How Do You Feel?

You may know from my other blogs that chronic illness has been a part of my life for my entire adult life, and part of my childhood too. Given my interest in both beauty and in pain and illness support, I wanted to share this article National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week with you:

“You Look So Good!” To Wear Make Up or Not?

It's a thought-provoking look at why we wear makeup and how it makes us feel about ourselves when we do. Yes, it is written to an audience of women living with chronic illness, but it makes me wonder about all of us, our motives, and the emotions tied to the beauty choices we make. What about you? Please share!

Hair & Makeup Savings!

Everthing's so expensive these days. Food. Gas. Even the price of a haircut! I can help you in two ways today. First by teaching you to cut your own hair, and second my offering you a great promo code for mineral makeup!

Several years back a friend taught me a sweet little trick for cutting my own hair. It works best for shoulder length or longer locks.

Step 1.

Brush hair forward into smooth ponytail at top of forehead.


Step 2.

Take a deep breath then snip a straight line across the tips of damp hair.


Step 3.

Flip hair back to natural position and enjoy your fresh layers.


Step 4.

Style as desired.

------- Sponsorship Message and Coupon Code -------

My heart is in sharing beauty with women, first heart beauty, but also affordable, healthy ways to care for our physical bodies that God calls the "temple" of His Holy Spirit when we allow Him to live within us through grace. To this end I am happy to represent Affordable Mineral Makeup™ (AMM) as a beauty adviser and to offer this high quality line of pure mineral products to my readers. AMM does NOT contain harmful bismuth or other skin irritants fillers, talc, nanoparticles nor micronized minerals. Our soothing line will not clog pores, contains natural SPF properties, helps calm irritated skin with its zinc content, and is water resistant.

For a limited time [please visit "discount codes" to look for current promotions], take 25% off (yes, that's 5% higher than our normal best offer!) every Affordable Mineral Makeup™ purchase of $19.95 or greater, placed from www.InnerBeautyGirls.com when you use check out using coupon code:
maydaze411

With this code, qualified orders (over $19.95 and properly following instruction for submitting freebie requests) will also receive a wonderful free gift of one 30-gram sifter jar with your choice of product - up to a $30.79 value with your purchase! To redeem the free gift offer, please list your requested free product selection in your order comments (not added to your cart!) when you place your order. Promotion items cannot be shipped separately.

Please visit http://www.InnerBeautyGirls.com and click on the "shop" link to get started by viewing our catalog. (I greatly appreciate when my return customers remember to always come back and start at my consultant link so that the computer knows to credit me for your purchases.) If you remember to list my name, Jenni Saake, in the comments section when you place your order, I would appreciate that too. Thank you for your business and support!

Joyful Journey

I'm guest blogging on the topic of Inner Beauty as a monthly columnist over at Glory and Strength. This year we are looking together at characteristics that set a woman apart as a Christian, as found in Galatians 5:22-23.

Drop by Glory and Strength and click on "Growing in Glory" to find my latest reflections. This month we are talking about how joy differs from happiness. Here's a little taste to get you started. (And don't forget to keep reading to the bottom of this post to grab a great discount code for Affordable Mineral Makeup too!)

For years I thought the words “joy” and “happiness” were interchangeable. I'm learning that it is quite possible to have one without the other. A boat may choose to come in or out of port when the seas are calm, but when a storm comes it must stay anchored close to shore for protection from the battering waves. I am like that boat, feeling a certain care-free happiness when life's going my way, but only truly appreciating the depth of heart-sheltering joy when times are harder...

You hear someone say, “Under the circumstances, I'm doing okay.” Like a boat that won't be capsized in a storm, I believe God wants so much more for us than just living under our circumstances. He wants us to thrive in both the good times and the bad. The Bible, in the book of Isaiah, tells us God longs to give us, “beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” I can't make such exchanges on my own, but with God's help I can move from despair to joyful hope...

Please come read more about joy at http://www.gloryandstrength.com/index_files/GrowingInGlory.htm then tune in again next month to share with me as we talk about lasting peace. :)

------- Sponsorship Message and Coupon Code -------

My heart is in sharing beauty with women, first heart beauty, but also affordable, healthy ways to care for our physical bodies that God calls the "temple" of His Holy Spirit when we allow Him to live within us through grace. To this end I am happy to represent Affordable Mineral Makeup™ (AMM) as a beauty adviser and to offer this high quality line of pure mineral products to my readers. AMM does NOT contain harmful bismuth or other skin irritants fillers, talc, nanoparticles nor micronized minerals. Our soothing line will not clog pores, contains natural SPF properties, helps calm irritated skin with its zinc content, and is water resistant.

For a limited time [please visit "discount codes" to look for current promotions], take 20% off every Affordable Mineral Makeup™ purchase of $19.95 or greater, placed from www.InnerBeautyGirls.com when you use check out using coupon code:
poetry311

With this code, qualified orders (over $19.95 and properly following instruction for submitting freebie requests) will also receive two free gifts with your purchase! Your gifts are one 5-gram sifter jar with your choice of product (up to a $7.79 value) AND one 10-gram sifter jar with your choice of product (up to a $19.79 value). To redeem the free gift offer, please list your requested free product selections in your order comments (not added to your cart!) when you place your order. Promotion items cannot be shipped separately.

