Facial Excercise – Surgery Free Anti Aging System

Facial Exercise

Aging is no fun for anyone.  We live in a society obsessed by looks, and while I definitely think that there is more to life that what you see in the mirror, I’m all for taking care of yourself and doing what you can to waltz gracefully along through the passage of time.

I’m quite into cosmetics and skin care, so I’ve always taken very good care of my skin.  I eat a vegan/vegetarian diet,  exercise daily and avoid the sun where I can and always wear sun screen.    Still, at age 32, I have started to notice subtle changes in my face that galvanized me into action.  I wanted to see if there is anything more I can do to keep what I have and look the very best I can without surgical intervention.

Facial Exercise

The solution I came across was simple and ridiculously affordable.  Lo and behold, exercise is the secret key  – isn’t it always?  I exercise my body to stay fit and healthy, but it never occurred to me to work out my face.   Why would it?  It’s not like you can stroll over to a facial exercising station at the gym, so most people  assume that they’re powerless to affect any sort of change in this area.  Those that think about it worry that excess movement in the face will result in wrinkles, so they steer clear, focusing instead on immobilizing their facial muscles with Botox – which atrophy’s the underlying muscles by the way.

To get the ball rolling, I ordered a facial exercising book on Amazon, with the best reader feedback:  a book called “Facercise” by Carol Maggio.  Inside she presents a series of 12 facial exercises that you are instructed to do twice  daily.   Exercising certain facial muscles plumps them up,  fills in hollow areas, improves skin tone and provides an overall lifted, more youthful appearance.

The Results

Here are my eyes before and after starting the program.  I was trying to figure out why it looks like I have less of a lid in the after photos, but I think it’s because my eyes are a more open in the after photo.  That’s how they rest naturally now when I relax, compared to their heavy lidded resting state before.   Take a look:

Facercise

I started off exercising my face with enthusiasm, but I found that it was hard to make the time to do it frequently, so I cut back to exercising in the mornings, doing only about 3 out of the 12 exercises in the evening and still achieved noticeable results.  I think the most noticeable change can be seen in my nose! (See below) It’s narrower and more lifted.

I didn’t set out thinking I was going to review this system – it was something I was going to do privately for myself, so when it first occurred to me to take photographs, I was already about 1.5-2 weeks into the program.  I took all my before photos then.   The after photos are about two months into the program.  I am not wearing makeup (aside from some clear lip gloss) in any of the photos.

I don’t have any good before pictures of my mouth to show you guys.  The ones I do have are blurry.  I notice that the corners of my mouth have turned up slightly compared to before and my lips are a little bit more full, but the changes aren’t dramatic.  I don’t notice them so much without makeup, but I do when I put lipstick on.

I wish the before angle was better in the above photo.  I didn’t think to take a side view of my eyes in the beginning.  I notice that the skin around the orbital ridge of my eye is tighter and more lifted.  The outside corner of my eye looks extended because the skin in this area has been lifted.  I think my eyes look more toned and awake, but I don’t blame you if you can’t see it in this last photo.  I notice a big difference when I put on my eye liner – you’ll have to take my word for it and just try it out for yourself.

What kind of changes can you realistically expect?

The premise of this system is that if you start early you can maintain your looks and significantly alter how you age over time.   The differences are subtle – especially if you have good skin to begin with -  but together as a whole they are enough to enhance your overall appearance, giving you control over how you age in the future.

The changes don’t seem significant initially, unless you’re taking photographs and recording your progress.  You might not think it’s working on you because you see your own face too often to be objective.  It is not on par with surgery, but it makes a big enough difference that you’ll wonder why you didn’t try this sooner.  I’m hooked!

Does the age you start the program matter?

If you’re significantly older, but still want the chance to make changes, don’t be discouraged.  This system is for everyone.  People of all ages rave about the results.  If you’re dedicated and willing to work at it you will see changes.  If you feel you need a serious overhaul you will have to commit to exercising your face twice a day, maybe doing a few targeted exercises three times a day, but it’s worth it.

You won’t look like you’re 20 again, and the results won’t be as dramatic as if you’d underwent surgery, but your appearance will be altered so that you look more refreshed, toned and awake.   You’ll also notice that your makeup goes on better  – especially around the eye and lip area.

Overall Changes

 

 

Facercise

I debated over if I should include this last photo collage (see above).   These are the only photos where I’m wearing makeup.  In the bottom photo I have on foundation and in the top photo I have foundation, eyeliner  mascara and blush.   Arg!  Again – I’m sorry, but these photos were never designed to be shared.  I was doing this for my own records when I started.

It’s kind of useless to compare photos when the angles aren’t exactly the same. Ah well – take a look for yourselves and see what you think.  To help you focus only on the change in contours of my features I made everything black and white.  I am lucky to have pretty good skin tone to begin with, so I realize that the changes are hard to see,  but I notice a difference from the side.  My brows are pulled up higher, my cheek area has lifted, the corners of my mouth aren’t turned down (you can’t see a horizontal line at the corners in the after photos) and my eyes appear more open.  Overall, I think I look more awake.  I relaxed my face naturally for each photo and wasn’t trying to pull my eyes open more afterwards to take a better photo.

Conclusion

Facercise Books

I really do think that this system is worth checking out.  The book is about $17.00 – you can probably find it cheaper at Amazon-  so it won’t break the bank.   There is a bit of a learning curve when you first start and it takes about a week before you can do all the exercises effortlessly, without referring back to the book each time.   It took me about 30 minutes to do all the exercises in the beginning , but when you get good at it you can do them in about 15 minutes or less.

• I found the book on the left (see above) easier to learn from initially.  The new book (the one on the right) has slightly more complicated exercises, but they are probably more targeted and effective.  I’m glad I own both.

Are there any cons?

The only con I can think of about this system is that you have to keep it up.  Just like working out your body at the gym, if you stop exercising you begin to loose definition and muscle tone.   I stopped for about 4 days at one point and started to see a change in my eyelids.

Different people will notice different results during this process, depending on what you need to work on to begin with and what age you are when you start.   I have been doing the neck toning exercises, but my neck was toned to begin with, so nothing has happened in that area, aside from the line around my neck fading.   I keep doing them now because I look at it as maintenance.  I want to keep it looking the way it does well into the future.

