Feng Shui Fashion Makeover ? Energize Your Life and Wardrobe

Do you look and feel great in your current wardrobe? Are you looking for ways to boost your energy and have more balance in your life? It is important to have a positive and attractive outer appearance, as well as a balanced inner-self to enhance your chances of success in the world today.

One of the most valuable things you can do for yourself is to practice the art of wearing colors and styles of clothing that enhance your success and well-being. When you continually wear a wardrobe that supports who you are, you will have more confidence and energy.

One of the most successful ways to empower your wardrobe is through the principles of personalized Feng Shui. There is much information available on how to apply Feng Shui to your home, garden, and work place using the traditional principles of Feng Shui, such as Yin and Yang and the Five Elements theory. These basic theories can also be applied to your personal wardrobe through the colors and shapes which represent the Five Elements of Feng Shui.

Good Feng Shui has always meant being in harmony with nature. Good personalized Feng Shui means you can start creating harmony in the way you get dressed each day. By selecting the colors and shapes that will enhance your personal energies, you will be creating an environment around you for success.

A good place to start your personal fashion makeover is by taking a look inside your closet space as if you were seeing it for the first time. Notice if your wardrobe is supporting who you are and where you?d like to be in your life. You may find the need to de-clutter your closet before you start to create your wardrobe with the colors and styles that enhance your natural beauty. Removing old, unworn, and unnecessary items from your closet can open up possibilities for fresh vital energy to empower you. Set aside some time for you to sort and organize your closet. As this task can be overwhelming, be sure to reward yourself when you are done with this project.

Color plays a very important role in your daily life. You can be seen as loyal and trusting in a navy-blue colored suit, passionate in pink or red, calm and serene in a soft shade of green, or bright and cheery in sunshine yellow.

The colors you wear not only affect the way you feel, but also set the tone for others around you. Do you seem to have a difficult time making a decision? Are you often passed by for a deserving raise or promotion? Have you noticed that wearing certain colors can make a gray, gloomy day seem more cheerful? For example, if you continually dress in the color black, it not only gives off the impression of sadness, but also may be surrounding you in too much of the element of water, which may hinder your ability to make the decisions that are required in your line of work.

Building a wardrobe that will have you feeling balanced and energized can be very simple if you desire to bring positive change into your life. You will know you are on the right path with your personal makeover by the compliments you will receive from others.

The most important thing to remember is to have fun, schedule some time for yourself, and spend time with those who make you happy. By looking and feeling your best, your positive attitude and harmonious nature will be contagious to those around you. Your future awaits, embrace all that life has to offer you.

? Copyright, Diane Alba-Means, Hawaii Feng Shui 2006

Diane Alba-Means is the author of Feng Shui Fashion Makeover for Success - A Woman's Guide to Empowering Your Personal Style. She is passionate about combining the principles of Feng Shui with her background in fashion and design to show people a fun and exciting way to empower their lives. Her approach is grounded in over 20 successful years as a color and image consultant, decorator, teacher, writer, speaker, and Feng Shui expert. What is your color mood today? Find out for FREE at http://www.HawaiiFengShui.com

Color Contacts: Fashionable Dramatic and HOT!

A great way to give you a subtle or dramatic change is with colored contact lenses. Manufacturers currently make a wide range of different color contacts in both prescription and non-prescription form with colors available to make your eyes sizzle!

There are four types of colored contact lenses; visibility tints, enhancement tints, opaque color tints and light filtering tints, each offering something a bit different.

Regardless if you will be purchasing color contacts for prescription or plano (non-prescription) form you will need to have a valid eye prescription. In the United States it is law that you have a prescription for any contact lenses purchases, whether they are prescription or not. An eyecare practitioner can include any optometrists, ophthalmologist or even opticians (in some states). This is because it is necessary to achieve the right shape, lens size and material for each individuals eyes. Improperly fitted lenses can lead to serious eye problems and infection.

