The Desk Job Blues

SITTING AT A DESK FOR LONG HOURS CAN AFFECT YOUR HEALTH

There are at least three (3) ways sitting at a desk for long periods of time can affect your health and they are as follows:

1. spine damage
2. computer eye strain
3. heart health

Poor posture in a prolonged sitting and poor thought out work stations are major causes of back and neck pain.

These great tips can help:

• practice good ergonomics (meaning design the workplace station to fit the worker). Keep the computer slightly below eye level. Have your hands reach the keyboard without bending your wrists. Have good back support.
• maintain good posture. Sit up straight.
• Follow the 50-10 rule. For every 50 minutes of sitting, you should get up and move around for 10 minutes. Exercise your back and neck.
• Take the stairs
• Stretch your neck
• Loosen your upper back

I hope this information was helpful to all the desk job workers. I decided to write this article to make everyone aware of the cause of sitting for long periods of time. We work our minds but not so much the muscles.

Shower Gel, Soap or Body Wash??? Which Is Best?

Choosing the best cleanser for your body comes from knowing what's best for your skin type as well as your personal preference. Find out how to choose the right product for you.

So you are standing in the health, skin and beauty aisle at the store and you seem overwhelmed. Bar soaps, body washes and shower gels all compete for your attention and well as your money. When picking the right product for you, you should consider your skin type. If your skin tends be sensitive and dry, or is it oily. When searching those aisles look for the products that specify that on the labels. Your bathing habits can be an important factor in what products you choose that are the best for you. When bathing, it is best to use warm water instead of hot water. It is also important to moisturize immediately after toweling off. Whether you choose bar or bottle, many body cleansers have the same effect. These products remove dirt, bacteria and unfortunately some of your natural body oils. Removing of that oil makes your skin dryer. One solution is to look for products that state that they are moisturizing. Many body washes leave a layer of moisturizer on the skin that helps to replenish the oils removed. You actually do not need a lot of foam to get clean. As a matter of fact, non-soap cleansers that do not foam tend to leave more of your natural oils. Most people can avoid overdrying their skin by selecting a soap for sensitive skin and by applying a body lotion to still damp skin after bathing. This seals the moisture back into your skin and replenishes the oils removed.

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The Facts about Bar Soaps
The most important factor in checking out the best bar soap is looking at the ingredients for lye. Deodorant and lye soaps tend to strip your skin's natural oils and do not replace them. If you like bar soaps, it is better to choose a beauty bar. Beauty bars tend to moisturize better than regular bar soaps.

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When choosing a body Cleanser, choose a mild cleanser that does not contain lye. Use cool or warm water, never hot when bathing. Use a moisturizer after drying off. Do not over cleanse. Watch out for signs of redness, dryness, itching, and/or flaking. As always you will always need to consult with your dermatologist if you experience any side effects.

This article contains information based on the author's opinion only. As always if you experience any side effects that are harmful or appear to be harmful, consult your physician immediately.

Phonicia P Keller, Author

8 GREAT SHOES TO WEAR WITH 8 GREAT SKIRTS

It's already HOT and the summer has not officially begun. It's the time of the year to put those jeans and trousers, sweaters and jackets aside and break out the skirts, shirts, and capris! Matching shoes and skirts can be problem. Wearing the wrong style shoe can ruin your whole look! To save you from embarrassment and looking a mess, I am going to give you some great tips on what shoes go with what skirts.

THE PLEATED SKIRT
Pleated skirts are sill the trend this summer. You can keep the look by wearing them with chunky wedges or with ankle strap heels to give the sexy secretary look.

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A LINE SKIRT
A-Line skirts that are knee length can be worn with a pair of platform heels, mary janes ore the classy pump.

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DENIM SKIRT
Wedge shoe boots would look great with denim skirts or wedge strappy sandals.

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MAXI SKIRT
Better known as the floor length skirt. These skirts would look great with flat sandals or leather thong sandals.

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MINI SKIRT
Wedge shoes or strappy ankle sandals or shoes would add extra sexiness to the classic mini skirt.

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PENCIL SKIRT
Team up with the classic stiletto shoe or ankle boot strappy shoes. You can even rock the classic pump with this one.

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SHEER MAXI SKIRT
These skirts are generally silk or fine crinkle cottons. Wear these with flat studded sandals or even thong studded sandals.

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TULIP SKIRT
In my opinion these are not all that cute, however they are the trend. I guess I would really have to try one on and it would have to be a solid color. These skirts can be either casual or formal. You can wear with flat ankle boot or ankle strappy heels or ankle tie sandals.

