What does it mean to find beauty in everyday life? For me it means being present, removing myself from my thoughts and emotions enough so I’m in a state of mind where I can observe them… without letting them define me.  When I do this, I find that my world slows down and I start to actually notice the beauty around me in the present moment.  I feel a sense of joy for simply “being”…a joy for the beauty around me which comes from a feeling of connectedness I feel either towards nature, or towards the feeling of connectedness with another human being.  But it depends, because every moment is unique, every moment is fleeting in our lives.

There is a saying, “this too shall pass”…many times it is used in addiction therapy or towards people going through hardship.  However, it doesn’t have to be that intense…I find that it simply means “stay present and enjoy life at this very moment”, because life is fleeting and the only thing guaranteed, is that nothing is guaranteed.

It is hard for many people today to stay present….I, myself, have had to work at it very hard, this year in particular.  We have so many distractions in our every day lives that hinder our ability to appreciate and live in the present: email, facebook, relationships, tv, cell phones etc… it’s hard to remove yourself from this crazy ADD world we’ve created for ourselves because somehow it makes us feel connected.  Yet, through these things, I found myself so scatterbrained and unfocused and unaware of myself that I was feeling incomplete and very unhappy….I think most of us feel this way at one point.  What will complete us? What is our life purpose?

The funny thing is.  Once I just took some time to breathe (literally),  and stopped questioning everything and living in my thoughts, I really began to appreciate beauty and purpose in life… my relationships became stronger with my friends, and through working towards the state of just “being”, I’ve discovered that I have every tool already inside of me for inner happiness…

Here are some suggestions ways to  ”zen out” that have really helped me!

1. BREATHE…it is amazing how simple yet affective conscious breath is (I used to have a sticky note on my computer screen at work that simply said “breathe” haha)

2. BAKE…having to focus on some crazy recipe without setting your kitchen on fire really forces you to be in the present!

3. TRAVEL.. experiencing something like a new place or culture for the first time helps the mind be presently conscious and aware of what is happening at that current place in time…slowing everything down to the point where life seems to be full of awe and…you got it! Beauty!

4. YOGA.  Just do it. The more you commit to it, the more benefits you will reap, and each person’s experience is different!

Anyone else have activities or tools they use to be present in their day to day? To get out of your head a little bit?

Night Night!

Betsy

Four truffles, a decadent skin care line, has a visionary behind it who is using sisterhood, the common bond of beauty, and precious argan oil to elevate and empower the women in Morocco who harvest it for her Four Truffles skin care line.

This woman is Ana Soriano, and her organic skin care company, Four Truffles, sources the natural ingredients in their eco-friendly argan oil complex from only female owned cooperatives in North and West Africa.  Soriano also donates 10 percent of the net sales to local and international charities that help disadvantaged women.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with her last week to learn about what inspires this woman while we sipped lemonade and tried out her all natural, luscious products at new hot spot, Recess Organic Nail Spa in West Hollwood!

Not only do I LOVE LOVE the product,  but I love the platform and vision she has cultivated for her company!  ”I’m a big believer in paying it forward,” says Ana.  It is her belief, that by basing the company ‘s foundation on “doing good”  for women locally and globally (the company motto), that the company itself will “do good”.  After, experiencing Four Truffles myself, I have no doubts!  (this stuff smells amazing and my hands and feet were soft for days after the treatment!)

I personally love Ana’s quest for meaningful beauty; the name Four Truffles comes from what she believes are the four beauties in life: Love, Hope, Faith and Eternity.  This is definitely one businesswomen worthy of being a role model!

You can check out all of the Four Truffles products and learn more about her quest to empower woman through beauty at www.FourTruffles.com.

“Look good, feel good, do good!”  I love it…..

xoxo

Betsy

Click here to view the embedded video.

