Archive for August, 2009

Compagnie De Provence

admin | August 29, 2009 in Healthy Living | Comments (0)

Tags: , , ,

Compagnie De Provence
Compagnie De Provence

Compagnie De Provence Extra Pur collection is a range of products  for the bath or body fragranced with scents from the famous region of France. The range of scents includes wild rose, orange, cherry blossom, fig, olive and lavender.

The cherry blossom body lotion I’ve tried really does smell good enough to eat! If you are a cherry lover or a fan of fruity scented products I would definately recommend this one. The body lotion makes your skin feel very soft and the cherry fragrance can even be smelt on your skin at the end of the day.

The fig hand cream contains shea butter and olive oil to nourih dry hands and cuticles. I find that my hands and nails can look  very dry sometimes especially after having to use the alcohol hand gel at work (hospital) so it’s very important to have a good hand cream.

This one also has a lovely scent that definately reminds me of figs and does make your hands feel very moisturised.

(more…)


Common Metals Used in Jewelry Making Part 1

admin | August 24, 2009 in Fashion | Comments (0)

Tags: , , , , , ,

Spiral Earrings made from argentium sterling silver
Spiral Earrings made from argentium sterling silver

Buying jewelry can be confusing – there are so many metals used to make jewelry, and most people don’t know what the various metal names mean. I’ve created a list of some of the most commonly used metals for jewelry, and added a bit of information about each one. This is by no means a complete list, since *any* metal can be used to make jewelry, but it covers the metals I see being used most frequently in handmade jewelry.

Sterling silver is a commonly used form of silver in jewelry making. It consists of 92.5% pure silver alloyed with 7.5% other metals. In the United States, an alloy that is 92.5% silver can be called sterling silver, regardless of what the other 7.5% is; however, the standard alloy is 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper.

There are several non-standard alloys of sterling silver on the market today. These alloys are formulated using metals other than copper for some or all of the 7.5% that is not silver, and are usually intended to be more tarnish resistant than the standard silver-copper alloy.

One of these alloys is argentium sterling silver, which has a very small amount of germanium mixed with the copper. Argentium resists tarnish better than regular sterling silver, and in addition has some properties that (in my opinion) make it a better alloy to work with when doing torch work. It costs a bit more than regular sterling silver, because germanium is expensive — luckily for jewelry makers, the amount of germanium used is very small, so it isn’t a huge price difference.

Fine silver is 99.9% pure silver, which has not been alloyed with any other metals. It is softer than sterling silver, and therefore not suitable for certain jewelry applications, but it has a beautiful color and as a jewelry maker, I have to say it is wonderful to work with using a torch. Fine silver is a little bit more expensive than sterling silver, generally costing about as much as argentium silver.

Silver metal clay, which is sold under a few different brand names, is a form of fine silver in which ultrafine particles of silver are mixed with an organic binder, and can be worked on like clay (hence the name). Metal clay has to be fired, using either a kiln or a torch, and because the organic binder burns off during the firing process, it will shrink a bit when it is fired. How much shrinkage occurs depends a lot on the brand and variety of clay used. Once metal clay has been properly fired, the resulting metal is 99.9% pure silver – in other words, fine silver. It is more expensive than other types of silver, but allows designers many options for their creativity that would be far more labor intensive, if not impossible, using solid silver to start with. Jewelry designs made with metal clay often feature intricate textures and shapes. Metal clay is also available for some other metals, including gold and bronze.

Gold – 10k, 12k, 14k, 18k, and 22k are commonly used in jewelry. Gold jewelry is generally referred to by a number followed by “k” which stands for karat. The higher the number, the higher the actual gold content. 24k is pure gold, and like fine silver, is quite soft. Many people consider 14k gold to be the lowest gold content that should be used in fine gold jewelry. Higher karat golds, such as 18k and 22k, tend to have a richer gold color than lower karat alloys. They are also more expensive due to the higher actual gold content. The part of the gold that isn’t actual gold might be copper, zinc, silver, or other metals. There are many different alloys, resulting in a lot of color variation, from rose gold to green gold to white gold.

(more…)


Tips For Right Body Care

admin | August 20, 2009 in Fashion,Healthy Living | Comments (0)

Tags: , , , , , ,

Body Care
Body Care

Every girl and woman must have an appropriate body care routine. The thing is not taking much care of your body and using a lot of cosmetics, it’s taking the right care.

