Here is a quote from one of many emails that I receive almost daily on the subject of men wearing nail polish. I thought I would share with you the messages we been doing back and forth because I think its an important enough subject to do so.
I do hope you will leave your comments, I would love to hear what you think as well!

To answer your question I’m a straight 30 year old man with a girlfriend.
I’ve been wearing nail polish for about 2 & half years now.
I pretty much wear nail polish on my toes all the time, but I’m not confident enough to show my toes in public
I wear nail polish on my fingers on & off mainly at weekends due to work:-(
I’m not 100% confident wearing polish on my fingers I do try & hide it unless I feel confident in the situation
My girlfriend is supportive but I just feel to nervous. Any advice???? ~ M

Now I had to really think about this question, some guys have no problem what so ever going out in public wearing nail polish in all kinds of crazy colors. With so many colors to pick from I’m not surprised at all. BUT most of these guys are wearing nail polish on their toes, not their fingernails and that is where the problem lies. You can hide your toes in a pair of shoes, you can’t hide your fingernails.

So what if you really really want to wear nail polish in public on your fingernails, where do you start? Well it always helps to have a partner who is supportive of the idea.

If she is open to the idea of you wearing nail polish in colors on your nails, then here is what I would do..
I would get a manicure done, a really nice one, with wax, massage the works! Then I would start with a basic nude color.. something that is barely there. No glitter (glitter on a guy just don’t seem to work for me) Once you become used to a nude color, I would start with something maybe sheer with color.. something that is a guys color.. like Widow Maker or John Smith with the idea of wearing a color that doesn’t jump out at you. Then work your nerve up to Coal Miner and really rock out your nails with Adam

***Now in M’s case I think he needs to get used to the idea of wearing nail polish on his toes before he starts with his fingernails. Sometimes we feel like everyone is looking at us, when really they are not. ***

If you are going to wear nail polish guys, here are a few points for you:

But if you are going to wear polish on your fingernails or toenails there are a few things I say you got to do. If you got hairy toes, then shave them. Keep your toes clean, and get pedicures done.

Your fingernails? Keep your nails looking nice, the worse thing to see if a guy with bitten off nails, hard cuticles, dry hands. Like ladies your hands are just as noticed. CEO’s of companies get manicures done because it adds to their professional look overall. They wear clear or just get their nails buffed to a nice shine.

Wearing nail polish is just another way to show off your sense of style. The fact I sell nail polish has nothing to do with how I think or feel about the idea. I see nothing wrong with it.
I would rather see a nice looking pair of fingernails with a color on them over all that markings you can put into your skin. You can change your polish, removing a tat? Well good luck..

Whenever you want to talk about wearing polish, as you see I am here for you.
Think of me as your friend who just happens to sell nail polish.
Thanks for your question M, you made my day!
Kim Snyder
PS: I thought this way about nail polish even before I started selling nail polish for men.

The best Brands for men that are totally awesome are BB Couture for men and here’s a shout out to another awesome brand ManGlaze..

Can what you eat improve your looks? The answer is yes and here are some reasons why.

Finding skincare products that give us more value for our money can be hard at times. Not only do we want a good price but we want products that do more than one thing. Example makeup primer, we want one that hides our imperfections and yet help our foundation stay put longer. Who doesn’t want Lots of value added features in everything, not just skincare?

So what are we looking for, in a beauty-food connection?
For starters hair benefits like looking better, management, growth, even volume can all be improved by what we eat.
Nails like our hair the key benefit we want is strengthening. Who hasn’t had to fight with weak, breaking nails? I know I sure have!
So what the foods we can eat that better how we look?
It has been long known that biotin can help your hair and nails. Biotin can be found naturally in eggs, peanut butter, oats and liver. (no you can’t make me eat liver either) If you have a biotin deficiency it can cause your hair to become dry and brittle as well as your nails.

Having dry skin I have always wondered if what I’m eating or not eating affects how my skin looks and feels overall. Did you know that you may get dry skin relief from eating foods like walnuts, flaxseed and salmon?
What they do is add hydration from within. That’s why if your skin looks dry or feels dry it could be your amount of water you are drinking isn’t enough. Let’s not forget what stress, smoking and the lack of sleep can do either.

Fighting fine lines? Did you know that fine lines may be reduced by eating cucumbers and other high water content foods? What they do is pretty cool. What they do is get into your skin cells better than just water can. They strengthen the cell walls which in turns plumps your skin cells and that can help reduce fine wrinkles. Just from eating cucumbers!
Next time you eat a salad, remember to load up on your cucumbers! They are helping your skin from the inside out!

