It’s A New Year.. What Makes YOU Fierce?

It’s a new year and one of my favorite words is FIERCE!  It ignites my passion.. my desire to be strong.. my wish to be fearless.. my ambition to persevere and my goals of being unforgettable!

A year ago in February, my Grama passed away.  We were very close & I loved her with all my heart.  She was one of my most special people: my cheerleader, my mom, my voice of reason, my greatest sounding board and LOVED to watch me dance!  While I was back East for her funeral I stumbled upon a ballroom dance studio I had NO IDEA existed a few blocks from my home in LA.  I contacted them while in NJ (I swear Grama sent me to them) and the rest is history.. I fell back in love with dancing because of the owners Katie & Erick (below) and the wonderful instructors (the events & other students are just a bonus).

I started dancing at 10 yrs old.  I taught, performed & competed all throughout school.  I turned professional at the age of 19 and continued my career until 26.  I taught ballroom at a Fred Astaire studio from 22-24 yrs old.  I lived my dream of being a dancer and performing professionally all over the country.  But I hadn’t ballroom danced in about 15 years (even just for fun).

Dancing has ALWAYS been my heart, my love, my joy, my passion.

When I retired I couldn’t figure out how to enjoy it for fun.. so I gave it up.

Last February I walked into the studio (shaking & heart pounding – thinking WHAT AM I DOING? I can’t do this anymore!) I was greeted by one of the sweetest guys I have ever had the pleasure of meeting (or dancing with) and I haven’t stopped smiling yet!   In a year I have lost 25 pounds.. bought a dozen glittering gowns.. danced & sung more songs then I can remember, laughed uncontrollably (while dancing), felt like a princess (more than once) and entered my first EVER competition in December.

I am FIERCE!  I am having the time of my life.. inspiring others to dare to try something new.. sharing my joy, reminding others talent SHOULD be shared and hoping to become awesome in TANGO (my worst dance, in my mind) by this years end.  I am  not giving up!  I have over done it and injured myself multiple times last year.  But I’ve kept going. I can’t remember as much as I would like to or as quickly as I used to, BUT I AM FIERCE.  I feel good.  I’m graceful.  I’m happy.  I’m taking chances.  I’m NOT giving up!

What is it that you would LOVE to try this year?  What lights a spark in your heart? What do you do and no matter how hard you try, you can’t stop smiling (this is a problem for my TANGO).  Do that!  Try that!  If it scares you a little, it means there is a WONDERFUL treasure awaiting you on the other side.. it’s wrapped in a gorgeous package with a tag on it with YOUR name.. “YOU ARE FIERCE“.. It’s just waiting to be opened.. discovered.. shared.. and ONLY YOU can unwrap it!

Remember, DON’T let anyone or anything STOP you.. especially when you soul is whispering to you.. listen to it!  It’s usually IMPORTANT.

Please share your adventures & journey with me!  I can’t wait to hear what makes YOU FIERCE!(because you are)

5 Ways to Beat the Post Holiday Skin Blues

Were you NOT running around packing as much as possible into your days leading up to the holidays? Was I the only one?

The largest organ of our body is our skin. It’s also the greatest “tattle-tale” of what’s going on in our life. It shows STRESS honestly.   

Take a moment, sit down and follow the instructions below to de-stress your skin and put this back in order, post holiday!

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1. DEHYDRATION: Water. (Put in your mouth & on your skin)

Traveling and climate change take a toll on the hydration of our bodies and ultimately our skin. Water is so important for healthy body functioning as well as ALL of our cells. On average, our body is made up of 60-80% water.. So refill it consistently & often, and it will GLOW. 

2. SUGAR OVERLOAD: Skip it & Detox. 

We all indulge more this time of year. Did you know that consumption of processed sugar actually breaks down the good fibers in our skin? I know. I’m bummed too. So go back to limited sugar and stick with the natural forms (fruits, vegetables) and a bite of dark chocolate every other day. 

3. TOO MUCH MAKEUP: Wipe it off (well).  

This is the time of year we dress up more & add extra eyeliner. Take the time to do a second cleanse. Grab a toner with ingredients like salycillic acid, peptides, aloe & haulourinic acid so you are putting them into the skin as well as cleansing. You will be amazed at the amount of makeup residue you will wipe off your skin AFTER washing your face. 

4. MORE LINES & WRINKLES: Mini facials. 

Start giving your skin more love to make up for all the stress. Do a scrub every other night. Add extra eye cream under your eyes. Apply a second layer of moisturizer for a hydrating mask while you sleep. Grab the green tea bags after brewing and apply to your eyes for 5-10 mins. You’re skin will thank you & bounce back. 

