Category Archives: Health & Beauty connection

A Spring Renewal Program from dawn til after dusk~

Posted on 04/30/2017 by | 1 comment
April is here~Spring is poising to enter into full bloom…did you notice how green and vibrant everything is becoming? I hope you’re enjoying rising with the sun to experience the fresh feelings of a bright Spring morning with its chilly dew-filled air leading into a perfectly warm day. Now is the perfect time to begin a Spring Renewal Program for health, vitality, and regeneration of your body/mind/spirit. Here is my day into evening SPRING RENEWAL PROGRAM with recommendations for health and beauty created especially for you~
At this time of year, our senses of sight and smell are delighted with the bloom of daffodils and tulips seen all around. Those flowers are the ones who hibernated in the ground during our colder months and are bursting forth now in bright array symbolizing once again re-birth and renewal. We should align ourselves with their example and radiate their beauty from within by honoring our bodies.
Here’s my Beauty Tip for May~ Go Outdoors first thing in the morning~ out on your patio, or on your balcony and BREATHE in slowly through your nose and out through your lungs via your mouth audibly at least 7 times to stimulate and balance all your chakras, and therefore, all your body systems. Next, do some easy stretching along with this focused breathing. If you also then do yoga poses for 15-20 minutes, you will feel even more energized.
Begin your morning with a glass of pure, warm water with a wedge of lemon added, or with a shot of a highly active probiotic like “Good Belly” (see my Health Tip of the month in my next NOTE). Wait to feel the effects, and follow after 20-30 minutes with a freshly squeezed juice or a lovely Blueberry Coconut Milk Smoothie*~this can be as easy as adding 1/3 cup of fresh or frozen organic blueberries with a cup of organic coconut milk to your blender; adding half a banana or 1/3 cup of diced mango adds both substance and extra nutrients to this nutritious drink. If you wish, add one Tablespoon of protein powder.
Start your day on the right, healthy track and it will surely continue that way. So, in an hour, savor a fresh, bright orange Papaya with cottage cheese for a high protein breakfast.
Skip the coffee, and, instead, take a fresh brewed herbal tea (warm or lightly-iced) to go with you on your busy day. Yogi Teas~ available in health food and many grocery stores are the best in my opinion for purity and effective combinations of herbs, flowers and spices, and they taste wonderful too.
Remember to eat some high quality protein for Lunch. This warmer Spring season is perfect for eating freshly grilled fish and a green salad with a light coating of olive oil, lemon and herbs.
Make it an early Evening Ritual to put your tootsies in a comfortably hot water and epsom salt footbath laced with just a drop or two of organic Lavender essential oil while you enjoy a vegetable juice “cocktail” which is an extremely healthy powerburst to your Immune and Digestive Systems~much livelier (alive!) than a plain old glass of vino…plus the juice “cocktail” will keep your figure improving.
Dinner can be light and full of greens~ steamed kale, spinach, broccoli and a baked yam make for a satisfying end of your day food-wise.
Before Retiring, thoroughly unwind with a soothing Bath or Shower using fun, holistic bath and body products for Spring. The Lotus Wei line has some incredibly active, organic, and yummy~smelling Aromatherapy Mists, Elixirs and Serums that create mental and emotional states equivalent to their names like Quiet Mind, Inner Peace, Joy Juice, Inspired Action, Radiant Energy, Infinite Love~truly exceptional!
Slumber peacefully and renew your entire being overnight after being replenished on a deep level with organic flower essences and real gem essences. Find them here: https://shop.lotuswei.com/collectio…
I also love the Bath, Body and Anointing Oils from Napa Valley au Naturel.
These skin revivers from traditional style high quality exfoliating and hydrating *Body Scrubs~ https://www.etsy.com/listing/104139…
https://www.etsy.com/listing/104143…
to refreshing and purifying your entire home (or work environment) with a delicious uplifting Seasonal *MIST~ Be sure to spray your bathroom too before you indulge in your evening ritual because it really can be your Personal Beauty Retreat when you pre-set the mood for relaxation and renewal~
https://www.etsy.com/listing/508581…
to wonderful smelling and nurturing *ANOINTING OILS~ https://www.etsy.com/listing/937361…
https://www.etsy.com/listing/229771…
and an especially created *Body/Mind SOOTHING BLEND to assist you in peacefully transitioning to a restful sleep~ https://www.etsy.com/listing/922471…
By engaging yourself in my inner and outer holistic Body Renewal Program during Springtime, you are working with the natural seasons and positively affecting your entire being–we all want to feel HEALTHY and ALIVE at this time of year.
Follow my program and you’re sure to benefit in all the ways you’re meant to for a restored, relaxed, and full of focused energy SELF for Spring and beyond. My last important rec is for you to really enjoy this special time of year, wear sunblock, a cute hat, and lipbalm everyday.

