Ok so the buzz word about town (at least here in Porter Ranch) is “Chinese Foot Massage” which is referring to the new herbal foot spa treatment that is at a few locations - which I intend on hunting down in the near future - for an hour for $20 bucks. What?? Must investigate!
It’s up and coming, it’s old and happening in India, but Sugaring is new to me and supposedly it eliminates the breakouts associated with waxing (hello, miracle!). Courtney sent this link for an Eco Spa in Granada Hills called Naya Fresh Body Spa (which looks like a winner). I’m going to be making a visit within the next couple of weeks, so I’ll keep you posted. I did a bit of google research on it and there’s tons of home recipes, reviews, products and chitter chatter on sugaring, but as with everything else, not everything is for every body.
The other night I was stuck in a hopeless situation…visiting my parent’s house, a bunch of mascara & makeup & no makeup remover. No soap, no vaseline or lotion either. What’s a 30-something skin obsessed person to do? Log online…that’s what!
After a random few searches, I stumbled across the ‘oil cleansing method‘ which I assumed was going to be at least worth a shot in the dark, as it couldn’t possibly been worse than sleeping with Dior’s gunky mascara smearing all over my face and pillows all night. Since I didn’t have the recommended castor oil, or any of the other oils except for some EVOO, I decided to give it a try. I poured some right from the kitchen bottle onto a paper towel and blotted the makeup off…and it came off, not totally easily, but for whatever reason I was too scared to actually touch the oil, so I ended up just kind of blotting it away. Once the makeup had been removed, I soaked a washcloth in some hot water and whoaaaa the makeup just wiped right up, no tugging, not smearing, no rubbing at all! I was kind of perplexed, which lead to some major research on the whole organic oil cleansing method that is hot like fire online.
Most of the pages are dedicated to it being an age old treatment for oily skin, with the belief that the castor oil actually draws the naturally occurring oils that the face produces and gets stuck in your pores causing congestion & minor breakouts, and then the other oil (sesame seed, grapeseed oil, jojoba, others) kind of balance out the mixture because too much castor oil will actually dry your skin out in too large amounts.
With skincare prices going absolutely through the roof these days, I am totally willing to make my own and save some cash! Unfortunately, Trader Joe’s didn’t have any oils, but I will be hitting Whole Foods in a bit to mix my own skincare potion, hopefully under 15 bucks!
Here is to finding some new/old skincare secrets!
There’s no denying it: when it comes to keeping things fresh, the diaper pail is one place that deserves a little extra attention. Caldrea’s Sweet Pea Diaper Pail Freshener eliminates odors with a combination of baking soda and vegetable protein extracts that’s both non-toxic and biodegradable.
Simply spray it directly into the diaper pail and enjoy the essential oil fragrances of Geranium, Orange, Jasmine, Coriander, Rose and Bergamot.
I’ve been a long time fan of the bee stuff from Burt’s Bees, and was wondering if the recent (fall of 07) buyout by the Chlorox company was going to hinder the organic ingredients at all, so I checked out some online articles like this one, this one and this one. Some sites like TreeHugger.com are asking it’s readers if they consider the sale a sell-out by big money corporations, while others seem to like the availability of the product.
In case you haven’t noticed, Burt’s Bees is readily available everywhere now…from your local grocery store in the aisle for strategic impulse purchasing to the super walmart, and including it’s original limited base availability like Whole Foods or other naturally-inclined destinations.
My favorite product in this line is the lip balm and cuticle cream. Not too crazy about the coconut foot creme because it kind of like smearing cold bacon grease on your heels, but the body lotion smells and feels heavenly.
I don’t consider Burt’s Bees a sell out, and am more than glad to have much more availability of the product, but I can’t help but hold a teeny tiny bit of reservation about the ingredient quality and hope that it only gets better with the big machine. In the meantime, I will continue to love the cuticle cream!
