Natural Makeup #Momboss Makeover

Is there such thing as too authentic!?

HD film begs the question as to whether there is such thing as too authentic...for a no makeup to makeup video for us anyhow! We thought it would be super legit to do a 'no makeup' to a how to apply 'makeup video.' I generally wear a little colour and so should have for this video but DID NOT! Lesson learned. 

I have not worn much makeup over the years. First, I don't have the patience to spend time getting ready. It has never been a huge priority for me, on a regular basis that is. I do love the fun night out from time to time to do it up, even when not in my business gear. Second, a lot of brands irritate my skin causing me to get rashy, especially around the eyes. 

BUT, as I have 'matured' I notice in pictures and in our current film quality I am more and more appearing apparition like and NOT the glowy divine type, more the 'I just crawled from my crypt and I'm looking for sustenance' type. In real life I like my natural glow but feel like I can use some extra help for secondary sources. The Part B of this, is that I notoriously am a big fail in 'makeup application.' 

Not one to sit by in despair, we took to seeking out answers to our phantom woes. Super excited BEE23 Natural Beauty headed to one of our store locations The Big Carrot in Toronto. They offered us a hand in finding a natural makeup line called sweetly enough, Saint Cosmetics. We took these products all the way to LA to get help from a red carpet expert Josiah Cracraft.

As summer approaches it is very important to be aware of what is in your own makeup brands at home, as heat and excessive sweating opens our pores. Make sure to watch out for aluminum powder, a commonly used colourant, a known link to cause interference with a variety of cellular and metabolic processes in the nervous system. Silicone and propylene glycol create texture (that helps makeup stay put) and help to retain moisture but increasingly are associated with break-outs and skin sensitivities. Bismuth oxychloride is a naturally occurring mineral and has been used since the days of Cleopatra to achieve glowy skin. Although it is naturally occurring, the majority of bismuth on the market today is obtained through the processing of lead and copper. It is further refined and altered to remove impurities, like lead and tellurium. And while this refined version is believed to be not toxic to humans when used in cosmetics, it has been linked to serious skin irritation and cystic acne.

When trying to find clean cosmetics, understand it is looking more for what a product does not contain, such as big no-no’s like heavy metals and phthalates. Look for products containing safe alternatives that do the jobs of traditional toxic ingredients:

• Oryza Sativa (Rice Starch) – used as a binding agent and to give texture
• Camellia Sinensis (Organic Micronized Black Tea)* Leaf Extract – a natural pigment
• Vegetable Glycerin – a humectant 
• Xanthan gum – a thickening agent
• Sclerocarya Birrea (Marula) Seed Oil – a natural humectant and a conditioning agent
• Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax – keeps oils together and gives creamy texture
• Glycbryl Caprylate – conditions skin, is an emollient and can be used to thicken formulas
• Theobroma Cacao (Organic Cocoa) Seed Butter – slows the loss of water from the skin
• Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) – skin conditioner and an emollient
• Silica*
  
  *as long as it is not in an aerosol product it can help with anti-caking and is considered safe

Invest in a few high quality, easy-to-apply, and made-with-good-ingredients products, perfect for that beach vacation or even to just perk up your work-day/city-staycation, and keep your skin looking fresh, glowing, and totally summer-ready in minutes. There is nothing unauthentic with adding a little colour, just make sure it doesn't sap your natural glow!

Dry Hands!? Best 'Red Carpet Ready' Hand Massage Ever!

Not So 'Hotty' Hands!?

Stressed about dry cracked hands!? Hiding them under the table? Not feeling Oscar ready? We have the best solution ever! BEE23 Natural Beauty headed to Hollywood to pamper the friends of Jennifer Ettinger from CTV with our Hotty Hands and Feet! Terry C and I visited The Cosmopolitan YYZ on Bloor Street West in Toronto to find out how to do the best hand massage that is Oscar ready performance. And in Terry's terms it was 'caliente!' Our Hotty Hands and Feet naturally soothes, protects and rejuvenates your skin. This reason it works so well besides the soft subtle scent of healing cedarwood and frankincense essential oils, it is a waterless formula which means it is only the good stuff and none of the filler for powerful protection and moisturizing. Water based products no matter how expensive or natural, are 70-80% water and are not able to do much of benefit for our skin. Water is used to bring the minimal amount of oils into the dermal layer but the moisture quickly evaporates. This formula creates a protective barrier that locks necessary oils in, while acting like an invisible breathable band-aid for sensitive skin issues such as eczema. Ask for your Hotty VIP discount for 20% OFF your next service at The Cosmopolitan YYZ. AND follow the link to check out our video for your BEE23 Natural Beauty promo product discount!