There are more advanced exercises you can progress to, once you get good at the beginner ones, so maybe I’ll post new photos down the road, comparing my results once again.   If you decided that you’d like to give this system a whirl please take pictures!  Don’t put any makeup on and take photos from many different angles.  After a few months take photos from the same angles again and compare the two sets.  I really appreciated the difference this regimen has made, once I was able to see my before and after pictures side by side.  It has  motivating me to keep it up!

Enjoy.

P.S.  I purchased both these book with my own money and the views I express about the Facercise system are my own unbiased opinions.  I can not speak about other facial exercising systems because I have not tried them out yet.

M.A.C. Tres Chic Blush Collection

I have been into cream blushes in a big way for the past year.  My skin has been quite dry so I love the dewy finish creams impart: they blend like a dream and never leave me with any kind of flakiness.  As my cream blush collection has grown, my powder blush stash dwindled, until it became woefully inadequate.

So, it was quite fortuitous that in my hour of need, M.A.C. decided to come out with a new wearable blush collection – “Tres Chic”.  The few powder blushes I own are all matte, so I was intrigued by this lot since they are described as having a satin finish.  I’ve never gone for luminous blushes before because I find glowing cheeks look unnatural, but since my skin is perpetually parched at the moment, I thought maybe, just maybe, a satin finish would give me the same healthy dewy finish I get with my cream blushes.  It’s worth giving something new a try at least, right?

I decided to order Full of Joy (a pale lavender color) and Immortal Flower (a peachy pink color) since they seemed pale skin friendly and didn’t look like  anything I had in my collection.  I also kind of wanted Pink Tea too, but I wanted to see what the finish was like on these first before I went crazy.

Full of Joy - Blush

Here is what Full of Joy looks like on my C2/ NC 20 skin (my camera isn’t doing it justice.  It’s has more of a brightening effect in person):

Full of Joy ~ Blush

Full of Joy Blush - Different lighting

Immortal Flower Blush

And  here I am sporting Immortal Flower:

It is hard to get photos of blush to show up on your skin, unless you apply it really heavily which ends up looking clown like.  I have to go out today, so my makeup has to look semi normal.  I hope the above photos give you a general sense of the two colors though.

The verdict?

My first thought after trying these on were that they’re just okay.   They go on kind of sheer so you have to build up the color and take several swipes from the pan.    I immediately appreciated Immortal Flower because on me it blends into my yellow toned skin and just looks really natural – like I’ve been out in the sun for a bit.  BUT, I have a lot of blushes that do something very similar and it didn’t blow me away.

Full of Joy I hated upon first application.  Instead of blending into my skin and looking like a pretty flush of color it just kind of sat there on my cheeks and looked chalky.    I remember thinking that I would need to be as pale as a ghost to pull this off.

I grabbed a flat topped blending brush from my drawer and tried buffing Full of Joy into my skin and then my opinion about it changed.  The color payoff is poor and it’s more sheer than Immortal Flower, but I really like the ethereal sort of pink glow it gives to my cheeks.   It has a brightening effect and it looks like you’re lit from within – full of joy one might say.  It’s aptly named I guess.

I probably won’t rush out and get more of these – they’re not mind boggling but they ARE very wearable.  If you don’t have many blushes then you should definitely check out the whole collection because they’re all very tasteful rendered shades.    I still think my cream blushes are better for my dry skin, but it was fun to test these out.

Enjoy.

P.S.  I purchased these with my own money!

Forever 21 Clip On Earrings Review

Forever 21 Clip On Earrings

Whoot, whoot!  Just when I was despairing, thinking that my only option for clip on earrings was trolling ebay’s vintage section nightly (check out my finds),  I stumbled upon a modern clip on treasure trove at Forever 21.

Forever 21 Clip On Earrings

Forever 21 has clip on earrings!?  That don’t suck and look ugly!?    If the company itself had hands, I’d nod appreciatively and then surprise them with a high five.

Forever 21 Clip On Earrings

I could never wear costume earrings, even when I had pierced ears because the base metal always made my skin redden and then itch like crazy.   If you’re a delicate flower like me and DO already have your ears pierced, you might want to consider this alternative so you too can enjoy affordable fashion earrings.

Not the coolest looking pair, but a nice basic for work.

Granted, Forever 21′s clip on earring collection is small – you really have to root around to find their clip on stuff,  but I’m liking what they’re churning out so far…once I can find it.  Popping in every week and a half means I usually discover  something new and interesting – they turn over their inventory quickly.  If you need enabling it’s the perfect excuse to go to the mall several times a month.

Forever 21 Clip on Flower Earrings

Here I am (see above) sporting a pair of brass flower earrings I got about two weeks ago.   They were kind of ho hum on the earring card, but they look much better once worn.  Navy clothing goes great with these chunky brass blossoms; I’m glad I gave them a chance.

Side note:  I have figured out a way to make clip on earrings SUPER comfortable,  while avoiding the itchy metal feel you get if your skin is sensitive.   I also discovered  out how to convert regular post earrings into clip on’s.  If anyone is interested let me know and I’ll work on another blog post.

You can't beat their prices.

Enjoy!

Nubar – Peacock Feathers Nail Polish

Peacock Feathers Nail Polish

I happen to personally know a Peacock.  His uncreative name is Peacock and he lives with my Grandmother (long story) overseas.  Peacock likes to preen and peer at his reflection on shiny hub cabs.  Nothing lures him in like his own attractive image.  You might find yourself equally transfixed by your fingers with this aptly named, Peacock Feathers nail polish on by Nubar.

Duochrome Nail Polish

Peacock Feathers is a gorgeous duochrome nail polish that is always changing.  It kind of looks like a super dark shiny purple polish when it’s on my shelf, but when you twirl the bottle in the light, a kaleidoscope of unique colors emerges.

Unfortunately, it is frustratingly hard to accurately capture the beautiful array of colours with my camera.  The infernal device seems unwilling to record the bright greens and pinky purples that I can clearly see in person.  Today it’s only willing to serve up the dark green/blue. Thankfully it IS reading the colours a bit better in the bottle, so at least you can get a more true to life representation that way.

You can kind of see the pinky purple colour emerging in the last two picture up above.  It’s still not showing the colors true to life though.  <sigh>  Meh – I give up.  On to more bottle pictures instead…

This polish was made for the sunlight.  It looks dark and unappealing on dreary overcast days, but if a few rays are peeking out from the clouds it will suddenly start to serve up something special.

