Fall is in the air!

It's the beginning of September in NYC and that means many fabulous things! For starters, its Fashion Week, which always puts me in a better mood AND the weather shows the first hints of fall, which is my favorite time of year! Why is it my favorite time of year? Where do I start, layers layers layers, berry lip stains, darker colors, minimal shades..oh and my birthday!! And not to mention, my walk to work is way more comfortable. Here are some of my favorite things for this fall...

Berry Lips
A berry lip color is great for fall. I love a good matte berry color that wont rub off on my lips. My favorite of the moment is Tarte's LipSurgence™ natural matte lip stain in HOPE Tarte'sLipSurgence™ natural matte lip stains are peppermint-infuse d and glide on smooth for a rich matte finish that will stay all day. Each of the matte shades boasts the high pigment concentration we love from Tarte's matte lipsticks, but unlike drying lipsticks these stains are infused with high-performance natural™ LipSurgence™ technology which is clinically proven to increase moisture content by an astonishing 6000% after 28 days. $24 at Sephora.


Night Eyes!
Fall nights out on the town mean a great excuse to play up your eyes. I recently started using Urban Decay's Vegan Palette and their eye shadows are amAzing!! It stays on all night and gives you that perfect pop of glam! Sure, everything at Urban Decay is cruelty-free (meaning not tested on animals...ever!), but this palette is dedicated to Urban Decay's fervent vegan fans - those who "just say no" to using animal by-products of any kind. Throw away any misconceptions that a vegan palette would include ho-hum shades of drab shadows...Check out these vibrant teal and a silvery money-green eyeshadows, in addition to four rich neutrals. Urban Decay even included travel-sizes of Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Sin and 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero. Even their packaging is soy-based inks and recyclable. $34 at Ulta.com.

And to top off those glam eyes you'll need luscious lashes, of course! I have found a great mascara and it comes from the FusionBeauty line...LashFusion XL! Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a fanatic about mascara, will not leave my place without it on, so when I ran across this mascara I was skeptical, but it definitely proved me wrong. Besides my #1 favorite Benefit's Bad Gal Lash, LashFusion XL ranks right next to it as a great mascara for large voluminous lashes!


The Goody Spin Pinl
These two pins are God's gift to women, or at least women looking to perfect that elegant yet chic messy bun look that stays put all day! I have insane t hick hair, so believe me when I say this product works and in just seconds. You just twist your hair at the nape of your neck into a bun and then insert the pins at opposite ends in a swirl motion and viola! Perfect Chignon! AND to make this product even better the Goody Spin Pin comes in all hair colors! $5.99 (local drug store)


Nails Nails Nails!
Ok ladies, one of my favorite indulgences is a great manicure and I am loving the nail colors for fall! Deborah Lippman's Lippman Collection has some of most perfect colors out there for year round. For Fall I am loving the color FASHION! It's a not your typical taupe that transits perfectly from day to night. Also loving Bad Romance, a moody and dark, yet brilliantly provocative glitter polish that is perfect for an edgy girl, while
Waking Up In Vegas is a putty-licious gray that just screams fall minimalism. And if you haven't guessed by now, Deborah Lippman names her colors after clients, which are of course celebs because she is the manicurist to the stars! Check out Deborah and her collection at www.lippmancollections.com.
And you know I can't forget my Essie and OPI favorites! Essie's Little Brown Dress and Merino Cool are insanely right on for fall!
While OPI's Russian Navy and Lincoln Park After Dark are the perfect dark shades for those girls feeling a bit, well, dark!

And last but not least, one of my most favorite loves for fall are LAYERS! I love to layer a tunic with a boyfriend cardigan over leggings or jeggings, top that off perfectly with a scarf, junky earrings and simple flats or boots...I just sigh thinking about it!

My go to leggings are American Apparel, they are a staple in New York City during the winter! And I'm loving Joe's Jean Jeggings (I purchased mine from Anthropology) and you can't go wrong with JBrands skinnies in any style or color. And yes girls with butts like myself, you can fit into and look great in JBrands! Now my piece of advise is to never wear a top that is too short for jeggings/leggings or skinnny jeans, that just doesn't look good girls! Make sure it hits below the tops of your thighs. If you need some inspiration for fall outfits www.intermixonline.com is always a great site or if you are looking for a more affordable site, www.urbanoutfitters.com is a great one too!


Now are you as excited for Fall as I am?? I hope so!

Joshi- The Good and Bad News!

