DIY BROWN SUGAR SCRUB

Photo Credit: Carlos Saqiid

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup of Turbinado Sugar
* 1 tbl of Almond Oil (or grapeseed oil, sesame oil, coconut oil)
* 8-10 drops of Rose Oil (or your favorite essential oil)

Mix ingredients together and place in a glass jar.  Store in a cool dark place.  Stand in your shower.  Before wetting your skin, massage scrub dry onto your body.  For best results use twice weekly.

While Sephora's store shelves are stocked with many different brands of brown sugar body scrub, some which we absolutely love like Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish and Archipelago Brown Sugar Scrub, it is really quite simple to make your own.  It only requires three ingredients, a glass jar and five minutes of your time.

Sugar may ruin your teeth, but it has many great benefits for your skin. First of all, sugar is hydrating.  It is a natural humectant, which means that it will draw moisture from the environment into your skin.  Secondly, sugar is an excellent exfoliant as it is a natural source of glycolic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) which dissolves dead surface skin cells to help reveal healthier, more youthful-looking skin.

Lastly, sugar can be more beneficial for your skin than salt as it is gentler.  Salt is too harsh, it can cause microscopic tears in the skin and can actually strip the skin of natural oils causing dryness.

When choosing a type of sugar for your body scrub, be sure to use turbinado sugar because it is naturally coarser than granulated brown sugar providing a more thorough exfoliation.

We Love NARS Makeup Collection for Spring 2011

In true NARS fashion they go from vibrant and funky to cool and understated. Look at what they've got for us this Spring.

Laura Mercier Silk Road Collection for Spring 2011

Laura Mercier is one of our absolute favorite brand cosmetic lines. Just look at what the queen of "The Flawless Face" has in store for us this Spring.

Laura Mercier Silk Road Collection for Spring 2011
Silk Road Eye & Cheek Palette – Limited Edition 

Shop www.lauramercier.com

Beauty in a Jar ... NOT

When it comes to correcting any problems that we have with our skin or our bodies, many of us will seek to find the answer in a jar, tube, bag ... anywhere besides within. But the truth of the matter is, the real answer always lies within ourselves. Aging is inevitable; and though there is nothing we can do to change that, we absolutely have the power to improve it.

According to a recent study by Mintel, a leading global supplier of consumer, product and media intelligence, most people agree that beauty cannot be found in a jar. In their findings "69% of consumers believe how you age is mostly genetic, and external products are more hope than help. Additionally, eight in ten consumers think diet and exercise are the most important factors associated with aging skin and 78% say using sunscreen is the real key to preventing visible signs of aging." Do you agree? I certainly do.

And so it seems that more people are coming into a belief that beauty isn't sold in a jar. But, what of those who still hold on to the "Hope" that perhaps their wonder cream will be the one to do the trick. Well, while creams and supplements can certainly provide some nourishment and benefits to the skin, they are not miracle workers. There is no over-the-counter product currently on the market that can significantly turn back the hands of time.

What can you do? Treat yourself well. Make healthy food choices, exercise regularly, sleep well, avoid negative thinking ... you've heard this all before. Now all that is left to do is to put it in practice.


Source: Mintel

I Love A Great Mascara. Don't You?

I love a great mascara. Don't you?

One that doesn't flake, clump or smear. Believe it or not, a really good one is not that easy to come by. Just the other day a woman I met in yoga class struck up a conversation with me. She had beautiful eyes and I couldn't help but to compliment her. She thanked me, but attributed her beauty to her mascara. Why is it so hard for us (women) to except compliments sometimes? Anyway, she said that if it were not for her Loreal Voluminous her eyes would disappear. I suppose that many women feel the same way. One thing is for sure mascara accentuates the eyes beautifully.

See a list of my favorites below:

Bare Escentuals Buxom® Lash Mascara
*Sold exclusively at Sephora
It's free of parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragances and dyes.
It comes in Blackest Black, is long-lasting and has this great hourglass-shaped brush that separates and lengthens the lashes.

 Covergirl LashBlast Volume Blasting Mascara
It provides maximum thickness and length. It's available in 4 shades and waterproof. It's long-lasting and has a fabulous brush that separates the lashes. 

Loreal Paris Volumunious Mascara
A volumizing mascara in a deep rich shade of Carbon Black.
It's fragrance free and will not clump or smear. It has a great brush that is designed to lengthen and separate.

Neck Respect

The most delicate areas on our bodies, the skin of our necks, décolleté and bust, are also the most neglected areas of our bodies. “Due to lack of care and protection, they’re usually the first areas to start sagging and developing age spots,” says Louise Peck, Ph.D. and founder of HydroPeptide in a recent article entitled, "Neck Deep" featured in DaySpa Magazine (Oct. 2010). “The skin on the neck is thin, has virtually no subcutaneous fat, is prone to loss of moisture and circulates blood poorly,” said Peck.

The skin on our necks, décolleté and bust should be treated with the same amount of care that is given to our faces. Though the skin on our bodies tend to differ slightly from that of our faces; the neck, bust and décolleté skin is more fragile. They must be cleansed twice daily, moisturized and protected with SPF 30. Since aging of the skin is connected with a loss of moisture, use products that are extremely hydrating. It's actually best to use products that are formulated for the face. Hydrating serums, because they penetrate deeper, work great. Simply expand your product application to these areas. In an effort to defy gravitation, it's best to apply products in an upward, outward direction.


Show Your Neck Some Respect

Look for products, foods or supplements that contain these ingredients:

• Essential oils containing vitamin F including grapeseed and evening primrose oil, which increases fatty acids providing greater moisture.
• Nut/Seed oils such as walnut, sunflower and flaxseed.
• Green tea provides antioxidant protection and increases circulation.
• Lactic acid gently exfoliates and reduces melanin production.
• Vitamin A promotes cell turnover.
• Vitamin C provides antioxidant protection and helps even skin tone.

Custom Cleansing Facial

Are you doing what you love? I am. And it's a wonderful feeling.