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College students can look both smart and fashionable by carrying their books and other school supplies in a trendy bookbag. Many of these bags have been designed to securely contain all necessary school items as they are transported to different classes all while still looking chic. These noted bookbags have become particularly popular with college students:

School Bags for College

 Great for High School Books

American West Carry-On Tote Bag

This attractive bookbag resembles a large golden purse and is made out of luxurious leather. It is the perfect accessory for female college students. The bag features exterior zip pockets, a rear zip pocket and dual shoulder straps for easy carrying. A platform bottom with a set of feet helps to protect bag when it is set down on a surface. In addition to being appropriate for school, students can also use this bookbag to carry other items for different types of occasions.

Jansport SuperBreak Backpack

Students can find this chic backpack available in many different colors. The shoulder straps and back have been padded in order to provide more comfort when carrying. The large main compartment easily fits all necessary school supplies. An added front pocket is the perfect place to store all electronic supplies and other accessories.

Nike Brasilia 4 Large Mesh Backpack

Not only is this a perfect bag for carrying books, it is also perfectly suited for soggy gym clothes. A large side slip and elastic pocket have been added for extra convenience. The padded shoulder straps can be adjusted to suit all comfort levels. The color options have been tailored to coincide with the colors of many popular school sports teams.

Columbia LiteSpeed Messenger Bag

This sophisticated bag has different color options. Its featherweight design and minimalist silhouette provide easy handling. A handy side pocket is the perfect place to store a water bottle. This bag also features a durable outer layer made with specialized nylon to protect it from damage caused by water, mud, dirt and grime.

Lacoste New Class Vertical Flat Crossover Messenger Bag

Students can enjoy a new sporty twist on the classic messenger bag with this modernized version. It comes in many different colors and is made of smooth synthetic leather. Its buckle-adjustable shoulder strap can be modified to suit all comfort levels. The top-zip closure ensures that items are transported securely. An organizational slip pocket has been added for extra convenience.

Students can feel comfortable knowing that their schoolwork can be properly transported and effectively protected by using any of these bookbags. Their features and qualities make these bookbags a perfect choice. Their outward appearances will also allow students to feel comfortable and stylish as they make their way around the college campus.

Tanya Mitchell is a part time writer and nurse researching different masters of science in nursing online programs that will fit her needs.

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I remember in grade school relentlessly practicing my cursive. I’d spend hours at home on my chalkboard trying to copy the loopy tails and swoops of the letters. It seemed right when I learned the regular alphabet, they threw cursive in my face.

And now that my son is in school- guess what? They don’t even teach cursive any more! After I got over my indignation about the whole pointlessness of my learning it, I started wondering what the origins were behind it. And it’s actually pretty interesting!

It started with a quill…

Way back when they used quills to write, apparently they were fragile and messy. Cursive was adopted as a quicker and easier way to write. Less picking the quill up off the paper meant less ink spills etc.

It hardly changed for hundreds of years…

There was a standard to the English cursive for hundreds of years starting way back in the early 16th century. In the 17th and 18th century the cursive style was modified to what’s called The Round Style.  It stayed very popular. In the mid 1800’s Abraham Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg Address in a cursive that looks similar to what we see today.

D’Nealian Script, a cursive alphabet – lower case and upper case.

The schools caught on…

By the mid 1800’s, almost all American children were taught cursive in school. Letters were addressed in cursive. And female and male cursive had distinct differences. In the 1960’s, a less difficult cursive style was demanded. And cursive script lost a lot of it’s beauty and art.

Cursive Writing Practice: Reproducible Activity Pages with Motivational and Character-Building Quotes That Make Handwriting Practice Meaningful

And then typewriters and computers came about…

By the late 20th century, cursive started phasing out due to it being unnecessary for formal writing since the computer was so widely used. Slowly schools started teaching it less and less and by 2011, 3 states have opted to not teach it in favor of teaching keyboard proficiency. While the U.S. has fallen out of favor with cursive, there are still many countries who base their degree of literacy on how well you can write in cursive.

