For a healthy and glowing skin it is very necessary to take out some time for your SKIN MASSAGE. A human body contains a large number of pores and they should not be big or small, they should be in their standard size for a healthy skin. Blood remains circulating in our body at all time and the air around us has an unlimited amount of germs. When this air touches to our body it catches all the germs from the air which blocks all the pours of the skin and produces several skin problems and because of it skin stop perspiring and it begins to circulate less blood in our body. This causes several skin problems like pimples, scars and spots.
To prevent pimples and other skin problems skin massage is very ideal. Skin massage should be done at least once every week for 5 to 7 minutes.
Here is the method for skin massage:
Take a good cold cream and add about 1/3 of talcum powder in it. Make a paste of it. Wash your hands well and tie a scarf on your head. Now put a towel on your chest and apply that cream on all over your face and neck.
Now massage your skin in eight different directions:
1) MASSAGE YOUR NECK:
Move your hands from downwards to upwards to massage on your neck for 5-7 minutes.
2) BELOW YOUR LIPS:
Massage your skin in upward direction with your both hands for 5-7 minutes.
3)UPPER LIP:
Move your hand thumbs in right and left direction for 5-7 minutes.
4)CHEEKS:
On cheeks massage your skin in circular motion.for 10 minutes.
5)UNDER EYE AREA:
Massage your under eye area very gently and slowly with the help of your thumbs for 5 minutes.
6)ON NOSE:
Massage on your nose for 5 minutes from downwards to upwards.
7)FOREHEAD:
On your forehead move your both hands in forward and backward directions.
This is the method for skin massage after skin massage skin should be cleaned with clean cotton and steam should be taken for 3 minutes. Machines are also used for skin massaging. These machines are commonly known as skin massaging machines.
- By Suhana Asif
Via http://www.ultimate-cosmetics.com/beauty/articles/skin-massage.htm
Friday, April 20, 2007
Why to care your skin? An injection that is beyond skin-deep.
It is just the midday of your lifetime. But you look as if you have already lost the fuel to finish the lap. The state of your skin signs the fact, with a set of wrinkles straight on your forehead or at the sides of your eyes. Black marks, circles, blotches and notches, yes! all are there just to make sure that your appearance is weary. No wonder, you feel dejected as you have still a lot of youth in your mind.
King Yayathi (In Hindu Mythology) was lucky as his son Yadu gifted him with youth. In reply Yadu accepted his father's untimely old age wholeheartedly. Well, but you are not just characters in a legend. And nobody can gift you with youth too. The only option you have is to take great care of your body and skin as early and timely as possible. And proper skin care is the primary way to hide your years cleverly behind your looks. Early care extends the vigour of your skin and promotes your confidence like anything. But what is more important here is to know that you have enough time. So forget what your age is, and just launch your skin care regimen as soon as possible from now.
Why skin care is all the more significant today?
Skin is the largest organ in the body. The skin also protects your organs from the outside world. But more than these, healthy skin contributes to the overall frame of life as it represents the character, vitality and healthfulness. Healthy skin adds to the personality and is the password for receiving attention and admiration. Moreover, the modern minds are all the more beauty conscious than ever before. The base and motivation of most of the relations sprout from just the beauty and such physical characteristics. Sometimes dont you feel attracted to a person just because that person is good looking? Yes, thats it. Whats more, when you look good you feel very good.
There is a wide variety of beauty products in the market more than just enough to fill your make-up basket. These include astringents, fragrances, sunscreens, skin cleansers, hair care products, deodorants and/or antiperspirants, hair and nail cosmetics, moisturisers and a lot more extras too. Also skin care is becoming increasingly more high-tech and the growing practises like protection from the sun, evasion of chemicals and unproven beautifiers, adoption of constructive diet habits etc have become the major aspects of daily skin care calendar. Together with this, stress-free life and daily exercises will certainly rewrite the present condition of your skin.
So where are you in the picture? When you come across a galaxy of information how many times could you relate yourself with those typical representations? How many times the ideas of hand and body care, facial care, anti-aging products and make-up skin care are getting into the frame of your key interests? Or are you completely cut-off? Yes, it happens too. Clutter. When the mind gets loaded with a lot of necessary and unnecessary information, memory blurs. But at such times, the perfect way is to be selective and exposed to the right content and most advantageous information. Select the routine that fits your daily life and work timings naturally. Trust it to the depth of your heart and do as it instructs you.
- By Santhosh G Wilson
Via http://www.ultimate-cosmetics.com/beauty/articles/caring-your-skin.htm
King Yayathi (In Hindu Mythology) was lucky as his son Yadu gifted him with youth. In reply Yadu accepted his father's untimely old age wholeheartedly. Well, but you are not just characters in a legend. And nobody can gift you with youth too. The only option you have is to take great care of your body and skin as early and timely as possible. And proper skin care is the primary way to hide your years cleverly behind your looks. Early care extends the vigour of your skin and promotes your confidence like anything. But what is more important here is to know that you have enough time. So forget what your age is, and just launch your skin care regimen as soon as possible from now.
