What can I say about the amazing Candice? We met (fatefully) at a book signing for one of our favorite authors (Emily Giffin) and we've been besties ever since. We are both Canadian girly-girls with a shopping problem and a love for all things girly, ruffly and pretty (and PINK!).
We exchanged business cards at the book signing, emailed each other obsessively (in a cute way) all week and set up a mani/pedi date for the following weekend, and we've been inseparable ever since. She even bought a home down the street from ours!
I am just so thankful to have her positive energy and beautiful spirit in my life...and she is one of the funniest girls I know! Seriously, when we are together we burn so many calories- just from laughing!
I asked Candice to share some of her best beauty and fitness tips...and here is what she had to say:
Name, age, what do you do for a living?
Candice, 29 years old, Transportation Services Representative (Natural Gas)
Who is your beauty/fashion inspiration and why? (can be a celebrity, model, a friend, family member etc...anyone with great style)
I really like Blake Lively for style. She always has looks classy, yet sexy, and apparently doesn’t use a stylist. Love that! But mostly I just love being open to everything and everyone and not following one specific person or style because what looks good on them may not necessarily look good on me. I often get inspiration from seeing a girl at the mall dressed really cute or just flipping through a magazine.
What do you do to stay in shape now?
I try to get some form of exercise at least 5 times a week. Mostly I go to the gym and do a half hour of cardio and a half hour of weights. A couple times a week I will change it up by doing either spin class or bikram yoga. I believe in always shocking your body so that it never gets used to one thing.
I also have really started to value what I put into my body. During the week I try to stick to a healthy diet and leave the indulgences for the weekends.
What are some foods/snacks/ meals that you would recommend for women who are trying to eat healthier?
I love the non-fat fage greek yogurt for a snack. It’s packed full of probiotics which are great for you and it tastes yummy with honey or fruit. Also, for a treat the frozen yogurt from swirl is another great option(low fat/cal and tons of probiotics)
Nuts(Almonds and Cashews are may fav) Try the cocoa roasted almonds for a sweeter treat. I think that salmon is an important part of any diet as it’s great for getting a healthy glow to your skin as well as being packed full of protein.
Where do you love to shop for clothing? Describe your personal sense of style.
I love mixing it up with my shopping. For instance, I will buy an expensive pair of jeans from Neiman Marcus and pair it with an inexpensive top and accessories from forever 21. I think it’s important to be versatile with your wardrobe and also know when it’s okay to splurge on a certain piece.
As far as my personal sense of style, I can’t really say because I feel like I’m always changing it up. One week I might feel like dressing super chic and stylish and the next I’m super casual. I would say that the one consistency to me is that I’m a girly girl so I love anything that’s glam and pretty!
What are some of your can't live without em' clothing items?
-A good pair of jeans(I might add my favs were literally $5 from a store in Canada)
-My Christian Louboutins
-Any fabulous handbag that fits all my garbage
What are your top 5-10 makeup products?
-La Prairie powder in beige d'ore
-Mac eyeliner pots in blacktrack and dipdown
-Lorac blush in desire
-Diorshow mascara
-Freshface Glow twilight primer
What are your top 5 hair products?
-Moroccanoil (Oil, shampoo,conditioner)
-Baby powder for in between wash days
-Elnett hair spray
-Biosilk shine serum
-Kerastase Ciment Thermique
What are your best beauty tips and/or secrets that you'd like to share with my readers?
-once a week for my hair I will leave a deep conditioner in overnight. You need to keep your hair wrapped in a towel to avoid messing up your pillow, but your hair will be so soft and silky the next day
-for ultimate moisture for my body, I will exfoliate with a loofah, then take a handful of Johnson's baby moisturizer with a drop of baby oil, then rub it all over my skin. Don’t use to much of the oil to avoid greasiness, but your skin will glow!
-for a facial glow and also to allow for your products to really absorb, I use the Clarisonic brush 2-3 times a week.
How would you encourage a women to start a new fitness routine? what are some easy steps you can take to incorporate working out into your busy schedule? How do you stay so motivated?
-I lack motivation on a daily basis because I work long hours at the office and am often tired, but I find the key to success with a fitness routine is no matter how many excuses you can come up with, just get your butt in the car and drive yourself to the gym. Half the battle is always getting there. Also, it doesn’t hurt to buy yourself a cute gym outfit now and then for motivation.
-Easy tips to incorporate into your busy day if you can’t make it to the gym would be take the stairs and walk whenever possible and drink a ton of water!
Tell us about Hot Yoga- what are the benefits, what changes have you seen in your body?
Hot yoga is amazing for your body, mind, and health. I have worked out at a gym for over 10 years, and haven’t really seen much change in my body other than just staying thin. The hot yoga almost instantly made me shed all my water weight and has toned my body in a way that the gym just didn’t. It also has improved my flexibility. Another benefit of the bikram yoga is the “yoga glow” which causes your skin to have this illuminated effect due to the heat. It’s also my stress relief at the end of the day.
For anyone thinking of trying Bikram, I am going to put it out there that the first time will not be easy. The room is hot, humid, and can often smell. But you will feel amazing after and will want to commit after you start seeing the changes in your body.
Which of your accomplishments are you most proud of?
I don’t know, I still feel like I have so much to accomplish, ask me in 5 years? if I had to say something, I would say that yes I’m proud of my career, etc, but more so, I’m proud of where I have come in my self confidence and self awareness. I just turned 29 and I feel more confident in who I am than ever, and I feel like I have more energy, youth, and determination in me than when I was 21.
Thank you Candice for sharing your advice and tips with us on another "Motivational Monday!" If you have a question for Candice, please post it below.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you are motivated to be healthy and fit this week! (I went to the gym tonight after making about 5 excuses in my head- and I'm glad I did because my week is now off to a great start, and I was able to decompress from a long day at work!)
xoxo,
Veronika.
While watching, something I could not help but notice was Gretchen's and Tamra's hair (and in the previews, the new housewife, Alexis, seems to have good hair as well). I've seen previous episodes where Gretchen was shown styling her hair, and she appeared to be using Velcro rollers. Well, I need to find out what her secret is because my hair definitely does not take on the kind of shape her does, or has even close to as much bounce as hers. I am on a mission this season to find out how she does her hair. If you aren't familar with the show, here are some pics of Gretchen Rossi:
She has a fairly deep side part, and her long side bangs seem to fall and flip just the right way. Love her or hate her, you've got to admit she's got pretty great hair (not to mention styling technique- she always looks like she got a professional blowout!)
Dress- Papaya ($27); Tights-Hue; Shoes- Jessica Simpson
