Sunday, July 31, 2011

A is for Antioxidants


"Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start."
Maria, The Sound of Music
Antioxidants are chemicals that protect cells by neutralizing external forces (such as damage from the sun, pollution, wind, and temperature) and internal factors (for example, emotions, metabolism, and the presence of excess oxygen). Common antioxidants are Vitamins A, C, E, and beta carotene. These special chemicals assist in skin repair and the strengthening of blood vessels.
Phew, so these are necessary to keep skin hydrated and repeair and prevent damage. You can eat leafy greens, high in anitioxidants, and drink teas and tinctures.
Super Salve products have enzyme Q10, Power Repair Products deliver antioxidants to the skin in each step, the Face Mist delivers antioxidants and is refreshing on a hot day, and the Vitamin C is a membrane stabilizer and lifts and tightens collagen. Power Repair and Body Nurish have the daily steps you need, each has a routine packed with step of products with anitoxidants.
And the operative word - daily, nothing drastic.
Jean Cocteau said "Elegance is the art of not astonishing."

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

What I Like About You


Energize your skincare by playing the Kinks and the Romantics. And think about Vitamin C, it works all day and all of the night.
Start in the morning with lemon water to wake up your liver, then a nice steaming cup of coffee to restore the tissues.
First, exfoliate with Power Repair Exfoliant, then apply Green Clay Exfoliant Mask. After it dries, use Power Repair Foaming Cleanser in the shower. Then apply Power Repair Toner, Vitamin C Serum, and then Power Repair Face Cream or Sunscreen.
Use the Citrus Body Butter by Super Salve on your legs for a smooth look and pleasant scent. The scent of citrus is cheering and energizing. Results published in the Behavioural Brain Research journal suggest that lemon oil possesses anti-anxiety, antidepressant-like effects by suppressing dopamine activity. Other studies suggest the scent of grapefruit, lime, orange and lemon make people you in a more positive light.
In the evening, use the floral facial steam to rinse off the day, followed by toner, Vitamin C, and Power Repair cream. Vitamin C works harder at night when your body's rhythms are working to restore things.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

A Perfect Summer Day

Rosemary Green and Lavender Blue - Mama Lisa's House of English Nursery Rhymes, Comment Image
Rosemary green, and lavender blue,
Thyme and sweet marjoram,
Hyssop and rue.
Victorian Children's Rhyme
Oooh! It's a lovely day to pick roses at sunrise! At dawn the grass is damp under your bare feet, and there are no sounds other than quail calling. When you change bouquets, toss the previous rose petals on the walkway leading to your door, the postman will soooo appreciate it!
Mmmmm, cleaning lady called in sick? If you live where rosemary grows abundantly, take a generous amount and place in large pot on stove, turn to boil. The aroma will make your house smell wonderful, and you can drink the tea afterwards, or make a rosemary peach sorbet. Rosemary is full of antioxidants, is an astringent, and is great for wiping down surfaces.
The first thing guests will notice is the welcoming aroma, they will look past the week's clutter thrown in a large Moroccan shopping basket.
At a 300 year old farmhouse near Antibes, I picked up a nice trick- wipe down your windowsills and floors with lavender oil. When the warmth of the sun hits the wood, a lovely scent is released. Mmmmmmmmm.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Tone and Uplift Facial Muscles for a Natural Facelift

Muscle Awareness
Facial exercises stretch, move, and tone the face muscles much more specifically than speaking and eating. After this routine, you may be surprised how you can feel the muscles- awareness!
1. Using your thumb and index finger together, pick up the folds all over your face, gently squeeze and release. This stimulates the circulation, and wake up the face. Do this for one minute.
2. Like Lion in yoga, squeeze, hold it all for 3 seconds then release. This exercise parts of the face that may not be exercised otherwise.
3. With your mouth closed, pretend to chew. Notice the way you normally chew, then switch directions. This exercises the muscles of the jaw and the chin.
4. Stick your tongue out and try to touch the tip of your nose. This movement exercises the muscles under the chin. Repeat three times.
5. With your lips  closed, brush your teeth with your tongue. This increases saliva production, and the movement of the tongue exercises the muscles in the cheeks.
6. Rub your hands together briskly and then place them over your face to feel the warmth beneath them.
Now go out in the garden and think pretty thoughts.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

While You Were Sleeping

William Morris wallpaper
"Sleep that knits up the raveled sleeve of care.." 
Shakepeare, Macbeth

On the days when the fondue fork of life stabs you in the palm of your hand, when you open the mail box expecting a thank you note and a moth flies out, when your hourglass shaped bottle of eau-de-vie brandy is empty, save for the soaked pear you can't figure out how to retrieve, here is the cure.
Put on Brahms "Lullabye", or some Bach. When you sleep, beauty products are able to work more effectively. The purpose of sleep is repair.
The first step in this lovely routine is enjoy the Power Repair Facial Steam  - you will feel your day improving, as you experience the roses, lavender, and chamomile. Then massage Fruity Lift into your face. Here, either use cuppping or apply Power Repair Exfoliant, a healing mask. I apply it directly over the Fruity Lift, it seems to act as an accelerant. After the mask dries, shower to wash away the cares of the day.
In the shower, wash with Power Repair on your Clarisonic Brush. Out of the shower, apply the Power Repair Toner, the smell is divine, and it calms the skin. Then apply a generous amount of Power Repair Vitamin C Solution. If I were ever only allowed one beauty product on earth, this would be it.
Applying this cools, clarifies, and brightens your skin. I apply another layer of Vitamin C, then Power Repair Cream. Sometimes I apply the eye cream with Clarisonic Opal, for deeper product penetration.
A generous amount lets it work as a mask while you sleep. The vitamin C moves lymph for a more contoured face, you wake up clear and radiant.
Vitamin C Solution over a clean and exfoliated face is my favorite facial, home or salon.
The common denominator in Power Repair, Body Nurish, and Super Salve products is the ingredients are so pure and so intense, each time you wash is an event. The pleasant experience is as intense as the results. With so many beauty products, the rush is the packaging.
The above products are a great value and can all be purchased for less than a salon facial, with greater results.
In the morning you will look your best for any occasion. Making the mundane special is the most elegant.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Perfectly Healthy Shiny Hair

