BB Cream vs. Tinted Moisturizer

July 29, 2013

Warning: This has nothing to do with running, lifting, yoga, or eating clean. So if you stopped by to read about any of these things, I apologize.

So let me tell you a story…

Several months ago, I witnessed my co-worker applying her make up in the back room, before she started her work day. This co-worker of mine is a beautiful mixed Korean American. She began her make up routine, by quickly smearing a mixture on her face. At the time, I though it was her foundation. This mixture was extremely white, I even remember commenting to her that I thought it was too light for her skin tone. She told me – nope, it appears white but then oxidizes to match her true skin tone. She told me her mother got it for her from Korea, and that it isn’t a foundation, but rather a multitasking skin corrector. Little did I know, that at the time, she was showing me a BB Cream from Korea.

For about a decade now I have been using Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer. I absolutely love this product. I have tried others and nothing compares. However, lately everyone is talking about BB Cream. So I did my research, then took the plunge and decided to try it too.

So what is a BB Cream exactly? A BB Cream stands for Beauty Balm or Blemish Balm. It is the product that does it all. It has your coverage, your concealer all in one. It has anti aging properties. It has SPF sun protection. It has your moisturizer, your skin corrector, your make up primer. This product corrects and gives you coverage while healing your skin.

How did BB Creams come about? BB Creams were originally created in the 1960s by dermatologist Dr. Christine Schrammek. She needed a product lighter than a foundation, that would heal the skin after treatments, but would also give coverage to her patients who desired flawless skin.

Because porcelain skin is heavily desired, in 1985, BB Creams became the “must have” product in South Korea and Japan. They also are known to have skin whitening properties, and come in one universal shade because most formulas are designed to oxidize to match the user’s skin tone.

Finally in 2012, BB Creams were introduced to the West. Now most cosmetic lines carry a BB Cream. However, the Western brands that have launched BB Creams are being criticized for creating BB Creams that lack skin-caring benefits. Some say because of this, these BB Creams are no different than a Tinted Moisturizer.

I researched a couple different brands. The Dr. Jart brand is one of the most popular BB Cream brands used across Asia and is also available at Sephora. However, I ended up going with Bobbi Brown’s BB Cream. I chose this one to try first, but eventually I plan on trying the Dr. Jart brand as well. What interests me to try Dr Jart’s BB Creams is because they are formulated with out – Sulfates, Synthetic Fragrances, Synthetic Dyes, Petrochemicals, Phthalates, GMOs, and triclosan.

The reason why I chose Bobbi Brown’s BB Cream is because I have always liked Bobbi Brown, and I currently use her powder and her bronzer. I also like the fact that her BB Cream formula has…

Water-attracting molecules to boost hydration.
Light-reflective pearls to brighten dull skin.
Botanical extracts and caffeine to reduce discoloration and redness.
Pore-refining peptides such as Argireline Peptide to minimize fine lines and fight wrinkles.
Broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection with SPF 35 and antioxidants to fend off future damage. (source: sephora.com)

The Bobbi Brown BB Cream vs. Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer

Both product are equally amazing, and although some may claim that a BB Cream is just another variety of a tinted moisturizer, I disagree. A BB Cream has more skin healing properties, and more coverage compared to a tinted moisturizer.

The Bobbi Brown BB Cream definitely has more coverage while Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer goes on more sheer, translucent. The Bobbi Brown BB Cream has more of a matte finish while the Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer has more of a dewy finish. I finish the Bobbi Brown BB Cream with a layer of powder and powder bronzer. When using the Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer I normally cocktail a liquid bronzer with it, for more of a sun-kissed look. Bobbi Brown BB Cream has a higher SPF.

What Laura says…

“I created this product because I wanted to give skin a fresh, healthy, no-makeup look with a soft hint of color that evens and enhances without hiding the skin.”—Laura Mercier

What Bobbi says…

So in the end, I like both products. They are just different, and I use one or the other depending on which look I am going for. I will admit, I am very happy with my BB Cream and super glad I took the plunge to try it! You should too…

TIP: You can make your own BB Cream! Check it out this You Tube video!

Questions for You…

Have you tried a BB Cream?
What is your favorite brand of BB Cream?
Have you ever tried to make your own BB Cream?

Strong Words

July 28, 2013

Running with a Cold…

July 26, 2013

When I got home from Vegas, last Saturday, I came down with a really bad cold. I think it was a combination of too much partying/lack of sleep in Vegas, and coming in contact with the germs that cause the cold virus.

