Posts from — February 2008

In order to help us all be well-rounded beauties, I’m going to be including interviews of health, beauty, and other related industry professionals here on Bionic Beauty. The first interview in this series is below. Read along as I interview Emily, a yoga instructor. I hope you all enjoy! ~Bionic Beauty

Hello there! My name is Emily Grolman. I am a 38 year old mother of two beautiful daughters and a wife of almost 15 years to a wonderful man. I am going on my 2nd year of living in Las Vegas, NV. I have been practicing yoga for 7 years now and coming up on my one year anniversary of teaching it.

What draws you to yoga as a form of fitness?
I love the fact that I feel such a sense of well being and balance with the whole mind, body, and spirit aspect after a session. I am usually a more relaxed, happier, more-fun-to-be-around kind of person when I come out of class than when I went into class. I have not found another form of fitness that does that for me.

Can yoga truly benefit anybody?
Yes. There are so many different forms of yoga out there that I am sure anybody can find the one that is right for them. (Unless there are extreme circumstances and/or your doctor has strictly prohibited that kind of movement for you.)

What prompted you to become a yoga instructor?
I have two bulging discs in my lower back. I went to doctors and chiropractors, as well as used massage therapy. None of it worked, or if it did work, it was a very temporary fix. After about 4 months of doing yoga twice a week, I realized that the pain in my back had greatly decreased. After 9 months the pain was completely gone. The pain has not returned since then, unless I do something really stupid. With that in mind, I felt like I just wanted to spread the joy of yoga to everyone I knew and even those I didn’t. (I know….more than a little corny and fairly embarrassing to my children as well…lol.) If I can help someone on their road to recovery or a better quality of life, then that is just an amazing thing.

Do you have any tips for beginners to yoga?
Yes.

1. Leave all judgment of yourself and others as well as competition outside of the yoga room. Everyone is different and learns at different rates and in different ways.
2. Listen to your body. You are the best judge of what feels right for you and what doesn’t. If something does not feel right for you, then do not do it.
3. If you are just beginning, don’t expect yourself to be at the highest level with the yogis that have been practicing all their lives. Do the best you can do for that day, and be proud of yourself for trying something new and potentially life altering.

How does yoga help you “Achieve Powerful Beauty”?
Personally speaking, it gives me an inner peace and a quiet confidence to carry myself through everyday life. An added bonus is that it also gives me toned muscles EVERYWHERE! =o)

Thanks Emily, for your interview. I hope it inspires some of our Bionic Beauty readers!

There is a new poll available on Bionic Beauty asking you “What type of face makeup do you use?”. You’ll find the poll in the left sidebar of the blog.

The results of our last poll “Do you use sunless tanner in the winter?”:
78% don’t use any tanner during the cold months, while 22% keep up the glow to some extent. Thanks to all the readers who voted!

Walmart.com has done it again. New free samples are posted. This time of Jergen’s Natural Glow Express. This is Jergen’s latest foray into the sunless tanner/moisturizer combo. The tanner ingredients are a bit increased in this lotion, giving you a “full shade” of darker tan in just three days.

Supplies are limited, act quickly (and all that jazz). Enjoy!

Mythbuster Beauty’s post on “Color Intervention 101” inspired me to try out a broader range of eyeshadow colors beyond my standard browns. During my latest trip to the local drugstore, I saw an ad board for Revlon’s new limited edition makeup “Reveal Your Wild Side“. I loved the green eyeshadow look shown on the boards (I can’t find a photo of it anywhere on the web, sorry!), checked the colors they used, and made a mental image for me to work from.

Here is my version. I’m “Going Green”.

The makeup I used:

• Milani Runway Eyes palette in Glamorous Gems.
• Milani single eyeshadow in Antique Gold.
• L’Oreal HiP Cream Shadow Paint in 809, Lofty (in the silver/pink tube).
• Milani Eye Pencil liner in Antique Green.
• Revlon Marble-ous Match eye liner/shadow duo pencil in Made for Jade.
• Milani Velvet Collection lipstick in Plush.

A photo of my finished look:

How I accomplished Going Green:

1. I applied a small amount of L’Oreal Cream Shadow Paint (similar to MAC’s Paint Pots) in Lofty to my entire lid and blended it up towards my brow. This color provides a nice neutral base for my eyeshadow.
2. Note: The HiP Cream Shadow Paints are not yet out in all drugstores, but I have had good luck at Walgreens and CVS. They are absolutely gorgeous, apply well, and stay put! You can get them for $2 off at Walgreens from now through February 28th if you use their coupon in the Super Saver catalog (in Walgreens stores).
3. Then I applied the Milani single eyeshadow in Antique Gold to my lid and into the crease.
4. I smudged some of the Antique Gold shadow under my lower lash line as well.
5. In the outer corner (the “V”) of my eyelid, I applied the darkest green from the Runway Eyes palette.
6. Then I blended, blended and blended my lid.
7. I lined over the shadow on my lower lash line with the Milani liner in Antique Green.
8. And I applied a thick line of the Revlon Made for Jade eyeliner (the green and brown marbled end) on my top lash line.
9. I choose the Plush lipstick by Milani to coordinate with this look. It’s subdued and the gold flecks in the lipstick perfectly complete the “safari” look.
10. A coat of your favorite mascara, top and bottom, and your finished!

I surprised myself by loving this green look so much. I couldn’t stop walking by the mirror to look at my eyes!

The Beauty Blog Network just released their Top 100 Beauty Items as part of February’s Beauty Ideal magazine. I contributed a few of my favorite items to the list, so be sure to check it out.

Are your favorites are mentioned? If not, what do you think should have been included? Or what is on that list that should have been left off?

Just in time for Valentine’s Day! e.l.f. Cosmetics is offering some special discount codes which I’ve listed below. In my opinion, the most exciting is the one for a free silver heart necklace. Perfect bonus for a friend or family member.
Just enter the codes below at checkout (only one code per order though, so choose wisely grasshopper).

EGVALCC - Get a sterling silver heart pendant FREE on any order $20 or more (expires 3/1/2008).
EGVALEC - Get a $25 restaurant.com gift card with any $20 or more elf purchase (expires 3/1/2008).
EGVALHC - FREE $20 Dale & Thomas Gift Card with any order (expires 3/1/2008).
EGTINAC - FREE Candy Shop Lip Tin in Cherry Bomb with any purchase (expires 3/1/2008).

Bodycology is offering free samples of their products. After filling out a short form with your mailing address and answering a few questions, you can choose between two of their most popular scents: White Gardenia or Coconut Lime.

Being a bit of a Coconut nut (ha!) myself, you can guess which I picked. I’m not sure if the sample is for a fragrance or lotion, but either would be welcome.

Bodycology products can typically be found in your local drugstore or online at Drugstore.com for reasonable prices (especially during CVS or Walgreens buy 2 for $4/$5). Good standard products with quite a bit of variety. You can find body butters, body bars, creams, lotions, body mists, and shower gels. “Flavors” include Coconut Lime, White Gardenia, Sparkling Grapefruit, Peach Mango, and Juicy Pomegranate.