Drugstore.com

Tampons and panty liners are some of those things. As long as they do their job, I’m usually pretty satisfied.

But why CAN’T they be cute??? They can…as my new selection from Moxie attests.

Compact in purse-worthy tins, Moxie is an Australian brand that makes everything from panty liners to tampons – all in packaging that looks almost like decor, but at the very least is not remotely embarrassing to be seen fall out of your bag.

Plus, they are 100% recyclable tins – meaning you aren’t just bettering YOUR environment but THE environment.

Anyway, they are totally designer-chic girl worthy, are slim, and cost about the same as the not-cute ones I have been buying for the past 15 years. Why wouldn’t I switch???

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Sxc.hu

Get this: Even getting a manicure during flu season – -especially during the H1N1 (swine flu) scare can lead to getting sick. However, according to Dr. Kenneth Gerenraich (aka Dr. G, founder of Dr. G’s antimicrobial products), there are ways to protect yourself.

1. Ask your technician if they have washed their hands. Imagine a doctor not washing his hands before touching a patient! However it’s not just simply about washing hands; it’s the technique and time a person employs while washing that matters. “While in school training to be a doctor, I learned to sing happy birthday at the proper speed to determine the length of time to wash. I also learned to wash underneath my nails, between my fingers, (both favorite hiding places for germs) and then dry thoroughly with a clean, dry towel. Once my hands are dry, I use the towel to turn off the water and then use it to open the door to exit the restroom. This is very important because we don’t know how the person before us washed or if they did at all,” Dr G. says.

Touching germs after washing recontaminates the hands before the technician or client even returns to the station or table. Although we and the technician should both ALWAYS do this before any salon service, unfortunately in real life it doesn’t happen this way. When proper hand washing is not readily available, a technician should use a sanitizer to clean her hands and her client’s hands prior to starting the service.

2. Use properly use hand sanitizer - Like hand washing, it’s how a person uses a sanitizer that makes the difference. Sanitizers only work where they touch. A sanitizer must cover all these locations and similar to happy birthday, the sanitizer must be rubbed on these areas for 15-20 seconds. It’s important to note that hands can be recontaminated during a procedure. If a technician or client sneezes, sanitize again. A customer can always ask a nail technician to use sanitizer before starting a service.

3. Ask the nail salon if they use antimicrobial products to clean their tables and implements. This translates to instruments as well. “All tools should be soaked in proper disinfection solutions, not just wiped off with a cloth. If there are germs are on the tip of an instrument and the technician is pushing cuticles back, then the germs are directly deposited under the epinychium. Used instruments should not touch clean instruments. Think about how a dentist puts contaminated or infected instruments on a separate tray,” Dr. G says.

Eeek…now, if you are like me, getting a salon service at least once a week – you should really take this seriously. Otherwise, beside your gunmetal polish, you may be bringing home a nasty surprise!

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Granted, it’s not all the fault of my crazy schedule, there’s tons of factors involved. But still,“There’s no hiding unhealthy eyes,” says Dr. Elise Brisco.

Sxc.hu

Luckily, my eyes have hope of being beautiful again! Dr. Brisco offered some fabulous tips to keeping our eyes happy and healthy. (Even if the rest of us isn’t.

Uncomfortable, dry, irritated eyes occur when there are not enough tears, and can happen because of

* Dry environments (windy, sunny / hot, air conditioner / heater, winter / cold)

• Environments with too much smoke, smog or pollution
• Eye strain due to extended periods in front of computer screen, TV viewing or reading
• Constantly rubbing eyes
• Lack of sleep
• Medications, such as antihistamines, birth control, anti-depressants or antibiotics

It’s All About the Eyes – AND the Eye Area!

“The eyes are open, exposed organs – so debris and irritants like dust and pollen in the air land on and around your eyes and eyelids,” Dr. Brisco says.

Some things we can do to keep our eyes healthy:

• Clean the eyelids daily – just like you brush your teeth every day
• Irritants like dust, pollen and debris can get caught on your eye lashes; you may feel the urge to rub — but rubbing your eyes will actually push irritants further in, making the problem worse.

