You should know before you get botox injections that it is a toxic substance. Botox is short for ‘botulism poisoning’ which is a type of food poisoning that is capable of causing severe illness and even death. When botulism is detected the person affected needs immediate medical attention and health officials frequently get involved to contain any potential outbreak. Botulism is not something to take lightly.

Botox is made from the same bacteria that causes botulism and it works by paralyzing the muscles that it’s injected into. A small amount of diluted botox is injected directly into the facial muscles causing them to weaken and thus making the skin over top of them smooth out. Once the skin smooths, then the wrinkles and lines disappear.

It’s a very extreme solution to a simple problem and you should know that there are other ways that are equally effective and safer than botox. Don’t get me wrong, botox does work wonders, however it still presents risks and the treatment needs to be repeated every 3-6 months making it expensive as well. Some people have developed cardiovascular problems from botox and some even experience a permanent loss of sensation in areas that have been injected with botox frequently. While botox is considered very safe it still poses some risks.

An alternative to these injections is a quality botox cream or anti aging cream. These creams are also pretty expensive, but they pose none of the risks you’ll get with botox. LifeCell and Revitol are two botox creams that are regarded quite highly. Plus you’ll find that the botox creams can remove some wrinkles that are untreatable by botox such as lines from sun damage.

Do your homework about wrinkle removal and you’ll find there are some alternatives to botox injections. Botox creams and anti aging creams can be a safe effective way to get the same results and keep a smooth youthful looking face. Botox injections may be your first thought, but it may not be the best solution.

You can learn more about botox risks and the alternatives to botox by visiting the authors website.

Do you know what one thing is a favorite for not only wedding favor ideas but wedding gift ideas too? Candy! If you don’t know the couple very well or are just at a loss as to what to give them, a gourmet box of chocolate candy is sure to please.

To add a keepsake value to the candy wedding favor, many brides to be choose decorative boxes or baskets to hold the candy that guests gossip display and use in their homes to remember the day for years to come. The boxes and baskets can be decorated with the colors and theme of the wedding, and personalized to include the couple’s names, initials or help to tell the story of their lives and achievements with their design.

The favor boxes and baskets are then filled with chocolate candy of all types. Chocolate kisses can be found wrapped in many different colors of foil, or you can have them specialty wrapped to color coordinate with the wedding. Chocolate truffles, chocolate dipped pretzels, and chocolate-coated nuts are among the favorites to include. For variety, add some bite size versions of the all time favorite candy bar, hard candy in a variety of flavors and colors and don’t forget the candy cane. Candy canes now come in gourmet flavors and colors and with a bow tied around them make a nice addition to the mix. A candy coco chanel with card attached to the bow can also serve dual function as a placeholder and an after dinner mint.

Everyone loves candy and will find something in the box that makes their mouth water. The key to a great candy favor box is variety and of course the container. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Boxes can be paper, wooden, glass or crystal. The candy assortment can be wrapped in colored foil, tissue paper, any style of transparent gift-wrap or small fabric bags.
Confetti placed inside adds a fun & festive touch and a pretty bow tied around it another. This type of candy favor can also be tied around a larger favor such as a candle or bath salts. Baskets are very versatile and used later by the guests to hold keys, jewelry, and other small items
around their home.

When picking your wedding gift ideas, whatever your decision, be sure to include some candy. Chocolate candy, hard candy, the candy bar and candy cane bring out the child in all of us. And who knows better how to laugh, have fun and enjoy a special day better than children?

Natalie Aranda writes about family, love and weddings. Chocolate truffles, chocolate dipped pretzels, and chocolate-coated nuts are among the favorites to consider for your wedding favors. For variety, add some bite size versions of the all time favorite candy bar, hard candy in a variety of flavors and colors and don’t forget the candy cane. Candy canes now come in gourmet flavors and colors and with a bow tied around them make a nice addition to the mix. A candy cane with card attached to the bow can also serve dual function as a placeholder and an after dinner mint.

