about

Hello! I am studying esthetics at an Aveda Institute after spending years in retail. I am proof that nothing turns out how you think it will, and that's a good thing. When you think you've got it figured out, you don't. Life would be boring otherwise, right?
Makeup, skincare, and psychology are my passions and I'm also happy to give advice on relationships, particularly for teenagers (so many things I wish I could have told myself a decade ago!) I'm happy to help fellow abuse survivors as well.
I'm a diehard SF Giants fan and also enjoy watching the Sharks and Niners. Addicted to music, especially The Gaslight Anthem. Oh, and my name is Krista. :)

advice

Is there any way of getting my braces off faster?

Do exactly what your orthodonist says to do. He says to wear your rubber bands, do it. (Otherwise you get springs, which are extremely painful and uncomfortable.) Not following his/her directions just makes the process even longer.

Ask your ortho if they know about when you'll get them off, that way you at least know.

And when you do get them off...wear your retainer. Seriously. I've seen a lot of people's teeth go back to being crooked because they only wore their retainer at night.

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My girlfriend is in band, it's her life. I was really hoping to make her a CD of Classical music (like intrumentals) of popular songs that she might have heard already.

I would be SOOOOOO grateful if someone could point me in the right direction, or give me a website of some sort to tell me where I can find classical music of hot modern songs.

Thanks soooo much to those who reply. You have no idea how much it means to me.

(tomorrow is our 5th year anniversary, and I want to surprise her with this special gift)

Sincerely,
Chris

Go on Itunes and look up the Vitamin String Quartet. They do covers of popular songs, and some of the covers are better than the songs. (I don't even like classical)

Happy anniversary!

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I'm 18/m and in a serious relationship, I mean to say is that I intend on marrying this girl. She's 16, and we've been going out 2 years in February. For me this is huge and I'm tapped for idea's on what to do. I've already cooked her a really nice candle lit dinner, taken her to dinner on a lake and watched the sun set while eating dinner, and taken her to movies and all that other common stuff. But what I want, everything has to be mind boggling. I need something that will make her cry from being so happy/astonished. So, any romantic ideas would be awesome.

P.S. I will rate all answers.

First of all that's really cute. I wish there were more guys like you out there.

That being said, if you tell this girl you want to marry her she might be a little freaked out. I know people that's happened to before. So just wait a bit before you mention marriage because she probably hasn't even thought about it.

What you could do is some kind of surprise thing. I got some of this from a book so it might not be doable, but you can adapt it for your purposes. Have her parents ground her so that she's at home. Have someone drop off a nice dress and heels (get her size from her friends and family) along with a dozen roses at her house. Also leave a note saying something along the lines of "follow my instructions". Have someone else call her, tell her to get ready and go outside. Have a limo waiting to drive her to a romantic spot, maybe a beach? Be dressed up and decorate the spot you're going to be with candles, a table, tablecloth, rose petals, etc. Have a really nice dinner prepared and some music- a boombox if you're on a budget, otherwise hire someone to play music. Maybe a pianist or string quartet. Suggested songs- Canon, Cristofori's Dream, Moonlight Sonata. After dinner maybe dance for a little bit, then give her your gift. A really nice letter/poem and maybe some nice jewelry. Tell her how much you love her then take her home. The next morning, spend the whole day spoiling her- breakfast in bed, etc.
You could also do this on a boat on the lake, that would be really cool. Personally what would make me cry is beautiful flowers (find out what kind she likes, not all girls like roses!)and a letter written from the heart.

I hope it goes well!

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A guy that I like and he knows I am into him, we havent talked for about a week and I texted him I didn't text you much because I know you was doing better things or workin on your car and he said he hasnt been doing anybody. What does that mean? Does he like me and think that I thought he was seeing other people?

That just sounds like a typo to me, maybe he meant "i haven't been doing anything". Just ask him what he meant, people on an anonymous advice website have no way of knowing.

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This guy and I have a great connection. I feel very strongly for him, just as he does for me. But, he is conflicted about us being together, or even feeling this way for that matter. He is unsure if it is the right thing.
We do not have a choice but to see eachother everyday because he is the Asst. Manager at my job. (The twist)
I feel like this could be an excellent opportunity to take up and in the end, it could be very beneficial.
He decided to retreat for the night to collect his thoughts. I do not know how I should take this. Tomorrow, if his decision is to back off, I would not get mad, but what could I do to keep my heart from being torn...? I really, really feel for this man.

