Hair care
Hair dressing reflects and rejuvenates one’s personality. For women, it is the hall-mark of their look. The quote of Longfellow amply highlights hair-dressing as a potential cosmetic tool. In our country hair-dressing is anybody’s job; whereas in the US, one has to attend a cosmetology school for a prescribed period to obtain a State license. These days, keeping it healthy and beautiful has become a challenge. Healthy hair depends upon one’s hair consciousness. Regular diet, physical exercise and proper maintenance go a long way in making the hair look impressive and appealing. Excessive intake of coffee, tea, alcohol, meat, and tobacco products harms the hair.
Here are some tips to keep your hair healthy:
*Rinsing your hair with boiled water and cooling it with neem leaves helps you to prevent hair loss.
*Dried amlas boiled with coconut oil to form darkish oil is excellent in preventing graying.
The water in which dried amla pieces are soaked overnight nourishes hair, and can be used for the last rinse while washing the hair.
*Mix 2 tspns of Brandy in 1 cup of water. Apply with the fingertips to the roots of hair. Wash after ½ hour with shampoo. This keeps away dandruff.
*Mix 1 egg with 1 cup of yogurt and apply on the scalp. Leave for ½ an hour and wash. This also helps you to keep away dandruff.
*Mix 1 tblspn of Olive oil with 1 tspn of limejuice. Apply well on the scalp and cover the head by tying an old scarf. Keep it on overnight and shampoo the next morning. This keeps away dandruff.

Quick fix
A bad hair day is bad enough; a bad haircut is just as bad. At some point in our lives, we have had to live through a tress stress.
Here are some quick tips to fix a bad haircut:
*Attention accessory
Accessories are the surest and quickest fixes for a bad hair cut. Hair bands, scarves, bobby pins, scrunches or colorful hair clips- they just draw attention away from the bad haircut. If you have long hair, just tie your hair with scrunchies. It is the short hair that draws more attention. Funky accessories, colorful and different, do the trick.
*Color power
The damage has been done. It’s time to get it fixed. Try streaks and highlights with smart color. Voila! A cool new look without having to worry about the messed up haircut
*Restyle and reset
For all you know, your haircut may not be so bad. Probably you’ve styled it in a way that it doesn’t look so nice. Chill down. Try washing your hair at home and restyle it in a way you like it the best. It may not seem so messed up after all.
*Gadget gaga
Curlers and straightening irons are good investments. Curling your hair with a curling iron totally disguises the bad haircut. For those with short hair, a pixie hairstyle with a flat iron is a safe bet because a bad haircut obviously shows on short hair. A pixies hairstyle camouflages the tress trouble. More importantly, don’t lose heart, your hair will grow. A brilliant smile can disguise any bad haircut. Go ahead; wear that smile and a great attitude.
*When you’re planning a new hairstyle, remember to take a picture of the hairstyle you want to get yourself. Explaining does not really help. A sample picture dose. There are also many websites and kiosks going in for a brand new haircut. that offer trial hairstyles which you could try on virtually with your picture before actually going in for a brand new haircut. Search these websites from the Google search box displayed above this page.

Dressing tips for monsoon
Monsoon conjures up images of dreary weather, cloudy days and dripping clothes, and leaves one gloomy. What kind of clothes can reign in such a weather? What makes you stylish, and yet keep you in comfort? Here are few tips from some leading fashion designers who can make you look chic and elegant.

Shebin Paul, a monsoon-freak, loves to design special clothes for rain. According to him knee shirts and pedal pushers make you look Indian and trendy. Shirts should be above or below the knee length to avoid getting wet. Indian kurtas with a mix of peddle pushers will look elegant. On his choice of clothes, he says, “There isn’t much of choice for men. I wear usual colors but avoid wearing trousers with many pockets, and linen and cotton clothes which get heavier when wet.”
Krishnamani is another Bangalore-based fashion designer who is passionate about designing clothes for monsoon. Her collections showcased in Paris drew a crowd recently. “While designing clothes for monsoon, I choose subtle colors, and bright blue and green. The fabrics are crepe. Chiffon balloon skirts and sheer jackets are the best picks.” On her choice, she says, “Short skirts with tops, light clothes in chiffon, georgette, crepe and silk short-shirts in blue, pink and green cut a dash.”
Jemy Jose another fashion designer recommends bright colors to change the mood. “One looks beautiful in pink, lime, aqua, turquoise and emerald green clothes in monsoon.” Her choice is crocheted tops, skirts, thin jackets in off-white, pink and brown with shoe wedges. Tops should be pretty layered till waist-length.