Eat

Anti-oxidants are a group of organic substances which include vitamins C, E and vitamin A, selenium, and carotenoids. They help combat the signs of ageing by destroying the oxidants or free radicals inside the human body that attack it and they help to keep the skin firm by protecting the skins collagen and elastic tissue. Anti-aging foods are full of anti-oxidants so eating this is a big step towards holding back the years and improving your general health.

Eat This – Garlic, onions, green leafy vegetables, chilli peppers, lentils, kidney beans, chick peas, yogurt, nuts and seeds, raspberries, cherries, plums, oranges.

Fitness madonna Life

Rarely will you find someone who looks younger than their years who doesn’t exercise. Fitness not only keeps you trim, agile and healthy, but it gives you a glow of healthiness and youthfulness that radiates from you. Make exercise a part of your life – it doesn’t have to be high-impact quotes or weight training, regular gentle exercise is great too. The more you do this, the better you look. The longer you do this, the better you look for longer. Simple.

Try This- Add a daily walk to your routine or swim regularly. Sign up for a 10k run or subscribe to a fitness or health magazine for 6 months and body-envy will motivate you if nothing else.

Reduce Stress

If you’ve ever seen someone you know after they’ve had some trauma in their life, you’ll have noticed how much they’ve aged in a short time. that’s what stress does to you over a longer period but the end result is the same. If you know you are more stressed than you can cope with, change something. You will be giving yourself the best gift ever and likely extending your life. Stress sits on your face and your heart – reduce it now.

Do This – Try breathing exercises to relax you; book a massage – treat yourself; take up yoga.

Stop smoking

I wont go into what it does to your heart and lungs because everyone knows this by now. But smoking gives you deep wrinkles, dries out your skin and gives your skin a lovely, grey colour that adds 10+ years to your face. Nice.

Know This – One of my clients is a plastic surgeon and he once told me that the people who age the most are blondes, who live in the sun and who smoke. You can’t control your natural hair colour or re-locate so easily but you can control the smoking.

Stop frowning

Look in the mirror and have a conversation with yourself. Look out for the faces you pull and when you come to the frown face, stop. That’s the face you should avoid pulling from now on. Frowning gives you wrinkles and deep ones at that but it also makes you appear stern and flat. A smile brightens the face, works the muscles in the right direction (up) and is contagious. It generates great feedback.

Do This – Try to smile for as much of the day as you can. When you’re at work, sitting on the train, walking by. You’ll become aware of how many people make eye contact with you and smile back.

Break the Habit

Your day is dictated by what you say to yourself in the morning. Waking up and dreading the office is the first step to ensuring your day will be bad. Break this negative habit immediately and try ‘power talking’ to yourself instead. Today is going to be great. I can’t wait for this afternoon. By changing your attitude, you become more positive and upbeat and look and feel better. This is a youthful and vital approach to life whereas moaning, whingeing, dreading is very negative and comes across as old and unable to cope with what life throws at you.

Try This – next time you are supposed to go to a meeting or meet a friend when you would rather crash out at home, say this -I can’t wait to do _______, it’s always great fun. I can’t wait for _________, it’s usually really interesting. I promise this works a charm.

P.S. – My client, the plastic surgeon I mentioned above also told me this, the only skin creme on the market that he believed really helped to delay the signs of ageing? The cheapest – Nivea. The original version, the creme your mum used to smear all over your face as a child…who knew?

Jeff Archer is the Director of The Tonic, a corporate health and wellness company. Subscribe to http://instantfeelgood.blogspot.com and get more great tips

But, what if this new self-confident charmer is one of the millions of your single sisters on the hunt for Prince Charming, who happens to be on the hunt for his Princess Charming? Well, in that case, this might be the perfect time to check in with your mirror, mirror on the wall to see how you fair with all this growing competition.