If you’re like me, you have a sort of hybrid way of writing. A blend of cursive and printing. Where some of the letters join and some don’t. It’s all over the place. But it makes me curious to see the new generation of kids and how their handwriting will look without any of the cursive script teaching. And I guess I kind of feel special knowing something that has become almost extinct in our country. Not so bitter after all.

Lisa Coronado is a content writer for Promotional Pencils and often writes articles for Promotional Pens.

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Australians are as well-known for their love of adventure as they are for their love of beer. If there is something that’s dangerous if not downright life-threatening, they’ll do it. After they’ve done it and lived to tell the tale, their more practical side will take over and offer it to others, with some safety precautions thrown in for good measure. If you’re looking for an adrenaline rush in Australia, here are some things to consider.

Heli-biking in Cairns

What better way to combine a fantastic aerial view of the Great Barrier Reef with an exhilarating downhill mountain bike ride than on a heli-biking adventure in Cairns? The day begins with a helicopter ride over the Great Barrier Reef. Then you’ll swing back inland over tropical rainforests and your helicopter will land on top of the infamous Bump Track, one of Australia’s most renowned mountain bike trails. From there, you’ll plummet down 1600 vertical feet over a distance of 6 miles of main track. If you’re an experienced rider looking for even more of a rush, you can take the expert trails, which feature hair-raising drop-offs and hairpin switchbacks.

Hiking Tropical Australia: Queensland and Northern New South Wales

Skydiving in Sydney

Sydney may be a cosmopolitan city, but it’s filled with adventure lovers who live for an occasional adrenaline rush. They are served by skydiving services just outside the city, where for some reason local restrictions don’t allow skydivers to land on George Street or in the middle of a freeway. Woolongong, just south of Sydney is not only the gateway to the beautiful south coast, it is home to a skydiving center that will take you to an elevation of 14,000 feet and then “drop you off” without bothering to land first. Don’t worry, though, this is tandem skydiving we’re talking about. You can enjoy the rush, while your highly trained instructor will make sure you reach the beach safely.

Whitewater Rafting in Tasmania

Thanks to the efforts of dedicated environmentalists, the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park offers whitewater rafters the opportunity to enjoy the thrill of a lifetime as they take on the untamed Franklin River. The 75 mile long Franklin River tumbles from the central highlands, through breathtaking World Heritage rainforests and rushes through Frenchman’s Gap before joining the Gordon River and continuing on to Hobart. Whitewater rafting tours range from short excursions for beginners to 14 day serious adventures for intermediate to advanced whitewater rafters.

Rockclimbing in Victoria

Seemingly in the middle of nowhere, about 200 miles inland from Melbourne, is a tiny village called Natimuk. Natimuk’s claim to fame is its proximity to Australia’s and one of the world’s most famous rock climbing meccas. Not exactly a mountain, “Mount” Arapiles juts skyward in the middle of flat plains. Arapiles is composed of quartzite, an extremely hard and stable form of sandstone. Time has sculpted the rather haphazard arrangements of sandstone into ideal rock climbing cliffs. There are cracks and fissures for placing protection, “buckets” that serve as handholds just when you need them the most and when they are not available, expert climbers can find a place to fit the tip of a finger to help them on their way. There are thousands of established routes on Arapiles, ranging from near vertical beginner’s routes to enormously challenging vertical and beyond vertical routes for experts.

These few examples just scratch the surface. Then there are the snowfields of the Snowy Mountains in winter, the hundreds of point breaks and reefs for surfers and vast wilderness areas of Western Australia to consider. If you’re an adrenaline junkie, Australia has everything you need to get your fix.

Rob enjoys many of the extreme sports on offer in Australia. If extreme sports are your thing then Australia should be on your list of places to visit. Jump onto bookitnow.com.au to find some of the best accommodation deals throughout Australia.

If you have ever been lucky enough to see the Hope Diamond on display at the Smithsonian, then you know how breathtakingly beautiful a blue diamond can be. Fancy color diamonds in various shades of blue, pink and yellow have become increasingly popular now that celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez are choosing these for their engagement rings.

