As a culture, we are growing increasingly fixated on altering our appearances through either plastic surgery or cosmetic procedures of some kind. In fact, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), in 2009 more than 310,000 women had their breasts augmented and 283,735 had liposuction performed. Add in the 2.5 million who had Botox injections and 1.3 million who used hyaluronic fillers like Juvederm and Restylane and it's clear that this is no passing trend -- even though as a nation we're struggling with our finances! According to the ASAPS, despite the fact that the economy is floundering, in 2009 overall demand for procedures only dropped 2 percent over the previous year. And, as science continues to advance and more and more procedures become non-invasive, quick fixes with little-to-no downtime, the numbers are bound to increase.
Will a pixie a-la-Michelle Williams make you look chic or chubby? Will a trendy full fringe bring out your features or square off your face? These are important questions you should think about before running to a stylist toting a picture of a celebrity haircut you just have to have. Or worse, before you hastily grab scissors on a slow weekday night and go to town on your poor, defenseless hair. Any stylist will tell you that it's your face shape that determines which haircut will flatter you best.
Red: The color of passion, the color of love. It's probably the sexiest color around and when painted on your lips, it's dynamite. Like with all lip makeup colors, certain shades of red look better on some skin tones than others. Because of this semi-frustrating fact, we are constantly asked by readers to help them find the best red for them.
Mascara, for most, is one of those "desert island"-type of eye makeup products -- meaning many women tout it as the one thing they absolutely can't go without. Whether or not you would pack it for your Gilligan adventure, we're sure you'd agree that it's a makeup bag staple. Why? Because it almost effortlessly makes you look more awake and feminine, of course.
