There is an increasing choice of shaving cream available on the market that often advertise various benefits. Some give you a choice of scent while others add medications to sooth the skin while others still target those who have sensitive skin or thick facial hair.

In fact, you don’t have to stick with shaving cream and might choose a shaving gel which is basically turned into cream by rubbing it in your hands before applying it to your face.

You can also find shaving soap in bar form that lathers into a cream that is then applied to the face.

While electric shavers traditionally offered only a dry shave without shaving cream, newer models now offer built in shaving gel dispensers which enable you to squirt small amounts of shaving gel onto your face as you’re shaving to lubricate your skin.

I started using a gel-dispensing electric shaver in 2005 and love it. The difference between the gel-dispensing shaver and my old dry electric shaver is like night and day.

The gel-dispensing electric shaver glides across my face and has eliminated any razor burn or other skin irritation that I used to experience with my old electric shaver.

I purchase replacement gel packs at virtually any store that sells shaving supplies. The pack is simply inserted into the gel dispenser and the gel is dispensed by pressing down on the gel button while shaving. What a great idea!

Temporary and permanent hair removal technology is evolving constantly and is relevant to both men and women who want to remove unwanted hair.

For more information on hair removal options, visit http://www.PermanentHairRemovalTips.com

Guys, let’s face it.

Aging is an inevitable process for all of us. However, you don’t have to take it “lying down”. As a matter of fact, you can literally manage the whole ordeal and either hang on to your body’s prime condition or regain that which has been lost for years following a few very basic principles.

Eating Habits

The first and most important aspect of your prime maintenance program has to do with what you allow to enter your body via your eating habits. You know what they say—”garbage in, garbage out”—and it couldn’t be more true than when it

applies to your longevity and how good or bad you will age over the next few decades.

One thing that you will want to start doing immediately is to wean your body off of its cravings for and dependence on sugar. Sugar has a very insidious way of speeding up the aging process by weakening your body in a number of ways. In fact, Nancy Appleton, Ph.D., and author of “Lick the Sugar Habit” outlines the following detriments of sugar intake:

• immune system suppression
• upsets the body’s mineral relationships
• can raise the body’s triglycerides
• reduces the body’s ability to defend itself against bacterial infection
• causes a loss of body tissue elasticity and function
• contributes to copper deficiency
• interferes with calcium and magnesium absorption
• can weaken the eye sight
• can cause general premature aging
• causes tooth decay
• contributes to obesity
• can cause gallstones
• can cause heart disease
• can cause appendicitis
• can cause M.S. (multiple sclerosis)
• can cause varicose veins
• can lower vitamin E levels in the blood
• increases cholesterol and systolic blood pressure
• can cause cataracts
• deregulates bowel movements
• can cause myopia (near sightedness)
• can compromise the lining of the capillaries
• can make the tendons brittle
• can contribute to Alzheimer’s disease
• can lead to the formation of kidney stones
• feeds cancer
• the body changes sugar into 2-5 times more fat than it does starch
• may induce cell death

Need I say more about sugar?

Good. Let’s move on.

Another thing that you’ll want to get a handle on is alcohol.

Not such a bad thing in moderation, excessive alcohol consumption inhibits the youthfulness and vibrance of the body by making it more susceptible to a number of diseases and infections which debilitate its ability to function.

Of course, some of the same diet intake strategies that are affective in weight loss help to maintain prime condition as well. Not making a habit of eating late or consuming a lot of dairy and animal fat products will help to both keep you trim and preserve the functioning of your arteries in order to help your body keep control of its blood pressure and cholesterol levels as well, measure which will protect you from developing heart problems.

In addition to things that you will want to restrict from you diet, there are several that you will want to make sure to supplement it with or at least make sure that you get plenty of in your regular intake.

First on this list is water. Cliche as it may sound, there wouldn’t be enough room to discuss all of the things that it does to keep the body’s systems clean and operable. Not to mention the aesthetic benefit that it has on the clarity of the skin.

Antioxidants will definitely need to be a part of your daily food regimen. These substances fight the aging effects of free-radical damage to the body. Some of the more popular antioxidants include:

• Green Tea
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Selenium
• Soy and Isoflavones
• zinc

Two of the easiest ways to add anti-oxidants to your diet are to drink green tea daily and to use soy milk with added isoflavones in the place of where you would use regular milk or cream.

