Monday, December 8, 2008

Slim Form Patch Touts Topical Approach As Superior

Review Summary

You may come to a point in your weight loss journey where you feel like you would try anything to mark some progress after a long period of stagnation. These moments can be dangerous if you end up with the wrong product though, as products like the Slim Form Patch may not offer anything innovative or new. Weight loss patches have been around for a while, but, naturally, the company says this version has an edge.

Ingredients at a Glance

Marine Algae, Mannitol, Chlorides and Potassium are some of the ingredients that are presumably included in this product. According to the company, the patch may also contain such nutrients as Sodium, Magnesium, Amino Acids, Calcium, Glucose, Iodine and Phosphates. Some dieters may find the inclusion of so many different nutrients appealing, though these may not be weight loss specific by any means.

Ingredients in Focus

Purported to stimulate the thyroid gland, the Slim Form Patch, according to advertisements, may affect the body’s metabolic rate. The company says that Marine Algae, also known as Bladder Wrack Extract, is the primary agent for this effect. Though Algae has long been linked to various health-promoting benefits due to the fact that it is rich in the nutrient Iodine, it may not pack the lasting punch most dieters are looking for in their dietary supplement.

Positives

· You can apply the patch and forget about it during the day

· The patch contains such nutrients as Potassium and Magnesium

Negatives

· Topical approach has not been proven to be superior to oral supplementation

· The patch is not advertised as capable of suppressing the appetite at all

· The product may be expensive, especially compared to supplements

· A free sample offer is not extended to consumers at this time

· Results, if any, may not be long lasting

Final Thoughts

Perhaps using a topical product like the Slim Form Patch may be acceptable, if you were to take an oral supplement that has been proven to come through. But why juggle multiple products when you can stick to one? Using a patch to meet our weight loss goals may interest some dieters because it seems to be a novel idea, but novel ideas do not always come through with expected results. Nonetheless, we have provided additional resources at the links below for dieters who wish to learn more about the pros and cons of this weight loss patch, as well as some of the more reputable alternatives.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Six Tips For Long Lasting Summer Nail Polish

Six Tips For Long Lasting Summer OPI Nail Polish

Warm weather is here, and that means most of us will be wearing nail polish more often to show off our hands and feet. The barer summer clothes and sandals mean your feet and hands will be center stage, so putting a few extra minutes into proper nail care is must for the prettiest looks. Whether you are applying nail polish to your hands or toes, the basic principles to make your manicure or pedicure last are the same.

1. Prepare your nails properly before polishing. Nail polish won’t adhere well to nails that are dirty or oily. Wash your hands thoroughly to remove any lotions, dirt or oils, and then brush each nail with a bit of nail polish remover. This will remove all oils from the nail itself and prepare it for accepting polish.

2. Lightly buff your nails and file off any rough edges. Polish will be more prone to peeling and flaking if the nails are rough around the edges or have ridges in them. Filing and buffing gives a smoother surface so that polish won’t flake.

3. Choose the right polish. Did you know that nail polish expires? Most brands will only last about a year before they become thicker and start to clump. Polish that’s too thick will go on thicker and won’t dry well, leading to more chance of smearing or smudging. Most nail polish formulas are similar and will last almost a week, but fast drying formulas are an exception. The extra ingredients that allow fast drying polishes to set so quickly also makes them peel more quickly, so try to avoid fast-dry formulas unless you absolutely have to use them. The extra few minutes spent drying a standard nail polish will be well worth it if your manicure lasts days longer.

4. Care for your polish properly. Summer weather is especially tough on nail polish – the high temperatures can cause polish to separate and the color to change. To keep your nail polish in top condition, refrigerate it in the summer. You should also clean the polish bottle carefully after each use by wiping the outside edge of the bottle with a cotton ball soaked in nail polish remover to keep the bottle from sticking shut. Finally, be sure that you gently blend the nail polish before applying by rolling the bottle between your hands. Shaking a bottle of polish will create air bubbles in the polish that can cause bumps and clumps when you apply it – guaranteed to shorten the life span of your manicure or pedicure.

