Secrets to Super White Nails and Teeth

22 Thursday Sep 2011

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Here are some great all-natural ways to keep your teeth and nails in tip-top shape.

WHITE NAILS
To whiten your nails, try these:
* Use a common whitening toothpaste. Try scrubbing your nails with Pearl Drops, it’s just as easy as achieving a pearly white smile and will take away any stains and shine up your nails.
* Soak your nails in water with lemon juice or lemon slices. The lemon acts as an astringent and will strip away stains. Once your hands are dry, you’ll only need to put on a couple of coats of a clear topcoat.

For Stains/Whitening:
Mash one strawberry into a pulp; add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and mix well. Apply the mixture to your teeth with a soft toothbrush and let it sit for 5 minutes. Rinse by brushing your teeth as you regularly do (with a natural toothpaste). This is good for once/week use.

Natural Toothpaste:
• 2/3 cup baking soda
• 4 tsp fine sea salt (consider it an exfoliant for your teeth)
• a few grapes
• 1 – 2 tsp peppermint extract according to taste (or add your favorite flavor – spearmint, cinnamon, orange, etc.)
• water (add to desired consistency)

Mouth Wash: Rosemary Mint
Boil 2.5 cups of water. Add in 1 teaspoon of fresh mint leaves, 1 teaspoon of rosemary leaves, add 1 teaspoon of anise seeds. Let this boil for about 20 minutes. Once it is cooled, you’ve got your mouthwash!

The full story is from here!

XO,

E

How To: Put Your Hair Up in a Cute Bun

21 Wednesday Sep 2011

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This is a tutorial for this super-cute rendition of a traditional bun. I tried it and P.S. IT WORKS and looks amazing. It is actually very easy also. Give it a try!

Things You’ll Need

  • Comb
  • Hair elastic
  • Hair pins
  • Hair ornaments

Directions:

  1. Comb your hair carefully to eliminate any tangles or knots.
  2. Take some hair from the top of your head.

3.  Tie off this hair with a hair elastic.

4.  Don’t pull off the ends.

5.  Make your hair into a bun. Pin up any loose bits of hair with clips or pins.

6.  Separate the other hair in half.

7. Put the right half to the left and then wrap it around the bun, and fix it in place with hair pins.

8.   Do the same thing with the left half. Add a hair ornament for decoration.

XO,

E

For the full story go here.

The Guide To Unique Nails

20 Tuesday Sep 2011

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Hello!! I’ve found some really awesome nail polishes and techniques that will really set your nails apart from the rest!

Multichrometastic Layering

Availability Ozotic Pro nail polishes
You can buy Ozotic Pro Multi Chromatic nail polishes on www.picturepolish.com.au for currently $14.95 AUD a bottle. They ship international.
Coats used in order they have been layered
China Glaze – Emerald Sparkle: two
Ozotic Pro – 529: one
Fashion Polish – Shimera: one
Base coat and top coat
Base coat: OPI – Nail Envy Matte
Top Coat: Seche – Seche Vite
Full Story here.
In The Mood: Color Changing Nail Polish

Welcome to the fun whimsical world of mood changing nail polish. Don’t worry – you’re not crazy, but your nail polish, on the other hand may be described as …..unstable. Finally, a nail polish that will reflect your inner hysteria. Amuse yourself by guessing what shade your nail polish will be at any given moment.

In The Mood has been featured in many publications, including Glamour, Instyle Magazine and Boston Herald.

Read more here.

Galactic Manicure

Read the How-to here.

CND Shellac

Read more here.

Enjoy!

Biotin: The New Hair Secret?

31 Wednesday Aug 2011

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Hello! I’m excited because I think I may have discovered an awesome secret to obtaining the very best and most beautiful hair possible…Biotin!!I first came across this cool product as I was searching for healthy, shiny hair tricks. Someone suggested it and another girl said that’s what you give horses to make their manes shine!

It’s a common supplement used for:

  • healthy hair
  • acne
  • brittle nails
  • diabetes
  • eczema
  • hair loss
  • mild depression
  • skin rash in infants (also known as seborrheic dermatitis)

..according to this article from about.com.

Seems too good to be true! Well, it may be seeing as there is no undeniable proof that it works to combat hair loss or helps with brittle nails (although it has been shown to work against diabetes).

