Posts Tagged ‘Autumn’
written by Raulla S. Mitchell
Autumn is a wonderful time to talk long walks in the woods, around the lake, at the MN Landscape Arboretum, or the Botanical Gardens in your city, perhaps with a pumpkin latte in hand? Hey, I get that these seasonal lattes have become cliche, but I must confess that I still get excited about them coming around again. It’s a little thing that’s part of the seasonal transition, a ritual for me. As you know, cultural rituals are things we all look forward to in life; they make life fun, beautiful, exciting, heart-warming, all the things that make our hearts happy.
Nature is changing and you can see and feel it all around you. It feels good when I grab my jacket for the first time before heading out the door. Now if I could only remember to take it with me and not leave it in the yoga room!
The leaves in my yard and neighborhood change to yellow, burnt orange, crimson before they turn crispy brown on the grass. It’s a gorgeous sight to behold for just a couple of weeks, mature trees and canopies painted by Mother Nature.
But when your skin takes a turn for the drier, it can feel a little scary. Autumn DIY skincare to the rescue! We have the perfect, non-scary, totally fun, simple, vitamin and antioxidant rich pumpkin face masque with 4 ingredients you’ll find in your kitchen:
Sep 23
New Adventures This Fall
written by Raulla S. Mitchell
“Life is like playing a violin in public and learning the instrument as one goes on.” Samuel Butler (1835-1902) Victorian author and poetFall is a time for new adventures. What do you dream of learning? What’s on your bucket list? → Read more
written by Raulla S. Mitchell
As the days grow shorter, the temperatures cool down, and dried leaves fall from the trees, it’s time to take your cue from nature.
Less moisture in the air means less moisture for your skin.
In addition, indoor heat removes natural moisture from your skin.
It’s time to switch to richer cremes and body butters to moisturize skin that, like nature, tends to feel and look dryer and “thirstier” through the fall and winter months ahead. → Read more
written by Raulla S. Mitchell
As you know, when seasons change, it’s the perfect time for a gentle detox. Dandelion detox (internal cleanse), sugar exfoliation detox (externally removing old dead skin cells for softer smoother skin), and now 3 more detox tips to cleanse mind, body and spirit and maintain a healthier you:
Hydrotherapy Yoga Sleep
Aug 23
Topical Detox
written by Raulla S. Mitchell
You’ve heard lots about detox during this transitional time of year, from winter to spring, spring to summer, summer to fall, and fall to winter for those of us who live in four season climates. Whenever we transition from one season to another, it’s a great time to detox. Out with the old, in with the new.
Why not combine an internal detox (like our easy Dandelion Detox) with a topical detox (with one of our Gentle Exfoliating Sugar Scrubs) Red Note has the perfect gentle exfoliating sugar scrub YOU and YOUR SKIN will love!
First of all, why is topical exfoliation with a gentle sugar scrub so important to your detox ritual from the outside in? → Read more
written by Raulla S. Mitchell
Have you ever thought of trying a “detox”? It’s a pretty loaded word – there are lots of different kinds of detoxes or cleansing programs. Natural, holistic, or integrative healthcare practitioners may custom design a detox program for you based on the state of your current health. There are endless books on the topic. Detox packages may be purchased OTC at health food co-ops, spas offer “detox” on their menus, and you’ll find DIY detox tips on Pinterest boards.
Some are gentle though deliver effective long lasting results while others fall into the overhaul category, and may not be as safe, particularly if changes are abrupt and extreme. It comes down to the question of how you look at your well being and lifestyle long term.
I fall into the kinder, gentler camp when it comes to integrating dietary and lifestyle modifications. I think incorporating elements of a gentle detox regime into your daily life is an excellent opportunity to shift into healthier living without disrupting your body chemistry or bringing about short term results only, and at risk that I regard as undesirable. For example, results such as immediate weight loss related to detox may be initially thrilling, but cannot be maintained long term, and in fact, may be in part responsible for the weight gain subsequent to coming off a detox regime. Then you’re back somewhere behind square one! No one wants that.
So, let’s assume we don’t suffer from any major chronic illnesses that require supervision by a medical professional, and we’re going for a gentle detox, one that we can begin now, and continue on a regular basis if we choose to. Nature’s seasonal transitions (spring and fall) are ideal times for detoxification to cleanse mind, body and spirit from
dietary toxins: refined foods and carbohydrates, hydrogenated fats, alcohol, caffeine, processed sugar, high fat meat and dairy, etc. environmental toxins: in our air, soil, water, cleaning and personal care products, clothes, etc. emotional and psychological toxins: chronic stress, anxiety, worry, juggling too many balls in the air, lack of relaxed “down time” and regenerative sleepDetoxification is best supported synergistically from the inside out and the outside in. Gentle modifications to our diet and lifestyle have the potential to create the canvas for a healthier you. When we cleanse our liver, kidneys and skin, we cleanse the body’s primary organs responsible for the elimination of toxins.
What is one very simple dietary treat we can add to facilitate our body’s own capacity to detoxify?
written by Raulla S. Mitchell
Wear your favorite “signature” fragrances year round. If you absolutely love them, the way they make you feel, act, express yourself to the world, and share yourself with those you love, they belong to you every day of the year. Flower Fruit, Good Fortune, Splendor and Tea Party are four of your year-round faves, and we couldn’t agree more – they’re lusciously refreshing feminine fragrances 365 days a year!