Body Tone and Mobility

You may or may not be currently putting your body through regular resistance training. However, doing so get more and more important as you get older. Once past the age of 35, our bodies lose approximately 1% of their muscle mass annually. Since it is this muscle mass that gives your body its shape, form, and much of its strength, you will want to use resistance training to prevent atrophy and preserve as much of the actual muscle tissue as possible.

A second way in which resistance train helps you is that it keeps the bones strong and able to take abnormal amounts of pressure. This “practice” for the bones will come in handy in keeping them away from breaks and fractures that are very common as well as debilitating in older people.

Even more important than resistance training is your body’s flexibility. Nothing contributes more to optimal mobility than having flexible joints and muscles.

What’s more is that a regular stretching routine not only adds to mobility but also helps to guard against 3 of the most common injuries—those to your back, knees, and hip area. Many of these injuries are the result of a rigid body being twisted into positions beyond its strength capacity or its range of flexibility to the point that something “snaps”. Once any of these areas suffers major damage, it is generally never the same again.

The third major ingredient in preserving prime body tone and conditioning is cardiovascular activity. The benefits of such activity are obvious: a stronger, healthier heart and minimized body fat, the latter of the two helping the body maintain its most attractive shape and tone.

Preserving What You Have

When someone said “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, boy were they on target.

Taking the best care of your body’s condition before it begins to give you problems is the absolute most important part of any strategy to regain—or maintain—your prime.

Much of what has already been discussed has dealt with taking care of yourself through diet and exercise. However, there are additional things that demand attention cosmetically in order to “put the icing on the cake” in all of this.

Getting the proper rest so that your body may recuperate properly is of the utmost importance. Sufficient rest alone does a great deal to retard at least the appearance of aging. You’ll feel a heck of a lot better as well.

Other things can be done include staying out of the sun to avoid excessive skin damage, and following at least a basic washing and moisturizing regimen to keep the face clean and fresh. Good grooming also goes a long way as well with looking and feeling your absolute best.

The Final Word

Finally, it is imperative that you keep at least a once-a-year appointment with your doctor for an annual checkup. This is the best way to catch any deficiencies that may slip through the cracks with everything that you’ve got going on to keep yourself in peak condition.

Even with lots of effort being put into your body’s maintenance, a few things are bound to slip through due to your

individual lifestyle, habits, and genetic predispositions. Therefore, keeping tabs on your vital signs and being on the lookout for common killers like heart problems, cancers, and auto-immune deficiencies are paramount to your success.

Keeping all of these things in mind AND in practice will not only help to restore and retain your prime, but will help you to enjoy the absolute best overall quality of life that you possibly can.

To Your Best Body,

Lawrence Cole
Your Lifestyle and Fitness Coach
http://www.yourbestbodynow.com

Lawrence Cole is a Lifestyle and Fitness Consultant based out of Los Angeles,
CA. He has over 10 years of health and fitness experience and designing simple,
effective nutritional strategies to help individuals achieve their personal best
internal health and physical conditioning.

See this article on YourBestBodyNOW.com

Ugg fluff momma boots are one of the most unique styles of boots
to come off the drawing board in a while. These three-quarter
length long-haired boots are stylish yet practical. The mere
sight of these boots exudes warmth and comfort. In fact, you
should not be surprised if you find that everyone you encounter
will want to reach out and touch these luxurious boots. The
people you meet will want to know whether the boots are really
as soft as they appear to be. And the truth is they are. The
striking design of these boots will definitely turn heads
whether you wear them around the chicest ski slopes of Europe or
while walking through the streets of Los Angeles.

After you have spent an exhausting day skiing down the most
difficult slopes you can find, your feet will beg for comfort.
Treat your feet right and slip them into a pair of Ugg fluff
momma boots. These boots are the perfect Après ski boot. Pair
these genuine sheep skin boots up with your after ski clothes or
even your favorite party clothes. Then strut your way down to
the most exclusive hot spots the resort area has to offer. You
will be able to make a grand entrance without worrying whether
or not you will be able to keep your balance. That is because
the soles of these boots are slip resistant. The rugged plastic
tread design ensures that you will turn heads because of how you
look and not because of how you looked as you fell on the ice
while approaching the entrance. Once you are inside, in no time
at all, the comfortable soles will reenergize your feet and you
and your feet will not stop moving around the dance floor.