Here is a person who likes to get drenched this monsoon-Radhika Rao, Ms India Congenial Personality, says, “I love to get drenched on every monsoon season” On her own choice of clothes, she says, “Gray and black do not add vibrancy, so I prefer flash shortcuts with bright colors such as blue and pink.” She likes to wear sneakers with deep colors.

Fab abs (contd...)
Keeping your abs toned and strong can help deter fat cells from developing avariciously. Stomach crunches are a help but they are tedious and boring and often harden the muscles. Most yoga asanas, especially inversions and balances, use core abdominal strength to get into the pose and to hold for a length of time. What follows are some modified but interesting and challenging yoga poses and breathe work that you can add, alternate or intersperse between your crunches. They focus on all four areas of the abdomen: the upper and lower, the oblique or the sides, and the transverses muscles.
Here are some interesting yoga postures for creating a perfect abs:
* Let us first start with the transverses muscles.
Sit in an easy cross legged position with the back straight. If this is not comfortable you may sit on a chair. Now take a long breath and hold it for 2 or 3 sec and then release it slowly. Remember during this exercise you must push your abdomen during inhalation and pull your abdomen during exhalation.
* Now let us move towards the rectus abdominus or simply the upper and the lower abs.
Lie on your back with your legs stretched. Lift your hips and place both palms under to support your back. Now lift your left leg straight up till it becomes perpendicular to the torso. If you have tight hamstrings then you may want to keep the knees slightly bent. Slowly drop the left leg down and switch legs. Alternate till your legs and abs feel tired. When you lift the leg up make sure the lower back and pelvis are pressing down to the floor. This will engage the lower abdomen fully. (More yogic exercise in my next post)

Thank you for reading. Please post your valuable suggestions and criticisms so that I can improve on this blog and bring you more of beauty, fashion and lifestyle.
Keep coming back for more and wish you all a good life.
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Art of dressing up
Dressing up is an art. No matter how beautiful you are, if you do not know the art of dressing up, your beauty will not be appreciated. You should know what to wear for a particular occasion. Following are a few formal dresses which you should have in your wardrobe.
* Halter Dress: If you are the partying type, this is a must have in your wardrobe. Celebrities turn to this dress for the red carpet because they know it’s one of the sexiest formal looks around! Several variations exist, including a Knot-front halter and a tie-behind-the-neck look; straps vary in size from spaghetti-width to wide, soft straps. Which one would you choose? Get going, flaunt an attitude.
* Cocktail Dress: The little black dress is the universally accepted look for cocktail. But don’t just stick to black. Experiment with different color. Adjust the silhouette of the cocktail dress to work for you figure, Keeping the top and waist slim and fitted for the elegant look.
* Stand-up Collar Dress: What better way to frame your face than with a stand-up collar? Choose a moderate or plunging neckline to compliment the high collar and pull your hair up or away from the face. This can go for casual and party wear.
* Embellished Dress: Head-to-beads are difficult to carry off, but a touch of embellishment is spectacular. Make sure your beading is on a part of your body you want to highlight, including the waist or neckline.
* Off-the-Shoulder Dress: The silhouette of the off-the-shoulder dress adds width to the upper half, balancing your lower half. This is definitely a dress for those who have the guts to bear and carry it off.
* Print Dress: A fresh flowery print dress is perfect for daytime occasions. Big bloom prints look good o most women just be sure to scale them to your finger: larger women look best with the prints close together and less background space showing is true for smaller women.
Now, do you have these? If no, rush. Update your wardrobe.