5. Use a base coat and top coat. It takes a bit more time to do a complete manicure rather than just throwing on some polish, but its well worth the effort. After your nails are clean, be sure to apply a base coat; this product prepares the nail for polish and gives nail polish something to cling to so that it lasts longer. Follow this with two thin coats of polish in the desired color, and then finish off with a quality top coat. When you apply the top coat, be sure to run the brush horizontally across the tip of the nail with a bit of it going under the edge of the nail. This will help prevent peeling and seals the manicure properly.

6. Don’t rush things. Be sure to let your nails dry five to ten minutes between each coat. If the coat below isn’t completely dry before you add the next one, your nails won’t dry properly for quite a while, leading to chips and smudges. If you are in a rush or simply impatient, plunge your nails into ice water for a few seconds between coats – this will quickly dry and seal the polish.

Enjoy your beautifully painted, long lasting nails! Remember not to open soda cans or pick at envelopes with your freshly painted nails. Using your nails as tools won’t help you keep your nail polish fresh at all!

Shop for OPI Nail Polish at www.enailsupply.com

Six Tips For Long Lasting Summer Nail Polish

Six Tips For Long Lasting Summer OPI Nail Polish

Warm weather is here, and that means most of us will be wearing nail polish more often to show off our hands and feet. The barer summer clothes and sandals mean your feet and hands will be center stage, so putting a few extra minutes into proper nail care is must for the prettiest looks. Whether you are applying nail polish to your hands or toes, the basic principles to make your manicure or pedicure last are the same.

1. Prepare your nails properly before polishing. Nail polish won’t adhere well to nails that are dirty or oily. Wash your hands thoroughly to remove any lotions, dirt or oils, and then brush each nail with a bit of nail polish remover. This will remove all oils from the nail itself and prepare it for accepting polish.

2. Lightly buff your nails and file off any rough edges. Polish will be more prone to peeling and flaking if the nails are rough around the edges or have ridges in them. Filing and buffing gives a smoother surface so that polish won’t flake.

3. Choose the right polish. Did you know that nail polish expires? Most brands will only last about a year before they become thicker and start to clump. Polish that’s too thick will go on thicker and won’t dry well, leading to more chance of smearing or smudging. Most nail polish formulas are similar and will last almost a week, but fast drying formulas are an exception. The extra ingredients that allow fast drying polishes to set so quickly also makes them peel more quickly, so try to avoid fast-dry formulas unless you absolutely have to use them. The extra few minutes spent drying a standard nail polish will be well worth it if your manicure lasts days longer.

4. Care for your polish properly. Summer weather is especially tough on nail polish – the high temperatures can cause polish to separate and the color to change. To keep your nail polish in top condition, refrigerate it in the summer. You should also clean the polish bottle carefully after each use by wiping the outside edge of the bottle with a cotton ball soaked in nail polish remover to keep the bottle from sticking shut. Finally, be sure that you gently blend the nail polish before applying by rolling the bottle between your hands. Shaking a bottle of polish will create air bubbles in the polish that can cause bumps and clumps when you apply it – guaranteed to shorten the life span of your manicure or pedicure.

5. Use a base coat and top coat. It takes a bit more time to do a complete manicure rather than just throwing on some polish, but its well worth the effort. After your nails are clean, be sure to apply a base coat; this product prepares the nail for polish and gives nail polish something to cling to so that it lasts longer. Follow this with two thin coats of polish in the desired color, and then finish off with a quality top coat. When you apply the top coat, be sure to run the brush horizontally across the tip of the nail with a bit of it going under the edge of the nail. This will help prevent peeling and seals the manicure properly.

6. Don’t rush things. Be sure to let your nails dry five to ten minutes between each coat. If the coat below isn’t completely dry before you add the next one, your nails won’t dry properly for quite a while, leading to chips and smudges. If you are in a rush or simply impatient, plunge your nails into ice water for a few seconds between coats – this will quickly dry and seal the polish.

Enjoy your beautifully painted, long lasting nails! Remember not to open soda cans or pick at envelopes with your freshly painted nails. Using your nails as tools won’t help you keep your nail polish fresh at all!

Shop for OPI Nail Polish at www.enailsupply.com

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Hairdressing Tips Only Your Stylist Knows

Getting your hair color right isn't a science. It's really quite simple: Stick to colors that complement your skin tone, figure out if you're best off with all-over color or highlights and then decide if you're going to pay someone else to do it or do it yourself.
Here are 11 tips and tricks your hairdresser knows, from how to avoid the wrong color to exactly how to do it yourself.

