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August 31, 2005

Skin Care Basics

With the millions and ba-gillions of products out there, it's not surprising that skin care (make up, hair care, and even nail care) can be a bit daunting. The truth is, you most likely don't need everything the sales rep at the cosmetic counter just sold to you. How many face creams do you need anyway?

My number one rule for any beauty routine is to keep it simple. I've seen skin care sets that consist of six steps, twice daily (not including sunscreen, more on this to come)! I don't know about you, but four steps is seriously pushing the limit when it comes to skin care for me, sunscreen included. Skin care is important because your skin is your body's first defense against, well, almost anything that's not supposed to be inside of you (for example, flu causing bacteria). So, here are some tips on how show some love for your largest organ.

1. Drink lots of water. If you don't drink enough water, toxins build up inside of you (yuck!) and it can show in the condition of your skin. So, drink at least 2 liters of water per day to help your body flush out those nasty toxins. Your body will thank you for it.

2. "If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience?I will dispense this advice now". Baz Luhrmann was right on the money with this tip (it's also a great song). Sunscreen protects your skin from the damaging rays of the sun. It's not just for summer anymore either, the sun can still show up on a seemingly cloudy day. Doctors say SPF 15 is enough, but the sun is pretty harsh here in La La Land. So, I use an SPF 45; my favorite is Coppertone Ultra Sheer Suncreen. It's non-greasy, doesn't smell funny, and doesn't seep into your eyes, making them sting like crazy.

3. Wash your face in the morning and at night. Washing in the morning cleans away icky bacteria from the the night (your pillow's got a lot of junk on it, changing it every 2-3 weeks helps keep pore clogging bacteria to a minimum). Washing at night cleans away all of the junk your skin attracted during the day.

4. Unless you want to wake up with a bunch of zits the size of Texas, remove ALL make up before going to sleep. Sleeping with make up can seriously clog your pores and it's just gross, period. Don't believe me? Try it and see what happens.

5. Always moisturize. People with dry skin aren't the only ones who need moisture, oily skin needs it too. Apply a body lotion right when you get out of the shower/bath. Apply a facial moisutrizer right after washing your face with a gentle cleanser.

6. A day cream is a night cream and a night cream is a day cream. Just because the jar/bottle says it's a day cream doesn't mean it won't work at night and vice versa. Night creams tend to have more emollient ingredients though.

7. Do your homework. Learn what the ingredients inside of your products are. Most online stores list product ingredients; just use Google to search for the function of each ingredient. This takes time, but it helps to know what you're putting on your skin. Come on, haven't you ever wondered what dimethicone is?

Posted by *Tammy at 11:06 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
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August 30, 2005

Confidence 101

Some tips on how to boost self confidence...

1. If you only learn one thing about life, you should learn that it goes on. So, don't beat yourself up so hard. The more you dwell on your mistakes, the less time you have for new and great opportunites.

2. Try something new. Go to a new restaurant or even sign up for that class you've been interested in taking but never had the guts to do so. If you like it, great; if you hate it, well, at least you won't have to wonder about it anymore.

3. Be persistent. Keep working to reach your goals. If anyone says you can't do it, tell them to kiss your ass (in a more polite way, of course).

4. Exercise. It is strenuous, but you'll feel great afterward. It also boosts your metabolism. If your just starting out, aim for frequency instead of duration. Try starting with 15 to 20 minutes four times per week. As you get stronger, increase the duration and frequency.

5. Stand up straight! You may not feel confident, but if you look like you are, you'll eventually feel like you are. Oh, and you'll automatically grow about an inch taller! :)

"Life is just a bowl of cherries, so live and laugh, laugh at love, love a laugh, live and laugh at it all!"
- Bob Fosse

Posted by *Tammy at 11:30 PM | TrackBack (0)
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August 13, 2005

Welcome!

Hello everyone! Welcome to my brand spankin' new site. As you can see, I'm just getting started so please be patient; this site will look absolutely fantabulicious in no time. I'd like to take this time to give you the low down about this site/blog...

I've set out on a journey to find inner and outer beauty. So, instead of braving the treacherous journey on my own, why not take you along with me? I'll share inner (health, fitness, confidence, all around inner happiness) and outer (make up, hair, nails, all around outer happiness) beauty tips that I've learned and I'll post some good ones that you send me also (that is, if you give me permission to post, of course). "I can just read a fashion magazine for beauty and health tips," you say? If you read enough of them, you'll start to notice the vicious cycle of writers tapping into your insecurities, which makes you spend your money on things you don't even need just to be in the "in crowd," and then reading more magazines and spending more money, and it goes on and on. Trust me, I've been trapped in that cycle one too many times. Don't get me wrong, I do read fashion magazines, I just take the info with a grain of salt (and so should you). You can buy all of the trendy stuff in the world and still be unhappy if you're not true to yourself. So, this site isn't about me telling you, "you have to buy this or do this in order to 'fit in' with the rest of society;" it's about you and me sharing tips on how to be happy with ourselves, whether it be through an hour of Tae Bo (or yoga), wearing your favorite mascara, or the occasional splurge at the spa. Happy Hunting ;-)
Find out about me here ===> www.myspace.com/tammo85

Posted by *Tammy at 07:58 PM | TrackBack (0)
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