Venus Vibrance: Is it Worth the Slurge?

YES! Or at least if it's given as a present.....

I can't believe that I'm even writing a post about the Venus Vibrance Razor. But here's how it all began......A year ago I was given the razor as a free gift from a softball sponsorship. All of the girls on my sister's team received one, along with their families. Not wanting to get myself hooked on a razor that cost more than I would pay for a shirt (tis true, I shop sales), I threw it in my "extra bath stuff" box with the original Venus razor my parents had given me 2 Christmas' ago.

I had decided to not use the razors until all my disposables were used up and I had no other choice. That faithful day arrived. I reluctantly tore open the package and hopped in the shower. After a quick shave, I was in love with my new razor. When I say quick, I mean quick, and not even one nick.

Venus gave me the closest shave ever! My legs were left feeling smooth and silky. Apparently, the vibrations coming off of the razor head wisp away dry skin that can leave your legs feeling rough.

So, next time you're in the market for a new razor, try Venus Vibrance! Perhaps replacement blades might make it on my Christmas list!

Heather's Smooth Hands Recipe

Heather at "A Quiet Place to Rest" posted a recipe on her blog for soft hands and feet. This morning I tried it myself!

Heather's Smooth Hands

sweet almond oil ( or some other pure oil)

sugar

liquid hand soap

thick hand lotion

"Remove jewelery. Line up all your 'ingredients' and set aside 5 minutes for your self. Place a few drops of oil on each hand and rub all over. Place 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in the palm of one hand and rub all over both hands - this can be messy so I do it over the sink. Don't rub too hard - you'll want some skin left! Squeeze a few drops of liquid hand soap into your palm and rub all over - again - be gentle! Rinse your hands in warm water - pat dry. Apply lotion to your baby smooth hands. I do this Saturday night when I know I'll be shaking hands at church Sunday Morning and don't want to rub folks the wrong way!

If you have a helpful husband, like I do, you can probably request his help with your feet - strong hands seem to make a great difference in removing the rough dry skin on my feet, and it just feels so good to relax while he pampers my piggies!"

How it worked for me: I chose to use extra virgin olive oil, as it was the only oil I had available in my home. It was quick and easy to use. What I LOVE about this recipe is that it works just as well as any commercial scrub, but it's cheaper! Not only that, but it contains ingredients that I already have in my home so there's no need to waste money or space on a whole new product.

I'm wondering, can I bottle this recipe and use in the shower for all over exfoliation? I think I'll TRY IT!

Thank you, Heather for you WONDERFUL Contribution!

My Favorite Beauty Aid!

When it comes to make-up and moisturizer, my moisturizer wins hands down, every time! If I had to choose between the two, move over make-up! Not every lady that reads this blog will be a make-up wearer, but every lady should be a moisturizer user! If you don't have a facial moisturizer of some kind, shame shame!

Here's my favorite:


Not only is it cheaper than the L'Oreal (which contains the same ingredients), but it works just as well! I love the smell of cleanliness this container holds....ahh!

I started using moisturizer on my face after washings at the age of 13. I've been using this brand since I was about 16 (now 22) and haven't switched! Because it's "firming", I do hope that it helps keep wrinkles at bay for as long as possible!

Using anti-wrinkle cream is an excellent idea at any age (it's amazing what consistency can do).

What is your favorite face cream? How long have you been using your current?

Don't have a moisturizer? Try Equate Firming Face and Neck Cream! I HIGHLY recommend it (and it comes from Wal-Mart)!

Make-Over Results

Whew! Who knew giving a make-over could be so much fun! Last Thursday I took Tina and her cousin out to shop for make-up and for lunch. We had a blast! I really appreciate all of your tips. Here is the before and after pictures!

BEFORE: The two of us shopping!
AFTER:
Here's what we ended up using:

Maybelline Loose Powder
CoverGirl Blend Liquid Foundation (could've been a tad darker)
Maybelline Mascara (pink tube with green lid which she already had)
Unknown Lip gloss (she already had)
Cheap Eyeliner (Budgets stink, so did this 93 cent liner, which we are NEVER buying again!)
Sea Sponge for foundation application
Maybelline Eyeshadow in Champagne
CoverGirl Concealer
Seabreeze Face Cleanser
Equate Firm Moisturizer
A LOT of Healthy Self-Confidence!

I had no idea that make-up was so expensive! I wanted to try CoverGirl TruBlend on her and Physicians Formula, but even with coupons those was too expensive for us! I think the make-up we got will work for the time being.

Bringing Back Natural

I live in the far South where the women talk with sweet Southern accents, love their sweet tea and diet coke, welcome you into their homes with "something to eat or drink", and tan until their skin is burned and wrinkled.....WHAT?!? Ah, sounded like a fairly tale, I'm sure you were already imagining a sweet Southern Belle is her long dress and lace fan, but truth be told, most of the women here are covered in dark, leathery skin (and it's not natural).