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Posted in Beauty Advice, Health & Beauty connection, Seasonal Recommendations

Step Three of your Winter into Spring Skin Care Regimen, Hydrate in Layers, part 2~your Oil Serum layer

Posted on 03/11/2017 by | 2 comments
Step Three of your WINTER into SPRING SKIN CARE REGIMEN~ Hydrate in Layers, continuing with part 2~ Choosing an OIL SERUM to achieve a beautiful, moist and nourished complexion for Springtime~
If you’ve been following me on the Beauty Walk here, you’ll know that I began to teach you in Late Autumn then transitioned into a Winter program giving you step by step instructions on how to counteract this dry, dehydrating and cold season of Winter, and now we’re transitioning from Winter into the first weeks of pre-Spring. I’ve taught you my practical and experienced lessons on how to care for your skin at this crucial season–Winter–by writing out in detail a successful guide to taking good and gentle care with your one and only precious skin. Read on to see links to my previous NOTES below where I describe Step One through Step Three, part 1, of my Four Part professional system for a complete SKIN CARE REGIMEN that takes Seasonal and Climate variations into consideration.*
Since the early days of March at the New Moon, we’ve entered another transition time which requires that you slightly modify your day and evening skin care regimen from Late Winter into Early Spring in order to keep your daily skin care regimen/RITUAL up-to-date as well as get into sync and complement what is happening in your personal environment as far as weather, air quality with its humidity or wind-chill factor is concerned, and especially become aware of your bodily transitions during this period between Late Winter into Early Spring.
Remember, the phrase of “…those will be helped who help themselves?” Well, Nature and our own often-forgotten, yet always there, BODY RHYTHMS will usually give us a cleanse either because 1) you’ve assisted your body with its own natural, season-induced CLEANSE by employing proper, easy, and gentle detox methods…or because, on the other hand, 2) you’ve neglected to follow MOTHER NATURE’S RHYTHMS and therefore, self-inflict yourself with colds, allergies, and sluggishness of body, mind and spirit.
This is because our bodies are overloaded and somewhat clogged by the past months’ slower pace, holiday and daily eating of heavier (and often less) fresh market food and substitution of some fresh foods with easier stored and prepared pantry foods. And, unless we carefully adjust with seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, and light or no dessert, our diet has almost subconsciously been seasonally adjusted to keep our bodies warm and our tummies full. Settling in with a good book and a glass of vino as you read this? Oh,oh, more carbs and sugar!
Yet, only the very disciplined can resist the comfort of warm bread, delicious cheeses, potatoes, and baked goods when the wind is blowing and temperatures drop so low during a long Winter’s evening–are you one of these people? I know I’m not really good at resisting temptation. So, when the season of Winter is coming to a close and our body’s overload happens, if you forget  (or worse, resist)  SELF-CARE methods such as the easiest and well-known method of doing a daily Gentle Detox first thing in the morning–the warm to slightly hot LEMON WATER RITUAL with its LIVER cleansing properties–you experience the often unpleasant result of system overload…and then what’s your body to do? BE PRO-ACTIVE…see my post: https://www.facebook.com/simplynirv…
And you may be wondering–“What does this have to do with my skin care regimen for Spring?”  My methodology is HOLISTIC, that is, my knowledge and advice encompasses taking our entire being~ Body/Mind/Spirit ~into consideration when recommending protocols and products…so please continue reading if you’d like to learn more.
After gentle cleansing, misting or toning, and then applying the first layer of your Hydrate in LAYERS protocol–the light, liquidy SERUM Layer (see link below), IMMEDIATELY FOLLOW with the second layer in my protocol, the OIL SERUM Layer, the layer that guarantees a moist, hydrated, repaired and re-juvenated appearance to your Winter-weary complexion. Today, I will give you instructions on How-To apply and what to look for in OIL SERUM, and in another NOTE, I will give you my recommendations to my favorite products in this category.
