Get that Red Carpet Pale Lip

Pale lips have been a big trend lately and will definitely carry on through spring and possibly summer as well.  This last Sunday at the Oscar's there was a mix of pale lips or vibrant red lips.  Well, red lips are always the talk as far as how to pull it off the right way so I've decided to cover how to get a great pale lip look.

First, find a neutral lip liner or one that matches your natural lip color and then line AND fill in your lips.  Then grab a great lip gloss like the one show here from Napoleon Perdis, and apply to both top and bottom of your lips.  That's it!  It's that simple.

I actually chose the Napoleon Perdis Luminous Lip Veil in Hot Toffee ($20) because it's neutral with a hint of pink tone so it won't completely wash you out.  I'm as pale as all get out and I loved the way it looked on my lips.  The gloss is more like a liquid lipstick and feels really creamy on your lips.  It's also infused with Aloe and Lychee Extract to keep you lips feeling soft all day.  The Lip Veil is actually available in 20 shades, so if Hot Toffee isn't for you then there is definitley one that will be a perfect match...trust me!  Oh, by the way the gloss/lipstick also has a really fabulous fruity scent and taste so you don't have to worry about the "cosmetic" flavor of some other glosses.  But you may have to watch yourself and be mindful to not lick it off of your lips. 

Image Taken by: Faith Lawless

*Disclosure: The above reviewed sample was provided by the manufacturer.*

Faith -VS- the South Beach Diet, Round 2

So about 2 years ago I hopped on The South Beach Dietplan and ended up losing left over baby weight from the birth of my last child. Overall I ended up losing around 20 lbs which pleased my regular doctor, my rheumatologist, and of course myself. I will admit that it was difficult to go through Phase 1 after eating whatever I wanted, especially yummy chocolate. Well, I ended up falling off the wagon last year and gained about 12 lbs back. Needless to say that my rheumatologist isn't too pleased and I'm not feeling very good about myself either.

So in order to not get nagged every time I go to the doctor, or perhaps out of desperation to fit into a bathing suit for vacation this May, I (along with my hubby) have decided to take on the South Beach Diet again. We began this past Monday with Phase 1 and will be hanging in there for 14 days. I've also added at least at-home exercising to my regimen every other day. I suppose that it was time that I faced reality that dieting alone won't shed the pounds and keep me healthy now that I'm in my 30's. So wish me luck and I'll keep updating on the progress (fingers crossed that there will be progress made) throughout Phase 1.

Have any of you tried the SB Diet only to fall off the wagon and have to start over? What about those of you with health problems; have you tried the SB Diet and if so did it work for you? As a fellow sufferer of Fibromyalgia I'm curious to hear feedback from the rest of you to see what has worked for you, as far as diet and exercise, for keeping the pain and stiffness at bay. So leave you thoughts and comments about the SB Diet or dieting in general!

Kick Off Warmer Weather with Ginger

There are many reasons why I love spring time.  Even though it's not "officially" spring yet I'll take the warmer days as we get them anytiime.  So when the weather begins to take an upswing I can't help but to break out my favorite spring fragrances.  Two of my favorites come from Origins.  I've always been a fan of Spring Fever, but the one I've been loving since last spring is Origins Ginger Essence. 

The scent of ginger is known to stimulate the senses and actually give you a boost of energy, but Ginger Essence also has bergamot, lemon, and lime to give you a refreshed yet tranquil feeling.  When I have more time on the weekends I always soak in the tub and use Ginger Float creamy bubble bath, followed by the Ginger Cloud Smoothing Body Balm, and then finish my relaxing yet awakening ritual with Ginger Essence Perfume Spray.  Another great product I just love from the Ginger line is their Incredible Spreadable Scrub that also contains ginger.  This one is fabulous to help get rid of post-winter dry and flaky skin.  And with bathing suit season just around the corner now is the perfect time to begin prepping your skin for warmer days ahead.

Get "Simple" with Your Day Cream

I get to try a lot of creams and moisturizers, and even though many are good they still don't "wow" me. That was until I tried Simple Skin Care's Kind to Skin Vital Vitamin Day Cream with SPF15.  I know it seems like a normal vitamin enhanced moisturizer with sun protection, but it's the texture that I fell in love with.  Sure I love the fact that it has vitamins and nutrients to help keep my skin looking great, but the texture of the cream was just fabulous!

