Body & Beauty

Coconut Oil: The Magical Beauty Fix All

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:50:00 -0700

If you added up the cost of all the beauty products I’ve tried in my lifetime, it could easily rival the national debt. And I know I’m not alone. That’s one of the many reasons I’m obsessed with trying at home, natural beauty products. They don’t have a ton of creepy chemicals in them, no bunnies were tortured in the making, and you can get them for peanuts.

This week we turn our eye to magical coconut oil. Not only does this healthy oil turn your stir-fry broccoli into delicious bites of heaven, you can use it for a host of magical beauty remedies with its winning combo of antimicrobial and ultra moisturizing properties. Bonus: It makes everything smell like a tropical vacation.

Our Top 10 home uses for coconut oil:

Cuticle cream - Use a thin layer to keep the hangnails at bay.
Shave gel – The hydration means your razor will slide super easily.
Make up remover – Let the oil breakdown your eyeliner and mascara easily before wiping it away.
Wrinkle fighter – Once the makeup is gone, smooth on a little more. Keeping the eyes super hydrated help diminish those laugh lines.
Massage Oil – Good for partners and to rub your own barking dogs at the end of the day.
Deodorant – With its natural fungi and bacteria fighting components, some avid fans swear by a swipe under the arm in place of traditional deodorant.
Deep conditioner – Give those frazzled split ends a break from the cold weather. Rub the ends with oil as soon as you get in the shower and let them sit until you’ve done all your other business, rinse and go.
Cellulite fighter – Rumor has it, consistent use of rubbing coconut oil into that stubborn pocketed flesh helps smooth out those wretched bumps.
Body moisturizer – Use it as your every day lotion from head to toe.
Fix cracked heels – Rest your beat up heels in between pedicures by slathering on some oil post nighttime shower, then putting on a clean pair of socks over it before bed. Wake up in the morning with silky soft feet

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A Valentine Boudoir Photo Package

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:29:00 -0800

Image: Lindsey Rickert

With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, you could treat your sweetheart to the good old standby gifts, or dare to go a little bold. New collaborators on the block photographer Lindsey Rickert and stylist Alix Zimmermann have paired together to offer full service saucy boudoir photo packages in time for special V-Day gifts.

The two combine their skills of professional photog and esthetician to get a gal all dolled up and ready for her close up. They say they’ll “have you primped, posed, and oozing with confidence--and with pictures to prove it.”

One of their most fun sounding packages includes grabbing your gaggle of girls and turning it into an all nighter of fun. The Destination Ladies Night package includes 3-5 lady friends getting primped and pampered at Portland's the Ace Hotel. The best part? You and your crew keep the hotel room for the rest of the evening. Get glammed out, take your pics, then head out for a night on the town. Afterwards you will each receive a CD of images in addition to three 8x12" prints of your favorite photos. Better hurry if you’re interested, parties have to book by February 3 to guarantee Valentine’s delivery.

How to Apply False Eyelashes

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 07:00:00 -0800

With our calendars full of glitzy holiday cocktail parties, this might be the best time of year to go full glam and attempt false eyelashes. Those little suckers skirt the line between giving your lashes a luscious bump or looking like a giant spider is nesting on your eyelid. The trick is to apply them properly and this tutorial video gives up the details.

Note: Cheesy music and questionable eye shadow are an added bonus.

30-Day Fitness Trial – The End

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 10:00:00 -0700

Photo: CABATBAT photography

For the last 30 days, I’ve committed my self to Studio X’s 30-Day Boot Camp full of bun busting workouts, squats until I cried, sweating more than any human should and letting a stranger monitor my nutrition everyday (and lecture me occasionally). Now, the burning question is…was it worth it?

The answer is unequivocally yes. Not only can I jump higher, lunge lower and get through a 60 minute workout with light to medium profanity usage (big improvement) I’ve seen the numbers (and the flab) shrink. Let’s turn to the math because it can’t lie. After being measured at the beginning, middle and end the amount that can be achieved in 30-Days is actually pretty astounding. I lost 2” at the waist, 2.5” at the hip and 4” (!) at the belly. Some of my other measurements didn’t change a whole lot from the two-week mark, but the interesting thing is my entire body fat percentage dropped 6.7% and while the tape says they’re similar, it sure seems a lot less jiggly to me.

The true sign if you’ve become a convert is whether or not you want to keep going and I do. While I might not volunteer my daily nutrition to owner Tim Irwin anymore or stress if I miss one class here or there, I’m not letting all that hard work melt (or jiggle) away.

For more information on the Studio X 30-Day X-Press Boot Camp visit:
Studio X Fitness
2839 SE Stark St.
Portland, OR 97214
(503) 236-7114

Half Drag Beauty

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 12:00:00 -0700

Bouncing to and fro on the interwebs, this beauty editorial from Vogue Italia shows just how much makeup can transform a person. Photographer Leland Bobbé’s images of men half in (fabulous) drag are part of an ongoing series. He says his intention is, “to capture both the male and the alter-ego female side of these subjects in one image. Through the power of hair and makeup these men are able to completely transform themselves and find their female...

A Perfume That Makes You Skinny?

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 10:00:00 -0700

You’ve got to be kidding.

While some of us are busting our buns at 30-Day fitness trials, others are simply trying to spritz their way to thin. According to the crew at Daily Mail, French perfume company Veld’s has created Prends–moi, a perfume designed to aid in weight loss. (Side note: Does anyone know if Prends–moi translates to “Pulling your leg?”)

How does this all even work? Supposedly, the ingredients in the spray release endorphins from the skin triggering the brain to feel happy and limit the urge to snack. These ingredients include caffeine, carnitine and spirulina extract which are meant to directly job the enzymes responsible for shrinking fat. In a trial study 75% of testers said the perfume reduced the urge to snack, while 73% said it gave them a feeling a pleasure. Uh, what?

