FUN – Page 55 – Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION.

SkIN: The Truth about SERUMS

One step at a time…

You can use it alone but it’s best to apply before sunscreen for day and nightcream. Is it essential? I’ll let you decide. It’s one more step we may need to follow.

Serums may be the costliest product in many skin care lines but when properly applied, a 1-ounce container should last months. Serums contain more active ingredients than other products so you need just the tiniest amount – those few concentrated drops are super-efficient. Serums are made of very small molecules, so the skin absorbs them quickly and deeply. Thicker, heavier ingredients found in creams form a barrier on your skin that’s great for locking moisture in. The active ingredients in a serum penetrate your skin faster and more effectively.

Serums do not include ingredients such as petrolatum or mineral oil that keep water from evaporating. They also contain fewer lubricating and thickening agents, like nut or seed oils. Most serums are water-based, eliminating oils altogether.

Think of it as faster and lighter – many of the qualities we look for in a car, a laptop, and our bodies when we’re running a marathon. They’re also the prized attributes of skin care serums – light, fast-absorbing liquids used as an alternative or in addition to creams or lotions. This from Web.MD

Like so many things in the skincare department, there are too many brands to list here.

My top picks:

1) Mica Bella’s Skin Repair Serum is an ultra-moisturizing serum, formulated with a unique blend, including Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamins, Botanicals and Proline. The unique formula is designed to promote the natural elasticity of the skin, help reduce skin damage caused by the environment, and help minimize the visible signs of wrinkles – providing a healthy glow and younger looking skin. Price – $175.00 Available online at http://www.intrigueimports.com

2) MyChelle Dermaceuticals – an intensive humectant that replenishes skins moisture content, firms and claims to lift facial contours. Price – approx. $45.00. Available at most health food stores.

FUN

Style: Rock Star Nails

How far will we go to be head to TOEnails IN fashion?

As in clothing right now we can experiment with fun colors & styles for our nails as almost anything goes.

from: clutchmagonline

You need patience and time to pull off a full-on monet style set of nails whether you’re the one doing it or leaving it

from: thegirlylooks – going for the GOLD

to a professional.

from: exquisitegirl

While I love these looks I tend to be most daring with bold color and a little design for toes while keeping nails to a mostly bare minimum.

Too boring? I think neutral nails look sophisticated.

If you busy your hands all the time because of using a keyboard and cooking, nails tend to chip a lot which looks really noticeable with darker polish unless it’s a gel. Once I tried a gel mani and loved that it didn’t chip for all of two weeks (a milestone) but when I went back to have it taken off, my nails weakened with the strong chemicals needed to remove the leftover polish. ~~Scrap that. Do only for special occasions like a two week vacation or~~ ~~over the holidays~~.

I love some *sparkle to top it all off but let’s talk about how easy is it to take off – NOT! It’s as simple as soaking nails in acetone to get polish completely removed. Not to mention the little sparkles that you find on your clothing or bathroom floor. Also if you cook a lot – not so pretty when you notice faded or removed polish right before serving. *The real gold flecks from OPI’s “man with the golden gun” tend not to do this & look great especially over darker polish.

pretty shades by Lancôme

Tried the Sally Hansen stick on nail stickers (an easy way to do leopard & lace) but they lasted all of one hour because I didn’t put a topcoat on. My sister advised me they need a TOPcoat. Once they start to peel it’s so tacky & all the rest must be removed immediately.

Designers are paying more and more attention to nails for the runway trying to cover all the bases.

The BASEics:

When applying light polish, put a milky basecoat on in between coats – it will give the polish an even surface to adhere to as lighter shades can be streaky. Try Seche ridge filling base coat.

Base coats extend the life of your manicure and keep your polish chip-free longer. They’re supposed to make your nails last at least one week – this never happens for me but I wear it anyway.

It will help prevent dark colors from staining your nail beds. We’ve all experienced the yellow nails that often follow dark nail polish – this phenomenon can be prevented with the right base coat. And with deep fall colors coming into season, it’s more important than ever to use one.

