How White Vinegar Rinse Can Lock In Color Longer

We've had a number of women ask us to consult the beauty gods, and find a solution for hair color that fades too quickly. For gray hairs that pop up too fast following a bath in permanent dye. For bold red color that lightens much too soon after a visit to the salon. Etc.

We would certainly agree, that a professional hair salon is always your best bet when coloring your hair or lightening or darkening your locks several shades. But even then, many women complain that permanent hair color is not perfect, and doesn't maintain its shade and shine for too long.

Sorry, but we don't have a perfect answer, either. We have written a number of articles about dyeing hair, and coloring hair at home. A lot of women say they follow the steps strictly, and still, the color fades too fast.

We thought about this last night, and then we thought about a new pair of indigo jeans we had bought. We read somewhere, that tossing a little white vinegar into the wash with the new dark jeans would stop fading. So we tried it, and by golly, it worked. The dark jeans did not leave any colored water in the wash.

Hmmm. Could this work for newly colored hair, we wondered?!

So, we started digging around the internet. And apparently, a white vinegar rinse after coloring hair, is said to lock in the the new shade and keep the dye in for a longer time.

We have not tried this yet, but the next time we color our grays with a box of Excellence, we will let you know.

What's in white vinegar, you ask???

We were curious, and found this little item from some punk haircoloring dye-hards at http://www.mookychick.co.uk/style/hairdye_tips.php

"You can also keep the colour in there a little longer by rinsing your hair with white vinegar straight after colouring your hair. This raises the pH level of the hair color and gives it more permanence. Mix equal amounts of white vinegar and water in a cup (about half a cup of each) and rinse out your newly-coloured hair with lukewarm water until the water runs clear. Then pour on the mix, comb it through and rinse it out. Huzzah!"

The white vinegar supposedly helps to close the cuticle and retain your color. Yes, the odor is strong, but disappears after rinsing well. Close your eyes, too, a shot of vinegar stings like mad.

We are not saying this vinegar rinse method is fool-proof, but it's worth a shot. Plus, you will add great shine to your hair, and tangled hair will be gone.

Sex & The City's Kristin Davis Stays Young Through AHAVA

As Sex and the City Fans anxiously await another movie from the gals, (it was made official last February that the cast had signed on to do a sequel), we were eager to learn about Kristin Davis, and how the 44-year-old, ageless beauty stays that way.

One word she has for her fans: AHAVA.

Kristin Davis is talking about the AHAVA skin care line she is an international spokesperson for.

We can say that the Time Line products of AHAVA all contain dead sea algae. The plant is said to be full of beta carotene and vitamins, ingredients that keep skin looking youthful.

All Night Nourishment, which Kristin Davis adores, was also developed with a patented 3D Complex, containing extracts from the Trigonella shrub and Jujube tree, both of which are supposed to nourish damaged skin. A jar retails for $56 for 1.7 oz.

Ahava, by the way, means 'love' in Hebrew. And according to the AHAVA skin care line, the secret is in the Dead sea.

"People from all over the world with very sensitive skin or even skin disorders come to the Dead Sea to immerse their bodies in its mineral-rich waters. Dead Sea minerals are approved and recommended by the world’s most renowned dermatologists, both as an excellent remedy for alleviating the symptoms of skin problems and as ongoing, daily care for maintaining healthy skin at optimal levels. The majority of AHAVA products are approved for sensitive skin."

And that is the beauty of the AHAVA mineral-rich skin care line. From face, to hands and body, to bath and hair, there is a special AHAVA beauty treatment for you.

You can purchase AHAVA products from these websites:
http://www.ahavaus.com/, ULTA, and Nordstrom

Carol Alt Keeping It Raw And Natural With New Skin Care Line

Model Carol Alt has had quite a successful career--- on magazine covers, in movies, on Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice show, as a published author, and the list goes on.

And now the beautiful brunette has a new skin care line, and it's all raw!

