Here We Are...with Luci

Wave Goodbye To Dry Hands: Quick Tips To Soothe Your Skin This Winter

Are you wringing your hands because they are dry from hand washing this winter? Have you looked down and said to yourself, "Whose hands are these?" Surprised by the cracked cuticles and shriveled skin you see?

Hand to hand combat occurs when we repeatedly wash our hands in an effort to stay healthy because the resulting dry skin can make us vulnerable. Our skin's natural protective moisture barrier goes down the drain with the germs we wash away. That moisture is important because extremely dry, cracked skin allows an easy avenue for cold and flu germs to enter our bodies.

While hot water, soap, and alcohol based gel sanitizers are a helpful part of staying healthy throughout the winter season, they can be harsh on the skin. It's time to knuckle down with these beauty tips to restore dry hands to the smooth and supple beauties they deserve to be.

It may take a few weeks to see a difference, so start today and wave goodbye to dry hands:

1. Dry hands = Dry nails & cuticles: Remove nail polish since it draws attention to hands. Buff and shape your nails to a clean finish. Taking a break from polish means a break from chemical removers; even the non-acetone removers are tough on nails. They may look naked, but nails need time to breathe to be healthy and strong. You will see much better results when you get your next manicure if your nails and cuticles are no longer dried and cracked.

2. Exfoliate the sweet, inexpensive way: In a small bowl, mix 1 Tbsp. of olive oil with 2 Tbsp. of sugar into a paste. (I use Carapelli's Extra Virgin Olive Oil for this beauty recipe.) Over the sink -- Gently scrub your hands for about a minute with the paste (no water). Then rinse in warm water and continue scrubbing until all the sugar has dissolved. The oil will bead up. Use a paper towel to blot your hands, leaving a light layer of the oil -- no worries, in a few minutes the oil will be gone. You will feel an immediate improvement in the texture of your skin. Try this once a week to keep dry, flaky skin away. NOTE: Do not use salt.

3. Lip Smacking Good Cuticle Care: Hand cream and butters are helpful, but dry cuticles need extra help. I've seen the best results from Blistex Daily Conditioning Treatment for Lips. A little goes a long way to healing dry cuticles. Plus, you save money by buying a product that does double duty. 

4. Give the slip to bar soaps laden with chemicals: Avoid antibacterial soaps -- there is much concern over the harmful effects of triclosan. Try to select soaps that are made with quality base oils and essential oils. Currently, I am enjoying pleasant results from Burt's Bees Naturally Nourishing Milk & Shea Butter hand soap. It has definitely reduced the dryness factor from repeated hand-washing this winter.

5. The Cream Machine: Pick one you like, but check the ingredient list before you buy. Try to select creams that are made from natural ingredients without perfumes. Confused by Sodium Lauryl Sulfate on the label of soaps and creams? This informative article about SLS by Kayla Fioravanti, Certified Aromatherapist and owner of Essential Wholesale, will answer your questions.

The TRICK is to keep a bottle / jar / tube of cream at EVERY SINK in the house. Think about how many times you have washed your hands, dried them, only to discover hand cream wasn't handy. This is a missed opportunity to prevent dry skin. Use a 1-2-3 step process, wash - damp dry - moisturize. This works to build up moisture for your next washing. It seems simple and repetitive but your hands will thank you so apply, apply, apply!

6. Keep 'em covered indoors and out: Use plastic gloves when you clean or do dishes. Wear white cotton gloves at night after applying hand cream and cuticle care product to help seal in the product (if you don't have cotton gloves, use a pair of old white cotton socks). It looks kooky, but it works to speed up the healing process of dry skin. When outdoors, gloves or mittens are essential in protecting your skin from the elements.

The more steps you take to lessen the drying process, the better your results. Think about all your hands do for you each day; they deserve some extra care. Incorporate these quick tips into your routine to help soothe your skin this winter so they are ready for spring!

What Are You Wearing?

Recently, I had the honor to write for the popular blog, Bionic Beauty. The recurring Friday column, "Powerful Beauty," challenged me to explore what powerful beauty really means to me. By the comments that are being posted, it seems others agree.

I feel strongly about the message and I want to share the article with you.

Please take a look at Powerful Beauty with Luci Weston and join in on the conversation there or on Here We Are.

Next time you think about what to wear, perhaps you won't consider clothing! ~ Luci :)

JaLa Designs: A Mother's Day Win-Win Contest And An Inspiration

Looking for that special "not like any other" Mother's Day gift? Enter JaLa Designs' "Not Like Any Other Mother" Mother's Day Contest and you just might win eye-catching jewelry that will make your Mom smile (up to $165- value)!

