Baby, it's HOT outside!!!

It's 9:00 am and it's 93 degrees Fahrenheit outside in beautiful, sunny Alexandria Virginia! Technically it's 87 degrees with a heat index of 93, but if they say it feels like 93 then that's what I go with. Who cares what the temperature actually is if it feels hotter? I never understood that. Anyway! Off my tangent!

If you check weather.com or your WeatherBug app on your iPhone, you will see little red 1's signifying that there is an alert. This alert will tell you that there is a heat advisory for the area today. I think the fact that it's 9:00 and we are already sweating through out dress shirts would be enough of an indication, but God love them for telling us to look out for it anyway! 

All jokes aside, with the temps projected at reaching well over 100 today, you need to take precaution to be sure you stay safe. The number one way you can help yourself is to drink water! Drink lots and lots and lots of water! It doesn't matter where you get it from. If there is water available, drink it! Paul and I use a Britta. It's inexpensive and it works. I also don't shy away from Alexandria's finest tap water. There is nothing wrong with drinking tap water in moderation. Your teeth are in desperate need of the fluoride they put in it and you can't forget about your chompers!!! 

Investing in a good BPA-free water bottle is a smart idea. Carry it with you! Be sure that wherever you go, it goes with you. You can get this Rubbermaid 32oz bottle at your grocery store for 6 dollars. Drink it all day and when it runs out, fill it up! Water is free and we are SO lucky for that! Take advantage!

I like to put lemon and mint in my water. Not only is it a fun and refreshing way to dress up your water, but it's super healthy and has some surprisingly wonderful side-effects! To see all the wonderful things drinking lemon water can do for you, click on the link below! One of them is weight loss, and you can't tell me that we all don't like to hear that.

10 REASONS TO DRINK LEMON WATER

I also enjoy adding mint to my water when it's sweltering outside! Try it out, I know you will love it! 

I have my water bottle in hand and I'm off to tackle the day! Everyone have a safe and COOL one today! 

Don't forget your sunscreen :)

xoxo

G

Take me to the movies! Watch these or die!

Those of you who know me can attest that I, at times, can be very passionate about film. That was the nicest way I could think to describe what a movie freak I am. I am opinionated, loud, and very critical when it comes to movies. I always have been. I'm not saying I'm right in my opinion, but the great thing about art is that it's subjective! For instance, many of you out there thought that Die Hard 4 (Live Free or Die Hard) was a fantastic summer movie! I, on the other hand, thought it was the biggest waste of time and money (my time and my money) I have ever seen. That being said, I love the movie Maximum Overdrive. Many of my friends, including my husband, have told me that it's not only the worst movie that THEY have ever seen, but that I owe them for the time I stole by forcing them to watch it. What can I say, I have a thing for AC/DC and Emilio Esteves. 

Below are this summers movies that I simply MUST see. The past few summers have been EXTREMELY disappointing in their delivery of Blockbusters, so I'm looking forward to a summer of amazing films. These listed below are the best of the best for Summer 2012, and because I believe that, it must be true. This is my Blog so I am allowed to say that. Get your own writing outlet if you don't agree with me. I encourage you. 

In no particular order:

June 22nd BRAVE

Brave. It’s Disney, it’s Pixar, and it’s Scottish. Does it get any better than that? I think not.

June 29th MAGIC MIKE and TED

Magic Mike. This one is for all my lady friends out there. I have no interest in seeing this movie. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it…

If I am blushing on June 30th, it's purely coincidental...

Ted. This was, originally, the movie I was most excited to see this summer (after Prometheus, of course). Seth MacFarlane can do no wrong in my eyes. I’m of the mind that if you don’t find his work funny, then you are too sensitive and I want nothing to do with you. If you don’t know anything about Seth MacFarlane, I invite you to crawl out of the rock you’ve been hiding under and check out Family Guy on TBS. If you find that it’s not your cup of tea (his work has be known to tick more than a couple of people off), PLEASE do not go see this movie. I realize there is a cute cartoon bear in this picture, but the rating is R. Take that R literally, I beg of you.

