Sweet Cream Body Milk Review - YUM!

What To Do Before Self-Tanning

EASY Minnie-Mouse Inspired Nails

6 Reasons to Smile Right Now

So much more than than a pair of upturned lips, the smile is the most scientifically studied human facial expression. In her new book, Lip Service, Yale psychology professor Marianne LaFrance, PhD, draws on the latest research—in fields from biology to anthropology to computer science—in an effort to shed some light on the happy face. Here, six facts that may make you, well, you know.

People with big grins live longer. In a study published last year, researchers pored over an old issue of the Baseball Register, analyzing photos of 230 players. They found that on average, the guys with bright, bigmouthed beams lived 4.9 years longer than the players with partial smiles, and 7 years longer than the players who showed no grin at all. We can't credit wide smiles for long life spans, of course, but smiles reveal positive feelings, and positive feelings are linked to well-being.

Smiles exert subliminal powers. When study subjects are shown an image of a smiling face for just four milliseconds—a flash so quick, the viewers don't consciously register the image—they experience a mini emotional high. Compared with control groups, the smile-viewers perceive the world in a better light: To them, boring material is more interesting, neutral images look more positive, even bland drinks seem tastier.

There are three degrees of happiness... An article in the British Medical Journal reported that it is indeed possible to spread the love: Within social networks, when one person is happy, the feeling migrates to two people beyond her. So if you smile, a friend of a friend is more likely to smile, too.

...and two types of smiles. Genuine smiles and fake smiles are governed by two separate neural pathways. We know this is true because people with damage to a certain part of the brain can still break into a spontaneous grin even though they're unable to smile at will. Scientists speculate that our ancestors evolved the neural circuitry to force smiles because it was evolutionarily advantageous to mask their fear and fury.

To spot a faker, check the eyes. When someone smiles out of genuine delight, a facial muscle called the orbicularis oculi involuntarily contracts, crinkling the skin around the eyes. Most of us are incapable of deliberately moving this muscle, which means that when a person fakes a smile, her orbicularis oculi likely won't budge.

Smiles have accents. When reading facial expressions, different cultures home in on different parts of the face. In the United States, we focus on mouths; the Japanese, by contrast, search for feeling in the eyes.

Source: http://www.oprah.com/health/Smile-Research-and-Facts-Different-Types-of-Smiles?TW=tw_omag_smile_research#ixzz1SleBNuB5

I thought this was a great read - hope you all enjoy it :)

scent full of love,
Jordyn

Peak and Pit: July 21st

Peak: Passed my driving test... can finally say hello to that G2 :)
Pit: Can't stop biting my nails!

Pretty good, hot summer day so far in lil' old Sudbury! Can't wait to drive to camp tomorrow & get by the water. Nothing beats summer time, that's for sure.

scent full of love,
Jordyn xoxo

PS. Best summer song so far: "Honey Bee" by Blake Shelton. A relaxing and laid-back melody with some easy country lyrics -- love it!

Skin Tips: Benefits of Agave Nectar

What is Agave Nectar?

Agave Nectar comes from the Agave plant, best recognized as the plant from which tequila is made. At first glimpse, the plant looks uninviting with its razor sharp leaves protruding from all angles. Nobody would even imagine the greatness that lies beneath that harsh exterior... the greatness that is agave's nectar.

The ancient Aztecs prized the agave as a gift from the gods and used the liquid from its core to flavor foods and drinks. Now, due to the increasing awareness of agave nectar's many beneficial properties, it is becoming the preferred sweetener of health conscious consumers, doctors, and natural foods cooks... as well as the preferred ingredient in many skin care products.

What are the Benefits of Agave Nectar?

 Blue agave nectar was used by the Aztecs in Mexico for hundreds of years as a folk remedy to cure many types of skin conditions and wounds. Recent researchers also agree that Agave has abundant remedial potential. If applied on the skin surface, Agave nectar is found to provide relief from pus producing bacteria such as Staph aureus. When salt gets added to Agave nectar, its anti-microbial property gets even further boosted!  Agave nectar is also known for its anti-aging properties. 

What are the best Agave products to use right now?

