Monday, November 16, 2009

Beautiful Lashes


Every girl wants beautiful long and bold eyelashes. Here are some great tips to help with your eyelash problems

1. Get beautiful lashes by heating up your eyelash curler with a blow dryer, then crimp your lashes. This will help to keep your eyelashes beautiful all day.

2. Add volume to your lashes by dipping a shadow brush in loose translucent power, close your eyes, dust the top of your lashes and apply mascara over the powder. It will make the mascara last longer and look thicker.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Witch Broomstick Cookies


Try something different this Halloween besides the regular Carmel apples and candy corn with these fun treats.

Total: 1 hr 2 min Prep: 20 min Bake: 12 min Cool: 30 min (Total time will vary; cook or bake time is per batch.)Makes 20 cookies

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
10 pretzel rods, about 8 1/2 inches long, cut crosswise in half
2 teaspoons shortening
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Butterscotch-flavored chips, melted
Double recipe (Learn more about scaling recipes)
1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Mix brown sugar, butter, water and vanilla in medium bowl. Stir in flour and salt. Shape dough into twenty 1 1/4-inch balls.

2. Place pretzel rod halves on ungreased cookie sheet. Press ball of dough onto cut end of each pretzel rod. Press dough with fork to resemble "bristles" of broom.

3. Bake about 12 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely on wire rack, about 30 minutes.

4. Cover cookie sheet with waxed paper. Place brooms on waxed paper. Heat shortening and chocolate chips over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth; remove from heat. Spoon melted chocolate over brooms, leaving about 1 inch at top of pretzel handle and bottom halves of cookie bristles uncovered. Drizzle with melted butterscotch chips. Let stand until chocolate is set.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

The China Study


Another great book, If you're trying to go Vegan or researching the effects that animal products have on people...Ready "The China Study"

http://www.thechinastudy.com/about.html

Skinny Bitch


While I haven't read all of the book yet, I hear it's a good one, especially if you're trying to go vegan. Which I am, trying is the keyword here. You may be thinking that vegans are just crazed people who think you might as well be eating a dog if your eating a cow...while I disagree I am trying to go vegan for health reasons. I used to think being vegan is unhealthy...where do you get your protein...the truth is you get your protein from vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, grains, pretty much anything you eat has protein, which is much healthier for you than animal products. Trust me, I've done my research, spent hours upon hours comparing and reading articles, books, and professional opinions. Here is the truth, animal products are making people sick. Most people are lactose in tolerant and they don't even know it. All the chemicals that are in meat, milk, cheese, are making you sick. If you want glowing skin, to feel better about your self, look better, get better hair, longer, healthier fingernails, and most importantly if you don't want to get cancer or other chronic diseases (yes it's been proved that animal products cause cancer and chronic disease, don't believe me...look it up) then cut the animal products out of your life. I'm not talking about a diet here, I'm talking about how you are going to eat for the rest of your life. Here is an excerpt from "Skinny Bitch" Thanks gather.com

Skinny Bitch: "Okay. Use your head. You need to get healthy if you want to get skinny. Health = skinny. Unhealthy = fat. The first thing you need to do is give up your gross vices. Don't act surprised! You cannot keep eating the same shit and expect to get skinny. Or smoke."

"To make matters worse, some alcohol (and non-organic wines) still contain urethane, a cancer-causing chemical....Trade your booze for organic red wine produced without sulfites. (Sulfites are additives used in food and wine - to extend shelf life and fight bacteria growth. Asthma and allergic reactions can be triggered by sulfites...Read the label - it should say "No Sulfites Added" or "NSA." ...This magical elixir - organic red wine with NSA - is rich in cancer-righting antioxidants, can reduce risk of stroke, helps thin the blood, and has flavonoids, which lower cholesterol. Yes, organic red wine is good for you...."

"Brace yourselves, girls. Soda is liquid Satan. It is the devil. It is garbage. There is nothing in soda that should be put into your body. For starters, soda's high levels of phosphorous can increase calcium loss from the body, as can its sodium and caffeine....And the last time we checked, sugar, found in soda by the boatload, does not make you skinny! Now don't go patting yourself on the back if you drink diet soda. That stuff is even worse. Aspartame...has been blamed for a slew of scary maladies, like arthritis, birth defects, fibromyalgia, Alzheimer's, lupus, multiple sclerosis and diabetes. When methyl alcohol, a component of aspartame, enters your body, it turns into formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is toxic and carcinogenic."

