beautiful rooms

Our home is a sanctuary and it is important to have a home base. A place that is calming and inspiring. Especially in learning to be alone which is essential focusing on our personal space builds esteem and can quiet the mind. Cleaning rigorously and with purpose is an excellent way to alleviate confusion and make the atmosphere inside the home electric.

Above are some beautiful rooms that are magical, elegant, and comfortable. Enjoy them as inspiration. Perhaps you will be moved to study feng shui or interior decorating. I have found http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ and the accompanying book to be most insightful. Also, http://www.elledecor.com/ is excellent. Learn something about interior decorating at www.suite101.com/course.cfm/18328/seminar.

Tummy and arm hair

If you have arm hair and/or tummy hair we need to first judge how hirsuit you are. is there a layer of fur on your arms? Is it sparse? Is it dark? how high does it go up- to your elbow, to your bicep? As far as your tummy hair are there long pieces in it? Are there curly pieces in it? Is it thicker below the navel? Do you get stray hairs around your nipples? We are going to figure out the most attractive and least maintenance solution.

I have dark sparse hair from my biceps to my pinky finger. A downy trail from between my breasts to my navel. I have shaved and waxed and bleached. Shaving is a NO-NO especially on your arms-- we all make this mistake, but let's only make it once. noone wants stubble on their arms like a bad tranny. Arms are supposed to be soft and luminescent.

I have waxed my arms it doesn't hurt so bad, I recommend having a professional do it because the back of the arms can have dark hairs and one forgotten patch will give away the whole game. Waxing is recommended if you have a lot of arm hair. Get rid of it. You can be a savage woman without the fur, smooth arms are very feline and strangely hypnotic.

The best most painless and prettiest way I have discovered to mask sparse hair is to bleach it with Jolene Bleach, which you can buy at Walgreen's. The Bleach is going to tingle as it oxidizes on the hair. Put up with it and you will have white gold shimmer to your arms. It's pretty beautiful. People who do notice that the hair is blonde only remark how amazing that I am a brunette and have such pretty blonde hairs on my body. I find that the blonde hairs add definition to my tummy. When the hair is completely removed from my belly it looks a little doughy.

If you get the random hair around your nipple: Pluck it out. it will take about 2-3 weeks to grow back. DO NOT pretend it's not there. Get rid of it. Hold your breast up, and check under your nipple too.

As per always, if you like your arm hair and it's beautiful to you, that is the MOST important thing. As in Madonna's picture above her arms do not detract from her beauty and personality-- it only augments it. Have fun! Be yourself!

Keratin Hair Treatment

Remember when all there was to style curly hair was gel and mousse? I was born in the 80's and my sisters and I ironed our hair with the clothes iron and ironing board, because flat irons did not yet exist. That wasn't so long ago, but it seems very dark ages.

Since I was in high school I have chemically relaxed, thermal reconditioned (japanese straightened), and straight permed my hair. The results did leave my hair straight-permanently-but my hair quality was not improved. In all these cases regrowth, heat styling and coloring made the straightened hair weak, dull and frayed.

A new light has entered the dark world of the frizzy, unruly, wavy haired bitches. The Keratin treatment is a revolutionary application that will make your hair so glossy it will look like a child's hair. Plus the treatment results are cummulative so every three months (using the proper shampoo to protect your results) more and more keratin will be deposited on the cuticle. The appearance of the hair is dazzling and youthful.

I don't buy it when people say you want what you don't have: e.g., I have curly hair and want it straight or straight and want it curly-- I just want options. The keratin treatment leaves my hair straight at first and then over the course of 3 months my own beautiful natural wave starts to come back. When my own natural curl begins it's return it is lustrous and relaxed and most importantly more manageable. The blow dry time for hair that has had a keratin treatment is easily 50% of what it used to be.

THE PROCESS

There are many different kinds of keratin treatment. I do the treatment with Formaldehyde in it. In this treatment, proper application and ventilation are key. This treatment has the longest lasting results, because the formaldehyde strips the cuticle a little, allowing the keratin protein to permeate and coat the cuticle more effectively.

