Tag: summer

Stay Hydrated with Delicious and Healthy Infused Water

Special Guest Blogger Paula Hunter shares her simple and refreshing drink recipes

Summer is in full swing, with temperatures soaring (and staying!). In such sweltering heat, it is paramount to stay hydrated and refreshed. Of course, the best way to do this is to drink plenty of water. But we all know water can get boring. Try some of these tantalizing recipes to help you stay cool, liven up your water, and help your body stay hydrated.

These recipes work well stored in mason jars or pitchers and will keep up to 3 days in the refrigerator.


Citrus Water

1 orange
1 lime
1 lemon

Slice the fruit into rounds, and then cut in half. Add to the bottom of the pitcher or jar, and muddle slightly with a muddler or wooden spoon. Press gently to release the juices, but keep the fruit intact. Fill with ice and cover with water. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate.


Raspberry Lime Water

2 limes, quartered
6 oz raspberries

Squeeze the juice from the limes into the bottom of the jar or pitcher, and then add the limes and raspberries to the juice. Muddle gently with a muddler or wooden spoon. Fill with ice and cover with water. Stir, cover and refrigerate.


Pineapple Mint Water

Spring or two of mint leaves
1-2 cups chopped fresh pineapple

Place the mint in the bottom of the jar or pitcher; you can either add the whole sprig or tear off just the leaves. Depending on how strong you want the mint flavor to be, you may add more or less to suit your tastes. Gently muddle the leaves with a muddler or wooden spoon to bruise the leaves and release their flavor. Top with the fresh pineapple and gently muddle again. Add ice and water, stir, cover and refrigerate.


Blackberry Sage Water

1-2 sage leaves
6 oz blackberries

Place the sage leaves at the bottom of the jar or pitcher, and muddle to release the flavor. Add the blackberries and muddle again, being careful not to pulverize the fruit. Add ice and water, stir, cover and refrigerate.


Watermelon Rosemary Water

Sprig of rosemary
1-2 cups cubed watermelon

Place the sprig of rosemary in the bottom of the jar or pitcher, and muddle gently. Add the watermelon, and muddle again. Both the watermelon and rosemary will release their flavors without much muddling. Add ice and water, stir, cover, and refrigerate.

When ready to drink, simply pout the waters through a small strainer of strain through cheesecloth. Add green, white or black tea bags to the water for even more flavor and anti-oxidants.
Other fruits and herbs that work well:

Kiwi
Any citrus
Berries
Thyme
Basil

You can also make fruit and herb infused ice cubes. Lemon, blueberry, and mint make great addition to any drink without overpowering their tastes. Simply place lemon slices or blueberries into ice cube trays, and then top with water and freeze. To use mint, place a mint leaf in each compartment, then top with hot water to infuse. Once the water cools, remove the mint leaves (they turn dark,) add new leaves, and freeze.

Be Cool…No Need for a Meltdown

Wicked Witch

“I’m melting!” screeched the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz. No one wants to feel like that when they’re out in the sun wearing make-up. Try these tips to keep your face looking cool and fresh.

1. Start with a clean face. Make sure your skin is just washed and free of any oily residue from cleansers or moisturizers. The more pure the canvas, the more pure the finished work of art (you!).

2. Less is more. Skip the heavy foundation. Not only is the natural look preferred while you’re having fun outside, it also helps to prevent makeup from melting. Apply a light layer of our Pressed Powder Mineral Foundation on your complexion before applying the rest of your makeup. This acts as a barrier on your skin against the heat, making it harder for your makeup to melt off right away. I prefer to use our Kabuki Brush to apply the powder, as it yields a more even, flawless result.

3. Blot, blot away! Instead of attacking forehead sheen with a ton of powder, makeup artists first take away excess oil with blotting papers. And blot, don’t wipe. Wiping only smears your make up. I always have napkins or tissues on hand to blot away “the shinys”. If your skin is still a little shiny after blotting, follow up with a light dusting of pressed powder. This keeps skin from looking cakey.

4. Stay hydrated. A quick spritz of our Hydrosol Face & Body Mist goes a long way to refreshing and resetting your make-up, and it feels and smells great. Plus it’s 100% natural.

5. Stick it to the lips. Personally if I know I’m going to be outside for any length of time, I use our JobaColors Lip Liner all over my lips and follow up with a light coating of our Orange Mimosa Lip Balm. The lip liner seems to last longer on my lips, and the lip balm gives my lips a dewy appearance. If you prefer a lipstick, apply a light coating of foundation powder on your lips before applying your lipstick. The powder helps the lipstick adhere to your lips longer.

6. Keep it light. Color that is. Have you ever been embarrassed by your dark eye shadow melting, forming dark creases on your eyelids? With neutral eye shadows like the shades in our Cosmopolitan palette, this issue is easier to conceal. Lighter shades are still prone to melting but hiding it and fixing the problem will be more convenient for you.