I feel like I am being really wimpy complaining about having a cold, I mean there are much more severe illnesses out there. But I haven’t had a cold in a really long time, and I never remembered it being this extreme.

My throat hurt so bad that I went to the doctor thinking it was Strep. My strep test came back negative. So the doctor diagnosed me with the cold virus and sent me on my way.

For several days, I haven’t been able swallow which means no solid food for me. My nose is so congested that I am unable to breathe. With out food or oxygen, I feel low energy and lifeless.

I only took off one day of work, which made my other days insanely busy and long. On both Tuesday and Thursday I worked from 10 until 10.

The lack of food and oxygen, and then the long days at work, made it impossible to run.

When I was in Vegas, I was very worried about my Marathon training. There was no way I was going to take a week off of running and cross-training. I was really proud of myself for squeezing in the three workouts that I did. However, then I came home sick and exhausted. Everyday this week the weather was perfect, low humidity, low 80s. I so badly wanted to run, but also knew that it would be best just to rest and hydrate as much as I could. So that is what I did.

Today actually was my first day back on the trail. My first run since last Saturday morning. I did a short easy 5K. I didn’t want to over do it. I didn’t look at my watch at all. I wasn’t worried about time. I just wanted to feel good running, and although, I am still sick (its the tail end) I did feel good running.

And out of all the beautiful days we had this week, today was by far the prettiest.

Running Professionals say you can continue to run and train with any cold that is from the neck above. If the cold spreads to the lungs or chest, it is time to take a rest day.

Questions for you…

Have you run sick before?
Do you have any at home remedies or tips to cure a cold?

Running in Humidity

July 25, 2013

Of corse the minute I start comparing dry heat to humidity I end up seeing a fabulous article about it in the August issue of Runner’s World. This article has some very interesting facts about running in humidity. Here’s some of the things I found most fascinating…

The higher amount of moisture there is in the air the hotter it feels.
When you run your body temperature rises it becomes hotter and creates sweat. Sweating is the process when your body carries excess heat to your skins surface. In dry heat this sweat evaporates cooling your over all body temperature. In humid conditions this sweat is unable to evaporate, instead it lingers there, and making you hotter.
While running your body temperature can spike in minutes. This causes dehydration. When dehydrated your body goes into survival mode maintaining blood flow to essential organs.
Breathing can change.
Heart rate will escalate.
You may loose control over body mechanics. (Hands may shake, running form may become sloppy.)
Mental abilities my start to break down causing dizziness and you may become disoriented.
Don’t worry about pace. Your speed is guaranteed to decrease.
A humid day does not indicate a lack of fitness or mental toughness.
There are different types of sweat. Some people are sweat more salt. For the people who sweat more salt, they are more common to have stomach cramps. It is very important for these types of people to consume more electrolytes.
It normally takes 10-14 days to get adjusted to running in humid conditions. Those that are use to humidity run better in it.

Tips:

Hydrate
Eat salty foods. Salt helps retain water.
Don’t wear a hat. The hat will prevent your body heat from escaping your head.

Running the Vegas Strip

July 22, 2013

Hello lovelies!

For the last week I was in Vegas! It was a really busy, fun, non stop, sleepless, crazy, weird, hard working, inspiring, motivating, sun-kissed… trip. I will have to admit it was hard to keep my clean eating plant based diet on point. It was also a struggle to find time to get my workouts in.

Let me explain…

The diet:

FAIL: One of the biggest points of eating clean, is to eat 5-7 small meals a day in 2-3 hour intervals. This did not happen.
FAIL: While eating clean it is best to prepare your own meals. This did not happen. I ate out every meal, sometimes pretty late at night.
FAIL: Although, I do not label myself as vegetarian, my regular diet consists of mostly plant based food. In Vegas, most of the food included some sort of meat, and all of my meals were loaded with salt.
FAIL: I definitely did not drink enough water. The heat is dry there, and I felt dehydrated most of the time.
FAIL: I drank way too many vodka pineapples.
FAIL: Although, most of the food I ate were not considered organic or clean, I am a foodie, and enjoyed trying different restaurants.
GOOD: I did find an amazing juice bar, and had a green juice, that consisted of kale.
GOOD: On the way back to the East Coast, I randomly found a 2 Mom’s in the Raw granola bar in blueberry.

