FABULOUS lunch discovery @ Crepe Republic

I love food and am always scouting around for new places where I can go have a tasty, quick and affordable lunch. The best value for this criteria is obviously your typical fast food joint like McDonalds or Taco Bell but it's common knowledge that these places are not healthy to say the least. Today I stumbled upon "Crepe Republic," and had a fabulous, healthy and tasty lunch for less then $10 and was in and out of there in a half hour (no it was not take out - I ate it there). The ambiance was nice too as it reflected the food they were serving: clean and in good taste. This little venue is located here in Los Angeles on the corner of La Cienega Blvd and 3rd Street. It sits in a strip mall across the street from Coffee Bean and next door to Subway and another great Italian food place called North End Pizzeria. Crepe Republic offers crepes for breakfast, lunch and dessert. Today I had the "Snow White," which contains chicken breast, avocado, basil, tomatoes, spinach, mozarella and pesto. All the ingredients tasted extremely fresh and it was served with a lovely green salad that contained nice fresh veggies. Crepe Republic also serves juice and smoothies...I almost felt like I was at Equinox. :)

Buying Beauty Products on eBay

Due to limited finances, I have decided to dive into completely unfamiliar and risky territory: buying beauty products on eBay. Up until now, I have avoided eBay like the plague because quite frankly I just don't trust people. To make matters worse, buying a beauty product such as skin care (which I just purchased!) is especially risky because there is no guaranty that the product was not used and/or contaminated, or worse - replaced with mayonnaise. However, due to the fact that I am very familiar with this product and the container it comes in - I feel that it is a risk worth taking. First, I chose a seller who was top rated with 5 stars and read some of the reviews (all positive). Second, the product I chose (Dr. Brandt Laser Tight lotion), comes in an airtight pump so that whatever is inside the bottle cannot become contaminated. Third, I love this product and believe it is well worth the full cost of $110.00, so I feel pretty ecstatic about the fact that I spent only $60.00 on it - and that I will also be getting some other goodies (another bonus size bottle and Lineless eye cream). Should things go wrong - hopefully the eBay Buyer Protection Plan will reimburse me, even though I did not read it and have no idea if it would or should. More to come when I get my purchase. :)

The Best Eye Shadows - Deep, Dimensional, Multi-Functional and Longlasting!

My first job as a make up artist (10 years ago!) was with a little boutique line called Stila Cosmetics, which was then privately owned by it's creator, celebrity make up artist Jeanine Lobell. I was hired at Saks Fifth Avenue in beautiful Santa Barbara, California. Apparently none of the other girls were that interested in working for Stila because it appealed to a younger clientele which meant long days doing makeovers for the prom and small sales numbers. Nevertheless, I had a lot of fun learning the trade, especially with such a great artistry line. Stila has since been bought by the giant of all cosmetic companies - Estee Lauder - and yet is typically no longer found in the big department stores (Stila can be found at Sephora, Ulta, and in various places online). Hands down, Stila's eyeshadows ROCK. Highly pigmented, easy to use and fabulous to look at - Stila's eyeshadows are multi-dimensional and multi-functional, and never will you discover the shadow falling over your face that WILL happen with other quality lines such as Bobbi Brown (unfortunately). A couple of my favorite colors are Diamond Lil (a beautiful smokey grey with gold undertones), and Kitten (a sweet and sexy champagne pink). Both of these colors look great used wet all over the eyelid - with or without eyeliner.


Diamond Lil




Kitten

Other great colors are Bouquet (a matte nude which can be used as a base color), Oasis (a shimmery gold which can be used wet all over the lid or as a highlight), Pewter (a deep shimmery midnight blue - great as a liner!), Golightly (a pretty golden brown), and La Douce (a deep shimmery olive). Stila has many colors to choose from and I also highly recommend buying a multi-pan compact to hold the shadows neatly in place. This nice 6-pan also comes with a double ended brush - one side for your shadow and one side for your liner. You can also add a blush and/or brow color to your pan.


Stila 6-Pan Compact - Cute and Convenient!

Cosmetics: Where to Find the Best Products at the Best Prices

Hint: Dump the Drug Store

1. Try it before you buy it.

All make up artists will agree that cosmetics work differently for different people. What may look absolutely ravishing on one person may look hideous on another. This is because everyone has unique skin textures and tones, eye color, hair color, etc. Therefore, it is always best to buy cosmetic products from a department store where you are able to "try on" the product before paying for it - as most cosmetics are non-refundable.