Feel like your breasts keep on going ‘Down Down’!? 7 ways to get some lift in your lovelies!

Not feeling perky lately or worried about losing what lifts you up during the day!? No matter what shape, size or age, read on for seven ways to naturally bring bounce back into your breasts right now!

We asked what crucial concern you had in mind involving your overall beauty regimen and breasts were a biggie, no pun intended! I’ve been a B cup since high school, or have I been!? I breast fed not once or twice BUT four times! Things may have changed my loves. Why knowing your proper size is one way to improve your perk. Want to know more? Read on!

Contributing factors to sagging breasts may include a loss of elasticity due to rapid weight loss, childbirth, menopause, wearing the incorrect bra size and the effects of gravity. This may be the moment where you are like, “I am so far past this, there is no hope.”

Not so my beauty warriors. We must march on!

7 ways you can naturally give your breasts a lift:

1. Posture
2. Proper Bra
3. Exercise
4. Moisturize and Massage
5. DIY Breast Masks
6. Nutrition
7. Health

1. Posture

Want to improve the look of your besties right away? Sit up. Not only does sitting up straight with your chest muscles open and shoulders back improve your mental mood, it strengthens your back muscles and lifts the breasts up. Breasts are predominantly fatty tissue located directly over top of the pectoral muscles. When you hunch over with your neck stuck out, such as when reading this computer screen, the tissue of the breasts is not only falling over to look saggy, it is stretching and the muscles in the back and around the shoulders are becoming weak. Two things you can do:

1. Always imagine a string coming from the top of your head pulling you gently towards the ceiling. Mom was right!
2. If you work long hours at a desk and have the option, use a chair that's ergonomically designed for proper support and designed for your height and weight. If this is not an option, try using a small pillow for lumbar support.

2. Proper Bra

It is very important to wear the right size bra not only for the immediate appearance of well balanced and lifted breasts but to protect the elasticity of the breast tissue and your health. The wrong sized bra can lead to pain, sagging breasts, health issues and poor posture.

If you wear too loose of a bra or too big of a cup, especially while exercising the bra can sag your breasts and make them heavier. Too tight a bra can lead to a lot of pressure on the shoulders causing pain that leads to poor posture, or pressure on the breasts that can cause lymph valves and vessels to close. Constant chronic minimal pressure on the breasts may lead to the failure of lymph nodes and consequently health problems including cancer.

Go in for a proper bra fitting! An immediate lift with long lasting benefits.

3. Exercise

Remember breasts are made up of fatty tissue and milk ducts placed atop the pectoral muscles that support them, and by doing chest exercises to build up this muscle group, breasts can receive the lift and support they need. Chest presses and pulls, arm raises, round-about push-ups, and dumbbell flyes will all work to strengthen your "pecs."

If you have kept up with us at all, then you KNOW we are yoga freaks! What can we say yoga appears to fix all from mood to boob. Yoga does wonders for stretching the chest open and working necessary thorax and back muscles while creating blood flow. Warrior, Triangle and Cobra Poses are all recommended to shape breasts. However, we suggest Bow Pose if you only want one.

Dhanurasana, or Bow Pose, can help reduce back pain. It stretches the spine and shapes the breasts.

1. Lie on your stomach and exhale. Bend your knees and raise them behind you, toward your head.   
2. Hold your ankles with your hands and exhale, then pull your legs and arms upward as far as you can.
3. Your hips and breasts should lift from the floor, and you should balance on your stomach.
4. Try to hold this position for 30 seconds.

4. Moisturize and Massage

Olive Oil, Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil, Grapeseed and Vitamin E are jam packed with antioxidants and fatty acids that can reverse the damage caused by free radicals and prevent sagging breast tissue. Shea Butter and Grapeseed Oil are both a high source of Vitamin E that tightens the skin to give you a tighter and firmer appearance of the breasts.

Lucky for you all of these ingredients can be found ready to use in our BEE23 Hotty Body Balms. Put some Hotty Body Balm onto your palms and rub them together to generate heat. Rub your palms over your breasts in an upward motion. Massage gently for about 15 minutes to increase blood flow and stimulate cell repair. Follow this remedy at least 4 to 5 times per week. We suggest to use your Hotty Body Balm after every time you bath or shower.

