Shake it Baby

Have you ever had one of those mornings where you wake up looking like you just finished nine rounds in the boxing ring with someone who obviously won judging by the dark circles and swelling around your eyes? Or do you  have those same dark circles after a long day at work?

Thousands of people suffer from the same dark circles and bags that you are seeing. They seem to be hard to get rid of, even after applying several layers of makeup.  Plus, they make you look tired and even older. So, what can be done to prevent or at least reduce the appearance of this unwanted feature?

Where do they come from?

• There are a few things that can cause black under eye circles and swelling. The one that usually comes to mind is fatigue, just being plain tired.
• Another cause is allergies. Besides making you sniff and cough, allergies can also effect the eyes by making them water and swell.
• Heredity is the dominant cause of circles and bags and unfortunately is the hardest one avoid or prevent.

Remedies

Let’s begin with the easy stuff. If you feel your “panda eyes” are coming from a lack of sleep, get more sleep. Try going to bed earlier and avoid drinking alcohol right before bed. Alcohol, even though it makes you tired, can cause you to have a restless night’s sleep. Try wearing ear plugs if noise is keeping you awake and block out any unwanted light. The average adult should get between 7-9 hours of sleep at night.  Also consider a power nap.

If allergies are the cause then a trip to your doctor is needed. Your doctor will be able to determine what is causing the allergic reaction and help you to relieve it. By removing the allergenic from your environment, you will also eliminate any symptoms it was causing.

Then there is heredity. If you find other family members have this same problem, chances are that it’s in your genes. There are things that may reduce the appearance of dark circles and bags but probably will not totally eliminate them.

You may have heard about putting cucumbers on your eyes to relieve puffiness, but a raw potato will work, too. Both offer a cool, soothing feeling and will take down any swelling.

Tea bags can offer some relief as well. The tannin in the tea reduces swelling and may reduce the discolouration found under the eyes. You will want to moisten the tea bags in warm water and then cool them down before placing on the eyes.

A cold pack or a cool wet wash cloth may also help.

These easy remedies may reduce the appearance but probably will not eliminate the dark color especially if it is caused by heredity.

No Comments » Posted by April / Beauty

The shape of your diamond depends on the cut. You’ll be spoilt for choice when choosing a cut for your diamond as there are so many. Each design has certain shimmering qualities to allow it to sparkle just right in the light.

The most popular shapes are pear, princess, oval, round, trillion, emerald and heart. The proportions of the diamond are actually what diamond cuts mean. When choosing a diamond, you should pick out your preferred design shape.

You may be tempted to simply choose the cut of diamond you think is the prettiest; however you should also concern yourself with the quality.

Buying a diamond is an investment in your future, so it should be treated as such and not taken lightly. When investing in stock, you wouldn’t buy stock just because its company has a cute name.

That would be too unsafe. Instead you would analyse each company to decide who is the riskiest and who is the safest. Buying diamonds are no different, you should check out each company to see what you think of the quality.

A step cut is often seen in the emerald shape diamonds. This method is where the diamond is cut into four-sided facets, giving the step look. The facets in the step cut are created in a sloping fashion to catch the light for a luminous quality.

The brilliant cut, usually seen in round diamonds, uses triangles and kite shapes in the cutting of the diamond itself. This allows the light to refract off each facet of cut on the diamond and enables it to bounce from one corner to another – giving the diamond its brilliant shine.

Antique cuts give an old-fashioned feel to the diamond due to them being carved into intricate designs and odd shapes – like those made to look like an opening rose bud.

Patented cuts are seen in diamonds with several sharp cornered facets set into the stone. This allows the light to be absorbed and lets it flow through the diamond for an ultimate shine. The best quality illuminates beautifully in the light.

Diamonds which have been poorly cut won’t sparkle and shine to the same intensity as quality diamond cuts. Always look for a diamond that shimmers to perfection.

• Women all over the world love princess cut diamond earrings because of the sparkling yet tasteful cut of the diamond.

No Comments » Posted by April / Fashion