Creative Bioscience 90 Day Weight Loss Challenge

I am not a doctor.  The following post is written with my opinions and the information provided from the Creative Bioscience website.  You should discuss any weight loss treatment with your doctor before you start it.  

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you have seen the hashtag #thebeautyloser which is actually the detailed account of Beauty Judy's weight loss journey.  I told her that I really wanted to join her on her mission and try and lose my own excess weight for my health and well being.

I received a large portion of my Dad's genes... he's a former football player and stands at 6'6" and my whole family has a huge love of food (well, especially me).  When I started high school (14 years ago), I hit my last major growth spurt and gained 20 pounds in my 4 years.  Then in college, I gained not just a freshman 15 but rather a freshman 35 (in 4 years).  I got pregnant in 2006 and my weight went all over the place.  First I lost 20 pounds, then I gained 45 pounds, then I lost 25 pounds and then slowly over the next three years I gained 45 pounds.  I was at my heaviest... even heavier than being 9 months pregnant.  After an icky breakup where I was told I was too fat, I decided to really work on getting rid of the weight.  For 10 months, I watched my diet very strictly (but healthy) and went to the gym at least three times a week.  By mid 2011, I was feeling great but still had about 30 pounds to lose before my doctor would be happy with me.  However, I stopped watching my diet and the gym became less of a priority and now, 14 months later I have gotten back up to my heaviest weight again.  I feel sluggish, my hips hurt from sitting too long, nothing fits, and I know that this is not how I want to look or feel about myself.

SO.  All that being said, I am accepting the 90 Day Weight Loss Challenge from Creative Bioscience who will sponsor my product trial of African Mango 1200TM for 90 days in my effort to lose weight.  After carefully looking over the Creative Bioscience website, I chose African Mango 1200TM because I am looking to lose 20+ pounds (uh, closer to 70 but hey, baby steps), it helps reduce LDL cholesterol (at last checking, mine was HIGH - too much bacon), and there aren't any side effects because the product is all natural.  You take one capsule 30 minutes before meals twice per day... for me, breakfast and lunch are going to be the easiest.

Am I nervous?  Of course.  This is not a miracle drug, and Creative Bioscience clearly states: 

As with any diet supplement of this nature, you do not need to change your eating habits or exercise. We do not discourage exercise or changing your diet, but they are not required for the weight loss. This will not give you a free pass to eat whatever you want, and expect to have no side effects, as this should be used in coordination with a healthy lifestyle in general.

What better way to help me aid my #thebeautyloser journey?  I will be keeping updates, weekly is my goal, to let you know how it's going - food, work outs, and the African Mango 1200TM.

Hey Bloggers!  Want to kick start your own weight loss challenge with Creative Bioscience to help you?  You may apply to their 90 Day Weight Loss Challenge here.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Cult Nails Princess

Yes, I'm still feeling like blue is my color and so today I have Cult Nails Princess, a pretty light blue with a subtle pink shimmer.  When I say subtle, sadly I mean subtle.  I used a base of Cult Nails Get It On, 2 coats of polish and a top of Cult Nails Wicked Fast.  The polish formula behaved very nicely - didn't pool or go on streaky.

Try as you might but it's going to be hard to see that pink in this picture here in the sun.  What you can see is smooth, pigmented blue polish though!

Try really hard here in the shade - you can kind of see the shimmer in the bottle.  It's really faint but it's this lovely sugar molecule type shimmer in a baby pink.  I promise.

Can you see it in indirect light?  I feel like I'm playing a game of Green Eggs and Ham except I really want to see the pink shimmer.  (Okay, I just realized that Maria calls is copper shimmer, but it sure looks pink to me)

Ah, finally some of that shimmer (see middle finger).  Very delicate - like a princess.  Princess is a part of the Cult Fairy Tale collection 2012.

Cult Nails [Website | Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Instagram: CultNails] is available in their shop for $12 a bottle.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Marc Anthony HairCare Fall 2012 Trends

Fashion Week has come and gone and it's been all about the hair, the makeup and (most importantly) the nails!  However, I felt inspired to get my hair curled this past weekend and while it only lasted a few hours, I was happy with the results.

