Saturday, October 17, 2009

Combat fat.....

Beauty Wonkette is LOVING her super skinny jeans. Seems like this season, the skinnier your jeans, the better. Get them a little bit too long and let them bunch at the ankle and don a pair of high heel booties. Woooo hooooo!

Now if you want them to look really good, you may have to drop a couple of those extra lbs. The best way? EAT!!! At least, that's what Self Magazine says. Is it true? Beauty Wonkette isn't sure, but she likes anybody and anything that tells her to eat. :D

Here's what Self has to say:

Swiss cheese

Holy cow: "Calcium-rich foods reduce fat-producing enzymes and increase fat breakdown," says Michael B. Zemel, Ph.D., director of the Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Put toe to toe with some of its cheesy counterparts, Swiss is a heavy hitter in the calcium department; layer a slice on a lunchtime sandwich, or stack some on high-fiber crackers.

Sweet potatoes

Trade up to sweet taters. They're high in fiber, which means no drastic insulin jumps and thus less fat packed onto your hips. Bake a small sweet potato—think of two bars of soap as a portion size—and top with a dollop of lowfat or nonfat cottage cheese.

Soybeans

These green gems are rich in choline, a compound that blocks fat absorption and breaks down fatty deposits. Add 1/2 cup edamame to a salad.

Oranges

Prevent pound creep with this citrus star: It contains fat-torching compounds called flavones. Women who ate the most flavones had a significantly lower increase in body fat over a 14-year period, a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finds. Snack on slices or drink freshly squeezed OJ (with pulp!) for the biggest payback.

Mustard

Hello, yellow. The spice that gives mustard its color, turmeric, may slow the growth of fat tissues, a study in the journal Endocrinology notes. Eighty-six mayo in favor of any mustard; sprinkle turmeric on cauliflower and roast for a tangy side.

Cinnamon

This spice could make your waistline nice. Sprinkling 1/4 teaspoon on your food may prevent a postmeal insulin spike—this increase normally occurs after you eat and "signals the body that it should store fat rather than burn it," explains Lauren Slayton, R.D., of New York City. Add a dash to your oatmeal, yogurt or coffee.

Berries


Vitamin C–loaded fruit such as strawberries and raspberries can help you sizzle up to 30 percent more fat during exercise, suggests research from Arizona State University at Mesa. Blend a vinaigrette of 1 cup berries and 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar.

Almonds

Almond joy! Dieters who ate 3 ounces of these nuts every day reduced their weight and body-mass index by a solid 18 percent compared with an 11 percent drop in the no-nut group, a study in the International Journal of Obesity found. Almonds are high in alpha-linolenic acid, which can speed the metabolism of fats. Stick to 12 per serving.

a little diy spa action from Beauty Wonkette ;-)


It's been unseasonably cold and wet and yucky. Beauty Wonkette plans on lighting the fire, opening some good wine, and treating herself to a little bit of homemade spa action before Mr. BW gets some tonite. Want to treat yourself to a little handmade spa action, too? Check out these facial scrub recipes for dry, normal, and oily skin! Beauty Wonkette has seen other recipes that might be more interesting, but these are all made of things you probably have in the kitchen, so no special prep is required....

Now, first off, regardless of skin type, the best way to apply your scrub is to gently massage it on with a damp washcloth, and make sure you rinse your face thoroughly when you’re done. Also, don’t miss the easy toner recipe at the very bottom!

A word of caution about these scrubs: you don’t want to exfoliate every day. Once or twice a week is just perfect for maintaining healthy, glowing skin! More than that can cause oiliness, dryness or breakouts as your skin compensates for the “lost” moisture. You’ll want to mix up very small batches- enough for just one or two uses - since these recipes are food-based and won’t keep for too long on the shelf.

Dry Skin
To help ease dry skin, you’ll want to gently exfoliate while also moisturizing. Try Annie’s sugar scrub recipe or ehow’s olive oil and avocado moisturizer. If your skin is exceptionally dry, follow this up with a little bit of olive oil to moisturize even more. You might also try drinking more water to treat your skin right from the inside out!

Normal Skin
To gently moisturize and exfoliate normal skin, try mixing a bit of sugar and baking soda with enough sesame oil to form a paste. If this feels a bit too oily for your skin, you can also try half oil and half honey in the mix.