Why skin care is all the more significant today?
Skin is the largest organ in the body. The skin also protects your organs from the outside world. But more than these, healthy skin contributes to the overall frame of life as it represents the character, vitality and healthfulness. Healthy skin adds to the personality and is the password for receiving attention and admiration. Moreover, the modern minds are all the more beauty conscious than ever before. The base and motivation of most of the relations sprout from just the beauty and such physical characteristics. Sometimes dont you feel attracted to a person just because that person is good looking? Yes, thats it. Whats more, when you look good you feel very good.
There is a wide variety of beauty products in the market more than just enough to fill your make-up basket. These include astringents, fragrances, sunscreens, skin cleansers, hair care products, deodorants and/or antiperspirants, hair and nail cosmetics, moisturisers and a lot more extras too. Also skin care is becoming increasingly more high-tech and the growing practises like protection from the sun, evasion of chemicals and unproven beautifiers, adoption of constructive diet habits etc have become the major aspects of daily skin care calendar. Together with this, stress-free life and daily exercises will certainly rewrite the present condition of your skin.
So where are you in the picture? When you come across a galaxy of information how many times could you relate yourself with those typical representations? How many times the ideas of hand and body care, facial care, anti-aging products and make-up skin care are getting into the frame of your key interests? Or are you completely cut-off? Yes, it happens too. Clutter. When the mind gets loaded with a lot of necessary and unnecessary information, memory blurs. But at such times, the perfect way is to be selective and exposed to the right content and most advantageous information. Select the routine that fits your daily life and work timings naturally. Trust it to the depth of your heart and do as it instructs you.
- By Santhosh G Wilson
Via http://www.ultimate-cosmetics.com/beauty/articles/caring-your-skin.htm
Beauty Tips for Teens
Once a girl is going through adolescence, not only does her mind and her body go through several changes and hormone imbalances, but also her skin is affected as a result of these changes at a critical time when girls are more concerned about their appearance, the face is the first to brunt the hormonal changes.
Teens must take special care of their skin as soon as the changes start, avoiding the early use and abuse of makeup. As it is always best to keep your skin as natural as possible at any age, it comes particularly important during the teen years considering the use of makeup only for parties or special events.
Your hair care is also as important as the care of your face, because healthy, shiny and good bouncy hair reflects not only your beauty but also your physical well-being. A great hair is also a great asset, making your female friends envious and jealous, particularly if it becomes the point of attraction seducing guys.
Natural products made of herbs and minerals are soft caring your skin and hair as well as effective to achieving your beauty goals. There are many cosmetics, including eyes, lips, face, hair, body, specially designed for teenagers, offering more natural overall look, including natural fragrances to make you feel like a queen.
Remember that at this age your skin is naturally fresh, young and beautiful, so when you want to use makeup, a light application will work better than heavy "pancakes", particularly if you are trying to hide acne, scars or skins lessons, because with them the problem will become more evident.
Your beauty keywords during the teen ages are "Soft and subtle", not only in makeup but, in body care, hair care, hair style and even wardrobe, always keep in mind that colors that work best for all uses and in all occasions are those closest to their natural skin tone and all spectrum of pastel colors.
This does not mean that you cannot use an incredible red velvet dress, just decide when the best time for it is. Learning and understanding a little bit of the importance of the colors we wear in our clothes and in our makeup’s, may help you to best decide when you need something more than the regular natural-looking girl.
Fashion and beauty experts classify color according to seasons; Spring as bright, fresh and lively colors, Summer as clear, contrast and bold colors, Autumn, as soft, cool, slightly grayed colors, and Winter as deep, dark and muted colors. Additionally, every color has its own "vibration" representing how our emotions respond to the different tones:
Pink is soft, delicate, feminine, innocent, and delicious.
Red is vital, exciting, energetic, cheerful, and sexual, but also angry, aggressive, alerting, warning,
White is clean, pure, young, safe, and simple, the color associated with health and the teen ages.
Blue is cool, quiet, serene, calming, but also sleepy and sad.
Gray is neutral, subtle, dignified, and well-informed, but also gloomy and cold.
Green is fresh, loving, greedy, restful, calm and successful.
Black is mysterious, glamorous and sophisticated, but also severe, glum, depressing, and deadly.
Brown is warm, earthy, and drab.
Yellow is alive, optimistic, joyful, clear, sunny, bright, hopeful, and positive.
Violet is rich, subtle, stately, and royal, but also sexy, passionate, impressive, and alone.
Orange is new, warm, happy, cheerful, motivated, and garish.
In general terms you may want to look very sexy and attractive in special occasions, but in the teen ages hot colors may help you to look the same sensual, daring, and flashy, that wild and vulgar. Remember that when in doubt, your mom may be your best adviser, not your enemy.
- By Anita
Via http://www.ultimate-cosmetics.com/beauty/articles/beauty-tips-for-teens.htm
Teens must take special care of their skin as soon as the changes start, avoiding the early use and abuse of makeup. As it is always best to keep your skin as natural as possible at any age, it comes particularly important during the teen years considering the use of makeup only for parties or special events.
