About a year ago, my esthetician Jannae recommended taking daily flax seed supplements to prevent breakouts and improve the quality of my skin.   I also read at the Green Living website about ingesting Flax Seed Oil to combat dry skin, and used their recommendations of taking flax seed oil and/or supplements in a post called, “Winter is Here: Dealing with Dry, Cracked and Itchy Skin.”  And a few months ago, an excellent comment was made by Elena at the post called, “Supplements for the Skin, Hair, and Nails:  Price hard to swallow,” of the benefits of taking Borage Oil supplements.  (more…)

Now that title is a mouthful!  A weekend isn’t complete without mentioning some fabulous beauty reads from around the Internet:

• Products That Work For Every Woman! - Jami from Bionic Beauty shares her list of basic beauty items that are universally great for all women.
• Fall 2008 Trends: The Color Purple - Raging Rouge delves into several ways to go purple this season.
• Carnivore & Creme de Violet FOTD - Decorative Diva puts together another fabulous look using violet and wine red eye shadows.
• Apparently, Spoiled Pretty is a Snoozefest - I had to laugh reading this post.  Yeah Daneen, your totally rocking and wonderful beauty blog is a real snoozer! ;)
• Lash Stash is Back - Makeup Moxie reports that while the original Lash Stash had only seven mascaras, the new version now comes with ten mini mascaras for you to test out.  How awesome, I want!
• JESSICURL TOO SHEA CONDITIONER! HUMP DAY HAIR DAY! - My favorite group of beauty mavens at Megsmakeup.com test out Jessicurl, and guess what?  They love it!
• HOLIDAYS ARE HERE! SATURDAYS AT SEPHORA! - Kate at Megsamakeup.com talks about some amazing traincases filled with cosmetics that are being auctioned for charity.  Go check them out, and bid away.  
• Fitness Friday:  Don’t Skimp on Stretching - My favorite beauty gals from Girl-Woman-Beauty-Brains-Blog discuss the benefits of stretching!   
• Comments for a Cure:  This weekend Only - Face Candy gives a touching tribute to her parents and supports BCA by contributing $4 for every comment made at this post!
• lancome oscillation mascara launches today! - Jenn and Christine at Beauty in Real Life review Lancome’s newly released vibrating mascara applicator.  Does it work and tips on how to use it.

Here are some new promotions just announced at my favorite naturally curly hair line, Jessicurl.  Because one of the curly hair commandments is to avoid blow-drying, her microfiber towels help speed up your air-drying and help style your hair as well (via plunking and scrunching).   For great curly hair styling tips be sure to watch Jess’ demonstration videos at the Jessicurl website!

• $3 off liters, all products and all scents
• $3 off the “towel combo,” a small microfiber towel for scrunching and a larger one for plunking (be sure to watch Jess’ demonstration videos if you don’t know what that means or if you just want to learn the best techniques for using Jessicurl products)
• 10% off full size collections (Rich, Light, and Try It All), and all body care products too!!

With each purchase, Jessicurl includes a very fun Jessicurl bumper sticker stating, “You have the right to remain curly!”  So Jess is asking her customers (like you Tracy) to participate by sending her a photo of your Jessicurl bumper sticker on your car, your school locker, or any other (legal!) place and in return she will send you back a discount code for 10% off a future order!   Not only that but in the next few weeks the Jessicurl site will unveil a new photo gallery page to show these pictures off.   She asks us to please only send pictures that you would be OK having publicly posted (and they will blur or black out license plate numbers).  Send your photo to customerservice@jessicurl.com with “Bumper Sticker Photo” in the subject line.

You do have the right to remain curly!

To use a highly abused political term, I’ve been flip-flopping on my curly hair products lately.   I am a big fan of the DevaCare line and just had a curly cut a few weeks ago.   But the other day, I noticed that my hair just wasn’t performing well and I decided to revert back to my good ol’ Jessicurl line.  In response to some Rockin’ Ringlets and Confident Coils Styling Solution, my hair behaved beautifully yesterday.  My waves felt soft, not weighed down and without frizz, even on a windy September afternoon.  Oh Jessicurl, how I love thee!

