March '09 Playlist

MySpace Playlist at MixPod.com

In Her Morning Elegance - Oren Lavie

Ziggy Stardust - David Bowie

Surprise Surprise - Emy Reynolds

The Magic Position - Patrick Wolf

Simon Courage Flees the Coop - Kay Kay & His Weathered Underground

Hey Momma' - Kay Kay & His Weathered Underground

Se Lest - Sigur Ros

Bottons - Sia

Tu Cafe - Noha

Ride Like the Wind - Michael Mind

Love Always Remains - MGMT

I'm Good, I'm Gone - Lykke Li

*Mini Delights*

One of the many beauties I have found living in New York City are the little surprises that pop up out of no where. The last thing I expected while walking down a random street in SoHo was finding Baked by Melissa. Basically, a little window with a woman selling miniature stuffed cupcakes! These cupcakes come in seven flavors and for such an indecisive person like myself, their size gives you the opportunity to go for two, or three or maybe all seven without feeling guilty :) Flavors: Peanut Butter Cup, Peanut Butter & Jelly, Tie-Dye, S’mores, Cookies & Cream, Red Velvet and cookie Dough. Their pick-up window is on Spring St. between Broadway and Mercer, you can even order them for delivery... I might have to add them to my speed dial...

Learning to Breathe Right!

There isn’t much stress put on how important it is to breathe right. We are so busy during our daily activities that we obviously don’t have time to pay attention to this. However, you’ll find that over time, if you just concentrate more on your breathing, you will find you are much more relaxed and stress free. When my nutritionist checked my breathing he gave me a little exercise to follow, keep your hand on your stomach and as you inhale make sure your hand rises with your stomach. Do not inhale with your chest. Make sure you inhale and exhale through your diaphragm, this is how you will reach utmost relaxation. A bit of meditation in our fast paced lives isn't such a bad idea.

Facial Necessities

Today I’m all about the beauty products! There are two face products that I have come to love. First, we’re constantly told to remove our make-up, and yes I’ve been through those nights where I just don’t have the energy, not to mention I’m not in the mood to deal with that oily feel most make-up removers leave you with after. I was then told that using those oily make-up removers is not that great and should be kept away from your eyes. So now I not only have to take my make-up off but I have to do it with precision? No thanks. I slept with my make up with my “I’m young” attitude until a good friend introduced me to Almay oil-free pads with aloe, cucumber and green tea. I’m the biggest sucker to packaging and was sold immediately; it’s easy to carry around, feels fresh on the face, and the pads are small not like those unnecessarily huge towelettes most brands sell. Def a product to stock up on.

For the second product, it is the all natural Wild Rose 24-hour Moisturizer by Korres. This dermatologically tested cream is mineral oil free, silicone free a bunch of other stuff free and has sunscreen! I’ve been a fan of Kiehl’s products for a long time; however, I found that their face moisturizers didn’t really do their job during the tough New England winter. The cream I was using was almost too water based and my skin would be dry practically the whole day. The Korres moisturizer has a rich texture and has made my skin much clearer and softer. So if you’ve had some difficulty finding a good moisturizer check this one out!

For you Mascara Fanatics

I know I just wrote about the vibrating brush, but on a recent trip to Sephora this new brush was brought to my attention. Made by Givenchy, the Phenomen’Eyes Mascara is definitely the start of a new mascara era, to start with, it’s shaped like a ball. The round sphere at the tip of the wand is said to coat each lash separately starting at the root. I’ve never been big on mascara even though I should be, for some reason this one is making me want to become a regular!

Sneaky Sugars

I came across this article and think you should all be educated, if you haven’t been already. Basically, sometimes we think we’re doing so well with our eating lifestyle but still don’t understand why we aren’t losing weight or seeing any changes in our body. That’s because in addition to many other factors, the amount of sugar we are consuming is very high. Ok, you might have cut out that extra spoon of sugar, or all the candy, chocolates, cakes and soda, but there are some sneaky sugars that we need to be more aware of. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), we consume 30 or more teaspoons of added sugar every day (that’s not counting the natural sugars in milk, fruit or other unprocessed foods). That’s 497 calories a day, equivalent to a hamburger and fries. That’s gross.

So where does sugar sneak into? Forget the obvious foods, did you consider the amount of sugar in processed foods that aren’t even sweet, frozen turkey entrees, canned chili, to bread to salad dressings to tomato sauce on spaghetti and pizza. I know it’s a lot to digest, but it’s worth being aware of. Don’t be fooled by healthy-sounding foods, like fruit yogurt, bottled fruit smoothies, granola bars, super-fruit drinks, or by the words “natural” or “organic” on the label. Same goes for a product that says on the label that it is “made with real fruit juice.” In most cases, added sugar outweighs fruit.

Enjoy the sugar in the cakes and sweets you actually want to eat, not the sneaky ones you aren’t expecting.

Vibrating Things

How many more ways can we assist in making each other more lazy? Apparently the number is infinite; now, with Ôscillation, Lancome introduces the first vibrating powermascara. It basically vibrates when you press the button to “wrap every last up to 360 degrees.” Of course with Ôscillation Vibrating Infinite Powermascara your lashes will appear longer, separated and not clumpy and much fuller. Someone please try it out and let me know, I think I’ll be able to live without a vibrating mascara brush a little while longer.