Your hair care is also as important as the care of your face, because healthy, shiny and good bouncy hair reflects not only your beauty but also your physical well-being. A great hair is also a great asset, making your female friends envious and jealous, particularly if it becomes the point of attraction seducing guys.
Natural products made of herbs and minerals are soft caring your skin and hair as well as effective to achieving your beauty goals. There are many cosmetics, including eyes, lips, face, hair, body, specially designed for teenagers, offering more natural overall look, including natural fragrances to make you feel like a queen.
Remember that at this age your skin is naturally fresh, young and beautiful, so when you want to use makeup, a light application will work better than heavy "pancakes", particularly if you are trying to hide acne, scars or skins lessons, because with them the problem will become more evident.
Your beauty keywords during the teen ages are "Soft and subtle", not only in makeup but, in body care, hair care, hair style and even wardrobe, always keep in mind that colors that work best for all uses and in all occasions are those closest to their natural skin tone and all spectrum of pastel colors.
This does not mean that you cannot use an incredible red velvet dress, just decide when the best time for it is. Learning and understanding a little bit of the importance of the colors we wear in our clothes and in our makeup’s, may help you to best decide when you need something more than the regular natural-looking girl.
Fashion and beauty experts classify color according to seasons; Spring as bright, fresh and lively colors, Summer as clear, contrast and bold colors, Autumn, as soft, cool, slightly grayed colors, and Winter as deep, dark and muted colors. Additionally, every color has its own "vibration" representing how our emotions respond to the different tones:
Pink is soft, delicate, feminine, innocent, and delicious.
Red is vital, exciting, energetic, cheerful, and sexual, but also angry, aggressive, alerting, warning,
White is clean, pure, young, safe, and simple, the color associated with health and the teen ages.
Blue is cool, quiet, serene, calming, but also sleepy and sad.
Gray is neutral, subtle, dignified, and well-informed, but also gloomy and cold.
Green is fresh, loving, greedy, restful, calm and successful.
Black is mysterious, glamorous and sophisticated, but also severe, glum, depressing, and deadly.
Brown is warm, earthy, and drab.
Yellow is alive, optimistic, joyful, clear, sunny, bright, hopeful, and positive.
Violet is rich, subtle, stately, and royal, but also sexy, passionate, impressive, and alone.
Orange is new, warm, happy, cheerful, motivated, and garish.
In general terms you may want to look very sexy and attractive in special occasions, but in the teen ages hot colors may help you to look the same sensual, daring, and flashy, that wild and vulgar. Remember that when in doubt, your mom may be your best adviser, not your enemy.
- By Anita
Via http://www.ultimate-cosmetics.com/beauty/articles/beauty-tips-for-teens.htm
Monday, February 12, 2007
Learn How to Shower To Keep Your Skin Healty
Everyday you wash, shave, shampoo, clip your nails, wash, and dry your hair. Personal grooming, for most people, is a series of well-entrenched habits. And in most cases it is over done. Would you be willing to change your routine if doing so made your skin look more attractive and created a better-looking you?
Most adults whom are over thirty commit one big mistake when it comes to washing: The do too much of it. They shower in the morning, another after the gym, maybe even one before bedtime. If you spend twelve minutes in the shower, that's too long. Cut your time in the shower to five minutes for your skin's sake.
Too much washing results not just in cleanliness but in removing too much oil from your skin, and itchy and irritated skin, particularly in the winter months.
If you are using a shower without a water filter and with the steam build up, you are subjecting yourself and your skin to excess chlorine.
Below are bathing tips that you can benefit from:
1. Avoid using a washcloth on delicate areas, especially the mucous membranes. Do use a soft sponge to massage your skin. Use a glycerine soap and sponge and move in one direction toward your heart.
2. Use medium-warm water in the shower, the cooler the better, but not too cold.
3. If you have normal to dry skin, use Dove Unscented or Basis for Sensitive Skin on your body and either a soap free cleanser or nothing at all on mucous membranes. Do use many of the commercial bar soap, since they are harsh on the skin.
4. If you tend to have oily skin, then use good gylcerine soap. I use this type of soap and it removes just enough oil without drying my skin.
5. Skip a shower as often as you can. This may not seem like appealing advice but the more time you have in between showers the better. Skip a shower for a whole day once or twice a week, especially in the winter. Allow your skin to produce and maintain its natural oils. Or if this does not appeal to you, make your shower extra short on some days.
6. Make sure you use shampoos that contain mostly natural ingredients. A lot of commercial products contain synthetic chemicals, petrochemicals, and various dyes and artificial coloring. All of these un-natural chemicals are extremely bad for you health. Learn which chemicals to avoid.
So that you can improve the health of your skin, takes some time to look over your shower habits, Decrease the time in your shower, use a water filter to remove toxins from the water, massage your skin, and use only natural products for your skin and hair.