You know, Cinderella had this so easy. With the wave of a wand, and a bit of “bibbity bobbity boo,” her fairy godmother morphed her from rags to riches, then sent her off to the Ball looking like the Princess she was about to become, and the rest is history!

In the real world, this all gets a bit more complicated. For starters, chances are your prince will first see you dressed for the mall, not the Ball. Plus, your chances of being the next TV makeover are pretty slim. You could hire a fashion savvy godmother, AKA a fashion consultant, but if a fee of $200 + is not in your budget, what’s a girl like you to do when the whole point is to leave a first impression that leaves a potential prince wanting more?

Well, a girl like you will take charge of her life. Presenting the I’ll Do It MYSELF Makeover!

You start with your face. Of course, if you’re thinking, “How ’bout I start with something else,” remember Cindy Crawford’s immortal words: “Even I don’t wake up looking like Cindy Crawford.” So, again, your face is your focus, specifically the colors of your face. I promise you, when you learn how to use the power of color to compliment your eyes, skin, and natural hair color, just like on the makeover shows, magic will happen! Those eyes will sparkle and your complexion will glow. And, glowing is definitely a plus for first impressions, especially when your prince will remember forever the first time he saw your face.

On the other hand, glowing is practically impossible when you wear colors that plastic surgey with your own. For example, if you have watercolor eyes, translucent skin, and hair the color of soft wheat, imagine the catastrophe of deep bronze makeup, double black eyeliner, and a dayglow dress with dark chunky jewelry. Right! Not good! The strong colors overpower your own, and POOF! you disappear. Wearing colors paler than your own washes out your natural glow so you look tired and older than you are. Again, not good. To go for the glow, here are the “must knows” that make it happen!

UNDERSTANDING BASIC COLOR ANALYSIS

Many fashion consultants rely on the Munsell Color System to accurately determine a client’s color palette. This scientific system is based on three components: HUE, VALUE, and CHROMA:

HUE is simply the color’s name.
Simple Hues: Red, Yellow, Green, Blue and Purple.
Compound hues: Yellow-Red, Green-Yellow, Blue-Green, Purple-Blue and Red-Purple.
VALUE: How light marriage dark a color is.
The more white in a color, the higher the value. True black has the lowest value, true white has the highest.
CHROMA: The clarity or strength of the color.
Muted, grayed colors have low chroma; clear, vibrant, bright colors have high chroma.

HOW TO DETERMINE MAKEUP COLORS

FOUNDATION: Match to the skin tone at the outer corner of your eyes. Blend the makeup on your face and neck, and then match to your skin tone in both indoor lighting and sunlight. Hint: To ensure you choose the correct foundation color, take a friend along for a second opinion.

EYE MAKEUP: Use your lash and brow color for everyday mascara, eye liner and brow pencil. For a more dramatic effect, increase the makeup’s color value. Choose eye shadow in your eye or brow color. Hint: Your eyes contain a rainbow of complimentary colors. Use a magnifying mirror to see the full spectrum.

LIPSTICK and BLUSH: Match to your cheeks and lips. Gently pinch both cheeks and lips, noting if the color goes pink, red, or orange.

With a bit of practice, your makeup routine will take you from ordinary to glowing in five minutes or less.

HOW TO DETERMINE WARDROBE COLORS

If you’ve spent a lifetime believing you can’t wear certain colors, then understanding Hue, Value, and Chroma opens up a whole new world. Just imagine! Red is not just one color, but a full range of options from yellow-red to purple-red, from pastel pink to deepest burgundy, all from which you choose the reds that compliment you.

REDS: Your cheek and lip colors
GREENS / BLUES: For green or blue eyes, use your eye color. For brown or black eyes, use green or blue in your eye “rainbow,” or use a color wheel to match your eye color to complimentary greens or blues. www.realcolorwheel.com/colorwheel.htm
YELLOWS: Trickiest of all colors to determine. Usually Summers and Springs wear soft yellow; Falls wear golden yellow; Winters wear intense, bright yellow.
NEUTRALS: Current or former (if your hair is colored or grayed) natural hair color, and eyes if primarily brown or black. Use neutrals for suits, coats, skirts, pants, jackets, shoes and purses.

