Will the Female Vote Say Yes to Palin?

Since the Republican vice-presidential pick was affirmed, much has been said about Alaska governor Sarah Palin. This, of course, comes to no surprise— Palin gives much to talk about. Her young age, her candid personality, her pregnant teenage daughter, and as if that wasn’t enough; have you noticed she’s a woman?

The news of the Republican presidential running mate being a woman spread like a wild fire all across the nation and throughout the media; managing to overshadow Senator Obama’s unstoppable stardom streak.

With the presidential elections shortly underway, many have begun to wonder the affect that Sarah Palin will have on the minds and hearts of women voters; many of who were left heartbroken by Senator Obama’s dismissal of an “Obama-Hillary” ticket, and whose votes may now be up for grabs.

According to the Washington Times, “Barack Obama and John McCain are in a dead heat among American women. The latest Gallup poll, conducted Aug. 30-Sept. 1 reveals that Mr. McCain has a slight edge among female voters: 48 percent to 44 percent […]” (09/05/08). An increase that seems to have surfaced after McCain’s vice-presidential choice was announced.

While McCain’s obvious gender-strategy is no mystery, there are others who believe his attempt to conquer over the female vote will leave the Republican campaign yearning for more. “The only women the choice might move is unexcited Republican women who have been leery of McCain thus far” declared an adviser to the Clinton campaign to TIME Magazine and CNN (08/29/08). “I think it’s pretty insulting to women to assume that just because his running mate is a woman, Hillary supporters will overlook her actual policy positions” is what a comment read on the New York Times’ recent blog concerning this very topic.

The fact that Sarah Palin has stirred things up for her party and the 2008 presidential election is a sure conviction. However, her success in swaying the, now infamous, “straddling female voters” towards the Republican ticket is still widely debated and contested. Her impact on this election, and specifically in regard to the women’s vote, will probably remain unknown until after the new president is elected.

The one fact that can probably be asserted already; however, is the notion that for the first time in this nation’s history of presidential elections: women have taken center stage.

“Manzanitas for Bolsitas” Eye Facial

Facial Casero of the Week
Monday, 10.13.08
by: Martha Lopez

“MANZANITAS FOR BOLSITAS EYE-FACIAL”

Manzanas are great for those persistent eye-bags. If you’ve been partying a little too hard, and your eye bags are starting to show it, try this eye-facial:

1. I like to take a 1/4 slice of apple, blend it with un poquito de agua until it becomes a puree.

2. Apply a bit of puree directly under and around the eye area

3. Leave on for at least 30 minutes (40-45 is best), and then rinse off

4. Follow with your favorite eye moisturizer (I really like Clinique’s Eyes’- get it cheap on Ebay!), but natural oils are great too, you can get these at your local Sav-on or Walgreens and they’re fairly cheap (under $3)!

If you’re a Latina on the go, this quick “Tea Bag Eye-Facial” also works great for me:

Get ahold of some manzanilla/chamomille tea. Make yourself a nice hot cup of tea, which is great during that time of the month– and then use the tea bag(s) to give yourself a quick eye-facial.

Simply dab and press the tea bag around your eye area (especially under your eyes), and keep doing it on-and-off for 10-15 minutes– just about as long as it takes you to drink your tesito, anyway
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If you’re a tanned Latina, chances are that you may suffer from under-eye bags, puffiness and other related problems more than others.

I get complimented about my skin often, and I’ve even been luckily coined a “come años,” by my tias and primos, being that I’m almost 30 years old and can easily pass for a teenager!

Unfortunately, I’ve also inherited my father’s eye-area deficiencies. My father has huge under eye bags and dark circles. If this runs in your family, chances are you may need to provide extra care to your under-eye area pronto, before genetics catch up to you.

If you’re skin is the thinnest around your eye area this also lends itself to making under eye circles more noticeable. Sure, there are some makeup tricks that you can do that can help you disguise this, but I realized a long time ago that skin related problems are better handled from the inside out.

There are some simple things that you can do that I would like to share with you. Above, I have highlighted some of my favorite under-eye facials that have worked for me with some good results, but first, as I mentioned to you already– es importante que te cuides esas bolsitas desde adentro! What does this mean?