 July 6th SAVAGES

Savages. This ‘drug-infested, three-way love triangle, kidnapping, violence’ fest is the movie that knocked Ted out of its #1 spot for me. There is nothing better than a well-done Vigilante/Revenge movie in my opinion. It’s sexy and it has amazing actors.  The storyline is not only captivating, but has never been done before. It has all the makings for an AWESOME summer movie! It also gives Salma Hayek an opportunity to redeem herself in our eyes as being a dangerous sexpot. Between the milk commercials, kiddy movies, and Frida, we thought she was a goner.

July 20th DARK KNIGHT RISES

The Dark Knight Rises. This movie needs no ranking in my opinion. If you don’t want to see this movie, there is something wrong with you. In fact, if you aren’t there waiting in line on opening night, there is something wrong with you. Come to think of it, if you don’t camp out the night before to be the FIRST person in line, there is something wrong with you. ‘Nuff said.

August 3rd THE BOURNE LEGACY and TOTAL RECALL

The Bourne Legacy. This is on here for 2 reasons. I love a good action movie, and Jeremy Renner. Not only is he EXTREMELY talented, but he was also the obvious choice for this role. Thank you, Hollywood casting agents, for getting this right. You have a long, hard journey ahead of you to make up for Kristen Stewart. This is a step in the right direction. 

Total Recall. Colin Ferrell, Jessica Biel, Kate Beckinsale. It’s a remake, sure, but I’m going to give it a shot. It’s sexy and fun and sci-fi. Plus, I have to do something to redeem myself with the husband after dragging him to that second movie I have no interest in seeing… Jessica and Kate may just be the ticket.

Last, but CERTAINLY not least, PROMETHEUS!!! 

This is in theaters as we speak. As soon as you are done reading this blog, put the computer down and get to your nearest AMC STAT!!!!!!! I can not say much about this movie, as I don't want to spoil it, but I will leave you with one very important thing... If you do not see this movie you will surely regret it for the rest of your life. 

With that, and a very cute Noomi Rapace smile, I leave you to it! I have done all I can to incise you to see these movies. Enjoy, and don't forget to wear sunscreen! 

At this point my handsome husband is thinking to himself, 'What the HELL is wrong with her!? She forgot The Amazing Spider-man!!!' I can assure you, love of my life, I did not forget it. I'm going to give it a regular Tosh.O web redemption if and when it blows my socks off. Until then, it's get's an honorable mention. The Amazing Spider-man comes out on July 3rd. 

xoxo

G

Pool Survival Guide

Summer is here, friends! I suppose it's not technically 'Summer' until June 20th, but it feels like it's arrived a month early here in the Commonwealth. Break out the bathing suits and shades! You can be certain that if it's a weekend and the sun is out, Paul and I are at the pool. Now, admittedly, I have a freakish obsession with where I sit at the pool. I wake up an hour earlier just to be certain that my towel and book are placed as a reserved sign on that one special chair I eyeball all winter long until the season finally arrives. I have always been this way. From Birmingham, Alabama to New Orleans, Louisiana to Washington, D.C.... the story remains the same. In fact, there is only one thing more important to me on these sunny, summer days than my pool chair, and that is sun protection! My beautiful friend, Lindsay, posted the article below on my page earlier this week and I instinctively shrieked when I read it! Playing to my obvious vanity, I was less concerned about the man's likelihood for developing skin cancer, and more upset that he looks like a stroke victim because of photo-aging from the sun. The sun, our best friend and worst enemy, has claimed this poor truck driver as another victim. The sun's UVA rays have done their worst. Free-radicals attack us every time we step out the door, causing inflammation in our skin, and in turn destroying the collagen and elastin that keep us looking beautiful and young. Since collagen and elastin can not repair themselves, once they are destroyed, that's all she wrote. Collagen and elastin production diminishes by 1% each year after we turn 30. Being 31, I'm painfully aware of this. Hope is not lost, however! While there is nothing we can do about the reduction of our 'youth cells' as I like to call them, we can give them a helping hand by taking some of the heat (not pun intended) off them. This is my pool survival guide to help you get the most out of your summer, without being trapped in doors with a nasty burn!

Start by wearing sunscreen every day. Yes, every day. 

Wear at least 30SPF (I recommend Dermalogica Solar Defense Booster for the face, and Coppertone Sport 30SPF for the body). Apply liberally and re-apply every 2 hours. A nice treat when it's hot out is to mist yourself with Dermalogica Multi-Active Toner. It restores the pH balance of your skin as well as refreshing makeup when it's been a long day at the office!