Hope Diamond in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History

The gem was cut several times between 1668 and 1958

Know What You’re Getting

Perhaps you want to make a statement with a blue diamond or are considering purchasing one for that special someone. While you may find dealers willing to offer these at a bargain price, keep in mind that naturally-occurring blue diamonds are among the rarest in the world, with only a handful discovered each year. Making an informed decision, then, will help ensure that you are getting what you pay for.

Blue Diamond Jewelry

Various Shades of Diamond

Diamonds can be found naturally in almost any color from white to blood red, and these hues stem primarily from impurities that become trapped during their formation. The Hope Diamond, for instance, contains a trace amount of boron that not only provides its splendid color but also enables it to conduct electricity. A more common impurity is nitrogen, which gives many diamonds their yellow color. Although most naturally-occurring diamonds contain impurities, very few of them qualify as “fancy color” diamonds.

Diamond Value

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) measures diamond value according to the Four C’s: carat, color, cut and clarity. Although white diamonds are graded from colorless (D) to light yellow (Z), the GIA uses a different scale for fancy color diamonds. Blue diamonds, for instance, are graded according to the richness of their hues, which is why fancy vivid blues command the highest prices.

Which is the Rarest of All?

Of all the naturally-occurring colored diamonds in the world today, the red diamond is by far the rarest. Less than 20 have been recorded in human history, which is why the relatively small 5.11 carat Moussaieff Fancy Red at is worth an astonishing $7 million. Blue diamonds are also exceedingly rare, making up only 0.1% of the gem-grade diamond market. A GIA-certified fancy blue diamond worth fifty times more than its white equivalent, then, is not unheard of.

Natural or Treated

Because colored diamonds are found so rarely in nature, the ones you see for a bargain price have most likely been treated. Since the 1950s, gemologists have been using radiation combined with heat treatment to produce nearly any color desired. These results, while permanent, can still be quite expensive because only certain diamonds can handle the process.

Less scrupulous treatments, however, use temporary surface coatings that add color to a diamond or make them appear transparent. Unfortunately, these are usually subtle enough to avoid detection by the naked eye, which is why gemologists recommend that jewelry dealers use a carbide scriber on all their colored diamonds to test for coatings.

Look for the Real Thing

As you can see, the potential for fraud remains high, especially when it comes to purchasing rare blue diamonds. Fortunately, there are reputable brokers out there who only sell GIA-certified diamonds to their customers. A nonprofit institute, the GIA is the most trusted source in the world for determining diamond value, and has been responsible for developing many of the techniques gemologists use today to detect fraud. Finding the blue diamond of your dreams, while challenging, is not a task you have to handle alone.

Brandi Tolleson writes on many topics, from health and popular culture to medical technology.

Christmas is a great time of year for so many reasons, and the fun of decorating is just one of them.  It can be even more fun if you make a lot of your own decorations and involve the whole family in the process.  Here are some great ideas for festive Christmas decorating.

Ornaments

Tuna can ornaments: Save your old tuna cans, and remove both ends. This gives you a little shadow box to decorate.  Hot glue trim around the edges and then use your imagination.  Glue cotton snow with a little figurine onto it, hang photos of your children to swing in the middle of them.  You are limited only by your imagination.

Needlepoint ornaments: At this time of year, you will find a lot of small needlepoint kits in craft stores.  From a small pillow with the year on it, to little scenes in frames, you and your children can be proud of your hand made ornament to hang on you own tree, or give as gifts.

Clothespin ornaments: These are fun for little children to make.  A simple clothespin becomes Rudolph when antlers cut out of felt are glued to the top, a small red pompom is used for a nose, and a little bow tied around his neck.  Children get to draw his eyes above the nose.

Martha Stewart’s Christmas: Entertaining, Decorating and Giving

Felt ornaments: Another easy craft for children that only involves some felt, glue and beads is another reindeer idea.  The child’s hand is traced out in tan felt.  With the outstretched thumb as the head and neck, and the other fingers as legs, your instant reindeer just has to be decorated with bead eyes, felt antlers and whatever other touches the children want to add.

