29 MarCHICK FLICK PICK OF THE WEEK: BLACK BOOK

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If there ever was a heroine of seismic proportions, Clarice Van Houton as Rachel Stein in the WWII epic ” Black Book ” is it. From the moment she steps onto the screen with those crimson pouty lips, raven hair and steady but ferocious gaze we know this is a broad that will move mountains. The story begins in 1944 in Holland. Rachel ( Van Houton ), a former torch song singer, is a jew in hiding from the goose steppers that have occupied her homeland. Through a series of fortuitous and some not so fortuitous events Rachel ends up working for the resistance and whipping out the peroxide, bleaching the carpet and the drapes and shacking up with one of the top brass of the gestapo    ( and yes, the man is fine) . Directed by the infamous Paul Verhoeven, this joint has it all.. adventure, suspense, mystery, intrigue, sexxy times, comedy and a couple of musical numbers… but what blew me away was the story of Rachel Stein herself.. it just goes to show you that with the right combination of brains, chutzpah and black fishnet stockings a girl can do just about anything she sets her mind to. This is a hot cherry bomb of a movie !!

Black Book ( click here to view trailer ), 2007, in Dutch and German with English subtitles

28 MarSKIN CARE 101 : NOT JUST YOUR AVERAGE SOY BEAN

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If your like me, suntan lotion was not always the first thing that came to mind when it came to a day at the beach. In fact, I would avoid it like the plague. My goal was to get as brown as humanely possible. I grew up in the era of the ” Bain de Sole ” tan.. bain de sole  for the saint tropez tan.. ..geez I can still hear the jingle dancing around a part of my right brain somewhere. Granted, as I got older and spent many a glorious summer roasting on the beaches of Greece, I did have the common sense to avoid the midday rays, but still when it came time to pay the piper I was left with a little crepieness and a few very unpleasant and stubborn little sunspots on my cheeks ( age spots ? moi ? no flippin way ! ).

I did the hydraquinone thang and was left with somewhat lighter spots but also a bleached bit of skin surrounding it..thoroughly unattractive I assure you…did some laser, and it worked well but somebody failed to tell me I would lose pigment in those spots FOREVER and they would turn white in the sun.. tried various other potions which nearly skinned me alive..so when I heard about a new compound from Japan that’s hatched from a soybean my vain little ears were pricked up to the hilt.

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My I present to you..Gamma PGA Poly Glutamic Acid

Gamma PGA is a remarkably potent hydrating compound that represents a major breakthrough in the science of skincare. It is ten times more hydrating than Hyaluronic acid and far more elastic than collagen. In Asia, Gamma PGA is commonly recognized for its specific skin care benefits. It is 100% natural, bio degradable and non-toxic. In fact, it is even edible.

Originally discovered in marine jellyfish, Gamma PGA, also known as Natto Gum, Plant/Phyto Collagen or Gamma Poly Glutamic Acid, is derived from NATTO, a Japanese soybean-based health food item dating back more than 1000 years.
Gamma PGA has many features and benefits:

Diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
Facilitates skin exfoliation of old keratin
Promotes the clearance of stagnant melanin to brighten skin
Enhances the skin’s natural moisturizing capabilities
Penetrates to the skin’s deepest layers
Carries moisture and nutrients as it penetrates
Forms a thin, smooth and moisturizing film on the skin
Increases production of the Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF)
Locks in moisture, giving you softer, more supple skin
100% natural, preservative and additive free
Hypoallergenic, animal free, cruelty free

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So where can you get your hands on this little gem of a beauty potion ? well, there are several products out there but one I am thoroughly impressed with is Acro White.

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It’s loaded with lots of other goodies and you can get it from NCN Pro Skincare. The woman who runs the site, Nanci,  is a treasure chest of beauty knowledge. You can email her and she will answer all of your beauty queries tout suite !!

Have Beautious Day !!

28 MarDIMESTORE BEAUTY

There’s one beauty product out there that has a myriad of uses.. it can be used topically on the hair and skin as an astringent and toner.it can be used internally as a health tonic for cleansing as well as boasting a high level of vitamin C.. it can even be used as a household disinfectant.. and guess what it only costs about $5 a bottle !! Its APPLE CIDER VINEGAR and it can be found at any grocery store right next to the salad dressing.

