Eco-Friendly Flip-Flops Fine For Vacation Get-Aways

Flip-Flops. We all love them. And maybe you have several pairs. But do you own a pair of bio-degradable Flip-Flops by Sanuk?

We fell in love with these Rasta Mystic Flip-Flops ($38). They're not only super cute, but eco-friendly, yes, kind to the environment. And after the passing of Earth Day a week ago, we felt it was time to stay in the eco-friendly spirit and shop for something 'green' and stylish.

Let's take a look at the 'ingredients' in this Sanuk flip-flop sandal:

Ultra-Soft, High Rebound Fashion EVA Footbed
Sustainable, Fashionable Strap Design featuring a Hand Woven Upper
Handmade Organic Cotton Rope Upper with Hemp Footbed
Recycled PET Liner
Sustainable Rubber and Cork Outsole
Vegan and Vegetarian

Don't be fooled....this is a strong and very comfortable pair. Great for those vacation get-aways or just hanging out in town.

The Rasta Mystic comes in beige or black, and sizes 5-11. You can buy them here and at dealers like Eastern Mountain Sports.

Sanuk (pronounced sa -nook') makes lots of other cool and globally-kind products. By the way, the company says that Sanük, "is the Thai word for FUN, our name is also our mantra.
Our goal is to provide creatively inspired yet thoughtfully designed products for the global outdoor community…mostly because we’re part of it."

Madonna Does MDG Sunglasses With Dolce & Gabbana

Madonna does MDG, and does it in style!! Check out these hot sunglasses for Dolce & Gabbana. And the good news----the new shades are hitting store shelves in May just in time for summer, ladies. And the MDG eyewear will retail between $248 to $289.

How 'sweet'(dolce) it is for Madonna!

We really like these 'Madge' shades. Classic and sexy from the true icon herself. The 6-pair MDG collection will be available at Dolce & Gabbana stores around the globe, as well as a few select optician's shops, and Sunglass Hut locations in Macy's department stores.

Madge sat down with the famous designers and came up with these beauties. And of course, Dominico and Stefano were excited to collaborate with Madonna to create the sexy summer shades for the Italian design house:

"Designing an eyewear line with Madonna was a new experience for us. The oversized and wraparound designs are sexy and very feminine, like our clothes. Madonna's creative contribution and unique point of view were key, even in designing the MDG logo," the pair explained in a recent press release.

The MDG sunglasses are being distributed by the Luxottica line.

And Madonna isn't stopping at sexy sunglasses. The pop icon is also busy designing her own clothing line called MG Icon. She will start off with her daughter, Lourdes, in mind. First up will be a juniors collection, labeled Material Girl. And it's set to launch exclusively at Macy’s stores and Macys.com this August. Material Girl fashions will include apparel, footwear, handbags and jewelry — all retailing from $12-$40. And the label is in collaboration with the Iconix Brand Group.

Stay tuned, everybody. Looks like the MDG and MG logos are here to stay.

How To Get Sexy Nancy O'Dell Hair With RUSK Product Line

Television's Nancy O'Dell has always had lots and lots of incredible, healthy, sexy hair! And to her credit, Nancy is now the first spokesperson for RUSK Salon products and BaByliss pro.

RUSK, the professional hair care line owned by CONAIR, has its wonderful shampoos, conditioners, hairsprays, gels, pastes, volumizers, and hair care tools available at salons around the world. And yes, you can find some of their hair products at a number of online beauty shopping sites.

For instance, we hunted down RUSK Designer Collection's W8less Hairspray Plus, 10 0z. spray can, here for $10.75. It regularly sells for $14 elsewhere.

By the way, this is the RUSK hairspray used on Nancy O'Dell, to give her big, sexy hair lots of volume, hold, and shine. Check out this week's issue of Okay magazine. Nancy shows you her behind-the-scenes beautiful hair tips at a recent RUSK photo shoot.