Okay, first of all, a lot of people are going to say he's too old. Please don't listen. I've had a similar experience and trust me, age is only a number.

The real question is why can't he find someone his own age? No offense intended, but older men tend to like more mature women. 16 is pretty young but I'm not trying to judge you. You just need to think about this for a while.

All you can do is wait. If he decides to have a relationship with you, it will not be easy. People will judge you- and are you legally allowed to date a manager? (I only ask because at my work, you aren't.) If he decides not to, you just have to move on. Heartbreak is a part of life and it's okay to feel sad. Distract yourself with friends and going out and eventually you will be able to see him without it hurting.

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Okay well I'm going to try and describe it the best way I can.

I have a eating problem. I eat so much fast food and bad food it's gross. At my house, I always say "We don't have anything to eat." pretty much as an excuse so I can get some money and order food. I usually get McDonald's three times a week, hoagies, and pizza, the rest. I eat at home like once a week! I probably have such a high cloresteral.

Okay, first of all I think it's really great that you're taking responsibility for this yourself.

One thing that might help you: trying to lose weight with a friend or family member. You guys can work out together and keep other on track.

What worked for me was food substitution.
Instead of iced tea or soda, drink Crystal Light, it's sugar free, you empty the packet into a water bottle and shake it up. I love the Lemonade kind, they also have Iced Tea and lots of other flavors. You can find it in the grocery store with the powder drinks.
Instead of snacking on fast food, try healthier snacks. String cheese tastes great and is good for you. Fat free yogurt is good too, try Yoplait Light. It comes in flavors like Key Lime Pie and tastes really good.
Keep unhealthy food out of your house. Let your family know and tell whoever does the grocery shopping to try to avoid junk food. Start a bank account and deposit all your spending money in there so that you can't spend it on fast food. (Think how much money you'll save!)
When you have a craving for something sweet, chew sugar-free gum like Orbit, Orbit White, or Stride. Fruit-flavored gum can satisfy a craving and is a lot less calories than cookies. Also, it'll make you want to eat less because your mouth tastes like mint!
Make sure to eat breakfast. I usually have something like a whole-wheat waffle (Eggo Nutrigrain, I hate whole-grain but it actually tastes good) with pumpkin butter, string cheese, and milk. Carry healthy snacks like nuts around with you.
Drink lots of water. The Crystal Light should help you with that.
Avoid butter and sugar like the plague. Try to cut down on sugar by eating less processed foods (fruit's a good sweet snack), eating sugar-free products, and using a sugar substitute. (Stevia extract is all natural and actually tastes like sugar with no nasty aftertaste. Available at health food stores and Trader Joe's). Instead of butter, try Smart Balance or Soy Balance. They taste like butter, unlike margarine subs like I Can't Believe It's Not Butter (well, I can!) and are a lot better for you.
Also try those Quaker Mini Rice Cakes, they're in little bags, 90 calories a bag, and they come in chocolate! Rice cakes in general are a great snack.
While a small amount of carbs is good for you, they make you bloated so try to cut down.
Whenever you want to eat something unhealthy, look in the mirror and stick your stomach out as far as you can. Now picture it twice that size. Still wanna eat all that crap?
As for exercise, just try to be active. Since you hate exercising, leg lifts etc aren't going to work so well. Go for lots of walks (bring music so you don't get bored). Turn on music and dance for half an hour. Babysit and play tag with the kids. Exercise during TV commercials. And reward yourself for losing weight with treats like a manicure and pedicure or a new lipstick.

Good luck!

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okay so like 2 years ago i had to have a tooth pulled.. and it never came in. So today i went to the dentist and they decided that they were going to surgeclly pull it down... and now im scared. If anyone has had this done does it hurt?? like seriously i don't want this but at the same time i do cause i want my tooth obviously but like i don't want to be in pain for like a week either.

Don't worry about it, they will probably give you a local anesthetic. (sp)

A few years ago I had 1 baby tooth that wouldn't fall out and two extra teeth in the gum above it (gross, I know). They removed 2 and pulled 1 down. They knocked me out for it, and the only time it hurt was while I was waiting for the medicine. Ask your parents to get your prescription ahead of time and pick up the medicine so it's ready as soon as you're done.

Hope it goes well!