Tanning seems to be all about fashion, what's hot at the time. Any doctor, or beauty magazine will tell you the dangers of tanning, including skin cancer, premature aging, and problems with your eyes. Yet, we still do it. As Christian women we say that we don't want to do what the World does, but we're still burning away in the sun or in tanning booths. Why?

Here's what I implore, let us ladies go back to being natural! Love who you are and the skin God gave you! Why wouldn't you want to do what is healthy any how? Are you going to let some model or teenager in a mini tell you what shade your skin should be? No.

Who is with me?!?!

*Note - I'm not in disagreement with some color while working outside in the yard, or garden, or what-have-you.

More Tips for a Good Night's Rest!

Trouble Sleeping? Here's More tips:

It's okay...take a nap! A 20 minute nap can do wonders during an afternoon energy slump! Are you the kind of lady who can take a quick nap during the day, only to wake up and feel just as tired? Grumman recommends taking a walk! Taking a brisk walk can really wake up your mind and body, sounds like a great time to meet with the Lord!

Exercise - Personally, I could do an hour of kickboxing and sleep like a baby 10 minutes after finishing, my friend can not. If you're like my friend, try finishing exercise at least 4 hours before bedtime. The energy boost keeps you awake longer than you might wish.

-Make your room sleep-friendly. Grumman says, "Pull down the blinds to make it dark so that your brain increases the amount of melatonin, a hormone that makes you feel tired. Your body temperature will rise as you begin to wake up. If you room is too warm, you'll have trouble staying asleep. Keep it cooler than 72 degrees."

-Check out this link on how to make your bed nice and comfy, worth going to bed early for!

-Lastly, get in a nightly routine. Pick an ideal time to go to bed. Currently, my ideal time is 10:30 (although writing this post will put me at 11:30, hehe!) About 9:00 I look at my clock and figure out what I need to do in order to be in bed by 10:30. Once I have everything done (cleaning, getting ready for next day, etc) I wash my face, brush teeth, change clothes, read a little, then go off to sleep. Having a routine helps me prepare for a good nights sleep!

Have Trouble Falling Asleep?

I've heard from several women who seem to have trouble falling asleep at night. While skimming over a magazine, I came across an article, "Sleep Like a Baby-Tonight" by Rachel Grumman. Here are some tips she has for you:

Up and Moving - Try waking up at the same time, even on the weekends.

If you Snooze - Well, if I snooze I always wake up, have to run around like crazy, and end up late! So no snoozing! She suggests when your clock goes off.....walk around, don't lay back down!

Eat Breakfast - Skipping meals causes your blood sugar to drop leaving you feeling sluggish! Too bad your children aren't sluggish too....you have to keep up with them! Eat good meals!

Snack Well Midmorning-Have string cheese, apple, or low-fat peanut butter on whole-wheat bread. This will keep your blood sugar from dropping again!

Caffeine Intake -Have your last cup of caffeine not much later after noon. Apparently, 50 percent of consumed caffeine will still be in your blood system after 6 hours! No wonder you can't sleep! (Note: Caffeine affects women differently. Doesn't bother me, but it might you).

Eat Lunch - "Eat energizing foods, like a sandwich with lean chicken, or tofu tossed in a salad. Avoid high-fat and high-carbohydrate dishes like pasta (oops!) - they'll make you sleepy as your body works overtime to digest them."

More Next time!

What's Your Sleeping Schedule?

I'm curious. ....What is your sleeping schedule? What time do you tend to go to bed, and what time to you get up? Would you say that it is easy for you to fall asleep and wake up, or hard?

Overall, does your sleeping routine work for you?

Call Me a Quitter, Nah! Conditioner Only Results

The most important thing is that I tried! Yes, for the past 11 days, I did not wash my hair with shampoo, but conditioner only. I know that you are all dying to know the results! Here's what happened:

-I realized that my hair doesn't have to be shampooed every day.

-My scalp produces too much oil, because I make it. By shampooing my hair daily I strip the natural oils from my hair causing my scalp to over-produce.

-On Sunday I realized that my hair really was lacking body.

-This morning after a misty walk (which was called off by rain), I threw in the towel and shampooed my hair.

I do believe with more "practice" my hair could do MOSTLY without shampoo. I decided last night that I must start shampooing my hair every once-in-a-while because my hair needs every bit of body that it can get from shampoo, conditioner wasn't cutting it.

Here's my new plan:

-Limit Shampooing to three times, or twice a week.
-Find conditioner with EXTRA BODY!
-ALWAYS leave in conditioner as long as possible before rinsing
-ALWAYS rinse with the coolest water possible. It seals up the healthy shine in my hair.
What do I recommend?!?!

TRY IT! Don't be afraid. If you get scared and panic, just shampoo like normal. Take baby steps by skipping one day here and one day there. I truly believe it's worth trying!
For future reference, this is my hair, hehe! I probably should have shown you these first. These two were taken on Sunday, I started on Friday. Check out New Mom at Growing Up Gracefully, she took pictures after the first day! Let's watch her blog as she experiments with CO!