BASIC STYLE DESCRIPTIONS

Color analysts often use the four seasons to harmonize skin, eye and hair color with the complimentary fashion style. To define each season’s style, I’ve grouped celebrities by their season, based on promotional photographs. Note: About 50% of us also have a secondary season. If a celebrity’s photo exhibits a secondary, it is noted in parenthesis.

SUMMER: Look of Yesterday
COMPLEXION: Clear, cool, delicate
HAIR COLOR: Ash blonde, light to medium cool red or brown; matures to salt and pepper, cool or icy white
EYE COLOR: Iris -Soft green, blue, hazel, amber or cool brown; Sclera (white surrounding the iris) – Gray or white
COLORS: Minimal to moderate intensity, soft, grayed, translucent, water color tones
NEUTRALS: Cool tones of tan, beige, soft white, cool gray
FASHION STYLE: Soft, subtle, elegant, delicate, serene, nostalgic, blended tone on tone, minimal contrast
JEWELRY: Silver, white gold, crystals
BRIDAL GOWN: Cool white, silver
AVOID: High contrast, dark colors, warm/earth tones, gold and copper accessories.

Celebs: Jane Seymore, Charlize Theron (Spring secondary), Cate Blanchett, Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Grace Kelly, Sarah Jessica Parker (Spring secondary), Scarlett Johansson (Spring secondary), Mia Farrow, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Queen Elizabeth, Diane Sawyer, Celine Dion (Fall secondary)

FALL: Look of Nature
COMPLEXION: Warm tones of olive or gold, may have freckles or appear mottled
HAIR COLOR: Warm gold, brown, red, chestnut, auburn; matures to warm white, salt and pepper
EYE COLOR: Iris – Warm gold, green, hazel, amber, brown; Sclera – Warm off-white
COLORS: Warm, golden colors; Falls are not limited to earth tones
NEUTRALS: Warm browns, tans, dark greens, khaki, dark rust
FASHION STYLE: Earthy, warm, fiery, golden, exotic, layered, sensual
JEWELRY: Gold, copper, tortoise shell, semi-precious stones, feathers, wood, shells
BRIDAL GOWN: Warm off-white, beige, champagne
AVOID: Black, black with white, pastels, clear chroma

CELEBS: Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez, Cindy Crawford (winter secondary), Oprah Winfrey, Julia Roberts (Summer secondary), Halle Berry, Salma Hayek, Julianne Moore, Sophia Loren, Annette Bening (Summer secondary), Queen Latifah (Spring secondary), Barbra Streisand (Summer secondary), Penelope Cruz (Winter secondary).

WINTER: Look of Sophistication
COMPLEXION: Pearlized, clear, cool, translucent
HAIR COLOR: Black, ebony, dark cool brown; matures to silvery or icy white
Note: Lightening or highlighting hair diminishes the POWER of Winter’s contrast.
EYE COLOR: Iris – Black or very dark, Sclera – Pure white = High Contrast
COLORS: Icy, high intensity, bright, jewel tones, clear and cool
Note: Only Winters wear black, or black and white as colors.
NEUTRALS: Black, cool gray, pure white.
JEWELRY: Silver, white gold, gem stones, rhinestones.
FASHION STYLE: Sophisticated, sleek, high contrast, dramatic, expensive, powerful, uncluttered, modern, angled, vivid
BRIDAL GOWN: Icy white
AVOID: Earth tones, pastels, fluff!!

