My five favorite beauty products

Since there is more to attending a high school reunion than Exercising Your Ass Off, I thought I would share my current five favorite beauty products; all of which I will need to look beautiful on June 26.

Sally Hansen Natural Beauty by Carmindy Luminizing Face Primer
Although this face primer is overpriced online, it is worth the $9.99 you will pay for it at CVS. You can wear it alone or underneath foundation; either way, it brightens up your face. The velvety texture soothes dry skin, and it is easy to apply. My only complaint is that the pump becomes useless once the container is almost empty, but it is a small price to pay for a healthy, moisturized face.


Moroccan Oil
My stepmother introduced me to this hair care product, which straightens her naturally curly hair. I love it because my hair often has a straw-like appearance due to its dry nature. Moroccan Oil rescued my locks! I use a nickel-sized amount in my straight, long hair and work it from the roots to the tips. The tangles disappear, the split ends evaporate, and my hair ends up looking smooth and sleek just like Scarlett Johansson, an actress who uses this product. Moroccan Oil can reduce the appearance of scars, too. Oh, and did I mention it smells divine? Ask your local hairdresser where to find the miracle Moroccan Oil.

Oil of Olay Total Effects Night Firming Cream
According to its label, OO's Total Effects Night Firming Cream is supposed to balance color; hydrate, moisturize and exfoliate the skin; reduce the appearance of fine wrinkles, age spots, and pores; and prevent damage to the skin's surface. Desperate Housewives' actress Marcia Cross uses Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Anti-Aging UV Moisturizer SPF 15—the daytime complement to the nighttime formula. I love how the Night Cream makes my skin feel like silk, and my husband thinks it smells good, too!

Smashbox Emulsion Lip Exfoliant
As the sun heats up in dry Southern California, my dry lips start to crack, peel, and bleed. No amount of moisturizing prevents this happening so I wanted to find a product that would at least eliminate the excess flaky skin hanging from my lips (how unattractive is that picture?). The Smashbox Emulsion Lip Exfoliant is easy to use, and it does the job. Afterward, my lips feel clean, soft, and more importantly, they look terrific. As an added bonus, this product smells like peppermint.

CoverGirl LashBlast Volume Blasting Mascara
Since I have short eyelashes, I am always looking for mascara that will make my eyes pop by appearing to extend the length of my eyelashes. LashBlast works wonders, and unlike most mascaras, it rarely smudges or flakes. In fact, it can be difficult to remove. If you watch television, you have probably seen Drew Barrymore's Lashblast commercial where her eyes look amazing even if she appears overly tan. I love LashBlast; you can sometimes buy it in bulk (three mascaras for $13) at Costco.

Please feel free to share your favorite beauty products by posting comments to this blog entry! :-)

AWW – XoXo

My five favorite beauty products

Workout Report: Days 71 – 77

Monday, June 7
P90X Chest and Back + JW 20-minute cardio Workout Results:

• 67 minutes, 56 minutes in target zone
• Average heart rate: 136bpm
• 415 calories burned
• Body parts that snapped, cracked or popped: elbows, knees, shoulders

Tuesday, June 8
I did not work out today.

Wednesday, June 9
P90X Shoulders and Arms Workout Results:

• 49 minutes, 23 minutes in target zone
• Average heart rate: 114bpm
• 220 calories burned
• Body parts that snapped, cracked or popped: shoulders

Thursday, June 10
Jackie Warner's 20-minute Cardio Workout Results:

• 28 minutes, 22 minutes in target zone
• Average heart rate: 134bpm
• 165 calories burned
• Body parts that snapped, cracked or popped: knees

Friday, June 11
Jackie Warner's 20-minute Cardio + Power Circuit (Routine A) Workout Results:

• 55 minutes, 39 minutes in target zone
• Average heart rate: 129bpm
• 315 calories burned
• I only completed the routine one time, but you are supposed to do it three times. Sigh.

Saturday, June 12
Jackie Warner's 20-minute Cardio Workout Results:

• 23 minutes, 19.5 minutes in target zone
• Average heart rate: 133bpm
• 140 calories burned
• Today I actually exercised outside along the Chandler Bikeway in Burbank; it is right next to our house.

Sunday, June 13
I purposely did not work out today; my muscles needed a break, and my awesome LA Lakers were playing!

Week 11 Results: June 7 – June 13

• 5 workout days
• 1255 calories burned

AWW – XoXo

Workout Report: Days 71 – 77

Hello Plateau

Recently, I have discovered that I am burning fewer calories during my workouts. When I compared my recent results to last month, I realized that despite doing the same routine with maximum effort, my average heart rate is slightly lower, which results in fewer calories burned. Two weeks before my high school reunion, I am reaching a serious plateau in my EMAO experience.

According to my research, most trainers agree that everyone is susceptible to hitting a plateau, a time when your body no longer responds to workouts in the same way because according to About Aerobics "your level of fitness has increased to the point that you need more challenges or difference exercises to increase the work of your muscles." There are many options to breaking through the plateau, but the best one in my opinion is to change my routine. Therefore, I began Jackie Warner's Power Circuit training this past Friday.

After doing 20 minutes of cardio, you are supposed to complete an entire circuit routine in 30 minutes. Jackie swears that your total workout will last only 50 minutes, but here is the catch: a routine, which consists of numerous circuits, must be completed three times. Right! It took me approximately 30 minutes to finish "Routine A" ONE time. Between stopping to review the exercises and pausing to deal with the pain, I was too exhausted to do the same thing two more times. However, I have a new goal: work up to doing "Routine A" three times straight through as instructed and move quickly from one exercise to the next without stopping in order to keep my heart rate up.

I may have mastered P90X's strength training workouts (Yoga X still kicks my ass), but I have a long way to go before my body adapts to Jackie Warner's Power Circuits. With only two weeks left, I wonder how much of a difference it will make in my EMAO goals. Hmm ...

AWW – XoXo

Hello Plateau