Who Shares The Shape Of Your Face?

 

Charlize Theron is an oval.

Do you know the shape of your face?  Figuring it out can be confusing, but once you do, you can select hairstyles, eyeglasses and sunglasses to flatter your best features and hide any flaws.

Here are charts showing the possibilities of face shapes:

---------------Male---------------

---------------Female---------------

Gisele is a Rectangle.

Now, let's determine the shape of your face. (It's easier to tell if you pull your hair back away from your face):

1. Oblong – Your face is a lot longer than wide.  The sides of your face are straight – the forehead, cheeks and jawlines are the same width, and you have a round chin. Examples of oblong faces include Liv Tyler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Cher, Terri Hatcher, John Corbett and Elle Macpherson.

2. Rectangle – Your face is long ... i.e. oblong, with an angular or square chin like [anchorman] Lester Holt, Stephanie Seymour, Ricky Martin, Eminem, Elisabetta Canalis and Gisele Bundchen.

Cameron is a round.

3. Round – Your face is as wide as it is long.  You have full cheeks and a wide jawline  Your face will maintain a youthful appearance longer than the other shapes.  Lucky you!  Cameron Diaz, Christina Ricci, Emma Stone, Kristen Dunst, Daniel Radcliffe and Mariska Hargitay all have round faces.

4. Square – Your face is nearly as wide as it is long. Your forehead, cheeks and jawlines are the same width.  You have an angular, or square chin.  Examples of a square face include, Sandra Bullock*, Jessica Simpson, David Beckham, Ryan Seacrest, Keira Knightley and Angelina Jolie.

Reese is a heart.

5. Heart – Your face is slightly longer than wide.  Your forehead (or brow) is wide, and your jawbone, or chin is narrow.  Reese Witherspoon, Amanda Seyfried, Jennifer Lopez, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ashley Judd and Leonardo Decaprio are heart shapes.

6. Triangle – Your forehead is tapered, i.e. narrow.  Your jawline is the widest part of your face, like how a pear expands.  Academy award winner, Geena Davis, Minnie Driver, Kathy Ireland, Tiffani Thiessen, Keith Urban and Justin Tumberlake have triangle faces.

Rihanna is a diamond.

7. Inverted Triangle – Your face is slightly longer than wide.  It's a heart-shape, without a peak at the forehead.  Your jaw and chin are slender, or pointy like Jennifer Love Hewitt, Victoria Beckham, (The Dixie Chicks') Natalie Maines, Ethan Hawk, Johnny Depp and Tyra Banks.  Also Derek Hough -- what do you think?

8. Oval – Like an egg, your face is longer than wide, but has symmetry.  You have prominent cheekbones, but your forehead and jaw are the same width.  Your chin is round.  An oval face has the balance to wear almost any hairstyle.  Examples of ovals include Uma Thurman, Amanda Peet, Heidi Klum, Megan Fox,

Sandra is a square.

Matt Damon, Jude Law and Sharon Stone.

9. Diamond – You have an oval face with high cheekbones, but possess a more angular, or pointed chin like Rihanna, Elizabeth Hurley, Felicity Huffman, Nicole Kidman, Pete Wentz and (24's) Kim Raver.  {By the way, Nicole Kidman's 2 youngest daughters take after daddy Keith.  They are triangles.}

Have you found your face yet?  I'm an oval.

Liv is an oblong

Notice how an oval face is more balanced, but not more beautiful.  Yes, Charlize Theron, an oval, is beautiful, but so is Reese Witherspoon, a heart.  As is Sandra Bullock, a square and Liv Tyler, an oblong.  Yep.  The variety of faces is interesting ... and spectacular.  I love the differences!

After you discover the shape of your face, you can find styles to help you look your fabulous best.  For a short lesson, click here.  

Your homework is to find one face, from real life or on television, to match each of the shapes on the charts.  Be sure your face fills in one slot, and share your answers under comments, if you'd like.