Celebs: Snow White, Catherine Zeta Jones (Fall secondary), Elizabeth Taylor (Summer secondary), Lisa Minelli, Marlo Thomas, Eva Longoria, Lucy Liu, Elizabeth Hurley, Judith Dench (Spring secondary), Juliette Binoche (Fall secondary), Anjelica Huston, Isabella Rosselini (Summer secondary)

SPRING: Look of Today
COMPLEXION: Clear, moderately warm to moderately cool
HAIR COLOR: Golden, strawberry or ash blonde, auburn, red, light to dark warm brown; matures to salt and pepper, warm gray or white.
EYE COLOR: Iris – Green, blue, hazel, brown, amber; Sclera – Cream to white field
COLORS: Clear, warm, bright
NEUTRALS: Warm whites, beiges, tans, brown, navy, soft black
FASHION STYLE: Crisp, modern, bright, sunny, curvy, energetic, youthful
JEWELRY: Gold, silver, semi-precious stones, plastic
BRIDAL GOWN: Off-white
AVOID: Muted or high intensity colors

Celebs: Reese Witherspoon, Rene Zellweger (Summer secondary), Cameron Diaz, Rachel Ray (Fall secondary), Jennifer Aniston, Reba McEntire (Fall secondary), Ellen DeGeneres, Jada Pinkett Smith (Fall secondary), Meg Ryan, Katie Holmes (Winter secondary), Kirsten Dunst (Summer secondary), Dakota Fanning (Summer secondary), Debra Messing (Fall secondary), Diane Keaton (Summer secondary).

These descriptions only touch the surface of how color transforms your self image and creates unforgettable first impressions! The services of a professional consultant, preferably one trained in the Munsell System, are invaluable for assessing your color palette, complimentary prints, accessories, makeup, body proportion, and fashion and hair style. Fees can range from $200 to $1000+, but, considering the money you’ve wasted buying makeup that just never worked, and clothes still hanging with their price tags in the back of your closet as you cry “I have nothing to wear!”, a professional analysis is a bargain. In the meantime, here’s a list of shopping hints to get your transformation started!

SHOPPING HINTS:

* To build a coordinated, workable wardrobe, determine your basic needs based on your lifestyle, such as professional, casual, evening, hobbies and athletic clothing. For each area, purchase a core outfit, such as a professional suit, a cocktail dress, slacks and complimentary jacket, plus a few blouses, sweaters, and accessories.

* You don’t need a king’s ransom to look like a million! Even drug stores carry quality makeup. Shop end of season sales, and consignment and thrift stores for quality clothes and accessories. Many a Princess does!

* Collect fabric swatches by asking a fabric store or seamstress to save you scraps. Also, don’t forget your closet! If you own colors in your palette, just snip a swatch from inside the hem. Keep your swatches in an envelope to bring when you shop.

* When shopping, first match the item to your colors. Next, double check in a mirror. Hold the item by your face, then ask the $64,000 question: “Does this color compliment or clash with my natural coloring?” If “yes,” try it on to check that the fit flatters your body. If color and fit are both “yes,” buy it. If color and fit are “no,” no matter how much you love it, pass. Remember, you glow when the colors that you wear compliment the colors that you are.

* To spice up any outfit, think accessories. Before you run out to the mall in those great fitting jeans, add sunglasses and earrings, or throw a beautiful scarf around the collar of your coat. You will radiate “I care how I look, and I look and feel great”! Not a bad first vibe, especially for an unsuspecting prince watching extraordinary you emerge from an ordinary crowd of shoppers.

* Gather your “other seasons” sisters for a wardrobe “swap meet.” Some of my favorite clothes, scarves, and jewelry have come from just such an event!

One final fashion accessory that promises to get you glowing every moment of every day: Believe you are the Princess worthy of the Prince you dream of. Then, dress to prove it.

