Debenhams, a online retailer based in the UK, launched several campaigns last year to promote positive body image. Plus-sized mannequins were displayed in store windows and the store hired a wheelchair- bound model for their advertising campaign, where she was photographed with plus-sized and petite models.

Similar to Dove’s campaign for real beauty, Debenhams launched their June 2010 campaign to raise awareness of the negative impact that a digitally enhanced beauty creates unrealistic perception of female beauty. Mark Woods, director of creative and visual at Debenhams, shows us what goes on in the editing process, in the creation of a perfect beauty as we see on every cover photo and advertisements.

From the image above you can see a dozen touch ups have been clearly indicated, ranging from skimming of the legs, waist, arms and shoulders to smoothing of the face. It diminishes the self-esteem of women who obsessively make comparisons of themselves to models and celebrities, most of whose images have undergone the same processes in the editing room.

Here are some celebrity cover photos and advertisements that have been sold to the public.

Until our perception of what constitutes perfect beauty change, digital enhancements will still have an important role to play in the advertising industry.

Check out Debenhams Blog for more information about their campaign to promote un-airbrushed ads.

I was in the middle of watching a 2-hour movie with my boyfriend at the theaters last night when I felt a slight irritation on the corner of my lip. I knew instantly what it was: the dreaded cold sore. I couldn’t even concentrate on the rest of the movie. I was already trying to find creative ways to cover the ugly site for the next two weeks.

I usually get them once a year but this is the second outbreak for me, and every time it comes back, I’d get really depressed about it. I can’t share food, I have to drink out of my own cup or straw, I can’t kiss my boyfriend for fear of spreading the cold sore to him… it’s like quarantining myself from contact from anyone else. It sucks.

Many people confuse cold sores with canker sores. Canker sores are small white bacterial infections inside the mouth. Cold sores are red blisters on or around the mouth that start out as a small irritation, then spread and grow into larger clusters of fluid-filled sores lasting for 1 to 2 weeks.

Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1, a highly contagious virus that, once contracted, will stay in your nervous system forever, occasionally rising from dormancy to make an appearance on your face. Once you’ve had cold sores, you can’t stop recurrences for good, but you can learn to get rid of cold sores quickly, and how to avoid triggers and outbreaks of herpes type 1 as much as possible.

I’ve spent a great deal of money and tried a number of ways to get rid of a cold sore fast but only one method has been proven consistent and effective. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Avoid touching, scratching, and rubbing cold sores. The less you touch, the faster the cold sore will disappear. Cold sores are spread through physical contact, and itching or rubbing a cold sore will spread the herpes virus and any pus or fluid to the rest of your face, or to another person!
2. Never, ever poke at the cold sore. Once the cold sore bursts in its early stage, it can spread to other areas of the skin. The bacteria that dribble out will leave a trail of new cold sores.
3. Hold a Q-tip with nail polish remover on the cold sore for 60 seconds. Do not rub or itch it with the Q-tip! The constant application of acetone-based nail polish remover dries out the cold sore to speed up the healing process. If a sore has already developed it will burn like hell but the sore will dry up in hours. The appearance of a cold sore should diminish after a few hours but repeat this step throughout the course of two days, applying every 4 to 6 hours, to ensure that the core sore is gone indefinitely.
4. Cover the cold sore with Neosporin. This will help protect it from secondary infection with bacteria.
5. Take amino acid lysine supplement tablets. Lysine reduces outbreaks and helps heal the infection quickly. You can get these at any drug store.

Some other things you can do is recognize and avoid your cold sore triggers to prevent and shorten cold sore outbreaks. Specific triggers are different for everyone, but stress, anxiety, menstruation, salty or acidic foods (such as potato chips or citrus foods), overexposure to extreme weather (bright sun or cold winds), or other health problems such as the flu or a cold are common causes of cold sores.

Cold sores are extremely contagious so avoid kissing and sharing cups, towels, or other such items. Wash your hands frequently, especially after touching cold sores. Replace your toothbrush and towels once the cold sore is gone.

Update 10/19/2010 — My cold sore is completely gone! But I’ll keep applying the acetone-based nail polish remover for another day or two to make sure it doesn’t come back! I hope this method works for you as much as it did for me!

For more information about cold sores, check out WebMD.

With summer just around the corner, I’m anxious to break into a new pair of shades! But what’s the right style for me? Follow this little guide to find your perfect match.

Aviators

Works for every face! This timeless shape has survived decades of trend cycles and is as chic as ever. Just but be sure to choose a version that covers your eyebrows.

Over-sized Squares

Flatters round and heart-shaped faces. You’ll look like a modern-day Jackie O hiding behind these large frames.

Wayfarer

Balances a strong jawline. These classic-cool shades will add the perfect dose of rock ‘n’ roll to your look.

Wrap-around

Good for a long, slim face. This sporty option adds a touch of style when you’re out to brunch or sitting in the bleachers at a soccer game.

A while ago, I wrote about my sudden random breakout that nearly drove me to the point of depression. I actually had great skin in high school and college but something happened within the last few months when I started getting more and more acne that wouldn’t go away. So now I’m constantly on the lookout for natural, preventative treatments for my adult acne.

I randomly saw this face mask when I was on a mission to find something that would work for my face. I didn’t want to invest in expensive acne treatments that would make my acne worse so I tried this egg white mask. After about a week, I noticed that my acne has significantly decreased in size and redness. The mask tightens my pores, evens my skin tone and fades out minor scars. My skin is also really soft after the first application. The only thing I don’t like about this mask is the smell but the results clearly out weight the con.

To prepare the egg white mask:

1. Crack an egg in half over a bowl.
2. Separate the yolk and egg white by sloshing between the egg shell halves.
3. Beat the egg whites with a fork until it starts to foam. You can also add a teaspoon of honey as a natural antioxidant.
4. Apply generously to your face and leave it on for 15 to 30 minutes.

The mask will dry stiff so you will know when its ready to wash off when you can’t move a muscle without cracking the mask. Remember to always moisturize after you wash your face. You can get about three masks from one egg so save what’s left over in your refrigerator for use the next day!

To read about what others are saying about the egg white mask, check out Acne.org.

My eyes are very sensitive and gets red and irritated easily, especially during spring season when pollination is at its peak. For as long as I can remember, I’ve alternated between Visine and ClearEyes but they’re just not cutting it for me anymore.

So I picked up some new eye drops called Rohto Ice and aside from the initial burn when it comes in contact with my eyes — feels like getting minty soap in your eye — they cleared up the redness, dryness and irritation almost instantly. The trick is to keep your eyes closed for about a minute after applying because as soon as it touches your eyes and has air contact, it stings like crazy! Also, the flat bottle design is a plus because it fits nicely in my clutch or pocket.

There are four lines of Rohto eye drops — Cool, Arctic, Ice, and Hydra.

• Cool is a general purpose eye drop that combines redness relief with a gentle cooling sensation.
• Ice relieves redness while also soothing itch, irritation and burn with an intense cooling sensation.
• Arctic relieves strained, overworked eyes and relieves redness with a long-lasting cooling sensation.
• NEW Hydra is specifically formulated to lubricate and provide long-lasting moisture for dry, irritated eyes with the closest hydration to normal tears, while also providing the brand’s signature “kick” with cooling menthol.

You can buy Rohto eye drops at most convenient stores such as Kroger, Walmart, Safeway, CVS, Walgreens, and RiteAid. It is also available online at drugstore.com.