Dry-Brushing Body Helps Battle Cellulite And Smooth Skin

Dry-brushing. Cellulite.

What exactly is it? And what does ' it' have to do with cellulite.....the dimpled fat you find on your butt, thighs, belly, and even on your arms???

Summer isn't far away, and that means bare skin, bikinis, short-shorts, well, you get the picture. So, it's never too early or too late to begin a body beautiful program.

And our beauty tip today is actually a very simple one to add to your daily beauty routine.
We came across dry-brushing years ago, when we first learned about the most intelligent cellulite professor, Anushka. She was the dimpled fat pioneer. She was the first woman to openly discuss the problem of cellulite and how to tone down its appearance and fight back.

Cellulite is a skin condition of swollen fat cells jammed together, that cannot be exercised off or dieted away into nothingness. Of course, a taut and toned body will definitely make a difference in how you look. So it is important to always have some kind of exercise regimen going.
Circulation is key!! And that's where dry-brushing comes in.

Anushka who operates world-renown Cosmedical Centre, Spa, Salon & Cellulite Clinics in New York City, has been an authority on cellulite and its prevention for more than 3 decades. And her wonderful website AnushkaOnline features cellulite treatments, target exercises, nutritional recipes, the ABC's of cellulite, and more.

Circulation, diet, and topical treatments can all help tone down cellulite and bring back smooth, taut skin.

1. Keep moving.....Anushka is a firm believer in taking a large natural bristle brush, and using the brush daily to give those areas special attention. “Dry brushing helps eliminate dead skin cells which make the skin look smoother. And it also improves lymph and blood circulation. I recommend a soft, natural bristle brush. Start at your feet and continue upwards in a circular motion towards the heart. Use once a day.”

Plus, you get the added benefits of exfoliation. Your skin will really look smoother and healthier.

Dry-brush right before your shower. And then apply some wonderful and high-tech Anushka cellulite serums to further tone your body and prevent fluid retention.

You can purchase a Natural Bristle Cellulite Brush by Anuska ($9.00) here.

Back by popular demand, her "natural bristle brush wakes up microcirculation, gets rid of the rough stuff and prepares skin for application of Anushka cellulite products."

Hey, it's a super way to 'wake up' your body. And a simple extra step to add to your beauty routine.

Gisele Bundchen Launches New Ipanema Flip-Flop Line

Gisele Bundchen, the beauty from Brazil, was all smiles yesterday, as she debuted her new collection from her Ipanema Flip-Flop line. The new mom of baby Benjamin Brady, was away in Paris to attend a press conference for the line at the Grand Hotel Intercontinental.

Wearing a purple Herve Leger 'bandaid dress,' sexy Gisele was definitely back in slender supermodel shape.

We like the variety of Gisele's Ipanema Flip-Flops. Some are fancy with Swarovski crystals and some are plain. A custom pair of Ipanemas can sell for as much as $230 a pair.

The Gisele Bundchen Fern Turquoise Flip-Flop happened to catch our eye. How cute are these! Check out the lone crystal, which adds just enough bling to your casual sandal. And these are no ordinary flip-flops. Gisele's mold to your feet and last a long-ggggg time.

This is how the company describes them:

Made from Air Infused PVC all the materials used to create the shoes are 100% synthetic and are machine washable (Colourfast). You can be sure that these flip flops ($27.50) will not fade or change colour at all.

You'll want a pair in every color and style. We think the Ipanema line is reasonably priced and the website features FREE shipping worldwide.....Gotta love that!

Garnier And SJP Claim We Can Look 5 Years Younger With New Cream

Garnier Nutritioniste and SJP. It's a lovely combination.

Sarah Jessica Parker's skin is flawless, or so it would seem.

We have been bombarded on the television lately, by these amazing ads for Garnier Nutritioniste's new Ultra-Lift Pro Gravity Defying Cream.

"Look 5 years younger in 8 weeks!" the ads declare. "Plump skin from within...to push deep wrinkles up and out!"

You can!!! Well, if they photo-shop you, as adorable SJP has obviously been done in the print ads. Let's take a look at the facts. Photo left, shows the attractive star a couple of years ago, prior to having her mole removed. It was a much publicized story. We think Miss SJP, even with a few under-eye wrinkles, looks very good for a woman in her early 40s.