We've scoured the beauty shelves and online stores throughout North America, and have found the two best Agave products: Agave Nectar Body Oil by FarmHouse Fresh Goods and the Agave Soy Candle by Archipelago Botanicals. Both infused with Agave plant extracts, yet both with different and fascinating purposes. 

Agave Nectar Body Oil by FarmHouse Fresh Goods

A powerful anti-aging/massage oil, rich with extracts. This light body oil is infused with Agave plant extracts, Sandalwood, Barley and Amurense Bark – a combination that has been proven to significantly improve skin’s trans epidermal water loss, resulting in a hydrated, plumper, less wrinkled appearance. The mild milk and oat scent is so mild, yet sweet and scrumptious.

What we love the most is that this product contains NO Parabens, SLS, or Mineral Oil that would otherwise conflict with the extremely beneficial properties of the agave nectar. 

Agave Soy Candle by Archipelago Botanicals

This hand-poured Agave soy candle contains more than 70% natural soy wax which burns longer and cleaner than regular candles. Approximate burn time- 90 hours! Another important point to note is the mixture of agave extracts with the natural soy ingredient, ensuring there is no conflict with the agave's soothing aromatherapy properties. We found this beautiful Agave product by recommendation of GQ magazine, a source we trust and love.  

Take Inventory of Your Miracles

When was the last time you actually took some time to take inventory of your miracles?  So often we become busy with the business of becoming that we forget to stop for a moment to count all of our blessings.  If you can recall, the things that you have now, were once your tiny miracles.  How many tiny miracles have you forgotten?  In the chaos of our lives, we still must have the ability to recognize the little miracles that occur in our lives each day.  


Have you become so consumed that your vision has become blurred or have you lost faith in your belief in miracles?  If so, I urge you to take a moment to yourself, get quiet, and observe your present place in life.  You may not be exactly where you desire to be physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually, but you are further along than when you first began.  Even if your progress was made by short steps, progress was made. 


If you still have difficulty believing in miracles, just look in the mirror and you will see one of the greatest miracles ever created...


- Loren Ridinger (lorensworld.com)

DIY Marble Nails with Water - EASY!

My sister & I spent our Saturday afternoon doing..... our nails, of course! We had a blast doing some marble nails, and it was the first time we ever tried it! Check out our tutorial below:

Here are some pics from our nail adventure:

Tell us what you think! We are not nail art pros and still managed a beautiful and awesome result, so TRY IT! :)

scent full of love,

Jordyn

Update: Sneak Peak of Wonderstruck!

Exciting! We just got our hands on a photo of the soon to be released fragrance "Wonderstruck" by Taylor Swift. Here it is:

What do you think? Too charming, or just right?

Taylor Swift Launches New Perfume

The perfume will be called "Wonderstruck," from a beautiful lyric in her song "Enchanted": I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home.


This popstar's fragrance will include top notes of freesia, apple blossom, and raspberry, middle notes of hibiscus and honeysuckle, and base notes of vanilla and amber. Do we really have to wait until October 2011? Yes. Do we want to? No - this perfume sounds delectable! 


Another hit out of the park by Miss Swift, watch for the perfume to land in our store come Fall 2011! 

Feature Video: FarmHouse Fresh

Please excuse my excessive use of the word "amazing"... :)

scent full of love,

Jordyn & Paityn xoxo

New Video Tonight!

Pait & I are making a feature video on FarmHouse Fresh tonight (our fave beauty brand, as well as Oprahs... just saying...) -- to be posted at 8:00PM! Subscribe to Our2Scents on YouTube so that you're the first to see.. we have a mystery prize ready for the first person who comments on it!

For now, bask in the glory of our last video... it was too much fun to film! Enjoy! 

Peak and Pit: July 14th

Peak: Hearing Harry Potter music... so excited for the premiere of the last movie tomorrow night!
Pit: I didn't go to the gym for my GoodLife Teen Fitness as I woke up too late :(

- Jordyn, xoxo

Affiliates Ahead for University Students

A 6 hour drive can lead to many ideas... I just returned home from visiting The University of Western Ontario, and although I learned much about the school during our stay in London, I learned more on the way home! I learned about this little thing called affiliates, which SP Beauty will soon be implementing in universities across Ontario! 