At Here We Are, we are always trend spotting for our readers. The owner of JaLa Designs, Rachel Franco, is on to something fabulously different with her beautiful, unique designs. You will NOT find jewelry like this hanging around any old department store counter...each piece is handcrafted and can be specially designed for its wearer.

Months ago, I discovered JaLa Designs by stumbling upon Rachel on Twitter. After visiting her website, I was hooked by the stunning jewelry and her inspirational tagline, "Be Yourself And The Rest Will Follow." Simple, unique, yet inspiring one to be an individual - much like her designs! Love it!

To find out more about JaLa Designs and the contest, I asked Rachel a few questions:

Luci: You could have chosen any holiday to have a contest, why Mother's Day?

Rachel: JaLa Designs is a unique, handcrafted jewelry collection whose "secret ingredient" is its use of beautiful designer silk and tapestry fabrics. Combine these fabrics with antique settings and semi-precious stones and you've got necklaces and earrings that are, as JaLa's customers say, "creative," "beautiful," "works of art," and "different - I've never seen fabric used in a piece of jewelry before." Or, as we like to call them, fashionable reminders to be yourself.

There is no greater or more important person in each of our lives that reminds us to be ourselves more than our Mom. A JaLa piece is the perfect - and unique - gift to celebrate our Mom for exactly who she is.

Luci: Tell me more about JaLa's tagline.

Rachel: JaLa's tagline, "Be yourself and the rest will follow," really is at the heart of what JaLa's all about. It is my sincere hope that every time a woman or girl wears her JaLa Designs piece, she remembers that all she has to do to succeed is to be herself and the rest will follow.

Luci: JaLa is such an unusual name. How did you come up with it?

Rachel: The name, JaLa, was inspired by a very close family friend of mine who passed away suddenly and unexpectedly last year. She was one of my favorite people in the world, and naming the company, JaLa, after her is my small way of honoring her memory.

Luci: Wow, how lucky you are to have had a friend who inspired you that much. Here's to remembering our female friends every day! Thank you for sharing your JaLa mission, and obviously, your passion with us. I hope the Here We Are readers are inspired when they read this, I know I am.

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HOW TO ENTER the "Not Like Any Other Mother" Contest:

To be included for the chance to win and to receive your gift certificate, all you have to do is write about your Mother. It doesn't need to be a novel and no one is checking grammar - write from your heart! Read more about the contest here at the Ja-Notes blog. Why is your Mom different and how did she inspire you to be yourself? Hmmm, not sure she did? Then write what makes you a great Mom for your kids!

Be sure to click through on Step 1 or just click here and start writing about your Mom in the comments section. It's EASY and you might even want to copy/paste your comment to email to your mom or rewrite it in a Mother's Day card. 

How's this for the mother of all Win-Win contests? Besides a chance to win, it's free to enter AND you will get a $20- gift certificate just for celebrating your Mom!!

But hurry! The deadline to enter is May 3 at 12:00 noon EST. Good luck!!

Remember to be yourself and the rest will follow!

Closet Cleaning...Clearing The Way For a Wearable Wardrobe

Nothing to wear? If this how you feel when you look into your closet, then this is the perfect time to hang on to what you will wear and strip away what you won't. It is now the end of January, allow for an hour or two to reacquaint yourself with your wardrobe or lack of one. Winter will be over soon and spring will be at your door. Might as well look good when it arrives.

PREP STEPS:

-- Make this easier on yourself by getting out an empty shopping bag (or two) to hold the clothes you decide to donate. If you can spare it, then share it with someone less fortunate. The Lupus Foundation offers a scheduled pickup service for donated goods right at your front door. It is easy to schedule by phone or online.

-- Set a timer. Unless you have Mariah Carey's closet to clean, two hours should do it. Work without a break and keep moving.

-- Have a large mirror in the room where you will be trying on the clothes.

-- This is an exercise in discovery NOT organization. Don't worry about color coordinating your racks, just focus on whether or not the item is a keeper. These five questions will help you clear the way for a wearable wardrobe without spending a cent.

Try this exercise on for size:

1. Does it fit? Take a good honest look from all sides, bend over, sit down. If it shows anything you wouldn't want a stranger to see, into the bag it goes. NOTE: Sucking in your belly while wearing pantyhose to make the garment hang smoothly means it does not fit, sorry. If you can't get it over your head or up around your waist, stop, take it off and put it into the donation bag. Don't torture yourself, let it go. This item has become clutter in your closet. Be brave and make room for beautiful, new things to find you.

