Honey, I gotta tell ya….

Cleopatra had it right. Fill a bath with milk and honey, and sit in it while the world goes by. Skin needs to be kept hydrated in order to remain soft, supple and elastic. Age, life's stresses, and everyday pollution really stretch our skin to the limit and affect its ability to stay moist. Skin becomes dry, cracked, and yes… those dreaded wrinkles appear.Honey attracts and holds on to moisture, making it a natural humectant.

Honey is also good for sensitive skin. But, the benefits of honey for beauty don't stop there. Studies show that honey has good antioxidant properties. Antioxidants not only play a part in protecting the skin from the harmful rays of the sun, but are also rather handy when it comes to skin rejuvenation. Its antimicrobial talents make it good for skin break-outs without drying the skin.

Honey makes an excellent mask that is convenient and easy to use. It is especially appropriate for dry and damaged skin. It can be used as frequently as desired.

Basic Honey Mask

½-1 teaspoon of honey per facial
Pat and massage honey onto the skin, spreading it evenly over your face. Leave on for 15-20 minutes, then rinse off with warm water.

Give it a try... Honey, you know you're worth it!

How to Properly Apply Perfume

Have you ever had to endure someone's heavy, heavy fragrance? My husband works with a gal who uses so much perfume that their hallway smells like her for an hour after she has walked through. Here is a video to learn how to apply perfume the right way. Jerry might have to find a subtle way to get her to watch it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d-XoKhGwNA

Winter Protection

Now that temperatures are bitter cold for most parts of the country, we have to switch our focus to protection; protect your skin, your nails, and your hair.
Protect your skin: Lacking the sun’s exposure and the light of day for the most part, your skin needs some extra attention in the colder months. A good multivitamin is a great way to get your vitamin D, essential for healthy skin. If you don’t have at least 20 minutes of sun exposure on your skin each day, you need to be taking a multivitamin that contains the highest amount of vitamin D you can find. Moisturizing is also key. Keep lotion or a body butter on you at all times. Keep some at work. Keep some in the car. Keep some on your night stand. Moisturize as often as you can to avoid overtly dry, flaking skin. Drinking lots of water will keep your skin looking healthy as well. H2O puffs the skin back out and makes wrinkles less noticeable.
Protect your nails: Winter nails can look dirty and unkempt unless you are putting some time into them. The easiest and prettiest way to protect nails is to put polish on them. Polish protects the nails from the elements and keeps them from turning brittle. Even if you aren’t a fan of nail polish, you should at least throw a clear coat on your nails to protect them. A great cuticle oil applied regularly will keep hang nails at bay. Keep in mind that nothing ruins a look faster than brittle nails that lack attention.

Protect your hair: Hair, too, can really ruin your day if you’re not taking proper measures to take care of it. Don’t wash your hair everyday. Exposure to too many elements, such as chemicals in your shampoo or even exposure to hard water combined with the cold air can leave your hair frizzy, brittle, and unattractive. If possible, get your ends trimmed every other month. Also go for the extra conditioning with a deep conditioner or a hot oil treatment.
Take the time to protect your skin, nails, and hair. Stay pretty and make the effort to protect your nails, skin and hair. They'll thank you for it!

For great products check out: gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com

How To Look Your Holiday Best
Here are some easy tips on how to look your best at all the holiday festivities you'll attend.

*The simplest way to update last year's little black dress? A touch of gold nail polish. Essie Shifting Power (Essie.com), a metallic shade, is perfect. Gold polish gives all skin tones a healthy, vibrant glow.

*True red lips are the fastest way to dress up your look. They're univerally flattering because of the balance of warm and cool tones. L'Oreal (Lorealparis.com) has Colour Riche Lipcolour in True Red.

*For maximum-lasting lipstick,first line your lips with a liner and then fill in the center of the lips. The liner will provide a base helping to lock lipstick in place. Finish off with a little gloss.

*If you want to have a healthier winter look, add a bit of self-tanner to your daily moisturizer in the morning. A warmer tone will appear within the next four hours.

