POSHVICE

The Benefits Of Fatty Acids In Skincare

Sarah — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 12:35:18 +0000

I mention my dabblings in various fitness supplements and pills pretty regularly here on Posh Vice; but I’ve yet to mention my two absolute favorite supplements! I know that some people take them for some sort of fitness benefits (I personally never noticed myself losing weight quicker, but I also have a very stubborn body - I pretty much have to be taking diet pills, supplements, drinking loads of water & green tea, eating very little, and working out a ton to lose ANY weight at all, so YMMV), but I personally adore popping a few Flax Seed Oil & CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) gelcaps each day for the MASSIVE difference in makes in my skin’s clarity and texture.

I have a bit of a skincare fetish - I’ve tried out tons and tons of products, and even went to classes put on by companies like Murad as training for my old job where I sold high-end skincare - and while I do consider finding a good cleanser, toner and moisturizer to be very necessary, the most crucial step in my skincare routine is the aforementioned fatty acids. There’s always a world of difference in my skintone when I’m taking them regularly; I break out less, my skin looks softer and more radiant, and I don’t get dry patches.

If you have troublesome skin, I’d strongly suggest grabbing a bottle of CLA and/or Flax Seed Oil (or Fish Oil, if you can stand the smell and taste… I can’t, personally) and try adding a few pills each per day to your routine. I think you’ll see the difference!

Post from: poshvice

The Benefits Of Fatty Acids In Skincare

Gifts For A Good Cause

Sarah — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:55:15 +0000

I’ve always loved giving gifts that have a little extra to them - you know, like purchasing some gorgeous jewelry or clothing that was handmade and gives back part of the profits to a charity supporting the artisans and/or their culture, or donating to a worthwhile fund in a friend’s name, or giving eco gifts - items that are well-made while benefiting the environment. Whether it’s home decor made from recycled materials (the previously linked site features such innovations as mailboxes, tables, and chairs all made from old traffic signs) or hydrogen-powered children’s toys (the most futuristic remote control car kit ever?), it’s always fun to be able to pick out a gift that’s amazing in its own right, while the environmental and charity benefits back it up to give it that extra added oomph.

Post from: poshvice

Gifts For A Good Cause

On The Prowl For New Diet Supplements

Sarah — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 08:33:01 +0000

I’ve mentioned in the past that I like to use diet pills when I need that extra boost to help me make it through (or even get started on) a workout. I’m naturally a very low-energy person (it seems to come from having chronic low blood pressure), so it can be very hard for me to talk myself into getting onto the treadmill or doing my kickboxing DVDs, because I tend to feel extremely physically tired almost 24/7. So when I want to work out but just can’t work up the necessary energy on my own, I’ll turn to diet pills for an easy, non-filling (if I work out with anything more than water and/or pills in my stomach -even coffee or soda - I’ll throw up in short order; my stomach is very dainty, I guess) way to get both my metabolism and my energy level boosted. However, with the gigantic selection of fitness supplements on the market, it can be really hard to find and choose the best diet pill for my purposes. My old standby, Hydroxycut, reformulated recently, and the new version doesn’t do much other than give me a headache, so I’m currently on the lookout for a good replacement. Anybody have suggestions?

Post from: poshvice

On The Prowl For New Diet Supplements

Sneaky Savings: The Power Of A Second Bank Account

Sarah — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:19:40 +0000

A few entries back, I mentioned that I tended to use a separate savings account when I’m saving for big purchases. I started doing this a few years back, when I was still living check to check, because the way most bank accounts set up their online access makes it WAY too easy to transfer money back and forth between your checking and savings. This is, of course, a good and convenient thing if you have a need to dip into your savings on a frequent/spur of the moment basis, but I find I’m much more successful when it comes to long-term savings if I use the “out of sight, out of mind” technique.

