Holiday Beauty Do's and Don'ts

Why is it that whenever you go to a holiday party, you can always find someone who doesn't look how you would expect? Is it because you think they overdid their fashion or make-up, or is it a touch of envy?
Beauty queen or fashion disaster, it's up to you. If you want to shine for the holidays, take note of these do's and don'ts to spruce up your look and receive raves from your friends and family.
Beauty Do's
Do Experiment.
Check out the latest in make-up and fashion trends and give them a try. This will update your look and chances are, you'll find something that enhances your skin tone and flatters your figure.
Do accentuate your finer features.
Play up your best features while drawing attention away from your problem areas. For example, do you have sleek shoulders but think your hips are too wide? Wear a sexy off-the-shoulder dress to show off your finer assets.
Do consult professionals.
If you're the do-it-yourself kind of gal, you can benefit from professional opinions now & then. Why not get a makeover for the holidays? Keep in mind, salons are booked tightly for the holiday season, so call well in advance for your appointment and use your time in the waiting room looking through magazines for updated hairstyles and fashion that best suit you.
Do simplify your beauty routine.
Unless you're headed out to a holiday party, forgo unnecessary extras that take up valuable time. Keep your hairstyle simple and make-up to natural colors that will look good with anything you wear.
Beauty Don'ts
Don't be afraid of change.
Dazzle your friends with a new look. Whether it's a new hairstyle, hair color, or just a dress, you'll get attention! Think of it this way, models look different for every shoot and are very versatile. Don't they always look great?
Don't wear too much make-up.
There's a fine line between a little extra holiday pizzazz or downright heavy makeup. Choose colors that compliment your face and blend it in well. Double check your face in bright lights before heading out the door.
Don't forget accessories.
Add the finishing touch to your overall appearance. The holidays are festive, so glam it up with accessories and jewelry. Splurge on that handbag you've been wanting and don't feel the least big guilty.
Don't let stress get the better of you.
It's no secret that the holidays can be most stressful time of the year. Use your time wisely and learn to say "no." Your face can easily reveal stress and lack of sleep, so designate some of your duties to family members and be sure to get your beauty rest.

Lorene Radenz is a freelance writer and the founder of http://www.beautytipsonline.com - Your All-In-One Beauty Guide.

The Beauty and Meaning of Birthstones

Birthstones have been around since ancient times, and in those days were believed to possess some magical force that could protect the owner or wearer of the stone. These birthstones were traditionally linked to the Zodiac.

However, modern birthstones are linked to calendar months, and each month has its own unique birthstone, with its own fabled properties. Many people love to wear jewellery set with their birthstone, as the ancient meanings and associations with these stones still intrigue them.

You can get many types of jewellery containing birthstones, such as birthstone rings, a birthstone pendant and birthstone earrings. Giving someone an item of jewellery set with their birthstone is a touching and wonderful gift, and whether you give them a birthstone ring, a birthstone pendant or a birthstone brooch, it is something that they are likely to treasure forever because it has real meaning and significance.

Below you will find a listing of each of the birthstones used today.

January

The birthstone for this month is the garnet, which was once thought to be connected with the blood. This stone is supposed to protect the wearer from nightmares and offer guidance through the dark.

Garnets are long lasting and durable gems, with a fiery, ravishing beauty. This is type of gem that the wearer will treasure forever, no matter what item of jewellery it is set into. Garnets are traditionally thought of as deep red, but actually come in a wide range of colours, so there is something to suit every taste for this month.

February

The birthstone for this month is the amethyst, and the folklore attached to this gem associates it with sobriety, tranquillity, protection and peace. This birthstone as also been linked to improving the skin and preventing baldness, as well as protection from deceit, so it has a lot to live up to!

The amethyst birthstone comes in varying shades of purple, and can be a pale lilac in colour. On the other end of the scale, you can also get deep violet amethysts, which means that you can enjoy a birthstone that is as subtle or as rich as you like. This birthstone is very hardwearing, and its strength and durability will ensure that it lasts for a very long time.

March

This month's birthstone is aquamarine, which has been linked to the making of new friends as well as affection and love, hope and health. This stone was once also thought to protect those at sea.

As the name of this birthstone suggests, it is a green-blue in colour and has a rich, sparkling look. You can get aquamarine birthstones in a variety of shapes and sizes, and you can also get this stone in varying shades of green-blue.

April

One of the most popular gems throughout history, diamonds are the birthstone for this month, and these stones are linked to love, eternity and strength. This has contributed towards diamonds being the most popular gems of all time when it comes to romance, such as engagement rings and wedding bands.

Diamonds are very strong and hardwearing, making them the perfect birthstone to wear on a daily basis. You can enjoy many different cuts of this stone, and the fiery, glamorous sparkle given off by diamonds is positively captivating.

