Can’t Trust What You See

  • Posted on April 30, 2012 at 8:21 am
Are Celebrities as Beautiful as They Appear?

 

You may not be aware that Celebrities photos are retouched for ads and magazine covers.  They are not as they appear.

Here is an example of a touched up photo of Faith Hill.  How many changes can you see from the original to the finished photo?

Couple of things I noticed are how thin her arm and her waist got in the touched up version.  Did you see the difference in the lighting?  Her face lit up and shadows disappeared. This technique is called airbrushing.

Check out these photos.  The touched up photo on the left makes her skin look smoother and flawless, minus dark circles under the eyes, and blemishes removed. Wouldn’t you love to have skin that looks that beautiful?

Advertisers use this magic touch to present an image of perfection. Why you ask?

To sell products!

Wouldn’t you buy a skin care product that made your skin look that good?  But the disapointment comes when you find it doesn’t work.  Was it ever meant to?  How could it if the pictures were fake in the first place?

There are tons of examples of this online, if you google “airbrushed photos before and after” you will see what I mean.

What about Playboy magazine?  Hugh Hefner has been using these techniques for years to sell magazines, and an imaginary ideal of beauty.  Ever noticed the softening effect they use to hide flaws, and make women appear more attractive?   Sadly, men are made to think the pictures are real so they look for women that meet those standards. Sorry guys, Barbie dolls are NOT real!

There is no such a thing as a perfect figure.  Yet you see and hear of women every day taking drastic measures to alter their appearance, in hopes of attaining what they believe to be physical perfection. Where are they getting these ideas?  Why do women feel they have to modify their bodies to be beautiful?  Doesn’t true beauty come from the inside?

Here is an ad from the movie “King Arthur” that starred Kiera Knightly.  She was extremely upset over the photo enhancement of her breasts in this ad.  Keira was once reported as saying, “OK, I’m on the cover of a magazine but somebody else does the hair, and the make-up, and airbrushes the f*** out of me – it’s not me, it’s something other people have created.”

We complain about false advertising when it comes to claims that a laundry detergent doesn’t do the job it’s promised, so why then don’t we complain when it comes to these unrealistic standards of beauty?  We’ve been lied to over and over again.

Big breasts don’t make a woman more attractive or make a man love her more.

Botox doesn’t turn back the hands of time.

There is more to beauty than what meets the eye, and the eyes can be deceived.

Don’t trust what you see.

Let’s get real ladies!

OMG, Did You See The Oscars?

  • Posted on March 5, 2012 at 9:31 pm
Did you watch this year’s Oscars Ceremony?

I usually don’t watch them, but I do like to see the pictures of the “Red Carpet” fashions to see watch all the celebrities are wearing.  What one image stood out (like a sore thumb so to speak) concerning the fashions of the evening?  I’m sure there was more than one that comes to mind.

But the one image that went viral and caused “no small stir” was Angelina Jolie’s right leg.  You outta “google” it for a real laugh!

Angie wore a pretty black velvet gown with a slit up the side.  But what was so funny was that she strategically revealed her right leg every time she stopped to pose for a picture, and especially when she walked up on stage to present an award. Personally I thought that was very tacky of her.  Maybe she’s still trying to compete with the killer sexy legs of Brad’s ex Jennifer?

What bothered me even more than her exposed lower appendage was that no one even noticed her gown or her face.  Sure it was partially because her black dress was such a stark contrast to her pale legs, like her bright orange/red lipstick on her pallid white face . But the truth of the matter is that the color of her dress was not right for her to begin with. This time she got away with it because her dress is low-cut, so it doesn’t take away from face too much, and she was wearing the right shade of lipstick at least.

You’ve probably noticed that Angie LOVES black, it must be her favorite color as she wears it alot.  BUT Black is NOT the best color for her skin tone, her eyes, or her hair color.  Black just doesn’t flatter her natural Autumn features.  The most flattering colors Angie should be wearing are earth tones, like deep orange, dark green, and golden brown to name a few.

I guess I can’t help but notice these things being a certified color analyst and all.

Here is another photo showing her wearing the wrong color, doesn’t she look washed out, and pale in this drab grey dress?

It is very unflattering to say the least. Makes you wonder, What was she thinking?

What’s funny is you’d think that famous people would know and wear what looks best on them, especially when they have to constantly make public appearances.  You’d also think that the top fashion designers of the world that make their gowns would tell them “this is a beautiful design on you, but the colors are wrong, let’s see what I have in your colors”.  But amazingly they don’t. Neither do their hair stylists or their makeup artists!

It is very rare to see Angie in her right colors.

But look, I found one!  Here’s a pic I dig up from a few years ago.

Now can you see the difference?

This emerald-green dress just brings out the best in her.  Yeah Brad’s also in the picture, but try to focus on her, ok?

This beautiful gown in her proper color draws attention to her face, and not away from it like the gray dress did.  You see the hazel color of her eyes stand out and she just has a more naturally beautiful, elegant look.

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This is just a quick example of how “color” can make a big difference in one’s appearance.