Delicious OIL SERUMS whether smelling of their own carrier oil goodness, or lightly fragranced with real, pure essential oils is a BEAUTY RITUAL known since ancient times to prevent dryness and preserve a less-lined look to the skin because of their nourishing and replenishing properties. Plant-based OILS contain natural vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and lots of other great components for keeping skin both beautiful and HEALTHY.
This is because our skins by their very composition are Oil Loving! Our skins’ sebum is what keeps it lubricated and protected NATURALLY from bacteria; Our skins’ LOVE OIL~ our pores (really not “pores” but technically sebaceous glands, and not our sweat glands either) actually readily absorb and appreciate natural plant oils as the best and most beneficial moisturizing ingredients we can utilize–only if they are truly fresh and good ORGANIC OILS, and not heavy molecule ones like coconut oil, or clogging, synthetic ones like mineral oil–in order to function optimally allowing the skin to become Normal/normalized, the most sought-after skin type whose dewy, glowing, baby-like soft and radiant appearance is the condition that is strived for, and for which lots of money is out-laid for, to gain and maintain that just about perfect look we admire so much.
HOW-TO APPLY  an OIL SERUM~  Use either a third of a small glass dropper full, or 2-3 pumps of your selected  OIL SERUM which usually comes in a Glass Bottle into the palm of one hand, and use the fingertips of your other hand to press some of the oil onto your fingertips until most of the oil serum is on the fingertips of both hands. Then begin to apply in slow, gentle sweeping movements from the center outwards of your cheeks, forehead, chin, jawline and nose in that order.  Blend in lightly until you feel most of the oil blend has been absorbed into the top layer of your skin, then apply an equal amount or more to your neck and décolleté in lightly downward movements from under your jaw down with gentle and light pressure towards your collarbones.  Finish with sweeping movements across your décolleté and shoulders.  You must treat your entire facial area in order to retain a youthful countenance…both the right products and your ritual daily face massage will both stimulate lymph flow and assist circulation which are key to skin’s health and appearance. Leave on just the barest slight layer of oil so you may FOLLOW with the 3rd and final layer…your more occlusive cream layer/barrier.
Your daytime CREAM will become your 3rd layer (a future NOTE forthcoming) applied right after the OIL SERUM has absorbed…I suggest about 1 to 2 mins allowance time before applying the third layer…with enough of a slip and glide feeling left comfortably on your skin’s surface to form a semi-occlusive final layer over both your previously applied liquidy serum and oil serum layers. This is the application method I highly recommend to keep your skin protected and hydrated for the whole day and again, overnight, after your EVENING Ritual.
By repeating this cleanse, mist, layering system in the Evening, you will not only refresh yourself and prepare for a restorative sleep, you will prepare your skin to do its own restoring and repairing work overnight by providing a “breathe-able” yet very moisturized environment for your skin to repair free-radical damage and balance itself into the normal skin that is naturally ours. BE SURE TO APPLY the layering steps to your Neck and Décolleté areas also–this is crucial to maintain a total countenance that looks and remains refreshed and youthful.
*And be sure to check out my NOTES which appeared in the last few months on my Simply Nirvana Facebook page as well as on my Blog~ Your Skin Advisor at WordPress: https://yourskinadvisor.blog/ to review all the STEPS so far–remember my motto–BE BEAUTIFUL NATURALLY!
Step One~ Cleanse GENTLY: https://www.facebook.com/notes/simp…
Step Two~ Mist LIBERALLY: https://www.facebook.com/notes/simp...
Step Three~ Hydrate in LAYERS, step 1:  https://www.facebook.com/notes/simply-nirvana/step-three-of-your-winter-skin-care-regimen-hydrate-in-layers/735149343311974

