The Blonde Diaries

Banned before I could even try it

Darn! I am not sure if you are aware of one of the latest fads in beauty treatments: pedicures which use small fish to nibble away the dead skin from your feet. I read about it in a wedding magazine a month or two ago and became curious about the procedure. I have to admit I forgot long ago and never looked into having it done here in Houston or to see if it was even offered.

I no longer have to worry about finding a spa in the entire state of Texas offering this procedure because our lawmakers have once again stepped in and decided that it is too unsafe and unclean of a procedure and have banned it! The reasoning behind the ban is that since the fish live in these “fish bowls/tanks” and you dip your feet into them, spa owners are not properly cleaning the tank between people as they are not taking the fish out, cleaning, and refilling the water.

Makes reasonable sense until you hear that there have been no reports of disease or illness by anyone who has undergone this process in Texas. Rather, health officials are trying to be proactive. Why not just require a waiver and let us get our pedicures?? I was ok with the no razor blade ruling a few years ago but no fish due to water quality. Lordy. One would think with all of the other pressing issues that pedicures involving fish would be a tad lower on the totem pole but I guess not. I will just have to check next time I am out of state to experience this procedure.

Now that I have all of the big checks, it’s time for the small details!

I developed my film yesterday from Saturday’s wedding dress shopping and I think I officially have picked a dress. I am really starting to like it so I hope when I try it on for the last time before buying it next week I feel the same way. It is very exciting to have such a big check off of my list and it is practically the last big check. Now I can start focusing on the small details to help make my wedding day perfect.

First small detail I want to start thinking about is my wedding day beauty primping. I have been reading magazines and message boards looking for tips, tricks, and advice and it can be very overwhelming. Luckily, I found the perfect blog to help me out: Wedding Beauty! How could I go wrong there? I have found many awesome tips covering a variety of topics that I was interested in but just didn’t know enough about such as do I need to get a facial (Yes! It relaxes your skin and helps achieve a glowing look), why would I want a facial (they exfoliate your skin and leaves you glowing), and when is the best time to have one before your big day (no later than 48 hours before the wedding).

Then there is the tricky part about tanning and waxing, if you aren’t careful you could be orange or break out! On the Bridal Beauty Tips page, there is an entire section dedicated to helping you avoid tanning blunders such as go to a professional for application and make sure to exfoliate before and after your tanning experience. I didn’t know about exfoliating after so that will be helpful. Cosmetic companies have also realized that tanning mistakes do happen and have created tanning correctors so I will be on the lookout for that since I didn’t know it existed either. With choosing a white dress and being very fair complected I think I will need to do a little tanning before the big day.

Now waxing is a tricky thing for me. I tend to break out after getting my eyebrows waxed and I really would like to avoid this for my wedding day. Luckily, the blog suggests doing all of your waxing about a week before the big day - eyes/face, legs, under arms, and bikini to help avoid breakouts and ingrown hairs. Actually, their preferred and recommended way for hair removal was by wax vs. shaving for those reasons. I get horrible ingrown hairs in a few of those areas so I think I might actually try putting down the razor and trying the waxing route. Of course, thanks to the warning I will try it all out a few months before the wedding not the week of the wedding.

If you are a confused bride like I am and are trying to decide what you need to do to look your best for your wedding day, I would recommend stopping by the Wedding Beauty blog. There are so many tips, tricks, and words of advice over there that will help you find the best ways to achieve the look you desire. I am so glad I found them!

Awesome site to help you keep your skin clear!

I have always had skin that had a mind of its own. No matter what I did in terms of acne prevention I always had a pimple or two on my face. Over time, my skin has gotten better but my teen years was the pits. If you have a teen or have problematic skin you should check out Acne.com which has some awesome acne prevention tips and some solutions to acne once it does rear it’s ugly head at the most inconvenient time. Acne.com is sponsored by Proactiv which is one of the leading acne treatment programs so they really do know what they are talking about. Give the site a visit today and keep your skin clear!

Ever wonder about the products in infomercials?

Mike and I watch our fair share of infomercials each day due to our slim choices in channels. I think I’ve mentioned this but figure I should mention it again - we don’t subscribe to cable or satellite. I usually don’t buy infomercial products but I have gotten curious about a few lately that I see quite a bit on television and whether they actually work or if they are even a good deal. The most curious product I have been wondering about is Proactiv acne treatment. I battle minor acne just about every week and it is quite frustrating. I have been looking for a new product as I am not sure my current products are doing enough. I found a website that has proven to be very informative and useful: GetAcneTreatments.com. This website reviews the most popular acne treatments and gives you the pros, cons, and best price for each of the most popular acne treatments on the market. I found the review for Proactiv to be informative and learned that this product would not be the best product for my skin type based on the key ingredients as they would cause dryness and flaking. I will continue to look for acne treatments and read reviews on this site as they have proved to be informative. If you are looking for acne treatments or Proactiv and would like to learn more before spending the money, check this site out.

Fabulous Diet Side-effect

I have noticed a fabulous side effect from my diet change this week - less bloating and clear skin. It seems like the increase in fiber in my diet thanks to whole grains, fruits, and vegetables is acting like a natural acne treatment. I absolutely love this because regular acne treatment can be so harsh on my skin and well now I don’t have to worry about redness, itching or peeling. I am stoked about this. If you are having skin or bloating issues try increasing the fiber and produce in your diet and I bet you will see a difference.