Decorate the Kitchen, too: All too often the kitchen is left out when it comes to decorating for Christmas.  Find, buy or make flat hanging ornaments and hang them from each of the knobs in the kitchen cabinets.  Non edible gingerbread men are great for this.

Garlands, Baskets and Wreaths

Pine Cones: There is literally no end to the use you can put pine cones to during the Christmas season.  A lovely wreath can be made simply by hot gluing plain pine cones onto a Styrofoam wreath. Make sure you have a variety of sizes so all spaces on the wreath are filed.  You can use the same method to form a tree, using a Styrofoam cone.  Another pretty decoration, to be used as a dining table centerpiece or a hall table focal point is a pretty basket filled with pine cones that have been spray painted gold.

Garlands: Predecorated garlands can get fairly expensive, but if you form your own, you can have a unique design and save money.  Just buy inexpensive plain garlands and then twine artificial holly sprigs or poinsettias among them.  For added glamour, twine a string of Christmas tree lights through them.  These garlands look great on mantelpieces or stair railings.

Baskets: Besides filling them with pine cones, baskets are great for adding color to any corner of the house at the holidays.  Using a Styrofoam florists block to hold them in place, fill a basket with poinsettia picks and holly sprigs.  You can buy small artificial poinsettia plants and fill a floor basket with them to add interest to a dead corner in a room.  Mixing red and white poinsettias is an interesting look.

Outdoors

Grape Vine Trees: You need some minor carpentry skills for these, but the result is worth the trouble.  Form three legs out of ½ inch square trim, and hold them together at the top with tape.  Then make a triangle frame for the bottom and attach to the trim, using carpet nails or staples.  Next, weave outdoor lights in loose grape vine, and string it around the tree shaped frame you have just made, attaching it with staples or glue.  You can make several trees the same size, or graduate them in size.

Luminerias: This is a fun and simple way to add interest and glow to your outdoor Christmas landscape.  You can use small paper bags, but many companies have introduced lumeneria bags with pretty winter themes cut out on the bag.  Votive lamps are placed inside the bags and the winter walkway is brought to life with pretty footlights.

Happy Holiday Decorating!

Moms everywhere are into decorating their home for the holidays which means you don’t have to be alone in decorating yours. A fast people search will help you find moms in  your area who love to decorate.

Decorating for the Holidays: Christmas with Martha Stewart Living

There are many decadent objects in the world that have enormous price tags attached to them. There is an obvious rationalization for the cost of some of these luxurious items; yachts, performance cars and massive beach houses have a reason for costing the amount they do but what about a common rug. Although ‘common’ is most defiantly not a word used to describe the most expensive rug ever recorded, it would not look that different to any Persian rug on display in a department store until upon closer inspection you see its dazzling components. One thing is for sure, the owner of the most expensive Persian rug should defiantly implore the most careful of cleaning methods with top class and professional cleaning services.

The Worlds Most Expensive Carpet

The Pearl carpet of Baroda is the most expensive rug in the world and was sold for a whopping and insane $5 million! It beat the $4.45 million mark paid for a silk Persian rug sold in New York at Christie’s in 2008. The Pearl carpet of Baroda is an intricately created rug featuring millions of small seed pearls, sapphires, gold diamonds, rubies and emeralds in copious amounts, on silk and deer hide. The central focus of the most expensive Persian rug ever sold is three large circular rosettes complied of diamonds set in white gold. This Indian carpet, the most expensive rug in the world, was sold at an auction held by Sotheby’s in Qatar.

The New York auction house would not disclose any information about the buyer of the most expensive rug but his location was said to be in Doha, Qatar. This incredible rug is many years old which just adds to its priceless attributes and has a traditional story of history attached to it. It was initially commissioned in 1865 by the Maharajah of the once Indian state, Baroda, as a present for the tomb and resting place of the prophet Mohammed in Medina. The Pearl carpet of Baroda that has topped any other ‘most expensive rugs’ lists to date and was created to mimic and resemble some of the magnificent and elegant rugs used in the Taj Mahal in Agra.

