Pamper it up everyday with this 15 minute stress buster!

It came to my mind today as I was walking vigorously to my morning destination here in New York that indeed I was getting some exercise in but when I stopped myself for a moment I realized that I wasn’t walking consciously, meaning I wasn’t relaxed as I walked and therefore wasn’t enjoying it! As I switched my step to a more conscious place of just allowing it to be a lovely morning walk instead of the mad run to work, I then started to feel happier and less stressed. It’s true that just going for a 15 minute walk everyday no matter where you live can help reduce stress and actually will increase your life span. So go ahead get moving and remember to tell yourself that today I am walking my way to a happier life!

Balance yourself from the inside out! Here’s how!

If your life is unbalanced on the outside it is because you are unbalanced on the inside! Whether it is a hot bath, a manicure or a quick workout for example, when you make taking time to care for yourself a PRIORITY you will begin to see things in your life fall into place more smoothly.

Painting by Stephania Parent oil pastel on paper mounted canvas 5×7

Let the fire within rise up and be your fierce self!

Meditating in the morning even for 15 minutes everyday can change your life! If your having trouble getting started Focus on your breath inhaling and exhaling through your nose deeply and slowly. Be patient and consistent and  you will begin to feel your fierce self rise up.

Painting by Stephania acrylic on paper mounted on canvas 11×14

Rise up and let go!! Happy Easter!

On this Easter Sunday instead of  thinking about how Jesus may have suffered for our sins think about how  you can apply the true esoteric meaning of the holiday into your daily life. For me it is to simply let go of the things and beliefs that no longer serve your highest and greatest good and rise up everyday with an open heart and feel  truly grateful for this wonderful life. Happy Easter!

painting by Stephania Parent acrylic on canvas 60×72

A colorful treat to help ease away depression here’s how!

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Post partum depression, monthly PMS, raging hormones, never ending house cleaning, laundry, kids, cooking and full time jobs! Daily life for many moms is filled with let’s face alot of hard work and stress, which can easily lead to mild and sometimes severe depression.  It seems to be common knowledge these days that lack of sunlight particularly during winter months can lead to depression in many people.  Color therapy can be traced back thousands of years to the healing practices of ancient Egyptians whereby the effect of different colors can heal the human body both physically and mentally as the colors correlate with the bodies chakras. If you don’t have the time to visit a color therapy practitioner then try meditating upon a specific color or imagine your self breathing that color into your body for a few minutes every morning. Violet, indigo, light blue, green, yellow, orange and red are the colors that correspond with the bodies chakras. Wearing the colors on your body and YES with makeup can also help your mood! So try a splash of indigo over the top of your eyelid to perk things up a bit.

 

Get your Tousled tresses on the outside and untie them from the inside! here’s how!

Stress, we are all under its spell! and it can leave us feeling wound up and tense on the inside. Anxiety, illness, depression are just a few of its most common symptoms. If you live in a big city like I do in New York, often just your daily trip on the subway can raise your blood pressure a few notches. I find the key to untying the knots in my belly when they rise up is to stop, breathe in, close my eyes and simply just be for a few moments. Meditating daily for 20 minutes has enormous mental and physical health benefits but when your holding on for dear life on a fast moving train with little time, just being with your quite self  for a few moments can also become a highly beneficial daily habit. On the other hand Tousled up hair can be very sexy so if you have shoulder length or even longer hair you might want to reach for Garnier Fructis volumizing anti humidity hair spray. Just tilt your  head over in the morning and spray your hair, then scrunch with your fingers, finish up  the look by placing your hair up in an messy bun for awhile. The longer you leave your hair up the more tousled it will look. NO one will ever suspect with all that sexy tousled up hair that on the inside you are really a serene swan!

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Are you looking and feeling peachy keen today? If not, take a moment and read on.

Food for thought!

It came to my mind today as I was looking over the produce in the grocery store that I was feeling and looking like a shriveled up old prune! What would make me feel better I asked myself? A juicy ripe colorful PEACH!! Did you know that peaches greatly benefit the skin’s elasticity and appearance.  The phrase ‘peaches and cream skin’ developed because in the olden times, women used peach scrubs and masks to help create a radiant glow to the skin. As I sat down to relax a moment and eat my peach, I realized I was beginning to feel alot better! was it all that Vitamen A  I wondered?” . As I reached the peaches core, it was then that I realized what is was that had turned on my happy tune! THOSE FEW QUIET MOMENTS ALL TO MYSELF! because after all our inner core is just as important as the peaches and cream skin we all want to have isnt it?

Shimmer Glimmer and Shine from the inside out everyday here’s how!!

When your a busy mom on the go sometimes life can feel a bit like a cosmic storm!! Stressful events tend to happen often all at once and many women  feel that it is their duty to bear the burden of the entire world upon their shoulders. Life will always be filled with obstacles and difficulties to overcome and rather then holding it all in you may find that glimmer of hope right inside of yourself  through your very own good old PATIENCE!! Being a mother is stressful and creating more patience from within will not only help you, but your kids too. Deep conscious breathing for 10 seconds in then out is an effective patience booster. Now Watts up for the shimmer and shine on the outside you ask? exactly that WATTS UP soft focus high lighter by Benefit!  use it in a dash after you have done your breathing that is, on the temples of your cheeks and on the inside corner of your eyes for a quick brightening of your day.

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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, not necessarily a beauty product!

I live in New York city and this past month has been bitterly cold! perhaps not everyone feels that its bitter outside but if your anything like me and as you get older you catch yourself constantly complaining about how freezing it is every day then you will appreciate this post. The other annoying thing about the cold is that there are just to many days when you feel that there is literally not one beauty product on earth that could help you look and feel any better. From the constant hat hair,  runny red nose,  watery eyes,  sand paper dry skin and brittle nails! Oh and lets not forget the tired and achy muscles and chilly to the bone feeling. Its no wonder that  many of us have to battle a case of the winter blues every now and again! Sometimes I find its better for my spirits to stop thinking about which skin serum will prevent my skin from aging and feeling the effects of winter and instead I turn inwards and give my self a positive affirmation that I secretly repeat to myself throughout the day like “I AM LOVE, I LIVE LOVE AND I AM LOVING LIFE TODAY”! When you love yourself it transposes unto you, your kids and life around you thereby radiating a luminous beauty. So when you catch yourself  looking into the mirror and feeling a little hopeless remember that  beauty really is in the eye of  the  beholder and it is up to us to choose a positive attitude towards our own unique beautiful beauty.

One of the greatest anti aging antidotes you can find for free!! Here’s how!

I work with and write about beauty products and routines on a daily basis and I can honestly say nobody LOVES a new colorful makeup palette more than myself. However last night as I was reading a book to my daughter, something in the book made us giggle, then the giggle turned into a full blown laugh attack!! It then came to my mind, that one of the most beautiful things in the world is a big belly laugh! one that leaves you feeling relaxed and almost euphoric afterwards. It has been scientifically proven that a good hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes, it  increases immune cells and infection fighting antibodies and finally laughter triggers the release of endorphin’s which are the body’s natural feel good chemicals. All of which are effective in balancing the mind and body which consequently help us look and feel younger! So go ahead and have a good laugh and by the way its contagious too!

Hair and Makeup by Stephania Parent