Beauty from Flowers

Beauty From Flowers makes sure all of their products contain roses a truly amazing flower containing a mixture of more than 300 compounds which inhibits the breakdown of elastin helping to keep skin supple and smooth.. The therapeutic value of flowers has been known for centuries. Their healing and regenerating powers are easily absorbed into our skin and are safely utilized by our cells. From natural sun protection to being a source of vitamin B3, along with containing natural anti-inflammatories. Chemical and cruelty free, Beauty from Flowers products have no parabens, petroleum, synthetic colorants or fragrances.

I loved trying their Iris Florentina Elixir Serum: The finishing touch in your skincare routine that truly works, this all-natural, made-to-order elixir contains Aloe Vera, Glycerin, Green Tea and White Tea to clarify, refine pores, soften skin, reduce wrinkles and restore radiance. It’s lightweight, absorbs quickly and leaves skin soft and glowing.

Beauty From Flowers products made with love are good for all aged women, for all skin types and they do not make you breakout.

Neuma Beauty

Neuma Beauty is a luxury brand totally focused on health and sustainability launched in Summer 2010. Neuma contains no synthetic fragrance – only 100% pure essential oils and naturally derived plant extracts. Healthy hair is beautiful hair. Neuma gives you beautiful hair without sacrifice. Founded with beauty, health and sustainability as its heart – their philosophy is simple. They believe professional performance hair care, health and sustainability need not be mutually exclusive. Neuma lets your beauty shine… in all the right ways.

Neuma offers a full range of systems that deliver sensational results – leaving you and your hair looking and feeling more beautiful:

• moisture – Infuses life back into dry, damaged hair, improving condition.
• volume – Enhances volume, fullness with long-lasting body.
• renew – Ideal for normal hair, as well as clarifying.
• repair – Restores and strengthens overworked, over-processed hair.
• styling – A variety of stylers to complete your look.

Neuma heals and protects hair, sustaining vibrant color with UV Guard™ – leaving it soft, silky smooth and full of shine. Free of synthetic fragrance, often used to conceal harmful chemicals, Neuma uses essential oils that soothe the senses to infuse hair with life, bounce and a healthy radiance. Simply the best for your hair… for you… and our environment.

I LOVE their products especially their Style Extender: It smells so good whereas other heat protecting sprays smell bad especially the chemical ones. This lightweight refreshing spray saves valuable time by helping restyle with ease. Mist on dry hair to recreate your favorite look using hot tools (protects hair from heat). A proprietary blend of plant extracts and essential oils, Phyto Colour ComplexTM maximizes colour hue, vibrancy and longevity while Phyto UV ShieldTM, an exclusive blend of plant nutrients, protects color from UVA & UVB oxidation. Humidity resistant formula hydrates while penetrating cuticle to strengthen and help prevent damage to the hair.

Checkout their other lovely products here.

NuboNau – The Natural & Organic Skincare Boutique

NuboNau (pronounced new-bo-now) means “Cloud Nine” in Esperanto, the world’s most widely spoken, constructed international language. If you live in Encinitas, California then your lucky to visit Nubonau’s Shop. Highly trained and expert associates offer you a professional and prescriptive service, set within uniquely serene and peaceful shopping environments.

If you can’t visit them no problem, NuboNau also has an amazing online boutique offering some of the best brands in natural & organic skincare and beauty. Arcona, Clarisonic, Madara, Mai Couture, Ren, Vapour Organic, Strange Invisible Perfumes… just to name a few. You will find skincare, cosmetics, bath, body, perfumes, candles, aromatherapy and much more for men, women & babies. Not only are the brands the best of the best, but NuboNau has incredible benefits when you make a free account.

Their exclusive “Cloud Nine Club” is a generous loyalty program (visit site for full details/terms/conditions) offering the following:

• Earn points for every purchase
  
• Spend points on any product
• No Expiration on points earned
• Get $10.00 worth of points when a referred friend starts shopping with them

They offer great specials and deals, plus they are adding new products all the time.

Visit Nubonau now to experience the magic.

Fantasy Fitness Spa: The Ranch at Live Oak

By Well+GoodNYC

To banish the winter blues, we’re declaring this Fantasy Fitness Spas of the West week! What exactly does that mean? Are we sending flying you and a friend to Palm Springs? Not exactly.

Instead we’re kicking off a week of cubicle travel (cause who really sits in armchairs?), during which we whisk you away to our five favorite spas. (More precisely, the five spas we’ve visited recently and loved.) Given that our former life was dedicated to writing about spas, you can take our picks pretty seriously.

