Beauty Skin Care Natural: July 2011

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Makeup Tips to Look Fabulous over 50

Hi everyone,

Last weekend, I got a chance to do a makeover for my mom before she went to a wedding. Normally, she would do her own makeup but I'd like for her to have a different look. This is the second time I did my mom's makeup and it was a lot better than the first time around.

Bobbi Brown doing makeup on some model. Imagine me looking like that when I did my mom's makeup.

After this session, I have realized why my mom's makeup was a lot better. Here are the tips:

1. Moisture, moisture, moisture:
No matter how much face cream my mom put on, her skin was dry. To add more foundation and powder on top was a disaster. It enhances the dryness and accentuates the line.

To have a fabulous canvas for makeup, my mom put on the cream, waited for it to dry, then put on a facial serum that has silicone. Not only the silicone seals in moisture, it also smooths out her skin. It was a lot better this way.

2. A good primer is key:
The first time I did her makeup, I used MAC Bare Canvas as an eyeshadow primer. It is a decent primer on me but since its texture is dry, Bare Canvas did not work well on my mom's already dry skin.

This time around, I used Urban Decay Primer Potion on her and the eye makeup just blended so easily. I did not notice that when I did my own makeup but it was a significant improvement in blending my mom's makeup.

3. Liquid foundation and selected powdering:
As my mom's skin is dry, we decided to use liquid foundation and buffed it with ELF Studio powder brush to get a flawless finish. Then, I powdered her t-zone before adding blushes.

4. Go easy on the shimmer:
As much as I love shimmer, it does not go well on my mom's skin. Too much shimmer is not a good thing. Instead, I use a light hand to highlight certain areas (cheekbones and underneath the eyebrows.) As a result, my mom's skin did not look dull but has a nice glow.

I had fun doing makeup on my mom. Believe it or not, it's a whole new ballgame to do her makeup. The challenges are different and although I've heard or read about it, doing her makeup gave me a whole new outlook on makeup artistry.

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The Luxury Of Skin Lightening Home Remedies

The joys of doing home rituals using home ingredients are sorely missed because of busy scheduleswhich explains the frequent visit to spas to capture the luxurious feeling. Women love going to spas to get all that pampering that is sorely missed when body and face rituals are done from a jar at home. It would be wonderful if they could do their rituals at the comforts of their homes using natural products. Skin lightening home remedies can always be used to achieve the fair skin women always wanted. The process will not only be bring back the lavish feel but will also be inexpensive.

The very basic question is: what skin lightening home remedies are effective and how are they used? The following are tips to get this done:

1. Facial and Body Wash
Water will always be the best cleaning agent. To ensure that the skin will be thoroughly cleaned, the face can be scrubbed using some natural facial scrub then wash off with clean water.

2. How to scrub skin
To slough off old, dead skin cells, use natural ingredients that are rough to the touch like sugar or dried orange rind that is ground and mixed with some liquid substance like honey, yoghurt,milk for dry skin;however, lemon extract is suitable for oily skin.

3. How to apply facial and body mask
Masks are applied and left on the face or body as long as necessary because the primary purpose of masks are to nourish the skin. The ingredients must be selected depending on the skin texture and purpose. There are many possible choices that can be mixed and matched. Some examples are: yoghurt, lemon juice, orange juice, honey, almonds, tomato, cucumber, chamomile flowers. For dry skin, natural oils from olives, castor and almond may be added. Adding mint to the mixture makes it stimulating.

Attaining a fair skin is not impossible anymore. With ingenuity and interest, make a mixture out of the natural ingredients mentioned to come up with your own recipe. So the next time you want to go to a spa, think of all the ingredients that abound in the kitchen. Lit up some scented, aromatic candles and off you go to your very own private spa in your home.

What You Need To Know:Skin Lightening Tips

The craving for having whiter skin is not just a rage as proven by history because it has been observed to be intensely entrenched in the human mind as well as culture. To satisfy the incredible demand, so many products and gadgets are flooding the market; this makes people confused so they desperately need skin lightening tips. If the clamor is not waning, we must learn how to decide well. It may be helpful to consider the following tips:

Skin lightening chemicals or products manufactured by drug companies generally inhibits production of melanin thus leaves users without protection against UV radiation. Protect your skin with a sunblock; otherwise, do not go out. The skin sensitivity is heightened with use of the said chemicals as well as susceptibility to sun’s damage.

Remember to dig information about the product, composition, side effects, price, etc. when the choice is being made. Read the labels in the jars, bottles and promotional materials. Surf the web to find out more. Try to find out if it addresses your concern, if you can afford it, what are the requisites and expectation. Do not get into anything blindly.