FYI, Jess released some new specials today on the Jessicurl site:

10% off on both products when purchasing 8oz, Liters, or Gallons of Gentle Lather Shampoo and Aloeba Daily Conditioner together here.  You don’t even have to get the same size or scent for both products, just a few extra clicks in the shopping cart “configurator” to pick the details and make your combo.

For the big spenders, $5 flat rate shipping for orders of $100 or more or free shipping for orders of $200 or more.  Discount applies to product purchase amount only, and excludes tax and shipping.

Trial Collections, Rich and Light, both still 10% off. Each pack contains six trial size products, a great gift for the curlies in your life, and also a great way to travel with your favorite Jessicurl products.

And many good hair wishes to you!

Prompted by a Bionic Beauty post last week called, “What makeup are you wearing today?”  I was also inspired by DecoDiva’s great going out post and pics last week on her blogsite.  I wanted to ask MBB readers a similar question.  When you go out for the evening, how do you “kick it up a notch?”

Evening makeup deserves a more intense lip color, a richly pigmented black mascara, and some fabulous glow.   On a recent evening out with my hubby, I went with a bolder berry look, inspired by two of Urban Decay’s new lip products, their 24/7 Lip Pencil and Lipstick. 

• Hair:  Jessicurl’s Aloeba Daily Conditioner, Rockin’ Ringlets Styling Potion, and Confident Coils Styling Solution, set with hair clips, scrunched with a microfiber towel and allowed to air dry.
• Skin prep:  SK1N Probiotics Daily Moisturizing Cream
• Anastasia’s All About Brows Kit:  Defines and tames my brows
• Prescriptives Flawless Skin Foundation in Rose, applied with a foundation brush and fingers
• Laura Mercier Eyeliner in Bleu Marine, appliled with flat eyeliner brush
• Profaces mineral eyeshadow in a rosy gold glimmer
• Sugar’s Bronzer/Blush Duo, blush on apples of cheeks and bronzer around face and jawline
• Alison Raffaele’s True Concealer
• Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-on Lip Pencil in Wicked, creamy and lasts, truly lives up to its glide on name.
• Urban Decay’s Lipstick in Hotpants, luxuriously creamy and beautiful medium pink shade.
• Napoleon Perdis, Long Black Mascara, one coat
• Light dusting of Aromaleigh’s Illuminator Finishing Powder, a translucent, sheer loose mineral cosmetic powder, that contains reflective minerals to give your skin a radiant appearance.  Apply on brow bones, above cheeks and lightly around forehead, chin, and decollete.
• Finish by lightly tapping around face with soft clean towel to set in makeup (tip from Alyson Hoag, makeup artist at Authentic Beauty).

Here is another fabulous Jessicurl product to add to your must have list: Jessicurl’s Weekly Deep Conditioning Treatment. You don’t have to have curly hair to benefit from this product either.

Summer is particularly harsh on hair. My kids and I have been spending a ton of time at the pool, and between exposing our hair to the chlorinated water and intense sun, our hair is feeling dry and damaged. In the craziness of summer activity I have been forgetting to give my hair a weekly deep conditioning treatment! After wondering why my hair wasn’t looking so great, I decided I better use some of my Jessicurl’s Weekly Deep Conditioning Treatment and feed my hair.

Just follow these deep conditioning directions at the post: Deep Conditioning: How to Feed Your Hair.

You will be blown away how healthy and soft your hair will feel after using this deep conditioner. I also used Jessicurl’s Weekly Deep Conditioner on two of my daughters because of how dry and tangled their hair had become. Before using it I couldn’t get a comb through their hair without yelps of pain from them. Little Sarah and Naomi loved how soft and tangle free their hair became after using this conditioner. Naomi even requested to use some a few days ago, “Put the stuff that makes my hair so silky soft again Mom.”

