Make a Splash at the Beach This Summer – 7 Cosmetic Procedures That Will Get You Swimsuit Ready

Swimsuit season can be a reason to show off the body in an itsy bitsy bikini or grab the terrycloth cover-up. Suddenly, those spider veins, bulges and sagging body parts that have been hiding under layers of winter clothes are on full display.

Photo Credit:  People Style.com

The impulse is to jump start a diet and exercise plan. The reality, however, is no Pilates class or low carb diet can fix Aunt Ellen’s saddlebags or your mother’s size A cup breasts. Genetics and age-related hormonal changes will always be at work.

Thanks to advances in cosmetic surgery there are plenty of procedures that can enhance your appearance. Here, just in time for summer, are seven of the most popular, some of which are so minimally invasive you can hit the beach within a few days of being treated.

 

The Lunchtime Quickie

If you’re close to your ideal body weight but fighting fat on your thighs, tummy, flanks, bra roll or arms, Coolsculpting is an option. This FDA approved technology safety and effectively freezes fat to improve the contour of those nasty bumps and bulges that are resistant to exercise and diet. Within four to 12 weeks after the treatment, the body eliminates the crystallized frozen cells, giving patients visible and long-lasting results.

“Because Coolsculpting only takes a couple hours, this is one of the procedures patients can do on their lunch hour and then head back to work,” says Dr. George Bitar, an award-winning plastic surgeon based in Northern Virginia who has performed more than 10,000 cosmetic surgeries.

For stubborn fat, a more aggressive approach would be liposuction. The results are immediate and allow for better contouring. Doctors can even use the liposuction for abdominal etching, creating a perfectly natural looking six-pack abs in roughly an hour.

Get a Smooth Tummy and Defined Arms

With significant weight loss, pregnancy and aging it’s not uncommon to have loose skin. “A tummy tuck, which takes roughly two to three hours, will tighten the abdominal muscles to create that firm, sleek stomach, and waistline.”, says Dr. Larry Lickstein, a Harvard-educated, board certified plastic surgeon at the Bitar Cosmetic Surgery Institute in Northern Virginia. For that hanging skin that looks like “bat wings,” an arm lift is often advised. It involves removing excess skin and residual fat to create a firmer arm. It can even be combined with liposuction for a more defined look.

Before and After: Tummy Tuck

Show Off Your Cleavage

Google trends report breast augmentation is highest between June and August. For the procedure, the scar can be placed either in the under-arm (axillary), the crease under the breast, or at the lower border of the areola.

According to Dr. Bitar, who specializes in the auxiliary breast augmentation, there are many advantages to this approach. “Muscle and breast tissue are not cut, there is also minimal bleeding, less scarring and a shorter recovery time with minimal complications,” he says. “The milk ducts are not touched, so the risk of losing the ability to breast feed after a breast implant with this approach is negligible.”

Look Good Coming and Going

Women now not only want to be fit and toned, but they want Kim Kardashian’s derriere. The Brazilian butt lift is a relatively simple procedure where the fat is harvested from the belly and around the buttocks through liposuction and reinjected to create a heart or ideal round shape. The procedure yields natural results with minimal recovery time.

Wear Short Shorts with Style

Dread showing your legs? There are vein treatments to fix those ugly blue and red veins that spread across your legs as you age. Sclerotherapy, for example, involves injecting the veins with a saline solution. The veins then scar and are reabsorbed into the body. In most cases, the treated veins will fade within a few weeks.

Finally, before you undergo any procedure, do your research. Make sure the surgeon has done hundreds if not thousands of procedures and is affiliated with a good hospital. Also, think twice before traveling abroad for cheaper surgery. As Dr. Bitar advises his patients, “Three things you don’t want to compromise on: your parachute, your scuba gear, and your plastic surgery!”

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Curate Your Summer Looks with Ann Taylor – From the Beach to the Boardroom

The summer social scene is in full swing, and it’s time to update your wardrobe and start planning for the events ahead whether they take you to the beach, BBQ or boardroom.

 

Below, please find three curated outfits from an Ann Taylor style expert:

A Beach Getaway

Regardless if you are on a romantic getaway, girl’s weekend, or family vacation, a cute summer dress, bold earrings and a beachy clutch are this summer’s must-haves!

Fourth of July

Whether you are spending 4th of July at the beach, in the city, or in your backyard, a classic palette of red, white and blue never fails.

Office Party

Transition from the office into professional eveningwear with a classic blazer, printed pencil skirt and subtle heels.

NSHF and Grandiosity Presents Third Annual “Fashion for Fighters” Gala

Join the Navy Safe Harbor Foundation in partnership with Grandiosity Events for the third annual Fashion for Fighters Gala – an evening of fashion to raise funds for wounded, ill and injured U.S. Navy, Coast Guardsmen and their families. Navy Safe Harbor Foundation (NSHF) is dedicated to supporting the recovery of Sailors, Coast Guardsmen, and their families by assisting them with resources not currently provided by government resources.