Wait for some time to see if positive results would be visible given enough time. Be patient, give time for effects to show. There are products that need 30 to 90 days before some visible effects may be observed. Miracle products are almost too good to be true.

Vitamin C, in the ascorbyl form, can inhibit melanin formation in skin cells (melanin causes skin darkening) and thus regular uptake can cause skin lightening. Over and above this, Vitamin C boosts immune systems, enhances collagen synthesis, and activates vitamin E that offers protection to the body against antioxidants.

The choice for many natural products is extensive depending on the need and preference of the consumer. Be on guard with regards harmful additives in skin lightening products you buy. However, if the schedule restrain you from doing all the preparations needed when using the natural ingredients, try using commercial products that have natural ingredients.

To have a skin-to-die-for have a diet that is balanced and nutritious. Ensure that the diet is loaded with fibers from fruits and vegetables which are also sources of AHAs (alpha hydroxy acid). Have enough water.

It is alright to join the bandwagon and go for fairer skin. Just do it right. Stick to this skin lightening tips.

The Luxury Of Skin Lightening Home Remedies

What You Need To Know:Skin Lightening Tips

Natural Skin Lightening Is the Way to Go

History tells us that natural skin lightening procedures had always been practiced in history. Men and women who are innately dark- skinned have been on beauty regimens that include ingredients like papaya, lemon juice and rinds, milk, almonds, oats, tomatoes and the list goes on. After everything has been said and done, people still want to go back to what is conventional, traditional, efficient and yes, natural. The usefulness of natural skin lightening can never be questioned. The only issue being argued upon is the tediousness of preparation.

Basic and natural can mean raw and fresh ingredients being rubbed on skin just like how it was done eons of ages ago and how it is being replicated now in homes and, surprisingly, in spas. What brings about tediousness is the manner by which the fresh ingredients are processed to become a beauty blend. It can even be costly on top of the tediousness and inconvenience involved simply because ingredients are fresh and require advance preparation every time it is used. As this practice becomes harder to do, it became a luxury and a commodity in spas that cater to women customers who crave to be pampered using natural products.

With the need, and now the demand that is too palpable, the cosmetic industry turned towards use of natural ingredients processed and packed in bottles for expediency. The processing method, however, requires the use of certain chemicals to preserve the quality of the product. Products being sold in the market boast of being natural but do not mention anything about the preservative being used in the product. Attention and interest must be paid on the use of additives particularly the ones that are already established as unsafe like petroleum-based products like petrolatum,sodium methyl parabens, wood-derived alcohol like glycol,mineral oil and propylene, and chemical bleaching agents.

There are many options to choose from if natural skin whitening is your goal. It is only important to shy away from those that can potentially harm your skin and those that are cheap yet promise fast results. If you really want to make sure, you can always go back to the old, traditional time-tested ways you can do in your own kitchen or simply go to a spa.

Skin Lightening Before and After Pictures: Vanity or Sales?

What do skin lightening before and after pictures hope to achieve? For some this may be a simple act of vanity, feeding the ego after a life-long quest for a fairer skin. If one would consider the effort and time involved in the process, it is not at all surprising to take pride in the results. It may be hard to believe, but wanting to look better is not just about feeding the ego but human nature. Bad things in life can happen to leave behind scars that will be perpetual reminders of the event. The whitening of the scar and evening of the skin tone is like erasing bad or even traumatic memories of days gone by.

Skin lightening before and after pictures is a tell all evidence and compliment to the effectiveness of the product used. It speaks of what was promised to be achieved and how it truly worked. People making testimonies give credence to the validity of claims previously proposed even when it was not validated yet. This happens all the time and a great deal of buyers were fooled this way. The internet abounds with stories similar to this. So, when finally the results become visible, it is time for advertisers to flaunt it, thus the skin lightening before and after pictures.

The visual evidences of how products work as captured in skin lightening before and after pictures is actually a good marketing and advertising strategy. Very often, advertisers show off well known endorsers to give testimonies. They give powerful testimonies to give credence to the product. However, one must be wary with the intricateness of the situation involving endorsements. Thus, knowing that they are endorsers and are paid to say and claim what they say and claim is not comforting for consumers.

In the end, it is still our call whether to believe or not this skin lightening before and after pictures, and the endorsements. What do you think?

Skin Lightening Cream Just Can’t Be Sooner

Working towards becoming attractive is good. Wanting to change a genetic trait is more complicated because it concerns and raises ethical issues. By nature, people get attracted opposite of their type, probably a way of improving the gene pool. Ironic, but women seem to like what they do not have, rather than liking what they are and what they can be; hence, dark-skinned women want to slather skin lightening cream to attain that much-coveted fair complexion.

