Beautifying Pumpkin Facial

{Sigh} This lovely summer is coming quietly to a close, autumn is just around the corner, and with the turning leaves, changing weather and pumpkin patches boasting multitudes of bright dots of orange, comes along also our inevitable, dreaded changing skin.
"YEY, my skin is crispy!!", said not one woman EVER! {Haha...}

Most of us experience it as the seasons change and we stock up on extra body creams and body oils, but our faces need replenishment too. From the dewy, soft, summery skin to the drier, thirsty and tighter tone, our skin SCREAMS for pampering throughout the autumn and winter months, and what better time to post a FAV "Pumpkin Facial" that I love to create and enjoy than now?

Photo from my online gallery, www.tracywagstaffphotography.blogspot.com

I discovered this simple and fun "Autumny" {not a real word, but I am using it as it just fits} facial mask recipe while collecting others that also involve honey, yogurt, avocado and bananas on my previous post HERE.  Whichever facial you choose to create, your skin will feel AMAZING, it will look RADIANT, you will simply GLOW
- and you will smell and taste delicious too!

2 Tbsp Pumpkin {fresh or canned - I refer to use canned}
1 Tbsp plain yogurt {my favorite is FAGE Greek Yogurt}
1/2 tsp raw honey 

{Yummy Tip: Dish up a 1/2 Cup of the yogurt drizzled with some honey to enjoy while relaxing!}

Fold together ingredients and apply to skin freshly washed with warm water. You will need to allow it to set for about 10 minutes, so go sit/lie down and RELAX... have a cup of vanilla spice chai, flip through a magazine or just breathe and enjoy! After 10 minutes or so, place a moist, warm washcloth onto face for 2-3 minutes prior to removing the mask - OHHHH that feels SO nice! - the warmth activates the pumpkin's enzymes which hydrates, nourishes, replenishes and exfoliates the skin as well. Pumpkin is a great source of Vitamin A which soothes irritated and dehydrated skin, and it contains zinc to heal inflammation. Yogurt contains lactic acid and enzymes that work together with the pumpkin. Raw honey - DELISH! - acts as a natural sealant, and it is one of nature's finest natural moisturizers, is full of humectants and has wonderful healing properties for the skin. Finish with your favorite moisturizer, a dash of mascara, your favorite lip color and a tousle to your hair and embrace your RADIANCE, because after all,  

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!

Valentino gown

{Unbelievably BEAUTIFUL layered vintage Valentino gown}

I captured this photo from the AMAZING book of Valentino images, designs and sketches entitled, "Valentino: Themes and Variations", as I perused its pages while at an appointment. A perfect book to add to the library collection of one who adores haute couture design {Definitely one for my beautiful and incredibly talented friend, Heather Glenn - her sketches are INCREDIBLE!}

Sigh... Imagine how it would feel on your body... the airiness and float of the exquisite fabric... the chiffon/silken tulle layers wrapped to perfectly hug the body... the gentle sway of the skirt. As if wearing delicate tissue paper, how incredibly feminine, romantic and beautiful you would feel within it!

Beautify With Homemade Face Masks

With some music on, a cup of tea by your side, a fluffy robe wrapped around you and your feet up, you rest... eyes closed behind cool cucumber slices, your mind drifting, your body calm.

There is nothing more precious than finding time, even just a few minutes of quiet, solitary time to unwind and relax... time to renew the senses, regroup the mind and restore the body.

 

Wrapping your skin in renewing nourishment is not only calming, but beautifully replenishing! Here are two fabulous and easy facial mask recipes and info about why they are the perfect addition to your at-home beauty routine. Relax, unwind and enjoy!

MASHED AVOCADO MASK {1/2 a ripe avocado, 1 tsp raw honey, 1 Tbsp natural yogurt,
1/3 of a cucumber}

Mash the avocado with a fork until creamy. Avocados contain a deep penetrating vegetable oil that is perfect for dry skin care. Maybe the most important element of avocado is that it is a good source of potassium, which is known as the youth mineral, so whether you are eating avocados or making a face mask, they can help your skin maintain its beautiful, healthy glow.

Stir in the natural yogurt. Yogurt is a natural and gentle cleanser and is used in many skin care products. Yogurt also contains lactic acid, which soothes and softens the skin while tightening wrinkles and refining pores.

Peel and slice two pieces of cucumber to place over your eyes. With natural and gentle astringent properties, cucumber is the perfect addition to your avocado face mask, as it cleans, nourishes, hydrates and helps reduce circles underneath the eyes.