Once you have the proper eye prescription you are free to purchase your colored discount contact lenses wherever you please. It is also important to have a yearly check up to ensure your lenses are still fitting properly and you prescription hasn?t changed.

Four Different Tints:

Colored contact lenses are available in four different tints. The visibility tint usually has a light blue or green tint added to the lens, for the sole purpose of helping you to better see the lenses during insertion and removal. The tint also aids in seeing if they are dropped, because the tint is so light they do not affect eye color. The enhancement tints are a solid (yet translucent) tint that is not much darker than the visibility tint but does affect the wearer?s eye color. As the name implies the lenses enhance the existing color of the eyes. The enhancement tints are a nice yet subtle change for those just wanting to add a bit of intensity to their eye color.

Color tints are a deeper, opaque tint allowing the wearer to dramatically change their eye color. For anyone wanting a completely new look these are the color contacts to choose. Some of the lovely tints available come in colors such as; blue, gray, true sapphire, green, turquoise, Caribbean aqua, sea green and pacific blue to name a few. The various tints are usually made up with a series of colorful shapes, lines or dots to mimic the look of the natural eye.

Special Effects Contact Lenses:

Costume and theatrical lenses also fall into the same category of opaque color contacts. These special effect lenses are available in prescription and non-prescription form. The lenses are an excellent choice for any theatrical production, television or advertising needs, and for most people a great addition to any Halloween costume. The special effect contact lenses come in exciting designs like jaguar, cat eye, alien zebra, blackout (changing the eye color to black), white-out (changing the eye color to white), red hot, bloodshot and wolf designs. The special effect contact lenses are just as safe as your regular contact lenses provided they are cared for in the same way. Check with your eyecare practitioner for the proper cleaning regimen, and remember to never share your lenses.

Sports Contact Lenses Help Enhance Your Game:

The light-filtering tints are specifically made for use in sports. The special lenses enhance certain colors while muting others. One of the popular light-filtering tints comes in optic yellow, the color of tennis balls and golf balls. The tints allow for the ball to stand out against the background therefore making it easier to target, the colored contacts are also an excellent option for spectators.

Shy or Outgoing -There is a Color for You:

For those purchasing colored contacts for the first time deciding what color is best can be a difficult decision especially with all the options available. Personality has a lot to do with what color might be most appropriate for you. If you are a bold and outgoing person who doesn?t mind being the center of attention, a color that is opposite your natural eye color might be best. An example would be someone with brown eyes wearing contact lenses in a green or blue shade. On the other hand if you are a bit more reserved and shy you may choose lenses that don?t get you quite as noticed, an example would be a blue eyed person going with a shade of gray. The enhancement tints are great for a deepening affect that doesn?t change your eyes at all, but still manages to give a sparkle to your look.

The advantage to the disposable color contacts is with all the available choices if you purchase a pair that you don?t feel best suit your given personality and appearance you can always switch them to a different color at little cost.

If your colored contacts are for prescription wear you?ll want to choose lenses that are compatible with your needs and find a wear schedule appropriate for you. Some examples of the different disposable lenses available are; frequent replacement contacts which are replaced monthly or quarterly; disposable lenses needing replacement daily, weekly or every two weeks and the traditional or reusable lenses which need replacing about every six months or longer. The replacement schedule that will be best for you is based on how your eyes behave while wearing the lenses. Some people need to replace their lenses more frequently as their eyes produce more protein and lipids (causing build-up on the lenses) than others. Whether you decide on a regular pair of lenses or disposables will depend on your individual needs.

Conclusion:

It is important when owning colored contacts to never share the contacts, even if they are just for novelty use in non-prescription form. This is because sharing lenses can transmit harmful bacteria leading to possible eye infections or serious eye conditions. Another reason to never share is that your contact lenses are fitted specifically for you, sharing with someone else can cause abrasion or eye damage.