Don’t rub!

Excessive rubbing can damage the delicate skin around the eyes. It also promotes the appearance of those dreaded crow’s feet and wrinkles. A product like Visine’s Total Eye Soothing Wipes gently cleanse, hydrate and soothe without the rub.

• Moisturize daily around the eye area with a gentle eye cream.
• Sleeping with makeup on gives bacteria a place to live and hide, so be sure to remove makeup before going to sleep. If you have sensitive eyes, be sure to use a product that is both dermatologist- and ophthalmologist-tested for those with sensitive eyes.

OK, here we go. As for today, I’m rocking the sunglasses.

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We know that, sure, but that doesn’t mean we always take the steps necessary to maintain it.

I spend a lot of time hanging with my friends – who also happen to be beauty writers – and shockingly enough, skin issues come up. We all know we should take care of our skin, but all of us have individual processes for going about it. No one is wrong, it’s just a very personal process.

But once you find your “road”, taking care of the skin is just like taking care of the body – it becomes part of a lifestyle.

We chatted with renowned skincare expert Ling Chan, and she agreed: It is important to dedicate time to your customized plan to help achieve great skin. As for what that plan should be, Ling gave some awesome advice to get us started.

1. Get an expert monthly facial to clean the pores of impurities. Heavy makeup and our bodies natural 28 day cycle leads to clogged pores. In order to maintain a healthy complexion and get the most benefits from your products, it is important to go in for a pore cleaning every month to six weeks.

2. Having discipline when it comes to your at-home regimen and weekly maintenance. If you do not go in for regular facials this is even more important to maintain your skin’s health. (I always fail at this. It’s a bad, bad, beauty editor that every few days forgets she owns toner.)

3. Making healthy lifestyle choices when it comes to:

a. Proper Bedtime (11pm is recommended as this aligns with the body’s natural sleep cycle).

b. Limit Alcohol intake. Alcohol can negatively impact the skin and may contribute to broken capillaries, acne, and interruptions in your skin care regimen (ex: not washing face before bedtime).

c. Do not smoke cigarettes. Smoking negatively impacts the skin by constricting blood flow to the skin, decreasing healing time, tone, and contributes to premature or increased aging of the skin.

4. Hydration is the root of anti-aging.

a. When dealing with skin conditions, the first and most important step is to take care of your dehydration. Many skin conditions are a result of surface dehydration, which in turn disrupts the body’s natural production and release of oil. When your skin becomes dehydrated, it immediately affects and promotes all skin conditions such as acne, large pores and blackheads, redness, sensitivity, oily skin, premature aging and fine lines. Preventing dehydration is an important step in slowing the process of aging.

5. Exfoliation is important to remove dead skin cells, dirt and debris to promote a healthy looking complexion. Ling recommends to gently exfoliate nightly to ‘remove the day’. In a facial it is necessary to exfoliate to perform extractions and enhance results.

a. Overuse of cleansers that contain Glycolic Acids, Alpha Hydroxy Acids and irritating ingredients, along with exfoliating too frequently with very abrasive scrubs can eventually damage the skin and contribute to redness, sensitivity and inflammation. When the surface of the skin becomes dehydrated, the oil glands will overproduce oil to compensate for the lack of moisture which in turn can lead to large pores, blackheads and breakouts. That seems rather counter-productive, now, doesn’t it?

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BotanicChoice.com

It was so bad that I had to postpone a trip to Jamaica that I was supposed to be on right this moment.

The culprit? Well, clearly a renegade germ. But also…that I didn’t take my vitamins!

I used to be a stickler, and now I will be again…but that means it’s time to stock up in a big way. Good for me, now is a great time to stock up on at Botanic Choice, because for  every one bottle of a select supplement I buy, I  two more bottles of the same supplement FREE! Plus, orders over $50 get free shipping.