Still, I don’t want to put too much effort into nails. How about you? Are you NAILing it?

FUN

Simple & Satisfying Orange-Ginger Pork Medallions

Orange juice gives pork that unique flavor combo of sweet and sour. Freshly squeezed is best. I’ve made this Caribbean/Asian inspired recipe on several occasions and it never fails to please the palate.

1 cup fresh orange juice

1 tsp. cornstarch

2 Tbsp. peanut oil

¼ cup finely chopped shallots

2 Tbsp. minced peeled fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ tsp. (or more) red pepper flakes

½ cup chicken broth

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 1-pound pork tenderloins, each cut crosswise into 6 slices

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper

1 Tbsp. butter

In a small bowl, stir together 2 Tbsp. orange juice and cornstarch until smooth. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, heat 1 Tbsp. oil. Add shallots, ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring frequently, until shallots are light golden, about 3 minutes. Add remaining orange juice, broth and soy sauce. Bring to a boil; boil until reduced to 1 cup, about 6 minutes. Whisk in cornstarch mixture; boil 1 minute. Remove saucepan from heat and set aside.

Place pork slices cut side down on work surface and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand to make medallions. Sprinkle with salt + pepper.

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter with remaining 1 Tbsp. oil. Add pork and cook in batches until browned and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer pork to a platter.

Add sauce to skillet with drippings; place skillet over medium-high heat. Bring sauce to a boil, stirring to scrape up any brown bits. Stir in juices from pork on platter. Remove skillet from heat and add pork slices to skillet, turning to coat with sauce.

Serves six with brown rice and veggies. Taken from The Oprah Magazine Cookbook.

Orange juice’s gentle acid adds sweet-tart flavor notes to cooking. Try orange juice concentrate mixed with maple syrup & a bit of stock for basting a turkey. It’s excellent.

My food board on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/intrigueimports/

FUN

Scene: Fashion & FASCINATORing People

The Deighton Cup is probably the most fashionable and social event of the summer.

Vancouverites don’t normally get the opportunity to wear a fancy hat. The usual fare is baseball and straw oriented versions, but this past weekend proved different.

Horse racing has long been synonymous with the elaborate hat designs that trot near the track.

It’s a millinery tradition honed over the decades into a famous and frequently outrageous art form, illustrated most decoratively from the well-heeled meets of the Kentucky Derby to England’s Royal Ascot. A chance to display the

my sis Lisa

bizarre and the beautiful.

Some of the fashionable. I think I know the cool dude on the left. It’s Beau, my sister’s beaufriend.

From the Deighton Cup at Hastings Racecourse to West Vancouver’s Royal Tea-by-the-Sea, there were plenty of opportunities to wear your hat for the scene and be-seen crowd. I can’t believe I didn’t go because I love hats and horses so much however my sister went.

The “Deighton Cup” is a three day Horse Racing Event to liven up the season at a track that already draws plenty of attention.

Photo credits: The Queen of Hearts headpiece, created by The Saucy Milliner for the Deighton Cup event, is made of handrolled sinamay roses. Photo by Abbye Dahl of afoto.ca for the Vancouver Sun. — The Queen of Hearts headpiece, created by **The Saucy Milliner** for the Deighton Cup event, is made of handrolled sinamay roses. Photo by Abbye **Dahl** of afoto.ca for the Vancouver Sun.

Lauren Hutton for Bazaar Magazine - love the headpiece. — Lauren Hutton for Bazaar Magazine – How cool is the headpiece & this lady?

Photo Credits: Lisa King + Beau Schwab.

I’ll have to settle for a Mad Hatter Tea party!