Lavender oil promotes healing of burns, wounds, bites, etc.; fights infection; eases muscle pain; eases headaches; calms; promotes sleep; reduces inflammation; repels insects. Grab a bottle of this essentail oil at your local Whole Foods or other Aromatherapy supply site (I haven’t had good luck with oils on ebay, they are usually old and yuck).
Here’s a list of links for different essential oil recipes that you can make at home with ranges from home made lip balm, hand cream, bath salts to cold remedies & other healing property recipes:
Lavender recipes for insomnia & calming nerves
Lavender Sugar Scrub
Control pet oder at home with Lavender aromatic spray
Organic treatment for acne control or blemishes
Sweet dreams Pillow Spray
Remember…make sure you make time to relax, it is the BEST beauty secret one can obtain! xo!!
I love LA! Reality show and international plastic surgeon to the nelson ratings imposter Dr. Ray is handing out rx weed cards. Now you can book a lipo appointment after indulging in marijuana induced munchi binges at a one stop shop…puff puff pass homie! (news clipping in the ventura county star edition)
Grub on some wild salmon the next time you are out at a nice restaurant and don’t know
what to order, or out to lunch with friends. The omega 3 fatty oils will aid in making your hair lustrous, your skin glow, plus it will help your joints, heart and cholesterol. There’s nothing worse than spending a pretty penny at Nordstrom’s on some Creme de La Mer and then eating a greasy beef hamburger and fries for lunch - I mean why bother?
WebMD.com states “Omega-3s are most prevalent in fatty, cold-water fish: Look for wild (not farmed) salmon, herring, sardines, and mackerel. Aim for two-to-three servings a week. Other forms of omega 3s are available in fortified eggs, flax seed, and walnuts. These superfoods have the added benefit of being high in monounsaturated fats, which can lower cholesterol.” Also containing omega 3 are dark green leafy veggies.
Eating 3 servings a week of omega 3’s will help target Vericose Veins, Hair loss/ hair thickness & regrowth, moisturized skin, regulation of blood pressure, mood fluctuations
arthritis, depression and anxiety. Let’s get good ya heard?
Origin’s Mega Mushroom Eye Serum wasn’t so magical. I used a full size bottle religiously with no results differenting from a cheapie OTC product. I’m so sad.
So much for Dr. Weil’s organic plantidote products for skincare…I’m opting for going for the medi-spa injectibles & skincare from Target. I still have crow’s feet and dark circles under my eye AND creping now - which is something that I just noticed. Great. I actually used the Origins Plantidote Skin serum too with no noticeable results. I’m heading back to Olay!
I had a pumpkin facial last season at Burke William’s spa and they sent me home with a pumpkin enzyme peel mask which was pretty good. Pumpkin is rich in vitamins A, C and zinc and will get you glowing in a good way. I’ve got a coupon code for Spa-View readers to save 15% from Greatskin.com just use coupon code HW15 at checkout on any pumpkin products - and please send in your review for your favorite pumpkin stash!
Click here for a green-friendly at home pumpkin facial: Continue reading ‘Pumpkin Season is Here!!’
Ok so enter the world in which everything should really have dual purposes. If it smells good, it should be good for you, unlike most fragrance products that are out there, which is why I actually use alot of essential oils from Whole Foods and drop them into some basic lotion…but the these girls have stepped it up in the mainstream marketplace, namely Sephora, with the cult fave LaVanilla - Fragrance that is Good for you. Healthy fragrance? Yes!
Here is a quicklist of the most interesting details regarding La’Vanilla:
So there you have it - good smelling perfume that is a healthy alternative for overall fabulosity. I bought the $15 rollerball from Sephora “Vanilla Grapefruit” with notes of Grapefruit, Bergamot, Lime, Orange, Cedarwood, Heliotrope, Madagascar Vanilla. Delicioso!
