Show Us Your Life -- Hair and Beauty Tips

This week over at Kelly's Korner, we are sharing our hair and beauty tips. I am not a huge beauty guru, but I do have a few tips I can share.

1. Wash your hair every other day:
This is not for everyone, especially if you have an oily scalp, but if you have normal to dry hair, it's best to try and wash it every other day, especially in the winter. It takes a little bit of time for your scalp/hair to get used to washing it every other day, so I started by not washing it one day on the weekend. Then I would try not washing it on a weekend day, and then another day during the week. Now I only wash my hair every other day, and its just normal routine. A couple of times when it is really dry, I can go 2 days, but usually that is on the weekend if I am not going anywhere important.

It's funny because I typically plan my hair washing on the days after I go to the gym. It's funny how I can plan my week around my hair washing schedule. The best thing about this is 1) it keeps your hair from drying out, 2) it helps your color last longer because you are not washing it out and 3) you can save money on shampoo and conditioner, which helps if you buy really expensive shampoo and conditioner.

2. Exfoliate and moisturize everytime you shower:
Do you ever get those little bumps on your arms and/or legs? I used to, and then I started using those loofahs with shower gel everytime I showered, and then immediatly moisturized after getting out of the shower. I love Bath & Body Works lotions, but they are not moisturizing enough, so I mix them with the generic brand version of Vaseline Intensive Care lotion and slather that on after every shower. I have been doing this no lie for about 10 years, and I haven't had those bumps since. I totally swear by it!

3. I would love to say drink lots of water and get lots of sleep, but I totally can't follow my own advice on this one, but it really is the best for you. Oh, and eat lots of fruits and veggies!! Ha!

Some of the products I love are:

I have been using this stuff for a couple of years now, and I totally swear by it. If I do not use this, my t-zone area is like an oil slick. But even on the hotest days, this will keep my face pretty matte. It also helps to keep my breakouts to a minimum because it controls the oil (which is the biggest cause, besides hormones for my breakouts).

Although I do have a pretty oily t-zone, the rest of my face is really dry, especially in the winter. I slather this all over my face day and night (even my t-zone) in the winter, and I typically use the Dramatically Different Moisturing Gel (by Clinique) in the summer months when the humidity gets out of control.

I just started using this about a month ago, and so far I like it. I have a huge problem with my ends getting frizzy and they always seem to have split ends. The last time I got my hair cut/colored, I mentioned this to my stylist, and she suggested I try this stuff. It's about $20, which is a bit much considering the bottle isn't that big, but you only use a pea size amount (if that), so it is going to last me a while. I put this on my ends only after I dry my hair, and then I go over my ends again with a blow dryer and round brush, because the product kind of wets my hair a little. So far I am liking it, but we will see how my ends get in another month or two.

I am seriously obsessed with OPI nail polish. Its the only polish I use. It seems to last longer than many other polishes (especially drug store brands), and I just love the funky colors and the names. I totally need a new nail polish for spring, so if you have any suggestions let me know.

Any amazing products you would like to share? I am always looking for beauty/hair advice. Especially for my nails which always seem to be breaking/splitting.

Tips Tuesday: Paint Toes (or Nails) & Save Lives

I am dedicating this Tips Tuesday to a very special cause. I have seen this on a couple of blogs last week (Life of Meg and Handbag Obsessed) and thought it was very important and pretty cool. September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and to help raise awareness, paint your toes (or in my case your nails) teal.

I have had a lot of people comment on my nails last week, and every time they do so, I state I am doing this to bring awareness about ovarian cancer.

OPI Ski Teal We Drop

If you aren't sure about painting your nails teal, paint your toenails. My feet are in some serious need of TLC, so they are currently in hiding (or as I have been saying, rehab...ha!!).

But in all seriousness, ovarian cancer has historically been called the "silent killer" because the symptoms were not thought to develop until the chance of being cured was poor. Recent studies have proven this to be untrue, and the following are some symptoms likely to occur in women with ovarian cancer:

-- Bloating
-- Pelvic or abdominal pain
-- Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly
-- Urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency)

Women with ovarian cancer report that symptoms are persistent and represent a change from normal for their bodies. The frequency and/or number of such symptoms are key factors in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Several studies show that even early stage ovarian cancer can produce these symptoms.

Women who have these symptoms almost daily for more than a few weeks should see their doctor, preferably a gynecologist. Prompt medical evaluation may lead to detection at the earliest possible stage of the disease. Early stage diagnosis is associated with an improved prognosis.

Ovarian cancer is the 5th leading cause of death among U.S. women, but if diagnosed early there is a 93% chance of survival rate.

Visit http://www.tealtoes.org/ for more information and to find even more resources about ovarian cancer.

Body by Bethenny DVD Review

So about a month ago I purchased what I am calling the Bethenny Trilogy -- Naturally Thin, The Skinnygirl Dish and Body by Bethenny workout DVD. There was a special if you bought all three from Amazon, and of course included free shipping, and it all came to about $34 or so. I have read about 1/2 of Naturally Thin, and am prepared to review both books and of course share recipes with everyone. For now though, I would like to share my thoughts on the Body by Bethenny workout DVD.

Source

This DVD is divided up into 3 parts: 40 mins of yoga, 10 mins of strength training and 5 mins of booty work. I have completed this workout 3 times, and I'll tell you, it's a great workout. I have tried yoga DVDs before, and sometimes I think they are either hard to follow along with, or completely boring.

This yoga workout is very similar to the class I used to take, and it focuses around the sun salutations, so it was pretty easy to follow along with. I will warn you, I don't think it is really for beginners, and if you are a true beginner, I would at least watch the whole workout before attempting it. It's hard trying to follow along when you are standing on your head, so really it would probably be beneficial for everyone to watch before trying (I actually did watch before trying). Also, I think it would be beneficial to learn the sun salutations first, get them down, and then tackle the rest of the workout since the workout is primarily based around those.

I think this is more of an intermediate level workout (although the DVD says it is for all stages). I think a beginner who has been to a couple of classes would be able to get through it, but I consider myself an intermediate, and there were a couple of areas where I struggled. Of course part of this is because I haven't done yoga in a few months, but there are a couple of areas where I need to work on my balance.

As I mentioned I have completed this workout 3 times, and each time I feel like I am getting a good workout and I haven't gotten bored with it yet. I think each time I like to try and focus on different areas, like getting a good workout in my legs or my arms, etc. I think that is what is great about yoga because you can focus on different areas each time and get a completely different workout each time.

The strength training and booty buster sections are quick, easy and I think do give you a little punch to your normal workout. The DVD is set up so you can just go to those quick sections if you only have about 5 or 10 mins.

One of the special features of the DVD is a video of Bethenny sharing her Spinach and Artichoke Dip recipe from the Skinnygirl Dish book. Also, when I purchased the DVD on Amazon, I got immediate access to the video on On Demand, so I could immediately watch it even before it shipped. I didn't know that until after I purchased it, but thought that was kind of cool.

I would highly recommend this workout. It was only about $10 for the DVD, and I think it is totally worth it. I haven't worked out enough to determine if I am going to get amazing results (I think working out to it more than 3 times in a month will be required to get amazing results), but I am hoping that if I can keep up with it, I will have some great results that I can share.

Also, just to give you a heads up, I am going to start posting a weekly "Tips Tuesday," so check back on Tuesday for this week's tip.