The Double Cleansing Method!!!

A light weight olive and apricot kernel based cleansing oil, fortified with Kukui Nut, Borage Seed and Rice Bran oils, that gently liquefies sebum and oil-based debris from the skin's surface. The hydrophilic (water loving) formula enables PreCleanse and oil-based debris to be readily rinsed away without leaving behind any greasy residue.

This is by far one of the best products I have experienced. PreCleanse really breaks down dirt, oil, make up (including waterproof mascara) and oily SPF. Most people don't understand that you aren't going to have really clean skin with just one cleanse. Precleanse helps to prep the skin for your cleanser to really get in and do its job.

Sun-Fighting Foods!

With summer around the corner, the sun can wreak havoc on our skin. The best protection is still sunscreen but you can boost your natural UV resistance from the inside out.

Carotenoids provide protection from UVA and UVB ray damage by removing oxidized molecules during the process of photosynthesis. This gives many plants their red, yellow or orange color.

Lycopene is a carotenoid found in tomatoes. The best way to add lycopene in your diet is consuming tomato juice, tomato paste or tomato soup. While cooking tomatoes decreases vitamin C, it greatly increases the amount of lycopene. Pairing cooked tomatoes and olive oil, a healthy fat, helps the body better absorb and use this carotenoid.

How's that for a great reason to have a Sunday brunch Bloody Mary?

Other fruits and vegetables containing lycopene are bell peppers, carrots, papaya, pink grapefruit and watermelon. Eating these foods won't provide anyone with enough natural sunscreen so be sure you still slather up!

DIY Wall Art with Nature!

Purchasing wall art can get pretty expensive. Especially when you have a GIANT space over the couch like ours.

For inspiration in all aspects of my life, I turn to Pinterest of course! I came across this creative DIY botanical wall art idea from HomeJelly.com

This is our finished project. It was so easy and SUPER affordable using a few materials and plants from outside! HomeJelly uses mounting board but we decided to go with styrofoam because its cheaper and so much lighter for our apartment walls.

Do Men Get Spa Treatments?

More and more frequently I'm being asked, "Do a lot of Men get treatments at the spa?"

Absolutely! (Although not nearly as many as women)

I like that there's been a large movement towards men being more aware of not only their appearance, but also about the health of their skin. This has been increasing for some time, and men are frequent customers at the spa nowadays. Having healthy skin that will treat us well as we get older is applicable to everyone.

NuFree: the Next Generation of Hair Removal

Nufree is safe, clean and germ free with self preserving antibacterial/anti microbial properties. It has been scientifically tested for over 30 years, uses no animal products, is completely botanical and safe for the entire body. Nufree is not a wax, it binds to the hairs oils without sticking to the skin and is also used at room temperature. So clients will not experience as much redness or pain associated with most waxes.

Chipotle Lime Fish Tacos

Tacos are my favorite quick meal during the week. I love to search the Internet for recipes and then modify them to create my own!

Meyer Lemon Sorbet

We had a few leftover Meyer lemons sitting around the other evening and I decided to make another sorbet. We don't have an ice cream maker, but I've been making sorbets without one for years using just one simple technique. Here's how I do it.

Look anywhere online and you'll no doubt find an abundance of recipes for a simple Meyer Lemon sorbet like the one below. That was my starting point.