WORKOUT WEDNESDAY Warm Up

Things have been brrrrr! here in L.A. We Southern Californians really aren’t used to anything below 65 degrees, so we’ve been going to all kinds of lengths to get warm—bringing heated blankets to work and madly sipping hot tea like we just got off the set of Downton Abbey. This morning when our trainer Michelle entered the building, it was freezing inside! Her solution? To heat things up with a fast-paced 10 minute warm up. Here are a few ways you can get all the benefits of our (very sweaty) warm up.

Keep Bundled: Today, every time we tried to remove our sweatshirts within the first ten minutes of our workout, Michelle yelled “No way! Keep it on!” Why? Because warming up the body not only helps you make the most of your workout, but it also prepares the muscles and joints for more intense activity. Heat increases the flexibility of your muscles, so you can do more without the danger of hurting yourself.  Don’t worry! You can shed your warm clothes after your body feels nice and toasty so you don’t overheat.

Head to Toe: Try warm up exercises that get your whole body moving like jumping jacks. That way, all your muscles are getting warm. Some of Michelle’s other favorites? High knees and cross-body punching. 

Keep Your Heart Rate Up: To get your body super warm, you want to get your heart going and your blood pumping. Michelle gives us short bursts of intense exercises followed by equal bursts of slightly less intense moves to give us a break. The trick is, the less intense ones still keep our heart rates up. So while it might feel like we’re “resting,” our bodies are still working hard. 

Images via: The Berry, Fit Sugar

JOSIE LOVES The Local Rose

When I first read Shiva Rose’s story about having an eco-awakening after giving birth to her first daughter, I have to say I immediately felt that she and I were somehow kindred spirits. Shiva’s blog, The Local Rose, celebrates the natural, holistic, and healthy lifestyle that the actress and activist tries to embrace in her every day life. The Local Rose has it all—recommendations for herbal supplements, beauty products, and gardening tips. Her pictures are beautiful, but the wealth of information Shiva presents to her readers? That’s the real beauty of her blog. Check Shiva out!

With love,

Josie

CHICOLOGICAL GUEST POST Liesa of Daily Glow

Where do we go to get our daily beauty fix? Daily Glow! With everything from fun beauty quizzes to product recommendations, we could browse this site for hours! Daily Glow editor, Liesa Goins has some major beauty experience under her belt—she’s tried it all! And today on Chicological, she’s giving us her must-have list of beauty gadgets that have saved her (formerly) problem skin.

Gentle Tools With Giant Benefits

Acne has plagued me since the 7^th grade. I made the rounds with dermatologists, but none of the treatments – not antibiotics, Retin-A, benzoyl peroxide, or salicylic acid -- made a dent in my frustrating condition. 

As months passed and nothing improved my severe cystic acne, I took matters into my own hands. My strategy was to bully the breakouts away. I scrubbed, peeled and layered on harsh treatments. Predictably, I irritated my skin and made it much worse. I was eventually prescribed Accutane, which proved to be a miracle cure for my acne.

For years, I still had the idea that manhandling my skin would keep the breakouts away. But over time (and many interviews with dermatologists later), I’ve finally embraced the axiom that the gentle approach is usually best. Now that I’ve stopped using tough love, my skin rewards me. On occasion, I even receive compliments on my complexion – something the 12-year-old me would never have imagined.

Some of the most effective, not to mention most gentle, tools I use to keep my skin happy are in fact tools. These devices keep my complexion smooth and calm without battering it in the process.

Clarisonic Mia

A mild cleanser and this sonic brush keeps my pores clear and my skin smooth without scrubbing or harsh exfoliants. I love that something this gentle can have such dramatic impact.

Honeywell Easy-to-Care Cool Mist Humidifier

One rule I’ve learned from dermatologists is that it’s nearly impossible to give your skin too much moisture. I run this humidifier three seasons of the year, but it’s a must in the winter to fight flakes and irritation.

 Talika Cream Booster

Admittedly this is a luxury, but Talika has aerospace science to back the Cream Booster’s claims. Using light, micro currents and vibration, this wand helps creams penetrate the skin. It’s a form of meditation for me to apply moisturizer and then use this to massage my face for a minute or two at night.

Philips Wake-up Light

What does an alarm clock have to do with my skin? Before I had this light, I could not drag myself out of bed. Every morning was rushed and stressful. And I looked like I could make a guest appearance in the Walking Dead – as a zombie. This uses light to wake me gradually. And when my alarm goes off, I feel more awake and alert. And I look well rested.

 Thanks, Liesa! Argan Beauties, do you have a fave beauty blogger? Let us know, and we'll do our best to feature him or her on the next installment of Chicological guest posts!

IN THE KITCHEN Mango Lime Detox Smoothie

If, like us, you did a little too much indulging over the holidays, give this yummy and healthy smoothie we found on Whole Living a try. It has coconut water to keep you hydrated as well as a pinch of cayenne to rev up your metabolism. Yum! 

Mango Lime Detox Smoothie

Serves 2

2 cups ripe mango chunks

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice 

2 cups unsweetened coconut water 

Pinch of cayenne powder

Combine all ingredients in a blender; blend until smooth.

Images via: Mai, Tumblr, Splurge

ECO TIPS Bedroom

What's better than snuggling up in your bed with a book, or sitting by your bedroom window with a cup of tea?In the spirit of making our quiet havens even more beautiful, here are our eco tips for getting your boudoir green and gorgeous. 

Bundle Up: Around this time of year, it can be tempting to crank the heat in your bedroom to make things a little cozier. But try putting a few extra blankets on your bed instead. Not only will it help keep your energy bill lower, studies have also shown that people sleep more deeply when the air around them is comfortably cool rather than steaming hot. 