Multani Mitti
Today we’re going to reacquaint ourselves with a very special kind mud. The West knows it as Fuller’s earth but we know it as multani mitti or the soil from Multan. Fuller’s earth strips off deep-seated grime, unclogs bunged up pores and refreshes tried, dull skin. Fuller’s earth also binds itself to bacteria and toxins, making it a well-known specialist of oily skins, which are breeding grounds for bacteria and therefore prone to skin problems, especially acne. There are two main reasons why fuller’s earth is famous, firstly, it is made up of a union of mud and water which when applied on the face or skin, the body heat causes the water to evaporate thereby keeping our skin cool and smooth.
Secondly, Fuller’s earth acts as a good scrubber because it contain fine particles of minerals which scrubs away dead cells which dull and darken the skin and activates the skin’s blood circulation i.e. skin remains healthy.
Mud magic
Here are some tips to use multani mitti:
*A mixture of 1 teaspoon honey and 1 tablespoon multani mitti when applied on face acts as good moisturizer, skin softener and antiseptic. Can be applied on all types of skin.
*A mixture of 1 tablespoon of curd and tablespoon multani mitti acts as a good skin softener, removes excess oil, tightens pores, lightens blemishes and is a good antiseptic. Can be applied on oily/normal skin.
*1 tablespoon sandalwood paste when mixed with 1 tablespoon of multani mitti acts as a good anti-inflammatory, coolant and soothes prickly heat. Skin type: Oily/normal skin.
*1 teaspoon of orange peel with 1 tablespoon multani mitti acts as a good astringent exfoliates and removes excess oil. Skin type: Oily skin.
*1 teaspoon milk cream with 1 tablespoon multani mitti acts as a good emollient and also as a good moisturizer. Skin type: Dry skin.
*Face pack: Mix 2 tablespoons of multani mitti (Fuller’s earth) and enough of rose water to form a thick paste. This paste acts as a good face pack/scrubber. Caution: Avoid applying on the delicate skin around the eyes and lips. And always apply a good moisturized afterwards as multani mitti (Fuller’s earth) is a bit drying

HONEY THE NATURAL HEALER

Honey-the nature's natural sweetener is "manufactured" in one of the world's most efficient factories, the beehive. Bees visit around two million flowers to gather enough nectar to make just a pound of honey. Honey contains fructose, glucose, and water. It also contains sugars traces of enzymes, minerals, vitamins and amino acids. Anyway I am not going to take a class on honey's content but explain how you can use honey in beauty treatment.

Icon of beauty- Cleopatra is said to have ruled Egypt with an iron fist. Apparently, it was a smooth fist. She used honey and milk for skin-enhancing and moreover became one of the famous historical e.g. of people using honey to pamper their skin complexions. Honey is humectants, which means it attracts and retains moisture. This makes honey a natural fit in a variety of moisturizing products including cleaners, creams, shampoos and conditioners. Honey also acts as an anti-irritant, making it suitable for sensitive skin and baby care products. Honey's prospects in skin-care are looking even sweeter; research is currently underway to develop a process using honey to create alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) which is very good for removing pimples.

Here are some tips to use honey for beauty treatment:
• 1 teaspoon of honey mixed with 1 teaspoon of curd when applied on the face for 15-20 minutes and then wash away with cold water keeps your skin soft and smooth.
• A mixture of honey and olive oil acts as a good hair conditioner. Work a small amount at a time through hair until coated. Cover hair with sower cap; leave on 30 minutes. Remove shower cap; shampoo well and rinse. Dry as normal.
• Mix equal amounts of honey, sandalwood paste, turmeric, rose water and glycerin. This mixture when applied on face helps you to remove dark spots, softens your skin and leaves your skin glowing.
• Mix together honey, vegetable oil and lemon juice. This mixture acts as a very good moisturizer.
• A mixture of 1 teaspoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of multani mitti (Fuller’s earth) when applied on face, removes excess oil, tightens pores, lightens blemishes and moisturizes your face.(Importance of multani mitti (Fuller’s earth) in my next post)

Fashion tips (page2)
9) A straight cut skirt and full leg pants will hide large thighs.
10) To appear shorter, jackets or tops should fall below the hips.
11) To lengthen your legs, go for slim, straight leg pants.
12) To appear taller and thinner, try a pinstripe suit. Long sleeves should hit just at the wrist bone. To hide wide hips, try an a-line style dress.
13) Give a new updated looks to an old blouse or jacket by sewing on new buttons.
14) Pleats add pounds. If you want to look larger through the hips, wear pleats. If you don’t, avoid pleats! If clothes don’t fit, have them altered. If they don’t fit, they’ll remain in the closest.
15) One of the biggest trends this season is denim. You can find it in skirts, shorts, jeans, jackets and shirts and even kurtas.
16) Women with larger hips should choose jeans that are generously cut through the hips with a flared leg.
17) When losing weight, don’t wait to choose wardrobe pieces. Choose pieces that will camouflage problem areas. (“The art of dressing up“ in my next post)

