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There are now more fitness equipment options to choose from than ever. With the escalation and evolution of online shopping, price levels now vary widely for products of similar quality and durability. It's important to research and consider many factors before buying a high-end product. Read online reviews, peruse reader comments on sites like Amazon, and compare the equipment at your local gym or exercise equipment store.
Among the most popular fitness equipment manufacturers are Bowflex, Schwinn, Stamina, Weider, ProForm and Horizon. There are many others and quality and durabilit levels differ greatly. Some are expensive, high end machines while others are considered bargain brands that offer good value because of economies of scale created by the large volume of equipment manufactured.
Explore online fitness communities and blogs to help make your decision on a brand and equipment type. Read reviews and watch video demonstrations. Finding the right piece of equipment to suit your needs and one that keeps you motivated is an important part of reaching your fitness goals.
Click here to read more at our Orble Fitness Blog.
MSN Health & Fitness has come up with a list of surprising places and people bugs cling to that will have you investing in a 1litre hand sanitizer and get some people even more paranoid than they already are.
The Bed
Hubby often complains of my tendency to leave the bed unmade, scoffing at my excuse that I’ll be back there in 12 hours anyway. Now I have a valid excuse. Dust mites live in your sheets and feed on your dead skin, contributing to asthma and allergies.
What to do : Don’t make your bed. Dust mites need humidity levels above 50% to survive and a made bed traps the moisture they need. If the sight of an unmade bed gives you the creepy crawlies, mount an air attack. Bundle a humidifier with an oscillating fan for a double moisture eliminator.
The contact-lens case
A 2007 Chinese study revealed that 34% of contact lens cases tested were crawling with germs that can cause an inflammatory eye disease that can damage the cornea and lead to blindness.
What to do : Throw away your used solution and thoroughly rinse the case in hot water daily. Replace your lens case at least every 3 months. As multi-purpose solutions lose most of their germ-fighting power after a couple of months, buy a new solution bottle every other month even if you haven’t used it all.
The flight attendant
The Journal of Environmental Health Research has discovered that you are 100 times more likely to catch a cold on a plane than on the ground. Flight attendants are exposed to hundreds of sniffling and coughing passengers every day and use the same bathroom you use.
What to do : Pack a green-tea pill. People who take a 450mg green tea supplement twice a day for 3 months have a third fewer days of cold symptoms.
The gym equipment
A study in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine found that 63% of gym equipments they tested in fitness centres have bacteria that instigates the common cold. They also discovered that weight equipments contain more bacteria than cardio equipments.
What to do : Don’t touch your face between sets and pack an alcohol-based hand sanitizer in your gym bag.
The lemon wedge in your drink
70% of lemon wedges floating innocently in café/restaurant glasses contain 25 different microorganisms including E. coli and other fecal bacteria.
What to do : Simple. Ask for your drink without the fruit.
The shopping trolley
Yikes! A recent study in the University of Arizona has shown that shopping trolleys contain more bacteria than an average public toilet.
What to do : Apply disinfectant to the handle of the trolley before grabbing hold. It may not be environmentally friendly but make use of those plastic bags in the fruits & vegetables section to pack any unbagged fruits & vegetables.
The restaurant menu
Cold and flu viruses survive up to 18 hours on hard surfaces. We’ve seen waiters spraying and wiping down the tables but have you ever seen them do the same with the menu?
What to do : Don’t let the menu touch your plate or cutlery and wash your hands after you order.
The Vacuum Cleaner
Researchers have found that vacuum brushes contain ‘fecal bacteria’, all packing with mold, transferring the germs from contaminated surfaces to uncontaminated ones when vacuuming.
What to do : Bacteria can survive up to 5 days inside a vacuum even after you take out the dirt so spray the brush with a disinfectant after each use. Also disposable bags promote bacterial growth so buy the bag-less types.
The vinyl shower curtain
The soap scum that sticks to your vinyl shower curtain not only looks ugly but breeds bacteria that causes infection.
What to do : Replace the vinyl curtain with a fabric shower curtain. It will still attract bacteria but is much easier to clean and scrub down than a vinyl curtain. All you have to do is toss it in the washing machine and use the hottest water the fabric can handle. Experts recommend washing the shower curtain once a month or, if you’re prone to allergies and infections, more frequently.
The weight-lifting gloves
A Japanese study has found that a certain type of bacteria sticks strongly to polyester which is used in many gloves. You inadvertently wipe the sweat from your face with your gloved hands and the bacteria are in.
What to do : Ditching the gloves not only ditch the germs but, according to Men’s Health Muscle Guy, doing the weights with your bare hands actually strengthen your grip and forearms.
Brides of Spring will no doubt be flipping through magazines and/or scouring the net for some ideas on which hairstyle would suit them best for their wedding day. Let me throw some in for you, courtesy of Complete Wedding Hair & Beauty 2008 magazine.
GLAMOROUS UP-SWEEP
The up-do continues to be the most popular hairstyle among brides, and why not? It’s out of your face, you don’t have to worry about it looking frizzy throughout the day and you can dance your reception away without limp, sweaty tendrils hanging around the face.
A smooth chignon with a full quiff fringe works best when embellished with a gold and silver comb. This type of do focuses the attention on the eyes but may not be suitable for those with high foreheads.
The short blunt fringe may be in danger of giving your face a hard look, but here it’s softened by an upsweep of layers high atop the head and adorned with a flower near the front. This style is perfect for pixie, heart-shaped faces but may not be suited to those with long faces and/or big noses.
If your husband to be ever had fantasies of Princess Leia, then he would love this Leia-inspired buns, with a modern twist. Instead of cinnamon swirls, have your long thick curls swept up into two loose buns on either side of the head. Have short layers frame the side of your face for a softer, more casual, but still elegant look.
