Adding Bliss

How to Look Expensive... with Andrea Pomerantz Lustig

 

 

Recently, I was editing photos from my anniversary party (One year down, only 64 more to go...) and I realized I was spending  an inordinate amount of time removing blemishes, erasing stray pockets of skin  bulges, whitening teeth & whitening eyes. Did I mention these were pictures of me? Ugh...

So, I decided to make 2013 The Year of Photoshopping Myself in Real Life!

This entails a no nonsense year of diet & exercise lifestyle changes, which should be easy since Hostess went "belly up" (sorry, I couldn't resist)  and a beauty regimen that would make Halle Berry stop me in the street and say, "Girl, your skin in gorgeous!" This is mostly because, like all of us, I want to look and feel better but partly because it saves me hours in the Adobe Suite which can better spent reading Suri's Burn Book and bidding on Devil Dogs on eBay.

How to Get Beautiful Skin Without Touching Your Face...

We all want beautiful skin. That's why the beauty biz brings in billions of bucks on a yearly basis. But while you're spending your hard earned cash on night creams, day creams, eye creams, exfoliators, face masks, foaming washes, face scrubs, microdermabrasions, facials & extractions; you may be unaware that half the battle to a gorgeous guise can be fought with out laying a finger on your face. So, without further delay, here are my tips to having a dazzling dermis without touching your face...

How Do You Stay So Thin? Part II

" I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number you get in a diamond. " - Mae West

Hey there!

I decided to take a break this weekend. But I'm back for part II of Thursday's post about the books I read to control my waistline.

I don't count calories or points. I don't have my food delivered in prepackaged containers. I don't have anyone coming to my house yelling at me while I do jumping jacks, but somehow every morning my skinny jeans always fit.

So with out further ado, here are the final five in my list of my favorite "diet" books...

How Do You Stay So Thin? Part I

It's a question I get asked a lot. I'm certainly not supermodel thin,  but apparently thin enough to be asked if I have any secrets. I'll tell you, but I don't really think it's a secret.

Despite what some bitter, snarky women (most of them, my own family members) might say there really is no magic bullet reason why I manage to stay in the normal range on the BMI scale, although I've had some close calls (Damn you, double stuf oreos!).

It's not genetics: there are plenty of women in my family who could stand to lose weight.
It not because I haven't had a baby: I know plenty of women who've had kids & look amazing (not just Heidi & Giselle).
I'm not a super athletic gym rat: I suck at sports (always have sadly) & I used to drive the 10 blocks to get to The New York Sports Club in Harlem. That's right, I drove a 1/2 a mile instead of walking, to work out!
I'm not a vegan/vegetarian or adverse to sweets:  I love meats & treats! I could make that my slogan and wear in on a t-shirt. I might do that... If I were on death row my last meal would be a giant steak topped with butter & bacon, mashed potatoes (with more butter), corn (with, you guessed it, butter), a giant milkshake, a strawberry short cake, double stuf oreos & fried cheese with plaintains. An added benefit would be the heart attack I would suffer on the way to gas chamber.
It's not the ADHD meds: Despite rumors of a certain celebrity stylist giving her clients certain pills to keep them "sample size" ready, significant weight loss is not typical of ADHD meds prescribed at the proper dose. You experience a initial loss of appetite & weight loss (whoo hoo!) and then your weight and appetite stabilize (womp womp). I'm sure you could better results if you abuse your meds, but I wouldn't take the chance.

So how do I stay thin? And most importantly, how did I manage to easily drop 20 lbs in anticipation of my final wedding dress fitting? Here it is... the big secret...

Why You Need Neem... part one

Featuring Guest Blogger: Susan Westfall

Consistently we are looking for the magic herb which will cure all ailments. What if I told you that there existed such a herb which 1) gives you beautifully glowing skin, 2) can be used as a pesticide on agricultural crops and 3) can act as a contraceptive? If you do not believe that such an herb exists, then you shall soon be enlightened to another of the magic wisdoms of Ayurveda (ancient medical practice of India) known as Neem.

How To Bust Up The Breakout Brigade...

Featuring Guest Blogger: Stephanie Jones

Hello Beauties! I am quite positive that most of us have suffered from the dreaded zit…or zits.  If you are really lucky, like yours truly, the first thing to do to get rid of them is to pick, prod, and squeeze. Right?

WRONG!

I know, I know, it is so tempting. You feel a bump, you see a pimple, and you think to yourself, “If I just squeeze it I’ll get rid of it before I have to be seen in public.” 

Not so fast! Take your hands off your face and step away from the mirror!

What is Dry Shampoo & How Do You Use It? & Giveaway!!

I am a self proclaimed blow out addict and am not afraid to admit that I can sometimes go for weeks (eek!) with out washing my hair. So when I heard about dry shampoo I was immediately excited and skeptical. It sounded like the perfect solution to my conundrum and way too good to be true. For the skinny on dry shampoo, I enlisted the help of Laurie D., from Revlover Salon on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, to tell us what dry shampoo is and how to use it.  Watch the video and then scroll down to enter to win dry shampoo!

Enjoy!

Michelle

Why You Won't Have to Explain How You Chipped Your Manicure...

Featuring Guest Blogger: Gina Volpe

OPI Axxium Soak-Off Gel Manicure: Finally, A Pick-Your-Nose-Proof Manicure!

Like any gal with the gift of sight, I like to keep my nails looking beautiful. Sadly,
most regular manicures can’t even withstand a good dish washing or nose picking without major chipping and scratching, so they never last more than a day or two.
Naturally, I did what any smart girl would do and finally decided to give the long- lasting OPI Axxium gel manicure a whirl, and I’m so very glad I did.

Why You Should Be in it to "Spin" it... part II

After my first foray in the world of Spinning (see yesterday's post), I jelly legged my way over to our exuberant instructor, Reign Hudson, "pronounced like a queen" to get the "skinny" on spinning and she's just charismatic off the bike as she is on.

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Adding Bliss: How long have you been teaching spin?

Reign Hudson: I've been teaching Spin for 12 years.

AB: 12 years! Wow. And is your background Spinning?

RH: No,Dance. I've been with Crunch for 15 years but I've been teaching Spin for 12. So, I have a dance background. That's my first love.

AB: What kind of dance?

RH: I teach African Dance and I teach Modern, but African is my baby.

AB: And you teach all of these classes at Crunch?

RH: Yes.

AB: So, what's so great about Spinning as an exercise?

RH: It's straight cardio. It could be two things: it could be cardio or it could be strength building. What I do in my class is both. There are some instructors that just do strength building, where they'll just turn the resistance up really high and just have you climb hills. I do a mixture of both, but mine is more towards cardio. So, sometimes it's 45 minutes, sometimes an hour and sometimes we'll go an hour and fifteen but inbetween those I'll give you a hill where you are burning, I'll give you two or three songs of that, but most of it's cardio.

How to find your sexy...

Featuring Guest Blogger: Jade Kearney

Last week I had a conversation with my long-time bestie about her look. At times, she can be a bit matronly and I told her “you are hot” put on some heels and show those double D’s!

At first glance, she is a very cute, conservative and curvy woman. She never really wears heels or make up, but she has a natural glow. Men are drawn to her because she is beautiful both inside and out, but I wanted her to take it up a notch.

I wanted her to find her sexy!