The color contact lenses are a unique and fun way to change or enhance your look. With all the available colors it might be difficult to make a choice. It is important to remember that colored contact lenses are medical devices and if not properly prescribed and fitted a person could suffer discomfort, abrasion, swelling and in some instances permanent eye damage. Always treat your contact lenses with care to ensure proper eye health.

Valerie Giles owns and operates Eyewear-4U http://www.eyewear-4u.com, an eyewear site featuring fashion eyewear, sports eyewear, prescription eyewear, discount sunglasses and contact lenses as well as accessories.

Toxic Ingredients in Cosmetics and Skin Care Products

Have you ever examined the ingredients listed on the labels of your cosmetics or other skin care products? Do you know what those ingredients are?

What you may not realize is that many of the skin care products and cosmetics you are buying contain ingredients that are not only harmful to your skin, but also to your long term health. Many of these ingredients are known carcinogens (cancer-causing substances) and are used by the cosmetic industry simply because they are cheap!

Harmful Ingredients Commonly Found in Skin Care Products and Cosmetics - The following are just some of the synthetic chemicals that have been identified by scientific studies to be harmful to our health.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (ALS) - Often described as being derived from coconut to disguise their toxic nature, these chemicals are commonly used in shampoos, toothpaste, foaming facial and body cleansers and bubble bath. SLS and ALS can cause severe skin irritation, and are easily absorbed into the body, building up in the brain, heart, lungs and liver, leading to potential long term health problems. SLS and ALS may also cause cataracts, and prevent children's eyes from developing properly.

Paraben Preservatives - Parabens are widely used in cosmetics, deodorants, skin care and baby products to prolong their shelf life. They are known to be highly toxic and have caused rashes and allergic reactions. Recent scientific studies in the UK found a strong link between the use of parabens and the increasing rate of breast cancer in women. Researchers found a high concentration of parabens in 90% of breast tumors tested.

Propylene Glycol - Found in many beauty creams, cosmetics and cleansers, Propylene Glycol can cause skin rashes and contact dermatitis, and has been shown to cause damage to the kidneys and liver.

Isopropyl Alcohol - Alcohol is used as a solvent in many skin care products. It causes skin irritation and strips the skin of its natural acid mantle, promoting the growth of bacteria, moulds and viruses. It may also cause premature ageing of skin.

DEA (Diethanolamine), TEA (Triethanolamine) and MEA (Monoethanolamine) - These substances are harsh solvents and detergents that are used in cosmetics and face and body creams as an emollient. They can cause allergic reactions, and long term use of DEA-based products (such as Cocamide DEA) have been linked to an increase in the incidence of liver and kidney cancer.

Aluminum - A common ingredient in antiperspirants, aluminum has been linked to Alzheimer's Disease.

Mineral Oil - Derived from petroleum (crude oil), mineral oil is commonly found as a main ingredient of face and body creams and cosmetics. Baby oil is 100% mineral oil! It coats the skin like a plastic film, clogging pores and stopping the skin from eliminating toxins, which can lead to acne and other skin disorders. Other petroleum based ingredients include paraffin wax, paraffin oil and petrolatum.

Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) - Used as a thickener in skin care products and cosmetics, PEGs interfere with the skin's natural moisture balance, causing an increase in ageing and leaving the skin vulnerable to bacteria.

Talc - Talc is a soft mineral used in talcum powders and cosmetic powders. Scientific studies have shown that routine application of talcum powder to the genital area is linked with a three-to-fourfold increase in the development of ovarian cancer. Inhaling cosmetic powders containing talc may also be harmful to long term health.

How To Avoid These Toxins - Examine the labels of your cosmetics and skin care products carefully, and learn to recognize ingredients that are harmful to your skin and to your health. Many web sites have lists of potentially harmful ingredients in addition to those shown above (e.g. Environmental Working Group).

Don't be fooled by the words 'natural' or 'organic' on the front of the label. Many products contain at least one or two natural or organic ingredients, but they may also contain harmful synthetic chemicals as well.

Whenever possible, choose products with 100% natural ingredients such as essential oils and herbs. Your skin will love you for it!

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