Five tips: fragrance

Beauty Editors have a lot os useful tips, that´s why I love Confessions Of A Beauty Editor, a book written by Linda Well, the founding Editor-in-chief of Allure magazine. 

The book has many tricks, and most of them aren´t expensive. Today, I would like to share Linda´s 5 tips for fragrance so you can find the balance between wearing nothing and leaving your co-workers gasping for air:

1. It´s easy to reach sensory overload in the perfume aisle at a department store. Consider rounding up a batch of scent strips (or better yet, samples) and trying them at home before you buy. When sniffing, clear your head by sticking your nose in your sleeve or in a bag of coffee between strips (many stores now offer the beans)
2. Once you´ve identified a contender, dab just a bit on one or two places, like a wrist and the inside of the opposite elbow. It takes about ten minutes for the scent to mix with your skin chemistry, but also wait to see how it mellows or changes through the day. It´s OK if it smells different at sundown - as long as you like the results.
3. To keep fragrance from simply wafting away, the pros recommend layering it on -for example, use the body wash in the shower paired with a few dabs of eau de parfum (a concentrated formula), or rub the body lotion followed by the eau de toilette (a lighter spray). Just note that two layers is plenty; three is overkill. In general, anyone within arm´s reach should be able to catch a subtle hint of your scent.
4. If you´ve spirited yourself one (or ten) times too many, you don´t have to jump in the shower. Alcohol or witch hazel dabbed on the wrist or any other bombed-out body part will remove even oil-based formulas.
5. To keep from overdosing, switch fragrances from time to time -your nose can become desensitized to your signature scent, and when you suddenly have to put on twice as much to be able to smell it yourself, you risk overpowering others.

Detox

I most confess that until recently, I thought detox was just a snob word pretentious people used (the kind of thing  Gwyneth Paltrow loves) One of those health trends like putting linseed into everything and pretend it cures cancer, burns fat, DEPOSITS millions in your bank account, and also makes your bed. Maybe I though that because of all those bullshit miracle diets, where you loose a lot of weight but you gain it back in less than three days. 

However, life is wiser than I am, and once again it proved me, that when you trash something, it manifests in your life. In a moment where I had just finished an emotional detox, one of my best friends invited me to lunch. He didn´t eat a thing though, because he was doing a cleanse. And after hearing his testimony, I decided to do the same. 

After a quick investigation in Google, I learnt that there are at least four trustworthy companies that offer cold pressed juice cleanses in Mexico City. Among all of them, I chose Vivant. 

A couple of days later, two cardboard boxes arrived to my APARTMENT. Each of them contained six juices (each one with a number from 1 to 6), a power shot (mini juice) and a plastic bag with chia seeds. They also send a thermal lunchbox. 

The next day, I started my three day cleanse. Vivant also offers a one-day and a six-day plan, but they recommend the three-day plan for those that have never tried the cleanse before. And as that was my case, I listened to their advice.  

I started day one with a glass of warm water with lemon juice, then I drank the shot and the green juice (it has spinach, cucumber and -hipsters favorite ingredient- kale. ¡It was really delicious! 

Then my friends called me to invite me to have lunch at El Parnita, one of my favorite restaurants in town, so I decided not to go, and instead walk around. 

I was outside a castle (Castillo de Chapultepec) when it was time to drink the second juice. This one was a mixture of pineapple, apple and mint (it tasted like a Piña Colada). And I drank the third one while walking to Polanco (one of my favorite neighborhoods)

Then I decided to visit Soumaya´s Museum, and there I drank the third juice. After a couple of hours, it was time to have the forth juice, so I tried it before going to Pedro Reyes´s play at Jumex Museum. 

After the play, I drank another juice, and walk home where I taste the last juice of the day, one with cashew and cinnamon (it had too much cinnamon for my taste)

The next two days, I repeated the routine, but now at my office. The second day I appreciated more the consistency on the chia seeds in my Alka Lima juice (lemon and cayenne pepper). And the third day, I was completely in love not only with the green juice, but also with the Agua-Cate, a mixture of lemon, pineapple and avocado, that thanks to its thickness reminded me of a milkshake. However, the last day I BROKE up with the Poder Violeta Juice;  I wasn't fond of its mixture of beet, carrot and lemon anymore.

The three-day cleanse was a great experience. I didn´t suffer;  no head ache, no weakness and definitely no starving. The 72 hours period is enough to feel the positive changes, but not enough to cause anxiety. It was a great way to give my body a  break, and a way to understand that I control my cravings and no the other way around.   

A cleanse is not a miracle diet, it is a healthy opportunity to acquire better eating habits, and I look forward to do it again. So if you are indecisive between doing it or not, I really encourage you to do it (responsibly) 

Pai Pai

Pai Pai is a makeup brand that  highlights the art and folklore of Mexico. What distinguishes this firm is its gorgeous design; each collection will be decorated by a Mexican artist. 

¿Another thing that makes it stand out? Its tones, which are different from those existing in the market. Each season they create a new color palette with names  inspired in  Mexican culture.

The Fall / Winter 2013 collection, decorated by Alejandro Lopez, featured shades like Horchata Strawberry, Dulce de Mamey, Cotton Candy and my favorite, Luz de Bengala (bengal light). The Spring / Summer 2014 consists of colors such as Bougainvillea, Cocada Rosa , Marigold, Currant and Orchid.

The brand´s name is a tribute to the Paipai tribu, an indigenous community located in Sta. Catarina, Baja California. They authorized the use of their name. 

The  Spring / Summer collection was decorated by Oscar Torres, a talented illustrator and designer. My favorites are the Cocada Rosada and Bougainvillea. I am obsessed with  them! 

If you liked their lovely products, you can buy them online here. 

HI- Be positive

Unfortunately, in  2014,  HIV / AIDS remains a taboo subject. If you think I exaggerate, imagine the following scenario: You have just learned that you carry the virus. Would you keep it a secret? Probably, however if you had diabetes you would tell everyone. 

The secrecy around the topic is one of the reasons that allows this disease to spread, a situation that I find extremely regrettable. That's why I admire my friend Esteban, who instead of living in the closet, has become an inspiration to many. 

Esteban is the author of a blog called The Red Cottage, which recounts his experiences as an HIV- positive. His posts not only help disseminate information and end myths about the subject, but they are also very funny, just like him

If you speak spanish you should go ahead and read it!