The stylist will wash your hair 3 or 4 times and rough up the cuticle.

Then the stylist will apply very tiny dabs of keratin solution at the root, middle, and end of hair. Candace Dodd, stylist at Patrick Evan's Salon, says that applying the smallest amount of solution possible is important because the heat from the flat iron is going to smoke the chemicals in the hair and excess product means more formaldehyde fumes.

The hair is then blowdried.

Then the hair is flat ironed in small sections starting in the back. "Each section is flat ironed until the shine comes through," Candace Dodd says, "That could happen in 4, 8 or 12 passes." While the hair is flat ironed a ventilator hood is used to suck the fumes that come off the hair.

The entire process takes around 3 hours. At home care for the first 72 hours means, not getting it wet, not shampooing, and not pinning it back or gathering it behind the ears. This may put a bend in the hair.

Price point is between $200-500. You MUST purchase a sulfate-free shampoo and NOT the L'oreal sulfate free shampoo. I used that and it foamed so much it stripped all the keratin out of my hair--leaving it frizzy, yet again. Recommendations: Coppola Keratin Care Shampoo, Unite smoothing or moisturizing shampoo, and Bumble and bumble quenching shampoo. Any conditoner is fine to use. I love Bumble and Bumble Deeep and Yuko Phi-Tenbella Treatment Repair conditioner. Like any beauty treatment at home care is where you maintain results.

I have seen amazing results with this treatment on my clients and myself. i highly recommend The Keratin Treatment, and if you are so lucky to live in the bay area, Patrick Evan's Salon has an incredible reputation for excellence, and I patronize businesses that practice integrity and consistency of service http://www.patrickevan.com/.

Lashes!!!

Everyone can use more lashes. I love eyelashes. It's a subtle way to look younger, healthier, and sexier. There are a lot of different options on the market now, let's review two of them and see what would work best for you.

Eyelash Extensions:

Process: A thick synthetic eyelash is glued directly to the root of an existing eyelash by an esthetician. This should last until the natural eyelash falls out. All of your natural eyelashes are replaced every two months, so after one month only half of your original set will be in place.

Professional tip: People usually go for longer eyelashes when what really makes the difference is shorter thicker eyelashes (7mm and 9mm w/ some 11's). Try to get enough eyelashes to cast a shadow. it looks siiick when done properly, and more than that it looks natural. There are no strips or visible glue. If you are a profeesional the best eyelash extension kit on the market is Xtreme Lashes. It is priced high but they have THE best tools, best lashes, best technique training.

To get the best set:

1. ask what brand of eyelash extensions the salon uses, (you want Xtreme, it's the best one)
   
2. Tell your technician what you want: longer, thicker, stripper, natural etc.
   
3. Do not wear any makeup to the appointment, lashes should be clean and dry.
   
4. the appointment should be close to an hour and you should be able to tell a difference and if something is bothering you speak up right away. ask the technician to fill in a blank spot or remove a too long or high one.
   

To keep your eyelashes as long as possible:

Avoid sleeping on your face, putting your face in the shower stream, or anything that will crush the eyelashes. If they do get crushed just wet them and blowdry them back while fanning them out.

Don't wet the eyelashes for 24hours after application. you want the lash glue to dry with no moisture.

Don't use waxy pencils, oily eyemakeup remover or waterproof mascara this will break down the glue leading to loss of lashes. Use powders, liquid eyeliner, and only remove with water based eye makeup remover.

You might feel itching sometimes. This is caused when two eyelashes get glued together, one starts to grow and pulls on the other. Unconciously rubbing it removes both eyelashes--and even if it doesn't you should NEVER rub your eyes, I know it feels good but it's a terrible habit. If you feel itching remember you have fake lashes. look in the mirror, try and separate the lashes with little scissors or just itch it gingerly.

