Supernatural Botanicals

Two things I adore in the gym are the Bosu balls and the steps (for aerobics), so my excitement level advanced to a full DEFCON 1 when I found out about this new hybrid called the Step 360.  It’s a hybrid of the step and the Bosu ball.

Excellent for cardio and strength workouts, and because the platform is supported by two air chambers, and you’ll get a tough balance challenge as well.  It features platform anchors that allows you to loop in a resistance band for strength moves and its grips make planks and push-ups doable.

Be one of the first to snag a Step 360 for yourself.  Jump over to Shape for your chance to win one.

How many beautiful towels do you suppose you’ve ruined with your mascara?  Hundreds?  Thousands?

What’s a girl to do?  We all wear makeup and we all have to take it off at the end of the day.  The issue with makeup removal is that is stains your beautiful washcloths.

Not to worry, we can save your towels and your budget with one simple fix.  Consider trekking over to the baby aisle the next time you are at the grocery store.

As it turns out, baby wipes are multitaskers.  They are great for babies, obviously, but also great to get that mascara off of your eyes without destroying your entire linen closet.  They contain oils that help make the mascara slide right off of your eyes when removing makeup.

If you have sensitive skin, use the baby wipes marked “gentle, for sensitive skin.”

After you have removed your mascara with the baby wipe, which is the major culprit for black marks all over your washcloths, you can wash the rest of your face with the washcloth.

Make the switch.  Save your washcloths and keep your linen closet looking beautiful.

Don’t you just hate when you get to the bottom of your favorite lipstick?  You know it’s gone and you should just let it go, but you also know that there’s still a third of the lipstick left in the base of the tube.

You also know that if you really, really love that lipstick, you’ll start digging into the base of it with tools (and sometimes, not even a lip brush…like the cap of a eyeliner pencil).  …Don’t judge, you know you’ve done that.

Well, finally someone has done something about this travesty of wasted lipstick.  Jill Quillin (let’s just call her a genius from here on), created the LipStix Remix.

This cool tool allows you to capture all the waste.  You simply empty your lipstick containers of the lipstick to the very base of the container.  You can use various lipsticks to create your own custom shade.

This can save thousands of dollars alone from buying lipstick that you didn’t like once you ended up getting home and trying it on.  Simply mix that color with one that  you like.  That’s recycling at it’s finest!  *Team Earth*

This is an absolute must have for everyone who wears lipstick.   Check out the video to see how it’s done.  You can visit their website here:  LipStixRemix.

Wow, talk about a workout, check out the ElliptiGo bike.  It’s a cross between a bicycle and an elliptical machine.  It’s a great alternative for runners because it’s far more knee-friendly than hitting the pavement.  A good workout will burn 600+ calories an hour.  

Bike demos are available in the following cities (see website www.ellipitgo.com for more details)

• San Diego, CA
• San Francisco Bay Area, CA
• Colorado Springs, CO
• Boulder, CO
• New York City, NY
• Seattle, WA
• Spokane, WA

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67i6d9Hxjgg

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Scarlett Johannson is working the “sex-kitten-meets-bombshell” look to  its fullest.  The hair is perfect, the makeup is perfect, the dress is perfect.  You can recreate this look with what you have.  It’s classic and simplistic, yet stylish and sophisticated. 

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To achieve Scarlett’s soft, flowy curls, nothing but hot rollers will do.  Hot rollers have made a come back and they are the perfect tool to create soft, sexy curls.  Try Caruso steam rollers.  (click on picture for info.)  They are better for your hair than hot rollers because they work on steam, not heat.  They produce the exact same results as hot rollers. 

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When it comes to red lips, I’m certainly an aficionado.  I adore the “red lip” look.  It’s classic and ultra sexy.  I have tried (literally) thousands of brands and styles.  Beautique (click on picture for details) is my all-time favorite red.  I use the pencil all over my lips, as it goes on great as a lipstick, then use this on top.  It produces the best red lip ever!  The kicker… it’s way inexpensive!

