4/24/2008

A Guide To Costume Jewelry

by: Alice Riley

Costume jewelry is often created with non-precious metals, usually gold or silver plated, and with or without beads and stones. Costume jewelry has been extremely popular around the world for thousands of years. The Ancient Egyptians are known to have worn decorative beaded necklaces and Cleopatra is probably one of the original wearers of what we now call costume jewelry. In more recent times the people of the Germanic and Slovak regions became highly skilled at developing intricate patterns in glass beads. However, beadwork used in costume jewelry is not only limited to glass.

A large variety of materials are traditionally used to make beads such as jet, wood, amber, gemstones, pottery, ceramic, metals, horn, coral, ivory, tortoiseshell and pearls. Some modern materials such as plastics, nylon and even polycarbonate variants are also used to make beads. Costume jewelry can be antique, period, or contemporary and there are many collectors of every style of costume jewelry. Venetian glass pieces of costume jewelry are particularly collectable as well as being extremely popular for people to wear.

Cleaning costume jewelry is extremely simple but needs to be done on a regular basis to prevent tarnishing. Simply use a mild detergent mixed in water to keep your costume jewelry in good condition. It is important not to soak the jewelry and to make sure that you dry it thoroughly before storing it. You can buy anti-tarnish paper for wrapping your costume jewelry in before you put it away for long periods of time but regular cleaning is the best defense against tarnishing. The tarnishing of costume jewelry is typically caused by the metal reacting with the atmosphere and oxidizing.

Unfortunately, there are a large number of people who are unable to wear costume jewelry next to their skin. This is because of their sensitivity to the metals used. It is important to make sure that anyone that you are buying the jewelry for is not allergic to nickel or copper, especially with pierced earrings. Costume jewelry may look beautiful and, especially in the case of contemporary pieces, be reasonably priced but it is not suitable for everyone to wear. For many people a piece of costume jewelry may be the first jewelry that they have worn and it is important to look out for signs of a reaction, especially after extended periods of wear. Often people will not show a reaction if they wear the jewelry for a short amount of time and this can be an ideal way to avoid any possible discomfort. You can also buy a special coating that you apply to the back of the costume jewelry to protect the skin from having direct contact with the metal.

About the author:Alice is a jewelry designer with 18 years experience. You can read much more from her on her blog at http://www.jewelrybloghome.com Circulated by Article Emporium
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4/22/2008

Foot Sandals for comfort and style

by Mike Yeager

Comfortable sandals are what everyone enjoys in the summer. Your feet are open to the sun and breeze which just makes you feel that much better. Not only can your sandals be light and easy to wear, but sandals are also fashionable and stylish. Many people wear dress sandals when dinning out or visiting friends.

Whether you’re considering teva sandals, born sandals, or rainbow sandals, you’ll definitely be comfortable at home, work or stepping out when wearing comfortable airy sandals.

The sandal, probably the earliest form of shoe, was worn in Egypt, Greece, and Rome; an early form of the boot was also known in Greece and Rome. In prehistoric times skins or hides were probably tied around the foot for protection and warmth. Today the choices of sandals and other comfortable footwear is stunning!

Make your selection from a quality manufacturer of sandals so that you can be confident in its sturdiness. You can be confident that your personal choice of sandals will then last a long time and give you lots of comfort.

About Author :Mike Yeager Author/Publisher http://www.a1-shoes-4u.com/
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4/16/2008

Evening Wear

by William Brister

Evening Wear Formal wear is a magical thing that can make a woman look professional, sexy, unconventional and beautiful. The right kind of clothing for a formal occasion, an evening out, cocktail or wedding gives you the freedom to express your personality and stand out in a crowd. You can make every evening a stylish affair by wearing designer clothing, creative designs and fits that flatter your body shape and style.

