Switch Up Your Skincare for Spring

While we’re still a ways away from an all-out heat wave, spring is definitely upon us! And as the new season approaches, it’s time to give your skincare routine a revamp.  

With that said, after months of chilly weather, your skin’s probably on the hunt for some serious hydration. The good news? Keeping skin looking on point for spring has never been easier thanks to a few simple switch ups.

Ahead, the products you need to put your best face forward for spring!

An A-List Approved Sunscreen

The best way to prevent fine lines and keep sun spots at bay is by sticking with a serious sunscreen routine. We recommend using at least an SPF30 to block UV rays from damaging the skin. Apply a tablespoon to the face 30 minutes before leaving the house, and you’ll be set. We’re obsessed with Josie Maran’s Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 47! It’s hydrating, non-greasy, and keeps skin smooth and radiant.

Go Lighter

Heavier skincare products could lead to clogged pores, whiteheads, blackheads, and more – especially as the temps heat up come spring. With that said, we’re big believers that a lightweight serum is the perfect substitute for heavier creams.  Tata Harper’s Rejuvenating Serum is formulated with the most natural ingredients and works hard to protect the skin from environmental damage.

Scrub Away

Use an exfoliating skin brush (we love the Clarisonic!) every day to keep skin bright and radiant – all season long. Additionally, it’s important to integrate a physical scrub into your routine twice a week. For spring, opt for a product with lighter granules and scrub the skin in small, circular motions. Arcona’s Cranberry Gomage Exfoliant purifies the skin and helps to reduce free radical damage.

Revamp your Makeup Routine

As the weather gets warmer, we’re all about the less-is-more look. Switch out that heavy foundation for a lightweight BB or CC cream (bonus if it’s packed with SPF!), use a lightweight cream blush to leave skin dewey and refreshed, and skip the eyeliner and lipstick altogether for a little mascara and tinted chapstick.

Tone Up

While we’re all about a good tone-sesh at the studio, toning the skin as just as important. To keep skin cool, glowing, and revitalized, opt for a spray toner like Fresh’s Rose Floral Toner. It’s alcohol free and one spritz does wonders for tired, dull-looking skin. Bonus: keep it in the fridge for an extra-refreshing finish.

And there you have it - skincare hacks to keep your complexion looking flawless for spring! Do you have any products you love? We’d love to hear your favorites!

"Raw. Vegan. Not Gross." plant based life made fun.

We’ve all been there, it’s late night, you’ve had an action packed day of work, pilates, and errands, but somehow you can’t bear the thought of going to bed. You can’t have it be a Groundhog Day. Queue the Apple TV for some late night surfing. Are those new channels? Yes. The new HBO, but hmm, you want to explore something new.

Tastemade? What’s this about? A channel dedicated to food. Ok, and they’re featuring an episode for Raw Vegan Pad Thai by Raw.Vegan.Not Gross. You chuckle a little. The show name lures you in, and you think, is it even possible to make raw vegan pad thai?

Laura Miller of Sidesaddle Kitchen makes it a reality. She makes living a plant based diet fun, exciting, and mouth watering. Whether you’re watching her online or reading her blog, Miller changes what you think of the vegan life. She inspires you to try new things with common dishes. Changing the picture in your head, when you think of plate tacos.

Raw.Vegan.Not Gross. came from Miller’s time at San Francisco’s Underground Market.

“Essentially I sold the only vegan food at the farmer’s market. I was in between fried chicken and meat sandwiches, and tried to have a sense of humor and self-awareness about what I was selling. Everyone in San Francisco has tried raw food, and maybe didn’t like it. So I was trying to poke fun at myself, and get people to not just walk around my booth because they thought I was really intense,” she says. 

By that point, I had some demoralizing experiences with culty, judgey, sickly-looking, and humorless raw food culture, and I wanted to differentiate myself.”

Laura definitely takes a different approach to her cooking show. It’s informative, fast-paced, and makes you feel like you’ve known her forever. She grabs you from the other side of the screen and brings you into her kitchen. She teaches you how to make vegan creations such as Beet Lasagna or Cauliflower Pizza to name a few. 

With a smile on her lips, her hands in a bowl mixing ingredients, she makes it ok to experiment with dishes and ideas. We see it in her Cauliflower Pizza video, as the finished pizza slides off the platter. Raw. Vegan. Not Gross doesn’t cut out the mistakes, it actually embraces them. 