Nubar nail polishes are Formaldehyde,  Phthalate and Toluene free (whoot, whoot!) which I always appreciate.  Who needs dangerous chemicals lurking in their beauty products?  Not me.

Unfortunately Nubar polishes can be difficult to get your paws on.  I purchase mine at a beauty supply store which doesn’t sell to the public.   Many people are selling Nubar products on e-bay now though, so be sure to do a quick search from time to time to see what you can find.

Enjoy!

Curly Hair Girl

Me (2008) - Long hair

I get a lot of people asking me about my hair.  A lot.  I’ve been stopped in malls and flagged down on streets.   People have even written to me desperately wanting to know what I do to my hair so they can emulate my apparent success.

People are  begging for help, totally at a loss and wondering how they can get their curls to come to heal.   The positive attention is all very flattering but it also makes me a sad because it’s clear to me that info on caring for curly hair is sparse and hard to come by.  Many stylists don’t really know how to work with curly hair, so  people are at an utter loss and don’t know where to begin.

Me with medium length hair (2011)

Me (2011) - Curls a bit limp...time for a protein treatment!

Curly hair gets  a bad wrap.  Straight hair is seen as more sleek, attractive and professional and everyone seems to want to flat iron their curls out of existence.  It’s the number one thing people have done on makeover shows to polish up their appearance  and I kind of don’t get it.  If straight hair is the be all and end all of beauty why do I get approached so frequently by people coveting my curls?

People honestly think my hair is something special, and I want you to know that it’s not.   Many other women have hidden curl potential – they just don’t have the right products and haven’t been taught a curly care routine that works for them.

(2007) Long hair - Straightened by stylist

Before I was taught how to care for my curly hair I was told by a stylist that I had horrible hair.  He seriously thought it was a mess and loved to flat iron it.   Your self esteem takes a nose dive  when you are  exposed to this barrage of  negativity from your stylist.  It doesn’t encourage you to  experiment and try to embrace what nature gave you.

Me (2010) after I cut my hair really short

Thank god I had the chance to meet Jonathan Torch (my stylist) at the Curly Hair Institute in Toronto.  He taught me the value of a curly hair haircut and how the right products can transform your frizzy dry hair into well formed, smooth, soft bouncy curls.    Working with my curls takes a lot less time vs  fighting to straighten them so I end up spending less energy on my hair.

Me + Black Wig

Product Smack down

Over the years I have branched out, experimenting with different hair lengths and  products.  After a few months of trial and error, I managed to figure out exactly what MY unique hair needs are.   Because I get many people wanting to know exactly what I do to my hair I’m going to post my routine here so I can refer people to this blog post.

Please note that my hair care arsenal might not work for you.  I  tried out many products that others had raved about, only to discover that they were disastrous in my hair.  Each person’s hair is unique and you really have to slug it out in the trenches, experimenting with different products over several months, until you find your own magical combination.  Don’t get discouraged if you do what I do and your curls don’t look amazing.  Keep experimenting until they do – you won’t regret it!

Curly Girl

Meghan’s Curly Hair Care Routine

STOP!!!   Before we begin, let’s see if your hair is similar to mine so you’re not wasting your time…

Botticelli Curls

I have 3A Boticelli type curls.  The top of my hair curls easily and some areas on the bottom are almost straight.  My hair is thick but fine, with a low porosity.  It gets weighed down by products easily and is very susceptible to build up and over conditioning.   I have to shampoo my hair every time I want to style it curly – the Curly Girl hair care method did not work for me (although it does wonders for other hair types).

My hair 100% needs to be shampooed frequently to remove product buildup or else it goes limp.  My hair is in lovely condition with no split ends: shampooing my kind of hair with the right shampoos won’t damage it.

Does this sound like your hair?  If so, keep reading.  If not, head on over to NaturallyCurly.com to find someone to emulate with hair more like your own.

Shampoo

Treatment Shampoo (left) Low Poo Shampoo (right)

I shampoo my hair with Treatment Shampoo – it contains lot of magnesium which my fine hair thrives on.  (If you have coarser hair with a tighter curl your hair might not like this ingredient.)  Every few days I alternate with Deva Curls  Low Poo shampoo.  Both products say they are safe for every day usage and I can attest to this.

Conditioner

(Regis) Olive Oil Conditioner - almost empty bottle

My hair loves protein and magnesium and responds really well to this Olive Oil conditioner by Regis which contains both.  I only use a nickle sized amount in my hand.  I apply this to my ends first and whatever is remaining gets distributed over the canopy of my hair, then I comb the product through in the shower and leave it on for 5 minutes before thoroughly rinsing it out.

Curl Cream

AG: re-coil

AG: re-coil - you only need a tiny bit

I get out of the shower without wringing the water out of my hair – it looks sopping wet.  I apply a pea sized amount of Re Coil (a curl cream) into the palm of my hand, rub my hands together until they are evenly coated and then run my hands through my hair until the product is gone from my fingers.  Then comb my hair.  AG: re-coil gives my curls more body and better form – but I can easily skip this step and still have a good hair day.

Edit:  I have had a lot of success applying this curl cream AFTER I put the gel (Curl Keeper) into my hair.  Experiment with both ways and see which gives you a better curl.  I have to tweak my routine depending on the time of year and the weather.

Gel

(left) Biotera Styling Gel (Right) Curl Keeper

Next I apply Curl Keeper (my holy grail product I could NOT live without).  I pour it into the palm of my hand and coat the left side of my hair, the right, and then the back, refilling my palm each time.  You can not use too much, but you can definitely use to little.  Don’t be stingy!  When done I comb my  hair to evenly distribute the product (see the section on combing for more details).

I use a quarter sized dollop of  Biotera gel on  my ends when I need it for a bit more hold (which is most of the time).

Combing

(Top) Root Brush (Bottom) Bone Comb

I comb my hair with a bone comb or a root brush after applying Curl Keeper.  I lift from the roots when I’m brushing, so my hair doesn’t dry smarmed against my scalp.    Then I flip my head over and comb up from the back of my neck and at the sides of my head so I get as much body as possible.  I apply a thicker gel (the Biotera gel I mentioned above) to my ends after this final step.