The workouts:

My boyfriend came out to Vegas with me for the first four days. While I was with him I put it in my mind that these days would be my rest days. He was considering this a fun vacation with me and I was not about to be selfish by choosing the gym over him. It is okay, to skip a workout every now and then, when there are other plans scheduled, such as grabbing a morning coffee and bagel with your boyfriend while on vacation in Vegas. It is important to find a healthy balance.

Once my boyfriend left, I switched hotels, and started my work training, I was able to find a routine, of waking up early and hitting the gym, at the Hotel/Casino before work. The gym was small and surprisingly very busy. Two days in a row I was able to lift and do some running on the treadmill. I hate running on the treadmill, and most of the time I don’t even consider my workouts on the TMill runs. However, this time around I did some HIIT, which was a really intense workout. Because during HIIT you run for 30 seconds at a sprinting pace and then jump off standing still for 30 seconds, then repeat, it is NOT boring. This type of running gets your heart rate up and then down, which can help you become a faster runner. I was shocked that at one point I was sprinting between a 6:30 and 7 minute mile.

I also went out a couple times at night to go dancing. Dancing is a really good work out as well. I sweat my but off, and worked my legs so hard I should have called it leg day!

Running the Vegas strip: Finally, the last day, I woke up early so I could do a short run outside before I headed to the airport. The main reason I wanted to get an outdoor run in was because I wanted to compare the dry heat of Vegas to the humidity of DC. I have heard mixed opinions of which one is better to run in.

Dry heat: The dry heat felt like a sauna. The sun felt like it was burning me. My throat was dry. My nose was dry and congested. In Vegas, there are areas where they manually spray mist. This is a good way to get water into the dry air, but it wasn’t enough. While I was running, it felt effortless, but I noticed I wasn’t even sweating. It wasn’t until I actually stopped running when sweat began to pour from me.

Humidity: When I got off the plane and stepped outside into the Washington, DC air, I felt like I was walking into a steam room. I was so happy to be back in the humidity – it felt amazing. Never thought I would say that. But because I am born and raised here, I am so use to the humidity that I never even noticed how much moisture is in the air. After being in Vegas and coming back home I could really tell a difference.

The one thing that I like most about running in the humidity is that you immediately start to sweat. Sweating is important because it helps your body detox and cool down. The good thing about running in dry heat is that if it is 100 degrees out, it feels exactly like 100 degrees, unlike in humidity where it normally feels hotter. However, whether you are running in dry heat or humidity, you still need to drink a ton of water and stay hydrated.

The Strip:I began my run at around 7:00 am. At that time, there were people out, but it wasn’t busy. Finally, I found a time when the Strip was quiet, almost peaceful. There were tons of other runners out too, however they were all tourists like me, no local runner would be running the strip. Also the strip is full of elevated crosswalks which means I ended up running tons of stairs. If you haven’t had a chance to run the Vegas Strip, I highly recommend it.

Questions For You…

How do you stay on point with your diet while on vacation?
Have you ever run in Vegas? If so where?
Which do you prefer, dry heat or humidity?

Vegas baby!

July 18, 2013

I am so sorry I have been MIA for the last week or so. I have been in Vegas, for both play and work. I have been so busy playing and working that it has been really hard to fit workouts in.

Post Workout Drink

July 8, 2013

Everyone who lifts, knows protein is the best thing for your muscles to repair and grow. This is true, so I always try to have a protein shake with in 30 minutes after my workout. However, July is here, which means hot and steamy, air smothering days. And although, I have found a new passion for weight lifting, my love is for running, that is where my heart is and always will be.

Week 1 of Marathon training is over. I am officially in marathon training mode. And training in this hot July weather, has made me craving something a little more refreshing then my traditional protein shake. Protein shakes are great ways to refuel, but after a run outside in the heat, my body needs hydration.

Well after flipping through the pages of my favorite cook book, Super Natural Every Day, I found the perfect drink to hydrate me post run.

Cucumber Cooler

INGREDIENTS

1 cucumber
A couple cucumber peels
1/2 cup of water
3 cups of ice
1/3 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 lime juiced
mint leaves or you can garnish with a cucumber slice or lime wedge.

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients in a blender until slushy like consistency.
Pour into class and Enjoy!
Garnish with mint, cucumber slice, or lime wedge. (Your choice)
Store in a pitcher in the refrigerator for up to a day or freeze as popsicles.

