Night Time IS the Right Time! ⏰

Women I meet in my travels and in my private studio continue to ask me how to get their skin clean. They say they don’t have a clue on what to really do.

I tell them to NEVER go to sleep without washing your face or with the days makeup on (and remove every trace of mascara too) as well as getting a great nights sleep. That is why they call it beauty sleep.

I know that’s not always easy to get when you are sleepless in Seattle. But a good nights sleep is essential nightly as your skin needs it.

You need to make a plan and create a nightly beauty ritual and do it every night.

Do what’s right for you and select a skin care line that is so you. You can mix and match. A soap from one brand and a cream from another. But try and keep a few from the same line if possible so you don’t have an allergic reaction.

Just a few easy steps!

Clean:

You may use a soap bar (not deodorant) liquid soap but cream cleanser at night.

Tone:

Rosewater makes a refreshing toner. Stay away from strong alcohol based ones. Way too drying to the skin.

Nourish and Hydrate:

Choose a moisturizer that is light but at night you can use a richer one. It all depends on how your skin is behaving. Your skin changes as the seasons change and from stress or the weather outdoors. Your moisturizer must change to go with the flow.

Eye care:

A hydrating Eye gel or light eye cream is perfect. A little goes a long way.

And remember don’t scrub or rub your face like you’re washing your car or pots and pans. Be gentle with your delicate skin.

Always treat your neck and décolleté to what you put on your face. Not just your face!

So that’s it as far as a SIMPLE nightly skin ritual.

Photo by Shiny Diamond on Pexels.com

Your Vanity…a little space just for YOU!

For those of you who love 💕 makeup and to put on your 💄 makeup this post is for you. For those of you who don’t use much makeup you’ll still enjoy it and learn something new!

Self-care Sunday is all about taking care of yourself and have a little fun doing it!

Now to make your life easier and beauty rituals you need to carve out an area just for you and all your beauties too.

Just make sure you don’t arrange your makeup and skincare directly in the sun ☀️ sunlight. It will ruin your makeup and skincare formulas, lighten your hues, and make your makeup melt too.

I like to separate and organize my makeup brushes, blushes, eyeshadows, 💄 lipsticks and more in a pretty way. I’ve used and repurposed antique plates, tea cups or wine 🍷 goblets. I have also have found some gorgeous display items at TJMaxx, Kirkland’s, Hobby Lobby and more. You DON’T have to spend a fortune $

The important thing is that all your products and things are at your fingertips! Ready when you are.

Another thing I found was from a cocktail 🍸 container. Allow me to explain. I enjoy entertaining with a product called Cocktail Caviar and I love the jar. I couldn’t stand to throw the empty container out. So, I cleaned the jar out and filled with fluffy pink 💕 cotton balls I found! It has a lid so dust doesn’t get on them and keeps them dust free.

See below!

I love Mother Earth 🌍 and have learned to recycle more! It feels good to do it too.

I like to add a fresh seasonal 💐 🌸 🌻 flowers to my space. And I also keep an aloe plant 🌱 on my vanity just in case. Aloes are great for sunburns, curling iron burns and any allergic reactions that come up on the skin!

A hand mirror is always a good idea too! Not just the main one on the wall.

I also keep bottles of sparkling water 💦 and mini bottles of 🍾 Champagne in a mini fridge by my vanity. It is  by Cooluli…I store my face masks,creams,toners,jade roller,agate roller,massage stones,makeup in.

What do you do?

Do you have a special cozy place for you to get all dolled up in? Chat beauty with me. Share with me. I love hearing from you.

Photo by freestocks.org on Pexels.com

Oscar Beauty Rituals

The Oscars! Did you watch this year?

Who swept you off your pretty feet at the Oscars?

I did watch as I am all about the celebrities makeup,skin and hair. In fact am featuring beauty tips from my blog today on TV on River City Live on WJXT 4 in sunny Florida.