Tip:  You want the Biotera GEL, not the glaze.  All the bottles look similar so make sure you’ve grabbed the gel when you’re in the store.

Scrunching

With your head upside down palm your  hands at the ends of your hair, raise them up so your curls are sort of cradled in your palms close to your scalp and then squeeze gently about 5 times before letting your hair go and moving on to another section.   I scrunch my hair several times in one place and then  move on to another area.    This really helps infuse the product into your curls and evenly distribute it.  Your  hair  should be making a wet squelching noise as you go along.  If it isn’t you’ve let it dry too much and your curls will turn out more thin and poofy.  You might want to spritz your hair with water until it’s wet enough again and then to continue.

Plopping

Curl Ease Towel

I learned how to “plop” my hair on naturallcurly.com  It gives me much better curls and helps to add body.  Using a Curl Ease Hair Towel I lay it over the toilet seat, center my head over the towel and then lower my hair down, allowing my curls to pile up on themselves,  until my scalp is about an inch way from the surface of the seat.  (Not touching is another trick I learned to give me more body.)  Then I roll up my hair into a loose floppy turban and let it sit like this for about 10-15 minutes (don’t go too long or else your hair might get frizzy).   This gently removes excess water from my  hair, gives me more lift at the roots and encourages better curls.

Diffusing

Negative Iron Hair Dryer + Diffuser

I then blow dry my hair with a diffuser just until the curls start to feel formed.  (This is when they start to feel slightly dry, but they’re not all hard and crunchy yet.)  I have found that using a tourmaline hair dryer (those in the U.S. should check out this tourmaline dryer) has GREATLY cut down on the amount of frizz and fly aways I get.  I used to use a regular hair dryer and this caused loose stray hairs all over the top of my head – but not anymore.  A better quality hair dryer is a great investment.

Air Drying Hair

The last step involves going about your day and letting your hair air dry the rest of the way.  This takes me about 40 minutes to an hour.  When my hair is finally dry I flip it upside down and scrunch it until it feels soft again.  Doing this last step prevents your curls from looking all shellacked and hard looking; a look  I don’t find that appealing.  If you scrunch them out they get bigger and look all glossy, bouncy and amazing.  Many curlies forget this last step and go for the spider hair look, thinking that if they touch their hair they’ll ruin the finish.

The end.

That’s it!  That’s my hair care routine.  It sounds complicated but it’s really effortless now and does not take up much time.

Jonathan Torch - Curly Hair Expert

If you’re near Toronto and are in desperate need of curly hair help I can’t recommend my stylist Jonathan Torch (the creator of Curl Keeper) enough.  Here’s the link to his salon.  He’s expensive but well worth it if you’re totally at a loss about your curls.

I am not affiliated with any of the company’s selling any of the products I’ve provided links for.  I’m sure if you do a search online you’ll find them elsewhere so feel free to shop around.  My stylist does not know I am posting a link to his salon.  I am doing so because I’m so grateful for his help over the years.

Other curly hair salons in Toronto area that might be of interest to you:

The Curl Ambassadors – www.curlambassadors.ca

Chingy’s Touch – www.chiggyonline.com

Enjoy!

Bath and Body – Vanilla Bean Noel

Vanilla Bean Noel

  “It was the November before December and all through the house,

Not a creature was slurring except for myself.

As I shopped at the mall for something to review,

A fragrant green bottle said “how do you do?”

Thank God for the sale or else I’d be sad,

I’m on a cosmetics “no buy” now so I feel slightly bad.

With some wine by my side I’ll attempt to convey,

How kick ass this stuff is…you should buy some today.”

<ahem>  End pathetic prelude.

Vanilla

Mmmmm.  Vanilla.  Probably my all time favorite scent.    Have you noticed that I only review gourmand fragrances on my blog?   If it doesn’t smell slightly edible I tend to pass it by.  I don’t purchase perfume or scented lotions unless they have a dreamy vanilla base.  There is something warm and sexy about vanilla on my skin that I can’t get enough of.  I especially like it during the fall and winter months as it’s so cozy feeling when the temperature drops.

Slightly worn looking 2010 version

I received a tiny bottle of Vanilla Bean Noel lotion last year from my boyfriend.   He scored it at a random gift exchange with friends.  I can only imagine the joy on his face as he opened his festive gift and realized it was a lame girly body lotion.    Bad for him, sweet awesomeness for me.

The moment I opened the bottle I was in love.   I  realized that this made for skin scent was only sold over Christmas too late though.  When I went back to Bath & Body Works to stock up later on that year Vanilla Bean Noel was nowhere to be seen, so I rationed what was left in my precious 59ml bottle wearing a drop a day.

Bath and Body Works - Vanilla Bean Noel Collection

Yesterday I wandered into Bath & Body Works, lured in by their yummy Christmas candles and stumbled across a wall of slightly juvenile looking Christmas body products.  Lo and behold, there sat a plethora of incongruously colored green bottles (I would have opted for off white and brown – green makes me think of pears and apples) which turned out to be my coveted wonder product.  Vanilla Bean Noel resurrected again for the holidays.  Yes!

I practically shoved the bubbly sales associate aside as I grabbed two body lotions and a body spray.   She was exclaiming over the other sub par Christmas scents (berry something and apple something), which I sniffed just to be kind, but I had eyes only for the “buy me now you fool” vanilla bean products.

Moisture Cream

Vanilla Bean Noel is a vanilla scent with personality.  It’s not really simple vanilla, but rather a medley of sweet treats.  When I sniff it I get whiffs of caramel, marshmallow and a hint of milk or yogurt?  There is definitely something with lactose lurking under the surface, reminding me of a delectable ice cream Popsicle on a stick.

The longevity of the scent is  impressive.  On my skin it lasts all day.   I put it on after my shower and by the next morning it smelled just as lovely and fragrant as the night before.   It’s great to layer under other gourmand scented perfumes or you can wear it by itself as the scent has great projection for a lotion.

I bought three versions of this product:  The Vanilla Bean Noel fragrant mist, the body lotion and the triple moisture body cream.  The stand out for me is the body lotion.  It feels like it sinks into my skin more compared to the thick special moisture cream, probably because of the jojoba oil and Shea butter in the ingredients.   The moisture cream leaves your skin with a more slippery silicone like feel to it, but that’s about it.  The lotion is more runny compared to the cream,  but is slightly more moisturizing.   If my skin was REALLY parched I doubt I’d turn to either of these products though.  They’re mainly vehicles for the fragrance.

