6 tips for your summer body!

Hello Beauties! Now before I get started on this post I just want to note that I am not a nutritionist of any kind! This is just simple tips I’ve learned from research, trial and error. They work wonders for me and hopefully they will for you too! My weight has always been up and down since I was teenager and once I became an adult I noticed it being way more up than down. I do still diet every now and then, but these are tips to add to your lifestyle for a complete change. I honestly feel that if I did not incorporate these things in my life I would be a lot heavier. If you have any eating habits that you live by feel free to add them below. Once again, look at these tips as something to add to your lifestyle and not so much “diet tips.”

♥ WATER ONLY â€“ Now I am a human being and I do indulge in a mimosa or two but other than that I do not drink anything but water. I started to drink less soda and no juice. I have an obsession with lemon lime ginger ale soda at my job, I only drink it when I’m at work, I need help! Started to drink coffee again but I’m planning on ending that today. The worst thing you can do is drink your calories. I personally feel that this is how weight sneaks up on a lot of people. If you are having a meal that’s 500 calories, by the time you drink two glasses of soda that’s another 500 calories you’ve added on without even noticing! Yikes! If you are consuming soda and juices all day you could be adding 1500 calories to your diet per day and that’s not even including food. The average person should consume 2,000 per day. Now I am NOT a calorie counter but I do take heed of things I put in my mouth. I’m at a point to where I know I want I can and can’t have. But I will say that only drinking water gives me a little freedom to have more “cheat meals” with actual food. So try to completely cut out all sugary beverages!

♥ CUT THE SUGAR â€“ This one is obvious. Excess sugar is so easily turned into fat. Now while sugar is found in a lot of foods besides sweets, I’ve always felt like that slice of cake or candy bar is just waiting to add itself to my bra roll in the back. If you can, skip dessert! And if you are craving something sweet I always have a mango or a handful of grapes to fight my craving. I now stack up on fruits!

♥ WARM LEMON WATER â€“ Every single morning, I start my day with a glass of warm lemon water. I actually got this tip years ago and even wrote about lemon water benefits on here, BeautyLeeBar.com. I am always raving about the long list of benefits a simple glass of warm water with lemon to whoever will listen lol. Now the benefits I’ve personally researched are very long so I’ll just name the three that stuck out to me.

  • First the obvious being that it helps in weight loss. Drinking the mixture first thing in the morning helps fight hunger cravings, which will lead to either losing weight or just simply not over eating.
  • The second is it also helps in digestion. Feeling bloated and stuffed is the absolute WORST. Lemon water definitely gets everything in your digestive system flowing and helps make you regular.
  • The last is it improves skin. I personally have very dry skin and everyone knows dry skin is something that causes wrinkles. Once I incorporated it in my daily routine I noticed my skin was a lot more hydrated

♥ SAVE IT FOR LATER– Now this is something that I feel was instilled in us all as children. I think we can all recall our parents forcing us to finish our food in order not to be wasteful. But this is not something I practice at all. Always get smaller portions and if you are still hungry go back for more if you would like. But overloading your plate and forcing yourself to eat is not going to help you get that summer body. We all talk about having the itis, but I personally hate feeling lethargic after I’ve eaten. Now I don’t necessarily mean be wasteful, I love a some good left overs. So wrap it up and save the rest for later! So once you get that first feeling of satisfaction, you should be done eating. Never eat until you feel stuffed or sleepy.

♥  GREEN TEA â€“ Listen up. I LOVE GREEN TEA. I wont even go through the very long list of benefits it has but this is the one! The main benefit is that it speeds up your metabolism! Now I will be honest I don’t drink it everyday but I definitely always make sure I consume a few cups through out the week. It definitely gives me a boost of energy when I’m feeling a little sluggish. It’s something about green tea that makes me feel so zen when I drink it lol. So besides the water, green tea is definitely something I recommend you add to your diet. Here is the link to the brand I drink.

♥ MONITOR YOUR BODY â€“ I’m not saying be overly obsessive and step on the scale every 15 minutes. But I will occasionally throw on an old outfit to see whats going on. I never really monitor my body by what the scale says, its all about how I look and feel. If I notice something getting a little tight or if I do decide to step on the scale I know to tighten up my eating habits a bit. The sooner you catch it the better! Its much easier to drop 10-15 lbs over 50+. It’s hard to not let your weight get out of control but if you are person like me who does tend to gain it easily, this tip definitely helps keep it in check.

In closing I want to say that this is not a guide to make you overly obsess or feel like you need to be thin. I am no where near thin and I never will be, but through A LOT of struggle I have and I am still learning to love my body and do my best to take care of it. The older I get the harder it is to stick to a diet so I implemented these small changes and noticed such a difference. Now these tips are not going to make you lose 50 pounds in two weeks but it will give you a jump start to taking steps towards a healthier lifestyle. If you have any tips you would like to share comment below! Thanks for reading and let me know if any of these tips work for you! I’ve linked the green tea that I drink as well!

WHICH TIP HAVE YOU TRIED OR WILLING TO TRIED?

