The Best Time of Day to Exercise

Research may help determine the best time of day for exercise

By Elizabeth Quinn

Updated May 16, 2014

Is there a best time of day to exercise? Two of the top reasons people give for not exercising regularly include lack of results and lack of time. So, for many people, the best time to exercise is the time that is most convenient and the time that fits into a busy schedule. Research on exercise and time of day is growing, but still limited and and not without controversy. In general, if you can find a time for exercise that you can stick with consistently, you will be much more likely to train regularly and get better results.

Circadian Rhythms and Exercise

Human sleep and wake cycles follow a daily cycle called circadian rhythms. It's this cycle that regulates our body temperature, blood pressure, alertness and metabolism, among other physiological functions. In general, these rhythms conform to our 24-hour day and may be reset based upon environmental cues. The time of day that we typically exercise is one of these cues. Research by the University of North Texas, in Denton found that although circadian rhythms are inborn we can reset them based upon our behaviors. For example, using an alarm clock, establishing meal times and even when we workout are all cues to help rest our rhythms. They found that people who consistently exercise in the morning "teach" their body to be most ready for exercise at that time of day. When they switched to evening exercise, they didn't feel as strong. Also See: Does Jet Lag Decrease Athletic Performance?
The ability to adjust your rhythms is important for athletes training for a specific event. The message is to train at the same time of day that the event will occur. Research supports this advice. Studies show that your ability to maintain exercise intensity will adapt to your training time. Therefore, if you do your marathon training in the morning, you may perform better on race day (marathons typically start in the morning). But if you train in the evening, a morning race day may leave you feeling weaker and slower.

Individual Differences and Exercise Timing

Some people are just naturally morning people. They have no trouble exercising first thing in the morning. Others don't get moving so quickly and are more likely to feel like exercising later in the day. If you have such an obvious preference it's pretty easy to decide what sort of exercise schedule you might stick with. The interesting thing is that research shows that no matter when you think you are better able to exercise, almost all of us are, in fact, physically stronger and have more endurance in the late afternoon.

Scheduling Exercise

Not everyone can choose to exercise when they feel like it. Work and family commitments often take priority and we end up squeezing in some exercise. If you find that the only time you have to exercise is when you least feel like it, don't despair. As we learned earlier, you can change your rhythms and your body can adapt to a new exercise time. However, it may take about a month to reset your internal exercise clock. (get tips on adjusting your circadian rhythms during air travel).

Research and the Best Time to Exercise

While there is specific research being conducted on this topic, unfortunately the answer to the question, "What is the best time for exercise?" varies based upon the specific question you ask, your training goals, and your exercise adherence. Here are some of the latest specific research findings:

• Late Afternoon is Best for Exercise
  Research shows that the optimal time to exercise is when our body temperature is at its highest, which, for most people is 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. (body temperature is at its lowest just before waking).
• Strength is Greater in the Afternoon
  Dr. Hill reported that strength output is 5% higher at around mid-day; anaerobic performance, such as sprinting, improves by 5% in the late afternoon.
• Endurance is Greater in the Afternoon
  Aerobic capacity (endurance) is approximately 4percent higher in the afternoon.
• Injuries Are Less Likely in the Afternoon
  Afternoon exercise is the best if you want to avoid injuries for many reasons. We are most alert; our body temperature is the highest so our muscles are warm and flexible; and our muscle strength is at its greatest. These three factors make it less likely that we will get injured.
• Morning Exercisers Are More Consistent
  Even though afternoon exercise might be optimal from a physiological standpoint, research also shows that morning exercisers are more likely to stick to it that late-day athletes.
• Evening Exercise and Sleep
  Most research supports the idea that exercise can improve sleep quality. But does exercising too late in the evening keep you up? Studies have shown improvements in sleep from both morning and afternoon exercise, so it's not yet clear if evening exercise keeps you up. One study even showed that vigorous exercise half an hour before bedtime did not affect sleep. One thing that is agreed upon is that sleep deprivation can hinder sports performance.

