Plumptastic Lips!

I can't tell you how many times I've bought lip balm only to be disappointed by the fact it continues to dry my lips out. I also can't find one that will stay on very long either.

Pharmacopia has a wonderful (and gigantic) lip balm that is magical. My lips feel hydrated and plumped and I don't feel like I have to continually reapply. It also has a nice sheen to it. All the ingredients are all natural so you don't have to worry about licking up toxic petroleum jelly. Pharmacopia's Lip Elixir contains organic calendula and comfrey in organic virgin olive oil and calendula wax to give it that heavy duty moisture. Shea butter, jojoba and castor oil hydrate and plump the lips. Essential oils of roman chamomile, pomegranate and rosemary sooth and packs the antioxidant punch!

Of all the lip balms out there, this is absolutely my favorite. Retail cost is $7.99 and the tube will last forevah! The only drawback to this lip balm is that it doesn't contain sunscreen.

And yet again the search for a decent pedi

On Wednesday, I decided that it was time to take my gnarly feet into a pedi place to girlify them. They resembled hobbit feet.

I've been in search of a decent place for pedicures around the grand lake area for some time. I'm kind of a snob when it comes to pedicures. When I owned my spa, there used to be a mani/pedi place next to me that had a 2 hour pedi on their menu. For $60 you were soaked,clipped, buffed, scrubbed, paraffin dipped, masked and massaged.....and not just rubbed, I mean a foot reflexology massage. Nothing compares to that. And I don't expect any of that in a $16 pedi, but I've had some decent ones that lasted a long time for as much as $18.

I chose UA Nails because it was right next to Adam's Burgers. And what a better time to grab a chocolaty milkshake, a phat swiss burger and a load of greasy onion rings before starting my fast. I place my order and off to UA nails I go.

It was the same type of thing....you ask for a pedicure and they yell for you to "Pick you polish!" Then you're told to sit (in the same usual massage chairs with the tub attached) and soak. Nothing special about the water. It almost smelled as if I was soaking my feet in chlorine. Maybe they needed more than a foo foo cleansing?

From here on out, my pedicurist did a fabulous job buffing and trimming to perfection. I was pleased because the last place I went to sucked. And I mean all they did was soak, clip my toenails, rub some oil on my legs for 3 minutes and then polished my toes and I don't mean just my toenails, she had that polish all over my toes.

Anyways, they looked all symmetrical and perfect. This made me happy. Then it was time for the massage.........not bad! She did a pretty good job making my feet happy and the polish was perfect.

There's not a whole lot exciting about this place. It has industrial carpet with all the outdated pictures of asian women (with flowers in their hair) posing with their freshly polished nails. I think Lionel Ritchie was playing when I walked in, but for $16, she gave me more than my money's worth and I would definitely go back in a pinch. It's been 4 days and the polish hasn't chipped one bit!

They also have a punch card too that gets ya discounts so that's pretty nifty.

It's not spectacular, but definitely worth the price.

Lazy days

Everyone knows that I'm the kind of person that springs out of bed as if I'd been sleeping with an i.v. drip of caffeine all night and my day continues that way until the late evening. I can't sit still and I'm juggling dozens of tasks. Yes, I'm a basket case of insane energy. Well Thursday, my batteries must have fallen out because I melted into a pile of drooling goo.

My good friend, Kat Ramos is a fabulous massage therapist and health guru. We started a 4 day juice cleanse after I managed to abuse my body for the last few months indulging in fatty, salty foods, savory wines and heavy beer....and yes, even the light ones.

On this particular day, my indulgence day, I decided to start the cleanse and receive my massage from Kat. Now usually, I'm chatty through my massages (surprise eh?) but as I lay with my face in the cradle, I was constantly sucking up the drool that was streaming from my lips. The massage was absolutely wonderful and I love that when she has me roll onto my back that she covers my eyes. I'm so envious of the massage space that I want to live in it. No really, I want to live in it. The space is located on Lakeshore, directly across from Lake Merritt. The view was so phenomenal on this gorgeous day! The music ain't your same ol new age stuff you hear from massage and spa places. The name of the artist was Deva Premal and her voice soared through the air, giving me goosebumps. It's absolutely beautiful.

By the time she finished my session, I could barely speak. Drool crusted to the side of my face and full blown eye boogers, I set out to the bank to try to make a deposit. Trying to add my checks was a challenge.

Afterwards, it was off to do some juicing at Kat's house so I could take my 3 plus days worth of detoxifying, freshly juiced fruits and veggies. There were times that my eyes were crossing and I could barely focus.

Just then Kat tells me she's got an appointment with a massage therapist and she's not going to be able to make the appointment at 1 p.m. and would I like to go? Without hesitation, I nodded and stumbled out the door and made my way to pill hill to see Anya Drapkin.

After answering a health questionnaire, I bolted to the massage area, stripped down and crawled into the sheets face down. What I loved about Anya's massage is that she makes sure that you are completely relaxed. In the beginning, she reminded me to erase whatever thoughts were running through my brain and that this was MY time. I also tend to get a stuffy nose when my face is in the cradle and she had me inhale some minty oils to avoid clogged nostrils. I really don't know what happened the rest of the time I was there. I was totally dreaming and at one point found myself jerking and flinching. I don't think I've ever been that relaxed.

Afterwards, I somehow made it home....thankfully it was only a few blocks away but I don't really remember the drive. In my zombie state, I stumbled to my bedroom and dropped to the bed, sleeping in a pile of drool for the next 5 hours.

I never take naps. It doesn't really matter how much sleep I get the night before. I am a machine. I don't take naps. But last Thursday, my body gave me no choice. It was like I was paralyzed. My mind kept telling me to do stuff but my body didn't budge. All in all it was great and the best night of sleep I had in a very long time. No regrets, it was all worth it and obviously I really needed it.

And if you're wondering about the cleanse, I'm on day 3 and have dropped 5 lbs and feel the best I've felt in a very long time! Hooray for sleep and detox!