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What is the big deal about straws you say? Well plenty.
Our standard plastic drinking straw is a landfill nightmare. They do not biodegrade. They get eaten by animals to tragic results. In North America we throw out hundreds of billions of plastic drinking straws each year.
Yuck.
That is why I love the reusable, glass drinking straws from Glass Dharma. It is a stroke of genius really.
Glass Dharma straws are made of borosilicate glass – the strongest commercially available glass on the market. It’s the same type of glass that your glass coffee pot or your Pyrex® pie plate is made from. It is dishwasher safe and contains no lead. Love that.
I have been using them for ages and they are amazing. They are extremely durable (I am hard on mine and have yet to break one).
They are also fantastic because, as a makeup artist, I encourage models and anyone in my chair to use a straw in order to preserve their makeup. So when you sip your bevy out of a Glass Dharma straw you are saving your lipstick and the environment. What is not to like about that?
Simple Elegance - my favourite
Be beautiful. Feel good about it.
If there is one beauty product I have in my handbag or in my pocket at all times it is Hemp Organics Lip Tints. I wear them all the time. All. The. Time.
If I am only going to grab one makeup item it will be lip colour and these are by far one of my ultimate favs. Hemp Organics Lip Tints are perfect for the hottest summer days and coldest winter nights. They are a Green Beauty hero. I could go on and on.
Hemp Organics Lip Tint in Love
The colours offered in Hemp Organics Lip Tints are fantastic.
Wine is a gorgeous merlot red – perfect for gals with olive skin or fairer skin tones who want a pop of warmth for Fall.
Hemp Organics Lip Tint in Wine
Rose is a delicate pink – the ideal shade for the final days of summer.
Hemp Organics Lip Tint in Rose
Berry is a luscious, candy apple red – gorgeous on all skin tones. It adds richness without intense colour.
Hemp Organics Lip Tint in Berry
Kiss is a beautiful tawny pink and creates a perfect neutral lip on those with fair skin tones.
Hemp Organics Lip Tint in Kiss
Terra is a heavenly shade that creates a beautiful neutral lip on those with medium to dark skin tones.
Hemp Organics Lip Tint in Terra
What I love the most about Hemp Organics Lip Tints is that they give a moderate amount of colour while feeling like a lip balm. In fact, they moisturize just like a lip balm with top-notch ingredients like: carnauba wax, certified organic hemp seed oil, certified organic jojoba oil and vitamin E. I also love the thin tube as it goes on like a dream.
Beautiful colour – soft lips – organic ingredients. I bet you can’t have just one. I sure can’t.
Be beautiful. Feel good about it.
Blotting papers are a glorious thing. They have yet to really take off in North America the way they have in Europe and Asia for reasons I do not understand. They are the best – absolutely the best way to keep your face shine-free and your makeup fresh. Honest. No more reapplying of powder through out the day.
These Tatcha Aburatorigami Japanese Blotting Papers are my favourite by far.
Tatcha Blotting Papers
Why? Let me count the ways:
1. Tatcha Aburatorigami Japanese Blotting Papers are 3.75 inches in size – substantially larger that other blotting papers.
2. They are made from the finest abaca leaf known for its absorbency and softness. No talc is added (which would remove makeup and possibly irritate delicate skin).
3. They are brilliant and easy to use! Take a single sheet (from the beautiful packaging) and gently pat it on the areas of your face that need either oil control or just a freshening. Your makeup will stay in place. I find it enhances my makeup midday because it gives it a matte finish. You can use both sides as well.
4. Tatcha Blotting Papers work as a beautiful primer before makeup application for those with dry skin. Simply pat a single sheet over your face after applying your moisturizer to help create the perfect canvas for your makeup.
5. They are ideal for: brides, traveling, keeping in your purse, keeping in your desk drawer, keeping in your gym bag, freshening up before a night out. Love that.
6. You will feel elegant and sophisticated when you use them – a happy, albeit frivolous, perk.
7. Even Oprah likes them….
Be beautiful. Feel good about it.