Even if hitting the slopes is not your idea of fun, you can
still own a pair of these one-of-a-kind boots. Ugg fluff momma
boots are currently available in three colors: black, off-white
and a soft, pastel pink. While not a wide selection of color
options, you will find that these color choices will go with
just about everything in your closet. Once you start wearing
these funky boots, you will see that they will quickly become
your footwear of choice. They will be the first thing you grab
out of your closet.

Once you put on a pair of ugg fluff momma boots, you will
realize that no one will really care what you are wearing for
clothes. Everyone you encounter when you wear these unique boots
will be staring down at your feet! Pair these outrageous boots
up with faded and worn out blue jeans or with your shortest mini
skirt. You can wear these boots while out on a date, while
shopping at the mall, while on the ski slopes and even while at
the beach. Yes that is right. For years, surfers have worn these
boots paired up with their swimsuits. So the simple answer to
the question of how to wear your ugg fluff momma boots is this:
It does not matter how you wear these boots just as long as you
wear them everywhere!

Like all sheep skin boots, ugg fluff momma boots are best worn
with bare feet. The genuine sheep skin will help moderate the
temperature of your feet. Even this style of ugg boot guarantees
that your feet will stay warm in colder weather and will cool
down as the temperature begins to rise. These boots are trendy,
they are unique and they are comfortable. Get a pair to wear
today!

All women in their mid 40s and above the age of 50 experience menopause. The complete cessation of a woman’s periods is called menopause. This can be natural or medically induced due to surgery. It can last for a few years. During this time, there are several hormonal changes in a woman’s body. These changes emerge as the signs of menopause. There are several signs of menopause like severe mood changes, bad temper and dejection. Physically too, a woman’s body undergoes several changes.

Women experience a decrease in bone density with the onset of menopause. The calcium absorption of the body reduces. This results in repeated fractures and brittle nails that can be a sign of menopause. Women must therefore supplement their diet with dairy products. They must stop or reduce the intake of tea and coffee.

Dry skin is another sign of menopause. It is partly due to aging and exposure to the sun. A generous use of moisturizers can solve this problem. A woman can experience sudden hot flushes and break out in sweat. At night, the same hot flushes can disrupt sleep resulting in restlessness. These flushes are because of restriction of blood vessels. This can make the menopausal woman feel tired and sapped of energy all the time.

Urinary incontinence is also a sign of menopause. Because of changes in hormones, the tissues of the body lose their elasticity causing loss of control over the bladder. A menopausal woman can experience vaginal dryness and loss of interest in sexual matters.

After the age of 50, a woman must get a regular check up of her cholesterol levels. Increased cholesterol level can be a sign of menopause. A woman must exercise control over her diet and include green vegetables in her diet.

Many signs of menopause like falling hair or stiff joints can be confused with those of aging. However, it is a result of reduced production of estrogen and progesterone hormones. One can even have sudden excess hair growth due to over production of testosterone.

Some women have trouble in remembering things. This loss of memory can be a sign of menopause. Women become oversensitive and seem to cry at the slightest provocation. They feel left out and lonely. These changes in mental attitude are due to menopause.

Menopause is thus a difficult time for most women on the other side of fifty. With a good knowledge of the signs of menopause, one must handle women with greater understanding and sensitivity towards their feelings. Knowledge about the signs of menopause can also be helpful in tackling the problems better.

Jodie Phillips is the owner of several Womens Health related websites at and she shares her knowledge and research on Women’s Health in a series of articles.

Menstruation is the normal, periodic discharge of blood, mucus and cellular debris from the cavity of your uterus. The usual interval for menstruation is 28 days, but that can vary widely and still be considered normal. The duration and amount of menstrual flow can also vary – the typical time period is 4 to 6 days.