2. You really do get what you pay for, and sometimes less.

Some people hesitate to pay the higher cost for cosmetics at a department store versus the local drug store. This is a mistake. With the exception of a few items, most cosmetics found in drug stores are so cheaply made that they will hardly last and the quality will not give you the results you seek. For example, you may find it tempting to buy an $8 mascara at the local drug store versus a $21 mascara at Bloomies. Not only will your $8 mascara clump and flake - leaving black smudges under your eyes and on your face - but it will be more difficult to remove thus ultimately thinning your natural lashes. To add insult to injury, the cheap mascara will dry up quicker and you'd have to replace it much sooner then the other mascara. So ultimately you are not even saving money.

3. Be savvy, not cheap.

The great thing about shopping at the department stores for your cosmetics is that you are able to try stuff out. I always recommend doing the gift-with-purchase deals to try out new skin care products, getting make overs when purchasing (to also learn about new products and looks), and participating in any events they may have. In addition to learning how to look your best, it is a fun way to kill a Saturday afternoon and meet new people. Of course, it is easy to spend way too much money so be smart and prioritize your needs and desires. But always remember, when it comes to your looks - be savvy, not cheap!

4. Diversify.

Another factor to consider when purchasing cosmetics is variety. While most brands offer a huge assortment of skin care, cosmetics, brushes and other beauty products - they clearly specialize in only one or two areas. For example, one brand may have fabulous trendy and high quality eye shadows and lip glosses, but terrible skin care or vice versa. Be hip to some sales people who will try to convince you that something you don't feel great about is fabulous. If you don't really like it, don't buy it. Try to find a regular sales person/make up artist in the store who is honest and whom you can build a relationship with.

Reunited with Equinox.

Last year I became a member of the West Hollywood Equinox fitness club. I always liked it, but due to my busy schedule and the mom factor I just did not go enough for me to justify paying almost $150 per month for the membership. So after I moved to a bigger apartment and endured a $500 per month rent increase - I decided to give up the Equinox membership. I told myself that I could settle with 24 Hour Fitness or LA Fitness and get my quick work outs there during my lunch hour or something. However, after my Equinox experience I had an extremely difficult time dealing with the lower level gyms. 24 Hour Fitness seemed dirty and depressing and had the opposite affect on my desire to work out. I cringed at the thought of going there. I didn't even make it inside LA Fitness due to the heavy pressure I received from the sales people on the phone. (They would call me at all hours during the night to try and pressure me into buying a membership.) Further, after spending some time on one of my favorite websites ("Yelp. com"), and saw how many people hated 24 Hour Fitness and how many people got screwed financially from LA Fitness, the thought of rejoining Equinox entered my mind. Then, behold, I got a beloved email from the Equinox manager offering a great deal to rejoin without having to pay the hefty initiation fee plus one month free. I couldn't resist.

I justify paying the high monthly price like this: I am a single mom and therefore have given up the social life I used to enjoy. $145 can easily be spent in one night out in LA on drinks and dinner - so instead I am spending that for one month of health management, and it's important to keep healthy as I have a responsibility as a mom to be healthy and happy not only for myself but for my daughter. So, I told myself that this time around, I need to be fully involved and do more than just jog on the treadmill and people watch. Equinox also offers great classes at no extra cost, so I am indulging on all it has to offer.

First, I decided to take "Yoga Basics," because I have heard all about the therapeutic benefits in addition to the physical benefits that derive from Yoga. The class was being held in the spa area, which is nice. As I entered the dark room, the heat hit me like a ton of bricks. Not sure, but I suspect they purposefully keep it hot so you it forces you to sweat and breathe heavy. That part I did not like. I am in pretty decent shape despite my laziness lately and also my late night ice cream indulgences, however I am NOT limber by any means. As we switched poses, my limbs would shake and overall I was pretty uncomfortable. At the end of the class though, I felt fully stretched and ready for a good run on the treadmill and some weight training and last but not least - I felt better than I did after therapy!

Today I am going to try "Studio Cycling." Let's see if I can keep up the pace.

Bianca's Honest Banter About Depression & Prescription Drugs

What Causes Depression?

Depression is not just about feeling sad. Depression is defined as a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self esteem and loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities. It is like being caught in between life and death. The body is alive, but the spirit feels dead and does not want to engage in the outside world and/or relationships with others. Depression seems to be custom made for different people. Different things can cause depression. Chemical and/or hormonal balances, prolonged sadness or grief due to a death of a loved one or other tragedy, financial problems, abusive relationships, alcohol/drug abuse, pregnancy, loss of sleep, and medical related side affects from another condition are just a few factors that can lead to depression. Typically speaking, there is a cause which triggered the onset of depression, which then in turn leads to a chemical/hormonal imbalance in the body. Due to this imbalance, it is only rational to think that the answer would be simply to resolve the imbalance via medication. Hence the end result is that millions of depressed people are taking medications for their infliction, thinking that their Prozac, Xanax, Effexor, or Paxil will work like an antibiotic treats an infection. But that is not how it works.

