A Tip from the Grandma's

If there's one thing unanimously our generation will be remembered for is our ability to multitask like we are the President of the free world! Regardless of age, gender, race, employment status, iPhone or Blackberry user, right or left side of the bed sleeper we can juggle more tasks than we have hands for. Take me for instance. As I write this post I'm trying to pack for my birthday trip home while opening a bottle of vino in anticipation of my dear friend A dropping by as I tweeze my brows and finish my powerpoint presentation for work. Ugh that was a mouthful and I list this out I realize it's a bit crazy...no wonder my head is constantly spinning. That is why I'm all about efficiency, mainstreaming and simplifying. Anytime I can save a minute or two I jump at the chance.

Having long hair one of the biggest time suckers is blowing out my strands. Without question it can be a 20-30 minute task (ask the people who have had the misfortune of waiting for me!). So when I rediscovered Velcro-esque hair rollers (something my grandmother's did and still do to "set" their hair) I was in absolute heaven! These self grip rollers (no pins or clips required) come prepacked with various sizes so you can customize according to your hair length. They're absolutely ingenious! When my hair is partly damp I wrap 2-3" sections around each roller starting from the ends and rolling up to the roots. With only 12 rollers I have my whole head covered. Then I let the rollers do the work as I indulge and catch up on my favorite tv show...of course while I fold the laundry, load the dishwasher and respond to emails! 30 minutes later my hair is smooth, bouncy and touchably soft! The best part? No heat is required so you can give you overworked locks a much needed break! Afterall, it's not healthy to be heat styling multiple times a week. Who knew the Grandma's and I would have something in common? I predict "setting the hair" to be all the rage for our overwired generation!

Usage tip: At the very end blast hair with a quick stream of hot air followed by cool to lock in the style and shine. The best technique to unwrap the rollers is to pull them out perpendicular to your head in a swirling motion to help maintain the bounce.

The result: My hair looks good and I saved 30 minutes times 3x per week...you do the math, imagine what you can do with that time!

Kissably Soft

I read somewhere that by just petting a dog you get a natural, feel good high. It seems your immune system even is boosted by this friendly interaction (I would get science-y on you but I'm too tired to begin so let's just say that the sensorial experience of touching the dog triggers several biochemical pathways which in turn cause this pleasant rush and improved health). Now if a dog can do that for you can you only imagine what a passionate kiss can do for the soul? Close your eyes and transport yourself to one of those toe curling, goose bump causing, let me melt in your arm kisses. You know the one...it starts out sweet and innocent yet with each second becomes more hypnotic, your lips start performing a magic you never knew you had and... dream over you suddenly remember that those luscious lips are a bit dry and with that the fantasy kiss comes to a screeching halt!

Not to fear! If you're a Dr. Hauschka Lip Care Stick lover you know that dry lips are a near impossibility. Nature's most pure moisturizers nourish even the most battered and dry lips. Jojoba wax and shea butter nurture by replenishing and reinforcing lost lipids (a key pillar in skin's moisture barrier helping to seal in hydration). Carrot and anthyllis extracts soften skin for added suppleness. Perfect alone or layered under your favorite lip gloss (to give your lips a hint of color) this natural treatment, free of those pesky nasty ingredients, keeps your lips kissable soft 24-7. The best part? Even the gentleman love it. A certain Mr. M now seems to ask for "his" lip balm every time he sees me...funny, huh? This magic tool converts even the most skeptical, beauty illiterate users out there. So next time your about to experience that life changing kiss make sure your lips are prepared for their 15 seconds of fame (hey you never know who may be watching or taping for that matter).

Usage tip: Multitasking galore! I also use this balm around my nose when I have a cold to avoid that chapped, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer look.

The result: Start booking pucker-up time (beware your lips will be so irresistible that you might need a whole weekend dedicated to making out!).

D Day

So now that we're in official cleaning/housekeeping mode why not continue with the good times? I know you think I'm crazy to enjoy cleaning but there's something you should know about me...I'm totally OCD with a side of type A personality. Now in my defense I'm convinced that this is a hereditary attribute. True story: my cousin actually has a ruler for his closet which he uses to measure the distance between his suits so they have the proper room to "breathe." On the other hand, my uncle notices once he enters a room if a pillow or picture frame has been moved even a millmeter and can't focus on anything else until he adjusts it. Now I'm not as bad but I have been known for my "no street clothes on the bed policy." Let's just say some people (J I'm talking to you!) can't seem to wrap their head around it much less thing of respecting it! So I know that the familia is a bit crazy but crazy in a good way, right? Now your next "to do" is to evaluate the lifespan of all your beauty products and toss out the ones that have surpassed their golden years. Expired product spells possible allergic reactions, poor performance and in some cases bad smells so it's important to be aware of your product's age (you can't lie about this one!). Let's outline and define how long you should be holding on to your beauty products.

