All You Need To Know About Semi-Permanent Cosmetics

What is semi-permanent makeup? What can you expect from the treatment? Semi-permanent makeup, also called micro pigmentation is a procedure that places tiny particles of pigment below the surface of the skin. The process is similar to tattooing, but there are important differences. Tattooing is permanent, and micro-pigmentation or semi-permanent cosmetic, as the name suggests, isn't. Treatment offers you a way to look great straight out of bed in the morning! Treatment is simple and lasts around 12 to 18 months. Here's all you need to know about it.

from Health and Fitness:Beauty Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2eJKNmv

Working at a Health and Fitness Company Actually Made Me Less Healthy

Fitness is a numbers game: body weight, body-fat percentage, mile splits, dumbells, sets and reps, and even the number of days spent in the gym per week. And while figures can tell us a lot, we can sometimes get too obsessed with them.

Years ago, I worked at a health and fitness company that loved these numbers, and before I knew it, I became fixated too. It was an environment full of people who understood how to get into peak physical condition and would do whatever it took to get there. This included (but was not limited to): eating the same meals day in and day out, working out twice a day, drinking shakes during meetings, saying farewell to carbs, and having superhuman discipline to stick to this regimen.

What was “best” usually meant a "positive" change in your numbers—pounds lost, body-fat percentage dropped, strength gained.

In a lot of ways, it hurt my outlook on health. On the surface we all wanted what we thought was best for one another. What was “best” usually meant a "positive" change in your numbers—pounds lost, body-fat percentage dropped, strength gained, and so on. That makes sense, since numbers can quantifiably measure hard work and progress.

But here’s the catch: When you think numbers are the only way to measure progress, it can feel defeating when they don't add up. Rarely does the scale gleefully budge on a regular basis or does strength improve indefinitely just because you worked your ass off. Even then, each numeric milestone you hit doesn't seem good enough.

Peer Pressure Can Be a B*tch

I know firsthand about this trap.

You know the cliché “you are what you eat”? Well, here's my twist on that: You do what the people around you do—even if it can have a negative impact on you.

My work environment exposed me to chiseled physiques and amazingly fit individuals, as well as certain attitudes about health and fitness. Those things became my norm. In fact, I often forgot my friends and family weren’t interested in near-0 percent body fat, tree trunk-like arms and legs, or the idea of tracking meals.

Sun's out, guns out.

With most of my coworkers looking like they’d just walked out of a fitness magazine, it was hard not to think, "My arms could definitely be more sculpted." In hindsight, I suppose the kind of peer pressure that forces you to want better arms instead of two-for-one margaritas isn't so bad.

But it can be just as harmful to your motivation, mindset, and confidence. When I made my own numbers-related goals, I was careful not to obsess over hitting them. But as hard as I tried, the self-imposed pressure that spawned out of seeing everyone else work so damn hard and look so damn good hung over me.

How Getting Fit Can Backfire

Because everyone else seemed to be busting their rump with results to show for it, I often questioned my own hard work and commitment to the process. "Maybe I’m not doing things right," I’d say to myself.

I later realized the hidden stressor of wanting to keep up with everyone backfired on me and only added unnecessary stress. Objectively I had made substantial progress toward my goals, but when compared to everyone else’s more dramatic numbers, I couldn’t see it.

Photos taken about four months apart, while I still worked at the company.

I even felt a bit embarrassed by how little I had to show for my work. I ignored the other equally-as-important forms of progress, like how much healthier my attitude was toward health and fitness. I no longer felt guilty about having a slice of pizza because I was working so hard. Later on, with the help of peers and a support network, I eventually came to understand that everyone needs to go at their own pace; no one else’s progress should impact what I do or expect. I have my own quirks and genetics, and sometimes numbers can't accurately sum up your total progress.

After all, who knows exactly what someone else is doing or sacrificing to meet their goals? Maybe they’re doing twice as many workouts, being very restrictive with food, or running themselves into the ground.

All of this isn’t unique to my former work environment. There are common threads that run through the fitness industry, including what models do to prep for photo shoots. Regardless, I’m grateful for my experiences, because now I have an improved outlook on my fitness journey. The most important thing that I learned?

Honor all forms of progress.

It’s easy to let numbers rule you and feel like nothing is working when, in reality, you’re just ignoring noteworthy accomplishments. While weight loss, mile times, and dumbbells are all attached to numbers, there are many other forms of progress: mental, emotional, behavioral, to name a few.

While weight loss, mile times, and dumbbells are all attached to numbers, there are many other forms of progress: mental, emotional, behavioral, to name a few.

