When looking at various anti aging creams and anti wrinkle creams, there are different active ingredients that are commonly used; Retinol-based, Hydroxy acid based, Antioxidants, Copper peptides, Coenzyme Q10, or Kinetin.

Anti-aging creams and anti-wrinkle creams work on the basis of moisturizing new cell growth, while getting rid of the upper layer of dead, dry skin cells. In the case of Kinetin, it can sometimes be found in conjunction with an exfoliate, or by itself on the premise that the dead skin cells will eventually come off on their own and the new moisturized cells will emerge.

Kinetin is classified as a “super moisturizer” and is found natural in plants, as a plant growth hormone. It is the growth hormone in plants, that replenishes a broken or pruned branch with twice the growth it had before, therefore, it is like a healing compound. Many people will use Kinetin, in place of Retinol based treatments, because of side effects caused in some individuals by Retinol.

Kinetin is often used in the form of coconut milk or aloe. It is believed to be a moisture retention agent found in anti aging creams and anti wrinkle creams, but it’s real benefits have been unproven.

Kinetin products will often claim that it is best to be used by people living in tropical type climates where excessive moisturizing is needed. Consumers using this product in other climates may find that if over moisturizes and may be too much.

There have been advances in anti-aging creams and anti-wrinkle creams, and not many products on the market are still touting the natural plant growth ingredient of Kinetin. Some of the products that previously used Kinetin are no longer being sold on websites and in stores, other than to exhaust product in inventory, so it may be found to not be effective as anything other than a moisturizer.

There are so many choices available in the world of skin care treatments. Some of the products available have staggering prices but are not necessarily more effective than the cheaper items that are on sale. It is best to do research on the options that might work best for you. Of the anti-aging creams, a lot of them keep the skin hydrated and retaining moisture. This is where Kinetin would fit in, but whether or not the product’s price is competitive with other similar creams and treatments could be the deciding factor.

Kinetin is still a good option that is used for things like exposure to UV rays and it is a good choice for people needing a natural chemical treatment without the stronger chemicals. The fact that it is slowly being phased out of the anti-aging creams and anti-wrinkle creams available may just be a sign that it is not as strong as what is available in other creams. However, for people with sensitive skin it might be a very good option.

Author: Julie Samtsonn (www.LookTheAgeYouFeel.com)

A lounge made entirely of ice will open at Mandalay Place in Las Vegas, located adjacent to Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas in September.

The first permanent ice lounge of its kind in the U.S., the 2,000 sq. ft. Minus 5 Experience is a sub-freezing ice lounge that is owned and operated by the Minus 5 Group, a New Zealand-based company that has “ice-cool” attractions with six other Minus 5 ice lounges currently in operation in three countries around the globe.

Guests are invited to come in from the Las Vegas 100-degree heat and don Minus 5-issued parkas and booties over their t-shirts and flip-flops. Then the arctic adventure begins, as patrons enter the ethereal blue and white world of the shimmering Minus 5 ice lounge.

An icy wonderland of intricately hand-crafted ice sculptures and architecture, guests are promptly served an ice glass filled with exotic vodka-based cocktails (”mocktails” are also available for the kids or non-drinkers). Then, guests can relax on ice couches and enjoy what is literally the coolest lounge on the planet where the temperature is a constant -5 degrees Celsius or 23 degrees Fahrenheit.

“Our focus at Minus 5 is the art of ice,” said founder and president, Craig Ling.

We have our own ice carvers who change the lounge and sculptures every six-to-eight weeks. This also provides us with the ability to tailor-make sculptures for any function or event. With the ability to create anything from a company logo to an actual-sized replica automobile that you can sit in, the possibilities for the Minus 5 ice experience are only limited by your imagination.”

After enjoying the wonders of the sub-freezing environment, visitors can make their way to the Minus 5 Lodge, a warm, rustic pub adjacent to the Minus 5 Experience that is themed after great arctic explorers. The Minus 5 Lodge features ironwood beams, river stones, leather seats and an open-hearth to create an earthy, natural environment and a welcoming ambiance that also features artifacts from famed explorers and ski huts of old.

