Wrinkles seem to appear out of nowhere. They form slowly and creep up on you like thieves in the night. Stealing your smooth skin and healthy glow, you wonder how you can put a stop to this thievery. Botox may be the wrinkle police – temporarily arresting the loss of tone and restoring plump and healthy looking skin.

It’s Criminal

It’s absolutely criminal the way you can try to take care of your skin and still find yourself unhappy with the way you are aging. Wrinkles are caused by so many factors, there is just no way you can fight them all with one cosmetic. Wrinkles are a product of the following, to name a few.

Like framing and girders in a building, collagen and elastin are the skin’s support structure. Collagen erodes over time. Like a crumbling building, the damage is slow but effective. Though the collagen supply begins to be depleted, the skin continues to renew itself. So now you have more skin than you have collagen to plump! Cosmetics claim to restore collagen, but the fact is that cosmetics cannot go deep enough yet to have a lasting impact on collagen. In addition, the chemicals in lotions cannot bond to the collagen. The discovery of Botox as an anti-aging treatment offers a way to lesson the effect of muscle and collagen weakness that causes wrinkling.

On Probation

Botox is actually a botulinum toxin. It was discovered that a small amount injected into a muscle, causes the muscle to become paralyzed. Once the muscle relaxed, the skin was able to lay smoother on the face. It is a non-surgical injection used on frown lines between the brows and on the lines around the eyes. It is also used on forehead creases. Botox paralyzes a muscle by acting as a neurotoxin on nerve endings. It is purified protein that is being tested for other uses, but right now it is primarily used for cosmetic reasons. Botox puts wrinkles on probation!

Case Dismissed

There can be some side effects from the Botox injections, but they are almost always mild. Injections may cause temporary headaches or nausea. It is important to go over all aspects of the procedure with the dermatologist or physician. Botox is a safe and effective procedure for temporarily erasing age lines. Your more youthful looks are restored and time is turned back. The proof is in all the successful cases of Botox users!

Applying lipstick that lasts

Every woman wants her lipstick to outlast her. And while there are new formulas that promise to make it through the day, they can be expensive as well as drying to the lips. Thankfully, there are ways to make your favorite lipstick last as long as you want it too. Here’s what you need to know.

Prepping those lips

A good pair of lips will want to hold onto the lip color that you apply. To get lips that last, you will want to add a few steps to your nightly routine. After brushing your teeth, you’ll want to rinse and wash off your lips of any remaining toothpaste. Take your clean toothbrush and gently rub it over your lips to remove any excess skin cells that are causing them to be rough. Gently rinse your lips and pat dry. Then apply a coat of petroleum jelly or a thick lip balm before you head to bed. This will allow your lips to soak up the moisture overnight, allowing you to wake up to a softer pair of lips.

Ready for your close-up?

When you’re ready to apply your lipstick, you’ll want to start by adding a light layer of foundation to your lips or a lipstick foundation (some are now being produced). This will help to smooth the surface of your lips and provide an instant palette upon which to apply the lipstick. Let the foundation dry and try not to move your lips as it does so. When it has dried, apply a light lip liner around the insides of your lip line. Make sure that this is close to your natural skin color in order to prevent a harsh look. Then fill in your lips with your chosen lipstick, lightly. Blot that lipstick and then apply another coat. You can do this by firming pressing your lips against a piece of tissue.

When you’re done with that coat, blot your lips again with a fresh piece of tissue. Take another piece of tissue and hold over your lips. Powder your lips through the tissue in order to give them staying power. Or you can also use one of the new sealants that are being sold, but powder works just as well.

Other tricks that you can use

A great way to keep your lips looking polished is to add a little lip gloss on the top layer of your lipstick. This will add some shine as well as another layer of protection. It doesn’t have to be a heavy coat, just enough to cover the area. When that gloss starts to wear off, you can reapply a coat of lipstick and then another coat of gloss.

The darker the lipstick, the more difficult it may be to keep it looking that way from day to night. If you’re just going to the office, try using a more neutral toned lipstick color in order to reduce the appearance of fading. For a night out on the town, the tricks above will get you through until morning.

With the increased information that has come up about getting skin cancer, it’s nice to know that there is safe way to get the color that you want without the melanoma – self tanners. These lotions can create that golden appearance that you want without subjecting yourself to the harsh rays of the sun – and those rays that can cause premature wrinkles and lines. But using self tanners isn’t as simple as it looks. To get the right look, you need to right guidance.

Scrub the old skin away

One of the first things that you will need to do is exfoliate your skin in order to get it ready to soak in the self tanner. To do this, you will want to use a loofah or a scrubbing poof in the shower when you are cleaning the skin that you want to apply the tanner to. Make small round circles along your skin so that you’re removing any and all dead skin cells that could affect the placement of the tanner. It’s especially important that you focus on areas with thicker skin – such as your ankles and elbows. However, you do not want to use an exfoliating scrub that contains oil as an ingredient. This will leave a film on your skin that will hinder the absorption of your self tanner. Some self tanners will come with an exfoliating scrub and these are fine to use.

How to apply

After you have rinsed your skin and dried it, you will want to get ready to apply the tanner. Most self tanners that are in lotion form tend to be the most popular, so we’ll start with talking about the way to apply those. Simply put a small amount of tanner in your hand (not too much) and rub into the skin that you want tan. The trick is that you don’t want to apply too much, just enough to soak into the skin. Try to apply sparingly to the knees, ankles and elbows as the thicker skin can soak up more and cause an uneven look. Also, be sure to apply tanner to the tops of feet as well as your hands to make sure that you’re not unbalanced. Let it dry completely before putting on any clothing.

And to avoid ‘orange palms,’ make sure that you wash your hands with soap and warm water immediately after applying the tanner.

For your face

A lot of people are afraid to use self tanners on their face because they’re afraid the results won’t look natural. A trick to get color on your face is to add a small amount of tanner to your everyday face lotion (so long as it doesn’t include antiaging ingredients like retinol, extra vitamins, etc.) and apply as you normally would. This lessens the overall effect and creates a natural look. Or you could focus the application of tanner on the parts of your face that would normally get tanned by the sun – the tip of your nose, forehead, and cheeks. If you’re still a bit hesitant, powdered bronzers can do the trick too.

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!