Two important cycles are actually happening at the same time: the ovarian cycle and the endometrial cycle. The ovarian cycle provides an egg for fertilization. The endometrial cycle provides a suitable book for implantation of the fertilized egg inside your uterus. Because endometrial changes are regulated by hormones made in your ovaries, the two cycles are intimately related. They work together.

The ovarian cycle produces an egg for fertilization. When you’re born, you have about 2 million eggs inside you. This number decreases to about 400,000 just before you start puberty. What many people don’t realize is the maximum number of eggs you’ll have is present before you are born: a five month old fetus has almost 7 million eggs.

During your ovulation cycle, there’s an approximately three-day window when you’re ovulating. For most women that falls approximately ten to fourteen days after their last period. Ovulation is the critical time for conceiving. There are several ways you can tell when you’re ovulating:

Your cervical mucus changes. Cervical mucus will become very abundant, sticky, and clear as ovulation nears. (It often looks like egg whites, and some people refer to it as “egg white mucus.”) If you get some on your fingers and then stretch your fingers apart, it sometimes will stretch an inch or two before breaking. When stretched between the thumb and forefinger, it will stretch several centimeters before breaking. Cervical mucus provides an idea environment where sperm can live up to three days.

Your estrogen levels may increase during ovulation; for some women it causes their sex drive to increase.

As ovulation approaches, the position and firmness of your cervix will change. The cervix will rise, soften, and the cervical opening will begin to widen in preparation for trying to get pregnant.  This period is sometimes referred to as “SHOW” - Soft, High, Open and Wet.  After this optimal period for conception, your cervix will lower and begin to harden again.  Right before your period, it will feel very hard and pointed.  To learn the proper way to check your cervix and determine how it feels, talk to your doctor.

Premenstrual symptoms are an indicator of approaching vulation.  Symptoms can include breast tenderness, abdominal discomfort and bloating, moodiness, and abdominal cramps or pains.  Every woman is different, so you’ll have to talk to your doctor and learn to identify your own body’s hints that your cycle is gearing up to make a baby.

Your body temperature is another great indicator of ovulation. (Your temperature when you first wake up is called your basal body temperature –your temperature is unaffected by food, drink, activity, etc, so it’s the best time to check it.) Basal body temperature usually ranges between 96.0 to about 98.0 degrees before to ovulation. Hormonal changes caused by ovulation will raise your temperature by 0.5 to 1.5 degrees two to three days after ovulation has occurred. This increase in temperature will remain until your next period. This change in temperature can be measured with a special thermometer designed to read temperatures to .001 degrees.

Another sign of ovulation is an LH surge. (LH surge can only be determined by using a special ovulation testing kit.) The Luteinizing Hormone, or LH, is responsible for stimulating the ovaries into releasing a mature egg. LH is always in your bloodstream in small amounts, but your pituitary gland increases the amount of LH in order to begin your ovulation process. When LH rises it can be detected using urine testing strips or sticks.

You experience “mittelschmerz.” Mittelschmerz is German for “middle pain.”  Some women feel mittelschmerz on one side of their lower abdomens, and the pain can last anywhere from a few minutes to several days. Most women feel a small twinge of pain, while a few experience significant pain – although that’s rare. Doctors have two possible explanations for this pain.  One is that pressure and pain is caused when the egg stretches the membrane of the ovary when it’s released.  Another reason may be because fluid and blood are released when the ovum leaves the ovary.
 
These are some of the clues you can use to determine when you are most likely to be able to conceive. Every woman is different, though, so talk to your doctor, explain what you typically experience during your menstrual cycle, and together you can learn what’s typical for you. Your goal is to make sure you can recognize your particular three-day window and take advantage of it to become pregnant.

Please grab hundreds of Pregnancy Secrets and tips at The Pregnancy Secrets

Worldcopyright Marc Hofkens and Cosblad Publications NV. You can use and publish this article on the condition that you don’t change anything and you add this resource box at any time.

http://www.the-pregnancy-secrets.com

What Sparked An Obsession With Body and Facial Hair? Find Out
More About Unwanted Facial Hair And The Current Hair Removal
Craze.

