Mind Your Oral Health: Your Body Will Thank You

Hey Finessees.  Joi at rxfitnesslady invited me to participate in a mini blog challenge.  Todays challenge was to  vlog, video, or podcast.  I decided to share 5 VIDEOS (pow Joi!) on oral health.   Below you will find videos that I recommend frequently while seeing patients.

Good oral hygiene results in a mouth that looks and smells healthy. This means:

• Your teeth are clean and free of debris
• Gums are pink and do not hurt or bleed when you brush or floss
• Bad breath is not a constant problem

If your gums do hurt or bleed while brushing or flossing, or you are experiencing persistent bad breath, see your dentist. Any of these conditions may indicate a problem.

Your dentist or hygienist can help you learn good oral hygiene techniques and can help point out areas of your mouth that may require extra attention during brushing and flossing.

How is Good Oral Hygiene Practiced?
Maintaining good oral hygiene is one of the most important things you can do for your teeth and gums. Healthy teeth not only enable you to look and feel good, they make it possible to eat and speak properly. Good oral health is important to your overall well-being.

Oral Health Basics

How to Brush

Learn the technique recommended for the best cleaning.

Watch "How to Brush" video

How to Floss

Find simple instructions for effective flossing.

Watch "How to Floss" video

Toothbrush Mystery

Head to the toothbrush aisle with confidence. Learn how the differences in brushes may be better suited for your unique needs.

Watch "Toothbrush Mystery" video

How to Freshen Bad Breath

Uncover the causes behind common bad breath and how you can fight them through simple changes to your daily oral care routine.

Watch "How to Freshen Bad Breath" video

Cramming

Find out why cramming for your next dental check-up won’t work and learn simple steps you can take in between visits for a healthier mouth and a better check-up.

Watch "Cramming" video

LIVING WITH FINESSE: FINDING YOUR PASSION

Hey Finesses! Have you ever sat down and thought what is my purpose in life?  What is my passion?  Finding and claiming something you love will have an amazing effect on your life.  Here are questions to ask yourself to help you find your passion:

• TAKE TALLY OF YOUR TALENTS:  What are you naturally good at that you don't mind doing.  Discovering these things is a great way to unearth potential passion.  Please note that you don't have to be good at something to be passionate about it for it to qualify as passion.  You don't ever have to earn a penny either.  Talent is simply a clue to a possibilities.

• PAY ATTENTION TO WHO OR WHAT MAKES YOU JEALOUS OR ANNOYED:  Upon closer inspection, is it that you wish you could live your life in that fashion?  Whether we like to accept it or not, we are often envious of the people that are living out our passions. 

• WHAT DID YOU LOVE TO DO AS A CHILD:  This may be the easiest way to unearth your passion.  Before the big people get to them, most children know exactly who they are and what makes them happiest.  Obsessed with animals--veterinarian, Dress Up- sign up for acting classes in your free time.  Finger painting-sign up for art classes. Sang all the time? Join a church choir

• WHAT ARE YOU DOING WHEN YOU LOSE TRACK OF TIME, OR WHAT DO YOU HATE TO STOP DOING:  No brainer here...my guess it is something that you have full fledge passion for.

Finally open your self to the possibility.  Don't be afraid to get it wrong.  Look at  your search for passion as an adventurous journey.  You will learn more about yourself and grow.  Take note of what you loved and made you feel like a kid again.  Now go find your PASSION, because a passionate life is a #finessedlife!!!!

As I live life, my passions evolve but these seem to be constant

Talk About It Tuesday

Hey Finessees!  When I started this blog a few months ago, my intentions were to use it as a means to share room makeovers in my home( see those here, and here), health tidbits, financial empowerment,  and lil bit of fashion.  MyFinessedLife has truly jump started my creative side and taught me new things about myself.

Those topics are such a small part of my life.  Going forward, my posts may at times  be random or have a more inward focus-meaning I may be more reflective of my own personal finessing.

Thanks for your support and taking this ride on the finessed roller coaster as we grow (i.e. figure things out).

Neutral Ground: My "No MakeUp" Makeup Look

Hey Finessess!  Lately I've been getting emails inquiring about my make up routine referencing pics from my instagram account.  I am impressed by the stalking you're doing.  LOL

Joi over at rxfitnesslady.com has challenged me to a 7 day blog.  The first is to solve a problem for MyFinessedLife readers. Here's to hoping that this make up tutorial fits the bill.

1NYX Studio Perfect Primer, Clear, 1.0 oz/30ml
/ 2 Iman BB Cream  /3MAC 'Pro Longwear' Concealer / 4MAC Moisture Foundation/ 5 No7 Highlights Illuminator
/ 6 NARS Blush & Bronzer Duo/ 7 NYX Cosmetics Natural Eye Shadow Palette 
/ 8 Benefit They'Re Real! Mascara
/ 9 Buxom Lip Polish

Start with a clean face (cleansing previously posted here).

