It was a Friday night and I was on my way home from spending the day downtown. A woman in her 20's boarded the trolley and all eyes turned to her. Hair was fabulous, nails were fabulous, and the heels were oh, so cute. Her yellow halter top and white short-shorts matched her yellow and white heels. It was a bangin' outfit, except....
She was wearing the WRONG bra!
Ladies, please do NOT wear a regular bra with a halter top!
I really wish I could have taken a picture of this "what not to do", but it would have seemed very obvious what I was doing. She was sitting right across from me.
Her halter top cut very low in the back, so you can see all of her bra in the back. And it wasn't cute. It was just plain wrong. I'm all for making fashion statements, but it just didn't look right.
What this woman needed was Bring It Up Breast Shapers. I love this product because I can wear tube tops or halter tops without messing around with a bra. I always see women fussing with their strapless bra when wearing a tube top. I've had the same issues myself.
I tried out the Bring It Up Breast Shapers while wearing a tube dress and I absolutely love it. I thought I was going to have issues with it sliding down from the sweat (it was a pretty warm day), but they actually stayed put. It's an adhesive nipple cover and breast lift all in one. You put it on, lift, and you're done. I would show a picture demonstrating how easy it is, but for obvious reasons, I won't. The picture to the left is from the Bring It Up website.
However, don't do what I did while in the car at a stoplight. I wanted to make sure the Breast Shapers were still in place, so I started touching my breasts. Well, I look over and there was a man staring at me!
Shop for Bring It Up products by visiting: http://www.bringitup.com/.
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I recently signed up with 24-Hour Fitness because I've been feeling unmotivated to exercise. Besides that, I've grown a few inches around the waist and my jeans were started to feel a little snug. I finally decided that the belly fat must go. I set a goal to have a healthier, more fit body.
I started to gain wait on my belly just recently and thought maybe I was pregnant...but no, I'm not pregnant. So I did some research and discovered that belly fat is brought about by various factors.
What Causes Belly Fat?
One factor that causes belly fat is cholesterol intake. Excess cholesterol is converted to fat and stored in the belly. Another reason you can gain weight around the belly is obviously excessive eating and not watching what you eat. Another way people gain belly fat is genetically related. There are people with a thyroid glad that malfunctions and causes the body metabolism to be below optimum.
How to Lose the Belly Fat
The best way that I know to lose belly fat is to exercise. I'm not big on diets and have no desire to go on one.
Since fat can be accumulated by the failure of the body metabolism to burn excess fat, exercising only makes sense for me.
I know that many people say they do not have time to exercise, but I've noticed that 20 sit-ups every morning can go a long way in getting fat belly down. When I'm at the gym I use all the different machines to work my abs, and sometimes when I'm watching TV I'll do crunches.
Besides exercise, I've been more conscious about what I eat. I eat just enough to be satisfied and not to be "full".
Another technique I'm going to use to lose the belly fat is saying positive affirmations. I believe that you can create a new reality and mindset for yourself through the Law of Attraction. I've used affirmations for my business with success, so why not use positive affirmations to lose weight?
Do you currently have a goal to lose belly fat? What tips or advice would you like to share?
Read more of my thoughts on exercise and health...
Photo Credit: D Sharon Pruitt
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...Eve! Congrats for winning the Sea Babe Fine Silver Ring Giveaway!
Apparently Eve loves clothes, makeup, and contests ;)
Eve left a comment sharing this jewelry tip:"Don't wear a bold necklace and a bold earrings. That is too much. Also, you can put a ring on a chain and wear it as a necklace."
Stay tuned for more giveaways! I'll be having one next week for fun L'Oreal makeup ;) You can subscribe by RSS or via email in the right-hand column of this blog or follow @youarebeauty on Twitter.
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When it comes to perfumes and fragrances, I believe I've mentioned before that I prefer those that smell sweet and fruity. However, I must say that I've become more open to trying new scents as I realize that there are floral perfumes that are subtle and not overpowering - especially if those floral scents are combined with sweet scents.
Take, for instance, YSL's new scent, Parisienne. Be transported to the city of love and haute couture with this eau de parfume that oozes of romance and chic sophistication. Very feminine....Ultra sensual....
Check out the commercial for Parisienne featuring Kate Moss...
I was drawn to Parisienne because of the top notes of blackberry and cranberry. Add in the damask rose, violet, peony, patchouli, vetiver, sandalwood and musk and you have an interesting mix.
By no means am I a perfume expert, but I haven't smelled anything like this in quite awhile. It definitely adds new meaning to sweet and floral. I love that after it dries on the skin, you're left with just a hint of the scent and you don't smell like you slept in a bed of roses. It's a tad bit musky which reminds me of Opium, my mom's favorite classic.
Have you tried out YSL's Parisienne? What do you think?
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What better way to start off the week than to have a fun giveaway!
As many of you long-time readers know, I have a thing for jewelry. I've always believed that accessories and jewelry can make or break an outfit. I can walk out of the house naked, but I definitely make sure I'm wearing my sterling silver peace ring!
So, I'm happy to do this giveaway from Sea Babe Jewelry's sterling silver jewelry collection. One lucky winner is going to win the "Twenty Dollar, Fine Silver Hammered and Forged Ring" pictured here to the right.
There are two ways you can win this ring:
1. Leave a comment and tell us your tip on how to wear jewelry. If you do leave a comment, make sure to email maria [at] beautyiswithin [dot] net so that I can contact you if you are the winner. Please put "BIW Jewelry Giveaway" in the subject line.
2. Tweet about this giveaway to your followers. Make sure to reference "@youarebeauty" so I can be alerted of your tweet.
