Champagne Diet Gets You Skinny For Holidays: Ho Ho Ho!

The Champagne Diet. You CAN drink AND lose weight!

You can either call this a screwball concept, or just pop open a bottle of bubbly and see if the lbs. disappear.

No, the Champagne Diet is not routed in deep scientific theory but it is a plan that helped one young, NYC woman melt away the fat in a tasty, healthy way.

Let's take a closer look.

December 1st arrives this Thursday, and for many, December is the most sociable month of the year. The drinks will be flowing, and what better time to raise a glass of this low-calorie beverage to celebrate and get skinny.

Cara Alwill Leyba, who works for MTV, created the Champagne Diet after struggling with her own weight for a number of years. The 31-year-old writer had been on several well-know diet plans, but none of them kept the lbs. off.

"You name it, I’d done it," Cara says. "Atkins, Weight Watchers, Dukan. I’d been chubby since I was a child and hated it. I constantly felt down about my weight.".

A friend suggested to Cara to have a flute of champagne and diet sensibly, rather than eating on the run and grabbing a glass of wine.

And when you think about it, champagne is a smart choice. There are about 100 calories or less in a glass. And the alcoholic drink is an elegant selection, one that signifies class, glam, and wealth. In other words, a sip of champagne is a self-esteem booster.

Champagne also tastes great with any kind of food. Cara suggests a diet plan that ranges between 1,200 - 1,400 calories per day.

"I encourage 'glamourizing' your meals," she says. "Don’t order the fatty cheeseburger with fries and cola. Instead, get a smoked salmon bagel with a mixed greens salad and a glass of Champagne. Start putting the best into your body."

Learn more about Cara Alwill Leyba at her Champagne Diet website. She has 4,000-plus followers and a wonderfully written blog that explores dieting, weight-loss, and life in general.

Long Lasting Lip Gloss: Is There Such A Thing?

Lip gloss.

You either love it or you don't. Some women are attracted to the glassy sheen of a gloss. But others are turned off by its sticky, drying texture. And most importantly, a lip gloss' staying power is what most ladies are looking for.

So, is there really a long-lasting lip gloss??

Most beauty labels brag about theirs lasting for 6 hours or more.

Not sure about the truth in advertising, but Rimmel London claims that their Glossy 6-Hour Lip Gloss does deliver. And for $5 a tube, this gloss is worth a shot.

And now at Walgreens.com, you can try Rimmel London's Stay Glossy at this deal: Buy One and Get One 50% Off. Check it out here.

Okay, so maybe the gloss doesn't last for 6 hours, but Rimmel's Stay Glossy is light and hydrating. It's NOT drying, and it can survive a cup of coffee. You might have to re-apply again after a kiss or two, but it's a nice, glossy gloss for the price.

We found more shades available at Ulta.com, 14, including Black.

New Nutrisse Ultra Color Lightens Dark Hair To Lighter Brown In One Step

Sometimes we think that it's harder to maintain dark hair color, than to go through the lengthy peroxide process of our flaxen hair-dyeing sisters.

So, what's the big deal, you ask?

When it comes to hair coloring 101, it is very easy to darken up, rather to lighten up. But the key here, is to know how dark is dark.

If you play around with hair dyes, you will find that the coloring routine will gradually make those dark locks DARKER and DARKER, until the strands are black or almost black. Suddenly, you can not see the depth of the hair. It's all one extremely dark mass.

And that is why so many television news and entertainment anchors start out as dark brunettes and lighten up to light browns or blondes to soften the harshness that the TV lighting gives off from a head of very dark hair.

We have been told many times before, that only a professional salon can take the Goth out of your mane without damaging it in the process.

But the makers of Garnier Nutrisse would beg to differ. Their new, at-home Nutrisse Ultra Color ($7.99, at drugstores) can do the job in JUST ONE STEP!

According to Garnier Nutrisse:
Ultra Color CAN take hair up to 3 shades lighter. And do it brass-free!

There are 9 shades to choose from. We have researched around the internet and have found that a lot of dark-haired women have had very good results with Nutrisse Ultra Color in B3, Golden Brown.

Nutrisse does advise on the box, that those with very black, dyed hair should not be using Ultra Color.

We find that a bit curious. Isn't this why the ultra lightening hair color was designed?

We would assume, that if you have virgin hair that is black or darkest brown, in other words, strands that have NEVER been touched with dye, that this would work very nicely, in achieving a lighter brown head of hair for you.

However, there are lots of hair coloring women we have read about, who DID achieve the lighter brunette shade they were aiming for, right in this box of Nutrisse Ultra Color.

We have not tried this new hair color for dark hair yet, but we are on the verge of buying a box. And we are hoping one of our readers has already used Nutrisse Ultra Color and can give us an honest opinion.

To learn more about Ultra Color, click here.

Ricki, Kim K, Ciara, Nicole-- All Rockin' High PonyTail

It looks like 'Dancing with the Stars' Ricki Lake got the beauty memo: She knows that the high ponytail is still a HOT LOOK for Fall 2011. And you don't have to be one of the sexy 'It' girls to rock this sleek hairstyle. Go Ricki! Go Ricki!

Beauties like Ciara, Nicole Scherzinger, and Kim Kardashian, have been pulling their hair tightly back and hiting the red carpet with this minimalistic do, while adding hoop earrings and a smoky eye.

The striking look was popping up during the Fall runway shows at the collections of Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, and Alexander Wang, to name a few.

