Beauty And The Beach

Summer officially started yesterday and now is the time to follow a few basic guidelines for looking your best!

Top Ten Summer Glam Tips:

• Your best feature is always attitude. Smile, be positive and feel confident in your beauty!

• Choose clothing that accentuates YOUR best assets, not magnifies the worst.

• Acrylic nails are not haute. Short, manicured nails are much prettier.

• Spend less on trends and more on basic fashion staples.

• Either go w/out toe nail polish or keep the polish fresh.

• When it comes to eyebrows, keep it moderate. Not too bushy, but not pencil thin. And stay away from the Sharpie marker!

• NEVER use skin care products that contain mineral oil.

• GRADUALLY build your faux summer tan to avoid the Miami Vice look

• Exfoliate BEFORE applying sunless tanner.

• Pick your best facial feature to emphasize. Those who emphasize every feature end up looking like Tammy Faye.

GNO w/ Maybelline

My high school girlfiends and I went out Saturday night to celebrate two of their birthdays. What better time to complete my first task as the CA Glambassador for Glamour Magazine?? Here we are at Target, in the Maybelline aisle:

Gonna make my brow eyes blue!

I am saying this in the sweetest way possible... dark, bushy eyebrows are only acceptable if you are doing a Groucho Marx impersonation. That's it. Plain and simple. Originally, I was going to post on trending nail polish colors, but when I went to read Glamour's latest article on color, I saw this:

As an appointed Glambassador, it is my moral obligation to point out this major fashion no-no. I was so distracted by this poor girl's unsightly brows, that I could not even rememeber what color she was wearing! At second glance, I realized that her polish job was an inverted manicure. Then I noticed her beautiful blue eyes. What a shame that those baby blues who overshadowed by the bushy browns. Not pretty. I know that some would disagree with my stance, but it is my stance and this is my blog...and so it shall be.

As a general rule, eyebrows are meant to frame your face, not take over. Please ladies, let's keep them groomed and in proportion to our profiles. Other examples of brows that would benefit from a little pruning inlcude:

Beautiful women, beautiful brow shapes, but too much of anything is well...too much.

What do you think?

Online Surveys & Market Research

Live Glamorously~ Kadi

Of Age and Beauty

A woman may develop wrinkles and cellulite, lose her waisteline, her bustline, her ability to bear a child, even her sense of humor, but none of that implies a loss of her sexuality, her femininity...~ Barbara Gordon.

I've always been afraid of growing old. My vanity started at a young age and the thought of being old always drove me to try every anti aging product on the market, far sooner than necessary. As thirty crept up on me last year, the panic set in. How would I survive turning thirty? Fine lines began appearing, throwing me into bouts of depression over getting old. Then the day came that I was no longer twenty nine and nothing, but everything, changed. I was still the same person.
When I smile, my dimples still show. Yes, there are lines around my eyes, but the centers still glisten with excitement. I have put on some weight, but it makes me look more womanly. My hair appointments have become more frequent, but so has my sex life. For every negative thing that I could come up with, there has also been something wonderful to discover about my journey into thirty.
I am more confident. For the first time in my life, I no longer feel the need to apologize to everyone all the time. I am not sorry for my choices and actions. I am sure of myself and where I am in life. I have more patience with myself and my children. I see my husband maturing and it has made him even more handsome than he's ever been. My body is finally healed from the numerous childbirths and my energy is no longer suffocated by pregnancies. I have had enough life experience to help others who have not yet traveled the paths I have. Of course, I'm also wise enough to know that I still do not know much compared to countless other women. I'm also old enough to value the thoughts and advice of those who have gone before me.
Leaving behind my young adulthood has made me see how beautiful it truly is to grow older. I am enjoying the first year of my thirties and am proud to say that I actually am starting to look forward to what the next decade and beyond holds for me!

Here is a lovely slideshow of gorgeous women over 30: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ynpt7ePXBg

Live Glamorously~ Kadi

Skin Deep

To continue my skin saving sermon, I'd like to touch upon the subject of skin care products.. Developing a skin care regimen is crucial. What you use, however, can be the most important factor in achieving better skin.

• Go look at your skin care products. Does your moisturizer contain mineral oil? If so...toss it immediately!





• Does your toner have alcohol in it? Alcohol dries out the skin and causes it to produce more oil. People with naturally oily skin can be doing themselves a great disservice by using alcohol based products to help control oil.





• Are you over twenty? Now is the time to think anti-aging.





• Over thirty? Time to start incorporating some peels and glycolic products.





• There is such a thing as over exfoliating. While I highly recommend exfoliation on a weekly basis, doing too much can cause damage to the dermis. Ask your esthetician about your ideal frequency.