Inspired by the growing needs of the military community, NSHF was created to efficiently identify and meet the needs of wounded, ill, and injured Sailors, Coast Guardsmen, Marines and their families. NSHF fills in the gaps of critical non-medical provisions through collaboration with federal and civic resources. Through its efforts, every service member is given an opportunity for full recovery by providing financial assistance, respite care, special equipment, transportation, recreational opportunities, and other services.

All proceeds benefit NSHF, which is an IRS recognized 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit organization and is not affiliated with the United States Navy, Coast Guard or Department of Defense.  The event is scheduled as follows:

What:

Fashion for Fighters will be the chicest black tie event of the season. Guests will enjoy sponsored fashion shows, silent auctions, raffles with music and entertainment.

When: Saturday, June 10, 2017
Time: 8:00 PM to 1:00 AM EST
Where: New Zealand Embassy, 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008

More About Fashion for Fighters

Fashion for Fighters Foundation has been dedicated to expanding fashion to support wounded, ill, and injured service members through fashion shows and events.  We seek times of comradery and support to raise funds to support those who support us.  Fashion for Fighters, a registered 501(c)(3) in Virginia, is dedicated to supporting the recovery of others by assisting them with resources not currently provided by the government or community.  Our shows have become a fun and fashionable fundraising tradition where guests enjoy unique designs by both prominent and small-businesses.

Contacts

Press
Nika Watkins (404) 808-1605
Public Relations
nikawatkins@gmail.com

Bristol Belt Bags | Contemporary Style and Function

While you’re out looking for great sales, check out Mobovida’s new Bristol Belt Bags. You only have a few days left to take advantage of an amazing deal!
The modernized fanny pack– created by a team of designers with years of experience designing for top high-end fashion brands–  fuses contemporary style and function so you’re set for any outing.
Check out the features made for the modern woman on the go:
  • Portable battery bank
  • Multiple card slots
  • Magnetic snap closure
  • Padded phone slot
  • Key fob ring
  • Privacy zipper pocket
  • Headphone cord access
  • Crossbody functionality with additional gold chain
  • Quality materials: premium pebble grain leather & gold toned hardware
  • Comes in three colors: black, camel or milk
Whether you’re day tripping to the farmers market, getting brunch with your gals or doing some last minute shopping, update your look with Bristol Belt Bag – your most chic and functional fashion accessory! Wear it as a belt bag or a crossbody bag. You only have a few days to get in on some amazing discounts. To get in on the deal go to their Kickstarter campaign or visit their website www.mobovida.com.

Perfect Skin Challenge with Christine Chin

It’s time to kick-off the official start of summer with a few skincare tips from Christine Chin, esthetician to the celebrities and supermodels like Hilary Swank, Gisele Bundchen and Ellen Pompeo. Dubbed “Mean Christine” in the world of skincare for her extremely thorough work and brutal honesty, Christine is an incredible wealth of knowledge and has unparalleled attention to detail. To achieve beautiful and blemish free skin, follow these top three tips from Christine and take on the challenge of having perfect skin all summer long!

  1. Make sure you’re washing your face up to your hairline, especially if you’re not washing your hair daily. Hair products like dry shampoo or silicone-based anti-frizz products can clog pores along your hairline.

  1. Change your pillowcase regularly (at least 1-2 times a week). Your face is essentially resting on a bed of hair product and sweat and other bacteria overnight. If you’re low on pillowcases, take an unused tee shirt and put it over the pillow.

  1. Toner HAS to be a part of your skincare routine. It removes any residue or grime that your cleanser misses and is essential for those with oily or acne prone skin.

Could Your Blog Be A Business Opportunity?

It’s no secret that a whole bunch of people out there want to work from home. It’s a desired way of life for many! However, to work from home, you need to find an opportunity. For many, that isn’t easy, and it will keep the ‘work from home’ dream at bay. For others, opportunity might be right there in front of them, waiting to be grabbed! Those opportunities? They depend on who you are and what skills you can bring to the table, if you’ve got the skills to be creative and offer something, you might be able to find opportunities to work from home easier to come by.

Featured Photo from DizzyBrunette.com

If you can write and deliver content to an audience – blogging might be the work from home opportunity you have been looking for. Blogging is all about content creation. Some choose to blog via words on a written blog; others make videos or vlogs for their channel or webpage. Others will make audio and spoken word podcasts. Altogether that is content creation to push views to an audience. That’s what blogging is always going to be about. Bloggers write about fashion, sport, style – so find your niche and build your following, because that is going to be exactly what you need to ensure your blog can allow you to work from home.