Mother’s Day is this Sunday – this Sunday! I only realized this recently. I have a new perspective on Mother’s Day now that I am one.
We get bombarded with messages about how to pamper mothers this time of year. What does it mean to pamper someone anyway? My idea of a pampering on Mother’s Day would include the following:
- Sleeping in – not even that late, just a little bit
- Coffee in bed – love that
- Not making any decisions
This final point is key. Pampering to me is not having to make any decisions. Having someone else decide what we are doing that day, what we are having for dinner, etc. is my idea of heaven on earth. I don’t need a lot, just turning my mental energy down to even 60% is a beautiful thing.
Of course – gifts are always nice too (here comes the shameless self promotion).
I love this gift set from Tashodi. I think it has Mother-In-Law written all over it. Tashodi’s products are superb and packaging them in a bamboo steamer you can use later is brilliant.
Whatever you do for the moms in your life this Sunday – be kind, show her some love and ask her how she would like to spend Mother’s Day this year.
Be beautiful. Feel good about it.
I know. I know. You have heard it a million, billion times and I am about to tell you again.
Wear sunscreen.
No really. Wear sunscreen. Whether you are motivated by health, vanity or both it is so important. Let me spell it out for you.
If you are health conscious….
Prolonged, unprotected exposure to the sun can lead to skin cancer. Most skin cancers fall into three categories: basal cell carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas, and melanomas. Basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas are caused by repeated, unprotected sun exposure. While there is some question as to whether melanomas are also caused by sun exposure, there is general agreement within the medical and scientific communities that the other forms of cancer are. With skin cancer fast becoming the most common form of cancer is North America I say wear your sunscreen.
If you are vain…
The most effective way to prevent wrinkles and other signs of aging is to wear sunscreen.
I will say it again, just so we are clear, the most effective way to prevent wrinkles and other signs of aging is to wear sunscreen. In fact, exposure to ultraviolet light, UVA or UVB, accounts for 90% of the symptoms of premature skin aging. Personally, that is all I need to hear.
All this and sunburns suck. They are painful and are a direct line to both points listed about.
Here are some tips to ensure you protect your skin as effectively as possible.
- Choose a broad spectrum sunscreen. You do this by checking out the active ingredients on the label. Zinc oxide is the hero here as it uniformly covers from 290 to 380 nm, thus protecting against UVB and most of the UVA spectrum; in fact it is the only sun filtering agent that delivers such broad spectrum protection. It is also the active ingredient least likely to irritate even the most sensitive skin. UV Naturals is a great choice.
- Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before you go outside otherwise you are not going to get the protection you need. Apply it after your moisturizer as you are getting ready in the morning and you should be good to go!
- Sunscreen should be applied liberally. Do not skimp here. A dollop the size of a quarter is the minimum required just to protect your face.
- Do not forget to protect your hands. They are in the sun as much as our faces and are a prime area for sun damage and the tell-tale signs of aging (i.e. wrinkles and brown spots). Apply sunscreen to your hands as you would hand cream.
Is all this sounding familiar?
Now – I have heard a gazillion excuses for not wearing sunscreen and my friends – they are all lame. Here are just a few examples:
- I don’t burn I tan – EAH! (sound of loud buzzer) Doesn’t matter, you are still susceptible to sun damage.
- I don’t like the feeling of a film on my face – EAH! Seriously? Would you prefer brown spots and wrinkles?
- It goes on so white I look like a ghost – EAH! Well, many brands do this it is true. It is because the active ingredient is titanium dioxide, so choose a brand using zinc oxide and voila, problem solved.
- It is in my makeup – EAH! If you are going to be outside for a decent amount of time you need better protection. You will not apply the same amount of makeup to do the same job as sunscreen
Convinced? All of this is in the name of your feeling and looking your best for as long as possible. Please – wear sunscreen.
Be beautiful. Feel good about it.
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