2. If it fits, is it flattering? You may think so, but go deeper here...Is it the image you want to project? What is it saying? Professional, housewife, or your 1983 senior trip outfit? Make sure it reflects who you are today.

3. If it passed the first two steps...Do you like it? Love it? Does it make you feel vibrant? If not, you probably won't wear it much, if at all. This is especially true if you had a bad emotional experience while wearing it. Time to let someone else enjoy it.

4. Where can I wear it? To work, meetings, shopping, dinner, doing errands? Is it useful to your lifestyle? If you have piles of sweaters but are moving to Florida, keep the best fitting  two or three. Same test for shoes and boots. If you are over high heels, keep one multi-purpose black pair of pumps (just in case) and say, "hello comfy flats."

5. Do you have the full accessory ensemble to complement it? If not, do you really want to spend the $ and time trying to find the perfect pair of shoes to match a pea green dress you bought on sale seasons ago, but have yet to wear? It may be cheaper to let it go.

Times up! By now, you should have a few full donation bags...good for you, good for someone else.

Try not to buy anything for at least a month. Wear what you have decided to keep. Make a list of things you would like to infuse back into your wardrobe, but try to wait on purchasing anything for a month. You might find you don't need as much after all!

Eyeliner…Naked Eyelids Line Up for Two Lines of Fabulous

What do Angelina Jolie, Kimora Lee Simmons, and Diane Sawyer all have in common at a holiday party? Eyeliner! Yep…look at any picture of them attending a party and you will see with your own two eyes that theirs are lined to perfection. Granted, a makeup artist has done the handiwork, but you can do it yourself and get the same look. It’s the easiest way to glam up for a party, and unlike lipstick, you don’t have to reapply it to keep the effect going all night long!

Some of you are with me on this topic and have seen the benefit close-up. I hope these suggestions help perfect your technique. But if you are an eyeliner skeptic, I urge you to take a look at these tips and give it a try. Trust me, I am not suggesting you go out looking like Amy Winehouse. Who knows? You might find it is a real eye-opener! Wink! Wink! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)

Here are a few pointers on adding eyeliner to your makeup bag & on your eyelids:

• Everyone’s eyes look better with a little liner. Mascara can’t do the job of defining the eyes alone. Think of these two as a pair that are okay by themselves, but work best as a team…like your eyes. BONUS: Your eyes are what people notice in person and in pictures, eyeliner is an easy way emphasize them.

• Now is the time of year to try it. If you are afraid of looking too made up, a holiday or New Year’s Eve party is a terrific opportunity to try something new. You still have some time to practice; like anything else, don’t try it before a big event without a test run. TIP: Practice on your eyes [not the back of your hand] every night before you wash your face. Apply a different technique on each eye so you can compare what you like better. Is it a thin line? Thicker? Doe-eye corners? Top and bottom lids? Or just the top? It won’t matter if you overdo it, because you are going to wash it right off anyway.

• Black eyeliner never goes out of style with the correct application. BUT if it reminds you of your Aunt Margie’s 1973 prom picture, then try a brown, but always use black mascara. Also, unless you are thirteen, no blue, green, or purple liners allowed; these went out with Aunt Margie’s Maybelline powdered eye shadow in aqua frost.

• When shopping, you will find two types to choose: a pencil/crayon type or a liquid liner. If you have a steady hand and will the take time to practice, go ahead and try a liquid. The only success I have had with a liquid I owe to a makeup artist, so I prefer a pencil type. TIP: Avoid “waterproof” eyeliners (and mascara); they are difficult to remove during an application mistake and at the end of the day.

• Having tried most brands (from high-end to drugstore chain), I like the Almay Eyeliner best overall…long lasting, great price point, easy to use, easy to carry, and it even has a hidden sharpener.

• TIP: After lining, use a small brush to even and smooth it out. You can also use the brush to apply loose translucent powder over the liner…yes, over the liner. This sets it and adds staying power for extra long coverage; great if it is hot outside. After powdering, take the small brush and lightly run it over the liner again to remove any loose powder.

• You will need an eye-makeup remover to gently remove any brand or type of liner. I recommend the Almay non-oily pre-moistened makeup remover pads. BONUS: No spill, so they travel easily; no cotton to get stuck on your eyelashes; plus, they are helpful if you make a mistake when applying.

Naked eyelids everywhere deserve some liner-love…start practicing, improving, and experimenting tonight. Do you have a makeup tip to share? Tell us so we can apply it this Holiday season. Have fun and be fabulous!