Women mostly have a huge selection of party, bridal and formal wear to choose from. Any designer boutique today will display an exotic variety of dresses that promises to boggle your mind. The gamut of haute couture for women's clothes is fabulous ranging from the chic halter to the glittery cocktail dress, sheath dress to the jacket dress and one-piece to the off-shouldered. One has to first decide how formal the occasion is. If it is a cocktail or an evening attire that you are looking for, the ubiquitous black dress will always do the trick. However, for a black tie affair, long dresses are far more suitable.

The most essential element while choosing a formal dress is to see its style and color and whether it suits your body shape. Not all dresses work for all body types. It is thus important to pick one that flatters your figure and looks good on your skin color.

Halter Dresses are one of the sexiest and formal of the various kinds available today. They draw attention to the upper half of the body including the face, shoulders and bust line. Accompanied by long or hoop earrings, this style will enhance the looks of a woman greatly.

Cocktail dresses are the most versatile for special occasions and the little black dress is the most sought after in this category. Today, even jewel-tones, bright and rich fabrics do well for a short evening dress and can be accessorized with pearls, diamond, gold and silver.

While Sheath dresses are flattering with clean lines and keeps from overwhelming your figure, the jacket dress provides more coverage without needing a wrap or other such cover ups. The matching dress and jacket make for a perfect outfit at anniversaries and weddings. There are some bodies that do take well to one piece dresses; for these a dressy separate can do the trick. Off the shoulder dresses are sexy and when accentuated with the right accessories like a necklace or a brooch will add to your style.

About the Author William Brister - http://www.designerfashions.tv/ - Fashion for all occasions.
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4/15/2008

Types of Perfumes

By: Roberto Sedycias

There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of types of perfumes in today`s market. The high demand for various types of perfumes makes it easily available to find them from inexpensive to moderate expensive to very expensive types of perfumes for all tastes and pockets. One does not have to go very far in order to find major brands available.

The most common way to describe a perfume is perhaps considering its concentration level, where it has been originated from, and the notes of the scent. The most common scent is floral with ingredients such as carnation, jasmine, violet, orange blossoms, lilies, orchids, just to name a few. All perfumes and colognes are different and they are meant to associate the personality and skin type of users.

In order to classify a perfume or cologne, one interesting aspect to consider would be the percentage of concentration by volume of perfume oil:

Perfume usually has in its content, 15 to 25% of perfumed oil.
Eau de Perfume usually has in its content 8 to 15% of perfumed oil.
Eau de Toilette usually has in its content 4 to 10% of perfumed oil.
Eau de Cologne usually has in it content 2 to 5% of perfumed oil.

Nowadays with modern technology of perfume manufacturing, new categories have been formed, the most common of them being described as: Bright Floral - the most popular of them all, meant for almost everyone and for any occasion. Earthy or Woody - it evokes the environment of the forest, with a very refreshing smell. This fragrance has a strong appeal to the older generation. Green - it is considered to be a lighter fragrance and is meant for casual wear. Oceanic - it is very popular with the younger generation. Spicy Fruit - it is a good choice for tropical weather. Oriental - it is composed of spicy scents, meant for special occasions.

Plants are the largest source of fragrant compounds used in the perfume industry. Fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit are also used. Some seeds and woods are very important in providing the base notes to a perfume.

Most modern perfumes and colognes are made using the fragrance oils that the fragrances houses develop using essential oils and aromatic chemicals. The fragrance oils are then blended with ethyl alcohol and water and then aged in thanks for a certain time and filtered through processing equipment to remove any particles before the solution can be considered ready to go into the perfume bottles.

Most fragrances with the names of well known designers are constantly improving in order to produce top quality perfumes. Due to the high demand that major brands experience, it suggests that the perfume industry will keep on a fast mode for quite some time in the future.

Finally, it is a good idea to keep in mind that different people have different tastes and the choice or preference for a particular fragrance is a very personal one and may vary dramatically from one person to another, suggesting that it is better to try it before you buy.

Author BioRoberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for PoloMercantil. This article can also be accessed in portuguese language from the News Article section of page PoloMercantil


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