"Junk food will never go away. It becomes more alluring by the minute with laboratory-developed aromas, artificial flavors, chemical food colors, toxic preservatives and heart-stopping hydrogenated oils...Candy bars, potato chips, and ice cream taste like heaven, of course. But they will pitch a tent on your hips and camp out all year. "

"Give up the notion that you can be sedentary and still lose weight. You need to exercise...Eating properly will dramatically improve your health, body, and all other aspects of your life. But you've still gotta move your ass. Anyone with a brain can do the math. When done in conjunction with a good diet, exercise will make you lose weight faster than healthy eating alone....When we exercise, our elevated heart rates and deep breathing cause our ‘bodyminds' to enter a fat-burning mode that can last throughout the day." Regardless of what time you work out, you'll soon become addicted to exercising...Plus, working out tends to keep our junk food cravings and elephant appetites at bay. It's a win-win. Work out."

On the Atkins diet:

Skinny Bitch: "Hmm. Eat the flesh of dead cows, dead pigs and dead chickens. Avoid fresh fruit. You are a total moron if you think the Atkins diet will make you thin, Or, you are a gluttonous pig who wants to believe you can each cheeseburgers all day long and lose weight. Perhaps you weren't listening the first time: You need to get healthy if you want to be skinny! Eating carcasses all day while avoiding fruit is a recipe for disaster. Of course, if you stop eating refined carbohydrates, you will lose weight. That's the part of the Atkins diet that actually works...When you eat large amounts of animal protein and saturated fats and do not eat whole grains, vegetables and fresh fruits, there is no fiber to bind all of the toxins and fat together to be eliminated from your body."

Read below and you will never want to eat meat again...

"Of the ten billion animals slaughtered each year for America's consumption, the vast majority of them come from factory farms. Factory farms that raise cattle, pigs, chickens, egg-laying hens, veal calves, or dairy cows have an enormous amount of animals in a small space... The animals are confined inside buildings, where they are literally packed on top of each other. Egg-laying hens are crammed into cares so small, they are unable to open their wings, and their mangled feet actually grow around the wire mesh floors. This overcrowded, stressful environment causes chickens to peck at each other and factory farm workers, so the ends of their beaks are seared off their faces using a hot knife. Pigs and cows are imprisoned in stalls so small, they are unable to turn around or lie down comfortably. Cattle are subject to third-degree branding burns and having their testicles and horns ripped out. Pigs also suffer from branding and castration, in addition to the mutilation of their ears, tails and teeth. They all live in the filth of their own urine, feces and vomit, with infected, festering sores and wounds. To keep animals alive in these unsanitary conditions, farmers must give them regular doses of antibiotics....


"Half of all the antibiotics made in the United States each year are administered to farm animals, causing antibiotic resistance in the humans who eat them..."


Skinny Bitch also compiled a partial list of the ingredients in meat, poultry, seafood and dairy: benzene hexachloride (BHC), chlordane, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), dieldrin, dioxin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene, (HCB), and lindane, all of which have been linked variously to cancer, birth defects, obesity, liver and kidney damage, nervous system disorders.

To get "Skinny Bitch" go to any book store or buy it off amazon.com

Monday, September 28, 2009

Pool Workout


If you're looking to shed some weight in a fun way? Try this fun pool workout. Curtsy of fitnessmagazine.com

Toning Water Exercises

How It Works
"This water workout burns tons of calories but feels like play," says Greg Moe, a master trainer for Rough-Fit outdoor fitness programs in Tustin, California, who created these insanely trimming moves (just see what they do for your abs!) exclusively for FITNESS. Simply treading water vigorously can zap 11 calories a minute, same as a six-mile-per-hour run. "Plus, water's continuous resistance forces you to engage more muscle fibers through a larger range of motion," says Moe, so you'll firm from every angle.

Perform as many reps of each exercise as you can in 30 seconds, rest, then repeat. (As you get fitter, aim for 45 to 60 seconds.) Do this workout on nonconsecutive days and emerge with a body to dive for!

For the pool exercises go to

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/lose-weight/total-body/pool-workout/?sssdmh=dm17.395169&esrc=nwfitdailytip092609&email=2044755937

Blueberry-Oat Bars


Here is a vegan friendly yummy recipe!

Enjoy!


Blueberry-Oat Bars
If you prefer a sweeter bar, add more agave nectar, sugar, stevia, or your favorite sweetener to the blueberries as they are cooking. Or add a sugar glaze on top by mixing a little vegan powdered sugar with water until it's the right consistency for drizzling.