Wash your face gently with warm water and pat dry. Apply a thin layer of the avocado face mask to your face and neck. Place the cucumber slices over your eyes and relax. Allow the mask to set for at least 15 minutes before rinsing thoroughly with warm water, and again, patting dry.

MASHED BANANA MASK
{1/4 banana, 1/4 cup natural yogurt, 1 tsp raw honey}

Here is another favorite beauty creation from my fav, Dr. Oz! This super simple, sweet scented, cost-effective {and might I add, delicious?} way to smooth out wrinkles will leave your skin replenished, glowing and smelling delicious! Adding semi cooked oatmeal to the combination is also great for a gentle exfoliating and smoothing mask/scrub.

Mash banana and mix with honey and yogurt. Spread over face and let sit for 15 minutes. Rinse with cold water and gently pat dry.

A BEAUTIFUL FREE GIVEAWAY!

So, you know when you walk into a place that simply CAPTURES you? An incredible place that within the very first steps inside, your heart begins to pound, your breath is caught and your eyes are in full blown overdrive trying to take in every aspect and every fragment and every detail of OHSOMUCHAMAZINGNESS that you have just encountered?

That was my first reaction {okay, I blushingly admit it is still my every reaction since then...} when I step within the studio of "Vintage Butterfly". It is simply BREATHTAKING and it is no wonder that while being within such a BEAUTIFUL place, beauty simply bursts forth from it, into the most unique and stunningly feminine designs and creations.

And I am SO excited and honored to be GIVING AWAY FOR FREE one of "Vintage Butterfly's" amazing pieces for August 2011's Vibrant Giveaway! Take a looksie! It is a "Vintage Button Bracelet", so take a breath and relish in its' loveliness... and imagine it adorning YOU!!

First, the incredible vintage buttons, faceted stones, beads and glass...

And then the intricate combination of it all...

The super creative extra attention to detail is found in every piece... Here, the simple freshwater pearl is being kissed by a crown of sparkles... And look at the fun chunky clasp! Entwining bold and beautiful PERFECTLY!

Then there is the FEEL of it when you put it on. Ladies, you know exactly what I am talking about, as it feels SO delicately chunky/girly/sexy/vintagey {my new made-up word} and absolutely lovely on! When you add a feminine flair this unique, it is just SO much fun!
I want YOU to win this Vintage Button Bracelet! Be easily entered to do so by completing the three simple steps below!

1} Leave a comment beneath this post describing what you love about the bracelet and why YOU would love to win it for yourself or to give as a gift.
2} Name one thing on your "bucket list" that you wish to do someday.
3} Take a moment to forgive, compliment or pray for someone today.

Thanks for participating and the lucky winner will be announced in early September!

{For more information about Missy's amazing collection, custom designs and oh SO much more!}

sweetly scented

What scents do YOU adorn yourself with?

I have only recently begun to collect and tuck away my perfume bottles after the perfume has long been enjoyed. I SO wish I would have thought to do this years back when I began to adorn myself with scents of stages in my life!

As a teen, I wore White Shoulders, Sand and Sable and Jessica McClintock. As a young woman, Red Door, Eternity and an array of Victoria's Secret bottles, body creams and lotions lined the top of my dresser. As an older young woman, I continue to adore the classics to the contemporary scents from Chanel No. 5, Estee Lauder Beautiful and the Pleasures line and Miss Dior Cherie to Flora by Gucci, Juicy Couture, Michael Kors Very Hollywood, Marc Jacobs Daisy, Vicktor and Rolf Flowerbomb, True Religion and feminine and floral lines.

Perfumes, colognes and oils of all scents, bottle shapes and sizes - too many to count and name - are LOVED by women and men.

A scent can define you and the place in life that you are encompassed by. It can evoke a memory and create a mood. It can become a lovely habit to enjoy and wrap yourself in.

What are some of YOUR favorites?

The bottles are so lovely!

And oils! Worn alone or add scented oils to your shampoo!
Pure rose oil by Aveda : Pure bliss on your wrists!

From Within Your Skin

What radiates from you? What causes your glow, your light you bring into the world? Do you SHINE? If so, do you try to SHARE that shine, that light from within, with those with whom you encounter, those who surround you, as well as those far away and also those whom you do not even know at ALL?

YOU are an incredibly orchestrated, beautifully created and perfectly shaped part of this world, crafted with unending love and immeasurable joy. You wouldn't be here if you were not meant to be and you have a WALK and a PURPOSE and a REASON for being here all your own.

