Pay It Forward

I saw this Pay it forward game on Bizzie Lizzie's Blog and decided to join the fun - now it's your turn!

Here's how it works:
I am entering into the following contract with the first 5 people who comment on this post and then commit to do the same on their blog.

Just read below and if you feel up to the task copy the following into your blog and leave me a comment.

I am willing to post as far as Canada (I am in the US, but remember you must commit on your blog to do the same to others).

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make. Whatcha get is whatcha get.
2. What I create will be just for you, with love.
3. It’ll be done this year (2009).
4. I will not give you any clue what it’s going to be. It will be something made in the real world and not something cyber.
5. I reserve the right to do something strange or weird.
6. In return, all you need to do is post this text on your blog and make 5 things for the first 5 to respond to your blog post.
7. Send your mailing address – after I contact you.

Welcome to everyone. I will however, make an effort to do something that you like based on what I see on your blog, BUT there are no guarantees.

Most of the folks playing this fun game end the post with saying "Hoping I won't have to beg"

Guess what? I'm not begging! Everyone likes free stuff so come on and sign up! LOL :)

Free Gorgeous Bracelet Giveaway

Hey everyone-

I just had to share a fabulous give away sponsored by The Glamorous Life of A Housewife blog.

This blog is written by Whitney, a 20 something year old housewife who is feeling very generous these days! Whitney is giving away the beautiful bracelet in the pic to your right. Visit The Glamorous Life of A Housewife blog for more details at:

http://allieparkersthoughts.blogspot.com/2009/07/monday-mayhem-sparkly-giveaway.html

to enter this contest.

A Natural Remedy for Acne

Happy Friday! I am thrilled to be wrapping this week up. It's been very busy for me. I can't wait to take a much needed break (as if!)

Anyway, I wanted to share some information that may be new to some, a reminder for others and that's with respect to acne. I have had seasons in my life where acne was not even a issue and other seasons where every time I turn around I had a big ole pimple...no correction, bump just appear. You see pimples are teeny. A bump is just hideous and makes you want to go inside and hide under a surgical bandage until it's gone.

Well, there's hope for acne sufferers that want to clear up that icky little annoyance rather quickly. What's even better is that, it's a natural and affordable remedy. What is it you wonder? HONEY. This natural solution for acne is very effective.

Yes, pure honey (I read someone that manuka honey is best) has the ability to draw out the impurities in your skin and kill the bacterial germs that cause acne. Notice I said pure. In other words, if the jar costs $2 you probably want to go for another brand. As a matter of fact, organic is always better.

How to: After thoroughly cleansing your skin with a gentle cleanser, just apply a nice amount of honey (not dripping) on the area you want to treat. Do this twice daily (morning and night) until the acne break out is gone. Allow the morning acne treatment to sit for 15 minutes and the night treatment to sit over night.

To get more interesting skin care tips like this natural acne remedy, subscribe to my monthly Skin Naturale Newsletter here.

Have a Blessed Weekend!

Blended Naturals Radio Commercial

This weekend came and went so fast I don't even feel like I had a break. I was running around all weekend with my daughter and little one doing errands for our home, shopping at Michael's for my daughter's latest craft hobby, food shopping, church etc. I had to take a mental health day yesterday just to get myself back on even footing.

Anywho, I wanted to share my new radio commercial with everyone. If you are not a fan of Blended Naturals yet, pick up a Super Beauty Sampler here. You'll love how wonderfully rich in minerals these products are and how great they leave your skin feeling and looking.



If the above player doesn't work, Click here to listen...

Cheers!

Special Mid Summer Savings!

THANK YOU

I want to thank all of my faithful blog readers by offering a special 15% off discount good for purchasing all your natural skin care needs.

I very rarely do a 15% off special (except Christmas) but I guess it's end of the week and I am in the summer spirit now that the rain has finally dried up in NY. Sooooo you now have access to an exceptional line of products that will help to improve your skin tone, soften your skin, smooth out wrinkles and make you smell good too...

Click on the Coupon Below to Go Shopping!
(use discount code BN1509 at checkout)



Hurry Offer Expires Soon....Don't Blink. It may be gone be4 you know it!