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

  I enjoyed the sea of COLOR metallics and all shades pink! From the Crazy Rich Asian Stars to the mirrored masterpiece on the ever glowing JLo. And of course the lipstick red dress Jennifer Hudson wore and the basic black from Lady Gaga. Now always keep it real…and remember they DON’T wake up that way. It takes months of prep for both their face,body and all that bling and fashion!

• It is all about the diet and pre- Oscar prep to look good in those gowns and tuxedo’s. Celebrities are all about green juicing,exercise,yoga,massage and beauty supplements. As you know beauty starts from the inside and shows on the outside. Some celebrities even admit they starve themselves (not compleley but really skimp or fast) to look good in those lovely gowns,dresses and pant suits.
• Skin  Treatments -What are there go to’s for pretty and healthy looking skin? A DEEP cleansing facial is at the top of the list gold,diamonds and gem stones. Cryotherapy is the cool anti-aging sensation that is coveted lately too.Jade and rose quartz roller and light therapy are still having a moment too.Some celebrities use quickie sheet masks for eyes,face and lips! MALE celebrities do facials,sheet masks and other treatmensts at the spa too!
• Mani’s and Pedi’s with  statement nail or a simple manicure by a celeb and editorial nail specialist.
•  Body treatments like wraps,cellulite treatments and tan from a spray tan specialist and covered to highlight the skin with some Gleam by Melanie Mills!
• It’s all about the sage & crystals! I am told some celebrities have rituals for good luck and some include a treasured gemstone and burning sage.
• Beauty sleep and WATER are most skin care heroes for celebrities.
• Red lipstick is the classic choice. But as of late the shiny lipgloss and metallic has entered the lip picture. This year PINK had it’s moment. Beleive it or not pink is everything when it comes to a lipstick hue. It really is magic and looks good on everyone.
• Blotting papers or blotting powder papers are a MUST for that unexpected emotional shine!
• Eye makeup was simple and classic. The smoky really dark eye is not a popular otpion. Understated and a touch of shimmer opend up the eyes and mesmerize.
• Let’s take a peek in their evening bags! It is ALL about the pretty clutch and a lipstick and maybe a mint.Some celeb’s don’t even carry money on them.
• Got your own beauty and skin care question? Just ask me!
  

There’s magic in Jade & more!

Today is Chinese New Year…the year of the rooster.  I have been pampering my clients faces and pouts with the magic of jade all day.

You don’t have to be Asian to celebrate the lunar new year and all things Asian beauty!

I also love to celebrate the next 15 days of the Chinese New Year with other beauty rituals and of course FOOD glorious Asian food.

I am Cholish…

This makes me Chinese and Polish. I love being a combination platter!

If you don’t know… Chinese, Japanese and above all K-Beauty (Korean Beauty) are all the rage.Especially when it comes to beauty rituals!

Go to your pantry or nearest Asian grocery store. Get some Chinese Take-Out and brew some hot tea starting this weekend to celebrate the lunar New Year, which begins TODAY  Saturday January 28, 2017.

Treat yourself to a festive meal and a trip to the orient without leaving the city! You might even want to invite your bestie!

Asian women I have interviewed from Hong Kong to Korea all agree…

Tea is an everyday beauty ritual. All kinds of tea from Chinese Oolong tea to Korean Barley tea. To fight off cancer they love green tea. To give them energy and stamina they drink ginseng tea. There is even a tea for inner cleansing and detoxifying tea.

Note: They usually do not use sugar or sweet and low in their tea.

Did you know that tea also freshens breath and keeps your gums healthy too? Allow me to turn you on to a delightful type tea. Jasmine tea is both delicious, smells and tastes divine. You must try it.

Rice is a favorite food in their diet as well. It fills you up faster and low in fat so you tend to eat less. Soups as main meals are another way to eat and stay trim. They fill the bowl with chicken or beef stock and toss in fresh veggies. What a delightful explosion of tastes! My fave rice is aromatic jasmine rice.* If you are looking to lose a a few pounds…try eating with chopsticks!