Prescription Drugs: A Viscious Cycle

Suppose a loved one dies, and you are stricken with grief. Weeks have gone by, and you are now back at work and have a family to take care of. Somehow you continue to go through the motions of your duties. As time goes on though, you become less and less social. You do not go to dinner with friends, you do not take your kids to the park, you do not read, you do not laugh. You start to resemble a zombie in both physical appearance and in personality. You start making mistakes at work, and you don't care. You get laid off. You don't care. People ask if you are okay. You say yes, simply because you don't know how to honestly answer that question and it's just easier. Soon, you have financial problems. Big problems. Now, you are a zombie who never sleeps and is constantly agitated. You are pretty much mean to everyone. You need a job, and realize you have a problem. You need to be functional again. You have Cobra - great - so you go see a psychologist and the next thing you know you are on drugs but it's okay because they are prescribed by a doctor. Things improve. You get a job again. You are functioning. You are going to dinners and the park. You even laugh once in a while. Things are looking up. Then one day, you come crashing down. Laying comatosed on the couch you find yourself wondering what is going on. You see your doctor, and then you recall in your conversation that you drank some wine at dinner the other night, or ate alot of chocolate, or got back on birth control pills which have affected the efficacy of your anti-depressant. So maybe you try another kind, and another and yet another. Eventually, you come to the realization that you are now dependent on a drug (perhaps more than just one) to prevent you from crashing and becoming suicidal. THIS IS NOT NORMAL BUT IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE COMMON.

So What is the Solution Then?

The solution, my friends, is to find out what has caused your depression, and learning to live with it if you have to. You cannot change the past. You cannot make people come back to life. You cannot force people to stop abusing you. You can learn to let go of the past. You can learn to accept the death of a loved one and carry that person with you always. You can leave people who are abusive. Further, you can learn, with the help of a good doctor, how to re-balance the chemical and hormonal levels in your body so that you are healthy. Yes, sometimes, drugs can help but only in limited cases do people need lifelong medication for their depression. But mostly, it's diet, sleep, exercise and laughter that will do the trick. The fact is, prescription drugs are overprescribed and cause physical dependencies that literally can cause and DO cause DEATH. For more information, read this site regarding the adrenal glands to get a good sense of what is going on in the body (Please note: I am not endorsing this product and do not know anything about it. Apparently it's some type of system developed for people suffering from prescription drug withdrawals. I just found the information about the body very interesting and helpful.): www.labelmesane.com/adrenal_fatigue.html.

How to be Rosy with Rosacea

What is Rosacea?

Rosacea (pronounced roh-ZAY-sha), is an inflammation disorder of the facial skin, and is commonly misdiagnosed. It affects an estimated 14 million Americans, and because of its red-faced, acne-like affects on personal appearance, it can cause pyschological, social and occupational problems if left untreated. Rosacea affects both sexes, but is almost three times more common in women (aren't we lucky?), and has a peak age of onset between 30 and 60. The cause of this disorder is unknown and there is no cure, however it can be controlled. Here is my story about how I discovered my own infliction with Rosacea, and how I did learn to live with it and control its devastating affects.

Misdiagnosed: Growing up with "Acne".

As soon as I hit puberty, I developed very oily and "problematic" skin. I dreaded summertime because no matter how much powder I caked on my face, I inevitably felt and looked like a shiny grease monkey. (I lived on the east coast where summers are extremely hot and humid). Things only became worse as time progressed, and in addition to the extreme shine, I would sometimes break out in small bumps and large, painful, unsightly pimples. The only thing that seemed to help were long afternoons spent under the summer sun, which would dry out my face and give me a "sun kissed glow" (at the ripe age of 38, this past behavior makes me cringe now!). Little did I know that what I was really doing was further exasperating my problem. I always assumed that the red blotchiness was a little sunburn, but later learned that it was more than that. Family members tried to warn me to stay out of the sun due to its aging affects (which I ignored because of course as a teenager I was sure that aging would never happen to me!), and they tried to reassure me that as a I grew older I would appreciate having oily skin because my skin would dry up as I aged and that moisture helps reduce wrinkles. They also warned me how the sun would damage my skin and cause me to age more quickly. I thought that I would be spared the reality of aging, and of course I was wrong!

