Mindfulness – Links

 

• Mindfulness Research Update: 2008 by Jeffrey M. Greeson, Ph.D., M.S.
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2679512/?tool=pubmed
• Mindfulness and pain management
• http://www.yourdocmedical.co.uk/wellbeing/160
• Daily Meditations
• http://franticworld.com/free-meditations-from-mindfulness/

 

Autumn/Winter Skincare: Pleasure, Fun and Indulgence

According to a new report by Mintel, British Lifestyles, beauty has been on a rising tide ever since the beginning of the new millennium. Categories associated with pleasure, fun and indulgence showed the highest levels of growth, compared to the functional day-to-day products.

• Indulgence. Being seen as indulgence, facial skincare benefited, growing almost 70 % in 10 years (2000 – 2010) and driven primarily by interest in anti-ageing. Anti-ageing moisturisers, targetting particular concerns ie. wrinkles, make up nearly 40 % of the total category sales.

• Shopping from Home. More consumers are turning to the internet for advice on skincare products.  Recent study by MyFaceBody, the online and TV beauty guide, has found that 55 % women aged 35 – 50 purchase beauty and skincare online. Online retail can offer a variety of choice, competitive pricing and information better than high street retailers. With a growth of interest in beauty blogging it seems that buying high quality skincare products for specific skin issues, such as acne, sun damage and anti-ageing will boom on the internet.

Please remember that 50 % of women misdiagnose their skin type. Go for the internet bargains but have a skincare consultation first to avoid expensive mistakes. Also, try before you buy – try the testers/get samples from a local beauty counter.

• Unconscious fantasies. Our mind desires – both conscious and unconscious – can help to identify future skincare trends. The trends agency By Lude uses psychology and anthropology to understand our psychological functioning and collective fantasies. These techniques go beyond the consious data used in traditional market research eg. questionnaires and observational data.
• Autumn-Winter 2011/12 Season. They forecast a preppy “back to school” feel with a Northern twist – milky skin and translucent make-up.  We should want to go back to thick walled glass bottles and creamy white contents, reflecting our unconscious need to be protected and cocooned.

 

Source:

http://www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/Market-Trends/What-the-recession-has-meant-for-online-beauty-retailing

http://www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/Market-Trends/Strong-growth-seen-in-skin-care-category-Mintel

http://www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/Market-Trends/Unravelling-the-unconscious-mind-can-highlight-future-trends-says-agency

Beauty Pays: Make Most of Your Assets.

According to social scientists, beauty pays. Contrary to the old feminists’ beliefs, it is not degrading to be groomed and look attractive. Beauty and intelligence are not mutually exclusive – recent research shows a link.

• Learn to invest time and effort into looking your best.
• Learn to smile and the world will smile back at you.

The past two decades have seen research documenting the economics of return to good looks. Attractive people earn up to 20 % more than unattractive people (all else being equal).  They are also seen as more competent, more persuasive, attract cooperation and have smoother relationships with colleagues. But beauty pays off in friendships, in social networks and in the politics of private life.

“Beauty is not superficial, trivial, insubstantial and futile. Investing time and effort into looking good is not an indicator of vanity or frivolity – for men or women.”

Everyone can highlight what they have to present themselves in the best light. The French insist that style allows even the ugly to become attractive – the jolie laide. But ugliness and beauty are also about attitude and a state of mind. Why let the uglies win, she asks?

Catherine Hakin is a social scientist at the London School of Economics and the author of Honey Money: The Power of Erotic Capital. www.catherinehakim.org

Source: Know Your Assets. The Sunday Times Style 11/09/2011.

Relaxation with Mindfulness Meditation

Stress and anxiety make our skin prone to premature ageing, our facial expressions – transient at first – but repeated time and again become ingrained in our face as deep lines and wrinkles. Be it the frown lines that show the strain of a high management role or the exaggerated crows’ feet apparent in people who care for their relatives at home 24/7.

In a search for new ways of helping my clients to relax, I went to the School of Life in London, to listen to Mark Williams, a professor from Oxford University and a leading expert in mindfulness meditation. I always appreciate techniques that combine science with ancient tradition – and mindfulness meditation does just that. It has been proven to calm the mind and improve wellbeing (as well as well as dealing with more serious issues such as depression and anxiety).

Having experienced the relaxing benefit of touch and meditation first hand, I believe these techniques will come to the forefront of anti-ageing healthcare in future.

An interesting link to brain science

 

 

Psychologies Magazine: Positive Beauty Manifesto

   

I like reading the Psychologies Magazine and found their Positive Beauty Manifesto inspiring!

This campaign aims to:

• encourage women to have a balanced approach to beauty
• celebrate women who enjoy looking after their appearance, whilst celebrating individuality in an increasingly pressured world.

The Psychologies Magazine 10 Point Positive Beauty Manifesto

1. Beauty is the celebration of what is unique about each one of us
2. Taking the time to care about ourselves boosts our self confidence
3. Beauty and femininity are complex, and should not follow a simplistic set of rules or universal conversations
4. Beauty should celebrate intelligent, individual and confident role models
5. Being bombarded by unattainably perfect beauty ideals can damage that confidence
6. True beauty radiates who we truly are, including all our imperfections
7. Feeling beautiful is more important than looking beautiful
8. A woman can play with her image, make-up and clothes without being superficial
9. Neither neglecting your appearance nor obsessing about it are healthy signs for women
10. We can be beautiful without being young, overtly sexy or thin

The manifesto will be published in the Psychologies’ June issues across the globe! It’s being supported by celebrities and beauty experts – please read the full list below – and FaceWorkshops would like to support it too!Please share this with your friends.

The Competition

Eminé Ali Rushton, the Beauty Director of Psychologies and her team would love to hear what ‘Positive Beauty’ means to you. The prize is an amazing Beauty hamper! Email your entry to beautymanifesto@psychologies.co.uk, writing ‘Beauty Blog Competition’ in the subject line. Include your name and contact details, along with the blog you read about the manifesto on, in the body of the email.

Sources: http://www.psychologies.co.uk/body/the-positive-beauty-manifesto-the-full-list-of-supporters/#comments

Thanks also to http://pamperedandpolished.co.uk/2011/05/psychologies-magazine-positive-beauty-manifesto/.