The Bottom Line
The good news is that you get to decide the best time for you to exercise based upon your personal goals, schedule and lifestyle. Ideally, you will pick a time that you are able to stick with consistently and make part of your daily or weekly schedule. If you are training for competition, it's wise to modify your training to accommodate the event start time, and it's always wise to warm up before any workout. Also See: Why Your Workouts Don't Work.

8 Foods Every Vegetarian Should Eat

BY Laura Flynn McCarthy

 There is a world of reasons to go meatless, from heart health to animal welfare. But nutritionally, there’s one tricky trade-off. You drastically shrink your body’s supply of six vital nutrients: protein and iron—which can be the toughest to get in adequate quantities—plus calcium, zinc, vitamin B12 and vitamin D. To help you fill in these gaps, we tapped the expertise of nutritionist Cynthia Sass, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association—and a vegan, so she totally gets it. Here we’ve identified the “great eight” foods. All are loaded with one or more of these hard-to-get nutrients.

Tofu
Why it’s great: Plain tofu has a lot going for it. It’s a terrific source of protein, zinc, iron, and it even contains some cholesterol-lowering omega-3 fatty acids. It also gives you more than 100 milligrams (mg) of calcium in a half cup. But the same amount of calcium-enriched tofu gives you up to 350 mg (about one-third of your daily needs) plus roughly 30 percent of your daily vitamin D, which helps your body absorb the calcium—an extra bone-building punch that many people need. Look for enriched soymilk, too, which is also fortified with calcium and vitamin D.
Tip: “Tofu can be substituted for the same amount of meat, poultry or fish in almost any recipe,” says Sass. Firm tofu works best because it holds its shape when you sauté it or grill it.


Lentils
Why they’re great: Lentils, like beans, are part of the legume family, and like beans, they’re an excellent source of protein and soluble fiber. But lentils have an edge over most beans: They contain about twice as much iron. They’re also higher in most B vitamins and folate, which is especially important for women of childbearing age as folate reduces the risk for some birth defects. For new vegetarians, lentils are also the perfect way to start eating more legumes because they tend to be less gassy.
Tip: Lentil soup is just the beginning. Add lentils to vegetable stews, chilis or casseroles. Toss them with red onions and vinaigrette. Stir them into curries; cook them with carrots. Experiment with different varieties—red lentils (right) cook up very fast and can be turned into bright purées.



Beans
Why they’re great: A cup a day gives you about one-third of your iron and protein and roughly half your fiber. Even better, most of that is soluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol. One cup also provides a good amount of potassium, zinc and many B vitamins, and some calcium too. Just one alert: Rinse canned beans well—they can be soaked in salt.
Tip: It was once thought that to get a complete protein, you needed to combine beans with grains (rice, pasta, bread) at the same meal. “Now we know you just have to eat them during the same day,” Sass says. Toss beans and vegetables with whole wheat pasta; make soups and chilis with several varieties; add a sprinkling to grain salads. And for a different taste treat, look for canned heirloom varieties.



Nuts
Why they’re great: They’re a nifty source of quick, totally palatable protein. In additon, walnuts, peanuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, macadamias and Brazil nuts are rich in zinc, vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids. Some, like almonds, even provide a decent amount of calcium (about 175 mg in a half cup). There’s also some great nut news: “Recent studies show that even though nuts are high in calories, eating them does not lead to weight gain,” says Sass. In fact, people who eat nut-rich diets tend to weigh less than those who don’t, say researchers at Loma Linda University and Purdue University. Peanuts may even help weight loss. Why nuts don’t make you fat—and may even help you lose weight—isn’t clear. “It’s possible that nuts make you feel so full that you’re less likely to overeat other foods,” says Sass. Other experts suspect that the labor-intense job of digesting nuts burns off calories. There are also hints that nuts increase the amount of fat that passes through the digestive tract, which might explain nut-linked weight loss. More research is obviously needed!
Tip: Different nuts give you different nutrients. For example, a half cup of almonds provides about four times as much fiber as the same amount of cashews. Cashews, however, contain about twice as much iron and zinc as almost any other nut. Pecans and walnuts tend to land right in the middle for most nut nutrients—potassium, magnesium, zinc and calcium. Sprinkle them in salads, or keep a bag of mixed nuts in your desk or backpack. Garnish smooth soups with crunchy whole nuts, stir chopped nuts into muffins and add crushed nuts to pie crust.