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Help For Crippling Migraines

Migraines are debilitating.  In addition to intense headaches, symptoms can include nausea, vomiting and a sensitivity to light, sounds or odors.  They can last from two hours, or up to three days.  And the pain can be on one side of the head, or both sides.

Many people who think they suffer from sinus headaches are actually experiencing migraines.  According to Dr. Michael Chandler, who specializes in allergy and immunology, a way to tell the difference is, sleep will alleviate a migraine but not a sinus headache.

Although migraines do run in families and there is a relation between hormones and migraines, there is much doctors don't know about what causes and how to prevent them.  It's hard to figure out causes because there are so many, and it varies from one person to the next.  Triggers can include red wine, chocolate, cheese, processed food, soy, yeast, MSG, stress and not getting enough sleep.

Doctors think the cerebral cortex, an outer layer of neural tissue, is the area that is sensitive, when people suffer from migraines.

Treatment varies from avoiding the triggers to alleviating the pain.

Often common pain relievers like aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol) and naproxen sodium [Aleve] do little to stop the pain.

But there are a few effective treatments to try, so you don't waste a day lying in a dark room, curled up in bed:

1. Feverfew – Some people claim 380 mg a day of the herbal supplement works to lessen the frequency of migraines and relieves them, if one starts.

2. Rizatriptan benzoate – Manufactured as Maxalt and available by prescription.  It is taken at the onset of a migraine.  There are a variety of prescription drugs to relieve pain, as well as, to make the brain less sensitive to the triggers.  Patients work with a headache specialist to find which medication works for them.  The most commonly prescribed drugs are triptans, which stop pain by narrowing blood vessels in the head.

3. Botox  – Looks promising in stopping chronic migraines.  There are doctors, who specialize in treating migraines with botox injections.

4. Battery powered plaster* – Available in England, delivers medicine directly into the bloodstream. (The British call a band-aid, or patch "plaster.'')  The treatment helps sufferers who can't keep oral medication down.  The single use patch is put on the upper arm as soon as a person feels an attack coming on. In a study, 59% of sufferers were pain free within two hours of treatment.

*Source: Roger Dobson from the UK's Daily Mail.

With the care of a knowledgeable doctor, relief is frequently a treatment away. 

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5 Dollar Dinners Cooked in 5 Minutes From Top Chefs

Why not start a new year by learning some new dishes you can prepare at home?  Cooking at home can be healthy, inexpensive and fun.  Quick and easy, here are two dishes that can go from a stovetop to your plate in 5 minutes flat. Simple like ordering a pizza.  Costs about $5 a serving.  Eat like this for 30 days and as a bonus, you could lose 5 pounds.    

Michael Symon's Grilled Salmon With Carrot Peanut Salad

Ingredients: 

4- 6 ounce pieces of salmon

salt and pepper

4 ounce extra virgin olive oil plus extra for salmon

3 medium organic carrots

1 tablespoon cumin seed

1 bunch scallions

1 cup mint leaves

1/2 cup toasted peanuts

2 ounce red wine vinegar

Directions:

1. Season the salmon with salt, pepper and olive oil.

2. Grill for 2 minutes.  Now may be a good time to invest in a cast iron skillet.

3. While the salmon is grilling, shave the carrots, toast the cumin seeds, thinly slice the scallions and tear the mint leaves.

4. Place the carrots, cumin seeds, scallions and mint in a large mixing bowl with the peanuts.

5. Whisk together the oil and red wine vinegar and add to the shaved vegetables. Season liberally with salt and pepper.

6. Place the salmon on a platter and top with the shaved carrot salad.

This is delicious served with fresh spinach and wild rice.

                                

Bobby Flay's Low Calorie Filet Mignon

Ingredients:

For the Vinaigrette --

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ small shallot, minced

2 tablespoons reduced fat mayonnaise

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons chopped tarragon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Touch of clover honey

4 filet mignon steaks (2 1/2 inches thick each) – or lean steaks of your choice, i.e. whatever goes on sale.

