Eyes relax movies

Index
This section Index

Mnemonic index
Mnemonic and eidetic memory games

Puzzle
Logic games

Cards
Pyramid, Solitaire cards games

Math
Games for mind development

IQ test
Test your mind ability

Relax movies
Relax and meditation

Isn`t it glam? Before you make your grand entrance, set aside some time for self. Experiment with your makeup or treat yourself to a relaxing bubble bath. After all, it`s the season for giving. Start by showing yourself some love

Essence , Dec, 2004 by Pamela Edwards

LOVELY LIPS

Cracked lips will ruin the prettiest pout, no matter how lovely your lip color. Lip balm alone won`t cut it, so it pays to prep before you step-that means you`ve got to exfoliate. Begin treating a few days before your big event. "You can use a soft kids` toothbrush on wet lips to remove dry skin," says celebrity makeup artist and Maybelline representative Gregg Brockington. Follow with a lip balm. Or try DDF Therapeutic Lip Treatment.

Pretty Slick

Glossy lips are the perfect complement to this season`s ultrapretty smoky eye: For a super-subtle glow, blend a touch of gloss in the center of the lip or on top of your favorite lipstick or stain. Gloss has a short life, so plan on touchups. Do try: Lancome Juicy Wear Ultra-Lasting Full Colour and Shine Lip Duo.

The Bold and the Beautiful

Vibrant lips are back in rich berries, bright reds and racy wines, just perfect for the holidays. Apply color in thin layers--a heavy sweep of bold color will update your look. "Tap the color on your mouth with your fingers first, blot with a tissue, then apply another coat with your fingers," Brockington says.

GORGEOUS EYES

Brow Business

Even if you`re not big on eye color, don`t ever neglect your brows. "As far as makeup is concerned, you`re halfway there if you`ve got a well-groomed, beautifully arched brow," Brockington says. Have a professional perfect the shape, then maintain it with tweezing. If your brows are sparse, use a sharp pencil to mimic fine hairs and fill in the areas. Your pencil should be a shade or two lighter than your hair. An alternative to pencils is this miracle worker: Talika Eyebrow Extender, a gel with hairlike microfibers that cling to your existing brows and make them appear fuller.

Lash Out

The biggest mistake most women make with mascara, Brockington says, is applying it to the ends of the lashes. "Lashes look best when color is concentrated at the roots," he explains. His lash faves: Maybelline New York Lash Discovery Mini-Brush Mascara or Kevyn Aucoin Black Volume Mascara.

Smoke Signals

Your eyes will speak volumes with a smoky sweep of color. All you need is a kohl pencil and a deep-hued cream or powder shadow. "Don`t limit yourself to black and gray--navy, chocolate or even a deep emerald-green are beautiful on brown skin," Brockington adds. Start with the kohl pencil, which is soft and easy to blend. Line both the bottom and top rims. "It`s very important that you dab color into the upper lash line to avoid that tiny glimpse of skin that often disrupts a perfect smoky eye," he says. Finally, blend your shadow onto your entire lid. Use a brush for shadow, fingers for creams. Apply slowly and lightly to control color intensity. Have fun with it--keep the Q-tips cotton swabs and eye-makeup remover handy for quick fixes.

relax & unwind

Create a personal sanctuary, a corner of any room where you can get centered. Just keep it simple, but fill it with things you love, such as a greet home scent or dried flowers. Some ideas:

GO FOR A SOAK

Indulge yourself with an essential oil-based nurturing bubble-bath recipe from Margo Valentine Lazzara`s Blissful Bathtimes (Storey). Ingredients include three drops of rosemary oil, two drops of bergamot oil, two drops of peppermint oil and two drops of thyme oil. Add these to the water after you`ve run a full bath. Stir to evenly disperse, then soak for 20 minutes. Too stressed to be a mix master? Try Kneipp Herbal Bath in Rosemary, Eucalyptus or Spruce.

RESTORE YOUR SKIN

Kick ash to the curb. Spa owner and aesthetician Amirah G. (amirahg.com) suggests this three-step process. First, exfoliate. "This will prep the skin by removing dead skin cells, so your moisturizer can penetrate better," says Second, slather on the body oil. "Your skin skin will drink it up after a warm bath or shower," she adds. Third, touch up with shea butter, concentrating on your elbows, knees and heels. One we love: Mistral Extra Rich Shea Butter with Healing Calendula in Lavande.