Carol Alt has been enjoying the healthy benefits of eating raw foods for quite some time now, and it just made sense, to extend that pure goodness to the products one uses on their face and body. That means:

100% raw active, natural and completely synthetic-free ingredients. That means no parabens, P.E.G.s, or lauryl sulfates. In fact, RAW ESSENTIALS is the only product line sold in the United States that is certified raw.

Carol Alt explains the value of raw skin care at her website, www.CarolAlt.com.

“Since the raw movement is relatively new, it was virtually impossible to find a cosmetics company with a truly pure line that I, myself, would feel safe using. My guidelines and demands on this subject are so stringent, and I am not willing to compromise on them, that it made it very difficult for any company to be able to afford to work with me. You have to understand that it is very expensive to use raw ingredients in anything. When I say ‘raw’, I mean as found in nature - unadulterated, unheated ingredients. That is basically why I had to create my own products, which has taken me quite a while to accomplish..."

Carol is very serious about the true ingredients found in her new skin care line.

“You know…I simply cannot imagine that putting something synthetic on your skin can possibly improve it. All you have to do is look around. No matter how much expensive goop people put on their faces, are they looking younger? No! Not at all. If all of the synthetic products really worked, would we need botox and plastic surgery to the degree they’re now being used? Think about it…!”

The HSN shopping website features a number of Carol Alt's Raw Essentials collection.

We recommend the RAW Essentials by Carol Alt Raw-gime 5-piece Face Kit
Item: 396-475. It sells for $68.50. Retail price: $103.25.

The kit includes:
4 oz. RAW Essentials Raw-covery Facial Revive Wash.
1.7 oz. RAW Essentials Raw-activate Daily Revitalizing Moisturizer.
.5 oz. RAW Essentials Raw-juvenate Eye Recoup.
4 oz. RAW Essentials Raw-fresh Facial Toner.
2 oz. RAW Essentials Raw-finish Rigorous Face Scrub.
Made in USA.

And by looking at the customer reviews, it's an excellent skin care introductory set. Sensitive skin will appreciate this line, and those with rosacea, have found Carol's products soothing and effective at toning down the redness.

Check out her Raw Essentials here:
http://beauty.hsn.com/raw-essentials-by-carol-alt-raw-gime-5-piece-face-kit_p-5385658_xp.aspx?webm_id=0&web_id=5385658&sf=bs&attr=6360&ocm=sekw&prev=hp!6360&ccm=bs6360

How To Make Bethenny's 90 Calorie Skinnygirl Margarita

Summer is fast approaching.....that means shorter skirts, shorter shorts, baring arms, dare we say a bikini, and so on.

We're all watching our waistlines, but we also want to have fun, and that means a sweet cocktail once in a while. And that brings us to the legendary, tropical margarita.

The average margarita has about, well, several hundred calories!!!! According to WikiAnswers.com, the number is frightening:

"Frozen: 180 calories (all carbs) for a 4 oz serving. Considering the average margarita glass holds 12 oz you're looking at 540 calories."

Wow. That's a ton of calories. And that's why, we are so looking forward to Bethenny Frankel's new line of Skinnygirl Margaritas coming out this June in a liquor store near you. The beauty of Bethenny's margarita is a dieter's dream---only 90 calories a drink. Or as The Real Housewives of New York star, Bethenny Frankel, likes to say: "The margarita you can trust."

And we have Bethenny's recipe for a Skinnygirl Margarita. You can also find the recipe at her website: http://www.bethenny.com/skinny_margarita.htm.

2 oz of Clear Premium Tequila (count 1, 2 while you pour, no need for measuring)
Tiny splash of Orange Liquor
Juice of 4 Fresh Lime Wedges
Splash of Grand Marnier or BOLS Triple Sec
Combine all ingredients over a glass of ice + garnish with a lime wedge. Makes one serving.


You can also check out Bethenny's step-by-step YouTube demo of how to make a Skinnygirl's Margarita. It's an excellent, easy-to-follow process:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHtrFXb1s40&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ebethenny%2Ecom%2Fskinny%5Fmargarita%2Ehtm&feature=player_embedded

Yummy! Enjoy!

