beauty Archives - Page 6 of 8 - My Healthy, Happier Life

It’s another rainy Friday in New York City. Bo clearly got caught in the rain on his way home tonight!

I was actually able to take advantage of summer Friday and leave the office by 4pm which isn’t as early as my co-workers, who all left at 1pm, but it’s earlier than normal.

I started this morning off with a crazy sweat session with Lauren, my personal trainer. Lauren and I have truly become more than just trainer and client over the past few weeks. We spent the hour chatting, catching up on the week’s craziness, and breaking a sweat of course. This morning’s workout was all about weight. I had my first date with the bench press (65 lbs), did crazy rope pulls, and more during our session. Luckily she included some extra stretching today because my glutes and hamstrings were still screaming after Wednesday’s VIPr session.

By the time I ate breakfast at 8:30 my stomach was growling.

This morning’s bowl was more delicious than normal because I accidentally added more cinnamon. When I was sprinkling it the lid came off and I ended up with about a tablespoon of cinnamon in the bowl. I balanced the potency with a little extra water and some Splenda. The end result was a cinnamon sweet bowl of goodness.

Lunch was an exact repeat of yesterday’s salad since I enjoyed it so much. The apples are a fresh new addition to my salads lately and I’m loving the extra crunch without the calories of nuts or croutons.

After leaving the office, I headed down to Union Square to make some much needed returns at JCrew and Sephora. I have to give a shoutout to JCrew today because their customer service was beyond amazing. I purchased two dresses last week for the engagement party but neither fit very well. Today when I returned the dress they were willing to credit my credit card instead of giving me gift cards; which is how I purchased the dresses. WIN!

Before I head into the kitchen for my cooking date with Bo, I want to leave you with a few of my latest favorite things.

Maybelline FIT foundation and powder: While I’m normally a Dolce&Gabbana or Cover Girl devotee, this line has become my new favorite foundation and powder. When I returned from Bermuda my foundation was suddenly way too light. When I went to Duane Reade this brand was on sale and I figured I’d give it a try since it was also supposed to match skin tones well. In addition, it’s oil free, wax free, and it’s patented pigments allow it to blend better than most. I’ve received more compliments on my makeup in the past few weeks and firmly believe it’s because this line looks so natural on my face. I highly recommend it! At $7.99 you can’t beat it!

Yurbuds: Since running the marathon, one of the most common questions I receive is in regards to my favorite headphones. Leslie actually convinced me to upgrade to these headphones the day before the marathon! When she saw the Yurbud booth she convinced me to try them out and within a few minutes I was sold. I wore them for the marathon and they never fell out one time. Since the race, I haven’t run with anything other than these amazing headphones; until Tuesday. I ran 3 miles with Bo’s headphones since I couldn’t find mine and realized just how much I love the Yurbuds. The sound is clearer, my sweat never makes them slip out, and they stay perfectly snug, without being uncomfortable, the whole time.

Birchbox I first read about Birchbox on Grace’s blog over a year ago when she received her first Birchbox. After seeing her enjoy the monthly gift for over a year, I finally joined the cult so I could see what it was all about. Birchbox is a company which provides subscribers to a monthly package of the newest beauty samples in a deluxe size that’s large enough to let you try it multiple times. Gone are the foil packets or single use trial packets! I love the concept since I’m a beauty junkie and love sampling the newest products without having to pay for a full size. In addition, it introduces me to many products I wouldn’t necessarily find on my own. Even better, it’s only $10 per month! This month, my best Birchbox yet, included the following:

Dr. Dennis Gross EZ4U Facial Towelettes
Amika Obliphica Hair Treatment
kate spade new york Twirl – 3.4 fl oz
Pangea Organics Toner for Normal to Oily Skin
Laura Geller Baked Blush-n-Brighten

Question: What is your favorite thing right now?

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Over the past few days, my life has been getting more and more stressful. Due to some circumstances out of my control, I’ll be doing two jobs for the next few days. This means longer hours and a steeper learning curve.

Instead of heading to the office this morning, I headed down to Philadelphia with my new team. An iced green tea and unpictured spinach feta wrap were enjoyed during our smooth trip down.

In between work discussions I relaxed with some new music and enjoyed the scenery.

