Category Archives: Health & Beauty

OMG or OHN: Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Genius Waterproof Topcoat

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No smudge-proof, waterproof, water-resistant, claim has stood up to my oily lids. They cause every shadow, liner, and mascara to pool under my eyes so that I look like a zombie within an hour. This product has changed all of that when it comes to mascara! I can now use every single tube that has been collecting dust because I didn’t have the heart to throw them (and my money) down the drain. Not only does it waterproof my lashes, the spoolie also separates and de-clumps. Thank you, Anastasia, I can now wear ANY mascara with confidence!

Final answer: OMG! It’s amazing–a modern day miracle (for me).

Have you tried this product? If so, let me know what you think about it.

Cardio Trade-Off

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A lotof people have asked me to break down my sprint video after I posted it on Facebook, so here it is!

After all of the holiday eating and a super sinful cheat meals of soul food by-the-pound, the bf and I knew we had to go extra hard in the gym. We did our strength training first by working all of our muscle groups: arms, legs then core. Then we finished with some super charged cardio. We always do our weight training first and save cardio workouts to end or sessions. Why? Doing cardio beforehand would exhaust the body and cause one to not have as productive of a workout due to a depletion of energy stores (glycogen). Saving cardio for the end of a workout session allows the body to keep burning calories at a higher rate for 4-8 hours afterward. Also, this is a more efficient method for fat loss because it speeds up one’s metabolism and leaves the body feeling more energetic and refreshed throughout the day.

My sprints consisted of walking for 0.25 miles, then sprinting for 0.75 miles at 9.5mph. I did this until I completed one full mile of sprints.  (Usually, on days that are reserved for strictly cardio, I do this for three miles. ) Feeling great and sweating like crazy, I knew this cheat meal was well-earned!

Of course, as I write this post with a gut still full of terrible deliciousness, I know it’s back to my regularly scheduled programming of eating clean and training mean!  (Cue corny outro music)
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OMG or OHN (Oh, Helllll No!)?: A Review

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(Yes, there’s a lot of punctuation going on in my title.)

I really like Sephora’s own product line; from their lipsticks to their concealers, I’m a fan. So when the Sephora Collection Instant Radiance Foundation went on sale, it immediately went into my virtual shopping cart. I gave it a test run the day after it came in the mail, I was so excited. Want to see how this foundation stood up to the test? Then keepon reading! (This trial was done without primers, setting spray or powder in order to get an accurate feel for the product.)

First, let’s take a look at the naked face (please refrain from nasty comments, thank you) next to the face with freshly applied Instant Radiance Foundation, side by side, no filters no editing, no PhotoShopping—that would render the experiment pointless. Plus, I don’t use those things anyway.
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The coverage seems pretty natural, and I’d say the formula provides medium, buildable coverage with a semi-dewy finish. Although I prefer matte finishes, I like that this seems fresh and breathable looking. So now let’s see how it all looks after I apply Sephora Collection Perfecting Cover Concealer for my under eyes, and everything else I normally do.
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Much better, yet still natural (to me). My initial reaction to this foundation is that I like it, but I’m not in love with it. After a whole day of wear, I don’t like it one bit. Take a look at the oil slick my face has become:
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Mind you, I didn’t use a mattifying primer, a setting powder and/or spray—but I shouldn’t have to use all of that. There was a lot of transfer, and the formula broke down, visibly separating on the skin. I washedit ofimmediately after I took this picture.

Not wanting to give up hope, I tried this foundation again the next day, using setting powder AND spray. Did anything improve?
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As you can tell by the exasperated expression on my still greasy face, no, there was no improvement whatsoever. It was sliding off of my face, it oxidized and became darker, transferred like crazy, and the formula still broke apart. By the end of the day, the discoloration on my cheeks was starting to show as well. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

I highly recommend all oily/combination skin types to AVOID Sephora Collection Instant Radiance Foundation. Avoid it like it’s your pervy uncle during holiday family picture time.
Final verdict: Oh Hell No!
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From Ab to Fab: Part Deux

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So, on to the second portion of our workout.

I didn’t do legs this time around because they were already given a good going-over during JAB. So we finished the evening with abs. WordPress won’t let me upload my abs video, so here I am after my first set on the incline bench:

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After two more grueling sets, we were finished and famished.

It’s great having a workout partner; you motivate each other, challenge and push one another and make the time pass quicker. Your partner’s energy feeds you and vice versa. Not only that, it creates an even stronger bond than the one you may already share; it gives you something else in common and you are able to help each other reach your health and fitness goals.

Stay inspired and keep inspiring!

From Ab to Fab

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After a hard day’s work that left me feeling drained, I took one of my favorite cardio classes, aptly named JAB (cardio kickboxing), then met up with the bf for some strength training. We started off with arms as we usually do:

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(We did several more exercises, we just didn’t record them all.)
As you can see, we have a lot of fun while we workout, talking crap and making each other laugh.

I’ll post part two right away because, for some reason, WordPress won’t let me publish the rest of my workout…

Dust to Dustbin…? I Think Not.

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Picture it: You’re making up your face and carrying on as you do every day. The routine is running on autopilot when, while applying your brow powder/eye shadow/powder blush/face powder/bronzer, you all of a sudden get a case of the Butterfingers. Your palette crashes to the floor/sink/tabletop and powder fragments are everywhere. You shriek or moan (depending on your personal style) and dejectedly gather up all the pieces and clean up the mess.

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Don’t get angry and don’t throw it out! It can be saved! Rid yourself of the powder palette woes with this little trick:

*Add a few small drops of rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) into your broken powder makeup compact or case

*Re-form the mud-like mixture by smoothing it out and pressing it flat with your finger or the bottom of a spoon. You will know what to do naturally because you’re smart like that.