Restrain yourself from making jokes about cold feet, but Minus 5 will certainly be the only Las Vegas venue to perform “ice wedding” ceremonies. With colorful stained “ice” windows and pews, beautiful ice sculptures and ice candelabra, the Minus 5 ice-chapel creates an unparalleled setting for a romantic wedding ceremony. Brides are outfitted with an elegant white satin fur-trimmed cape to keep warm, and all ceremonies are organized in conjunction with the wedding professionals from the Mandalay Bay wedding department.

The Las Vegas location will be the first of many U.S.-based Minus 5 ice lounges, with other locations currently in the development stage in New York, Miami, Hawaii, and Los Angeles. Admission into the ice lounge is $30 and includes a cocktail.  Source: Ski Rebel

The trend towards pampering first-class passengers continues.  Airlines have increased leg room and offered bigger beds, softer bed sheets, better food, high tech gadgets, and even more privacy.  The next big craze is private suites, that make it seem like you’re traveling in a 5-star resort hotel.

Singapore Airlines just unveiled its new first-class suites on its Airbus 380 super-jumbo jet …. twelve luxury suites with a chaise lounge, 23-inch wide-screen LCD TV, and a large selection of CDs to listen to with Bose headsets.

What’s the price for flying in luxury? A round-trip ticket from Singapore to Sydney will cost $7,350 (including tax), a fifteen percent premium over the current standard first class fare of $6,400.  Full article

A vacation to Kenya is among the most memorable. When the decision is made to start a quest for Kenya, the excitement and anticipation bubble within. The allure of the unbridled territory, panoramic vistas and unforeseeable horizons draw people to it with an unexplained magnetism. There are so many wondrous things to see and be a part of that there is always a new experience around every corner.

The climate in Kenya is quite steady all year round. July and August are the coolest months while March through June provides much needed rainfall. Along the magnificent coastline the sunshine sparkles off the Indian Ocean and warms the beaches.

If you prefer a cooler climate, just take a short trip inland where the breezes blow. The whether is rarely too hot or too cold even throughout the coolest time of the year. The days are long and sunny offering warmth and making it the perfect conditions for year round Kenya holidays.

If sunrises and sunsets are your passion, there are none more spectacular than those beyond the Indian Ocean. The Kenya beaches are a wonderful playground during the days and stunning for the rising and setting of the sun. Funzi, Kilifi, Lamu Island, Chale and Manda Island await you, their exciting beaches and playgrounds for sun-lovers are calling.

From paradise retreats to terrific hot spots, they’re ready to show you a great time. Imagine the grandeur of nature on display right before your eyes at sunset, followed by an exciting evening of entertainment that goes beyond everything you’re used to!

Kenya isn’t all a celebration of wild places and sun-drenched beauty. The Diani and Leopard Reef resorts have plenty of fun in store for every visitor. If you want to spend your holiday being pampered in paradise, Kenya is the place for you. There are even a variety of exciting resorts that specialize in entertainment for children. Kenya is a garden of Earthly delights for the whole family.

For couples only to indulge their wishes for entertainment, the Southern Palms, Flamingo Beach and the Mombasa Serena Hotel are ready to provide you with your every dream come true. Check out the Kenya night life until you’ve partied the night away, then relax in luxurious rooms that are fit for a king and his queen.

When travelling to Kenya on holidays, an individual as well as a family can enjoy one of the most revered past times. Safaris are one of the most known and entertaining Kenya activities. The educational value is blended with an adventurous atmosphere. While safely seated in the vehicle you can watch from a safe distance as the wild life of Kenya frolic and fray in the untamed land. This is an affordable venture and one that is sure to please. These safari’s that are offered can be as little as one night to tease and delight the tourists or as long as six fun filled, exotic days.

Kenya shillings and Banknotes are the currency and are widely used. But, there are some rules such as you should leave with the same amount of foreign money as you came into the country with. However, the Central Bank of Kenya can help with any currency issues you might have.

