Money Saving Manicures

Sometimes I like to treat myself to a professional manicure.  But the post pampering glow always comes with a side of frustration when the first polish chip happens.  Inevitably, I am filled with regret over spending $20 to $40 on fleeting nail perfection.  

Salon professionals told me the cure to my polish woes was Shellac a gel polish.  For just $10 more (now $30 to $50 per manicure) I could have salon perfect nails for up to two weeks.  
True to their claim, the color lasted, but I didn't like the feeling of my skin sizzling under the UV light or that I couldn't remove it by myself.  And I still couldn't justify the cost.

So, what's a frugal girl with the penchant for perfect polish to do?

One solution I came up with was to bring my own polish when splurging on the occasional manicure so I can touch up chips myself and alleviate some of the guilt of spending money pampering myself.

But now with the new crop of at home gel polishes, I'm thinking all my polish prayers may have been answered!

You apply them like a regular nail polish, but they look as glossy and gorgeous as an actual gel manicure without the UV light or hefty price tag.

Here are my picks for the Best New At-Home Gel Polishes that offer long lasting wear and can be easily removed without ruining your nails:

 1. Revlon ColorStay Gel Envy Longwear Nail Enamel, $7.99 each, drugstore.com

Why it's great: The base-and-color-in-one combo lets you skip an entire step and the gel top coat strengthens nails while it protects the color.

Colors available: 30, from hot neons and jewel-tones to gorgeous neutrals


How long it lasts: Up to 10 days

2. Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Polish, $9.99, drugstore.com

Why it's great: With the most chip resistent colors of all the contenders the key is the amazing topcoat, which you can use with any of the Miracle Gel polishes to lengthen its lifespan.

Colors available: 48, everything from white to neutrals to every pink you can imagine—plus some shimmery metallics.

How long it lasts: Up to 14 days

3. Nails Inc. Gel Effect Nail Polish, $14, macys.com

Why it's great: A very high level of solid pigment eliminates any streakiness and you will love the glossy, plumping effect almost makes it looks 3-D.

Colors available: 17, from moody dark shades to the happiest pastels


How long it lasts: Up to a five days

4. CoverGirl XL Nail Gel, $7.49 each, drugstore.com

Why it's great: The narrower brush makes it easier to maneuver tricky spots like the edges of your nails.  It takes a few extra minutes to dry compared to a regular nail polish, but it's so worth the wait.

Colors available: 9, including bright orange, lime green and a canary yellow

How long it lasts: Up to a week

5. Dior Vernis Gel Shine and Long Wear Nail Lacquer and Gel Coat, $27 each, nordstrom.com

Why it's great: The biggest investment of the bunch also offers the biggest shine!  These long-wearing polishes give your nails such a glossy, just-got-out-of-the-salon look, you'll forget that they're dry. Pair it with the gel coat for an extra lacquered effect.

Colors available: 28, including pretty pastels and a cool marble-like orange you will be wearing until summer's over

How long it lasts: Up to a week

Full list of 81 Budget Wines Cited in Arsenic Lawsuit

One of my guilty pleasures is a cheap glass of wine.  So I was especially interested to see if my favorite budget vino's were on the list of wines cited in the class-action lawsuit filed Thursday in California.  Unfortunately one of my summer staples, Flip Flop's Pinot Grigio is on it!

 The suit claims that many inexpensive brands of wine contain illegal and dangerously high levels of poisonous inorganic arsenic.  I will be eagerly awaiting the findings!