All those who are unhappy in the world
are so as a result of their desire for their own happiness.
All those who are happy in the world
are so as a result of their desire for the happiness of others.
- Shantideva

Here is the overview of the casting:

WOMEN – 25 – 50 Casting Search for Fila USA

We are casting REAL WOMEN (not actresses or models) for a Fila advertising campaign!

We are looking for:

• • Women
  • 25 – 50 years old
  • Any ethnicity

Should be a woman who is outgoing, fun and energetic AND proud and comfortable with her body!   Please wear leggings to the audition to show off your “ASSets”.

Open casting call will be held in on Wednesday, June 9^th from 8am – 6pm at Union Square Ballroom (27 Union Square West) in New York City.

Finalists will return to audition before a celebrity panel of judges that evening from
7- 8:30pm. All interested must be available for call back on Wednesday night and for a half day photo shoot the week of June 14th.

To reserve your time for the audition, email RSVP@fila.com.

**We are looking for real women, please! We do not want models or actresses (i.e., no SAG members, no one with an IMDB page or represented by any talent agent or manager).

If cast for the campaign, you will be given Fila products and receive financial compensation.

The campaign will appear in an on-line and print advertising campaign and the image buyout is worldwide for perpetuity

Portions of the casting will be filmed for a compilation video that will post on Fila’s YouTube Channel.

Fila will do a criminal background check on any finalists.

Good Luck!

xo

Betsy

I went to see Kate Nash’s last performance of her North American tour last night at the El Rey Theatre here in Los Angeles.  She was awesome and definitely fired up my liberal feminist side, rawrr!!

With her slightly purple tinted hair and confident curves, Kate is one Brit not afraid to be a woman in control of her own life.  Oh Kate, how I love you and your empowering songs about homophobic “dick heads” and what it means to be a woman in this generation!

Check out the concert last night!

Click here to view the embedded video.

P.S. The adorable girls behind her are the 14 yr old girl band SUPERCUTE!   I think they have it right, it is definitely better to be CUTE than SEXY, ladies!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Happy Hump Day!

xoxo

Betsy

November 2009 issue of Glamour magazine featured seven successful plus size models: From far left: Crystal Renn, Amy Lemons, Ashley Graham, Kate Dillon, Anansa Sims and Jennie Runk. Bottom Center: Lizzie Miller.

If so, I don’t blame you! It is not common to see a realistic depiction of a woman’s body in the media these days.  In fact, on average, we are exposed to women with bodies that only 5% of the female population are genetically capable of achieving. Five percent! No wonder the sight of something realistic shocks us and makes us uncomfortable (yes I’m talking to you ABC and FOX).   This was proven a couple weeks ago when executives at both networks deemed a Layne Bryant commercial too racy for prime time because the model exposed too much cleavage…

Click here to view the embedded video.

I honestly think they were just too uncomfortable seeing a real women with curves in lingerie, an image that is not common in visual media.  Regardless, I’m sorry ABC and FOX, but you cannot use the cleavage excuse when you air Victoria’s Secret Ads and models promoting “naked bras”… just admit it, you found the sight of a real women in her lingerie taboo and offensive!

In their defense though, I think that real women just look more “naked” in their lingerie than the prepubescent 15 year old boy bodies with boobs in the VS advertisements.  When are images of real women going to seem normal and beautiful to general society??

Sadly, I think that the epidemic of unrealistic body images and disordered eating behaviors in young women is just going to continue to escalate…Why, you ask? Because we just aren’t used to seeing females portrayed realistically!  No wonder “to be an American Women and feel good about your body requires a powerful inner strength and the will to resist an unrealistic skinny ideal” (Discovery News, April 2010).

The media’s perception of “normal” just keeps getting thinner, but don’t buy into it ladies! The models you see in magazines and in Victoria’s Secret catalogs are NOT normal. I repeat, NOT normal.  They are the top 1% of skinny alien beauties in an industry that is shrinking BMI standards in order to attain a more artistic focus  on the designer clothing they are trying to sell…and you are NOT expected to look like them!

In celebration of realistic body images, here are some of my favorite curvy women!