Its own special place in textiles

This object defiantly has timeless attributes that makes it such an expensive commodity to attain. Apart from the extensive use of incredibly rare and expensive jewels and the careful attention to detail, it has firmly been placed on a collectors list for a renowned piece to acquire. Anyone purchasing the most expensive rug in the world should make use of the most gentle yet effective carpet preservation methods to ensure it stays in optimum condition.

Sarah Mancini is an avid writer of topical happenings around the world. She has spoken to numerous carpet cleaners worldwide about care for expensive rugs and carpets and has researched cleaning devices, including handheld vacuum cleaners, to discover more about home and textile cleaning.

Since Victoria Beckham’s debut clothing collection was launched in 2008, fashionistas have been scrabbling to get their hands on one of the gorgeous designer items. Although the designer has been stocked in their stores, it appears as though Boutique 1 are now able to stock some of the Victoria Beckham collection in their online boutique as well.

Boutique 1

Boutique 1 is one of the leading boutiques in the Middle East. Since it opened its doors 5 years ago, this boutique has expanded rapidly and now boasts of four stores in the region. Shoppers can purchase goods conveniently online from the website of this boutique. They provide the very best to their customers by offering unique designs from some of the world’s leading designers. Boutique 1 is now stocking Victoria Beckham products online.

Victoria Beckham

Victoria Beckham is a popular, former pop-star and an international fashion icon. She is regarded as one of the most photographed women in the world. She launched her first collection of classic, dresses in the year 2007 at the New York Fashion Week and has never looked back. This is a woman who understands the ever changing fashion trends and has been a style icon and trendsetter for many years.

The Collection

Boutique 1 stocks a wide range of women’s clothing from Victoria Beckham’s collection and other international designers. Day dresses, cocktail dresses and gowns are available in this store. They come in a range of unique designs and appealing colours. Some of the colours available are multi, orange, black and navy.

The day dresses are fabulous and are made from comfortable, high quality materials. Pretty prints, plain patterns and magnificent mosaics are used to boost the confidence of the wearer. Sleeveless, three quarter and long sleeved day dresses are available to suit individual taste. These outfits can be worn to work or special occasions.

Quality

The Victoria Beckham collection has also some lavish, flattering gowns and cocktail dresses. These gowns and dresses have splendid details and luxurious finishes. Some are ornamented with chiffon, lace and sequins which enables the wearer to look fabulous and exude lots of confidence. These lovely gowns can be used as evening wear or party dresses.

Boutique 1 stocks also a wide range of shoes and bags to match with these fabulous outfits. Different types of bags in a wide range of colours are available including shoulder bags, clutch bags and totes. Shoes in various designs and colours are also available including boots, flats, wedges and high heels. Jewellery to go with the outfits is available too including bracelets, rings, earrings, necklaces, brooches and chains.

Sophistication and style are perennial in Boutique 1. That is why they stock exclusive and elegant designs from some of the leading fashion designers like Victoria Beckham. You can now easily shop for these outfits online from the comfort of the home. All you need to do to shop online is to register. You can conveniently pay for your purchases using Visa Card, MasterCard, bank transfer and JCB. They can also accept cash on delivery from UAE customers.

See the range of Victoria Beckham clothing available at Boutique 1 online and in store but be quick, the collection sells fast!

With Mother’s Day just around the corner on March 18, there will be plenty of people looking for ideas for gifts to make mum feel special. Jewellery is always a hit with mums of all ages up and down the land so we thought we’d look to the lives of the rich and famous for some inspiration this year. Here are five of the most expensive and lavish pieces on the planet – so, do you think your mother is worth it?

House of Winston Earrings

Extraordinary Diamond Drop Earrings by The House of Harry Winston

With the Oscars just gone, there were eyes galore on the dresses and the jewellery worn by the stars of the screen as they graced the red carpet. The House of Harry Winston in Beverley Hills is the jeweller to the stars and lends millions of dollars-worth to the great and the good of the film world as Hollywood’s elite attempt to outdo each other at the showpiece ceremony. In 2006, Harry Winston jewellers created the Extraordinary Diamond Drop Earrings, two pear shaped drops of diamond set in platinum which totalled 60.1 carats of mind-boggling bling. It would set you back a cool $8.5m to grab a pair of these for your mum this Mother’s Day, so she’d better have been well behaved this year.

