BEAUTY & STYLE

WANT TO GET RID OF DARK UNDERARMS?!

May 6, 2013 By TheLifestylista

WANT TO GET RID OF DARK UNDERARMS?!

Want to ‘throw yuh hands in the air and shake it like you just don’t care’ when the music hits…? Here are some solutions!

First thing’s first though… most women have armpits that are darker than the rest of their bodies. It’s not the end of the world and there’s no shame in it. Actresses in magazines, TV ads and movies seem to have perfect underarms but they also have airbrushing!

EXFOLIATE

When dead skin accumulates, your underarms can appear discolored.

Clean your armpits every day and exfoliate at least once a week (some people exfoliate everyday BUT if you do that, be gentle… over-exfoliation can also cause skin irritation and discoloration).

You can exfoliate using a pumice stone (gently), an exfoliator pad or you can create a DIY sugar scrub (add half a cup of sugar to 2 tablespoons of olive oil). After you have cleaned your underarms and they are still wet, rub the sugar scrub under your armpits for 1 – 2 minutes and then wash off. Do this three times a week.

CHANGE HAIR REMOVAL METHOD

If you shave or use depilatory cream (hair removal creams e.g. Nair), those thick hair roots just under your skin will give the effect of darker underarms… Though these hair removal methods are convenient, they don’t get rid of the hair at the root… And the acids in hair removing creams change the pH of your skin and can also cause skin discoloration.

And remember, electrolysis as a method of hair removal can also cause hyperpigmentation (especially for those with gorgeous, darker skins). So be careful.

Waxing is the best way to remove underarm hair (it removes those thick hair roots) BUT it’s said to be painful and messy!

So I’ve heard… Truth be told, I have yet to wax my underarms – I’m pretty, darned low maintenance!

CHANGE DEODORANT

Use a natural deodorant instead of one filled with alcohol or chemicals e.g. parabens, aluminium, strong fragrances etc. (it has been suggested that these contribute to underarm discoloration). If you must use an alcohol or chemical filled deodorant clean it off thoroughly before you go to sleep at night.

DON’T WEAR TIGHT MAN-MADE CLOTHES

The friction can irritate your skin and cause discoloration.

EXTRA WEIGHT

If you’re carrying extra weight, the rubbing of skin around the underarms can lead to discoloration.

DON’T TRY TO BLEACH YOUR UNDERARMS or anywhere else!

Bleaching creams often cause hyper pigmentation and they are dangerous to your health (some complications include cancer, toxicity that damages the kidney and the liver, causes thinning skin and more). You’re beautiful and so is your skin and nothing is worth permanently damaging that.

CERTAIN MEDICAL ISSUES CONTRIBUTE TO SKIN DISCOLORATION

– Diabetes

– Certain oral contraceptives (the Pill)

– A disease called acanthosis nigricans

If you feel your problem requires the help of a medical professional, go to your family doctor or a dermatologist.

I’m here rooting for you!

love,

The Lifestylista

xox

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CELEBRITY SECRET: HOW TO MEASURE TO GET YOUR PERFECT JEANS FIT

May 5, 2013 By TheLifestylista

Are you sick and tired of the depressing ARGH (!) moments when you go shopping for jeans? You try each new pair of jeans on but each one is less flattering than the last? And if you do leave with a pair of jeans, it’s just a compromise – it doesn’t leave you feeling like a sexy, fabulous, goddess…

It doesn’t have to be this way!

The real problem here is that we don’t know how to correctly measure what size of jeans we should wear…

Here’s how to fix that – these are the measuring tricks that celebs, their stylists and their tailors know… And now you do too:

DECIDE WHICH RISE YOU PREFER – you can do this by trying on loads of different styles of jeans or by measuring the rise a pair of jeans that fit you really well
The ‘rise’ is the distance from the top of your waistband at the front to the bottom of your crotch seam.
– A high rise will be at or above your natural waist (a rise of 12 inches or more)
– A mid rise will be about an inch or two below your waist
– A low rise can be as low as you dare (average 8 inches but as low as 4!)

