BEAUTIFUL from the inside out!

I Love Lucy is my very favorite way to start this blog today!  The video is my favorite episode and it gets right into what I am going to talk with you about today – vitamins!  I am going to tell you about the best vitamins to take daily to feel your absolute best.

It’s important then that you listen to what I say to you right here, right now!  Who ever is reading this blog packed with vitamin knowledge and info you must keep in mind that B vitamins help with just about everything, so make sure you are taking your B vitamins daily to boost your overall health! The daily vitamins you should be taking are: B3 (niancin), B5 (pantothen acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B7 (Biotin), B9 (folic acid), and B12. 

Do you dislike the Kardashians but envy their long shiny beautiful hair?  Well you can have long shiny beautiful hair too – if you take your vitamins! Yes, as I told you before girls, the B vitamins are the main vitamins to take for this reason! 

Vitamin E ~  It works as an antioxidant to increase oxygen in the bloodstream and improves circulation which, in turn, stimulates the growth of your hair! 

Vitamin A ~ This vitamin assists in sebum production on the scalp, it regulates and enhances the synthesis of retinoic acid inside hair follicles and enhances your hair growth! 

How’s your energy levels these days?  Do you find yourself as Lucy says “pooped out at parties”?  Well then your body needs these vitamins for an extra boost to help you get the most out of your days! 

Iron ~ Take with vitamin B12 to get energy and help with the digestion process.  Iron and essential mineral needed for hemoglobin in your blood.  Those who are iron deficient find themselves weak and always tired.

Magnesium ~ It’s needed for the production of ATP, which is the main energy producing molecule in your body.  It will help you rise bright-eyed in the morning and help you maintain a healthy deep sleep at night!  I am definitely adding this vitamin to my diet!

Getting ready for those upcoming finals can really put a lot of stress on the brain! You are probably not getting the daily vitamins you need to boost your memory and help you absorb important information to pass those tests. These vitamins will not only help you pass your classes but also may help you remember where you last put your keys. Hopefully you didn’t lock them in your car!

Vitamins C, E, and Beta Carotene ~ They are all antioxidants that protect the brain tissue by breaking down the free radicals, which are known to be toxic forms of the oxygen molecule naturally found in your blood stream.  Calm that brain tissue down before you hit your books loves!

Omega 3 Fatty Acids ~ These are known as “good fats” that our bodies need daily get rid of the bad fats that may be usually stored.  We need good fats to help us stay positive and keep our brain from getting overloaded with information and sleepy.

Are you hitting the gym but not seeming to get any positive results?  Girls you should all blame your thyroid because it may be inactive! Naughty thyroid!  To get things running again and to see results you should probably take these vitamins before you hit your local gym.

Calcium ~ New research shows that Calcium prevents fat storage and raises metabolism!  You should try to consume 1000 to 1200mg per day.  Coral and plant base calciums are best!

Choline ~ The body needs Choline to metabolize fat so this is one of the more important vitamins!  

Iodine ~ It stimulates the thyroid and promotes a healthier faster metabolism!  Make sure you are taking Vitamin A with Iodine to help the thyroid absorb it! 

Chromium ~ Processes carbohydrates and helps reduce those hunger pains! A three-month study showed that 122 overweight people on average lost six pounds by taking 400mcg daily!

I hope you enjoyed these vitamin facts!  I enjoyed learning more about them to educate all of my lovely readers!  I am now a wealth of information on vitamins, so, if you have any questions, ask away! 

OhSoNatural!

http://ecologybeauty.com/

So what’s my agenda for this blog today?  Well, I am going to show you that I have changed some major things in my life to be healthier! So here it is – I used to be a M.A.C. cosmetics girl until I learned that there is a healthier, but still glamorous, alternative.  Over the years of being a M.A.C cosmetics girl, I have noticed that my skin was usually broken out and I had tons of clogged pores.  It wasn’t until I stepped foot into an amazing store in downtown Birmingham, Ecology, that I learned that I never have to break out from makeup again!  