Korean women use up to 10 products on their face a day! They double cleanse their skin daily. They also love sheet masks. They have a mask for almost everything! Face, lips, eye area, neck, hair, feet and thighs. Some are made with crushed pearls, fruit, veggies and essence of snails (yikes). All to make them look their best.

Japanese girls love the benefits of a face mask made with nightingale droppings. That means bird poop! However, they swear by it for gorgeous flawless skin.

 Jade Face Skin Smoothing Roller: Asian Royalty has used it for years. Excellent when you roll this cool tool on the face for revitalizing the skin by bringing the blood to the surface. It is also very relaxing. One side is for eyelid area and other side for face. You have to feel it to believe its magic. I am addicted.

Pearl Cream is a beauty must have. To this day Chinese and Vietnamese girls and women use this ant-aging ancient secret cream. It is made of crushed pearls and other emollients. It is opaque in color, melts on your fingers when applied to the face, and becomes translucent. It helps brighten the complexion by lightening sunspots and keeps the skin moist and hydrated. It smells as if you visited a flower garden.

Rice powder an oriental silky powder sets your makeup, helps your makeup up last longer and tones down shine. If you have problem with always being hot or have oily skin it also helps to prevent makeup meltdown. It can be used by itself on your skin or over makeup base. It can be unisex. It is applied with a Kabuki powder brush.

It also comes in a powder to go version. A little notebook of 70 papers comes to this business card like booklet. It powders the face as well as blots oil. They are called Asian Powder Papers.

Shark fin supplements and other herb shop potions are recommended to keep their fountain of youth. Even the celebrities are doing it. They say Nicole Kidman the actress takes them to keep her skin looking gorgeous and younger looking.

Dragon fruit: As argan oil is the new buzz in skin care so is the dragon fruit for our skin cells. This pink delight does wonders for the complexion when added to skincare or by eating it. It looks kinky and is a gorgeous pink hue with shooting green things coming from it. Sweet to eat!

My recipe for a cheap D.I.Y Jasmine Rice Face Mask:

•  Take a cup of rice, rinse gently.
• Next, pour the rinsed rice into a clear small bowl with enough water to cover it. Wait until a milky residue appears. This is your face mask. (They call them Water Masks)
• On a clean face, place the milky watery solution from the rice on your face with a drenched cotton pad. Let it dry.
• Rinse with a luke warm washcloth and warm water. It will brighten your skin and your skin will feel like silk from this face treat.

The fountain of youth and pretty is at your fingertips.

Explore some of the above Oriental delights.

Life is an adventure…explore beyond your door!

 

COOL Summertime Strawberry Soup & more!

My Polish side of the family has some delightful recipes this soup is one of them. It is so refreshing in the summertime and while strawberries are in season especially.

What makes it special are these ingredients: (and the Polish FAMILY memories)

1 lb fresh strawberries
1 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp of good quality vanilla extract
2 cups of vanilla Greek yogurt
*whipped cream
*fresh mint leaves

Clean and hull strawberries and place in a blender,combine the rest of the ingredients except whipped cream and mint.Blend until smooth.
CHILL for a few hours or overnight.Serve in pretty bowls and top with dollop of whip cream and garnish with a few mint leaves.

Yummy,creamy and dreamy taste of a recipe from Poland.My mom would be proud I still keep close in my heart and continue these traditions.

Do you have a YUMMY or unique recipe you’d like to share with me?
I’d LOVE to hear from you!

*Yummy photo from the website Cool Photo Projects.

While strawberries are still in season,you might also want to enjoy my recipe for a Refreshing Strawberry Face MASK for your skin.

Here’s what you’ll need:

8 fresh strawberries
2 tablespoons of local honey

Mash the strawberries with a spoon and add in the honey. This will make a fruity honey filled face mask. The strawberries contain Vitamin C and alpha-hydroxy acids that exfoliate the skin gently in a natural way.
If your skin is looking dull,tired,sun damaged or prone to a blemish you will LOVE what this mask does for your skin.