Grains
Why they’re great: Some enriched whole-grain cereals are fortified with hard-to-get vitamin B12—some even offer 100 percent of a day’s requirement in one serving—as well as iron, calcium and many other nutrients. Keep in mind that if you don’t eat eggs or dairy, you’ll have to take a B12 supplement to make sure you’re getting enough. As a group, cereals and other whole-grain foods (whole wheat breads and pastas, brown rice, etc.) are also high in other B vitamins, zinc and, of course, insoluble fiber, which not only helps whisk cholesterol out of your system but may reduce your risk of colon cancer and other digestive disorders.
Tip: Because different grains provide different nutrients, vary the types you eat. “It’s easy to get into a rut of, say, just making brown rice all the time. It’s better to mix up the grains you eat, including oatmeal, bulgur, wild rice, whole rye and pumpernickel breads,” says Sass. Also try some of the ancient grains—spelt, farro, kamut—which are now sold at most whole foods markets.


Leafy Greens
Why they’re great: Unlike most vegetables, dark leafy greens such as spinach, broccoli, kale, Swiss chard and collards contain healthful amounts of iron—especially spinach, which has about 6 grams or about one-third of a day’s supply. They’re also a great source of cancer-fighting antioxidants; are high in folic acid and vitamin A; and they even contain calcium, but in a form that’s not easily absorbed. Cooking greens and/or sprinkling them with a little lemon juice or vinegar makes the calcium more available to your body, says Sass.
Tip: Always try to eat iron-rich foods with foods that are high in vitamin C because the C helps your body absorb the iron. With dark leafy greens, this comes naturally—just toss them into salads with yellow and red peppers, tomatoes, carrots, mandarin oranges or any citrus. Or if you prefer your veggies cooked, sauté a couple of cups of greens in some seasoned olive oil with sweet peppers, garlic and onion.


Seaweeds
Why they’re great: Besides being a terrific source of iron and phytochemicals, many seaweeds—such as alaria, dulse, kelp, nori, spirulina and agar—are good sources of minerals, including magnesium, calcium, iodine, iron and chromium, as well as vitamins A, C, E and many of the Bs. Talk about superfoods!
Tip: Add chopped dulse to salads or sandwiches, sauté it with other vegetables or use it in soups. Use nori sheets as the wrappers for vegetarian sushi. Toast kelp, and crumble it on pasta or rice, or add it to noodle soups. Browse through Japanese or Korean markets to find seaweeds to sample.



Dried Fruits
Why they’re great: They’re good, super-convenient sources of iron—and if you combine them with some mixed nuts, you’ve got a packet of iron and protein you can take anywhere easily. In addition, dried fruits—think apricots, raisins, prunes, mangos, pineapple, figs, dates, cherries and cranberries—provide a wide array of minerals and vitamins as well as some fiber. And even kids love to snack on them.
Tip: Sprinkle them on salads, use in chutneys, stir into puréed squash and sweet potatoes, or blend with nuts and seeds to make your own favorite snack mix. Chopped up, dried fruits make healthful additions to puddings, fruit-based pie fillings, oat bars, cookies, hot and cold cereals—you name it.

How to Add a Signature to a Gmail Account

Are you tired of typing your name at the end of every email you send? Want to make your emails more professional looking, with links to your business websites and company logos? Gmail allows you to quickly add custom signatures to every email you send. You can add links, images, and completely change the formatting of the text. See Step 1 below to learn how.