Skin lightening cream and other skin lightening products are very much in demand these days because they offer solutions in whitening the skin of women. This used to be addressed by all sorts of methods and natural ingredients. Despite the fact that home remedies are safe to use, one wonders with the changing preference of women towards commercial formulations. It is definitely an advantage to be able to use several natural ingredients all at one time in one preparation. This eliminates tediousness in preparation associated with use of fresh, raw products that may only allow limited blending depending on the availability of materials and time involved in the preparation.

Skin lightening cream is thicker, more viscous and therefore more easily absorbable in the general body skin. Serums are more concentrated but are hefty on the pocket too. Homemade remedies are good but take time for results to be visible. Advertisements made ordinary products into miracle products that explains why the sudden demand and clamor for many brands of lotion, creams and serum. In many testimonies, it was extracted that the amount of time needed for visible results to appear takes 30 to 90 days. This supports the idea that no intervention, natural or commercial can work as fast as wanted or needed since it requires time and consistent application.

In retrospect, being beautiful has nothing to do with the skin color and the answer cannot be found in a bottle of skin whitening cream; instead, it is in the mind of people. Skin lightening cream enhances skin tone and does nothing else.

Skin Lightening Procedures: Getting Bold and Beautiful

Having a fair complexion is pursued by many individuals with a great zeal. The range of skin lightening procedures is wide from use of safe and conventional home remedies to bleaching, chemical peels, dermabrasion, laser skin resurfacing. What is puzzling is the intensity of the desire to have a lighter skin that is almost akin to obssession.

Home remedies are still widely preferred because it is safe, unobtrusive and relatively inexpensive. The preference is due to the safety it offers. The amount of preparation is quite tedious and the effects take time to come by unlike other methods. These are the weaknesses that work against the use of homemade products.

Bleaching is a chemical-based approach. Bleaching agents are useful in minimizing the discoloration of small blotchy spots. There are, however, those who apply it so generously all over the body to achieve wide scale body whitening. This is bothering as many bleaching agents are carcinogenic or cancer-causing. What is more alarming is the unregulated sale of these products thus making it very easy to access.

Aging, exposure to sun, pregnancy and genetics contribute to wrinkling and pigmentation that can be removed using chemical peels. The skin whitening procedure is done by applying a medicated facial mask that is removed after awhile. This procedure is more costly than bleaching so evaluation is required.

Dermabrasion is alternatively called surgical skin planing. It is a procedure that entails the use of brush or diamond wheel called burr or fraise. The process can make the skin bleed but eventually replaced by new skin cells with smoother look. The depth that can be penetrated will depend on the how coarse the burr is, and how intense and how much pressure is being applied.

Laser skin resurfacing is a procedure which allows the underlying skin to resurface be removing the old, dry and wrinkled skin. This skin lightening procedure makes use of laser light with a high-intensity programmed for penetration at different levels. Deep penetration of laser light is needed to eradicate wrinkles, acne scars and unwanted hairs.

What is wrong with wanting to have a lighter skin? The important thing about this issue is the ability to make the right decisions based on facts. So which skin lightening procedure will it be?

Natural Skin Lightening Is the Way to Go

Skin Lightening Before and After Pictures: Vanity or Sales?

Skin Lightening Cream Just Can’t Be Sooner

Skin Lightening Procedures: Getting Bold and Beautiful

Is Skin Lightening Serum Too Good To Be True?

For a skin lightening serum to work, it needs to be taken up by skin cells first. It is packed in a small bottle that looks more like a small vial. The minute presentation of the product seems to indicate the extraordinariness of the product justifying the above than regular cost too. It just gives you that kind of feeling that you are so incredibly lucky to get a share of that one-of-a-kind serum.

A skin lightening serum works in the same fashion as a body lotion and a facial cream, only more concentrated and intense. Thus, it is presumed to deliver better and faster results. Fast, effective visible results in as early as 10 to 14 days are promised with actual results being observed much later than that. With the stiff competition that invaded this niche, marketing advantage can only be earned by focusing on very popular products. The price may be important but if the product is good, consumers will save up for it or put it on top of their priority list. The advertising can make miracles out of any product and that explains why ads may issue claims that are sometimes unfounded or invalidated. The consumers must learn how to read between the lines and how to research to be well informed or the money spent will just trickle through their fingers minus the promised benefits.

The choices of skin whitening serum are varied, and price range is also reasonably wide. It is advisable to know more about the ingredients of the skin whitening serum by doing research and by reading so you can feel safe about it. One must bear in mind, you are what you eat. Be careful of products that are already banned like mercury and hydroquinone. Do not be mislead by the cheap price. These are being dumped already so do not let these be dumped on you.
You will always have the last say on what you feed your skin. Just always remember to be wise yet safe when you have made a choice.