MEASURE YOUR WAIST
– Stand up straight and don’t hold in your tummy
– Take a cloth or bendy plastic measuring tape
– Since you’ve already decided what ‘rise’ you’re going for (high rise, mid rise or low rise) – you know where on your body you’re going to measure the waist. Today I’m going to measure myself for a pair of low rise jeans. It’s better if you can get someone else to help you but, if that’s not possible, try to do this in front of a mirror so you can see what you are doing.
– Don’t measure over clothing. Always measure directly onto your skin to get your correct measurements.
– Don’t hold the measuring tape too tightly to get a smaller waist, if you do, the measurement won’t be accurate.
– If you are measuring your own waist e.g. for low rise jeans, you will need to measure about 5 inches below the top of your belly button (depending on the size of the low rise you’re going for). If you are doing this yourself, it can be useful to make a mark on your body using some eye liner pencil so you know exactly how low to measure for your waist for that specific size of low rise).
– When you measure your low rise waist, the number that hits the starting point of the tape will be your waist measurement for that style of jeans!

MEASURE YOUR INSEAM
Measure your leg from the top inseam point (just under your crotch) to the bottom inseam point (depends on whether you’ll be wearing heels or flats – you want the hem to skim the top of the shoes you will be wearing).

Now you’ve decided what rise you’re going for and you’ve measured your waist and inseam, you can go to the store and you can weed out potential jeans with just these measurements and a tape measure!

So, in the store, TAKE A POTENTIAL PAIR OF JEANS AND LAY IT ON A FLAT SURFACE – before wasting your time in the changing rooms, you’re looking for a pair of jeans that match the measurements you want:
– Measure RISE – from top of waist band to crotch seam. (If you’re looking for a low rise and this measurement is 8 inches or less, you’ve got a low rise)
– Measure WAIST – from one side of the waistband to the other and double the figure. So 15 inches would mean a 30 inch waist
– Measure INSEAM: crotch seam to end of hem.

Different jeans brands put radically different size labels on jeans that are actually the same size in reality… So it’s extremely confusing, misleading and frustrating! This measuring method you’ve just learned, will match you up with great jeans without spending hours in the changing room. If you correctly measure yourself beforehand, you can quickly and easily weed out duds and only try on the gems… the jeans that will fit you perfectly. So in the changing room all you’ve got left to do is smile cheekily at yourself in the mirror because of how gorgeous you’re looking!

Yay! I’m here rooting for you.

If you have any comments or questions, do leave a comment in the box below.

love,

The Lifestylista

xox

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WANT LONGER LASHES… NATURALLY? Here's the way to get them!

May 2, 2013 By TheLifestylista

WANT LONGER LASHES… NATURALLY?
Don’t we all! We’ve got to be patient though… eyelashes are the slowest growing hairs on your body. Drat 🙁
People use the expression “she bats her eyelashes” for a reason… These tiny little hairs enhance our attractiveness HUGELY!

TAKE OFF YOUR MASCARA EVERY NIGHT!
Don’t skip this step… Not if your eyelashes mean anything to you! If you use a load of mascara make doubly sure you clean it off before bed!
There are tiny, cheeky, parasitic mites called Demodex Folliculorum and they feed on mascara… If you don’t take your mascara off regularly they will be on your eyelashes having a dinner party!
If you don’t have eye make up remover use a cotton pad and olive oil.
And don’t tug on your lashes when you take off mascara – if you harm your hair follicles, new ones might not grow back – yikes!

EYELASH CONDITIONER / PROTECT YOUR LASHES
To stimulate growth and to protect your follicles… Before going to sleep at night, put on olive oil, castor oil or vaseline before you go to sleep and wash it off when you wake up.
If you can get a hold of some Vitamin E then use it! Vitamin E is a secret weapon if you’re looking for hair growth

NUTRITION
If you don’t get the right nutrition your hair won’t grow, your nails won’t grow and neither will your lashes. Eat a nutrient dense diet, add a good multi-vitamin as a back up.

OTHER SUPPLEMENTS:
BIOTIN: This increases the growth rate of your hair (inc eyelashes!) and nails. There is some scientific evidence to suggest that women with thinning hair may not have enough biotin in their body…
Food sources: swiss chard (a delicious, nutritious type of greens), onions, cucumbers, carrots, nuts (e.g. almonds) and more.

ZINC:
One of the sad symptoms of a zinc deficiency is your eyelashes and your hair falling out! OUCH! 🙁
Make sure you get enough Zinc in your diet – it helps with hair growth. We need zinc to maintain the health of the cells in our hair follicles… so it’s pretty important because no healthy hair follicles, no healthy hair!
Food sources: beans, Fresh or dried pumpkin seeds, watermelon seeds and squash seeds, cocoa powder, dark chocolate, peanuts and various meats and seafood (esp Oysters).

