From a general human being perspective it is a gift to be able to see the beauty in everything – and there is beauty in everything. Even in pain and destruction comes growth and rebirth and to me that is beautiful. Beauty associated with people is tricky because in today’s world we sometimes have other people dictating a very narrow idea of what beauty is but this is changing. We now recognize being different is beautiful! We’re all unique and that in itself is beautiful and since the dawn of time beauty has been defined by the people who love them; as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some people have a certain something, a “je ne sais quoi.” That “something” is inner beauty. The reality is inner beauty is a very true and tangible quality. I spent ten years in the field of beauty during my Tony&Tina 1.0 years and I have seen first-hand how inner beauty creates aesthetic beauty. A part of the beauty biz is to have lots of events and Tony and I traveled around the world…event after event giving us the opportunity to connect with so many different kinds of people. No matter where we were one truth stood out clearly…The people who felt good about themselves looked great! I’ve seen stereotypical “beauties” look not so great and stereotypical “plain Jane’s” look stunning and it had nothing to do with the make-up or fashion. It is our inner radiance that exudes beauty.
Looking beautiful is all about how you carry yourself and what kind of energy you are generating. It goes without saying that you have to take care of yourself, physically, emotionally, spiritually. It’s really not that hard. It can be as simple as making sure you wash your face and moisturize every morning and night. You can’t get lazy at night because then the day’s dirt and grime just sits there and your complexion will suffer. No matter what skin challenges you have you deserve more than a dull complexion. It’s also about your energy. If you are energetically clear and balanced and live in love and joy you will look it and that’s beautiful. Don’t just try to look beautiful…be beautiful…to yourself and to everyone in your life.
All that said their are some natural remedies to keep us looking healthy and youthful and that’s always nice self-care. There are some good tools in this post but also check out the Radiant Beauty Visualization , A Night Of Beauty and the Healing Bath.
You will find in this post beauty tips, energy remedies, energy facial, facial exercises and food and spices that promote healthy radiant skin.
General Make-up Tips
My number one rules are…Less is always more… Blend, Blend, Blend…Glitter is pretty much appropriate anywhere, anytime, any age!
If you are wearing dark lipstick go light on the eyes
If you are wearing heavy eye make-up go light on the lips…a natural / sheer rose or plum is usually great for everyone.
Use any color you like on your lids but just a hint of it; a smear / dusting. Any Tony&Tina make-up fans…if you have any of our Universal Color Dust it is perfect for the effect!
Apply your shadow normally but then gently use your fingertip, or a make-up brush but I’ve always liked using my finger to smudge my eye shadow or eyeliner. It’s best to smudge it from the inside out and just make sure you wipe away any obvious streaks. I sometimes leave a little of it on so it looks like a very faint “shadow” upward and away from the eye.
Make-up is meant to accentuate your beauty not cover it up…and usually wearing tons of make-up can actually make you look older…
My usual routine is:
- A very light / sheer foundation, if any. Luminizing is extra nice.
- A lip and cheek tint. I use a sheer color and always have it with me for a quick touch-up.
- I still use the Tony&Tina Herbal Glitter Pencil (I might have some back in stock by November 2019). I never leave home without it.
Energy Facial:
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- Activates and increases your life-force
- Increases circulation
- Decreases stress
- Figure-8 the energy onto any part of your body that needs balance and healing.
This video I have showing this is a very rough sloppy video but the information is there. I will be redoing this video shortly, ha I think I’ve been saying that for a year, all in good time. But it’s simple, increases your sense of radiance, creates a youthful healthy glow to your skin and activates your life-force.
How too:
There is an important energy point on your back – right behind the bellybutton. If you put one finger on your bellybutton and the other where that would be on your back – that is what is called the Ming Men point. Some say it’s an inch or two lower than your navel – I have found a few debates online but if you just massage that entire area you can’t go wrong! Everyone agrees that it’s considered a powerful life-force center in Chinese and Energy Medicine.
– On your back Ming Men point, it’s on your spine, use your fingers to firmly massage it, this awakens the radiant healing energy. Take turns doing this for a few seconds with both hands. I do it twice usually.
– With the palms of your hands you then drag this energy around to the front of your body and touching your body, in a continuous motion, bring your hands up to your face as if you are splashing water onto your face gently and slowly – you can make a circle with your hands and / or let them rest on your face allowing that healing energy to soak in. This brings a new and deeper energy to your face this usually gives you a beautiful radiant youthful glow inside and out. I love it!!!
Facial Detox:
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- Releases toxins / Lymphatic Drainage
- Increases circulation
- Decreases fine lines
- Figure-8 eye massage you will program your energy to crossover, which has numerous benefits.
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The following all great self-care tools.
Getting Rid of Toxins
You retain a lot of toxins in the skin cells of your face, so it’s a good idea to massage your face every day, which accelerates circulation and gives a radiant youthful appearance. It can help reverse signs of aging as well as being a powerful preventive care technique.