Here is the complete list for your information:

Acronym’s GR8RW Red Blend 2011
Almaden’s Heritage White Zinfandel
Almaden’s Heritage Moscato
Almaden’s Heritage White Zinfandel
Almaden’s Heritage Chardonnay
Almaden’s Mountain Burgundy
Almaden’s Mountain Rhine
Almaden’s Mountain Chablis
Arrow Creek’s Coastal Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2011
Bandit’s Pinot Grigio
Bandit’s Chardonnay
Bandit’s Cabernet Sauvignon
Bay Bridge’s Chardonnay
Beringer’s White Merlot 2011
Beringer’s White Zinfandel 2011
Beringer’s Red Moscato
Beringer’s Refreshingly Sweet Moscato
Charles Shaw White Zinfandel 2012
Colores del Sol’s Malbec 2010
Glen Ellen by Concannon’s Glen Ellen Reserve Pinot Grigio 2012
Concannon’s Selected Vineyards Pinot Noir 2011
Glen Ellen by Concannon’s Glen Ellen Reserve Merlot 2010
Cook’s Spumante
Corbett Canyon’s Pinot Grigio
Corbett Canyon’s Cabernet Sauvignon
Cupcake’s Malbec 2011
Fetzer’s Moscato 2010
Fetzer’s Pinot Grigio 2011
Fish Eye Pinot Grigio 2012
Flipflop’s Pinot Grigio 2012
Flipflop’s Moscato
Flipflop’s Cabernet Sauvignon
Foxhorn’s White Zinfandel
Franzia’s Vintner Select White Grenache
Franzia’s Vintner Select White Zinfandel
Franzia’s Vintner Select White Merlot
Franzia’s Vintner Select Burgundy
Hawkstone’s Cabernet Sauvignon 2011
HRM Rex Goliath’s Moscato
Korbel’s Sweet Rose Sparkling Wine
Korbel’s Extra Dry Sparkling Wine
Menage a Trois’ Pinot Grigio 2011
Menage a Trois’ Moscato 2010
Menage a Trois’ White Blend 2011
Menage a Trois’ Chardonnay 2011
Menage a Trois’ Rose 2011
Menage a Trois’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
Menage a Trois’ California Red Wine 2011
Mogen David’s Concord
Mogen David’s Blackberry Wine
Oak Leaf’s White Zinfandel
Pomelo’s Sauvignon Blanc 2011
R Collection by Raymond’s Chardonnay 2012
Richards Wild Irish Rose’s Red Wine
Seaglass Sauvignon Blanc 2012
Simply Naked’s Moscato 2011
Smoking Loon’s Viognier 2011
Sutter Home’s Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Sutter Home’s Gewurztraminer 2011
Sutter Home’s Pink Moscato
Sutter Home’s Pinot Grigio 2011
Sutter Home’s Moscato
Sutter Home’s Chenin Blanc 2011
Sutter Home’s Sweet Red 2010
Sutter Home’s Riesling 2011
Sutter Home’s White Merlot 2011
Sutter Home’s Merlot 2011
Sutter Home’s White Zinfandel 2011
Sutter Home’s White Zinfandel 2012
Sutter Home’s Zinfandel 2010
Trapiche’s Malbec 2012
Tribuno’s Sweet Vermouth
Vendange’s Merlot
Vendange’s White Zinfandel
Wine Cube’s Moscato
Wine Cube’s Pink Moscato 2011
Wine Cube’s Pinot Grigio 2011
Wine Cube’s Pinot Grigio
Wine Cube’s Chardonnay 2011
Wine Cube’s Chardonnay
Wine Cube’s Red Sangria
Wine Cube’s Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Wine Cube’s Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz 2011  

Cinderella's Beauty Budget Secret

Looking like a Princess doesn't have to cost you the castle!

‬You pick the better deal:

MAC's Cinderella eye shadow set costs a whopping $44 for 6 shades VS ‪Motives‬ Cosmetics Element palette at just $35 for 8 huge colors! 

And the best part is for the month of March in honor of the new Cinderella movie you can get 10% off with promo code 10offMA only at motivescosmetics.com/Angelliving

How Many of the 90 Adverse Health Effects of Aspartame Do You Know?

I know the subject of Aspartame Toxicity may seem off topic for my blog, but I thought this article from fda.gov was important enough to share, no matter what the platform.

