life & style // no. 16 theotherpress.ca

Fish therapy

> The health benefits of keeping an aquarium

Lauren Paulsen
Senior Columnist

 

ave you ever wondered why

most doctors’ and dentists’
offices have aquariums in the
waiting room? Why restaurants
and malls incorporate them?
Those aquariums aren't just
for display purposes. They
actually help your wellbeing,
both physically and mentally.

For a long time, researchers
have known that nature has a
calming effect on people. That
is why there are CDs dedicated
to nature sounds, suchas
birds, crickets, waves, or wind.
That is why there are so many
nature themed desktops. That
is why we bring plants into our
houses, and why we decorate
with things like sea shells. We
actually crave nature. Having
those things near us actually
helps fulfil a need to really

connect with the natural world.
Anyone that owns an
aquarium can tell you that
watching their fish is soothing. It
puts you in an almost meditative
state. A study done by the
National Marine Aquarium,
Plymouth University, and the
University of Exeter actually

proved that watching an aquarium
scientifically does benefit us both
mentally and physically. They
analyzed the mental and physical
responses of people viewing the
fish tanks and found that there is a
significant effect on lowering both
the people’s blood pressure and
heart rate. It can actually take as
little as five minutes of watching

an aquarium to have this effect.
It doesn’t just reduce stress
though, it also reduces anger
and fear, and increases a person’s
overall happiness. A study done
at Purdue University found
that displaying aquariums with
brightly coloured fish lessened
disruptive behaviour and
improved the eating habits of
people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Through further studies,
it has been shown that even an
empty aquarium with just plants
gently swaying in a current
can be beneficial. But as you
increase the number of fish
in the tank, overall happiness
also increases. Watching the
fish swimming around can be
completely mesmerizing.
When you bring an aquarium
into your home, you also bring in
a pet (or pets) that you can bond

Beauty on a Budget

> NYC and Physician's Formula Bronzers

Lauren Kelly
Assistant Editor

 

Gr into summer, bronzers
are a great way to give your
face a warm glow, especially if
you don’t tan well, or want to add
some extra colour and shimmer.
Two great options for those
wishing to achieve this at a low
price point are NYC’s Smooth
Skin Bronzing Face Powder and
their Sun n’ Bronze. For those
fine with spending a little more,
another good choice is Physician’s
Formula’s new Murumuru Butter
Bronzer.

I tried NYC’s Smooth Skin
bronzer in “Sunny,” which is
medium brown and mostly matte
with a small amount of shimmer.
Currently, it only comes in this
shade. This bronzer is incredibly
pigmented, and very powdery,
resulting in my brush picking up
a lot of product very easily. This
meant there was a bit of a learning
curve for me in terms of how
much product to use to achieve

 

of the shade means it should
work well for women of almost all
skin-tones. The compact includes
asmall mirror as well as a semi-
circle sponge, so it’s easy to bring

with. Many people are amazed

at how attached they became to
their fish. The ritual of taking care
of them, such as feeding every
day, is often found to be very
relaxing by aquarium enthusiasts.

Besides being so visually
appealing, an aquarium is also
relaxing because most people
find the sound of running water
very soothing and pleasant.
Bigger aquariums with a lot of
biodiversity are, of course, the
most effective, but since most
people cannot afford them, there
are many options for miniature
aquariums on the market.

These are quite affordable and
easy to maintain. Setting up
an aquarium and aquascaping
it can bea fun project, and
afterwards it can bring you
great joy for years to come.

So, as hobbyists have been
saying all along, fish-keeping truly
does increase your well-being. If
you are still skeptical, then just
go to a pet store and watch their
live fish for a while. Better yet,
head to the Vancouver Aquarium
and spend a day relaxing
surrounded by the beautiful
and mesmerizing displays.

separately or swirl together.
“Montauk Bronze” and “Fire

Island Tan” contain mostly mid-
range shades, while “Hampton's

Image by Lauren Kelly

Otherplaylist

Brittney MacDonald
Life and Style Editor

Looking for some new summer jams? Well, have a listen to
some of the tracks The Other Press staff can’t get out of their
heads. You can listen by searching The Other Playlist in Spotify.

| Can't Take My Eyes Off You — Atruvin ft.

Charlie James
Brittney

Get Lost — Breakbot

Mercedes

Doing it to Death — The Kills

Ula

Mama Says — Ibeyi

Eric

Victory — Dear Reader
Chandler

Moonlight — Ariana Grande

Jerrison

| Got U — Duke Dumont ft. Jax Jones

Elizabeth

Finest Girl — The Lonely Island

Joel

CPU — Big Boi ft. Phantogram

Cara

C'est La Vie Way — Wolf Parade

Une

ailiteye

powdery as the other one, and I
found it easier to apply without
overdoing it, which I prefer.
Although I really like “Montauk
Bronze,” the latter two palettes
are a great value for offering
highlights and bronzer in one
small package. On that note,

the compact has a clear lid with
no mirror or applicator, and

the product itself is beautifully
sculpted in a 5x5 grid of pyramids,
which not only looks good, but
actually prevents you from hitting
pan too early.

Physician’s Formula is known
for their bronzers, and the variety
of types available should cover
pretty much anything you could
want. However, their newest
bronzer is very different from their
other powder formulas. Called
the Murumuru Butter Bronzer,
the product feels like just that. It
also has a very obvious coconut
scent, which I love, but might
be a minus for some people. I
purchased it in “Light Bronze,”
which is a light and natural

 

it easily, making mistakes less
complicated to fix. The product
has a wavy pattern, making it look
like a sand dune. It comes in a
deep compact, with the product
on top anda flip up compartment
underneath with a full mirror and
a nice applicator with a plastic
handle.

I'll be working these into
my daily repertoire, which ’'m
excited about since I’ve never used
bronzer for more than contouring.
For those less familiar with using
bronzers like me, for a natural
glow, use an applicator to draw the
product in a 3 shape along the side
of your face, bringing it in under
your cheekbone, then blend the
bronzer upwards over your cheek.
Although I do love the Butter
Bronzer, and I think it’s perfect for
everyday use, the NYC bronzers
are amazing for their price. At
$4.99 each at Walmart, you can
pick up both for only $10 and cover
all your bases. The Butter Bronzer
hits at a pricier $19.99 at London
Drugs and $18.99 at Walmart, but

Radiance” and “Coney Island
Glow” contain a mix of highlights
and deeper browns. Because of
the shimmer, these are great for
catching the light and giving

you a true glow instead of only
simulating a tan. Although it’s
quite pigmented, it’s not as

bronzer for people with fair skin,
but it is also available in “Bronze”
for darker skintones. Like the
Smooth Skin Bronzer, it has only a
hint of shimmer. I found this one
the simplest to apply, as the cream
formula allowed me to blend

the luxurious feeling and scent
of the product might just make
it worth it. As always, watch for
samples and see how each one

works for you before taking the
plunge!

with you and apply on the go.
For NYC’s Sun n’ Bronze,

I tried “Montauk Bronze,” one

of the four colours available.

Each compact contains five rows

of different shimmery shades

of brown, which you can use

the right look. However, the colour
is very warm without seeming
orange, so it gives a natural

glow even on very pale skin, like
mine. Because it’s so matte and
pigmented, it also works well for
contouring, and the buildability