Fabulously Cheeky

For any one who doesn’t know me, I want to make you aware that I make a completely natural skin care line called Green Beauty Cosmetics which rates at 0-1 in the cosmeticsdatabase.

I have been working like a busy bee since Christmas, reformulating my natural cosmetics products after I found out that I had to change preservatives. I was lucky enough to find a new, natural preservative that is corn derived and ECOCERT certified. The cosmeticsdatabase rates it at a 1, and it is approved for use in USA, Japan, Europe, Australia and Canada. It is also a moisturizer, and it was found to increase the moisture levels in the skin during tests.

The bad news was that it wasn’t an emulsifier, like the last preservative I used, so some of the formulas became unstable when using the new preservative and therefore had to be reformulated. So, this took me on a journey through the internet until I found this wonderful organic farm that offered a long list of natural, plant based ECOCERT emulsifiers and viscosity builders, as well as natural and organic tinctures and extracts that I couldn’t find anywhere else. So, I bought lots of stuff, replaced my dry herbs with the new tinctures (no more herbal sediment in the bottles) and now I’m very happy with the results. The over all rating is still 0-1 in the cosmeticsdatabase, and I think that this transition has greatly improved the quality of my products.

On my journey through google, I also came across some really cool recyclable airless containers that will keep the products completely contamination free during use, and also increase their shelf life. So, I took the plunge and repackaged (and relabled) everything while I was at it (and my website has also been changed, in case you go in there…) A ridiculous amount of work went into this, but I think it was well worth the effort.

If you go to my website (see permanent link on the left side of my blog), you’ll notice that most of the products are back up for sale (the rest will be available very soon), and one of the lotions with the old preservative and old label is on sale for about 1/2 price. CLICK HERE to check it out!

Tags: cosmeticsdatabase, safe cosmetics

I have a makeup book called “Staging your Comeback” which specifically focuses on makeovers for mature women. He’s got some good things to say about clothing style and how to understand your figure and learn to work with it, but I don’t agree with his use of makeup.

He usually uses full coverage foundation because he believes that the less we show our skins, the younger we look. It may look better on a photo where you can manipulate the light and make the skin look perfect, but you step out in bright daylight with a thick layer of foundation caked into your wrinkles, and you look in a mirror and tell me how young that looks!

Not only does it look painted, fake and caked on, but the color NEVER matches your true skin color. It is always too yellow, too pink, too fake.

No, as we get older, and our coloring gets softer, we need to work with nature. Makeup is supposed to ENHANCE your natural beauty, not cover it up!

My approach is to use a little bit of concealer on dark circles and blemishes, and then use a very light, sheer cream foundation. Tinted moisturizer usually doesn’t contain enough tint to really make a whole lot of difference. It is better to go for a sheer, light coverage foundation that allows your natural color to shine through, but evens out any kind of mottled skin tone. This kind of foundation looks very natural in sun light, and all you need is a little cream blush on the apples of your cheeks, some mascara and eye pencil, and a little bit of lip tint or gloss on the lips, and you’ll look fresh and glowy without looking like one of those old fashioned wooden dolls with harshly painted faces.

To pick the right color of foundation, put a line of the cream on the edge of your jaw, down the neck a bit and see if it blends in. This is because the neck is usually a little bit lighter than the face, and if you want it to look natural, it must match your neck.

Mascara is important. It gives your eyes a lift, and don’t forget to darken the eyebrows a bit, too. Use a soft eyebrow pencil that is not too dark, or some eyebrow powder. Don’t draw a solid line. Little feathery ones that resemble eyebrow hairs work better.

Lipstick should be in soft colors, and sheer lipsticks look way better on mature women than solid lipsticks. Stay away from lip liners – even though they give the lips more definition, they also give the face a harsh and painted look. Gloss is good – it makes your face look young and fresh. Stay away from matte lipstick, it will age you 20 years…

Also, stay away from powder. A matte face looks much older than a slightly shiny face. So don’t set your foundation with powder. Use a creamy foundation and a cream blush, and you’ll look lovely!

The winter is so rough on the skin, it is like freeze drying! And when the skin dries up, wrinkles appear, and without moisture, the skin simply looks old. But there are things we can do to prevent some of this damage.

First of all, we have to be careful not to use products that strip the natural oils out of already stressed skin. That means no soap, no harsh cleansers and no alcohol based toners! All of these products just add to the problem.

So use a natural face cleanser without soap and a non alcoholic toner such as the rosewater toner first thing in the morning. The next thing is to use a good moisturizer, preferably a light serum such as the natural face moisturizer with hyaluronic acid.

The only purpose of a moisturizer is to moisturize with ingredients that increases the water levels in the skin. So, a good moisturizer should contain first of all water, then hyaluronic acid, which can hold the water on the surface, and possibly also ingredients such as glycerin, lecithin, rose water, etc. Leave the moisturizer on the skin for a few minutes before adding anything else so the moisture can penetrate the skin properly.

After moisturizing, the moisture has to be sealed in, or it will simply evaporate as soon as you go outside in the cold. To do this, I recommend using a thick, rich natural face cream or some kind of moisturizing oil that can create an emollient barrier that protects the skin from the cold and keeps it moisturized.