So what does an actual expert have to say about the Fall/Winter 2012/2013 Hair Trends?  Well, keep reading to find out what Marc Anthony is predicting.

One ‘Faithfull’ Muse and Two Looks for

Fall/Winter 2012/2013 Hair

We live for this season with a massive love for the new fall/winter feeling. Fall’s fashion is a well travelled look, tailored and at times very traditional yet fresh. It feels sort of posh from the inside; by that we mean it’s about the cut and the fabric more than instant impact that blinds you. Hair follows suit with natural ease and simplicity, a bit more refinement and a versatility that lends itself to any outfit and any occasion. 

There is a bit of color in this season’s collection (a few designers did bold and bright) but for the most part the colors are muted. It is nice to not have it be all about black.  We see trousers vs. pants and a very feminine masculine. Sizzi, the designer for Giulietta, said it best, “I want it to feel traditional but happy and playful.”

With this in mind we went to work creating our trends for the season. Our muse: MARIANNE FAITHFULL. That sort of sexy, ‘just woke up’ look that somehow works with wide length trousers, tweeds and evening wear. Two looks, one woman and Marc Anthony products. 

SOFT AUTUMN WAVES

A dash of the mysterious; so perfect with this year’s well travelled look. We adore how long the layers are with this cut. They are softer than we have seen from a technical point of view. We cut into the ends of the layers to ensure they sort of dissipate vs. just ending crisply. These waves are a bit more polished than we have seen in the last while and we love that they are well groomed. 

GET THE LOOK:

1. Get some movement going: Start with freshly washed hair and a bit of Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray to get some volume and wave started. If your hair is fine flip your head over and scrunch as you dry to help achieve a bit of extra volume as well as movement.  Once hair is dried you will need a large barrel curling iron, Pro Finish Hairspray and some clips.

2. Curling iron: Starting at the bottom, part hair into 2-inch sections across using clips to keep rest of the hair out of the way. You want the sections large because this wave is very loose. Spray with Pro Finish and very loosely wrap hair around the barrel (start wrapping hair from about two inches down), holding for a few seconds. As you move up the head begin dropping the sections lower each time. Repeat this until you are finished.

3. Finish: Take a bit of Oil of Morocco Argan Oil, rub it into your fingertips and then use your fingertips as a comb to work out the waves into a natural finish.  A natural bristle brush will give this look a bit of extra polish.

FULL FALL VOLUME

This is such a polished, natural look. Again shorter hair with longer layers is an important message for this season. We love the definition of the perimeter and the softness of the interior. A big round brush, some bye.bye.Frizz Blow Dry Cream and Dry Shampoo is all you need. 2^nd Day Clear Dry Shampoo is more than just that. Though it is amazing at removing dirt, grime and oil it is also a volumizer, which is as ‘pro tip’ as you can get...read on! Let’s walk through the way to achieve this look.

GET THE LOOK:

1. Blow out: A large round natural bristle brush will give you just the right amount of volume and bend at the ends. You want this look to have a natural finish so the larger the brush the better. Apply the Blow Dry Cream and blow dry hair section by section. If your hair is fine roll up and pin each section after you dry it to help ‘set’ the hair.

2. Add shine: Once hair is dry add Oil of Morocco Argan Oil to your fingertips and run it through your hair before using the natural bristle brush to give your hair a good brushing. The Oil helps to lock in shine.

3. Volumize: Now, take your Dry Shampoo and apply it to the scalp; you want to spray about six inches from the root area. Leave it be for a couple of minutes then with your fingertips shake it out. Seriously, that’s a wrap.

Pixi Evening Emerald

Pixi, the brand founded by Petra Strand, is one that is relatively new to my world despite being over 10 years old (launched in Soho, London).  Pixi is allow about pure, awakening & skin loving products that create a natural "just had a good night's sleep" look.  Their motto is "makeup to wakeup" and is all about creating multitasking, flaw-fixing and youth-enhancing products.  While you can find more about their makeup line at their website, today I have one of their jewel-toned polishes perfect for this fall 2012 season. This is Evening Emerald, a swirly blue-green shimmer toned polish.  I used a base of Poshe, 2 coats of polish and a top of Cult Nails Wicked Fast.  I found that the polish behaved for the most part, didn't really flood my cuticles, but I am not used to the slender brush and needed to be careful while painting.