So you know how most cream moisturizers are either heavy and slightly greasy feeling or thicker and slightly tacky?  Well the Simple Skin Care cream was like taking lightly whipped marshmellow fluff (minus the stickiness) or air-filled meringue and applying it to my face, but there is more to it than that.  To get all of the details, including the shockingly low price, check out my Review of Simple Skin Care's Kind to Skin Vital Vitamin Day Cream with SPF15.

*Disclosure: The above reviewed sample was provided by the manufacturer.*

RapidLash Event with Freebie

I've been using RapidLash for a few weeks now on my lashes and a sparse eyebrow. So far I love the results and can't wait to see what happens in the next week or so! If you love RapidLash or would like to try it out, then you should check out the upcoming RapidLash event this Friday, March 5th from 1pm until 7pm. Where will it be? At the New Duane Reade Herald Square Look Boutique. You can meet Jeannine Morris (the founder of BeautySweetSpot.Com) and maybe get a few tips and tricks from her as well. As a bonus, you get a FREE Magnesium Crystal Resurfacing Polish ($40 value) when you purchase RapidLash. You don't have to worry about appointments or anything….just go and have fun, grab a freebie, and find out how to get your lashes to look their best!

Image Provided by: RapidLash

*Disclosure: The above mentioned sample was provided by the manufacturer.*

Metromint Water Taste Test - Day 6 of 6

Well, today is the final day of my 6 days taste testing of Metromint Water.  I've saved the best for last, and I actually already tested it and blogged on it earlier.  Day 6 is about Metromint Chocolatemint Water. If you haven't already noticed, this is my absolute favorite of the 6 flavors available.  I could probably live off of cases of this water for the rest of my life!  I LOVE the perfect blend of chocolate and mint, all while getting my much needed hydration each day.

So just incase you missed it the past 6 days, here is the breakdown of the Metromint Water Taste Testing ranking:

#1 Chocolatemint
#2 Spearmint
#3 Orangemint
#4 Peppermint
#5 Lemonmint
#6 Cherrymint

It's been lots of fun as well as refreshing over the past 6 days, and I hope all of you have taken something away from this.  I hope you take the opportunity to try one of Metromint's waters the next time you're out and see it on the shelf.  Again, I highly recommend the Chocolatemint!

If you're a chocoholic like me and want to give into the indulgence of Chocolatemint Water then check out this great deal at Amazon.com.

*Disclosure: The above review samples were provided by the manufacturer.*

The Perfect 10 Diet for a More Beautiful You?

So I was watching The DRs on NBC today and they were talking about things such as diets, wrinkle fixes, cellulite, etc. I just love this show! They always have some great topic going on and there are always tons of really useful information. So today one thing they were talking about was The Perfect 10 Diet by Dr. Michael Aziz.

Dr. Aziz said that "40% of calories come from carbs, 20% from protein, and 40% from fat" on his diet plan, for supposed faster weight loss results that will actually last. This diet promotes natural foods instead of the bad processed foods, and also focuses on 10 key hormones (insulin, leptin, glucagon, thyroid hormone, human growth hormone, cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), estrogen, progesterone and testosterone) which are supposed to play a specific role in your weight loss and health in the long-term. I suppose the title makes sense now.

So I have tried the South Beach Diet in the past and it worked, but it consisted of a lot of food prep, big grocery bills, more time than I actually have in a day, and I have to admit that Phase 1 was hard and just plain sucked. I have been looking for a different way of eating, especially since my rheumatologist got on me a couple of weeks ago for gaining X amount of pounds over the holidays.

I will be checking into The Perfect 10 Diet to see if it will be a better fit for me. I am looking for something that is more of a suitable lifestyle instead of a diet plan that requires frozen food or supplements. So this diet looks interesting. It has 3 stages, which reminds me of the SBD, so we'll see just how different it really is. Have any of you guys tried this diet before? Leave a comment because I would love to hear about it! Or do you have a diet plan that works well for you? Feel free to share that here too!