Tag Archives: beauty

Be A Spy Of Beauty

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Lying in bed, the stillness and quiet seems to bring about a sense of relaxed contentment that can only be found beneath a down comforter with the shades drawn. It is in these moments that beauty becomes so real.

As women, it is important that we take the time to focus on the loveliness of life. My best friend put it best when I sent her my first Instagram. She said “That is the simplest picture of a window, but somehow you saw beauty in it. You are a spy of beauty. You find it in the least expected places.”

Are you a spy of beauty?

When you see a dripping icicle or a child playing with his mother, does it sometimes take your breath away? If not, have no fear. With just a small change in thinking, you can see the world through rose-colored glasses.

In order to see the world for the beautiful gift it is, our thoughts must first be positively charged.

Have you ever started out a day on the wrong foot; and then your bad day just continually got worse due to negative thinking? I’ve been there numerous times. Positive thinking has the same effect, only it has an opposite outcome. When you start each day with positive thinking, you are bound to see the beauty of life unfold.

Some women find splendor in music, art, traveling and nature, but may have trouble seeing the beauty in the day-to-day. Life gets hard sometimes; and getting through the day becomes a huge challenge. But with the help of family, friends, and for some God, life can be translated into a beautiful collage of experiences that can help us grow in all our relationships.

My challenge to you this week is to find the beauty in the little things. Take a picture, write a poem or share your experience with a friend. Find a way to take that beauty and share it with the world.

Positive thinking is only one step away.

 

Photo Credit:  http://www.picship.com/pic-8620.html

Summer-Ready Radiance

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The cool, dry air of winter and spring can be harsh, resulting in skin that looks neglected, frightening even the bravest of us back into our closet. Now that the summer air is here, it’s time to bare our shoulders and backs once again—and a little effort can go a long way in ditching dry, dull skin. Follow these DIY tips to revive and restore your skin for summer-ready radiance from head-to-toe:

Hydrate: Drink approximately eight glasses of water every day to hydrate your skin; this will also aid in ridding your body of toxins.

Exfoliate: Use a body scrub—like the homemade one below—to exfoliate and invigorate the skin.
-Combine one part sea salt with one part baby oil (or sunflower oil).
-To scent: add a few drops of essential oil (optional).
-Use a circular motion to gently rub homemade scrub onto body while bathing.

Moisturize: Use rich moisturizers or body oils twice a day; the best time being after bathing or before bed. Allow moisturizing products enough time to absorb into your skin before dressing, since they can stain your clothing. Try using plant, seed or nut based oils to soften dehydrated or rough skin. For example, olive oil and avocado oil may be in your pantry already. These prove to enrich dry skin naturally.

Glow: If you’re a fair-skinned girl, know this: a sun-kissed glow can be achieved without the risk of sun damage by using a self-tanner. There are countless options available on the market today, including powders, creams, lotions, gels and sprays. Here are a few hints about application:
-Exfoliating first prepares your skin for a tanning or bronzing product.
-Regardless of which product you select, apply evenly and carefully for the most natural look. Remember your hands and feet!
-Pay attention to areas that tend to be dry, such as knees, elbows, hands and feet. A hurried or uneven application will tend to result in a sloppy outcome.

Protect: To avoid unwanted sun damage, never leave home without first applying sun screen on exposed skin. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 30.

So, who of us have flawless skin? None of us do! However, now that we have the tools for taking good care of our skin, we can put our best selves out there. Oh, and ladies, don’t forget to shave those legs!

 

Photo credit: http://modernhepburn.tumblr.com/post/24336620525

Beauty Food: Figs

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Darling believes that beauty is more than skin deep; it’s a complex attribute encompassing mind, body and soul. This is the first in a series of articles on what we call “beauty food.” Each article will profile the health and wellness benefits of in-season produce to help you navigate the grocery store and feel like the true beauty that you are – from the inside out.

