Wedding make-up

http://ericstraussphoto.com/100910/content/_MG_0897_large.html

Best look: happy in Bar Harbor, Maine

Summer tan
Discovered Bar harbor , Maine this year with my family. We stayed at a little cottage by the ocean and this was our view. Heaven on Earth. My daily face routine included a painter's color mixture . Open palm: two drops sunscreen + light liquid foundation = color tone perfect bb+cc cream in one. Then I would apply a translucent powder. Some mascara + gloss. Done. Hiking boots + shorts and wind/ rain jacket. We learned that summer Maine weather is fickle, sunny and warm one minute, cool and rainy the next.

My peace of mind

There is nothing more important in this world then peace of mind. When we find that place we should make sure to hold on to it as much as possible. Painting is my current peace of mind.

Paleo diet experiment

OUR ANCESTORS ate like this...

 

 

 

 

 

The name comes from our pre- agricultural ancestors who picked off fruits from trees and hunted for their meat.
The only concern that I have with that, is that cave men didn't live past mid thirties.
I did some research and some soul searching and decided to try it for a month.  I have been having trouble losing the last 10-15 lbs of baby weight.  Most of my clothes feel snug and my cute twenties muffin top turned into a cake top as I approach 40's.  And last summer my doctor emphasized that my BMW (BMI) is in an unhealthy zone. 

What is the paleo diet?..
No carbs (grains), no sugar just fruits and vegetables and protein ( meats). Some people limit the dairy too. I for one believe in the power of CHEESE and milk products.

How does it work?
The idea is that when we eat carbs the body changes that into glucose ( sugar) which fuels us, gives us lots of temporary energy. Whatever doesn't get used by the body turns into fat.  Now the diet effect, by eliminating carbs and extra sugars we force the body to break down the fat for energy...hence the weight loss. 
Now knowing a little bit about nutrition I feel that totally eliminating grains can be somewhat disadvantageous.  Carbs along with other nutrients are needed by the cellular machine to regenerate and repair itself, without them the "cell" mechanic shop doesn't have what it takes to keep functioning properly.  So I will limit them to breakfast only. 

 

And of course I will also indulge a bit on weekends.  I firmly believe that there is no better way to enjoy yourself then through the comfort of delicious food shared with friends and family.

 

The PARADOX of the PALEO-diet: If evolution allowed for cave-men to adapt it is because they figured out that settling and developing agricultural societies were better suited for food needs hence forgoing the dangerous hunting.  So one has to infer that there are always pitfalls to any diet.  I will just use to jump start my weight loss.

 

LOW caloric DIETS= YOUNG HEARTS
And on a different note there have been studies done that suggest that limited caloric diets make the heart "act" young, hence slowing down the aging process.  The idea is less fat clogged arteries and veins less work for the heart muscle to pump blood. 

 

 DISCLAIMER: As with a new diet thread lightly and talk to your doctor.

I will keep you posted on my results.
Till next year.
Jojo

Happy eat: Brie cheese & cranberries pastry

Pastry-Wrapped Cranberry Brie recipe from Pillsbury.com

 

I never exaggerate so when I tell you that when you eat this you will look 10 years younger because your smile will make you forget your worries.  I believe in the power of cheese because it is dairy and as you know milk products have lots of vitamin D which is a necessary ingredient for happiness... let me explain... during the winter people get very little exposure to sun rays which are necessary for the natural production of vitamin D which in turn wards off the winter blues.  PS( you want to know the exact chemical pathway of vitamin D in the body ...look it up on Wikipedia).
Now back to the Brie... you don't have enough time to be out in the sun during winter days...Eat the Pie ...the Brie gives you the happy thoughts... Don't worry about the extra pounds ..
Happy Round people look younger than skinny miserable people
Enjoy
Love JoJo

Icelandic relaxation

http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/676/overrides/waitresses-blue-lagoon-iceland_67665_990x742.jpg
The water is full of minerals from the volcanic activity underneath... meanwhile the vodka gets your oxygenated blood going to all your extremities.