If that whole thing intrigues you enough to buy, you’ll have to get in line. Currently the wait list sits at 6,000 people. Yes, 6,000.

For more info, visit Veldsasia.com

My Aveda Makeover

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 08:00:00 -0700

Madonna before we Aveda-erized her.

This month Aveda launched the grown up digital version of paper dolls. Instead of taking your little paper person and carefully folding clothes over it, you can upload a pic of yourself and play for hours on end trying on new hairstyles from the comfort of your couch. Designed as both a free iPad app and available from the computer the My Aveda Makeover program lets you play with a variety of hairstyles and then customize colors, highlights and lowlights.

To take it for a test drive we took the ever-changing Madonna and gave it a go with a few different styles the icon has yet to try. Once you nail down a look you love for yourself (or a friend/family member/poodle), pop into any of Portland’s Aveda locations to make the mock up a reality. You can also show your grandmother a picture of what she would look like with a purple bob which is reason enough to indulge.

Details of the My Aveda Makeover App:

When using the My Aveda Make-Over iPad app users can:
*Try new looks on a model image or upload their own photo
*Choose an Aveda hair style or select a gallery look from other users to try on
*Experiment with a variety of hair colors or receive hair color recommendations

Features of the Aveda iPad app include:
*Aveda Salon locator
*Guest discount offer to be redeemed in salon
*Live chat with Aveda experts for all things beauty, including style, skin care and makeup
*A sharing feature to allow users, stylists and friends to upload favorite photos to the gallery
*One-touch access to the Aveda mobile website for additional content and easy-to-use shopping
*Seamlessly syncs with the user’s existing Aveda.com account to archive favorites, products and photos

Her Madgesty after we cook up some new looks.

Take the Foundation Test

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 10:00:00 -0700

Finding the perfect shade of foundation can be trickier than finding Mr. (or Mrs.) Right. There’s the Casper the Ghost look when you accidentally go far too pale looking sickly at all times. Then there is the orange mask look where pale meets orange at the neckline some kind of odd beauty Creamsicle.

Portland makeup company Alima Pure wants to keep that from happening to you. Their Satin Matte Mineral Foundation is not only hypoallergenic it comes in 61 shades to ensure a perfect match for everyone. But how do you know which of the 61 to choose? They thought of that and have a point-by-point questionnaire complete with video and instructions that help guide you to mate. The end result is a suggested sampling of five foundation colors you can mix and match or try separately for several days to see which one you like best.

The selling point to all of this is the Sample Kit. After completing the test and receiving your suggested colors for just $20 you can order the Sample Kit which comes with Five foundation samples in your color way, a sample of Bisque Satin Matte Blush, one cruelty-free baby kabuki brush, an Alima Pure makeup bag and a coupon to use on a future foundation purchase once you make a decision. We think they call that “getting your money’s worth.”

Head to Alima Pure’s Foundation Test to leave the Casper and Creamsicle days behind.

The results of a Foundation Matching test.

The Way to Beauty

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 07:00:00 -0700

Ever look at vintage photos ala Mad Men style and wonder how the heck everyone looked so good all the time? Allow this little instructional film from 1959 to enlighten you in the ways to turn back time. Now, does anyone have a scary suction cup machine we can borrow?

Raising the Barre

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 09:00:00 -0800

Image: Michael Schmitt

IN 2007 SADIE LINCOLN, a Bay Area exercise instructor, knew she had the chops to start a business. True, her concept—a ballet workout inspired by the rehabilitative legwork of European dancer Lotte Berk—had competitors selling similar ideas. But standing out came naturally for a “hippie kid” raised in Eugene by a yogi mom. Fusing Berk’s exercises with Pilates and yoga techniques, Sadie and husband Chris Lincoln honed a regime for today’s om-chanting world.

“We wanted to create a job that could take us somewhere without compromising our values,” says Sadie, 40, a mother of two.

Somewhere may prove to be everywhere. The couple relocated to Portland in 2008 to open Barre3’s first studio, overlooking Tanner Springs Park in the Pearl. That location was soon packed with a mostly female clientele, drawn by Sadie’s “highly efficient” 60-minute workout. After praise for Barre3 in magazines like Shape and Marie Claire, word leaked that Madonna was a fan. By early 2010, other would-be fitness entrepreneurs lined up to pay Barre3’s $30,000 franchise fee.

“This is a great place to start. Clients and other businesses are our cheerleaders.” —Sadie Lincoln

In addition to the Lincolns’ own two new studios in Southeast Portland and Lake Oswego, Barre3’s franchised territory now spans Oklahoma City to the Philippines—nearly two dozen satellites so far, with at least 10 new locations planned this spring. The couple introduces all prospective franchisees to their version of Portland, a tight-knit world of businesses focused on family, sustainability, fitness, and food.

“We give them the full Portland experience—Abby’s Table, Prasad, Lovejoy Bakery,” says Sadie. “We constantly weave in lifestyle principles born here in Portland.”

The Lincolns say that their personal Portland dream doesn’t include near-term cashing out. “When we make more money, we hire more people,” says Chris, 40, the only man within a local Barre3 employee corps that now numbers 35. “We’d like to build a team here, so we can travel and get to know the cities where we have franchises.”

Thanks to strong DVD sales and a just-launched series of subscription-based online workouts, the duo is well poised for a more mobile lifestyle. Yet the Lincolns insist that their focus is on tweaking their product for quality, rather than growth. Unlike competing workouts such as Bikram Yoga, with its “monologue” of 26 poses, Sadie says the Barre3 concept is built for continued improvement.

“For me, Barre3 symbolizes balance,” she says. “People do lose weight here. But it’s not about hard bodies; it’s about graceful bodies.”