Why is that? Well – a blog without followers is going to find it harder to gain money through monetization. A blog monetizes itself through sponsored content, affiliate marketing, a general sponsor and commercials in general. You can’t gain these money-making opportunities unless you have some kind of a following, because that is what these advertisers and sponsors will be buying – your following. A bigger following? That means more money for your blog and yourself. However, you will find it hard to gain cash if you don’t have a following – so focus on being the kind of content creator that people actually follow!

(source)

To turn your blog into a business, you’ll need to treat it as less of a hobby and more of an opportunity for business. Now, that doesn’t mean chucking the fun of it all out of the window; it just means taking a serious and practical approach to your blogging. You see, if you are making money from your blog, it’s a job! Who doesn’t take their job seriously? Well – people who won’t be in that job for long, for one. You need to treat it as a business and treat it as a global one at that – your blog will be viewed by people all around the world, so you might need to get an abroad virtual business address for any business dealings overseas. Make sure your blog looks professional as well.

Can your blog be a business opportunity! Yes – if you’ve got the following, however you will need to treat it like a business opportunity if you want to make any money out of it. If you treat your blog like a business, it could be the opportunity you have been looking for.

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Thirst-Quenching Beverages for Memorial Day BBQs

It’s time to start planning delicious drink ideas for all your upcoming barbecues and Memorial Day festivities. Skip the calories and keep the flavor with refreshing drink recipes which can be whipped up in a minute’s notice – how convenient!

Melon Mixer

Time to buy that delicious watermelon you’ve been dreaming about all winter! Start with 3oz of Cascade Ice Blueberry Watermelon. Then pour 1oz of club soda. Add several slices of watermelon and blueberries and stir to release the fresh flavor. Voila!

Pomegranate Icer

Pomegranates pack a punch of vitamins and anti-oxidants and now that they are in season, it’s a great time for this refreshing drink. First pour 4oz of Cascade Ice Pomegranate Berry and 1oz of Cascade Ice Strawberry Lemonade into a glass with crushed ice. Top if off with fresh pomegranate seeds for the perfect touch and serve!

Grapefruit-Lemonade Refresher

A BBQ isn’t complete without some ice-cold lemonade! Try the Grapefruit-Lemonade Refresher for a new twist. Start with a chilled glass full of ice and add 3oz of Cascade Ice Grapefruit and 4oz of Cascade Ice Lemonade. Garnish with sliced lemons and a sugar rim.

 

 

Memorial Day Beauty Must-Haves

Any patriotic holiday is a free pass for wearing red lipstick by the pool. Take full advantage of the occasion with Arbonne Smoothed Over Lipstick in Gladiola ($29, Arbonne.com). This lipstick is infused with watermelon fruit extract which helps provide immediate, long-term moisture while imparting a plumping effect to give the appearance of full, lush lips.

  • It’s inevitable, you’ll be sweating this MemorialDay. A product worth stashing in your purse is Mehron Skin Prep Pro ($13, Amazon.com). Used under the most extreme weather conditions, skin feels and continues to look fresh.
  • When the forecast calls for major humidity, you need a power product such as The Mane Choice Pink Lemonade & Coconut Super Anti-Oxidant & Texture Beautifier Curl Boosting Sherbet($14.99, TheManeChoice.com and Walmart). Formulated to boost curls and fight frizz, the cream defines and shapes your tresses leaving long-lasting shine.
  • Don’t forget to protect your lips! Try opting for an SPF chapstick that’ll give your lips a hydrated glow without the risk of attracting harmful UV rays. The Arbonne Liquid Sunshine Lip Balm Mineral Sunscreen SPF 15 ($12, Arbonne.com) is infused with coconut oil and moisturizing botanicals to help condition and smooth the lips.

 

How Much Caffeine Can I Drink A Day

Too much caffeine caused the death of a 16-year-old high school student from South Carolina who collapsed during class last month, according to the county coroner. Davis Allen Cripe died from a caffeine-induced cardiac event causing a probable arrhythmia. During an arrhythmia, or abnormal heart rhythm, the heart may not be able to pump enough blood to the body, and lack of blood flow affects the brain, heart and other organs. The teen consumed three caffeine-laced drinks — a cafe latte, large Diet Mountain Dew and an energy drink — in a two-hour period before collapsing in his classroom at Spring Hill High School on April 26, Watts said. (Source: CNN) So where does this tragic news leave adult java lovers?

How much caffeine can I drink a day?

“Most people can safely take in about 400 milligrams of caffeine daily or about 4 cups of coffee,” says Dr. Christopher Calapai D.O., a New York City Osteopathic Physician board certified in family and anti-aging medicine. He adds that, “the limit varies from person to person.” It’s difficult to assign an exact amount for everyone because people can have different sensitivities or reactions to caffeine based on age, medical history, and tolerance. However, there is enough research available to make a recommendation based on an individual’s weight.