We’re hardwired to not want to fail or struggle, to want to be perfect, but try as we might, those are simply impossible expectations. So if your numbers aren't adding up, it might be time to look a little deeper and appreciate other victories. Maybe you didn’t feel guilty for skipping a workout or eating a slice of cake, maybe you feel less anxious and shy in public, or maybe you’re able to perform the same workout in less time or with less effort—holy moly, those are all incredible steps forward!

from Greatist RSS http://ift.tt/2e1gI2Z

Understanding Fragrances: Florals

Everyone thinks that they need a signature scent. I thought the same thing but then I discovered that I was missing out on all the other fragrances that are available. The best advice I can give is to begin by understanding the various fragrances.

from Health and Fitness:Beauty Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2dICsvj

Weight Loss In The Real World For Real People

There are so many weight loss ideas, some are traditional messages which are locked in outdated beliefs about health, some are crazy and some are borderline religions where the finest details are debated. I think there are some missing elements in weight loss thinking. Most people are struggling with their weight in spite of current conservative thinking.

from Health and Fitness:Weight Loss Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2e9AEhg

JoJo Says She’s a “Brick House Adorned With Battle Scars.” Here’s How She Learned to Love Her Body

It's hard enough being a teenager. Imagine also being under the microscope as a hit singer. That was JoJo's life in the early 2000s. Music execs told her she needed to lose weight "for her health," a thinly veiled way of saying her "curvy" size 4 figure wouldn't sell albums. So she went on extreme diets and took weight-loss supplements, but it was never enough to please her handlers.

Nearly a decade later, JoJo has learned a lot about loving her body, and she shares those lessons in a powerful essay for Motto. Here's a little taste:

I will never have a thigh gap. Nobody has ever worried the wind might “wooooosh” a little bit too hard and knock me down. At 25, I’m a brick house adorned with battle scars and cellulite, curves and confidence. Some days I have abs, sometimes mehhh… I don’t know where they go. And you know what? It’s all good...

The possibilities are endless, really, when you accept how you were made and are able to celebrate your unique beauty, and find it in everyone you meet. When we focus mostly on our outward appearance, we neglect the important inner-work that must be done and the beautiful life-changing connections we can build with people. Ask yourself: What’s really important at the end of the day? Would being skinny (or curvy or whatever ideal you want to look like) really make you happy? Or is being a good person, doing good work, being a person of your word, and making a difference actually what satisfies you?

Read the Rest

from Greatist RSS http://ift.tt/2dIwBG6

3-Ingredient Chocolate

Three. Ingredient. Chocolate. Ohhhhhh yeah, you read that right. With just three pantry staples, you're 15 minutes away from snacking on a rich, fudgy chocolate that tastes better than any store-bought bar. Trust us, we know our desserts.

Three-Ingredient Chocolate

Recipe by: Jamie Webber
Makes: 8 servings
​Ready in: 15 minutes, plus freezing time

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup coconut oil, at room temperature (not melted)
1/4 cup maple syrup
Pinch sea salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Place cocoa powder in a medium bowl.

2. Add coconut oil and maple syrup. Mix ingredients thoroughly with a sturdy spatula, pressing the oil and syrup into the powder. Continue to mix well until smooth.

3. Line a loaf pan or small baking dish with parchment paper. (The larger the pan, the thinner the chocolate.)

4. Pour chocolate mixture onto parchment paper and smooth out evenly. Sprinkle with sea salt.

5. Place in the freezer for at least 1 hour.

6. Once hardened, cut chocolate into small squares. Store in the freezer until ready to serve.

from Greatist RSS http://ift.tt/2e0KPaX

Whole-Wheat Noodles With Greens and Ginger Dressing

If we could, we'd write a love letter to pasta. It's always there for us—in good times and bad, in red sauce and pesto. This time, we're adding a green tint with plenty of veggies and plenty of a zingy vinagrette too, becuase how else can we get our noodle-slurp on? Though it seems like a lot, this dinner can be ready in 20 minutes flat. Sounds like a weeknight dream if you ask us.

Whole-Wheat Noodles With Greens and Ginger Dressing

Recipe by: Rebecca Firkser
Makes: 4-6 servings, as a main
​Ready in: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS
For the dressing:
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 shallot, minced
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Salt and pepper

For the pasta:
1 pound whole-wheat linguine or soba noodles
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large bunch of your favorite leafy green (kale, chard, collards, bok choy) or a mixture, chopped
2 cups arugula
2 scallions, sliced thin

DIRECTIONS

1. Whisk together all dressing ingredients until combined. Set aside.

2. Add a pinch of salt to a large pot of boiling water. Cook the pasta according to package directions, toss with a little sesame oil, and set aside.

3. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium and add garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds, then add leafy greens. Sauté until the greens have just wilted. Turn off the heat.

4. Add the cooked pasta, arugula, scallions, and dressing to the skillet, then transfer to a serving bowl.

from Greatist RSS http://ift.tt/2duNt5S