As a child growing up in the 80's, aspartame was marketed as a miracle making foods magically better for you because of they now contained less sugar.  What we didn't know was that as early as 1984, reports of Aspartame Toxicity were being reported.  In fact, in 1988 the Aviation Medical Bulletin reported the terrifying effects pilots were having as a result of Aspartame Toxicity.  Yet most of the public remained in the dark resulting in many of my generation blindly ingested this potentially hazardous chemical for 20 years or more!

I stopped eating foods and beverages containing aspartame about two years ago after learning the shocking side effects of this FDA approved additive.  But what prompted me to dig up new evidence was that during a discussion over dinner with business partners, I was equally shocked to find out that even people working within the Wellness community STILL didn't know how bad Aspartame was!

In addition to the 90 adverse health effects of aspartame I found these the most alarming:

According to researchers and physicians studying the adverse

effects of aspartame, the following list contains a selection

of chronic illnesses which may be caused or worsened by the chronic,

long-term ingestion of aspartame. (Mission Possible 1994, Stoddard

1995)*:

     Brain tumors               Multiple sclerosis

     Epilepsy                   Chronic faigue syndrome

     Parkinson's Disease        Alzheimer's

     Mental retardation         Lymphoma

     Birth defects              Fibromyalgia

     Diabetes                   Arthritis (including Rheumatoid)

     Chemical Sensitivities     Attention Deficit Disorder

     *Note: In some cases such as MS, the severe symptoms

            mimic the illness or exacerbate the illness,

            but do not cause the disease.

As a Marketing Consultant for physicians I know that medical professionals (and skeptics) like proof in the form of medical studies from credible sources.  I was somewhat surprised to find this posted on FDA.gov outlining not only the side effects, but how dangerous long term effects of aspartame ingestion can be PLUS the study based evidence to support the claims.  Please read this article for yourself and share it with family and friends.

Are You Flushing Your Vitamins (& Money) Down The Drain?

I found the following facebook post extremely eye opening.  You think you are getting a deal buying discount vitamins in pill form, when truly you are just flushing your money down the toilet!

By spending more on high quality liquid vitamins, such as Isotonix you are absorbing up to 95% of what you pay for!

Absorption: Liquid Supplements vs. Pills

By DrSteve Sheiner on Friday, February 10, 2012 at 11:04am

Absorption: Isotonic Supplements vs. Pills 

When comparing supplements, the question often arises – should one go with Liquids/Isotonics or Pills? There have been many studies done, and the resounding answer is that the advantages of isotonics far outweigh pill-based products. One of the most referred-to statements is found in the Physician’s Desk Reference on page 1542. In this widely used medical reference book, it is noted that isotonics can be absorbed up to 98%. Whereas it states the absorption rate of pills and capsules is 5% - 18%. This means that 80-95% of the ingredients contained in pills are excreted or eliminated from the body, which in itself can be very difficult on one’s system. When this is translated into monetary terms, for every $100 spent on pills, approximately $90 ends up being flushed down the toilet. In contrast, isotonic forms of the same supplement have an absorption rate of up to 98%.

Advantages of Liquids: - Isotonic absorption rate is up to 98% - Liquids/Isotonics are prepared utilizing fresh elements - Fewer doses required to receive the same amount absorbed into the body - Liquids/Isotonics are far simpler to swallow, particularly for seniors - Liquid/Isotonic ingredients are not compressed, which would require additional digestion before assimilation into the bloodstream -Isotonics are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, resulting in faster (desired) effects - Isotonics contain no buffers, binders or fillers, which would delay digestion, taking more time to enter the bloodstream - Isotnicss do not “clog” sewers, cesspools, or septic systems – up to 98% of isotonics are absorbed, while only 10-12% of pills are absorbed, leaving roughly 90% of pills ending up in our waste system 

Pills: - Pills are hard to swallow for seniors - The absorption rate of pills is, at best, 18% - The digestion rate for pills takes (literally) hours, with a minimal effect - Pill ingredients can end up being powdered as long as one year after being collected or harvested - Powdered pill ingredients are compressed into pills using buffers, binders and fillers, requiring additional digestion by the body to either break down the capsules or the ingredients - Buffers, binders and fillers affect the bioavailability, reducing the absorption rate and effectiveness of the ingredient(s)

