Beauty and Personal Grooming

It's time to formally bid goodbye to the year 2010 and take a look at the roundup of some to the best articles/posts published so far this year!   Budget Beauty Tips Budget Beauty Tips Budget Beauty Tips: Handy Haircare Hints Budget Beauty: Make your shampoo last longer and a detangle trick Skincare: Buy Smart and Simplify Beauty Tips & Secrets Keep hair healthy, shiny & black with these tips from Jamal Hammadi Ease waxing pain with LMX-4, a topical anesthetic cream Pop that pimple or go in for a cortisone injection How to Camouflage Cellulite Summer skin & hair care tips from Shahnaz Hussain Avoiding the winter soap itch: Skin care tip Organizing Your Beauty and Skincare Cabinet - Tips Skincare and Makeup During Pregnancy - The Do's & Don'ts Top 5 Beauty Must Haves for Every Woman's Purse Beauty Secrets for People with Sensitive Skin Makeup tip to hide blemishes, scars & hollows The Proper Application of Self-Tanner: No...

20's was the time when you had smooth, supple skin . But once you are on the threshold of 30's , time slowly begins wreaking havoc and your facial skin shows the earliest signs of sagging. It's at this point of time that you need to use anti-aging skin care products more stringently, mostly if you had neglected skin care in your late twenties . It's not necessary to shell thousands of bucks on fancy sounding high-end products to look good, especially if you are managing everything  on a shoe-string budget . Home-remedies &  face masks with inexpensive ingredients from your kitchen and garden can do the job equally well. Recipes for these DIY beauty aids are also quick and simple to create at home. The below mentioned Homemade Skin Tightening  Masks have worked wonders on my skin. There's no reason, why it shouldn't work for you. Use these once in a week.

What's the worst that could happen if you slept with your makeup on? Once in a while, if you are too tired and drop off to sleep without removing makeup , it's fine says Dr Malavika Kohli, dermatologist and cosmetologist with Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai. Dr Schultz or DermTV also is of the same view. He says that not much is going to happen if you happen to forget to take off your make-up and only remove it the next morning in the shower . Specially if your makeup is very simple with just a hint of lipstick/lipbalm, light foundation and absolutely no eye makeup, then not removing it at night isn't such a big deal, says Dr. Schultz.

Monikangana Dutta relies on home-remedies and homemade beauty aids

Ayurveda , the ancient Indian system of holistic healing, has thrived for over 5,000 years, offering timeless wisdom for harmonizing body, mind, and spirit. At its core, Ayurveda recognizes that every individual has a unique constitution, known as Prakriti , determined by the balance of three fundamental energies or doshas — Vata, Pitta, and Kapha . These doshas influence not only our physical health but also our personality, emotions, and appearance. In Ayurveda, beauty transcends superficial aesthetics. It is a reflection of inner balance, vitality, and emotional well-being. Each dosha manifests in distinct facial features, body types, and temperaments, creating three archetypes of beauty. By understanding your dominant dosha, you can embrace your natural radiance, tailor self-care practices, and cultivate habits that enhance your unique strengths. This comprehensive guide explores: The physical and emotional traits of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha beauty Customized diet, lifestyle, and ski...

Twinkle Khanna, actor and wife of superstar Akshay Kumar wasn’t quite known for her dress sense in her 20s. She would do with just two pairs of denims and a couple of white shirts and abhorred shopping for dresses. All that changed once she turned 30. She is now counted amongst one of the best dressed women.

Think stars wake up looking camera-ready? Think again: Here are the products they can’t live without.

For a big day out, when you have to look your best, you cannot expect traditional skin care products to instantly camouflage scars, blemishes and hollows ((Eww.. why don't I have flawless skin?) of your facial skin. If you have blemishes , use a concealer before applying foundation .  Also avoid too much of powder on your pimples, or they'll attract attention. To make your facial skin look better temporarily, Dr Schultz,  for a change, suggests using a makeup trick often used by professional makeup artists :  To hide bumps and holes on your face, use a slightly darker shade of makeup (compared to the rest of your face) on bumps (high points), and use a slightly lighter shade of makeup (compared to the rest of your face) on holes and hollows.  These tips work because areas that are darker than the surrounding ones appear depressed (i.e., lowers the appearance of a high point) and areas that are lighter than the surrounding area appear raised (i.e., elev...