My daughter and students keep me YOUNG

The wrinkles showing on my forehead are a reminder of my actual age.  The high energy my daughter imbibes in me makes me feel ten years younger and 10 lbs lighter.  Running around and not having any time for yourself has added bonuses to my wellbeing.  I don't worry about superfluous things.  I don't spend time investing in self-help ideologies because those imply the luxury of time.  Being on the run at school, I am a teacher, and after my daughter has given me the extra feel good serotonin level that my brain needs and that my body thrives on.  These days my life has been about streamlining everything.  Even my beauty routine had to change for me to keep up.  BB creams and CC creams do the trick.  But one wake-up call came from my students when I showed up at school with no makeup after a full weekend of struggling with a bad sinus infection.  3 of my eighth grade students proceeded to tell me what I should apply to my face to appear presentable.  This includes the POWER 4 products.  I was listening to them intently and half smiling, thinking" I write a beauty blog, children, I KNOW" I came to realize that their opinion matched to a T my current streamlined version of a beauty routine.

According to 12-13 years old girls these are the 4 POWER
1) BB and CC creams with Moisturizer
2) Under eye concealer
3) Press powder
4) Lip gloss/ lip stick

Notice no mention of mascara, but of course we all know that is a must POWER must.

Asian style massage: Reconstruct your body

Do your body a favor and try one or all of them.  So far the shiatzu (japanese) style massage and the thai massage are my favorite.  But you have to decide yourself the intensity of the massage.  Some people are more comfortable with a simple swedish massage that is very relaxing and firm.  10 yrs ago I could not have a shiatzu massage, it was too painful for me.  Today I can have one everyday after teaching 100 middle school children. Also you should tell the massage therapist the level of intensity that you prefer, they usually ask before you start, and don't be afraid to point areas that you need them to work more on or areas that you feel sore.  A good hint that something is off is when you feel uncomfortable and you feel pain.  We all have different comfort level so what might feel great to someone might feel awful to someone else.  All good massages are almost in the nude. Don't be shy, you can ask for either a female or male massage therapist.  One added perk of living in a major city is that you most likely have a Chinatown.  You can get very cheap and good massages for almost a quarter of the price of regular spas. Try it.  You still need to do a bit of research but you can find most on Yelp.com.  Don't expect luxury decor but you will be happy with the service for that price.

A good gauge for a massage is you feel like you are floating after you are done.


An excellent place for shiatzu in NY is the Ido Center.

 

Customer IS KING

After a whole year of home renovations and dealing with contractors of all sorts of shapes and sizes, I came to one conclusion,if the customer is not IMPRESSED, HAPPY, RELEAVED, ENTHUSIASTIC about YOUR PRODUCT,...then your product, DOES NOT MATTER. In other words you are removing yourself from the competition.
So companies of all types of products/ services should take note and better create a top of the line product, that leaves you dreaming happy thoughts, and makes you come back for more.
To my surprise the contracting world does not work like that.  It is full of big promises with very little delivery, like a flat warm soda.  The soda can looks good on a hot humid day and when you taste it you want to spit it out.

Now back to skin care since this is a skin care blog.

My list of products that deliver is short and I have truly become a life customer.  Most companies aspire for that but few successed.

My number 1 favorite: The Lancome Press powder
My number 2 favorite: The Clinique Moisturizer
My number 3 favorite: The Avene Eau Thermale (Spring water)
My number 4 favorite: Au maison de chocolate Champagne truffles,...dark chocolate is full of antioxidants which are good for skin repair.
My number 5 favorite: Tiffany jewelery because it makes me smile just like Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffany" and when you smile you always look good.
My number 6 favorite: a glass of spanish Rioja red wine,...makes your cheeks really rosy

Now back to real skin, I love trying new products all the time, but the ones that I come back to time and time again, I don't feel guilty about hording them since I know they deliver.


XoXo
JoJo

Beauty Sleep:Chamomile: Magic Flower

Since going back to work, I have been using chamomile tea to decompress after a stressfull day.  I stopped smoking around 4 years ago and I had to find healty ways to minimize anxiety, stress, and blue days.  I have a glass of red wine once in a while but that can interfere with sleep.  So I started reading up on the benefits of chamomile and here is what I found. 
It reduces:
1) Insomnia, it contains a chemical that is like a natural sleep aid,
2) Depression, maybe because once you have a good night rest you feel like you can take on the day
 During the night the body restores all it is cells, I call it the night time "auto-shop".  If you don't have that restorative sleep everything starts breaking down and more problems start appearing with your whole body.
3) anxiety,
4) it has anti-inflamatory properties,
5) it helps with digestion
6) it has anti-bacterial properties.