Coral Hot For 2009: Very Wearable From Lips To Hips

If you want to look hot for spring and summer 2009, then you need some coral in your life.

Coral always looks so glamorous and trendy, and it's a shade that is very wearable for everyone. The color adds warmth. Just a hint of coral can add a pretty punch to your makeup or your wardrobe. And when you pair up coral and turquoise, you're making one beautiful, bold statement.

From lips to hips, "coral-ize" your look.

If you like to wear coral-shaded lips, we suggest checking out Chanel's Spring 2009 collection. We like Rouge Hydrabase Creme Lipstick in Fuego ($27, fine dept. stores).

If you aren't comfortable with coral lip shades, then dress up your nails with OPI Nail Lacquer in Conga-Line Coral from the OPI South Beach Collection ($9, www.opi.com).

And you can always accessorize with some handsome coral-colored must-haves, like Michael Kors gorgeous bag or Christian Dior's Coral Necklace for Summer Resort 2009.

It's all coral-icious.

L'Oreal Pumps Up Curls With 2 New Glossy Style Products

You with the beautiful curls! Nothing beats a mane of bouncing curls.

Curls that spring!!! With gloss that shimmers!!!

And now L'Oreal is introducing 2 new Vive Pro. Glossy Style hair treatments to their excellent collection:

1. L'Oreal Vive Pro. Glossy Style Glossy Curls Mousse ($4.99, 6.8 oz., drugstores)

2. L'Oreal Vive Pro. Glossy Style Glossy Curls Spray Gel ($4.99, 8.5 oz., drugstores).


Both L'Oreal Vive Pro. hair treatments are designed to control frizz, lock in super, glossy shine, and keep curls and waves moisturized.

Actress Penelope Cruz is the L'Oreal spokesperson for these 2 new Vive Pro. products. And she has incredible hair. We also love the price......only $4.99, for each generously-sized bottle.



Both hair products contain special formulas with ceramide and conditioning protein technology to boost and contour curls with glossy shine while helping to control frizz.

These are 2 new and great products to try with the hot summer days approaching. And shape, style, and hold, are the keys to a super hairstyle.

Do Push-Ups And Get Rockin' Body Like Gwen Stefani

We're here to say, that working out gets results. And if there's one exercise that can reap you many benefits, it's the humble push-up. No equipment required.

Look at lean and mean, no-belly, flaxen-haired Gwen Stefani.

Need we say more?!

The 39-year-old mother of two, was jumping and bouncing all over the American Idol stage last night, in a performance of 'Just a Girl' with band No Doubt. With a lime green bra, whose straps were peeking out of her white tank, Gwen Stefani went on to amaze the audience with 5 push-ups behind the Idol judges' chairs.

Check out Gwen's fantastic performance here and those cool push-ups, not the girl push-ups, either:

http://www.doghousegallery.net/blog/no-doubt/video-just-a-girl-live-on-american-idol/

So, what's so great about doing push-ups?

It's an overall body strengthener. And this one, simple exercise works multiple parts of the body at the same time. And it is considered a resistance exercise, which means you get muscle strength, as well as bone-building results.

We found some great information about push-ups from the webmd. website:

If you're thinking the push-up is the best upper body exercise, many fitness experts agree. But, personal trainer Jessica Bottesch tells WebMD, the push-up benefits many muscle groups body-wide.

"The primary movers [the major muscle groups that produce the motion of a push-up] are the chest and tricep. However, if you look at the form your body takes during the perfect push-up, you're typically suspended from your toes all the way to your neck, so in reality, every muscle between your shoulders and your toes is engaged," says Bottesch, co-owner of Empower Personal Training in Durham, N.C.

This includes the all important core muscles of the trunk, as well as the abdominals, legs and hips, she says.

To learn how to do the proper push-up, visit the webmd site here, and get some super tips:

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/doing-the-perfect-push-up?page=2