Cucumber is a Super food. It is a good source of silica, which helps promote joint health by strengthening the connective tissues. It is also rich in vitamin A, B1, B6, C & D, Folate, Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium. Cucumbers are also 95% water, but always remember to chose ones that are organic because pesticides can be hard to remove from skins.

*This would also be a wonderful drink after Bikram Yoga!

Questions for You…

What is your favorite post workout drink?
How do you hydrate and prepare for the heat?
Do you like cucumber flavored drinks?

Almond Butter stuffed Dates

July 6, 2013

Ingredients
1) Dates
2) Almond Butter
3) Sea Salt
4) Cayenne

Directions
1) Cut a slice in each date.
2) Remove pits if they have them.
3) Spread almond butter in between slice of each date. Stuff them good.
4) Sprinkle sea salt on each date.
5) Sprinkle cayenne on each date.

Enjoy the sweetness from the dates. Enjoy the salty from the sea salt.
Enjoy the spicy from the cayenne.
Enjoy the nutty creamy flavor and texture from the almond butter!

Yum!

Try it and leave a comment below! Let me know what you think.

Date Pie Recipe

July 5, 2013

I have talked about it time and time again on this blog – over the last two years I have developed this new passion for food.

Not just any food though…

I have very high standards.

The type of food I’m talking about is…

colorful…

organic…

flavorful…

raw…

fresh..

vegan…

gluten free…

clean…

It pisses me off that this type of food is so hard to find in the USA. It pisses me off how expensive it is to purchase these types of foods. However, it is important to me and I make it one of my highest priorities – and you should too.

I am always on a never ending quest to find new unique foods and recipes. My new favorite place to explore is Instagram (follow me!) I came across this fitness enthusiast/foodie BRIANNA_SKY, (follow her!) She has several recipes posted, but one that I had to try the Date Pie.

My version is a little bit different. This Date Pie consists of 5 ingredients.

Ingredients:

Dark Chocolate Chips
Coconut Oil
Almond Flour
Pitted Dates
Water

Tip: When buying Coconut Oil look for the higher quality and less processed. This will say words like unrefined, virgin, cold pressed, expeller-pressed, raw.

Directions:

Combine 1.5 cups of almond flour with 1/4 cup of coconut oil in a food processor or blender. Blend on pulse, until combined.
Take 1 cup of this mixture and press it to the bottom of a pie pan, forming pie crust. For a thicker crust, add oats. Keep the left over 1/2 cup of mixture and set a side.

Combine 2 cups of pitted dates and 1/2 cup of water in food processor or blender. Blend on pulse, until jam like consistency.
Spread date mixture on top of newly made pie crust.
Take 1/2 cup left over pie crust that was set a side, and crumble it on top of date layer.
Combine dark chocolate and 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in a pan. Simmer on low, continuing to stir until chocolate is totally melted to a liquid.
Drizzle chocolate combination to top layer of pie. If you want to keep this pie 100% raw, omit this step.
Put in freezer for 1 hour, or refrigerate for 2 hours.

This pie is amazing and super easy. There is no added sugar. There is only five ingredients. It is gluten free, organic, raw, and vegan.

Because I am cooking more and more, I am also going to add a recipe page, which will have links to every post I write with a recipe or is food related. So keep your eyes open for that.

I hope you all are having a wonder July 4th, and eating fabulous food.

Day 2 of Marathon Training

July 3, 2013

“And yet ultra runners – even the fiercest competitors – grow to love each other because we all love the same exercise in self-sacrifice and pursuit of transcendence. Because that’s what we’re all chasing- that “zone” where we are performing at the peak of our abilities. That instant when we think we can’t go on but we do. We all know the way that moment feels, how rarely it occurs, and the pain we have to endure to grab it back again…
We all struggle to find meaning in a sometime painful world…
We’re all human, that there’s so much messed-up stuff going on, we need to hold on to what we love. “

-Scott Jurek

The above passage is from yet again, Eat and Run. And although, it mentions ultra runners- I believe all runners can relate. People don’t understand why I am so passionate about running, and they wouldn’t, unless they too run. But it is all about the “zone.”

Day 2 of marathon training was another short 3 mile run. Today the heat and humidity was a little suffocating, but it was tolerable.

Questions for You…

Have you reached the zone?
What mile are you at, when you reach it?
What sport are you doing when your reach the zone… yoga? running?

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