May

This month's birthstone is the beautiful emerald, once linked to health and the curing of ailments, as well as being associated with the ability to see in to the future, giving them an almost bewitching, magical reputation.

These fiery green gems are amazing to look at, and can be found in a variety of shapes and cuts. The beauty and richness of this stone makes it the perfect gem for birthstone jewellery, and is something that the wearer can show off and take pride in for a long time.

June

The elegant pearl is the birthstone for the month of June, and this gem has been linked with chastity and modesty, making it something of an angelic, pure birthstone. They are also linked to successful and happy marriages.

These round, stunning birthstones come in a variety of colours, and a range of sizes. Pearls can look spectacular yet modest in all manner of jewellery from birthstone rings, to earrings and necklaces, making them a perfect gift.

July

The birthstone for this month is the ravishing ruby, a stone traditionally linked with protection and harmony. This birthstone has been mined since ancient times, and boasts a spectacular beauty.

Deep red in colour, rubies are stunning birthstones that will liven up and enhance any piece of jewellery. These gems have a unique, vivid and fiery appearance that would delight anyone.

August

The birthstone for the month of August is peridot, which was commonly linked with protection against evil and night terrors, as well as a gem that enhanced the properties of healing drugs.

Lime green in colour, this birthstone is a by-product of volcanic action, and comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes. This birthstone gives off its own unique energy, and is strong and durable.

September

Sumptuous sapphire is the birthstone associated with September, and this gem has been linked with faith and purity, as well as foresight. It was thought that the stronger the sparkle of the gem, the more faithful and honest the wearer.

These birthstones look stunning in all types of jewellery, especially in white gold and platinum metal. However, sapphires can come in other colours as well as blue. These are strong and durable gems that will last for years to come, and can be passed down to future generations.

October

The birthstone of October is the opal, a stone that has been linked to purity, hope and innocence. This gem has also been linked to healing forces, friendship and emotion, so it has experienced its fair share of folklore over the years.

This type of birthstone comes in white or black, and both variations have remnants of other colours within them. Opals have a unique look and beauty, making them a very interesting birthstone with a strangely exquisite appearance.

November

The birthstone for this month is topaz, once linked with sanity, healing, and life, as well as being connected to strength by the ancient Greeks. This stone has even been linked to an ability to make the wearer invisible in dangerous situations.

This birthstone comes in a range of colours, all of which will enhance any jewel with a fiery sparkle. Colours include golden, blue, pale green, pink and red, as well as some other rare colours. A stunning gem, topaz boasts both beauty and strength.

December

The given birthstone for December is turquoise, and this precious stone was once linked to happiness, fortune and luck, making it a very popular gem in centuries gone by.

Turquoise can range in colour from mid-blue to a green-blue or light green colour, and this birthstone is unusual and beautiful, making it a very distinctive and unusual addition to any jewellery collection.

Summary

Giving a birthstone to someone special as a gift means giving so much more than just a piece of jewellery. The ancient meanings associated with each of these birthstones make them extra-special, giving them a quality that is impossible to achieve with any other gem.

Whether you decide to give a birthstone ring, necklace earrings or any other piece of jewellery, you will always find stunning pieces where the precious metal and the birthstone complement one another perfectly. Birthstone jewellery makes a unique, beautiful, and affordable gift with real sentiment behind it.
About the Author
Antigone Arthur is an award-winning author and freelance writer providing consumer information on such topics as birthstones and gemstones, promise rings, and celtic wedding rings.

Make Time For Beauty

In today’s hectic World many of us women have little or no time at all to take care of ourselves. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a couple of hours just for yourself? Or simply have a more put together look? Here are some tips that will allow you to make time for your own beauty routine!

• Schedule the beauty routine in your weekly schedule beforehand; even if you are going to do it at home.
• Make it a routine and stick to it, for example: I will do my hair and nails every Thursday night.
• Do you have dry skin and no time for daily moisturizing? Try buying soap for dry skin.
• Delegate at least one of your chores to your partner or a family member.
• Cut off your cooking time, and order out or prepare microwave dinner. You can also cook for two days and take the next day for your beauty routine.
• If you can afford it pay someone to do a portion of your chores.
• Have all the necessary items for your beauty routine in one place, to avoid wasting time looking for them.
• Do not take phone calls during your beauty time.
• Cut off or limit time wasting habits such as TV.

