Supernatural Botanicals

Continually challenging your brain on a regular basis not only keeps you sharp and on your toes, but it can also prevent Alzheimer’s later on in life.  It can also improve your brain’s short term recall…think, where did I leave my keys?   We all have blips of “senior moments”, but we can do things to improve them.  Try this brain challenge to keep you on your toes.  Change the font on your computer.  By simply changing your font to something different from your norm, you are challenging your brain to process things in a different way.  Changing your font has been shown to improve your long term retention, according to research published in the journal Cognition.  Focusing on a new font may make your brain’s processing center work a little harder, upping your recall.

It’s the middle of August…enter the dog-days of summer.  If you haven’t been vigilant about keeping your hair conditioned, chances are, the sun has had its way with your hair, crisping it from the ends up.  Try this summer hair trick to keep hair super-healthy and pretty.  Put the sun to work for you.  Simply use a half-dollar size amount of conditioner and run it through your dry hair.  The conditioner will act as a layer of protection from UV rays, and the heat from the sun will help the conditoiner soften your hair.

While teens across the nation are gearing up to go back to school, the fashion and beauty industries have kicked into overdrive.  When you have too many options, many times you’ll end up spending your money on things you don’t end up liking once you get them home.  Beauty products, much like clothes, are very personal.  Get to know what works for you. Experiment and try new colors, new fashions, new trends, and see what works for you.  Just because a skinny leg jean or a flesh-colored lipstick is hot and trendy doesn’t mean it’s going to look good on you…specifically.  So explore your options.  When you get a lot of compliments on a color you wear, pay attention to those cues.  That color works for you, so stick with it and expand on it.  If low-rider jeans make your hips look too big, then kick them to the curb and wear a more flattering cut for your body.

Back to school makeup is a snap with a few of these favorite items right from the drug store or supermarket.

Start with a clean foundation…a blemish-free face.  So you’re prone to breakouts at this age.  No biggie.  Send blemishes packing with an easy skincare routine.  Wash your face in the morning and before you go to bed.  Never wear makeup to bed.  Just wash and go twice a day.  That will keep your skin fresh and clear.

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Next, prime your face with foundation to even out skin tone, cover blemishes (if you have any), and to give your skin a pretty glow.  Mineral makeup is a relative newcomer on the scene in the makeup world.  It’s one of the easiest foundations to apply.  Liquid foundation can leave you with an embarrassing ring on your jawline.  Mineral makeup blends perfectly into the skin and is great if you have oily skin.  It reduces shine and eliminates excess oil on the skin’s surface.  And it’s so easy to apply, you won’t even need a mirror.

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Pretty eyes are easy to achieve with the thousands of choices in eye color you have to choose from.  Whether you go bold and beautiful or soft and shimmery, you’ll find every color of the rainbow to choose from.  Being a teen gives you a license to use bright and bold colors, and there’s nothing wrong with that.  But avoid doing that every day at school.   Try to stick with a more daytime look while at school.  Try going bright and bold on Fridays!

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The teen license to use bold colors applies to lips as well.  Glossy pink cotton-candy colored lips are so pretty and is a perfect color for teens.   Afraid to go bold?  Try a sheer bold color for a more muted effect.  Glossy lips and teens go together like Friday nights and football games.  It just works!

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Maybelline Great Lash mascara is a secret tool of the trade to many makeup artists in Hollywood.  This mascara is used on many of the sets for Hollywood movies.  It goes on clump free, stays put all day long, and makes your lashes appear to be a mile long.

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And it’s as simple as that.  Back to school beauty is in the bag in a few easy steps.  Here’s to a beautiful new school year!

Jessica Alba’s interview with Lucky magazine this month depicts some major truths that no one is talking about.  Jessica says that she’s on a 1200 calorie a day diet, and says she’s “basically starving”.  And we applaud Jessica for admitting the obvious.  Because you really do feel like you are starving yourself when you drop down to 1200 daily calories or less.  Trying to have a personal trainer or an actress convince us that 1200 calories a day is plentyyyyyyy is simply not true.  Of course,  if you can tolerate it, it will pay off with a lean body like Jessica’s…so there are some benefits.  Here’s what Ms. Alba says about her routine:

On her meal plan to shape up after the baby:

“I have a hard time with portion control, so I have 1,200 calorie meals delivered. But I also work out, so basically I’m starving—it sucks.  I drink a lot of water.”

Working out everyday for even just 45 minutes is good for my mental state. But getting dress and actually doing it is the worst. It’s hard to get motivated.”

The colors you choose to adorn yourself with says a lot about your personality.  From eye shadows to lipsticks to clothes and nail polish and jewelry, we choose colors that give us feelings that reflect our personalities.  Outrageous and outgoing personality traited-people lean toward the bold.  Reserved and quiet people go for more muted tones.  What color are you?

Nail Polish Color Palette

Yes, yes, and yes.  Katie Holmes is perfection in Vogue Espana in month.  Excellent makeup artist!  Smokey eye, nude lips, great contoured cheeks, defined brows.  Perfect!

For years, Jillian Michaels has come into our homes, teaching us her workout techniques on The Biggest Loser.  How does Jillian keep her near-perfect physique?  Jillian says “I usually go to the gym three to four times a week.  I work out hard when I go.  I just kill it, whether it’s doing kettlebells, mixed martial arts, Spinning classes or power yoga.  I get bored easily, so I need something that’s going to keep me focused.  I mix it up.  Everything I do is a combo of body resistance and cardiovascular endurance.” Jillian’s favorite workout is mixed martial arts.  Her most dreaded workout would be a marathon.  She says “You’re at mile 20, and you have six more to go, and your body is just battered and bleeding and miserable.  I would rather be dead.”

Check out Fitness magazine’s July/August issue to learn more about Jillian Michaels’ signature workout style.

Take a tip from A-List celebrities to achieve beautiful skin and get regular facials.  Celebs swear by them to keep their face, neck and chest looking camera ready.  Facials deeply cleanse the skin, exfoliate dead skin cells, and improve circulation, leaving you with beautiful skin and a healthy glow.   Facials can also pinpoint skin problems, like dark spots and acne spots, with specific treatments formulated for your skin.  Ask your spa what kind of treatments they offer for your skin’s needs and start looking like an A-Lister.

For a mini-microdermabrasion at home, try this all natural trick with products you probably have right in your kitchen.  You won’t believe how effective, yet easy this is.  Watch….then try.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vkCR2ZWAe4

Neurologist have found that the brain cannot decipher between actually doing something that makes you happy or just thinking about it.  And that’s good news if you aren’t particularly happy with _______ (insert any pain-in-the-tail item here).  If you are not in your sweet spot in life, then imagine yourself being there. 

When you open yourself up and think deeply, ask yourself what it is that you’d do or have if failure was not an option.  A new house, a new relationship, a new body shape, a masters degree?  What do you want, specifically?  Think about how you you’d decorate your new house.  Think about the clothes you’ll wear with your new body.  Think about how you want to be treated in your next relationship.  Imagine it.  Get into the moment of it. 

You become your thoughts.  Whatever it is that you think of all day, that’s what you’ll bring into your life.  If you are thinking about bills, about being late to work, about how bad work is once you get there, and about how much weight you’ve gained….this is the energy your are providing for your brain.  Luckily, the exact opposite works, too.  Think about routes of cash flowing into your life.  Think about your ability to land a better job where you can use your talents better.  Think about how responsible you are and how you are always on time.  Positive energy works, and it works every single time.   Think yourself into a better state of mind, and therefore, a better overall life.  There’s nothing wrong with faking it until you make it!