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A Clean and Clear Face in 2007: Clarifying Masks

BellaSugar — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 06:23:53 PST

Clarifying masks are a great way to deep clean clogged pores and awaken tired winter skin. They help get rid of dead cells on the surface of your skin as well as dry up blemishes that are beginning to form. Start off 2007 with a clean and clear face!

Gently apply these masks in a thin layer, avoiding your delicate eye area. Allow seven to twenty minutes drying time (whenever it feels crackly) and then rinse off with warm water in small circles to help exfoliate your skin. Here are my three top picks for clarifying masks sensitive enough for all skin types.

Lierac Soin Éclat Express Clarifying Mask, $35, is a mud-like, menthol facial mask derived from weathered volcanic ash that attracts and then absorbs toxins, free radicals and pollutants on your skin.

It also contains polyethylene microbeads which exfoliate dull skin as well as bearberry which acts as an astringent and antiseptic to deep clean your pores.

Lastly, the peppermint extract in the formula helps to soothe facial muscles. Use this mask two to three times a week and sit back, relax, and take deep minty breaths while it works its magic.

YonKa Masque 105, $32.95, is one of my longtime favorite clay masks since it is especially formulated to calm red, sensitive, easily irritated skin.

This sage green colored concoction helps to detoxify, tighten up your swollen pores and can even be used as a spot treatment for blemishes.

It also smells delicious since it's made from: lemon, savory and five quintessential essential oils. I find this mask to be relaxing and invigorating. After 15 minutes of this, you'll look and feel like you've taken a refreshing cat nap.

For one last clarifying mask,

read more Murad Clarifying Mask, $35, is intended to treat problem skin. This all natural, clay-based formula deep cleans, removes toxins from your face and helps to calm irritations/acne breakouts. It has also been known to help heal traumatized skin as well as prevent free radical damage. It has a lovely and light lavender smell.

5 Strange Ways Chocolate Keeps You Healthy

Prevention — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:02:26 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

This sweet treat may also boost brainpower, help you relax, and more!
By Mara Betsch, Prevention

Show your heart some love this Valentine’s Day by nibbling a few chocolates - and making them a regular treat throughout the year. A recent study found that those consuming the highest levels of chocolate had a 37 percent reduction in cardiovascular disease and a 29 percent reduction in stroke compared to those with lower chocolate intakes.

Though experts are quick to clarify that we should stick to moderate consumption of high-calorie chocolates, it’s hard to deny the cold, hard facts that chocolate can be a healthy addition to our diets.

Seven Surprising Ways to Sharpen Your Mind

Hundreds of studies have shown that dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants that promote heart health and may prevent many cardiovascular-related conditions, but we’ve dug up five more surprising health benefits. Read on for five new ways to justify your chocolate craving.

1. Chocolate May Help You With Math
Flavonols, compounds in chocolate with antioxidantlike properties, are thought to improve circulation, including blood flow to the brain. A 2009 study asked participants to count backward in groups of three from a number between 800 and 999. After drinking hot cocoa filled with flavonols, the participants were able to do calculations more quickly and accurately and were less likely to feel tired or mentally drained.

Learn a four more things chocolate can do for you after the break.

Mary-Kate and Ashley's Elizabeth and James Line Not Actually Named For Their Siblings

Allie Merriam — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:22:51 PST

Mary-Kate Olsen clarifies the meaning behind Elizabeth and James - People
Kourtney Kardashian rocks a bikini while pregnant! Check her out - Us Weekly
Blake Lively's girl drama cost her a job - Lainey Gossip
There's a massive X Factor shake up, find out who's in and who's out - HuffPost Entertainment
Ben the Bachelor went skinny-dipping! - TooFab
Is Madonna the only woman who can tackle the royal family? - The Daily Beast
Time to check out Ryan Gosling in Drive on DVD! - Rotten Tomatoes
Beyoncé to be memorialized with a monument in her hometown - Wonderwall
Why are the Kardashians posing topless? - Lifeline Live
Hugh Bonneville, aka Lord Grantham, talks about Downton's third season - Zap2It
What happened when Nicolas Cage met . . . himself? - BuzzFeed
Keira Knightley vamps it up for GQ UK - Celebitchy

4 Lazy Moves That Boost Your Health

Prevention — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:05:16 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

You don’t have to go on a deprivation diet or spend hours exercising to ward off disease and be your healthiest self! Instead, try these supersimple tips
By the editors of Prevention

Staying healthy can feel like so much, well, work (think: logging hours at the gym and whipping up nutritious meals from scratch). However, there are plenty of small moves that you can make in your everyday life that will have big health benefits. We’ve rounded up 15 practically zero-effort ways to fight disease, whittle your waist, lower stress, and more. Bonus: many of these good-for-you moves feel good, too. So say sayonara to the old adage “no pain, no gain” and try these tips today.