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Posted in Beauty Advice, Health & Beauty connection, Holistic Skincare, How to's, Seasonal Recommendations

A new modality for wellness via Flower Power

Posted on 01/30/2017 by | Leave a comment

An informative interview with the creator of modern flower essences/elixirs for raising and fine tuning your outlook, creativity and mind/body connection. See the paragraph just below the link for my special for February with direct link to these exceptional products ~

http://www.buro247.sg/lifestyle/health-fitness/flower-elixir-lotus-wei-katie-hess-interview.html

Use my code: SIMPLYNIRVANA for 20% off any order ***only thru the end of FEB*** of these transformative, plant-dervided flower essences that enhance your moods, lift your spirit and inspire creative action and updated perspectives.  The  Lotus Wei collection includes Tinctures, Mists, Serums, and Perfumes plus specialty products~ www.lotuswei.com/

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Posted in Fine Aromatherapy Brands, Health & Beauty connection, Holistic Skincare, How to's, Mary's Must~Haves, Niche & Exclusive Beauty, Wellness Trends

How to rate your Spa Experience

Posted on 01/11/2017 by | Leave a comment
My commentary on what’s the difference between a great Spa and those that are so-so in an article called “Why Good Spas Go Bad” from December 28th 2012 by Spalicious at wordpress.com.
Please read this article~ I have posted a comment at the end of the article and although it is several years old, it will always be applicable regarding this pertinent topic…see what I have to say with my background as the creator of the first Aromatherapy Spa in Corona del Mar CA 1992~
https://spaliciously.wordpress.com/…
 also posted on my professional Facebook page~

https://www.facebook.com/notes/simply-nirvana/my-commentary-on-whats-the-difference-between-a-great-spa-and-those-that-are-so-/716031818557060

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Posted in Beauty Blog, Exotic Desination Spas, Health & Beauty connection, Holistic Skincare, Wellness Trends

The top Wellness Trends of 2017

Posted on 01/01/2017 by | Leave a comment

Find out how to make your New Year the best in regards to your health of body, mind, spirit including self-care, fitness, relaxation, and fulfillment~

https://www.wellandgood.com/fitness-wellness-trends/

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Posted in Beauty Blog, Health & Beauty connection, Holistic Skincare, Natural Beauty, Wellness Trends

Feng Shui your bathroom to transform it into your personal Beauty Retreat

Posted on 12/22/2016 by | Leave a comment

A great way to invigorate the New Year~

Re-vamping your bathroom into your refreshed and practical BEAUTY RETREAT will bring an awareness of what you really resonate with in regards to your personal Beauty Regime and will re-new and re-fresh your outlook about yourself in a positive way.

https://www.facebook.com/notes/simply-nirvana/feng-shui-your-bathroom-to-transform-it-into-your-personal-beauty-retreat/703373239822918

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Posted in Feng Shui Tips, Health & Beauty connection, Holistic Skincare, How to's, Wellness Trends

Recommendations for a Winter Glow…the basics to get started~

Posted on 12/18/2016 by | Leave a comment
Here are some of my BEAUTY SECRETS to assist you in getting started on a new SKIN CARE REGIMEN in 2017~
 #1–Make your skin care regimen a pleasant and nurturing daily ritual by having all your products organized on your bathroom counter in the exact order you will use them–early in the morning or late at night, you’ll be glad you did 🙂 A pretty container like a rustic basket, or a mirrored tray to hold your facial products will bring a sense of order and a feminine touch.
#2– Many people wash their face in their basin or shower in the AM, and neglect to do so in the PM which is the totally wrong approach. No matter how tired or distracted you are before bed, ALWAYS clean your face, neck, decollete and around your ears gently and thoroughly at the end of the day. I like to do this in the early evening so I’m all ready for my beauty sleep and can just drift off peacefully.
#3– Please do not use harsh glycolics, grainy scrubs or retinol-based cleansers at this time of year. I personally do not like these type of cleansers in the long run at any time of year and advise my clients to get a series of relaxing professional facials if they want to repair and restore their skin properly after the damaging effects of Summer sun exposure. Make sure your esthetician correctly assesses your skin type and condition and does not advise aggressive treatments.

