Natural Foot Care Product

Filed under: , , , , by: Cosme


The skin on your feet needs to be taken care of in the same manner as the skin of your face. You need to clean it, exfoliate it and moisturize it like you would any other part of your body. There are a number of foot care products available in the market. But you can make your own natural foot care products at home. These products are simple and easy to make and use naturally available material. Given below are a few simple recipes of natural foot care products.

Lime Cleanser

Ingredients:

  • Paper towels
  • Lemon juice

Take a bowl and mix half water and half lemon juice. Then dip paper towels into the mixture and apply on to your feet. This will soften, smooth and remove odors from your feet. This recipe does not contain preservatives and requires refrigeration. The shelf life of this product is approximately one week.

Strawberry Foot Exfoliator

Ingredients:

  • 8 strawberries
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil or safflower oil
  • 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon finely chopped almonds

Mix all the ingredients together and make a paste of it. Do not blend too much as the strawberries have a lot of water and this will make the paste too watery. Massage it onto your feet, rinse off and dry your feet. This foot care product has no preservatives and has to be refrigerated. Shelf Life is about one week.

Relaxing Foot Lotion Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon almond oil
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon wheat germ oil
  • 12 drops eucalyptus essential oil or fragrance oil

Put all these ingredients into a dark colored bottle and shake it well. As and when you require rub into the feet and heels. Store in cool dry place. This recipe does not contain preservatives and requires refrigeration. Shelf life is approximately one week.

Make and use these simple natural foot care products at home and they will keep your feet healthy and beautiful.

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Soft Hands

Filed under: , , by: Cosme


Soft Hands

So your hands don't feel soft anymore?

Before you go to bed, lavish on the Vaseline and then pop on a pair of cotton gloves. Your hands will be incredibly soft by morning.

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The Beauty Foods

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What To Eat Each Day For Looks And Health

Apple Cider Vinegar
Beside having amazing healing properties, apple cider vinegar keeps skin supple. It's heavy concentration of enzymes helps peel off dead skin cells. It breaks down fat and helps food digest properly.

Carrots
Maintain the outer layer of the skin to prevent premature aging. What you'll find in is the same as you'll get in Retin A.

Cheese
To ensure a happy smile, add a slice or two of hard cheeese into your diet. Choose Swiss, cheddar, or gouda to block bacteria in the mouth and prevent cavities.

Citrus Fruits
Hold the skin cells together by forming collagen. Collagen cannot be added to the skin topically, which is why fruits and fruit juices are such an important part of the daily diet.

Cranberries
Keep urinary tract lining healthy.

Garlic
Helps combat wrinkles and restores tissue.

Nonfat Yogurt
High in calcium, which keeps your smile white and your teeth cavity-free.

Sweet Potatoes Vitamin A is known to be a remarkable anti-wrinkling agent. Sweet potatoes are full of this important vitamin. The pleasing results is clearer, smoother skin.

Tomatoes
These "love apples" will keep you loving your skin. Tomatoes are rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium.

Wheat Germ
If you want to get rid of pimples quickly and efficiently, make sure to include two or three tablespoons a day in your diet. Add it to cereal, yogurt, and cottage cheese.

You should choose foods that you enjoy, of course, but you need to include the following:

Vegetables
Three to five servings daily. Try to include one serving of raw, leafy greens.

Meat
Have no more than three three ounce servings a day. Cut off all fat. Try to make two servings of turkey or chicken. One serving of fish a day is ideal.

Fruits
Two to three servings daily. A 1/2 cup of chopped or sliced fruit is a serving. Fruit salad

Dairy
At least two servings daily. A serving would be eight ounces of milk or yogurt.

Fats
Salad dressing, cooking oil, butter, and mayonnaise should be limited to two servings a day.

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Aloe Vera For Skin Care

Filed under: , , , , by: Cosme

For more than three thousand five hundred years, people have recognized the healing and moisturizing properties of the aloe vera plant. The use of aloe vera has been documented throughout history most notably aloe vera use can be traced back to the ancient Egyptians, when the glamorous Cleopatra considered the aloe plant her personal skin care and beauty secret.Aloe vera has natural health support benefits for all individuals! Clinical Nutritionist Karen Masterson Koch and the Aloe Life team have researched aloe vera for the past 14 years to create the therapeutic line of Aloe Life aloe vera products. No other aloe vera products worldwide contain the quality, potency and freshness of our aloe vera juice extract, tableted aloe vera or personal skin care products than Aloe Life. Aloe vera is great for children, adults, seniors, pregnant women and pets!