FUN

Funny FACEbook status “QUO”tes

“If you can’t stop thinking about someone’s update, that’s called “status cling.” ― Jessica Park, Flat-Out Love

“Can we go back to using Facebook for what it was originally intended for – looking up exes to see how fat they got?” – Bill Maher

“All I know is that I carried you for nine months. I fed you, I clothed you, I paid for your college education. Friending me on Facebook seems like a small thing to ask in return.” ― Jodi Picoult, Sing You Home

“Josh will begin disappearing into a future where the only place he and I remain friends is on the Internet.” – Jay Asher, The Future of Us

The world is no longer status quo when the Queen, the President and the Pope have their own Facebook page – dlk

“Little girls think it’s necessary to put all their business on MySpace and Facebook, and I think it’s a shame…I’m all about mystery.” – Stevie Nicks

FUN

B well –B skinformed

Lately I’ve been posting a lot about skin care products & methods that work and/or appeal to me and hopefully people who follow this blog. I’m not religious but I religiously follow some kind of skincare regime. For what it’s worth you skincare junkies may want to check out this book which claims to be “more” than a book but make no mistake that “true beauty” comes from the inside first – think from the INSIDE OUT!

Dr. Nakhla is the author of the best-selling book The Skin Commandments: 10 Rules to Healthy, Beautiful Skin (Reedy Press), which has quickly become known as “the bible for the skin care industry.” More than a book, The Skin Commandments is a doctrine responsible for revolutionizing the way both women and men think about skin care. It is the essential guide and ultimate resource (other than my blog) for anyone seeking healthy and beautifully radiant skin.

Taken from his website:

Known in the media as “America’s Dermatologist™” and having been featured in numerous media outlets including CNN, PBS, MSNBC, E! Entertainment, SELF, Glamour, ELLE, National Public Radio, Better Homes And Gardens, Better Nutrition, Lucky Magazine and many more, Dr. Tony Nakhla is not only a health and beauty expert, he is THE expert and foremost authority when it comes to skin health and beauty.

Warning: Okay, here comes the infomercial…..

Ever wonder about the secret weapons used behind some of the most gorgeous faces in Hollywood? Feeling overwhelmed, misled or confused by the millions of cosmetic products, celebrity endorsed skin-care regimens, websites and infomercials telling you how best to achieve great skin? Look no further because Dr. Tony Nakhla, is here to divulge all the tips and tricks to getting perfect red-carpet worthy skin for life in ten-practical steps that are both easy and fun to understand and implement at any stage of life.

In The Skin Commandments, Dr. Nakhla reveals that the number-one key to outer beauty lies in addressing inner beauty and health first. This book teaches the reader how to view the skin as a window and barometer to the inner body’s overall health. According to Dr. Nakhla, once you understand that everything beneath the skin is what guides its outer appearance, it becomes much easier to adopt healthy behaviors and a holistic approach to your lifestyle in order to achieve gorgeous aesthetic results. When the body is functioning perfectly inside, it will glow with radiance on the outside.

The Skin Commandments demystifies principles of modern dermatological theory and outlines the best of skin care one “commandment” at a time. This book helps everyone from the A-list celebrity to the stay-at-home mom or dad achieve healthy, beautiful skin regardless of age.

In The Skin Commandments, readers will learn about a full spectrum of topics, from reducing signs of aging to preventing and detecting skin cancer to eating foods that benefit your skin. In language that is easy to understand, The Skin Commandments guides the reader through all the right steps to optimal skin care and a holistic lifestyle that promotes inner and outer beauty.

Sounds promising!

Available on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/The-Skin-Commandments-Healthy-Beautiful/dp/1935806068

About the author: http://tonynakhla.com

FUN

Personal Post – To Post or not to Post?

Why Sharing isn’t always Caring!

Who’s guilty of posting photos on Facebook without first informing the people in the photos beforehand?

~~Not me~~! Everyone it seems, at one time or another. Is it necessary to tell people each and every time you post? What do you do when you see a tagged photo of yourself that you don’t approve of? What is the correct etiquette or is there one?