Expiration Date (bye bye!)

Makeup:
-Foundation: 12-18 months
-Concealer: 12 months
-Eyeshadow & powders: 24 months
-Pencil eye liners & lip liners: 24 months
-Gel based eyeliners & blushes: 12 months
-Lipstick & lipgloss: 18-24 months
-Mascara: 3-4 months

Face & Body:
Most products have a open jar symbol in the back which indicates how long they will stay efficacious once they're opened but...
-Cleansers: 12 months
-Eye makeup remover & toner: 12 months
-Serums: 12-18 months (products packaged in airless jars and bottles, those which you can't open unless you take a jack hammer to it, keep the actual formula stable for longer by minimizing air contact)
-Lotions & creams: 18 months
-SPF based products: 12 months or until the expiration noted on the packaging
-Nail polish: 24 months

Hair:
-Shampoo, conditioner & mask: 24 months
-Styling products: 12 months

Usage tip: Most beauty products are formulated to stay efficacious for up to 3 years unopened but once you start using them adhere to the guidelines above. You can always extend the product's shelf life by storing them in the fridge. And of course if you play it smart by keeping the products' lid closed when you're not using it and avoid exposing them to extreme temperatures your product will go the extra mile and last longer. Essentially you want to minimize air and potentially bacteria contact. Of course these are just guidelines so if your product starts to smell funny or changes color it's time to toss it out!

The result: For better or worse you become a beauty product OCD junkie, never settling for less than the best! And frankly that's they way it should be...your a 10 and you deserve the champagne life!

Housekeeping

Have you ever noticed that as the weather gets colder, damper and darker you somehow have all the time in the world to tackle that long "to do" list that's been gathering dust? Suddenly you become obsessed with reorganizing the pantry, updating picture albums and catching up on missed episodes of "Housewives of whatever city du jour" (if this is you please find a new show that may add something to your intellectual acumen, may I suggest the Rachel Maddow show?). I figure we must capitalize on this good humor/drive and add one more task to this list. A task that technically you should be doing monthly if not every other week to keep your makeup brushes in tip top shape. Hmm did I hear you cringe? Let me guess you haven't washed your brushes since you bought them two years ago...just kidding, although I have a sneaky suspicion I'm right!

To keep your makeup brushes in optimal condition and to prolong their lifespan you should be cleaning them at least once a month. Think about it- you use these brushes at least once a day during which they get dipped from one product into another. The rest of the time they're sitting on your bathroom counter exposed to whatever airborne thing may be around. In short they can be a bacterial breeding ground, not to mention they do their job best when their bristles are clean. If a brush is coated in layers upon layers of powder, it doesn't apply your desired color because remnants of previous products contaminate it and won't glide or deposit in the same efficacious manner. So stop the apathy and make this one of your "to do's" for this weekend. I promise it won't take longer than 5 minutes and you can listen to "Desperate Housewives of Whatever" in the background.

Cleaning Makeup Brushes 101

-Using a mild cleanser (I recommend Johnson and Johnson Baby Shampoo) wash only the brush bristles in luke warm water.

-Work the cleanser into the bristles with your hand and then rinse. Keep repeating until all the leftover product is washed out or when the rinse out water runs clear.

-Place your brushes upright but with a diagonal slant to dry. This allows it to dry without having water seep into binding which holds the bristles into the head of the brush.

-Allow brushes to dry completely overnight before using.

Et voila! Clean brushes for a better makeup application! Don't you love crossing items from your "to do" list?

Usage tip: Some companies have a makeup brush cleaner which also works but I find that the J&J baby shampoo is significantly cheaper and does any equally good, if not better job.

The result: Clean, soft brushes to start your makeup and morning on the right note!