The mechanical separation process is not always complete, so aloe latex can be found in some aloe gels. It is desirable to make the gel as pure as possible, because aloe latex contains the anthraquinone glycosides aloin A and B, which are potent laxatives. The processed products are difficult to keep stable, a problem that can cause differences in product potency. Many products advertise special stabilizing procedures, but the best source of aloe gel would be direct from a broken leaf of the plant.

Healing Properties

Recent studies have shown that aloe vera gel facilitates the healing of wounds and damaged skin tissue. It can decrease the redness and swelling associated with a burn. The gel also prevents skin damage resulting from exposure to ultraviolet radiation associated with direct sunlight. Applying aloe gel several times a day causes the redness of sunburn to disappear within a day or two without the skin peeling off. In addition, a cream containing aloe gel has been found to be effective in treating frostbite injury.

Benefits of Aloe Vera

Topically, aloe vera benefits dry and cracked skin, burns, blisters, frostbite, insect bites, and allergic reactions. Topical aloe vera application also helps to assure that when applying aloe products, you will get the highest concentrations of the natural healing agent delivered directly to your skin. Aloe vera products, when used as part of a daily skin treatment regimen, can help keep your skin healthy. Aloe vera oil has recognized healing and restorative properties, and is widely utilized in many high-end lotion, cream, and gel products.

Gel from the Aloe vera leaf has shown good results in treating facial edema. When used a mouth rinse, aloe vera offers benefits for treating lockjaw and cold spores. Recent studies have shown that aloe vera might have a beneficial effect on cardiovascular health. Aloe Vera can trigger uterine contractions and must not be taken by pregnant women. Children should not be given aloe vera internally too. If you are on drugs that cause potassium loss or diuretics or steroids, it may not be advisable to take aloe vera orally.

One of the most popular benefits of aloe vera is its healing properties, specifically for the skin. Anyone who has ever used this plant extract for a burn or an insect bite knows how well it works for these kinds of irritations.

The skin is the largest organ in the human body, and it really takes a beating. Aloe Vera can help alleviate this beating. Read on, and we’ll tell you more about Aloe Vera and it’s healing benefits.

* Every day we subject our skin to a rigorous routine:
* Scrubbing madly with harsh, chemical-laden soaps
* Peeling away hair with deep slicing razor blades

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Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty acids

Filed under: , , , by: Cosme


Fatty acids are organic compounds composed of carbon chains of varying lengths, with an acid group on one end and hydrogen bound to all the carbons of the chain. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are those that are necessary for health, but cannot be synthesized by the body. Therefore, it is important to supply the body with EFAs through one's daily dietary intake. EFAs are also called vitamin F or polyunsaturates. They are important ingredients for the growth and maintenance of cells. The body utilizes essential fatty acids for hormone production, specifically for the production of prostaglandins, which aid in reducing hypertension, migraine headaches, and arthritis.

Essential fatty acids offer many positive effects for the body, including the nourishment of skin and hair; reduction of blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels; prevention of arthritis and inflammation; and the reduction of the risk of blood clotting. Furthermore, essential fatty acids help protect the body from cardiovascular disease, candidiasis, eczema, and psoriasis, and they play a critical role in brain development and in the transmission of nerve impulses.

Types of EFAs

There are basically two types of essential fatty acids, omega-3 fatty acids, also known as linolenic acids, and omega-6 fatty acids, which are also called linoleic acids. The two types are distinguished by their chemical structures. Omega-3 EFAs are found in deepwater fish, fish oil, and some vegetable oils, such as canola, flaxseed, and walnut oil. Nuts are also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, particularly hazelnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, walnuts, and macadamia nuts. The best fish oil sources are salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and herring, which have a high fat content and provide more omega-3 than other fish. Flaxseeds are also a good source, and they are low in saturated fats and calories and have no cholesterol. Omega-6 fatty acids are found in raw nuts, seeds, legumes, and in unsaturated vegetable oils, such as borage oil, grape seed oil, primrose oil, sesame oil, and soybean oil.