If These Celebs Swear By This $1 Beautifying Ingredient, I Want It Too

There’s nothing more satisfying than finding something completely awesome for your skin that costs next to nothing. It’s even better when you know that incredibly gorgeous celebs like Jessica Alba, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez, Oprah (and the A-list list goes on!) credit their stunning figures and glowing skin to the same thing. Jessica Alba uses it in a smoothie to boost energy levels, Jennifer Aniston relies on it to keep fit and trim, and Lady Gaga swears by it for reducing her stress levels – we all know what stress does to our skin! The genius ingredient is green tea; its impressive qualities include the power to lower your sebum levels and fight against acne, reduce sun damage, flatten puffy eyes, and even diminish wrinkles. It’s literally the answer to all our prayers – for our skin and our bodies!

The magical ingredient comes from the Camellia sinensis leaves that originate in China. Green tea leaves have extremely high-levels of polyphenols, aka micronutrients that come from plants, which are packed with antioxidants that protect against skin-damaging free-radicals, infections, toxins, and even some cancers. Not only is green tea super inexpensive, but you can use it topically and internally for MAJOR health benefits – even lowering bad cholesterol and detoxing your body. Put the kettle on now; guarantee you’ll be wanting a brew…

The difference between green tea and matcha green tea: Green tea is referred to as your standard tea bag filled with dry leaves, and it needs to be brewed for a couple of minutes to release the goodness. Once brewed you can discard the leaves and drink the tea, or you can use the brewed leaves to make a mask. Matcha is green tea leaves that have been dried and finely ground, which you ingest completely, making matcha a much more intense dose of goodness. Matcha contains 137 times more EGCGs (powerful antioxidants, up to 50 times stronger than vitamin C and E) than green tea does, so you would need to drink around 10 cups of green tea to get the same benefits that you would from one cup of matcha green tea. Look out for organic matcha tea like this one.

Find Your Zen: Believe it or not, having a green tea brew will actually chill you out. The tea lowers cortisol levels (stress hormones) and contains an amino acid called L-Theanine that gives a calming effect and helps your brain to focus.

Fight against wrinkles: Free-radicals attack our skin and breakdown skin cells to deplete skin’s elasticity, causing sagging and wrinkles – they’re our ultimate nemesis! Fortunately, the high-levels of antioxidants (the best kind: catechins and polyphenols) in green tea help our skin cells to fight against the damage done by free radicals. They can both slow down the signs of aging and contribute to reverse skin damage.

Combat acne: Drinking green tea works in numerous ways to combat acne: your skin produces less sebum, your inflammation levels are reduced (that’s what causes pimples to get all red and angry), and your immune system is bolstered. The aforementioned EGCG is also a potent regulator of your hormones, in particular, male hormones, which cause your glands to produce excess sebum. Combined with its anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties, it makes a fierce face mask. Combine a tablespoon of matcha tea with a tablespoon of honey, or matcha tea with yogurt to balance and soothe your skin.

Reduce sun damage: Green tea can’t block UV rays like sunscreen can, but instead, it fights damaging free-radicals and reduces inflammation that the sun causes – it can even destroy cancerous skin-cells. To get the full benefits you can drink green tea and use it as a toner in the morning: dip a cotton pad in a cup of cooled green tea and wipe it across your face.

Boost energy levels and shed pounds: There’s a reason green tea is favored in Hollywood and among models, it’s been clinically proven to boost your metabolism and increase your bodies ability to burn fat. It’s caffeine content – about a quarter the amount of coffee’s – increases your energy and concentration levels, which can improve physical performance and mobilize fatty acids to be used for energy. A matcha smoothie makes the perfect pre-workout or morning wake-up replacement for your cup of coffee. Make a smoothie with one banana, one spoon of matcha green tea powder, ice, almond milk or coconut water (enough to cover all your ingredients in a blender), one tablespoon of almond or peanut butter, and a sprinkling of granola, you can even add a date or honey as a natural sweetener.

Deflate puffy eyes: Green tea bags make the perfect under eye treatment: the caffeine shrinks blood vessels, while the tannins constrict capillaries. Brew two tea bags for a couple of minutes, remove and place in the fridge until chilled (around 30 minutes – they should be cold but not dry) place the tea bags under your eyes and chill out for half an hour.

Even just drinking a green tea every day will do your body good, and it’s another alternative to help you reach your daily water target. It’s insanely good when you use it topically too, so play around with different recipes and find what works for you. There’s also an insane amount of products starring green tea, in case DIY isn’t your thing, check them out at ToGoSpa here.

WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK?

Lucie and Pompette Lip Batter – 3 in 1 Balm, Gloss and Treatment

Let’s face it – cute things make for a great gift. Recently I featured the Lucie and Pompette Lip Batter 3 in 1 on my Instagram Story and I figured it was so fun and cute that it needed it’s own post as well.

Back Story: Lucie started with a dream… an idea that makeup is about creating magic within yourself.

When you feel beautiful, you exude confidence. It’s confidence that inspires you to follow your dreams.

Lucie + pompette is a brand that believes in the magic inside every woman and strives to inspire confidence in their ability to live their dreams.

The unique specialty products are made with the finest ingredients, most innovative formulas, and the utmost care.