Rudy Silva is a natural nutritionist. Get your Free special Beautiful Skin Report the Stars use at: http://www.for--you.com/SkinCareTreatment Lean How
Most adults whom are over thirty commit one big mistake when it comes to washing: The do too much of it. They shower in the morning, another after the gym, maybe even one before bedtime. If you spend twelve minutes in the shower, that's too long. Cut your time in the shower to five minutes for your skin's sake.
Too much washing results not just in cleanliness but in removing too much oil from your skin, and itchy and irritated skin, particularly in the winter months.
If you are using a shower without a water filter and with the steam build up, you are subjecting yourself and your skin to excess chlorine.
Below are bathing tips that you can benefit from:
1. Avoid using a washcloth on delicate areas, especially the mucous membranes. Do use a soft sponge to massage your skin. Use a glycerine soap and sponge and move in one direction toward your heart.
2. Use medium-warm water in the shower, the cooler the better, but not too cold.
3. If you have normal to dry skin, use Dove Unscented or Basis for Sensitive Skin on your body and either a soap free cleanser or nothing at all on mucous membranes. Do use many of the commercial bar soap, since they are harsh on the skin.
4. If you tend to have oily skin, then use good gylcerine soap. I use this type of soap and it removes just enough oil without drying my skin.
5. Skip a shower as often as you can. This may not seem like appealing advice but the more time you have in between showers the better. Skip a shower for a whole day once or twice a week, especially in the winter. Allow your skin to produce and maintain its natural oils. Or if this does not appeal to you, make your shower extra short on some days.
6. Make sure you use shampoos that contain mostly natural ingredients. A lot of commercial products contain synthetic chemicals, petrochemicals, and various dyes and artificial coloring. All of these un-natural chemicals are extremely bad for you health. Learn which chemicals to avoid.
So that you can improve the health of your skin, takes some time to look over your shower habits, Decrease the time in your shower, use a water filter to remove toxins from the water, massage your skin, and use only natural products for your skin and hair.
Rudy Silva is a natural nutritionist. Get your Free special Beautiful Skin Report the Stars use at: http://www.for--you.com/SkinCareTreatment Lean How
Sunday, January 28, 2007
How To Find The Right Acne Treatment That Gets Results
When searching for a treatment to help reduce acne and clear your skin, it is very important that you choose a product containing the ingredients capable of smoothing out the skin, leaving you with no scars and able to control free radicals. Acne sufferers should look for treatments containing natural ingredients. Our bodies are natural so why not use something natural to help heal it. It is best to know the ingredients of a product before using it. You want to know what you’re getting right? If the same ingredients is in the treatment you’ve used in the pass, (which gave you little to know results) is in the product you are thinking about using now, then you may be wasting your time on the product because they both will end up having the same effect. For example if you go and use “Skin Clear Gel” (not sure if it’s an actual product) and received no results, and then go and use “Free From Acne” which has the same ingredients as “Skin Clear Gel”. Then… well you get the point.A lot of people usually choose a product that is recommended by someone else, which is okay, but you may not get the same results as the one who referred you. Some people may have very severe acne while others may have mild. And the ingredients used in that treatment may not be capable of clearing up your skin.You need something that will help your skin to heal naturally. A treatment that has been proven to work time and time again without causing damage to the skin is the kind of treatment you are looking for. It is best to find one that will work from the inside out, eliminating waste and other impurities. Poor elimination of waste and toxic can lead to build up causing it to exit through the skin.Taking drugs to try and relieve acne usually leaves people with side effects. Some side effects may be skin irritation, dryness of skin, or it may even lead to more breakouts. Like I said earlier, what may have worked for one person may not necessarily work for another. Some people skin is very sensitive and could cause them to breakout just by applying the slightest bit of oil, cream, makeup etc.Many treatments that are out on the market are using benzoyl peroxide to help fight acne. Now this is capable of clearing up your skin but the problem with it is that it can cause irritation, dryness, peeling, or possibly swelling. If you have very sensitive skin then you may want to steer clear of any product containing this.Most people are struggling with acne and believe they have tried every product under the sun but are still left with no results. Your goal should be to keep trying until you’ve found a treatment that best suits your needs. There is something out there for everyone. If a company tells you their product works, well shouldn’t it work? It’s like an investment; you’re looking for a return. When you invest you would have to be crazy not to expect a return on your investment.It’s not enough to just get rid of acne. After getting rid of acne, people still have to deal with scars. You’ve probably heard how others have tried different acne treatments that allowed them to get rid of their acne, but now they have to deal with something else, scars. Which is like the after effect of getting rid of acne. You need a treatment that will allow you to treat acne as well treat scars.When searching for a product it should have a risk free money back guarantee of at least 30 days. If anything lower than 30 days it’s a good chance that the company lacks confidence in the product.I wish you the best and I hope that the information provided will help you in your search.
About the Author:Is acne bringing you shame? Or has it taken away your confidence? Free report teaches you how to clear your skin, boost your self-esteem to you help you enjoy life. Go to http://www.treatacnenaturally.com to receive your report.
About the Author:Is acne bringing you shame? Or has it taken away your confidence? Free report teaches you how to clear your skin, boost your self-esteem to you help you enjoy life. Go to http://www.treatacnenaturally.com to receive your report.