Lemon Skin Lightening –Natural And Effective

Mirrors do not lie as it projects a face unhappy with the many scars of the past which produces the determination to change by achieving a whiter, softer skin. If you are apprehensive to try on commercial products lest the acne break out comes back or concerned about costs and afraid to try invasive or surgical methods, what options do you have? The easiest solution probably is lemon skin whitening. Do you still remember how old, safe, and effective solutions like lemon skin whitening used to dominate the scene to address persistent and unattractive problems on dark skin? With the advent of commercialized solutions, these habits just went gone!

If the use of lemon in cleaning, sanitizing, removing of stains and even as a beauty agent in whitening skin and acne scars worked in the past, it will still be effective now. Having a persistent attitude and giving the solution enough time will bring in the desired results just like before.

How can lemon skin whitening be done? How is it used effectively? The skin and extract of the lemon can be used alone or mixed with other natural ingredients to whiten skin, which depends also on the skin type and the underlying condition. If whitening is desired but skin is also dry that needs nourishment,some ingredients like milk, yoghurt, honey, egg white, or oils from castor, olive, and almonds can be added to improve the quality of the preparation.

For oily skin, it would be good to use lemon juice plainly with water. Enhancing the mixture with mint or cucumber extract will make it more revitalizing. The skin of the lemon can be used to exfoliate dead, dry skin either alone or again mixed with other ingredients typically found in your kitchen. The lemon sprayer is a great and functional addition for purse must haves.

Despite the heights by which science brought us, there are certain traditional practices that can still work for us in their simplicity. So, the next time you look at the mirror, smile because lemon skin whitening can just as easily make acne scars go away from the skin that is fairer and soft to the touch for as little as nothing.

Make the Skin Lightening Lotion Work

The application of lotion is part of the bath and hygiene regimen that is as routine as having coffee in the morning or brushing teeth after meals. It will be hard to change this practice as it is already a habit that has been ingrained from the time a baby has that first bath. Taking stock of the products in the grocery shelves, one is in awe with the number and variety for selection. It only takes knowing what is wanted and a suitable find can be done just as easily. However, the task of selection has just been made more daunting with the wide array of skin lightening lotion available. Here are some facts that can help in the selection of the right skin lightening lotion.

Natural is second to nothing. Lotion has originally been developed to feed the skin to give it a baby touch. To lighten skin, natural ingredients from home are used on the side such as lemon juice, potato extracts, papaya, milk among others. The surge in the demand led to the commercialized manufacturing of lotion that integrates natural ingredients to offer skin lightening lotion with other benefits. To stay as close to fresh natural ingredients that are safe, it is good to use skin lightening lotions that have components derived from natural sources.

Avoid use of banned chemicals. When products or chemical components are banned, it is for a reason that is generally substantiated by scientific findings. Do not be fooled or lured by these cheap products because they not safe; no one is buying them anymore and that is why they are cheap. If the price is a concern, search the market for inexpensive yet safe skin lightening lotion. It is important to be aware of what you are giving your skin so read on.

Take time in waiting for results. Good visible results take time. Sometimes it takes 30 to 90 days for skin whitening lotion to show good visible results. When products are replaced fast, the true results become hard to assess as other products are used one after the other.

In the end, what is there to be done? Do not stress yourself out; keep that skin beautiful.

Is Skin Lightening Serum Too Good To Be True?

Lemon Skin Lightening –Natural And Effective

Make the Skin Lightening Lotion Work

Important Facts About Skin Lightening Remedies

Skin lightening remedies have been sought since olden days as people kept exploring options in order to attain it. The subject at hand has been influenced largely by the concept that to be beautiful is to have light colored eyes, hair and skin. This is due popular cultures adulation of everything western and the commercialism that put Caucasian women on pedestals so that whoever appears different is considered less. There are several alternatives just to look beautiful in the standard set by the western culture: adhere to what is safe and natural, experiment on cosmetic products done through research or try modern alternatives that appear daunting and invasive like surgery and laser?

Frequently, the fundamental process involved in skin lightening remedies is the inhibition of melanin or the enzyme that catalyzes its formation resulting to its significant reduction. What is critical is how others use skin whitening remedies that could be potentially harmful to humans. Some skin whiteners that are used widely were seen to still incorporate the hydroquinine that is already banned in the US; some even contain very toxic mercury.

