Valeria Lukyanova

The photos below are of Ukrainian fashion model Valeria Lukyanova, who uses makeup to make herself look like a real life Barbie Doll.

Oddly enough she doesn't accomplish this feat using cosmetic surgery. Everything is done with exercise and makeup (and a healthy dose of lucky genetics). See Valeria Lukyanova Exercising + Makeup at http://malebrainatwork.blogspot.ca/2012/12/valeria-lukyanova-exercising-makeup.html to learn more about how she manages to do it.

So I guess that is proof that hard work, exercise, healthy food and dab hand at makeup can do some pretty impressive things.

Now you might think, oh that is just photoshop! Except it isn't. Don't believe me? Click the link above and watch the videos of her exercising and you will see she really does look like that in real life.

Military Style Jacket + Hat

Want to jazz up your wardrobe with a jacket that looks like its from a 1940s spy thriller?

Look for a jacket like this one plus a matching hat that will go with many of your other jackets.

:)

15 Winter Beauty Tips

In the winter the cold air dries out your skin and hair and this can be disastrous if you don't take steps to protect your hair/skin from damaging effects.

How do you stop this???

1. Nourish your skin and keep it protected by using a moisturizer perfect for your skin type. I find products containing coconut oil work wonders.

2. Alcohol strips away moisture from your skin or hair, so avoid products with alcohol. (Oddly enough, this includes drinking alcohol... the extra alcohol in your blood reduces your hydration levels, which in turn dries out your skin. So try to drink in moderation.)

3. Drink lots of water and stay hydrated. Avoid coffee (too much caffeine is bad for your skin and your health in general, plus loss of sleep = loss of beauty) and drink non-caffeinated tea instead.

4. Chapped lips can also be a problem if you're outside regularly (whats the point of looking awesome if you can't go outside???). Use a lip balm that’s at least SPF 15.

5. Winter exercises are the hardest, but don’t give up on the exercise. Just hire a certified personal trainer in Toronto and stick with it! Personal trainers are great for getting you motivated in the winter to exercise.

6. Exfoliate! Dead cells tend to pile up during the Winter.

7. Get that healthy dose of sleep. Get at least 7 hours of sleep, if you can’t fit in 8 hours.

8. Take a 30 to 60 minute nap on weekends or after work. Think of it like a siesta. The extra sleep helps to heal and rejuvenate the skin.

9. Try to wear non-irritating fabrics. No harsh wools or itchy polyester.

10. Avoid over-washing your hair. Too much washing sucks the moisture out of your hair and leaves it dry and damaged.


11. Avoid chemical treatments such as perming or colouring to the hair as it may become brittle or extremely dried out.

12. Eat a balanced diet. Dark green and leafy vegetables are also effective in preventing dry skin and they also help fight infection.

13. When exercising outside dress warmly and moisturize your exposed skin parts before going outside (your face and hands).

14. Wear a hat which covers ALL of your hair. This will help protect your hair from dryness. Shop around for something fashionable that fits you perfectly.

15. Faux fur is awesome. It not only keeps you warm, but the warmth reduces dryness on your skin so you stay moisturized longer.

:)

Pinstripe Hoodies

Below is the Pinstripe Hoodie made by "Betabrand".

However it costs about $140. Overpriced for a hoodie.

Thus I highly recommend checking out other companies which sell Pinstripe Hoodies, which are very kewl, but aren't charging such ridiculous prices. You can find similar hoodies on Etsy, eBay, Amazon and if you shop around locally you can probably find them in local stores in big cities.

Hoodies are great for Spring and Autumn, make great gifts for that special guy or girl you like, and unlike some gifts which end up decorating the back of the closet, hoodies are universally liked.

Beauty Tip from Audrey Hepburn

"For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run his / her hands through it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.

People, more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed, never throw out anyone.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms.

As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

-Audrey Hepburn

 

 

 

Which is Cheaper? Buying In Store or Online?

By Suzanne MacNevin.

Unless you are super young and have parents who shop online constantly, chances are likely that you were raised with the mentality of going to shopping malls, department stores and to the "main street" of your local town to buy your choice of clothing, electronics, books, movies, etc.

But now we live in an era where people can download movies and music, where the old electronic devices you really need is a SmartPhone and a laptop (so you can go online anywhere!), but clothing...

Well, clothing is more tricky.

Mostly because a lot of people like to try the clothes on before the buy them. Especially bras. You have to make sure it fits after all.

Now generally speaking it is also cheaper to buy your clothes in a store too. Just because of the shipping costs associated with buying things online.

I recall one time I ordered 2 CDs and a t-shirt from Kinnie Starr (Canadian singer/songwriter), and yes, obviously there was going to be shipping costs. However what was interesting was when it arrived I discovered to my delight a handwritten note from Kinnie Starr thanking me for my purchase. I was tickled pink!

Which got me thinking... She must have got the order, shipped it herself (maybe even licked the stamp herself), and apparently thought I was such a big fan of hers that I deserved a handwritten note.

That or she just does that for all her fans who buy stuff off her website. I dunno. (Note: In writing this post I discovered she has ditched her old website in favour of a MySpace site.)

However... let me get back to my original point...

Which is cheaper?

Well, depending on the website, you can get free shipping. Take GandLCothing.com for example, they offer free shipping for orders over $99. And their selection and prices is pretty fair: Women's blue jeans for $26.99 and Men's blue jeans for $19.98.

Note #1. A lot of online stores also do free returns, so in case it doesn't fit... just return for a refund.

Note #2: I like comparing the prices of women's clothing vs men's. I've noticed that men's jeans / socks / etc are often cheaper... and seriously, what is the difference? It still fits me anyway.

Lets take belts for example. I can get a women's belt on GandLCothing.com are $13.50 on sale. The same website, a men's belt for $5.99 on sale.

And that is the other beauty of shopping online. Sometimes the website you are shopping from has things on sale. Unlike going to a shopping mall and if you're lucky your favourite store has a sale.

So what you do is you find a number of reasonably priced websites which sell the kind of fashion you like, you measure yourself super accurately, you bookmark the websites you find, and whenever you feel like shopping for clothes you go online and browse your favourite sites for sales. Waaaaaay cheaper.

And I will tell you what else... Unlike shopping in a mall your feet don't get tired and you don't get the sudden urge for fast food when passing by the food court. And on the way home your arms don't hurt from all the shopping bags.

So yeah, convenience!

Which means you can spend more time at the gym, more time getting swimming lessons from your hunky personal trainer, more time doing yoga, or more time watching Coronation Street or Dallas. Or read a book.

So the end result is more YOU time and less time spent in stores looking for stuff and not finding what you want.

Because here is the other thing I've learned. When shopping online I never buy stuff unless I seriously want it. Whereas when shopping in stores I sometimes buy on a whim. I see a shiny object and I have extra cash in my purse... voila, new shiny object! I have drawers full of them...