November 18th, 2008
Sun Sauce recently sent out a press mailing of 24 tips of counteracting the effects of aging -
naturally! It was so helpful that I knew I had to share it with my friends here.
1. Frownies. These little tape devices work miracles without needles and have been around for a hundred years. Wear them at night or for at least four hours and you will see results. Warning: Your husband may think you look like a mummy.
2. Make a mate latté. Yerba mate tea tastes great and comes in many flavors. Heat water almost to boiling, steep for 10 minutes, strain, and then top it off with steamed, frothy milk (or use almond milk and a dash of cinnamon). Do not drink mate if you are taking an MAO inhibitor, as the combination may raise blood pressure.
3. Positive attitude. Various researches have shown that optimism increases good health. Start with positive self-talk: “I can handle this.” Try to avoid criticizing yourself!
4. Care for hands and feet. Exfoliate (use the scrub recipe from chapter 7) and then, before bed, mix avocado oil and primrose oil in equal parts, apply a few drops to hands and feet, cover with gloves and socks, and go to sleep.
5. Detox for a day
6. Dr. Gilbère’s Seaweed Detox Bath. This mineral bath increases blood and lymph flow to circulation-starved areas, breaks down cellulite and moves waste out of your body. You can also use it as a body wrap.
7. Whiten your teeth. Try whitening strips while reading a book before you doze off.
8. Sleep. Get at least eight hours of sleep. Try to go to bed before 10 p.m. Tip: Listen to calming music for 45 minutes before bedtime. (I’ve heard of a study showing that music helped elderly folks sleep longer and feel less tired the next day. This may be because music decreases a key stress hormone in the body.)
9. Sleep with a contour pillow, the affordable alternative to pricey beauty pillows. The Anti-Wrinkle Pillow made by Eyetopia™ stretches the neck and reduces the pressure of face to pillow (which, in turn, reduces wrinkles!). Visit www.cynthiaboxrudmd.com for more info.
10. Look Younger with a sunless tan, use a bronzer or sunless tanning lotion- it will soften the appearance of imperfections while giving you skin an youthful healthy glow
11. Use eye-hydrating goggles. Saturate cotton pads with an herbal calming tonic such as argan or neem oil and place in these specially designed, hydrating goggles. Sleep in them or remove after 30 minutes. Visit www.dreamessentials.com to find out more.
12. De-puff. Cut back on white flour and sugar for 24 hours. Refined carbs cause your body to retain water, making your face “puffy.”
13. Pimple zapper. Blend one packet of brewers yeast and a few drops of lemon juice and apply as a mask before bed. As the mixture hardens, it pushes away debris clogging your pores.
14. Throw on another pillow. Fifteen minutes before rising from bed in the morning, place an extra pillow under your head. This will help de-puff your eyes.
15. Cut down on salt. Salt makes you retain water. Avoid fast foods and switch to Spice Hunters, my favorite spices. My mom is now also a believer in these tasty salt-free spices.3 (Those with high blood pressure should only have 250mg a day; the average person, 3,000mg or less. If you are active and sweat a lot, you may need more.)
16. Pray. Thank God for everything before bed and before you get up. Be grateful!
17. Be joyful. A happy person looks younger because a smile sheds years.
18. Plump away your wrinkles. Drink eight to ten glasses of water with lemon a day. Your skin will be more hydrated and the appearance of wrinkles less pronounced, while lemon helps with digestion.
19. Avoid sugar. It dries out your skin and promotes wrinkles
20. Choose an herbal coffee instead of a regular cup of joe. In a coffee/tea press, make Teeccino Vanilla Nut caffeine-free herbal coffee, then mix with unsweetened vanilla almond milk, half a drop of Pure Inventions vanilla cocoa, and 1/2 tsp Xylitol—or add a little organic half-and-half (it’s a vanilla-cocoa delight!).
21. Get a pedicure and manicure, or DIY. Soft hands and feet and clean nails are beautiful, with polish or without.
22. Use a silk pillowcase. Silk does not crease the way cotton does, and will not leave a mark on your face.
23. Drink rooibos (red tea). This South African tea has collagen-building copper, as well as vitamin C and other antioxidants.
24. Enjoy a Sea Cal Bath by Spa Technologies. Soak for 20 minutes is a blend of micronized coralaceous algae and marine plankton, rich in calcium and magnesium. These powerful minerals restore cellular balance by stimulating metabolism and eliminating excess water. Great for treatment of cellulite, water retention, PMS and bloating.