Alternative skin lightening remedies that are natural or with natural ingredients are available as an option. It is fortunate that the demand for these kinds of products has reached an all time high as they are not invasive, safer, more inexpensive and use more products commonly found at home. Some frequently used home remedies are turmeric, lemon juice, potato, strawberry, tomato, milk, honey, just to name a few.

Safer alternatives are available such as the tretinoin from natural sources like mulberry, azelaic acid, Kojic acid, arbutin from bearberry and alpha hydroxyl acids (AHAs) in the form of glycolic acid and lactic acid. Vitamin C or ascorbic acid does not only improve the immune system it also brightens skin tone and to a certain extent inhibit melanin production. The use of glutathione either as a tablet or injection became a crace very recently. Other methods like use of laser and cryosurgery can be resorted to for more immediate effects.

Owing to demand and components safe products are still demanded for but are still rather expensive. With the price, these products are moving so fast in the counters of the rich nations while the developing countries are becoming the dumping ground of products with banned chemicals. So, caution is the word to go by, to be safe.

Important Facts About Skin Lightening Remedies

Away for holiday to India for 8 days

I will be flying off to Mumbai,India in few hours time with another 5 friends!

Am looking forward to visit Taj Mahal in Agra, one of the 7 wonders in the world!!

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone

WINNERS of the KY Intimacy Experiment Giveaway!

(Psst...If you don't want to read all of my babbling and need to know who won NOW, the winners are posted at the bottom, under the little snail picture!)

HO-LY COW, you guys! I can't believe how many entries there were to this giveaway. All told, there were 700 when you include the extra entries.

THANK YOU!!!

With that many entries, I hate only having two prizes to give out. The good news? You can do this on your own, without the box of goodies. The booklet that I used can be downloaded in .pdf form from KY's Facebook Page, Couples Place. In fact, here's the direct link to the .pdf (not sure if it'll work - you might need to like them first?) That Facebook page also has a Contest section (nothing going on right now, but the prizes are amazing so keep checking back), Special Offers (right now you can get $5 off either a printable or to use online - and free shipping!), and Intimate Insights Articles (including quizzes, advice, and special occasions ideas!)

I cannot tell you how much fun I had doing this. Hubby and I are actually back to enjoying our relationship - looking forward to seeing each other, talking about any number of things, and making more time for our marriage (the parenting thing always comes first, but now we know that it's not our only 'thing'!) Oh, and I loved some of your responses. Once I get back in the groove of writing about more than sex, I want to re-open the comments and reply to some of you. Oh, and did I mention that I think I've finally found my writing "voice" while doing all of these posts? About time! If you go back and read some of my posts, you'd think a schizophrenic was writing this blog.

So, here's how I chose the winners. First, I got out a piece of paper and a pen (yeah, I'm bold enough to do math with a pen - not pencil!) Then I took about 10 minutes trying to locate the built-in calculator in my Windows programs, probably would have been faster to Google "online calculator", right? With these amazingly technologically advanced tools, O proceeded to add up all of the entries. I added the entries from Day 1 to the original entries, then tagged on the Day 2 entries, so on and so on... You can check out my amazing computing skills in the scan below:

Tech-savvy way of doing it!

Then, I added the numbers to the little random.org widget at the bottom of the page and hit the little button twice. Voila! Here are the two winning numbers:

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

#239 -

Dionna @ Code Name: Mama said... 239: #4 I follow you on Twitter!; July 11, 2011 8:34 PM

#540 -

Martha said... 9: talking about how my body feels...like when I'm cramping. I never would have talked to him about it in the beginning but after 14 yrs together, I do. LOL - (mavans@_________); July 26, 2011 10:56 AM

If this is you up there, and you don't have an email from me in your inbox, please check your spam folder (lots of my emails have been labeled as spam lately (?!) or get in touch with me here, on Twitter, on Facebook...

Oh, and if anyone missed the whole giveaway, here are links to the posts:

I Can't Believe I'm Doing This!!!

You Want Me to WHAT?! (Day 1)

Reviving Old Connections (Day 2)

Don't I Know You From Somewhere? (Day 3)

What Are YOU Looking At? (Day 4)

A Whole New Twist on an Old Game (Day 5)

You Rub Me the *Right* Way! (Day 6)

Now That's Just Weird (Day 7)

Someone's in the Kitchen with Dinah (Day 8)

Well, THAT Was Thrilling! (Day 9)

Are We There Yet? (Day 10)

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Are We There Yet?! +FIVE EXTRA ENTRIES in this post!!! { Day 10 - KY Intimacy Experiment & GIVEAWAY}

To all the little kiddies under 18 out there:

This is not a post for you. Please hit the back button, close the page, or anything else that will get you away from this page!