Here is a little blurb from Jess about her Weekly Deep Conditioner:

I’m a big fan of weekly deep treatments with heat. They really moisturize and strengthen the hair, and they’re just plain fun to do. This treatment works best with a plastic cap left on for 20 minutes. This thick conditioner uses Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter to add some serious moisture to your hair. For an even more intense treatment, use it with our Micro Heat Cap.

In the summer months, you simply apply your conditioner and a plastic cap and sit out in the sunshine as your heat source for 20 minutes. The heat from the sun works great and really helps the conditioner fully penetrate the hair shaft. After the 20 minutes let your hair cool off for 5-10 minutes, and rinse and style as usual.

So, if your hair is feeling a bit on the crunchy side, it might be time to feed that hair!

You can purchase Jessicurl’s Weekly Deep Conditioning Treatment at the Jessicurl website for $12.00.

I just discovered a terrific shaving cream for my legs this morning and had to share.

Jessicurl’s Hair Cleansing Cream!   I was using this product as my shampoo, and then today it suddenly dawned on me that I should try this shampoo as a shaving cream.   Just a small amount added a wonderful slip on my skin for shaving, and left my legs feeling silky, not irritated, no cuts or nicks either.  You have to love that this product is all natural as well.  I always have hated the store brand shaving creams, with their strong scents and mile long chemical ingredient list.

“Use Jessicurl Hair Cleansing Cream to wash your hair gently without leaving it stripped and straw-like. The super moisturizing formula will make your hair soft, silky and wonderfully clean. Safe for color treated hair.”

Jess also added:

“This is my personal favorite product, as traditional shampoos had become such a nightmare for me. (For more on my views of traditional shampoo, visit our About Us section) The cleansing agents in this cleanser are two of the most gentle available ensuring that it won’t dry out your hair. If it’s been a few days since you last washed your hair, you might not experience a huge amount of lather on your first application of Hair Cleansing Cream. This does NOT mean that your hair isn’t clean. If you desire a more robust lather, washing a second time through should satisfy your needs. For an even more in depth cleaning, leave the lathered Hair Cleansing Cream on your hair for a few minutes before rinsing it out. This cleanser is gentle enough to be used every day, and is perfectly safe for color treated hair. I also like using it as body wash with a bath poof it leaves my skin SO much softer than soap.”

So Jess knew it all along, I just didn’t read the fine print!   I love finding out that a product I already have and love can be used for multiple applications.  Yay, Jessicurl’s Hair Cleansing (and Shaving) Cream!

While embracing my naturally curly hair, I have come across some extraordinary haircare product lines.  One of my favorite lines is Jessicurl.  To learn more about Jess McGuinty and how her company started you can visit my interview with her from a few months back:

Jessicurl: Hair with Heart and Soul. An Interview with Jess McGuinty

In developing a beauty blog, one of my main objectives is to find products that I strongly believe are worth your pursuit and money.  Nothing is more frustrating than purchasing something and finding out later that it isn’t doesn’t fulfill your need for it.  I first tried the Jessicurl hair care line a year ago and was delighted with the quality, the natural ingredients, and the way my curly hair responded to it.  I also loved the natural scents of the products, not overwhelmingly perfume-y!  I have a very sensitive nose, and a lot of cosmetics and haircare products can leave me feeling whoozy while using them.

I have recommended the Jessicurl hair care line and her demonstration videos many times, and if you have become a fan of the Jessicurl line you might be interested in the CHIRP (the Curly Hair Incentive Referral Program).  Basically the CHIRP program at Jessicurl is an affiliate program to help you build store credit in return for your mentions on your website.

If you feel the desire to sing the praises of the Jessicurl hair care line and would like to join the CHIRP affiliate program at Jessicurl, you can register at:  Jessicurl Partners Zone.

Right now I am trying to save up for some silk pillowcases and some more Jessicurl Too Shea Conditioner!