Can you get all of this out of one product? I don’t think so. If you use a thick cream or balm, it won’t have enough moisture in it to actually moisturize the skin. It will definitely create a barrier, but a barrier isn’t enough in itself. Both are needed. That is why I prefer to use a light moisturizer first, and then add a barrier on top for cold protection.

The good thing about layering products is that you can add more of a barrier in the winter, and just use a simple moisturizer in the summer without a barrier on top.

Remember, the makeup can’t look good unless the skin underneath is looks good. So, take good care of your skin, especially in the winter time.

Tags: winter skin care

Are you considering hormone replacement therapy? Think again! Those medications are far from natural, and if you google it, you’ll find long lists of possible side effects! So why do people get on HRT? Mainly two reasons, hotflashes and fear of osteoporosis. However, the HRT itself can compromise your health, too.

HRT works by suppressing your natural cycles of hormones so that your hotflashes can get under control. But, suppression never cures anything. Whatever you push down, must come back up, it is as simple as that! I have heard about women who have been on HRT for over 10 years, and as soon as they quit, the hotflashes are back!!!

But, I wasn’t going to talk about hotflashes. (By the way, they can easily be dealt with with homeopathy – send me an email if you would like a consultation). I was actually going to talk about the possibility of osteoporosis. Evidently, lack of minerals can cause the bones to become brittle, which causes them to break easily. Well, that can also be fixed with natural remedies.

Susun Weed (famous herbalist) recommends drinking infusions of raspberry leaf and nettle leaf. An infusion is what you get when you pour a quart of water over 2 handfuls of herb and let it sit for 2-3 hours before drinking it. It tastes horrible, but supposedly, it works really well.

Another thing I came across today was the use of apple cider vinegar to avoid brittle bones. Very interesting article. CLICK HERE to read more! Evidently, drinking a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar daily (mixed with honey if you wish), will prevent osteoporosis! So, we don’t need any HRT – apple cider vinegar will do…

When menopause comes, moles often follow, especially if it is in your genes. Unfortunately, my family grow moles like other people grow carrots. I remember my grandfather’s brother before he died. He was so covered with moles that his whole face was spotted, and my grandfather wasn’t far behind. The last time my mom came to visit, she was full of moles as well, and looking down my own belly, I can see them coming! A big one under the bra strap, another big one right at the waist line, two on my chest, one on my neck, one on my face and another one near the bikini line, which always gives me trouble when I shave. And then, lots of little ones, of course, but the little ones don’t bother me. It is the big, raised ones that has to go, especially if they are in places that get irritated from the waist on my skirt, or the seat belt. So, I started searching the net for answers.

First, I came across a bloodroot cream from an herb farm, only $15.00. I bought it and used it for 2 weeks on one of the moles, with no effect whatsoever. Then I went back to the net again, looking for something better. I came across a horrible picture of a large wound caused by using bloodroot, and a big warning! Glad it didn’t happen to me!

Eventually, I came across something called WartMoleVanish, supposedly all natural and NOT containing bloodroot. Got super good reviews from everyone. There was only one problem – the price of about $90.00 for an amount of cream the size of a green pea. Yes, I know that it is cheaper than going to the doctor, but still…

So, I kept looking, and I found a company called molepaste.com that sells exactly the same formula for half the price. The formula consists of all natural plant extracts (and NO bloodroot), and is said to work after ONE 20 minute application.

I bought the product, and it scared me a bit because you have to scratch the moles with a needle to rough up the surface first, and then rub them down a bit with an emery board before applying the stuff. I followed all their instructions, applied the product and it was surprisingly painful! For about 10 minutes it stings like hell.

After 20 minutes, I washed it off, and the moles dried up and scabbed over. Now, about a week later, 2 scabs have fallen off and left a small pink spot where the mole used to be, so this stuff really works! So, if you are in the same position I was, and want to do something about it, this stuff is worth trying! CLICK HERE to go to their website! (Or, you can find it on ebay).

Tags: mole removal

What do you think about the use of nanoparticles in sunscreen? Here is a video interview with Professor Tilman Butz from Leipzig about this issue. He has done microscopic skin tests to find out whether nano particles such as titanium dioxide or zinc oxide penetrate the skin, and found that they actually don’t! What a surprise! They are actually safe to use on healthy skin! CLICK HERE to see the video.

Tags: sunscreen

One of the woes of menopause is the fact that we put on weight. I have always been as skinny as a flagpole until I hit mid thirties. Then I had a couple of babies, and now, going through menopause, I have a feeling I could live on almost no food at all, since almost anything makes me put on weight.

A couple of years ago, I spent 1 1/2 years living on raw food, but my husband lost too much weight without cooked food, and my children didn’t like it either. Anyway, the first 6 months on raw food I didn’t even lose an ounce! Then the weight slowly started coming off, but now that we are back on cooked food, there is no way I will ever see my belly flat again. Now I’ve got belly, hips and boobs, and I’m tired of fighting the weight increase. It seems that my body weight is naturally settling somewhere about 10 pounds more than I used to be, and it doesn’t matter if I skip both breakfast and lunch, I’m not losing any weight no matter what!