1. PRIMER Prime your face. Makeup lasts longer and blends better on a primed face.

2. BB CREAM If you have great skin, you can use BB Cream instead in lieu of primer and foundation.  BB cream aka beauty balm an all-in-one facial cosmetic that replaces serum, moisturizer, primer, foundation, and sunblock. It can be worn alone as a tinted moisturizer, over serum and moisturizer as a regular foundation, and under powder, depending on the desired amount of coverage.

3.CONCEALER Use concealer to mask dark circles, age spots and other small blemishes on skin.

4. FOUNDATION  Blend well!  This is key to looking natural.

5. ILLUMINATOR Illuminator brightens the face giving you a dewy youthful face.I put it down the bridge of my nose, just under my brow bone, and on my cheek bone.

6.BLUSH/BRONZER I smile and apply blush the the apple of the cheek. Then I suck my cheeks in and apply bronzer to the hollows for a more contoured effect.

7. EYESHADOW Keep eyeshadow simple. Choose a color one or two shades above or below your skin tone. Your goal is to only have a hint of color. 

8. MASCARA Add a few swipes of mascara

9. LIP GLOSS. Nude lips have come a long way. It doesn't have to be all brown. Choose a gloss or lipstick similar to your lip color. Choose caramel and pink for lighter complexions and cinnamon tones for darker complexions.  Sometimes I put foundation and clear gloss on the lips for a true neutral look.

Some of my neutral looks:

Summer Face

For spring and summer, my makeup goal is to look fresh faced...think summer glow.  Magazine ads although air brushed, make me green with envy!  The models have the perfect glow and no pores.  Aquiring this look is impossible  tough, especially after a long brutal skin drying winter.   My recommendations are a few tweaks with the change of season to whip that gorgeous face into shape:

(From Right to Left) Olay Fresh Effects S'wipe Out! Refreshing Make-Up Removal Cloths / Decleor Aroma Cleanse Fresh Purifying Gel / Clarisonic Skin Cleansing System

(Left to Right) Cane + Austin Retexturizing Treatment Pads  / Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel Full Strength / Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Peel & Reveal Revitalizing Mask

(Right to Left) Origins Out Of Trouble™ 10 Minute Mask  / Juice Beauty Organic Facial Rejuvenating Mask / GLAMGLOW Super-Mud Clearing Treatment  Healthy glowing  skin is soooo #finessed.  

New Music Tuesday: Lauryn Hill

Hey Finessees!  It has been a minute since Lauryn Hill has released new material.  But the wait is over! "Neurotic Society (Compulsory Mix)" is nothing like I've ever heard by Miss Hill...I don't like it.  Perhaps it will grow on me?  I had to listen to it a few times to catch all that she is saying 0_o.  She's rapping allegro no pretissimo. She had a lot to say!

Hill pleaded guilty to charges of tax evasion for failing to file tax returns for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007. Lauryn took to Tumblr stating that she had gone “underground” in order to live without “being manipulated and controlled by a media protected military industrial complex with a completely different agenda.  (-_- ) IJS

On 6 May 2013, Hill  received a 90 day sentence for tax evasion.  Her prison sentence is slated to begin July 8th.  Hill made the following statement comparing her situation to slavery. She told the judge:  

"I was put into a system I didn’t know the nature of. … I’m a child of former slaves. I got into an economic paradigm and had that imposed on me… I sold 50 million units … now I’m up here paying a tax debt. If that’s not likened to slavery, I don’t know what is.

She followed up on those statements in court, saying, “I needed to be able to earn so I could pay my taxes, without compromising the health and welfare of my children, and I was being denied that.” I can guarantee you her lawyer flat lined after she said this.  LOLBVS!!! 

Oh sometimes my brothers and sisters are so deep that they go soo far in the rabbit whole that there is no way back.  COMPLETE FAIL...but I digress.  Any who, here is the song.  What do you think? 

Le Sigh...Drugs? Mental Illness? Wyclef? or Folded Under Pressure?

Going Gatsby

It seems everywhere I turn, I see a woman sporting a roaring 20's bob.  I am a huge fan of bobs and wore my hair during my teen years in an asymmetric bob.  Love the do but just not willing to cut my hair in all those layers EVER again.  Here's how to get a glam bob without cutting your hair.

HOW TO STYLE YOUR HAIR IN A FAUX BOB:

• Create a deep side part above the arch of one of your eyebrows
• Using a one inch flat iron, curl your hair from the temple down, then brush for loose waves.
• Tuck and pin hair in a bun at the nape of your neck to create a faux bob, then pull a few front strands loose.