Lucie + Pompette offers products that are inspired by all of the petite indulgences of Paris, from its finest chocolates to its most delightful pastries.

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The Lucie + Pompette Lip Batters are a 3 in 1 balm, gloss, treatment retailing for $16. These little lip balms make a great gift or the perfect stocking stuffer for any beauty lover. It is available in 5 different colors: La-La, Go-Go, Bon-Bon, Mi-Mi, and Can-Can. The Lip Batters are the longest wearing plumping lip gloss with a revolutionary formula that plumps, fills and hydrates your lips instantly. You get a gloss like a product that acts as a treatment and plumps the lips without any type of irritation. The unique smoothing cushion envelops the lips for a more voluptuous appearance.

The lip batters are made of an anti-aging cocktail of Vitamin E, Green Tea, and white tea with a light vanilla scent inspired by fresh macarons. Lucie + Pompette products are Vegan, cruelty-free and paraben-free. Applying them is easy. You can apply the gloss liberally and allow 10 seconds for the lip batter’s smoothing cushion to set on the lips. Once applied, voluptuous lips can be enjoyed all day. The lip batter can be layered to create a more pronounced lip line as well.

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Each lip batter has a flexible applicator which allows the product to hug each curve of the lips, providing a flawless, precise application. The glosses have a sheer tint of color which is infused with subtle, light-reflecting pigments to add to the illusion of fuller lips. There is a light delicate tingle that stimulates blood flow to the lips for a natural plumping effect. While this is a plumping type of gloss, it doesn’t burn or have an uncomfortable sensation as others on the market and since the tint of the gloss is sheer, you can wear it alone or over your favorite lipsticks or lip products. It feels comfortable on the lips though it does have a sticky like texture. The light tingling sensation can last up to 10 minutes but it never feels weird or burning, uncomfortable or unable to bare.

I have pretty full and plump lips already, but I did notice that my lips became plumper. Also, I like the fact that my lips seemed to look very smooth with a great glossy texture.
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Another fun accessory is the Lucie Bag. This cosmetic clutch from Lucie + Pompette is absolutely adorable. While it’s tiny, it is the perfect bag for travel to carry all of your beauty essentials. It’s french inspired and features a glossy white exterior printed with the signature illustrations from Lucie + Pompette and a lined interior. I love the details of this little clutch and the Eiffel Tower Charm is absolutely gorgeous. I absolutely love the art design and the drawing is so feminine and sweet. It would make a great gift for any beauty lover or that sweetie in your life. Totally Chic and those that love Paris… would love this!

Have you heard of or tried anything from Lucie + Pompette before?

**FTC: Products were sent to me. Opinions are 100% my own, of course.

 

  • Lip Batter is a new way to create full, voluptuous lips like no other product on the market
  • Lip Batter is unique 3-in-1 Hybrid…Plumper, Gloss & Balm
  • The longest wearing non-irritating) plumper
  • A moisture-rich balm, infused with Vitamin E, Green Tea & White Tea
  • A non-invasive solution that fills in fine lines to create smoother, fuller looking lips
  • Plump with nonirritating ingredients that stimulate circulation to boost a more
  • Sheer, buildable color, infused with light reflection creates added dimension
  • Vegan, paraben free, cruelty-free

Vitamin 101 | Green Tea Blemish Buster

We all hate breakouts, but sometimes it seems we are fighting an uphill battle with these little red devils! If you are looking for a way to fight acne without harming your skin, this may be the solution for you. According to Dr. Jennifer Gan Wong, Green tea extract has been proven to be effective in its fight against acne without the harsh effects of the commonly used benzoyl peroxide. Green tea nourishes skin while it combats acne and keeps you clear. It also helps reduce inflammation and works as a detox for your skin! Talk about badass blemish buster!

Get a good quality green tea from your local health food store, traditional Chinese or Japanese store or online. You can use any type of green tea, such as Sencha, matcha or genmaicha and should aim to drink two to three cups per day. To prepare it, heat fresh water to just before boiling point, pour into the cup and steep for five to 15 minutes, depending on individual instructions. Do not add sugar to green tea as it will diminish health benefits.

Drinking green tea daily can also help prevent new acne breakouts, which are caused by bacteria, because, as Nadine Taylor, M.S., R.D. of Green Tea Library notes, the catechins in tea kill bad bacteria while maintaining good bacteria.

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According to Dr. Jennifer Gan-Wong of Memorial Medical Center, green tea also works as a topical application for skin problems, including acne scars, eczema, and psoriasis. Epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, is another type of antioxidant found in green tea that is very beneficial in reducing acne and scars by both cleansings the skin of toxins and neutralizing the bacteria that causes acne. Green tea has astringent properties which help diminish redness and inflammation.

For a facial cleanser, use pure, unflavored green tea. Heat one quart filtered water to just before boiling, pour over one cup of green tea leaves and let steep for about 20 minutes. Allow the tea to cool and splash on your face, or use cotton balls to dab directly onto acne scars. Apply the green tea extract to the affected area three times daily. Really simple! Do not rinse. Store the tea in a sealed container in the fridge.Â