babyassface

Would you get plastic surgery to get a job?

A newspaper called AM New York had an article last week titled, “From No Job to Nose Job”. (Which I guess is better than from “Nose job to No Job”. Which I think would make a good name for a Jennifer Grey biopic.) 

Looks like Baby put Baby’s career in a corner. (Yes, that’s really Jennifer Grey.)

The article was about NYers getting plastic surgery to boost career prospects.Turns out several NY plastic surgeons are seeing bumps in business (some surgeons claim increases of as much as 40%) from mostly female executives in their 40s and 50s, who are competing with 20 and 30 year olds, who may appear more “energetic”. 

Dr. Mauro Romita, a NY plastic surgeon is quoted in the article as saying, “If you look older than you are and you look tired, people may not think you can handle a busy schedule.” 

Personally, I think the more tired one looks, the more obvious it should be that they work their ass off and are presently handling a busy schedule. Unfortunately, corporate America doesn’t seem to be buying into my perfectly good logic.

To me, plastic surgery seems like a drastic measure to try to look “more energetic” and “less tired”. Hasn’t anyone ever heard of something called a good night’s sleep?

Speaking of, here’s my secret for sleeping like there’s no tomorrow. It’s called a mattress topper.

Before I got one, I’d toss and turn more than a pair of dice on a Vegas Craps table.  No matter how expensive a mattress I got, I'd still be uncomfortable and wake up in pain.   

The mattress topper put an end to all that. It’s made with memory foam. (I got the 4” thick one.) It perfectly forms to the body, so your body sinks in the exact right amount, but not so much that you feel like you’re in quicksand fighting for your life.

I bought mine from Overstock.com. If the reviews are any indication, the cheaper ones work just as well as the expensive ones.

My advice, if you’re worried about looking tired and like you lack energy on job interviews, invest in a mattress topper, grab yourself a cup of coffee on the way to the interview and if that doesn’t work, put some thumb tacks on the chair before you sit down.

Anyone else a mattress topper fan?

wool socks- a beauty product?

OK, so you’re probably thinking, am I supposed to wear wool socks on my hands as exfoliating mitts in the shower?  Do I fill them with caviar while I sleep, for softer feet?  Yeah. No. It’s nothing that exciting. 

Researchers at the Chronobiology and Sleep Laboratory in Basel, Switzerland, found that as we approach the threshold of sleep, the body redistributes heat from its core to its extremities. If the extremities (hands and feet) are cold , inhibiting the free flow of blood, the sleep hormones fail to kick in and insomnia prevails. Thus cold feet at bedtime = insomnia. 

(Sorry, I seem to be obsessed with sleep lately. I think it’s because it’s so dark and cold, here in NYC, that I’m slipping into hibernation mode. Speaking of, did you know that polar bears don’t urinate for the entire 5 months they’re hibernating. Why is this the only fact I remember from the entire “Planet Earth” DVD box set?)

Do you think she’s dreaming about peeing?

Hence, a toasty pair of wool socks can help us get our beauty sleep. But not just any old, wool socks will do.

I was on a ski trip and idiotically forgot ski socks, and ended up buying some SmartWool socks.  I immediately fell in love with these socks. (Yes, I just used the word “love” and “socks” in the same sentence.)  

SmartWool socks are made with Merino wool from New Zealand. (Their sheep roam freely and are treated well). They then apply “SmartWool technology” to create this wundersock.  They can be thrown in the washer and dryer. They’re super cushiony, soft and comfortable. They keep feet super toasty, even in the coldest weather, but they breathe, so feet don’t overheat and get sweaty. This means these socks never grow bacteria and get malodorous.

You’ve heard of comfort food. Well, these sock are so warm (but not too warm) and comfy, that they’re pretty much the mac and cheese of socks. (I consider that the highest form of compliment.)

So slip into a pair of SmartWool socks this winter.  You’ll sleep like a polar bear, who doesn’t even realize her bladder is full. 