With the tips of your fingers, massage in a circular motion, concentrating on your chin, cheeks, temple, eye sockets and forehead. Where it hurts is where the toxins are being stored, so really work on those areas. This kind of lymphatic drainage, or clearing as I like to say, is very effective! Remember that when you release toxins you have to wash them away, so follow up by drinking plenty of water. Do this for a few minutes twice a day, this can be extra benifical when using our Rose Hip Seed Oil. Doing this before you wash your face and apply your moisturizer is a great routine to get into.
Another version is to vigorous give yourself a facial massage will release toxins and Using the back of your hand (this has less of a dragging effect) rub vigorously back and forth all over your face with special attention to the forehead and around the noise, chin and mouth area.
Around the eye area is especially important and this Eden Energy Medicine so here is an easy, simple an effective technique. With your fingers massage or firmly press down around the entire occipital lobe (NOT in your eye or on the inner soft area) – do it on the bone around your eyes. An important variation of this is to massage the eyes with a figure-8 motion. For example start pressing into the upper right eye and massage down to the bottom left eye. Continue massaging around the left eye until you land on the upper left eye and now you crossover to the bottom right eye, massaging / pressing down in a circle up to where you started – the upper right eye. Do this at least three times with a continuous flow – doing this while lying in bed is a relaxing self-care ritual. This has benefits beyond releasing toxins – it will ensure your energy is crossing over which important for our overall health, motivation and happiness.
One important note: Use this deep self-massaging tool all around your chest area, we have many important lymphatic points there that can store toxins if we do not release them and since the lyphatic system does not have it’s own pump / manor of circulation we have to do it for our bodies. So let me say strongly to woman what my teacher Donna Eden preaches…“NO WIRE BRAS!!!!!!!” They can trap toxins in the breast area and that can be physically harmful to us. Also keep in mind that our Spleen Meridian runs right through the sides of your chest…we do not want anything to hinder the spleen meridian as it is responsible for so much of our well-being.
For sexier bras I just cut the wire out but for everyday use I wear Coobie Bras and they are beyond comfortable and fit all sizes and have great colors. I bought the rainbow so that I have colortherapy options for everyday, no matter what I wear on top of it.
Other Great Self-Care Healthy Skin Tools:
The Natural Face-Lift
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- Facing a mirror, open your mouth and, while tightening your cheek muscles, move your mouth as far as you can to the right and then the left. Then, puff up your cheeks with your mouth closed, sort of as if you were blowing something up. Repeat at least two times, twice a day.
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Chin Tuck
Holding your head and neck up, slowly pull your chin and head back and then forward as far as you can. Repeat several times. Then, with your shoulders back and head held high, use the back of your hand to tap under your chin. Repeat several times.
Chin Definition
Lift your chin, stick out your tongue and try to touch your nose. Repeat several times.
Sinus Drainage
Using the tips of your middle and index fingers, apply pressure first on the inside of your brow bones and then underneath your cheekbones. When you begin, feel around until you experience sensitivity to the pressure. Push in and up for thirty seconds. Repeat at your brow bones.
Relaxing The Face and Neck
Let’s face it, sometimes we all work and worry too much. When you experience a day fraught with pressure and anxiety, try the following relaxation technique. Crunch up your face as tightly as you can while squeezing your shoulders up and in. Hold for four counts and release. Repeat three times. Then, pretend your face, neck and body are like a rag dolls and shake everything loose. Don’t forget about your hands and feet. Afterwards, do some light stretching…forward and backward and side-to-side.
Other Thoughts On Beauty
Make-up
Less is more, blend, blend, blend… I hope to bring our therapudic cosmetics back at some point but until then there are some good brands that do care about the health of your skin. Seek them out. Credo Beauty has a great selection. Basically, the fewer chemicals the better.
Skincare
“Don’t believe the hype” as Public Enemy says….use common sense and read your ingredient lists. I really stand behind my products, read about how I create them and I’d add that I consider all my ingredients sentient and respect them as such. I give gratitude to them, infuse them with healing energy and program increase your benefits. Through my energy work I raise the vibration of the ingredients and product and that gives you greater benefits. I am also on a mission to get people steaming their face on a regular basis. The benefits are immediate and a great time to take a moment for yourself to breathe in beauty, health and any energy you want to take in. Our Flowering Facial Steam is amazingly effective and delicious! It’s instant radiance!!!
Positive Thinking
If you always look on the bright side of things, you create a happier you. What you think about creates your reality, so by loving yourself and giving yourself positive affirmations you actually become your ideal self. High self-esteem is evident in the way you hold your head up and the way you walk and speak. Think beautiful and become beautiful. Try Visualization – Radiant Beauty and Sending Yourself Positive Energy.