Most women, including me, have no idea how many harmful chemicals are in the products we put on our faces and bodies each day! It’s okay girls, I am one of you! This is why I made the switch!  What I am about to tell you in this blog is going to blow your mind!  It will make you rethink your daily beauty products.

First and foremost, I am going to educate all of you just like Marla Shapiro and Carra Stoller, the owners of Ecology, did for me!  Staying hydrated, eating well, and working out are good ways to start living a healthier lifestyle but, for women (and men too), there is one more easy extra step – make your body look and feel as good on the outside as it does on the inside! 

The government cannot control what is going into skin care products and that should be enough reason to thoroughly read labels.  If you’d like to see how harmful your own cosmetics are, visit this site: http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/.  The average woman uses up to 20 different skin care products per day and in many beauty and skin care products, there are petrochemicals. These harmful substances are not only bad to breathe in, but just as horrible to put on your skin!  Further more, one dangerous chemical in particular, Triclosan, promotes the growth of dangerous super bugs.  I now know why they say to replace your mascara every three months... 

If this wasn’t enough to scare you, I have even more to share!  Nitrosamines, which are commonly found in cosmetics, can cause brain and kidney cancer.  Cosmetics, nail polish, fragrances, and shampoo can also cause pregnant women to have a higher level of phthalates, which can cause the baby to have a disruptive behavior later in life or cause birth defects.  The even more shocking part is that only 11 percent of beauty products have been tested for these harmful chemicals! 

So what can you do? How can you make the switch?  First thing you need to say to yourself is, “I am going organic.”  I feel like society makes organic look barely there or just plain and natural.  Walk into Ecology, and you will see a whole new side to beauty and you’ll have access to products like you have never seen before.  After Marla and Carra educated me, I bought six amazing products that I now use daily.

To make me feel better about each product I purchased, Marla and Carra said, “There is not one product in this store that we haven’t tried ourselves!  We had to really make sure each product was safe.”  Here is what these lovely ladies recommended to me:

Pangea Organics

Right on the box it states: “Pangea’s number one goal is to bring your skin into balance.”  Before I bought these products, I was a Proactiv user.  What happened with my skin while using Proactiv is that it would clear up fast, but then my skin would get used to the ingredients and chemicals in the product, and my skin would break out within a month of using the product.  

Pangea isn’t an acne product; it is a happy, healthy skin care product!  I bought the facial cleanser, facial toner and the facial cream and I use them every day. The result? My skin hasn’t been oily or dry or badly broken out ever since!   

Facial Cleanser

The cleanser is gentle and will remove oil, dirt, and makeup while it nurtures the skin with vital plant-based nutrients!  My favorite part about this product is that it doesn’t dry your skin out after you cleanse it.  It just leaves my skin smooth and clean!

Facial Toner

Toners are known to bring skin to balance and refresh your skin. Pangea toner is specially formulated to remove all traces of dirt and oil, refine pores, remove impurities and awaken your senses. This toner does it all without doing too much!  After cleansing and before moisturizing this will help reduce the number of breakouts.  This is one toner you can truly trust!  

Facial Cream

This cream is specially formulated for oily and blemish prone skin.  It provides sebum to balance and regulate the skins natural oils.  The essential fatty acids and antioxidants help restore damaged skin and speed up the healing process.  Here’s a tip, put this on before you put foundation on to keep skin balanced and to shield your skin from bacteria and makeup that will clog your pores.

Who says green can’t look glamorous?  Mineral makeup has gone down a different route in Ecology in downtown Birmingham.  You can now buy “M.A.C like” products that won’t harm your skin and will look amazing!  

Alima 

Alima is a cosmetic line that is made for us glamorous girls who want to go green! It’s all mineral makeup that will not clog your pores or irritate your skin.  Mineral makeup doesn’t always have to look plain and natural thanks to Alima!  I bought Lilac and Milan eye shadow and it shimmers and creates the perfect smokey eye!  So far I love this makeup and I think by this summer I will have switched from M.A.C to Alima!  

I want to look great and feel beautiful in my skin! So girls, I made the switch! Will you? 

If you read this and want to make a trip to Ecology, Britt’s Bitts reads are offered a discount on Ecology’s products!  All you have to do is walk in and talk with either Marla or Carra and tell them you are a Britt’s Bitts reader!   