Heart of the Kingdom Ruby

Want to show your mum just how much you love her? Look no further than the Heart of the Kingdom ruby. The 40.63 carat heart-shaped ruby, mounted on a 155 carat diamond necklace can also be transformed into a tiara. And that’s not all you get for your money; the ruby comes with two Swiss laboratory reports to verify its rarity and price – a whopping $14 million.

Tiffany Diamond Necklace

No shopping trip to America would be complete without a visit to Tiffany & Co, and what better Mother’s Day present than their Majestic Diamond Necklace? A bargain for sure at just $2.5 million, the 41.4 carat diamond is surrounded by round and pear shaped diamonds. And don’t worry if you can’t afford flights to New York, Tiffany’s online store delivers straight to your door.

Chopard Magnificent Diamond and Emerald Necklace

Hailing from Chopard’s Haute Joaillerie collection, this necklace is a magnificent Mother’s Day present, even if they do say so themselves. A not-so-subtle 16 carats of drop-shaped diamonds are offset with 191 carats of the world’s greenest emeralds you could find. Unfortunately you will have to go to extra lengths to get this one. The price is only available on request, but you’ll have to fork out at least $3 million to bag this piece.

Chopard Blue Diamond Ring

If all of the above are a bit too showy for your mum, why not get her this blue diamond ring? The oval-shaped rare diamond is accompanied by an 18-carat diamond band and will knock you back around $1.7 million a carat, but it will be worth it to see the faces of her friends next time she nips down the hairdressers for a cut and colour. Totalling $16.64 million, it’s understated beauty at its best.

So, which one of these five wonderful pieces of jewellery will it be? You’ll probably have to save up a bit though and with Mothers Day 2012 falling on March 18 that doesn’t give you too much time, so you might have to stick with a card and flowers this year.

This article has been produced by Mothers Day 2012 UK, a great website dedicated to Mothers Day.

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Ray Ban glasses are amazingly popular: fact. They’ve got that sports-chic look that’s been popular for the best part of the last 70 years, and they’re currently one of the top designers of frames as hipsters and fashionistas have taken on the Wayfarer style as part of their branding.

But style is not the only reason tiny action hero Tom Cruise still wears his Top Gun Aviators – there’s actually quite a bit of technology going on behind the fashion.

If you’ve looking for a reason to jump on the bandwagon, or you just want a pair of glasses that will last, this post will give you a something to think about.

Born from Necessity

The Aviator was the first frame by Ray Ban, designed in 1937 and adopted by the US Air Force as they were the only glasses around at the time that protected eyes from UV rays and transmitted all colours equally. Ray Ban still sell these frames and lenses (G-15 neutral gray) but a lot has gone on behind the scenes since then, and there’s a lot more choice when it comes to their glasses, whether you have fighter pilot 20/20 vision or have difficulty reading.

Ray Ban now has three main types of frames – carbon fibre, titanium and Memo-Ray. Titanium frames are ultra-light and elastic, and are as strong as steel but are only half the weight. They are also hypoallergenic, resist corrosion and are impervious to the elements – perfect if you have baby-sensitive skin and do any of this malarkey.

Ray-Ban RB3025 Aviator Sunglasses

Built for Punishment

The Memo-Ray frames also contain titanium, but blended with nickel to produce exceptionally light and flexible frames. You can literally do anything with these glasses. Put them through the washing machine, give them to your dog as a chew toy, hell,  even give them to your two-year-old to play with; and they will still come out the other side the same shape, if covered with a mixture of chocolate and saliva. Indestructible.

The carbon fibre frames are the most recent innovation. They use five layers of carbon fibre and resin, which make the glasses highly resistant, flexible, strong and light – they have the greatest strength to weight ratio of any material. They even make Aviators in carbon fibre, so you can get your Tom Cruise on without the fear of getting those little red marks on the bridge your nose.

Ray Ban lenses are super-strong as well – all of them are tested by dropping a steel ball on them (no joke), so they should be more than ok if you manage to tread on them.