TIGHTEN AND BRIGHTEN

The hectic pace of the holidays can leave you with tired eyes and a dull complexion. Bounce back with these fast-acting remedies. For eyes: Chanel Precision Eye Patch Total, Estee Lauder Stress Relief Eye Mask. For the face: Kimberly Sayer of London Hydrating Anti-Oxidant Facial Mask--it gives the skin an incredible lift and a more polished texture.

SCENT YOU SPACE

Of course we adore candles. But you can get olfactory satisfaction 24-7 with after native aromatheraphy options. Laura Tonatto Da Da Perfumed Clay Hearts are Tiny scented treats that come in 12 fragrances and are small enough to put most anywhere. Anthousa Home Collection Room Ambience Fragrances include beautifully scented oils that are drawn up through porous wood sticks to make any space smell sweet.

fabulous final touches

With all the gorgeous bling this season, your hands and feet are sure to get noticed. So make sure they`re ready for their close-up. Check out our finds and fixes:

Incredible shrinking clothes - includes profile of a textile scientist

Science World , Nov 5, 1993 by Chana Freiman

A Textile scientist explains what happens when clothes get smaller.

You know the problem. You buy a pair of jeans that fit just right--then you wash them.

Why do clothes shrink? To find out, I called textile scientist Vasudha Ravichandran.

Taking a break from her current research project--how to get grease out of mechanics` overalls--Ravichandran opened my eyes to the wide world of textiles.

For one thing, textile scientists deal with more than clothes. Some work in high-tech fields, designing airplane wing materials. Others create optical fibers, hair-thin glass filaments than can transmit phone calls or TV programs at the speed of light. Still others are biology experts, studying how enzymes help target body oils on clothes.

With this sort of knowledge under her belt, I figured Ravichandran would surely know why jeans shrink. Here`s what she told me.

Why do jeans shrink?

Believe it or not, shrinkage is a "bonding" experience. The cotton fibers of your jeans are made of lots of small molecules, linked together to form huge chains of molecules called polymers. Weak links called hydrogen bonds connect the polymer chains end-to-end. When the bonds break, the polymers crinkle up. Result: shrinkage.

Could you start at the begining?

Sure. Let`s go back to when your jeans were made. When cotton fibers are spun into threads, they--and the polymers they`re made of--are first pulled and twisted. That puts stress on the hydrogen bonds.

The bonds are stressed even more before weaving, when the threads are stretched on a loom. So much stress breaks the bonds. But new ones form to hold the polymers in the "stressed out" state.

Of course, the polymers "want" to return to their natural relaxed state.

To do that, they need bond-breaking energy. You help by throwing your jeans in the wash.

How? Chemicals, such as water in your washing machine, or heat in the washer or dryer privide the energy needed to break the stress-producing hydrogen bonds. When the bonds break, the polymers crinkle up and relax. "That`s when shrinkage happens," says Ravichandran.

What about the sweater I washed? It fits my cat now.

Wool shrinks because of the structure of sheep`s hair. Like human hair, wool fibers have scales that are stacked like roof shingles. (Try this: Pluck a long hair. Rub your fingers along it from the root to the tip; then in reverse. Which direction is smoother? Look at the hair under the microscope to determine why.)

When wool fibers hit hot water or high temperatures in the dryer, the scales stick out like thorns. They snag one another, clumping the fibers. Result: one sweater, size XS.

Can`t they do anything to prevent shrinkage?

Read some clothing labels. Cotton manufacturers, for instance, often add chemicals called shrink-resistant or durablepress finishes. The finishes form cross-links between the molecules of parallel polymer chains. The cross-links resemble ladder rungs connecting one polymer to another. They allow the polymers to withstand the stressful stretching of manufacture. The low-stressed polymers won`t have the same "need" to crinkle up and relax during washing.

What can I do?

Try these tips:

* For cotton T-shirts buy one size larger. They may shrink up to 22 percent in the wash.

* Check labels for natural-synthetic blends, such as cotton-polyester. Polyester fibers don`t absorb as much water (i.e., bond-breaking energy) as cotton fibers do, so shrinkage will be limited.

* Try "presashed" clothing. This fabric has been washed by the manufacturer several times to release the tension before you buy it.

Eyes relaxation index