Do you have any personal anti-aging tips? We’d love to hear them!
Tags: anti-aging, Beauty, Skin, skincare, stay young, tips
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By Aly Walansky -- 3 comments
November 17th, 2008
So, if you live in a major metropolitan city - or not - you may or may not be dating a metrosexual.
My best friend’s guy has been known to get his brows threaded before every special occasion so that they are perfectly shaped, and my baby-faced little brother will never go to bed before well-moisturizing from his toes to the tips of his fingers.
When is it too much? And when is it just…good manners?
The truth is, male grooming is sometimes just good manners: Neanderthal man is long gone, the time when male body odor was the only fragrance required is only valid in the wild (and among my puppies).
Men have evolved, and as brows are known to frame the face, keeping them in order is more important than just about anything they may wear on their body.
The interesting thing is that brows are ONLY noticeable when they are a mess, and if your guy has a monobrow or just a few stray hairs, it may be a good time to summon his inner metro.
Check out the above video, where Aisha Alves of with Picture Perfect Makeup gives a step-by-step how-to on how to groom your man’s brows. Keep it in mind for your holiday parties!
Photo credit: Monkeysee.com
Tags: brows, eyebrows, man, manscape, metrosexual
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By Aly Walansky -- 0 comments
November 16th, 2008
Friends, readers: I must confess this post has nothing to do with eBeauty…except…myself becoming the most popular eBeauty out there!
I have entered to be “hottest girl of the week” in a VH1-related contest. The male and female with the most “pickups” when the timer runs out will get featured on VH1 during airings of The Pick Up Artist… which I’ve honestly never watched, and I’m sure is very silly, but I want to win anyway!
http://www.pickyourgameup.com/alywalansky
Yes, I know…totally not blogarrific.
But winning will put me in great spirits…which may lead to even more fun contests… :-)
Photo credit: Me. It’s a picture of me as Mary Ann on Halloween. I am cute: truth in advertising! :-)
PS: Yes, I know, shameful self-promotion. Bad, bad, blogger!
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By Aly Walansky -- 1 comment
November 14th, 2008
Since as far back as high school, each month, like million of girls (and many of my friends), I’d scour the pages of Cosmopolitan for advice on everything from my lukewarm love life to my frazzled hair.
To me, Cosmo was sort of my beauty bible — and now they’ve published a comprehensive bible of their own. COSMO’S SEXIEST BEAUTY SECRETS: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO LOOKING GORGEOUS (Hearst Books; November 4, 2008).
The book offers hundreds of insider tips and tricks on everything from scoring a flawless complexion to creating a ton of hairstyles to working the latest make up trends. There’s plenty of pointers drawing in our “prey”, including: the secrets to getting silky, touchable hair, captivating eyes, and soft, full lips.
Also in here: Decadent at-home spa ideas that advise women how to pamper themselves like a pro. And since every beauty junkie is bound to make a misstep now and then, Cosmo included crucial tips for overcoming common beauty blunders.
Here’s a sneak peek at what you’ll find inside:
- Shrink a zit instantly by dabbing it with toner then placing an ice-cube (wrapped in tissue) on the bump for one minute. Last, use a spot-treatment product before dotting on concealer.
- Get the shiniest hair imaginable by using an at-home clear gloss treatment, which will infuse your strands with potent polishers like silicone, jojoba oil, and vitamin E.
- Make your eyes look larger by rimming the inside of your lids with white liner. Then define your upper and lower lashes with a charcoal liner and finish with three coats of black mascara.
- Fake the look of fuller lips by blending a thin line of liquid highlighter along your cupid’s bow so light will bounce off it and play up this curvy area.
I love this book so much that I want to share it with my friends (though I hope that I still become the most beautiful from it, of course). Two readers will each win a copy. To win, please share your own sexy beauty secret! (We won’t tell anyone…except the millions who read the comment.) Deadline November 28.
Photo credit: Hearst Books
Tags: cosmo, cosmopolitan, cosmopolitan magazine, sexy beauty secrets
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By Aly Walansky -- 47 comments
November 13th, 2008
When one is fortunate enough to have three daily columns, they should really attempt not to, via sheer laziness, blow it.
Maintenance of said workload is dependent on one being steadfast in their schedule, their tasks, and their daily responsibilities.