Oily Skin
We knew oatmeal was good for your insides… who knew it was great for your face? You can make a simple oatmeal scrub by combining equal parts ground oatmeal and deeply steeped, cooled chamomile tea. Add a little bit of honey and a drop of tea tree oil, and you’re ready to scrub. This recipe also works with spent coffee grounds in place of the oatmeal. Invigorating!

No matter what your skin type, you might enjoy following this up with a soothing green tea toner. Just steep the tea for about ten minutes and let it cool. Put it in a spray bottle and spritz on or apply with a clean cloth. Voila!

Smoaking hot....


The former Miss USA, actress, TV personality, and generally pretty hot mother of 3, Shanna Moakler, has just launched a new cosmetic line called Smoak which is smokin’…She created the line with the assistance of her personal makeup artist Daniel McFadden.

Her launch party was held just the other day at Cafe Wes in Hollywood, a fabulous & quaint little French Bistro on Vine Street with Brett Young singing live and press flashing away. Her makeup line ranges from shadows, lip plumpers, face & eye primers to sinfully soft brushes made of goat hair. There are no chemicals, dyes, artificial fillers, preservatives or synthetic ingredients. Smoak is fragrance free, oil free, and used no animal testing in the creation of the line.

After touring the country and making appearances, Shanna realized the importance of having quality makeup and knowing how to use it. So, she put together a small cosmetic line that truly reflects what all women need. Krissy Gimenez photographed the “Smoak” line and her husband created the website. Beauty Wonkette thinks it’s most definitely worth checking out!

Smoak Cosmetics

OMG SHE'S CODING !!!


If you're like Beauty Wonkette, you've seen enough episodes of Gray's Anatomy to know that a code blue is bad. Very, very bad.

But Beauty Wonkette has discovered a Code Blue that's actually good for you. The relaunched recovery drink is now completely natural with electrolytes to rehydrate and antioxidants to help detoxify.

Even doctors are downing the drink--it's a fave of the staff at Cleveland Clinic. (Paging Dr. McDreamy. We see a product placement opportunity!)

The 60-calorie can of Code Blue is sweetened with agave nectar and gets its hue from blueberries.

So how's it taste? Suffice it to say that Beauty Wonkette isn't sharing her samples with the rest of the office. (tip: Mix Code Blue with H20 to get twice the drink and a subtler sweetness.)

Try two and call us in the morning.

Code Blue - $3

Friday, October 9, 2009

Calling all Beauty Wonkettes who suffer breakouts!!! This Suds For You!


Do you suffer breakouts? You've tried every blemish potion on the market. You've endured painful facials. You even changed your diet. You aren't alone. Beauty Wonkette gets more email about this problem than almost any other.

Beauty Wonkette went to work and may have found the real culprit - or at least ONE of them - behind your breakouts.

Hint: Look up. No, not your forehead. Higher.

It's your hair. Shampoo, conditioner and styling products can contain pore-clogging ingredients that may worsen acne. Enter Kairos Acne Care, the first hair care line that treats and prevents breakouts. The products are designed to purge pores and curb oil production. (And make hair silky and shiny.)

Get splashing with balancing shampoo and conditioner to detox strands and wash away product buildup. As you rinse, let the later wash down your face (eyes closed!) so the potent salicylic acid can banish blemish-causing bacteria. Finally, polish your look with the noncomedogenic styling aid of your choice. Bonus: Some users have told Beauty Wonkette that these products even cleared up acne on their backs and chests, too.

This sud's for you. ; )

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Chic relief.....




As the first blast of fall sets in, Beauty Wonkette is guessing that for some of you, your dewy summer glow is starting to morph into a dry, irritated, cracked mess. A new line debuted on Tuesday and vows to keep skin in its moisturized glory so winters aren't always so dreadful. First Aid Beauty's Ultra Repair Cream is an intense all-purpose cream loaded with ingredients like eucalyptus oil (to heal and soothe), colloidal oatmeal (to protect), and shea butter (to moisturize) to calm everything from eczema to post-cosmetic treatments. Instead of being a thick, greasy balm with an odd medicinal smell like all those other multipurpose potions that Beauty Wonkette finds uber gross, First Aid Beauty is fragrance-free with a lightweight frothy texture that still manages to deeply hydrate. Rub it everywhere from your face to feet, and even on your new tattoo (guaranteed to the itch away BW is told), for ultimate relief and moisture.