IRON:
Hair loss can occur if you’re iron deficient. If you want your hair to grow and be healthy, make sure you get enough iron in your diet.
Food sources: Dark, leafy greens (spinach, swiss chard, collard greens, kale), beans (inc lentils, soybeans, garbanzo beans / chickpeas etc.), artichokes, prunes, raisins, meat (inc liver) and egg yolks.
Iron tip: make sure you eat a food with vitamin C in it at the same time as your iron rich food… this HUGELY enhances the absorbability of the iron!

CRUCIAL TIP:
Whenever you’re putting your fingers near your eyes make sure they are clean! Always wash your hands first. You don’t want an eye infection!!!

I’m here rooting for you!
love,
The Lifestylista
xox
www.facebook.com/Lifestylista @TheLifestylista

PHOTO CREDIT: Pink Sherbert

GOT DANDRUFF AND WANT TO GET RID OF IT? Read this now…

April 28, 2013 By TheLifestylista

GOT DANDRUFF AND WANT TO GET RID OF IT?

I got a great question from M.T. about dandruff and I know many of you face the same issues…

WHAT IS DANDRUFF:

The shedding of skin cells is normal… BUT dandruff isn’t.

There are a few different types of dandruff:

DRY SCALP:

– Dry scalp caused by environment or a skin condition e.g. eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis etc.

Are you using a very drying shampoo? Go for a mild, moisturizing one instead… Perhaps a sulphite free shampoo…

OILY SCALP:

– Fungal overgrowth:

One ‘popular’ form of dandruff is caused by ‘malassezia’, a yeast-like fungus… This fungus lives on a healthy scalp but when it starts to grow out of control, it starts to speed up the turnover of the skin cells. These shed skin cells bind together with the oil on the scalp and cause what we call “dandruff flakes”… Yuk! We’ve all had it. 🙁

What contributes to dandruff?

– Making your scalp an even more tantalizing environment for these naughty microbes through overuse of hair products – hair gels, mousses, sprays etc. (fungal overgrowth)

– Humidity and heat (fungal overgrowth)

– dry, cold weather (dry scalp)

– dry, indoor heating (dry scalp)

– B complex or zinc deficiency

– Stress

– Hormonal changes

– Not rinsing your shampoo off throughly after each wash.

ANTI-DANDRUFF SHAMPOO:

Make sure your anti-dandruff shampoo contains one of the following active ingredients:

Try ones with different active ingredients to see which ones work…

– zinc pyrithione – decreases fungus and bacteria, cut down on scalp oil production

– selenium sulfide – decreases fungus and reduce the rate of cell turnover

– ketoconazole – anti fungal

– salicylic acid – helps get rid of the dead skin cells

– IF NONE OF THESE ANTI-DANDRUFF SHAMPOOS WORK… TRY A full-on TAR SHAMPOO! Yes it smells appalling and it may even irritate your ski (lol) but it’s an age-old remedy that works! It decreases fungus and reduce the rate of cell turnover.

***Wash with shampoo twice. On the second wash, allow the shampoo to ‘soak in’ and have the active ingredients work… for 5 mins.***

HOMEMADE ANTI-DANDRUFF REMEDIES:

A homemade salicylic acid remedy:

Pound 4 aspirins into a powder and add it to your shampoo. Allow it to penetrate the skin cells on your scalp for 5 mins before washing away with regular shampoo.

Lemon or Lime rinse:

3 tablepoons of lemon or lime juice in one cup of water.

This balances the pH levels of your scalp, reduces itchiness and has an anti-bacterial action. It’ll even make your hair shine. VERY IMPORTANT: Wash off all the lemon or lime before you go out into the sun (or else your hair will bleach!)

and

If your dandruff doesn’t go away or if you feel it is extreme, see a dermatologist!

Good luck chica! I’m here rooting for you.

love,

The Lifestylista

xox

www.facebook.com/Lifestylista @TheLifestylista

GOT PERIOD PAIN? Still drinking all that coffee and Coke..?

April 27, 2013 By TheLifestylista

If you’ve got period pain, stop taking in caffeine! It raises levels of tension and it casuses blood vessels to constrict (get smaller) which makes cramps even worse! Yuk!

This tip… back by popular demand!

OLIVE OIL removes WATERPROOF MASCARA… Who knew?!

April 24, 2013 By TheLifestylista

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