The New Organic

If you're anything like me your mind is saturated with the latest health news (soy is good for you...wait it might cause cancer, plastic bottles are a necessity...scratch that avoid them at all costs). How can anyone keep up with this see-saw groundbreaking news cycles? It's become impossible to know what is safe to eat, drink and live in without consulting google (I tried keep a running list, let's just say I could never eat out. I had become a waiter's worst nightmare asking the origin and process methods of ingredients. Can you imagine that?) That's why I'm so excited about this new find! Envision a new generation of organic and naturalness...fresh skincare. Did you know that your traditional cosmetic or personal care product has been developed to have a shelf life of 3 years? Think about it the next time you're in a store reaching for that body lotion. You have no idea how long that product has been sitting there. For all you can guess it could have been produced 2 years ago and has been living in a dingy warehouse since then. Not exactly comforting or personal for that matter.

That's why you will be blown away by Odacité skin care. Using the finest certified organic ingredients, their products are freshly made and shipped only after you order. Designed to go directly from the lab to your home, these products are not available in stores (can you get more personalized than that?). Instead have a piece of mind knowing that your new skin cream comes with a "freshiency" date indicating exactly how long the ingredients will maintain their full efficacy and freshness. Feed your skin with their Night Time Repair Serum featuring antioxidant-rich vitamin E and white tea and as you apply their Beautiful Day Moisturizer feel your skin being nurtured with the finest ingredients (added bonus you can read and understand their ingredient lists...there's no weird sounding chemical names to be found). I was amazed how after using their products for less than one week, my skin felt holistically and therapeutically at it's best (no therapy or scary laser sessions required). Think of this range as the anti-tv dinner, it's fresh and redefining.

Usage tip: To help maintain efficacy I would refrigerate their products. Added bonus? The cool sensation of the product will energize and invigorate your skin.

The result: Personalized, fresh beauty (think of this as the farmer's market of skin care).

Officially

Have you ever noticed that we as humans have a perverse attraction to anything that legitimizes or accredites a certain thing, place or being? We almost have this blood thirsty hunger to seek out these "official" looking titles, seals and logos to somehow ease our minds. Now I am no psychologist (actually maybe I was in a past life because god knows I love to analyze) but I'm thinking this desire stems from a need for reassurance and stability. Perfect example, boy meets girl, boy casually dates girl, boy and girl fall in love...hmm boy is thinking maybe I should make this a bit more official so she and the world know how much she means to me (and no one steals her from underneath me). So boy, like any gentleman, gets down on one knee and...no people there's no ring involved here, they were only casualing dating! But boy asks girl to be his girlfriend and with that swift move official titles of boyfriend and girlfriend are born. Another example, I'm a huge believer in buying organic, local and natural foods. Any time I reach for my certifed organic milk or eggs and see that USDA seal, I know I'm buying food that was produced in the most sustainable and meaningful manner possible. I am reassured that I'm putting goodness into my body. This organic/natural movement has also migrated into the beauty arena and we are now bombarded with organic, natural, eco-friendly and "free of" messages. With a plethora of products out there that it is hard to differentiate between the "official" ones and the fakes so I think it is important to cover the 3 certifications available to help you distinguish. Because if you're anything like me you are too classy to do anything the fake way.

USDA Organic: Developed originally to classify agricultural products this accredition is available for two levels of organic products (note there are three types of USDA recognition but only those products meeting the top two standards can display the seal). The first and most stringent level are those products that are made with and processed by 100% organic sources. These products will call out "100% organic" on the label. The next tier is "organic" which signifies that at least 95% of all ingredients used are from organic origin. An example of products meeting either of these standards is the Origin Organics line.

EcoCert Organic: A French organic and natural certification this standard also has two classifications- "Eco and Bio". Products carrying the "Eco" seal are made up at least 95% natural ingredients with 50% of the total plant ingredients being certified organic. The overall formula must contain 5% organic content. The more robust "Bio" seal must also have at a minimum 95% natural origin ingredients but 95% of plant ingredients must be organic and the overall formula must be made up of 10% organic ingredients. Lines like Care by Stella Mccartney and select L'Occitane products have earned this recognition.

Natural Product Association: Founded by people behind Burt's Bees this is one of the first widely reconized designations for natural products. Products meeting this seal must be made up of at least 95% natural ingredients which are sourced from renewable resources found in nature. Non-synthetic ingredients are not permitted unless the natural alternative is not readily available and there is a long list of prohibited ingredients including parabens, sulfates and petrochemicals. Of course Burt's Bees products meet these standards.