Fragrant Mist - Thumbs down

The fragrant mist is an okay option if your skin isn’t dry and you don’t need the moisturizers. I find the scent doesn’t translate well as a mist though.  It smells cheaper in my opinion and I will probably be returning it.

I did a little reading online before starting this review and the word on the street is that Bath and Body Works like to tweak the Vanilla Bean Noel scent from time to time and the results aren’t always so great.   A few years ago they changed their jaw dropping product to something that reeked of burnt plastic, resulting in many negative reviews online.  So sad Bath and Body!

I have last years 2010 version and this years 2011 products.  Let me sniff both and see how they compare…

I get what people were saying about the plastic like  scent, especially when it comes to the fragrance mist.   Both bottles of lotion smell similar.  I would not describe the scented lotion as plastic, but it’s  a colder drier vanilla, more like vanilla frozen yogurt in a tub than buttery vanilla cake.  It does smell slightly milky  in the bottle but once on the skin this improves and it warms up slightly, but it still has that whole white chocolate thing going on.

Now I’m curious to see how the 2011 scent compared to what Bath & Body first started with.  I am enjoying what I have right now, but if it was even better in the past then I’m sad they felt the need to make changes.

My favorite (expensive) pure vanilla perfume

Vanilla Bean Noel is no  Indult Tihota (a heady vanilla essence like perfume), but it’s much more affordable and appropriate  for everyday wear.  It’s what I would expect from a fun little lotion designed to appeal to the masses.  The last time I wore this out someone in the room started asking if someone had been eating cake – it garners a lot of favorable comments.

Bottom line is that this is still a lovely scented product for winter.  If you are into vanilla, or know of someone who is, then this is a great option for budget conscious Christmas shoppers.  I got mine at a discounted rate (3 for $25 dollars) but I think if you wait for a better sale you’ll find something cheaper (maybe after Christmas?)   I didn’t want to risk not replenishing my stock and missing out, so I got while the getting was good.

So tell me gourmand fragrance fans, have you tried Vanilla Bean Noel lotion yet?  Do you love the 2011 version or do you miss the old concoction?  If Bath and Body works has  other food scented body products that you adore I’d love to hear recommendations.  I’m waiting for twisted peppermint to hit the shelves next.

Enjoy!

P.S.  All products featured were purchased with my own money.

Vampire Fangs

I had a serious thing for vampire fangs back in the day.  It didn’t matter if I was costumed as a clown, superhero or  rock star; I had to accessories with a pair of plastic vampire fangs.  Halloween just wasn’t Halloween without a set of ferocious pointy teeth.

Sadly, they were really gross to wear.  Your saliva would pool into the mold and you’d constantly be sucking on them in your mouth so you didn’t drool all over yourself.    Not only did they not fit well, they also weren’t designed to be chewed on so they’d start to look ratty after a few days.

As the years have past  I have become quite lazy at Halloween.    I joke that my costume has now become a new outfit, purchased at the mall as a treat for myself during October.  This so called costume doesn’t quite cut if for friends and Halloween enthusiasts, so I started shopping for something I can add to my “costume” to jazz it up, adding an appropriate dash of  ghoulishness to the ensemble.

Custom Vampire Fangs

Enter custom vampire fangs.  WHY I’m only discovering these things now I don’t know.  Stores should be stocking up on these babies and selling them like hotcakes, but they’re not (at least where I live).  You have to order them online, but that’s okay.  It makes them more unique if not everyone has a set.

Vampire Fish

When shopping for fangs you have to consider where and how you plan to wear them.   They come in various lengths and colors at vampfangs.com.  I chose a combo pack  of Subtle Fangs featuring small and natural length fangs.  They’re apparently more comfortable to wear than the longer saber variety, which I imagine will only work if you’re cool standing around with your mouth agape.

Fang Caps - (left) Natural, (right) Subtle small

Fang Caps - (top) Natural, (bottom) Subtle small

Fang after molding material has set

Everything you need to create these custom fangs comes right in the box (which is so cool…it’s a coffin).  You get a set of teeth caps, interior customizing mold material, a mixing vessel and a stir stick.

In a nutshell you mix the mold powder (contained in the capsules) with a special liquid, put ALL the mixture inside the hollow tooth cap, put the vampire fang over your canine and leave it in your mouth for the molding material to set (15-20 minutes).

Once the material has cured ( it takes 24 hours after you’ve taken it off) the fang will fit over your tooth and stay there comfortably until you pull it off.  You can use the fang again and again.  They’re awesome and don’t distort your speech.

I had a few mishaps along the way.  First I spilled the molding powder all over the counter (see above).  I carefully poured it into the mixing container provided but then accidentally knocked it over making a mess.  Strike one.

Trying on fang

Whoops.

Strike two occurred when I dropped one of my longer fangs down the drain.  Noooooo!!!!  I was practicing getting it into place on my tooth before I scooped in the molding material (as per the directions) but I lost hold of it and it went into the sink, directly down the drain.  I enlisted my unhappy boyfriend to fish it out for me when he got home but it was nowhere to be seen.

Subtle Short Fang (left) Natural Fang (right)

I still have one long tooth left to review though and I was extra careful with the short set so they’re still in the game.  Here is a side by side comparison of the two different size fangs in my mouth.  (see above)

Subtle Small Fangs

What I discovered is that the natural (i.e. medium length) fangs aren’t as comfortable to wear as the subtle short set.  It’s hard to close your mouth with the natural ones, while the short version feels like I could forget they’re there.  The medium (“natural”) length ones are definitely more dramatic and attention getting but I think they’re better for short time usage and photographs.

Natural (i.e. medium) length fang

I also found the medium length fangs slightly big for my teeth.  You can still achieve a comfortable fit though; the molding material is magic.   I appreciate that these somehow still work if your teeth are slightly crooked too (within reason of course).   To get a great fit you have to play around with them for a bit, learning how to position them over your tooth properly so when the molding material is inside you can get them into place easily.

Yellow fang - white teeth

Another thing I noticed is that the fangs are a more yellow color compared to my natural teeth.  I whitened my teeth a year or so ago, so maybe these are designed to work best for people who haven’t.  Still, no big deal, it only shows when you’re up close.