I forgot how much I love the Main Line suburbs and the Philadelphia skyline! I said a quick hello to the Schuylkill River as we passed over it! I can’t wait to return in two weeks and enjoy a run with Meghann along Kelly Drive! IMG_2007 (640x478) While the trip down to Philadelphia was great, spending all day left me absolutely exhausted! By the time I got home at 8pm my feet were swollen and tired from visiting stores, my mind was whirling with the many unanswered emails in my work inbox, and I was stressed about what the next few weeks hold.

Over the past few months, I’ve discovered every unhealthy way to deal with stress including a few to many happy hours, too many sweets, and too little exercise. Luckily, over the past few weeks, I’ve done my best to fight stress and anxiety with healthy alternatives. But, nothing I’ve discovered melts away the stress of the day like a warm bath. Tonight that relaxing bath received an upgrade thanks to a new treat I purchased today: Ahava Muscle Soothing Eucalyptus Mineral Bath Salts. IMG_2022 (480x640) After hearing rave reviews of this product from friends and co-workers alike, I finally splurged today! This 32 oz jar of soothing bath salts doesn’t come cheap but it does more than any bath salt or Epsom salt I’ve tried before. The descriptions sums up these salts perfectly!

100% Pure Dead Sea Salts provide mineral healing to help relax tight muscles, soften skin, and release stress
Therapeutic essential oils of eucalyptus revive tired, aching muscles

The smell is stronger than most bath salts but the strong eucalyptus scent is what ads to the sensorial affects. The salts literally pulled the pain and swelling out of my legs and feet!

In fact, I’m so in love with these salts, that I will be giving one away to a lucky reader! In order to help other stressed bloggers and readers alike, I want to dedicate a post to your stress relief ideas!

You can enter this giveaway a few different ways:

Leave a comment on my blog letting me know how you best relieve stress and anxiety.
Tweet about the giveaway: @healthyhappier is giving away @ahava muscle bath soak so you can soak your stress and anxiety away!
Add me to your blog’s blog roll!

Please leave a comment letting me know that you did #2 and #3.

I will pick a winner, in the continental US ONLY, Wednesday at midnight!

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Happy Friday! I hope everyone has had a great week. I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend with Bo and some of our friends after two weeks of non-stop travel!

In honor of Friday, I wanted to share a few of my latest favorite things with you all ranging from travel must haves to my new favorite work outfit!

Favorite Beauty on the Go Items: When I travel, whether overnight or multiple days, I always bring a few things with me which I call my beauty essentials, in addition to makeup. Clinique’s Moisture Surge has been my favorite moisturizer since college as it is light as can be but still leaves my skin looking and feeling refreshed and dewy. In addition, it goes on under or on top of makeup perfectly! Fekkai Advanced Brilliant Glossing leaves my hair smooth and frizz free regardless of whether I have time to blow dry or straighten my hair. Last but not least, since starting in the beauty industry two years ago, I’ve become a fragrance addict! Fragrance has truly become an accessory and I can’t imagine not wearing it on a daily basis. Therefore, I always travel with this purse size Light Blue travel spray that I received in this year’s gift set.

Fashionable Business Casual: When I started getting serious about shedding the marathon weight, I gave myself goals and rewards. One of those rewards is shopping every time I lose 5 pounds. This past week, my mom and I had a great time rewarding ourselves at the outlets. I found a gorgeous silk blouse at the JCrew outlet and instantly knew how I anted to pair it with items already in my closet to make the perfect office outfit which can easily go into the evening.

In reality, the outfit looked a little something like this. I received more compliments on this outfit than any other pant outfit I’ve worn to the office.

Now if I can just figure out how to sweat less when I wear silk.

Favorite Season to Visit New York City: I’ve decided that the best time to visit New York City is between St. Patrick’s Day and Easter. The weather is rarely any cooler than mid 50’s, there are very few tourists, the city is in full bloom, and new plays are opening on Broadway! While Christmas is magical and the Fall brings leaves, cool weather, and holiday dreams, there is nothing like Spring in New York City! Just look at the gorgeous blossoms in Gramercy Park this morning.

What are a few favorite things categories you’d like to see in the future?