Everyone needs a change sometimes. Whether you’re just tired of your normal look or you’re feeling like you need to freshen up your life, makeovers are a great way to change how you feel about yourself and your appearance. And you don’t need to head to a makeup counter or department store to do it either. You’ve probably even got the tools in your home right now.

Changing the way you look at makeup

In some cases, makeovers aren’t even necessary – but makeunders are. Instead of adding to your current makeup style, you can try subtracting from it to see what kinds of results you get. Here are some ideas:

By removing some of the harsher and heavier styles of makeup you use, you can soften your overall appearance – and start having more time in the morning.

Great ideas for anyone that wants a change

There are several new looks that are around the fashion magazines that you might want to try on yourself.

The natural look – Try using browns and peaches to highlight your face and eyes. These look great on everyone. Try shading your eyes at the crease with a darker shadow and then highlight the brow bone with a lighter tone – this makes your eyes pop out. Use neutral colored mascara and some shimmering facial lotion; add a clear or neutral lip gloss and you’ll look polished without looking over done.

The glamour look – If you’re the kind of person who already prescribes to the natural look and you want to do something wild; try going glam for a night. Start by lining your eyes with a dark liner. Try the top lid first and then half of the bottom lid. Smudge the lines slightly and then add a steel gray or silver eye shadow to your lid. Add a lighter toned shadow to the brow bone as an accent. Apply two to three layers of black mascara. For your lips, try a deep raisin color, nothing too exciting because of your dramatic eyes. If you feel you need blush, add just a little to the apples of your cheeks.

The keys to making over your look

Remember that as the seasons change, your makeup and style should change too. Warmer months call for lighter makeup and clothes while the cooler months call for heavier clothes and deeper makeup colors. Each season, you may want to try one new trend to see if it works for you. But if it doesn’t, sticking with neutrals is always trendy – just add a bright lip color to stand out.

Beautypopular.com – Beauty Directory and information on the web.

Phoenix Cosmetic Dentist – Dr. Arthur Chal practices cosmetic and implant dentistry in the Camelback corridor between Phoenix and Scottsdale.

Sometimes it seems as if you went from young smooth skin to skin that sags and droops. Just where did all that extra skin come from? A high-energy person who takes care of herself, your face no longer matches your persona. Finding that to be completely unacceptable, you decide it’s time to rid yourself of the sagging.

Does this scenario sound familiar? If it does, there are many options available today to address sagging skin needing lifting. Aging gracefully is a goal anyone can achieve.

Don’t Be Inhibited

Wrinkles and skin sagging are normal by-products of aging. Gravity, pollution, cell aging, stress and lifestyle determine the speed of skin aging. Collagen, elastin fibers and facial muscles contribute to the shape of our face and the strength of our skin. As muscles and elastin fibers weaken and collagen becomes less plump, the result is a face and neck in need of a lift. The alternatives for addressing the problem range from simple night creams to surgery.

Don’t be inhibited from action by the wide range of options. Your age and the extent of the sagging should be your determining factors for choosing a face-lifting program. But if you still don’t know which is best for you, seek professional advice from an online skin consultant, a dermatologist or a surgeon.

To Peel or Not to Peel, That Is The Question…

Botox and collagen injections are very popular procedures today. But not everyone is comfortable with the idea of injecting botulism toxins into their body for whatever reason. The next best alternative is skin resurfacing. Resurfacing removes excess surface skin and allows new skin to grow. It also stimulates collagen and elastin growth. New skin will always be moister and more flexible, thus lifting occurs. There are several kinds of skin resurfacing plans.

There are chemical peels that can be done at home, but the more dramatic effects can be achieved with a chemical peel performed by a dermatologist.

If you want to go all the way and choose the most radical alternative, then face-lifting surgery by a surgeon specializing in cosmetic surgery is the best choice. Surgery is the most invasive form of lifting. The skin around the face and neck is cut, pulled tighter and excess skin is removed. This is the most expensive alternative and the most radical.

Completely Comfortable

There are a myriad of ways to approach face and neck lifting. The important point is to do what is comfortable for you. Some people get surgical face-lifts and regret the decision. Others are trying to do lifting at home and are not happy with the results and should seek professional alternatives. Finally, understand the potential side effects of each alternative before you choose your option.

Thermolift in the Wink of an Eye

Many people live by the philosophy that surgery should be avoided whenever possible. But just because they choose to forgo cosmetic surgery doesn’t mean they don’t want to look as good all the time. To some, surgery is just too invasive and too much of a risk for even beauty reasons. It is for people who believe this way that the non-surgical procedures were created. Thermolift is one of the newest procedures developed. It is used for eye lifting and is growing rapidly in popularity.

