Though my beloved Colts lost the Superbowl last night (tear), I’m ready for another week of blogging and caring for my children, and I’m doing it looking younger than I thought possible. How’s that, Kellie? You ask. I have been using a phenomenal anti-aging tool called a Galvanic Spa. Ever heard of it? Well, I hadn’t until last year. The concept is not new; in fact, the discovery that led to the technique we use today was found in 1791 by a man named Luigi Galvani. Furthermore, spas and estheticians have been using galvanic therapy on their clients for years. So why is it relatively unheard of? Until the Nuskin company came out with it’s portable Galvanic Spa II, you had to go to a high-priced spa or clinic to get the treatments.
What Does It Do?
The hand held Galvanic Spa II works to improve skin clarity, elasticity, tone, and overall skin and hair health by the theory that like charges oppose each other and opposites attract – similar to magnetic poles. The gentle currents actually help any products you use work better by pushing them into the skin and facilitating key ingredients.
It’s Easy and Fun
The process to do my face and neck takes about 10 minutes a few times a week – not a lot of time for the superior benefits it gives. I also use it on my stomach and the back of my arms – both areas that need some help. And my jaw dropped the first time I compared the arm I did to the other one! It tightened my skin in that area enough to visibly see the difference. Immediate results are more than fun, they initiate the happy dance! Unfortunately, I did not take photos otherwise I would have shared them with you. But here are some before and after photos from the Nuskin website:
I find these photos amazing! The thing is, I probably would have found them hard to believe if I hadn’t had my own stunning results with the Galvanic Spa II.
Even doggies need a little help with aging.
Just Kidding!!!!!!
You can get your own Galvanic and tons more information from Jeffrie Ann Hall (a friend of mine). And, no, I wasn’t paid to say all these wonderful things about the Nuskin products; I just love what it does and think every woman needs the opportunity to try it for themselves.
Photo by LadyOfVelvet
I never expected when I started blogging that one day I would end up writing a post about toothpaste but here I am. When commercials come on tv spouting this or that about some amazing new improvement to an every day product I usually roll my eyes and fast forward the pvr. Then one day my husband came home from work with some Sensodyne ProNamel toothpaste that a dental hygienist friend of a co-worker gave him to try. I stuck it in the bathroom and didn’t really think anything more about it.
About a week into using it I suddenly noticed that my teeth FELT different. Which was kinda weird except that they felt really nice – the felt smoother and cleaner all.the.time. The smoothness really surprised me – my front teeth have always been kind of “ridge-y” but I figured that’s just what teeth felt like. Apparently not because since using the toothpaste they have completely smoothed out, are brighter and they feel stronger. I don’t have sensitive teeth but Husbando does and he says there’s a noticeable difference in his sensitivity level as well.
I’m really surprised how much of a change there’s been in just a couple of weeks of use and how great it makes me feel about my smile – meaning that I seem to be flashing my pearly whites more often than usual!
Several weeks ago I did an in-between-sizes fashion post here on Chic Critique. Right after that, I found a great nursing-friendly dress (which are few and far between) and did a little follow-up post on the dress on my own blog.
SEVERAL people have asked me how I altered the sleeves. So I’m going to show you. It’s easy, I promise! (Granted that you sort of know your way around a sewing machine, or have a friend/mom/sister who does…)
Here is the original dress:
It’s not very obvious from that photo, but in the review section of Target’s website, there were a couple of comments about the sleeves. They tend to stick out a little.
Here’s my version:
All I did was sew a little strip of elastic underneath both sleeves:
That’s about 3 inches of elastic (not stretched). I held the middle of the elastic to the middle of the inner sleeve and pulled one end to where it should start, and inserted the needle there. You sew along the elastic as it’s PULLED TAUT with your other hand. AND YES, it’s hard to sew straight while holding and pulling elastic. Don’t mention it. 
Here’s what the sleeve looks like flat, the elastic pulled out on both ends (it’s the best photo I can do for now, with one hand holding the camera):
Using elastic is great because it’s flexible. If you need more sleeve room, you have it.