See the scientific abstract below for more detailed information:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/

Winter dry face

A friend inspired this short post.  First, streamline your skin routine.  Morning and night spray some evian water, chamomile tea or Avene Eau Thermale (from a Duane Reade drug store) onto your face and leave it one. You can buy a spray bottle from any drug store. Another option is to have a humidifier in your room at night.  Follow this with a night cream or moisturizer.  In the morning apply your moisturizer/and/or sunscreen.  Next, you have two options here depending on your age: in your twenties a press powder can be enough, in your thirties a light foundation will do wonders for giving you a finished look and as it also protects your skin from further daily "grime". And most foundations contain extra anti wrinkles ingredients that prevent further those little age lines. Don't forget about your eye cream and under eye concealer or you can use your foundation for a lighter under eye coverage.

Hope this helps

Too much exercise and the wrong FOOD can AGE YOU

Trying to stay healthy and maintain a good weight is ideal for anyone, however when we exercise too much the body's cells don't have enough time to RECOVER and REGENERATE.  They start breaking down.  The same is true for not having the right kind of nutrients in your body.  Without the right amount of vitamins, minerals, and good fats,...the builiding blocks that are needed for the cells to recover are missing.  The collagen in your skin starts breaking down and you get the sagging wrinkly look that we all dread. At around age 35 the cell recovery process starts slowing down significantly, that is why it is so important to WATCH what you EAT.

What is recommended to do to help your skin and your well-being

1) Sleeping plays a very crucial role.  No sleep no time for the cells to rebuild themselves with the right nutrients.

2)Yoga and strength training are recommended for stress relief that keeps at bay "bad" hormones that increase in your body with high stress levels.  These hormones break down the collagen in your cells as well.  Also yoga helps in increase oxygen flow to all parts of the body. The more oxygen flow the more cellular respiration which converts nutrients into energy use for the YOU.

http://health.yahoo.net/articles/aging/photos/8-diet-and-exercise-mistakes-age-you#0

L'Occitane En Provence, Let your skin take a trip to FRANCE

Over the years I have discovered different lines and brands that just stopped time while enjoying their marvelous smells and products.  There was the Body Shop, in the early 90's that made everything smell delicious, and now there is L'Occitane that makes high quality body and skin products that are worth every penny.  My favorite products hands down are : 1) The Shea Butter Dry Skin Hand Cream, 2) Amande Supple Skin Oil (almond oil), and 3) the Amande body milk or body butter.  They also have very light fresh frangrances made from native Provence flowers and fruits.  The fragrances are very subtle and they add a bit of mystery since they are not the traditional known brands.  And just recently they have introduced slimming creams and gels to the Amande line.  If you are in the NY city area there is a big promotional event at their Upper East Side store on 86th street on April 5.  I have not tried their slimming products but SHAPE MAGAZINE has given them a big thumbs up.  And just a quick suggestion,...have a glass of champagne while you try their products.

Take your SKIN out of WINTER HIBERNATION

As we make our way out of our winter caves for some sun and vitamin D, we still have to consider our skin.  During the winter months our skin is dormant.  You need some pick-me up therapy to bring it back to full on spring freshness.

1) Exfoliate,...either using a store brand or a made at home one. (some brown sugar or coffee with a bit of olive oil).  When you exfoliate, do it gently do not rub too much.  Just a light touch will do. Wash your face with cold water afterwards. 
2) Apply some vitamin E for your eyes.  Take a capsule and break it open.  Be careful it is very greasy so apply a small amount.  The rest you can mix it in with your sunscreen/and/or/ moisturizer.
3) Dab on lots of sunscreen.  The best that I found is Athelios SPF 60 made by La Roche-Posay. You can find it at Duane Reade.  It is very light and absorbs quickly.  It can also double duty as your moisturizer.

4) Add some eye cream concealer.
5) Mascara.
6) Press on Powder,...my favorite the Lancome brand.
7) Blush.
8) Lip gloss/lipstick and you are good to go.

Magic Capsule: Vitamin E

For the past few weeks I have neglected my daily skin routine, for good reason.  We are in the process of moving and with a 10 month old everything is 10 times harder to accomplish.  Even simple tasks like brushing your teeth or your hair require some production behind them.  On top of the moving situation I pulled my back again for the 3rd time this year.  So for a whole week I could barely keep up, even with help from my parents and husband.  However I remembered what my mom taught me. One vitamin capsule all it takes to SAVE YOUR SKIN from NEGLECT.

Any vitamin E capsules will do.  Take on break it,...put most of it under your eyes,...BEST EYE EMOLLIENT EVER.   The rest slather it onto your face and neck, left over for hands and cuticles. 