Ok, so I tried Joshi for like 7 days and was doing very well, BUT (yes, there is a but) I had to leave for a work trip and it was very hard to keep up with it. Feel like a failure but, hey I tried! On our Nordstrom visit I stuck to salmon and veggies, but when it came to dinner we went to this amazing Asian fusion place and I couldn't pass up the spicy yumminess! So all in all it was to hard to eat out and eat on the go on the Joshi. Better luck next time!
On a better note I do always incorporate Joshi into my diet, I stay away from white bread and white rice, always go for gluten free cereals, eat lean meats, dark veggies constantly, so it has helped me make smarter eating choices for sure!

Day 2 Joshi Detox

I am very tired today and really really want some COFFEE, but I say no to temptation and have my oatmeal with honey. Throughout the day I have a headache and not sure if its because of work or the detox. * Joshi warns of headaches the first few days because your body is releasing all the toxins.
I went to the gym after work and was alittle weak on the eliptical but got through it and by the time I got home I was exhausted but really wanted to cook my lunch for day 3...well this did not go over so well. I love to cook and I am pretty good at it, but in my tired state had forgot to get the frozen chicken out of the freezer before I went to the gym...so after putting the very frozen chicken under hot water and leaving it out to try to thaw it, I gave up and threw it out because it looked gross and kinda scared me AND its hitting 10pm, so I steamed some green beans and asparagus and that is what I'll have for lunch on day 3. As for dinner, was too tired so had a rice cake and gluten free cereal, soy milk and honey. I think my honey intake is a bit much.

Breakfast: Oatmeal with honey
Lunch: Mixed greens salad with grilled chicken, steamed spinach and alittle hummus.
Snack: Rice cake, live yoghurt with honey and a banana.
Dinner: Rice cake, gluten free cereal with honey and soy milk.

Day 1 Dr. Joshi Holistic Detox

On Monday May 24th I started the 21 day Dr. Joshi Holistic Detox! Now I have done the detox before, but only for 7 days right before my birthday because many women I work with had just finished their 21 days and looked amazing, so I wanted to try it out and see what all the buzz was about. And after 7 days I did feel amazing and had lost weight.

So in present time my birthday was 8 months ago and within the past 2 weeks my very pregnant best friend and her daughter have come to visit me, where I ate like a pregnant women...she wanted ice cream, so I had ice cream, she craved pizza, so of course I ate pizza! And then my mother came to visit and we ate out every meal!
So its now almost June, bikini season, and I would like to look and feel amazing this summer, so I am trying the Joshi Detox for the full 21 days!!!

Dr. Joshi's book is very helpful, so if your considering the detox, I recommended buying the book.
Let's get down to the nitty gritty, what can you not eat and what can you eat!

Joshi foods to avoid:
Red Meat
Dairy Produce, except soy milk
Fruit, except bananas
Wheat, gluten and yeast
Alcohol- this is gonna be the hard one!
Nuts
Nightshades- cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes
Potatoes
Jams, spreads
Coffee and tea, except herbal tea
Sugar, Chocolate, sweets
Artificially produced flavourings- Ketchup, vinegar, mustard
Joshi foods to eat:
White meat- chicken and turkey
Brown rice, rice cakes
Buffalo mozzarella, goats cheese, ricotta and cottage cheese
Live yoghurt
Dark green vegetables, except Avocado 1 per week
Eggs, no more than 3 -4 week
Fish, especially oily, but NO shellfish, tuna or swordfish
Gluten free/Wheat Free cereals and breads
Honey
Olive oil
Pulses, lentils, chick peas
Soya and tofu products

Prior to Day 1 I did the Master Cleanse (liquid lemon drink detox) for 2 days- Im gettin serious now!
It makes any detox easier if you do an all-liquid diet at least 24 hours prior.

Day 1 Joshi Detox:
Breakfast: Plain oatmeal with honey
Lunch: Grilled chicken, brown rice, steamed spinach
Snack: Rice cake, live yoghurt w honey
Dinner: Lentil soup

Day 1 was pretty easy, I was pretty tired though and did have a wondering eye for my coffee truck guy on my way to work! 20 Days To Go!

The 'No Makeup" make up look

Everyone wishes they looked fantastic without make up on, but the truth is, 99% of us look awful without at least something on our face. I'll even go so far to admit publicly I look about 12 years old without mascara on! So here is how you can achieve that au natural look of 'no makeup' make up look:

• First, use a tinted moisturizer under the eyes, lightly blend on the forehead and any problem areas- Choose a color that matches your skin color spot on- not darker or lighter, because that wont blend well with the rest of your face or neck, especially since your just using it sparingly on the face. I love Smashbox Sheer Focus in Luminous.