Sincerely,

ME!

OK, so as you can see, I got WAY behind on my posts and am barely finishing them up before this giveaway ends. So, rather than do Day 10 and a Conclusion post, I've decided to put them together. Day 10 of the KY Intimacy Experiment is a reflection, anyway, so it goes with the final post I had planned.

Our KY Intimacy Experiment booklet asks us to use this final day to look over our journal, discuss what we liked doing the most and which were just OK. We really have come a long way in our relationship since before we started this whole thing. As I said before, we were like roommates. And not even roommates who were friends. I was angry at him most of the time for not helping out more with the kids and even seeming to hide himself in front of the TV so he wouldn't have to talk to me. He was confused at my anger (his head was saying, "Why's she mad at me? She didn't ask me to do anything!") We learned how to communicate with each other in many different ways. We've been more honest with each other about both our everyday lives and sex. We learned that, even when there isn't time to talk right now, we can use a journal to write back and forth to each other. I think that is one of my favorites. It's more personal that a phone call or and email, plus we can look back at it later and reminisce.

Our nighttime exercise was to choose one of the nighttime exercises from days 1-9 and do it all over again. I was secretly hoping for Day 9 again - and so was he. This time, we started out with a very sensual massage AND I WAS THE RECIPIENT! It was a great night and I know we'll be doing more of it.

I highly recommend trying this. Even if you're not one of the two winners of this giveaway, go try to enter other giveaways. Here's a Google search I did that will get you started: Searched Google for "KY Intimacy Experiment Giveaway" (Yeah, that's ME on top! Just page waaay down and there will be other blog giveaways.) You can also check out Couples Place on Facebook, it's KY's Facebook page and it has a tab on the left for the Intimacy Experiment where you can download the booklet (No box of goodies, though. Sorry.)

Speaking of that "Box of Goodies", there were a few KY Brand items in there that I'd like to tell you a little more about. If you're like me, you really don't want to plunk down money on something that you just don't like.

First, we tried the KY Brands Yours+Mine Couples Lubricant. The idea here was to add a little stimulating tingle to the foreplay on those certain very-important-for-intercourse body parts. Then, when it came time to come together, those two lubricants mixed together and really enhanced each other! This is something I'd buy. A little goes a LONG way! So, if you do get some, make sure you start out with a little bit. You can always add more!

Next was the KY Brands Yours+Mine Kissable Sensations. This is the one we tried out for "dessert" on the night we cooked up the aphrodisiac foods and drinks. Now, this one is for anywhere on the body and it heats up nicely. It's NOT a lubricant, so you don't have to worry about using too much. It actually tastes good - like the flavors it is supposed to (strawberry in one, chocolate in the other.) I wouldn't buy it, myself, because it's not what we're really into. If you're one for lots of oral... um, pleasuring (?!) this is the one you want!

Finally, we tried my favorite: KY Brand Intense. Whew! I LIKE THIS - A LOT! And, because I liked it so much, hubby's arousal was piqued, too. The one drawback is the price. We won't use it every time - it's more for super-secret-special-birthday sex, you know? But, since the little bottle holds 20 applications and we're not using it all of the time, I think we can save up to replace it when it runs out. (Plus, now hubby knows what to get me for Christmas! No, not an ironing board! Well, maybe... we are getting more adventurous...)

I hope you enjoyed reading my posts. It was tricky writing about this stuff without using some pretty repulsive slang to describe certain things! Now I think I can finish having that sex talk with the oldest! Come back again to check out some of my tamer "Mommy" posts! I'd like to give KY a special thanks. Without this little experiment, I don't see how our relationship would have gotten this close again!

Here is the final EXTRA ENTRY question!!!

For FIVE MORE ENTRIES, answer this question below in a comment on this post: Have you tried any of the things I've written about (day or night) in your relationship? OR - Do you plan on checking out the KY Intimacy Experiment page if you don't win to try to build a closer relationship?

Answer the question in your first comment, then just type "Entry 2", "Entry 3", etc. in your other comments up to five entries. Don't forget to leave your email in one of your comments.

You must have done the Mandatory entry on my original giveaway post HERE

This is open to US residents. YOU MUST BE 18 OR OVER TO ENTER! Giveaway will end on July 30, 2011, at 11:59 pm EST

*I received no monetary compensation for this giveaway, this blog post, or the blog posts that will follow. I did receive a K-Y Brands Intimacy Experiment package in order to fully participate in the program and tell you about it.

My makeover from the Clinique Star Tour 2011

If you have been to the shopping malls for the past weekends, you might see this White Truck parked in front of the malls and wondering why people are queuing for it.