About The Author

Kenia Morales is the publisher of online magazine http://kpatra.com "For Every Aspect of Today's Woman. Visit her site to find a variety of women related issues and topics" click here http://www.kpatra.com/keniascolumn.htm to find Kenia's little piece of heaven her inspirational column
keniamorales@kpatra.com

Seeking Ideal Beauty

There seems to me to be definite parallels between this era, and the Elizabethan Age, when it comes to women, and their desperate struggle to either halt the natural aging of their appearance, or, to discover a miracle age-reversal method. During the sixteenth century, well-born women were obsessed with achieving, and maintaining, 'ideal' beauty, as they perceived it, to the point of what we would call 'madness'. What was this ideal they so longed to possess? Youthful unlined alabaster skin, overly bright eyes, red cheeks and lips, and the fairest of hair colors. Add to these attributes, a high, arched, pale eyebrow, and high brow line. To achieve the 'look' of perfection, these women made use of the period’s highly respected skin care techniques, and the finest cosmetics available to them, at the time.

First, the hairline was plucked back, an inch or more. Next, the eyebrows had to be plucked and arched, and the hair of the head and eyebrows was then bleached out using a variety of the most up-to-date bleaching agents, including urine, and sulfuric acid. Women, who could afford the high cost, purchased the top of the line skin whitener, 'ceruse', a mixture of white lead, and vinegar. This was used on the face, neck, bosom, and often the hands and arms as well. This concoction was used in conjunction with the 'skin firmer' of choice, uncooked egg white. This noxious mess was then spread on the face, neck and bosom, and allowed to dry, to tighten, and hide wrinkles, and give the face a white, unlined, mask-like finish. To imitate a blush and pout of youthful beauty, vermilion (mercuric sulfide) was THE choice for lips and cheeks. Faintly traced veins were then added to the skin surface of the bosom, for that 'natural' look. Drops of belladonna were then administered to the eyes, to achieve that desired 'sparkle', and the eyes were outlined in kohl. To care for their complexions, the ladies made use of what was highly touted as the best cleanser. Mercury mixed with alum, and honey. Of course, a common practice was the 'facial peel', and the most widely used, and highly regarded peel agent, was mercury.

These were the commonly accepted 'beauty' practices, of women over four hundred years ago, and yet, how 'in the moment', it all seems! We may not use mercury for chemical peels, but glycolic acid, salicylic acid, or lactic acid; trichloroacetic acid (TCA), or carbolic acid (phenol) - are used. We don't spread raw egg white on our complexions as a temporary skin firmer, but modern women may be surprised to learn, they could very well have used 'skin firmers' containing formaldehyde. We may gasp in horror over sixteenth century women applying poison to their faces; yet, Botox injections seem perfectly mundane, and safe, to us.
What were the long-term results of the use of their miracle beauty and facial products, for the classy Elizabethan lady? Complexions more rapidly aged, gray, shriveled, and mummified.

When I read of young women still in their twenties, opting for ‘beauty treatments’ that require they have their complexions chemically treated, or otherwise ravaged, I am appalled. I can only wonder at the long-term effects of such drastic measures. Mature women, obsessed with seeking some elusive anti-aging/age-reversal miracle, become nothing more than willing test-subjects for any new facial product/procedure that hits the market. Often, they have no idea as to the ingredients in the products they are smearing on their faces. Nor, do they take into consideration future effects of certain procedures. Perhaps, we modern women should consider the lessons of the past, and proceed with caution, and common sense, when choosing our ‘beauty’ regimens.

Author-Jeannine Schenewerk
http://www.intouchwithjeannine.com



About the Author
Jeannine Schenewerk is a freelance writer residing in Atlanta, Georgia. Her recent article, 'Self Image and the Mature Woman', has been published on numerous sites. She maintains an informative, inspirational, website, 'In Touch With Jeannine', for mature women.
http://www.intouchwithjeannine.com
intouchwithjeannine@yahoo.com

The Hottest Beauty Trend Isn’t for Women: It’s Skin Care for

Not too long ago, it used to be that when a woman brought home her facial scrub, cleanser and toner, she could be sure that the closest her man got to them was reaching over those fancy jars for his can of shaving cream.
Not any more. In recent years, men have been secretly dipping into their wives and girlfriends skin care products and liking the results that they see. So much so that many companies are developing skincare lines just for men.
And men are flocking to these skin care products in droves. Statistics reveal that men in the United States are spending over $4 billion a year on grooming products.
Skin care for men is growing in popularity among ethnic men as well. Ethnic men spend $88 million on skincare products. There is no sign of this trend slowing down.
One main difference between skin care for men and women is ease of use. While women may be willing to go through several steps in their beauty regimen, men like their regimen to be quick and easy. One, two, three and they’re out the door.
Keeping it simple doesn’t mean skimping on quality. Men are looking for high quality skin care products just like their female counterparts. MaleFace is a good example of high quality men’s skincare.
For more information on male skin care visit: http://www.1-minute-beauty-diva.com/FaceAMansSecret.html

Copyright 2004
Donna Monday writes beauty related articles for http://www.1-minute-beauty-diva.com

Beauty Today: All Smoke and Mirrors?