All you university/college students out there... stay posted! We are looking for ambitious, self-motivated 1st year students looking for extra money and an opportunity to develop their leadership skills. We will post a list of universities left to represent next week, and a contact for inquiries! 

scent full of love,

Jordyn xoxo

New Splash Page In The Works!

Remember how my sister told you last week about the issues we've been having with their site? When all seemed to be going well, we decided to update with a splash page. Should've known better than to mess around with dear www.smellypatch.com's html... she is a fiesty one!

This is what I'm seeing right now:

It's a sad sight...

I'll keep you posted!

Jordyn xoxo

We're giving away a year's supply of beauty products!

And it's super easy to win!

1- Like SP Beauty Boutique on Facebook
2- Post a pic of you & your fave beauty product on our page
3- Spread the word!

Contest ends July 31st so get sharing!

Peak and Pit : July 7th

Peak: My FAVORITE Marc Jacobs perfumes (Daisy & Lola) are now featured in our online store!
Pit: The SP Website is being extremely difficult with shipping prices & font sizes...

Here's a quick look at the beautiful new perfumes!

scent full of love,
Jordyn

Website Shmebsite: Why My Site Won't Work

Fonts all the same? No. Colours consistent? Nuh uh. Sizes in place? No can do.

Ahhhhhh!

I've been trying to update our site all morning and keep running into problems. I think this is a common thing in the technology world - it's great when it works, but most of the time it doesn't! Maybe that's just how I feel though. 

In fact, let's take a different approach to this...

Dear Website.. I love you. You are the best thing that's happened for my business in many ways. If you would please choose to cooperate with me, it will make for a much better day for the both of us! Just keep calm and we will work through this together... love, Paityn

Yes.. that oughta do it! Back to work I go! I'll keep you posted on my relationship with this site in a few hours! In the meantime, check out what we've done to the place: SP Beauty Boutique Updates

It's Trophy Time: The SP Beauty Awards

Run a beauty blog? Have a fave beauty site?...

Get nominating for the SP Beauty Awards!! Nominate your fave beauty site by sending a quick message to jordynf@smellypatch.com with your name & a link to the site! You have a chance to WIN! Be featured on Scent Daily’s Blog, win the title of Top Beauty Site 2011 and an exquisite banner to put on that beautiful website!

Email me right now to nominate your fave beauty site! The nomination process ends July 28th 2011, and the winner will be announced August 1st 2011!

Quote of the Week

"If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely." 

- Roald Dahl

Top 10 Best Beauty Sites: #10

My sister & I love beauty. Many people often think of beauty as something superficial, or even something fake, as if beauty is only to do with your appearance. We love beauty that is SKIN-DEEP, the type that makes you really glow when you enter a room, the type that makes others Stop & Stare (yes, One Republic, you were onto something)! What I'm really trying to say is that beauty is not dependent on the clothes you sport, the makeup you wear, or the brands you buy. Beauty comes from within - as cliché as that may sound!As Roald Dahl said, ""If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely." With that in mind, my sister & I chose our Top 10 Best Beauty Sites of 2011 - sites that make us feel beautiful and exude beauty as well. We'll start with our #10, and post the rest one week at a time! 

If you feel as though YOUR site, blog, tumblr feed... whatever it is... exudes beauty, be sure to email me at jordynf@smellypatch.com with your name & a link to your site for your chance to be featured on Scent Daily, win the title of Top Beauty Site 2011 and a banner to put on your beautiful site! 

10. Refinery 29
"360 Degrees of Fashion's Finest"
The cornerstone of fashion, beauty, and shopping for our new generation. This site is my online obsession; there you go, I've admitted it! I could honestly spend hours reading through their varied and intriguing blog posts on the latest street trends and the hottest beauty products, and still find more time to flip through their fashion slideshows! Refinery29 also offers a "Reserve" of daily deals that reminds me of a GILT meets Groupon type of service. If you are a savings lover and a shopaholic (we know you are!) you are sure to fall head over heels for this up-beat and on-trend miracle of internet heaven. 

www.refinery29.com