Who doesn't envy Model/Actress/former MTV VJ Amrita Arora's gorgeous looks? This foxy beauty with fab hair and a wicked smile leaves no one standing when she shakes her groove thing.  However she doesn't rely only on high-end cosmetics to work their magic and loves to go natural whenever possible.  

Nothing completes the perfect holiday outfit like luscious red lips! Whether you are going to the office party or getting ready for a big New Year's bash, red lips will surely get you noticed this holiday season. Here are the top choices and tips for making your lips mistletoe-ready.

It's so sad that most superfoods touted as healthy and nutritious aren't pleasant-tasting, while fried and junk food are so delectable that everyone loves to gorge on them.  Green tea, a beverage of choice of most-health conscious people is no exception and tastes awful. I mostly drink it because it has immense health benefits. To enhance its taste, and well, make it more potable, you might want to add a little milk and sugar to it. After all, as a nation of tea-drinkers, for most Indians drinking tea without milk is unthinkable. Junk food looks enticing and is so delectable

Heidi Klum is totally averse to yo-yo dieting and isn't exactly impressed by people who are aiming to be reed-thin. She believes that plump cheeks and a fuller face, make a person look much younger than a skinny person whose face looks gaunt with tight and angular features. In her own words, " My tip is, don't be too thin! It is always better to have a little meat on your bones. When you are just muscle, you end up being gaunt on the face and that makes you look older by five or 10 years. "

There are plenty of rejuvenating and hydrating face masks available for purchase at your local pharmacy or cosmetics counter, and while some come at only minor expense, others can be pretty pricy.  You can certainly find options that eschew the use of harmful chemicals, dyes, and fragrances, but these sensitive skin options may end up costing even more.  However, there are ways to get the natural products you crave without spending an arm and a leg.  The easiest way, of course, is to make them yourself from the comfort of your own kitchen , and you don’t have to be a scientist to work out the formulas.

Here multi-talented star, Beyonce Knowles (Read more about her from here .) shares some of her favorite beauty products and fashion accessories with us. Beyonce Knowles   Pic Source

Walking style differs from person to person. This is influenced by body structure, habits, upbringing and environment. Grace in one's gait definitely adds attraction to one's personality. A graceful gait can add to one's charm. It also reveals character. Sophisticated people take great pains to cultivate a good walk. For actors, models, beauty contestants, brides-to-be and public figures, it is important to have poise while walking. Even for an ordinary woman, a good walking style is necessary. Gait reveals the character of a person. The majority do not bother to take notice of the defects in their style or to rectify them. This is improper. One must try to learn good things and apply them in one's life.

 

The season's changing, and that means mother nature is probably wreaking havoc on that pretty skin of yours. Your summer tan is fading, and dry, damaged skin has nowhere to hide. It's time to get out some beauty essentials and whip up a great, natural, at home facial . Do I really need to give you an excuse to take some time out and pamper yourself, though? I didn't think so, but I'll help you out anyway. I read through scientific journals so you don't have to, to figure out only the best ingredients for this ultimate DIY facial .

Dita Von Teese , 37, simply loves to wear hot lingerie and red lipstick. This burlesque dancer and fetish model's love affair with with the crimson lippy started when she was a teenager and she is still to come out of it!  In an interview to a newspaper , she admits, " The love affair has never ended. Even today, I feel like I am partaking in some kind of historic ritual. There is definitely nothing sexier than hot lingerie and red lipstick. "

Urad Dal (Black gram ), a very popular ingredient in South Indian cuisine is widely used in the preparation of mouth-watering probiotic culinary delicacies like  Dosa, iIdi and Vada, and crispy, delectable  Urad Papads.This highly nutritious pulse is low in fat and cholesterol and a rich source of protein and fiber and is recommended for diabetics also. The nutritional protein in Urad dal is comparable to the protein derived from animal sources and hence a wonderful substitute  for vegetarians to make up for mineral deficiencies arising from an all-veggie diet. Apart from its use in culinary delights, Urad Dal is also an ingredient  in quite a few Ayurvedic medicines. Furthermore, in ancient times, Urad (Black Lentil) was also used as a beauty aid , in fact as a scrub to massage the body. "black lentil" is usually the whole urad bean or urad dal.Buy from here . "white lentil" is the same lentil with the black skin removed. Bu...