Should You Take Biotin?

“Although biotin deficiency is uncommon, it may occur in people who drink alcohol excessively or consume a great deal of raw egg white (which contains a protein that blocks the absorption of biotin).”

Sometimes me ;) and definitely me :)

“Symptoms of biotin deficiency include thinning of the hair, a red scaly rash (especially around the eyes, nose, and mouth), depression, exhaustion, hallucinations, and tingling of the arms and legs. Biotin deficiency may also lead to high cholesterol and heart problems.”

Ah! I don’t have problems with any of that, but I don’t want to either!!

“To get your fill of biotin, make sure to include biotin-rich foods like brewer’s yeast, nutritional yeast, liver, cauliflower, salmon, bananas, carrots, egg yolks, sardines, legumes, and mushrooms in your diet.”

..according to this article from about.com.

Well, I bought it! You can get it here - 60 vcaps for $5.31.

I figure, it won’t hurt! Actually, according to WebMD.com, it wont…

“Biotin seems to be safe and well-tolerated, even at fairly high levels. The maximum safe dose of biotin is unknown.”

I’ve been taking it for a week now and nothing has changed so far (although apparently it takes months to make a difference). I’m excited to see what happens!

Let me know if you have taken biotin or heard anything about it!

XO,

E

The Perfect Perfume

30 Tuesday Aug 2011

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I absolutely love perfume. I have tons and tons of really nice scents ranging from fruity to floral to exotic. The problem is, I either get sick of my perfume (no matter how much I love it) OR it becomes so popular that I start smelling it on other people.

I want my very own unique scent! I’m looking for

  • Girly, but not sugary
  • Maybe floral or fresh
  • Sexy, but not cheap

I stumbled across this website called LuckyScent.com. It’s an online boutique perfume shop. It features very hard to find perfumes! They’re pretty expensive, but the cool thing is that they’ll let you buy small samples. I bought a bunch of samples around a month ago and will start testing them soon.

If you have any suggestions for cool perfumes I’d love to hear from you!

XO,

E

Get Pretty, Silky, Touchable Hair

29 Monday Aug 2011

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Pooka Pure & Simple Nectar Hail Oil ($14) is awesome!

It’s a natural oil containing pretty scents like lavender, peppermint, and lemon. I ordered my bottle off the internet, but I hear it’s sold at Whole Foods.

I was slightly skeptical about trying this hot oil treatment because I already have slightly oily hair to begin with, but I’m always in search of new beauty products to try so I decided to go for it.

I heated up a few tablespoons in the microwave for a couple seconds (it gets hot quickly!) then dumped it on my head. I’ve got A LOT of hair, so I had to go back and heat up more oil in order to cover my whole head. Then, I wrapped my head in a plastic bag (I couldn’t find a scarf or towel handy) and waited for about 15 minutes.

After that I shampooed and conditioned my hair, per usual.

This oil works!! After blow drying my hair it was definitely shiner and not oily-feeling. I wish I had taken a picture – it reminded me of the shiny unreal hair in commercials!

PROS: It smells amazing, it’s inexpensive, its really idiot-proof. I think this would be a perfect product for someone with over processed or dry hair. I bet it could be used once a week with great results! Someone with my type of hair (prone to being oily) would only need it every few months.

CONS: If you have a lot of hair, you may go though this small-ish bottle quickly. It’s a little messy and requires some finesse when applying or else you’ll get it all over like I did.

Overall, I recommend it!

XO,

E

Drinking Water Keeps You Pretty! (and does other good things too…)

22 Monday Aug 2011

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You always hear that drinking a lot of water is really good for you, but do you know why?

1.Water Can Help You Lose Weight!

Seems almost too good to be true, huh? Its not! According to howstuffworks.com,

“Let’s figure out exactly what you’re burning when you drink a 16-ounce (0.5 liter) glass of ice water:

  • The temperature of ice water can be estimated at zero degrees Celsius.
  • Body temperature can be estimated at 37 degrees Celsius.
  • It takes 1 calorie to raise 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius.
  • There are 473.18 grams in 16 fluid ounces of water.

