The Aftermath....David Kirsch's 48 hr. Super Charged Cleanse

I woke up this morning energized and it wasn't because I was excited to drink a cup of coffee either, I was genuinely feeling refreshed. I didn't go to bed any earlier my body was just ready to wake up. This is odd. I usually hit snooze twice, well I did hit snooze once but I got up before the second alarm went off.

As I was savoring my cup of coffee, I finish my makeup and I notice that my skin was glowing. Not like after a $90 steam extraction type of facial but like I was well rested and happy. Sort of ironic for the stabby mood I was in the other day. I will mention my eczema is still the same, I'd need my regular medicine to keep it under control.

Okay so let's investigate day 2 before I share my thoughts about this cleanse.

I get to work and I look forward to my morning drink. I sip slowly, in fact I take so long that thirty minutes pass by the time I am done drinking. I don't even eat actual food this slowly. I am retraining myself to take time out and savor everything that passes my taste buds. I feel the acidity on the sides of my tongue and I feel experience a slight sweet after taste, albeit diet like, but I'll take it.

The Cleansing Trio

Within minutes my stomach growls and that's my cue to sip my first of many orange spice herbal teas. It's soothing and calms my stomach. When it rumbles again, I drink as much water as possible. Yes, I occasionally think of food but not as much as I did on day 1.

I test my lack of coffee induced alertness at a weekly staff meeting. What? I'm not sleepy? I'm actually taking coherent notes? I know what's going on! This is just crazy.

Lunch time and I happily go through the ritual of drinking my cleansing pink lemonade concoction followed by orange spice tea and gallons of water. I let it settle, use the bathroom and go window shopping. I try not to obsess over the hot dog/pretzel carts I walk by (3) but I now have an intense craving for a soft pretzel and mustard. I successfully, don't cave into my desires and I also don't buy anything either. But that's just because I ran out of time!

A few hours later I have my drink again. I'm doing just fine. Day 2 is so much easier, no surprise there really. I don't have any caffeine headaches and despite my loudly growling tummy, I'm pretty happy. The countdown to a morning cup of coffee is within hours.

I get home, make myself a cup of red roobois tea and count down the hours till my very last pink lemonade drink. I get distracted by the scent of my husband and daughter's dinner - pasta swimming in butter and parmesan cheese. In due time, I'll be able to eat with them again. I get really anxious to have my last drink. I happily go to bed knowing I'll be reunited with my favorite beverage, coffee.

Fast forward to this morning. I decide to wear my slim, skinny ankle pants that have been a bit tight in the waste band. They are still a bit snug but not as bad this time. This makes me think I didn't lose a thing. Until  I weigh myself on the scale in the gym at work - I lost 4 lbs. But I'm skeptical since the scale tends to be wonky. I decide to weigh myself at my gym later and I'll take an average if that scale says otherwise.

The entire day, I'm afraid to eat. I don't want to undo what I just did - I lost some bloat I couldn't seem to lose over the past five months. I have a protein shake and about an hour and half later I snack on some apple slices. I eat a small chinese chicken salad. I have a cup of orange tea when my stomach grumbles and I continue to drink as much water I can. I then go to the gym for a quick circuit training workout.

The moment of truth, the scale at my gym is conclusive with the scale at work - could I really have lost 4lbs. in two days  just cleansing? I think it's pretty generous, if anything I probably lost 3lbs. Whatever, I dropped water weight and I'm not going to complain. I keep the momentum and eat a banana and carrot sticks when I get back to my desk. I am still frightened of gaining it back, especially since I know my husband is treating me to a taco and tortilla chips. I'm proud to report that I only ate one taco and I didn't finish all of my chips but I came close.That's when I threw the bag at my husband and he happily finished it for me. I think I enjoyed the act of eating together with my family than the Mexican food itself. I can't lie, I also had dessert - 3/4 cup of chocolate cheerios with a 1/2 cup of 2% milk. Yes, I have to measure everything I can now just to keep myself honest. I am feeling a little guilty but I'm happy.

So what did I learn? When given the choice of a mug of coffee vs. a plate of bacon, I'd happily take the coffee. Knowing that, I must discipline myself to just one cup, especially now that I experienced clarity without any caffeine in my system. I also am trying to eat at a slower pace like the way I had to savor each pink lemonade drink I took. The cleanse does what it says if you are faithful. It's tough work but if you stick with it you will drop some water weight (the amount will vary depending on your starting weight) or you might not lose anything at all. But you may learn self control and think differently about what you put in your body. The main reason I did this, aside from de-bloating, was just to see if I could do it. Yes, like testing myself by running a half marathon, I wanted to see if I could survive a 48hr. cleanse. The cleanse claims to kick start your new diet plan. I can attest to this because I am scared of regaining what I lost. I'm not planning to cleanse again anytime soon but I will try to stay away from the danger foods - fried chicken, grilled cheese sandwiches, fries, cake, lots of booze - you know everything that's fun! I won't deprive myself completely per se, but I do have a better gauge on my intake now.