Juicy, sweet, soft and chewy. There’s nothing quite like the texture and flavor of fresh figs. Figs are the fruit of Ficus carica, or the common fig tree, and are in season from June through September. Figs contain these beneficial nutrients to keep you beautiful, healthy and radiant from within:

Fiber. Fights against heart disease, colon cancer, diabetes and obesity; reduces cholesterol; normalizes blood sugar; and promotes healthy digestion.

Potassium. Helps regulate major body functions including blood pressure, electrolyte balance, digestion, and pH balance.

Calcium. Promotes bone health, helps blood clot properly, reduces blood pressure and helps prevent colon cancer.

Manganese. Helps form connective tissue, sex hormones, enzymes and joint fluid; and is essential for proper calcium absorption.

Here are a few ideas for incorporating fresh figs into your daily life:
- Pack a few in a bag as a filling and nutritious snack
- Add them to a fruit bowl for breakfast
- Slice them up and add them to a salad drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette

 

Sources: http://www.whfoods.com, http://livestrong.com, http://cancer.org

Photo credit: http://modernhepburn.tumblr.com/post/16210386985/shokoofeh-vahan-vinoon

Top 5 Tips for Growing Out Your Hair

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As a hairstylist at a hip spot, Novak salon, near downtown Los Angeles, everyday I have clients asking me what they need to do to have their hair grow faster. Patience is the number one thing–I know, as I am going from a pixie cut to mid-back myself, but I have narrowed it down to the top 5 things you can do to help your hair GROW!

5) Protect Your Ends. Never blow dry or use hot tools on your hair without applying a heat protecting serum first. Heat first sucks out moisture, then can burn the hair, causing it to break off. If you apply a serum, your natural moisture stays locked in and only excess serum will burn off. Also use low heat settings on your dryer. It’s better to take an extra ten minutes drying your hair then it take an extra 10 months to achieve your desired length.

4) Cut Down on Shampooing. I would recommend that no one should wash their hair more than 3 times a week. I know this gets tricky for super active girls. This doesn’t mean don’t get it wet; go ahead and rinse well and then condition the ends. The point of not shampooing everyday is so you don’t strip out the natural oils that keep your hair from getting dry and breaking.

3) Brush Your Hair Every Night. Remember Marcia Brady? “100 brushes every night!” This practice goes hand and hand with not washing. Natural oils accumulate at the root of your hair and make you feel the need to shampoo. Using a natural bristle brush, (I suggest a Mason Pierson; spendy, but worth it in the long run) brush from the scalp to the ends, distributing all the oils at the scalp down to your dry ends. This helps make your roots less oily, your ends less dry and less likely to break or split. An added bonus is that this is a very relaxing ritual before bed, especially if you’re lucky enough to have someone do it for you!

2) Treat Your Hair. Once a week give your hair a deep treatment. There are so many different types of hair and hair treatments, but if your goal is to grow, the biggest thing to remember is moisture at the ends! If the ends don’t break, the hair gets longer. Notice that even if your hair is fried, you still need to get your roots touched up? Your hair never stops growing, but if the ends are breaking it will stop getting longer. I like to use a nice oil, such as jojoba, almond, or coconut oil. After shampooing, towel try and apply oil, mid shaft to ends. Twist hair up in a sleek bun or braid if you’re headed to work, or do the treatment before bed and rinse out in the morning. Even left in for just an hour makes a huge difference to your ends.

1) Put Away the Scissors. The number one way to help your hair grow fast is, DON”T CUT IT! So many people think they need to get regular 4-6 week trims even when they are trying to grow their hair long. Trimming is only needed if you have extremely split ends that keep breaking further and further up the hair shaft. My advice is, get a good initial shaping so that the hair falls nicely as it grows. After that, only trim when you see several split ends. Practice the other four tips and you won’t even need to trim because there won’t be any splits!

Happy Growing!

 

Photo Credit: letsbethreads.blogspot.com

Dream Like You’re in Paris

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Every once in a while a girl just needs some beautiful visual inspiration…Here are some images I took on a trip last year to Paris…Every time you get the travel itch, pull some images offline or out of magazines and create your own “mood board” of travel inspiration to uplift your spirit! And remember, save money from every paycheck so you can make your travel dreams a reality–you’re only young once!