Method 1 of 2: Adding a Basic Signature

1. 
   1
   Open Gmail. Ensure that you are logged in with the address that you want to add a signature to.
   Ad
2. 
   2
   Open the Settings menu. Click the Gear icon in the upper-right corner of the window, and select Settings from the menu that appears.
3. 
   3
   Find the Signature section. Scroll down the Settings menu until you find the Signature section. You will see a text box as well as a drop-down menu with your email address.
4. 
   4
   Type your signature. You can type anything you'd like into the signature field, and use the text formatting tools to give your signature a custom look. Signatures commonly include your name, place of employment and title, and your contact information.
   • You can change the font, color, weight, and more using the text formatting tools. A signature should be easy to read and professional. A distracting signature will make you look less professional to the recipient.
5. 
   5
   Add links to your signature. If you have other websites that you want to link to in your signature, you can add them by clicking the Link button at the top of the signature text field. It looks like a chain.
   • Clicking the Link button will open a new window. You can enter in the text that will be displayed for the link, as well as the actual address. You can also link to other email addresses.
6. 
   6
   Add different signatures for different addresses. If you have multiple email addresses associated with your Gmail account, you can have different signatures for each one. Click the drop-down menu above the signature text field to choose which address you want to create a signature for.
7. 
   7
   Choose where you want the signature to appear. Check the box beneath the signature text field to have the signature appear before any quoted replies. If you leave it unchecked, the signature will show up at the bottom of the message, beneath any quotes.

Method 2 of 2: Adding Images to Your Signature

1. 
   1
   Upload your image to an image hosting service. If you want to include an image in your signature, the image will need to be available online so that it can be linked to. You cannot upload an image directly from your computer to Gmail to use in the signature.
   • You can upload your image to a variety of different services, including Photobucket, Blogger, Google Sites, Google+, or any other image hosting service.
2. 
   2
   Copy the image URL. Once the image has been uploaded, you will need to copy the image's URL, or address. Depending on what image hosting site you are using, you may be given the URL when the image is uploaded. If not, you can right-click on your image and click "Copy image URL".
   • The image URL should end with the image's file type, such as ".jpg" or ".png".
3. 
   3
   Add the image. Click the "Insert Image" button above the signature text field and new window will open. Paste the image URL into the field in the new window. If you paste the correct URL, you should see a preview of the image appear below the field. If no preview appears, then you likely did not copy the correct URL.
4. 
   4
   Adjust the size. If you are using a large image, then it will likely take up too much space in your signature. After adding the image, click it in the signature text field to open the size options. At the bottom of the image, you can choose "Small", "Medium", "Large", and "Original Size". Pick a size that allows you to see the image without taking up too much space in the signature.
   • Since the image is being linked to and not actually included in the email, you don't have to worry about uploading it every time you send an email.
5. 
   5
   Save the signature. Once you are happy with the way the signature looks, save your changes by clicking the Save Changes button at the bottom of the Settings menu. Your emails will now include your new signature at the bottom.^[1]  

What Different IQ Scores Mean

What Different IQ Scores Mean

Last updated: 12 Apr 2004

IQ Scores & Ratings Cautions for Interpreting IQ Scores Normal Distribution & IQ Scores Low IQ & Mental Retardation High IQ & Genius IQ

IQ Scores & Ratings

What is a good IQ score?  What is a high IQ score?  What is a low IQ score?  These are common questions, particularly after someone finds out their score from an IQ test.

Lewis Terman (1916) developed the original notion of IQ and proposed this scale for classifying IQ scores:

• Over 140 - Genius or near genius
• 120 - 140 - Very superior intelligence
• 110 - 119 - Superior intelligence
• 90 - 109 - Normal or average intelligence
• 80 - 89 - Dullness
• 70 - 79 - Borderline deficiency
• Under 70 - Definite feeble-mindedness

Normal Distribution & IQ Scores

The properties of the normal distribution apply to IQ scores:

• 50% of IQ scores fall between 90 and 110
• 70% of IQ scores fall between 85 and 115
• 95% of IQ scores fall between 70 and 130
• 99.5% of IQ scores fall between 60 and 140

Low IQ & Mental Retardation

5% of people have an IQ under 70 and this is generally considered as the benchmark for "mental retardation", a condition of limited mental ability in that it produces difficulty in adapting to the demands of life.