So Uplifting

As people age, wrinkles begin to make an appearance. The eye area is no exception. In fact, the eyelids and the area around the eyes are the first to show age lines, often called crow’s feet. There are reasons for this.

• The skin under the eye is some of the thinnest skin on your body. It is primarily epidermis and does not have the cushioning the rest of your skin enjoys.
• There are fewer oil glands in the eye area, so the skin is dryer and more prone to wrinkling.
• There is only a small amount of elastin in the eye area so the skin is more prone to sagging.

Eye aging involves several processes all happening at once and for an extended time. Gravity causes eyelid sagging. The muscles around the eye weaken. Muscles weakening are a major cause of deep wrinkles anywhere on our body. So in the eye area, where there is little skin to hide sagging muscles, aging will appear to happen more rapidly. In addition, puffy bags can appear around the eye area due to fat accumulations. Thermolift is a nonsurgical eye lifting procedure for use before wrinkles get too deep or sagging too far advanced.

Uplifting – A Hot Topic

Thermolift uses radio frequency waves to tighten and lift skin around the eyes. As the skin becomes tighter, it naturally lifts. The waves heat the surface of the skin and that causes the tightening. It sounds so simple! That’s because it is! Thermolift has many advantages over surgery.

• Since it is noninvasive, it is safe
• There is no surgery
• It only requires a topical anesthesia
• The procedure only takes approximately an hour and you can resume your life immediately

The key to thermolift success is having the procedure completed before you are dealing with deeply wrinkled eyelids. Advanced wrinkling or sagging will probably require surgery. Thermolift is not intended to replace surgery on the eyelids. Sometimes genetics causes severe eyelid sagging and only cutting away the excess skin and restitching the lid will solve the problem.

Thermolift is the perfect procedure for busy people. Men or women can use it. Of course, you should always use protective eye creams on the sensitive skin around your eyes on a daily basis. The sun is a major cause of eye area damage. Ultra violet rays are particularly damaging to the eye area because of the thin skin. So don’t fret anymore over whether you should have eyelift surgery. First check out the newest procedure called thermolift!

Heard about waxing?

Waxing is a great alternative to lotions, creams, shaving and tweezers. The results are temporary but in general last anywhere from three to eight weeks as of the time you remove the hair. When the hair does grow back it tends to be finer and less noticeable because the entire hair root is removed unlike lotions and creams, which only remove the hair above the skin. Creams and lotions only last for a few days to a week and the hair tends to grow back coarse, much like shaving. Eventually, some areas of repeated waxing like the eyebrows and legs might stop growing back all together.

Waxing is offered at a variety of places from your cosmetologist to your local day spa. In general prices can range from as little as $5.00 to upwards of $100 depending on where you go and what you are having waxed. Just about anywhere on your body can be waxed, the only areas of exception are your eyelashes and inside the ears and nose which should never be waxed. Some of the most popular places to wax are eyebrows, upper lip, chin, under the arms, bikini area and legs but you can also wax your arms, fingers, toes, back, shoulders, chest, stomach and lastly, the male and female genitalia (referred to as a Brazilian).

By now you might be wondering how waxing is done. Wax is applied to the area where the hair is to be removed, once the wax is on the esthetician or cosmetologist will apply a strip of cloth to the wax and then quickly remove the strip and wax by pulling in the opposite direction of the hair growth to effectively remove the entire root. As an added bonus it removes dead skin cells in the area too. Can it be painful? Yes! However, depending on the area you are having waxed the esthetician or cosmetologist will sometimes apply a pain reliever to the area prior to and after waxing. It might also be helpful to take something like ibuprofen about an hour prior to having a sensitive region waxed.

Just like lotions, creams, shaving and tweezing, waxing can be done in the comfort of your own home with a little practice. Wax for hair removal can be found in many drug and beauty supply stores as well as online retailers. Prices vary depending on which type of at home waxing method you decide to try. Keep in mind that you should never attempt to wax male or female genitalia including nipples at home!

There are certain drawbacks to waxing. For starters, it can be anywhere from minimal discomfort to a very painful experience; depending on the area you are having hair removed from. It is not a permanent solution to hair growth because the hair removed will grow back in about three to eight weeks and it is more costly than the other forms of temporary hair removal. Waxing is not suitable for everyone, including people who suffer from diabetes or have varicose veins because they are more susceptible to infection and those who are taking certain types of medications for acne. If you are unsure about whether you fit into one of these categories, please consult your physician before having waxing done.