Scarlett Johanson

Nigella Lawson

Marilyn Monroe

Crystal Renn

I’m sorry but you cannot tell me these ladies aren’t sexy and beautiful!

xo

Betsy

Natural Beauty 101

Model Giselle Bundchen is one of our generation’s most natural beauties!

I always encourage the ladies I represent to preserve and take care of their natural beauty, so that the need to pile on makeup is not necessary. These are my top tips for taking care of your skin from the inside out so you always look refreshed and have that special glow naturally!
1. Sunscreen. The main cause of wrinkles is overexposure to the sun. I am seeing girls younger and younger with premature wrinkles around their eyes and mouth, and this is definitely due to tanning beds and going out in the sun without protection. If you must have that orange glow (which is not elegant or attractive), I highly recommend using Tan Towels or some other sort of self tanner.
2. Eye cream. The skin around your eyes is the first to show signs of aging, dehydration, stress etc…take care of this delicate area by moisturizing daily with a paraban free eye cream. My favorite right now is from Isabella Pelle (for more mature skin, not for teenagers). She includes amazing natural ingredients and the latest peptides in anti-aging. Your eyes will feel refreshed and awake in no time!
3. Moisturizer/night cream Instead of all of the harsh peels, retinoids and acids used in today’s world of anti-aging/anti-acne products…I think the best thing you could do for your skin is to use the most gentle, moisturizing products you can to keep it soft and protected, instead of stripped. This will keep prevent aging, keep you looking fresh and hydrated, and make up will go on smoother during any photo shoots. If you have problems with acne, I would visit a dermatologist. Personally, I am a big fan of natural moisturizers like Argan Oil and Healing Anthropology products.
4. Eat Clean You are what you eat! Make sure to eat a diet mostly consisting of fruits and vegetables and absolutely no processed food! 100 calorie packs do your body no good because you are still ingesting CRAP! If you do not understand what the ingredients are on the package of something you are about it eat, just do not eat it. Its simple. And drink plenty of WATER!  Superfoods that help your skin out include: coconut water for hydration, blueberries, spinach, chia seeds (for calcium and omegas), Oysters (for your zinc), and tomotoes (highest producer of anti-aging antioxidant lycopene), walnuts (omegas again), sweet potatoes and fish like wild salmon or anchovies (vitamin d-3).
5. Partying Alcohol, cigarettes and other drugs are the worst thing you could do for your skin, not to mention your general well being. Take care of yourselves. If you are trying to mask or numb your feelings with any of these toxic habits, believe me (I know from experience) it will only continue to get worse. You can only truly help alleviate stress and problems in life if you tackle them head on with a clear and conscious mind. Yoga, therapy, sleep…these are all tools I recommend for self development and happiness! You will be amazed with how full your life becomes once you create space in your consciousness.

xo

Betsy

Poor Heidi…

After watching some of the hills marathon and seeing the “pre-surgery Heidi” in the early episodes, I couldn’t help but feel sad for the girl.  She was so cute and fresh in early episodes and then seemed to get brainwashed into thinking she needed to look and act a certain way to be beautiful.

It could have been that darn Spencer…but being in Hollywood there is a definite pressure to look like a plastic playmate. Seriously, she doesn’t even look like herself anymore!  I think the old Heidi was adorable.  The little nuances that make us unique and different are the reasons why we are beautiful as individuals!  I have a feeling though that Hollywood left Heidi feeling like she lost her “sense of self”, which caused her to feel like she wasn’t beautiful.  In order to feel beautiful, you have to love who you areinternally, which means being  completely comfortable and confident with who you are as a person, and the message you have to share with the world!  Do you want that message to be that all you have to offer is your looks? Or your sex appeal?

Its much better to be considered adorable than “hot” ladies…believe me.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the concept of beauty today and if you think reality shows  like The Hills are glorifying an unrealistic, unattainable “perfect”…

Have a great evening!

xo

Betsy