So in the case of a 16-ounce glass of ice water, your body must raise the temperature of 473.18 grams of water from zero to 37 degrees C. In doing so, your body burns 17,508 calories. But that’s calories with a little “c.” Your body only burns 17.5 Calories, and in the grand scheme of a 2,000-Calorie diet, that 17.5 isn’t very significant. But let’s say you adhere to the “eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day” nutritional recommendation. In 64 ounces of water, there are 1,892.72 grams. So to warm up all that water in the course of a day, your body burns 70,030 calories, or 70 Calories!”

How great is that!? Drinking ice water all day can help you burn approximately 70 calories without any additional effort. Do all the math and you’ll find that you’ll have lost one extra pound in around a month!

In addition to physically burning calories for you, water can help you put an end to the mindless, unnecessary snacking. Water fills you up and keeps you from binging.

2. Drinking Water Reduces Bloating

Although its counter-intuitive, drinking a good amount of water actually flushes out your system and allows your body to let go of the extra water that it’s carrying around. It seems crazy, but its true. When I make an effort to drink at least 64 oz of water a day, I always feel less “puffy”.  Read more about it here..

3. Drinking Water Gives You Energy

Dehydration wears you down and makes you tired, in addition to messing up your focus and even making you dizzy. Keep your concentration by sipping on your water bottle all day.

4. The Key to Healthy, Glowing Skin

According to beautifulskinblog.com,

“Drinking water moisturizes your skin from the inside out and clear up your skin. People often report a healthy glow after drinking water. It will not happen overnight, of course, but just a week of drinking a healthy amount of water can have good effects on your skin. Water is important to keep you skin smooth and delicate. Water is the single most important element for cellular integrity. Nothing will improve the appearance of your skin better than drinking enough water.”

5. Water is Great For Your Health

According to dumblittleman.com,

“Drinking a good amount of water could lower your risks of a heart attack. A six-year study published in the May 1, 2002 American Journal of Epidemiology found that those who drink more than 5 glasses of water a day were 41% less likely to die from a heart attack during the study period than those who drank less than two glasses.”

AND

“Drinking a healthy amount of water has also been found to reduce the risk of colon cancer by 45%. Drinking lots of water can also reduce the risk of bladder cancer by 50% and potentially reduce the risk of breast cancer.”

How Much Water Should You Be Drinking?

Try this Water Calculator! Apparently I’m supposed to have 76.4 ounces of water today, or 2.3 liters. Jeeze, I’d better pick it up!

But E, I don’t like drinking water! It’s boring. What should I do?

There are some great ways to get your daily dose of water without chugging it from the tap.

I love cutting up some lemon and lime slices to put in my water bottle. Or may a cucumber slice or two. Maybe some mint..It gives the water some flavor without any added calories.

You can always try Crystal Lite Packets, just make sure they’re sugar free! This may not be the best healthy option because of artificial sweeteners, but it’s a heck of a lot better than sugary sodas.

Try sparkling water! In Rome restaurants served bubbly water and non-bubbly water. I grew to LOVE it. It mimics a soda without any additives, sugar or junk. Maybe even add some lemon to it and create your own healthy soda!

Start sipping! Good Luck!!

XO,

E

So glad to be back…

22 Monday Aug 2011

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Hello hello!

It has been a little while since I have posted, I know I know. I was actually on vacation visiting ROME :) It was amazing – the food, the sights, the fashion…everything. Some Rome-themed posts will be coming your way very soon.

I have a lot of posts I want to get to, but first let me ask if there is anything YOU want to know. Please feel free to comment or tweet me!

Look for a brand spanking new post tonight!

Ciao,

E

The Jersey Shore: Teaching Women What NOT To Do Since 2009

02 Tuesday Aug 2011

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I must admit, the Jersey Shore is one of my guilty pleasures.. It’s raw, outrageous and gives you that “I feel embarrassed for her..” feeling.

So why is the way the women act on the show SO wrong? What can we learn from them?

1. Wearing Less Clothing DOES NOT Make You Look Sexy The proverbial “Less is More” statement goes into effect here. Yes, wearing your grandmother’s bloomers will not get guys lining up at the door. But should you really leave the house in booty shorts and a bra? Guys do enjoy when there’s a little left up to the imagination. Don’t wear a potato sack though, show off your best features (aka great hourglass figure or sexy legs).

