For no good reason

It is more often than not we have an opportunity to be generous to others. I recently had the privilege to surprise a young high school student. It all came to my attention with an early morning phone call from the decorator and caterer of the dance. She asked me if I would be willing to do a girls hair, makeup and nails-who had planned to just get herself ready. I said, absolutely. I did it all at no cost.

Her mom was a bit weary at first when she heard about my offer. She was absolute about meeting me first. She couldn't believe a person would do what I had proposed, with no catch. I will post her after picture when I get one! This random experience reminded me of why I got my cosmetology license in the first place.

I am aware that I posses skills which I tend to take for granted. I know what it feels like to have other people be generous to me. I pledge to keep myself aware of needs around me and have an action to meet those needs!

This is beauty...sincere generosity.

high fructose corn syrup

At one point in time I would have considered myself a Pepsi-Cola snob.  I would not venture out so much so to ever drink a Coca-Cola.  Neither one of these beverages is better for you than the other, yet I had a distinct preference. 

This has all become a part of my past.
I have been lectured by many people about the affects of soda consumption.  I had tried, and many times failed the whole-hearted attempts to kick the addiction to the bubbly caffine.  Yet, time and time again I would return to my one-true vice, Pepsi.

In attempt to muster up the most discipline I have, I set my aim to restrict sugar.  So naturally, soda had to be the first to go. 

I have to frequently remind myself to not think, "I work hard, I deserve to have just one-this, or just one that".   I do not want to sabotage the hard work I am doing by adding toxins (sugar) to my body when I can certainly go without it.


Now, that four months have past, I can truely say, I am not a soda drinker! WAHOO! I took a sip of Cody's the other day and it was, DIS-GUS-TING! He said, "Nope, it tastes fine to me", so I have rid my tounge of the sugar addiction and am so happy I did.  There are miles of articles and books written about the long term damage high fructose corn syrup does to a persons bones, and such.  And recently I read about carmel color being bad for you...I know, I know, what isn't bad.  Nevertheless, it is a personal victory. 

Cheers- (with a glass of h20)- to you and your VICTORY-what ever it is!

I can't. I won't. I MUST have my startbucks! (aka:froo-froo non-coffee coffee)

It's a wonder I don't hold stock in Starbucks. 
I bet you're wondering the same thing right now. 

I rationally should be shoveling that five-spot into an investment portfoilio that includes Starbucks, to one day have a financial gain! Yet, no. I do not own a red cent of stock.   I do, however spend pleanty of my cents at my local Starbucks weekly. 




This habit is supported by miles of justification that are similar to the following:
I don't always have the time to make it at home, It's just not as good when I make it, I need my carmel macchiato, I'm just not myself without it.  And the excuses go on and on.  My wallet, however does not.

Let me take this opportunity to also point out what cost is not affordable for most in these, tall-dark and sometimes venti treats...CALORIES & SUGAR!  Drinking a home-made brew is not just a financial cut back, it could potentially cut your calorie intake down by 500 or more!  The next time you are standing in the mirror and you wish you didn't have that cellulite in your butt and thighs-take a snapshot of your butt...do it, I dare you! And when you go to order your venti-mocha-frap-with-whip-and-drizzle, in less than one breath- I want you to pull out your smart phone, look at that photo and choose!

Part of the downfall of Starbuck fiends-(I am also guilty)- is, we get into habits of ordering what we know we like, not thinking of healthier alternatives and make poor choices.  So, if you can't come back from the dark-side and brew your caffine at home, start a change in asking the Barista, what is the healthiest way I can have (your favorite drink)?  Like, if you order a mocha...did you know they are putting 4(FOUR) pumps of chocolate into your drink.  Try at first to ask for just half.  You won't notice the two pumps are missing!

Coffee itself is not the villian.  Sugar on the other hand is. You order an Americano, its under $2.  Order a mocha, it's $5.  So, your wallet is suffering at the same time your bones, skin, and insides suffer the sugar intake.

Small Steps here people, just make small steps.

Health Tip: If you splurge on a semi-high or regualr all out high calorie drink/have it only within two hours of exercise.  That way, your metabolism is working much quicker.  If you have it before, you'll reap the benefits in your workout from the caffine kick!


This butt, orders Americano, with Truvia and a bit of half & half.
(joke)



.muscle is my camoflage.