Slim waist is eternal standard of feminine beauty, say scientists
Feminine beauty has been celebrated across the ages, but an enduring belief is this: what constitutes attractiveness in a woman cannot be pinned down -- it depends on the prevailing fashion, culture or ethnicity and on the eye of the beholder.
For instance, in Victorian England, a tiny, puckered mouth was the zenith of pulchritude.
Today, the rosebud look has been replaced by what has been called the trout look, as women in Western cultures strive to make their mouths look as wide and full-lipped as possible.
In many societies, the focus of secondary erogenous zones has roamed over ankles, necks and knees and makeup and hairstyles change according to the mode.
The desired female morphology has shifted too, driven in part by prosperity and the social advancement of women. In the 1950s, Marilyn Monroe was the template of feminine beauty; today, she would be encouraged to sign up at Weightwatchers.
So it would seem that the "beauty standard" does not exist -- that there is no eternal benchmark, only a chaotically whizzing merry-go-round.
Not so for evolutionary psychologists.
For them, fashion is a fluffy cover for a force that is deeper, remorseless and unchanging, as old and enduring as our genes: the Darwinian drive of survival and genetic fitness.
In an innovative test of these rival hypotheses, scientists at the University of Texas at Austin and at Harvard University trawled through three centuries of English-language literature and through three Asian literary classics dating back nearly two thousand years.
Their goal: Which parts of the woman's body were praised as beautiful by writers across the ages?
Their sources were a website, Literature Online, for English literature from the 16th, 17th and 18th century; Chinese sixth dynasty palace poetry (from the fourth to the sixth century AD) and two ancient Indian epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, from the first to third century AD.
Breasts, buttocks and thighs -- the primary erogenous zones -- predictably featured large in these descriptions.
But a slim waist trumped them all.
In English literature, a glowing description of a narrow waist (a waist "as little as a wand", "beholden to her lovely waist" and so on) showed up 65 times.
That compared to 16 references for romantic description of breasts, 12 for thighs and a mere two apiece for hips and buttocks.
Before anyone cries fattism, the literature was studded with romantic tributes to plumpness but relatively few to slimness.
But what counted, plump woman or slim, was the relativeness narrowness of the waist. There was not a single evocation of beauty which said the object of veneration had a bulging tummy.
In the Asian works, the slim waist was even more adored, although there was no flattering reference to plump beauty.
Narrow waistedness scored a massive 35 references in the two Indian epics, while the other body parts garnered a total of 26. In the Chinese poetry, the narrow waist was evoked 17 times, while breasts, buttocks, hips and thighs got zero, and there was a solitary romantic reference to a woman's legs.
The study, which appears in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, a British journal, says these references show that a slim waist is an object of desire that spans time and cultures.
Why so?
The answer, suggest the authors, is that a narrow waist is a sign of strong health and fertility. Men instinctively assess a woman's waist for its potential for successful reproduction and thus furthering their own genes.
Modern research has established a link between abdominal obesity and decreased oestrogen, reduced fecundity and increased risk of major diseases.
But "even without the benefit of modern medical knowledge, both British and Asian writers intuited the biological link between health and beauty," say authors, Devendra Singh, Peter Renn and Adrian Singh.
"In spite of variation in the description of beauty, the marker of health and fertility -- a small waist -- has always been an invariant symbol of feminine beauty."
Source:AFP
For instance, in Victorian England, a tiny, puckered mouth was the zenith of pulchritude.
Today, the rosebud look has been replaced by what has been called the trout look, as women in Western cultures strive to make their mouths look as wide and full-lipped as possible.
In many societies, the focus of secondary erogenous zones has roamed over ankles, necks and knees and makeup and hairstyles change according to the mode.
The desired female morphology has shifted too, driven in part by prosperity and the social advancement of women. In the 1950s, Marilyn Monroe was the template of feminine beauty; today, she would be encouraged to sign up at Weightwatchers.
So it would seem that the "beauty standard" does not exist -- that there is no eternal benchmark, only a chaotically whizzing merry-go-round.
Not so for evolutionary psychologists.
For them, fashion is a fluffy cover for a force that is deeper, remorseless and unchanging, as old and enduring as our genes: the Darwinian drive of survival and genetic fitness.
In an innovative test of these rival hypotheses, scientists at the University of Texas at Austin and at Harvard University trawled through three centuries of English-language literature and through three Asian literary classics dating back nearly two thousand years.
Their goal: Which parts of the woman's body were praised as beautiful by writers across the ages?
Their sources were a website, Literature Online, for English literature from the 16th, 17th and 18th century; Chinese sixth dynasty palace poetry (from the fourth to the sixth century AD) and two ancient Indian epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, from the first to third century AD.
Breasts, buttocks and thighs -- the primary erogenous zones -- predictably featured large in these descriptions.
But a slim waist trumped them all.
In English literature, a glowing description of a narrow waist (a waist "as little as a wand", "beholden to her lovely waist" and so on) showed up 65 times.