The focus of the hairstyle shouldn’t just be on the front. Get your hair stylist to create something more dramatic to the back of your up-sweep style to have your guests admiring your bridal do from all angles.
A side-sweep fringe leading into a smooth chignon and fastened with a brooch at the back.
A high ponytail is bound at the back with a bow of hair and a diamond brooch.
LONG & LUSTROUS
The long and lustrous style is perfect with long, straight narrow wedding gowns and is quickly becoming popular among brides who want to stay away from the traditional up-sweep styles. But things to think about with this style : if wearing a veil, any movement from the head may cause static and your hair to cling to the veil; and depending on the weather, your hair may get frizzy throughout the day so it’s definitely worthwhile asking your hairstylist for some advice.
Soft, elegant but sexy, it reminds me of Angelina Jolie’s style. This half-up do leaves the rest of the hair to trail gracefully down the back in soft, luscious waves that are bound to hypnotise your guests as you sashay down the aisle – especially when secured with an embellished comb.
Blow dried hair, teased at the crown to add height and volume and pushed back from the face with bandeau on satin ribbons give a modern twist to the classical beehive style.
This do is the best way to show off your thick, lustrous shiny locks. Wear it long and loose, curled at the ends to add extra volume and movement. If you have a high forehead, try a low-side part. This style is suitable for medium to thick hair that already has some natural movement to ensure the curls stay in place.
SHORT & PLAYFUL
Short, funky bobs are in so forget donning a weave or sweeping it all up and concentrate instead on showing off your playful side on your special day.
Make your short bob funkily glamorous with a high-volume blow secured with a pin at the front.
Create a soft bob look with loose waves for texture and volume. Sweep the fringe off the face and hold in place with a decorative comb.
Forget basic black and charcoal gray. The hottest fashion color this season is green. We all know about the impact of global warming and climate change and everybody wants to do something about it. And that includes some of the world’s hottest bag designers.
Cool eco-friendly shopping bags like Baggu reusable totes and Envirosax shoppers make it easy to ditch old-fashioned plastic and paper varieties. These clever creations are lightweight, spacious, and stylish. They’ll hold a lot more than those nasty plastic bags, and they’re made of strong fabrics to withstand the extra weight. The playful patterns on the Envirosax and bold colors of the Baggu bags make these environmentally fashion bags great fashion statements.
We all know recycling’s a great way to help our planet, and some of our favorite fashion houses are getting in on the act. I love Nahui Ollin’s colorful purses made from gum wrappers, soda bottle labels, and candy wrappers. These materials make much better fashion accessories than landfill!
They say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and the Aussie company Trash Bags firmly agrees. It’s taking old telephone books, juice cartons, plastic bags, and newspaper and turning them into designer bags. And their cool creations aren’t just eco-friendly. They’re also socially responsible, with profits helping to improve communities in the Asia Pacific region.
These hot eco-friendly bags will help you save the planet in style!
If you’re Asian like me, then you’d know that those traditional eye make-up tricks usually written on the back of an eyeshadow case, or in a magazine article, don’t apply to Asian eyes. Going by these tips only made me look like I was a six-year old who went crazy with her mum’s make-up. Light, shimmering colour on eyelids, for some reason, only succeeded in completely wiping out what little crease I have left and made my eyes appear harsher and older. Then I went through the phase where I attempted to put a ‘wider crease’ – applying a light shadow all over and past my lid, then rubbing a dark shadow into the part where I would want my crease to be. While I still sometimes wish for bigger creases and wider eyes, I’ve had to learn to make the best of my Asian eyes with these tips :
Typical Asian eyes - not sure about the make up though
[ Click here to read more ]
Reese Witherspoon has beaten the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Eva Longoria and Angelina Jolie to win the #1 fave celebrity hairstyle among Instyle’s thousands of avid readers – all because of the fringe that every hairstylist insists is a must-have.
[ Click here to read more ]
Vamp Up Your Lips
As a Professional, Celebrity Hair & Makeup Artist who works on both sides of the Atlantic (NY & London) I am always searching for what the next hot look will be. Funny thing is no matter how trends in beauty may change- one iconic look always pops up every other season- the Golden Age of Hollywood. For a glamourous evening out, a 1940's vamp is always a winner. A strong lip always makes bold statement and it's easy to pair up eyes with just a few lashings of lovely mascara
[ Click here to read more ]
Elle Macpherson has joined the ranks of Halle Berry and Jessica Alba by signing up as a global brand spokesperson for Revlon. She will feature in major print and TV advertising campaigns, but what products she’ll actually endorse are yet to be disclosed.
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It seems understandable enough. When you take down your curtains, you naturally look out and inspect the view. But, in the cases of several women, they find that the view isn’t as good as they expected, sighting certain imperfections they feel must be remedied.
Australian cosmetic surgeons say there is an increase in women who bore the pain of a Brazilian then asked for their vaginal lips to be ‘plumped up’. It seems they don’t find their now exposed labia majora aesthetically pleasing with all but a wee strip of pubic hair all gone – especially with swimsuits becoming skimpier some beaches even encouraging nude-bathing. This is especially common among women over 40 who grow dissatisfied with their look as they get older. Other procedures to improve this certain private part are tightening the vagina through laser treatment and ‘trimming back protruding inner vagina lips’.
[ Click here to read more ]
When I heard that sales of home perming kits are up by 50% in the UK this year with Australia soon to follow, I was catapulted to that very grim memory of my grandmother getting the bright idea to perm just my fringe – with disastrous results. Whenever I think of perm, I think poodle hair, peroxide, pink lipstick and wearing two knee-length socks pushed down toward the ankles and the term ‘bushpigs’.
Ooh la lah, don't you just love my poodle perm?
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