Perhaps not so flawless, but . . .

So, I received the foundation from Paula Begoun and have used it for about a week. I can't say that my skin looks as perfect as my sister's (but then, I guess that was unrealistic - she's had facials, etc) but it is very good coverage from a very light foundation. The upshot is this: Discolorations are covered without looking "made up". And that is a good thing! (Also, it goes on better with your fingers than with a sponge.) If you want to look "dewy", "glowy", or "radiant" though, you'll have to use a highlighter too.

Good product, good price - but not a miracle worker. Have you tried it? What do you think??

Flawless skin

So my sister and I were in line at 7-11. (Buying lottery tickets - hope springs eternal!) It's daytime, there is sunlight coming in the windows, and the fluorescent lights are blazing. In other words, this is the harshest light you can imagine. My sister is only 1 year, 1 week younger than I. And her skin looked amazing! I told her so and she said that she had tried a new foundation from Paula Begoun. (She's been around for years - a makeup guru who reviews all kinds of makeup and now makes her own line, using what she's learned.)

I ordered some! Hasn't come yet but if you want to try it, here's the URL: www.paulaschoice.com/product/barely-there-sheer-matte-tint-spf-20/Complexion

It's only $14.95 and it's an ounce so it should last about 2 mos or so. Hope my skin looks as great as my sis's!

Bat wings, part 2

Okay, so the rosemary oil may actually work. But if you don't have muscle there, too, you won't see huge improvement. I do a very physical yoga for an hour and a half, three times a week. My biceps are nicely defined but my triceps . . . not so much! Most exercise programs don't focus a lot on the triceps. There is a good exercise for the triceps: Sit on the edge of a chair with your hands behind you, facing forward. Then lift up and down in front of the chair.

Here's the fun part of this: Science is discovering that when you visualize yourself doing an exercise, your muscles react as if you are actually exercising. Great! My kind of tricep exercise! But first do the actual exercise a few times - I find that it's easier to visualize something that you've actually done.

"Bat wings"

So, especially if you're a woman of a certain age, you may have noticed that awful flab under your arms that just seems to be growing. Kind of like a blob that seems to be from some science fiction movie. If you are noticing the "wave" under your arms (some call it "bat wings"), you may be interested in what I just read in "Women First" magazine: Put two to three drops of rosemary oil in a dollop of body lotion and rub it in under your arms. It's supposed to increase the collagen in your skin and firm up the bat wings!

I bought some rosemary oil (under $7) at a nutrition store yesterday and did my first "treatment" this morning. Can't give you any feedback yet but hey - it's worth a try!

Yes, I'm older . . .

I know that it's been a few months, but time flies when you're on the earth a while! Truly. If you haven't noticed it yet, you will. There are even studies being done about how (and why) the perception of time changes when you're on the earth a while. (They haven't really found out why yet - actually, it has to do with one's need to experience as much s possible while one is still in the earth . . . but the brain science is still in its infancy.)

Anyway, got a few things to say in a few new posts - and we'll all see how I experience time in the future!

The Channel says this all of the time . . .

but maybe you'll believe it more if scientists say it:

The Mantra That Helps You Live Longer
By RealAge

The last thing we all need right now is another doom-and-gloom headline. So try this mantra as an antidote: Good times are coming.

Think it. Believe it. Say it to yourself often -- as often as it takes to put yourself in a more positive frame of mind. Not only could it put more bounce in your step, but research shows it may add miles to your life, too.

Great Expectations: It's all about attitude. And the right one did a lot for the women in a study. Those with the most optimism -- a belief that good things will happen -- enjoyed a 14 percent lower risk of dying from any cause during the study, compared with their most pessimistic peers. And the women who saw the glass as half full were also 30 percent less likely to develop heart disease.

Raising Resilience: The study findings don't necessarily prove that a bad attitude shortens life. But cultivating a positive mood certainly can't hurt you. A positive attitude does a bunch of good stuff for your health -- like setting you up to cope with stress in healthier ways (such as meditation instead of drinking). Positive people may also deal with stress better and live longer because they tend to enjoy deeper social bonds than cynical types do.

Posted at http://www.realage.com/tips/the-mantra-that-helps-you-live-longer

Remember the "grapefruit diet"?

Yeah, we all remember that one! And people made fun of it or swore by it. Now, researchers are saying that citrus helps raise your metabolism! From www.realage.com:

The research is early, but a new animal study suggests that naringenin, a compound in grapefruit, could help stop the pounds from piling on.

Citrus Secrets

In the study, researchers found that mice with symptoms of metabolic syndrome gained less weight from a high-fat diet when they were on a naringenin supplement. Not only that, but the rodents' cholesterol and triglyceride levels and insulin sensitivity also improved. More support: Check out this human study that found weight benefits to eating grapefruit.

Okay, now it's official - everything old is new again! (But worth a try!)

I know - baking soda again!

But I love these tips! From TotalBeauty.com:

Four Amazing Uses for Baking Soda

No. 1: As a Clarifying Shampoo: Mix 2 teaspoons baking soda with 1 cup water and use as a final rinse after shampooing.

No. 2: As a Facial Cleanser: Mix 1/2 teaspoon with your favorite cleanser for extra exfoliating (no need to buy a separate scrub!). This is fine for all skin types to do weekly, but dry skin may need to follow up with a rich moisturizer.

No. 3: As a Foot Powder: Sprinkle some baking soda into your workout shoes for stink-free and sweat-free feet. No.

4: As a Teeth Whitener: It has a salty taste but baking soda is a classic tooth cleanser and whitener -- sprinkle on a damp toothbrush and brush as normal.

And it cleans sinks, polishes sink faucets, and cleans stains from dishes, too!

Thank goddess for baking soda! ; )

Vaseline - old fashioned fix!

When I was in my 20's, I used Vaseline to remove eye makeup. Whenever I told a makeup expert (at a spa, in a department store makeover) that I did this, they laughed at me. Not only laughed at me but called others over to laugh at me as well! So I stopped.

Fast forward to about 10 years ago. My eyelids were "crepey" and eyeshadow looked funny on my lids. So I decided what the heck - I'm not 20-something anymore, I don't care what they think. And so I began to use Vaseline to remove makeup every night. Within a week or so, my eyelids were as smooth as they had ever been. And I've been using Vaseline ever since!

A couple of days ago, I was reading a women's magazine. Lo and behold, they had a makeup tip: Use Vaseline to remove your eye makeup and you'll diminish lines around your eyes.

I'm so glad that the world has caught up with me (and my grandmother)! ; )

Blessings!

Eyeshadow application

So, this is fun! Paula Begoun has some videos on uTube showing makeup application. I enjoyed this one on eye shadow. Maybe you don't like playing with makeup like I do but it's still interesting! Click here to watch the video


New ideas are always fun.