Severity of mental retardation can be broken into 4 levels:

• 50-70 - Mild mental retardation (85%)
• 35-50 - Moderate mental retardation (10%)
• 20-35 - Severe mental retardation (4%)
• IQ < 20 - Profound mental retardation (1%)

High IQ & Genius IQ

Genius IQ is generally considered to begin around 140 to 145, representing ~.25% of the population (1 in 400).  Here's a rough guide:

• 115-124 - Above average (e.g., university students)
• 125-134 - Gifted (e.g., post-graduate students)
• 135-144 - Highly gifted (e.g., intellectuals)
• 145-154 - Genius (e.g., professors)
• 155-164 - Genius (e.g., Nobel Prize winners)
• 165-179 - High genius
• 180-200 - Highest genius
• >200 - "Unmeasurable genius"

More notes on High IQ and Genius IQ:

• Einstein was considered to "only" have an IQ of about 160.
• Mensa is a society for people with high IQ, in the top 2% (1 in 50).
• In 1926, psychologist Catherine Morris Cox published a study "of the most eminent men and women" who had lived between 1450 and 1850 to estimate what their IQs might have been.

http://www.wilderdom.com/intelligence/IQWhatScoresMean.html

The appeal of female intelligence

The appeal of female intelligence

One of the primary challenges of explaining the rules of attraction to the opposite sex is that both sides have a natural tendency to project their own attraction factors to the other one.  So, men can't figure out why women aren't attracted to loyalty, responsibility, and sexual purity while women can't figure out why men aren't attracted to university degrees, good jobs, and intelligence.  This last matter is one of particular importance to a certain group of women, as women who identify themselves as intelligent find it especially difficult to grasp that what they consider their primary attribute, and what they tend to find tremendously attractive in men, is of relatively little value to men as an initial attractant.

As I have previously pointed out, the fact that nearly all women are attracted to smarter men and desire them as mates does not mean that most men feel that way. This should be obvious, and it is a very good thing too, otherwise it would be almost impossible for men and women to pair off.  After all, both sides of the couple can't be the smarter one any more than they can both be the taller one.  Most women understand that dumb men aren't attracted smart women - such men feel "threatened" is the usual line - and they aren't concerned about that because, being hypergamous, they usually aren't attracted to less intelligent men.  What they don't understand, unfortunately, is that most intelligent men aren't attracted to their intelligence either.

That doesn't mean that smart men don't value female intelligence in a relationship, only that they tend to do so in the way that a woman values loyalty in a man.  But it means that men don't, by and large, find themselves instinctively drawn to displays of female intelligence in the same way they are drawn to displays of large breasts, well-formed posteriors, or long hair.

But even when female intelligence is valued, the value isn't necessarily what the average smart women thinks it might be.  This is because intelligence, like height, is relative, and +1SD is +1 SD. The "smart" 120 IQ girl looks even dumber to the 150 IQ guy than the "dumb" 95 IQ girl does to the "smart" girl. And once the intelligence gap passes a standard deviation, it can be difficult to distinguish between the various stupidities being expressed, so for the highly intelligent man, it doesn't much matter if she's got an IQ of 85 or 135, because it all looks pretty much the same to him.  The lower IQ may even be preferred by some men, since intelligent women tend to be much less agreeable and more prone to instigating verbal conflict than their less intelligent sisters.  One is unlikely to see a woman with an IQ below 116 launching into a pedantic fighting withdrawal every time she is caught saying something materially false, just to give one example.

Height is a useful proxy here.  If you're Shaq, can you even tell at first glance if a woman is 5'2"or 5'8"?  Does it really make any difference to you?  Then consider that to a man with the lowest possible Mensa score of 132, a woman with an average IQ of 100 is proportionately to him what a 5'4" woman is to the 7'1" Shaq.  It's even worse at the so-called genius level of 145 IQ; the average woman looks proportionately like a 4 foot-something midget.  For most tall men, anyone below a certain height is simply "short".  And for most intelligent men, anyone below a certain level of intelligence is simply... let's just say "ünfiver".