And still, when someone is a girlie girl who loves new toys…even with the best of intentions, this goes right out the window!
This past weekend, Lori Greiner sent me her spinning mirrored cosmetic organizer.
Now, I have had many such devices in the past…but as someone who receives boxes and boxes of cosmetics daily, it’s super easy for even the best of products to get overloaded very quickly. This though was finally something that could meet the challenge. (The challenge being, well, me.)
The way this works is that, like the earth, it spins on its axis - and each of the two doored compartments are mirrored! It stores over 150 tubes, jars, and containers, rotating to let you see everything at a glance: Meaning it will actually make it easier to do my job, and I do not suck afterall.
Yay for rationalization!
The spinning mirrored cosmetic organizer is available QVC for $64.68.
Photo by Lori Greiner.
Tags: Cosmetics, getting organized, organizer, QVC
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By Aly Walansky -- 6 comments
November 12th, 2008
The bold, modern, captivating scent of Vera Wang Look embraces a woman’s confidence and creates a seductive effect through complex textures and layers of fragrance notes.
Vera Wang Look is presented in a modern cut geometric prism with facets that have been polished to perfection. Inspired by Vera Wang’s ready to wear, contrasting proportions are architectural and refined. The slender silhouette of the clear glass cap reflects simplicity from every angle.
Check out Vera Wang discussing the fragrance available here.
Even sexier, the Parfum Elixir ($300) concentrates the sparkling, lush floral bouquet of Vera Wang LOOK into its purest and most precious form. Presented in an elegant flacon and sealed with a cut crystal stopper and wand to luxuriously apply the fragrance to your pulse points. We have one gorgeous, luxurious (and signed by Vera Wang herself!) bottle to give away…to have your chance to win, tell us, what is YOUR favorite scent? (Can be a fragrance, a person, a food…)
Deadline to enter is November 28.
Photo by Coty Inc.
Tags: elixir, Fragrance, look, parfum, perfume, vera wang
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By Aly Walansky -- 259 comments
November 11th, 2008
One of my favorite beauty icons, Audrey Hepburn, once said, “The beauty of a woman changes with the passing years, it is up to her to manage the change she desires.”
She was so right.
Now, more than 55 years later, Audrey Hepburn’s philosophy has enlightened millions of women to the benefits of taking advantage of all science has to offer when it comes to their appearance.
I’m excited to see though that doing so just became a little bit easier.
Check out the NuFace device: It was recently cleared by the FDA as an at-home cosmetic device that safely and effectively improves the appearance of the face through the use of microcurrent technology. The muscles and skin tissues are lifted and toned utilizing the NuFace’s non-invasive and gentle electrical stimulation. “The NuFace device is bringing anti-aging to the next level,” says Dr. Peter Pugliese, a renowned physician and lead medical consultant of clinical studies for the Carol Cole Company. “Where Botox has made the anti-aging market turn on its heels, the NuFace device is a new and innovative skin health product.”
Currently, microcurrent technology is used in spas to lift and tone the face, reduce and eliminate fine lines and wrinkles, improve facial circulation, skin exfoliation, lymphatic drainage, treat sun damage and skin pigment as well as improve product penetration.
Emil Y. Chi, PhD, director of the University of Washington’s department of pathology, performed clinical studies using microcurrent technology. He notes, “The fact that this technology works in harmony with the body is evident. Examination of skin tissue treated with microcurrents showed a 45% increase in the number of elastin fibers in the dermis, collagen thickness in connective tissue increased 10%, and the number of blood vessels increased by 35%. The application of microcurrents to the skin and tissue produced a firmer and tighter feeling on the skin’s surface.”
This all feels like a magic wand, doesn’t it? How does it work?
The NuFace device can be used daily as an addition to a healthy skin regimen. A non-invasive approach to facial rejuvenation, the NuFace device is used to improve muscle tone in the face. The user glides the NuFace device along the contour of the face while a gentle alternating current is emitted through dual spherical probes. In addition, the NuFace device compliments many professional treatments including LED, laser, invasive procedures and injectables such as Botox.
“The NuFacecurrently retailed at spas, medispas, and select online retailers including www.myNuFace.com $379.00 and the kit includes: the NuFace® device, Derma-Gel, Optimizing Mist, Instructional DVD, One year warranty and 30-day money back guarantee. However, ONE reader will win one right now.
To have your chance to win, please share your own tried (and perhaps failed?) methods of following Ms. Hepburn’s sage advice. Deadline November 25.