If you don’t use body care products on a regular basis, they will be ineffective. More than that, they may have a negative effect. Don’t expect to have smooth skin from a single day of moisturizing. You must use the moisturizer for several days to see results. And in order to maintain that level, you must do it routinely. At first it seems boring. But after some time you can thoroughly manage everything in several minutes, and it will take you no time.

Your everyday body care must start with a shower. While having a shower pay special attention to a good face wash. Nothing can compare with a foaming face wash. It is made especially for facial skin care and helps you to retain the skin’s moisture. We don’t advise you to use bar soap regularly, as it can dry out the face’s skin.

Next, use a good exfoliator. It is very good for the face, but you can use it for every part of the body if you like. An exfoliator removes the dead layer of skin cells revealing the healthy skin underneath. Don’t do it every day, especially if your skin is delicate, just take care to do it once a week at least.

While having your shower use a shower gel for washing your body. It’s more delicate than ordinary bar soap, smells good and gifts your skin with freshness.

After getting out of the shower apply moisturizer to your face and body. As the face is more delicate, it needs something gentler than the body. That is why you have to use two different types of moisturizers. There are also various types of moisturizers especially for hands and feet. These are made especially for rough and dry skin. Since our hands and feet are exposed so much they need something stronger to be kept healthy and good-looking. Moisturizing skin is one of the main guarantees of a smooth and healthy body.

(more…)


Allure Everyone With Your Make-Up

admin | August 14, 2009 in Fashion,Healthy Living | Comments (0)

Tags: , , ,

Make-Up
Make-Up

In ancient times make-up was used for frightening the enemies. But nowadays it is used for emphasizing our beauty and charm.

Over the ages women put their lives at risk using homemade cosmetics for improving their appearance. They used burnt matches for darkening their eyes, berries instead of lipsticks and for refreshing facial skin and fading wrinkles they used young boys’ urine.

Nowadays women do not have to waste time on concocting their make-up. They can make their choice among the boundless variety of make-up cosmetics, that different companies produce.

The basic make-up types are everyday and stage make-up.

Everyday make-up is usually light. Not many cosmetics are used here. The coverage won’t be very noticeable, but sheer and soft. For making light make-up a bit more noticeable, some powder may be added. If you have some problems or imperfections on your skin, you may apply heavy make-up. The heavy coverage will cover the imperfections that trouble you, making your skin look smooth. But here you should be careful, and make the right choice of tone. Make sure that it really matches your skin tone.

Stage make-up differs from everyday make-up. Unlike everyday make-up, stage-make up is very bright and vivid. It can be noticed even from a far distance. It remains much longer than everyday make-up. Stage make-up has two main types: it can be an oil-based cream or water-based.

Oil-based make-up is resistant. It does not come off with perspiration. It is an essential feature, as this make-up is mostly meant for actors.

Water-based make-up does not dry. And when used alone, this make-up may melt and cause inconveniences. Water-based make-up was originally used for the body, but later on its usage became acceptable for the face as well.

(more…)


Naturally Shining Nails

admin | August 5, 2009 in Fashion | Comments (0)

Tags: , , , , ,

Shinning Nails
Shinning Nails

For having nice and healthy nails, it is essential to take basic care of them.

Over the last hundred years, nails have become more essential for cosmetic reasons and less important for protection.

Nowadays, girls and women pay much attention to nail design.

There are basic things that help your nails shine and look protected. First you should wash your hands with mild soap, using a nailbrush, and soak the hands in warm water for a few minutes to soften the cuticles. You may also gently push the cuticles back if they are long and ragged. Trim the nails to the same length, and file the ends of the nails to smooth them off. If your hands are dry, you may apply some hand creams.

However, these basic tips may not be practical for everyone, especially for those with nail quality problems. These girls and women may turn to the help of artificial nail enhancements provided by nail supplies.

If your nails are not healthy, you can get some nail strengthener creams, an intensive nail renewal oil, cuticle minimizer and protective hand cream. These nail supplies will help you improve the quality of your nails. This procedure will help them lengthen the nails in no time. It includes the application of acrylic liquid and powder systems as well as gel systems.

Acrylic nails are generally safe and they do not harm your natural nails. However, some people who wear acrylic nails may notice a slight discoloration or coarsening of their natural nails. A much more serious problem may result from acrylic nails. That serious problem is getting a nail infection. A nail infection is caused when a gap appears between the acrylic nail and the natural nail. This gap provides a moist, warm environment in which bacteria can easily grow.

The only key to prevent an infection and nail damage from artificial nails is to choose a reputable, licensed nail salon. In this way you can minimize the risk of nail infections, and simply admire your beautiful and treated hands.