Into you was breathed an amazing breath from which you continued on... a starting point to ALL you would become, do and experience in this life. In that first gasp, you began to flourish and revel in the newness of all things opposite to your previous surroundings, and you had to sustain the changes and events that followed as you grew, learned and overcame challenges. And you continue to do so every day, sometimes flourishing, sometimes flailing, but ALWAYS with a deeper purpose, although you do not know what the full and intended purpose of your existence is.

That same breath we continue to breathe also encompasses our fears, triumphs, despair and joy, and we have also given the sweet echoes of LAUGHTER into the world. The sounds of even one lone person in this huge world are heard, no matter what volume they voice them or what place they reside. And when it is laughter and excitement, and sweet words of kindness and compassion and truth and light, it blankets and comforts the hearts and lives of those among us TREMENDOUSLY. We are to lift and bring the gifts of light and hope and service into the lives of others by His light and His breath that was placed initially within us. Whether in prayer or in person, the positive lift of our heart to another is hugely impactful, and reaches farther than we will EVER know.

And you reside in your skin a creature of your habits, you know exactly what makes you YOU! Do you make it a habit to keep your outlook POSITIVE? Do you have a "glass half full" state of mind? Do you laugh and let your laughter be contagious? Being self confident and having self assurance is attractive and when you resonate positive energy, positive people are DRAWN to you, and those that can use a "positive push" will BENEFIT from you! It could take but ONE simple gesture to turn one's entire frame of mind and emotional status around, and that gesture, whether in word or action can be as simple as holding a door open, as personal as holding someone's hand, or as compassionate as lending your shoulder to gather tears.

Be confident in who you are and know that you ARE beautifully and perfectly made and that you ARE immensely loved and cherished! Be also aware of someone who could use hearing that sentence and PLEASE SHARE IT with them! Be understanding and know that NOBODY is above another except to lift another up. Enjoy being in the skin you live in and know that you CAN begin today to make better choices to make it a healthier skin to live within. Embrace the moments and the memories you are experiencing, and tell those you love THAT YOU LOVE THEM! We are all here unknowing of when our last breaths will be, so use them wisely, with integrity, love and empathy for everyone. And embrace life to the fullest... make every day from beginning to end productive, working toward your goals and dreams!

Lastly, a smile is contagious, so USE it. And LAUGH! Laughing blesses us with better health, a better emotional status, and deeper personal and social enrichment and overall well being. Laughter is, after all, the very best medicine next to LOVE!

{summer braids}

There is something so dreamy, so relaxed about summer hair, isn't there? Tousled by the wind and kissed by the sun. Scented with coconut, orchid or grapefruit and you are remembered long after a hug has come and gone.

Braids are that lovely combination of Bohemian cool and romantic elegance, and in the sweet summer months, they not only look pretty but are almost ethereal, adding a casually chic yet soft accent to locks. Whether in a sundress, shorts and a tank top, or even a more dressed-up outfit, adding the woven intrigue of a simple braid adds that imperfectly perfect, dreamy and relaxed summertime touch. And to add an AMAZING scent to your strands, click HERE for one of my FAVORITES, as you can never go wrong with "Flowerbomb"!

For more AMAZINGLY beautiful braided pics, go HERE!

Create a few of your own fun braids by following this instructional:

Vibrant Giveaway Winner! {May 2011}

The debut of my "A Life More Vibrant" blog this month has been super fun and the response via Facebook, emails, texts, calls and kind commentary from SO many people has been simply amazing, rewarding and means just SO much to me! I LOVE that you love it - I have such great fans! And I look forward to continuing to provide you with enjoyment as you follow it!

With that said... I wonder what could be in this lovely box?

I fell in love with the box before I fell in love with what was inside... the bright, lively pop of colors and painted petals blooming within a vibrant, radiant shell... it caught my eye instantly. Once I experienced what was within, I knew I had to share my discovery with someone. Tucked within the box is something simply incredible - silky, sweetly scented with honey, lavender, orange blossom and lilies - it is fabulous and it is Winifred Wikkeling Royal Creme*.


My beautiful daughter had the joy of drawing out of the pitcher {I love to collect little pitchers!} the winner of our very first giveaway, and I am so excited to address the box to...

Felicity Garcia!
{please email me your address to tracy@vibrantdrinkactlife.com!}

HONORABLE MENTION TIME!!