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Apple cider vinegar has been the wise woman’s health and beauty ally for centuries.

Now science tells us that it promotes blood circulation in the small blood capillaries that irrigate the skin. It is also antiseptic, combating yeasts, viruses and bacteria that can cause infection.

Apple cider vinegar is rich in alpha-hydroxy acids, helping to dissolve fatty deposits on the skin’s surface and reducing scaly conditions, promoting a softer, smoother appearance. This miracle fluid also regulates the pH of the skin.

You won’t believe how many ways apple cider vinegar can be used to promote healthier skin and hair! Find out some of the couldn’t-be-simpler ways to put it to work for you, below:

1. Hair rinse: Apple cider vinegar gets rid of residue build-up on hair, leaving it soft and shiny. Mix 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar with 1 quart water and use as a final rinse after shampooing.

2. Stain remover: If your hands are stained from chopping berries, dab some straight apple cider vinegar on the stains and they’ll disappear like magic.

3. Tired, swollen hands or feet: Rub a little apple cider vinegar on tired, sore, or swollen hands or feet and feel the soothing difference.

4. Overnight facial: Get rid of blemishes and make your skin more youthful by patting apple cider vinegar on your face before bed. You’ll have softer, smoother skin in the morning!

5. Sunburn bath: If you’ve been singed by the sun, find soothing relief by adding a cupful of apple cider vinegar to your bath and soaking for 10 minutes.

6. Topical skin burns: Apply ice-cold apple cider vinegar to prevent blistering.

7. Lightening age spots: Dab areas with straight apple cider vinegar and leave on overnight.

8. Dandruff fighter: Mix 1 part apple cider vinegar to 3 parts warm water to balance scalp pH and control dandruff. You can also apply undiluted vinegar to the scalp. Allow it to penetrate, then shampoo with a mild shampoo.

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I have used apple cider vinegar on my skin for years and let me tell you it works !! I personally use it undiluted on my skin and I get an instant glow.. its like a glycolic peel in a bottle.

You can purchase apple cider vinegar at any grocery store but my absolute fave comes from a company called Bragg’s..they also sell amazing  amino’s too  !!

Happy beautifying !!

22 MarGODDESS GUMBO HAS OFFICIALLY ARRIVED ! HIT THE G SPOT !!

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Welcome to  Goddess Gumbo !! The hip chicks guide to everything beauty and beyond !! This blog has been perculating in my mind for a couple of years now and after being the go to gal for all my girlfriend’s beauty dilemmas for many a moon I decided maybe it was time to share some of the wisdom with the rest of you Goddesses.

I have always been a skin care fanatic. I remember being 10 years old curled up on my grandmother’s bed reading a book called Natural Beauty. It was full of homemade beauty concoctions. I would go into the kitchen and pull out jars of mayonnaise and honey, eggs, lemon, rice flour, avocado and god knows what else and sit on the cold marble bathroom floor mixing up batch after batch of goop to put on my face.. I would turn off the lights and sit in the dark( my first furtive attempt at meditation ) waiting for the magic to happen.

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I have always been very interested in the science of beauty and what that means to all of us as women. Yes, I do get a thrill when I open up a brand spankin’ new product and give myself a good slather, start ingesting the latest beauty potion ( Skin Eternal is the bomb ) or elixir and nothing makes me feel more beautiful than an hour of The Bar Method ( aka Physique 57 ), belly dance, Pilates or shakin’ my money maker with my hula hoop !!

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I don’t care what anyone tells you…beauty IS skin deep…but it’s also more..and that my lovelies is what Goddess Gumbo is all about. Bringing together all the elements.. the physical, emotional, spiritual.. and streamlining it into the fiercest package in the universe !! Goddess Gumbo is a hodge podge of everything..a little bit of this..a little bit of that..all in one delicious dish !!

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Not only will you get all kinds of glamorous goodies like fashion tips, skin and hair care routines and makeup 101..you’ll also learn to get in touch with your body, your libido, your mojo, your sense of self..you WILL look like a warrior princess.. but you will also BE a warrior princess..who can move through life with joy,  grace, courage, strength and beauty… and that’s what being a Goddess is all about..n’est pas ?

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So Welcome to Goddess Gumbo !! Hit the G spot daily for your daily serving of beauty and more !!!

Goddess Gumbo  …always spicy   …always fresh