5. DIY Breast Mask

Another excellent remedy for lifting the breasts is a mask prepared from cucumber and egg yolk. Cucumber has natural skin-toning properties and egg yolk has high levels of protein and vitamins that can help treat sagging breasts.

1. Puree 1 small cucumber in a blender.
2. Mix in 1 egg yolk and 1 teaspoon of butter or cream to get a paste.
3. Apply it onto your breasts and leave it on for about 30 minutes.
4. Wash it off thoroughly with cold water.
5. Use this mask once a week to firm and strengthen the breast tissues.

6. Nutrition

No crash dieting! The up and down change in weight, especially by 30 lbs or more causes stretching in the breast tissue like old stockings. You may be tired of hearing it but balance in all things my friends, seek lifestyle choices instead of quick fixes. 

Eat healthy foods with essential nutrients like proteins, vitamins, calcium, minerals, carbohydrates and essential fats that are required to firm up the breasts. Green vegetables, seafood, seeds, nuts, chicken, fennel and lean meat all have qualities to protect and enhance the health of breast tissue.

7. Health

Simple choices in good health have a long term impact on keeping us perky in more ways than one! No smoking. Smoking weakens and ages skin by decreasing the blood supply to the skin surface. Limit alcohol consumption. Over indulging in alcohol will lead to the loss of skin elasticity leading to loose skin and sagging breasts.

Avoid sun exposure. Breasts and cleavage absorb UV rays from the sun, and they can easily get burnt. The sun’s UV rays are responsible for damaging skin, aging of skin prematurely and wrinkling of skin. AND drink lots of water for skin hydration. Think of your breasts like camel humps and keep them hydrated!

We hope this gave you a little lift to your day! If you get a chance to comment, then let us know if you found this article valuable and what else you may like to know. Stay happy, healthy and perky! To check out our BEE23 Hotty Body Balms for the perfect breast massage cream go to www.bee23.ca.

Truth Talk from the 'City Of Stars;' 3 reasons taking a breath can save your skin!

Truth: I talk a lot. I can talk a lot about a lot of things, especially our Hotty Balm.

It is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because I more than likely could stand in front of the likes of Madonna, Angela Merkel, Pope Francis or the Grim Reeper and it wouldn't phase me should I be introducing our product line and why it is necessary to the health of not only our skin but that of planet earth. I would no doubt ask our Reeper to put down their scythe without batting an eye and reach into a gray cloak to pull forth a bony hand to place in palm a dab of Hotty Balm.

This is obviously a necessary skill when venturing into the City of Angels and hanging out in gifting suites on Hollywood Boulevard. Never short of words, I will attempt to save the skin of whoever should approach our BEE23 Natural Beauty table where we boast of the best nature has to offer, put together in the best way.

Truth: I’m already in my 40's and it can be very difficult to unlearn old habits.

My curse lies in finding a succinct means to relay the totality of things I want you to know into a short, meaningful statement and then…listen. I can be overwhelming when impassioned with hopes of offering a solution to dry, damaged or sensitive skin. AND there is so much I want you to know about the ingredients in your products, beauty trends and what works! With this said, I want many of you using traditional methods of moisturizing to try something new, so it is only fair that I work on new beneficial habits of my own.

Truth: Proper breathing not only improves our emotional and physical health but our skin.

My greatest lesson learned while in Hollywood was to breath, something every actor regardless of discipline knows. You would think I would have embraced this exercise with all my yoga loving tree hugging ways but I believe it was the entirety of the Hotty Balm Goes Hollywood experience that made “Just Breath” my mantra from morning to night. Whether to release stress, exercise, avoid conflict, allow for conversation to flow or find a solution, we need to breath BUT real deep breathing, the type that fills your belly.

This got me thinking, how does good deep breathing impact the overall health of the skin!?

The anatomy of the skin is linked to all our major functions, including the immune, respiratory, circulatory, lymph and neurotransmitter systems. Deep breathing has a positive impact on all these systems. In caring for yourself on any one or all these levels will improve the health of your skin. The top 3 ways breathing helps the appearance of our skin:

1. Less Wrinkles. Deep breathing creates more oxygen in the body and increases circulation. With more oxygen getting to your heart, the greater the blood circulation to relieve congestion throughout the body. Wrinkles are less with improved circulation.
2. Feeling Better Means Better Skin. Breathing deeply releases endorphins that relax the body and reduces feelings of stress. This creates feelings of well-being and the ability to have a good night sleep. Not only does this immediately relax facial muscles along with frown lines, it ensures a happy rested glow. But when you’re stressed, cells throughout your body contract. Over time this will create a sluggish system where nutrients and oxygen can’t get into your cells and wastes can’t get out making for pasty, pale and tired looking skin.
3. Immune System Has More Energy. Our immune system helps to defend the cells from free radicals. Free radicals are highly unstable oxygen molecules missing a single electron from their outer orbit. Since electrons like to travel in pairs, free radicals steal electrons from healthy cells, wounding those cells and setting off a complicated intracellular inflammatory response. More oxygen in our system creates more energy for the body to heal and detoxify. A healthy immune system helps tissues to regenerate and heal.

