Supernatural Botanicals

It’s Here! Our New Mama Collection

It’s finally here!  Our much-anticipated Supernatural Botanicals Mama Collection skincare line for expectant mommies (and anyone else who likes to pamper their skin.) 

Check it out here.

Sneak Peek at our new Mama Collection

Here’s a sneak peek at one of our two new skincare lines, the Mama Collection, for expectant mommies.  The collection contains bath salts & foot soak, body and belly butter, body and belly oil, face and body spritzer, and all natural powder.  The packaging is gorgeous.  And it’s even great for non-expectant mommies, too!  This collection will be available at www.SupernaturalBotanicals.comin the next day.  Stay tuned for our Supernatural Baby Collection next….it’s adorable. 

Steal This Look: Scarlett Johannson

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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. 

Join Us Today on Blog Talk Radio

Join us today on Blog Talk Radio with Girlfriendology at 2:00 EST to listen in to our girlfriend chat.  Debba Haupert, founder of Girlfriendology.com, will be hosting.  You can call in and chat with us.  Follow the link below.  Talk to you soon!

Girlfriendology BlogTalkRadio show – http://blogtalkradio.com/girlfriendology

or call in (347) 426-3761.

Five Natural Facial Remedies for Your Beauty Regime

Today’s blog post is courtesy of our friends across the pond in London at the Natural Curtain Company.  They, like us, believe in living a sustainable, Green lifestyle.  We love that we can connect globally, entire countries apart, yet for the same cause…treading lightly on the planet and treating the environment with loving care. 

Guest post contributed by natural product enthusiasts, the Natural Curtain Company.

Although cosmetic companies are very busy convincing you that their products are the key to maintaining healthy, bright skin, you might be surprised to learn that there are many simple natural remedies that you can use out of items in your kitchen or garden to maintain a glowing complexion.

1.  Tea Bags

(Credit: Adermark)

Black tea has diuretic tendencies, which means when drunk they tend to “squeeze-out” liquid from cell membranes so that can flush out toxins and eliminate them from the body when you urinate.  The same principle can be used to combat “bags under the eyes” by simply applying a damp tea bag on both the eyes while laying quietly with your eyes closed.  The tea bags will draw out the excess water build-up that causes the delicate issues around the eyes to appear swollen and dark.

2.  Oatmeal

(Credit: Wallis)

For beautifully refreshing and exfoliating facial cleanser, cook up a batch of a regular, unflavored oatmeal and allow it to cool.  While standing over the sink, use a handful of the oatmeal to scrub your face, particularly and the oily patches around your nose and forehead.  Be gentle when scrubbing the eyes, this delicate skin is easily damaged, but the rest of the face can benefit from a vigorous scrub.

3.  Witch Hazel

(Credit: Crossthwaite)

Although the actual name comes from the old English word “wice,” which means pliant or bendable, it became associated with witches is because the branches of this plant were often used for divining rods.  The bark and leaves from this plant make an excellent astringent that gently removes oil and helps to shrink and contract the blood vessels back to their normal size.  It is ideal for combating — and preventing — pimples and blackheads. Witch Hazel astringent is available for very low cost at most health food stores and pharmacies, and to boost its healing properties you can chill the Witch Hazel before applying.

4.  Aloe Vera

(Credit: Geist)

This succulent plant contains a thick, gooey substance inside its broad leaves that has been used for centuries for medicinal purposes.  In its natural form that promotes healing and has antibacterial and antifungal properties, which make it ideal for treating minor skin infections.  It is also excellent for sunburns because of its moisturizing tenancies.  Regular use of aloe vera keeps a skin supple and helps prevent the build-up of bacteria that can cause skin infections. 

5.  Baking Soda, Vinegar and Salt

(Credit: Mullen)

This powerful combination of simple ingredients can be made into a paste to scrub your face and remove impurities, exfoliate skin cells and remove oil.  Combine the three into a simple paste and use it as a daily scrub or you can use each one separately.  Baking soda alone makes a wonderful tooth-whitener, vinegar is an excellent a stringent — especially when you have been sweating profusely — and salt can be added to a basin full of water and splashed on the face to stimulate healthy circulation, but be sure to keep your eyes closed tight.

Still Using Liquid Foundation Makeup?

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.

Fix Puffy Eyes

To eliminate puffy eyes quickly, simply place something cold over the eyes for several minutes.  The secret with cucumbers on the eyes is not in the cucumber itself, it’s that the cucumber retains the cold temperature.  You can get the same effect by placing a spoon in the refrigerator for a couple hours, then placing the spoons over the eyes.  Tea bags that have been moistened, then refrigerated…same thing.  A washcloth wrapped around a couple pieces of ice, again, totally effective in combating puffy eyes. 