Natural healing and colon cleansing have become hot topics of discussion over the past several years. One of the biggest things that draws people to colon cleansing is that it jump-starts weight loss. But why does colon cleansing initiate weight loss? And what are the other benefits to a colon cleansing regimen?

A new form of straightening treatment has hit the market – and this one has certainly earned its bragging rights. Unlike other treatments that use harsh chemicals to alter your hair, the Brazilian Blowout soothes it with its conditioning properties. In fact, the developers of this new craze suggest using it on damaged hair because it can help repair it! Not only that, but it won’t strip your hair of a color treatment like other formulas will .

You’ve no doubt seen the best and worst of what the anti-aging industry has to offer when it comes to keeping celebrities looking young. While some have had phenomenal success with a little nip and tuck (Mary Louise Parker looks better now than she did when she was 20) most have gone way overboard with their face-neutralizing plastics and plumpers.  Melanie Griffith, Mickey Rourke, Sylvester Stallone, and Farrah Fawcett have been lifted and lipo-ed so much that they now resemble claymation versions of their former selves…and don’t look now, but here comes what used to be Heidi Montag.  In any case, some celebrities have managed to avoid the Botox and tummy tucks and have turned out all the better for it. Here are a few famous faves who have aged gracefully and without enhancement.

If you are the kind of man who who believes that it is just not a macho thing to obsess over skin care and personal grooming , think again!  These days, the desire to look young and youthful is no longer the prerogative of women, men too have joined the anti-aging bandwagon and are resorting to cosmetic surgery & Botox to alter their looks . So it's high time you changed your mindset and followed this minimal man-friendly anti-aging skincare regime. It's perfectly cut out for your type and  will keep you looking your best and boost your self-confidence . Besides, it's so simple and effective and you will reap several health benefits as well. You'll look 30 when you are 40 , and 40 when you take grand-kids to a football game. 

A list of best posts from July 2010 - Sept 2010 . Enjoy! Beauty & SkincareTips , Makeup tips and How tos The Holidays are Almost Here - Holiday Grooming Guide Times flies so quickly. And the holidays are almost here. Gear up for Holidays with this Holiday Grooming Guide . How to Camouflage Cellulite Even thin people have cellulite . You can't do much about it but these tips will come handy in camouflaging it. Skincare: Buy Smart and Simplify Don't splurge. Buy only the essentials. Simplify & de-clutter and this in turn will make your life easy. Organizing Your Beauty and Skincare Cabinet - Tips   A well organized beauty & skincare cabinet is such a pretty sight to behold. Plus, when you are in a hurry, it saves your time & energy as you don't have to rummage through everything to get your things. Skincare and Makeup During Pregnancy - The Do's & Don'ts Acne medications are a strict no-no while trying to conceive...

Swimming in the cool waters of the pool or paddling through the sea waves is a great way to unwind after a hectic weekend, but it doesn't do any good to your pretty curls . So if your naturally curly hair looks battered & frizzy after a swim, it's high time you did something for it.

An aesthetically attractive posture needs neither the classical features of a Venus or an attractive Shakuntala nor the figure of a celestial nymph or an Apsara . A pleasing posture can be easily acquired and perfected. Posture is an essential part of a well-groomed woman . One must walk erect-no hunching and no slouching. The body must be upright. At the same time, the body must be relaxed and one’s movements should be fluid . In other words, one must not give the impression or a bamboo pole or a military man or imitate the unduly gait of a camel. When walking , the leg should swing forward from the hip, in one gentle motion. Try to bend the knee as little as possible. When the foot touches the ground, its toes, and not heel, should contact the ground first. When the heel touches the ground first, the walk, or rather the movement, seems “heavy”.

Do you have difficulty hiding an area of dimpled, bumpy skin? Have you tried everything to camouflage the cottage cheese ? Most men and women have some degree of cellulite, fatty deposits located in our connective tissue directly beneath the skin. This causes an unwanted effect of rippling on the skins surface, sometimes referred to as orange peel syndrome. Women are most afflicted with this condition, which appears most commonly on the abdomen, thighs, and buttocks. The fatty deposits are difficult to remove and can require drastic changes in life style habits, and in severe cases, surgery. Although there is no fast and easy fix, cellulite can be disguised with a few simple steps .