Want to know more about how color can change your appearance, your attitude and your life check out my article on “What Season are You?”.  

I think Angie needs to read it too!

Instant Gratification

  • Posted on October 10, 2011 at 12:45 am

Ever heard the phrase “Patience is a virtue” ?

 It used to be a common phrase when I was growing up, but is pretty much unheard of today.

Who plants their own fruit or vegetables and waits for the harvest anymore? That’s what grocery stores are for.  Though it is a wise choice to raise your own crops, if you have the land, especially with food prices constantly rising.  Not to mention the taste of your own fresh food is so much better than store bought.

Ever made your own clothes?  It is rather rewarding to choose fabric that you like and a design that is unique to your own tastes, then making it with your own hands.  Does anyone even use sewing machines anymore?  I have one, but rarely use it just for small seam repairs.  Or how about spining fiber into yarn to use for kniting?  Do people still knit or crochet today?  Maybe, but not like in my grandmothers day!

Patience was a way of life. Now we have no idea what that is.

Wonder why?

Our modern society is into instant gratification. We are used to everything being at our fingertips.

Some examples of instant gratification:

Instant tanning (who wants to spend hours in the sun?)

Digital Photos (no waiting to develop film)

Microwavable or fast food (who wants to cook full meals anymore?  who has time?)

Audio Books or Videos (no one likes to read more than a page of text)

Pain pills (to treat symptoms instead of the cause)

Remote controls (can’t even move 5 feet to switch channels anymore)

Plastic Surgery (quick results, but don’t always meet expectations)

Liposuction (quickest way to loose weight)

Winning the lottery or any gambling (the odds are against you!)

The problem with instant gratification is that it can produce longterm disappointment when immediate expectations are not fulfilled.  It tends to make us loose patience, or become unthankful for things that take time to produce.

Delayed gratification has its rewards:

Relaxing with a good novel vs. watching a condensed 2 hours movie version (allows you to use your imagination, and read at your own pace)

Home cooked meals  vs. pre-cooked, ready-made

Healthy prepared food vs. quick junk food

Picking fruit from your own tree vs.  store-bought, under ripe fruit from out-of-state or country

Improving your looks and health through better nutrition and regular exercise

Treating the cause of a health problem and eliminating it naturally and permanently

Full time education to produce a career vs. low paying job due to lack of experience

So many things in life you just can’t shortcut on.  Relationships including marriage and parenting are the most important things in life that require longterm patience, and are the most gratifying.

Life is full of rewards when we take time to enjoy each and every minute.

PMS Relief

  • Posted on July 31, 2011 at 11:45 pm

Some of the funny definitions for P.M.S. are:

  • Putting up with Men’s Shenanigans (g rated version)
  • Part Monster Syndrome (what I call the Jekyll and Hyde Syndrome)
  • Punish Men Severely (payback time for all they’ve done all month)
  • Purchase More Shoes (shopping always makes you feel better, doesn’t it?)
  • Pass my sweatpants (for the bloated feeling)
  • Perpetual Munching Spree (sweet tooth working overtime)

Putting fun aside ladies, we know this time of the month is anything but fun!  Right?

Premenstrual Syndrome can be a very tough time for many.  Even though it is a natural part of the menstrual cycle it can be very painful, either physically or emotionally or both.  Symptoms can vary greatly from woman to woman, and even from month to month.  I can remember having severe back pain and cramping one month, then the next month extreme irritability and little to no physical pain.

Some common physical symptoms include:

  • fatigue
  • breat tenderness
  • migrane headaches
  • cramping
  • acne
  • bloating
  • food cravings

Whereas the emotional symptoms include:

  • Depression
  • Anger
  • Irritability
  • Aniexty
  • Fuzzy headed
  • Mood swings

Without relieve we just make ourselves and those we love most miserable.

So what can we do about it?

Dietary Suggestions:

  • Decrease intake of fatty foods and red meat
  • Increase Calcium in your diet
  • Reduce the use of sugar and salt
  • Eliminate caffeine, which can aggravate anxiety, depression, and breast tenderness
  • Increase foods that are rich in potassium, like broccoli, fish, and beans
  • Eat smaller portions and more frequently to help stabilize your blood sugar
  • Eat alot more fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and fish
  • Avoid alcohol

These natural remedies are also commonly used to relieve PMS symptoms:

  • St. Johns wort
  • Wild yam
  • Dandelion
  • Ginkgo Biloba
  • Vitamin E
  • Uva ursi

Last but not least:

Exercise and relaxation are both very important in decreasing the affects of PMS

So eat healthy, get plenty of exercise and relaxation so you can stay away from those seven dwarves of PMS!

The Difference between Men and Women

  • Posted on June 27, 2011 at 9:49 am

Need I say more? 

And we wonder why men have a hard time understanding us!

We only have a hard time communicating because we think men think like us.  But they don’t!  Why would we want them to? 

Men are really not complicated at all as you can see.   

For more on this subject check out this article:

From Differnet Worlds?