The Hair Volumizer
"Hair that has movement and doesn't fall flat doesn't just look sexy," says Rodney Cutler, owner of Cutler/Redken salon in New York City. "It makes you look younger, too, because it creates the illusion of high cheekbones and eyes that are awake." When hair is damp, flip your head upside down, spray a texturizer on palms, and rake fingers through roots, lifting hair away from your scalp as you blow-dry. When only your roots are dry, flip upright and you'll see instant volume. Then, as you dry the rest of your hair, stretch out strands with a nylon-bristle brush—follow through from root to tip, flicking ends upward to add subtle curve. (Yes, your biceps will be burning by the time you're done.)
Extra tip: Like isolating muscles during strength training, blow-drying small sections of hair lets you extend strands more efficiently.
Cheek Lifter
You sculpt sexy arms with strength training. To define your features, try flexing your facial muscles, says Carole Maggio, an aesthetician and author of Ultimate Facercise. Over time, frowning, smiling, squinting and other exaggerated expressions can cause wrinkles, but by exercising muscles perpendicular to specific lines, these moves may soften creases temporarily, says Macrene Alexiades-Armenakas, Ph.D., a dermatologist in NYC. Do this move and the Eye Energizer, two skin-smoothing maneuvers that Maggio created, twice a day.
Make a long, narrow O with your mouth, pulling lips inward. Jut your neck forward, and push your shoulders back. Place index fingers on top of cheeks (nails facing your nose). Next, press lips firmly against teeth and smile with your upper lip only so cheek muscles lift. (It may feel awkward for a few tries, but you'll get the hang of it.) Do 20 reps.
Muscles worked: The buccinators, which form the rounded part of cheeks, and the orbicularis oris, circular muscles around the mouth. Toning cheek muscles makes them more defined and elevates the hollows under eyes, Maggio says.
Allover Skin Smoother
Surprise! Your favorite workout can help your skin, too. "Exercise gets blood pumping to your tissues, and as a result, skin takes up nutrients, removes waste faster and repairs itself more efficiently," says Nicholas Perricone, M.D., a dermatologist in NYC. "It also triggers production of growth hormones that help skin stay firm." Dr. Perricone suggests fitting in 30 to 45 minutes of cardio or resistance training five days a week.
Eye Energizer
Sit up straight, and push your chin forward and shoulders back, elongating your neck. Bending your index fingers, press both knuckles together, automatically forming a heart shape with your hands. Put index fingers between your brows, letting fingertips rest on the bridge of your nose. Curve thumbs in a C shape around the outer corners of both eyes as if you were creating a pair of glasses with your fingers. Squeeze eyes tightly shut, then pull your index fingers slightly upward between brows and thumbs, back toward ears (but keep both fingers gliding along skin). Squeeze eyes even tighter. Hold this position; breathe normally; count to 40. Repeat.
Muscles worked: The orbicularis oculi, the muscles that surround the eyes and make it possible for you to open and close them. As with all physical exercise, engaging muscles sends circulation soaring. The rush of blood in this fatigue-prone zone helps lessen inflammation—and with it, undereye puffiness, Maggio explains.
Lash Stretch
Get heated: First, blast your eyelash curler with hot air from your blow-dryer for a few seconds. (Test its temp on your wrist before you curl.) "The heat helps alter your lashes' shape from stick-straight to curved," says Kevin Mendelson, international educator for Jane Iredale-The Skincare Makeup.
Create definition: Next, place one side of a business card against your eyelid, letting the edge rest near your lash line. "This allows you to push lashes up and out, making it easier to coat their entire length," Mendelson says.
Keep moving: Now pick up your mascara wand and, starting at the root, wiggle it back and forth while pulling it to the tip of lashes, suggests Carol Shaw, a celebrity makeup artist in Los Angeles and founder of Lorac Cosmetics. Apply a second coat before the first dries. With some formulas, if you wait too long between coats, the layers dry separately and could cause flaking during the day.
Body Builder
Ever wonder why eyelashes are so short and the hair on your head is so long? The time it takes for lashes to grow, stop and finally fall out is only about a month—the same cycle for hair lasts about a year, Dr. Perricone says. Stimulate a growth spurt by applying an OTC lash-enhancing serum to clean lashes before you hit the sheets; doing this extends their growth cycle (translation: longer lashes). Try Priori Lash Recovery Serum, $99, which has a peptide trio, conditioning glycerin, and aloe and chamomile extracts. The protective coating also keeps lashes glossy and flexible, so they're less likely to fall out prematurely. Unless you're gentle, day after day of wiping eye makeup off can dry out lashes, making them susceptible to breakage. You wouldn't shampoo your hair without conditioning it, so why treat your lashes differently?
Manicure Maximizer
Watch your form: The oval shape is hands down the best way to get a mani with marathon endurance. "There aren't any rigid corners like with a square nail that can smack against stuff, keeping nails healthier and polish on for longer," says Dennis Gross, M.D., a dermatologist in NYC.
Get buff: Filing in a back-and-forth motion is a tempting shortcut—the girly push-up of nail maintenance. The problem is, you'll end up with rough edges, making nails prone to chips, says Susan Nam, owner of Polished Beauty Bar in NYC, who tends the nails of Charlize Theron and Leighton Meester. Put in the extra effort: Use a file with medium grittiness, and move in one direction—left to right—and repeat.
Nail Strengthener
The more your hands are engaged—even typing a gazillion emails counts—the faster nails grow. "Movement increases blood flow to muscle and tissues in that area," Dr. Gross explains. The downside? Utilizing nails as tools can cause them to break. Enhance their natural growth factor with a strengthening treatment laced with proteins or keratin instead of a regular base coat. Repeat every other day.
Read more:http://www.self.com/
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