DETOX SEASON 2012!

I can't believe it's February 2012!! Where does time go? I was supposed to start my detox last month but I guess I didn't think of it until this month. Haha. 

This particular year, the year of the dragon, is the year I have been waiting for. Many expect this year to bring interesting and life-altering changes, and I'm quite excited after having a very stressful and challenging year. I really did not like it one bit!! Anyway, before I go off on a tangent, I'm so ready to get rid of the old and anything that has weighed me down in the past. I'm ready to work with a clean slate, and to paint it with beautiful and vibrant colors. However, before I officially start this year, there are few items I need to take care of. 

To begin, I will need to detox/cleanse my body by doing the following:

-Drink more water (I will need to add lemon or cucumber to make it more appealing). 

-Take vitamins (Omega-3 Fish Oil, Vitamin D3, and Luminous & Brilliance vitamins)

-Drink Metamucil to help with digestion (I know, I sound like an old lady).

-Detox every 6 months (with Magnesium Citrate).

-Exercise 3 times a week. 

-Eat better (more veggies and fruit; eat less meat).

Aside from all the things I want to do to rid my body of toxins, I want to finish some products I've had for the past year that I did not like, but stored instead. I want to focus on natural and organic products that aren't so harsh on the skin and hair. Once I follow and stick to a healthy regimen, I know I will feel 10x's better. 

Pile of products I so desperately want to 

throw away but don't want to waste:

-Nivea Express Hydration (too sticky)

-Issey Miyake Eau de Toilette Spray (smells OLD)

-Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil Deodorant 

(not "extremely" effective)

-Mario Badescu Glycolic Acid Toner 

(replacing it w/ Eminence Ston Crop Toner)

-Aceite 3 Olive, Almond, Castor Oil

(already have Almond Oil, Castor Oil, 

and Rose Water to replace it)

-Cargo OneBase Concealer+Foundation 

-Stila Kajal Eye Liner

-L'Oreal Le Kohl Pencil (not dark enough)

-Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara (Discontinued)

-Jane Iredale Lash Conditioner (old and I didn't like it)

-CoverGirl LashBlast Length Mascara (I've used better mascaras)

-CoverGirl Outlast Lip Stains (ehh...)

-End result after using some of the products listed above. 

(Yes, I know....I need a good camera that won't make me look orange!)

Ladies, what are your GO-TO Jeans?

I am a denim junkie.  I love jeans and I work at a company that does not allow us to wear jeans, we don’t even have “Casual Fridays”.  *DISLIKE*

However, every weekend I make it a point to put on some denim.  I tend to enjoy a mixture of different brands, different colors and different styles.                                                                       

Some of my favorite brands include:

-True Religion;

-J Brand;

-Levis (Curve ID Line ROCKS); and

-7 for all Mankind. 

I currently LOVE my skinny jeans from Bebe, they seem to hug your body in all the right places and they do a GREAT job of accentuating your stems.  I just purchased my second color of the Signature Stretch Skinny Jean.  These are my go-to jeans, specifically for a night out.  These jeans cost $89.00 and definitely look high quality = SO WORTH IT.  Rock a pair of these jeans, either with boots, pumps, flats, etc., and you are guaranteed to look stylish.  To boot, they are so comfortable that I feel like I am wearing leggings every time I put these jeans on.

Try on a pair and who knows you may find your new favorite jeans. 

Here are some denim specifics, courtesy of the Bebe website:

Rise: 8". Inseam: 32". Leg opening: 10.5" ■45% lyocell, 29% polyester, 24% cotton, 2% spandex.

<3 JM

Nars Sheer Matte vs. Revlon Colorstay

So I'm on a quest to find the perfect foundation. I'm extremely picky when it comes down to what I "paint" my face with. I have oily/acne prone skin, and I'm always looking for foundation that is non-comedogenic, oil-free, fragrance-free, dermatologist-tested, long lasting, and with medium coverage. If it is paraben-free, organic, and not tested on animals, even better! 

For a few years now, I have been using Revlon ColorStay on a regular basis. Even though I really like this foundation, I've been wanting to switch over to another foundation. I've watched countless YouTube reviews and read tons of reviews on various foundations. What I've realized is that every person's skin is different, and reacts differently to various products and ingredients. I've also learned that people have different taste and expectations from products. After much research (I seriously research EVERYTHING! Haha.), I decide to try Nars Sheer Matte, seeing that it matched my criteria for the "perfect" foundation. Many reviews RAVE about how AMAZING Nars Sheer Glow looks on them. I assumed that I would LOVE it too. Since I have oily skin, I decided that Nar Sheer Matte would be better for my type of skin. After a few test runs, I decided to compare it to Revlon Colorstay--my favorite drugstore foundation. 

Here are the results:

Syracuse - Medium/Dark

Pros:

-The coverage is medium.

-The perfect skin tone match.

Cons:

-Not long lasting. My skin is oily after four hours.

-The foundation is buildable but by the time I finish applying this foundation, my face looks cakey.

-I need to use concealer for my acne scars.

-The following day after using this product, I have some new undesirable bumps on my face. 

