I spent most of my college years plucking and prodding my brows until they were as thin and perfect as Kate Moss’, which is pretty ironic because now I spend all of my time filling them in! I’ve fallen in love with the thick, natural (albeit flawlessly arched) brow. It’s a gentler, more youthful look and easier to create. If you’re worried about crafting the best arch, then visit a salon first and watch how the stylist does it. Recreate the look at home by plucking away the strays from that arch and filling in the brows! I’ve tried everything from permanent makeup to powders to waxes – here are my tips on what you’ll need:
Best Tweezer: Throw out all of your tweezers! Seriously. Once you’ve tried the Rubis slanted tweezer, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. This is the best and most precise out there, getting even the tiniest of hairs. I love it so much I panic when I forget to pack it on trips. At Rubis Switzerland for $34.95.
I’m a major tea drinker. It’s rare that I go a day without having at least one big cup and I’d opt for tea over alcohol pretty much any day. It’s great for your health and your skin and now Kusmi is capitalizing on that by launching a fun play on BB creams with a new version of their famed Detox tea. Called Kusmi BB Detox, it has been formulated using natural ingredients known for their wellness properties – namely green tea, maté and grapefruit. It’s a super refreshing blend that tastes just as great warm as it does cold, but one thing to note is that despite being called “detox” it does have caffeine in it (medium level).
Aside from tasting refreshing, it’s detoxifying because of the maté and green tea combo, which has been shown to help eliminate excess fluid from the body and for its variety of vitamins/antioxidants. Plus it improves your skin’s appearance by boosting immunity and toxin removal. The tea also has dandelions in it (high in vitamins C and A), and rooibos (a South African plant rich in alpha hydroxy acids, which are highly beneficial for healthy skin).
Drink up! And if you must…use it as a healthy mixer, why not?
Lately, beauty tools have been getting more personal. From Clarisonic face brushes to these limited edition GHD professional stylers, everything is available in a rainbow’s worth of color options. Pick your favorite candy hue or get one for mom! Even if you have straight hair, this product can make your locks look smoother and shinier (ceramic is relatively gentle on hair, but still use this in moderation!). I have frizzy ends and since blow-drying only worsens the situation, I like to quickly slide the GHD over them for a sleek, professional look. To protect against the heat, I spray on my favorite treatment oil by Agadir (on Amazon for $14.50). A lot of my friends with natural curls complain about frying their hair so often with straighteners, but this one gets the job done quickly to minimize damage. You can even use the rounded barrel to make some waves! Available at Sephora for $199.
A few weeks ago I attended possibly the coolest event I ever went to. It was billed as “Camp Yes To” and hosted by Yes To founder Ido Leffler. It included everything from a custom trail mix bar (perfect as I was going to Nike run club that night), a massage cabin, a DIY t-shirt station, a braid bar, and a friendship bracelet section lead by one of my favorite jewelry designers, Venessa Arizaga. At the end editors gathered around a faux campfire as Ido talked about his brand’s various products.
Aside from getting to checkout some of their latest launches (loving the new grapefruit range), I also learned that they will be launching four body washes, one for each of the following ranges: grapefruit, blueberry, carrots and cucumber and coming out with two CC creams as part of their grapefruit range (Yes To was recently named #1 in face for natural products). Maybe the best thing I learned that day however is that the brand has lowered the price on some of their best selling products without comprising the integrity of their natural/organic ingredients.
Time to stock up…
Inevitably this time of year we’re bombarded with people telling us things we should do to get a “summer body.” It’s pretty lame if you ask me and it’s completely unrealistic for anyone to go from a diet based heavily on fried and processed foods to a clean one based on fresh produce overnight. There are however plenty of compromises and so I asked a friend of mine, Jacquie Chamberlain, who recently moved to Maine to work for a new restaurant that’s connected to a small farm and recreational cooking school, to share one of her recipes that would satify a sweet craving while also nourishing the body.
As you’ll see below, the benefits of this cake not only make it a fantastic snack, but also a decadent breakfast as it increases circulation, aids in digestion, and provides a number of plant-based vitamins.
heaping 1/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9″ cake pan with 1 tablespoon coconut oil and dust with 2 tablespoons almond flour. In a medium saucepan, warm the coconut oil, maple syrup and chocolate over low heat. Stir until chocolate is melted and remove from the heat. Add the grated parsnips. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and vanilla together. Add to the parsnip mixture. Sift the spelt flour, baking powder, cacao powder, spices and salt together. Stir in almond flour. Add the chocolate-parsnip mixture to the flour mixture and whisk until just incorporated.Pour batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 20-25 minutes just until the top cracks. Cool for 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Health Benefits
Parsnips: High in vitamins A, E, C, calcium, iron and potassium, parsnips have been prized for their insoluble fiber and diuretic properties, which ease digestion and detoxify the body.
Cacao: Cacao is a natural stimulant, giving you energy and increasing blood circulation. It’s known for its flavonoid antioxidant content, having more than blueberries, red wine or green tea. It’s also known to reduce free radicals in your body and lower blood pressure.
Hazelnuts: Only second to almonds, hazelnuts are a great source of calcium and like cacao, they have a high antioxidant level.
Coconut oil: It’s one of the only plant sources of lauric acid, which is known to enhance brain function and supports the immune system. Coconut oil is a known antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal and a lower calorie choice of oil. Likewise, the fatty acids that make up coconut oil are medium chain fatty acids that are not stored as fat, but rather used for energy.
Cinnamon: Cinnamon stabilizes your blood sugar and increases your circulation and digestion, decreasing congestion and working with the other ingredients to wake up the body without weighing you down.
It’s just 10 short days until Mother’s Day! It can seem daunting to buy gifts for the woman who’s always giving to you. When in doubt, go with beauty products – unlike clothes (which can be hit or miss even with your closest friends), you won’t have to fret about getting the right size. I especially love bath gels. There’s nothing more relaxing than a hot bath or two or three a day (yes, you can call me Mrs. Tom Ford). Another can’t miss gift is my favorite perfume of the moment – Jour d’Hermès. A pretty and fresh scent that mom (or you) will love! Available at Hermès in 1.6 fl. oz. ($108) and 2.8 fl. oz. ($149).