Benefits of EFAs

There are many health benefits attributable to essential fatty acids. Research has shown that diets rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, which contain the omega-3 variety, reduce total mortality by 70 percent in patients who have

Omega-3 fatty acids have a balancing effect on omega-6 fatty acids. Both are essential nutrients, but they should be consumed in equal proportions. For Americans, that means substituting fish or nuts for fried foods once or more weekly. [National Audubon Society Collection/Photo Researchers, Inc. Reproduced by permission.]
Omega-3 fatty acids have a balancing effect on omega-6 fatty acids. Both are essential nutrients, but they should be consumed in equal proportions. For Americans, that means substituting fish or nuts for fried foods once or more weekly.
[National Audubon Society Collection/Photo Researchers, Inc. Reproduced by permission.]
already experienced a heart attack. This has led to a general recommendation to consume at least one meal a week of fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids. It is generally accepted that omega-3 fatty acids help to reduce the levels of triglycerides in the body, thus decreasing the risk of heart disease.

Omega-6 fatty acids have been shown to be beneficial in the reduction of cholesterol levels when they are substituted for saturated fats in a person's diet. The benefit in consuming omega-6 fatty acids therefore lies in the fact that they reduce the incidence of coronary artery disease, which is a condition where excess cholesterol builds up on the arteries of the heart, eventually blocking the flow of blood and causing a heart attack.

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Get naturally soft, healthy lips.

Filed under: , by: Cosme

How it Works
Give your lips the soothing feeling they deserve. This natural lip balm is loaded with coconut and sunflower oils, rich in vitamins and essential fatty acids, to nourish, condition and soften lips. Beeswax seals in hydration. We've even added peppermint oil for a refreshing tingle. Take your pick of an old-fashioned yellow tin or a recycled plastic tube. No wonder it is our most popular product.
How to Use It
Apply balm liberally to your lips as often as needed, particularly in dry, cold or windy conditions.
Featured Ingredient
Beeswax — A natural wax made by bees in the cell walls of honeycombs, this substance is a natural emulsifier used in cosmetics.
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Beautiful from within

Filed under: , , , , by: Cosme

The most beautiful thing is the world is the ability to accept ourselves for what we are and accept others for what they are. People cannot and need not be perfect. You don't have to live up to others' expectations of you.

  • Accept the world for what it is. You can be curious, but don't ever get judgmental. Bias and prejudice always show on you - and they never sit well.

  • Be content. Count your blessings, not your problems. Be aware of what you have, not what you are going without.

  • Enjoy life. Savour the various textures of life - revel in them all.

  • Reach out to those in need of help.

Contentment, compassion, enjoyment and a love for life will reflect on your face and will give you a unique character. They are the best beauty aids you can find.

While we all know that we can use make-up, colour our hair, or buy expensive clothing, all this is useless unless our 'inner selves' feel good. Without that 'inner glow,' no amount of make-up can make us beautiful. While we can't all be born physically perfect, we can become beautiful by developing self-esteem and taking care of ourselves. That will give you the kind of beauty you just can't buy in a bottle...

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YSL Spring 2009 Collection

Filed under: by: Cosme

(image from i-voce.boxerblog.com)


More images of spring 2009 makeup collections from the Voce blog. This entry features photos from YSL's spring 2009 collection, which includes palettes for eyes and cheeks, lipsticks, lip glosses, and a few other products.

As with some of the spring 2009 collections that we have seen from Japanese brands, YSL's spring colors for next year are very soft and wearable. The new Golden Gloss shades appear to be without the usual shimmer.
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YSL Spring 2009 Collection

Filed under: by: Cosme

(image from i-voce.boxerblog.com)


More images of spring 2009 makeup collections from the Voce blog. This entry features photos from YSL's spring 2009 collection, which includes palettes for eyes and cheeks, lipsticks, lip glosses, and a few other products.

As with some of the spring 2009 collections that we have seen from Japanese brands, YSL's spring colors for next year are very soft and wearable. The new Golden Gloss shades appear to be without the usual shimmer.
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SUQQU Base Makeup Kit & Pore Covering Base

Filed under: by: Cosme

(images and info from www.cosme.net)


On March 6th, SUQQU will release Base Makeup Kit, which includes four existing items from SUQQU's base makeup range. The kit (10,500 JPY) includes:

- Liquid Foundation Aqua (full-sized)
- Makeup Base Creamy (travel-sized, 7g; please see my review here)
- Loose Powder Natural (travel-sized, 5.5g)
- Loose Powder Deep (travel-sized, 5.5g)
- original pouch

This is a good set to go for if you are interested in trying items from SUQQU's renowned base makeup range. Also, it is nice that the kit includes both Loose Powder Natural and Deep, which are supposed to be used together (Natural for highlighting and Deep for contouring).

