Here is the color version of the black and white image which I posted a few days ago.
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The Backstage Buzz
Being silly backstage with Nicole Moneer
People often ask me what it is like to be up on stage, very scantily clad and fully cognizant of the fact that I am being scrutinized by a panel of judges. There is so much about competing that is appealing, fascinating and inspiring that I can’t imagine my life without this constant pressure I place on myself to pursue IFBB pro status. However, there are many strange and frustrating elements which competitors deal with and which can challenge their determination in the sport.
The thrill of strutting out onstage and showing off a hard-earned physique is incredibly empowering, especially when a competitor gets first call-out. The obvious physical transformation is invariably accompanied by an emotional and spiritual overhaul. The audience sees the best of this since they are attending a show. But the backstage world which they don’t see is incredibly colorful and revealing.
Before the competition, we all look like hoodlums, bums or like we just crawled out of bed, clad in baggy, dark clothing. We are all sporting dark skin hues which are more reminiscent of mahogany furniture than human skin. Our food coolers are packed with chicken, nut butter, rice cakes, and possibly booze for the celebration afterwards.
Every show starts out with a mad scramble after the morning meeting for a prime spot backstage to prep. The ladies cluster around the few full-length mirrors that have been placed around the perimeter of the room. The men cluster around the weights.
It can be maddening and stressful to be in the company of competitors who are so carb-depleted that they are cranky, forgetful and unable to focus on basic streams of conversation. Some are so weak and dehydrated that they are on the verge of passing out. A competitor may have a meltdown because his music cd was misplaced. The overpowering odor of spray tanner admixed with the telltale gaseous emissions of very high protein diets is commonplace. Some abdominals are grossly distended by a whole host of things which can cause bloat. A competitor may be freaking out because of a broken suit strap, or makeup being spilled onto a suit, now ruining it…with no backup suit on hand.
There are meltdowns with makeup and hair. There are lost earrings and shoes. The fear of water exposure is at an all-time high.
Then once everyone is prepped, there is the interminable wait. When a division and class are announced, there is a mad scramble to get in line. Individuals who bring Bikini Bite suddenly become the most popular people backstage.
Then suddenly a competitor is onstage. Somehow all the stress from being backstage, from dieting and training for months all melts away as that person now has a chance to do turns and show off a tremendous amount of hard work and dedication. Those few moments make it all worthwhile.
A Few Vampy Looks I Love
I adore all of these looks, and hope I can rock one of them in an upcoming shoot! I realize that all of these ladies have light colored eyes, but I think any of these looks would work with my dark brown eyes.
Which look do you folks think is more me?
News The “Smart” Bra That Will Change the Way You Work Out
Would you want a “Smart” Bra? I am reposting an article which I saw on New Beauty…the original post can be found here:
https://www.newbeauty.com/blog/dailybeauty/9118-the-smart-bra-that-will-change-the-way-you-work-out/
Brittany Burhop , Senior Editor | January 06, 2016
Tech-wellness company OMsignal is launching a new sports bra that’s sparking quite a buzz in the fitness world.
Created over the course of a year by sports bra designers, scientists and engineers (they developed 1633 prototypes before getting it exactly right), the OMbra changes the way you approach your workouts. Here’s how: Flexible sensors are built into the bra to track your body’s activity levels using real-time biometrics (including heart rate and breathing rhythm) to keep you on track during workouts. Whether you push too hard for what your body can handle or you aren’t maximizing your potential, the OMbra will signal and help you adjust.
Plus, in addition to the high-tech science behind it, it’s designed to provide ultimate comfort and flexibility—the straps are adjustable to fit different body types and the fabric is lightweight and super stretchable with antimicrobial and sweat-wicking properties. Mesh panels on the front and back help enhance breathability.
“I love the idea for this bra. Its functional and innovative, it looks like it’s comfortable, and the best part is that it holds you accountable for your actions,” says celebrity trainer Ramona Braganza. “To me, its best feature is that it allows you to monitor your breathing during workouts, as well as every day, which helps to reduce stress. That makes it a valuable health tool.”
Set to hit the market in April/May, the OMbra kit will sell for $149 and will include a charging cable (you’ll get about 10 workouts in before you have to recharge).
Allergan Spends $90 Million to Buy Company Developing “Topical Botox”
I am reposting an article from New Beauty here…the original post can be found at:
Liz Ritter , Executive Managing Editor | January 07, 2016
Still hot off the heels of its historic merger at the end of last year with Pfizer, Allergan announced today that it will purchase Anterios, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that is developing what they refer to as “a next-generation delivery system and botulinum toxin–based prescription products.”
It all sounds very futuristic, but what makes this particularly interesting is that Allergan (which is best-known as being the maker of Botox) will now be in business with a company that has a “proprietary platform delivery technology that enables local, targeted delivery of neurotoxins through the skin without the need for injections.” In other words, something that sounds a lot like a topical type of Botox.
According to the official Allergan release, executive vice president David Nicholson said the acquisition “demonstrates our ability to apply our tremendous scientific leadership in neurotoxins to further extend our already deep neurotoxin pipeline by advancing a new delivery system and formulations that are appealing to both patients and physicians.”