I remember these crystal stick rock deodorants from wayyy back in the 70’s when they actually were in jagged rock formation. Now it’s way easier as they are in actual deodorant sized packaging - which lends to easy travel. The key is that you have to run the crystal under water to get it wet/smooth and then run it under your pits for odor control. Unfortunately it doesn’t do much for wetness control, and if you are an avid deodorant user, it may take a few days for your body to release the remaining chemical compounds from your previous deodorant usage.
The crystal rock deodorant stick is pretty dirt cheap and available at whole food stores or more organic stores - and it’s a PERFECT solution for dark tank tops/little black dress outings with guaranteed no white residue!
While browsing my neighborhood Whole Foods, I was absolutely captivated by the fresh herbal lavendaresque infused scent of the Avalon Organics products that were right on the edge of the aisle. I thought the cleanser to be a bit on the pricey side (say 9 bucks) for a brand that I hadn’t had any referral or recommendation on, but I figure wth, it’s smells divine! Two weeks later, I am absolutely obsessed with this product…I want more more more! I ended up back at the Whole Foods aisle, and jumped in head first and splurged on the Avalon Organics anti-aging night treatment. The next day I got a HUGE pimple right on the edge of my nose. It’s been there for almost 3 weeks now…and although I absolutely love the way this product smells, I simply cannot seem to talk myself out of thinking that it caused the massive pimple I have been at war with for almost a month. What controlled it sayth you? Why Proactive, of course!
Bottom line: yay on the Avalon Organics cleanser for under 10 bucks, nay on the over 30 night cleanser.
just and FYI for you all out there who are’t aware, or perhaps simply forgot — you can take back 5 tubes of MAC lipstick once you are finished with them and “recycle’ the packaging - and get a brand new MAC lipstick of your choice in exchange. (Excludes the Viva Glam series who’s profits all go directly to Aids research). So continue to look good AND feel good!
MAC stuff is available at Macy’s Online and Offline.
Ok. I have oily hair. I have had oily hair most of my life, and managed to be annoyed at my every other day mandatory shampoo ritual for most of my life as well, however, I find myself continuing my never ending quest to find the perfect remedy to save myself the hours of unsuccessful hair straightening and bi-weekly $35 bucks for Tasha to whip my hair up. So this month, I am going to simply dish out all of my trial and errors and basically document my journey to see if perhaps in time and experience, I can finally have some peace with my shampoo bottle.
Here are the things that I have tried:
1. Hair Powder - I have tried 2 different brands, and will review them another time - perhaps when I am not so annoyed at spending 2 hours in the bathroom with my hairdryer and ionic wrap brush.
2. Vinegar & water. It stinks, it doesn’t work any better than regular shampoo.
3. Beer. TOTALLY doesn’t work, plus I drank the other 5 so as to not ‘waste’ good product. So extra calories, some drunk dialing and a hangover later, my hair was still greasy the next evening.
4. Tea Tree Oil drops in my shampoo - this kind of works - but it makes your scalp SUPER tingly and smells medicinal. It did however, give me an additional day of not having to shampoo or wear a ponytail.
5. wearing a ponytail or bun. On days when I just simply cannot fathom washing my hair, this seems to be the best solution of all to date.
6. wearing a hat. OMG gross - totally does not work - your hair gets more greasy, flat and actually has a funky smell that is NOT cute and also seeps into your hat. gross.
7. Putting conditioner just on ends of the hair and not the root. - kind of works…but I do this as a regular cleaning routine as to not give my roots any additional oils since it seems to be doing a good job of that on it’s own.
8. Using dishsoap for shampoo. TOTALLY worked - but left my hair ends totally dry and dull looking.
9. Using Sebastian’s Green Apple shampoo for oily hair — worked pretty good - but I can’t seem to find this anywhere in stores?
10. Baby Powder - totally works, but leaves your hair super ashy and gray. not cute.
ok. that is all for now - I’m going to post this recipe and give it a try in 2 days when my hair is in slick mode and I will post a review after that. I know you are sitting on eggs on this one 
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Treatment for Oily Hair