If you’re looking for a way to freshen up your face without a major cosmetic procedure, microdermabrasion might be the answer you’re looking for. By gently refining the skin and creating a more even tone, you can change your overall look without completely changing your natural features. Why not help your face instead of resorting to drastic and permanent surgeries? That’s where microdermabrasion comes in.

What is Microdermabrasion?

Microdermabrasion is a cosmetic procedure often done under the care of a physician or a licensed technician. What the technician does is uses small particles to gently buff away dead skin cells that may be giving you a dull and unhealthy look. These skin cells will then be replaced by tighter, fresher skin cells that are underneath, but now revealed. You can also have dermabrasion, while uses a buffing tool to perform this procedure, and that process utilizes larger and deeper skin sloughing.

What can it help?

Microdermabrasion is great for those that want to freshen up their skin and help to minimize the effects of sun damage and fine lines. However, it is not a good option for those that are looking to remove or correct deeper lines, as microdermabrasion focuses on the outermost layers of the skin’s surface. For those that simply want to soften their facial features, this is a simple and generally risk-free way to do so.

Are there any side effects?

Because the process doesn’t use harsh chemicals or ingredients, microdermabrasion is generally safe for everyone to try. If you already have open sores or wounds on your skin, it is not recommended, but for generally normal healthy skin, it’s a great option. Some patients do report that they have some redness and irritation after the procedure, but this can be handled by taking over the counter pain medications and following the post-procedure instructions as given to you.

How often can I do it?

Many patients will return for microdermabrasion every few months as they see fit. Since the skin constantly replaces itself, you will be able to maintain the results of your procedure for a certain amount of time, depending on your skin’s repairing abilities – but eventually, you will need to repeat your procedure in order to get the look that you had in the beginning.

Can you do this at home?

There are a number of microdermabrasion kits that are now available for you to use in your home. These kits are mild and can give you an instantly brighter look when you follow the instructions. Some kits will contain a cream with small particles to remove dead skin and then another cream that will sooth the newly polished skin. The results are almost equal to that you would get in a salon, so the price can make it the better option for some.
Microdermabrasion is a great way for women (and men) to create a more youthful appearance without having to have a drastic procedure. And since you can now do it in your own home, no one ever has to know.

Permanent Make-Up Is Not All Cosmetic

The subject of permanent make-up often conjures up pictures of women too busy to put their eyeliner on straight in the mornings. And mention tattoos, images of biker babes with colorful arms are evoked. But permanent make-up has come a very long way from the days of tattoo parlors and pricey plastic surgeons. Make-up permanently applied, which is actually a tattoo, uses scientifically tested inks and is used for far more than just indulging cosmetic whims.

More Than A Pretty Face

Permanent makeup is a process of applying permanent ink into the skin. People choose this procedure for several different purposes.

By the list, you can see that there are many reasons other than cosmetic for choosing permanent make-up. Our features are often what make the first impression. Though looks are not important compared to the inner being, we all want to look as good as possible. Often, it is a matter of self-esteem. If we don’t feel comfortable in our own skin, literally, then it makes us self-conscious. Abnormalities that can be easily repaired with micropigmentation (permanent make-up) mean the difference between having an unnatural versus a natural appearance.

Skin Deep

They say beauty is only skin deep and this is true with permanent make-up. Surgery can often leave a devastating mark – devastating only to you. Permanent make-up offers a way to restore your natural beauty without surgery.

Permanent make-up is useful for both women and men. It also can be utilized by all ages and all skin types.

Safety First

The permanent make-up industry is controlled by local regulation. But the Food and Drug Administration reports and investigates complaints. When you decide to get permanent make-up, there are certain basic rules you must follow for your own safety. Permanent make-up is permanent make-up coloring. Anything you do permanently, you want to make sure you get the best treatment and the best service. Make sure the ink the spa or tattoo facility uses is approved for use by appropriate agencies. Also, only use clean facilities. The application of permanent make-up requires the use of needles for insertion of the colored pigment. You want to be sure that proper cleanliness rules are followed.

After a procedure, there may be some swelling or blistering. If the swelling persists, or you are not comfortable with the results, see a physician. Legitimate permanent make-up professionals are trained in proper techniques. Like any true professional they will do a good job, but you must still be alert for problems.

Permanent make-up is a great way to restore your natural appearance. The days of biker babes are over! Tattooing has moved to the spa!