Not getting enough sleep, getting too much sleep, eating a salty diet, and not getting enough water can make a huge difference for this problem area! I recommend the following:

1. Drink plenty of water
Get yourself a 1.5 liter bottle at your local grocery store and drink it throughout the day, re-fill for the next day… everyday for the rest of your life!
2. Cut back on your salt consumption.
Salt retains liquid, and this will often show under your ojitos! Latinos are infamous for garnishing their foods even before we give them a probadita! Since I cut back on salt, I’ve noticed that food without salt tastes even better, so don’t be afraid to give it a try!
3. Watch your sleep.
A stunningly beautiful Japanese aesthetician once told me that she makes sure to fall asleep before 11pm, and wakes up before 8am, everyday. When I asked her why, she explained to me that our “beauty cells” work only during those hours. I found this hard to believe, but after some thorough research, I found out that we do have “beauty cells” and they are most effective during those hours… ever wondered where the term “beauty sleep” came from?
4. Massage the eye area, gently.
Massaging the eye area with some olive oil, or any oil you like will help stimulate the under-eye cells. Remember that this skin is the most sensitive, so massage gently. I like to massage in small circles all around my eye area, and follow up with some gentle taps.

After you’ve taken the above steps into high consideration, try one of the eye-facials that I recommended above

“Make Me Less Vieja with Carrots” Facial

Facial Casero of the Week
Monday, 10.06.08
by: Martha Lopez

“MAKE ME LESS VIEJA WITH CARROTS FACIAL”

1. 1/2- 1 zanahoria/carrot, blend this in your licuadora/blender until you get a nice “pulp” (thick juice like substance)… you may want to add just a little bit of water for an easier blend.

2. With your fingerprints, apply this pulp directly to your face and neck.

3. Wait until it dries, wash off with lukewarm water.

4. Top off with your favorite SPF moisturizer or sunscreen, y eso es todo! Enjoy!
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Want a great way to fight those wrinkles and keep your gorgeous Latina glow? Try Carrots!

Bugs Bunny had it right, carrots are the thing to eat when it comes to skin nourishing. Not only are they great for keeping your ojitos nourished and at their prime-sight, but when applied to the skin, it can also help you balance the Ph of your skin. A great skin Ph, equals less bacteria getting ahold of your pretty skin, and less bacteria can equal soft, younger looking skin for days to come!

Y por si fuera poco, carrots are also a Latina’s best friend when it comes to keeping our natural bronze glow. The acid found on carrots is a natural mild tanner. There are already Latin@ celebrities who have confessed to using it para conservar su bronceado natural.

“Mayonesa No Te Seca” Hair Mask

Facial Casero of the Week
by: Martha Lopez
Monday, 10.20.08

sideview picture of my hair

“MAYONESA NO TE SECA HAIR-SHINE TREATMENT”

Get some shiny, soft locks with this easy-to-do hair shine treatment!

1. Take a spoonful of mayonnaise (just a spoonful, trust me, it’s enough!)
2. Spread the mayo throughout the palms of your hands, then place on hair, concentrating on your ends and body.
3. Put your hair up
4. Leave on for 15-20 minutes
5. Rinse thoroughly (preferably with luke-warm to cold water)
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Latinas are known for their gorgeous locks– curly, straight, short or long, we go to great lengths to keep our hair tresses healthy, shiny, and up-to-date.

I get asked often what I do to keep my hair so shiny. Most of the time I simply smile and don’t say a thing, no piensen mal– this is not because I don’t like to spill my beauty secrets (as evident by this weekly column), but more so because I often think of what that person is going to think once I honestly tell them what I do!

My most concealed secret to keep my pelo brilloso is plain-ol’-mayonnaise! Once a week, I take a small spoonful of mayo, rub it on my hands and then spread the mayo throughout my hair, making sure that I get most of it on my ends and body.

Remember, the longer your hair, the older your hair! What does this mean? Bueno, this usually means that you want to take very good care of any hair that falls after the first 6 inches of your scalp, being that hair beyond this point will usually be older than a year.

Hair grows at about 1/2-1 inch per month… think of all that your hair has been through in just one year: sun, wind, chlorine, humidity, heat, and not to mention all the styling products us Latinas love to use!

I love using this mayo-treatment because it’s so simple to do and I feel immediate results! So give it a try– and make yourself a torta or sandwich while you’re at it!
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Frequent Questions that have come up after posting this hair treatment:

Q: Does this work with bleached or colored hair?
A: This works wonders on any distressed hair. However, please use it with caution– I have heard horror stories of women stating that it stripped their color. That’s why I recommend only a spoonful, and only on body and ends.

Q: Will this strip my perm out?
A: If your hair is naturally curly, of course not. If it’s chemically permed, I would recommend that you try 1/2 a spoon on ends and body and leave it on for only 5-10 minutes to try it out.

Q: Do you apply this on dry or wet hair?
A: Apply it on dry hair. I usually do it about 30 minutes before I know I’ll be going in the shower.

Q: Doesn’t your hair smell afterward?
A: No! Not if you apply the recommended amount, and rinse thoroughly.

Q: Is that really your hair on the picture? Did you photoshop it??
A: Yes, it’s my real hair! No, I did not edit the picture, just cropped it. Thank you for the compliment