Lazy Move No. 1: Protect Your Ticker by Snoozing
Need a good excuse to grab your comfiest set of pajamas and hit the sack? Skimping on shut-eye may do more than make you cranky or unproductive - it also boosts your risk of a heart attack. According to one Norwegian study, people who reported that they did not wake up feeling refreshed in the morning had a 27 percent higher risk of a heart attack, those who had trouble staying asleep almost every night in the last month had a 30 percent higher risk, and those who had trouble falling asleep almost every night in the last month had odds that jumped to 45 percent.

Twenty Ways to Sleep Better Every Night

Some researchers speculate that insomnia might trigger your body to release more of the stress hormone cortisol. High levels of cortisol have been linked with high blood pressure and diabetes, which are both risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Plus when you’re exhausted, you may be more likely to make unhealthy choices that up your heart disease risk, such as skipping your workout or reaching for fatty or sugary snacks for a quick energy fix.

Keep reading for three more lazy ways to improve your health.

"My Ex Gave His First Born a Name I Picked Out"

Tres Community — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:05:00 PST

This question is from a Group Therapy post in our TrèsSugar Community. Add your advice in the comments!

My ex and I dated for two years, during which we had two miscarriages. Since I'm a typical woman, I did have a few names in mind that I really liked, which I shared with him, as we had already come close to having a baby. I want to emphasize that I was the one that picked out the baby names, he simply agreed to them.

We broke up March of 2011, and it was really hard on me. In April and May, I continued to casually see him in hopes that we would get back together, but since it never happened, I decided to instead take a summer-long vacation across the country to give myself some space. Throughout June, he was calling me like crazy wanting to get back together. It seemed like whenever one of us wanted to get back together, the other one didn't. We ended up staying out of touch in July and August for this reason.

In September, he came back into the picture and we casually started seeing each other again. We saw each other maybe once or twice a week, nothing extreme. Once December rolled around, he started to contact me with a lot more frequency. He passed by my job frequently, posted Facebook statuses about missing me, invited me to outings with his family, cooked me dinner, sent me e-mails several times a day and wanted to talk on the phone a lot. I honestly was very confused.

This past Friday, through Facebook, I find out that he had a baby. I was very hurt, especially considering that he got this girl pregnant approximately a month after we originally broke up. I feel used and stupid because he deceived me and hid this from me for the past nine months, during which he tried to get back together several times and we still remained intimate.

I'm entirely confused as to why he would give his new daughter a name (both first and middle) that I had picked out for our future kids. Isn't this an insult to both me and his baby's mother? Why would he do that? I wouldn't have been bothered with it if we hadn't had any pregnancies in our relationship, but we did. And we referred to the two separate pregnancies by the unique names that I had chosen. I'm not upset, I'm simply in shock. I feel like this is a huge no-no, and I can't help but think that he's always going to think of me when he hears his daughter's name. Please help clarify this situation for me.

Have a dilemma of your own? Post it anonymously to Group Therapy for advice, and check out what else is happening in the TrèsSugar Community.

What the Rise in IRS Audits Means For You

LearnVest — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 04:30:24 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

It’s the word that strikes fear into people everywhere: audit.

And audits are up . . . well, at least for some prominent groups of people.

In 2011, one in eight of the country’s millionaires were audited, a rate not seen since 2004. Similarly, audits were up for those making $200,000 a year or more - one in 25 of whom were audited in 2011. According to CNN Money, it was the third year in a row the IRS increased its efforts to uncover tax fraud.

As you might guess, the chances that the IRS will audit someone making less than $200,000 is a lot lower.

Audits Get a Bad Rap

Before we go any further, we should clarify for those less familiar with the workings of the tax system that a tax audit isn’t a condemnation. It just means that the IRS conducts an official investigation into the finances of a business or individual in order to detect any foul play or accidental oversights in their taxes.

Audits are dreaded by honest folk (not to mention those deliberately operating outside the law) because of the hassle involved in dredging up past paperwork and because of the fear that the IRS will uncover a mistake that necessitates immediate payment to the government.

Why Now?

What with the perspective induced by the realization that Americans make up an entire half of the global one percent, "millionaire" holds even more weight. But it's nothing compared to "offshore accounts," which set our imaginations aflame.