Kenya holidays can be the experience of a lifetime! You may want to return again and again just to be sure you have seen it all. Safaris, the nightlife, 39 golf courses, swimming, fishing, snorkeling, diving, boat tours, and maybe an air tour in a small plane that can get you low enough to see the magnificent scenery and wildlife up close are just some of the things a person can do on Kenya holidays. Could there be a better place to spend your vacation? Kenya is a virtual playground, filled with everything your heart desires and people to serve, guide and pamper you through the adventure of a lifetime.

Author: Ken Smith

For the past few weeks Prague has been home to Pitt and Jolie, whose presence has made this capital—so pretty it could have been concocted by a pâtissier—the red-hot center of the celebrity universe.

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Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse offers amazing service, perfect cocktails from the bar, excellent wine list, and a nice atmosphere.

The food is excellent, including seafood (shrimp starter and crab cake), 8oz fillet. An 18oz was the smallest lobster, which we all thought was ridiculous.

We had a table of maybe 9 or 10 guys head out to this place. The staff was super friendly and we had a team handle the table. They were a bit less “professional” than your normal upscale restaurant, but provided some good fun and entertainment with us. We got into some jokes and one of the guys pulled the “do you have any ketchup” routine for the excellent steaks that were served.

The cocktails at Del Frisco’s were PERFECT. The guy next to me ordered a Vodka Gimlet and they made it with fresh squeezed lime juice. It was the perfect strength. I wish I would have ordered that instead of my Makers and Ginger.

There was a huge group of hungry guys and we tried a variety of appetizers. We got a few shrimp starters which contained 3 types of shrimp. This was great. And then a few orders of crab cakes. These crab cakes were huge and had large chunks of crab in them. I would say the best crab cakes I have ever eaten.

When it came to the steak I went with fillet because I was not hungry enough to handle a porterhouse. The steak was delicious. One of the better steaks I have ever eaten.

As we were leaving we got to see the “James Bond Wine Rack” which is some crazy table that opens up into a wine cellar and then closes.

I would totally recommend Del Frisco’s to anyone needing to take a group out, or to anyone who loves a great meal and can afford this upscale restaurant.

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse

Thomas Kinkade is self-named as the Painter of Light, which is a trademarked term, and he’s the most-collected artist of our time and likely the best-selling in history.

Kinkade’s artwork is essentially paint-highlighted, canvas-mounted “posters” of originals. His areas of specialty include: light-filled scenes of cottages, lighthouses and chapels, and seaside and pastoral landscapes.

His initial start to artistic stardom bega in 1984 when Thomas Kinkade and his wife, Nanette, set up a card table in a Placerville, California shopping center and they sold the first published prints of his paintings for the bargain price of only $35 each. Of course those originals are now worth thousands of dollars now. The art event was connected to one of many fundraisers that Thomas Kinkade has held for his hometown over the years.

“If you sell a painting, only a few people get to see it,” Kinkade explained. “But if you publish and sell a print, millions get to see it.”

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Nicknamed “The Hotel of Kings”, the Meurice has played host to everyone from Queen Victoria and the Maharajah of Jaipur to the King and Queen of Spain. For more than a hundred years the Meurice has been, for many, the quintessential French hotel.

Reflecting its uninterrupted attachment to the French art of living, Le Meurice is a magical, serene place, where the refined splendours of 18th-century architecture meet the latest in contemporary comfort and elegance. It was the place you went to for Brillat-Savarin-esque banquets and to sip tea in the red velvet salon.

And since its renovation, the Meurice has taken French-ness to new heights. Waiters swish by with their noses in the air. If you order a simple piece of toast, expect it to come on an enormous silver trolley.

Here, too, as the seasons pass, are born the creations of Yannick Alleno, the chef of the renowned restaurant, Le Meurice. Drawing his inspiration from the gastronomical treasures that abound in the Parisian region, this young French chef adds a daring touch to traditional dishes, creating a delicious, and whimsical link between past and present. The spa meanwhile offers treatments using grapeseed oil from nothing less than Château Lafite grapes.