$28.50 at Sephora.com

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Tips for Creating Sultry, Smoky Eyes For Fall


Beauty Wonkette has always been rather fond of Cleopatra. Why? Ah, well, for many reasons. And, there is no doubt that Cleopatra was definitely onto something when she would use kohl to smudge around her eyes paying homage to her sun god, and thus paving the way for goddesses like Giselle to hit the runway in the now very popular smoky eye.

Honestly, Beauty Wonkette isn't all that into makeup, but, there is nothing sexier than a smoky eye. However, layers of black eye shadow will just not do. And, going goth, or rocker girl is really not Beauty Wonkette's thing. “The best way to achieve the perfect smoky eye is to start with softer colors like a shimmery or matte gray in place of a charcoal matte, or a taupe shimmer or matte taupe instead of a dark brown”, says make-up artist Beth Bender.

To get the look Beth recommends using a creamy eyeliner pencil with an eye shadow. “Powders work best and last much long than a cream shadow”. Start first by lining your eyes with a creamy black eyeliner pencil. I love, love, love, benefit’s BADgal Waterproof eyeliner in black. It stays put, smudges easily, and looks great. Place your finger at the outer corner of your eye and gently lift the skin up and out slightly. Holding the pencil as close to the upper lash line as possible, draw short strokes from the outer lashes inward, creating a thick line and tapering as you get closer to the inner eye.

If your eyes are close set, or smaller, make sure to taper the line closer to the center of your eye. Line your bottom lashes as well and smudge with a Q-tip or smudge applicator. Next take your eyeshadow brush and dip into the gray shadow. Tap off excess before applying to eye. The color should be darkest by your lashes so start at the outer corner and brush across your lid using feathery strokes, staying as close to the lash line as possible. Use the brush to blend the color up to the crease. For perfect placement, Beth suggests using a smoky eyeliner stencil and holding over the eyelid while filling in with color. It leaves out the guess work of how high or low depending on the shape of your eye. Reload the brush with shadow and sweep into crease, and underneath the eye.

To finish, blend everything into a soft haze by sweeping your brush over any edges of color. Clean up any stray shadow with an eye makeup remover, or eye cream.

Finally, BW passes along few side notes from Beth for the absolutely perfect smoky eyes.

With smoky eyes it usually looks best to wear foundation. If you are not a fan, try a foundation stick like Bobbi Brown’s and apply only where you need to even out the skin. A medium coverage semimatte formula that doesn’t feel too heavy works well too. CoverFx is fabulous and can be mixed with your moisturizer to cut the heaviness, while still providing great coverage. It can also be used as a concealer as well.

Foundation should always be done after you have finished your eyes, otherwise you’ll spend extra time cleaning up the shadow and re-applying.

To off set the black eyeliner which has a tendency to make the eyes seem smaller, you can rim your lower eyelid with a cream-colored pencil.

The best smoky eyes are the ones that are blended, blended, blended.

And last but not least have fun! ;)

A Must Buy for Recessionistas.....


Yes, Beauty Wonkette loves to splurge. But when something thoroughly affordable (read CHEAP)comes along, you can count on BW for a shout out...

So, my pretties, you have just got to check out these hot new eyeliners by Styli-Style. They are flat! Flat you say? Yes, flat. What makes them so unique is that the flat shape of the pencil gives you the option to create a thick or thin line above your lashes. Colors include shades of black, brown, blue and purples (8 shades in all).

When using the “Blendable Innovations Flat Eye Pencil” your end result can be subtle or dramatic depending on your mood! Plus Styli-Style has a sharpener specifically made just for their flat pencil.

They're available for a song at CVS, Rite Aid, and your finer beauty supply stores.

LEGENDARY! The best dupe for SkinMedica's recently discontinued TNS Advanced+ Serum

  Recently SkinMedica discontinued the TNS Essential Serum and their TNS Advanced+ Serum is seen as the upgraded version.  But Beauty Wonket...