So, maybe menopause is about becoming a goddess, with a goddess body! Nice and round and curvy. The only thing is, with a curvy body, we have to dress in a different way than we used to. Go through your closets and just throw away any kind of skin tight, skimpy stuff. Now, we need clothes that can show off curves, like tailored jackets or drapey jackets, pencil skirts, long skirts and pants with wide legs and longer tops with scarfs and necklaces. Forget about mini skirts, they just look silly on menopausal goddesses. Think “goddess” and you’ll empower yourself! Appreciate your curves, and dress in a flattering way. Don’t try to hide them in baggy clothing.

Life has many stages, and when you hit menopause, it is time to become a goddess! You have given birth to your children and taken care of them until they could take care of themselves. Now, the time has come for us to give birth to ourselves! It is time to find out why we are here, and what our potentials are, and to let our creativity flow!

Tags: menopause

Did you know that something like 65% of women use the wrong size bra?
40 or so years ago, my grandmother had a bra boutique where women could go and get fitted for the correct size bra. They got measured first, and they learned how to put it on properly. You aren’t just supposed to stick your arms into the straps and close it in the back. After you have put it on, you have to make sure the breasts are lifted into the cups properly by putting your hand inside the bra and giving each breast a lift.

So, how can you tell if you are wearing the right size bra? There are many tell tale signs. First, lift your arms up and see if the horizontal band is cutting into your sides. If it is, then you need a larger size band. If parts of your breast are showing below the horizontal band, then you need a smaller size band.

The cup size is more complicated. If the tip of your bust hangs lower than the middle of your forearm, you need more support.

If there is space inside your cups, you need a smaller cup size.

If the underwires don’t touch your breast bone, your cups are too small.

If the underwires poke into your sides, you need a larger size horizontal band. For example, I can fit into a 34 C, but the cups are too close together. I get a much nicer fit if I use a 36 B. So, if you have to change the band size, go down a cup size if your band size is bigger, and you’ll end up with the same size bra, just more comfortable.

If your breasts hang over the top of your bra, like muffins, you need a bigger cup size. Muffin breasts look horrible under t-shirts!

And, if you love those nasty bandeau bras, make sure they don’t flatten the breasts at the edge of the bra. Bandeau bras look nasty, too, especially under skimpy cotton tops. A better alternative is to go with a nicely shaped strapless bra that has enough support built in that it doesn’t have to flatten your chest to stay up.

Just remember, nothing ruins your look more than a badly fitted bra!

Happy New Year everyone! This customary greeting is a wish for happiness in the new year, but as we all know, happiness is not easy to come by. The fact is, nobody can make you happy. You have to find a way to make yourself happy.

Happiness has to do with your attitude towards life. Are you looking on the bright side of things, or are you constantly looking for reasons why life sucks? Whatever space you are coming from will not only affect your perception of life itself, but also what you attract into your life.

If you believe that life is a total drag, then that is what you will attract. Being in that state of mind creates a certain vibration around you, and because like attracts like, those are the kinds of things you will attract more of.

The fact is, that good or bad, chaos and order, happens to everyone, regardless of attitude. But, one thing I learned when I visited India many years ago is that it doesn’t matter what happens, it is how you dance with it that really matters. And, this is where your attitude comes into the picture. If you take every setback as a sign of gloom and doom, it will make you depressed and your life becomes meaningless and futile. If, however, you take setbacks as a catalyst for expansion and transformation, the setbacks will actually help you learn what you are here to learn and take you to new levels of consciousness. It is up to you to choose how you want to perceive it!

I know of a psychic who channels a group of interdimensional energetic beings called the Hathors. The Hathors are more advanced in many ways than we are, and they are offering their understanding and insight through these channelings. In October of 2009, they channelled a piece about how chaotic our times are going to be up until 2012 and beyond. The chaos is going to affect everything from weather patterns and earth changes to economy, politics and personal happenings. They say that it is absolutely essential that, if we want to survive all these chaotic events, we have to learn to deal with chaos in the right way. And what is the right way? It all comes down to our attitude about change and chaos.

Do we see change as a disaster, a hindrance or a block that stops us from achieving our goals? Are we filled with anger and resentment when things don’t go according to our predetermined plans? Or, do we see change as a potential for expansion and inspiration?

We are in the middle of a cross road right now, where people are going to have to choose if they want to be part of the new, or if they simply want out, and it seems that many people are choosing to leave at this point. I recently talked with a nurse who works in the emergency ward of the local hospital, and she calls it a “mass exodus.” She told me how people are dying right and left, regardless of age! So, now, more than ever, we must become clear about what we want. Can we be flexible? Can we let go of the past? Can we learn from everything that happens and use it as a stepping stone for expansion? If you can truly answer YES to these questions, then you will pass through the chaos without letting it bog you down too much, and that is the way forward without a doubt!

If you want to read more about the Hathor’s message to humanity about how to deal with chaos, CLICK HERE for some very interesting reading.

Tags: Change, Hathors