More and more women are obsessed with removing unwanted facial
hair today. It is no surprise that the women in United Kingdom
spend £280 million in the quest of hair removal for silky smooth
legs, arms, face and more. But what sparks an obsession with
body hair? It is probably because of an unkind remark at a
vulnerable stage such as early adolescence that may have
triggered a preoccupation with a particular feature such as
removing unwanted facial hair. Some 30% of women and 12-15% of
men are overly concerned with some aspect of their appearance,
although an obsession with unwanted facial hair and body hair is
fairly uncommon.

Although the current hair removal craze dates back to the 20th
century, women and men have been removing body and facial hair
throughout history. In fact, today’s fashionable techniques for
removing unwanted facial hair - waxing, sugaring or threading -
were used by Egyptian and Middle-Eastern women thousands of
years ago. Other techniques of removing unwanted facial hair,
such as shaving with razors, plucking with tweezers and using
depilatory creams, date back just as far, if not further. Hair
removal methods have stayed basically the same for centuries,
but the body parts involved have changed.

Today’s trend for smooth legs and armpits started with one of
the earlier editions of Harper’s Bazaar magazine. It featured a
model wearing a sleeveless evening gown - with hairless armpits.
The hair removal craze was also aided by the Wilkinson Sword
Company who ran an ad campaign in the 1920s to persuade women
that underarm hair was unhygienic and unfeminine.

As hemlines rose above the ankles, women in many Western
countries started shaving their legs. During the Second World
War, a shortage of silk stockings led to the leg hair removal
trend.

Recently, there’s been the fascination with below-the-belt hair
removal, with the ‘Brazilian Wax’ and the ‘Hollywood’ feted by a
slew of celebrities. The history of hair removal is essentially
about fashion. But when is unwanted facial hair and body hair a
medical problem? Consult your doctor if you have a sudden
increase in body or facial hair, or if your periods are
infrequent or your voice has become deeper. The doctor may
recommend you to lose weight. This reduces the amount of
hormones in your body that cause increased hair growth.

If the problem is severe, the doctor may prescribe hormonally
based drugs designed to help rebalance levels of androgens. Such
drugs usually take three to six months to work. Although they
can reduce the amount of new hair growth, it does not usually
change the amount of existing unwanted facial hair. There is
also a cream-based medication which can slow unwanted facial
hair growth. It can start to work within four to eight weeks
although it may take longer. Always refer to your doctor before
using any form of medication.

Okay, don’t get so worried or happy when your monthly period stops! Your pregnancy depend on the test you going to take. You need to find pregnancy test kit to make sure that you’re pregnant or not. The easiest way to recognize your pregnancy is through checking your urine using simple pregnancy test kits. By doing so, instead of just guessing, this is probably one of the more reliable signs of pregnancy.

Why should you use urine? Urine is the easiest stuff than can be taken easily for the test which may contain hCG (hormone secreted during pregnancy). These tests measure the levels of hCG in your urine. The amount of urine each test can detect varies widely. The amount of hormone each woman secret may also vary, but not as widely.

If you are in your fourth or fifth weeks of pregnancy, the better tests on the market will measure your urine contain 25-50 mIUs of hCG, This is usually the amount found in urine in that age of pregnancy.

When is the best time to you took your urine test? You can have it anytime as you like, but first morning urine will always contain the highest concentration of hCG. That’s why the earlier the better. Even though, most tests do not require that you use first morning urine. You can help better your chances of having enough hCG in your urine by waiting four hours after you last urinated to take the test. This will allow hCG to build up in your urine.

The sooner you do your pregnancy test the quickest way to know you’re pregnant. This is important because the first trimester carries the highest risk of miscarriage, the natural death of an embryo or fetus, known medically as a spontaneous abortion. It is often the result of health problems of the fetus, the mother, or damage caused after conception.

Probably you know that pregnancy takes approximately 40 weeks between the time of the last menstrual cycle and birth (38 weeks from fertilization). It is divided into three trimesters, and the first trimester is the crucial term.

It’s rare to find false result after doing urine pregnancy test, although sometimes it happens. For example, when you take your urine pregnancy test too early, it may show a negative answer although later it revealed to be a pregnancy. And a positive answer appeared when later it turn out the woman is not pregnant. In this condition it is usually cause by a very early miscarriage.