Purists still prefer the slightly dilapidated elegance of its former reincarnation but it’s hard not to be impressed by the massive entrance across from the Tuileries and the marble interior with its chandeliers and priceless mosaic floors. The restaurant is one of the most beautiful in the city, three-tiered candelabras illuminating the heavy damask tablecloths and Limoges porcelain.

And every room is packed to the gills with an excess of old master paintings, Oriental rugs, Louis XV, XVI and Empire furniture. Bathrooms are enormous and marble, with tubs that fill in the blink of an eye, and super-sized showers that sport high speed jets.

You’ll find that the French-ness of the Meurice extends to the staff as well. Service is Gallic in both efficiency (very efficient) and in attitude (a lot). Doormen and porters who guard the door are intimidating figures who, with ineffable snobbery, act as hotel bouncers, deciding who belongs to the Meurice and showing others firmly out.

Meanwhile, the concierge will fetch your dry cleaning, fix your cellular telephone, and reserve your theatre tickets. Nonetheless, breakfast in bed at the Meurice is guaranteed to cure any ill. A white-sheeted trolley, a rose on the tray, a lot of silverware and truly ethereal croissants, while the daylight streams gently in. It’s the ultimate Parisian experience. Source: TabletHotels

The recent economic has hit the auto industry hard. The Big 3 auto makers have been hit hard and are collectively bleeding red ink and blowing through their cash reserves.

Consumers are cutting back their spending and big ticket items like cars are one of the first to go. But the luxury auto market is still relatively strong.

NADAguides.com has just released it’s guide of the Top 2009 Luxury Car List.

“Time will tell how negatively the luxury car segment will be impacted after the economic shakeout,” said Jeff Glucker, road test editor at NADAguides.com. “From our vantage point, however, what hasn’t been negatively impacted is the quality and selection of 2009 luxury cars available to buyers today.”

Following are the NADAguides.com top 5 luxury cars for 2009.

1) 2009 Audi A8 L, starting at $74,050
The 2009 Audi A8 L made the NADAguides.com luxury car list due to its ultra-luxurious cabin, complete with leather and wood inlays, and plenty of extra legroom for rear passengers, thanks to its extended wheelbase. The A8 L comes equipped with a 450-hp 6.0-liter W12 engine and Audi Quattro AWD, making it extremely responsive on the road. The A8 L features a 14-speaker Bose surround sound system with Audiopilot noise compensation, with which a microphone measures background noise and adjusts the radio volume accordingly, resulting in a more balanced sound. According to the NADAguides.com editors, “this sedan is a must-have for car buyers who want passion, prestige and power in one perfectly-appointed package.”

2) 2009 Jaguar XF Supercharged, starting at $64,475
Jaguar has delivered one of the “smoothest cars on the planet,” according to NADAguides.com. The 2009 Jaguar XF Supercharged boasts the Jaguar Sequential Shift transmission, with steering wheel-mounted paddles perfectly mated to its supercharged V8, which generates 420-hp and 413 lb-ft of torque. The XF features ventilated front seats with fan-assisted whole-seat heating and cooling, in addition to single-cushion heating and cooling. Because the XF separates seat and cabin temperature controls, occupants have the option of a warm cabin with a cool seat or vice versa. According to NADAguides.com, “The term luxury and the nameplate Jaguar go hand in hand and the XF showcases this pairing perfectly.”

3) 2009 Mercedes-Benz S Class 550, starting at $90,225
With its exhilarating 382-hp 5.5-liter V8 and its long list of luxury amenities, the 2009 Mercedes S550 represents the latest in automotive technology, according to NADAguides.com. “Equipment you expect to be available in the next five years is probably already installed on the S550,” said the editors at NADAguides.com. For 2009, Mercedes upgrades its adaptive cruise control, now called Distronic Plus, which uses two onboard radar systems to distance you from moving vehicles ahead. It offers true stop-and-go functionality by braking the vehicle to a complete stop or automatically adjusting the throttle. The Distronic Plus system also features Blind Spot Assist that provides visual and audio warnings if a vehicle is in your blind spot, as well as Parking Guidance which uses sensors to help you identify parking spaces that can accommodate your car and steering instruction displays to help you park. “Mercedes’ flagship sedan is an instant classic. No wonder it dominates luxury car lists year after year,” said the editors at NADAguides.com.