That compared to 16 references for romantic description of breasts, 12 for thighs and a mere two apiece for hips and buttocks.
Before anyone cries fattism, the literature was studded with romantic tributes to plumpness but relatively few to slimness.
But what counted, plump woman or slim, was the relativeness narrowness of the waist. There was not a single evocation of beauty which said the object of veneration had a bulging tummy.
In the Asian works, the slim waist was even more adored, although there was no flattering reference to plump beauty.
Narrow waistedness scored a massive 35 references in the two Indian epics, while the other body parts garnered a total of 26. In the Chinese poetry, the narrow waist was evoked 17 times, while breasts, buttocks, hips and thighs got zero, and there was a solitary romantic reference to a woman's legs.
The study, which appears in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, a British journal, says these references show that a slim waist is an object of desire that spans time and cultures.
Why so?
The answer, suggest the authors, is that a narrow waist is a sign of strong health and fertility. Men instinctively assess a woman's waist for its potential for successful reproduction and thus furthering their own genes.
Modern research has established a link between abdominal obesity and decreased oestrogen, reduced fecundity and increased risk of major diseases.
But "even without the benefit of modern medical knowledge, both British and Asian writers intuited the biological link between health and beauty," say authors, Devendra Singh, Peter Renn and Adrian Singh.
"In spite of variation in the description of beauty, the marker of health and fertility -- a small waist -- has always been an invariant symbol of feminine beauty."
Source:AFP
Slim waists key to beauty
The most attractive part of a woman is their slim waists according to history.
Dr Devendra Singh analysed thousands of representations of fictional women through ancient literature.
He found that slimness was the most common term of endearment from an author.
The female waist has been acknowledged as important in modern Western society and culture and experts have suggested previously men preferred larger waists.
Dr Singh has spent years examining how "attractive" women were depicted in literature scouring 345,000 texts dating back to the early centuries.
Dr Singh said: "The finding that the writers describe a small waist as beautiful suggests instead that this body part is a core feature of feminine beauty that transcends ethnic differences and cultures.
Articles www.femalefirst.co.uk
Dr Devendra Singh analysed thousands of representations of fictional women through ancient literature.
He found that slimness was the most common term of endearment from an author.
The female waist has been acknowledged as important in modern Western society and culture and experts have suggested previously men preferred larger waists.
Dr Singh has spent years examining how "attractive" women were depicted in literature scouring 345,000 texts dating back to the early centuries.
Dr Singh said: "The finding that the writers describe a small waist as beautiful suggests instead that this body part is a core feature of feminine beauty that transcends ethnic differences and cultures.
Articles www.femalefirst.co.uk
Slim waists a constant as beauty changes
FASHIONS in female beauty come and go, but the desirability of a slim waist remains the same throughout history and across cultures, a new study has shown.
Rosebud lips and milky-white complexions have had their day as ideals of beauty, while the high cheekbones prized in women today were considered ugly in the Victorian era.
Plumpness was a sought-after attribute of women in the 17th and 18th centuries, but slim is now in, with Hollywood recently feting the ultra-thin "lollypop" look.
However, discernible waists are the one feature of the female form that is always in demand, according to academics who analysed references to beauty in literature.
Waistlines, the researchers say, are an easily recognised indicator of fertility and health, and men have evolved to intuitively associate narrow waists with desirability. Fertility is indicated because a narrow waist is linked to higher estrogen levels.
After puberty, a girl's waist narrows in proportion to her hips as estrogen levels rise, and then expands as the hormone concentration decreases with age. Obesity is linked to lower levels of estrogen and an increased risk of deadly or debilitating diseases such as ovarian cancer, diabetes and gall bladder problems.
The researchers assessed the constants of female beauty by analysing references in 345,000 works of fiction, prose and drama from the 16th to the 18th centuries.
Most of the literature studied was British and US, but a small selection of Indian and Chinese romantic and erotic poetry from the 1st to the 6th centuries was also analysed.
Waists were by far the most admired of eight physical features, followed by breasts, legs, thighs and plumpness.
Hips, buttocks and slimness were the least mentioned, according to the study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society. Breasts were regarded as the feature most connected with romance, or perhaps eroticism, but there was a lack of unanimity about what shape they should take. Some said small, others big and still more defined them as best rounded.
The researchers concluded that the waist, whether clamped in a corset or unconstrained, had "a near-universal historical appeal". They said: "References to beautiful women abound throughout human history and across cultures. Ancient Greek epics, Persian and Chinese poetry, Indian classics, mythology and even popular or folk stories glorify feminine beauty.
"Our study suggests that in spite of variation in the description of beauty, the marker of health and fertility - a small waist - has always been an invariant symbol of feminine beauty."
Devandra Singh, of the University of Texas, led the study. She said waists were the only visible body part that had been shown to convey to an observer reliable information on a woman's health and fertility.
The Times
By Lewis Smith in London
and more http://www.news.com.au
Rosebud lips and milky-white complexions have had their day as ideals of beauty, while the high cheekbones prized in women today were considered ugly in the Victorian era.