About the author: Sara Jameson writes her experiences in “The Very Happy Pregnancy: Avoiding Stress and Depression.” Check this out http://www.early-pregnancy-symptom.info and http://www.first-sign-of-pregnancy.info

Penis enlargement overview - basically, your penis is made up of 3 main areas, 2 large chambers on the top (the technical term for this is the Corpora Cavernosa) and 1 smaller chamber on the bottom (the Corpus Spongisum). When you gain an erection your penis fills with blood, filling these three chambers. The Corpus Spongisum is the chamber used mainly when you urinate and ejaculate. The Corpora Cavernosa however, is the main blood holding chamber of the penis, this is where 90% of all blood is retained each and every time you gain an erection. Your present penis size is limited in both length and width, by the maximum in which the Corpora Cavernosa can fill with blood. The only real method of penis enlargement is to correctly improve and increase your Corpora Cavernosa.

There are several methods of penis enlargement, all of which provide varying levels of success. Here are described
the most used penis enlargement techniques in order of their popularity:

1) Penis enlargement pills - this seems to be the most popular method of penis enlargement mostly because it is very easy to apply. Herbal pills contain a special herbal formula and sexual nutrients to help increase blood circulation to the penile region so penis enlargement can occur. The Corpora Cavernosa will expand larger which in turn will create larger, fuller erections.

2) Natural penis enlargement - this method works by using a set of dedicated exercises and techniques created
especially for penis growth and development. Good penis enlargement programs force the blood to fill all spaces within the Corpora Cavernosa, extending and enlarging the blood spaces with every session just like a body exercise.

3) Penis enlargement devices - the use of traction devices to enlarge the penis is based on the principle of tensile force and the body’s ability to adapt under such influence. By exposing the cells in the penis chambers to a durable and constant traction, the cells will begin to divide and multiply, thus increasing the tissue mass. This process allows the penis chambers to hold more blood than it could before.

Penis enlargement surgery and pumps should be avoided - the first one is a risky and expensive penis enlargement method and the second one do NOT provides permanent results and can cause damages to your penis.

The author is the owner of an well-established penis enlargement site: http://www.net-penis-enlargement.com

US breast implants - regulations

Here is a set of regulations passed by the FDA in regards to silicone breast implants:

1. Replacement or revision of saline implants

2. Tuberous breast deformity

3. Congenital breast reconstruction

4. Breast augmentation to the opposite breast for symmetry

5. Augmentation with a breast lift (mastopexy)

6. Severe asymmetries of the breast

7. Breast cancer reconstruction

Breast enlargement is, no doubt, one of the most popular plastic surgery procedures. However, many women wonder if the breast augmentation procedure is worth it, especially on a long run. Some fear that the breast implants will not last and they will begin to leak. Although this does happen, it is a very rare phenomenon. Most women who have gone through breast enlargement surgery didn’t experience any problems with their silicone breast implants.

Replacing breast implants

You will never have to replace your breast implants unless you come across a problem with them. Most breast implant replacements are made because the patient wants a new shape or size for her breasts. Although leakage and asymmetry are also among the reasons, they are very rare when compared with the conscious requests of the patients to modify their breast implants.

Incision types – which one is the best

While the inframammary incision is the most popular, other types of breast enlargement incisions should be considered. The crease incision has the huge advantage of leaving a minute scar that is barely noticeable. A transaxillary breast incision gives surgeons less control on where to implant the silicone. Incisions around the areola heal faster, but the abundance of nerve endings in the area made many surgeons feel that changes in tactile sensations might be present.

More information available here: Breast Enlargement Expert

Asthmaxpert

Do you hate to shop for clothes?

According to a recent report by WGSN (Worth Global Style
Network), 28% of women HATE to shop for clothes. To them, it’s a
four-letter word that produces stress and anxiety any time they
think about hitting the mall.

Now for the 26% of women who absolutely LOVE to shop and
frequently ease their woes with retail therapy, this may be
inconceivable. How can anyone NOT enjoy the thrill of the hunt
or the big bargain score? Who doesn’t love modeling new clothes
in front of the mirror or being asked incessantly, “Great
outfit! Is it new?”

The answer? Plenty of people.