We’ve all been guilty of buying beauty products we don’t really need just because they are the flavor of the month.  Be honest, you’ve purchased more lip-gloss in a single year than an entire girl’s boarding school could use up in a lifetime.  And don’t even get started on revitalizing creams!  In truth, most women are susceptible to advertising.  If we weren’t, all those ad agencies would be out of business.  We quickly buy into the images that are thrust in our faces every day on billboards, in magazines, and during commercial breaks.  We want the smoky eyes that can only come from a combination of expensive eye shadow palettes, liners, and mascara.  That girl with the perfect skin could be you if only you’d whip out your wallet and get an entirely new line of skincare (forget the fact that it’s totally wrong for your skin type).  The point is we could all be a little wiser when it comes to spending our hard-earned dollars on beauty products,...

It’s no secret that women are suckers for grooming products .  Heck, there’s an entire multi-billion dollar industry based on the simple concept that the fairer sex is always seeking the next best way to look better than ever.  Sadly, this penchant for primping and the products that go with it has led to a mass epidemic of medicine cabinets and under-sink cupboards overflowing with makeup, hair products, nail treatments, and skin creams galore.  And every time you have to go hunting for your nighttime moisturizer or your shiny red lipstick, you swear you’re going to take the time to organize everything.  But each time you get around to it, you wind up dumping related items into buckets and sticking them in no-man’s-land at the back of the cabinet.  However, there are a few tips that can make your organizational nightmare into an easily manageable undertaking.  Just follow these simple steps to get the neat and tidy cabinets you see in the magazines . ...

The maang , or the parting in the hair , enjoys a unique place in Indian culture . It has always had a special significance in our society because of the relationship it has with Sindoor and marital status. Many Bollywood films have tried to cash in on this sentimentality and romanticism and to lure audiences – Maang Bharo Sajana, Khoon Bhari Maang , Sindoor Tere naam ka to name a few. Bridegroom applying sindoor in maang (hair parting)  ( Pic Source )

As the leaves start falling, we’re all trying to get our hands on the hottest looks for the colder months. With the New York Fashion Week ongoing, it seems there are a host of trends popping up on the runway that will give hungry fashionistas what they are looking for, and a taste of what is to come in the world of fall makeup trends. Makeup artists for Marc Jacobs, Brian Reyes, and Peter Som have set the stage, and those of us anxiously awaiting can now rest easy knowing what to put on with the sweaters dutifully pulled from closets.

Women for years have bemoaned the use of self-tanner .  What happened to the good old days of beach blanket bingo, when spending all day (sans sun-block) at a beach filled with frolicking youngsters was considered hip?  These days, nobody wants to risk the horrors of skin cancer by sitting outside to achieve a sun-kissed glow.  And apparently tanning beds are just as bad .  And yet, contemplating the sticky, streaky mess of self-tanners is almost a deal-breaker.  But you don’t want to spend the winter months looking pasty and pale simply because you are loathe to lotion up.  Thankfully, there is a proper way to apply self-tanners so that you don’t end up orange or striped like a brown-and-white zebra.  If you follow a few simple tips and tricks, you can come out with a perfect and flawless tan every time .

Are you agonizing over those awful stains on your teeth , which are tenacious and don’t seem to budge to regular & proper brushing ? Are those time-tested and decidedly effective teeth whitening home-remedies , highly recommended by your friend not working for you? Now if you have been worrying over this constantly and wondering perhaps what could be done to erase these stubborn teeth stains that are tainting the beauty of your smile , don’t lose heart. Even Hillary Clinton has stained teeth.

There are numerous tips doled out to women on grooming nowadays, which include those on what to wear, which jewellery to choose, what make-up to don and when and how and what hairstyle to adopt, and so on. But one essential aspect of grooming that escapes our attention is that of wearing a smile ! We hardly realize that no dress, no ornament, no makeup and no-anything of its ilk can surpass the impact of a smile , which is the most beautiful ornament ever discovered! A smile is the language of inner culture and silent music from within. A smile invests life with joy and warmth. The most beautiful aspect of grooming has eluded us because we are too busy looking for the decoration of our body outwardly. By this, we miss this vital aspect of grooming, our inner self . A smile reflects an inner personality, which is at immense peace with oneself. An inscrutable tranquility and equanimity of mind, that pervades within, casts its radiance outwards in the form of a serene smile. ...