(You know, to reach out to grab the toddler running past.) (Or to catch the dog.) (Or to reach your coffee from the other side of the conference table.)
For the last year, I have been on a bit of a mission to “green up” my makeup routine.
I’ve replaced my foundation with a more natural option.
I’ve switched to a more natural-based cleanser and moisturizer.
I’ve ditched standard lip gloss for one that has ingredients I can pronounce.
But there’s one area of my beauty regimen that has been difficult to conquer: nail polish.
It should come as no surprise that most nail polishes on the market these days are pretty toxic brews. (After all, an “all-natural nail polish” kind of sounds like a contradiction in terms.) And although some companies like Revlon, L’Oreal, Lumene and Estee Lauder have done a good thing in removing formaldehyde and dibutyl phthalates from their polishes, there are still plenty of other ingredients that give me pause, including solvent acetone and toulene.
When I’ve tried “greener” nail polishes in the past, the results were far from impressive. Color selection was minimal. The color didn’t stay on. It went on unevenly. It was thick and icky.
But then, I read about Zoya.
Aesthetician Zoya Reitzis was pregnant when she first came up with the idea to create a nail polish that would protect herself and customers from toxic fumes. Voted Longest Wearing Natural Nail Polish by Women’s Health Magazine, Zoya Nail Polish is free of toulene, formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate and camphor. The line features a mind-boggling array of polishes (over 300!) ranging from white to black and everything in between.
Desperate to see if this might be the answer to my green beauty prayers, I contacted Zoya and they sent me three bottles:
AVRIL (a pale pink creme):
ALIX (the most perfect red I’ve ever seen):
And PARIS (a deep burgundy):
What surprised me about this polish is just how smooth it goes on — even without a base coat. The consistency is perfect. The quality of the polish easily beats drug store counterparts and more than holds its own against higher-end brands like OPI. I painted my toe nails with ALIX right before Christmas and my pedicure lasted throughout the holidays without a single chip. The staying power on fingernails was equally startling — no chips, just a little wear off the tip after several days. Color me impressed.
Great staying power. None of the nasty stuff. And at $7 a bottle, it doesn’t cost me much more than many of the other non-green brands I’ve used in the past.
Nail polish might not be the most natural product in my beauty routine, but Zoya has taken the time to remove the truly toxic stuff, which is why it’s in my makeup drawer to stay.
Zoya is available at salons and spa nationwide, or online here.
As much as I like makeup, and as much makeup as I wear, you would think that I’d be an expert by now, at least when applying it to my own face. But like most of us, I tend to get stuck in a rut, and I could use some professional advice on keeping a fresh, modern look.
Let me tell you about this new series of videos from ecoTOOLS and celebrity makeup artist Meredith Baraf. There are 4 tutorials, each creating a different popular looks with makeup. Take a look!
ecoTOOLS has also just released two new products designed to achieve these looks. One is a 6-Piece Eye Brush Set for $7.99, and the other is a Bronzer Brush for $9.99. Those are amazing prices for makeup brushes of this caliber, and they sent me both to try out and see for myself. I’m telling you, these are the softest makeup brushes I’ve ever touched, and they come in the cutest little hemp and cotton travel case with a mirror. For those who are going green, you can feel good about the taklon bristles, recycled aluminum rings, and bamboo handles.
I’ve enjoyed trying out the different brushes in my makeup application each day. The eye shadow brushes work great; they are soft and full and they pick up the powder well and apply it evenly. I haven’t tried the bronzer brush yet because I can’t find my bronzer (makeup fail) but as soon as I locate it or replace it, I’m going to give it a whirl.
It rather pains me to think of what I’ve spent on makeup brushes over the years. I’ll definitely keep ecoTOOLS in mind the next time I’m in the market for some.
Disclosure: I received the 6-Piece Eye Brush Set and the Bronzer Brush for review purposes.
