Trick to making thin hair appear thicker Instantly!

Fake thicker-looking hair:

I have a lot of hair, but it tends to be finer the older I get. Plus my hair is a dark color and I have fair skin so the contrast in my part can make my hair appear even thinner than it truly is. 

A quick easy fix to giving the illusion that you have more is hair is by simply pressing into your part the same shadow that you use to darken your brows.

... hope you enjoy this little trick for thicker looking hair in an instant (and virtually free!)

Get rid of age spots to look younger - Hydroquinone with alpha-hydroxy or glycolic acid

Age spots. No thank you.

What in the heck is an age spot? How do you get them, and more importantly how do you get rid of them?

Age spots sometimes called "gasp" liver spots, are brownish flat areas on the skin that usually show up in areas that have been primarily exposed to the sun. If you are over 40 and have fair skin you are likely to have a few of this tell-tale signs of aging.

The best way to lighten these spots is with hydroquinone. There are over-the-counter concentrations available up to 2 percent, but dermatologists can give you levels of up to 4 percent by prescription. Using daily, these products alone can take four to eight months, sometimes a year to lighten. So no quick fix. 

To speed up the process you can use an alpha-hydroxy product with a hydroquinone. Glycolic acid, lactic and citric acids are other common names for alpha hydroxy acids. One of my favorite and least expensive lactic acids is one I use for my dry elbows and feet called Amlactin. Super affordable for $12-15 - you can buy this at almost any drug store or Costco. Check out my post about what else you can do about hiding wrinkled elbows {HERE}.

If you are ready to attack these areas faster you should make an appointment with a dermatologist to talk about an in office peel or intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment, both of which will give you faster results than with a cream. 

Uneven skin tone / pigmentation will make you look older, maybe even more so than wrinkless will. Concealing well can help cover them up, but you walk a fine line with using too much make-up or foundation as you age since it can settle into fine lines and wrinkles making them more prominent. This is where I advise to take care of the skin first with products that can really help like these and use creamy concealer just on the areas that need covering instead of an all over heavy foundation.

Looking Younger after 40 - Get rid of Middle Age Belly Fat

Muffin top. Belly fat. Spare tire. Mid life bulge. 

These are the words that strike fear for women after forty. It is a fact that metabolism slow downs as we age, but decreasing estrogen levels are not the only reason it happens. Decreased physical activity, increases in insulin resistance and lack of sleep will all contribute to weight gain. However it's the loss of estrogen that can affect where those pounds accumulate. So fat around the middle is avoidable if you can minimize weight gain and improve your metabolism. Here are some tips on how to do that:

1. Exercise, duh. 
Make your exercise aerobic - and push yourself. The science behind this is that exercise at a sufficient level "anaerobic"will rev up you metabolism to burn calories for hours after your workout.

2. Drink Green Tea and Coffee.
Caffeine is a stimulant and it can raise your heart rate signaling your body to burn calories faster. Green tea contains "catechins" that can help burn belly fat and coffee jump starts lipolysis which is the break down of fat.

3. Spice it up.
Cayenne and chili peppers contain capsaicin which according to a 2009 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition increases metabolism and helps the body burn fat more efficiently.
Also read about the benefit of using Apple Cider Vinegar to Lose Belly Fat {Here}.

4. Power up with Protein.
It takes more calories to digest protein than it does for the body to metabolize fat and carbs. Think about replacing your carb intake with lean protein like fish and chicken.

5. Say no to Crash Dieting.
Eating less than 1200 calories a day may help shed pounds, but it can backfire if you lose muscle which will slow down your metabolism - making your body gain weight faster than it did before the diet. 

6. Increase your Sleep.
Hot flashes, night sweats, and the responsibility of caring for children and aging parents makes it harder to get to sleep and to stay asleep, but studies have shown that not getting enough sleep at night is associated with being overweight.  Sleep deprivation increases levels of ghrelin that can increase food cravings. According to a 2014 Canadian study published in Obesity, getting just one more hour of sleep per night reduces belly fat accumulation.  Check out the other benefits and ways to increase beauty with sleep {HERE}.