It may come as no surprise that your body undergoes a series of traumatic changes during pregnancy. Many people will experience anything from acne to intense cravings for chocolate . When your hormones are going wild, it may become necessary to change your makeup and skin care routines to adapt to your body’s changes. It is important to educate yourself on certain products and what they are made of in order to get yourself the best care possible during your pregnancy. Here are the do’s and don’ts of makeup and skincare that will help your skin look as beautiful as you feel .

Do you often find yourself pining over that gorgeous Herbal Essences model whose golden locks shine and flow like the gods? Have you tried everything in the books to tame your frizzy mane? If your hair falls under the categories of “dry” and “brittle ,” bad hair days may be more common than good ones. What can be done to turn every bad case of frizz into tumbling tresses forevermore? It may be easier then you thought. A simple change in your hair care methods may be all you need to make your hair and you happier. On closer examination, your hair, when at its best, appears smooth and soft. A microscope can easily reveal that chemically damaged, or dry hair looks cracked and tangled . The damaged strands of hair refuse to lie flat and become out of control. The key to taming your hair is conditioning . Conditioners, which re-hydrate your hair, are essential to rejuvenating your hair’s cuticle, or outer layer. This not only allows for the strands of hair to relax and lay down, but al...

The Avatar star, Zoe Saldana shares her favourite products and fashion must-haves:

Are you feeling a little unkempt or lazy as the summer slowly heats up and winds down?  Making plans already for this year's holiday festivities?     Wondering how you are going get yourself tidied up in time for your annual season’s greetings mailer card?     Well, the holiday season is right around the corner, and even though we might just pack on some extra Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner pounds, we still want to find cheap and easy ways to stay looking our best for those holiday family and friend photos.    But how can we do this without breaking the bank or borrowing too much time?

Former Model and Top Chef judge, the gorgeous Padma Lakshmi talks about her beauty must-haves:

The first date, as stressful and overwhelming as it can be, is not the only opportunity to set the right impression.  Therefore, all the dates that follow (second, third, fourth, etc.) can be just as nerve wracking as the first.  And most often, it's the prep time before the date during which most of the nerves and anxiety sets in.  But there are some simple things that you can do while you get ready to help quell your nerves, get your mind right and settled, and make you look even better and beautiful for your date. 

If you want to shake your blues away and lose a few kilos in the process, then check into a dance class. Yes, dance is an excellent form of exercise that is emotionally and mentally satisfying!! It can give you a “high” not unlike what junkies feel when they take a shot or a puff. Except that, in this case, it is a natural “high”, not drug induced. When you exercise, endorphins are released from your brain that produces this “high” effect. As the pulse rises, and the heartbeat increases while dancing, the body also begins to manufacture its own pain reducer, known as the “prostate gland inhibitor”, which makes you feel absolutely great.

The beauty industry is one of the fastest growing industries worldwide. And as we all begin to invest more time and more money into our physical appearance, beauty product companies and beauty based businesses are finding new and improved techniques and formulas to supply the ever growing demand for better skin care. Facials have become the go to necessity in maintaining healthy, glowing, youthful looking skin tones and complexions for our faces, and as the industry booms, the types of facials available have boomed as well.

Botox to sculpt a square jawline ? Yes, it's true! Showing off high cheekbones was never this easy! But it needs to be done by a qualified and competent doctor or else it can also result in an unsightly disproportionate lower face and a gauntly appearance.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or so they say. But truthfully, beauty begins on the inside. And how you feel about yourself, both inside and out, projects onto how the world around you sees you. If you can feel beautiful and positive about yourself internally, then that positive energy will translate onto your face, into your walk, through your eyes and your smile, and you can freely and truly feel beautiful and positive externally.

Women's Friendship Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in August every year. Women's Friendship Day Ecard On this occasion, make a resolution to get rid of toxic friends and be with pals who give out positive vibes and make you feel good about yourself. Recommended Reading:  How to let go of friendships that hurt your health Ban negativity from your life for good! 4 Essential Traits Of Good Friends Ten qualities every friend should have