Tuesday April 22nd has been designated as “Earth Day“ for 2008. Thousands of individuals and organizations will be taking action to a make positive, healing impact on our world.

This past January, I was able to meet a fascinating and extremely smart woman named Diane MacEachern. Diane MacEachern is the author of, “Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World.” Her book discusses the fact that women make the majority of all purchases, and by their purchasing choices, can make a significant difference in what is being manufactured and protecting our environment.

The Big Green Purse Shopping Principles:

1) Buy less.
2) Read the label.
3) Support sustainable standards.
4) Look for third-party verification.
5) Choose fewer ingredients.
6) Pick less packaging.
7) Buy local.

Diane asks women to take a $1,000 green spending challenge; shifting the money we already spend and purchasing eco-friendly goods and services. She also challenges us to cut down our use of daily household products by three. I am a poor example of cutting my own personal care items because of my beauty blogging obsession. However, I would like to point out that I have made some changes and switched over to some environmentally safe beauty and household products this year.

You might be saying, “Buying organic might be great, but it comes a hefty price, and my family cannot afford it.” Making eco-friendly consumer choices can cost more, but not necessarily. On her webiste, Diane lists her “Top 10 ways to be eco friendly on a budget.” She claims by making these changes we could save $20 - $50 dollars on our monthly budget.

There are several beauty companies that are making changes and becoming more eco-friendly by choosing not to use chemicals, preservatives, colors, and fragrances that can be harmful to our environment as well as our health. Many beauty companies are going green by using only recyclable and biodegradable packaging. Here are some of my favorite eco-friendly beauty companies:

Tarte -

To celebrate Earth Day, Tarte Cosmetics is offering 20% off of all purchases at their website.

Some of my personal favorite Tarte products are: Smooth Operator spf 20 foundation, Clean Slate Primer, Cheek Stains, and their double dose berry lip glosses. All of Tarte’s products are packed with healthy, natural ingredients and free of mineral oil, sulfates, phthalates and synthetic fragrances. To receive the 20% off discount, enter the Code: EARTH08 at checkout. This offer is good until May 2, 2008.

Jessicurl -

Jess McGuinty created the Jessicurl hair care line after years of using products that didn’t work for her curly hair. The Jessicurl line uses only ingredients that offer a specific benefit to curly hair, and adds no fillers. Jessicurl makes sure that none of their products contain any animal ingredients, and they do not test on animals.

Sukipure and Sukicolor -

Suki conforms to many of Diane MacEachern’s shopping principles, including being involved in many third-party verification groups, such as The Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics, The Organic Consumer’s Association, and The Green Products Alliance.
Suki’s formulas are 100% natural, and are ideal for those with sensitive skin. Suki only uses non-synthetic ingredients in her beauty and body care products.

What will you be doing to celebrate Earth Day 2008?

3 weeks ago Tracy M took a “leap of faith” into the naturally curly hair care method. This poignant hair “Lock-umentary” can be read at both her website, Dandelion Mama and here, and the progress that her hair made is absolutely gorgeous!

The Three Week Naturally Curly Challenge Saga:

Tracy takes a before picture and starts her 3 week journey.

Sorry, no brushing allowed.

Significant progress and some curl improvements made.

Co-pooing and rules for taking care of your hair and scalp.

One hair care line that I introduced to Tracy, and she fell in love with, was the Jessicurl line. Not only are Jessicurl’s products incredible, they are reasonably priced and all natural. Jess just informed me about their $5.00 flat-rate shipping fee offer. This would be an excellent time to try her hair care line, and if you have any questions, just email them; they are the friendliest, coolest group of people on the planet!

“You might think of this as spring cleaning here at Jessicurl headquarters - I invite you to clean out my inventory, from Aloeba to Too Shea! and everything in between. No matter what you buy, it will only cost $5 to ship. This offer is good through Sunday, April 13 at 6pm PT and applies only to orders with US shipping addresses.”