7. No floating heads. Don’t neglect the rest of your body. That means making sure that arms, legs, and décolletage are smooth and glowing too. Avoid the “floating face effect” which is when your face is an entirely different color than the rest of you. Ensure that doesn’t happen by using less make up, and brushing a little bit of our Mineral Bronzer on your shoulders and chest.

Summer – Sexy & Smoothies

Smoothie
Smoothie

Summer means shorts, bikinis and generally showing more skin. I’m overly conscious about my weight all year, but it’s less practical to cover up with an oversized sweatshirt in the summer. So this time of year I really try to watch what I eat and improve my diet (ironically as I write this, an employee comes in and puts a chocolate cupcake on my desk….*sigh*). Smoothies are a great way to get more fruits and vegetables into your diet. Protein smoothies derived from natural sources are an excellent component of wholesome eating.

Fruit and veggie smoothies are easy. You can pretty much throw any appealing combination of them into a blender with some ice and you have an instant tasty treat. Fruits are a natural source of energy. They also provide vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. The antioxidants in fresh fruits help combat pollutants and harmful substances in the body. Adding fruits to your drinks and smoothies is a great way to boost your energy levels and help your body get rid of toxins. Fruits are also rich in many vitamins such as C, E, A and B-complex.

I personally find that protein smoothies sustain me longer and can make a healthy meal substitute. Protein sources can be any kind of nut butter (all natural – no added hydrogenated oils or sugar), whey protein, tofu, tahini (especially for folks on a raw diet) and yogurt.

And try adding wheat germ or ground flax seed to your smoothies. They contain essential fatty acids that are good for the heart. They also provide dietary fiber to help the body flush out toxins and prevent colon cancer and digestive problems. Vitamin E in wheat germ and flax seed nourishes and rejuvenates the skin. Healthy omega-3 fatty acids in these foods help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

If you feel the need to splurge, you can make a dessert smoothie without sabotaging your diet. A base of either ice cream or sherbet can make a smoothie go from delicious to decadent.

Melissa’s Favorite Smoothie – I usually make this for breakfast and it keeps me feeling full all morning
1 ripe banana
1 T. natural peanut butter
1 c. milk
1 scoop protein powder (optional)
4 ice cubes

Shove it all in a blender and blend until smooth. If you need a chocolate fix, add a squirt of Hershey’s syrup before blending.
The Wrinkle Fighter – This berry-based beautifier will get a thumbs-up from your dermatologist for its skin-smoothing combo: anti-aging vitamin E from wheat germ, sun-damage- fighting omega-3 fatty acids from flax seed, and vitamin C from berries. Vitamin C is essential for making collagen, tissue that literally holds your skin together and reduces the appearance of fine lines. Plus, the oleic acid (a type of monounsaturated fat) in avocado has been linked to reducing wrinkles. (courtesy of Women’s Health)

1 c blueberries
1 c pitted cherries
1/2 c strawberries, hulled
1/4 avocado, peeled and pitted
2 Tbsp wheat germ
2 Tbsp ground flax seed
1/2 c plain low-fat yogurt
1 c ice

Makes 3 servings. Per serving: 153 cal, 5.6 g fat(1 g sat), 23 g carbs, 35 mg sodium, 5 g fiber, 6 g protein

The Immunity Builder – Loaded with boosters like beta-carotene and vitamin C from mango, cantaloupe, and pineapple, this smoothie primes your infection-fighting army for action. Vitamin C increases the production of white blood cells and antibodies. Finally, the duo of almonds and almond milk delivers plenty of defense-fortifying zinc. (courtesy of Women’s Health)

1 c peeled, pitted, cubed mango
1 c chopped cantaloupe
1/2 c cubed pineapple, fresh or canned
1/3 c ground almonds
1/2 c unsweetened almond milk
1 c ice

Garnish with sliced almonds after blending.

Makes 3 servings. Per serving: 150 cal, 6.8 g fat (0.5 g sat), 22 g carbs, 41 mg sodium, 4 g fiber, 4 g protein

Detox Smoothie – This recipe is definite to cleanse your liver and flush out the toxins in the bowel and bladder, leaving you feeling rejuvenated.

1 cup papaya (not too ripe) cubed
1 cup watermelon, deseed and cubed
1/2 cup beetroot juice
1 tablespoon of spirulina

Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth.

Adult Indulgence Smoothie – Banana Colada (sometimes you just want a fun smoothie)

2 ripe bananas, mashed
4 fluid ounces cream of coconut
6 fluid ounces rum
4 fluid ounces banana liqueur
3 cups crushed ice

In a blender, combine bananas, cream of coconut, rum, banana liqueur and ice. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.