[Excerpt from an article by Dr. David Friedman DC, ND, a certified Doctor of Naturopathy, a Life College graduate, noted educator, lecturer on nutrition, and board qualified chiropractic neurologist.] My views on nutrition changed one day a few years ago when a patient came in and told me that she was having her septic tank repaired. She told me what was causing the blockage... hundreds of undigested vitamin pills, some of them with the brand names still readable. After hearing this disturbing news, I did some research of my own. I found in Tacoma Washington, 250,000 pounds of undigested vitamin and mineral pills are pulled out of the sewers every six weeks. In Salt Lake City, over 150 gallons of vitamins and mineral pills show up in their filters every month. Even those pills listed as "all natural" often have added fillers and coatings that inhibit absorption.The Physician's Desk Reference shows that vitamins and minerals in pill form are only 10 to 20% absorbed by the body. That means for every $100 you spending on nutrients you are literally flushing 80-90% of it down the toilet. Because of this lack of absorption, companies must use mega doses of nutrients and this can cause a taxation on the kidneys. According to the National Advisory Board, 100mg consumed in a tablet form translates into a minute stabilized 8.3mg concentration in the blood.Isotonics offer a up to a 98% absorption rate because they bypass the digestive process and go directly into the bloodstream and into the cells within a matter of minutes. Not only are isotonic nutrients more convenient, they also allow those with irritable bowel syndrome, hiatal hernias and diverticulitis to take nutrients that may irritate them in a pill or capsule form. [End excerpt]    

Make It Yourself - Make It Healthy: Lipton Savory Herb & Garlic Mix

It's Superbowl Sunday and Hubby asked me to make a new dip for the big game.  It looked like an easy recipe...

Then I realized upon second glance that the key ingredient was Lipton's Savory Herb & Garlic Soup Mix.  Red Flag!  I know that many of these mixes have MSG added to them, which I prefer not to ingest if I can help it.

So I decided to search the internet for a copy cat mix recipe and stumbled upon FoodFacts.com.  I am in LOVE!  It listed all the ingredients for the Lipton Soup Mix and highlighted controversial ingredients.  Not only am I able to customize the ingredients to fit my preferences but I didn't have to spend a DIME!  I just used spices I already had in my spice cabinet.  WIN-WIN!

With this information I was able to make my own "soup mix" without ingredients I choose not to eat.  Here is the recipe I ended up using from budget101.com:

Garlic & Herb Seasoning Mix

2 tablespoons marjoram
2 tablespoons oregano
2 tablespoons rosemary
2 tablespoons basil
2 tablespoons parsley flakes
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper

This recipe makes a LOT of the spice mix.  You only need to use 2 or 3 tablespoons to replace for the soup mix in recipes.

Remember, knowledge is power!  Read your labels.

If We Don't Buy It....They Won't Make It!

I will change the food on the shelf at the store by not supporting/buying their products anymore.  Why do you think Yoplait took the aspartame out of their light yogurt?  Because sales were down!  If we don't buy it, they won't make it.

We have the power to drive prices of healthy foods down by refusing to purchase junk food.

I know eating healthier is often equated with costing more money, but if you shop smart it will cost less in the long run...after all, how much money is your health worth?  Your health after all, is what you are paying when eating cheaper, unhealthy foods.

I am by no means a health food junkie or "health nut".  I am an average American sick of feeling sick because of the foods I eat.  I am choosing to educate myself to make better choices.  Does that mean I will never eat an Oreo again, probably not, but at least I will know what I am eating and making that choice for myself.

Here are a couple of things I found eye-opening in my journey to educate myself about what is really in the foods I used to buy blindly.

http://www.gmofreeusa.org/food-testing/kelloggs/kelloggs-froot-loops/