While you can almost see a hint of purple in the bottle, I assure you that it's just the reflection of my red hand.  This polish was not easy to photograph in the sun because of all the shimmer.

I did get one in indirect sun where you can see more of that depth of shimmer.  It reminds me of different polishes but I can't think of any dupes in my collection - let me know in the comments if you know of one!

Here with the flash, the color leans more green than blue, so it's all about lighting.  You can see that I needed to clean up just a bit more on my cuticles, but that was from bad painting, not bad formula.  The question becomes price and while the price is quite expensive ($8) for a small bottle, if you're looking for a perfect jeweled toned emerald, this may be one to try. (To compare, a bottle of Cult Nails is $10 for a 15 ml/0.5 fl oz bottle.)

Pixi [Website | Facebook | Twitter | Blog | YouTube] can be purchased online from their website or use find a retailer using their Online Retailers search engine for $8.00 for a 7ml/0.25 fl oz bottle.  You can also purchase Pixi at Target!

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Urban Decay Releases

I was tickled pink (really!) over some new press releases I received from Urban Decay this last month.  I'm really happy to be able to share these new products with you, and cannot wait to own some of them when they hit Sephora later on.  

First up is Ocho Loco - a rainbow (kinda?) collection of eight full-sized 24/7 Glide On eye Pencisl.  For are new and exclusive.  It also includes a Grind House Double Barrel Sharpener.  The price?  Only $59 which if you bought these on its own, it's a value of $152.  Available online only at Sephora, Ulta, Macys, Beauty and UrbanDecay.

Mushroom, Hustle, Psychedelic Sister and LSD are all newcomers to the 24/7 line.  The rest have been produced before.

Next up are the 3 Holiday 2012 mini-palettes "Feminine", "Dangerous" and "Fun".  All three are just $36 a piece and are already available at the Urban Decay website.  You can find them in retailers around the first of October.  Each zip around palette features 6 shades, a mirror, and a coordinating Lip Junkie Lip Gloss.  The actual shadows are removable so you can use the zip-around case to carry your phone, ID, cash etc.  It's not a large palette but enough for a smart phone and a few essentials.

The Feminine palette includes shimmering neutrals and smoky hues.

The Dangerous palette includes deep jewel tones and seductive neutrals.

Finally the Fun palette is just great colors to create upbeat every day looks.

Now, what would the holidays be without a new collection of shadows?!  This is going on my birthday list, for sure because for one, Urban Decay is releasing TWENTY new shadows.  That's right, NO repeats from other collections.  Holla.

Look at that large mirror!  The case opens slowly with the push button on the side, motion-control tehnology from the automotive industry.  

Also included is a double ended Good Karma Shadow and Crease Brush.

The Vice Palette Collection Includes:

Desperation – taupe brown w/satin finish
Muse – deep sepia brown w/multidimensional sparkle finish
Jagged – metallic black gold w/shimmer finish
Blitz – metallic yellow gold w/shimmer finish
Penny Lane – metallic peachy bronze pearl w/golden shimmer finish
Junkie – dark green/blue pearl w/ golden shimmer
Chaos – bright blue matte
Occupy – metallic steel grey w/multidimensional sparkle and shimmer finish
Unhinged – metallic electric turquoise w/shimmer finish
Black Market – jet black satin
Provocateur – light metallic mauve w/multidimensional sparkle and shimmer finish
Rapture – dark greyish purple w/multidimensional shimmer finish
Vice – deep eggplant purple w/shimmer finish
Noise – electric punch pink w/gold sparkle and shimmer finish
Armor – metallic dove grey w/silver micro-glitter shimmer finish
Nevermind – metallic cork w/shimmer finish
Echo Beach – pale wheat w/shimmer finish
Anonymous – opaque almond w/matte finish
Free Bird – pink champagne w/silver microsparkle shimmer finish
Laced – opaque pinky taupe w/matte finish

The Vice palette will be available for $59 at Sephora, Ulta, & Macy stores or online at Sephora.com, ulta.com, macys.com, beauty.com and Urbandecay.com

(All images courtesy of Urban Decay)