I also have a "beautiful little sparkly something" heading out to the one person who discovered the "hidden post" about me down the right side column of the blog... my own niece, Erica Resendez! Good eyes, girl!

Congrats lovely ladies! I hope these little gifts embrace you and that you enjoy them!

{Find out more info about the lovely creme here: http://www.winifredwikkeling.com}

Give Your Skin a Golden Glow

Okay. No judgment here, but the phrase, "everything in moderation" really IS a great rule of thumb. For example, have you ever seen anyone SO tan, SO, SO, SOOOO tan from the orangy {another made up word of mine} "whatever-it-was" that they used to get their skin that way {purposely, I might add} and it just seemed to gleam like a fire's embers under REALLY yellow/brassy blond hair color and BAARIGHT blue {not normal blue, but freakish blue} contact lenses and a few too many Zoom whitening treatments? She was across from me at Applebee's a few weeks ago. Talking about how she "really needs a tanning appointment before the party as she didn't want to look pale." Sweetest thing she was, but okay. Seriously. Less IS really more, and as I myself grow older, I understand that more and more.

I have really enjoyed getting older, I have rocked my share of intense tans, but I have also found that my love of the sun and the need for a good skin care line is SO important as I age. My makeup and skin care routine includes a SPF, but layer upon layer can be trying. Great powder sunscreens and dry oil types are both nourishing while not leaving you doused in shine. I always apply my own skincare and SPF products I love, then I apply a healthy mineral powder sweep all over my face {spf 25}. Being half Czech and German, I can't help but easily tan when I walk outdoors, so I need to be aware of that consistently and prep myself accordingly. I wear 30-50 SPF and will get tan from even only a couple of times out in the sun. But, I do get a kick start to my tan every year... in my bathroom!

While most people may think the best way to improve their skin color is by natural sun tanning, self tanners and bronzers and getting a spray on tan every now and then is great. I am a body cream addict as well - love a hot shower followed by a dose of body cream, and I have found the very best way and have mastered the art - oh, yes, it takes skill - to apply self tanner/bronzer for a seamless, no line/patchy look. That way, in the natural sun, the tan deepens. With a nice base tan already in place, it is easier to simply apply sunscreen, dust on some powder and go, looking like a beach babe, but without the damage from too many rays.

Check THIS out! A recent study shows that eating certain fruits and vegetables is actually more efficient in deepening your glow! According to new research, people who eat certain fruits and veggies a day have a more golden hue to their skin tone due to consuming more carotenoids. Responsible for the red coloring in fruits and vegetables like carrots, beets and tomatoes, carotenoids are antioxidants that assist in soaking up damaging compounds produced by everyday stress, especially while the body is fighting disease. Yey! I am SUCH a tomato addict as well... even while pregnant, I craved them SO much that I carried 'em in my purse!!

There are a bazillion sunless tanners and bronzers out there - found at grocery stores to department stores, and the brands and prices are varied. You can also get great variety and fast, easy, natural results from the Jergens Natural Glow Line* :
http://www.jergens.com/products/natural-glow/default.aspx

{The absolute KEY for sunless tanner is the application!}
Here is my routine, but you can find plenty of tips online...

Exfoliate in a hot shower or bath, focus on your bendy parts to really soften them up. Douse your body in a delish body cream all over and allow to absorb. Extra dousing around knees, ankles, heels, toes, elbows and hands/knuckles. I LOVE these amazingly creamy and deliciously scented body butters by Boots: Coconut & Hibiscus or Almond Pistachio & Milk Body Butter.

Work your way consistently down from your tummy to your toes and blend in seamlessly and thoroughly, as you apply the faux tanner, paying care around bendy parts: knees, ankles, heels, toes, etc. Then work from tummy up, ending by washing hands thoroughly, especially palms, wrists and between fingers/knuckles. Nobody wants the tell tale "tiger stripes" of self tanning!

Eww! {Sidenote: NOT my hands!}

I don't put tanner on my hands initially, but after I wash them well, I will apply a bit of body cream along backsides and carefully do a light coat on the backs of them. Wait 10 minutes to dress, and my own personal tips: Wear dark colored loose clothing on self tanning days and NEVER wear light colored clothes when going to get a spray tan! Mark my words, you don't want to go in wearing a white bra and arrive at home later to discover a brown one!

Something AMAZING for your skin!

When I find something I love, I savor it. I love to combine a simple skin care routine with pure ingredients from the earth. Here is one I adore and how I came to discover it - or how it discovered me.