Also, on March 6th, SUQQU will release Pore Covering Base, which will be SUQQU's fourth primer
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SUQQU Spring 2009 Collection

Filed under: by: Cosme

(image from i-voce.boxerblog.com)


Some initial images of SUQQU's spring 2009 collection can now be seen on the Voce blog.

In one of the two images in the blog entry, showing the sakura-themed collection, I think I see some new Blend Lipsticks, Blend Eyeshadows, and Nail Colors. The new product for the season is Contour Shadow, which is used generally in the under-browbone area to highlight and to contour the eyes.

For me, it is always good to see a brand that thinks outside the box and comes up with interesting products with very specific purposes. (SUQQU has done it before with Clear Veil Powder.)

I will keep you updated as I come across more information on the collection.
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Sofina Primavista Spring/Summer 2009 Base Makeup Collection

Filed under: by: Cosme

(images and info from www.nikkei.co.jp)


Sofina Primavista will release its spring/summer 2009 base makeup collection in Japan on February 21st. The lineup includes:

- Powder Foundation Long Keep (SPF 25, PA++)

- Liquid Foundation (SPF 25, PA ++)

- Clear Cover Base (SPF 20, PA ++)



- Concealer Spots Cover (SPF 27, PA++)



- Face Powder Keep & Lucent (SPF 15, PA++)



Primavista's first powder foundation from fall/winter 2008, Powder Foundation Moist Touch, doesn't really suit me due to its glowy finish. I am expecting the Fresh Keep version to have a somewhat similar (or very slightly less glowy) finish and better sebum control.

The new Face Powder reminds me of the very first version of Raycious' pressed powder, which has a very good matte flesh-toned powder and a highlighter. I will be putting the new Primavista version on my spring 2009 shopping list and I am hoping that it works just as well.
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Paul & Joe Spring 2009 Collection

Filed under: , by: Cosme

(images and info from www.joseishi.net/voce)


Here is a quick look at Paul & Joe's spring 2008 collection.

On January 9th, 2009, the limited-edition items will be released in Japan. They include two variations of Eye Color Palette CS (above) and two shades of Lipstick C (below).




The rest of the collection will be released on February 6th. They include 3 new shades of Eye Color, 6 new shades of Lipstick N, 5 new shades of Nail Enamel, and 3 shades of the new Eyebrow Liner.







A limited-edition Nail & Hand Care Kit will also be available on February 6th. The set includes Nail Protect Coat, Hand Cream, and Hand Gloves.





Updated on December 16th, 2008:

Photo of the two eye palettes:

(image from woman.excite.co.jp)
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NARS New Year 2009 Collection

Filed under: by: Cosme

(image and info from woman.excite.co.jp)


NARS will release the New Year 2009 collection in Japan on January 2nd, 2009. According to Woman.Excite, the two limited-edition duos include the best-selling shades from The Multiple range. One of them is for highlighting and contouring, while the other can be used as a blusher and a cheekbone highlighter.

(The website hasn't specified which shades from The Multiple range are included in these two duos.)
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Max Factor Spring 2009 Eyeshadow Palettes

Filed under: , , by: Cosme

(image and info from www.cosme.net)


Max Factor usually releases different products for the Japanese market with different colors and packaging to appeal to Japanese consumers. The new Eye Gradation Colors palettes for spring 2009, which seem to be Japan-only releases, are a good example.

They are very similar to the kind of palettes released by mass-market lines such as Maquillage and Coffret D'Or. First of all, the 4-color palettes include a base color, a light color, a darker shading color, and a lining color. Also, easy-to-wear gradation palettes like these are still very popular in Japan.

I haven't been paying a lot of attention to makeup from Max Factor lately, but these palettes look very pretty, with some gorgeous purples and pinks. Hopefully we'll see some close-ups of them in Japanese beauty magazines later on
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Shiseido Maquillage Spring 2009 Point and Base Makeup Collection

Filed under: by: Cosme

(image and info from www.nikkei.co.jp)


Maquillage will release its spring 2009 point makeup collection in Japan on January 21 and base makeup collection on February 21, 2008.

