Lifestyle: Live the Lovely Life

Lifestyle: How to live a lovely life ... in style!

Fashion and beauty trends, home dÃ©cor, food, and recipe ideas, travel and reviews.

Prosumer’s Choice Indoor Garden Hydroponic Kit

May 23, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Prosumer’s Choice Indoor Garden Hydroponic Kit

I love growing herbs in the garden. Unfortunately, we have some very bold deer who think that it is their personal salad bar. While I have some arugula and basil growing in a few spots indoors, there aren’t that many windows that have enough natural light to sustain enough plants to grow the amount of fresh, pesticide free herbs that I enjoy using in cooking. So I am thrilled to be using the Prosumer’s Choice Indoor Garden Hydroponic Kit.

I have been looking for a quality indoor grow kit for about ten years now. When my grandmother had an injury, she couldn’t even take advantage of the edible plants she had cultivated in pots just outside the front door. So for years, I tried to find a good indoor kit so we could enjoy growing herbs indoors together. However, finding a reasonably priced grow system was difficult.

If you aren’t familiar with hydroponics, let me give you a little bit of a background. Simply put, it is a way of growing plants in nutrients and water, but not in soil. Occasionally you will hear it called “soilless cultivation.” The plants get all the nutrients and water they need. From a practical standpoint, it is far less messy that potted plants and you have far greater control over what goes into your plants, e.g. pesticides in the soil, etc.

I was reading an article yesterday that talked about how popular hydroponic growth systems are becoming in high-end restaurants. The Ritz-Carlton uses hydroponic growth systems for all of their arugula. Having house-grown plants lets them control the quality and quantity of a staple of their menu.

The Prosumer’s Choice Indoor Harden Hydroponic Kit adds a grow light, so your plants get the proper amount of full spectrum light, just like if they were growing outside. The hydroponic growth method and the grow light result in a more robust and faster-growing plant. Faster growth is fantastic if you use certain herbs on a regular basis like I use basil, and if you use as much arugula as I do, it’s good to have fast growing, tasty leaves at the ready!

The kit is incredibly easy to put together. It only took minutes to put together and seed the two pods. The light plugs into a standard outlet, and then you just have to wait until the plants start growing!

Prosumer’s Choice is also a great kit to use to teach kids how to plant. Without the mess of soil, the whole family can have fun planting regardless of the season.

10% Glycolic AHA-Alpha Hydroxy Acid Serum for Chemical Peel-Pro Grade

May 22, 2016 · Leave a Comment

10% Glycolic (AHA-Alpha Hydroxy) Acid Serum for Chemical Peel-Pro Grade

This Serum is a 10% Pro-Grade AHA Glycolic Acid. I started using Glycolic Acid in my late twenties because I preferred to use peels to remove my dead skin instead of exfoliating it, my skin was just a smooth and more even in tone and texture without having to irritate it with grains and scrubbing. I read skin over 30 and sensitive skin respond better to peels than scrubs, and I found this to be true.

I especially like Glycolic Acid because skin doesn’t visibly peel and slough, which can sometimes be uneven and leave behind the partially peeled skin. Rather, with Glycolic Acid, dead skin just seems to melt away, and skin glows. It also helps with acne and blackheads. The reason is that Glycolic loosens the “cement” that binds dry and dead skin, so it just loosens and virtually melts dead skin, but it doesn’t alter fresher skin unless it irritates it with chemical additives.

As much as I love Glycolic Acid, it can sting and make skin red, and the chemical additives in many Glycolic Acids can irritate skin enough that it needs to be washed off fairly quickly. Ideally, if one can leave it on the skin for 10-30 minutes, it makes a huge difference on how much peeling can occur.

I like that the Serum Ceuticals AHA Glycolic has both soothing and treating ingredients in the serum. These help the skin tolerate the Glycolic remaining on the skin for longer periods of time because this can give the best short term smoothness and long term collagen regenerating result. It also does not contain any harsh chemical additives that irritate my skin, so I was able to leave the serum on my skin for a full 30 minutes, which is about 15 minutes longer than I have tolerated any other Glycolic. Like all their products, Serum Ceuticals uses a natural charge to preserve their products, which means it is more powerful with a longer shelf life than other organic/natural AHA’s and causes less irritation than AHA’s filled with chemical preservatives.

APPLICATION
Test a small dab of the serum on your earlobe 48-72 hours before use to see if you get any irritation. I did this step even though I have used AHA’s before.

There is no detectable scent, it is a watery consistency and comes in a bottle with an inverted dropper than only dispenses a drop at a time.