Photography by: Paul Buceta; Model: Lori Harder;
from Oxygenmag.com

  There are all kinds of myths surrounding muscles and women who want to have lean and fit bodies.  The more I read, the more I learn that muscle is certainly a superhero itself and not a villain.  There are "profound physiologic and metabolic benefits to building muscle." Some of which are as follows: 

• high-caloric burn (which means you burn more calories when you have more muscle)
• removes sugar from your bloodstream 
• keeps joints and ligaments strong

So if you are doing regular exercise and have incorperated weights, here are some basic guidelines to follow to insure that your program is growing calorie-burning muscle:

• allow you to build muscle safely and confidently (don't compromise proper form for high numbers of weight or reps.)
• be customized to accomplish your fitness goals (it is important to know what your aim is before you begin)
• take into consideration any areas of injury or weakness (nurture your body as you build it to be stronger.  make sure to not over do it and potentially cause long-term damage.)
• be versatile and progressive (keep your program dynamic and make sure to change the intensity as well as the types of moves you do at least every 10 days to insure you don't plateau.)
• have fun! (if you have a good time you will be more likely to stick to it and are sure to see results.) 

I was reading yesterday in Smart Girls Do Dumbbells, "Muscle is a better camoflage for your body flaws than wearing black.  The important issue to remember about muscle is that it is a compact tissue, heavier in composition than fat.  So even though it may weigh a bit more, it looks a lot less.  As you build muscle, and lose fat you might be suprised to find the scale doesn't always reflect a big number decrease but thats okay...the muscle you're growing makes a more beautiful, firmer, healthier-looking and feeling body."

-Judith Sherman-Wolin, author. Smart Girls Do Dumbbells. ACSM Health Fitness Instructor, NSCA Certified Personal Trainer.

 

So, don't be afraid of building muscle.  You're body knows just what to do with it!

 

 

 

.make one decision.

In my experience, there are thousands of choices to make daily.  Most of these are driven by habit and have long ago lost the need to put much discipline behind participating in them.  Yet, every waking second of every day we make choices.  

Recently, I made one decision that has changed my mental perspective, and my physical body.
I decided to live my entire life, with intension.  Now, that might sound weird...now that I typed it...but-stay with me.  I can tell you that I started to exercise on a regular basis.  So, I move daily, with intension.  I also started to eat healthy.  Not to diet, but to feed my body as if it is something sacred and a cherished vessel-. So, I eat every three hours-with intension. 

I feel as though it is much more difficult to be confronted with choices to make daily.


As each day passes since I made the ONE DECISION, I am not guilting myself, or depriving myself of anything.  I have built a new habit to live with intension-so I have been set free of trying to want things in this life and feel like they are not in my reach.
I have known, and continue to learn, when you stand for something, there is opposition.  There are distrations.  However, I am committed to make my health, my well-being a priority in this life, so I am able to be fully alive and truely be fearless.   

We love our bodies, we love eachother!

This run was September 15th, 2011. My niece Mari is on a cross country team at her school and I ran her mile race with her for support. She is a lot like I was when I was her age, and actually until about four months ago...a quitter! When it came to physical activity I never learned to push myself. I have recently learned how much being athletic has to do with brain power. There is something to be said about knowing what your body actually is capable of, and living a full-er life by pushing beyond the default of what is comfortable. Realizing this has changed me completely. So I go run with Mari, so she can see and experience what it is to not give up. She smiles through the pain each time we run so her mom can snap a photo, it's cute. My heart is happy to be able to demonstrate love. Be Inspired. Be Inspirational. Be You.

A Burpee a day...or three, or eight, or eleven...

Hey all! I have been doing different variations of burpees in my daily workouts and have seen an increase in agility, strength and want to encourage you to include them in one way or another into your day!

In this video, Zuzana from www.bodyrock.tv is killing it with variations of burpees. She is amazing! I follow her and her husbands blog and intend to share similar workouts here very soon. Sometimes they will be her workouts exactly, and sometimes, I will do a mixture of p90x. My gang and I work out 6 days a week and we all LOVE it!
Also, my friend Amy has a fantastic web site where she shares yummy recipies and I will give a heads up to those new posts every once in a while! www.amyroose.com
I will be sharing my own healthy finds and inspirations for healthy snacking and grubbing down :)

If you are not in shape and want to change that...start today by doing push ups, sit ups and squats. That's how I started...and believe me when I tell you-change is around the corner!