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Posted in Feng Shui Tips, Health & Beauty connection, How to's

Bring Aromatherapy into your Everyday life~

Posted on 12/18/2016 by | Leave a comment

How the art & science of this wonderful healing modality can be safely and effectively brought into your everyday life.  Diffusing the oils throughout the Winter months is especially effective for purifying the indoor air in your environment and keeping your Respiratory System healthy.

http://www.linkedin.com/hp/update/6216022987020255232

https://www.facebook.com/notes/simply-nirvana/bring-aromatherapy-into-your-everyday-life/700002823493293

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Posted in Beauty Blog, Health & Beauty connection, How to's, Wellness Trends

Lavender Fields Forever~

Posted on 11/30/2016 by | 2 comments

I really love and highly recommend the ESTATE COLLECTION from the Purple Adobe Lavender Farm. Their wonderful organic lavender oil (an item that should be in everyone’s medicine cabinet as an all-purpose remedy) is organically-grown at the gorgeous  Purple Adobe Lavender Farm, Abiquiu, New Mexico– Click on this link~ https://www.facebook.com/Purple-Adobe-Lavender-Farm-Abiquiu-New-Mexico-308107313851/ to visit their Facebook page and here is the link to their site: http://www.purpleadobelavenderfarm.com/…

Read the following to get an idea of the quality of their fine products and to find the link below to order from their BELLE ESSENCE Estate Collection:

Here’s a quote from Elizabeth, the owner: “Our Lavender Essential Oil is pure, undiluted 100% lavender essential oil. Our lavender oil has been tested in a lab and we are aromatherapy rated. There are so many different uses for lavender essential oil. Lavender essential oil is a natural calmative to the body, and the system as a whole. You can use it in your bath, or to scent your pillow at night and help you get a restful nights sleep. You can use it on insect bites, especially mosquito bites, or even use it in your rinse cycle of your clothes washer for a clean fresh result. The benefits go on. Visit our sister web site at www.belleessence.com for a free download of “10 BEST WAYS TO USE LAVENDER”.

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Posted in Beauty Blog, Fine Aromatherapy Brands, Health & Beauty connection, Healthy Skin Care Products, Mary's Must~Haves, Natural Beauty, Wellness Trends

Natural Botanical Perfumes for Late Autumn into Winter~ smell divine

Posted on 11/30/2016 by | Leave a comment

Si vous plait, check out my personal favorites for the season.  I receive so many compliments when I wear these perfumes based on and created from the incredibly gorgeous flowers, herbs, and resin gifts from Nature~

http://genieinabottle.ca/Genie_in_a_Bottle/2016_Prana.html

http://genieinabottle.ca/Genie_in_a_Bottle/Amber_Chypre_Fougere_Perfumes.html

http://esscentualalchemy.mysupadupa.com/collections/autumn-spice/products/autumn-spice-eau-de-natural-parfum

http://esscentualalchemy.mysupadupa.com/collections/lumberjack-man/products/lumberjack-man-natural-botanical-cologn

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.essentialbodywisdom.com%2Fproduct-category%2Faumaromas%2F&h=sAQEsVuhz

https://www.etsy.com/listing/275573942/our-lady-perfumeanointing-oil-for?ref=shop_home_active_6

https://www.etsy.com/listing/289082811/the-re-goddessing-collection-4-14oz?ref=shop_home_active_9

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Posted in Beauty Blog, Exquisite Natural Perfumes, Fine Aromatherapy Brands, Health & Beauty connection, Mary's Must~Haves, Natural Beauty, Niche & Exclusive Beauty, Seasonal Recommendations, Wellness Trends