• Next, use a cream blush- stays on all day- and pat the cheek area, either the apples of the cheeks or the cheek bones.



• Now, use a matte powder and dust across the face. I have been loving a line called Sheer Cover Mineral Foundation with 15 SPF in Frost lately, this powder will set the face keeping the tinted moisturizer and cream blush in place.



• The only thing left is a mascara, thin line of liner right on the lashline-if needed- like I said, I look 12 years old without my mascara on.



• And a great natural lip color like Nars Cheslea Girls and your all set to leave your house/apt looking naturally beautiful!

  

  
  
  **I know I recommend Nars Chelsea Girls alot, but it is seriously the best lip laquer, just try it and I promise you'll be hooked!

Lions and Tigers and Dark Circles- Oh My!

Dark circles are the worst, the absolute worst thing I want to see on my face! Working in New York City's fashion industry, well any industry for that matter, can definitely run you into the ground and give you dark circles...even after a good night's sleep.
My quick go-to routine for mornings that I need to quickly get to work AND look refreshed is:

• Splash cold water on the face (to get that puffiness down), pat the face dry with a wash cloth, moisturize (I always recommend a moisturizer with SPF like Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 15), let it dry.


• Then grab that yellow corrector- Yellow covers Purple (yes, we learn that in Art Class when we're 5 years old as well). I love Benefit's Lemon-Aid because it does exactly that, AID! It is a soft yellow correcting cream that instantly covers dark circles. Many brands have this kind of product.


• Either use your pointer finger or a make-up sponge and lightly PAT the yellow corrector under the eyes and in the inner corner of your eye, where the dark circles are staked out on the face. Don't overdue it, alittle goes a long way.


• Now, apply your foundation, powder, etc like normal.

There really isn't a remedy or cure for dark circles to completely disappear, but there are great tricks to covering them.

If you have more time in the morning then gel eye masks are great tools for depuffing the face!

And liquid/cream highlighters are always great for the inner and outer corners of the eye to give you that extra bright eye look.

Cheeky Time

The perfect cheek is attainable!! Depending on your skin tone and the look your going for choose a gel or cream color as the base- Red, Peach, Light Pink, Bright Pink and a powder blush. Many say the color of your cheeks when your flushed or after a work-out is your perfect cheek color and I agree with this to an extent, but if your going for a punk look, edgy look or natural look, fresh look the color of blush will change.
The best bet is to experiment! I love going to Sephora and trying out different colors.
Tip: Powder blush with highlighters (TheBalm's Hot Mama) will look luminous, so if your going for a matte look use a blush without highlighters.

• Pick a gel like Tarte Cheek Stain (My Favorite), Nars Cream Blush, or Benefit Rush Hour.
• Use your pointer finger to pat the gel/cream blush on the apples of your cheeks- If you don't know where the apples of your cheeks are, smile in front of a mirror, the balls of your cheekbones are your apples!
• always start light...always pat...never rub!
• Now apply the powder blush. Use a blush brush and quickly wisp the powder blush on top of the gel/cream blush moving outwards towards your temples.
• The blush will stay on all day.
• If you love bronzer, then lightly brush bronzer on forehead, nose and cheeks- look in a mirror and suck in the cheeks, this is where bronzer should go to give your face depth and contour- always start light with bronzer and blend into the face.

Cheek looks I'm loving right now:

• Fall's Fresh Face Look- Use a soft pink cream like Stila's Convertible Color in Lilium! And a brighter pink powder blush like TheBalm's Hot Mama. Use this with a touch of bronzer, soft colors on the eye and a berry gloss on the lips, fresh perfection.
• Sex Kitten Look- One of my favs for sure! Again use a soft pink cream like Stila's Convertible Color in Lilium on the cheeks, quisk a matte light pink powder blush on top of the cream. Then smokey up the eye- See Smokey Eye blog. Use lots and lots of mascara. and Then finish off your pout with a light peach or nude lip liner like Benefit's Posh or MAC's lip pencil in Subculture (lining thicker on the outer corners of the mouth) and pat/blend Stila's Convertible Color in Lilium on the lips.
• Bell of the Ball Look- Flushed cheeks are devine for fall. Use a red stain like Tarte's Natural Beauty on the apples of the cheek with minimal face make-up, but lots of liner, mascara and red lips.