Before (fangless)

After - Small Subtle Fangs

I’m really glad I didn’t drop the short set down the drain because they turned out to be my favorite!   I think people write them off when they’re looking on the vampfang website because they think they’ll look too natural, but that’s not the case at all.  It definitely looks like you have noticeable fangs and they’re a lot easier to wear for long periods of time.

Me - Vampire Makeup

This was the easiest costume I’ve ever put together.  My makeup took me about 20 minutes,  then I popped on my fangs and was Halloween ready!  Money well spent if you ask me.

Vegan Vampirism

Want your own set of ghoulish incisors?  Here’s where I purchased mine!  I paid $26.95 plus shipping.    You should sign up for their mailing list because they frequently have sales.

http://www.vampfangs.com

Enjoy!

Vintage Fashion

A year ago I was seduced by the notion of incorporating  choice pieces of vintage clothing into my wardrobe.   It seemed like such a chic thing to do, so I set out about the business of acquiring three vintage dresses  from various online retailers.

I was not impressed when they arrived  a few weeks later.  As the strangely proportioned, ill fitting garments hung off my frame, I peered at myself in the mirror with a critical eye and realized that I was wearing ugly old shabby clothes.  There was nothing chic about the fibrous pills covering the fabric surface, its threadbare appearance, or the musty moth ball smell wafting up to my nostrils.  I looked nothing like the celebrities on the red carpet who mutter smugly “I’m wearing vintage”  when asked about the designer they’re supporting.  I looked like a little girl who’d done battle in her Grandmothers closet and lost.

I pitched the offending garments into a good will bin, regretting bitterly the wad of cash I’d sunk into this latest endeavor and decided to never speak the word vintage again.  No one had to know how low I’d sunk in the name of fashion.

Fast forwards to 2011 and thanks to the economy I find myself cash poor (anyone hiring?) yet still desperately enthusiastic about fashion.  Necessity was forcing me to reassess my negative bias towards all things vintage  and possibly consider giving it another go.  Instead of using my meager savings to purchase old clothes though I decided to try a different tactic:   New clothes + vintage accessories.    Maybe this enlightened approach would be my ticket to frugal chic-dome.

Vintage Accessory Shopping

I started out by focusing on earrings.  I recently had my right earring hole repaired (previously damaged during a childhood mishap) and  couldn’t face piercing the poor resuscitated lobe again, so I decided to wear clip on earrings instead.   The problem is that cool clip on earrings at the mall are in short supply, but there’s a veritable glut in vintage shops.  Lucky me.  It felt like a good place to start.

My ears are tiny little things so I can’t sport those clip on plates that some ladies from decades gone by seemed to prefer (see above) .  I have to keep my baubles to about 3/4 of an inch in width or smaller since there isn’t much ear for them to clip onto.  I also favor more classic tasteful jewelry so I ordered some simple minimalist pieces to start off with.  Fool proof choices if you will.

My square shaped face seems to be ideally suited to round clip on earrings, so it was kind of easy to narrow my search to find the right shape.  Wading through all the choices to find something I loved was the hard part.    There’s a lot out there and not all of it good.    There was a real risk of looking misguided and tacky in the end – something I was hoping to avoid.   I kept it simple by shopping on Etsy and Ebay and devoting several evenings exclusively to wading through thousands of vintage clip on earrings.

Vintage Treasure Hunt Results

Glass screw back earrings

Red Glass Earrings

I actually really like my simple vintage earring choices.   Yes they’re a bit on the safe side, but I wanted to see if I could embrace the whole vintage thing again before I went crazy.    I’m encouraged enough by the quality of the pieces (the black earrings are sterling silver) to branch out next time.   I wasn’t sure about how screw back earrings would feel on, but they’re surprisingly comfortable and in great condition.

I also ordered a graduated vintage red bead necklace (see above).   It too impressed me; I could hardly believe it was vintage.  I wasn’t a fan of the little gold spacer beads that were used in the original design because they had dulled with age and were slightly corroded.  Being a jewelry designer though it was an easy thing to fix.    I bought the necklace for the immaculate vintage red beads, knowing it had serious potential.   I restrung the necklace omitting the spacer beads resulting in a more modern streamlined finish (see below).

If you’re curious about where I got my items, then keep reading!  Each piece was from a different online seller.  Since the quality was all awesome and the customer service top notch I don’t mind passing on these sellers contact info.

Black faceted sterling silver earrings ($16.oo US):  www.etsy.com/shop/KimmsAttic

Red earrings: ($4.50 US ): http://stores.ebay.com/smokingravensvintagejewelry

Red Graduated Bead Necklace ($5.25 US): www.etsy.com/shop/ArtDecoDame

Vintage Belts

Next up I decided to go for some vintage belts.  I am learning what miracles belts can work in a wardrobe so I’ve been broadening my scope and expanding my collection.  I  love the look of a braided leather belt cinched at the waistline over a dress (see above), so that’s what I decided to look for.  I wasn’t having any luck finding this item new at the mall, so I once again I turned to my trusty vintage stores online.

I ordered  this beautiful vintage wide leather braided belt.  It almost looked too good to be true online, but I couldn’t help but give it a shot.  It arrived yesterday and is visually perfect.  The belt buckle is a bit tarnished but this was displayed on the online listing, and it’s to be expected since it’s vintage.   I don’t mind at all.   I’m researching how to possibly remove the blackened metal.

Cigarettes stink

One thing stopped me from giving this belt a thumbs up and recommending the online seller to my readers.  (I’m sad about this because the seller was so sweet and shipped my item out to me really quickly.)  Unfortunately the belt  (and the packaging slightly) reeked of cigarette smoke.  I am very sensitive to the smell of cigarettes and find the aroma quite repulsive.  Smoke laden clothing and accessories smells dirty and cheap to me (negative conditioning) and I just can’t bear to put it on over my nice clothing.

I’m currently trying to clean it and remove the smell because the belt really is awesome looking.  So far I’ve not been successful but I’m going to try to air it out in the sun for a few days to see if this helps.  Until the musty aroma is gone I’m not incorporating it into my wardrobe, so sadly this belt gets a very reluctant thumbs down – but I’m not giving up on it yet!  If it can loose the stink I’ll embrace it whole heatedly.