It’s interesting to read up on what’s good for our overall look on the outside can be improved by what we eat.
So as you look at skincare products and you see all those fruits as ingredients that’s because the beauty product creators have found that they do work some on the outside as well.

You really are what you eat; don’t depend on just your skincare products to improve how you look on their own. Dry dull skin, hair and nails can all be linked back to what maybe lacking in your diet. Eat more natural, more fruits and veggs the better, you will feel better, means less trips to the doctors. And don’t forget to drink your water too!!

Copyright 2012 by Kim Snyder owner of Overallbeauty.com
Looking for some great books to find out more information about helping your skin with food? Check out these:
Solve Your Skin Problems (Optimum Nutrition Handbook)
Or
Skintervention: The Personalized Solution for Healthier, Younger, and Flawless-Looking Skin
I have a copy of this book
Simple Skin Beauty: Every Woman’s Guide to a Lifetime of Healthy, Gorgeous Skin

You may of heard of Hyaluronic Acid as a skin booster. Its happens to be one of the major ingredient found in some of the best Dermal fillers. But do you know what it really is? Or why its so important as a skincare product ingredient?
Did you know? Hyaluronic Acid is naturally found in your body’s connective tissues, and its used as a moisturizing agent in many cosmetics. As you get older your skin starts to lose its reserve of Hyaluronic Acid which helps you skin hold its water and its what helps give your skin its volume.
Its a question that is asked often of Mr. Strassler president and founder of Reviva Labs. In fact we are going to start having a monthly post about really great important information about skincare products and ingredients that you may of never heard of or wonder why its so important as part of your skincare. We all want to look younger longer right? But there is a lot of misleading information out there.. So we are going to start having a monthly post to help you understand better, why some ingredients work better and why others don’t.

How Hyaluronic Acid Works

So now let’s explain why HA is one of the most important ingredients in skin care. HA is the intercellular gel that acts like a molecular sponge. It absorbs and stores water from the liquids we drink and feeds moisture to skin cells via osmosis.

But as we age, sun and pollution’s free radicals damage and diminish HA and skin’s ability to retain sufficient water. With HA loss and the intercellular matrix inability to hold adequate water, skin becomes dry and rough and can eventually lead to wrinkles. Feeding skin topical HA in our creams and serums helps “bind” and add moisture to skin’s top layers. Most moisturizers feel good upon application but wear off in minutes; they don’t bind moisture. And HA moisture retention happens in any kind of weather – because it doesn’t depend on moisture in the atmosphere. It holds intercellular water from the liquids we drink. (We should drink 6-8 glasses of liquids a day.) For skin moisture, there is no ingredient more powerful than Hyaluronic Acid! When treating moisture-dry skin, skin care pros (aestheticians) look to Hyaluronic Acid.

And Dermatologists are injecting HA under the trade name “Restylane” to replace lost moisture and plump up skin tissue to fill in age lines, even scars … and give skin a softer, smoother texture.

Now Hyaluronic Acid is also one of the main ingredients found in Juvederm which is a Dermal filler and what it does is helps fill in the skin that are causing your skin wrinkles. Its not cheap and it doesn’t stay.

Now what you may not know is Reviva labs has three amazing products that have Hyaluronic acid in them, and if fact one is a serum that is just amazing!
Check out InterCell Hyaluronic Acid Day Cream & InterCell Night Gel With Hyaluronic Acid as well as Hyaluronic Acid Serum.
In fact Reviva Labs has a higher-potency Hyaluronic Acid Serum and Hyaluronic Acid Ampules (review coming soon) not only produce faster results but are ideal “layering” supplements under other types of anti-aging creams.

We would like to thank Mr. Strassler of Reviva Labs for his help in giving us a better understanding of what Hyaluronic Acid is and why its so important as part of our anti-aging skincare.
If you could ask Mr. Strassler any question about natural skincare products or ingredients? Leave a comment! It might be the topic of next month’s helpful post with help from a pro in the natural skincare business!

When I first started using Naturali face cream it took me back to the days of watching my mom apply her Ponds brand cold cream at night before going to bed. (the way it looks) I can’t even remember how old I was either. I learn my skincare basics from watching my mom take care of her skin. I remember with some brands of skincare back then you had to use a lot. I also remember thinking back that my mom’s problem was she tend to use too much and she would go to bed with almost a white clown face.
Flash forward a few years and now it’s my turn to apply a face cream only I’m using a far better face cream for sure!

