Connect to a Cause

I'd like to thank everyone who left a comment on my recent post, "Comments for a Cure". I wrote about the organization Look Good, Feel Better, and pledged to donate $1 for each comment that was left on the post that week. Since the campaign ended, I decided to donate $10 for each of the kind, thoughtful posts. The donation goes to the Susan G. Komen Foundation which supports women affected by breast cancer. And I'd like to invite you to join me in making a donation.


My campaign is hosted at 411Karma, a new website dedicated to connecting like-minded individuals and letting them raise funds and awareness for the issues they care about most. 411Karma made it really easy for me to set up my campaign, make a donation on behalf of each of my wonderful commenters, and enable others to contribute to the cause. Please visit my campaign page.

Ever feel like you want to change the world, but don't know where to start? You can create a campaign like I did. Maybe start one for a disease that has affected one of your family members. Or raise funds to protect the environment. Even support your local Boy or Girl Scout chapter. Every charity you can imagine is here. One you join the community (which is easy and free), you can establish a campaign in no time at all.

A cool way to support your campaign and grow your Karma is to set up a Klog. Clearly, you know what a blog is. A Klog is blog supercharged with karmic power. You write about the issues you care about, and can back your Klog with a donation to a charity of your choice. The amount of your donation and the charity selected will appear next to your Klog's message. And since any member can respond to your Klog, they too can back their response with a donation. So as the discussion unfolds, not only will it benefit the minds of the community, but it will also benefit the world.

Now, that's what I call putting your money where your mouth is.

Rockin' Nails

What do manicures and music have in common? Deborah Lippmann, the celebrity manicurist turned singing sensation.

Lippmann is manicurist to the stars, citing Meryl Streep, Mary J. Blige and Renee Zellweger as her clients. And while she loves her work as a celebrity manicurist and the Founder/CEO of her own nail care line, lippmann collection, her dream has always been to sing. In fact, it was Renee Zellweger who inspired Lippmann to pursue her dream and release her first album, Nightingale, which was very well received.

Her latest nail color collection and music album both share the same name - VINYL. The album includes jazz versions of famous rock anthems originally recorded on, you guessed it, vinyl. The album includes versions of “Satisfaction” (originally recorded by The Rolling Stones), “Message in a Bottle” (originally recorded by The Police), “Need You Tonight” (originally recorded by INXS), and “You Give Love a Bad Name” (originally recorded by Bon Jovi).

A super fun twist is that she has created nail shades for each song on the album. "Need You Tonight" is a passionate red. "Fade to Black" is a deep carbon black. "Wicked Game" is a deep, moody gunmetal, and the 80s anthem "You Give Love a Bad Name" is a super 80s neon pink.

In contrast to the classic shades of lippmann collection, Vinyl shades are big and bold, modern and edgy, just like Lippmann's singing voice. And, like Vinyl, they're naturally super shiny. They're purse-sized (.2 fl oz) and only $8.50, so you can afford to get a shade for fingers and toes. Only at select Bath & Body Works and bathandbodyworks.com.

A great nail polish tip from Lippmann: before using, gently roll the nail polish bottle between your palms. Shaking it vigorously can cause bubbles and streaks in your finished manicure. Who knew?

Comments for a Cure

This week, I'm joining with my fellow beauty bloggers in the Beauty Blog Network to help raise funds and awareness about women's cancers. So please help me make a difference - for every comment you post below, we'll donate $1 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world's largest, boldest and most progressive grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists, the only organization fighting to cure breast cancer at every stage. Maybe you want to share your own story of how breast cancer has touched your life, or those of your loved ones. Or perhaps you just want to say hello - either way, your comment will help raise money.

My friend Courtney was diagnosed with breast cancer in October. She went through chemo to shrink her tumor, and just this month, she had a double mastectomy/reconstruction surgery. I'm so happy to say that not only did she handle the ordeal with courage and humor, but she is now healing well and feeling great. Her whole story is available at her amazing blog, The C(ourtney) Word. She blogged about how her cancer treatment required her to explore new makeup like eyebrow pencil (for eyebrow bald spots) and accessories (like the Scarfabulous) previously foreign to her. You can see how a little expert help in navigating this new world would be appreciated! Fortunately, she was able to attend an event where experts on makeup and hair were available to help cancer patients learn how to look their best. She wrote a post about it, and I can imagine how it brightened the faces and spirits of the ladies who were there.