The way I do this is by starting a completely separate savings account, completely unattached to my primary checking account. This way, withdrawing any money from the special account becomes enough of a hassle that I won’t impulsively withdraw some of my nest egg because I really want a new video game or something. Also, because of my forgetful nature, having an account that isn’t in my face every time that I log into my main checking account’s online control panel means that I’m somewhat likely to completely forget about the money I’ve tucked away until I’ve saved up enough for whatever my original purpose was, or I’m in dire straits and really need the extra cash.

This works pretty well for me, but like I said, a lot of it relies on the way I shop and think and my ability to forget things that aren’t in my face (which is a blessing AND a curse). What sort of tricks do you employ to help with your finances?

Post from: poshvice

Sneaky Savings: The Power Of A Second Bank Account

Precious Ions: The New Skincare Trend?

Sarah — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 07:02:46 +0000

There seems to be a recent trend (or at least, I’ve recently noticed, it’s entirely possible that it’s a more long-standing phenomenon) towards precious stones and metals being used in acne products. Most of it seems to center around something called “ions”, which I previously only really associated with chemistry and hair-dryers and… Tales Of The Abyss, I guess.

I think the two biggest examples that stuck out in my brain are the Asso Gold Cleansing Bar (what an awful name), that retails for $125 per bar (though I’ve found it for $24 online, here) and has 24k gold particles in it. The makers claim that the pricey soap is really big in Asia for its ability to “kill acne at the source”. Who knows if there’s any truth to those claims - personally, I’m curious as to how EXACTLY gold is supposed to heal acne - but hey, if it works, it works.

The other product that caught me off-guard was a toner by MAC Cosmetics called “Charged Water”, that’s supposed to be “infused with ions from diamonds” or something. It only retails for $19, so I guess it’s not a terrible choice if you want to try this trend of precious ions in your skincare, but to be honest - if the toner works at all, I’d be more apt to credit the fact that it has green tea in it. I use a green tea based cleanser and LOVE it.

If you see any other crazy skincare products pop up with super-pricey ingredients, please hit me up and let me know about them… I’m completely fascinated by this whole trend.

Post from: poshvice

Precious Ions: The New Skincare Trend?

Time To Buy A New TV!

Sarah — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 06:41:03 +0000

Lately, the television in our living room has been giving warning signs of an impending collapse. The picture has been going slightly blurry at times, and the speakers emit a low whine if the volume is turned up higher than normal. In other words, it’s time that I begin shopping around for a new big-screen television.

I’m particularly envious of my friend’s large (almost wall-sized, really) plasma TV that she recently got - unfortunately, she bought it at a local electronics store on impulse and will probably be making payments on it for years to come, which isn’t really my style. I’d rather do some research, get an idea about the price range of the size/type of television I’m interested in, and start a separate savings account just for squirreling money away for the “new, nice TV” fund.

Does anyone have any particular brands that they recommend, or, conversely, recommend that I stay AWAY from? To be honest, this will be the first television that I really invest in - most of the televisions that we have in our house are older, inherited from parents when they upgraded their TVs, or just cheap $100-200 things we got at Target for dorm rooms past. So any ideas or ratings are very welcome!

Post from: poshvice

Time To Buy A New TV!

Shopping For Toys Online

Sarah — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 06:33:59 +0000

Although I remain childless - and plan on staying that way probably forever - a good amount of my friends have kids in the 2-6 year old range. One of my closer friends from high school actually has a little girl about to begin kindergarten next month! It’s amazing how fast time flies.

Anyhow, point being, this kind of rules for me because while I’m not into the idea of ever having my own children, I’ve always liked helping my friends shop for toys for their kids -most likely because one of my favorite things (if not THE favorite thing) about gift-giving is the reaction, and children are naturally more honest and enthusiastic about whatever you’ve picked out for them.

One of my favorite places to help my friends e-shop for their kids is definitely the Buy.com toys section. They’ve got just about anything that you (or your child, niece, grandkids, toy-collecting adult friend, whatever) could possibly want!

Post from: poshvice

Shopping For Toys Online

Online Reviews & Resources For Skincare Products

Sarah — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 00:26:51 +0000

One of my absolute favorite topics to read about (or think about, or talk about, or… you get the picture) would definitely have to be skincare. I’ve always had rather, shall we say, temperamental skin, and products that work wonders for me one day will somehow stop working for me in a few months, forcing me to be on the constant lookout for new products, supplements, and skincare regimes to try and whip my oily-yet-sensitive skin into shape.