Recently I posted a photo of a friend and myself. Turns out the friend didn’t like the photo and asked me to remove it. While we don’t look like supermodels I thought it was pretty decent. I know how she feels. Anyone can post my photo as long as I’m not making a weird face, no food is stuck in my teeth, my hair looks okay, I’m not wearing a bathing suit ~~unless I’m on the cover of Sports Illustrated (what are the chances?)~~ and I think I look good. There are not too many I’m crazy about. Get the picture? So people should be sensitive to that. However if the photo is relatively okay do we need make a fuss? Sometimes we’re captured in a group setting and one of the people decides to post all of us together – chances are at least one person will not like themselves. What then? Just wondering.

Are we all too vain or should there be a standard procedure? Any thoughts?

Read below & let me know.

the following was taken from the dailymail.co.uk

Be cautious when sharing and think how it will be perceived by all the others who may see it. Although sharing is a great way to better relationships it can also damage them.

According to a new study, sharing photographs on Facebook is a quick way to lose friends, according to a new study.

Researchers found those who repeatedly post pictures risk alienating themselves from many people who view them.

They may damage relationships with friends, relatives and colleagues who do not relate well to those who constantly share photos of themselves.

A survey of more than 500 Facebook users found the quantity and subject matter of the images have an impact on the level of support and intimacy within relationships.

Dr. David Houghton, of the University of Birmingham, said: “Our research found those who frequently post photographs on Facebook risk damaging real life relationships. This is because people, other than very close friends, and relatives, do not seem to relate well to those who constantly share photos of themselves.”

“It is worth remembering the information we post to our “friends” on Facebook, actually gets viewed by lots of different categories of people, partners, friends, family, colleagues and acquaintances and each group seems to take a different view of the information shared.”

The report said partners sharing more photographs of family is positively related to support, whereas those sharing more photographs of friends is related negatively to intimacy.

The researchers also suggest big brand advertising campaigns, which encourage people to post photographs of themselves with the product on Facebook, risk damaging the relationships between their ‘fans’.

The report said: ‘While benefiting brand awareness and critical mass of a Facebook fan page for a brand, organization or cause, sharing photographs may be harmful to those asked to participate.’

‘My advice for people sharing photos or links with a fan site is think twice and share once,’ said co-author Dr. Ben Marder, of the University of Edinburgh.

This was approved by Kira (with stick) & Jia Jia.

In a nutshell get approval – so you don’t get a phone call saying please take it off your timeline.

Oh; and while on the subject – we really don’t need to know everything you had for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

FUN

Beautiful Skin – Face Masks

The natural next step to exfoliation which was covered last week, is putting on a FACE MASK. Face masks are an excellent way to help maintain beautiful skin. Once to twice a week is enough. Now to figure out which one works for our skin type and then decide what to invest in.

Clarins hydrating mask — Clarins Hydra Quench Cream Mask

Our skin can change depending on the season so you might be more oily in summer and drier in winter. Sometimes we need something to calm our skin rather than hydrate it. I alternate using a hydrating cream mask from Clarins or Origins “drink up” coupled with Ahava dead sea mud mask for the t-zone area. I also ~~stole a~~ ~~little~~ have some dead sea mud from when I floated like jelly in the Dead Sea itself. Lasts forever. What an experience!

Ahava Dead Sea Scrub and MASK — **Ahava Dead Sea** Scrub and MASK

Love the Japanese ultrafine sheet masks by Puresa with CoQ10. They come in an orange kleenex-style box & each mask you pull out completely fits over and adheres to your face with holes cut out for eyes + nose. Try not to scare anyone who sees you though.

TIP: if the mask says to leave it on for 10 minutes, leave it on for 10 minutes – not 20. It won’t make your skin nicer by leaving it on longer. Trust me on this.

Here are a few starters to help:

1 Dry & Sensitive Skin

A hydrating mask is great for dry or sensitive skin. Opt for a cream formula (rather than a clay or exfoliating mask) to replenish your skin’s hydration. You want to rejuvenate and protect your skin rather than dry it out or inflame it with too much scrubbing. A “DIY” recipe of Greek yogurt and a teaspoon of honey is fantastic for dry skin. Yogurt also contains enzymes, so it works to get rid of any flaky dead skin. The soothing remedy will also help to maintain your skin’s natural oils.

