The warm weather is here, bikinis have been on the racks for a few weeks now, and tanning salons are getting booked. Summer is approaching and we’re ready to rock the beach! Or at least almost ready to rock…we just need to lose those last five to 10 pounds. But we’ve all got so much going on that it’s become nearly impossible to hit the gym on a regular basis.

What are we to do? Aside from undergoing a cosmetic procedure – liposuction or tummy tuck surgery – there are many diets that we could try, including the “Five Bite Diet” that Dre and Jana are currently doing, but there are also other ways to lose the weight: diet pills. Or as some companies like to call them “dietary supplements.” More »

I have to admit that I am not the most ecologically friendly person; even with all this talk of going green, the most I have done is recycle my cans and bottles. But since today is Earth Day, it got me thinking – I really need to start caring about the environment.

In honor of this revolutionary day, I have come up with a list of actions to take to be a little more eco-friendly.

Walk more, drive less: Instead of driving short trips around the corner, such as to pick up milk and bread, take a stroll instead. Not only are you saving on gas and not polluting the environment, you’re also getting a mini work-out in the course of it. A few days ago, my roommate and I had to return a movie to the video store and we walked there instead – it only took us 20 minutes and it felt great to get some fresh air. More »

My hair is constantly being a pain in my butt! It has always been wavy/curly with a dash of frizz – which is not exactly the most manageable attribute. I tend to straighten my hair everyday; in fact, most of my friends don’t even know my hair is curly!

My bad habit of using heating tools (as well as consistently dying it) has caused my hair to look dried out and even frizzier! In pursuit of saving my locks, I have been taking extra care of my hair.

So, for all of the ladies (and gents) with curly tresses, here are some hair care tips  provided by Keneesha Hudson, owner of Urbanbella Hair Apothecary & Salon in Atlanta, GA, to help you achieve happy and healthy hair! More »

Thank you to our readers for participating in our Kiss Down Under sample contest by sharing your hilarious personal grooming stories, we had tons of fun reading them! Although we would love to give out prizes to all of the participants, we had to choose just one winner and there was definitely one story that stood out from the rest!

So congratulations to Alicia!!!

Thanks again to everyone who participated and be on the lookout for another Kiss Down Under giveaway in the near future!

Photo Credit: Kiss Down Under

Not long ago, I decided that I wanted a little bit of a change for my hair. I proceeded to my hairdresser and told him to go crazy. Well, not entirely crazy…but I was open to new ideas. We decided on a lighter color all over with some golden highlights to brighten everything up.

About a month later, I went back and asked him to cover the caramel hues with the same color I had all over – the original lighter shade. Unfortunately, I had to return to him about a week after due to the highlights coming through.

A couple of hours later and I was a solid color again. This time, however, I didn’t want to risk having my new color fade, so I decided to look for a better shampoo and conditioner for color treated hair. More »

When we got a delivery from Kiss Down Under, I was pretty excited about it because I have wanted to try this stuff since I first read about it originally sometime last year.

I started out with the Unisex Cleansing Wash, which is meant to be a personal grooming wash for the pubic area (or as I like to call them “Top Secret Lady Parts.”) Kiss Down Under advertises this product as being guaranteed to give you a “wow” sensation, all while providing you with a stern warning as to how much of the product to use. Being that I am a fairly paranoid person when it comes to the care and maintenance of my nether regions, I took this warning seriously and only used a very small amount of the cleansing wash, which I lathered up with water prior to applying it to my body. More »

Thank you for all the wonderful comments! It’s great to see how everyone gives back to their community. However, we are only able to choose one winner to receive Ashanti’s favorite Johnson’s Body Care products…congrats to Rachelle Nucci!

Here’s how she contributes:

“I give back to the community because I participate in a lot of things. One of the programs I participate in at school is JROTC. In this class you learn about giving back to others and being a responsible and dedicated leader and a team player. We go over to the middle school every Wednesday and read to the kids that are struggling in their reading classes. I love reading to them because it makes me feel good that I have helped someone out. I also participate in sports, which include volleyball, softball, and I also did the drill team which was a lot of fun.”

We hope you enjoy your gifts!

Photo Credit: RF Binder

Thank you to all of you who entered our Dead Sea Soap giveaway! Although we would love to choose all of you, we can only pick one, and we pick… Hazel!

She said:

“I keep my skin smooth by exfoliating and using lotion with 10%AHA in it. The AHA does wonders for flakies! The only down side is that you MUST wear sunscreen because the AHA will make your skin more easily burnt.”

Congratulations! We hope One with Nature’s Dead Sea Soap can help her maintain her already silky, smooth skin!

Photo Credit: One With Nature

Beauty Chat was recently contacted by Johnson’s® Body Care to partner with them in hosting a Cause Party for a local charity and we excitedly jumped at the opportunity.

All of our Beauty Chatters are always happy to help those in our communities.

Another exciting tidbit about these parties is that Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter, Ashanti was the host for the kick-off party in New York.

As part of our involvement with Johnson’s Body Care Cause Party, my fellow Beauty Chatter, Audrey, and I had the chance to speak with her ourselves! More »

Want to be pampered from top to bottom? Well, if you’re in the New York City area, then we’ve got some exciting news for you! Beauty Chat readers are being given an exclusive 15% discount off any treatment at just calm down spa, including the famous Moroccan Massage.

All you need to do is mention Beauty Chat when you make your appointment. Visit their Web site to see all the great services offered. You can also call just calm down spa at 212-337-0032.

Photo Credit: just calm down spa