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  There’s an unwritten rule..or, perhaps it’s written somewhere, that if you opt for a bold lip color, like the red above, you should go with a soft eye look.  When you have too much eye and too much lip going on at the same time, your look can go from sophisticated to theatrical in seconds.  Scarlett’s top eyelids are lined with a brown liquid liner.  If you are a blonde, opt for brown instead of black.  It’s less harsh and more flattering to your skintone. 

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Maybellene’s Great Lash is a long time favorite of makeup artists everywhere (certainly my fav!)   But mascara reviews are like food reviews.  Honestly, it’s all relative to what you, you, like.  Most people, however, like it.  It’s ultra-popular with the masses, and often times sold out at stores.  Personal fav…brownish black Great Lash with the curved brush.  *swoon*

 Again, if you are blonde, opt for brownish black Great Lash.  It softens your look and is super feminine. 

Did you know that 84% of all household waste can be recycled?  Recycling is one of the easiest ways to go Green, yet makes a monumental impact to the environment.  At a bare minimum, everyone should be recycling.  Take care of the waste you create.  Be eco-responsible.

If you are still using liquid foundation makeup (nothing wrong with that, although you should just try mineral makeup), using a sponge to apply it with is a must; reason being is that you can spread bacteria onto your skin via your fingers.  Bacteria can wreak a whole host of problems, including breakouts and even skin infections. 

Not only is using your fingers a bad idea from a bacteria perspective, it also stretches the skin, thereby creating creases, wrinkles and over time, sagging skin.  Using your fingers to apply foundation also gives an un-blended appearance. 

Fingers, no.  Makeup sponges, yes.  Regularly change makeup sponges and wash them under hot, soap water.  Allow to air dry.  Try triangle sponges (pictured) for hard to reach areas such as the eyes.

Plastic bags are not biodegradable. Even if they say they are, they do not decompose fully. Also the ink is made up of cadmium, and is highly toxic when it is released. Whereas paper bags are reusable and biodegradable. If your purchase is small don’t take any bag, this alone could save hundreds of millions of bags. Bring a cloth bag when you shop, or use string bags.

A new trend in haircare currently is dry shampoo.  It’s particularly good for hair that tends to go oily.

If you want to see if dry shampoo will work for you, you can easily achieve similar results with cornstarch at home. 

That’s right, simple cornstarch from your kitchen pantry works exactly like the main ingredient in dry shampoos, and it’s a fraction of the cost.

Simply shake a small amount of cornstarch on your hair, starting at the scalp, and working your way down the hair to the ends.  The cornstarch absorbs excess oils.  In total, you’ll use approximately 1/2 cup of cornstarch for medium to long length hair, somewhat less for shorter hair.

I am love, love, loving the new Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base by Loreal.  My normal makeup routine has never consisted of a primer…not even a concealer.   But it caught my eye in the makeup aisle and curiosity got the best of me and it’s now in my makeup bag! 

It retails for $12.99 per 0.5 ounce.  Pricey for the amout of product you receive?  Maybe, but the plus side of that argument is that very, very little product is needed to be effective.  It’s a bit like Chinese food in that you feel you’ll never get to the bottom of the container. 

The texture is almost sponge-like, although the overall consistency is a cream.  The jar can be tricky if you have long nails like I do, but you can use a small makeup spatula or makeup brush to get the product from the jar. 

Rub a very small amount on your face in areas that need some TLC.  It minimizes the appearance of pores instantly.  And I really mean instantly.  The fine lines on your forehead…kiss them goodbye.  It smooths uneven surfaces on the face and leaves your face feeling velvety soft. 

It can be worn alone or under your makeup for a flawless appearance.  What I love about this product is that it’s immediately effective.  There’s no waiting “over time” to watch the product develop.  It’s instantly apparent.  It makes your skin look younger, and keeps that oily T zone at bay. 

It also gives you a perfect velvety base in which to apply foundation.  It’s fantastic if you want your skin to look 20 years younger, but want to skip makeup for the day.  It blends into the skin crystal clear and plumps out imperfections. 

The one caveat I have is that this product is not all natural, and I’ve grown accustom to using organic and natural products (think Supernatural Botanicals), but beyond that, this product, in my book, gets Five Stars across the board!  Love, love, love it!