Image property of Carol Cole Company.
Tags: anti-aging, at-home beauty, homemade-beauty, nuface, skincare
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By Aly Walansky -- 92 comments
November 10th, 2008
As the holiday season gets closer (actually, I’m pretty sure it’s *here*), we find ourselves with the usual indecision: Do we get a gift for our loved ones they may not like, or do we go the easy (but often seen as impersonal) route and give them a gift card?
Whether you have a friend who loves tea, but you are unsure of their favorite type or love a foodie who would enjoy a romantic dinner in, or want to send a spa gift certificate to your friend in another state, Vivabox sort of bridges all those gaps in an awesomely innovative way.
The cool thing about these boxes is that they are actually a few gifts in one: Unlike other experiential gifts on the market, you get a taste of what you will receive before even redeeming the gift card. For instance, check out the variety of boxes out there:
The Gourmet Vivabox (retail value $115): A gourmet meal delivered to your door, by the leader in gourmet meal delivery, GourmetStation, including two silver plated napkin rings.
The Spa Vivabox (retail value $160) Your choice of massage or facial at one of over 4,000 spas in the SpaFinder network, as well as French Lavender body lotion, French Lavender shower gel, Organic Juniper and Lemon bath salts, Grapefruit and Mint body lotion, and Revitalizing Lotion for legs and feet.
The Manicure/Pedicure Vivabox (retail value $95): A manicure and pedicure at one of over 4,000 spas in the SpaFinder network, as well as French Lavender body lotion, French Lavender shower gel, Organic Juniper and Lemon bath salts, Grapefruit and Mint body lotion, and Revitalizing Lotion for legs and feet.
The Teatime Vivabox (retail value $50): A sampling of seven different flowering and loose teas by Numi, along with a gift card redeemable for a number of different tea-time related gifts.
I am super excited to say that ONE reader will win their choice of any of these boxes. To win, share your tip: If you were to create your own custom experiential vivabox - on any theme - what would be in it? And who on your holiday gift list would receive it?
Deadline November 20.
Photo courtesy of vivaboxusa.com
Tags: gift-ideas, holiday shopping, presents, spa, vivabox
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By Aly Walansky -- 69 comments
November 8th, 2008
I was lucky enough to get to spend the entire first week of November as an invited guest at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena, and passed just about the entirety of my stay being absolutely indulgent and gluttonous.
It was fab.
During my stay, I stopped by Ajne. Created and owned by Jane Hendler, Ajne is a Carmel based company that emphasizes the use of organic, chemical-free products and CUSTOM BLENDS (how cool is that???) perfumes with ingredients that are so rare, they can cost up to $80,000 a kilo.
These perfumes are either sold stand-alone, or expertly blended to create new scents that can provide different benefits based on your personal needs. The personal blend is done by a process that seems half chemistry, half sorcery: Ajne uses a system, based on the ideas of Chakra, to make each scent unique to the wearer. First, you have to answer a questionnaire about yourself that might seem a little off-the-topic for perfume (for example, what colors do you like or what your favorite season is). Then a mélanger trained by Ajne will interpret your answers and decide which areas of your body’s chakra need improving. Since these areas relate to scents, it is then easy to find which oils and perfumes you will like and benefit from the most.
The process may be a little confusing for those who don’t understand Chakra, but the result is absolutely delicious - by the end of my experience, I learned that while I as full of love, there was not enough passion in my life - and that was where my chakras were unbalanced. My scent helped to get my insides in order…and also smelled fabulous.
More info on the Langham Huntington Hotel and Spa at pasadena.langhamhotels.com.
Ajne Scent Bar images courtesy of Langham Huntington Hotel and Spa
Tags: ajne, jane hendler, langham, langham hotel, pasadena
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By Aly Walansky -- 0 comments
November 7th, 2008
I keep on getting emails with how-to’s on how to blow out your hair. I am grateful..and yet, I know that many of us cannot learn such an invovled task simply by reading a few paragraphs!
I just discovered MonkeySee, though, a free how-to video site featuring real experts offering instruction, demonstrations and advice on almost any topic imaginable. Turns out there’s a whole channel devoted to this sort of thing, and one is … blowouts!
How to Blow Dry your hair, Mona Harb, salon and spa owner:
Tags: blow out, hair, How-to, video
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By Aly Walansky -- 0 comments
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