Did you ever notice that the bar is continually being raised on exactly what physical characteristics define beauty? As I sit in front of the TV, I am bombarded by beauties with pouty lips, perfect bone structure, flawless skin, more "voluptuous" upper regions, size 2 waists, and hair that resembles spun silk. Take these same beauties and plop them back in time 20-30 years, when the advent of modern cosmetic technology had not even begun to reach its full potential. Do you think they would have had those same attributes you find yourself longing for when faced with these images? My guess is probably not, or at least not to the same extent.
True, genetics play a role in physical beauty, but with the likes of total "extreme" makeover reality TV (The Swan, Extreme Makeover, Dr. Beverly Hills) and abundant publicity, we see that beauty and cosmetic improvement can now be achieved by a few thousand dollars and a good plastic surgeon. Not only that, but cosmetics in general are now so technologically advanced, you can improve your looks by personal makeup application and home treatments.
There are now do-it-yourself cosmetic treatments such as home microdermabrasion kits, chemical peels, "botox" creams and gels, teeth whiteners, hair removal treatments, cellulite treatments, professional hair straighteners and colors, self tanners, lip enlargers, acne treatments, and the list goes on and on (http://www.cosmeticsgalore.com/best-skincare-products-reviews.html ). Cosmetics marketers and science have joined forces to give women everything they ever wanted to be their most beautiful, and feel better about themselves. Women are benefitting by so many companies competing for a piece of these fairly new markets by lower, more competitive prices.
Not only are there new breakthroughs in the world of cosmetic science, but there are constantly new studies and discoveries in the field of nutrition, fitness, and wellness. Combine this with the new wave of technologically advanced cosmetics, supplements, and treatments, and you've got a recipe for a healthier, longer, more satisfying life for those of us who decide to take advantage of the advanced knowledge of our time.
So, does your desire to be your best and most beautiful self make you shallow, less credible, or somehow jeopardize your feminist agendas? Unless you've somehow compromised your integrity, morals, or core beliefs along the way, the answer is ABSOLUTELY NOT! As long as you are not putting yourself at high risk for physical harm, obsessing endlessly, or spending your life savings, investing time and money into your beauty ultimately is an investment in your well being, self esteem, and many times, mental and physical health. Feeling beautiful is part of what makes us women. Come on, it's just plain FUN to experiment with different looks and different products! It feels good to be noticed, and when you feel beautiful, you tend to radiate confidence and power. It is inherent in our nature to want to feel feminine and look and feel our best, and there is nothing wrong with it, as long as it is not all-consuming.
As a self-proclaimed "product junkie", I can attest that many of these newly engineered products really do work, as I have tried nearly all of them in the quest to look and feel my best. I can't wait to see what they'll come out with next, as every new product seems to top the last. Hey, women have come a long way, and we deserve to feel sexy and confident - beyond smoke and mirrors!

Danna Schneider is the webmaster of the beauty review and advice website CosmeticsGalore.com ( http://www.cosmeticsgalore.com ). She is a cosmetics and beauty product researcher and enthusiast.
admin@cosmeticsgalore.com

Lord Byron's "She Walks in Beauty"

Lord Byron’s opening couplet to “She Walks In Beauty” is among the most memorable and most quoted lines in romantic poetry. The opening lines are effortless, graceful, and beautiful, a fitting match for his poem about a woman who possesses effortless grace and beauty.



Life in England

Lord Byron was born George Gordon Noel Byron in London in 1788. He became a Lord in 1798 when he inherited the title and the estate of his great-uncle. Byron’s mother had taken him to Scotland for treatment for his club foot, but she brought him back to England to claim the title and the estate.

Byron was privately tutored in Nottingham for a short period. He then studied in Harrow, Southwell, and Newstead, and finally at Trinity College. Byron discovered a talent for writing poetry and published some early poems in 1806 and his first collection, called Hours of Idleness, in 1897 at the age of 19. When he turned age 21 he was able to take his seat in the House of Lords.

However, Lord Byron left England for two years with his friend, John Hobhouse, to travel through Europe. They toured Spain, Malta, Greece, and Constantinople. Greece especially impressed Byron and would create a recurring theme in his life.

After returning to England Lord Byron made his first speech to the House of Lords. Later that year he published a “poetic travelogue” titled, "Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage," a respectable collection of verses about his recent travels in Europe. The collection earned Lord Byron lasting fame and admiration. Lord Byron had become a ladies’ man and the newly earned celebrity brought him a series of affairs and courtships.