HEPA Help: Think about it: you spend a huge chunk of your life snoozing away in your bedroom. So don’t you want the air you breathe while you snore to be the cleanest it can be? HEPA air purifiers can help—they pull impurities from the air and help prevent you and your family from developing allergies, asthma and sinus problems. 

Go Organic: You know how we love all things organic! Take a look at changing your bedding to an organic version. You spend a huge amount of time with your sheets and comforters, so upgrading to organic ensures that you aren’t breathing in toxins from your blankets as you sleep. We’re currently loving this organic cotton and linen set.  

Images via: Glamorous Chic, Elements of Style, Lovers in Vain

JOSIE LOVES City of Hope

I’ve been a huge fan of City of Hope since I found out about all they do for cancer patients. My Grandma Rita is a cancer survivor, so the life-saving research they do hits close to home for me. In fact, I have a product dedicated to COH—my Gogo Mascara. For every mascara sold, we donate one mascara and one dollar to City of Hope to support cancer patients and survivors. So when this organization that I love so much approached me to be one of their celebrity Citizens of Hope, I instantly said “YES!” Together with amazing philanthropists like Kieffer Sutherland, Archie Panjabi, and Taraji P. Henson, I’ll be spreading the word about City of Hope in an effort to help them make more life-changing breakthroughs in finding a cure for cancer.

For more information, check out City of Hope’s website or their Facebook page.

With love and so much hope,

Josie

PINTERESTING FINDS Love & Inspiration

In 2013, we’re all about spreading the love. And even though we adore Pinterest for finding sinful desserts and covet-worthy outfits, it’s also a huge source of inspiration for us. Check out some of the pins that currently have us by our heartstrings. And don’t forget to follow Josie on Pinterest for more! 

JOSIE ANSWERS What Complexion Products are for Me?

Hi Beauties!

Chicological reader Izzy asked for a guide to using her new Matchmaker Serum and Matchmaker Powder. To answer Izzy’s question, and give all my beauties an easy guide to JMC complexion products, I put together this little cheat sheet—just look for the finish and coverage you prefer for the perfect complexion cocktail.

Sheer to Medium Coverage with a Natural Finish: Argan Matchmaker Serum Foundation

My Matchmaker Serum Foundation is lightweight and coverage is at first sheer, but it’s very buildable so it can easily provide medium coverage if you prefer it. I like to apply mine with my fingertips after hydrating lightly with Argan Oil, but you can also use a foundation brush.  The finish is natural—skin looks glowing.

Medium Coverage with a Dewy Finish: Argan Tinted Moisturizer

My Tinted Moisturizer provides a little more coverage than most. It’s very hydrating, so if you’re a naturally hydrated skin type, you can skip Argan Oil underneath. I’m dry, so I apply Argan Oil first and then my Tinted Moisturizer with my fingertips. The finish is dewy—skin looks plump, hydrated, and healthy.

Medium Coverage with a Matte Finish: Argan Matchmaker Powder Foundation

This powder foundation is unlike any other—it has Argan Oil in it, so you don’t have to worry about that cakey look that a lot of other powders cause. It has medium coverage and provides a matte finish, absorbing excess shine. Apply it with one side of the included sponge, blending with the other side for an even finish.

Full Coverage with a Matte Finish: Argan Matchmaker Serum Foundation + Argan Matchmaker Powder Foundation

If you love full coverage, try my two Matchmaker products together. Apply the Serum Foundation to clean skin with fingertips, and then finish with a light dusting of the Matchmaker Powder using the included sponge.

Full Coverage with a Natural Finish: Argan Tinted Moisturizer + Argan Matchmaker Powder Foundation

The dewiness of the Tinted Moisturizer combined with the matte finish of the Powder Foundation is a lovely match. Apply Tinted Moisturizer first with your fingers and finish with a light layer of powder.

Voila! Instantly amazing skin that enhances your perfect natural beauty.

Lots of love,

Josie

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Image via Tumblr

GREEN YOUR ROUTINE Beauty Resolutions

Surprise! We talk a lot about beauty here at JMC. So as the year comes to an end, a lot of our lunch conversations have revolved around what’s to come for us in the New Year. We’re all hustling to get a ton of new products ready for our Argan Beauties, tweaking them to perfection and thinking a lot about how to make our community even stronger. But we’ve also been thinking about what we can do in our personal lives to make things a little more beautiful. Here are some of our beauty resolutions for 2013. 

More Me Time. Being selfish isn’t as easy as it sounds. We’re a pretty diverse group here at JMC—some of us are parents, some are spouses, some are the friends who always seem to be holding someone up. And all of us are fiercely devoted to our jobs. While juggling all of our different roles and responsibilities, it’s easy to forget to take a little time to nurture ourselves. We’ll be working hard to take a little bit more “me time” in 2013. Restorative yoga and meditation, here we come!

Use Less. As beauty junkies, it can be easy to load up on a ton of products, half of which go unused. In the spirit of consuming less, we’re going to try to pare down to just our must-haves, and get double-duty from multitaskers like 100% Pure Argan Oil, which acts as the perfect moisturizer for face, body, and hair.

Spread Love and Light. What are we without the ones we love? In 2013, we’re going to make the most of each interaction with our loved ones, and do more to strengthen our relationships. We’ll put away our phones and really listen. Being present in the moment will help us give our friends, family, and coworkers the love they deserve—even if we only have a few minutes!

What are your beauty resolutions for 2013 and how can we help?