Look 5 Years Younger and 5 Pounds Thinner

One of the biggest drawbacks to aging is that you lose pigment and color in your skin as you age, making you look pale and washed out. That is why making your skin appear lighter than its natural tone makes you look older. I can't count the number of times women have asked me how to add color and life to their face to help them look younger.

A perfect way to add color to your face is by "sculpting the face"—blending multiple shades of foundation and powder in specific areas. The beauty of this technique is that it adds depth to the skin and shape to the face but looks completely natural. Adding dimension and color to your face will definitely give you that youthful glow you have been looking for.

How many of you have looked in the mirror and thought your face looked too full? Many women believe their face is too full (they think fat—not usually the case) and want to make it look slimmer. Believe it or not, it's simple to do. Keep in mind that you are just creating a subtle change, not performing surgery! By sculpting the face, you can slim down its appearance by using dark and light shades to subtly reshape it.

While we knew Formula 1 racing was an expensive venture, leave it to the 2008/2009 edition of Formula Money to spell-out the jaw-dropping finances for us. According to their latest guide, the supporting cast will shell out over $3 billion this year in team resources -- with Toyota dropping more than $445 million of it alone. McLaren is a close second at $433 million, while Ferrari rounds out the top three with $414 million coming out of pocket. If you take a look at team resources divided by points scored, each point cost Ferrari $1.9 million in 2007 (while each point cost Honda a staggering $57.2 million during the same period!). With the financial markets around the world roiled in turmoil, many are wondering when the F1 budgets are going to feel the pinch... Thanks for the tip, Keith!

[Source: F1 Fanatic]

After numerous spy shots and leaked details, Aprilia has finally pulled the wraps off its upcoming RSV4 superbike. This is the machine that the Italian company will use to contest the Superbike World Championship in 2009 against the Ducati 1098 and the Japanese literbikes. To properly do battle, the RSV4 will make some 210-horsepower -- fully competitive with the best the series currently has to offer. While the race-going RSV4 is an amazing piece of kit, it's the street-bred RSV4, which will come in both normal and factory guises, that's of the most interest... since you'll actually be able to purchase one sometime next year.

Powered by a 999cc V-Four engine mated to a six-speed gearbox with slipper clutch, we expect the Factory to be on par power-wise with the Ducati 1098R, meaning about 180 horses or more. Coupled to a wet weight of 418 pounds the RSV4 will be one seriously fast machine. A ride-by-wire system will likely allow Aprilia to offer more than one engine map to adjust power for specific conditions. One of the more interesting bits of kit that will be standard across the line are the numerous chassis adjustments, including the ability to alter the swingarm position and the headstock angle. Styling-wise, the new RSV4 tips its hat to the RSV 1000 R that we tested earlier this year with its third eye headlight that mimics the shape of the old ram-air duct from the twin. The rest of the bike looks thoroughly new and appropriately awesome. We're not sure how much it'll cost, but we know we want one regardless.

Now that Audi has begun production and sales of the new A4 sedan and wagon, it's time to start rounding out the lineup. At next week's Paris Motor Show the next generation S4 will debut and marks the introduction of a new powerplant for the S-series lineup: a supercharged 3.0L TFSI V6. The supercharger uses a pair of four vane rotors and sits in the valley of the engine block, with air fed through a pair of intercoolers to the combustion chambers where a direct injection system provides the fuel.

With 333 hp and 325 lb.-ft. of torque fed through either a six-speed manual gearbox or a new seven-speed S-Tronic dual clutch transmission, the S4 sprints to 62 mph in 5.1 seconds. Like the more subdued A4, the S4's quattro system delivers 40 percent of the torque to the front axle and the remaining 60 percent to the rear. As with previous S models, the S4 get a more aggressive looking front and rear fascia and a new 18-inch wheel design. Inside, the S4 gets more supportive sport seats and the usual assortment of trim upgrades.

Our European friends will be able to get their mitts on both sedan and Avant wagon variants of the S4 starting next March. Here in the U.S. we'll have to wait until the fall and we'll also have to make do with the sedan only. Pricing should be similar to the current model at about $48,610.

Quick Sexy Hair Fix

 

Nurture Hair to Health

our biggest concern is usually how this will affect the way our hair looks. It's a natural concern for most women (and men!) to have. The health of our hair, however, is actually what we need to evaluate. From scalp conditions to what we eat, there are several areas related to health that you should consider if you notice a change in your hair growth and texture.

"Hair health depends on blood supply, circulation and nutrition," says ChicagoHealers.com Practitioner Dr. Melody Hart. "It can also be from one's thyroid, liver hormones and stress levels." Whether you're suffering from hair loss or want to prevent it from happening, these expert tips will help you keep your hair its healthiest.