Be careful it is really REALLY GREASY ,...so put it on at night or if you stay in the house apply it in the morning.  Since I have been stuck to one armchair for the week I have been applying it every other day.   In smaller ammounts you can use it as an EYE CREAM  under a concelear.  It lasts all day since it is so so RICH.  You might not want to buy any other eye cream ever.  Than take one for YOUR HEART.

Problem Skin: If your pores clog easily or if you have an oily complexion just USE it for the EYES and neck, or hands.

Massages HELP you HEAL

When lower back pain started interfering with my regular activities, I decided to search different options that did not involve taking medication.  I found some alternatives that work well: massages, yoga, and acupuncture.  Massages are not just for relaxation they are for healing as well.   You might wonder why would I want to talk about massages since this is mainly a skin care blog.  It is simple, the better you feel physically the more happier you look, the more oxygen flows to your tired cells, the more radiant your skin.  Going back to massages.  Ancient people have been doing them a long time before the first spa ever appeared on 5th Ave,...or before the Chinese lady gave you a good seated massage.  Now science has proven that massages have the powerful effect of healing your muscles.  Studies have been done on athletes that complete extensive workouts and those that followed their workout with a 10-15 minute massage showed increased numbers in mithochandria.  The mithochandria is the key organelle of the cell that produces energy and helps restore muscle tissue. The ones that did not have a follow-up massage took longer to heal.  So there, now when you want to spend your money on healing your body, SPEND IT ON a MASSAGE.

GOD created Adele: Set fire to the rain

Here is her latest video : "Set fire to the rain"


Her talent and her beauty speak for themselves,...in my mind she is absolute PERFECTION

and she has IMMACULATE SKIN and SUBLIME RETRO MAKE-up


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri7-vnrJD3k

An Avocado A day keeps the doctor Away

I don't cook, I try to cook, I learn and I do cook sometimes  when I feel a bit adventurous.  However with a new baby every task that seemed second nature to any individual now it is a small production.  With lots of patience and a lot of ingenuity to keep my baby entertained I had to figure out fast ways to FEED myself and my BEBE.  Avocados seem to satisfy my hunger and my baby's curiosity with anything and everything soft and green.  My daily routine consists of eating an early pre-lunch meal at around 10-11 am of avocado, turkey breast, some cheese and a second espresso.  As I prepare my quick meal my baby watches her MAMA do the GREEN DANCE.  Then she gets to taste the NUT.  So far she loves it and I haven't even started her on GUACAMOLE.  I cannot wait to see her face when she TASTES the SALT.
All I can say is that the AVOCADO SAVES MY DAY and MY HEALTH.  It is full of antioxidants and it tastes like heaven,...right up there after chocolate and cheese.

2 is the MAGIC NUMBER

Trying to maintain a healthy HAPPY DIET is not always easy.  Life and circumstances get in the way.  So looking at what I eat, I decided to make my life easier and think of everything as 2 or multiples of two.
So here is the basic breakdown:
1) 2 glasses of water before every meal
2) 2-4 servings of fruits and vegetable/day
3) 2 oz of dark chocolate (See my post: Chocolate your World)
4) 2-4 cups of coffee,...depending on how much or how little sleep I get with my baby
5) 2 servings of protein : 1 for lunch, and 1 for dinner
6) 2 servings of fiber: wheat bread for breakfast/and or lunch
7) 2 glasses of red wine/week (whichever day of the week the need arises)
8) 2 servings of INDULGENCE/WEEK (be it a slice of pizza, a can of soda, a chocolate chip cookie, or french fries)

Drugstore Gems

Nothing can pick my mood up than wondering through the make-up drugstore aisle.  It is the best way to asses quality, price and the beauty trends, and it does not cost you a penny.  You don't always have to buy.  However once in a while it is worth spending a few bucks and finding the satisfaction that you found a GEM.  Here are my recent finds:
1) Maybeline Dream Bouncy Blush: 
It looks like a powder blush but it blends like a cream once on your skin. I love this because it blends so well and even and it really looks natural.  I am starting to prefer cream blushes because they look more natural.
2) L'Oreal: Colour Riche Balm:
This product is so rich and tasty that you will instantly fall in love with. It is a BALM with a tiny tint of color. It lasts and it makes your lips look delicious.  It reminds me of the Elizabeth Arden 8 hr lip balm, but this one is only $7.50 or around that.
3) The Botanics: The Power of Plants Eye Colour (Only at Target)
Very smooth and translucent eye colours with beautiful earthy tones.  And if you are a bit bold they have also some shades of light purple which I think look divine on any eye color or skin tone.