However, there is one area where intelligent men tend to value female intelligence, namely, their offspring.  Very few smart men can bear the idea that their children might be grinning idiots incapable of any intelligent discourse with them.  However, note that children are an intrinsically LTR-related subject, which shows why attempting to use one's intelligence to initially attract a man in an STR context is a basic category error.  It no more works for a woman to attempt to attract a man by displaying her ability to bear him smart children than for a man to attempt to attract a woman by displaying his agreeability as well as the high probability that he will always remember her birthday and the correct toilet seat position.

So, female intelligence does have an appeal to the sort of men that smart women want, but it has to be utilized correctly, and in the proper context.  (Of course, this is also true of the appeal of male intelligence to women, but we'll save that for a future post.)  The key thing to remember is the vital distinction between I (initial attraction) factors and R (relationship) factors.  For men who value it, intelligence is almost always an R factor, not an I factor.

http://alphagameplan.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-appeal-of-female-intelligence.html

9 Common Traits Of Happy People (That They Don’t Talk About)

June 28, 2014 by Mark DeNicola. 5 Comments.

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Happiness. It’s the term thrown around more often than any other term when people are asked what they are looking for in life. A loving partner, a fun high-paying job and endless world travel are also amongst some of the most common answers, however all of these are preference-based means to the one ultimate end, which is happiness. Being so sought-after, I thought I’d comprise a list of common traits that seem to be found in happy people -and I’m talking about the genuinely happy people, and not just those who appear to be so on the surface.

By compiling this list I’m not suggesting that these are the only keys to happiness, I’m simply shedding light on some common characteristics I’ve come to find.

1. Love Themselves For Who They Are

On the surface this may sound incredibly egotistical, but by it I simply mean that they are truly comfortable in their own shoes. They accept and embrace themselves physically, they maintain their true character traits regardless of whether or not they receive approval and they work to make the best of the human experience they are living -rather than wallow in what others would define as weaknesses or shortcomings.

2. See Relationships As An Extension To, Rather Than The Basis Of The Human Experience

Relationships, whether friendly, familial or romantic, are certainly one of the greatest parts of the human experience. However, far too many of us let their presence or absence, and even more so the value we attribute to them dictate our overall happiness in life. I’ve found that genuinely happy people tend to find complete contentment within themselves, and see all relationships as the awesome extension to their self-content. It’s often when we are not looking for others to fill a particular void, or to make us feel a certain way, that most of the truest and most-valuable relationships are formed.

3. Embrace Change

Life is a constant lesson and happy people tend to be well-aware of that. Not only are they always open to change, but they truly listen to suggestions, respect and consider all opinions and take criticism constructively rather than offensively.

4. Celebrate Rather Than Compare Themselves To The Accomplishments Of Others

Jealousy is a killer, and as Gary Allan once said, “You can be the moon and still be jealous of the stars.” We are all capable of accomplishing anything in this life and are the only ones that are going to find the drive within ourselves to do it. Rather than observe and compare to those who have accomplished, the truly happy tend to celebrate it and use it as motivation to accomplish things within their own lives.

5. Never Dwell In Being A Victim

We’ve all been the so-called ‘victim’ to several things in life. Whether it be an unexpected break-up, getting fired from a job, or even something as serious as the recipient of domestic abuse. Truly happy people tend to be those who choose not to dwell in it. They choose to let the victimization strengthen them, rather than wear it as a badge of weakness or as the thing that makes them consistently worthy of receiving sympathy.

6. They Live In The Present

As fun as reminiscing about the past or fantasizing about the future can be, nothing will ever be done in anything but the present and happy people tend to realize that. Not only do they realize it, but they tend to use it as motivation to make the most of it. In addition to being motivating, presence can also come in handy for truly appreciating those moments of relaxation, allowing yourself to be truly in them, rather than projecting future concerns into them.