We mention it because the IRS is taking particular in interest in offshore accounts, which are disproportionately held by wealthy people looking for tax shelters. This new focus might contribute to the increase in millionaires being investigated. In fact, the IRS is being rather generous in that it's offering reduced penalties and no jail time to taxpayers who confess to having offshore accounts. (The offer stands for a limited time only.)

But if one in eight millionaires were audited last year, should nonmillionaires start gathering their files? Perhaps not: in 2011, only one in 98 taxpayers earning less than $200,000 per year was audited.

More From LearnVest

Less is . . . less. Lackluster spending at the end of 2011 indicates a similar pattern for 2012.
We have a simple tool to change your spending habits. Get it for free.
Moms mother for 1,150 hours per year. Find out how to get some free time.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt Have a Meeting With the President

Allie Merriam — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:14:32 PST

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt paid a visit to the White House this afternoon. The politically active couple said hello to President Obama while in the capital for a screening of In the Land of Blood and Honey. Brad, Angelina, and the president apparently spoke about the actors' humanitarian work, especially her activism on behalf of women around the world.

Brad and Angelina went to DC yesterday for a Holocaust Museum screening of her directorial debut. While there, Angelina assessed Obama's performance. She said, "I think there are many, many things I think have gone in a wonderful direction and there are a few things I am disappointed in, but I don't feel like tonight is the night to clarify. But there are many wonderful things that have moved forward, and of course, some other things that are very frustrating."

Shonda Rhimes Talks About Bringing Scandal to TV With Kerry Washington

Shannon Vestal — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:41:14 PST

If you're a fan of Grey's Anatomy, you might be interested in creator Shonda Rhimes's new midseason show Scandal. Though there are no medical mysteries to be solved on the show, there are plenty of juicy PR nightmares. The drama follows the work of a political "fixer" played by Kerry Washington, who leads a team that includes Lost alum Henry Ian Cusick. The stars of the show and Rhimes visited the Winter TCA to talk about the inspiration for the series and whether it bears any similarities to Rhimes's other shows.

Shonda Rhimes talked about the show's inception, which involved executive producer Betsy Beers telling her to meet Judy Smith, a real-life fixer (she represented Monica Lewinsky during the Clinton scandal). Rhimes said she could envision a show around a character like her, and Scandal was born. Smith is now also an executive producer on the show.
Washington addressed the fact that Olivia is a character you both love and hate, saying, "I really love playing a complicated woman," but she says that she's "always looking for the good in the character." Washington defended Olivia's imperfections by saying that "the reality is that we are all flawed. There's not a single perfect human being alive."
Rhimes, who created Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice, addressed the fact that this show is not medical-themed, but added, "I love my shows that have stethoscopes in them. This is just a different story." But unlike those shows, Rhimes clarified that this is not a show about relationships. "It's not romance-y . . . there's no Mer-Der."

Ask Savvy: Like Job, But Dislike Work Environment

Savvy Community — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:40:54 PST

This reader posted in our Ask Savvy group - she wants to know how to deal with an unpleasant manager.

I've been in the workforce (financial services industry) for about three years now but have only been in my current job for a few months. I like my role as it is challenging, interesting, and diverse. I get along with my supervisor and my colleague (there are three of us in the small team). Our team sits within the finance department, which is headed by one manager.

Compared to my old workplace, the environment here is very different. This finance department is more cutthroat and has less of a social/friendly culture. The manager has introduced time sheets in order to monitor how long we are taking to complete tasks. This doesn't sit well with the team, and we feel as if she is micromanaging us.

There are also many occasions where she would pinpoint and blame someone when an issue arises, before she is even clear about the entire story. There have been a few situations that show us that she really doesn't know the business inside out and doesn't fully understand the team's roles/responsibilities/functions. At the same time, she appears tough and intimidating. She likes to demand and never admits to her own mistakes. She points the finger before clarifying the situation. We don't respect her. We fear her.

Read on to find out more.

Angelina, Pax, and Maddox Give a Sweet Smile and Wave as They Depart Vietnam

Molly Goodson — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:29:50 PST

Angelina Jolie flashed a bright smile and waved as she took her sons, Maddox and Pax, through security at the airport in Vietnam today. She took special care to check on Pax before they headed out to their awaiting plane and took off. The Jolie-Pitt family arrived in Vietnam last Friday, which marked Pax's first visit back to his native country. Brad Pitt had to head to Seoul earlier in the week to premiere Moneyball, but Angelina stuck around to share a few more days in the country with the kids. While in South Korea, Brad made headlines by hinting at his impending retirement from acting, though he later clarified that he's just looking to spend more time behind the scenes producing. His partner in parenting has her own career moves in the works, since Angelina signed on with a new talent rep who will reportedly seek out smaller indie roles for the actress.