If you have not used AHA’s before, you might want only to leave the serum on about 10 minutes the first time. If you have used AHA’s, check the mirror frequently for redness but try for the full 30 minutes if you can tolerate it. I have sensitive skin and use Retinol but still was able to tolerate it for the full 30 minutes.

First, I slathered the serum on my forehead since that skin is less sensitive. Then I lightly applied it all over my face except the eye area, paying extra attention to some dark brown spots and wrinkles, the nasal folds, and the areas that my pores seem larger on both sides of the nose in the area of my cheek below my undereye bags. I also have some dark brown sunspots on the top of my cheekbones that I made sure had a good layer of the serum.

I didn’t feel any stinging or irritation, but at almost 30 minutes the apples of my cheeks had some redness, but it was not uncomfortable. I washed it off and applied a light moisturizer. If you have the Serum Ceuticals Ceramide, this is a great post-peel product to use to reduce any redness quickly. The redness lasted a few hours, but it was not painful and returned to normal. I did feel some skin exfoliate off my jawline, but mostly it was just smoother and even, especially my forehead. Two whiteheads that were just stuck in my skin and would not come out despite topical medicines expelled while washing the serum off my face and some clogging of blackheads around my nose and cheek disappeared. A pimple that was a just red bump for an extended period shrunk in size. My forehead wrinkle appeared shallow. My skin was very soft. I took two days off and did it again for the full thirty minutes.

I also used this on my hands for the full 30 minutes. My hands show more aging than my face does due to not applying sunscreen on my hands all these years. One treatment on my hands lightened some of the darker skin on my knuckles and cleaned up my chronically dry and uneven cuticles. The lines on my hands do not appear as deep. There was no irritation or redness.

Highly recommended for use 1-2 times a week, does not cause irritation even on my sensitive skin and I could see improvement after the first use. Will continue with the full recommended course and I will be purchasing this AHA again.

I received this item for testing and unbiased review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below and Iâ€™ll do my best to answer it!

True Life Fitness Blaire Leggings

May 21, 2016 · Leave a Comment

It’s finally getting warm! I’ve been making strides towards getting in better shape this year, and my regular yoga pants are officially too hot to wear while working out. So I’m pretty happy to have found these True Life Fitness Blaire Leggings.

Taking a mid-workout break

My gym keeps the temp set at 74 degrees. When I’m pushing myself on cardio, that is absolutely boiling, so clothing that keeps me cool is very welcome. If I’m doing pilates at home, I want to be comfortable and have freedom of movement while still keeping track of my form. The Blaire Leggings are versatile enough that I can use them for all my Spring workouts.

The Blaire Leggings are a combination of silky lycra and spandex and feel cool on the skin. I expected the fit to be closer to a compression legging, but it is more akin to support, not compression. This is ideal for both the time of year and for workouts that require a full range of motion. The waistband doesn’t pinch at all and hits at a comfortable and flattering spot on the waist. It also has a small pocket in front with a zipper, just big enough for a key and a gym card. It’s not big enough to hold your iPhone, but frankly I’m a bit on the fence if carrying your phone while working out is such a great idea. When I’m carrying it, I don’t have to worry that someone is trying to reach me with an emergency, but working out is my time to tune out digital distractions. Of course, my epic music playlist is the digital exception. But if you truly want to carry your phone, tucking it in the waistband is a viable option: it is snug enough to hold it in place.

Now, let’s talk a bit about the style of these leggings. My traditional gym outfit is black bootcut leggings and any of one my spectrum of fitted tees. If I’m feeling wild, I’ll wear a black Capri legging. So a multi-colored splash on white is a bit of a departure for me. But these leggings are so well fitting and so flattering that a light colored background doesn’t visually add weight, and the colors appear more Monet than paint splash. They are simply well made, fun leggings!

Find True Life Fitness Blaire Leggings at http://www.truelifefitnessapparel.com/

Natures Nectar Ultra Premium Natural Organic Matcha Green Tea

May 20, 2016 · Leave a Comment

The Style Chicks have long enjoyed a good cup of green tea: a tasty warm treat that does wonders for the skin, metabolism, and energy. Green Tea aids in hair growth. Green Tea contains Vitamin B, and its’ anti-inflammatory properties are significant. To get skin glowing the day before an event, we started drinking a minimum of 2-3 cups of green tea per day as was recommended in Dr. Nicholas Perricone’s 3-day “Anti-inflammatory Diet.” When you drink 3 cups of green tea in a day, your skin is luminous, dewy and glowing.