Photo right, depicts the Sex and the City actress, in a photo-shopped ad for the Nutritioniste Ultra-Lift Pro Gravity Cream. No. We cannot prove she has had her image altered in any way. Maybe she has had some incredible cosmetic enhancement done in the last two years. Her skin is very taut and smooth. It's flawless!

If the Ultra-Lift cream can deliver almost photo-shopped results, then grab us a lifetime supply!

Let's be honest here. All beauty product ads feature some sort of photo enhancement or altering, so we are not scolding Garnier Nutritioniste. If SJP is using their products, she still looks lovely in her photo from two years ago.

No beauty product can erase our wrinkles completely. The lines can be softened somehwat and firmed somewhat. And that is what the Ultra-Lift Pro Gravity Cream claims it can do with its special high-tech formula:

Pro-Tense Technology – A new, patent-pending skin lifting complex that improves skin’s density & elasticity
Pro-Xylane from Beech Tree Extract – a patented anti-aging, eco-friendly Green Chemistry molecule that rebuilds skin’s structure by plumping from deep within skin’s surface layers
Soy Protein – boosts natural collagen production
Vitamin A – helps diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles

For $16.99 at your favorite drugstore, we still think that the Ultra-Lift Cream is worth the money. As far as looking 5 years younger in 8 weeks, well, we can all dream, can't we.

Jennifer Hudson Continues Blunt Bangs Trend In Spring 2010

Is it just us? Or are blunt bangs suddenly a new celebrity chic hair trend for Spring 2010!!

We've been noticing a number of dark-haired beauties rockin' the bold look around Hollywood for the past few months. We thought the trend would die out in the new year, but now actress/singer Jennifer Hudson is continuing the look in Spring 2010. And we like these blunt bangs a lot on the superstar!

We talked about Jennifer Hudson last week, about her new job as the latest celebrity face for the Weight Watcher's diet plan. She was sporting these eyebrow-framing bangs. Very blunt, almost Cleopatra-esque. And Jennifer wasn't the only red carpet lady with the chic new style. Katy Perry is a bangs beauty from years ago. And a very pregnant Padma Lakshmi had gone the bangs route back in the fall/winter months. We've also seen model Naomi Campbell and singer Beyonce in on the hot hair trend with some fierce blunt bangs.

A smart beauty move for Jennifer Hudson, and all these lovely ladies. Bangs do this for your face at any age:

1. Emphasize eyes.

2. Hide forehead wrinkles and/or a too high forehead.

3. Put the spotlight on cheekbones.

4. Hide skimpy eyelashes and give the illusion of thicker lashes.

5. Bangs give a youthfulness to the face.

6. Bangs can also make a face look rounder, longer, thinner, wider, depending on the angle of their cut.

Smoky eyes look especially pretty with eye-framing fringe. So don't be afarid to put the bulls-eye on your peepers with dark shadow and eyeliner.

Just remember: Blunt bangs are a commitment. And they require a bit of maintenance. And if you really hate the bangs you got, well, it can seem like forever to grow them out. So, you can always 'try on' some bangs with clip-ons, like the line Ken Paves sells with Jessica Simpson. Or, you can learn to trim your own bangs.

Check out this InStyle How-To Video on YouTube with great stylist Ted Gibson.

Roll On Aromatherapy Sticks Perfect For Pocketbook

Lavender. Spearmint. Peppermint. Citrus. Eucalyptus. Cedarwood.

You certainly recognize and adore these lovely scents. And now you can roll on a beautiful blend of aromas with BathByBettijo Organic Aromatherapy Sticks ($18.50 each) and get back therapeutic relief. No kidding. These perfect-for-pocketbook little sticks really work.

These are earth-friendly, so it's nice to go green, when you can. And the roll-ons are made with only Certified Organic Essential Oils. The organic scents come in 4 therapy serums.

So put down the aspirin, the coffee, and stronger stuff. You can get a caffeine-like kick from a few dabs here and there.