Usage tip: Read first, buy later. Do a gut check and define your philosophy. Are you only going to buy organic beauty care products or is natural ok? Perhaps you only want to sprinkle in a few of these type of products into your regimen. Either way figure it out first then shop accordingly.

The result: Education = smart choices (oh my parents would be so proud!)

Definitions

Have you ever had one of those afternoons where you're just swamped, nothing seems to be going your way and Friday seems like a lifetime away? So you start surfing the web because you had read somewhere that taking periodic breaks reinvigorates the brain and you end up coming across an article that makes you laugh so hard you forget about the bill that is past due, a fight you had with your significant other or the recent request you're helicopter boss has asked of? Well just the other day I was reading an article about New Year's resolution and one of the lady's interviewed said that among other things she was going to "limit chocolate to once every other day, do her laundry weekly and only buy skincare products that were paraben-free because paraben's give you skin cancer." In fairness her resolutions are not funny but sweet and important. However, what I found interesting is the existing misconceptions, which is only fueled by media and false advertising, surrounding common ingredients used in products probably found in your very own medicine cabinet. Our health is paramount and education is key so I thought it would be best to help shed some light on what the top three "nasty" ingredients are and how you can avoid them.

The Bad, Bad Boys

-Parabens are synthetic preservatives that essentially keep your product from spoiling. You will commonly see them listed as methyl, propyl, butyl or ethyl parabens within the ingredient list. Some studies have shown that they are endocrine disruptor's or can mimic estrogen potentially leading to breast cancer (not skin as the lady in the article believed). The truth is all products need to be preserved so they maintain their efficacy. However, there are many alternatives to parabens and companies are increasingly developing paraben-free products so why not be on the safe side and avoid them all together.

-Sulfates are the detergent or cleansing agent found in shampoos, body washes, soaps, etc. Some sulfates are more aggressive than others, however, in general they can be quite irritating and disruptful. Often they can damage the lipid layer of skin (causing sensitive and moisture loss) and strip hair of it's protective barrier (causing color treated hair to fade faster). So if you have sensitive skin or color your hair, why not take care of it with a gentler touch and avoid sulfates? Look for sulfate-free products or avoid those with sodium lauryl or laureth sulfate.

-Petrochemicals are petroleum derived ingredients that are typically used for their moisturizing properties. They are non-renewable byproducts of crude oil that can contain dangerous, irritating impurities. Ingredients like petrolatum, mineral oil and paraffin are all petrochemicals so look through the ingredient lists and avoid products containing them. They are plenty of other hydrating ingredients out there like shea butter and beeswax.

Usage tip: The "free of" movement has taken a life of it's own but at the end of the day you should get the facts and make your own decision. There are equally efficacious alternatives out there so try to avoid using products with these ingredients.

The result: A healthier, more educated you who will not ever be quoted in a national publication quoting the wrong information!

New Year, New Color

So it is officially 2010 and time to turn a new leaf or as the saying goes "out with the old and in with the new" (a motto used to justify a plentitude of things from bed hopping antics to new season shopping splurges). However in this case I'm referring to a house cleaning of that polish you've been dangling from your nails for oh the past year or two. Ladies and...well ladies it is time to banish the vampire, gothic colors better known as Lincoln Park After Dark, Black Satin or Noir Metallic (frankly the silly names go on and on) for something fresher yet equally seductive. Let's be honest the black polishes have become overplayed , overdone and overexposed like the Kardashians. How many more times can you paint those nails the same tired color or hear about those girls' new workout habits? Especially when there's a new lady of the house!

It's time to open your hearts, switch the tv station and fall in love with OPI You Don't Know Jacques! This multi-faceted color reminds you of a creamy slate (think the counter color you've lusting after for your dream house), bold enough to make a statement yet soft enough to seduce and entice. Compatible with every skin tone, this dreamy color reads blue undertones in some lights and a dirty martini inspired olive hue in others. Available in both the traditional glossy and new industrial matte finish, it is that breathe of fresh air you've been waiting for. And true to it's name, I've been dreaming of this new color as it haunts me like an unrecognizable lover each time I get my nails done and now that I've finally discovered it I do have to wonder how did I ever not know about Jacques?

Usage tip: Remember to always paint the tips of nails which are the areas first prone to color chipping, This color is best flaunted on short to mid-length nails and keep it modern with a square, rounded edge nail.

The result: Trendsetting nails, a fresher alternative to the "oh you again" black polish.