After looking around the web in search of the current best acne treatment, I found this website - getacnetreatments.com - that is definite bookmark-worthy if you’re at all interested in shopping online for skincare. They have brutally honest reviews & descriptions of every brand out there, from Proactiv to Murad, and they keep records of not only each product’s retail price, but also the best price to be found via eBay or other webstores. All in all, VERY helpful, and worth a read if you’re looking for to-the-point, concise reviews and price listings on skincare products.

Post from: poshvice

Online Reviews & Resources For Skincare Products

I Just Can’t Help Myself…

Sarah — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:34:01 +0000

Okay, maybe I’m just a total child at heart, because recently I’ve become kind of fixated on the idea of adding swing sets to my backyard. I don’t have kids (and really don’t plan on ever having any, to be completely honest), so yes, this would be a completely selfish purchase and totally just for me. It’s just that I had gotten into a recent discussion with my boyfriend about all the crazy, elaborate backyard toys that you see nowadays (especially when watching one of my more guilty pleasures, The Fabulous Life Of… on VH1), and he asked me what childhood toy - out of all the extravagant things that can be found today - I would want to spoil myself with. And honestly? The only answer that I could come up with was a good, old fashioned wooden swing set. I like the idea of having my dogs running around the backyard while I relax on the swings, enjoying the (at least in my daydreams) nice weather. This small, relaxing fantasy of mine has completely made me dead set on making it come true someday… I WILL have a swing set. You can’t stop me, adulthood!

Post from: poshvice

I Just Can’t Help Myself…

Saving Space With TV Wall Mounts

Sarah — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 11:13:44 +0000

When I was younger, I was probably one of the messiest people that you could ever meet - and living in a room or apartment that consistently looked like it had been hit by a hurricane did not bother me at all! However, things have changed - I have noticed that recently, I find myself driven to distraction by messes, clutter, or having too much furniture in too small of a space.

My current home office is right on the precipice of falling into that last “too crowded” category, even when it’s perfectly clean. In order to fix this and make me feel a little less claustrophobic & crazy when I’m trying to get some work down, I’ve been looking into ways to sort of condense all my electronics and furniture, by way of home entertainment centers (you know, with all the nice cupboards and such) and a TV wall mount to clear up space even further.

Does anyone have any organizational or space-saving tips that I should know about?

Post from: poshvice

Saving Space With TV Wall Mounts

My New Allies In The Battle Against Mosquitos: Cows

Sarah — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:44:02 +0000

The Fourth of July has come and gone, and with its passing, summer is in full swing. Unfortunately for me, that’s a mixed blessing - while I love the longer days and warm weather, summer also forces me to confront my lifelong nemesis; one that respawns itself every year solely to torment me. That’s right, it’s mosquito season again.

While I once read that somewhere out there exists a small percentage of people who actually get enjoyment out of mosquito bites (um…), I am so not even CLOSE to being one of them. First off, they seem to single me out - I can be hanging outside with 5 other people, and somehow none of them will get even one bit; whereas I’ll be eaten alive within 15 minutes. And not to be disgusting, but I think I must be mildy allergic to mosquito saliva or something - any bites on me immediately swell to half-dollar proportions at the smallest. So you can see why the return of these evil, evil insects is something I dread completely.

However… this year, it seems that salvation may emerge from the unlikeliest of places: cattle supplies. The Macro Fly Manager Dispenser, to be exact. From what I can tell, it’s like one of those air fresheners that sprays scent every half hour or so - except this sprays mosquito (and general bug) repellent. I’m thinking of ordering one and installing it on my balcony, because having a constant source of insect control without having to keep an eye on citronella candles or slathering bug spray all over myself every five seconds sounds like a REALLY nice idea. Thanks, cows, who knew you’d end up saving my skin (literally)?