They also make great holiday gifts.  You can hang them by the chimney with care and fill them with packets of hot chocolate.  I'm getting sleepy just thinking about it.  

Feel free to use the “search the web” box on the right to find out where you can get them at the best price.

scents that help induce beauty sleep

I think everyone agrees that a good night sleep is great for the skin.

Well, German researchers have found that when we’re exposed to unpleasant smells while sleeping, we have negative dreams (not good for our beauty sleep). And conversely, pleasant scents bring about positive dreams. 

They found that roses in particular, where great for inducing sweet dreams.

I recommend spraying Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist on your face at bedtime, because your nose is right there on your face, and it’s bound to smell this facial mist. (It also leaves skin feeling petal soft.)

So that’s one way to get your beauty sleep. If you’d like to induce sleep through sex, here are the scents Dr. Alan Hirsch, the founder of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, found the most stimulating: 

For men, Lavender and Pumpkin Pie, were #1, increasing blood flow to the penis by 40%.

I think I'll just let this scene from American Pie speak for itself.

Donuts and black licorice came in 2nd with a 31.5% increase. (No wonder we Americans are so obese.)

As for women, a combination of Good & Plenty and cucumbers (I swear I’m not making this up) came in first with a 13% increase in vaginal blood flow. And Lavender and Pumpkin Pie came in 2nd with an 11% increase.

Since there are no Pumpkin Pie sheet sprays, that leaves us with the universally, stimulating scent of Lavender. (To make your own sheet spray add 30 drops of Lavender oil to a 4 oz spray bottle filled with water.) And also the scents of black licorice and Good &Plenty, both of which can be replicated with the essential oil Anise. (Why do I hear Beavis and Butt-head in my head, saying “she said Anise”?) You can just replace Lavender with Anise in the sheet spray recipe above.

FYI: all these methods for getting your beauty sleep are better than, say buying sketchy, over-the-counter, generic Ambien in Argentina only to find out it’s “off”. (Don’t ask.)

Here are some products that contain the aforementioned "sleep inducing" ingredients.

a pillow that prevents wrinkles

I’ve heard that sleeping on your side is bad for your skin, because it causes wrinkles.

I’ve tried sleeping on my back. I hate it.  I feel like I’m lying there, for 8 hours, waiting for a doctor to come check my blood pressure.

 

Sleep is one of my favorite things.  If sleeping on my side causes wrinkles, so be it.  I choose sleep.  (This is my version of Sophie’s Choice.)

But then, one night, I was jarred awake by an epiphany (or my cat jumping on my head). What if there was a C-shaped pillow, so when you slept on your side, your forehead was supported by the top of the C and your chin by the bottom?  Leaving the rest of your face suspended in mid-air.

As I lay there, mentally picking out my outfit for my appearance on Oprah’s Favorite Things segment, it dawned on me, that I should probably check to make sure such a product didn’t already exist. 

Why, God? Why? 

Turns out I was beaten to the punch, by the “Save My Face!” Pillow.

Look at those pinchers mocking me.  Yes, you pinched off my future, before I even had a chance to appear on Oprah.  Thanks for rubbing it in.

The woman (other than me), who invented this pillow, really did think of everything.  She put two Cs back to back, so when you flip to your other side, there’s already another C-shaped pillow waiting for you. 

There are lots of less obvious benefits, like your face cream won’t rub off while you sleep.  It reduces sinus compression, so your skin gets more oxygen and you’ll have less puffiness around the eyes.

I got the smaller, Pillowette model.  The first night, or two, took some getting used to, but now I find it completely comfortable. 

I could definitely see a difference in my skin the next morning.  I felt like, without the side of my face being smushed into a pillow all night, the blood was able to circulate much better and it showed. 

My skin looked much less haggard and had a nice, healthy glow in the AM.  I highly recommend this pillow and it’s not just because I invented the thing (even though I don’t get any money from it, or any credit, but other than that, it's pretty much mine.)

To find out where you can buy a "Save My Face!" Pillow for the cheapest price, feel free to use the "search the web" box to the right.