And for many women who hate to shop, the problem has little to
do with money. In fact, according to WGSN, when these women
actually force themselves to go buy clothes, they rarely look
for bargains.

Instead, they tend to avoid the mall because:

1.They don’t know what kinds of clothes look best on them.

2.They don’t follow fashion and don’t want to look ridiculous or
dated in their purchases.

3.They’re easily flustered when they can’t find what they’re
looking for quickly.

4.They feel uncomfortable trying on clothes in dressing rooms.

5.They may have put on a lot of weight and either can’t find
clothes that fit or don’t want to face the fact that they need a
larger size.

6.They hate crowds.

Does any of this sound familiar?

If you can really relate to this list, here are some tips to
make shopping easier, less expensive, and far less frustrating
than you may have experienced in the past:

1. Determine Your Body Shape

Start by taking a good look at your birthday suit in the mirror
the next time you change clothes or step out of the bath. Are
your hips bigger than your chest? Your chest bigger than your
hips? Is your waist the same size as your chest and hips? Does
your body resemble an hourglass? Make a note. Look for clothes
shaped the same way you are when you hit the stores. This will
lead to fast success and minimal frustration.

2. Determine Your Lifestyle

What kinds of clothes work best in your current situation? Do
you need business wear? Jeans? Ball gowns? If your lifestyle is
60% work, 20% social, and 20% leisure, for example, or 90% work
and 5% social and 5% leisure, then your wardrobe should reflect
as much. Otherwise, you may be hard pressed to find something to
wear for those activities where you spend the least amount of
time.

3. Assess Your Needs and Make a List

Once you know your shape and your lifestyle, it’s time to go
through your closet and see what you need. If you’re short on
tops, put them on the list. Feel fabulous in a coatdress? Add a
few more. Love your black A-line skirt? Buy another one in dark
blue.

Remember: if you start with a list, you can immediately hone in
on those pieces in the store. When you only look for what you
need, you’re a lot less likely to get distracted - or confused.

4. Go When it’s Quiet and You Have Some Time

This may not always be possible, depending on your situation,
but try to go when the stores are nearly empty and you have a
little time to look, like a weekday morning. Not only will the
store clerks be more available to help, you’ll have plenty of
time to go through the store inventory.

If you hate crowds or have to constantly monitor your watch as
you shop, you’re more likely to give up quickly or buy
unsatisfactory pieces just to get it over with.

Simple solution: shop online.

5. Leave The Kids At Home

This may not always be possible, but if you can shop when
they’re at school, leave them with a sitter, or swap sitting
duties with another mom so you each have free time, do.

6. Buy and Return

If you don’t have the time or inclination to try on clothes
before you buy them, go to a mirror, hold the clothes up in
front of you and see how they look. If it looks like something
you might like, test the size in the places it’s most likely to
give you trouble, like the shoulders, bust or hips, by grabbing
the edge of the garment and seeing where it hits on the side of
your body. If it goes half way, chances are, you have a close
fit. If it doesn’t or if it goes beyond the halfway point, go up
or down a size, respectively. Buy it, take it home, and try it
on there. If it fits, keep it. If it doesn’t, take it back.

7. Hire Help

If you truly don’t want to attempt any of this on your own, or
if you’re after a certain look but don’t have the time to track
it down, hire a personal shopper. Many better department stores
and boutiques have one on staff; just ask. Or, check online, in
the newspaper, or in the phone book for freelance personal
shoppers in your area. The Association of Image Consultants
International

http://www.aici.org

might also be able to recommend someone locally.

While the fee for department or boutique staff shoppers is
usually free (they receive a commission on the clothes you buy
from their store), most freelance shoppers will charge either an
hourly or flat fee for their services, plus the cost of clothes.
If that’s what it takes to get you out the door, looking your
best, with a minimum of stress, pay it. It will pay you back
many times in increased confidence, reduced stress, and a
workable, wearable wardrobe.

Shopping for new clothes should be an enjoyable event you
participate in at least twice a year, to refurbish your closet
for the new season. If you hate to shop or always wind up with
stuff you don’t need, try these tips to get your closet in
order. Who knows? You may actually start to enjoy yourself!