Yes, you do pee..A LOT! I didn't mention in earlier because you probably figured that out already. You don't however, poop but you don't feel backed up because there isn't any food in your system.

Do I recommend this? Sure but you have to be ready for the challenge. You also have to be ready for the responsibility of keeping up the good work afterwards. I guess that's my next challenge - losing the next ten pounds.

For more info and all of David Kirsch's products, click here.

This Week on MissOmniMedia- 1/29

Aside from trying to test my willpower in the name of nutrition, I also contributed a post to missomnimedia.com. This week, I was inspired by a window display I have to walk by daily:

I am becoming obsessed with combining navy with orange because of this Banana Republic display. Navy is one of my favorite colors and I never thought to pair it with orange. But since navy is a neutral, it just make sense. It's a shade that can be worn in any weather, great substitution for black and it's now okay to wear navy with black.

To check out my face of the day inspired by this post, click here. 

David Kirsch's 48 Hour Super Charged Cleanse or GIVE ME A CHEESEBURGER BEFORE I STAB YOU!

Cleanses are a big trend in the fitness world. Especially, when certain actresses reveal that this is their shortcut to weight loss. These gods and goddesses get paid to look a certain way so that's motivation enough to work their way through this torture. For us mere mortals, a five day or even a two day cleanse is a real struggle.

David Kirsch, celebrity fitness trainer known for bringing Heidi Klum from post baby weight back into Victoria Secrets runway fighting shape in less than six months. Then again I'm pretty sure Ms. Heidi didn't gain more than twenty pounds on her pregnancy. Mr. Kirsch has since launched a wellness lifestyle program: books to shape your booty, protein shake mixes, vitamin boosting powders and of course CLEANSES.

You have a choice in how many days you'd like to cleanse: five, seven and for newbies like me - two days.

So this is what I am allowed to consume for the next 48 hrs:

Wait that's not all - I can drink as much herbal (non-caffeinated) tea and water! If I was willing to shell out even more money, David says you can also drink his vitamin mineral Super Juice, Super Charged Greens or Thermal Bubbles - these are all powders you drink mixed with water. 

So what's in it?

It's a pink lemonade drink you mix with water. It contains lemon juice concentrate, cranberry extract, pure grade B maple syrup, milk thistle seed extract, acai fruit extract, cayenne pepper. You have to drink this 4x every 4 hours.

Other ingredients include: purified water, natural flavor, citric acid, xanthan gum, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate and stevia leaf extract.

Acai, Cranberry, Milk Thistle cleanses the colon, liver and kidneys.

There's 4g of fiber that will help flush your system and support healthy digestion

100 mcg of Chromium Picolinate to help curb cravings while keeping your metabolism burning.

1000 mcg of Vitamin B-12 keeps you energized and focused.

Okay all that said, here's my thoughts on Day 1

I make the drink at 8 am and sip slowly (as directed) and by 8:48 am I wanted to tap out. I had revamped my diet beforehand to try to make this process easier. It is not easy and I was either drinking a protein shake or bar for breakfast with fruit.

Honestly, it doesn't taste that bad. It tastes like a diet lemonade beverage and that says a lot since I hate all diet beverages. You can faintly smell the cayenne pepper but don't worry - it's mostly a citrus taste than a spicy one.

Oh did I mention that along without not being able to eat anything, you cannot drink anything caffeinated! I cannot stress how hard this is for me. I had a caffeine withdrawal headache by 9 am. The vitamin B-12 did help get me to harness my anxiety and focus on my work. I did struggle staying awake after 2 pm and yes, my workday was that much longer. Good thing I didn't have any afternoon meetings to attend.

I did workout with my trainer and luckily it wasn't too strenuous. I actually felt pretty good afterwards and my energy and spirit was up. Unfortunately, that feeling didn't last too long. I was looking forward to lunch - drink serving #2.

When I got home, I was ready to lock myself in my room just so I wouldn't be tempted by the dinner my husband and daughter were eating. Luckily for me, he cooked for her and she ate at the table far from where I was sitting on the couch. I couldn't watch anything Cooking Channel related and I sure as hell couldn't watch Tony Bourdain's The Layover show - he was in New Orleans tonight. Good thing I changed the channel - it would have been pure torture for me.

I am just finishing my last drink for the day and I am so looking forward to completing this cleanse. Day 1 was a bitch and I have a feeling I'll be just as stabby if not more by the end of Day 2.

Stay tuned....

interested? Click here for more info.

This Week on MISS...

This week on missomnimedia.com, I review some items from the latest NARS Spring collection.

In typical NARS fashion you get lovely mix of bold and soft colors. The real stand out for me is the Disco Inferno polish, which I didn't get a chance to test but I will be going to my nearest Sephora to get a closer look.

To find out my thoughts and how I used some of these shades, click here.

MAC: Orpheus Kohl Power Eye Pencil

I took advantage of a Macy's gift card I received from my mom and bought a few items at the MAC counter at my local store. Okay to be honest I wanted to purchase something else other than makeup/beauty products. I stumbled around the shoe department and even looked at some accessories but who am I kidding? Of course I was going to stock up on some items. And if I traveled just a few miles north, I would have purchased some Chanel products but with a $80 gift card I would have only purchased an eye palette and maybe a lipgloss.