Next, be sure to always wear a hat and sunglasses! You should try to keep the sun off your face, if at all possible. If you don't have a hat, at least be sure to wear eye protection. The bigger the sunglasses, the better! If you can wear both, do so. 

I always bring a book to the pool with me. This was a suggestion from my friend, Rachel, and I can't put it down! If you like the writing style of Stephen King and a great crime drama, this is right up your ally.

Last, but certainly not least, you MUST drink water. Water is your body's best friend. Not only will you be dehydrated from the sun, but if you are enjoying an adult beverage, you will need to replenish! 

I truly believe that everything in moderation is a good thing. Especially the sun! I am not one of those Estheticians who hides inside all summer and walks around with an umbrella when it's sunny out. Granted, they will look WAY better than me when we are both 60, but I believe that life was made to live, so I'm going to live it to the fullest...

without a sunburn!

xoxo

G

 GRAPHIC IF YOUR BIGGEST FEAR IS WRINKLES

Let's do this!

I am so very blessed to know some of the most wonderful people in the world. Doctors, lawyers, nutritionists, artists, bartenders, students, mothers, free-spirits... you name it. They are all different and beautiful in their own way. They all come from a wide range of backgrounds, ethnicities, and their ages vary from 20's to 80's. These women and men, who have astonished me with their grace and intelligence daily, shocked me when they came to me for advise. It was usually the other way around. When I began studying to become an Esthetician, they came out of the woodwork with one very common problem, considering their different backgrounds. They all have a problem with their skin. We, as a society, equate health and wellness with physical appearance. It's a fact. More often than not, we are our own very worst critics. You know what it's like to wake up in the morning, take that first look in the bathroom mirror, and want to crawl back into the black abyss of your cave-covers from Pottery Barn. Though that blemish on your chin is almost unnoticeable to the outside world, to you it's the size of Texas. Those fine lines and wrinkles seem as deep as the Grand Canyon. The freckles on your nose that were cute at age 8 have turned into a mass of hyper pigmentation SURE to send the masses a-runnin'! Well, my friends... before you start to sell your sideshow tickets, take a deep breath and relax. There is hope for all of us. Men and women, alike. 

Beautiful skin in harbored in one very important factor. The most important thing when dealing with skin is to remember that beautiful skin is HEALTHY skin, and visa versa. We look at our skin as an accessory, which is just fine, except we forget that first and for most it is an organ. It is a living, breathing part of our body. It is, in some ways, the most important body system we have because it is our shield. It's our armor. It protects us. 

I'll keep this short, as it's my first post, but it is important to remember that the #1way to treat any skin condition is to look at the health of your skin. This means many different things to many people. I'll tackle specific questions and issues down the road, but for now I have one piece of full-proof information, sure to help all types and conditions of skin. DRINK WATER!!! That's right. Drink water. It's free, it tastes good, and it's the BEST possible thing you can put in your body. Your skin will thank you. Trust me ;) My second recommendation is to click on the link below. Dermalogica is not just a product line, they are a post-graduate school dedicated to furthering the education of Estheticians in America (as right now Europe kicks our ass in all things dealing with Esthetics and Skin Therapy). I can tell you about products that are comparable to all their product suggestions if you are not able to afford their line. If I can't find one for you, I'll find someone who does. You are not in this alone!

Bring on your questions! Bring on your problems (we all have them, don't be embarrassed)! I look forward to helping however I can. 

xoxo

G

COMBAT PLAN FOR HEALTHY SKIN AT ANY AGE!!!

Coming Soon!!!

Hello and Welcome!

This is just a little note to let you know that my website is coming soon. I look forward to sharing what I have learned, and what I will continue to learn as it pertains to the World of Esthetics. Subject matter will range from Skin Therapy and Nutrition, to Fashion, Wine, Music, Travel, Books, and Fitness. Yep, you get it all right here! If you have any questions as they relate to Esthetics, please feel free to contact me! If I don't have the answer, I will find someone who does. I welcome all questions, comments, challenges, and especially new ideas, so please do not be a stranger. Hope to see you soon!


G.