Try – Yes To Cucumbers Soothing Facial Mask

2 Acne-Prone Skin

If you want to deep clean your pores, start with a clay or gel mask. You can even add oil into a gel mask for double the impact! Using facial oil as a mask is fantastic for acne-prone or oily skin. Fighting oil with oil will actually re-balance your sebaceous glands and help heal your spots. It’s extremely important to re-balance the natural oils within your skin. By drying out your face too much your skin will make even more oil to compensate, so you end up with more clogged pores than you had to start with!

Try – Clean & Clear Blackhead Eraser Cleansing Mask

3 Oily Skin

A clay or exfoliating mask is perfect for oily skin, as it works to exfoliate and draw impurities out of the skin. The minerals and vitamins will leave your face feeling soft and supple but will dry it out a little, so finish with a hydrating mask to replenish moisture and restore your skin’s balance. You want to re-hydrate your skin and heal it.

Try – Alba Botanica Natural Even Advanced Deep Sea Facial Mask

4 Combination Skin

This is me. Combination skin should be addressed in separate parts. There can be different skin types all over your face, so treat each area accordingly. Apply a clay mask to your T-zone (Ahava is excellent) if it’s oily, and a hydrating mask—like the homemade yogurt concoction or a bought one (like Clarins or Origins) to the rest of your face. Another good at-home version is to mash up some pineapple and mix it with yogurt. The natural enzymes in fruits such as pineapple and papaya are excellent at removing dead skin cells.

Try – Kiehl’s Pineapple Papaya Facial Scrub in conjunction with the above.

What would you recommend?

FUN

style now – how brite a person are you?

It’s official: Color is the new Black

fashiontrendsetter.com

so brighten up your wardrobe and perhaps your life in the process.

Can’t say I’m crazy about a man who is too too bright!

Doesn’t wearing color make you happy? I’ve never worn so much color in my life, always tending to stick with safe neutrals (which I still love) & maybe just a bit of color with an accessory. Now that August has arrived I’m eager to wear an entire rainbow while the sun is still shining. Hell I even bought an orange purse. How much is too much? I don’t know; piling on all my tribal Masai jewelry. Color is lively and it feels like being on a tropical vacation. Like Liberace said “too much of a good thing is Wonderful.”

Not your “mellow” yellow

Designers revisited glamour with ravishing reds, plush purples, bright blues and uplifting oranges and yellows ultimately redefining feel-good fashion as we know it. Strong hues are no longer solely the domain of fashion’s risk takers; they’re for everyone. Get on board and find

the shade you’ll shine in.

while on the subject – this works for some.

hanky pantys seem bright on!

On the bright side – you can always show off your nails. Personally I tend to wear these only on my toes, preferring lighter shades for nails.

This summer is looking brighter than ever!

handmade Masai bracelets from Kenya

FUN

Quick & Satisfying Salad Dressings

Is there anyone who doesn’t love salads?

Right now we’re in the heart of summer and while I do have countless other recipes to share with y’all my head is telling me to keep it simple. Usually I’ll post a recipe soon after I make it so that it’s kitchen tested, not only by myself but whoever happens to be my guinea pigs at the time.

For now a couple of quick & simple healthy dressings. Which one to try – it’s a toss-up!

On the Side: tender & creamy:

Try one head of torn butter lettuce, 2 Tbsp. chopped chives, sliced cherry tomatoes + toasted pinenuts with 1/3 cup buttermilk, 1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar & 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise.

OR;

Crisp & Lemony: 1 head romaine, chopped with ¼ dill sprigs, 1 english cucumber, sliced, ¼ cup olive oil and 2 Tbsp. lemon juice. S+P to taste.

Have any go-to dressings to share?