Plumpness was a sought-after attribute of women in the 17th and 18th centuries, but slim is now in, with Hollywood recently feting the ultra-thin "lollypop" look.
However, discernible waists are the one feature of the female form that is always in demand, according to academics who analysed references to beauty in literature.
Waistlines, the researchers say, are an easily recognised indicator of fertility and health, and men have evolved to intuitively associate narrow waists with desirability. Fertility is indicated because a narrow waist is linked to higher estrogen levels.
After puberty, a girl's waist narrows in proportion to her hips as estrogen levels rise, and then expands as the hormone concentration decreases with age. Obesity is linked to lower levels of estrogen and an increased risk of deadly or debilitating diseases such as ovarian cancer, diabetes and gall bladder problems.
The researchers assessed the constants of female beauty by analysing references in 345,000 works of fiction, prose and drama from the 16th to the 18th centuries.
Most of the literature studied was British and US, but a small selection of Indian and Chinese romantic and erotic poetry from the 1st to the 6th centuries was also analysed.
Waists were by far the most admired of eight physical features, followed by breasts, legs, thighs and plumpness.
Hips, buttocks and slimness were the least mentioned, according to the study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society. Breasts were regarded as the feature most connected with romance, or perhaps eroticism, but there was a lack of unanimity about what shape they should take. Some said small, others big and still more defined them as best rounded.
The researchers concluded that the waist, whether clamped in a corset or unconstrained, had "a near-universal historical appeal". They said: "References to beautiful women abound throughout human history and across cultures. Ancient Greek epics, Persian and Chinese poetry, Indian classics, mythology and even popular or folk stories glorify feminine beauty.
"Our study suggests that in spite of variation in the description of beauty, the marker of health and fertility - a small waist - has always been an invariant symbol of feminine beauty."
Devandra Singh, of the University of Texas, led the study. She said waists were the only visible body part that had been shown to convey to an observer reliable information on a woman's health and fertility.
The Times
By Lewis Smith in London
and more http://www.news.com.au
The "Slim Beauty" Knot
In the past 12 years, the "Slim Beauty" has become one of the most popular knots in saltwater fly fishing, due to both its simplicity and its performance. The Slim Beauty allows leader material of different diameters to be connected with minimal fuss and results in a high-strength knot with a very small profile. These qualities have led to it being adopted as a replacement to other classic tippet-to-shock and tippet-to-butt connections like the Albright and the Huffnagle.
The Slim Beauty finds its origins in some of the inventive knot techniques developed by Captain Tom Pierce, a light-tackle guide in Key West, Florida, in the 1970s. Pierce wanted to improve upon the standard jam knots that were being used to connect Dacron to monofilament. He came up with idea of using a clinch knot behind a figure-eight knot, and later improved on this by replacing the clinch knot with a series of wraps with a finishing lock. Captain Becker improved on this system in the early 1990s and refined the knot to its current form for use in tarpon leaders.
If you'd like to learn how to tie the Slim Beauty, you can use our video and step-by-step article called "Tying the Slim Beauty." – Editor's Note
I STARTED TYING the "Slim Beauty" in 1993 because my fingers were sore from tying the hundreds of Bimini Twists that it took to get through a season of tarpon guiding. More seriously, I wanted a strong, easy-to-tie, and less-visible connection between the class and bite tippets. I haven’t ever been terribly concerned about records or fishing IGFA legal (15-inch class, 12-inch bite tippet, etc.). I just want to use the setup that gets the most bites, and then gives the best chance to hook and land the fish.
The story behind the name is this:
There was this surly waitress at a local Cuban restaurant here in Key West, since closed for reasons you'll soon understand, with some amusing ways. The food — nasty roast pork with black beans and rice (microwave thawed we eventually discovered) — really wasn't worth the visit, but she kept us coming back for more. She had this wacky habit of stamping every patron passing through the door with a snappy nickname of sorts that stuck right through dinner. Heading for a table one night following a productive knot tying session I was dubbed "Slim Slick", and my friend, you guessed it: "Slim Beauty." A few weeks later our girl was featured on the cover of The Key West Citizen, our local mackerel wrapper, in cuffs, a cop's hand on her head helping her into his car. She’d been selling drugs to undercover agents for a month. Crack hidden between two Styrofoam cups is what you’d have gotten if you ordered a double bucci (a strong Cuban espresso) with a wink!
The rig I'm using currently is 25 lb. Mason class tippet and 60 lb. Orvis Mirage bite tippet and butt section. I started using a single strand of tippet to tie the knot (instead of doubling it) when I went up to the 25 lb. Mason. Tied with a single strand the 25 lb. Mason breaks at around 23 lbs. on my low-tech scale. That’s just right for my needs: the tippet should break before the fly line, and it gives my anglers lots of leeway for setting the hook and pulling on fish as hard as they want to. My experience is that no matter what the breaking strength of the leader, most anglers will max out pulling around 10 lbs. of steady pressure. It’s the spikes in pressure on the hook set and during head-shaking jumps that we need the buffer for.
