Lotus Wei - Energy Mist, Serum and Elixir (Pure Energy)

Sound the gong for Part Two of my Lotus Wei flower essences feature!

Hibernation mode..

Since most of NYC has shut down as of last night from the blizzard, I'm in full-on hibernation mode, and, I kinda love it!  I'm taking the time to be productive and thought I'd share my agenda for the day:

• Morning yoga (Check! And here's the video)
• Mopping (I told you I have a slight obsession...Check!)
• Cooking (In case anyone cares, [sidenote, is this blogger overshare?] it's broiled chicken - which I forgot to turn because I was writing this - and brussels. Check!)
• Surfing my favorite websites while listening to 30's jazz singers (Check!)
• Pillaging my DVR while enjoying a nice glass of wine (or three...)
• Treating my face with a little face mask/scrub (I'll be applying my Sibu purifying mask, followed by a spritz of rose hydrosol and then my Argan oil from Destiny Boutique)
• Pre-bedtime relaxation ritual courtesy of Lotus Wei Inner Peace serum and mist, and the latest book I'm reading

What are your hibernation routines?  Share below!

Lotus Wei - Energy Mist, Serum and Elixir (Inner Peace)

Cue the trumpets!  Today's post (and actually the next two as well, as this will be a three part bonanza) is on the much feted Lotus Wei flower essences.

What I'm Trying - The Wet Brush

I finally caved recently and, ignoring the slightly skeevy name and "made for TV"-esque packaging, bought one of the most talked about brushes in, well, the brush world (yes, that is a place, trust me) lately.

I'd had to suppress years of it being pounded into my head that you never, ever, brush your hair while wet.  Or else!!

However after hearing about this brush being the second coming to the air-dried, letting your natural waves flow look (currently the look I've been sporting since I don't have to be at a desk at 9am anymore, and let's face it, it's a lot healthier for your hair), I had to try it for myself.

I'm not sure how it beats a wide-toothed comb, but the vociferous advocates on Youtube (one in particular who was so excited about the brush she barely got a word in between curses), along with the cheap price ($9 at Target) convinced me.

I used it for the first time recently to distribute a hair mask through my hair (I'd been involved in a photo shoot at a hair salon recently and it involved heavy heat work on my hair, so I wanted to give it a little extra TLC when I next washed it) and I will say it did a jolly good job of doing so.  It wasn't the miracle detangler that others rave about (seriously, people have said that it's saved their relationship with their screaming brush-averse children) for me on the first go, but perhaps that was because I hadn't conditioned it yet (this was post shampoo and pre-mask) so my hair had pretty much no slip and a lot of knots.  Post mask, it did glide nicely through my hair, but this was most likely due to the fact that a) I'd already brushed all the knots out, and b) my hair had a lot of slip at that point as I was heavy handed with the mask.

Is this really the miracle brush people say it is? I'm not sure yet, but I'll come back for a round two update once I've gone through a couple of regular hair wash and co sessions with it.

Sugar Scrub v. Salt Scrub

Among the very eco-conscious, there's a trend now to avoid scrubs that contain beads that are not bio-degradable. And since it's so easy (and cheaper!) to make your own (biodegradable) scrub, I thought I would open the sugar vs. salt debate (well, and then there's coffee grinds as well but we'll save that for later!).

The main difference boils down to the fact that as sugar particles are finer, they are gentler on the skin (although I wouldn't advocate for using either on the face), so if you have sensitive skin this is a better pick.  It's also more scrumptious aromatically if you're blending with coconut oil and perhaps some vanilla extract - yum!

Salt, while a bit harsher on the skin, has cleansing and purifying properties that sugar does not. I'm currently using Valentina's Home Brewed Salt Scrub in Protection, which contains three of my favorite EO's: Frankincense, Myrrh and Patchouli. While I adore the smell and the concept, the salt particles are a bit rough for my skin and tends to irritate it so I likely won't repurchase sadly.

Whichever exfoliant you pick, it's incredibly easy to make your own scrub at home. My mother uses a very simple and effective combination of sugar and olive oil. You can add to that any essential oil of your liking.  Clary sage would be a great choice to uplift your mood (and for women it has a positive effect on hormones). Ylang ylang is another affordable and refreshing smelling EO. Or you can keep it simple and simply combine sugar or salt with an oil of your choosing: olive, grapeseed, argan, jojoba, sesame, peanut, almond, etc. etc.

Exfoliating your skin weekly (I wouldn't recommend more than twice a week max) helps prevent body breakouts as well as ingrown hair, and is overall a great addition to your shower or bath routine.

I am Fire..

Wellll technically I'm water from an astrological perspective, but I fell in love with the above graphic as it really represents to me my intention for 2015. I had a fun crafty project recently with a friend, in which we created vision boards for this year, and if you haven't already done so, I highly recommend it! The basic premise is that you cut out phrases, words or images (or all three!) that speak to what your goals and aspirations are for this year. Then paste it all together and put somewhere in your home where you'll occasionally view to keep top of mind what your intentions are. I know it sounds a little woo-woo, but trust me, you'll be glad you did it!  I love looking at mine; it swings more toward the image-heavy side (with some strangely random pics of wildlife), but I was able to find some great words and phrases that really resonated with me.

It's a perfect project for the weekend if the weather is cold or dreary. Grab a friend, a glass of wine (or three), a face mask and have fun!


(Image courtesy of Giovanni Cosmetics - a fantastic natural hair care brand. I'm a big fan of their Ultra-Sleek collection, I use the hair and body super potion every time I wash my hair, it's one of my "holy grail" products)

It's All Nuts..

While away visiting family over the holiday I, in a moment of desperation, concocted a new smoothie recipe as I didn't have my usual go-to ingredients, and it turned out quite well so I thought I'd share!

It's full of protein and calcium, but a bit low on greens, so I'll be alternating this recipe with the green one I wrote about here.

Nutty Banana Strawberry Smoothie:

• 1/4-1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (you can also use unsweetened plain soy yogurt which is also nice)
• 1/2 banana
• 1 tablespoon unsalted almond or cashew butter 
• 1/8 cup raw organic walnuts
• 1/2 tablespoon chia seeds
• 4-5 whole fresh or frozen organic strawberries

The Greek yogurt and nut butter make it incredibly creamy (as does the soy yogurt, which I've also started using as a substitute for regular yogurt) and the walnut pieces add a lovely rich taste.  Give it a try and let me know what you think!

*Smoothie tip: place liquids on the bottom and solids on top for best blending action.