So, I’m stocking up. Because if I ever have to cancel an island get away again, there’ll be seriously a problem, mon.

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Zuma Press

I am familiar with customs forms. They are sort of like what we use to mail packages, just we ourselves are the package, right?

However, I was not expecting the public health questionnaire!

Apparently, as a way of warding off the spread of swine flu, EVERYONE who enters or leaves the country has to fill out a survey about their health status.

Questions included whether or not the traveler had recently had a cough, a fever, or even a runny nose. And get this – if during this screening, they deem you to be a risk, they do not let you enter the country!

Now, imagine my fear that I’ll have a dry throat when we leave…I may not be allowed to get on the plane!

Seriously, Mexico is really on top of this public health threat – which honestly, isn’t really their fault in the first place. In fact, rumor has it the virus actually came from America, where it’s been for decades, and they are just receiving the brunt of the blame.

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Last night, as I awaited my flight, I had a glass of wine.

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On the flight, I ate a meal of various spices.

I then attempted to sleep.

As you may imagine, now as I sit in Mexico City, with a several-hour layover, I would like to have breakfast – but also have what would be morning breath – if I ever actually had a ‘night’ – but then I found the absolute perfect solution in my purse.

Colgate Wisps!

They had been sent to me ages ago, and I never really got a chance to, well, give them a chance. But what an amazing invention they are – they are basically a single-use mini toothbrush you can fit in your purse! The toothpaste is embedded in it, and it’s great for that quick as-you-go freshening when, say, your toothbrush is currently located somewhere in the cargo of a plane. (We hope. I always freak out that my luggage and I won’t both make it to the ultimate destination.)

Anyway, these are great! And my breath is now minty fresh, as it should be, well, at all times! Meaning I can now have breakfast – my potato and egg tamale awaits! (No worries, I have another wisp waiting for after!)

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Sxc.hu

An average healthy adult man or woman needs about 0.8 grams of protein per every kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight. You can find this needed protein in meat, poultry, fish, eggs, cheese, nuts, legumes, and soy!

(I prefer to find mine in sushi. As often as possible.)

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Or, as close to it as my non-exercising butt will get.

So far, the days have been going relatively well, but I am having problems achieving the boundaries of “sensible dinners”. I love the shakes, and have no problem drinking them for breakfast, but when you spend just about every evening at some variant of a cocktail party, how do you achieve the right mix of crab cake and shrimp on a stick? I don’t know.

My friend Carolyn of The Daily Obsession is also on the challenge, and we were attempting to negotiate this at a few parties this week. We also noticed that eating less substantial meals during the day made us able to handle less alcohol at night – also a good thing. But should we start to eat pre-event and not let ourselves fall prey to sliders and shirmp tempura? It seems the logical answer, but not a not really fun one.

This weekend, I’m in Atlantic City – here, sensible dinner is even harder to negotiate. Buffets are, by definition, the opposite of “sensible”.

Yes, my friends – that is my biggest issue. I can shake by day, I can bar by afternoon, but I still can’t lose my issue with portion control and eating the right foods! Which is probably what GOT me to this situation.

What I love about Slim-Fast: It really is delicious! And it is filling, too – AND, I noticed, saves money. I shake for lunch is a lot more affordable than anything I’d buy. So, I’m going to keep at it. It’s the only sensible thing to do.

Image: Sxc.hu

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Just in time, I got a shipment from GNC. They sent me a variety of products from the line, and right now, I am testing their BeWHOLESOME.

This is a set of health and beauty vitapaks that contain a month’s supply of essential vitamins and minerals.

Is it hard for you to remember what to take, when? The daily packs are super-travel friendly, and already divided up into exactly what you need to take, and when. It’s especially formulated for women, too, and each pack contains triple strength fish oil, multivitamin, hair/skin/nail formula, mobility & stretch formula, and bone strengthening formula.

My hair and nails haven’t been as healthy as they should be lately, and my sleep patterns aren’t all that. Lets see what this can do for me!

Image: GNC

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