Check out A Recent Customer Testimonial:

"Lady, you have got yourself a new loyal customer! I have been using fade creams for 2 years! I've only used the peel twice & I can't quit looking at the amazing results! I will NEVER be without that, AND the daytime anti-wrinkle cream!! I have a rare skin condition (Hyper-sensative skin), I am allergic to EVERYTHING! But, not your products! At the end of July, I will be blogging (on my regular "blogspot" blog about my thrilling results! THANK-YOU!!" Aprilee

Caress Skinwear Collection

Hello there all my fellow natural skin care lovers! As a member of TotalBeauty's Sneak Peek program, I will periodically be expressing my opinion on a wide range of beauty products and accessories. I greet my natural skin care lovers with a hearty hello today because when you read what I have to say on the products recently sent to me, you will totally relate to what I'm about to share. I also want to hear from you!

Well, this month I was sent Caress' New Evenly Gorgeous Exfoliating Body Wash (suggested retail $3.99-$4.49) and Beauty Bar (2 bar suggested retail $2.99) with burn brown sugar and karite butter... and here's my 411:

First, let me say that I only used the exfoliating body wash and soap just once on my hand and forearm. Then, I threw it away! Why you may ask? Well, for starters it's a matter of preference. Let me expound....

My preference of skin care items first and foremost is safety. I choose to use products formulated with natural ingredients and these commercial products by Caress are loaded with chemicals (don't let the brown sugar and karite butter fool ya - they are listed as ingredients AFTER many of the chemicals) so I refuse to continue using them. The only reason I used it this once was to fulfill my obligation of providing my opinion on the products sent to me.

While my skin was left feeling soft with a lingering scent, the scent was VERY artificial. Even my daughter asked, "What's that strong smell?" when I opened it. The body wash does exfoliate the skin but what are you rubbing into your skin ??? Sodium Laurel Sulfate*! That's what makes the product creamy. However, repeated, extended use of products with chemicals like this in them can cause you more harm than good. I didn't even read all of the ingredients. When I noticed that SLS was all the way at the top of the ingredient list, making it one of the most abundant ingredients, I didn't need to read anymore. Read more about SLS here.

In addition to the SLS, I could barely pronounce some of the other ingredients listed on the bottle. This body wash is too fake for my delicate skin and especially those with sensitive skin, yours too. The soap bar had no ingredients listed on the box I was sent (what the?) but you can assume the same...chock full of chemicals. The only difference I could tell between the soap and the body wash is that the soap has a lighter scent. I Do Not recommend the use of these chemically laden, artificially smelling skin care (and can we really call it that?) products by Caress.

To body exfoliate, I recommend using sugar body scrubs that are more formulated with nature's ingredients. I personally use Blended Naturals Organic Sugar Scrub scented with essential oils which most of you know is my private line. Nevertheless, I would have used the Caress line or any other skin care line had it been formulated with safe ingredients I could actually pronounce. One thing Caress did get right was designing attractive, sleek packaging. I guess they do know their marketing.

Anyway, as I'll say again, what you use on your skin is a matter of preference. However, I do want you to be educated. At approximately $4 these Caress products are cheap and the body wash does exfoliate the skin. If you don't mind the chemicals and artificial scent, knock yourself out...

Note: My son sees a pediatric dentist who specializes in treating children with special needs in the Bronx and Westchester in NY. He confirmed for me that Sodium Laurel Sulfate can cause mouth ulcers. Now you decide.

Natural Hair Conditioner Recipe

Guess what? Your beauty regimen can consist of ingredients right in your own home. Below is a natural beauty recipe you can use to make your own hair conditioner. It's quick and easy:

1. Mix the yolk from an egg with a tablespoon of castor oil and apply to hair.

2. Let sit for approximately ten minutes and then rinse thoroughly

That's it! This homemade hair conditioner can be used any time you want to experience shiny, healthy looking hair.

Natural products can sometimes be more expensive than the chemically based products on the market (most things that are better for you cost more ie. organic. That's the world we live in). However, they are worth the slightly added cost because they are safer for you and are just as, if not more effective. Therefore, In a few days I'll share a natural facial mask recipe that can be used as an alternative for those who may not have the money to buy natural skin care products.

Sure, I could share it now but then you wouldn't come back for more would ya? :-)

Subscribe to my Skin Natural Ezine for additional natural skin care tips, information and EXCLUSIVE discounts!

Rules for Face Cleansing

A couple of days ago I talked about the importance of cleaning your skin. Today, I want to share 5 rules for effective face cleaning to eliminate as much oil and dirt as possible, which can help to reduce acne breakouts:

1. Know your skin type. Do you have oily, dry, normal or combination skin? You need to know this so you can cleanse for your skin type. Normal skin needs a balanced cleanser that doesn’t change the pH of the skin. Oily skin needs a cleanser that will remove excess oil. Dry skin needs added moisture and ingredients that help retain your skin's natural moisture. Combination skin needs a cleanser to balance out the oily parts of the face and increase moisture in the dry parts of the face (T-zone treatment)

2. Properly apply your cleanser. Use your hands to rub exfoliating cleansing products into your skin. Use disposable clothes to rub other types of cleansers into your skin.