*Let it dry for a few hours or even overnight for best results.

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I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that this experiment worked. When I tested out my shadow to make sure nothing about it had changed, I was truly impressed. Why alcohol as opposed to water, you ask? Because alcohol is a gas, the vapor causes it to evaporate quicker and leaves the substance more solid and without residue, chemically speaking. The water would work temporarily, but break apart again into even tinier particles. Also, water on a product that is being used on your face would cause germs and bacteria to multiply—that’s a big no-no. For this reason, do not attempt this with hydrogen peroxide either, as it turns to water when exposed to air. And no need to worry; because you are using such a small amount of alcohol, it’s safe to use on your face, even if you have sensitive skin. Remember, most cosmetics have various alcohol-based ingredients already, another reason that rubbing alcohol works so well.

So  the next time you order makeup in the mail and it comes to your doorstep shattered, or your compact breaks in your purse, you’ll know exactly what to do. BONUS: create your own shadow and blush colors by breaking them on purpose you can mix them together! Makeup is supposed to be fun, yes?

 I thank my lucky stars that I paid attention in chemistry class. 😛

Weekend Workout

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Most Sunday mornings are reserved workout times for me and the bf to exercise together. We do weight training, which he is in charge of dictating. I start of with weighted squats and leg presses, then work all of our upper body muscles (all arm groups, back, chest).

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Then we engage inthe second part of our workout,  core and kettlebell training, also known as my responsibility. This is comprised of all of the ab groups, lower back, some more arms and legs, and cardio. Here’s a quick video of a combined deadlift with a jump squat:

A mix of strength training and cardio keeps you lean, builds muscle, and increases stamina. As with all things, balance is key.

If you’d like to see more videos/workouts or would like more health & fitness posts, please let me know and I’ll be happy to oblige.

True Love

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Brazilian Keratin: Where have you been all my life? This treatment is my new love, one that will most likely last a lifetime. It takes only 15 minutes to flatiron my hair once dry and the results are salon quality, even with my untrained hand.

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The entire process at the salon only took 1 hour and 15 minutes, but I was prepared for it to take 3 hours like everyone had warned me. First, they washed my hair and sat me under a dryer for a few minutes. Next, the stylist sprayed keratin on my hair in small sections to make sure every strand was saturated with it. Then she blew my hair dry with a round bristle brush. The final step was to flatiron my hair stick straight in order to seal in the keratin and flatten my curls into submission. I washed it out after the 72-hour required time period and am amazed with how my hair looks and feels! This was totally worth missing three workouts, even though I felt guilty at the time. Never before have my curls been so loose and soft. I thought they were pretty soft before, but now they are positively silky and smooth (boy, was I delusional). Take a look below to truly see the difference:

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Before, my curls seemed more firmly in place like natural ringlets, chunky curls if you will. Mind you, I wasn’t using gel, mousse, or hairspray, only curly hair pudding. And you can see how short my haircut seems due to shrinkage.

And then voilà!

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They have magically transformed into loose curls, almost waves, and I am still using the exact same hair pudding, Aunt Jackie’s. This pic (directly above) is of my hair the morning after the initial washout, un-styled (I gave it a side-part when it was still wet the previous night). I’ve never known what it was like to have frizz-free hair, no shrinkage, or concern about curl patterns being dependent on the weather. My hair has always changed from one moment to the next, subject to whatever atmosphere/air it absorbed. Today, it is super humid outside and I was sweating like crazy on my walk to work, worrying about how my hair would react the entire time. Wonder of wonders, when I got to the office and looked in the mirror I saw that my hair had totally kept its fabulosity! I can even run my fingers through my hair without destroying the curls or creating frizz and poof!

Seriously, who needs men when keratin, dark chocolate, peanut butter and working out exist in this world? Ok, ok. I exaggerate…a little…

The Little Jar That Could

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Hormonal? Stressed? Acneic? Say hello to my little friend! With a full belly and tired eyes from hours of tv watching and magazine/book reading, some nights I look in the mirror after washing my face to see, horror of horrors, a pimple (or two, or three, or several)! What to do, what to do?

Have no fear, sulfur ointment is here! I stumbled upon this little jar of wonder a few months ago while browsing my favorite amazon.com/marketplace at 2:00AM, my usual shopping time. Although it’s been around for years and people have been using sulfur to treat a multitude of skin and health/body issues, it never occurred to me to try it.  Thank the skin gods I did! I’m a believer, I tell you, a BELIEVER. I haven’t had any major breakouts since I’ve been using this, but if I see a bumpy road on the horizon I nip it before it even has a chance. This ointment has been a skin saver, a lifesaver even.

The icing on the cake? It’s cheap!

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If you have problem skin, I suggest you look into this treatment. It might help you like it helped me. If not, have no fear; I’ll be posting other skin savers in the future.

Toodles!

New Year, New Blog

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Thirty-five years sounds like enough time has passed that something new should occur in one’s life—a career shift, a lifestyle change, or maybe something smaller like a new hairstyle, a different look, or possibly even a new blog. This past year leading up to my personal holiday (today), I have achieved them all except for the new blog…until now! The quarter-life crisis has been overcome, now it is time for some sort of third-life renaissance. After vacillating over this decision for months, the pros have outweighed the cons and The Vickylicious has come to fruition. For those that have been following my Instagram page (instagram.com/thevickylicious), this site will be much more in depth than just pictures with hash tags. Here, the hash tags and images will actually be explained so you won’t think my mind is as muddled as each waffle (#) I throw up. Since my brain isn’t syrup just yet and I can still write coherently and form rational thought, please enjoy my ramblings, discoveries, experiments and the miscellany that compile my life.

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