Canola oil – I use extra virgin olive oil.

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bobby Flays Steak Rub*

Tarragon sprigs, for garnish

Parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions:

1) For the vinaigrette, combine vinegar, lemon juice, shallot, mayonnaise, mustard, tarragon, salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth.

2) With the motor running, add the oil until emulsified. 

3) Add honey if needed.

4) Then, remove the steaks from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking and let sit at room temperature. 

5) Heat a large cast iron pan over high heat until almost smoking. 

6) Take each filet - brush both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper. 

7) Season one side with the rub. 

8) Place the steaks in the pan, rub-side down and cook until golden brown and a crust has formed, about 2 minutes.

9) Flip over and continue cooking until cooked to medium-rare doneness (internal temp of 135 degrees F).

Serves 4.  It tastes great with potatoes and a green salad. 

*To make your own steak rub:

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon granulated garlic

1 tablespoon granulated onion

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon white pepper

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

Bon appétit!

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Crystal Heels For Glamour

I saw a cute line for these: "Pardon my back."

I love shoes with glitter.  Because I rarely wear heels, I only have 2 pairs of pumps. But both pairs have glimmer heels.  One pair is a little flashier than the other.  On occasions when I pull my glitter heels out of my closet, I get lots of compliments.  I think everyone likes sparkle.  Since many designers include them in their collections, they are available at every price point. Crystals are more expensive than rhinestones.

You will find bejeweled ballet flats too.  Shimmer can take you from the office to a night out on the town without having to change your attire.  Rhinestone-and-crystal footwear pushes a casual smart look up a notch and jazzes up an otherwise understated outfit.  You look dressy without trying too hard.  Worn with a little black dress, chiffon gown, or black velvet paints, the look is classic with a little extra pizzazz.  Stepping out with glitter accented feet adds a bit of glamour all year around.  It's a vintage look that never goes out of style.

Places to shop include: Zappos, Nordstrom and Endless.  

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Eating And Pilates Sure Beat A Cleanse

Brett Howard, center, is a master teacher

Many celebrities go on a cleanse diet designed to remove toxins and reset their bodies. Frankly, I think it's a bunch of bunk. Everything I read says there's no benefit to it whatsoever. Your liver and kidneys do a stellar and complete job of purifying your system, without the aid of packaged powders or unproven nutrients. Why not save big bucks and instead eat a balanced diet of real food?  It's tastier!  Follow the new USDA guidelines and eat meals consisting of a serving of protein, a portion of whole grains, 2-3 servings of fruits and vegetables, plus a serving of dairy. A portion of food is about the size of a clenched fist. Eat 3 balanced meals everyday and not only will you be healthy and feel fabulous, you will probably lose some weight. I think people who go on a cleanse are just trying to lose weight quickly, but eating healthy meals is a better way to sustain your proper weight. Why deprive yourself with expensive gimmicks when it's unnecessary?

If you need to lose a few pounds, eat more fruits and vegetables and cut back on sugar, butter and rich foods until you reach your desired weight.  

Nutritionists claim that artificial sweeteners sabotage our efforts to slim down, so watch your intake of diet soda.  As it turns out too much diet soda robs your body of nutrients.  When I drank diet soda daily, it also made my teeth sensitive. 

Another way to drop a few pounds is to energize the New Year with more physical activity. I don't think it matters what you do, as long as you find something you enjoy and stick with it. Personally, I like walking and classical Pilates. You may like to run, swim or kick box. Some people need to mix it up, or they will lose interest and quit. Just be sure to do something athletic 4-5 times a week. I like walking because I can easily fit it into my schedule, while getting to where I have to go. And I like Pilates because no matter what level you are, it keeps your mind active and your body challenged.  With Pilates, you never get sore.  The idea is not to go-for-the-burn, but to master a series of exercises flawlessly.  Pilates strengthens your core (waist, belly and butt) and helps you stay flexible. 