Relationship expert, consultant, and educator, Morgan Delaney, MS, empowers single women with the real secrets about dating and relationships, based on a decade of research in the fields of developmental psychology, brain-based gender differences, and the fascinating mysteries of the male psyche. To learn more about Ms. Delaney’s relationship research, and forthcoming books, visit http://www.SingleSisterhood.com

Dooney & Bourke handbags have functionality, durability, and style all wrapped up into one bag. These are the bags that will definitely take you out of day into night. There are so many reasons to love Dooney.

The Dooney & Bourke Signature handbags can be matched up to any outfit and can be worn skin any style of fashion. Your best bet when wearing one of these is to have a bag in brown and black. That way you can be sure that your shoes don’t clash with your bag if you need to change them for a different place or scene.

Another great handbag that Dooney makes is the whimsical Dooney & Bourke Bumblebee. This handbag explodes with vibrant colors and gives life to any outfit that you are wearing. It’s fashionable style not only is popular with the young crowd, but is legendary with the older crowd.

The purpose of the Dooney & Bourke handbag is not just to look good, but to have functionality and durability. If you need a handbag for carrying multiple items around, like for the office, the Dooney Alto is the perfect bag just for that. It’s a handbag/briefcase all in one. Its functional and durable with its inside zip pockets, cell phone pocket, pocket for lipstick, inside key hook, and adjustable handles. The storage pockets make it easy to find what you need and quicker. This bag will keep you organized.

Dooney & Bourke also designs briefcases and travel luggage for you men out there who want a great designer bag, but don’t want to look too flashy while carrying it. There is a very fashionable and manly looking Dooney & Bourke Duffel bag that can be used for work, travel or play. Who says designer handbags have to be just for women?

Look for these and many more fashionable and classy Dooney handbags online to save money and time shopping. You can go to the store and spend a reasonable price on the Dooney & Bourke of your choice. But, why do that when shopping online will keep you at home or the office and save you another 30%-40% off of the store price. Plus, it will still be the handbag of your choice.

When shopping for Dooney & Bourke handbags, the difference in retail store shopping and online shopping is not only that you save money, but that you save much needed time. Time that could be spent doing other things that you find enjoyable… like reading or golfing. Or, for you out there who like to spend your off time doing absolutely nothing, you will have more time to sit back and do just that. Enjoy!

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Some curious online Bingo operators wanted jewelry ascertain the mind-track of the British women folk and in coordination with land Bingo Clubs and neutral agencies, conducted a survey recently. The participants of this big survey – gaining access and getting answers from 10,000 people in U.K. to the survey questions have revealed quite interesting facts.

The essence of the survey is throwing an amazing fact – women are happier and more fulfilled than men. Added information is the number of happier women increases as they get older and older. The main reason attributed by the survey participants is women are capable of handling multi-tasking (an admirable quality needed sunblock you are playing Bingo online – to hear or see the flashing Bingo numbers with one eye, daubing checked numbers, chatting with another member, counting the completed numbers and calculating how much to go to close a full house and adding money for betting at intervals – all of them at the same time) capabilities. This helps them in overcoming any stress or strain in struggles when bringing up their families.

Women are blessed with this ability of focusing on more than one thing at a time and therefore they enjoy life fully with its pleasures and fun – big or small.

On the other hand, men are genetically motivated to act as the breadwinner and all life of them is self-centered in assessing their worth in terms of money and how much they can bring home to win a social status. Nothing could distract them from this, fun or no fun. When they become old and retire from active money earning period, they get depressed of losing self-assumed importance. They tend to worry always that their working life has disappeared. A grumpy old man is thus born.

It is no wonder that grandmas in U.K. are happily playing Bingo games offline and online and grab up fabulous prizes every now and then as we see. What they should do is wake up their partners too and club them to play enchanting Bingo games along with. This way both ends are benefited – the Bingo Game Industry and disenchanted old men to get rejuvenated as well.

Playing Bingo games as pairs of old couples is a beautiful way of spending life happily together. You can have all the latest information about online bingo games and where you can play bingo online, including special offers from Mirror Bingo and no deposit bingo bonuses.