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1. Pick the right shade of blonde Some women look good in any color (remember Linda Evangelista?), but most women don't. Some rules of thumb for going blonde, according to Allure's Confessions of a Beauty Editor, which is my favorite beauty book of the moment: Sallow skin with yellow undertones? Deep golds aren't for you. Pink skin? Avoid strawberry shades. Doing it yourself? It's best to go no more than a couple shades lighter than your current shade.
2. The right way to go (or stay) brown
Here are more Allure tips for going dark: If you're pale, careful with the super dark tones, you might look ghostly and older. (Eeek). Just as with blonde, it's best to start out just a couple shades from your natural color. In this case, avoid going more than a couple shades darker initially.
3. To color or to highlight, that's the question. We find women with short hair look better with full color rather than highlights. If you have medium-length to long hair, highlights -- especially around the face -- can be very flattering. For the most natural-looking highlights, you can ask your stylist for up to five different shades of color, according to 'Confessions.'
Keep in mind that due to root growth, all-over coloring will need to be touched up every four to eight weeks, while highlights can last up to two or three months.
4. Different types of highlights. There are basically four types of highlights: basic foil highlights, baliage or 'hair painting', chunking or 'piecing' and lowlighting.
5. Doing it yourself? Home-color kits have come a long way in the past few years and are perfect for busy people and those who want cut the cost of professional colorings. (We know of a couple top fashion editors who color their hair themselves!). Some great hair coloring kits include: L'Oreal Natural Match Hair Color Compare Prices Clairol Nice and Easy Compare Prices 6. Coloring newbie? Start with a semipermanent color. Semipermanent colors wash out after a few washes, whereas permanent colors have to grow out. If you are new to coloring your hair, you might start with a semipermanent hue UNLESS you want to cover gray hair or go two or more shades lighter or darker. For more information on semipermanent vs. permanent colors see this article.
7. How to tell if you'd make a great blonde A basic rule of thumb: People who had blonde hair as children have the right skin tone to be blonde adults.
Some home hair coloring tips: rub Vaseline around your hairline as a protective measure before applying color. To remove after coloring, rub a small amount of cream cleanser and wipe off with cotton balls. Always wear gloves and wrap an old dark-colored towel around your shoulders. Rinse your eyes with water if you get color in your eyes. If you forgot the Vaseline and stained your skin, rub the area with a cotton ball soaked in alcohol-based toner.
8. How to hide that gray Gray hair can be resilient to hair dye because of its coarse texture. If your hair is less than 15 percent gray, opt for a semi-permanent color that's a shade lighter than your natural color (or matches your color). The gray will blend right in. If your hair is more gray, colorist Rita Hazan in the November 2004 issue of InStyle magazine, suggests a permanent 'ashy' color, which will help your gray hair appear blonde. Permanent colors are really the only way to completely cover gray hair, according to InStyle's Getting Gorgeous.
9. Don't like the color? Don't be afraid to go back to the salon and talk to your stylist. There are all sorts of ways to fix color that's just not right. If you did it yourself with a semi-permanent color, look for a shampoo with 'ammonium laurel sulfate' to wash away the color faster, according to Getting Gorgeous.
10. After care. Once you invest money in a hair color, you should protect your investment with the proper after-color care. Refresh your color by using a color-enhancing shampoo and conditioner once a week. These products deposit miniscule amounts of color into hair. Check out this list of the 8 best hair products for color-treated hair.
11. Root rescue. You can expect your color to last about 6 to eight weeks before your roots show. If your hair is colored, you'll want to get your roots touched up or do them yourself with a kit you can buy at the store like Clairol Nice and Easy Root Touch Ups. Be sure and test the color first before applying. If you have highlights or lowlights, you can avoid having your whole head colored by asking your stylist to do your hairline, crown and part. A word of warning: Foil highlights require precise application and fixing dark roots is nearly impossible. Ask about easier to maintain highlighting techniques.
Information: Marie Claire 'Hair & Makeup', 'Total Beauty' by Sarah Stacey & Josephine Fairley, Allure's 'Confessions of a Beauty Editor.'