• Masks are good to supplement. Find one that is specific to treating your issues.





• Don't have an esthetician? GET ONE! Sometimes, you need to be able to call on an expert.





• Research your products. Read reviews with the knowledge that everyone has different skin. If you look at the ingredients, they will help you decide which products are right for your skin type.





• Steer clear of companies that claim outrageous results or keep in mind that it is an advertising ploy.





• Considering getting a facial, skin treatment or rejuvenation technique? Only use a licensed and experienced esthetician who uses a specific line of quality skin care.

My favorites?

YonKa:

Glycolix:

MD Formulations:

For more skin care tips and product recommendations, visit http://www.glamour.com/

Live Glamorously~ Kadi

I'm My Own Worst Enemy

Pink is right. Most often, we are our own worst enemies. We expect others to respect us, but do we respect ourselves? Today I'm talking about respect for your skin. Skin is the body's largest organ. It is our protection from the brute forces of nature and man. However, it is greatly mistreated and overlooked. I am not innocent. I take my skin for granted all the time. So here are a few tips that I will be following this summer to repay my skin for being so good to me.

• Use sunblock DAILY, reapply if you are out in the sun for more than a few hours.
• Buy foundation with a built in UV shield factor of 15 or higher.
• Remember your skin's best friend is water. Drink plenty of it or your skin will suffer.
• Steer clear of tanning beds.
• Do not smoke! The carcinogens in those cancer sticks will not only kill you, but make you age significantly faster while you are on your way out.
• Moisturize morning and night.
• Wash your makeup off before bed. I'm so guilty of not doing this. Makeup, dirt and oil will collect on your pillow, creating a lasting bacteria playground for you to sleep on.
• Wash pillows, towels and linens regularly. Weekly, is recommended.
• Wear a hat outdoors. Preferably, a wide brimmed one. Straw cowgirl hats are both functional and stylish!
• Throw out old makeup and face products. Check the normal shelf lives of cosmetics here:

Oil-Free Foundation: 1 year
Cream or Compact Foundation: 18 months
Concealer: 12-18 months
Powder: 2 years
Blush and Bronzer: 2 years
Cream Blush: 12-18 months
Powder Eye shadow: 2 years Cream Eye shadow: 12-18 months
Eyeliner: 2 years
Liquid eyeliner: 3-6 months
Mascara: 3 months
Lipstick: 2 years
Lip liner: 2 years
Lip gloss: 18-24 months
Nail Color: 1 year

*Products without preservatives need to be discarded sooner.

Be good to your skin and it will be good to you!

Live Glamorously~ Kadi

I Am SAHM...Glam I Am!

"Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother." Lin Yutang
And the second greatest? To be glamorous! (You can quote me on that.)

Who am I?
I am Kadi, a SAHM to seven gorgeous little trouble makers! I just hit the big thirty mark last year and I was really dreading it. Being thirty has been totally different than I expected. I'm loving every second of it! I am a wiser mother, a more patient person and the sex is so much better! (Yes, I share way too much information. That's just me.) I have also been able to find my glamorous side again.

Who are we?
It is true. Motherhood requires us to give up a lot. Our former amounts of freedom, our personal space, our intact body and sound mind. However it gives us so much in return, that we hardly mind the loss of our old selves. Yes, I said hardly, simply due to the fact that no matter how precious our children are to us, there is always a little piece of our inner ids that still long to have shiny hair and a fabulous wardrobe, if only once in awhile. I'm here to tell you that not only is it possible, but it is also necessary for mothers to maintain some amount of glamour in their lives. While my children come first without exception, I have realized that in order to give my children a happy, fully functional mama, I must feed my own soul as well as theirs.

Why a Glambassador?
I decided to apply for the job of a *Glambassador for the purpose of spreading this knowledge to other moms out there. Who better to partner up with than one of the country's most loved publications, Glamour Magazine? When I got the letter that I had been selected to represent the moms of California at all Glamour events, I was thrilled! Not just because it will give me the chance to foster my glam side, but also that it will enable me to share insider tips from the pros on how to be a glamorous mommy with all of you. I'm so excited to get started!

Who's with me?
My friend, Clarissa, was also chosen to be a Glambassador (she is the epitome of a glamorous mama, if I do say so myself!) She will be covering all Glamour events in New York, so you will get the best of East and West coast Glamour info. We will be using our blogs to post video footage, event information and notes about our adventures as Glambassadors. Make sure that you check in with us for daily glam tips and special articles. Together, we will help you unveil the glam mommy within!

Live Glamorously~ Kadi

*Glambassador: A woman chosen to represent Glamour Magazine at fashion events and report back to the masses on what she learns and experiences.