Added benefits of this system are more bites because of the inconspicuous knots and longer bite tippet — it’s no longer necessary to carry a "leader stretcher case"— and reduced stress on the fish. We can land and release the fish much faster because the leader can be grabbed earlier in the fight, as you don’t have to wait for the short foot-long bite tippet of an IGFA leader to come within an arm's length of the boat.
As for some simple advice about tying the Slim Beauty, if you're willing to go with a stiff, strong class tippet like Mason, use a single strand instead of doubling the class tippet, and use five total wraps of the class around the heavier tippet. That’s three wraps up away from the knot, and two wraps back towards it. Try Chap-Stick™ for knot lube — it’s great. Pull very hard to tighten (you might want to use gloves if you're new to knot-tying). I sit down and tighten the knot over my legs as you can really torque it down.
I also use the Slim Beauty in permit and bonefish leaders, joining the class tippet to the knotted, tapered butt section with a fail-safe Bimini.
Simon Becker has guided in the Florida Keys for more than 18 years. His innovative fly-tying and leader-construction techniques have improved the catch rates of his clientele and been adopted by anglers around the world in pursuit of saltwater species. Article Copyright © 2004 by Simon Becker and MidCurrent.
The Slim Beauty finds its origins in some of the inventive knot techniques developed by Captain Tom Pierce, a light-tackle guide in Key West, Florida, in the 1970s. Pierce wanted to improve upon the standard jam knots that were being used to connect Dacron to monofilament. He came up with idea of using a clinch knot behind a figure-eight knot, and later improved on this by replacing the clinch knot with a series of wraps with a finishing lock. Captain Becker improved on this system in the early 1990s and refined the knot to its current form for use in tarpon leaders.
If you'd like to learn how to tie the Slim Beauty, you can use our video and step-by-step article called "Tying the Slim Beauty." – Editor's Note
I STARTED TYING the "Slim Beauty" in 1993 because my fingers were sore from tying the hundreds of Bimini Twists that it took to get through a season of tarpon guiding. More seriously, I wanted a strong, easy-to-tie, and less-visible connection between the class and bite tippets. I haven’t ever been terribly concerned about records or fishing IGFA legal (15-inch class, 12-inch bite tippet, etc.). I just want to use the setup that gets the most bites, and then gives the best chance to hook and land the fish.
The story behind the name is this:
There was this surly waitress at a local Cuban restaurant here in Key West, since closed for reasons you'll soon understand, with some amusing ways. The food — nasty roast pork with black beans and rice (microwave thawed we eventually discovered) — really wasn't worth the visit, but she kept us coming back for more. She had this wacky habit of stamping every patron passing through the door with a snappy nickname of sorts that stuck right through dinner. Heading for a table one night following a productive knot tying session I was dubbed "Slim Slick", and my friend, you guessed it: "Slim Beauty." A few weeks later our girl was featured on the cover of The Key West Citizen, our local mackerel wrapper, in cuffs, a cop's hand on her head helping her into his car. She’d been selling drugs to undercover agents for a month. Crack hidden between two Styrofoam cups is what you’d have gotten if you ordered a double bucci (a strong Cuban espresso) with a wink!
The rig I'm using currently is 25 lb. Mason class tippet and 60 lb. Orvis Mirage bite tippet and butt section. I started using a single strand of tippet to tie the knot (instead of doubling it) when I went up to the 25 lb. Mason. Tied with a single strand the 25 lb. Mason breaks at around 23 lbs. on my low-tech scale. That’s just right for my needs: the tippet should break before the fly line, and it gives my anglers lots of leeway for setting the hook and pulling on fish as hard as they want to. My experience is that no matter what the breaking strength of the leader, most anglers will max out pulling around 10 lbs. of steady pressure. It’s the spikes in pressure on the hook set and during head-shaking jumps that we need the buffer for.
Added benefits of this system are more bites because of the inconspicuous knots and longer bite tippet — it’s no longer necessary to carry a "leader stretcher case"— and reduced stress on the fish. We can land and release the fish much faster because the leader can be grabbed earlier in the fight, as you don’t have to wait for the short foot-long bite tippet of an IGFA leader to come within an arm's length of the boat.
As for some simple advice about tying the Slim Beauty, if you're willing to go with a stiff, strong class tippet like Mason, use a single strand instead of doubling the class tippet, and use five total wraps of the class around the heavier tippet. That’s three wraps up away from the knot, and two wraps back towards it. Try Chap-Stick™ for knot lube — it’s great. Pull very hard to tighten (you might want to use gloves if you're new to knot-tying). I sit down and tighten the knot over my legs as you can really torque it down.
I also use the Slim Beauty in permit and bonefish leaders, joining the class tippet to the knotted, tapered butt section with a fail-safe Bimini.
Simon Becker has guided in the Florida Keys for more than 18 years. His innovative fly-tying and leader-construction techniques have improved the catch rates of his clientele and been adopted by anglers around the world in pursuit of saltwater species. Article Copyright © 2004 by Simon Becker and MidCurrent.
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