Sleeping
Getting enough sleep is crucial…it’s true, we all need out beauty sleep! Your body and mind need to rest and recuperate at the end of the day, and not getting enough sleep makes you irritable and look bad, and it actually ages you! Getting 8 to 9 hours of sleep is a great anti-aging treatment and a way to achieve energetic wellness.
Tips For Healthy Youthful Skin
These are pretty much common sense:
– Get eight hours of sleep as often as you can.
– Drink at least 4 to 6 glasses of water a day.
– Exercise. And, be active in general.
– Be a vegetarian, or least a respectful eater. Eat Consciously!
– Eat mostly whole, organic foods. Stay away from all processed foods and NO GMO.
– Keep your GUT healthy. Gut health has gotten much attention recently and rightly so as it affects us physically and emotionally. An easy gut maintence meal is having some Kefir in the morning and throw in tons of nutrients. I grind up flax, chia, hemp, quinoa, sprouted millet and groats, and also add in some matcha and papaya enzymes and I can feel the gratitude from my body every time I have it. Feels amazing!
– Do not smoke and limit alcohol intake.
– Give yourself a facial steam every week!
– Give yourself cleansing masks on a regular basis and always wash and moisturize your face – morning and night.
– Be aware of your facial expressions. If you find you’re tensing your facial muscles, affirm to yourself that your face is relaxed and soft.
– Give yourself facial massages on a regular basis. Moving out the toxins on a regular basis creates a noticeable difference. Ever notice how amazing your skin looks and feels after facial? Well, it’s partly because you’re massaging your face for an extended period of time, or shorter versions throughout the day.
– Be happy. Studies show happy people look and feel younger, helping them to be healthier as they age.
– Breathe in pink. Visualize pink energy with every inhale. It gives a youthful glow to you and your skin.
– Fall in love. Even if you are already in a relationship, fall in love with that person all over again. Or, fall in love with a garden, a painting, a song; best thing ever is to fall in love with yourself. Love everything and it will show beautifully.
More of this information to come in a longer post but here’s a quickie list for you.
Skincare Foods
Healthy fats like Coconut oil, olive oil and avocados: Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s) are a powerhouse for skincare. They plump the skin by building healthy cell membranes.
Leafy greens, like spinach, kale and swiss chard: Among other great things they have a high % of Foliate, which is a vital nutrient for DNA repair and helps to keep your skin looking its best — from the inside out.
Green and yellow veggies like squash and yellow peppers: High in Vitamin A and C, and iron, niacin and are rich with anti-oxidants.
Carrots: High in vitamin A and C and antioxidants
Foods high in Omega-3’s – like sardines or walnuts if you are vegetarian. Omega-3’s are: Anti-inflammatory, which reduces the appearance of fine lines, hydrating and super moisturizing.
Beets: High in vitamin A and C, minerals, iron and cleanses your blood of toxins thus helping oily or acne prone skin.
Red / purple cabbage: Rich in beta-carotene, vitamins B1, B6, K, E, C and a number of minerals, such as calcium, iodine, magnesium, iron, Sulphur so cabbage is considered as an extremely beneficial vegetable for your health, skin and hair.
Sunflower and pumpkin seeds: Sunflower seeds contain other polyphenol compounds that work as natural antioxidants. They are rich in Vitamin E. Pumpkin seeds are rich in vitamin E, zinc, and omega-3’s and contain many antioxidants.
Unprocessed soy: Rich in vitamin E, balances oily skin and super moisturizing. Soy isoflavones called aglycones has been shown to greatly diminish fine lines and firms up the skin.
Dark chocolate – I like pure coco nibs or Green & Blacks 70 or 90%: High in antioxidants and greatly lowers stress hormones, which can stop the breakdown of your natural collagen. High in Flavonols which are antioxidants that help protect your skin from UV damage and it increase blood circulation for glowing skin.
Fruit Peels & skin: The inside of bananas and oranges are great antioxidants and are super moisturizing.
Lemon: Rich in vitamins B and B. Clears and brightens your skin and is a great antioxidant. Balances oily skin thus decreasing acne
Kiwis: Rich in vitamins A and C and has many antioxidant properties.
Papaya: Very high in vitamin A, C vitamin E and minerals like phosphorus, iron, potassium, copper, manganese, calcium, and magnesium. Rich in anti-oxidants and is very hydrating.
Kefir: Healthy bacteria for clear glowing skin. A healthy = healthy skin!
Black sesame seeds: Packed with vitamins, nutrients and minerals that are fantastic for healthy skin and especially for your scalp if you have any issues there like dandruff.
Green tea: High in antioxidants and is and effective anti-inflammatory agent. Increases your skins elasticity and is high in vitamin K, which reduces darkness and puffiness under the eyes.
Water (of course): Hydration…need I say more? Sure, I’ll add that it flushes toxins out of your body, which leads to clear healthy skin and more elasticity in the skins texture.
