (It comes in a pink jar). But do they product similar results/feel? At a glance, both products contain similar, if not almost exactly the same ingredients: 

Equate: Water, glycerin, Cetyl Palmitate, Cetyl Alcohol, Cyclomethicone, Stearyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, Carbomer, PEG-100 Stearate, Stearic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Dimethicone Copolyol, DMDM Hydantoin, Iodopropynyl, Butylcarbamate, EDTA, Fragrance, Titanium Dioxide, FD&C Red No. 4.  (I cannot find a photo online. If anyone has access to one, please include link in your comment).

Night of Olay Firming Cream : Water, Glycerin, cetyl alcohol, cetyl palmitate, cyclomethicone, stearyl alcohol, isopropyl palmitate, Dimethicone, carbomer, PEG-100 stearate, stearic acid, sodium hydroxide, Dimethicone copolyol, DMDM hydantoin, idopropynyl butylcarbamate, EDTA, fragrance, FD&C red no 4, Titanium Dioxide.

The above may be foreign to many readers, so here’s a quick dictionary:

Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide : used for SPF effects by reflecting harmful UV rays.

Glycerin:  This by-product of soap is a humidifying agent and skin moisturizer that absorbs moisture from the air. It also improves the spreadability of products.Dimethicone:Type of silicone that feels like silk on the skin, even when skin is wet. It is also used for improving the appearance of scars.cetyl palmitate:  is used in the cosmetic industry as a surfactant in shampoos, or as an emollient, emulsifier or thickening agent in the manufacture of skin creams and lotions. It is also employed as a lubricant for nuts and bolts. 

Cyclomethicone: is used as a base solvent to blend with fragrance oils and perfume oils. Cyclomethicone is a clear, odorless silicone. It leaves a silky-smooth feel when sprayed on the skin. Ideal for body sprays, lotions creams, bath salts, hair care, linen sprays etc.

Most of the remaining ingredients are used for packaging purposes.  Does Equate Night Time Firming Cream Work? Yes, but so does Olay’s Night Firming Cream. Both Equate and Olay’s products are effective and product similar results. Economically and effectively speaking, it is recommended that users purchase the generic version. It delivers the roughly the same amount of effective agent but is half the cost (price varies with market).
 

Personal experience: I’ve recently switched from the Night of Olay Firming Cream to Equate’s Night Firming Cream when the later was available a local retailer (Walmart). I’ve noticed similar results when comparing the generic version to Olay’s. I, especially, love the immediate glow upon application that both product gives. After eight hours of sleep, my face still feels moisturized as when I first applied the Equate cram. I even switched to Equate’s daily moisturizer. So Does Equate Night Time Firming Cream Work? I think so.

What do you think?

Relating articles:

Does Olay Regenerist Amino Peptide Really Complex Work?
A Comparison of Anti-wrinke Products
Skin Care Secrets-Fact or Fiction

Fuller Lips Without the Injection

Celebrities such as Angelina Jolie and Tyra Banks have showed off their pouty smile on the red carpets. Full lips can complete any look, whether it is dramatic, sexy, or just flirtatiously cute. Thus the cosmetic industry has spent countless dollars on perfecting the perfect pout. Most popular cosmetic enhancement relies on injections; however, these “fixes” are short lived and costly. Before you spend subject yourself to the knife or needle, consider the following tips to get Fuller Lips without the Injections:

What’s the deal with lip plumper ? Do they work? The answer is yes. But they will not transform Courteney Cox’s lips to those of Angelina Jolie’s. Most lip plumper contains a mild irritant that will stimulate the lips and causes them to swell (plump). This is why you may experience a tingling sensation upon application. A lip plumper is not necessary to generate this swelling effect. Below are three basic, inexpensive steps to get fuller lips without the injection.

The basics steps to getting fuller lips without the injections:

1)      Brush- Yes, brush your teeth, but while you are at it, brush your lips too. This will stimulate (and slightly irritate)  them and plump them naturally. Gently massage your lips using a soft bristle, this will exfoliate the lips and remove the dead layer of skin on top. Dry your lips and add some lip balm to keep them moist. The last step is important to prevent cracking (very unattractive).
2)      Concentrated oil of Cinnamon Leaf: This will increase the blood flow to the lips, making them fuller and giving them a healthy glow. This is serious stuff, so please use only a tiny tiny amount. This should give a tiny sensation, but no pain.  Remember, more is not better. Allow time for the lip balm to absorb (about an hour). Where can you find this stuff? Try a local natural food store.  They come in small bottle for about five dollars.
3)      Vitamins: Niacin to be specific. This is a form of Vitamin B3 and is great as a plumping agent. It acts on the capillaries within your lips and causes a swelling effect to produce fuller and more red appearance.  All good things come with drawbacks, right? Same goes with Niacin.  First of all, it is more expensive to get a liquid form of niacin than cinnamon leaf. It is recommended that you don’t apply the niacin solution directly to the lips, this may cause irritation. Instead, mix it with a little lip balm then apply to lips.  Remember, a little goes a long way. The above techniques work to add fullness to your lips, but require some work of your own. If you would prefer to just a lip plumper and bypass the chemistry work of your own, consider the following article : How to Get Angelina Jolie’s Full Lips. 

Hello World and My Nashville Tornado 2008 Experience

Dear Readers,

     Thank you for visiting. I would like to start this blog off this blog by introducing myself.  I am currently a graduate student in Nashville, pursuing a Ph.D in chemistry. My academic career consists of work on the lab bench top, but my passion is in cosmetic. I love lipsticks, eye shadows, blush, and everything that can be sold at the cosmetic counter. I like to use my science knowledge to explore new ways to keep my skin in its top condition and to add glamour to my everyday life. Here, I would like to share my experiences, both good and not so good ones. Please share your opinion.

On a more personal note:

Yesterday’s Nashville was highlighted with lighting and thundering of excitements. My co-workers and I decided to spend our evenings cheering on the Nashville Predator’s in their game against the Carolina Hurricane. The game was nearly ending and the score board was still 0-0. We needed a little excitement to wake up from the mundane activity on the ice. And sure enough, a tornado skated over the Sommet Center!  The thunder rumbled, but the audience was getting louder (The Preds. finally scored!). After the game, they herded us onto the first floor lobby of the center. Outside, the dark clouds hovered above. 

In the lobby, series of tv was tuned to a local news station. The reporter stood before a radar backdrop with red coloring looming over downtown Nashville. The camera man zoomed in on a hail stone the size of a quarter. Yikes! My car! Another screenshot focused on a tree, uprooted by the storm.  The 14,000 hockey fan continued to monitor the tv screen, waiting for the signal to go home.

 

Tornado aftermath: campus dormitories at Union University in Jackson, Tenn.

Thank goodness we all make it home safety. At least I hope everyone did. Today, I turned on the morning news to learn that the storm claimed 31 lives and injured 90 something people. Please support the Nashville Tornado Relief!

Until next post, take care.