Perhaps you favor Yoga, dance, or going to a gym. The key is to select an activity you like, that's close to your home (or office) and one you can afford, so that you can do it several times a week.  I purposely pursue exercises I should be able to do all the decades of my life.  How depressing to have to hang it up once I get good at it. Because I've had success with classical Pilates, I can recommend 2 instruction books and 3 excellent DVDs, which help you do it correctly:

Books:

1. The Pilates Body (2000) by Brooke Siler

2. The Pilates Method (1999) by Sean P. Gallagher, Romana Kryzanowska and Steven Speleois -- Illustrated

DVDs:

1. Classical Pilates Technique: The Complete Mat Workout Series (2002) by Peter Fiasca (Start with this one.)

2. Classical Pilates Technique: The Complete Universal Reformer Series (2004) by Peter Fiasca

3. Classical Pilates Technique: Magic Circle Mat Series & Reformer Mat Workout (2003) by Peter Fiasca

The rest is up to you.  What exercises do you enjoy?

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Welcome A New Year: 2012

Practices I started in 2011 and will continue in 2012

This list is in no particular order and a bit uneven in significance:

1) Enjoy rich foods as a treat instead of a staple:  If I want to eat foods like cookies, biscuits and gravy, or french fries I have to make them myself.

2) Eat foods my grandparents would recognize as food.  [Thanks, Michael Pollan.]  For the most part, I've replaced boxed cereals with whole grains (such as oats, millet and quinoa) and canned soups with fresh made soup.  For convenience I buy canned whole tomatoes or beans, not tomato or bean soup, then make my own soup.  It's wickedly delicious and freezes well as single serves.

3) Wear the shoes and clothes already hanging in my closets before buying new things.

4) Use up scented soaps, lotions and personal care products before bringing more home.

5) Deciding not to spend money on storage containers.  The Container Store is very appealing, but even better: Either have a place for it, use the stuff, or give it away.

6) Not taking the people who sell fruit, newspapers, flowers, shine shoes and deliver your groceries, or mail, or pass out flyers for granted.  Realize that the folks who work at a fruit stand get up at 3 AM to buy their produce, plus stand outside in the cold, wind, or rain day-after-day earning their living.  Far from being faceless, these human beings have families and are pursuing the American dream.  Each worker is someone's son, father or brother.  Ever wonder what their lives are like over a 24-hour day?  You just may be their face of kindness.  Treat these workers with courtesy and respect.  Look them in the eye and smile.

A little bit of change matters.  No step in a positive or humane direction is too small.  

As Oprah remarked, "Cheers to a new year and another chance to get it right."  And Benjamin Franklin said, "Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man."  

Have a Healthy and Happy New Year everyone. Let's enjoy life!

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What Is A Snood?

Wearing a snood the high fashion way

Is it: A) a person with a disagreeable personality; B) a Dr. Seuss character; C) a foot condition; or D) an article of clothing. Still not sure?  Well then, read and learn.

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A hot fashion trend this winter will also keep your neck warm. Instead of traditional scarfs, men and women are wearing bulky, woven neck rings.  They are known by many names: an infinity scarf, a cowl, a shrug, or a snood.  They are loops of wool or cashmere, usually knitted, which slide over your head and fit snugly around the neck.  Designers say they are popular because of their versatility. A snood is easy to wear and looks great with, or without a coat.  Last year I spotted them at the Banana Republic, and this year many more designers have come out with them.  How do you like the look?  Here are a few styles from different retailers:

1. Burberry Check Snood
2. Marles Super Chucky Nick Ring
3. Nordstrom's Infinity Scarfs
4. Net-A-Porter - an assortment of designer styles
5. Edie O'Hara Chucky Knit Infinity Snood

Classic elegance

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Merry Christmas Everyone

The Monkees sing a lovely rendition of Riu Chiu.