 

The Naked Brunch

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It wasn’t easy, that’s for sure. I thought I had a cute idea when I asked a handful of friends to do a little experiment with me. I invited them over to my house for brunch one chilly, drizzly February morning to participate in a little photo shoot. Warm muffins, bubbly mimosas, creamy espresso, and friends. Magic, right?

There was only one catch–NO make up. It didn’t take long for my cute little idea lose its cuteness. Some said no. Some asked questions, cringing. Some were excited. Some said nothing at all. We ended up with eight women that morning. For some, it was uncomfortable. For some, it seemed easy. The real challenge came when we saw the photos. There was gritting teeth. There was anxiety. I squirmed a little, looking into my own eyes on the computer screen and it began: “Is my face really curved like that?,” “My nose is shaped so weird,” “Why does my right eye always look kind of sloped?,” and “My eyebrows need pencil so bad!”

And I wasn’t alone. There was a unease and awkwardness in seeing them. Us. Just the way we are. Just the way we were created. It’s not something that will change overnight. One little revolutionary brunch can’t cure a disease. Not when we’ve been indoctrinated our entire lives to strive for beauty instead of finding it in the rest of just being who we are. These are the women that husbands wake up to every morning. These women are real.

If I can find a way to grab hold of it, somehow cling to that reality, I can love that girl in the mirror before she has her make up on. What difference does it make? At that point, I can adorn the beauty I have instead of trying to fabricate a beauty clone. My make-up becomes decoration instead of a mask and I have nothing to hide.

Photo Credit: Photos taken by Adrienne Sandvos. A huge thank you to the brave women who allowed me to use their pictures!

Solutions for Bad Hair Days

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We’ve all been there: we sleep through our alarm clock and wake up feeling groggy and frazzled. We look over at our phone to check the time only to see that we’re late! Very late! We rush to the bathroom to quickly get ready for the day, only to see that our hair is absolutely shameful looking.

It’s never a good moment, but inevitably it happens all the time. I can honestly say that I have a bad hair day at least once a week. Between limiting my shampoo sessions to keep my hair’s natural oils distributed and tossing in my sleep, it’s always a surprise when I get up and look in the mirror.

Know what I’m talking about? If you can relate, then you’ll be thankful to know that I have some solutions to share for getting through those bad hair days (and none of them involve a shower, because we all know that the last thing we want to do on a bad hair day is spend an hour fixing the problem).

THE SOCK BUN

Ever seen a girl with a big, perfect-looking bun on top of her head? I’ll bet she had a sock bun. A what? A sock bun. Here’s a quick run-down on how it’s done…

1. Find a clean sock that you don’t need anymore and cut out the toe so the sock is one big tube.
2. Roll the sock inside of itself so it ends up looking like a donut.
3. Pull your hair up into a ponytail at the height you want your bun to be.
4. Pull the end of your ponytail through the center of the sock donut and begin rolling down toward your head, getting the hair. As you roll it down, smooth your hair over the donut, tucking the ends underneath. Your hair will naturally spread out and you can tuck as you go, but you may have to adjust it a bit to make sure the sock is covered.
5. To finish, tuck in any straggler pieces of hair (you may have some if you have layers like me), and voila–you have a glamorous looking bun instead of messy, greasy hair!

DRY SHAMPOO AND SALT SPRAY

If you have even the slightest bit of wave in your hair, this will work miracles for you. To start, you’ll want to use baby powder or your favorite dry shampoo to wipe out the greasiness and also create volume at the roots. Then, spray a sea salt spray (either store bought or homemade) on your ends to create some texture and promote the natural waves. The amount you use will vary based on the texture and thickness of your hair, and on how big and messy you want it to look. My preference? The bigger and messier it is, the better!

HAT IT!

Well, any non-athletic hat will do in this case. I personally love the fedora, but if another style works better for you, then stick with that. If the bottom half of your hair looks good, you can leave your hair down underneath. Otherwise, pull it into a side bun or braid.