Naturali face cream comes in very simple packaging, your white jar with a simple logo and the name of the product.
Naturali is a power packed face cream that a small amount is all you need. It’s imported by Monika Spruch and she has been using the product herself for years. She found out it and took the steps to bring here. “ her words”

On my recent trip to Europe, I got in touch with headquarters and manufacturers of Naturalis products in Europe, a long established and well known European company “Produkty Naturalne S.C.”, they’ve been around for over 20 years. I particularly was interested in very popular skincare line “Naturalis”, which contains Aronia Berry. Recently proven to be the new “superfruit” containing the highest concentration of antioxidants.

This age-defying cream restores radiance and youth to your face. Packed with natural ingredients one of which is betulin – derived from the bark of white birch trees to stimulate synthesis of collagen and elastin effectively delaying aging process. It aids in regenerating skin, shielding it from free radicals. Strong antioxidant. Vitamin E known as a “youth vitamin” slows down hormonal skin aging caused by low estrogen levels and diminishes fine lines and wrinkles. It intensely moisturizes and nourishes, improving the firmness of the skin and of the face contour. It is an innovative care cream for the mature complexion with lowered level of elasticity. You will benefit from using Birch cream with Betulin because it: moisturizes continuously to stimulate the skin cell regeneration. Firmer, more supple skin. Protects moisture loss, preserves youthful appearance and reduces face swelling, improves skin flexibility.

What is Betuli? It’s a extract from the bark of white birch trees. Stimulates collagen and elastin synthesis. Regulates the levels of water and lipids in the skin, restoring its balance. Protects against the factors which accelerate aging of the skin.
For your winter dry skin woes this face cream might be what you have been looking for. I found it to be too heavy for daytime use and it doesn’t have SPF In it so I had to double up on my face cream making my face look and feel greasy. So you need to be careful not to use too much. It’s a great cream for all ages! The brand itself only has a few items which is ok.
The major ingredient is Betulin which is from birch trees which is how it got its name. I personally like the light scent it has, not too heavy feel, ease of application, prefect for this time of year.
I use a serum, and eye cream by a different brand but I have noticed a little plumping to my skin after I apply Naturali face cream. Which I thought was really neat!!
Price: $35.95
You can get it here:
http://www.naturalisusa.com/

I’m still working my way through my jar so I can say for a fact it’s totally worth the money.

***This product in this review was provided to the reviewer for the purpose of writing a review. This in no way affects the quality of the review provided. No monetary exchange occurred in exchange for the writing of the review. The views expressed in this review are strictly that of the reviewer. All reviews provided here are the work of the reviewer and remain completely unbiased. ***

Good Monday to us all!
These natural beauty tips are all together in a article of my website here: 6 Natural Beauty Tips
I have just taken three and added them here:
Natural beauty has as much to do with what is going on inside you as it does what is going on outside of you. The stressors in our lives can show up on our faces, and even our hair and nails can all be affected. Here are a few beauty tips to help keep you feeling beautiful inside and out!

1-Learn to let go and practice deep breathing, it’s really easy to get so wired up that we forget to breathe. It’s time to make it a habit to constantly take in some deep breaths now and again especially if you are out in the open where there is fresh air. Deep breathing can help get a relaxed mind and help you take in much needed oxygen that can assist in the circulation of your blood. Sometimes to help you let go of stress and do that old count to three before you say anything is to take a deep breath in through your nose, hold it to a count of 10 and let it go out through your mouth. You will find that can be very helpful. Try it a few times and you will see how it can relax your mind as well as help get more air in.

2-Never be without a lip balm of some type. Using lip balm helps maintain the condition of your lips which in turn helps to enhance your natural beauty. No likes to kiss chapped flaking lips, and that means you too guys! So to keep your kisser ready to be kissed it is always best to carry a lip balm wherever you may go. Lip balm can prevent your lips from drying out by helping keep them moisturized.. Lip Balms are one of the best ways to prevent or cure lip chapping. With the right kind of lip balm, it can also soften your lips. Personal favorites? BLSoaps! And Vitamin E by Reviva Labs for nighttime lip care.