GeeYouSmellTerrific!

If the title didn’t give it all away already, today I am going to share my knowledge with you about perfumes!  There is so much to know and so many products out there to buy and I am going to show you how to pick the best one!  So sit back and soak in this knowledge so that you can soak up the right perfume!

First off, the cheaper you buy the perfume the shorter life its going to have on your skin.  You don’t have to buy the most expensive perfume on the market but you definitely don’t want to go cheap.  The reason lies within the ingredients of the perfume.  The best tip to know is more oil less alcohol.  A good perfume should have a life span of four to eight hours but if you buy the cheap stuff you're lucky if it lasts for two.  So girls, this is what I suggest... Go to your local Nordstrom, Macy’s, or Sephora and try on the perfumes you think smell best.  Look at the ingredients to see how much alcohol was added and go on your computer and go to www.amazon.com and type in the perfume you wish to purchase.  It will save you some cash and it will be more fun to receive it in the mail! 

Now to dig a little deeper... The scent I wear always depends on the occasion.  If you need an every day scent that will turn heads as you walk by, here are a couple perfumes I suggest:

Euphoria by Calvin Klein

This perfume is floral and musky.  It’s a stronger smell and has had many great reviews!  My Mama has been wearing this perfume for three years now and here's what she had to say:

My ex use to say its a sexy smell very intoxicating!

It’s long lasting and you just need to spray a little because it’s strong. Also it lasts, I have had mine for at least three years and I have a lot left.

It is a good day or night scent because it's not too flowery or too musky, it's just a unique smell, that everyone loves!  Every time I wear it I get tons of compliments! It really does make people Euphoric and happy when they smell it! Best perfume by far!

Flowerbomb by Viktor&Rolf

This perfume may be a little bit of a splurge but its a great scent that I personally love to wear.  It’s an ultra-feminine floral smell and has some powdery notes.  I have worn this perfume for at least two years now and it just goes so well with my dresses and it's especially a great perfume to wear into the holidays.  It just smells very girly!  It’s almost a better-made vintage smell.  The smell has re-invented powdery notes to make you smell elegant!  I totally recommend this perfume for hard working business women or just any fashionista looking to make a statement with something other then her outfit.

Clinique Happy Heart 

People who wear say it makes them feel like they really do have a “happy heart.”  It's a light scent with flowery notes of violet.  It's a very peppy scent perfect for early mornings and all day wear.  I would say that it's good for us, busy college students, who need a wake-me-up!  It's light and it's happy, it's all in the name. 

Ok girls, this is where the video fits in!  Studies have shown that men like the smell of food so much that on a woman’s skin it makes us simply irresistible.  What men are most attracted to coming off your skin is the scents of baked goods, candy, and fruit.  So if your trying to grab that guys attention a silent way here a couple perfumes I suggest to you:

Pink Sugar by Aquolina 

This perfume has been on the best seller’s list on www.sephora.com for years!  It smells like cotton candy!  I used to wear it and it would get people talking around me.  It comes off the skin nicely and it is such a different unique smell that it will have not only the men talking.  If you want to make an impression this is a great way to do it!  I promise you will smell delicious as long as you wear this perfume!  Its good for day and night wear!  Boys, if your reading this and you have a girlfriend, this would make an awesome stocking stuffer!  It will not only make her smile but you’ll smile too once this scent fills your nostrils!

Romance by Ralph Lauren

Guys just seem to get excited when talking about this perfume... I think it's the hint of ginger notes along with the floral notes that drives them absolutely crazy.  I haven’t tried this one yet, but trust me it’s next on my list.  One guy said that his wife has been wearing it for ten years and to this day it still drives him crazy every time she wears it.  That's pretty amazing! 

Blu Mediterraneo by Acqua Di Parma

I was in Disney World, in an Italian store when I purchased this perfume.  I have become obsessed with imported scents ever since!  It's imported straight from Italy and the scent is rich of vanilla notes.  People have been telling me I smell like cake batter or cookies, and it's such a warm scent that it would drive any male crazy.  I like to wear it every day and in the evenings.  The smell even makes my own taste buds water!  It’s not at all musky, just sweet and vibrant! I recommend this to anyone who has a sweet tooth or knows their man has a sweet tooth... 

