Last weekend I celebrated my birthday by taking a trip to Atlantic City, which it turns out is very different from Atlanta. *Shrug* Now I know, so get off my case, Ashley.  While not the best in US geography, it also turns out I’m Lady (bad)Luck. I discovered, however, it’s a lot more fun when you’re losing someone else’s money, rather than your own. Throwing money away can have its perks, but I was more excited about laying on the beach the next day. Less excited, was I, about radiating heat from parts of my body that normally don’t see a lot of sunlight.

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Each time I dig into celebrity skin care secrets, the lists always include sunscreen. But sunscreen is not only important for preventing sun damage that makes you look older, it’s important for overall skin health – from Baby to Grandma. Hillary Peterson, CEO of Marie Veronique Organics, explains what you need to know to find safe and effective sunscreens.  Read more…

Antioxidants have the ability to fight off free radical damage, making it key in anti-aging products. (For more information on how antioxidants work, read my Eat ‘em Alive! article.) Coffee berry extract may be the most powerful antioxidant to enter the skin care market, beating out all other forms of naturally derived antioxidants. Skin care line RevaleSkin has jumped on the CoffeeBerry® bandwagon and will be introducing two new products, their Skin Firming Serum and Illuminesse Brightening Complex, packed with this exciting new ingredient.  Read more…

Disclosure: Guys, I love you, but this one is for my ladies!

PMS is a miserable time.  If you’re one of the more unlucky ones, like me, with PMDD, it’s even more of a nightmare! I’m already dealing with serious fatigue, body aches, irritability –  and don’t forget the moments I think God hates me and the world is against me. The last thing we need to add to the camel’s back is being self conscious about water weight gain and bad skin. Throw us a bone, mother nature!

Water retention not only makes us feel bloated and fat, but it actually emphasizes cellulite. Not havin’ that. To smooth out that dimply skin and alleviate the heavy  Read more…

They say that eyes are the windows to the soul. Unfortunately, they are one of the first things to show signs of aging. The last thing you want to do is tug at and rub the delicate skin around the eyes when you’re removing your eye makeup. And as someone who loves her waterproof mascara, I have yet to find a great eye makeup remover (including from a cleanser) on the market.  I either end up with traces of makeup still remaining on my eyes and lashes, or I have to aggressively rub at them to get everything off. The former ends up destroying your lashes, while the latter speeds up the aging process (around the eyes). That’s why nothing has replaced my favorite trick to removing stubborn eye makeup.  Read more…

After all these years, I still remember Jessica, the high school cheerleading captain, telling me that a woman’s hair is her crown and glory. It’s why I’ve spent the past 24 hours bawling my eyes out after having the worst haircut of my entire life.  My hair had reached what my friend Andre called “mermaid hair length.” It was time to cut off some of that weight.

Last week, while attending Capitol File’s exclusive “Power List” Party, I had received a gift bag loaded with goodies from Salon A (located in Bethesda). Normally I wait until I can make a trip to my home town, where I have the best stylist, Kim. With no trips planned in the near future, I thought I had lucked out by receiving this Salon A gift certificate. I write this now weighed down with complete regret.  Ann, one of the owners, was my stylist. I gave Ann specific instructions on what I wanted, including the shortest length I was willing to go. Additionally, I provided a photo of the exact haircut I wanted. Ann said she would cut 2 inches off the length, and would work with me if I wanted more taken off. When I saw 6 inch strands of my hair falling into my lap, I stopped Ann to ask her what she was doing while reeling back the full on panic attack that was mounting. She assured me it was just her technique and that I needn’t worry. Well, when it was all over, I realized she took off more than half a foot of my hair. Even more inexcusable than butchering off all my hair, was that it was simply a bad haircut. I would have received a better cut from the Hair Cuttery.  Read more…