Something we’ve learned along the way: While luxe details like bedding thread count make for good living, they don’t necessarily make for good reading. So we’re focusing on the top three awesomely memorable experiences at each of our five fantasy spas. Here’s today’s…

THE RANCH AT LIVE OAK IN MALIBU

Kettlebell workouts—after a 13 mile hike

The Ranch at Live Oak, in Malibu, California, is a five-star boot camp. It combines a seriously strict program of long hikes and workouts with a spartan (yet delicious) diet. There are 16 just guests at a time, and everyone stays in luxe private cottages.

The Ranch says the reason to visit is to detox and lose weight. (And you will—I lost 3.5 pounds, a lot for me percentage-wise.)

But we think the real reason to go—and why the Ranch has become so popular since it launched in October 2010—is to prove that you can, like climbing a mountain or running a marathon. That, and you feel INCREDIBLE when it’s done. Hence it appeals to the already somewhat fit and Type-A personalities galore.

You have to consent in advance to the Ranch terms, like no second helpings, cell phones, or watches. And absolutely all of the fitness experiences are mandatory, rain or shine.

But if you’re like the rest of us who got through a week here, you’ll be bragging for the rest of your life that you did. —Reporting by Ann Abel and Melisse Gelula

1. Tough-Love Workouts
The main part of every day is spent hiking a 10-to-13-miler, rain or shine, and in the gym (four hours or so). There’s no sleeping in, skipping a class, or bowing out early from a hike. You’ll feel like a bad-ass when you’re done. Or a stupid ass, if you didn’t take the program’s advice to begin to wean yourself from your vices 30 days in advance. Vomiting and migranes are common to those who don’t heed the Ranch’s instructions to cut out sugar and the like. And, no, getting sick doesn’t excuse you from a hike.

Keep reading the rest here…

Why you should eat your broccoli whole and raw

By Well+GoodNYC

New research, released today, confirms what your mom has been telling you all of those years: It’s really a good idea to eat your broccoli.

Researchers at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University conducted a study to find out whether the nutrients in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli could be obtained just as effectively through supplements.

They found that the body actually absorbed five times less of the glucosinalates—the healthy phyotchemicals found in broccoli—when they were ingested as a supplement. And by supplements they also mean all those healthy green-drink powders you add to smoothies.

The researchers concluded that the body couldn’t absorb the nutrients in the supplements as well because they were missing a necessary enzyme found in the whole food.

Raw foodies can pat themselves on the back, too, since the researchers also found that intensive cooking stripped the broccoli of the same enzyme, making the body less likely to absorb the nutrients. (Steaming or sauteing was fine as long as the veggies remained crunchy.)

So should you swear off all supplements? Not necessarily.

“Adequate levels of nutrients like vitamin D are often difficult to obtain in most diets,” said Emily Ho, the principal investigator. “But the particular compounds that we believe give broccoli and related vegetables their health value need to come from the complete food.” —Lisa Elaine Held

Kora Organics

KORA Organics skincare products created by Miranda Kerr, the supermodel, are infused with antioxidant rich Noni, essential fatty acids, herbal extracts, essential oils and vitamin A, C and E. Designed to nourish, replenish and re-hydrate the skin. KORA Organics mission is to inspire people globally to nurture their bodies, embrace their unique beauty and understand the benefits of using organic skincare.

One of Miranda’s favorites and mine from the KORA Organics range is their Cream Cleanser. Enriched with powerful benefits of Noni extract, aloe and sandalwood to gently clean away dirt and grime whilst helping to nourish and revitalise dry, dehydrated skin. Ideal for sensitive skin; containing Rosehip, avocado and macadamia nut oils to nourish and maintain skin balance. KORA Organics Cream Cleanser leaves skin feeling clean, fresh and invigorated. She cares passionately about health and well-being and balances her hectic lifestyle with yoga, meditation and regular exercise. From modelling to motherhood to motivation, Miranda shares her thoughts, memories and lessons in her new book Treasure Yourself.  This beautiful cloth covered book focuses on encouraging young women to embrace themselves and their individuality. She also has a YouTube channel.

Checkout the other products here.

Joanna Vargas Skincare

We all want flawless skin.  Aesthetician to the stars Joanna Vargas can help us all achieve that beauty goal.  You can visit Vargas’s understated salon in New York City for anti-aging and acne-fighting facials boosted by microdermabrasion, oxygen and LED light therapy.  And your skin will always look brighter, firmer and younger after each visit. Women from aged 30 and up can use all the products. You can get the Joanna Vargas spa treatment at home too.