Merry Christmas to you.  Have a festive holiday and much peace and love.

A Spanish Carol (1550s)

The English Translation

Riu, riu, chiu... La guarda ribera Dios guarde el lobo De nuestra cordera. Refrain: Riu, riu, chiu... El lobo rabioso la quiso morder, Mas Dios poderoso la supo defender; Quisole hazer que no pudiesse pecar, Ni aun original esta Virgen no tuviera. Refrain: Riu, riu, chiu... Este qu'es nascido es el gran monarca, Cristo patriarca de carne vestido; Hanos redimido con se hazer chiquito, Aunqu'era infinito, finito se hizera. Refrain: Riu, riu, chiu... Muchas profecias lo han profetizado, Y aun en nuestros dias lo hemos alcancado. A Dios humanado vemos en el suelo Y al hombre nel cielo porqu'er le quisiera. Refrain: Riu, riu, chiu...

Refrain: Riu, riu, chiu (nightingale's sounds) The river bank protects it, As God kept the wolf from our lamb. Refrain: Riu, riu, chiu... The rabid wolf tried to bite her, But God Almighty knew how to defend her, He wished to create her impervious to sin, Nor was this maid to embody original sin. Refrain: Riu, riu, chiu... The newborn child is the mightiest monarch, Christ patriarchal invested with flesh. He made himself small and so redeemed us: He who was infinite became finite. Refrain: Riu, riu, chiu... Many prophecies told of his coming, And now in our days have we seen them fulfilled. God became man, on earth we behold him, And see man in heaven because he so willed. Refrain: Riu, riu, chiu...

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Holiday Books, Bill Clinton's Picks

Someone should hire former President Bill Clinton to be a regular book reviewer. Regardless of politics, he has a brilliant mind, loves books and is excellent at reviewing them. And the fact that The Today Show, a news program, as opposed to, just another entertainment show, calls Clinton's selections "smarty pants" choices revels how often real news and issues are being dumbed down.  Too many interviews with celebrities and reality stars does that. Now I enjoy gossip just as much as the next person [Heck, yeah!], but when I read or watch the news from (what is supposed to be) the legitimate press, I want stories about important world issues ... and I want balance ... and the reporters to interview sources ... plus thoroughly do their homework. Hopefully, the folks who write, edit and produce the news, themselves, read compelling books.  By the way, Ann Curry was terrific this morning anchoring the segment.  It was the website -- probably a cyber editor trying to be cute -- that labeled Clinton's books a "smarty pants" list.

Listening to Bill Clinton review books on The Today Show this morning reminds me what critical thinking is.  There are many world issues and worthy ideas, which are bigger than politics and celebrity.  There are subjects and topics that say something about the human condition and help us understand who we are.

Clinton explains why books are important and make great gifts: Books "make you think" and "feel."  Reading "gives you time" [that's] "intensely personal, but you're completely involved. It's a wonderful way to get away from the helter-skelter of your life ..." [plus] "you can always be growing."  [It keeps] "your mind open and thriving." 

Here are Bill Clinton's book recommendations:

Penned: Back To Work

1. Jerusalem

By Simon Sebag Montefiore (Knopf)

2. Lincoln 

By David Herbert Donald (Simon & Schuster)

3. Meditations 

By Marcus Aurelius (Simon & Brown)

4. The Way of the World: From the Dawn of Civilizations to the Eve of the Twenty-First Century  

By David Fromkin (Knopf)

5. The Cure at Troy: A Version of Sophocles' Philoctetes

By Seamus Heaney (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

6. One Hundred Years of Solitude

 By Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Harper Perennial)

7. King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror and Heroism in Colonial Africa

By Adam Hochschild (Mariner Books)

8. Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny

By Robert Wright (Vintage)

So if you have any last minute holiday shopping, head over to the bookstore. 

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