*Add a little shine to your holiday look. Dust a shimmer powder on your cheekbones and eyelids.

*Wear a little more eye make-up. A wash of shimmery shadow will cause light to bounce off your skin, obscuring fine lines. Open up your eyes by curling your lashes with an eyelash curler and add two coats of mascara.

Try these to look your gorgeous best. And of course, the simplest beauty tip--use your beautiful smile!!

Fly Right

As we head into the holiday season many of us will be traveling. Flying across time zones can throw your circadian rhythms out of whack, resulting in fatigue, headaches and not feeling yourself. To prevent jet lag, adjust your bedtime by an hour each day leading up to your departure. (matching the sleep schedule you'll follow when you arrive at your destination) Stay awake on flights if it's daytime at your arrival place, try to sleep if it's nighttime where you are headed.

Some of the newest research on neurophysiology indicates that elevating your temperature can help reset your circadian rhythms (day/night cycles). Exercising, grabbing a sauna or relaxing in a warm bath helps that process.

Eat carefully.Pressurized cabins can have odd effects on your gastro intestinal system. Avoid gas producing foods preflight, such as apples, apricots, beans, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower - even milk if you’re lactose intolerant. And pack high fiber snacks in your carry-on, such as dried fruit, nuts and whole grain granola bars.

Avoid alcohol. Because of altitude, pressurization and dehydration, one drink during your flight has the alcoholic equivalent of nearly two and a half on the ground. Instead drink water--drink plenty of water before, during and after your flight. You can also supplement with melatonin to help reset your natural rhythms.

Keep moving. Blood clots are a serious health threat on long flights. Force yourself to get up and move around the cabin on a regular basis. Flex your legs and rotate your ankles while you’re seated. Do knee bends while waiting in line for the lavatory. Spend layovers walking through the airport.

Most everyone experiences jet lag at some point but following these suggestions will minimize your discomfort.

Let Your Hands Do The Talking

Do your hands reveal your age, disguise your age or do they add years to your look?
What makes hands look older than their years? They actually get more use and abuse and less pampering than your face. Here are some solutions to make your hands look timeless and beautiful.

Sunspots—UV damages pigment producing cells causing brown spots to form. Slather on that sunscreen!!

Veins—To minimize the color contrast between your skin and the dark veins try using a concealer or use a self tanner. Jewelry and manicures help give you a younger look too. Keep nails short (1/8 inch long). Shorter nails soften the appearance of veins.

Dryness—As we age our skin produces less lubricating oil and loses its ability to hold moisture.
Apply lotion throughout the day. Rub it on immediately after washing your hands to seal in moisture. Before using household cleaners or doing dishes apply lotion or a hand cream and pull on cotton-lined gloves.


Gathered From The Garden has the most wonderful Goat Milk and Honey Lotion. It’s our best seller! It is loved by doctors, nurses, teachers, and others who need to do frequent hand-washing. It comes in many fantastic fragrances. Once you try this lotion, you’ll never try another! $10.00/8oz. or $4.00 for a 2 oz. purse size.
Our Satin and Silk Shea Butter Lotion is excellent for dry skin too. It would work great to put on your hands before gloves to do those chores. $12.00/8 oz.
www.gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com

Champagne Hair Rinse

I was out shopping at New York & Co. this weekend looking at their sparkly sweaters when I thought of New Year's Eve and Champagne. Thinking of Champagne made me think of this cool rinse...

This is an old French secret for making hair shiny, silky, and healthy. If you have light-colored hair, it brings out the golden lights in it. It will not dry or damage the tresses.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup champagne 1/2 cup hot water

Directions: Mix; after shampooing and rinsing well, pour the mixture through the hair. DO NOT rinse again. You can use a conditioner before using the Champagne Hair Rinse if desired. The hair is left looking vital and lustrous, with pale champagne highlights.

Champagne Hair Rinse courtesy of Recipe Goldmine