One organization has helped over 500,000 cancer patients at events like these. Appropriately named, they are Look Good, Feel Better. LGFB is a free, national program that helps women offset appearance-related changes from cancer treatment.

A Look Good, Feel Better before-and-after

They hold 2-hour workshops where patients can learn how to use makeup and accessories to help counteract some of the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. The cosmetologists and volunteers understand the unique ways that cancer treatments can affect skin, hair and nails and are able to demonstrate useful techniques and offer compassionate advice, tailored to what each patients wants.
The program is offered offered through a collaboration between the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association Foundation (CTFA), the American Cancer Society (ACS), and the National Cosmetology Association (NCA). Brands ranging from Avon to Estee Lauder to L'Oreal to Revlon donate products. You can get involved by donating or volunteering.

Please remember - cancer is not a disease you only get when you're older. Courtney is 33 years old. My other friend Asha had breast cancer at age 24. Please be sure to do your monthly breast self-exams and see your OB/GYN at least yearly. It could save your life!

Thanks for reading and please remember to comment! I'll donate $1 per comment posted before midnight, Sunday, June 10, EST (donation cap $500). You can also support the cause by shopping at our store. LASTLY... get ready for the beauty goodie bag of all time. We have asked our related clients, PR and beauty companies to donate a beauty product(s) of their choice for our ‘goodie bag’, which will be auctioned off on Ebay, through Mission Fish, with the winning bid to be donated to The American Cancer Society. Auction to run June 10-16th; more information located here.

A Spray A Day

The beauty industry has been buzzing lately with products that are designed to be good for you. I recently wrote about some Good for You products. But none of these vitamin-infused cosmetics can replace the dose vitamins and minerals your body needs daily to look and feel its best. Yet we don't usually associate taking our vitamins with part of our beauty routine, do we? Maybe that's because the vitamin-taking process usually involves huge, nasty tasting pills and ugly, hide-in-the-cabinet packaging -- until now.

I discovered the brand Sprayology on a recent trip to New York's ultra-chic department store, Takashimaya. I was initially attracted by the beautiful packaging and stopped to learn more. I discovered that the line consists of oral sprays that promote beauty and wellness from within.

There are two benefits to oral sprays over pills. First, they're easier to take. I know several people who just can't take pills. Secondly, they're more effective. When vitamins and other nutrients are spreayed under the tongue, they bypass the digestive tract (which can reduce the restorative properties of tablets, liquids and capsues) and are absorbed directly into the bloodstream!

Sprayology has products to rejuvenate the body, relieve ailments, restore balance and rebuild the body. For general health, there is Daily Multi, B-12 + Folic Acid, and C + Z, with Vitamin C and Zinc.

For relief of occassional problems, there are several innovative formulas. PMSupport restores cyclical balance. SleepEase promises to relieve restlessness. DigestivEase relieves stomach distress, and it's helpful that it's a spray, considering that you rarely want to eat something when your stomach is upset! I keep a bottle of StressLess in my desk drawer at work!

But, naturally, of greatest interest to Beauty Chick are the products designed to enhance the appearance!

• Body Skin Tonic rejuvenates dry skin and stimulates the body's own natural systems to promote softer, smoother skin for long-term results.
  
• Hair + Nail Tonic combines homeopathic ingredients to promote more beautiful hair and nails while relieving such symptoms as dull slow growing hair, dry scalp and brittle nails.


• Acne Tonic combines homeopathic ingredients to relieve acne discomfort and the common symptoms of acne including face and body breakouts, redness, itching and inflammation.


• AgeWell Anti-Ox is sprayology's "Beauty Vitamin" that contains vital antioxidants and immune stimulating vitamins which help delay cellular aging, improve skin smoothness and elasticity, and prevent premature aging.

All Sprayology formulas are designed in FDA approved laboratories by expert medical doctors and homeopaths to create a balance between modern technology and holistic health. I've tried several of the products and can say that they are a quick, portable (and even tasty) way to my dose of vitamins. Products range from $20 to $48 and are usually about a month supply.

Want to try Sprayology? Beauty Hatchery is giving away a full-size bottle of Party Relief, which prevents and relieves alcohol-related discomfort. (Not that we condone such behavior! Beauty Chick recommends drinking in moderation.) If you're a party girl or know someone who could use it, just leave a comment below. In a week, I'll post the lucky winner and you can email me privately with your mailing address.

When I was in college, my mom's voicemails would always end with "Get some sleep and take your vitamins!" Now, at least half of that advice is easier to follow!