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This concludes my tips on what shoes to wear with what skirts. I hope this information was helpful to you! Now let's get it DIVA'S!

WEARING WHITE!

I was just in the mood for a white dress on this hot summer day! Although I am a small person white tends to always pop! White also makes you appear to look bigger then you actually are. So to all my small and petite diva's try wearing white. Accent with gold and you are good to go! I actually got this dress for about $14.99 at Citi Trends in Louisiana. Shoes are from a local shoe store called Shoe Show and they were $19.99.

SKIN CARE TIPS

Excessive sun exposure can cause wrinkles, freckles, age spots and rough, dry skin. Sun Exposure can also cause skin cancer.

Ways to Prevent Skin Damage

• avoid the sun between the hours of 10am to 4pm. This is when the suns rays are the strongest.
• wear protective clothing
• use sunscreen

Smoking makes you look older and causes wrinkles.

• limit bath time and use warm water rather than hot water
• avoid strong soaps
• shave carefully
• pat dry
• moisture dry skin

Eating healthy can also contribute to healthier looking skin.

Managing stress is an important factor to how healthy your skin looks.

This concludes my blog on skin care tips. I hope that this information benefits you on some ways to help keep your skin wrinkle free and healthy!

MAKEUP BRUSHES: WHAT TO LOOK FOR?

If you have ever tried the little brushes that come inside of your eyeshadow or makeup compacts, then you know that there has to be better brushes out there that provide better coverage for your face than those.

Buying a brush takes time. You really need to know how you want your makeup to look on your face and then pick your choice of brushes from there. Sometimes, the outcome of your makeup has a great impact of the type of brushes you use to apply your makeup with on your face.

When looking for brushes:

• You should always buy the best quality makeup brushes you can afford. They can be a little expensive but the price you pay can not compare to the look you will have. Bad brushes need to be replaced often and can sometimes irritate the skin.
• Natural bristles are better than synthetic. Natural bristles are also more expensive, but if you still choose to use synthetic, you can use those for smaller areas of your face or for any makeup that is liquid.
• Pay attention to the handle. If the handle is plastic, it is easier to clean. Wooden handles are more professional, but will be hard for stains to be removed. Longer handles are easier to work than shorter handles. Shorter handles are good for travel purposes.

Some top brand brushes include MAC, Sephora, and Bobby Brown.

HOW LONG SHOULD YOU KEEP YOUR MAKEUP

• CONCEALER (12 MONTHS)
• POWDER (2 YRS)
• CREAM AND GEL CLEANSERS (1 YR)
• PENCIL EYE LINER (UP TO 3 YRS)
• EYESHADOW (UP TO 1-3 YRS)
• BRUSHES (2-3 MTS)
• SPONGES (WEEKLY)
• FOUNDATION (WATER BASED) UP TO 12 MTS (OIL BASED) UP TO 18 MTS
• LIP LINER (UP TO 3 YRS)
• LIPSTICK (1-2 YRS)
• MASCARA (4 MTS)
• NAIL POLISH (UP TO 12 MTS)

TIP: ALWAYS WRITE THE DATE ON YOUR MAKEUP TO MAKE SURE YOU GET THE BEST QUALITY ON YOUR SKIN.

MEN PULL YOUR PANTS UP!

Now I know I am going to get some people who may not like this but.... This is simply not cute to have your butt hanging out like this. Maybe picture number one is fine but the other two men need to go home and start over. I believe if women would stop entertaining this, it would stop. Sorry fellas but this is not a trend that is hot!

Avon's Eyeshadow Sheets

Avon's Eyeshadow sheets are for those women who are on the go. Most of us have very busy schedules so we do not have time to be in front of the mirror for an hour trying to get ready for work, or go on that special date. These eyeshadow sheets are a great idea for that classy, smokey eye look. All the sheets come with a 3 color coordination to give that popping look we all desire.

Here are the steps for applying this simple look:

1. First, tear the perforated line in the middle of the sheet.

2. Second, take the plastic off the back. This is used to protect the eyeshadow.

3. Third, Place the correct eye sheet on your eyelid and rub your forefinger across your eyelid for coverage.

4. Next, do the same for the other eye.

5. Lastly, use an eyeshadow brush and finish the touches if needed. Then you are DONE!

See how simple that was. It takes less than 5 minutes for a great smokey eye look. People will definitely think you spent an hour doing your makeup. It's up to do if you want to let the secret out.

I hope this works for you!

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