7. Trust That Everything Happens For A Reason

This can very easily be paired with the choice to not be a victim, but happy people tend to trust the process and existence of everything in their life. They know that nothing is ever too big to handle and choose to embrace what life is currently throwing at them rather than cowering at the sight of it.

8. They Don’t Let Money Dictate Their Lives

Nobody is denying that in this world right now we all need money to exist, and as a result many of us spend the bulk of our lives doing things that help us earn it. What I’ve found to differentiate happy people is that they don’t let money be the ultimate dictator in their life. They still make sensible choices within their means, but they never let money: A) prevent them from pursuing a so-called “risky” passion, B) be the factor that is blamed for why their life is so miserable, C) complain about how little they have. There are creative ways to do everything in this world, and seeing money as only being possible to make in the standard ways is the most crippling thing to that creativity.

9. Look Within For Solutions

One of the most powerful realizations a genuinely happy person will often operate based on is “change starts within.” The empowerment that comes as a result of not only realizing this but even more so in using it as the backbone to everything in life can be quite remarkable. There are thousands of books, mantras, techniques and practices out there that can all help us to find solutions to so many things in life, but they all require one thing to truly be serviceable: the consciousness to support them.

Phân biệt hình dáng và chức năng các loại cọ trang điểm

10:14:09 - 09/02/2014 - Elendil - Theo Pháp Luật Xã Hội

Đừng vội nghĩ mọi chiếc cọ trang điểm đều giống nhau, chúng đều mang trong mình những chức năng riêng biệt đấy.

Ắt hẳn, khi theo dõi những clip dạy trang điểm, bạn thường "phát hoảng" bởi số lượng cọ trang điểm mà các cô nàng xinh đẹp sử dụng trong clip của mình. Cọ kẻ mắt, cọ đánh mắt, cọ đánh phấn nền, cọ đánh phấn phủ… cả chục thứ cọ mà bạn thậm chí còn chẳng thể phân biệt được chúng nếu không phải nhờ kích thước to nhỏ khác nhau. Vậy một bộ cọ đầy đủ có cần thiết đến thế? Cùng là cọ, tại sao bạn không thể dùng cọ này cho việc kia? Để giải đáp câu trả lời này, hãy cùng tham khảo bài viết dưới đây của chúng tôi nhé. 

1. Cọ đánh mắt

Rất nhiều người có thói quen sử dụng ngón tay thay vì đánh bầu mắt bằng cọ, điều này không sai nhưng sử dụng cọ sẽ giúp bạn dễ kiểm soát các đường nét trên mắt mình, nó linh hoạt và tán phấn đều hơn. Đồng thời, bạn có thể dễ dàng phủ phấn thật đậm hoặc khi cần, có thể là phủ một lớp thật nhẹ mà không gặp nhiều khó khăn.

2. Cọ trộn màu mắt

Chiếc cọ này có thể không quá cần thiết cho những cô nàng trang điểm nhẹ nhàng, nhưng chúng là món phụ kiện phải có với bất cứ cô gái nào ưa trang điểm mắt đậm. Chiếc cọ này có đầu oval, dài hơn cọ đánh bầu mắt bình thường. Chúng là loại cọ hoàn hảo để bạn hòa sắc các mảng màu trên bầu mắt mình một cách hài hòa và gọn gàng nhất.

3. Cọ kẻ mắt

Để có một đường kẻ mắt mảnh và sắc sảo nhất, bạn cần cho mình một chiếc cọ kẻ mắt nhỏ, đầu nhọn. Nhất là khi sử dụng eyeliner dạng gel, các loại cọ đầu mềm thường có xu hướng khiến mi mắt bạn bị lem. Vậy nên, đầu tư cho một chiếc cọ kẻ mắt loại tốt sẽ giúp bạn có thêm 1 người bạn thân hữu ích trên bàn trang điểm của mình.