Well it is the Clinique Star Tour 2011 Mobile Truck! And I visited them when they stopped over in Pavilion KL !

When I reached there, I was shocked to see that actually that the slot for the rest of the evening has been almost filled up even though it was raining quite heavily.

I filled up the form and register myself for the Clinique Star Tour Search.. even though I am over 25 years old I am still allowed to join for the makeover for fun :D

Check this out, they have everything inside this Clinique Mobile Truck !!

When I got on the truck, first I got to queue for my skin to be analyzed. I was told I have dry-combination skin.

Then all my makeup was removed by the Clinique Skin Consultant using Clinique Take The Day off, which is a cleansing balm.

The Clinique's 3-Step Skin Care System which was recommended for me.

1) Clinique Liquid Facial Foam Mild
2) Clinique Clarifying Lotion No 2
3) Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion

and top up with Clinique All About Eyes

Me busy applying the skincare myself :D

So this is my bare face without any makeup. Please ignore my dark eyes circles :(

Then I go ahead to do my hair do first

Looked how I enjoyed myself with this "temporary" personal hairstylist

I am done and I love my big sexy curl!

Then Mr David Ooi, Clinique Makeup Expert started busy transforming myself with his makeup brush!

He shared that in order for the liquid foundation to last longer, we should pump out the liquid foundation on the back of our hands and dab it with the makeup brush before stroking foundation brush on our face. The reason is we would the liquid foundation to get a little bit heat from the back of the hands then the foundation stayed longer and close more pores.

After 30 mins or so I am done and I took a picture with Mr David Ooi.

My close up look - green eyeshadow which is very matching with my dress!

Here are the makeup items that are being used at the makeover by Mr David are

Clinique Super Moist Liquid Foundation in 66 True Beige
Clinique Blended Facepowder and Brush in 20 Invisible Blend
Clinique High Impact Eyeshadow in Lemongrass
Clinique Blushing Blush Powder Blush in 121 Enchanted Bronze
Clinique Chubby Stick in 04 Mega Melon
Clinique Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss in 03 Mango

Clinique Lash Power Voluminizing Mascara in Black

Then I proceed to photo shoot session. not easy... haha see how the photographer giving live modeling tutorial !!

And me and Sharon , my personal photographer of the day :) Thank you for helping me to take so many awesome pictures :D

Last but not least our pictures which are taken at the Clinique Star Tour 2011 mobile truck are directly being uploaded to the Clinique Star Tour picture gallery at http://www.cliniquestartour.com.my where we can view our photo and details and voting will only start on 8th August for the public.

p/s: If you are 25 years old and above, you will not see your pic in the gallery and you can download your hi-resolution picture here by keying in your IC and email address.

Last but not least, this is me from the Clinique Star Tour 2011

Well don't forget to drop by at the Clinique Mobile Truck this coming weekends !! Check out the schedule here !

Did I tell you that by just paying RM35 to join this Clinique Star Search 2011, each of you will get

1. Clinique 3-Step Skin Analysis and Prepping
2. Makeup by Clinique Makeup Experts
3. Hair-Styled by Miko Galere
4. Fashion photograph
5. Door Gift worth approximately RM 130
6. Lucky draw at every location comprising handphones and cameras by Samsung, treatment vouchers from Miko Galere and Clinique fragrance

Well this is the goodie bag that I got and just happened they run out of Cleo Magazine July 2011 because of the overwhelming respond so I didn't get a copy.

Do remember to join this Clinique Star Tour 2011!

For more information, check out www.cliniquestartour.com.my

Well, THAT was Thrilling!!! {Day 9 - KY Intimacy Experiment & GIVEAWAY!}

To all the little kiddies under 18 out there:

This is not a post for you. Please hit the back button, close the page, or anything else that will get you away from this page!

Sincerely,

ME!

Whew! Almost done with the KY Intimacy Experiment and I can tell you that it's been a rather interesting, invigorating, exciting, hot, and even relaxing experience. Now Day 9 has us being thrilled! This was a really tough daytime exercise for us - it took a LOT of planning and we ended up having to take the kids with us (making the "thrill" part a little less.) We were supposed to choose an experience that would get our adrenaline pumping. Suggestions in the Intimacy Experiment booklet included: skydiving, kayaking, white water rafting, and things like that. Those all cost a pretty penny and weren't something we could do with a toddler and surly teenager who had to spend the entire day with his family (GAG! - psst, do they still say that?) We chose the only thing we could think of...

