geoGirl Update

Back in May I posted about a new line of natural beauty products called geoGirl, which is marketed towards young girls and tweens (check out that post here). At the time I could only locate geoGirl products at my local Walmart store, but now the line is available at drugstore.com! Check them out here. As far as the geoGirl website, the status is still "Coming Soon", but maybe there will be more developments in the next few months.

Maybe I need to grow up a bit, but I personally love the line's spunky attitude, fun flavors, and cute packaging. The natural ingredients and affordable prices are bonuses, of course! Holla to all the other grown-ups who are secretly kids at heart ♥

Puffy Eyes

It's been a while since I last posted. Between work, school, and crazy things going on in my personal life, I haven't been getting as much sleep as I should be. The result - puffy eyes! I never, ever get puffy eyes, but for the few weeks my eyelids have been slightly swollen (just slightly, and no redness, so I won't be visiting the doctor). I've realized that the only true way to combat puffy eyes is to catch up on the sleep I've been missing, but in the meantime I've been using a few natural remedies to keep them in check.

1. Ice cubes
I run them over my eyelids when they're feeling especially puffy - the icy temperature constricts blood vessels to reduce swelling.

2. Tea bags
After making myself a cuppa tea I've been saving the tea bags and popping them in the freezer for a few minutes before applying to my eyelids. The caffeine in the tea and the chilly temperature, again, help with swelling. It feels so good....ah...

Now, off to catch some zzzz's.........

Elixir of the Gods

 Mocha from Cocola Bakery, Photo by Me

I started drinking coffee in college to power me through late-night cram sessions, and since starting a 9-5 job a couple years ago my love for coffee has only grown stronger :) I used to drink it only occasionally, then it was 1 cup, now I am up to 2 some days. I haven't had a cup of coffee yet today, and I am craving it. Oh, caffeine, you addictive little chemical.

Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, which means that it shrinks blood vessels. This makes it ideal for reducing inflammation, evening skin tone, and de-puffing swollen areas. Coffee has also been shown to shrink fat cells, which gives hope to women who struggle with cellulite. And of course, caffeine in the form of coffee smells and tastes amazing! In honor of coffee, the tastiest workhorse beverage, I have pulled together a list of skin care and beauty products which contain or are inspired by coffee. Drink it up!

Pacifica Island Glow Kona Coffee & Sugar Detox Whole Body Scrub, $28/13oz.

(Currently out of stock on the Pacific website, but available at Sephora stores and other sites.)

100% Pure Cocoa Kona Body Butter, $16/3.5oz.

 100% Pure Organic Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream, $19/1oz.

 Crazy Rumors Perk Coffee Bean Lip Balm, $3.49/.15oz.

glominerals Eyeshadow Trio in Coffee, $30

Piggy Paint Nail Polish in Coffee Talk, $7/0.5oz.

(Made and marketed for kids, but I think this shade would be lovely on grownups for fall!)

beekind

 San Francisco Ferry Building (Photo by Wikipedia user JaGa)

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area so from time to time I end up at the San Francisco Ferry Building. I love the Ferry Building for many reasons, one of them being the excellent shopping :) A company called beekind has had a kiosk in the Ferry Building for a while now, and I always walk past but have never stopped. In a moment of curiosity I checked out their website and I am now committed to visiting beekind next time I am in the city.

Not only does beekind sell natural honeys, soaps, lotions, candles, and other treats, they also teach beekeeping classes and sell beekeeping supplies! Awesome! Below is some additional info about beekind pulled from the Ferry Building website:

Beekind Honey Shop:   Beekind is run by the husband and wife team of Doug and Katia Vincent, and daughter Bri.  Doug and Katia opened their original Beekind store in Sebastopol in 2004.  At the Ferry Building, Beekind specializes in honey and beeswax candles. The shop sells honey Doug and Katia have collected from their own bees, along with honey from many Bay Area beekeepers, and major varietal honeys from around the U.S.  Doug has taken home Gold Medal awards for his candles from the Sonoma County Harvest Fair.

It sounds like a lot of love goes into the business, which makes me excited about their products (especially the Eucalyptus Honey). If I bring something home from my visit I will be sure to share :)