To keep it safe, health experts recommend a maximum daily dose of 400 mg. To see what this means for you, check out the caffeine in some of these common drinks:

Starbucks Coffee (16 fl oz): 320 mg caffeine

5-hour energy (1.93 fl oz): 207 mg caffeine

Dunkin Donuts regular (16 fl oz): 203 mg caffeine

Starbucks Latte (16 fl oz): 150 mg caffeine

Coffee, brewed (8 fl oz): 133 mg caffeine

Red Bull Energy Shot (2 fl oz): 80 mg caffeine

Red Bull (8 fl oz): 80 mg caffeine

Tea (8 fl oz): 53 mg caffeine

But how, exactly, can the world’s most popular drug kill?

Like other stimulants, caffeine raises blood pressure, boosts heart rate and temporarily shrinks blood vessels. Dr. Calapai explains that, “In excess, the effects can be deadly by causing a heart attack, stroke or other cardio-vascular-related problem. Researchers think daily caffeine intake can increase the risk of coronary heart disease, but the results so far have been inconclusive.”

It’s also important to realize that medical conditions can affect sensitivity to caffeine. “If you have anxiety, panic disorder, heart arrhythmia, high blood pressure, diabetes, take medication or have any sort of medical condition, then you may tolerate less caffeine and should speak to a doctor,” says Dr. Calapai.

There are “caffeine overdose symptoms” that are important to watch for. These include:

Jitters, Restlessness, and Nervousness

Increased heartbeat

Nausea

Anxiety

Heart palpitations (cardiac arrhythmia)

Insomnia

Sweating

Dizziness

Vomiting

Cardiac arrest

Dr. Christopher Calapai, D.O. is an Osteopathic Physician board certified in family medicine, and anti-aging medicine. Proclaimed as the “The Stem Cell Guru” by the New York Daily News, Dr. Calapai is a leader in the field of stem cell therapy in the U.S. His stem cell treatments have achieved remarkable results in clinical trials on patients with conditions as varied as Alzheimer’s, arthritis, erectile dysfunction, frailty syndrome, heart, kidney and liver failure, lupus, MS and Parkinson’s. He has worked with Mike Tyson, Mickey Rourke, Steven Seagal, and Fox series Gotham’s, Donal Logue; he was a medical consultant for the New York Rangers. Connect with him via twitter @drcalapai or at www.drcal.net

When Chic Brides Brunch | The Ultimate Pre-Wedding Desitination

A few weeks ago, local Washington DC Event Company A4dable Events (Pronounced “affordable”) hosted the inaugural When Chic Brides Brunch. Hosted by recently engaged WUSA9 Reporter Mikea Turner, the brunch was the ultimate pre-wedding destination for soon-to-be brides!
Upon arriving When Chic Brides Brunch, guests were greeted and then were ushered into the ballroom where they mingled with onsite vendors and enjoyed tunes by wedding DJ Floyd (all of the guests fell in love with his playlist!) The decor of the brunch was breathtaking, with the tables decorated in silver/pink and at first glance, the table looked as if it was adorned in jewelry. There were also real flowers placed in the openings of the candlestick centerpieces, jewel-plated bases, and mini jeweled candlestick holders to accompany.
There was a complimentary mimosa bar, a lavish brunch that included chicken and waffles and on the place setting was delectable milk chocolate that was decorated in bridal decor. After brunch, there was a cake tasting and a bridal fashion show featuring gowns from St. Anthony’s Bridal and one lucky lady was able to win a FREE bridal gown, if that wasn’t enough for the grand finale, there was a pyrotechnics display which gave many an idea of how to end their special day with a “bang!”
A4dable Events would like to thank the partners and sponsors:
Decorator The Hampton Conference Center, Wedding Dresses St. Anthony’s Bridal, Venue Salsa With Silvia, Mimosa Bar Creme de la Creme, Catering  (Cater Laine), Lighting Real Fairytale Weddings,Wedding Cake O’real Bakery, Videographer Ajena Media, Photographer YPose Images, Florist Conset’s Floral, Makeup Artists Modernly Beautiful Makeup, LLC, Coordinator Rescue Event Planning, LLC, Chocolate Favors Le Papiyon, Photographer Enhance Moments Photography, Stationary Put It On Paper Stationery, DJ FLOYDS DJ SERVICES, Bridal Hair 630 Studio, LLC, Photobooth Smile Social Photo Booth, Fashion Stylist Malik, Accessories Anaelise Martinez, Fashion Show Director IHI Modeling Agency, Beauty Samples Imani Mary Kay.
For more information on A4dable Events, please visit www.a4dableevents.com.