Lord Byron married Anna Isabella Milbanke in 1815 and his daughter, Augusta, was born later that year. However, the marriage did not last long. In early 1816 Anna and Augusta left Lord Byron and later that year he filed for legal separation and left England for Switzerland, a self-imposed exile.

Life in Europe

While in Switzerland Lord Byron stayed with Percy Bysshe Shelley, a prominent metaphysical and romantic poet, and had an illegitimate daughter, Allegra, with Claire Clairmont. After that affair ended, Lord Byron and his friend, John Hobhouse traveled through Italy, settling first in Venice, where he had a couple more affairs, including an affair with the nineteen year old Countess Teresa Guicciolo. Here Lord Byron began his most famous and most acclaimed work, the epic poem "Don Juan."

Lord Byron and Teresa moved to Ravenna, then to Pisa, and then to Leghorn, near Shelley’s house, in 1821. The poet Leigh Hunt moved in with Lord Byron later that year after Shelley drowned off the coast near Leghorn in a storm. Lord Byron contributed poetry to Hunt’s periodical, "The Liberal", until 1823 when he took the opportunity to travel to Greece to act as an agent for the Greeks in their war against Turkey.

Lord Byron used his personal finances to help fund some of the battles by the Greeks against the Turks. He even commanded a force of three thousand men in an attack on the Turkish-held fortress of Lepanto. The siege was unsuccessful and the forces withdrew. At this time Lord Byron suffered one or two epileptic fits. The remedy of the day, blood-letting, weakened him.

Six weeks later, during a particularly chilly rainstorm, Lord Byron contracted a severe cold. The accompanying fever was treated by repeated bleeding by trusted physicians, but his condition worsened until he eventually slipped into a coma and died on April 19, 1924.

Lord Byron was a hero in Greece and was deeply mourned there. His heart was buried in Greece and his body was sent to England where it was buried in the family vault near Newstead. He was denied burial in Westminster Abbey because of the perceived immorality of his life and numerous controversies. Finally in 1969, 145 years after his death, a memorial was placed in the Poets’ Corner of Westminster Abbey, commemorating his poetry and accomplishments.

Shortly after his arrival in Greece, Lord Byron had written these appropriate lines.
"Seek out—less often sought than found—
A soldier's grave—for thee the best
Then look around, and choose thy ground,
And take thy rest."

An interesting and exceptional biography of Lord Byron’s life was written in 1830 by a contemporary and friend, John Galt, titled, "The Life of Lord Byron." The 49 chapters give a good measure of Lord Byron’s complexity.

“She Walks in Beauty”

In June, 1814, several months before he met and married his first wife, Anna Milbanke, Lord Byron attended a party at Lady Sitwell’s. While at the party, Lord Byron was inspired by the sight of his cousin, the beautiful Mrs. Wilmot, who was wearing a black spangled mourning dress. Lord Byron was struck by his cousin’s dark hair and fair face, the mingling of various lights and shades. This became the essence of his poem about her.

According to his friend, James W. Webster, “I did take him to Lady Sitwell’s party in Seymour Road. He there for the first time saw his cousin, the beautiful Mrs. Wilmot. When we returned to his rooms in Albany, he said little, but desired Fletcher to give him a tumbler of brandy, which he drank at one to Mrs. Wilmot’s health, then retired to rest, and was, I heard afterwards, in a sad state all night. The next day he wrote those charming lines upon her—She walks in Beauty like the Night…”

The poem was published in 1815. Also in that year Lord Byron wrote a number of songs to be set to traditional Jewish tunes by Isaac Nathan. Lord Byron included “She Walks in Beauty” with those poems.

She Walks in Beauty

1
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

2
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling place.

3
And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

Discussion of the Poem

The first couple of lines can be confusing if not read properly. Too often readers stop at the end of the first line where there is no punctuation. This is an enjambed line, meaning that it continues without pause onto the second line. That she walks in beauty like the night may not make sense as night represents darkness. However, as the line continues, the night is a cloudless one with bright stars to create a beautiful mellow glow. The first two lines bring together the opposing qualities of darkness and light that are at play throughout the three verses.

The remaining lines of the first verse employ another set of enjambed lines that tell us that her face and eyes combine all that’s best of dark and bright. No mention is made here or elsewhere in the poem of any other physical features of the lady. The focus of the vision is upon the details of the lady’s face and eyes which reflect the mellowed and tender light. She has a remarkable quality of being able to contain the opposites of dark and bright.

The third and fourth lines are not only enjambed, but the fourth line begins with an irregularity in the meter called a metrical substitution. The fourth line starts with an accented syllable followed by an unaccented one, rather than the iambic meter of the other lines, an unaccented syllable followed by an accented one. The result is that the word “Meet” receives attention, an emphasis. The lady’s unique feature is that opposites “meet” in her in a wonderful way.