Leave on your face for at least fifteen minutes and rinse with luke warm water and a wash cloth.Follow with your moisturizer and eye gel.
They say that Hollywood Celebrities like Catherine Zeta Jones use strawberries in their beauty rituals.
This fresh mask will last up to a week in an airtight container. I prefer to store in glass NOT plastic container.

*As I have mentioned before always do a spot test on the side of your cheek or neck to see if you are allergic to any of these ingredients. If you know you are do not use this recipe.

Get cooking and enjoy these two delicious delights one for your body and one for your face. YUM!

Girl’s Night In!

Celebrities and their strange beauty RITUALS before the Oscars!

Last night the Celebrities rocked Hollywood with their outfits and looks. Who did you fall in love with? Who are you a big fan of?

After an award winning breakfast (as my husband said I made)  I tackled my walk in closet and tried to get it back organized from living in and out of luggage. I wanted it STAR worthy style back. All color coded from pinks,to rose,to fuschia to red to my coveted back home in NEW YORK uniform …infamous black. An organized closet is heaven on earth. I hate what I have done to it. It’s going to be a continued work in progress for now.

After hours of organization and a luscious bubble bath with real milk. I felt like Hollywood. My husband and I enjoyed Mojitos and popcorn after dinner and some TV. Then the red carpet LIVE started so we went our separate ways. He downstairs and me in what he calls my apartment. My bedroom…my pretty sanctuary.

I enjoyed every bit of the Oscars from who won and what movies I need to see. I wanted the movie THE HELP to win but it didn’t. At least beautiful eyed and talented Octavia Spencer won for her role in The Help !

There’s a lot I have learned about the prep those celebrity faces and BODIES go through weeks some even a month before the Academy Awards. I simply had to share some with you.

Some beauty rituals include Bird poop from a Nightingale for its skin brightening properties they say Victoria Beckham loves these Geisha facials. Some take Shark Fin cartilage for smoother healthier looking skin ala Nicole Kidman. They say celebrities are in love with Clarisonic the sonic cleansing system…Madonna, Demi, Lady Gaga and ME! We love our clean mean anti-aging machine!

Products containing snake venom is top of the weird list. They say Katie Holmes is a fan of Glamology which snake venom freezes the muscles of the face. Bird poop I can maybe see. But snakes venom is where I draw the line on my face. Some celebrities brighten their smile with Supersmile toothpaste while others slice fresh strawberries and align them unto their teeth for their whitening properties. Teri Hatcher has said in interviews she pours glasses of red wine in her bathtub to draw toxins out of the skin and make it feel and look smoother. celebrities also are in love with human growth hormone therapy and human placenta for antioxidants,protein and amino acids. Cameron Diaz is said to like using powdered milk to help exfoliate her skin.

Of course SPANX is the QUEEN of the evening under ALL those gorgeous gowns. My Hollywood stylist friends also tell me there is a version like Spanx just for men. No beer belly allowed.

Soy and dairy products are forbid and part of the NO NO list of celebrities diets. This helps to eliminate the cellultite bumpy cottage cheese look.

Juicing is also a Hollywood must! Cleansing in and out of the body.

Spray taned to perfection…there is a famous spray tanner who goes on location for celebrities and Victoria Secret fashion show models and spray scuplts their bodies to shapely proportions.Sexy and slimmer in minutes.

It was a fun and fashionable night and I never get tired of it. I also LOVE the behind the scenes beauty scoop too. Like the Oscar Swag bags…given to the celeb’s. Well, I used to think it was all about the brand being simply the best and coveted. Come to find out it’s all bought. If you PAY you can be one of the brands that go into the bag. I get mail asking me our beauty brand) to participate in the bags.  Its like product placement. The brands pay  to be featured. J Lo is famous for product placement in her videos and more. Money talks! 

I loved Kate Goldie Hawns daughters look and her hair was divine by the famous hair stylist Mr. David Bababi.

Angelina rocked it in that dress and those amazing lips and LEGS!

Gwenyth looked simply beautiful and radiant in white! Kirk Douglas always impresses. George and Brad too. Christopher Plummer God bless!

Who put a smile on your face? SHARE with me…