The Gilded Aesthetic

The Gilded Aesthetic : April 2016

The Gilded Aesthetic

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Edgar Cayce's Skin Beautifier

edgar cayce skin


















I am an Edgar Cayce devotee, and trust in the validity of anything he recommended for health and wellness. Recently, I discovered a recipe for a skin treatment that he maintained would keep skin beautiful and free from blemishes. I'm obsessed with skincare, and so is Johanna over at Sweet Mysterious Feast. When I told her about this wondrous potion, she immediately purchased everything we needed to whip it up ourselves!

I have been using this for the past few nights, and am pleased with the results. It certainly moisturizes and leaves my skin dewy and fresh, but it's super oily and messy. I recommend it for a beauty night spent at home, not before you apply makeup in the morning! It also would be a perfect way to moisturize your whole body after your nightly bath or shower.

What You Need:

1 tablespoon lanolin
6 ounces peanut oil
2 ounces olive oil
1 tablespoon rosewater (optional)

Blend together. I used our Nutri Ninja to whip it up, then stored it in a plastic container in the fridge. 

I discovered the exact amounts to use in Polly Guerin's blog, Awaken Your Sleeping Beauty. Polly has used the mixture for years, and says that she has maintained smooth, wrinkle-free skin. I'm sold! 

C'mon, don't hold out on me. I need your skincare secrets, too, so share in the comments down below!


Thursday, April 7, 2016

Get Healthiful with Smoothies

green smoothies health


















Lately, I have been focusing on improving my health and appearance (getting healthiful!) by introducing better habits and phasing out bad ones. This endeavor has included drinking plenty of water with freshly squeezed lemon, cutting out alcohol, taking the right supplements, improving my skincare routine, and drinking healthy smoothies.

At some point, I'd like to incorporate regular exercise into the above equation, but I'm seriously lazy when it comes to moving! I'll get there, I know!

Anyway, I have been enjoying the services of our Nutri Ninja in my quest for better health. I love the idea of packing so many nutrients and vitamins into one filling drink, and I have no issues with filling the container with as many leafy greens as I can. I tend to stick to spinach, kale, or romaine lettuce, but it's better to rotate your greens.

Today, for instance, I woke up and had a big glass of water with fresh lemon juice. About a half hour later, I made a huge smoothie with non-fat Greek yogurt, water, apples, blueberries, cherries, baby kale, and a smattering of walnuts. It was satisfying and kept me full for a while, though I definitely needed my light lunch when the time came. For dinner, I had a smoothie with carrot, blueberries, cherries, spinach, and water. I feel refreshed and revitalized, like I'm really pumping my body full of beautifying nutrients!

I am by no means an expert, but here are some ideas if you're interested in creating your own beauty smoothie:

Lemon juice in water, apple cider vinegar in water, or green tea would be excellent bases for a smoothie. All are enormously good for your body, and green tea provides antioxidants that improve heart health, beautify, and possibly help trim your waistline. Lemon juice and apple cider vinegar are purported to be detoxifying, and also touted as being conducive to weight loss.

If you go for lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, be sure to dilute them enough so that they aren't too harsh. They are acidic, so they can wear away at the enamel of your teeth. I drink apple cider vinegar in water on a daily basis, so I'm always careful to keep it away from my teeth as much as possible.

Greek yogurt is a good addition to breakfast smoothies, as it's packed with protein and calcium to start your day off on the right foot. It's also delicious!

In terms of fruits and veggies, carrot, spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, collard greens, cucumber, celery, beets, apples, cherries, blueberries, oranges, banana, raspberries, pomegranate seeds, mango, and pineapple are excellent. There are many more, of course, but these are ones with which I have the most experience. These vegetables and fruits are antioxidant and mineral-rich powerhouses.

It's important not to consume too much of certain types of vegetables and fruit, as variety is the spice of life. You will get bored if you eat the same types every day, and some of them can cause harmful buildups or reactions in your body if over consumed.

Introducing things like chia seed, flax seed, almonds, or walnuts to your smoothies is another way to get energy and boost the effectiveness of your smoothies.

Do you have a favorite smoothie recipe that you refuse to live without? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below, so do share!

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Monday, April 4, 2016

Style Icon: Kay Francis in Stolen Holiday

kay francis stolen holiday

I can think of fewer things more fabulous than Kay Francis' style in Stolen Holiday, a 1937 film in which her character assists a confidence trickster in swindling wealthy investors. Elegant hair scarves, flowing silk gowns, and stacks of pearl bracelets make me sigh with the deepest admiration. Seriously, I wish I could dress this way on a daily basis.



Image: Warner Archive
I love everything about this outfit, from the hair scarf to the pearl bracelets, from the glass of champagne to the plunging neckline.

This look is all about elegance. Coordinate your jewelry (check out her earrings,  necklace, ring, and bracelets), keep everything monochromatic, and pop that bubbly, baby!

Don't forget to define your brows and pop some red, burgundy, or berry stain on your pout.

GORGEOUS!





Image: auxiliarymemory.com
I love this dress. Just check out that neckline. Shiny (is that silver or gold?) horizontal stripes make this a bold look. Accentuate your neck and collarbone area with an ornate necklace, gather your hair into an updo, and strike a haughty, imperious pose.

Any dress with a similar cut would go far in emulating this look, and you could emphasize your waist with a cunning belt.

Brows, lips: done.








Image: fineartamerica.com
This simple, yet no less amazing, look revolves around a knockout dress. I couldn't find a better shot of this little number, but I absolutely love how it evokes the grandeur of a Greek goddess.

Off the shoulder, with a luxurious swath of fabric creating somewhat of a "cape" effect, the dress is beyond gorgeous. You can see that Kay's jewelry is kept to a minimum, and her hair is artfully yet simply drawn back from her face.

C'est magnifique!






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