Post from: poshvice

My New Allies In The Battle Against Mosquitos: Cows

Keeping Your Workspace Cool

Sarah — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:16:28 +0000

I don’t know about where everyone reading this lives, but where I am, the weather has been pretty nasty. Around 90-95 degrees every day, with INSANE humidity because we’ve had a nightly thunderstorm every day for the past week and a half. And of course, probably because this weather is working it to its limit, this is when the A/C unit decides to start screwing up. I mean, it’s running, but hardly - it’s not uncommon for it to reach 90 degrees INSIDE our apartment this past week.

With a base of 90 degrees, I’m sure you can image how bad my home office has gotten - considering that having the computer on boosts the heat as well as the fact that there’s a TV and an Xbox 360 in this room as well… yeah, it gets gross in here.

I found two things on my beloved ThinkGeek.com
that I ordered today in hopes of making my workspace a bit more cool & livable: the Desktop Personal Air Conditioner ($22.99) - which is powered by water! - and the newly discounted USB LED Beverage Cooler ($14.99), basically a USB-powered mini-fridge to keep your drinks cool even in hot weather.

I’m totally excited for the UPS man to bring my deliciously cold goodies, and I’ll be sure to let everyone know how they work out. If you don’t want to wait for my feedback and feel that you need some relief from the summer heat as well, use coupon code 8CBB
for $5 off any order of $25 or more, or $10 off any order of $50 or more. Knock yourselves out!

Post from: poshvice

Keeping Your Workspace Cool

CAT6 Cables & Internet Provider Woes

Sarah — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:42:49 +0000

If you’ve talked to me at all in the past few weeks, you’ll know that I’ve been increasingly unhappy with my current cable/internet service (yeah, Time Warner Cable, I’m calling you out for being shitty). I’m paying $130 a month for internet and cable TV with DVR, and it feels like the service pops in and out daily, sometimes leaving us without internet access for hours, or even days. And don’t get me started on the whole fiasco that happened when we moved - they sent out some mentally deficient tech who tried to hook our cable up to the DirectTV ports without realizing it, and then told us our cable was just irreparably broken and that we’d have to wait 2-3 weeks for a contractor to come and reroute the entire building. When said contractor got her, suffice to say he was pretty pissed at having to drive all the way out here because Time Warner can’t employ competent techs. ANYHOW.

Point being, is that I finally had enough after the internet went out for multiple hours EVERY SINGLE DAY THIS WEEK. I made the call to a different cable provider and made an appointment to switch on Wednesday, but here’s the interesting part: most of the equipment is being mailed to me and they’ll be walking me through the installation over the phone. Apparently it’s part of how they keep their costs down (by not having to send someone out for each installation) - and it works, because with them I’ll be getting cable, internet, AND home phone for $70. Assuming that their service is good (or at least better than Time Warner’s), that’s completely awesome.

But yeah, in preparation I’m looking into the sort of cables and such I’ll need - like CAT6 cables - and while it’s a bit over my head, I’m starting to get it a little bit. Oh well, they promised it would be easy, so here’s hoping I do it right!

Post from: poshvice

CAT6 Cables & Internet Provider Woes

Chicago Vacations To Stalk The Top Chef

Sarah — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:19:37 +0000

Okay, some of you know that I was COMPLETELY addicted to this season of Bravo’s Top Chef - the competitors were just SO good this time around (um, with the exception of Lisa… ew, ew, ew). I wonder if Gordon Ramsay ever got jealous that his current Hell’s Kitchen crew seem to ALL be no-talent hacks who can’t even fry eggs, while Bravo’s pulling in past Iron Chef contestants. I bet he cries at night about it. I would, especially once it hit my that the executive chef position at my restaurant was going to one of the total failures that make up the remaining players.