6-And last but just as important, looking for the newest most up to date beauty tips? Check out blogs. That’s right, you hear me, beauty bloggers will have the latest products, tips, how’s to than any beauty magazine will. And most bloggers look like you and me, and not all air-brushed into no longer looking believable.
Gone are the days were you would need to acquire the best information you had to go to your local department store about applying makeup. You can simply do it by accessing the internet, and checking out blogs about it. Lots of blogs are launched with topics related to makeup. Aside from offering informative articles, you can also post your questions on these blogs, which may be answered by the person behind it, or by other people who are visiting the site.
Yes you got it I am promoting this blog and any other blog out there that writes about beauty. Natural beauty at its best.. keep that natural glow ladies!
You can read this beauty article along with others at Http://Overallbeauty.com

What are your favorite beauty tips? How do you still feel beautiful on days when everything else seems to go wrong? Share!!
I get the best affordable photos here! 123RF Stock Photo

Back in mid Nov. 2011 the very nice ladies at White Apricot asked me if I would be interested in doing a possible review for their Green Grab Bag that they have. Now if you have ever been to White Apricot website you will find they are very big into all natural/organic products clothing etc. And they offer amazing deals on all kinds of natural/organic products. In fact the website was named one of Lucky Magazine’s “Five Eco Sites to Love” in 2010!
I’m thinking this would be so neat to test out a few brands I had never heard of possibly, so I agreed. Now a little information about the Green Grab Bag. The bag itself was only launched in October 2011. The response has been AMAZING. Bonny Osterhage and her partner, Carrie Pollare came up with the idea.

Here is a quote from their press release that I got:

OCTOBER 12, 2011 — In an effort to demystify the world of eco friendly beauty, White Apricot is introducing Green Grab Bag, a sampling program that, once a month, will deliver a sustainable jute bag, filled with natural, organic and vegan beauty product minis, into the hands of beauty addicts all across the United States.

Cocoon Apothecary Rosey Cheeks Face Cream from a company in Canada. Excellent for sensitive, dry and mature skin types. There was a coupon I could of used to get a full size jar and had I had time in Nov. I would of used it. A full size jar is $40.68 and it really calms your skin, help with dryness. I’m got bummed when I ran out of my sample.

I got a sample of a toner by Dr Alkaitis Skin Care. I’m not much of a toner type that really depends of the time of year. It was nice but not something I would buy.
Now the next item surprised me. It was two samples of a body crème by a company out of San Francisco called Maris. Now as a body crème goes it was quite lovely but the lack of any real scent was what surprised me. It says on the sample packaging the delightful citrus and mimosa scent will give you a life. What scent? Maybe I was expecting a stronger citrus scent than there is, I didn’t smell anything. So it’s not something I would buy for me.

I have always wanted to try Ferro Cosmetics so seeing I got a sample size in my bag made me really happy. The color sample I got is Autumn Kiss Glow Mineral Bronzer – Medium Tan. A really nice wearable bronzer that anyone could wear. It goes on really smooth but it goes have a little red to it. But being a Eco Couture 100% Pure Mineral Makeup I’m betting it doesn’t have carmine it. (I was right, I checked!) I would of had more fun with the brand if I had gotten a eye shadow. The Bronzer isn’t my color, its too dark.. but as a eye shadow? Yeah maybe it work.

I also got a face cleanser by Bambola called Acai Anti- Oxidant Cleanser. Very nice, not over drying at all. I’m going to have to look into more of what Bambola Beauty has to offer.

The last item is from Drop Essentials which offers pure aromatherapy and organic body care products.
What I got was a Dropwise Aromatic Mister that gives you a mist of spray that you can spray anywhere on your face, your hair anything in your world pretty much that needs a little freshening up.

From the packaging of the bag itself to what I got. Everything was clean, natural organic feel.

In fact most items came with a coupon code so if you liked the sample, then you can save a little on buying the full size.
If you are looking for a monthly bag of goodies with natural good for you products then Green Grab Bag is the way to go. You can find new brands you may have never heard of or get lucky and get a sample of a brand you have been curious about.
They will run you $15.00 a month and shipping is free! And you can save a little money by buying more than one month at a time too. You can find more information here:
http://greengrabbag.com/join-green-grab-bag/

***This product in this review was provided to the reviewer for the purpose of writing a review. This in no way affects the quality of the review provided. No monetary exchange occurred in exchange for the writing of the review. The views expressed in this review are strictly that of the reviewer. All reviews provided here are the work of the reviewer and remain completely unbiased. ***