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I'm looking for a new camera since my old one broke :(

Out of these cameras, which one would you say is the best?:
Canon PowerShot A450
Canon PowerShot A460
Canon PowerShot A430

Also, what camera (any brand) do you think is a great camera?

I had a Powershot a few years ago and it wasn't too great, pretty bulky.

I love the Sony CyberShot 10.1 MP, it takes great pictures. It also has a touch screen and comes with a little pen thing so you can draw on pics, caption, crop pics, etc. It also has rechargeable batteries which are really nice. The 10.1 is the only one with the touch screen, however the others are nice too.

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Does anyone know if they are still making the George Lopez show? Thanks!

I read in a magazine that it got canceled, along with a bunch of shows with the same channel.

If it's back on, you'll probably see commercials for it soon.

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what kind of things should i eat to help make my immune system better able to fight this cold?

my throat is sore so most things im thinking of eating, will make my throat feel worse :/ like bananas or soup.

i dunno; but i need help on what to eat to get over this cold.

ALSO, what should i eat normally so i dont get sick all the time anymore?i mean, i was just sick not even a month ago. i dont think im eating healthy enough. should i drink vitamin water? or maybe take some type of vitamin daily?


please and thank you.

Soup, orange juice, and toast.

Two things you can try:

Airbourne- vitamins and herbs to keep you from getting sick and help you get better faster. It's in the form of a tablet, which you drop into water and it makes a fizzy, flavored drink. Comes in yummy flavors like grapefruit and lemon-lime and very portable- any time you start feeling sick, take it 3 times a day. (Walgreens, Walmart)

Emergen-C- for daily use. It's a drink packet that has your recommended amounts of vitamins, comes in several different flavors. It makes me more energized and keeps me from getting sick, I swear by it. A little pricey but a box of it will last you ages. (Trader Joe's, Walgreens, possibly Walmart)

Hope you feel better soon!

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There's a pair of black flats with a stretchy elastic back, and a gold medallion on the front with a swirly-like design on the medallion. I don't have a picture, but if anyone as a picture and/or the place to find them, please answer!

I saw those at Payless on clearance a week or so ago. Try payless.com.

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k so my homecoming is less than a month away. october 14. so i've been thinking about it a lottt lately. should i even go if i don't have a date? i get a free ticket because i'm in student council but i don't know if i should go. and if i do go when should i start trying to find a dress? like soon? and what kind of dress?

1. Don't you dare not go because you don't have a date. Homecoming isn't like prom, you don't have to have a date, and it's a lot more fun if you don't. Who wants to dance with the same person for hours on end, anyway?
2. Start looking now, seriously I know girls who bought theirs in august. Most homecomings are cocktail-style dresses, usually spaghetti strap or strapless, knee-length or shorter.

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I have to do a school project on a controversial/ethical subject and I wanted to choose something other than the death penalty or abortion. I have chosen to do underage drinking. As part of research for the project we have been asked to gather different points of view about the topic and I decided Advicenators would be an ideal place to get some of these opinions/experiences.

If you could take a few minutes to answer these questions/give any additional infomation then it would be very much appreciated.

Did you drink when you were underage? (I know that the legal age varies in different countries, so just go with whatever the legal age is where you are). If so, how often? Where and how did you obtain the alcohol? I'm focussing a large section of the paper on the use of fake ID/asking older friends etc to buy alcohol for you, so if you have any experiences with that, then please let me know in as much detail as possible.

Thank you.

EDIT:
Sorry, I thought you were someone else. Never mind...

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In the cell phone game surviving high school 07 when you get the extra episodes do they charge you extra or is it all free????

(like the mash game and stuff on those pages)

Since you already paid to download the game, it's free...BUT...when you're playing the game and downloading episodes it uses up your minutes. If you go over your minutes they charge you a LOT. So be careful!

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Hey everyone, just wondering if you have any good sites or books for monologs.

www.monologuearchive.com

If you take drama class, your teacher probably has books. Otherwise, just go on Amazon.com and type in "monologues". Try to buy the book used, otherwise it can be kind of expensive.

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Does anyone know when Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is coming out on DVD? I've looked on the internet and couldn't find anything..

Also, this is kind of random, but towards the end of the book, where they find the prophecy, it says S.P.T. to A.P.W.B.D at the top. I know the 2nd part is Dumbledore's full name, but does anyone know what S.P.T. stands for?