At MAC, I bought an eyeliner, paint pigment and even a lipstick. I thought I'd share the liner I purchased.

Orpheus was part of the Glamour Daze Kohl collection from back in Oct 2012. I guess it didn't sell successfully as planned since the tester liners were still on the floor and it was in stock. It's a repromote and apparently this current pencil is not nearly as creamy as the original. Feline was also re-released with Orpheus and two other shades (Mystery - black with teal pearl and Raven - black with burgundy pearl). I loved just how black and satiny Feline is but it's so creamy that it would smear to my bottom lashes immediately. It will give you that sexy, slept in look that's great for a date or night out with the girls but at your 9:00 am staff meeting? I don't know if that's an appropriate vibe to cast.

Orpheus is a black with black pearl. It's a like a dirty black gold but could take on a deep taupe shade depending on your skin tone and lighting. 

I have been using this frequently because it gives you a great smoky eye for work - a bit softer version versus traditional black liner on both top and bottom lash lines.

I also tried it on my bottom lash line with a black liquid liner on my top lash lines.

Again it softens the dark top line. I will also try it smudged heavily on my top lash line and smudge with my finger to either add a dark layer for a smoky eye or for the base of a quick 5 minute smoky eye look. This lasts barely 5 hours on my lower lash line but I will get a full 8 hours on my top lash line. I have used it on my water line without any problems. I like that these are black based but blended with a colored pearl that softens the colors beautifully. 

I normally stay away from the limited editions because I just feel that it's just all hype and I've been disappointed by these items in the past. I'm surprised that this limited edition pencil delivered. The other two items I purchased were from the permanent collection and I'll be writing a review on that shortly.

Orpheus Glamour Daze Kohl Power Eye Pencil - $16.50

Lipstick Good Enough to Consume...Almost

This week on missomnimedia.com I review Bite Beauty.

It's a brand exclusively found at Sephora and it consists only of lip products. I tried out one of the popular items - lip pencil.

For my thoughts and results, click here.

This Week on MISS - 1/7/12

This week on MISS, I feature a body collection that won't break the bank!

Organix is already known for salon quality hair care at drugstore prices, so I jumped at the chance when the folks reached out to me to try out their new body wash and lotions.

For my thoughts, click here.

New Year...New Me....

Well almost. I didn't get a drastic new hairstyle, nor did I lose half a person, however, I am trying my hardest to lose just 10lbs. I never set crazy ass goals or resolutions the beginning of a new year except this time. It's a very small and honest goal.

Just to be a better version of myself.

This means many things: pay bills on time, be at least 5 minutes early for every situation, lose a little weight, save money to travel...etc...

So this week, I'm trying to focus on the last part...save money to either travel or just pay off a few credit cards. I am trying to use up what's in my current makeup stash that isn't expired. Me being me, I found a loophole. I exchanged a few items that didn't work for me with some products I have been wanting to try but I always forget about. Surprisingly, it was an even exchange like a sign that I was meant to try these products out. Okay, maybe I should add 'lay off on the wishful thinking' to my list of how to create a 2.5 version of myself.

Today, I tried out Too Faced La Creme lipstick in Coral Fire:

My favorite Too Faced product is the Shadow Insurance eye primer - a great layering base that really keeps my shadows locked on my lids for 8 hours a day despite sweaty afternoon gym sessions. I recently received a deluxe travel sized peach leopard bronzer and it's easily becoming a product that I'm using when I want an easy flush of warm color.

I recently stumbled upon this lipstick when I was Christmas shopping for my sister in the Too Faced section of Ulta and I've been thinking about it ever since. When it was time to make an exchange at Sephora, I knew this an item I was going to add to my collection.

This is a very creamy, glossy lipstick - like a gloss/lipstick fusion. From twenty colors to choose from - you'll have a hard time just picking one shade. This contains lotus flower extracts that promises to hydrate and smooth the lips with anti-oxidants. Power peptides condition and firm the delicate lip area. Also, it promises a saturation of color.

The shade I went with is Coral Fire, a warm peachy red.

That's just one swipe of color straight from the tube.

This color is great introduction to spring but it's still dark enough for post-winter looks. This lasts about 2 1/2 hours and that's just due to my constant glasses of water in the morning. There is no scent so that's nice for those that are sensitive to scents in beauty products. It may not be long wearing but it does leave a nice light stain on the lips. The jury is out on this lipstick since I've only worn it once and my lips do feel slightly dry just after a day of wearing.

I've paired it with a warm beige lip liner, MAC Cream O'Spice so it looks a bit warmer. I'm curious to pair this with a red liner just to see the difference in color. I am hoping this works with my sensitive lips and I won't have to exchange this lipstick that I was so excited to try out.

Here's to a better, albeit a slightly, version of myself!

$21/USD 0.11 fl oz