Test Driving Shiseido's New Interactive Foundation Finder

Summer! It's almost here, so I'm officially on the hunt for a new foundation formula and shade that suits my skin best in warmer weather. But...finding a new foundation is like the worst process ever. Whenever I go to a counter they basically upsell me until I'm buying diamond-infused, caviar-soaked stuff that I use once and toss because I look yellow or get a funky rash or something like that. You feel me, ladies?

So, I stick to this one formula from this one brand in one of two different shades (depending on the season and just how pasty I am), which gets super boring. So, when my editor Rachel introduced me to Shiseido's new Interactive Foundation Finder I had two thoughts: "Ooooh, fun technology!" and "Rachel, please, there's no way that's gonna find me an accurate formula."

But, when I actually gave it a try, the site proved me wrong. (Props to Rachel on this one.)

After logging on, I answer a series of questions. First up? The level of coverage I desired (medium), then it asked which benefits I'd like to reap from my formula, which are basically a toss-up between hydration and sun protection. Finally, you're asked to choose a woman's face that matches your own skin tone as close as possible, along with a few creams below that correspond to the woman whom is closest to your own skintone. 

And, then, ta-da! You find out the best formula for your face, plus essential application tips. My result was Advanced Hydro-Liquid Compact in O20 Natural Light Ochre, which was only $30 -- nearly half the price of my usual formula.

When I got a hold of the actual product a couple days later, I was amazed! This was totally not a formula I'd pick up in real life: I stay away from things that aren't super rich and creamy and the shade was a touch darker that I thought would work for me.

But, when I took seven seconds I swiped it all over my face -- minus the mirror, BTW -- I caught a quick glance and was super impressed at how naturally flawless my skin looked.

I did need an extra hit of moisture later in the day, but the coverage was still going strong 14 hours later.

SO impressed. Thanks, Rach!

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Baby Aspirin Recalled After Acetaminophen Discovery

More than 16,000 bottles of baby aspirin are being recalled by Advance Pharmaceutical Inc. after one of the bottles was found to be filled with acetaminophen pills.

The recall covers 120-pill bottles labeled to contain 81-milligram aspirin pills. The bottle discovered by a CVS pharmacist contained 500-mg acetaminophen pills, ABC News reported.

No injuries have been reported, according to Advance Pharmaceutical spokesman Abu Amanatullah.

Doctors said that unknowningly taking acetaminophen instead of baby aspirin could lead to an overdose that results in liver failure, the need for a liver transplant or death, ABC News reported.

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Hysterectomy May Not Raise Heart Risks After All: Study

Finding might reassure women considering the procedure, researcher says

By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, May 14 (HealthDay News) -- Women who have a hysterectomy are not in danger of increasing their risk of cardiovascular disease later in life, a new study says.

Although earlier research had found higher chances of cardiovascular disease in the years following a hysterectomy, different criteria were used in this latest study, the researchers noted.

"If women are contemplating hysterectomy, they don't need to be worried about increased cardiovascular risk," said study author Karen Matthews, a professor of epidemiology and psychology at the University of Pittsburgh.

A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure that removes the uterus; sometimes the ovaries are also removed, to lower the risk of cancer.

Previous studies found an increased risk for conditions such as coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure in women who underwent a hysterectomy.

Unlike other studies, however, the new research included only women who had a hysterectomy in midlife and who didn't have their ovaries removed due to cancer, Matthews explained.

"It is possible that women who have a hysterectomy when they are young have an increase in cardiovascular risk," she noted.

The report was published May 14 in the online edition of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

To see if a hysterectomy actually increased a women's risk for cardiovascular disease, Matthews' team collected data on more than 3,300 premenopausal women who took part in a national study on women's health.

They compared cardiovascular risk factors before and after the women had elective hysterectomy with or without ovary removal with women who had a natural menopause.

These risk factors included cholesterol, blood pressure, inflammation, blood sugar and insulin resistance, Matthews said.

Matthews' group found there were changes in cardiovascular risk factors after a hysterectomy, compared to risk factor changes after natural menopause.

These changes, however, were not associated with an increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease. Women who had a hysterectomy with removal of ovaries did tend to gain weight, the researchers found.

These effects were similar in all ethnic groups.

It's not known why these findings differ from other studies. The researchers speculated that differences in their study -- such as excluding women who had a hysterectomy because of cancer and the older age of the women -- may have played a role.

The women in this study were middle-aged and it is possible that women who have a hysterectomy earlier may have more cardiovascular risk, they explained.

One expert agreed that the evidence on a possible association between a hysterectomy and an increased chance of heart trouble has been mixed.

"Prior studies have suggested that there may be increases in cardiovascular risk after women undergo hysterectomy, particularly if accompanied by removal of the ovaries," said Dr. Gregg Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

However, other studies have not found elevated risk for cardiovascular events with hysterectomy with or without the removal of the ovaries, he added.

"These findings suggest that hysterectomy with or without removing the ovaries does not appear to play a major role in worsening cardiovascular risk factors in women compared to natural menopause," said Fonarow.

"Nevertheless, as cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in women, women should closely assess, monitor and improve their cardiovascular health," he said.

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Health Tip: Keep Nails Trim and Clean

(HealthDay News) -- Nails collect dirt and may spread some infections, so keeping them neat and clean is important.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mentions these suggestions for proper nail hygiene:

Trim nails frequently.Use soap and water and a nail brush to scrub under the nails when you wash your hands.Before each use, clean any tools you use to groom your nails; sterilize nail tools when at a public nail salon.Don't bite or chew your nails.Use a clean and sanitized nail clipper to cut a hangnail; never bite or rip it off.

-- Diana Kohnle
Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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Hooray!!

I just want to share that this morning (at the gym) I had my blood pressure measured.  And for the very first time this year, it is 120/71!  Yay- I'm out of the red.  This is important to me because we have a history of heart disease in our family (my grandfather, uncle and father died of heart failure.)  Also, I lost 2,2 kgs this week (but that's secondary to the wonderful health benefits.)

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Simponi Approved for Ulcerative Colitis

Blocks process that contributes to abnormal inflammation

By Scott Roberts

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- Simponi (golimumab) injection has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat adults with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis.

The drug is designed to block tumor necrosis factor, which has a key role in causing abnormal inflammation and immune system responses, the FDA said Wednesday in a news release.

The drug has already been approved to treat psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, the agency said.

Ulcerative colitis, affecting some 620,000 Americans, causes chronic inflammation and ulcers in the inner lining of the large intestine. Common symptoms include abdominal discomfort, gastrointestinal bleeding and diarrhea.

Simponi was clinically evaluated in two studies involving more than 800 people. The most common side effects reported were upper respiratory infection and redness at the injection site. People treated with the drug are at greater-than-average risk of contracting several types of infection, lymphoma, heart failure, nervous system disorders and allergic reactions, the FDA said.

The drug is marketed by Janssen Biotech Inc., based in Horsham, Pa.

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Hunger pangs every hour

I eat ~2200-2500 calories a day and I get hunger pangs every hour. My stats are 5'2", 106 pounds. It gets annoying. I get hungry even after a full meal and even when I eat protein. Anyone else have any insight into why and how to deal with it? 

PS: I don't have any medical conditions like an ED, etc

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