How Will You Use Yours?

The four main types of Ray Ban lenses are Light Adaptive, Polarised, B-15 and G-15.

Light Adaptive lenses, as I’m sure you know, go from clear to dark depending on the light conditions. They limit red/orange light which enhances brightness and clarity, and let through just enough blue light for accurate colour perception. This means they can help those of us that get headaches and strained eyes from bright sunlight – no more wrinkles from squinting!

The Polarised lenses reduce reflected light by almost 100% (such as glare from water and metals), as well as blocking near 100% of radiation, so are good for pilots, sailors and civvies alike. They’re made with high quality plastic or crystal, which retains colour and sharpness, and only 15% of visible light reaches the eye.

Then there’s the classic G-15 and B-15 tints, G-15 a neutral grey, and B-15 a high contrast brown that blocks out a large percentage of blue light so are good for anyone active.

So, Ray Bans have a lot more too them than first meets the eye (excuse the terrible pun…). They work to provide comfort and resistance so you can get on with the job of looking stylish. Timeless style and functionality, why choose anything else?

Photo by Eleazar Paradise

Jasmin Ayres is an addicted blogger, obsessed with Aviator Ray-Ban’s! She writes for Valley Optics, an online retailer who specialise in selling top designer branded sunglasses, such as Carrera sunglasses and Ray Ban glasses.

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Are you searching for your next springtime scent? Research and test the top five best scents for spring to find the perfume that suits you perfectly.

There are a few different ingredients that you’ll want to keep your eye out for when unveiling your next springtime scent. Jasmine is exotically floral and is perfect for a late night date or a romantic dinner for two. Vanilla may feel like a cold weather scent, but if it’s paired with orange or strawberry notes, it’s perfectly spring-y. You’ll see a lot of warm weather perfumes that contain wood-y smelling sandalwood, too.

Elizabeth W Magnolia Eau de Parfum

Find this fragrance in Anthropologie shops, from their catalogue or online. Elizabeth W Magnolia Eau de Parfum is light, airy and brings back memories of sweet summer nights. Women who love southern-smelling perfumes will swoon over Elizabeth W Magnolia. This is relatively budget-friendly perfume. You can snag a bottle of your own for just $28. Ingredients include white magnolia petals, saffron, sandalwood, gardenia and Riviera mimosa.

SJP NYC

Stands for Sarah Jessica Parker, New York City. Any “Sex and the City” and Carrie-loving girly girl will get a kick out of the scent and presentation of this snazzy perfume. Spritz on a bit of Ms. Parker’s creation for agirl-next-door kind of appeal. The unique bottle has a variety of clashing-yet-complementary designs, including zebra skin, butterflies and tie dye.

L’Artisan Parfumeur La Chasse aux Papillons

Channel your inner French girl with this hard-to-pronounce perfume. If you love florals, you’ll need to try on L’Artisan Parfumeur La Chasse aux Papillons.The scent is mild and understated, as if you were strolling through an open, airy garden.Ingredients include linden blossom and tuberose. For an even subtler scent, opt for the eau de toilette instead of the perfume.

Island by Michael Kors

Get into the summer mindset early this year by spraying your neck, shoulders and wrists with Island by Michael Kors. The designer often travels to exotic locales and spends his afternoons drifting along beaches. It’s no wonder that he’s created an equally sunny scent to bring island paradise to you. Ingredients include Bulgarian rose, Chinese kiwi and honeysuckle.

DKNY Be Delicious Fresh Blossom

If you’re a fan of DKNY’s Granny apple-scented perfume, you’ll love the brand’s Fresh Blossom scent even more.The scents you’ll enjoy include citrusy grapefruit, warm apricot, rose and jasmine. Spray this on when you need to wake up early for a big meeting. Citrus is known to energize and invigorate.

Whatever your style, there’s a spring scent out there for you.  Since spring perfume should be on the lighter side, don’t use it too liberally. Also, most perfumes have a lighter eau du toilette version, which is like a watered-down perfume.

Cindi Lewis writes for glossy.com a skin care and beauty products online retailer.

Top 10 Women’s Fragrances 2012

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