Anyone who has had the good fortune of experiencing a treatment at the able hands of Vargas appreciates her uncanny ability to leave skin dewy and glowing without a hint of irritation or redness—a feat that just so happens to be the goal of her eponymous product range as well. The four-piece, entirely natural collection features what are, according to Vargas, the building blocks for a radiant complexion: a Vitamin C face wash, Daily and Rejuvenating Serums, and an Exfoliating Mask—all of which contain galactoarabinan, an extract derived from the larch tree that speeds up cell turnover, traps moisture, addresses fine lines, and makes skin firmer. Vargas has tested them extensively on her very discerning clientele, which includes Julianne Moore, Rachel Weisz, and Revlon artistic director of makeup Gucci Westman, who was so impressed, she started stocking them in her own makeup kit.

I have become obsessed with the Daily Serum, which is inspired by Vargas’ own love of juicing and is packed with leafy greens and an appealingly faint aroma of cucumber. Using it in between appointments feels akin to having your own Vargas facial at home.

Shop the collection here.

Leonor Greyl

LEONOR GREYL is the brand specialist in hair treatments by using natural ingredients. Created with delicate aromas and plant extracts, the products give our hair more brilliance, more glamor and more beauty. Their collection contain everything from hair care to styling products.
Behind the success of the LEONOR GREYL brand, there are all the ingredients of success: the expertise of more than 35 years in hair care treatment using only natural products, the passion of healthy and glamorous hair and the most important: the love of her profession,founder, LEONOR GREYL.

I love their Lait Luminescence it’s a leave-in, detangling milk styling spray that leaves your hair shiny, smooth and manageable. Active ingredients include plant extracts and vegetal oils. This styling product is ecologically friendly -it is sodium laureth sulfate free, paraben free, silicone free, alcohol free and is not tested on animals.

Checkout their other products here.

Why your tea may not be as healthy as you think it is (and how to fix that)

By Well+GoodNYC

Everyone knows that tea has health benefits. But it turns out you may not be getting them, even if you’re brewing, steeping, and sipping on a regular basis.

Everyone knows that tea has health benefits. But it turns out you may not be getting them, even if you’re brewing, steeping, and sipping on a regular basis.

“A lot of research has shown benefits for cancer prevention, cardiovascular health, and cognitive health,” says Heidi Kothe-Levie, who’s an acupuncturist-expert in Traditional Oriental Medicine and a former tea specialist for Ito-En. “But if you’re drinking tea for overall disease risk reduction, it all comes down to how frequently you’re drinking it, how you’re brewing it, and what kind it is.”

Are you doing it wrong? Kothe-Levie, who’s sharing the current research on and myths surrounding tea’s health benefits at the 92Y next week, will explain how to make sure you’re getting those benefits every time your kettle whistles.

She gave us a sneak peek, with these four tips:

Heidi Kothe-Levie

1. Ask when the tea was plucked. Freshness is the most important factor for Kothe-Levie, who says a tea shop that values freshness should be able to tell you how long ago the leaves were plucked from the bush. Ditto any online retailer worth its salt.

Read the rest of the tips here…

Why you (and babies) should avoid Bisphenol-A (via Well+Good)

By Well+GoodNYC

This past summer, New York State passed legislation banning bisphenol-A (BPA), a controversial chemical used in plastics like baby bottles and sippy cups, in children’s products. This was a huge step towards protecting our most vulnerable, adorable, and bib-wearing residents, but what about (still adorable!) adult New Yorkers? Shouldn’t we also be aware of where the dangers lurk?

After all, BPA is a chemical used in polycarbonate plastic water bottles, as well the epoxy resin lining of cans. And it’s still in some yoga mats (though hopefully we’re not ingesting those), and thousands more everyday objects like ATM receipts and takeout containers.

BPA disrupts hormone systems in the body by acting like estrogen, and, countless studies have linked it to breast and other cancers and early onset puberty. It has also been linked to heart disease and diabetes and has been shown to affect the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants and children.

New York State senators announce a ban on BPA in child- care products—but not on the thousands of other items we all may come into contact with

Last month, Canada declared BPA a toxic substance, giving he government the ability to regulate it in all products (The country banned BPA in baby bottles two years ago), and just last week, the European Commission banned BPA in baby bottles starting in mid-2011. U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein proposed a similar ban of BPA baby products as an amendment to the food safety bill that passed last Thursday, but it was defeated after protests from the food industry and other major business groups. In the absence of a federal law, many states have enacted their own bans, and several companies, such as Gerber and Evenflow, have voluntarily stopped using BPA in baby bottles. Retailers such as CVS and Toys R’ Us have also discontinued selling products that contain the chemical.

Keep reading the rest here…