The second verse tells us that the glow of the lady’s face is nearly perfect. The shades and rays are in just the right proportion, and because they are, the lady possesses a nameless grace. This conveys the romantic idea that her inner beauty is mirrored by her outer beauty. Her thoughts are serene and sweet. She is pure and dear.

The last verse is split between three lines of physical description and three lines that describe the lady’s moral character. Here soft, calm glow reflects a life of peace and goodness. This is a repetition, an emphasis, of the theme that the lady’s physical beauty is a reflection of her inner beauty.

Lord Byron greatly admired his cousin’s serene qualities on that particular night and he has left us with an inspired poem.

The poem was written shortly before Lord Byron’s marriage to Anna Milbanke and published shortly after the marriage.


About the author:
Garry Gamber is a public school teacher and entrepreneur. He writes articles about real estate, politics, health and nutrition, and internet dating services. He is the owner of http://www.Anchorage-Homes.comand http://www.TheDatingAdvisor.com

Pure Truth About ‘All Natural’ Products & Other Beauty Myths

Myth: "All Natural" Beauty Products Are Best
Pure Truth: First of all, there are not really any ‘all natural’ products available for commercial sale. Unless you make them yourself, and are prepared to refrigerate them & use them within a few days, you really can’t find any. This is because, just as in food products, the ingredients are perishable.
Just think what would happen to a jar of ’natural’ ingredients sitting on your vanity... The smell alone would keep me from opening the lid, let alone touching it! So beauty products, like foods, use preservatives to give them added shelf time. When you buy products, they have to last through storage with the company, shipping and still have some time left for you to use them. As for the term ‘natural’ it is not even regulated. This means any company can call their product natural, no matter what it contains.
Myth: Chemicals Are Bad For Your Skin
Pure Truth: Not all chemicals are bad for your skin. Just as medicines are chemical or synthetic versions of medicinal plants, so the science of chemistry brings us beauty products. Many natural ingredients have been re-created in synthetic form for ease of use & distribution, which can also make them cheaper to supply.
Myth: Product Packaging Does Nothing But Add To The Price
Pure Truth: Many people believe there is no importance to the packaging of beauty products, that the bottles and jars are just made ’neat looking’ in order to make us buy the products. This can be true, but with some of the ’new’ beauty ingredients, packaging has a much larger, more important role. Some ingredients are considered unstable, meaning they are affected by sunlight and air exposure. For those ingredients, like retinol and some antioxidants, the packaging is a big deal. If you want to get some use of what you paid for, look for packaging that limits the products exposure. This may mean a dark colored container, or those similar to pharmaceutical products.
Myth: Buying Beauty Products Is a Gamble
Pure Truth: If you want to avoid buying products that simply don’t work, being an educated consumer is your best bet. For the best information on cosmetics ingredients in the US, go to the http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-prd.html, the FDA site. This site also has information on labeling & label claims.
There are also several websites with product reviews, done by independent consumers, just like you. The best sites will post the reviewers’ information, so you can get an idea if the reviewer’s skin type, age etc. is similar to your own. Two review sites are http://www.cosmeticconnection.com and http://www.emakemeup.com/reviewboard/cgi-bin/main.cgi. You may also try the various message boards devoted to beauty. These boards are a great place to get information on new products or companies before you buy. And reputable companies will allow exchanges and refunds. If the company you are considering doesn’t, look for another... In the competitive beauty game, you can always find a company that is more like to cover your bet.
Deanna Ferber is President of GlamKitty, a cosmetics and skin care company dedicated to helping Busy Women with 9 Lives find their own Tabby Chic (tm). Take a ’paws’ in your day at http://glamkitty-beauty.com

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Famous Quotes by Famous Composers

Composers don't only have a way of expressing themselves through music, they also do so beautifully in words. Here is my Top 10 list of Music Quotes by Famous Composers. I hope you'll find inspiration in their words.
1. Johann Sebastian Bach - "There's nothing remarkable about it. All one has to do is hit the right keys at the right time and the instrument plays itself."
2. Ludwig van Beethoven - "To play without passion is inexcusable!"
3. Johannes Brahms - "Without craftsmanship, inspiration is a mere reed shaken in the wind."
4. Frederic Chopin - "Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art."
5. George Frideric Handel - "Whether I was in my body or out of my body as I wrote it I know not. God knows."
6. Franz Joseph Haydn - "Young people can learn from my example that something can come from nothing. What I have become is the result of my hard efforts."
7. Felix Mendelssohn - "Even if, in one or other of them, I had a particular word or words in mind, I would not tell anyone, because the same word means different things to different people. Only the songs say the same thing, arouse the same feeling, in everyone - a feeling that can't be expressed in words."
8. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - "Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius."
9. Franz Schubert - "Some people come into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same."
10. Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky - "I sit down to the piano regularly at nine-o'clock in the morning and Mesdames les Muses have learned to be on time for that rendezvous."