Perfect hair is the perfect accessory. Once a week, use a clarifying shampoo followed by your regular shampoo. In your shampoo, put a couple drops of your favorite essential oil, this week I have been using geranium. Leave it in your hair for several minutes, while you use Power Repair Skin Cleanser on your Clarisonic brush. The gentle brush helps move lymph. Rinse your hair, then take a dropper full of Organic Herbal Hair and Scalp Treatment massage into hair, then apply your favorite hair mask over it. I like Kerastase, and the oil stretches the expensive mask and enhances the results. 
In Seattle, see Jessica Rockwell at Salon Blast for perfect blowouts. Deep conditioning Shine treatment for $30!  Salon Blast is an upscale salon with habit forming prices.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

On a Hot Day

The heat and humidity can make you feel muggy. This may help:

For the mask, chop up a ripe peach and blend with honey to make a paste. The fruit is astringent, and the honey is antibacterial and mositurizing. Strawberries can be used of you don't have a peach.
1. Apply the mask, leave it on for 5 minutes. After rinsing, you can feel your skin is smoother.
2. Apply a blend of geranium, sandalwood, and sweet almond oil. Using circular finger tip strokes, work the blend all ove the face, and inhale the aroma.
3. Work under the nose and eye socket areas.
Using just your index fingers, starting the inside of the eyebrows, stroke out to the edge of the bony eye socket areas, under the eye, and back up the sides of the nose. Repeat twice.
4. Alternate circles over the cheeks
Using the palms of both hands, one on either side, make large circular movements over the whole cheek area, one side after the other other, to massage the cheek muscles and work the blend into all areas.

Verjus


Verjus is a wonderful product, it is centuries made from pressed green grapes, and contains and enormous amount of antioxidants, and reservatrol, both are great for your skin. Mix it with fizzy water and honey for a nice alternative to drinking, particularly in the the heat.
If you do drink too much, I can heartily recommend the Soothing Herbal Jelly Mask  - ahhh, so cooling, I keep my in the fridge,  it changes the energy, takes away the dullness in your head.
Soothing Herbal Jelly Mask is infused with herbs that are traditionally used to heal and soothe irritable and damaged skin. This mask feels cool and calming while toning and conditioning the skin. A light and lovely product, it   heals and soothes and is  rich in natural vitamins and minerals. The list of ingredients list makes you feel better just reading it: distilled water infused with marshmallow root and calendula flower, orange blossom water, aloe vera gel, rose water, seaweed, xanthum gum, essential oils of neroli and yazu, glucose, and enzyme.
Ahh, hangover in French is mal a chevaux - my hair hurts!

Coconuts


Paul Gaugin
Coconuts smell as good they taste, and have endless health and beauty benefits. The key sees to be the fatty acids, but do click on the link to learn more.
 A lovely friend washes her face in coconut oil- she massages it in, then washes it off. Her skin glows. The clever creators at Body Nurish has some delicious beauty products to make you pretty and happy, and your beau will love scent.
In the shower, try Body Nurish Coconut Sugar Scrub - the shower fills with this lovely sexy baking naked smell, it's transporting. After, mist your body with Cocoa Butter Skin Oil. It is not at all oily, and absorbs quickly. A blend of nutritional oils and essential vitamins combined with tropical butters to make a superb food for the skin. The ingredients are all pure of course: Organic jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, avocado oil, aloe vera oil,olive oil, macadamia nut oil, grape seed oil, vitamin E oil, cocoa butter,
mango butter, rose water, essential oils of citrus, and glucose enzyme.

Finish your face with a smile and Coconut Cream for face from Super Salve.
And if of this has made you want a coconut layer cake with a cup of Earl Grey tea, pour coconut milk in the batter, and reduce the amount of butter. If frosting a cake is daunting, shower it with toasted coconut and fresh flowers.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Cool Start to a Hot Day

Upon rising, drink 2 liters lemon water, and enjoy your coffee outside. If you have mint growing in your garden, boil fresh mint with rosemary for an antioxident and uplifting tea. Have a Brahms violin concerto playing in the background as you apply the Body Nurish Soothing Jelly Mask. This mask cools as you spread it on, and it translucent. Fill up the space between thoughts with breath.
Using the pads of your fingers, rub in Body Nurish Organic Herbal Hair and Scalp treatment - rub along the skull, exploring the bone structure, stimulating circulation keeps your hair beautiful, like the recent photos from Canada of Princess Shiny Hair. Even better, the oils and herbs contain the uplifting and clairfying scent of sage.
In the shower, scrub with Coconut Sugar Scrub, your skin will be new and smooth, who doesn't want to smell of coconuts all day?
On your now smiling face, as the act of showering releases endorphonins, apply Body Nurish Facial Toner, then VitaNutrient, a vitamin C serum, and for cooling finish with Body Nurish Comfrey Leaf lotion, and SPF 15 Sunshine Filter, a sunscreen that nourishes your skin with soothing herbs and oils. Spritz your legs with CocoButter Spray Oil - more on this amazing product later.
This drill is a great value, as are al the products found at supersalve.com, every product works, and the at home treatments are as good as any spa treatment. 
Now, go out for your walk or work in the garden, eat lunch on the lawn, you look wonderful, and will stay cooler.