How do we practice deep breathing?

The quality of air we are breathing is super important, without going into why 'every beauty diva should be an eviro diva,’ try to practice your breathing outside in a clean environment when possible.

How to deep breath. Stand, lie or sit in a comfortable position and:

• Breathe in for a count of 4
• Hold your breath for a count of 16 (allowing oxygenated blood to flood your system
• Breathe out slowly, taking 8 counts to push out every last bit of air in your lungs (it will take carbon dioxide and cellular wastes with it)
• Hold your breath for a count of 4, then repeat.

You may find this challenging the first few times you try, but persevere and it will quickly increase the elasticity of your lungs, making it a breeze. Perform this breath 30 times a day, and whenever feeling stressed, and it will not only be good for your inside physical and emotional health but it will change how your skin looks.

Hotty Balm Goes 'Hollywood' and the Secret to Staying Forever Young!?

So what is the secret to staying young and what does Hollywood have to do with it!? I know I always get your hopes up. Perhaps this time I will provide the new and latest elixir of life but then I go on to discuss the necessity to protect skin from sun, pollution and drink lots of water. You are like...ugh! Really.   

I have to tell you, we have done extensive thought about this over here at BEE23 Natural Beauty. We are now at an age to take in all these life observations, facts and opinions to come up with some pretty good theories.

There is a lot of talk about staying young at heart and the benefits that has for our mind and body. I would argue that staying young at heart actually creates an overall younger appearance. We appear youthful not just in the clothes we wear or our demeanour, but also in the actual light in our face and eyes. This is totally subjective but I've done a lot of observational research. 

When someone looks excited about their day, or life and is impassioned with something that makes them feel alive, they look 10 years younger. We know this. So obviously go through all your to-dos in regards to good facial skin care for prevention and protection BUT most importantly try to stay alive inside.

I know it can feel difficult. I really know. We get tarnished and worn with the onslaught of all the daily life lessons both the joys and sorrows. However, reminding ourselves (even if it is for vanity sake) regardless of how everything may be, it just feels better and is better for us to believe that tomorrow is a new day, with new possibilities, new adventures and we can just never know what is around the corner. This is our magic secret to not only seeming young but appearing youthful.

5 things to do to stay young:

1. Do a cannon ball into the water sans suit. I realize not for everyone but I swear by it.
2. Pick flowers in a field for you or someone else. If it's not a public field you will even feel more young when the owners start to chase you.

3. Go somewhere new. It awakens your curiosity which is super important to staying young. 

4. Try one thing you have never done before. The exhilaration of learning to walk never goes away.

5. Keep falling in love. I know...I know but I've actually read about the healing qualities of this crazy thing we call love, so it's on list. Don't shoot the messenger.

So what does this have to do with Hollywood you ask!? Well let me tell you!

We are all fired up here and feeling excited about things to come because BEE23 Natural Beauty has been invited to bring our natural glow to one of the notorious gifting suites at the 2017 Oscars. OMGosh right!?

The goal is to have our products that you love and use become the talk of Tinseltown. Yes, Hotty Balm is going Hollywood but in our own special earth loving way. This is a great opportunity to elevate our brand exposure; as well as to introduce our brand to celebrities, VIPs, Taste-makers, media and key influencers. Not to mention what an amazing adventure! We will be posting all along the way. I'm pretty sure we can fulfill all the 5 points to staying young while enroute.

We are in the midst of gathering our BEE23 Team #hottybalmgoeshollywood together. Check out our current Hotty Balm Goes Hollywood Go Fund Me.

Can't make it to the Oscars!? We have you covered at our very own 'Get Your Glow On' Oscar Themed Party. Join us February 11th in 36 Chambers at 1266 Queen Street West to celebrate and psych up our team prior to leaving on this new Hollywood escapade 'Get Your Glow On' Party Let's Celebrate Hotty Balm Going to the Oscars!