5. EXHAUSTION: Rest. 

They call it beauty sleep for a reason. All our cells regenerate at night. Start winding down a few nights early and allow your body more time to rejuvenate. Not only will you feel better, you’ll look better! Promise. 

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I’d love to hear what you think.. Do you have a specific post holiday skin issue? Please let me know. 

  

Happy Beautiful New Year to you ALL!  ~ Michelle xo

Always wash your face before bed?

That’s what my mother always told me.. So do you?

Confession: I feel asleep last night without washing me face!! Eeeeeeeek! I can hear my mom now! 

Yesterday was a “beauty day”. Hair, color, waxing, facial – so I didn’t wear any makeup. Good news. Bad news, I was so tired I fell asleep (yes, beauty is exhausting), without cleansing my face (which I do religiously every night) and woke up with three breakouts on my chin. Shoot! Point made.. clean the day off my face before falling asleep even if I didn’t put on makeup. (Love using the Norwex cloth for this & in the mornings – Just add water).

Here is a great article for why sleeping in your makeup is bad for your health in a 30 day experiment blog post. http://dermrf.com/2015/07/the-risks-of-sleeping-in-your-makeup-run-more-than-skin-deep/

We live in a dirty world (insert your favorite theme song). I’m in Los Angeles, known for smog and desert dirt!  Just a light wipe of a toner over your face at the end of the day is proof (try it after cleansing to freak yourself out). I wipe with toner, Hydrosols or astringent – And still can’t believe what still comes off.

My picks:

I love a toner that is a treatment as well: https://michellebouse.myrandf.com/Shop/Product/AATN125 (R+F “spankz for skin”

Great hydrosol: http://amzn.to/1IKjLyA (love the rose & lavender from EvanHealy)

If you like an astringent: http://amzn.to/1M7ZEQ4 (rose petal witch hazel w/aloe from Thayer)

So here is your friendly reminder.. Wash your face before hitting the pillow. Start the rejuvenation process with the cleanest skin possible. Nighttime is the most important time for your skin and body’s renewal process. Even if you fall asleep first, get up, clean your skin and go back to sleep!

Super-charge ur moisturizer w/ this ingredient

Hellllllllo Hyaluronic Acid. 

I tell everyone this is like ‘little fingers’ that come off your skin, grab the moisturizer and pull it deep into the lower dermal layers.  It has also been referred to as “miracle/fountain of youth” ingredient.. but let’s not get crazy.

Here’s the scientific explanation and some drugstore picks.  I just recommend finding a serum with hyaluronic acid in it (I love Epicuren’s Moist Surge) and apply it to a clean face before moisturizer or mix with your moisturizer for application.  Any dry skin will see improvement and I love hydrating for anti-aging!

The other great hydration secret is to apply moisturizer to WET skin.  We all know the best time to moisturize our body is just after a shower.  Skin is still damp and the lotion locks in the moisture.

So mist your face,

grab ur hyaluronic acid serum,

apply to your face (and neck).

Then follow with your favorite moisturizer.  This will super-charge your product & your skin will glow with gratitude!

Why I LOVE My Clarisonic

I may be late in getting around to trying all the new trends.. But the importance is finding the ones worth the wait.

(I just watched all 5 TWILIGHT movies in 2days.. It only took me 5 yrs. to figure out the buzz on that one – WOW! I know, don’t judge me.. I’m busy). 🙂

Confession: I absolutely LOVE my Clarisonic.

Clarisonic Rocks

Why? It’s sonic technology and its good for your skin. Ok but why? The sonic brush vibrates at such a high rate it has the ability to brush off dead, flaky skin.. and push out impurities from the pores, which results in super clean skin.

Have you ever washed your face with a cleanser, then taken a cotton ball/pad with toner on it and wiped it across your face? You can see the residue that remains on the cotton ball, AFTER you just washed your face – gross!

My face has never felt this clean after an at home wash.. Even after a hydrosol.  After each use my skin looks brighter, smoother and I swear it looks tighter. (Don’t burst my bubble, I sticking with tighter).  The movement of the brush is exercising the skin and helping to stimulate collagen & elastin along increaseing the blood circulation.  I even like the Clarisonic gel & exfoliator products (and I’m an die-hard EPICUREN girl!)

I love my PRO model for all the timer settings (it tells you when to move to another section of your face with a beep! BRILLIANT) and the body brush head & sensitive brushes it comes with.  Don’t forget to do your chin, jawline and neck as well, these are the most forgotten areas of the face for cleansing & treating (and show our age the most).  I use a second timed pass for my lips, chin, neck & jawline.  Did I mention I LOVE the timer?!

The only thing I will be changing is the brush head.. Maybe sensitive is the way to go – but I’m still deciding. I love options.

It’s gonna make a great Mother’s Day gift! (Shhhh, don’t tell my mom.) 😉