*Perhaps the Nars Sheer Glow is a better foundation but not for oily skin.

vs. 

360 Golden Caramel - Combination/Oily Skin

Pros:

-The coverage is medium to full, and it does a good job of covering my acne marks.

-The finish is natural looking; my face does not look completely matte.

-Although this foundation is not long lasting, I would say that it takes about 5/6 hours before I need to touch up again.

-This foundation does not clog my pores.

-I always return to this drugstore foundation.

Cons:

-The color is a bit too dark for me; it almost looks like a bronzer.

Step 1:

Nars (above)

Revlon (below)

Step 2:

Blended

Step 3:

Dry

As you can see, Nars Sheer Matte is a better color match than Revlon ColorStay. However, at the end of the day, I prefer Revlon ColorStay. I will continue using this foundation until I find a "better" one. If you have any recommendations, please let me know.  :)

In case you're interested, I have tried following foundations in the past:

-Lancôme’s Teint Idole Ultra Foundation 

-Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation-SPF 20

-Chanel Natural Finish Loose Powder 

-Afterglow Cosmetics Organic Mineral Foundation (I want to give it a second chance.)

-Jane Iredale Amazing Base Loose Mineral Powder-SPF 20

-GloMinerals Makeup Loose Base

-Revlon Colorstay with Softflex

-Nars Sheer Matte Foundation

*My skin tone color is usually labeled as tan, caramel, or honey.

Peace, 

SLG

Noni 100 - Organic Noni Juice

About a month ago, one of my health conscious friends, Mayra, recommended that I start taking "noni shots", as she calls them.  While visiting a health and wellness store in Davis, CA, I decided I should give it a try. Although, she warned me that noni juice is not tasty and quite bitter.  Prior to my first swig, I started looking into the product information for Noni 100 and noni juice in general. I found the following product information online:

Benefits of Noni100:

• Very high in organic minerals, trace minerals, over 160 nutrients and other novel compounds, such as Damnacanthal, Anthraquinones, Acubin, Alazin, Asperuloside, Bioflavonoids, and Glycosides.*
• Supports healthy serotonin levels.*
• Supports healthy energy levels.*
• Supports healthy microbial balance.*
• Supports detoxification pathways of the body.*
• Supports healthy blood sugar levels.*
• Natural digestive bitter (nicknamed the "Ultimate Digestive Bitter"), rich in enzymes which may help support healthy digestion. Anthraquinones from Noni help support the natural activity of the entire digestive process.*
• Contains Scopoletin, which is believed to help support circulatory health. It also supports healthy immune function, as well as healthy inflammatory processes in the body.*
• Noni Juice is very acidic in nature and has a very low pH of 3.4-3.8. Despite Noni's low pH, its overall effect on the body is a balancing of proper acid-alkaline ratio, which is important to maintain good health.

I am on month #2 and bottle #2 of taking daily noni shots.  I can tell you that my energy levels are definitely up and this product provides me with a healthly detox system.  I am now a fan of noni juice, I urge you give it a try and see you reap any or all of the above benefits.

If you have any questions, please to do not hesitate to ask. =)

Disclaimer:  Noni juice tastes disgusting (I recently forced my room-mates to take a shot and they can both contest to the awful taste too).  I force myself to take a shot every morning when I wake up and the benefits are well worth the "pain".

-JM

I BELIEVE IN....PINK

WHAT'S WITH MY CURRENT OBSESSION WITH PINK???!!!

These last few months, I have made some purchases just because I wanted to incorporate this lovely color into my life.  I guess that's a nice way of putting it. LOL.


Two of my favorite recent PINK purchases are:

This beautiful Movado watch:

I was looking for a black watch and I came across this watch while doing some web browsing.  I am still waiting for my shipment and I am hoping it looks just as good in person. *Fingers crossed*

Another purchase I made last month while in Vegas was this beautiful pink YSL lip gloss (pictured in second position).  This is part of YSL's new Spring collection, this color is called GOLDEN FUSCHIA.  I love how I am able to pull off an evening look with minimal effort. ;)  A bit of a beauty splurge since it cost $30, but the color/texture is AMAZING.  Definitely high quality lip gloss. 

Sporting my new YSL lip gloss, what do you think? 

Or does light pink suit me better? 

“I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.”

― Audrey Hepburn

-JM

Love Geodes, Agates, and Natural Materials

The other day, my mother and I stopped by Bergdorf Goodman's looking for a Penhaligon perfume she was determined to find and buy. Fortunately, we did find her beloved perfume, and this is when I came across a gorgeous fine jewelry line by Kimberly McDonald. It was love at first sight! 

Her collection "uses natural and organic materials, such as agates and geodes, complimented by natural/untreated fine materials, such as diamonds, raw emeralds, and baroque pearls" (Kimberly McDonald's FB page).

Even Michelle Obama loves Kimberly McDonald!

"Jewelry was initially created to carry symbolic talismans and stones of energy or import. I believe it should still have that meaning and that we can accomplish this without pillaging nature.” -Kimberly McDonald

-SLG