4. Cọ kẻ lông mày

Nhiều người thường sử dụng bút chì để kẻ lông mày, nhưng thực ra, dùng cọ sẽ giúp bạn có một cặp lông mày hài hòa và gọn gàng hơn. Chúng dễ điều khiển, thao tác và khiến những đường nét bạn vẽ lên thanh thoát và vừa vặn. Thông thường, một chiếc cọ kẻ sẽ có hai đầu, bạn hãy dùng đầu cọ tam giác để kẻ và dùng đầu chổi kia để chải lại lông mày sau khi kẻ xong.

5. Cọ đánh kem nền

Với phái đẹp, có 2 cách để thoa kem nền: 1 là dùng tay, và 2 là dùng cọ hoặc mút. Tùy thuộc vào loại da mà bạn chọn cho mình một phương án phù hợp, nhưng tốt nhất bạn vẫn nên chuẩn bị cho mình một chiếc cọ thoa kem nền trong túi của mình. Cọ thoa kem nền giúp bạn thoa kem đều hơn, mịn hơn, khiến lớp nền của bạn nhìn mềm mại và láng mượt hơn rất nhiều.

6. Mút trang điểm

Bạn luôn cần cho mình một miếng mút trang điểm trong túi xách. Chúng tiện dụng và là thứ hoàn hảo nhất để thoa các loại kem và phấn nền dạng lỏng. Mút trang điểm giúp lớp kem được phủ đều gương mặt, chưa kể đến kiểu dáng khá đặc biệt giúp miếng mút có thể "chen" vào những phần khuất nhất trên khuôn mặt như cánh mũi, đường chân tóc..vv..

7. Cọ đánh má

Nếu bạn chưa có thói quen dùng cọ để đánh má hồng cho mình, tốt hơn hết bạn nên tập luyện để có thói quen đó. Cọ đánh má hồng giúp bạn kiểm soát lượng phấn hồng được phủ lên gò má mình, có thể đậm một chút, có thể nhạt một chút nhưng không bao giờ bị quá và không đều. Hơn nữa, bạn sẽ không chỉ đánh một màu hồng lên má, bạn còn cần dặm đều chúng với những sắc độ khác như cam, nâu..vv.. và cọ má hồng sẽ là công cụ hoàn hảo nhất giúp bạn làm việc đó.

8. Cọ đánh khối

Đây là chiếc cọ không thể thiếu được bởi phái đẹp có thể trang điểm nhạt nhòa trong những dịp bình thường, nhưng khi chụp ảnh hay đi tiệc, chúng ta không thể không đánh khối. Chiếc cọ này với đầu cọ dày, vát thành hình tam giác sẽ giúp bạn thao tác trên gò má mình một cách dễ dàng hơn. Hơn nữa, cọ dày và mềm cũng có thể được bạn sử dụng như cọ để đánh má hồng, đánh phấn bronzer và kể cả phấn bột cho lớp cuối cùng.

9. Cọ hình quạt

Chiếc cọ nay thoạt nhìn bé nhỏ và… vô dụng, nhưng thật ra, chúng có thể giúp gương mặt bạn sáng bừng lên khi bạn dùng để thoa bất cứ loại mỹ phẩm dạng bột nào. Từ phấn má, phấn highlight, phấn bronzer cho đến phấn bột. Kiểu cọ này có đầu dẹt và mỏng, vậy nên lượng bột phấn được phân phối cho gương mặt bạn cũng mỏng hơn, đồng thời dáng cọ lớn cũng giúp phấn được phủ đều và mịn.

10. Cọ đánh phấn phủ

Đây có lẽ là loại cỏ quen thuộc nhất với hầu hết phái đẹp. Chúng là trợ thủ đắc lực giúp bạn hoàn thiện những bước cuối cùng trong việc trang điểm gương mặt mình. Cọ đánh phấn phủ có đầu tròn, dày và mềm mại, giúp phấn lên mặt nhẹ nhàng, mỏng nhưng đều. Có một vài lưu ý nhỏ khi sử dụng cọ đánh phấn phủ, đó là bạn không nên phủ hết phấn lên mặt mình. Thay vào đó, tập trung vào những vùng thường xuyên bắt sáng và tiết dầu nhiều nhất sẽ là gợi ý hay hơn.