Let's face it. The high ponytail is a sexy, glamorous look and it's all in the simplicity. It's sleek and adds height. Plus, you don't need to invest in a lot of styling products or tools to achieve the high ponytail.


It certainly helps to have long, straight locks. The longer, the better. And if you need some, you can always go the faux hair route. Try the Pony Wrap by Ken Paves.

Here's some high ponytail advice from one of the best in the biz:
Stylist Guido Paulo created the glam high ponytail for the Marc Jacobs show. He told the U.K. Telegraph online this:

Paulo swept the hair back so tightly it looked like a laminated sheet (do this by tipping your head back so hair falls more naturally into a smooth line), secured it into a ponytail, then wrapped strands of hair around the band. Don't apply too much styling product, this look requires the barest minimum of aids.

Turkey: It's A BeautyFood: Happy Thanksgiving!

Ask any serious bodybuilder, and he or she will tell you, that turkey is an excellent lean protein.

And if you're aren't tempted by the yummy, golden brown cooked skin, good for you, because you won't be hit in the belly by the extra fat calories.

So, unless you go all cuckoo with the heaps of gravy, mashed potatoes, and all the fixins', turkey is a dieter's dream. Turkey is a beauty food And here's why:

Nutrition summary:
Calories: 88
Fat: 1.41g
Carbs:3.58g
Protein:14.52g

There are 88 calories in 3 ounces of Turkey Breast Meat.
Calorie breakdown: 14% fat, 16% carbs, 70% protein.

It's low fat, ladies. And turkey also fills your face and body with healthy levels of iron, zinc, phosphorus, potassium and B vitamins.

Also, remember this:
Turkey has more protein than chicken or beef.
White meat has fewer calories and less fat than dark meat.

Please, enjoy Thanksgiving Day with family and friends!

We have a 12-pounder to cook and lots of other stuff to do, so, we are not sure we'll have time to post a beauty article on T-Day. In the meantime, enjoy these fun Turkey facts we found, courtesy of the University of Illinois Extension:

88% of Americans surveyed by the National Turkey Federation eat turkey at Thanksgiving.
Forty-five million turkeys are eaten each Thanksgiving.
Twenty-two million turkeys are eaten each Christmas.
Nineteen million turkeys are eaten each Easter.
Gobbling turkeys can be heard a mile away on a quiet day.
The ballroom dance the "turkey trot" was named for the short, jerky steps that turkeys take.
Turkeys don’t really have ears like ours, but they have very good hearing.
Turkeys can see in color.
The five most popular ways to serve leftover turkey is as a sandwich, in stew, chili or soup, casseroles and as a burger.
Eating turkey does not cause you to feel sleepy after your Thanksgiving dinner. Carbohydrates in your Thanksgiving dinner are the likely cause of your sleepiness.
50 percent of U.S. consumers eat turkey at least once per week.

Padded Bra Is Common: What About Padded Panty?

Dear Santa:
Please bring us a BEAUTIFULL BUTT for Christmas!

Ha ha. But don't laugh. There is a way to get a round, curvy butt just in time for the holidays. Just slip into this:

The Buty Panty by Fashion Forms, is sold in fine department stores, like Macys, Bloomingdales, Dillards, and others. It's available in nude or black, in sizes S, M, L, XL for $28.

Well, think about it.......Many of us DO wear padded bras. So---what's wrong with a padded panty? Both are designed to enhance our natural curves. And after seeing Jennifer Lopez bouncing around the American Music Awards stage last night with her big, voluptous booty in view, well, it's something to ponder.

A curvy butt is quite an asset, and the Buty Panty has this beauty philosophy:

...."Because sometimes....You just need a buty."

Right on!

The folks at Fashion Forms describe their Buty Panty as a natural looking padded panty pre-shaped with contour form to resemble a curvaceous bottom. And not surprisingly, the undie is designed in Brazil. Gee, no kidding.

Brazilian women are known for their great behinds. And let's be honest, is it wrong to desire a curvier silhouette?

No. But we're wondering just how padded the buty panty is?! Some bras are overly padded and some of us just say no to too much faux cleavage. And maybe the same goes for a super bumped-up panty.

So, if you don't have the Kardashian 'kurves' from behind to begin with, is it okay to cheat a little? Trust us, there are celebrities who slip into padded panties for major red carpet events. Not every body is perfectly proportioned.

Check out the Buty Panty.

Why We Love Rimmel London Extra Super Lash Mascara

Rimmel London sells tons of mascaras. There are so many to choose from. And the price is always right----inexpensive. And trust us, you are getting a bang for your buck!

Our fave has been around for a few years now, but we think it's one of the Best Mascaras out there. And we just stumbled onto this one 2 weeks ago, and we're hooked:

Rimmel London Mascara Extra Super Lash Black Black Mascara.

This stuff will really 'Kardashian-ize your eyes.' No kidding. The buildable formula does just that---adding layers of glossy black volume to your lashes. And Rimmel's Extra Super Lash also brings your bottom lashes to life.

Just 2 coats, and you can achieve great doll eyes, without all the fuss and time of putting on faux lashes.

We found some at Amazon for just $3.49 a tube.

If you're tired of spending a lot of money for mascaras that just don't do the trick, try this one by Rimmel London. It WILL give you LONG LASHES without all the clumping.

Remember: Mascara is a very important piece of makeup. You should be wearing it every day.