ANYWAY, POINT BEING. The winner of this season’s Top Chef was Stephanie, who was one of my top three (alongside Richard and Dale), and she happens to be based in Chicago. I believe she already has a restaurant there, and she’s working on opening a second with her prize winnings, so the logical conclusion I came to after watching the finale was: Let’s go to Chicago and eat Stephanie’s food! So I’ve been looking through Chicago travel guides & websites, and it seems pretty promising - I only live two states over so it’s probably one of the cheaper weekend getaways that I could take. But yeah, if anyone else has suggestions for where to eat/stay/visit while in Chicago, let me know!

Post from: poshvice

Chicago Vacations To Stalk The Top Chef

How To Find Franchise Opportunities

Sarah — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:45:38 +0000

I love being self-employed, and from time to time I’ve fantasized about either opening my own store or getting a franchise of some cool, underrated chain (Three Dog Bakery, hello), but I never really knew where to look for information about these kinds of opportunities.

Enter Franchise Gator, a website with a totally weird name but a very useful purpose. Essentially, it lets you browse available franchises by location, the amount of liquid capital you need, and industry/sub-industry. Very cool.

For example, I’m looking through Ohio listings right now, and some tech place called NERD FORCE! is looking for franchisers. It would be better if it was Nerd Herd, though, right (Chuck needs to come back with its new season already)?

Baskin-Robbins also needs franchisers… and I sorely hope someone with $100,000 in liquid capital will jump on this, because Columbus sorely needs one! Seriously, I don’t know of any Baskin-Robbins in this state, even. It sucks.

For the record, the cheapest franchises looking for Ohioans are vending machine companies at around $9,000 required LC; the most expensive is something called Austin Grill, needing $500,000. I’m so amused by looking through these listings for some reason!

Post from: poshvice

How To Find Franchise Opportunities

For Travel, Why Not Rent A Laptop?

Sarah — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 10:54:51 +0000

I have a desktop computer, and while I definitely prefer it that way (owning laptops has never worked out well for me - they either get stolen or break in some exclusive-to-laptops way, or… both - yes, i’ve had a busted laptop stolen, haha) I can’t deny the irrefutable fact that sometimes, laptops are just handier. For vacations, when you’re moving large distances and your desktop is all packed, or any other set of circumstances that pop up that require you to have a computer or internet access without having your normal, at-home computer at the ready.

So I thought it was really clever when I came across this website offering laptop rentals (though they offer quite a bit more - desktops are also available, as is a lot of various audiovisual equipment, flat screen/big screen televisions for the big game (a WAY better idea than buying one on credit and returning one the next day, which I’ve seen some people do… ew) and even VIDEO WALLS and computer kiosks). You have to fill out a form with valid contact info to get a quote, and since I don’t actually need to rent a laptop right this moment, I didn’t want to waste their time, so I’m not exactly sure of the prices… but I still thought it was a really cool, useful idea & service that some people might be interested in. If anyone does rent from them, shoot me a comment here and let me know how it went.

Post from: poshvice

For Travel, Why Not Rent A Laptop?

I Need Diet Pill Recommendations

Sarah — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 20:19:52 +0000

I’m pretty sure that I’ve mentioned it on here before, but after a bunch of life changes took me from a size two who worked out for at least two hours almost every single day to a gimpy girl rocking a broken foot and a new job that required being glued to my desk chair for hours on end… well, let’s just say that I’ve definitely noticed that I’ve put on a few pounds.

And what’s worse is that it seems like my metabolism chose this particular time to just completely slow to a snail’s pace - literally, it seems like even though I’ve started dieting and working out again, I’m not losing weight - I almost feel like I’m still gaining weight, even though mathematically that DOESN’T MAKE SENSE. Taking in only 1200-1500 calories a day + hitting the treadmill for 3-4 miles each day = weight gain? What? Okay, obviously I need some outside help - and that’s where diet pills come into play.

It’s more than a little overwhelming, considering the vast amount of choices - which formula is right for me? Are they safe? Do they actually work? Is there a difference between the name brands and knockoffs…. and so on and so forth. I’ve tried a few already with various levels of luck - don’t worry, I’ll write about them all someday - but I’m looking to you, my readers, for any personal recommendations or stories you may have. Help me out here!

Post from: poshvice

I Need Diet Pill Recommendations