This is my last bit!  I am going to give you a couple perfume tips!  When you buy a new scent to make it stand out even more, put on the lotion and then spray all your pulse points with the perfume.  Pulse points are your neck or throat area, backs of your wrists, inner part of your elbow, and behind your knees.  These are good areas to put perfume because they give off body heat and help the notes of the perfume lift off your skin.  

I hope these beauty tips helped!  I love comments!  Tell me what you think or if you have other recommendations about perfume! 

xoBrittney 

Add to your Halloween look! :)

Hello girls!  It’s Wednesday and as I promised I have another fun blog for you!  Halloween is just around the corner and many of you are not sure of how or what to do with your hair and makeup... This is where I step in! 

If you want to go a little bit more bold with the eyeliner I would most definitely recommend liquid eyeliner.  It will give you and even line every time!  I use “Mark-Get In Line” it goes on and stays on!  I personally think that putting liquid on the top lid and starting with the inner corner and working your way out is the best way to go.  I then use a long lasting or waterproof eyeliner under my bottom lashes and go only to the middle of the eye.  For a more drastic diva look you can smudge the bottom lash eyeliner towards the outer corner.  

If you want to make your hair big then I suggest you take a quick trip to one of my favorite places...  Yep, you guessed it Sally’s Beauty Supply!  I bought my teasing brush there and I have seen this brush everywhere since!  Many local salons use it and I have even seen celebrity hairstylists use it!  It’s called “Spornette”!  If you walk into Sallys and see a long narrow brush with pink or green bristles your looking at the right one!  This brush is great because you can tease your hair and not ruin it or break it.  No more deep conditioning and crying as you try to release tangles.  Trust me girls the last thing we want to do is be mean to our hair this Halloween. 

One of my favorite beauty secrets is the one I am about to share with you right here... I always wanted to brighten up my features and make my eyes look big and bright and I found that applying some eyebrow liner just adds the perfect touch!  I have tried so many and there is one that I recommend to all of my close friends, I even have my mom falling in love with it too, it’s called “Anastasia-by Beverly Hills.”  You can put a little on and make it look so natural but it will still add the perfect effect! I have been using this eyebrow pencil for two years and it’s another product that I absolutely swear by! 

So there you go, these are a few of my favorite things that you might be able to add to your awesome Halloween looks!  If you don’t mind sharing, post a picture of you in your costume below and I will choose my three favorites and post them in my next blog!  Leave your name and state if you do please!  

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 

~Brittney 

HairTalk!

 Today I am going to start off my blog talking about hair.  Messy greasy hair can be such a drag.  Everyone knows that a cute outfit can be ruined with a bad hair day.  So girls, I am here to tell you there's an alternative that can save your hair color and cut your shower time in half!

I have found the one beauty product that works for me so well and now I am going to share it with all of you!  It’s called “Batiste,” it’s a dry shampoo and not only does it completely get rid of grease but it gives hair body and life.  Washing your hair too much can fade the color and cause dryness and split ends.  I try to only wash my hair two or three times a week and use Batiste in between washes.  It works like a charm! I swear by it! 

It can be used in a couple simple steps.  The first thing I do is look at my hair and take all the oily greasy sections and give it a good spray.  I then let it sit for a couple seconds, if I do it in the morning I brush my teeth and let it sit.  Then I message it into the roots of my hair and brush it through.  Its a snap! Just like that my hair looks fresh and clean like I just stepped foot out of the shower without the blowdrying, brushing, and teasing.

This product can be found at any Sally’s Beauty Supply.  When I walk into my Sally’s Beauty Supply, the girls usually laugh because they know me and know what I am in for and thats my Batiste Dry Shampoo! 

This is my first of many blogs to come! Look for beauty secrets on my blog every Wednesday, I’ll be sure to have a post! Don’t hesitate to comment or leave questions! I’ll try to reply to as many as I can! 

~Brittney Cicotte