Please visit http://www.InnerBeautyGirls.com and click on the "shop" link to get started by viewing our catalog. (I greatly appreciate when my return customers remember to always come back and start at my consultant link so that the computer knows to credit me for your purchases.) Thank you for your business and support!

Craving Jesus (+ Mineral Makeup Coupon Code and Gifts)

One of my most widely read articles in the history of this blog was when I got real about Weight Gain and Contentment last summer. It was a hard piece to write, and a harder piece to live out.

But God is so gracious. He created us and calls us beautiful. I believe it is His desire that we not only honor Him with our bodies, but that we trust what He says about us to be true. This is still a learning process for me. I thought you might like to follow me over to Tipping the Scales to see what else God's been doing in my heart (and my body) since last year's post.

I've recently been enjoying the book Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food and the reminders that God wants my hunger to drive me to Him.

I physically seem to be at a standstill again, not able to get the scales to move in a downward direction past the initial 15-18 pounds that I have lost. But emotionally and spiritually my gains are far outweighing even these physical losses. I'm eating much more healthfully (off refined sugars for nearly a month now - a huge deal for this carb addict!) and I'm getting into clothing that hasn't fit in a long time. Ultimately it's still about doing what I can, to the glory of God, and leaving the rest to Him.

Won't you join me on this journey? Please share how you are learning to see yourself through God's eyes and what steps you are taking to honor Him with the body He has created for you.

----- Affordable Mineral Makeup™ Discount Offer ----------

My heart is in sharing beauty with women, first heart beauty, but also affordable, healthy ways to care for our physical bodies that God calls the "temple" of His Holy Spirit when we allow Him to live within us through grace. To this end I am happy to represent Affordable Mineral Makeup™ as a beauty adviser and to offer this high quality line of pure mineral products to my readers.

For a limited time [if this offer has expired by the time you read this post, please visit "discount codes" to look for current promotions], take 20% off every Affordable Mineral Makeup™ purchase of $19.95 or greater, placed from www.InnerBeautyGirls.com when you use check out using coupon code:
hattiesoscar311

With this code, qualified orders (over $19.95 and properly following instruction for submitting freebie requests) will also receive two free gifts with your purchase! Your gifts are one 10-gram sifter jars with your choice of product (up to a $19.79 value) AND one 5-gram sifter jar with your choice of product (up to $7.79 value). FIRST 50 ORDERS: Your Free Gifts Will Automatically Be DOUBLED - 2 5g jars AND 2 10g jars, so HURRY!

To redeem the free gift offer, please list your requested free product selections in your order comments (not added to your cart!) when you place your order. Promotion items cannot be shipped separately. If you could also leave my name, Jenni Saake, in the comments section, this will help identify me as your consultant when your order is fulfilled.

Please visit http://www.InnerBeautyGirls.com and click on the "shop" link to get started by viewing our catalog. (I greatly appreciate when my return customers remember to always come back and start at my consultant link rather than on the main company page so that the computer knows to credit me for your purchases.) Thank you for your business and support!

Black Friday 30% Makeup Sale

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm so thankful for YOU, my sweet readers and customers!!!

Place any Affordable Mineral Makeup™ order of $15.95 or more at www.InnerBeautyGirls.com from now through November 27, 2010 and receive 30% OFF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER + receive a FREE Mini Kabuki brush ($6.49 value) when you enter discount code blackfriday1110 in the coupon code field at checkout!

Please be sure to enter the Affordable Mineral Makeup™ website through my "shop" link at www.InnerBeautyGirls.com every time you access your shopping cart. If you could also take a moment to leave my name, Jenni Saake, in the comments section of your order, this will help insure that I am able to continue servicing your mineral makeup needs in the future. Thank you! :)

No Shampoo Update

Well, I've gone over two months without shampooing my hair. Think it's crazy? While I'm STILL trying to figure out how to upload my video-log of the process, but here's a current picture. I'm very happy with the outcome, but you can decide for yourself if the results have been productive. ;)

 
Thank you Pure Photography of Reno for this photo. :)

(Makeup by Affordable Mineral Makeup™. Scarf by PrettyStinkingGreen.com.)

P.S. Don't forget to grab your 15% Affordable Mineral Makeup™ discount code before it expires! :)

natural deodorant

I haven't had a chance to try this yet, but as I have been searching for the past few years, I'm thrilled to find a link to making homemade, natural, and supposedly quite effective, deodorant. Anyone ever give anything like this a try? Here's the link I've found so far, but I would love to hear other recipes, tips or links from you!

Hairy

I guess this is my month to talk about hair. God talks about it too, so why not?

What's the price of two or three pet canaries? Some loose change, right? But God never overlooks a single one. And he pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! So don't be intimidated by all this bully talk. You're worth more than a million canaries.
- Luke 12:6-8 (The Message)

It's day 8 of my No-Shampoo Challenge and I'm looking forward to sharing the journey with you through my video diary in another week or so.