In spring of 2010, our community had just completed a 2 1/2-mile trail that started in our town and ended at the nearest state park on Lake Erie. We really wanted to try it out but, alas, the bridge over the river that we needed to cross was closed ALL summer for repairs. We'd have had to add an extra mile and a half each way to our trip. With an 18 mo. old, this just wasn't going to happen. There was no way he'd have stayed in the stroller that long and his little legs and curiosity would have added so much time to the trip that we'd have gotten there and had to leave again to get home before the mosquitoes came out in droves. But this year, it was a little different. We put the stroller away early this spring - Little Guy is a champion walker and, really, runs everywhere. The bridge is now open, too. We had no excuses!

We packed a light lunch, towels (not planning on going to the beach - I'll explain why someday - but you just never know!), a change of clothes for everyone, and LOTS of water. FORGOT the camera!!! Now, beside the cost and kids issues, there was another reason why we chose this for our "thrilling" adventure was twofold:

Taking kids anywhere like this, especially a little guy who could go into full-on tantrum mode for any or no reason, was going to keep us on our toes. There is water everywhere, water with very strong currents. Water that is very easy to fall into. We were going to have to keep a close rein on them while simultaneously letting them explore. And that brings me to...

SNAKES! We live in an area that was formerly all wetlands before the darned French and English (and a few Germans) moved in and "tamed" it into farmland. Where did all of these snakes go when we humans pushed them out? To the only wild place left - the state park. They're everywhere. Black ones, grey ones, green ones, striped ones, ones that climb trees, ones that swim under the water, ones that sun themselves (looking EXACTLY like sticks) across a hiking trail... yeah.

Now, I don't hate them. I know why there here and that they have just as much right as I do to use that trail. But these guys bits. Some are poisonous. Some will literally chase you instead of slithering away like they're supposed to do (whoever said, "They're more afraid of you than you are of them" was telling a bald-faced lie!) So, every little twig, every time I saw something move out of the corner of my eye, I was rushing to the kids' sides - just in case. I didn't want to frighten them, but what the heck was I supposed to do if one of them got bit? We were in the middle of a trail with no one around. I know very little snake bite emergency procedures - just the ones from old westerns and Indiana Jones movies! Plus, I really wanted the kids to embrace all nature. My oldest has a lot of friends with the "kill it then find out what it was" mentality that I am finding many people in this area have. I don't want these two thinking that animals are a few rungs below people - they're equal if not above us! (Hey, I don't see snakes creating nuclear bombs or tossing Slurpee cups into the woods!)

And, yes, we did see a few snakes. Thankfully, they were ones I could recognize and not any aggressive ones in the bunch. At one point, I even got past my own feelings (and planned to have nightmares later) and picked up a couple of small Garter Snakes for the kids to hold. Little Guy, my naturalist, was in heaven. My oldest did it because he was not going to be out-shined by a toddler, though his face clearly showed his distaste for the whole thing (man, I wish I'd have brought the camera!) Hubby was in refusal-mode. He grew up hating snakes, a long line of family had bred it into his genes to hate them. He finally relented after we all teased him. And you know what? He played with the poor confused snake the longest, talking about how cool it was!

After we had all showered, eaten dinner, the oldest (who missed an entire day standing around with his friends) begged us to let him sleep over at his friend's. "Wellllll, I guess so..." was all he needed to zip out the door with a pair of PJ pants and his PS2. Little Guy fell asleep the second his head hit the pillow. He didn't even wake up when hubby, who thought he was still awake, yelled to me from the other room about something. Now it was time to take our "thrilling" day and turn it into a "thrilling" night.

Now, the KY Intimacy Experiment booklet had quite a few ideas for us. Most of which, a-hem, we've done before. So we chose to do one that we used to do a lot and had forgotten about. Let's just say it involved a blindfold, a few pieces of soft rope, and the KY Intense gel (more on that on the conclusion post!) It was fun and, really was thrilling!

Here are more EXTRA ENTRIES!!!

For TWO MORE ENTRIES, answer this question in a comment on this post: Can you think of another "thrilling" experience that we might be able to do together that won't cost us an arm and a leg? It can be something that we do with or without the kids. OR - name something thrilling that you've done with your partner.

Answer the question in your first comment, then just type "Entry 2" in your second comment for two entries. Don't forget to leave your email in one of your comments.

You must have done the Mandatory entry on my original giveaway post HERE, in order to receive the extra entries on this post. I will add these entries to the original entries when I choose a winner.

This is open to US residents. YOU MUST BE 18 OR OVER TO ENTER! Giveaway will end on July 30, 2011, at 11:59 pm EST

*I received no monetary compensation for this giveaway, this blog post, or the blog posts that will follow. I did receive a K-Y Brands Intimacy Experiment package in order to fully participate in the program and tell you about it.