Nancy O'Dell's blonde locks are simply stunning. The RUSK Salon pros used their signature W8less Flat Iron ($166) to create lovely ribbon curls, which were then wrapped into pin-curls. The result? Tons of waves and major volume.

Nancy O'Dell has been a RUSK fan for years:
"As a busy mom, wife and journalist, I feel I am representative of the many women whom hairstylists across the country see on a daily basis. I know I trust the stylists' opinions about which products to use. And that is how I originally started to use RUSK and now BaByliss Pro," she remarked in a statement.

Here are Nancy O'Dell's favorite RUSK and BaByliss products:

1. BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium U Styler ($129.99)

2. BaBylissPro NEW Deepshine Oil Protective Oil Treatment 4.2 oz. ($30)

3. BaBylissPro NEW Deepshine Lustre Shine Enhancing Lusterizer 4.4 oz. ($15).

4. Rusk w8less Plus Shaping and Control Hairspray 10 oz. ($14)

5. Rusk Wired Flexible Styling Creme 6 oz. ($13)

Summer On The Way Means Time To Zap Unwanted Hair

Hot summer days mean showing off lots of skin. And sometimes unwanted hair pops up in unwanted places....like chin, above the lips, bikini area, and more. Sure, you can have a laser zap these unwanted hairs for a more permanent and expensive fix. And of course, you can wax, shave, and depilatory it, so to speak.

But many women would like a quick and painless way to zap an unwanted hair they just found, for instance, and we've got a $9.99 drugstore solution.

It's called Finishing Touch, and it's been called, the number one facial hair remover in the world. If you believe the Lumina company stats, then some 30 million plus satisfied customers are out there, all happily erasing an unwanted hair, here and there.

So, let's take a peek at how the Finishing Touch Personal Hair Remover works:

The key is micro technology.

"Hair removal wand features a super-bright LED light that illuminates unwanted facial hair on the lip, chin or cheek. The Finishing Touch Personal Hair Remover by Lumina also features a pivoting head that adjusts to 45 degrees. Compact unit is also ideal for removing unwanted hair from eyebrows and bikini lines. Fits easily into your makeup bag or purse for hair removal on the go."

We probably would not use the Finishing Touch on the eyebrows, except maybe for a stray hair or two sitting in the middle of our brows. Eyebrow mistakes take a long-gggg time to grow out, so just proceed with caution if trying to wield this beauty tool in that area of the face.

Hey, for less than $10, the Finishing Touch is quick, easy, and discreet. You can take a look at it here.

Pickles Popular And Snooki Loves Them: Great Diet Food

Pickles. Such a briny delight! And you don't have to be pregnant to desire one. Pickles are popping up everywhere....inside expensive restaurants to the Jersey Shore.

Remember our pal Snooki Polizzi munching on pickle after pickle on season one of the MTV reality show hit?!

The other wonderful news about eating pickles---it's a dieter's delight!! The crunch, the texture, and the taste.

So, what's so healthy about munching on a pickle? 3 main reasons:
1. low in calories (about 5-10 in one pickle).
2. low in fat.
3. low in sugar(most are).

We found a great low-down on the common pickle, here, at FoodEditorials.com.

"Pickles are also a healthy edition to your diet for other reasons. Pickles, being made from cucumbers (or other vegetables), are high in fiber which is necessary for digestive health and fighting cancer. The cucumbers and (other vegetables) also contain antioxidants, which fight free-radicals, and depending on the veggie, can be a good source of calcium, magnesium, and iron. The recommendation by most health professionals is to eat five servings of vegetables and fruit each day. Eating pickles is a great way to get a daily serving or two of your five-a-day!

"Fermented pickles also have good bacteria that can control harmful intestinal microbes. When pickles are fermented, lactic acid is created. This acid helps to lower fat in the bloodstream, improve circulation, and lower high blood pressure. It also helps to support a healthy digestive system, reintroduces good bacteria into the intestines, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, and is beneficial for diabetics. In fact, one study even found that eating fermented products regularly contributed to lower rates of skin problems, asthma, and auto-immune disorders."