Can I get a second opinion, please?

In my mid-twenties, I was living in New York city. I decided to see a dermatologist because of the "second head" which had made its home on my chin for several months. It was August, and impossible to walk down the street without breaking out into a major sweat. Even though I knew I had problematic skin, I was still surprised when my doctor asked me if I had ever taken medication for my "acne" problem. I guess I was still in denial. I had not realized how bad the problem was until this moment. The doctor gave me some kind of shot into the huge cyst-like pimple, and then prescribed me some antibiotics, which temporarily helped. As I pursued my creative talents as a make-up artist, I learned how to care for oily skin by using purifying masks, purifying cleansers and oil-free moisturizers. Finally, for a short period of time, my skin appeared flawless and shine-free.

Then, at the ripe age of 30, something terrible happened. Indeed my skin had become drier as my family had predicted, but my "acne" suddenly resurfaced at an alarming rate. Small, red bumps spread all over with larger pimples appearing sporadically. Convinced that this was the result of oily skin and acne, I continuously exfoliated and scrubbed my face with oil-control toners, serums and acne products. The problem just became worse. My whole face turned bright red and painful "acne" bumps spread all over my cheeks and forehead. Inflammation (and depression) took over and consumed me. My face became so disfigured that I could not leave the house without theatrical face make-up on which I was using as a foundation. Again, I sought the attention of a dermatologist, who this time around, properly diagnosed me with Rosacea.

I had always had Rosacea but didn't know it. Now that I know what to look for, I can see that some of my other family members have it, too. After I received proper medication and started researching my condition, I learned how to control it and have not had a major flare up in at least a couple of years. Aside from the normal affects of aging, I have to say that my skin looks pretty good.

What to do if you think you may have Rosacea:

If you think you have Rosacea, I strongly recommend that you see a Dermatologist right away and receive a prescription for antibiotics. If you do not have a Dermatologis, then see a primary care provider, or even go walk to a clinic. Prescription medication (i.e., Tetracyclene or Oracea) is the only measure for getting this disease under control. Tetracyclene is probably the cheapest and most effective considering the cost.

Effective treatment suggestions:

Some doctors will prescribe some sort of "metronidazole" gel, but I found this product to be fairly weak, and only effective for maintenance. Stronger oral medications really work the best. Once the face clears up, Rosacea can be fairly easy to maintain. Alcoholic beverages, spicy foods and stress can be major triggers. For me personally, I now avoid red wine at all costs - one glass of it and one hour later there are little red dots forming all over my face and nose!

My personal remedy:

If I have a flare up, I immediately take my prescribed oral medication. I always have some Tetracyclene or Oracea around. I consistently make sure that I use gentle, yet effective products for my skin. I cleanse my face (cold water only!) with "Cetaphil," (normal to dry skin formula), once in the morning and once in the evening, and then I use a nice oil-free moisturizer from a professional cosmetic company. I especially like products from Dr. Brandt. For example, one product from that line which works great on Rosacea skin is "Laser Relief." While it's not a moisturize, this product really helps reduce inflammation and redness and feels really great on the skin. I also like Bobbi Brown's "Vitamin Enriched Face Base," which is an oil-free moisturizer containing shea butter, carrot extract and vitamins A, C and E. This product is non-greasy and will make your foundation look perfect! Finally, I always ensure that I get enough rest (with a four year old this can be very challenging!), and try to keep stress at a minimum. A healthy lifestyle is key.

Make-Up Tips:

Rosacea sufferers tend to have a "rosy" complexion, which turns an ugly blotchy red when Rosacea "activates." That's why it's important to use a nice, lightweight yet effective foundation that has a "yellow" base to help counter the redness. Good foundations to try are Bobbi Brown, Stila, and some shades of Laura Mercier. Rosacea sufferers have the same disease, but still possess different skin types, therefore you may have to sample different foundations until you find one that has the right consistency, coverage, and tone for your skin type. Next, always "set" your foundation with a loose powder. Again, the powder should have yellow base. Clinique just came out with one specifically to counter red, blotchy skin. When working on your eyes (Rosacea can sometimes effect the eyes so always pay attention to eye irritation), you first use a an all over shadow that is white or close to it as a base. The will brighten the eye area and help "pop" any color pigments you may choose to use to enhance your look. Finally, most "sparkly" cosmetic products contain a large amount of a product called "mica," which can potentially flare Rosacea due to its rough and irritating texture. Therefore, try to avoid using too many "sparkly" cosmetics and stick to shadows, blushers and bronzers that are "mica" free.