For those who aren't interested in going shampoo-free, a friend just passed along news that Sally Beauty is currently offer Hair One at a great discount if you will take the time to stack a couple of promotional codes:

Normally Hair One runs $10.79 at Sally's.
Place this item in your cart then enter code 555114 to receive free shipping off a $10 order.
Then add code 555905 for 20% off, dropping your order to only $8.79 including shipping/tax!
If you start your whole shopping trip by registering for a free account at eBates then entering Sally Beauty through your personal eBates link, you receive 6% cash back on your order too!

I do not know an expiration date on these coupon codes, so if this is a deal you plan to take advantage of, I would encourage you to place your order quickly so you don't miss out.  Hair One is not a product I have personally tried, but I've heard some pretty good reports about it and would love to hear your viewpoint if you have given it a personal try.

Shampoo Free

You may remember about a year ago I tried to go all-natural with my hair care. I posted To Poo or Not to Poo and gave it a good go, but since I was living with a PICC (deep vein semi-permanent IV) line in my arm for several months at that time, it just became more than I could manage. I caved and went back to those nasty old, chemically laden shampoos.

After having had a chunk of skin cut off my scalp last week (am currently waiting for biopsy results to see if it is cancer or not), I'm ready to pursue another No-Poo Challenge. Coming across just such a challenge on the Feelin' Feminine blog last night, then following links to learn more from Kate and finding additional Poo-Free recipes, I'm ready to give it all another try. Today I think I'll start by trying Jocelyn's egg wash.

I plan to give this method a try for at least two weeks then will updated about my progress. (I may be in a swimming pool this weekend and wonder if there are any special tips for chlorine but guess I will have to figure that out as I go.)  I truly would love to find a natural hair-care method that works for me.

Have you experimented with natural hair care? What have been your results? Any suggestions or tips you would like to share?  Anyone want to join me on a hair-care makeover?

Soap

My sweet friend Carissa just made me a batch of custom order Tea Tree Oil soaps. I'm loving them! She was so sweet to work around family allergy concerns and create a product that exactly fits my needs. If you are looking for quality, handcrafted soaps, please take a moment and check out Carissa's site at

hCG diet and mineral makeup

I've just recently been hearing about the hCG diet. One unique requirement of the this diet is that you cannot use many beauty products such as lotions or liquid makeups because of your body's sensitivity to fats, creams and oils during this process. Such products could slow your weight loss process down. You can, however, use mineral makeup while using the hCG diet!

Honestly, I don't really know enough about the hCG diet to have an informed personal opinion yet, but the owner of Affordable Mineral Makeup™ is offering a unique opportunity for a 12% discount off your entire Affordable Mineral Makeup™ order if you will take a moment and learn about the hcg diet for yourself.

When you follow her above link to http://basicmineralmakeup.com/general-information/hcg-diet-mineral-makeup.php you will learn more about the hCG diet and find your discount code (hint: it's toward the bottom of the page, just above the comments section and mineral makeup button) for 12% off your order. If you would then be so kind as to please return to my consultant link at www.InnerBeautyGirls.com to actually place your mineral makeup order, the same discount code will be honored through my page until june 1st, 2011 and I would appreciate your personal business. Thank you so much!

That Stinks

With Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, I've had to be careful about scents and perfumes and cosmetics (and so much more!) for years. But did you know that even if you aren't "sensitive" that perfumes could still be doing some nasty things to your health? Check out this Campaign for Safe Cosmetics article on The Health Risks of Secret Chemicals in Fragrance. What you don't know really can hurt you!

Gluten Free Makeup

I bet when you hear the term “Gluten Free," you don’t automatically think of your makeup, do you?
Well, if you’re gluten sensitive you may want to. Makeup can have gluten in it.

What is gluten sensitivity?
Read here for more information.
The symptoms are usually skin rashes, itchiness, headaches, bloating/cramping. Gluten is very hard to digest and can be found in wheat, rye, barley and oats.

Gluten can be found in your makeup and other beauty products in the Vitamin E, Olive Oil, Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, Oats and Triglycerides are all sources of gluten that most people wouldn’t think about when purchasing makeup and body products.

Vitamin E is used as an antioxidant and is usually derived from wheat germ. Products that contain oils in them are usually preserved with Vitamin E to prevent them from going rancid. They can also be hidden in such oils as Olive Oil, Palm Oil and Coconut Oil.

Oats are another common ingredient commonly used in beauty products, such as soap and facial products.

If you are gluten sensitive you need to be aware of these ingredients that most people may overlook in cosmetics or body products.

There’s no definitive information regarding cosmetics / body products being harmful to those who are gluten sensitive but think about this; your skin is the largest organ of your body. It usually absorbs what you put on it and thus goes into your body system. So, that would suggest that if you’re gluten sensitive you might have reactions (skin rash/itchiness) from products that contain gluten additives.

Mineral makeup that has no additives or oils and is in loose powder form, such as Affordable Mineral Makeup™ offered at www.InnerBeautyGirls.com, is gluten free.

- Special thanks to Tara Burner, owner of Affordable Mineral Makeup™ for this informative guest post. Information in this post is copyrighted property and many not be reprinted without the permission of Affordable Mineral Makeup™.