Glow

O the dreaded double chin...

I've always had more of a fuller face--a round face if you will, that seemed to only expand its territory. Over time I learned little tricks here and there on how to camouflage this flaw with bangs and how to dust bronzer along the most prominent areas, but those things are only temporary fixes. I wanted to try something new, something that produces lasting results so I can finally feel secure enough for a close-up shot...and in my desperate exploration, I found the most hilarious and bizarre beauty gadgets that tickled me so much with their silliness that I decided that I'd rather die than be caught buying them. Take a look.

It's one of those "As-Seen-On-TV" things...

This little gizmo claims that it'll erase your double chin. HOW? By nodding your head for 5 minutes a day with a spring-resisted pump.  In theory it sounds good, afterall it's providing a chance for you to strengthen and tone muscles that normally don't get a workout. I picked it up and almost bought it, until I thought of this scene: sitting in front of the TV--working on my chin--groaning with a neck strain from repetitive motion--doctors roaring with laughter as I explain, like a fool, how the chin pump works. Sure, it may give me a great neckline, but I just can't put my reputation as a sensible person on the line.

 Thanks to the megastore Daiso and other Asian specialty boutiques, bizarre Asian things can be found everywhere in North America, and that means you can purchase one of these things and use it as a party game to embarrass your friends and family.

Yep, a picture is worth a thousand words. You tilt back your head back while biting on a piece of stretchable cloth with a built-in weight. The model looks eerily similar to a bird trying to fly off with someone's plastic lunch bag.

This next item reminds me of "The Man in The Iron Mask". It's suppose to be very tight as you wrap it around your face and that pressure, supposedly, will grant you a smaller face.

Comon! Restrictive things like this only works if you practically live in it and I have a feeling that it gets pretty sweaty and stinky under that silicone shell.

You know what I found in the end? I discovered that the best way to slim down my face and keep my double chin in check is smiling and laughing. These natural expressions use all the intricate muscles in your face and little by little, I saw a difference. I also massage the area directly below my chin and along the underside of my jawbone, where the lymph rests. This simple combination toned facial and neck muscles and relieved puffiness. Still, I'd like to buy one of those blue masks some day--I think it'll be a great practical joke.

Let's face it, the last thing most people want to do on a grey winter day is to go out for a 5K run. Heck, it takes effort to even crawl out from under the blankets in the morning! 

Don't you also feel like the sofa in your living room is really quicksand? Whenever I feel that the butt print on my couch needs a little break, I get up and turn on the radio and do a set of little exercises--nothing too strenuous, just some fun and simple flab-busting techniques that also fight off winter blues.

1. Tricep curls.

    Take a set of 3lb dumbbells and hold one in each hand. Move one elbow back and prop the opposite leg on a chair. Slowly straighten the rest of your arm  until it's fully extended and you should feel a nice burn to your triceps area. Do a set of 20 and repeat with the other arm. If you don't have dumbbells at home, filled water bottles work too!

                                               

This technique worked wonders on my arms. It helped me develop a nice muscle tone and now when I wave at people, I don't have to hold my upper arm with the other hand to stop the humiliating shakes.

2. Good-old fashioned squats

    First make sure you stand nice and tall, with your feet apart, as wide as your shoulder width. Then, with both feet firmly planted on the ground, slowly bend your knees and slowly lower your butt as if you're going to sit down.  Stop lowering when you feel the tension in your thighs are beyond what you can take and make sure your knees do not creep over your toes when they're bent. DON'T be afraid to stick out your butt when you squat. It doesn't look pretty, but it does give you GREAT-looking thighs.

                                                 

                                           

3. Do The Twist

    Again, stand with feet apart as wide as your shoulder width. Keep your lower body locked and turn left and then right by twisting you waist. Be warned, don't do this exercise right after a big meal or be prepared to regurgitate your food.