Tip:  If you’re in the market for a vintage belt I suggest you make sure the item is coming from a smoke free home.  I forgot to ask.

(Update:  I left this belt outside to hang in the breeze for several days and this has done a lot to lift out the musty cigarette aroma.   My mom, who is also very sensitive to cigarette smells, gave it a sniff and has confirmed that the aroma is almost completely gone!)

In conclusion I think my strategy to go for vintage accessories is sound.   I think I’ll keep searching for more clip on earrings but anything else I’ll be buying in person so I can give it a sniff test before handing over my cash.

Enjoy!

P.S.

Shameless self promotion…

If you’re curious about the jewellery I design (yes…not “jewelry”.  I go for the Canadian/British spelling of the word) then check out my little online boutique.

Grey Hair

I can remember the first time my hair stylist discovered a grey hair on my head.  It was as if I’d sprouted a snake from my scalp.  She got a no nonsense look on her face and proceeded to attacked the offending strand with a pair of scissors.   Before I could say boo it had been snipped off and was floating to the ground.  I watched it fall with a modicum of sadness because I also remember how learning I had a gray hair made me feel.  I believe my reaction was:

“Cool!  I’ll look like Storm!”

Storm - X-Men

I was puzzled that she’d instantly presume a gray hair was something to be gotten rid off.    I used to wish I could have blond hair so I saw this as an opportunity to acquire lighter tresses down the road for free!   I have seen no one extol the virtues of going gray though, so it made me think.

Is this NOT a cool look?  Am I the only one that thinks it looks great?  Yes, it’s Hallie Berry, but I’m sure this look would be awesome if you took the wig off and put it on another attractive woman. So what gives?

First off, thanks to  hair dye and enthusiastic hair stylists with scissors, you don’t really get to see people going gray naturally.   No one encourages you at the hair salon or asks your opinion on the matter.  It’s a process that many woman (and men) are encouraged to hide and cover up.   It’s presumed that your grey hair is something that you want to get rid of.

Kat Moss with <gasp> grey roots

My experience and research has taught me that going grey happens sooner than I thought.   Sure, there are only a couple of strands on my head, but I think in my mind I wasn’t expecting to be visited at all by the gray fairy at all until I was well into my 50′s.

I googled gray hair online and I noticed that some peoples locks can look a bit dull and dry after going gray (your hair naturally gets coarser) , but that’s not dissuading me.

There are glossing treatments you can get to glam up your strands and a slew of awesome hair revitalizing products so there is still cause for hope and excitement.

Fabulous!

People who have cool skin tones tend to look awesome with gray hair and are really lucky.   I am so relieved that I fall into this category because I’m tempted now not to color my hair.

It’s scary – but I’m wondering what I’d look like if I just let nature take its course?  I don’t know what I’m going to do down the road yet.  I look young for my age (I’m, ah….32.  Surprise!) so maybe a more sophisticated hair color will balance the scales.  My Grandmother has the most gorgeous gray hair pattern I’ve seen on anyone – so I’m hopeful that genetics will tip my hand favorably!

I’ve been paying attention to my subconscious reaction when I glimpse gray hair and I think my gut reactions for a split second is: “old”.   When I stop and think about it though, I don’t really feel that way when I look at someone with gray  hair.  It’s an automatic learned response.   I’ve been brought up and conditioned to form this association by my culture and the media I’m constantly exposed to.

How many commercials have we seen showing someone rushing to cover their gray hair – scrubbing away any evidence of slick silver tresses showing through.  Every witch I’ve seen in a Disney movie or book has grey hair and it’s not fair.

I resent the constant negative association being forced upon my psyche.  The media is not only swaying MY perceptions but the perceptions of those around me – so I might decide to feel enlightened about this whole business, but I have to deal with other people who aren’t.

I think that if there was a way  to buffer ourselves against the media onslaught, and become exposed to different images associated with gray hair, heck – getting older in general the whole process might feel different for women.

I think gray hair is beautiful.  What about you?  Do you think it would work with your skin tone (it can be hard to pull off for warm skinned gals)?  How might the people around you sway your thoughts about going gray one way or the other?

Enjoy!

Body Media / Body Bugg – Review

BodyMedia Armband

I think I’ve found the most amazing fitness/weight loss tool EVER.  It’s a little device by a company called BodyMedia (they make the Bodybugg too just FYI) that straps to your left bicep and with a series of nifty sensors, records minute by minute data about your daily calorie expenditure,  fitness level and sleep patterns.

BodyMedia Armband strap (size medium)

Sensors - Measure galvanic skin response, skin tempereature and heat flux

I purchased this tool to help me get back in control of my body.  A while ago I was on a medication that slowly caused me to gain a bit of weight over a 5 months period and I was having trouble getting back in the game once I went off it.

I tried using some calorie counting software I found for free online but despite being diligent about recording calories and working out nothing significant was happening.    I needed a less generic weight loss formula; something more tailored to my unique body and weekly workout routines.

Chart taken from companies website - not my data

Here’s how BodyMedia helped me.   First off the information it provides me each day is vital and has been a revelation.  It turns out I burn a lot more calories that I thought I did.  When I used a generic formula online to determine how many calories I should be eating each day the number  generated was too low.   For all the rushing about I do  and for how much I exercise I needed to be eating more.  During one busy day  I actually had to up my calorie intake by 700.  I’d never have know that were it not for my BodyMedia device.  Now it’s so easy to have an accurate 500 calorie deficit each day and I never go to sleep feeling hungry.

Guessing how many calories I burn doing certain exercises is a thing of the past.   Now all I do is let my BodyMedia device monitor what’s going on and it tells me what I burned during various activities.  No more looking up exercises online and guessing how hard I worked out.  All I do is sync my armband to my computer a few times a day to see where I’m at and and it tells me how I’m doing.  I was dragging my feet yesterday and didn’t burn as many calories as I had hoped.  I was able to see this on my computer and then popped out for an evening walk to rectify the situation.  Problem solved.

It’s also hugely motivating.  I love data and seeing my energy expenditure spike during a run makes me want to keep going and push myself a little harder.   I find myself doing a lot more physical activity because I hate seeing low flat line areas on the graph (which is what happens if I’m sitting around on my computer for an hour or more.)