Eating and Drinking for Hair
Check the ingredients in the food you eat. Are your meals enriching? A lot of foods lack vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. For instance, eating organic can greatly improve hair health, says Dr. Julia Tatum Hunter, dermatologist and founder of Skin Fitness Plus in Beverly Hills, CA. "The closer to nature—raw green foods—you eat, the more alkaline and healthy your skin and body will become," she explains. "You must address your skin and body internally and externally to achieve health and turn back the clock."

Hart also suggests eating foods rich in silica and sulphur such as onions, garlic, green leafy veggies and eggs. Sulphur, which is often dubbed the "beauty mineral" and can be found in its greatest concentration in hair, skin and nails, promotes circulation and decreases inflammation. Experts like Dr. Hart theorize adequate amounts of sulphur can help jumpstart hair growth in people with deficiencies. "Iodine and potassium foods, such as sea vegetables (like seaweed), also promote growth and thickness," she says.

As much as you love coffee, sweets, and salty snacks, reducing your intake of salt, sugar, fats and caffeine can also aid in fostering hair health. Instead of coffee or soda, drink water. Since the human body is generally composed of 60-80 percent water, when deprived of it, your cell health suffers. Dehydration directly impacts hair growth, so Dr. Hart suggests drinking at least six glasses of water a day

Dangers of Styling
From highlights to hair spray, your hair has been through a lot. Though some of these beauty treatments may seem harmless—hey, we're all guilty—they could lead to hair damage, which contribute to hair loss. "Virtually, all skin, oral, nail and hair care products have toxic ingredients and antimicrobials, which create more inflammation," says Dr. Hunter. "[Hair treatments] can exacerbate common skin problems like hair loss, and accelerate aging and deteriorating skin and body health."

But it's not just you! Dr. Hunter points out that inflammation begins afflicting us from birth. "Skin, the largest organ of the body, is used first to detoxify," she explains. "As it becomes inflamed from what we consume, absorb, and are exposed to (such as pollution and sunlight), the results are aging and hair loss."

Hunter suggests avoiding or decreasing the use of chemical irritants like hair dye and daily styling products. "The result will be a visible improvement," she says. "Doing so will also strengthen your [scalp's] natural but weakened ability to function. It will repair itself and you can experience hair re-growth."

Strengthen the Building Blocks
Whether you're guilty of putting your hair through a lot or a victim of aging and natural forces, you can help strengthen your follicles. Your body is a construction site so you need to provide the building blocks (quality ones, that is) to fight the causes of inflammation. "It's imperative to supplement the internal organs and skin layers with the missing tools to accomplish the job of building a firm foundation," Dr. Hunter points out.

Besides consuming foods that are fresh and high in sulphur, and drinking water, Dr. Hunter suggests eating healthy. "Your diet must be supported with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, nutrients and oils that continually replenish, strengthen and energize your entire body," she says. "Doing this will promote physical and psychological well-being and stop the epidemic of acne, hair loss, rosacea and skin cancers."

Other essential nutrients that aid in cell repair include, glutathione (the most important antioxidant for the body's immune system preferably in lozenge form), alpha lipoic acid (an effective antioxidant that prevents the symptoms of vitamin C and E deficiencies), and multi-minerals (minerals promote proper composition of body fluids, formation of blood and bone, maintenance of healthy nerve functions). The proper dosage of these nutrients will foster hair health.

Thermage Non-Surgical Face-Lift

Non-Surgical Face-Lift One of the newest anti-wrinkle options to hit the market, this medical device uses radio-frequency technology to eradicate lines and wrinkles that formerly could be reduced only with a surgical lift. It works by chilling the skin and then applying tightening energy from radio frequency. It's not entirely without discomfort, but the results are worth it. Dermatologists prep patients with a topical anesthetic and a strong painkiller before getting busy.

Botox Injections

This common procedure involves using small needles to inject traces of a substance that "paralyzes" the muscles underneath, where lines are forming — usually around the mouth and eyes and on the forehead. It temporarily freezes the muscles that form these expression lines, cutting down on the repetitive movements that help create wrinkles. It's fast, easy and relatively painless, but make sure to pick a doctor with experience, and undergo an allergy test first. You'll have to get Botox shots every few months, but the results are dramatic and, over the long haul, can delay the formation of wrinkles.

Stop Wrinkles Before They Happen

Good habits and good genes can only take you so far when you're competing against the biological clock. Like it or not, there will come a day when you'll look in the mirror and realize that some of those "smile lines" are sticking around. You probably know that day can be delayed if you eat right, exercise and guard against the sun. But if you, like the rest of us, don't always succeed with the healthy-lifestyle approach, turn to this list of fallback options from Charlene Haines of Euphoria Day Spa.

Are You at Risk for Prematurely Aging Skin

When you look in the mirror, are wrinkles and lines staring back at you? Inevitably, all of us will experience the reality of aging skin. Natural factors that we cannot control are behind part of this process.

However, certain behaviors accelerate the breakdown of our skin, leaving us with a complexion that looks older than it should at our age.

Do your behaviors put you at risk for prematurely aging skin? Take our quiz and find out.
by Chris Kissell