4) 2009 Hyundai Genesis, starting at $32,250
Hyundai is all grown up now, and the 2009 Genesis is here to prove it. With its Lexicon-designed sound system – built by the same company that designs Rolls-Royce systems – its well-appointed interior, a long list of standard equipment and a powerful 4.6-liter V8, Hyundai has “hit a homerun with the 2009 Genesis,” according to NADAguides.com. The Genesis went head to head against the Porsche Boxster and the BMW 750i in a zero-to-60 sprint…and beat them both.

5) 2009 Bentley Arnage, starting at $224,900
“When it comes to luxury cars, Bentley coined the phrase,” says NADAguides.com. Unfortunately, the creme de la creme company of the ultra-luxury car world sings a swan song for its Arnage this year. To commemorate, the folks at Crewe have created the Bentley Arnage Final Series model, which will be produced in extremely limited quantities. What won’t be limited, however, is the abundant power and prestige of the Arnage Final Series. Every Arnage is hand built to order, so the possibilities for personalization are virtually limitless. Up to 6.2 meters of veneer is used in every Arnage, with each wood set taking approximately 60 hours to complete. “The 2009 Bentley Arnage makes you feel like a king with its gorgeous hand-stitched leather and its wickedly powerful 6.75-liter twin-turbocharged V8,” said the editors at NADAguides.com.

To compare luxury cars, research new luxury car prices or read luxury car reviews, visit http://www.NADAguides.com for more information.

With a French, Portuguese, Native-American, and Caribbean heritage, Adriana Lima has a bedazzling, temptress-meets-angel face and the body to match.

As a spokeswoman for Victoria’s Secret, Guess?, Armani, and XOXO, Adriana Lima has become one of the most in-demand runway models in the world.

When she’s not making men worldwide drool, she’s helping Brazilian orphans in her native land and dabbling in acting.

Adriana says, “Fashion is about good energy. It’s about feelings. That’s what I have to give the people, good energy and good feelings.”

South Carolina has historically slipped below the radar when it comes to vacation spots. In recent years, this has turned around as excellent resorts have appeared. If golf is your thing, the Kiawah Island Golf Resort, near Charleston S.C., will qualify as a slice of heaven.

Walking into the grand lobby of the resort is to step back to a time of elegance, beauty and traditional Southern Charm. From silken chairs to marble facades to a giant fireplace, the entire atmosphere is one that remains you of a grander time and place.

Lest I get carried away, the resort is not all southern charm. The layout is more of a modern platform with the units to the resort being similar to townhomes running down the golf resort. This makes the resort an old world destination with a seamless modern trend.

The meshing of time periods works even if it is somewhat eccentric. This was obviously given serious consideration by the designers. The real find of this resort which was built in 2004, however, is not on the outside of the facilities but on the inside.

And then we get to the spa. Oh, my. The resort has a top rated spa that is simply sinful. From wraps to massages to facials, the spa has a little of something for everyone. Not only will they get rid of your obvious problem points, they will get the subtle ones as well.

At the end of the day, it is time to just relax and take it all in. Oh, and get a bit to eat. The resort has a variety of restaurants in the Southern and French style. Seafood is a definite specialty, so give it a try.

There is no doubt that you will feel elevated, alive, and rejuvenated once your vacation is through, though you may not get a large helping of that southern flavor from this hotel. Those that solely focus upon spa and golf offerings will be thrilled at the location and selection, which is why most people travel to this spot.

Just picture your day. You rise early to play 18. After that, it is a light lunch and a walk on the beach. Then to the spa for a bit of pampering. Take a bit of a nap and then head out for an epic meal and a bit of dancing. That is what the sanctuary has to offer you.

Kiawah Island Golf Resort
One Sanctuary Beach Drive
Kiawah Island, SC 29455
(800) 654-2924

Author: John Grimmes