3. Don't over-wash your face. Wash your face no more than twice daily - morning and night. Too much washing will remove essential oils from the skin. If you exfoliate too often (twice weekly maximum), you'll be removing dead skin cells as well as stripping your skin of healthy skin cells.

4. Let face air dry. This allows your skin to soak up the moisture (ahhh H20) and also cuts out your risk of adding bacteria to your skin. No matter how clean a towel may appear, there is always bacteria on it.

5. Stay on top of your daily skin care regimen. In order for your skincare regimen to be successful, you must wash your face twice daily and don't skip it at night just because you may be tired. You don't want dirt to build up, causing acne and other potential skin problems.

Face cleansing is important if you are going to have fresh radiant skin so follow these simple rules for a more effective face cleansing and you'll be well on your way.

Visit http://www.freshradiantskin.com/blended-naturals/facial to browse through an extensive range of facial skin care products.

Is Your Skin Clean Enough?

A big secret to having fresh radiant skin is to make sure your skin is thoroughly cleansed at least twice a day. Part of your daily skin care regimen should be cleansing with a gentle cleanser followed by a facial toner that does not contain parabens or sodium laurel/laureth sulfate (chemicals that can potentially dry out and cause damage to your skin).

While there are generally four main skin types (dry, oily, normal and combination) and everyone possesses a differently type, there are facial cleansers available for all skin types that have the ability to cleanse your skin gently and thoroughly.

Using an adequate cleanser and toner (such as Blended Naturals Detoxifying Facial Cleansing Gel and Facial Toner) day and night will ensure your skin is thoroughly cleansed of:

• Dirt
• Oils
  
• Make up

With proper daily skin cleansing, fresh radiant skin truly is possible.

Tip: Treat yourself to a facial treatment at a spa performed by an esthetician once per month for optimal results

Cutesy Q Tip Boxes

When you think about all the accessories you need to include in your beauty arsenal you probably focus on your make up brushes, compact cases and the like. However, have you considered the little items that can help rescue your beauty routine such as Q-tips cotton swabs? You can use Q-Tips to apply, blend and touch up makeup and more.

Well, Unilever has just released new Q-tips vanity packs available in four designs that are great for sitting on your counter tops or vanity areas. While these new vanity pack cases are more attractive than the traditional box of Q-tips I'm not in love with the designs as much as I would be if they had more contrasting designs and were a different shape. The boxes (shown in the photo below) are just square little boxes that have a slide out drawer. Convenient but not all that innovative. If I were Unilever, I would have designed the new Q-tips cases in maybe a pentagon shape with a pop up dispenser. Well, that's just me because I think if you are going to release a product on the market to rival competitors - for people to add to their beauty and vanity tables, it should be cutesy but also something that stands out. True enough, there isn't another cotton swab on the market that can match that of Q-tips quality but I still think it's a great idea to differentiate Q-tips even further by offering an innovative design. I would have also made the cases sharply contrast each other. Maybe one case with circle designs or rainbow colors on it. This way you have a nice variety for people to choose from.

However, I'm not the product manufacturer so if I had to choose from one of the four designs it would have to be the orange and gold one because it matches my vanity area perfectly since I have a golden armoire. Of course my daughter chose the red one since it's her absolute fav color!

The Dead Sea

In our quest to have fresh radiant skin, I can not neglect to present to you The Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is a major resource for many natural skin care manufacturers due to it's extremely rich mineral content and the fact that's it's completely pollution-free. This is optimal for producing products such as balms, salves and bath salts. How many places in the world can boast such an oasis?

The Dead Sea is located in Jordan and the Jordan River is the ONLY river that flows into the Dead Sea with absolutely no outlets. The weather is perfect - Sunny and pleasant throughout the entire year.

The surrounding areas to The Dead Sea have such a rich mineral content (rich in sodium, potassium, bromine and other minerals, extremely beneficial for fresh radiant skin) coupled with reduced radiation. This is a prime location that has been discovered to have therapeutic healing effects.

Fun Fact: The Dead Sea was a place of peace and safety for King David as recorded in The Holy Bible

Read more and see additional fantastic images about the Dead Sea here