Amjad Ali Khan

(Hindi: अमजद अली ख़ान; IAST: Amjad Alī Khān) (born 9 October 1945) is an Indian classical musician who plays the sarod. Khan was born into a musical family and has performed internationally since the 1960s. He was awarded India's second highest civilian honor, the Padma Vibhushan, in 2001.

Early life and career

Khan was born in Gwalior on 9 October 1945 as Masoom Ali Khan, the youngest of six children, to Gwalior court musician Hafiz Ali Khan and Rahat Jahan.His family is part of the Bangash lineage and Khan is in the sixth generation of musicians; his family claims to have invented the sarod.

His personal name was changed by a sadhu to Amjad. Khan received homeschooling and studied music under his father.His family moved frequently and Khan performed on the sarod from a young age.

Khan first performed in the United States in 1963 and continued into the 2000s, with his sons.He has experimented with modifications to his instrument throughout his career.Khan played with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and worked as a visiting professor at the University of New Mexico.

 

Recognition

Khan was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1989, and received the Padma Shri in 1975, the Padma Bhushan in 1991, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2001.He was awarded the Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize in 2004. The U.S. state of Massachusetts proclaimed April 20 as Amjad Ali Khan Day in 1984.Khan was made an honorary citizen of Houston, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee, in 1997, and of Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2007. He received the Banga-Vibhushan in 2011.

Family and personal life

Khan cared for his diabetic father until he died in 1972. His family arranged a marriage, which failed, and Khan was married a second time, to Bharatanatyam dancer Subhalakshmi, on September 25, 1976.Subhalakshmi Barua Khan is a native of Assam and has stopped performing. They have two sons, Amaan, and Ayaan, who were taught music by their father.Khan is a Muslim and his wife is a Hindu. Their family home in Gwalior was made into a musical center and they live in New Delhi.

Sarod player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan's latest album 'Moksha' has been nominated for a Grammy in the 'traditional world' category.

While other purists of Indian classical music refrain from experimenting with the age-old forms of raga, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan does not mind innovation in Indian classical music as long as the sanctity of the raga is maintained.



His latest album, Moksha, is replete with such innovations. The album has eight solo pieces that have been put together keeping in mind the sensibilities of music listeners in the west. Ustad's two sons Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash - both sarod players - have also contributed in the album.

'Moksha' was released in Europe in May and in the US in June by Real World Records. It has been received very well in the west so far. And whether it gets a Grammy will be known in February next year when the winners will be declared.

Ustad is presently on a musical tour of the US. He, along with his sons, will perform in Chicago on Oct 16. The concert is already believed to have been sold out.


Other News:

Creativity needs a world of peace, says Ustad Amjad Ali Khan

Creativity can be harnessed only in a peaceful world, sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan says, voicing concern over the mounting threats to peace since the 9/11 attacks in the US 10 years ago and the recent retaliatory killing of Osama bin Laden.

Amjad Ali Khan, Jogen Chowdhury honoured

Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and renowned painter Jogen Chowdhury were Friday conferred with lifetime achievement awards by luxury accessories maker Mont Blanc and Dakshinee, a premier music academy in Kolkata.

Amjad centre on varsity cards

Siliguri, April 8: The UGC today asked North Bengal University to set up a department as well as a centre of fine arts and music in honour of sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan.

Varsity honour for sarod maestro

Siliguri, April 5: The North Bengal University will confer the DLitt degree to sarod player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan during the varsity's annual convocation on April 9. Sources in the varsity said the Honoris Causa Committee had proposed the names of the sarod maestro for DLitt and S. Chandrasekharan, the president of the Chemical Research Society

 

Articles Of Note Music Articles And Life Enrichment

Articles Of Note

Whether you admit it or not, music imbeds our daily life, weaving its beauty and emotion through our thoughts, activities and memories.  So if you're interested in music theory, music appreciation, Beethoven, Mozart, or other composers, artists and performers, we hope you'll spend some time with here and learn from these music articles of note for all ages and tastes.

When I first started studying the history of music, I did not realize what I was getting into. I had thought that music history was somewhat of a trivial pursuit. In fact, I only took my history of classical music class because I needed  the credits. I did not realize how completely fascinating music history is. You see, in our culture many of us do not really learn to understand music. For much of the world, music is a language, but for us it is something that we consumed passively.  When I began to learn about the history of Western music, however, it changed all that for me. I have had some experience playing musical instruments, but I have never mastered one enough to really understand what music is all about. This class showed me.