2. Telling Someone You’re Classy Probably Means You Are Not Classy (What You Should Not Say)

Don’t curse. It’s one of the most unattractive things a woman can do. Its masculine, rude and can make you seem downright intimidating (in a bad way).

Don’t burp or fart. Don’t talk about poop(ing). Talk about TMI. You will no longer be mysterious, you will be gross and completely undesirable. 

Don’t yell, squeak, scream (unless you’re being attacked or see a mouse).  Other than being annoying, it will force people to stop listening to you all together. It also tells everyone that you are an attention whore – which no one likes OR finds sexy.

3. Drinking Copious Amounts of Alcohol (See my previous post..)

4. Fighting Really? Why in the world would you get into a physical fight with someone? I can only think of one word to describe girls fighting – trashy. Its lewd and embarrassing. And so what if you win the fight? You still come out with smeared makeup, crazy hair and broken nails. How is that worth it?

5. Having Random Sex

First off, EW. Being known as a “walking STD” is obviously not attractive, nor enviable.  Sleeping around with the abandon of a Jersey Shore girl is downright risky, and the odds are not in your favor. In 2009 there were over 1.2 million cases of Chlamydia in the U.S. Ew Ew Ew.

Acting “slutty” will not only get a reputation, it will wear on your emotions and self esteem. I do not believe that women can have random sex and not be at all affected down the road. Many times, a one-night-stand turns into a crush. Before you know it, your feelings are hurt. Not worth it.

Jersey Shore may be fun to watch, but PLEASE for God’s sake don’t emulate it.

XO,

E

How to Detect Men’s Lies.. It’s Easier Than You Think!

22 Friday Jul 2011

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Ever wanted to learn how to really tell if you man is lying? Becoming a human lie detector not as difficult as you think.

Learning this skill takes a little practice, but once mastered, can help you in all areas of your life ESPECIALLY your love life.

Believe it or not, detecting lies has a ton to do with the direction that someone is looking. You have to interpret “Visual Accessing Cues”. Every different direction someone can look when answering a question corresponds whether or not they are telling the truth.

When asked a question a right-handed person looks (from your viewpoint, looking at them):

Up and to the Left
Indicates: Visually Constructed Images (Vc)
If you asked someone to “Imagine a purple buffalo”, this would be the direction their eyes moved in while thinking about the question as they “Visually Constructed” a purple buffalo in their mind.

 


Up and to the Right
Indicates: Visually Remembered Images (Vr)
If you asked someone to “What color was the first house you lived in?”, this would be the direction their eyes moved in while thinking about the question as they “Visually Remembered” the color of their childhood home.

 

To the Left
Indicates: Auditory Constructed (Ac)
If you asked someone to “Try and create the highest the sound of the pitch possible in your head”, this would be the direction their eyes moved in while thinking about the question as they “Auditorily Constructed” this this sound that they have never heard of.

 

To the Right
Indicates: Auditory Remembered (Ar)
If you asked someone to “Remember what their mother’s voice sounds like “, this would be the direction their eyes moved in while thinking about the question as they “Auditorily Remembered ” this sound.


Down and to the Left
Indicates: Feeling / Kinesthetic (F)
If you asked someone to “Can you remember the smell of a campfire? “, this would be the direction their eyes moved in while thinking about the question as they used recalled a smell, feeling, or taste.

 

Down and To the Right
Indicates: Internal Dialog (Ai)
This is the direction of someone eyes as they “talk to themselves”.


 


How To Use This To Detect Lies

Basically, if the direction he looks doesn’t correspond to what that direction means, he’s lying. If you ask him what he talked about with that sexy girl and he looks to the left, it means “Auditory Constructed” meaning he is making up what he “heard”.

Important!

  • These instructions are for someone who is RIGHT handed. Reverse them if you are dealing with a LEFT handed person.
  • Make sure you know the person’s base behavior before you analyze them. Meaning, if your man always has shifty eyes, his eye movements may not correspond to the above “Visual Accessing Cues”.
  • This is not an exact science – practice with a friend before you try this out on your partner. You wouldn’t want to accuse him of lying if he wasn’t!

Read More Here. Photos courtesy of Blifaloo.com.

Don’t you just love this? Tell me what you think!

XO,

E

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