Secondly I’ve learned that I need to ramp up my vigorous activity level.  (The BodyMedia device records both moderate and vigorous activity.)  My goal is 30 minutes of vigorous activity each day but I wasn’t hitting that at all.  I was doing a lot of moderate activity but you need to really kick it into gear for a bit to give your heart a workout, so now I go for daily runs and have introduced some more advanced heart pumping kettlebell routines into my workout routine.

Another eye opener for me was that I’m not sleeping well.   Normally I tell people that I get between 7-8 hours of sleep a night, but it turns out I’m no where close to this.  For several days I’ve been averaging about 4.5 – 5.5hours of restful sleep.   I might lay down for 8 or 9 hours a night but that time isn’t spent in dreamland.  Getting proper rest at night is huge so I’m investigating ways to get better quality sleep.  Ramping up my vigorous activity levels seems to be helping but it’s still in the early stages and I’m still experimenting to see what helps most.

After a week of using this device I dropped a pound – just like it had predicted I would.  I was trying to do this blind on my own for three months and my weight didn’t shift.  Now, thanks to my BodyMedia device things are finally working like they’re supposed to.   It feels effortless and I never feel hungry.  This thing is worth its weight in gold to me.

Thankfully I’m not looking to loose a lot of weight (my goal is about 6 pounds).  I’m already in a healthy weight category but I want to get back to what I weighed earlier this year.  Once I’ve met my goal I will change the settings on the Bodymedia website to focus on maintaining my weight and/or  just being increasingly more active.  It will still continue to be a useful tool long after I’ve  met my weight loss goals.

BodyMedia sells several different device packages to suit each individual.   I purchased what you see up above:  just the armband and access to their subscription based website.

You can also purchase a device + a display monitor (above).  You can sync this up with your device to get an on the go reading of how many steps you’ve taken, calories burned etc.  I decided not to go for this option.  It’s EXPENSIVE (close to $100.00), kind of cheap if you believe the online reviews, and you have to keep syncing it to your armband to see how you’re doing.   Also I hear that the battery doesn’t last very long (some say it can’t be removed to be replaced too which is lame.  Please correct me if I’m wrong though.)

I find it effortless to just upload the info from my device onto my laptop so I’m actually glad I didn’t go for the display.  It’s not necessary if you ask me.

The company also sells a bluetooth enables device that you can sync up to your smartphone, so if you already own a smartphone and feel like paying a little extra you can opt for this model instead.

Cons

Just like most things in life there are a few down sides to be aware of before deciding to purchase this device.  I’m going to list them here so you can decide for yourself if this will work for you.

Take it off when driving

1.  It does not record calories and exercise properly when you’re driving.  I took my cat to the vet and during the 40 minute drive it recorded me as doing a serious work out.  Not true.  I was sitting in the car doing absolutely nothing.  Now when I’m driving I simply take the device off my arm until I get out of the car.  It fills in the gaps with a low calorie estimate (what I’d burn sitting infront of the computer basically) so this way I get a much more accurate reading.

2.  I suspect that it’s not so good at recording my energy expenditure when I’m working out with weights.  I use a series of heavy kettlebells to do a hard workout every other day.  I’ll be gasping for breath between sets with my heart racing.  It feels like I’m working harder than I do when I’m running but the Bodymedia device still records my efforts as only moderate.  Meh.  I don’t really care – I’d rather it underestimate that overestimate my energy expenditure, but for those who demand an accurate calorie count for resistance type training then this might not work for you.

3.  You can’t utilize the device without the companies (paid) subscription based service plan.  Boo.  You can not upload the information your device gathers without this paid service.  You CAN purchase a display device to show you what your Bodymedia armband is gathering in real time, but you still need to clear the data off your device after a certain number of days or else it won’t work.   It’s irritating that they designed things this way, but I am actually quite enjoying their online website, and if you purchase a year membership it’s quite cheap,  so I can’t complain too loudly.

4.  This might be obvious, but here goes.   If you’re interested in loosing weight YOU have to track what you’re eating and log the data onto the website (or keep it in a notebook or something.)  The device will tell you how many calories you burn but it’s up to you to make sure that you exercise more and eat less so you have a calorie deficit each day so you can loose weight.  This isn’t really a con because this is exactly what I was expecting, but if you expect it to beep when you’ve eaten too much you’ll be sorely disappointed.

5.  For an accurate reading of how you’re doing you really need to wear it all the time – even when asleep.    Consequently you’ve got to be cool with having the armband strapped to your left bicep all the time.   It doesn’t phase me in the least and people don’t seem to care when they see it.   (I get the occasional person asking what it is but I’m happy to sing its praises.)  It was uncomfortable wearing it for the first two days (my arm got a kind of numb sore feeling at first) but this went away after day two and now I don’t feel it at all.  Seriously – it’s like it’s not even there.  I love it!

Additional Info

At first I was torn between buying a Bodybugg vs a BodyMedia device.  They look deceptively similar so it was hard to choose.  Both are made by the same company but use different subscription based websites.

BodyBugg

BodyMedia

I ultimately went with the BodyMedia device because it’s the only one that gives you feedback on your sleep patterns.  Also the reviews online seemed more favorable for the BodyMedia device (less complaints) and users liked the BodyMedia website interface better than the BodyBugg one.    That’s what I based my decision on if you’re curious.

Where do I get one?

You have several options if you’re considering purchasing a BodyMedia Armband.  BodyMedia.com has them for sale and I hear that Costco and Bestbuy does too (if you live in the U.S.) but I purchased mine from a seller on ebay.com.  I paid close to $200.00 for the armband (shipping = an additional $30.00) which included a prepaid year long subscription which is a pretty good deal.  I also got an extra armband thrown in for free.

What sucked is that the seller advertised the device as factory sealed, and when it arrived it clearly wasn’t.  I was a bit ticked of by this, but whatever.  I  saved some money and it’s working fine  so it’s not worth pitching a fit over (although I hate less than honest ebay sellers so I won’t recommend them here).

Tip:  If you browse ebay or kijiji you can sometimes find used models for a fraction of the price.  You’ll still need to purchase your own online subscription but you can save money by going this route.

So tell me, have you had an opportunity to try out a Bodymedia Armband or a Bodybugg system (as seen on the biggest looser)?  What do you use yours for?  Has it changed the way you work out too?

Enjoy!

P.S.  Please check to make sure that the subscription based website works in your country before you place an order for one of these devices!