False eyelashes:

False eyelashes are another wonderful option, the only thing is false eyelashes have a strip, so they are usually noticable as unnatural. Also what makes them look unnatural and drag queenish is the full thick set all the way across the eye. I like the Shu Uemura Tokyo Lash Bar, they have pieces just for the outside corners of your eyes, or for the lower lashes, or spiky and x shaped so they blend with natural lashes. Any lash glue will do. I use Duo from Walgreen's I've used really expensive ones and there is NO difference in the performance of the glue.

To apply false eyelashes:

1. line upper eyelid with liquid liner, a thin line will suffice just to hide the strip a little.
   
2. drop some glue onto a plastic or glass surface
   
3. stretch out the false eyelashes twist them so they are not stiff.
   
4. run the strip of lashes in the glue. get a tiny bit on the entire strip. This gives you way more control than squirting the lash glue onto the lashes.
   
5. allow the glue to dry a little on the lashes so it becomes tacky


6. apply the lashes to your lashline, as close as possible and I like to angle mine down a little. This takes practice so be patient with yourself. be gentle you're doing great!
   
7. allow the glue to dry then you can apply mascara if needed.
   

The Sun, Friend or Foe?

I am an esthetician and most of my clients tell me their guilty pleasure of enjoying the sun. They are ashamed of themselves and look like they should be punished. Why?

I assume that we are all human beings living on planet earth. An earth that revolves around the sun which supports life on this planet. I assume because I am human that I am evolved enough to withstand the sun, and on top of that it just feels so damn good to soak up the UV rays. My mood is enhanced everytime I lay out.

But as the old adage goes, " Too much of a good thing is bad." If I feel a stinging sensation or uncomfortable I have overdone it. If my skin is turning pink I have overdone it. To be sun safe you need to practice body awarness and also be prepared with a hat, extra sunblock, and/or big sunglasses. You may think you are ok, but sun damage can take 10 years to surface. So play it safe with your face and neck. a little sun at a time is best and recoup moisture loss and use antioxidants.

The best sunscreen is Jan Marini spf 30 its sweatproof and waterproof and has antioxidants. You don't need spf 75. The spf number means the amount of timeyou can stay in the sun before you burn. So if you start to burn in 8 minutes an spf 30 will keep you protected for 4 hours. That's all you need on a daily basis. An spf 75 would be essential only if you were outside for 10 hours. An spf 75 isn't stronger protection it's longer protection, and the chemicals in the spf to make it last that long make it pretty unhealthy. The best bet is to get a low spf and reapply. DDF Enhancing sun protection spf 30 is an excellent sunblock. It has skintone matching color spheres and it blocks uv rays with titanium and zinc oxide. It is very safe for your skin and also minimizes redness and evens skin tone. Sanitas Solar Block is excellent for all skin types and safe to use on babies.

The difference between sunblock and sunscreen is, Sunscreen allows sunlight to absorb into the skin, but it dissipates the rays making it safer. Sunblock reflects UV rays. Sunblocks are usually thicker and whiter. They contain little shields that the sunlight bounce off of. Remember to always apply sun protection after scrubbing your skin, using retinols, getting a peel, microdermabrasion, or a wax. By doing any of these treatments you have thinned the skin and broken down it's barrier. You can hyperpigment (get dark splotches) in areas if they are not protected.

Be careful and have fun!

Cellulite Therapy

I don't really care for the how's or why's of cellulite. What I can say for sure is that Cellulite is fat. So i can assume to not exacerbate my cellulite levels I should exclude fat, high carb and high sugar from my diet.

To target cellulite areas, hips, butt, back of thighs anaerobic exercises are proven to work.

squats: stand up straight, feet comfortable distance apart, and move your butt back to sit down, weight is on the heels, until your knees are at a 90 degree angle, then come back up. Do it slowly, feel the muscles in your butt and thighs working. You do it until it burns. Until your thighs shake.

lunges: I am the lunge queen. My lunges look so good. I do 60 walking lunges almost everyday. They are easy. Walk one foot out and directly go into a lunge, dip low, both knees will be at a 90 degree angle, then push yourself up with your legs and walk your next foot out. Do thirty paces out and back, you can do more sets if you are strong. It will feel like your entire thigh is tightening, like hands are gripping it all the way around and tightly wringing it. It feels awesome.

wall sits: against a wall act like you are sitting in an imaginary chair stay in that position until your thighs are shaking and you feel like you are going to fall. Oof. Then you can have contests with your friends to see who can stay up the longest. This is something you get good at really fast.