“Allergan is once again showing their commitment to aesthetics by purchasing Anterios and acquiring the global rights to ANT–1207,” Montclair, NJ, dermatologist Jeanine B. Downie, MD, says. “The absolutely awesome potential of these two products is thrilling for patients that are looking for non-invasive approach is to treat their aesthetic and dermatologic conditions. An enhanced delivery system would be of great interest to physicians, as well as to the general public. I do believe these acquisitions will bring more people that are considering cosmetic procedures into their doctors’ offices for treatment.”
LHGFX Bikini Shot In Malibu, November 2015
LHGFX November 2015
Those Days When Your Engine Stalls
No, I’m not talking about your car. I am referring to your get-up-and-go, your energy, your motivation to do anything on a given day. We all have those days when we lack the pep to charge through the day, when the bed seems unusually cozy and warm, and when our ability to rationalize our way out of everything on our to-do list for the day is particularly strong.
On the more serious end of the spectrum, a lack of initiative can be indicative of depression, especially when it is recurrent. In other instances, fatigue could be a sign of stress, sleep deficit, over-training, dehydration, malnutrition, or hormonal imbalance. Some people will even notice a change in energy from weather fluctuations.
For the past three months, I have slept so deeply that I will remain in slumber, despite my alarm’s alerts, with no recollection of the device ever triggering. My dreams have been intense, complex, apocalyptic at times, and truly bizarre, causing me to wonder why my subconscious has meandered so much while I was in dreamland. The many months I spent battling night sweats and insomnia suddenly shifted to feeling (appropriately) very cold at night and sleeping like a rock, both of which I have welcomed. The only real problem now is convincing myself to get out of bed in the morning!
When I eventually begin to wake up, it is an agonizingly slow process in which I can barely move or open my eyes. The sudden dry eye condition I have been experiencing recently hasn’t exactly motivated me to open my eyes up quickly either. The bed is so cozy and so warm, especially because my cats have gotten into the habit of using me as a convenient heater during the night. They also pin me into a small space in the bed so that I have to shimmy my body out of the tunnel they create around me. It seems to be such a waste that I have a Cal King bed, because I never get to spread out on it!
When I absolutely MUST get out of bed at a specific time, I will change the alarm alert, and set more than one alarm, usually with one alarm in my bathroom. In order to shut off the alarm in the bathroom, I must get out of bed, but I have gotten so good at walking to the bathroom with my eyes barely open that I can shut off the alarm, crawl back in bed, and go right back to sleep.
These are the reasons which I have been using to remain in bed:
– The bed is nice and warm and the ambient temperature is cold (upper 60’s)
– The cats are warm too
– The cats are very affectionate and cuddly in the morning
– My bonding time with the cats can be considered a meditative exercise
– My bed is high off the ground and it is hazardous for me to jump down from it (it truly is high off the ground)
– My dry eye condition is a sign that I need to keep my eyes shut
– I need to make up for lost time when I had night sweats and insomnia (it was quite a sleep deficit!)
– I am most efficient at my morning social media posts when in a supine position in bed
– I want to make sure that I spend one third of my life in bed
– If I get out of bed, then I probably have to deal with people
At any rate, I have every intention of relishing the feeling of being in an insanely comfortable and warm bed. I’m sleeping in!
Girls Don’t Poop – PooPourri.com
I absolutely LOVE this hilarious commercial for PooPourri.com products!
Hitting The Glute Sweet Spot With Cables
If you aren’t gifted with a perfectly round booty, then you might want to check out this routine I put together. The routine is performed exclusively on the cable assembly. You will need ankle cuffs, a circular resistance band, and a rope attachment for the movements featured here.
WARMUP: 3 sets of 30 bodyweight squats (feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart, toes slightly turned out. GO LOW, and only come up part way. Make sure to sit back into the movement instead of leaning forward.
Cable kickbacks with straight leg – 1 set of 20, then 1×12, 3×10.
Cable kickbacks kicking out at a diagonal – 1 set of 20, then 1×12, 3×10. Lead with heel as you kick out.
Cable kickbacks with knee bent – 1 set of 20, then 1×12, 3×10.
Cable rope squats with resistance band around thighs (near knees) and feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart – 5×15.
Cable rope pull throughs – 5×15.
Here Are The 2016 Liquid Sun Rayz Sponsored Athletes!
I am BEYOND thrilled to be chosen as one of the Liquid Sun Rayz Sponsored Athletes for 2016!
This company is the very best in the industry! You can count on perfect color which is applied professionally by the NICEST people on the planet! Liquid Sun Rayz also sells an entire line of skin care products which optimize competition color and regular spray tans. They have a line of beautiful and affordable jewelry for female competitors, and they also have a Beauty Team which provides fantastic makeup application and hair styling. The people who work with Liquid Sun Rayz are like family to me, and I am honored and blessed to be affiliated with them!
Please click on the link below to see who made it into the 2016 Team. Please also LIKE the Liquid Sun Rayz page so you can get all of their updates!
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.945371798872481.1073741894.157115621031440&type=3
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