Skincare Spices
Cinnamon and Cardamom (I like it in tea): Cinnamon helps eliminate acne, soothes dry skin, aids skin conditions and increases blood flow and oxygen which creates a glowing complexion with less fine lines. Cardamom is rich in Vitamin C, B2, B3 and essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, manganese, copper, iron and has antioxidant properties. Keeps the skin toned and youthful and both these spices keep the digestive system working optimally plus are considered an aphrodisiac!
Chamomile and Lavender (I like it in tea): Chamomile is one of the most useful skincare herbs; it is antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic. It is also considered to be hypoallergenic with the ability to reduce skin irritants. Aids acne, sooths the skin and the mind. Lavender soothes skin conditions such as eczema and is a great antioxidant and an antibacterial – it detoxifies internally and externally. It’s boosts circulation and oxygen into the body promoting healthy glowing skin, where skin cells can naturally rejuvenate. Both are very calming to the body and mind. They aid sleep, stress and depression.
Hot pepper flakes: Rich in vitamin C and E, which decrease fine lines and it has powerful antioxidant properties. It Fights acne and some consider it a “master” for good skincare as it increases circulation creating radiant skin. Also considered and aphrodisiac.
Turmeric: The health benefits a beyond numerous so I’ll stick to skincare here. Super rich in vitamins A, all the B’s, C, D, K and rich in minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium and fluoride. It’s a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. It slows the formation of lines; wrinkles and many believe it even slows down aging. Decreases acne and stretchmark’s. Sooths the skin and aids in sun damage and wound recovery.
Ginger: A powerful antioxidant and high in vitamins and fatty acids, it increases blood circulation creating radiant youthful healthy skin. It can reduce cellulite, acne and tones the skin. It heals wounds on the skin, especially burns. It is also considered an aphrodisiac.
Ginseng: it contains a large amount of phytonutrients, which can stimulate and activate the skin’s metabolism / circulation which decreases fine lines and promotes new cell growth. It tones and increases collagen and elasticity for firmer skin. It’s a powerful antioxidant, which detoxifies the blood promoting glowing healthy skin. It can also diminish dark circles under the eyes. It’s also considered and aphrodisiac.
Paprika: Rich is vitamins and antioxidants, especially vitamin A so it promotes healthy glowing skin. It’s a powerful antibacterial and diminishes acne. Diminishes spider veins as well! It increases the production of melatonin, serotonin norepinephrine levels promoting a stress free, and happy, day and night.
Nutmeg: Antioxidant, antifungal and anti-inflammatory. It wakes up your skin cells and plumps the skin naturally, which reduces the appearance of fine lines. It can reduce acne and is extremely moisturizing. It is also considered and aphrodisiac.
Clove: It’s rich in minerals, such as potassium, sodium, phosphorus, iron and Vitamins A and C. The antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties reduce acne and diminish fine lines. It also sooths your emotions, reduces stress and is an aphrodisiac.
Fennel: Rich with vitamins A, B, C, E and beta-carotene It is a rich source of minerals like magnesium, iron, cobalt, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, silicon, and zinc. It also provides high levels antioxidants, carotenoids, and flavonoids, which, decreases free radical reactions in the body, which helps prevent cell damage while creating healthy youthful skin.
Saffron: very moisturizing and has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which neutralize free radicals and reduces acne and other skin conditions. It can reduce dark circles from under your eyes and helps create a bright glowing complexion. Also considered an aphrodisiac.
Garlic: High in vitamins A, C, E, K as well as niacin, folates and riboflavin it boosts circulation and the appearance of healthy, glowing skin. It has allicin (good for healthy hair), sulphur, zinc, and calcium that have antibiotic and antifungal properties which can help acne. It is also a rich in selenium, which has great antioxidant powers and can help skin conditions such as eczema. It stimulates circulation, which promotes new cell growth and so it can reduce stretch marks and cellulite, as well as promoting healthy glowing skin. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties help the body reduce stress, which then reduces the signs of aging.
Dandelion: Rich in vitamin A, C and K it has great properties for youthful healthy skin. It’s a great detoxifier, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, which aids acne and other skin conditions. It really nourishes the skin increasing elasticity and firmness. It can also help lesson dark circles under the eyes.
Calendula: Very moisturizing and is amazing for damaged skin! It has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial antioxidant properties that promote the regeneration of the skin and these restorative properties help prevent the thinning of skin while promoting elasticity and bright clean healthy skin. It also helps to sooth skin conditions and irritations.
Fun, and good, fact to know:
Parsley and Celery are internal breath fresheners. Trust me on this…being in the beauty business you get up close and personal with people and eating these two things will help you feel confident about your breath. I always have a bunch of parsley in a mug on my dining table when I have a dinner party…why not, right…