 

Photo Credit: prettystuff.tumblr.com, glitterandpearls.com, sleepingtigers.tumblr.com, http://dream-dream-killa.tumblr.com

My Body is A Story

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I remember the first time I saw Mary Shore. She was one of those people that carry a presence with them wherever they go. She had a wonderful rugged, natural beauty about her that I loved; looking at her, you knew something about her life. She had dark textured skin that told of days in the sun, and eyes that were framed by sweet trailing lines–the handiwork of years of smiling. Her hair was long and dark with greying strands (a tribute to her age), and she had a strong yet delicate stature. Her figure said that she was a mom, but her physique spoke of an adventurous, active spirit. I didn’t meet Mary until only a couple of years before her precious life was lost in a car accident. But these are things I will never forget about her. She taught me something about beauty.

The truth is that our bodies often tell a story, but there are some truths we don’t want to actually see. It goes without saying that any physical sign of aging is generally rejected in the media world, thus setting a standard of beauty that is inseparable from the appearance of youth. Attributes that may have once testified to life experience and wisdom are now worn like a scarlet letter. Wrinkles need wrinkle cream. Greying hair needs hair dye.

What is most interesting to me is how directly related many self “improvements” are to being pre-maternal. Post-baby breasts tell the story of the little ones you nursed in the dark hours of the night, and the stretch marks on your abdomen tell the tale of the nine months you carried that child inside of you. Yet when we see these things, we see something different: Imperfection that needs to be remedied. Deflated looking breasts need to be fuller and perkier. Sagging or scarred stomach skin needs to be tightened up. Flat rumps need a lift. No body part is exempt. We are willing to go to great lengths to maintain and manipulate our bodies in their natural form so that we can edit the insinuations our bodies make.

There is a natural cause and effect system in life that exists for everyone. When we go through a major life change, many times we wear it. In the same way, when we abuse our bodies, there can be visible consequences. Somewhere along the line we decided we wanted to try and rewrite that story, and we found a way to do it. We want to control the content of the message that others read when they look at us, along with our skewed interpretation we’ve developed when we look into the mirror.

I was recently talking with a friend about her future plans for her own cosmetic surgery to restore her once firm and slender tummy to its former glory. When I suggested that it might be motivated by her desire for others to see her as beautiful, she answered, “It’s not because I care what other people think. It’s because I think it’s ugly. I think it’s gross. I’m doing it for myself.” I could see that she was sincere and it made me begin to understand that it’s not as simple as insecurity and self-comparison. The more complex issue at hand is the conditional love we’ve placed upon ourselves. We can’t really love ourselves or embrace the stories our bodies tell unless they are telling the version of the truth that we are comfortable with. We have solidly converted to an unnatural and alien view of what beauty is. We want to create a fantasy-land of beauty where anyone can be anything. There is one major problem with that: It’s not reality! We are willing to put our bodies through the trauma of anesthesia, surgical lacerations, laser burns, narcotics, and painful recovery time so that we can comply.

As women, we have to love truth more than we love control if we are ever going to be able to love ourselves and others unconditionally. We have to learn to be OK with what is instead of feeding the silent beast of self-hatred by trying to force what is not. If we don’t, the original story gets lost in the pile of revisions.

I don’t want to cast a blanket of judgment upon women who have had cosmetic surgery or use a beauty regimen. No doubt there are a myriad of reasons and motivations behind a woman’s decision to alter her body as well as infinite “grey areas” within its grandiose scope. Instead, I just honestly want to encourage us as women to seriously think about our opinions on these issues, as we should with any belief or conviction we hold. My hope is that our view on our own beautification is a thoughtful one. And more importantly, that we can fully accept ourselves not only for who we really are, but also for what story our physical appearance may tell those who look upon us. When we put the pen down and stop trying to rewrite the story, we may discover and enjoy a different kind of beauty altogether.

 

*Photo Credits: Mary Shore pictured as a young mother. Contributed by her son, Seth Shore.