Er, where exactly do you roll on BathByBettiJo Organic Aromatherapy Sticks? This is how the catalog suggests:

SLEEP – Organic Lavender and Cedarwood Essential Oils quiet your mind so you can get the rest you need. Roll on temples and wrists at bedtime for sweet dreams.
ENERGY – Give yourself a caffeine-free kick. This stick gives you a natural boost using Organic Citrus Essential Oils. Roll on wrists and breathe deeply for a refreshing wakeup call at any hour.
PEACE – In need of a tranquil escape? Inhale this calming blend with Organic Bergamot, Eucalyptus and Spearmint Essentials Oils. Reminiscent of a trip to the spa, breathe deeply and exhale away stress.
RELIEF – An all-natural remedy for everyday tension and dull headaches with the analgesic benefits of Organic Peppermint Essential Oil.

These organic aromatherapy sticks sound terrific. And they're getting quite a buzz around town, so to speak. We really need the Energy stick and the Sleep stick. You can also buy them in a 4-set for $62.

Lauren Conrad Lets Hair Down By Admitting To Extensions

Love Lauren Conrad? Who doesn't.

She seems to have it all. She's a beautiful, kind, glamorous gal, a writer, a designer, a TV star, and a head full of extensions.

That's right. Those long, wavy blonde locks are fake. And, yeah, we certainly appreciate Lauren Conrad's honesty. At age 24, she's a breath of fresh air.

In the May issue of Glamour(out on newsstands tomorrow), Lauren Conrad lets her hair down. "These are all extensions." she explains, "I chopped all my hair off to my shoulders. I thought I was doing a chic bob. It was so bad."

So what, many of you might be saying. Lots of celebrities wear hair extensions.

True, but how many of them admit to having fake hair. Extensions have become so sophisticated and hair high-tech these days, that it's not always easy to tell who's got the faux strands and who does not.

Jessica Simpson has worn hair extensions quite frequently in her career, and has been unafraid to admit it. She's also lucky to have made some major profits by hooking up with her stylist Ken Paves, who sells a line of both human hair and synthetic hair extensions with Jessica's name.

If you crave having long sexy hair and aren't sure about the commitment of extensions, you can try clip-ons by Ken Paves. That way, you can instantly 'grow' a set of bangs or a pony tail wrap with a quick clip-on. If you tire of them, simply un-clip. A lot cheaper than salon hair extensions.

Lauren Conrad also admits to one other common beauty problem, in her interview with Glamour. "I’ve never felt a push to be stick thin,” Lauren says. "I work out and eat healthy, so mostly it’s about being in shape and having energy." The star suggests she's okay with her less than perfect body. "About a year ago, I looked down and thought, ‘I have cellulite. Where did that come from?’ I went through treatments; [my body] was like, It’s not going anywhere."

We love Lauren Conrad and her honesty. To read the full interview, pick up the May issue of Glamour April 6th.

New Upper Eyelid Lifter Cream Not Surgery But 'Pretty Darn Good'

Eyelid Lift in a box?

Well, sort of. A couple of months ago, we told you about Butt Lift in a Box. The clever marketing folks at Bremenn Research Labs are at it once again. And this time, they promise you 'an extraordinary eyelid cream that makes your eyes look bigger, brighter, and fresher.'

The product has been out in fine dept. stores like Sephora, Bloomingdale's, and Lord & Taylor, since January.

Bremenn Research Labs also claim this: "Not quite a surgical 'eye lift'...but pretty darn good."

Those are strong words, and at a price of $59 for a 0.5 oz. tube, we hope they mean what they say.

So, what's in the Upper Eyelid Lifter cream?! Well, for one healthy thing, no parabens. The special ingredients include peptides and amino acids that firm the skin right below the brow bone, and then give the whole eye area a nice lift.

We all know that the eye area ages very quickly, due to increased exposure to the sun. And the skin around the eyes is delicate and thin, and lacks moisture. So, 'fixing' this area, or repairing the eyelid part of the face is quite a challenge for most. Latest research shows that laser re-surfacing can do wonders for the upper and lower eyelids, producing even better results than eyelid surgery through cosmetic enhancement.

But a lot of women and men would prefer to tighten up and lift the eye area without undergoing expensive and serious surgery. So a cream that promises to at least 'support upper eyelid integrity,' is worth a shot.

Does Bremenn Research Labs' Upper Eyelid Lifter cream really work? We saw a recent customer review tally at Sephora, that gives the product an average rating of 2.6% out of 5%. You can check out the comments here.

Is this a serious boost for sagging eyelids? Maybe. At least we'd like to hope so.