Sneak Peek: Farmers Market Collection Soaps

Here’s a sneak peek at our new line at Supernatural Botanicals, Farmers Market Collection.   Our new Farmers Market Collection soaps and lotions will be introduced this week on the website.  Featured:  Sun-Ripened Strawberry, Savannah Peach, The Irishman (for our new men’s line), Raspberry Lemonade, and Yuzu.  They are so yummy!  Stay tuned…you’ll love this!

Cincy Chic Features Supernatural Botanicals

She makes healthy beauty products for a living, and for fun, she discusses “all things girly” on her blog. Read all about it and see how you can join in on the fun.

Two years ago, Robin Feltner launched both her blog and her all-natural bath and body company, Supernatural Botanicals. The blog was intended to be an extension of the business, but in many ways, her business is now an extension of the blog.  

“I started the blog to keep women, primarily, informed and up to date on the latest trends and information in beauty [and] health,” Feltner says. “But soon thereafter, [it] took on a life of its own.”

Since its launch, the blog has opened doors to new customers, business opportunities and higher search engine rankings. More recently, it’s given Feltner the chance to meet several big stars like Diane Keaton, Valerie Bertinelli, Patricia Heaton, Ann Compton, Helen Hunt and Tony Bourdain.

The blog initially served as an open forum for people to share their insights on her products, ideas and the emerging eco-friendly industry. The blog helps Feltner gain candid insight from customers and readers that she didn’t have access to otherwise, she says. “Anonymous comments can be brutally harsh at times, but it’s exactly what I was looking for,” she says. “I wanted an open dialog where they could express and/or request anything they wanted.”

The blog’s tag-line is “Discussions on All Things Girly,” which offers Feltner — and her readers — a wondrously wide range of topics from which to choose. Typically, you’ll find blog posts with beauty, fitness and eco-living topics, but occasionally you’ll find something else that strikes Feltner’s fancy.

“I’m passionate about being ‘green,’ so that crosses over into my writing quite a bit,” she says. “Beauty and fitness is a given on a girly blog, but interior design and events in Cincinnati have certainly had their share of time in the spotlight on my blog as well.”

Some of her favorite blog posts include: 

• “Thoughts on Business Casual”
• “For the Love of Vintage”
• “Diane Keaton in Cincinnati”

These popular topics drew a crowd, and even attracted the attention of the Smart Talk series organizers. They contacted Feltner two seasons ago to represent Cincinnati as their ambassador for their Connected Conversations series. “It’s been amazing,” she says. “And I have met some of the most incredible people in the process” — Keaton, Bertinelli, Heaton, Compton and Hunt, just to name a few.

 But the star power didn’t stop there. Another group found Feltner’s blog and asked her to represent Cincinnati bloggers at the recent Tony Bourdain speaking engagement.

But the big question: Has the blog beefed up her bottom line? The answer is yes, Feltner says. “The blog has helped me reach a greater customer base,” she says. “If you are doing a random search on eco bath and body in Cincinnati, you’ll most certainly find my blog amongst the top Google searches.” A successful, updated blog is a powerful PR tool and her blog is a big reason why Google goes ga-ga for her business, she says.

The blog also helps to add value to her current customers because it invites readers into her life. “I have found that readers enjoy the experience of stepping into my workshop or kitchen to see what I’m doing via pictures I post on my blog,” she says. “I find blogging a unique way to get personal with my customers and readers. It’s important for me to interact with the readers so I can be specific about giving them exactly what they want.”

She doesn’t just interact on her own blog, though. Feltner is a self-proclaimed advocate for reading others’ blogs, too. “Being ultra-connected to each other is an advantage that we’ve never had in the past, and is especially beneficial for business owners,” she says. “Although my personal interests span from green global issues to lipsticks, I do tend to visit particular blogs regularly.”

She says she adores SavortheSuccess.com, a Web site for women entrepreneurs that offers insight into what’s working (and not working) for other women in business. Another favorite of hers is Pink Magazine, which provides inspiration and tools for women in business. She also gives props to her friend Julia’s blog, Hooked On Houses, which covers her love of houses and interiors.

In addition, Feltner belongs to a local group called Cincinnati Women Bloggers. “We are a successful group of women bloggers in the Cincinnati area, and that Web site is an incredible resource to find blogs on all things local, as blog topics vary vastly,” she says.

Last but not least (at least we don’t think so), Feltner shows some chic love. “When I want to know what’s going on in the city, Cincy Chic is positively my first stop,” she says. “I have always found that if it’s worth being known, Cincy Chic knows about it and I’ve attended many local events after learning about them on Cincy Chic.”

Visit Cincy Chic  for the article. 

PHOTO CREDITS
Photographer: Neysa Ruhl
Model: Robin Feltner
Location: Lofts@4120

How To Removal a Splinter

To remove a splinter painlessly, dissolve Epsom salt in warm water, then soak the affected splintered-area in the warm salt mixture.  It will draw the splinter right out.  This works great on kids and adults alike who cringe at the sight of tweezers near their splinter.