And pickles all taste so darn yummy!! Even Martha Stewart has her faves. We've heard her mention McClure's Pickles often. The website displays a number of different kinds, including McClure's Spicy Pickles, dunked in "cayenne and habanero peppers, these pickles have a kick."

If it had to be Snooki, to bring back the pickle into high popularity, so be it. We are really hungry for a pickle right now!

Origins New Brighter By Nature Pads Gentle Alternative To Chemical Peel

Chemical peel.

Maybe you have had a string of them. Or you might be afraid to let the sting zap every facial pore. Lets' face it---a chemical peel can be quite painful depending on the strength of the peel solution and the type of peel being applied. And there can be some downtime....red, swollen skin, crusty peeling, etc. And let's not forget the cost when it's done in a derm's office.

But a chemical peel has its value when it comes to creating beautiful skin. And peels are big beauty business. Oh, yeah. Let's look at the facts we found:

The chemical peel is one of the most popular treatments for an aging skin. In the United States alone, 1.03 million chemical peels were performed in 2007.

Although you might hate, you must exfoliate!!! And that is what a good peel will do, giving you back healthy, radiant skin in return.

Is there another way around the chemical peel? Yes. And it's brand new by Origins, Brighter by Nature High-potency Brightening Peel with Fruit Acids ($37.50, treatments, at fine stores like macys.com).

This little jar of beauty features a simpler, gentle, at-home way. All you do is swipe a pad across your face and neck, twice a week. And let the Origins fruit acid complex do all the work.

According to the pros at Origins, these little pads can do plenty! New Brighter by Nature High-potency Brightening Peel can deliver the restoring benefits of a professional 30% glycolic peel and instantly exfoliate dead surface cells to restore radiance.

The fruit acid complex includes powerful goodies like blueberry, Goji berry, and grape seed extract.

Used regularly, Origins Brighter by Nature will improve uneven skin tone and discoloration. It's a great price for 20 weeks of treatments. Definitely a worthy beauty tip today.

Celebrities Chopping Off Hair For New Trendy Summer Dos

Celebrities chopping off their hair for summer?!

Say it isn't so!

When a handful of pretty celebrities all start making similar beauty changes, everyone takes notice, and soon, the hot new trend hits middle town America. And right now, it's looking like shorter cropped styles and long bobs are summer trendy.

Kate Beckinsale, Heidi Klum, and at the moment, Hayden Panettiere have all traded their long, sexy locks for shorter new dos.

Love it or hate it?

Well, we suppose when you are that famous, good-looking, and glamorous, you wear it well. But usually when a woman chops off her trademark look of long, flowing tresses, it signals trauma of some kind, usually in the man department. Remember when Jennifer Love Hewitt recently dumped her boyfriend, and then chopped off her hair into a lob (long bob)?!

As far as we all know, the men in Hayden's, Heidi's, and Kate's lives are loving the new hairstyles. No break-ups there. Hayden Panettiere is a beauty chameleon. In other words, she changes up her looks often. Recently, she was sporting a wavy, long hairstyle of auburn locks. And now pictured above, there she was at an Earth Day celebration yesterday in L.A. You really notice those gorgeous blue eyes.

As far as model Heidi Klum goes, well, er, can you say Mommy haircut? Sorry, with a gal so glam, we were disappointed in the look, which we first saw on Jay Leno's show earlier this week. If it is low-maintenance she's looking for as the busy mom runs after her toddlers and hectic schedule, then, okay, we get it. But this blunt cut bangs 'n bob doesn't do much for the stunning Heidi. Meow! Sorry for being catty. Great shades, though.

British beauty Kate Beckinsale also let the scissors do the talking and styling. Although she had several inches chopped off, the trendy summer do is glamorous and full of soft volume grazing her collar bone.

And Kate told People magazine, “Oh you know, summer, let the breeze hit my neck!”

As the temperatures heat up and the days get longer, we'll be watching to see which new celebrities go for the new trendy summer dos.