1 pint blueberries
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup apple juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with enough water or juice to form a smooth paste

3 cups oatmeal* (regular, not instant)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces unsweetened applesauce
6 tablespoons (3/8 cup) agave nectar
6 tablespoons (3/8 cup) water
1 teaspoon vanilla


Preheat oven to 375F. Oil an 8x8-inch baking dish.

In a small saucepan, combine the blueberries, agave nectar, and juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When it boils, stir in the vanilla and the cornstarch mixture. Continue to stir as the mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat and set aside.

Put 1 1/2 cups of the oatmeal into a blender and grind it to a fine powder. Pour it into a medium-sized mixing bowl and add the remaining oatmeal, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Stir in the apple sauce, agave nectar, water, and vanilla, and mix well.

Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing well to cover the bottom of the pan. Spoon the blueberry filling over the batter, and cover the blueberries with the remaining batter.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. Allow to cool before cutting into bars.

*Use gluten-free oats to make these gluten-free.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

The Royal Tenenbaums


If you're looking for a new movie to check out this fall, look no further than The Royal Tenenbaums. The Royal Tenenbaums is a great movie that will keep you laughing, crying, and uplift your spirits. With great actors like Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Bill Murray, and Danny Glover. The Royal Tenebaums brilliantly filmed scenes, moving music and comdeyfilled action will keep you wanting more.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Fashion Update

This fall you may be wondering, whats in and whats out?? This fall keep it fresh with a variety of textures like leather and fur, colors like deep purple and gray, and fun with over the knee boots. Whether you go with ripped jeans, ripped tights or knits, you'll be in the clear. Here are some items to avoid and throw out...jean jackets and those low rise pants.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Covet Your Style


Today I was browsing the web, like I normally do while I'm at work and I came across the best website I have found to date. Covet takes you through a series of pictures, you click on the picture that suits your style best. You do that for a couple of minutes, I did it longer just because it was fun and I wanted them to know my style better. After it found my style and had me choose my sizes, colors, styles, and prices I do and don't like and designers that I do and don't like. Now instead of having to browse through a variety of websites to find my style, I have Covet sending me items that I love! I am so excited! Here are my styles that Covet found for me!

1. Trendy Modern

2. Contemporary Boho

3. Contemporary California

Burberry

Today I decided to write about a fashion line that I absolutly love, Burberry. What I love about Burberry is their quality and innovation in fabric and outerwear. Burberry offers luxury handbags and apparel that brings quality and style to anyone who wears it. A recognized luxury brand with a worldwide network for over a century. Burberry is best know for their trademark tartan patterns and famous trench coat.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Happy Halloween


As you all know Halloween is coming up fast. You may be wondering what to wear. Well for most of you girls out there, we have learned you can wear something slutty and no one can say anything (well to your face) because duh is HALLOWEEN! Whether you're looking for something popular this season or you want to look unique. Beautifully Polished has got you covered. Here are some of the seasons most popular looks.

1. Sailor

2. Witches

3. Pocahontas

4. Superheros

5. Fairies

I am still contemplating what I am going to wear. I was going to be a sailor but my little sister snatched that away. I think I have found the one. Now don't hold me to this, I am very fickle when it comes to Halloween costumes but I think I might have found the one, its cute and simple. Its a cute hippie? Whats your opinion?

Help Your Hair


Ever made this mistake? Cutting your hair too short? I know I have countless times. If you're looking for a great way to get your hair to grow longer faster and stay healthy, try these tips.

1. Only Wash Your Hair Every Other Day - Ever since I started using this tip my hair has not gotten healthier but longer. It doesn't mean you can't shower everyday, just don't get your hair wet, put it up in a cute, stylish ponytail.

2. Switch Your Pillow Cases to Silk - I know when I sleep I toss and turn, and mess up my hair, making me look like the bride of Frankenstein. Switching to silk pillows will help keep your hair mess free and you will get less split ends.

3. Eat Healthy - Yes I know swim suit season is over and the Holidays are coming up but that's no excuse ladies. Make sure you are eating healthy, meaning lots of fruits, veggies, nuts and healthy oils.

4. Leave in Treatments - This is a great way to get much need moisture to your hair. If leave in treatments make your hair limp, try leaving it in at night.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Quote of the Day


The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases.
- Carl Jung

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Project Runway


I started to watch the show Project Runway. I really like watching the designers go through the process and seeing the end product. I'm going to study fashion so I like to really pay attention. Does anyone else watch the show? Who's your favorite designer? design? Who do you think should get kicked off?