The new point makeup collection includes:

- Moisture Rouge (Color-on Type): 12 shades (including 6 Clear-Fit Colors)
- Moisture Rouge (Sheer Type): 9 shades
- Lip Essence EX (lipstick base)
- Eyes Creator (3D): 5 variations
- Face Creator (3D): 4 variations
- Eye Color N (Powder): 15 shades
- Eye Color N (Cream): 10 shades (as base or eyeliner)

The cases (which include the brush/ sponge tip) of Face Creator/ Eye Color N are sold separately.

The Eyes Creator (3D) palettes include four powder eyeshadows and a cream eyeliner. (I will pay attention to VI367, presumably a lilac palette.) The Face Creators feature a blusher as well as shades to highlight and contour the face.

The new base makeup items include:

- Lasting Powdery UV (SPF 25, PA++)
- Lasting Liquid UV (SPF 25, PA++)
- Styling Keep Base UV (SPF 24, PA++)
- Concealer Stick EX (SPF 25, PA++): 3 shades

Maquillage is quite widely available in Asia. According to Nikkei Net, it is sold in Japan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, The Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia. It will launch in China in 2009.
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Cosme Decorte AQ & Magie Deco Spring 2009 Collections

Filed under: by: Cosme

(image and info from www.cosmedecorte.com)


The Cosme Decorte website has been updated to feature the spring 2009 collections of Magie Deco and AQ.

Magie Deco's spring 2009 collection includes a new Shadow Brilliance palette as well as new shades of Lipstick, Lipstick Luxual Color, Fairy Rouge (lip gloss), Pure Color (eyeshadow single), and Nail Color. Pink, purple, and green seem to be the main shades of the collection.


(new Pure Color eyeshadows for spring 2009)


Green is also one of the key colors in AQ's new Shadow Supreme palettes for spring 2009. The collection also features new shades of Rouge Supreme and Nail Supreme.





Many thanks to Betsy at Autumn Masquerade for informing me of the website update!
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Lavshuca Spring 2009 Collection

Filed under: by: Cosme

(image and info from www.nikkei.co.jp)


Like Kate, Kanebo's Lavshuca will release its spring 2009 collection in Japan on February 1st, 2009.

The collection includes:

- Dramatic Memory Rouge (12 shades)
- Grade Color Eyes palette (5 variations)
- Separate Keep Mascara (in Long and Volume)
- Mascara Base N
- Makeup Base (in UV and Moist)
- Finish Powder (in Lucent and High Cover)
- Stick Concealer N (in 3 shades)

As part of a growing trend in Japanese cosmetics in the last couple of years (which I will discuss in more detail next week), Lavshuca continues to market lipsticks (instead of eyeshadow palettes) as the main items in the seasonal collection. The new Dramatic Memory Rouge is billed as both moisturizing and long-lasting, as it combines "moisture wrapping oil" for continual moisture and "fit stay oil" for lasting color.

Apart from the new lipsticks and eye palettes, I will be paying close attention to the Finish Powder, which I think will replace the current Face Powder (which I adore). The Face Powder I have is in Lucent, and I don't suppose the new Lucent will be drastically different. But I will also be interested in how High Cover performs. (I am also curious about the new case and I wonder if it will be as cute as the Face Powder case. I am having high hopes.)

The beautiful plum color scheme remains in the overall look of the brand, but the product packaging evolves as new items join the lineup. With interesting products that are worth anticipation, Lavshuca's spring 2009 collection is looking very promising.
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Lancôme Spring 2009 Collection

Filed under: by: Cosme

(image from i-voce.boxerblog.com/newsflash/)


Do have a look at Lancôme's spring 2009 collection on the Voce blog. If you are a fan of pink shades, definitely don't miss these photos!
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Kate Spring 2009 Collection

Filed under: by: Cosme

(image and info from www.nikkei.co.jp)


Kanebo's Kate will release its spring 2009 collection in Japan on February 1st, 2009. The new eye palettes for the season are Diamond Cut Eyes, which feature silver and gold "diamond-cut pearl" particles to impart maximal shimmer. They are available in 5 variations.

The rest of the collection includes:

- Conc Liquid Eyeliner (3 shades)
- Magical Long Gel Mascara N (1 shade)
- Liquid Rouge N (7 shades)
- Deep Trap Eyes palette (1 new variation)
- Gradical Eyes S palette (1 new variation)
- Rouge Extra (1 new shade)
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