But sometimes it is tough to consume 3 cups of green tea a day when I really feel like I just want a double espresso with whip to get over my afternoon energy slump. An easy fix for this problem is to drink Matcha. Matcha tea has about half the caffeine of an espresso shot. AND it makes you extra pretty.

WHAT IS MATCHA & WHY SHOULD I DRINK IT?
Matcha is ground tea leaves which make for an intensely concentrated tea, something of a super tea, which has more than 100 times as much Polyphenols as regular green tea. One cup of matcha tea per day is enough for a jitter-free time released energy boost, glowing skin, weight management, increased metabolism and maximum health benefits. Matcha has highly concentrated green tea benefits, but you can get too much of a good thing. Drinking too much of any green, white or black tea can deplete iron in the blood, and all natural tea leaves, like anything else grown in soil, can have minuscule traces of lead. After one cup of matcha per day, you have gained all the Polyphenols, Amino Acids, and metabolism boost that you need.

A cup of Matcha in the afternoon can be an easy alternative to drinking multiple cups of green tea or a coffee substitute when you need some energy. Personally, I can use as much caffeine as I can get, but I do enjoy the energy boost from a good cup of Matcha because there is no “crash” from it like I get from some other caffeinated drinks.

HOW TO MAKE MATCHA TEA
To make Matcha tea, add 1 gram (just shy of a 1/4 teaspoon, .20 of a teaspoon to be exact) of Matcha powder to 6-8 ounces of hot but not boiling water and whisk until the powder dissolves. If you don’t have a matcha whisk, use the smallest whisk you have. Whisk the tea until you have a light froth, probably 30 seconds to a minute. To froth, quickly move your whisk in an M motion (remember: “M” for Matcha!)

A RECOMMENDED MATCHA TEA FOR DRINKING
Nature’s Nectar Ultra Premium Natural Matcha Green Tea is a ceremonial grade Matcha that is delicate and sweet without tasting artificially sweet. If you already drink green tea, you will notice it has a superior flavor of not tasting ‘vegetable-y’ or bitter, just a warm and delicate flavoring. The intensity can be richer depending on the amount of powder and water used, but this tin is a 30 day supply, 1 gram a day. Some brands are an entire teaspoon of Matcha per cup; that is too much powder for a fine grade Matcha such as this one. There is no need to over-do it with this Matcha as it has 137 times more Polyphenols than regular green tea, so you don’t need more any powder than suggested to optimize your green tea benefits. Nature’s Nectar Matcha is also organic and gluten free.

Something else I noticed about Nature’s Nectar Matcha is it is a much brighter green than the other Matcha’s I have. When I select a Matcha, I look for the most vivid green I can get not just because it makes for a prettier cup of Matcha but the colorful green means it is also packed with Amino Acids.

While this Matcha can be added to smoothies and drinks, but since it is such a high-grade matcha, I only drink it straight as a tea and use my less tasty Matchas for including in Matcha-based beverages.

DRINKING GRADE VERSES BAKING GRADE
Here is where Matcha can get tricky: a Matcha powder suitable for drinking as a tea should be a pure and high-quality matcha powder with an intentional blend of green tea leaf varieties. These Nature’s Nectar Matcha leaves are the preferred “first harvest” leaves which make the freshest tea and the highest levels of green tea benefits. A quality Matcha is often labeled as “ceremonial grade”. These Matcha powders often come packaged in a relatively smaller tin than those sold in bulk or bagged. They are also more expensive than those intended for making beverages featuring Matcha. For example, Trader Joe’s Matcha Green Tea Latte Mix is a larger container of powder best suited for use in lattes and recipes because the Matcha is pre-mixed with sugar cane, coconut and milk powders. Good in a DIY latte but not suitable as a matcha powder for tea. A pure matcha suited for drinking as a Matcha tea can be pricey but costs far less per cup than an afternoon run to a coffeehouse for a double espresso. And it is super simple to make.

Matcha TIPS and HACKS:

Once opened, store matcha in the refrigerator to maintain its fresh taste and vibrant green color.

Is your Matcha tea too bitter? Bring water to only a near boil, or wait for one to two minutes after boiling before pouring the water into your cup. Water at 194 degrees Fahrenheit (90 Celsius) and below will produce sweeter Matcha tea than when mixed with boiling water.

Need an extra brain power boost? The lower the temperature of the hot water, the more Theanine that brews. Theanine is the part of green tea that causes brain focusing and mental alertness. Can you tolerate a little extra bitterness for the sake of beauty? Then brew up a nice extra hot cup.

Matcha makes for a great pre-workout caffeine boost that will give you sustained energy without the mid-workout crash.

Natures Nectar Ultra Premium Natural Organic Matcha Green Tea