You know the ladies that come at you in the mall holding a little spoon and a cup of SOMETHING they want you to wipe, rub, inhale or smear SOMEWHERE on yourself just out of the blue without worry or second thought and complete trust that this SOMETHING won't instantly eat your flesh off, remove your skin pigment or burn your sinus cavity? You usually give a smile and say "No, thanks!" and without even a second glance at the "SOMETHING CUP", you are on your way past the girl - who almost always has an accent from some far off exotic country and looks drop dead model gorgeous - to fight your way through the "2 For 1 Bra Sale" at Victoria's Secret before your size is gone.

Yep. The drop dead gorgeous Israeli girl with eyelashes OUT TO THERE* shimmied her way right up to me and said in this amazingly beautiful accent, "I vant to show you somting," as she in a lickety-split second had my hand in hers and was proceeding to swipe a elfin sized spoonful of the SOMETHING across my wrist and the back of my hand.

There was nowhere to run. I was stuck, caught and smeared, and with a semi-nervous smile while trying to keep a straight face in hopes I wouldn't see sizzling, peeling flesh as I glanced down at my wrist, I said, "Uh...whatcha' doing to me?" She replied, in a perfectly executed, smooth as glass response, "I am renewing your skeen... watch!" I looked down and amazingly saw the literal removal of my old skin cells being instantly lifted before my very own eyes. Much quicker than any other exfoliating product I have ever used. Seriously!

Well, it took cute little Sari Eyelashes about 17 seconds to convince me to enjoy what had just happened on my wrist later on that night to my own face. I was admittedly excited. I applied the little jar of SOMETHING, aka " SwisaBeauty's Sensation Spa Dead Sea Facial Peel Treatment" to my face that very night as I was doing my night time routine. I first had washed my face gently and patted it dry. Then I opened the magic box and took out the magic pot of clear magic gel. I dabbed a bit on my forehead, cheeks, nose and chin, and with my fingertips in an upward circular motion, began to gently rub it in all over. And I held my breath, hoping for the best. Within about 15 seconds it was absorbing in and ALREADY TAKING OFF the outer cell layer, and easily! I was amazed, and after I felt it was done sloughing {isn't "sloughing" just the oddest word?} I rinsed and patted my face dry again and then looked at myself and WOW!! Silky, smooth, and vibrantly aglow skin!

I was and continue to be amazed EVERY time I use it, which is once a week. If you like instant gratification like I do, you will adore this product. Another HUGE perk? I got mine LAST February 2010, it is almost the end of May 2011, and I still have about 2 more treatments left to use. For $65, the value is fantastic! Go here: www.swisabeauty.com/products/Dead-Sea-Facial-Peel.html

{*Go HERE to see more about "Out-To-There" eyelashes!!}

Lashing Out

Oh, are you KIDDING me?! This is just too cool...

I have a sweet friend who waltzed into my Bunco group one night, settled into the chair across from me to have a few minutes of girlie chit chat during dinner and before the "pre-dice-rolling-frenzy" was to be underway, and let me just tell you, I do not remember a single word she said. I was mesmerized. Entranced. Enthralled.
By her EYELASHES!!

They were flirty and lush and batting away as she talked, so feminine and natural and LONG. They didn't look like THAT the month before, and I was in awe. I have known her for over a year, saw her belly-out-to-there encasing a sweet daughter inside, have rambled on with her face to face about every topic under the sun {oh, and we have some TOPIIICS!} during our Bunco nights and gatherings, but tonight she was all aglow... she looked amazing and fresh and youthful and oh so LASHY!!

Of course after I picked up my jaw from the table, I asked, or more gestured to her eyes like a frantic mime, while trying to get the words out in a combination of "Howdidyougetsuchlonglashes" and "OmigoodnesshowcanIgetthoseNOW?!"

She revealed her secret and like a drop of heaven in a box, I was bestowed this lovely treat, mine to myself for my birthday. Since I am not the type to have the fake nail/hair/lash/or other asset girl at this time, I was not wanting something temporary, fake looking, painful or associated with glue and daily removal, etc. blah blah blah, so this was PERFECT for me! And, in just 35 days I was blessed with the same long, lush and lashy results!! LOVE IT!

It is a MUST to get as IT IS AMAAAAZING and you will simply fall in LOVE with the results and your new flirty winkers! {Your hair stylist can hook you up!}
NOTE: LiLash ig good, but REVITALASH is even BETTER than LiLash! It is healthier for your eyes with no darkening of the iris and also no blurry vision, which can occur with some eyelash growth products!