Thanx in advance. :]

Probably if you google "Order of the Phoenix release date" you can find out.

It's Sybil Trelawney to Albus Percival Wulfric (or something like that) Dumbledore. Trelawney made the prophecy to Dumbledore when he interviewed her for the job of Divination teacher. It was the reason he hired her.

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school started like a week or so ago, and there is this guy who sits next to me in one of my classes, and i think he is so nice and irrisistable. I want to get his attention and be able to talk to him, and him want to talk to me. I have started one conversation about his favorate sport football, and it went well, but the thing is is that he is one of the really nice popular boys, and he probably gets this attention all the time. so i want to know how can i be that special girl? how can i be that one girl that he cant resist?

I'm in a similar situation...

- Smile, be happy, be positive! Not like scary, just a happy, non-negative person.
- Make a point of looking cute. Wear an outfit you know you look good in (try a cute sundress and cropped jean jacket), do your hair and makeup.
- Don't try too hard. Smile at his jokes but don't act like a dork, lol.
- If you're brave enough, "accidentally" tell a gossipy friend you like him. Trust me, he'll know.
- Try inviting him to a group outing- movies, etc. If he mentions he wants to see Superbad, tell him a group of your friends are going and he's welcome to come...then make it happen.

Good luck and BE YOURSELF! Cheesy but oh so true.

Kristen 16/f

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13/f

I was 11 when I dated my first guy. Well, he kinda left a bruise on my arm. The second guy, ugh, he hated my friends. Third guy, broke up with me after three days. I still don't understand why, either! Well, now I think guys have no feelings because they act like total assholes whenever I meet one. Well, my friend told me to be nice to a friend of hers, who is obviously a guy. Well... It turned out that he started acting rude. I kinda... Kicked him... Well... You get it! Look, could somebody just explain to me why guys are assholes and if they really have feelings? And, if any guys are reading this... Sorry, if this insulted you in anyway. X/_\X

THANK YOU!

First of all I agree completely with Razhie, you are too immature to date. If you're still at the age where you hate boys and kick them...um, hello, don't date them!

Guys are immature until about high school. That's just how it is, girls mature faster. Although quite frankly you're not very mature either..."Sorry if this insulted you in any way"

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My face gets red spots all over and just has a lot of redness ever since I got acne and had to take medicines for it. My makeup wears off really fast since my face get's oily but it's also dry in some areas so it looks all flaky. I hate the way my skin looks, what are some good brands of cover up? I'm using prescriptives right now and it's just not working for me.

First of all, you need a good skincare routine- cleanser, toner, moisturizer, treatment.

Almay has products that should work for you:
http://almay.com/Pg/Main/catcol.aspx?catid=34&catnm=Skin&subid=2&subnm=Normal&col=228
After cleansing, toning and moisturizing (do this twice a day) apply your topical medication (if you have any) and then makeup.

Start with a concealer for blemishes and undereye circles:
http://almay.com/Pg/Main/CatProdDet.aspx?catid=31&catnm=Face&subid=229&subnm=Concealer&prd=28581&osubnm=Normal

Next, apply foundation with a sponge:
http://almay.com/Pg/Main/CatProdDet.aspx?catid=31&catnm=Face&subid=233&subnm=Foundation&prd=28582&osubnm=Normal

If you don't like using liquid foundation, try this:
http://almay.com/Pg/Main/CatProdDet.aspx?catid=31&catnm=Face&subid=233&subnm=Foundation&prd=28584&osubnm=Normal

Then set it with a powder, using a powder brush:
http://almay.com/Pg/Main/CatProdDet.aspx?catid=31&catnm=Face&subid=241&subnm=Powder&prd=28583&osubnm=Normal

This may sound like a lot of makeup to you, but it is easy to apply and looks natural.
This book also has skincare and makeup routines for combination skin:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Haircare-Skincare-Makeup-Fitness-by-Lorenz-Books-SC_W0QQitemZ200105133732QQcmdZViewItem

I couldn't find in on Amazon.com but most bookstores should have it.

Good luck!

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I was thinking about trying the Bare Minerals makeup (the loose power stuff), but before i do i was wondering if it really does work the way it says it does and if it's worth the money.

A lot of people like it, but try this first, a ton of people prefer it over other brands, it's a lot cheaper, and you can get a free sample kit (you only pay shipping):
www.everydayminerals.com

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