Giveaway Rules:
Kristin and David are the creators of the gorgeous Sea Babe Jewelry. This is what they say about their jewelry:
"...this shop appeals to those with a beachy, ethnic, multicultural style. Many women like to wear our jewelry as "everyday" jewelry, where they don't even take it off. I personally like to pile on a few Karma or Balance bracelets and wear them together. All the cute flower earrings go great with little dresses. They can "cutesy" up any outfit and bring a little bit of brightness to your day!"
When I asked Kristin about the inspiration behind her jewelry, she said, "I'm inspired by my surroundings, other cultures, and fashion in general. I like to make things that I myself would wear, so I can really stand behind my product. I am usually seen sporting my newest creation and people really respond well when they compliment something that you get to say you made yourself. I'm the type of person who gets a big creative push and I will do a bunch of creating all at once. This is when I get my best work done."
Click here to visit Sea Babe Jewelry's Etsy shop!
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If there's one beauty tool that you should invest in, it's a good, quality flat iron or curling iron. In the past I've made the mistake of buying a cheap-o flat iron and ended up really drying out my hair.
The Hana Professional flat iron is one that I'm currently using. It's a professional grade flat iron that makes me think that I'll never, ever go back to those regular cheap-o flat irons!
Hana uses ceramic plates for all their flat irons - which means frizz-free, shiny hair. The "Professional" model that I have comes with it's own carrying pouch for easy storage. It also comes in a tin case and has its own rubber mat so you can lay the iron down on.
What I like about this flat iron is that it's much lighter than the H2Pro flat iron that I reviewed last year. It's much easier to travel with because it is lighter. The Hana iron also glides down my hair very smoothly, plus I don't have to go over the same spot over and over.
The heat for Hana Professional is adjustable and ranges from 140 to 450 degrees. For my thick, course hair 450 degrees works perfectly.Hana also offers an iron cleaner to get rid of build-up from hair styling products. I normally don't put any products on my hair, so I've yet to use this - although I do have it.
If you really love your hair, then it's time to make that investment. Your hair will love you back ;)
Shop for Hana flat irons at Misikko or enter to win a Hana Mini! (Giveaway ends October 31, 2009). Read more...
Beauty Is Within is now officially on Twitter! I'll be tweeting about beauty and fashion news, product reviews, and having special giveaways once a week!
Click here to follow me on Twitter!
If you're looking for other beauty or fashion bloggers on Twitter, check out these links:
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Use these hairstyle and makeup tricks to shave precious time off your morning beauty routine Who has an hour every morning to spend primping? Not us! Between jobs, kids, pets, workout routines, Facebook updates and significant others, there's never enough time to fit everything in. Here, we share expert tips for saving time on your hair and makeup routine -- now you won't have to sacrifice looking great for that daunting to-do list. 
I don't know about you, but I don't like to spend a great deal of time in the morning getting "done up". The most time I'll spend in front of the mirror is 30 minutes. It's not that I don't care about the way I look, I just don't think you need to spend all that time in order to be gorgeous ;)
I thought I'd pass on these tips from Total Beauty on 11 ways to get gorgeous in minutes:
Photo Credit: Inessa Akhmedova
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Warning: Rant up ahead...
Over at Project Inner Beauty I talk about one reason why I dislike the fashion industry.
It's so frustrating that many designers and fashion magazines STILL think that the only way to sell clothes is to have skinny models wear them. What kind of blind world do they live in? Take a look around, people, not everyone is skinny!
If fashion houses like Ralph Lauren continue to alienate women like this, they're not going to survive much longer. Yes, the fashion industry's old business model is out of sytle. More and more women are spending their time online where there are a plethora of companies waiting to serve their needs. Women are tired of looking at fashion magazines that constantly bombard them with images of skinny women or women who have been photo-chopped to look skinny.
It's time for the fashion industry to evolve...
Ok, I'm off my soapbox for now ;)
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Although the weather is starting to cool down here in San Diego, it's still swimsuit season! That's the beauty of living in year-round gorgeous weather ;) I used to dread shopping for a swimsuit and I realize that many of you, no matter what size you are, probably panics over picking out a swimsuit and worries that it will fit your figure well. Instead of worrying about your body and wishing you had another one, work with what you have!
Here are a few tips that will help ease the stress of finding the perfect swimsuit or bikini:
Tops
In my experience of shopping for swimsuits, I believe that you can never go wrong with a halter top. Halters are flattering on everyone from AA cups to DD cups and give you that little lift if you need it. Triangle tops look best on women with cup sizes B and lower. If you do have a larger cup size and want to wear a triangle top, try to find one with an underwire. An underwire, bra-style top would best suit those with narrow shoulders and larger cup sizes.
Women who are "well-endowed" should find a swimsuit that offers full support. Swimsuits that will flatter you are halter-tops or swimsuits that have molded under wire cups to keep everything in place. A swimsuit with the additional strap across the back, along the bust line, also provides additional support. If your the top part of your body is wider than your hips, you should choose a two-piece with a skort or shorts. This will help balance the top and bottom of your body.
Bottoms
The benefit of tie side bottoms is that you can adjust the ties so they do not cut into your waist. Brazilian-cut bottoms are nice for those that care to show off a flattering behind, but let me forewarn you - they ride up very easily. If you don't feel comfortable showing alot of skin, you may want to try a skirted bottom.
One Piece Swimsuits
When searching for one piece swimsuits, it's always good to stick with a solid color. Darker, single-block colors are more slimming, however there are patterns that can hide your figure too. If you do decide on a swimsuit that has prints, make sure the patterns are centered on the middle of your body. Also, avoid horizontal stripes or patterns unless you want to look wider than you are!
One thing to keep in mind when shopping for a new swimsuit is to know what works best for your features. Just because a swimsuit looks good on the hanger doesn't necessarily mean it will look good on you!
Photo Credit: Frank Kovalchek
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