I'm thinking of starting to record my fitness "gang" doing our workouts for anyone interested to follow along! I have so far transformed my body from flabby and uncomfortable to a stronger and firm little physic I am meant to have. So, videos-COMING SOON!
xo

For The Sake of Others!

My Sister and I spent the day preparing and working at a local charity event!
Just a bit of sharing...and would like to mention, it has been a long time-and I'm about to become more active about posting...stay tuned to all of my adventures!

A New Spin on the Vintage Manicure!

http://www.bella.popsugar.tv/

Zelana Montminy

TV Host. Producer. Writer. Doctoral Candidate. Beauty, Lifestyle & Wellness expert

wearing in above photo:

Suzi Skis In Pyrenees

&

Jade Is The New Black

This combination looks AMAZING! This style is swinging into mainstream and I am so happy that it is because it allows for many fun color combination choices!!! Zelana is so nice! She was with us at Warren Tricomi Salon getting all made up by Whitney-WTS(hair), and Amy-LUXE Beauty Team(makeup), and Kymberly...or ME!-LUXE beauty team (nails). Keep an eye out on her web site/blog and you may see pieces of the process from her P.O.V.!

Step 1: Paint close to the cuticle one thin layer of Suzi Skis.

Only cover just about 1/3 of the nail.

Do this on all four fingers-working quickly.

Step 2: Using a french manicure brush lightly soaked in acetone,

clean up the cresent shape. Be sure to not have too much

acetone in your brush. Try dipping into acetone and dab it onto a

paper towel quickly and then use it.

Step 3:Repeat step one and two. If you are painting thin

layers, the first coat will act as a guide.

Step 4: Using Jade repeat the same technique on the thumbs.-if this is confusing, look closely at the picture and see that I switched the colors on the thumbs.

Step 5: Polish 1 thin coat of base coat (I used CND Sticky) over the entire nail. Make sure to also cover the polish you just shaped. This helps it to remain longer and prevents chipping.

Step 6: Starting in the middle of the nail wtih Jade place your polish brush against the nail and slowly push it toward Suzi. Be careful to continue painting thinly and avoid overlapping the polish.

Step 7: Repeat technique on thumbs, switching the color to Suzi.

Step 8: Repeat on all 10 fingers so that you have 2 coats of the second color.

Step 9: Allow to dry a good 1 minute

Step 10: Polish 1 thin layer of top coat

I am so excited for everyone to try this! Practice on your friends nails! Practice on your nails!

Have fun! Its Polish!

And remember...POLISH IS AN ACCESSORY

xo

Nicole Scherzinger & Purple Nails!

( The above photo was jacked from Mtv.com)

Nicole Scherzinger & Purple Nails!

With a hectic schedule like Nicole keeps, its perfect for her to have me come to her beautiful house and set up shop right in the dining room! Knowing of her Prince performance, she chose Bio Sculpture, 10-which is a beautiful purple for her hands and feet.

The previous two shows, she chose OPI axxium, passion and on her feet and a customized mixture of OPI's Miami Beet and Pompeii Purple on her toes.

Nicole is such a sweet person and I love seeing her interact with her family. Hilarious ladies!

Honestly, I never watched Dancing With The Stars before I met Nicole. That's not saying much considering I don't watch television at all! Yet, it is certainly entertaining to check out her and Derek performing each week via YouTube!

Apparently, next week is the final show-so I will post up the latest once we choose it!

Launch of Luxe

Luxe Beauty Team had its launch last month and

business is growing!

Here are some of the shots from the launch party...

so you can feel like you were there!

In this photo~

From left to right: Kennedy(stylist), Kandee(makeup artist), Kym(nail artist), Sarah(makeup artist), Amy (makeup artist)

I was so happy Kandee came out to support us, even with her bum leg!

More to come....stay tuned!

Henna, just because.

Today I stopped by this shop in the mall near my house and got a henna tattoo!

I have wanted to get one for quite some time and today was the day!

I think it looks so pretty! My apologies, the pictures aren't the greatest!

Well, traditionally henna is worn on the hands on brides and mothers to be. I am neither. I just love how it looks and I know that it will inspire me to be artistic! I am going to experiment with some india-ink and my airbrush! I think I will start small.