If you’re looking to play with new fall fragrances in the chillier months ahead, why not warm up your fragrance wardrobe with notes of sweet vanilla cream, chestnuts roasted in brown sugar, sugarplum or hints of cinnamon, ginger and clove?
Our fragrances are never overtly spicy, and we promise you won’t walk around smelling like a spice cake, but you’ll feel warm, cozy, relaxed and comfy inside, and what a lovely way to feel! Play, explore, discover the fragrances that make you feel cherished as the leaves fall from the trees and the first chill hits the air.
What fragrances do you reach for? I know my favorites. Here are just a few you’ll love to try…
“The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect, but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.”
Carl Jung (psychologist)How do you celebrate Halloween?
Do you dress up in a fave silly or ghoulish costume for a party?
Do you toss together something last min to surprise unsuspecting trick-or-treaters when you open your door?
Do you chaperone the kids (and dog, in costume too), joining in their shrieks of laughter and calls to each other as they run in the dark from home to home in your neighborhood?
For years, I used to dress as Wilma Flintstone. My husband as her stone age hubbie Fred. Our next door neighbor created these costumes for us.
One year my Fred no longer wanted to go barefoot. He determined that an oversized bright orange tunic with black patches and a royal blue tie were sufficient to signify Fred, without his big bare feet at the bottom.
That was the year of our descent from full-on Wilma & Fred, as I recall it.
Who IS Fred with shoes on? He’s NOT Fred, that’s who.
Wilma’s white jig-jag bottom white dress has shrunk over the years. Maybe, I’ve put on a few, or things have shifted… No, it’s shrunk.
I choose to thrive in the land of deNile. Free choice is a good thing.
My other sartorial option: a femme fatale vampire feline – homage to Don Taylor’s 1977 flick “The Island of Dr. Moreau”.
Cinephiles, or femmes d’un certain age, remember, Dr. Moreau, the mad scientist who experimented with inter-species breeding on his lost island filled with the sounds, dreams and nightmares of human-tiger-leopard-jaguar creatures, starring the gorgeous Barbara Carrera? Unforgettable.
I searched far and wide and finally discovered a beautiful faux fur black tail and leopard ears to pair with a royal purple velvet hooded victorian cape. My ancestral Romanian-Ukrainian-Lithuanian-Russian DNA (black hair and anemic complexion, a natural Goth) brings me nearly to completion without much make-up beyond a good pair of fangs. Not all fangs were created equal. Some are better than others, and you get what you pay for where fangs are concerned.
For those of you who know me, any other ideas?
Any plans to dress up this year?
Please tell me that you still leap into the spirit of Halloween dress-up!
The last thing I have to say about dressing up for Halloween is “pourquoi pas?”
When is there a better excuse to dress up and pretend to be someone else, even if just for one night?
Come on, have some fun, let out those primal screams, giggles, roars,.. – You know you want to!
Remember: play is instinctual and vital to the creative spirit. Why wait? If not now, when? → Read more
written by Raulla S. Mitchell
ONE OF THE MOST OFTEN ASKED QUESTIONS: What are the differences between a lotion, creme and body butter? And most importantly, what’s best for my skin?
There’s no better time to take a deeper individual look at what YOUR skin needs as our seasons transition.
You’ve probably heard the chat about “seasonal skincare”? It’s been in the beauty industry news everywhere we turn. It should be. Mother nature changes, and as she does, so does our skin.
I’ve always talked about understanding the essential nature of seasonal skincare needs, and specifically, learning how to listen to what our skin wants and needs as the seasons change. If you live in the midwest with four seasons, the ideal treatments to cleanse, moisturize, protect and heal our skin are not the same year round.
So Red Note Botanica, the fresh natural luxury skincare line for the bath that I formulated, based on my training, knowledge and experience as an holistic healthcare practitioner, a certified aromatherapist and herbalist is founded first and foremost as a healthy product line designed to rejuvenate and bring out the best in your skin, and secondly to delight and celebrate your beautiful playful spirit with uniquely fresh fragrances all year round. It’s founded on seasonal skincare from the start, and always will be.
Our skin, as the largest organ of our body, absorbs at least 65-70% of what we apply to it topically. That explains why patches and dermatological creams, ointments, serums, etc. are very effective at healing and protecting troubled skin, and even ceasing addictions like smoking.
With that in mind, it’s essential to formulate and use skincare products which have vitamin and nutrient rich oils, butters, and other healthy ingredients that will treat our skin gently with effective results. Skincare that keeps its promises is a must.
It is my personal feeling that all skin is sensitive, and should be treated as such. Treating your skin as anything less is not something I advocate. Even if you are blessed with great skin now, it’s essential to protect it to ensure that it retains its natural beauty for years to come.
On that note, let’s chat about some of the things your skin might be trying to tell you as we head into colder weather temps, dry air, indoor heating, and other stuff that can dry out our skin, leading to potential irritation, inflammation, eczema, and less than healthy skin from which we absolutely do not need to suffer if we treat our skin gently on a regular basis – hey it’s fun, pampering, and the results couldn’t be better, so why not? Let’s go!…