It’s happened to all of us. You’re excited to share your finished edible creation. “Tada” only to have the crust fall apart. What do you do? Erupt into peals of laughter with your friends, and say, “Hey, it’s fine. It’s still all in one piece!” It’s how the Cauliflower Pizza episode ends. Miller shows you it’s not about being perfect, but about enjoying what you’re making. 

RVNG isn’t only for adults, she’s also modified some of her recipes for the younger ones in our families. She shares her kid-friendly kale chips, avocado-chocolate pudding, and a berry-licious green shake on sites such as Mother Mag. Her goal is to “get as much nutrition as possible into their little bodies, minus the processed foods, chemicals, and preservatives,” 

If you’re more of book person versus video in the kitchen person. Don’t worry she’ll be sharing her passion of the goodness of raw food, and will be coming out with her own cookbook in the future. Will it be 100 percent vegan? No, but Laura’s honesty is refreshing on the topic. 

“I just love raw vegan food. I eat cooked food (GASP!) and that will be incorporated into the book because I think it is just more practical and cost-efficient than eating all raw. And truth bomb here: I also will occasionally eat eggs from my parents' chicken coop and even a cheese stick if one of my adorable nieces hands it to me. I think the introduction to raw vegan food can be hard because it seems very intense and exclusive to outsiders. My hope is that more people will come to see that plant-based diets are not boring, dogmatic, or cult-like, because I see much more benefit for our collective health and environment if most of us eat a plant based diet than if 100 of us are extreme hard-core raw vegans.”

Sharing a new chef or the idea of veganism isn’t revolutionary, but when someone gets you excited and motivated to try something in a new way, you can’t help but take notice. 

When she’s not busy experimenting with recipes, or in the studio filming, she shares her amazing portraits with produce (naturally) to only make you love her more.

We’re off to the kitchen. We discovered this recipe for Beyonce-Probs-Drinks-This green shake, and we have to try it.

Get Outside!

Last month was another beauty here in Los Angeles.  Flowers are blooming, the sun is shining bright, and we’ve even had some rainy and windy nights! Have you explored anything new or tried something different to “Get Outside” lately? Share some of your highlights in the comments below! And read on for some of my favorites from March. J

Outdoor dining with family! A big perk of this beautiful weather is being able to enjoy a nice meal outside. My family came to Los Angeles to visit this past month and I made sure we spent as many meals outdoors as we could.

Spring Time brings Poppies! One of my favorite flowers. I snapped this photo at a friend's house- these are from her garden and made me smile.

Such a great reminder: Happy By Choice! I saw this Smile Sticker near the beach and it reminded me of how much I have to be happy about.

The carrots at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market were so beautiful this week! I washed, peeled, cut them up and have been snacking on them all week long.

Almond Milk LA Tasting at PP Santa Monica

I am so excited to announce to you all about a wonderful product I get to share with you all!  At Pilates Platinum Santa Monica we get the pleasure of hosting an Almond Milk LA taste testing!

Almond Milk LA is a homemade dairy alternative milk delivery service.

You all know by now that I have been around the blocks tasting my Almond Milks...you definitely don't want to pass up this one.  And who doesn't like to try new things, especially new things full of nutrition for our bodies!

Almond Milk LA will be set up at the 

Pilates Platinum Santa Monica

Wednesday January 22nd, 2014.  

They will be there passing out their delicious milks during the evening classes, 

5:00pm, 6:00pm and 7:00pm.  

Make sure you reserve your spot in class now to get a chance to taste this delicious nutritious, perfect post workout replenishing drink.  If you can't make it to class, then don't fret you are welcome to stop on by to try Almond Milk LA out for yourself.

My favorite is their Cacao Milk 

and with those statistics it is definitely something not to pass up.

Something really unique about this company is they give you the ability to create your milk at home with their DIY kits.  This is perfect for those that are intimidated by having to drink something immediately upon purchase.  This at home kit allows you to make your favorite almond milk anytime you want.  Perfect for that midnight craving when delivery isn't readily available!

Remember to check out the tasting!  

And if this cute company hasn't stolen your heart yet, they donate 5% of their profits to a different charity each month!

Don't hesitate to go online and order some for yourself right now!  Follow this link to order.