The henna starts out as a dark brown paste. As soon as it was dry to the slight touch, Brandy put a lemon juice and sugar paste mixture on top to help the color develop and stain. I left it on for about four hours before rinsing it off with cool water. No scubbing, just used my finger tips.

Kandee goes for PINK!

This is to share with you from Kandee's shoot we did a few weeks ago now... This is a super easy to do with any two colors and a good french manicure brush...I did the white first, two coats OPI Alpine Snow, brushed on thin and the shape perfected with acetone and my brush. Once I had the white finished, I did a coat of Bonder by Orly. This helps the polish to stay longer. Then, OPI I'm Indi-a Mood For Love in two thin coats-using the white as a guide. Followed by Top 2 Bottom by Orly.

Polish can be so much fun!

Malysian Mist & Bet It All On OPI

I just wanted to share the latest project I worked on yesterday with a multi-talented makeup artist/photographer, Elena Gharbigi! There will be more pictures to come!

Dandelion

Every time I look at this picture, I think-DREAM & WISH BIG! BELIEVE WITH ALL THAT I AM! There are so many times in life that we can be distracted of our goals. I am determined to keep my eyes fixed, to push through my self doubt, and to DO what it takes to see the fruit of my labor. This year-shall be a year of progress. I have decided.

Its getting late and I need to get prepped for tomorrow...

To writing down goals-cheers!

What do you want to be when you grow up?

There is a goal behind these brown eyes...

I hope one day to inspire people and more specifically women.

As I push myself to grow and use all of my potential, I am eager

to turn right around and encourage the woman next to me to strive for the same.

So much of my industry can be clouded with vanity.

I seek to build a culture within a culture of motivation, and inspiration.

This is where I plan to write out the goal, and the steps I am taking to accomplish, becoming a MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER.

And as I evolve, you will be my witness!

And I smile to think, you will also be encouraged!

Super Rad Pattern

Today was so AMAZING to take in.

I couldn't take enough photos!!!

Today I did Kandee Johnson's nails.

She's so fun! Its always the best when

people just let me be creative.

The location of the shoot was so

inspiring-made me want to run home and paint!

So here is what I did on Kandee's nails:

Colors by OPI

You don't know jacques! -on the left side half on the left hand

&

Green-which Village -on the right side on the right hand

I did the opposite on the right hand so that they are a mirror of eachother.

From the cuticle, three small dots with Alpine Snow up the dividing line of color.

EXPERment! Have fun! It's just POLISH!

Pink comes in many shades!

March 7, 2010

Today was filled with rushing and waiting in traffic to get to the Beverly Hills Hotel.

It is a sight to be seen, one getting ready for an event such as the Academy Awards.

I am flattered to have accented Lydia Hearst's amazing & gold shoes with

Argenteeny Pinkini, by OPI.

Kimberly Cole, my newest big glitter fan!

Kimberly Cole got her sparkle on today!

Color of choice??? SILVER!!!

Kimberly Cole has performed with acts like KATY PERRY,

LMFAO & SHINY TOY GUNS. She is currently a featured

TWITTER USER with over 1 MILLION FOLLOWERS.

Her music has been featured on FOX, iTUNES, MTV, AOL, MYSPACE

& more. "Smack You" iTunes 4/1!

http://www.facebook.com/kimberlycolemusic

Follow the link below to get a little peek at Kimberly doing her thing!

She's amazing...and super sweet, and did I mention...

the girl loves glitter?

http://music.aol.com/video/epk/kimberly-cole/2329034

Intrikit Nails!

INTRIKIT NAILS!

NO SMELL!!

NO Fake Nails!

NO CHIPPING!!!

NO More Drill Tool!

Sparkling Glitter Toes

It goes without mention that we all would like our polish to last longer than that five minute trip to the valet! I have news for you! This little piece of heaven is called,

Bio Sculpture Soak Off Gel!

&

OPI Axxium Soak Off Gel Lacquer!

The most FINSHED, GLOSSY, and PERFECT

Manicure and Pedicure of your entire life!

Also, the best part is....

It will last on your hands for 2-3 weeks

and on your feet 4-6 weeks.

To learn more about how you can have this manicure and pedicure from me,

please contact me!

Kymberly Newble

818.370.3728