Fab abs
A flat abdomen symbolizes beauty and has served to aggravate our struggle to create a perfect body. Many women tap their stomachs while discussing weight loss indicating it’s their problem area. However, if you are still young, don’t have a few pregnancies behind you and fitness is part of your lifestyle, then there is a hope. Keeping your abdomen toned can help deter fat cells from developing as well as strengthen the lower back. Having a strong lower back is one of the best bonuses that your body can have, it makes your whole body stable and your posture also improves. Yoga is one of the best ways to shape your abdomen and back. Most yoga asanas, especially inversions and balances, use core abdominal strength to get into the pose and to hold for a length of time. But this needs committed, regular practice. Making yoga a lifestyle, can adversely effect your life in a positive way, it strengths the body and mind, it reduces restlessness and it has healing effects also. I can suggest certain easy-to-do yogic exercises in my next posting which you can do. Doing these exercises for a few minutes daily can certainly improve your health.

A Beautiful You
Beauty, Fashion and Lifestyle

In the actual sense, beauty is a state of mind which can be improved by improving our confidence in ourselves. A smile, and a happy and confident state of mind, is few of the main factors which can actually make you feel beautiful. No matter how you look, it’s the feeling which counts. People often tend to judge a book by its cover, but remember that it’s always the book with a good content which is going to make an impact in the long run. There are methods-both natural and artificial- that you can do to brighten your face and improve your appearance. With artificial methods, remember that, results are quick to come, at the same time, quick to go once you stop using them. On the other hand natural methods take effect slowly but are lasting and free of side-effects. Even though natural methods are easy to make using home available ingredients, people don't often find the time or the patients to do it. Cloths and your style of dressing is another aspect, which if done correctly, can improve your appearance and confidence.

The pore issue
You get out of the bed early morning and see a pimple staring at you from your reflection. You ate the right food, drink water, clean your face regularly, and despite everything, this. Pimple mainly occurs among adolescents and young adults. They are caused by inflammation of the sebaceous glands which secrete an oily substance (sebum), the natural lubricant of the skin. Sometimes the openings of the glands become blocked, causing the formation of pus-filled swellings. Teenage acne is seen mainly on the face, back, and chest. The first question that arises in our mind after hearing this is" What's the best solution to deal with open pores (pimples)? ".
Unfortunately, there's no magic cure for open pores. Anything that exfoliates the skin can help to quite an extent. This includes creams containing alpha or beta-hydroxyl acids or vitamin A, as well as treatments such as microdermabrasion (skin polishing), peels or intense pulsed light. Anyway I am here to give you advices on how to keep away pimples in the natural way and also give you few suggestions of products available in the market.

Here are some tips to keep away pimples\acne:
* Tomato juice to which a few drops of lime juice has been added can be applied on open pores for 20 min. Then wash with cold water. This mixture also keeps your skin soft and glowing.
* The juice or pulp of pineapple, peaches and papaya are very good.
* Always wash your face with cold water after steaming.
* In humid weather, wash your face at least two times with cold water. If you have powdered orange peel, use this in place of soap.
* Mix equal quantities of lime juice, glycerin and rosewater. This lotion, if applied on the face regularly at bed time, is effective in removing pimples, blackheads and other strain of the skin.
* Reduce eating food that contains large amounts of oil.
* Honey is also good for removing pimples (Read about importance of honey in beauty treatment in my next post)

Fashion tips(page 1)
Every person has a different body structure and not every kind of dress will suit him\her. Here's a help chart for you. See which category you fit in and know the type of dress that will look good on you.
1) Using colour to balance your body is a great idea. Wear light colours where you are small and dark colours where larger. For e.g., if you have large hips, wear dark skirts or pants and a light coloured blouse.
2) Wearing set-in sleeves with shoulder pads will help you to balance wide hips. The shoulder pads will add to your shoulders therefore balancing with your hips.
3) Don't choose clothes that are too tight. Clothes that fit well will make you appear slimmer, while tight clothes will add pounds.
4) Wear tops that have a scoop neckline with half or long sleeves to hide heavy arms and draw attention to the face and neck.
5) Clothes in solid colours with simple lines will make you appear taller.
6) Always break in new shoes before wearing them out for a special occasion.
7) Wear straight silhouettes in a solid colour to hide a thick waist. The skinner the stripe, the thinner you appear.
8) Don't wear black on a hot day or at a wedding. (More fashion tips in my next post)


about myself
My name is Starlet John
doing my Bachelor degree in fashion technology