When most of us think about the history of music, we think of the history of rock music. We assume that the history is simple because the music is simple. In fact, neither is the case. The history of music, whether you're talking about classical music, rock music, jazz music, or any other kind, is always complicated. New chord structures are introduced bringing with them new ways of understanding the world. New rhythmic patterns are introduced, bringing with them new ways of understanding time. And music reflects all of it.

Even when the class was over, I could not stop learning about the history of music. It had whetted my appetite, and I wanted more. I got all the music history books that I could find. I even began to research forms of music that had not interested me before in the hopes of enhancing my musical knowledge further. Although I was in school studying toward something very different – a degree in engineering – I had thought about giving it up and going back to get a degree in musicology. That is how much I am fascinated by the subject.

If you have never taken a course in the history of music, you don't know what you are missing out on. The radio will never sound the same to you again. Everything will seem much more rich, much more luminous, and much more important. A new song can reflect a new way of being, and a new way of imagining life in the world. This is what learning about the history of music means to many of us.

 Source: http://www.articlesofnote.com/

Music Quotes

After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.
Aldous Huxley

All good music resembles something. Good music stirs by its mysterious resemblance to the objects and feelings which motivated it.
Jean Cocteau

All music is beautiful.
Billy Strayhorn

Any good music must be an innovation.
Les Baxter

But when you get music and words together, that can be a very powerful thing.
Bryan Ferry

Classical music is the kind we keep thinking will turn into a tune.
Kin Hubbard

Composers shouldn't think too much - it interferes with their plagiarism.
Howard Dietz

Everywhere in the world, music enhances a hall, with one exception: Carnegie Hall enhances the music.
Isaac Stern

For me, singing sad songs often has a way of healing a situation. It gets the hurt out in the open into the light, out of the darkness.
Reba McEntire

He has Van Gogh's ear for music.
Billy Wilder

Hell is full of musical amateurs.
George Bernard Shaw

I asked my daughter when she was 16, What's the buzz on the street with the kids? She's going, to be honest, Dad, most of my friends aren't into Kiss. But they've all been told that it's the greatest show on Earth.
Ace Frehley

I don't care much about music. What I like is sounds.
Dizzy Gillespie

I don't know anything about music. In my line you don't have to.
Elvis Presley

I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive expression of humanity. It's something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we're from, everyone loves music.
Billy Joel

I wake up in the morning, I do a little stretching exercises, pick up the horn and play.
Herb Alpert

I was born with music inside me. Music was one of my parts. Like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart. Like my blood. It was a force already within me when I arrived on the scene. It was a necessity for me-like food or water.
Ray Charles

I was growing up listening to Queen. Freddie Mercury threw those incredible melodies into his songs.
Gary Cherone

I've said that playing the blues is like having to be black twice. Stevie Ray Vaughan missed on both counts, but I never noticed.
B. B. King

If a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music.
Gustav Mahler

Quotations about Music 3

If I were to begin life again, I would devote it to music.  It is the only cheap and unpunished rapture upon earth.  Sydney Smith


There is nothing in the world so much like prayer as music is.  ~William P. Merrill


If in the after life there is not music, we will have to import it.  ~Doménico Cieri Estrada


Men profess to be lovers of music, but for the most part they give no evidence in their opinions and lives that they have heard it.  ~Henry David Thoreau


Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life.  ~Ludwig van Beethoven

Quotations about Music 2

Were it not for music, we might in these days say, the Beautiful is dead.  ~Benjamin Disraeli


Music is what feelings sound like.  ~Author Unknown


There's music in the sighing of a reed;
There's music in the gushing of a rill;
There's music in all things, if men had ears:
Their earth is but an echo of the spheres.
~Lord Byron


Musical compositions, it should be remembered, do not inhabit certain countries, certain museums, like paintings and statues.  The Mozart Quintet is not shut up in Salzburg:  I have it in my pocket.  ~Henri Rabaud


Music is the poetry of the air.  ~Richter

Quotations about Music 1

If a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music.  ~Gustav Mahler


Why waste money on psychotherapy when you can listen to the B Minor Mass?  ~Michael Torke


And the night shall be filled with music,
And the cares that infest the day
Shall fold their tents like the Arabs
And as silently steal away.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Day Is Done


He who sings scares away his woes.  ~Cervantes


Music was my refuge.  I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.  ~Maya Angelou, Gather Together in My Name

Quotations about Music

A painter paints pictures on canvas.  But musicians paint their pictures on silence.  ~Leopold Stokowski


Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.  ~Berthold Auerbach


All deep things are song.  It seems somehow the very central essence of us, song; as if all the rest were but wrappages and hulls!  ~Thomas Carlyle


If the King loves music, it is well with the land.  ~Mencius


Without music life would be a mistake.  ~Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche


Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons.  You will find it is to the soul what a water bath is to the body.  ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

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