Quote of the Day


When we can't dream any longer we die.
-Emma Goldman

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Fall Clothing


With school just around the corner I decided to shop around online and make a list of the clothing I want for my new fall wardrobe. When choosing my new wardrobe I went to online stores such as, Anthropolgie, Urban Outfitters, and Free People. Although I don't have the money to buy an extensive wardrobe, I have picked some of my favorite items from each store.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Tip of the Week


If hair is an important part of your beauty regime, listen up. Ladies don't wash your hair everyday, it takes a toll on your hair and makes it dry. Instead wash it every other day, it will keep your hair soft and moisturized. If your conditioner is weighing your hair down, try this trick. Wash you hair with conditioner first and then shampoo. It will clean your hair and still make it soft and smooth with out weighing it down.

Friday, July 10, 2009

All-In-One Makeup Palette


Today I came across the All-In-One Makeup Palette. You can customize your makeup palette with a 3, 4, or 6 palette. Choose your own blush, eye shadow, and lip color. I'm excited to start customizing my own palette!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

My Top 5 Online Clothing Stores

1. Anthropology – I decided that my number one choice would be Anthropology because they are always updating, showing you new and different ways to put outfits together and besides selling clothes, the also sell really cute things for your home.

2. Shopbop - Shopbop is my second choice because they have the cutest designer clothes at pretty good prices. They have a variety of catalogs to look from and always have a variety of outfit ideas.

3. Urban Outfitters - Urban Outfitters is my third because they update their site just about every day and also have items for your home. They offer books, linens, furniture, décor, and a variety of other things.

4. Free People – Free People is my fourth choice because they update their site almost everyday as well. Some of their clothes are a little more pricey but well worth it. Sometimes they have items for your home.

5. Roxy - Roxy offers a variety of cute clothes but they do not update as often as the other 4. If you want the cutest luggage, Roxy is the way to go.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Tip of the Week


Most women know the basics steps to getting a great tan with sunless tanning lotion but here are some tricks I like to use. After I shave my legs I use sugar, (yup that's right, regular sugar you would bake cookies with) and exfoliate. Exfoliates I have bought from the store are to oily and make streaks on my legs when I use sunless tanner. Sugar is a great exfoliate for your face and body, plus its cheap. Make sure your body is completely dry before you put on the sunless tanner or it will streak. After you use the tanner of your choice and blend in you can use polish remover to remove dark spots. Use a cotton ball with non-acetone nail polish remover. The sunless tanner I like it use is from Bath and Body Works and its True Blue Bronze Bombshell Strike Gold, its a self tanner with bronzer so you can see if its blending and where you need more. I love the color, its not orange at all, its a turns my legs a beautiful bronze color.

CH by Carolina Herrera


Last weekend I was on a mission to find the best smelling perfume, after what seemed like an hour in Bath and Body Works and Victorias Secret, I decided to check out Nordstrom. When I walked into Nordstrom I saw it, a beautiful red bottle by Carolina Herrera. After I smelled the perfume, I knew I wouldn't need to keep looking, this perfume was by far the single best smelling thing I have ever smelled. I couldn't resist spraying it all over my self, unfortunately CH by by Carolina Herrera is pretty pricey but I am saving up for the bottle. I recommend this perfume to anyone who wants to smell amazing.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Sephora


Whether you love makeup and you're looking for perfection or you are a first timer at it, the ultimate guide to makeup, skin, and hair, from the beauty authority, Sephora is your new best friend! It shows you how to perfect your smoky eye, get lustrous lips, and get your bronze on. I personally own this book and I have to say it has been a great investment. I also love to shop at Sephora, honestly its the best.

Desginer of the Month - Marc Jacobs


One of my favorite fashion designers is Marc Jacobs. What I love most about his style is the way his clothes look on women. His clothing helps a woman look the way she wants to look. When I like to veiew his collection, some of the websites I like to look at are www.teenvogue.com and www.style.com/vogue. Here are some other designers I love, ADAM, Alexander Wang, Balmain, Boy of Band Outsiders, Charlotte Ronson, Erin Featherstone, Jason Wu, Jill Stuart, Lacoste, Luelle, Miss Sixty, Miu Miu, Rachel Comey, Rag & Bone, Stella McCartney, Travata, Twenty8Tweleve, Haute Hippie, and Many More.

Welcome to Beautifully Polished


Welcome to your online site for all your beauty advice needs. From hair to skin, we have the tips and tricks to make yourself beautifully polished. At Beautifully Polished we offer Workout Routines, Workout Playlists, Dieting Advice, Flirting Advice, Hair, Skin, and Makeup trips and tricks.