April 2013 - Page 4 of 6 - My Healthy, Happier Life

Happy Sunday! I hope you all are enjoying your weekend. So far our weekend has been all about friends and each other. I’ll fill you in on weekend details tomorrow but for now, grab your cup of coffee and let’s talk beauty!

It’s that time again! Once or twice a year Sephora thanks their shoppers by giving them a discount on EVERYTHING in store! This time around Sephora Beauty Insiders get 15% off everything in their shopping cart until April 21st by using the code CHIC! If you’re not yet an Insider, just sign up on the website.

Since I spend every day focused on beauty during my day job, I’ve decided to share more of that on the blog in the future. For now, I thought it’d be fun to share with you my Sephora favorites just in time for Sephora’s Annual Beauty Sale! This is not a sponsored post but instead just my way of introducing you to maybe at least one new beauty product!

My favorite Sephora picks, which range in price from under $10 to over $90 have been tested by me over the years and still find their way into my Sephora shopping basket multiple times a year!

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment $22.50 – Sephora Fragrance Sampler for Her $50– Tocca Cleopatra Candle $38- Clinique Chubby Stick in Fuller Fig $16 – DOLCE & GABBANA Light Blue Fragrance Pen $25 – NARS Orgasm and Laguna Bronzer Blush Duo $41.00 – Origins 10 Minute Mask $23.00 – YSL Touche Eclat – Radiant Touch $40.00 – DOLCE& GABBANA Monica Voluptuous Lipstick in Salmon Coral $33.00- Sephora Collection Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover $9.50 – Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner $16.00 – Ole Henriksen Ultimate Eye Gel PM $38.00 – SK-II Facial Treatment Mask $90.00 – Laura Mercier Eye Primer $25.00 – Phyto Hair and Nails Dietary Supplement $59.00 – Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief $37

For more of my favorite beauty products, follow my Favorite Beauty Products board on Pinterest!

In full disclosure, the following brands are part of P&G Prestige portfolio and therefore brands which I work on daily: SK-II and DOLCE & GABBANA.

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After a week of fighting a cold and feeling lethargic, I was ready to try a new tactic yesterday. It was finally Friday and that meant it was time to welcome the weekend! I spent the day at the office finishing lots of work and taking extra doses of Vitamin C and warm liquids in hopes that it would soothe my throat.

Once 6pm arrived, instead of heading home and crawling in bed, which I’ve done every other night this week, I decided to try sweating out all the germs.

I was feeling better but definitely not 100% and therefore couldn’t imagine hanging my head upside down at yoga or going for a run in my beloved Central Park. But, I could see myself jamming out on a spin bike. I knew I wanted something that would boost my mood and get my body moving. I hoped to find a class at Equinox but unfortunately either the classes were at the wrong time or they were all booked. Fail! This is just one of the reasons I’m finally parting ways with Equinox after almost four years as a member. Twenty three hours in advance all their Saturday spin classes were already booked solid! Really? I’m not sure what has happened lately but it’s getting harder and harder to find a spot in their classes. That’s not something I’m okay with when I’m trying to have an active weekend!

Luckily, I’ve been chatting with Stephanie Neiman on Twitter for the past few weeks and had a special code to try out her spin class at Revolve for free! (The code is SN2013 for your reference!)

I snagged the last bike available and headed down to Union Square ready to give Revolve another chance. As you read in my previous posts, I wasn’t in love with the studio. The front desk staff hasn’t been the friendliest, the rides are a bit shorter than I’m used to, and the studio itself is still growing and finding it’s niche.

What a difference an instructor can make! As luck would have it, due to availability and class schedule, I took the Body Ride for the 3rd time (initial Revolve review) and expected to feel the same way about it as I did the first two times. Rushed, too short for a real workout, and an arm’s section that doesn’t necessarily challenge me. Oh Stephanie was going to have none of that at all! The Friday night happy hour dance party started at 6:30 on the dot and by 6:40 the entire class was dripping sweat! The ride itself was filled with hills which kept us pushing the resistance and then, when we’d hit the top of a hill instead of getting a break Stephanie would have us push the speed for 25-30 seconds hitting RPMs of 100-105! Her music selection last night was mostly 90s jams, perfectly on tempo with the workout, that had us all bobbing are heads and shaking to the music.

Stephanie’s class had us riding for 39 minutes before squeezing in about 6 minutes of arms. Thanks to the 5 pound sandbag weights I used versus the 3 pounds my arms definitely felt the section. It was a mix of tricep, bicep and shoulder work but I liked that she didn’t have us keep riding during this section. In previous classes when instructors ask us to keep pedaling, even slowly, I find I have a hard time focusing on my arm form.

This was the perfect way to get back into the swing of working out while still fighting the last bit of the cold. After 45 minutes I felt like a new woman who was ready for a girl’s night out with Melissa!

If you haven’t tried Revolve yet I recommend you hop on downtown if you’re in New York and give it a try. The instructors who have been recommended the most to me are Kira Stokes, Dyan Tsiumis and Stephanie Nieman! If you’re around Sunday afternoon at 3pm Dori and Melissa are hosting another class at Revolve! Find out more information here!

Do you give studios a second chance after one not so great experience?

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Coming back from vacation is always an adjustment even if the vacation is a quick trip home to Savannah and only five days long! Unfortunately even though I was able to sleep and relax while home, my body isn’t happy and the cold I fended off the entire trip hit me full fledge this morning. I woke up at 4:15 in order to make my early morning flight and I could barely swallow at that point. After tons of water, green tea, salt water, and Airborne I spent the rest of the day at the office with a scratchy throat and a runny nose. I’m currently in bed with chicken noodle soup hoping to kick the cold with a good night’s rest!

This trip home was a mix of pure relaxation and time with my immediate and extended family spread across five days. I was lucky enough to enjoy some time with my blog buddy Victoria, catch up with my in-laws, try a few new to me restaurants, bake epic chocolate chip cookies, do some Target shopping, take a long walk on the beach with my mom, and still have plenty of time to kick my feet up and relax with a good book.

The only thing missing was Bo but unfortunately he and a good friend had plans to get a technical diving certification down in the Keys this weekend! How awesome is this picture of Bo from the wreck they explored? Notice he is carrying a 3rd tank! I can’t even imagine having to switch tanks!