I had seen the BeautyBlender on the Purely Cosmetics website many times and had read reviews of the funny pink egg on blogs but I just never felt compelled to buy it. What is it? It’s a funky spongy pink egg thingie that is touted as “The Ultimate Make Up Sponge Applicator”. I mean really – how “ultimate” can a make up sponge be? I thought I was happy with my flat-top brush from Purely Cosmetics so I figured I didn’t need this bizarre looking tool.

Then on the Bionic Beauty blog (fun blog – check it out) – they said there was a special offer for Valentine’s Day – you got 2 Blenders plus a bunch of sponge-cleanser packets to keep it fresh. I checked out the site and decided that it was time to try this thing out. (I actually bought the one without the cleansers as I like to use Garden Girl shower gel to clean brushes and sponges.)

So these cute little guys arrived at my doorstep and I was immediately intrigued. I have to say, for some reason I expected them to be firmer – not as soft. But they are very soft and they are AMAZING with mineral powders! I said I had “thought” I was happy with brushes but once I tried this I knew I’d never go back – at least not for the base powders (I still prefer a brush for blush and obviously eye liner).  No more powder messes that have always frustrated me. Plus – the egg shape is perfect for getting different areas covered – the wider ends for the forehead, cheeks and chin – the pointier end for eyes and nose areas. Really – it’s a simple but fantastic little tool.

So I highly recommend getting the blenders – either from PurelyCosmetics or straight from the BeautyBlender website where, by the way, they are still having their special offer! Even if you use cream based foundations or other non-mineral products, check them out – you’ll love them!

Of course they’re not going to come right out and say that the current lining of their cans is bad, but major food manufacturers are getting the message that consumers don’t want BPA leeching into their food and so they are slowly and quietly testing out alternatives that hopefully will soon become the norm.

It’s not easy to find cans that don’t have BPA linings in them. Pretty much all cans (soda, food, baby formula etc) have linings that are laden with the chemical BPA (or Bisphenol A). For those of you who haven’t heard, BPA has been linked to a whole host of issues including cancer and reproductive issues. The FDA announced last month that they have reversed their previous position that BPA was “safe” and now have requested further studies to determine the real impact of this chemical that is used in so many things.

But according to an article in the Washington Post this week , a number of major manufacturers are investigating alternatives and new can liners. Of course, it is not going to be an easy – or a cheap – fix. The reason that the can linings have been so ubiquitous is that they are excellent at protecting food from spoiling  and protecting consumers from food borne illness. Of course, we are only now beginning to see the toll it is taking on health in other ways.

The new liners that are being tested are not foolproof – nor are they cheap. Food touted to be packed in “BPA Free” cans are still showing levels of BPA after being tested by the Consumers Union. Why? Maybe some of the products used in the production of the end product were already contaminated by the cans they came from (think canned tomatoes used in a tomato sauce) – or perhaps they are getting exposed at some point during the production. The Washington Post article details a couple of companies that area trying to do the right thing but are getting frustrated along the way with continued BPA presence in their food. But at least they are trying!

So while it may be awhile before our food sources are all BPA-free, it is good to know that there are finally steps being taken to get the process moving forward.

Ok obviously some signs of stress are abundantly clear – like rapid heart rate, a twitchy eye etc. But in this month’s Prevention magazine, they listed a few signs that you might find surprising.  Sadly, I have experienced ALL of these firsthand…

• Weekend Headaches -”A sudden drop in stress can prompt migraines, says Todd Schwedt, MD, director of the Washington University Headache Center. Stick closely to your weekday sleeping and each schedule to minimize other triggers.”

This is one that used to happen to me a lot – I always called them my “post-stress” migraines. It was at its peak during college – I’d get the migraines AFTER all of my finals were over. Or actually, worse than that, after the worst exams were over but when I was finishing up the others. Very disruptive….Ended up doing biofeedback work that helped (along with lots of advil!).

• An achy mouth -”A sore jaw may be a sign of teeth grinding, which can be worsened by stress, says Matthew Messina, DDS, a consumer advisor to the American Dental Association. Ask your dentist about a nighttime mouth guard – up to 70% of people who use one reduce grinding or stop it altogether.”

Again – in college I was a terrible teeth grinder. Can you tell I internalized stress? Is this TMI (too much information) ?  I’m sure my roommate loved it! ThankfullyI think I’ve overcome this one.

• Odd Dreams “Dreams usually get progressively more positive as you sleep, so you wake  up happier than you were before bed, says Rosalind Cartwright, PhD, and emeritus professor of psychology at Rush University Medical Center. When stressed, you wake up more often, disrupting this process and allowing unpleasant imagery all night. Good sleep habits can also prevent this; aim for 7 to 8 hours a night, and avoid caffeine and alcohol close to bedtime.”

Yep – add this to my list too. I remember having terrible, freaky dreams throughout grad school and even into my regular “corporate” life when I had big projects due. Once in awhile they pop up again, which is a clear sign for me that I need to chill. It’s typically now when I have too much going on and I’m afraid I’m going to drop a ball somewhere.

Well, now that you know way more than you wanted to about my bad habit of internalizing stress (which I have worked on improving over the years – and thankfully it seems to have gotten much much better), I figured I’d throw in Prevention’s suggestions for relieving stress. This page has a ton of links – and they are worth a look. Whether you want quick tips to use throughout the day or more lifestyle changes that can help you destress overall, they’ve got some great suggestions.

http://www.prevention.com/health/health/emotional-health/stress

And of course – just exercising regularly can help tremendously. My new addiction? Wii Fit! Love it. I’m convinced my key to getting rid of belly squish is through Wii Fit Hula Hoop! Fingers crossed…

It was inevitable. Boys would get sucked into the beauty industry at some point. And it has happened. According to a recent New York Times article, boys from tweens through their 20’s are now targeted heavily by the manufacturers of grooming products like hair products, deodorants, body sprays, colognes, etc. All of these products with all of these scents. Not only are parents getting fed up with the clouds of fragrance trailing their sons (thankfully mine are still too young for this…) – but the kids are getting more than they bargained for.

As Stacy Malkan, the founder of Campaign for Safe Cosmetics says in her blog posting:

“The irony of this story, which the Times missed entirely, is that the ads promise virility and masculinity, yet the products may have the exact opposite effect on the bodies of developing boys. Most fragranced products contain diethyl phthalate, a chemical that has been linked to sperm damage and feminized genitals. Many of the products, from body spray to shampoo, also contain parabens, a chemical that acts like estrogen in the body.

In all, the 18 body-care products used by the above-mentioned teenagers contain roughly 200 synthetic chemicals that the boys are putting on their bodies each day before breakfast. This daily dose includes dozens of chemicals linked to cancer, skin problems, allergies and hormone disruption, according to an analysis of a typical suite of these products on the Skin Deep database.”

Boys have just as much to lose as girls through exposure to these unnecessary chemicals. Teach them at a young age to read labels and avoid the fragrances. Look for natural, essential oil-based products instead – they are out there, they’re just harder to find. Otherwise, the consequences can be serious. And really, they’ll be doing everyone else around them a favor anyway. Have you ever been around a teen doused in Axe. Iiiiicccccckkkkkk.