There are more exercises like Leg curls or plies that are effective and might be your favorite. http://www.sparkpeople.com/ has great butt and ab workouts. If you get more advanced check out Zuzana on http://www.bodyrock.tv/. She can teach you how to become a ninja ass-ass-in.

I also feel like the area on the backs of my thighs and knees get's constipated and needs to be massaged and stretched. I will scrub with a dry brush before I shower or an exfoliating mit inside the shower. Get the blood moving to that area. Blood removes toxins in your skin. Once out of the shower massage your thighs to create a general warmth and softness to your muscles. You can also have a partner do it, or pay for one. I have never had a satisfying thigh massage from a partner, either they press too hard or get sexual. I prefer to do it myself or pay a female professional.

Surgical Methods for cellulite removal please see http://www.realself.com/ great forum for all questions about doctor administered treatments, please be fervent with exercise, massage, and diet before attempting an invasive procedure:

Liposuction /Smart Lipo: Liposuction sucks fat cells from the body, Smart Lipo uses a laser to liquify the fats first and claims to have less bleeding, less bruising and less swelling.

Mesotherapy/ Lipodissolve: both of these are injectables that breakdown fat and your body carries it away and excretes it.

Velasmooth/Velashape: Using a vacuum, infrared light, and radiowaves Velashape feels like a massage and is liquifying fat in the thighs. The results are great but not permanent. You must maintain once every 3 months

Cellulite can be beautiful, but it all depends on your point of view. Maybe you've got a dimpled bottom and you flaunt it. good for you. Don't let anyone else tell you what is or is not beautiful on YOUR body. Good Luck with whatever you do!

Lips

The mouth is an extremely sexual organ, right there on your face. We should take good care of our lips since they are key in eating, smiling, and kissing.

The ideal for lips is that they be lineless and somewhat supple (and not surrounded by hair). Apply your eyecream on your lips and around them at night. Rub some oil on them in the morning, I use cod liver fish oil, and swallow a teaspoon full every morning. Please don't use chapstick or carmex these have been formulated to be addicting so your lips will feel dry continuously throughout the day. Use matte lipsticks infrequently as it will dry your lips. I love Burt's Bees Chapstick as it is slightly minty and moisturizing, but if your lips are sensitive opt for something sans camphor or menthol like Spa Blends pink grapefruit cranberry with spf 15. exfoliate your lips gently with your facial scrub when you are exfoliating your face (2-3 times a week). Drinking water consistently is important, and if you feel a cold sore coming on take L-Lysine and apply abreva. Try not to lick your lips as it removes the fragile protective barrier they will have. Remember your lips are thin-skinned and have no oil glands-- they require loving attention.

If you have vertical lines on your upper lip it cannot be cured, but it can be lessened by filling the lines with injectable fillers or sanding down the area with laser resurfacing or dermabrasion. Always be sure to apply sunscreen to the upper lip especially after a wax as it can hyperpigment (darken) as a result of sundamage.

Sexualeyes.

What gives the eyes their larger appearance is:

1) Heavily shading the lower outside corner of the eyes.

2) Eyelashes make faces appear younger.

To Do:

1) prep the eye by applying foundation/concealer lower and upper eyelid

2) wash the entire lid to the brow bone in light brown eyeshadow

3) with dark brown shadow blend the corner of top lid and crease

4) liquid line the upper lid along the lash line and also inside the rim of the upper eye

5) line the lower lashes with the dark brown eyeshadow

6) with a black pencil line the lower lashes focusing on the lower bottom corner of the eye

7) with a small brush blend the bottom lash line and lower outside corner

8) apply thickening mascara to top and bottom lashes.

9)apply false eyelashes to top and outside corner of bottom

SEXUAL!