Happygrrls meet DivaGirl Fitness...again!

I interviewed Laura Furtado of DivaGirl Fitness almost 6 whole months ago. After listening to her speak passionately about her love of dance and fitness, I promised her (and myself) that I would sign up for one of her classes. She didn’t have to persuade me too much because taking a dance class was something that I always wanted to do. It’s fun and it’s exercise, what’s better than that?



Although I promised her 6 whole months ago that I would take one of her classes.......I didn’t.


But as luck would have it, my employer provided all employees with a chance to sign up for a free 2 hour dance class as a part of staff appreciation. And guess who the instructor was...................?? Laura Furtado! I didn’t even have to think about it; I signed up for the session and eagerly awaited the class.


I was a little nervous when I walked into the gym. I don’t work out regularly (okay, I don’t work out period!), and I was a nervous about looking silly. But once I heard the heavy hip hop grooves and saw Laura’s bubbly face, all my anxiety left me.


Just to let you know, the class was freakin’ amazing! I had more fun than I imagined. We started off with some hip hop dance moves followed by some spicy Bhangra moves.


I was loving the hip hop moves. I was pretending that I was one of those hardcore hip hop dancers in You Got Served, Step Up, Stomp the Yard, or any other cheesy dance movie getting their battle on.


I had tons of fun while I worked out. I kept wondering why I never signed up for the classes before. I’m such a punk!


The last hour was spent on Bhangra/Bollywood style of dance. The intricate moves in this style of dance provided an insanely effective workout. It was fun, but I also felt that I was working out places that need to be worked out! Just like with the hip hop moves, during the Bhangra session, I envisioned myself in an elaborate Bollywood movie and it was the huge dance number. Yes, my imagination is way too active sometimes! : )


After enjoying the 2 hour session I went up to Laura and thanked her for the class and promised...again that I will take one of her classes. Something tells me that I won’t break that promise.

-Michelle

Beauty 411

My latest go-to lip gloss

Glamour-Full, Clinique

It’s funny how my new go-to lip gloss happens to be something that I got for free. It was a gift with purchase when I bought a bottle of Clinique’s  Dramatically Different Moisturizing lotion a couple months ago (*btw, this moisturizer has been a part of my beauty regimen for as long as I can remember).  I also received a mini version of their Lash Doubling mascara (this is also an exceptional product!), a makeup case and some eye shadow.

Normally the makeup palette in the bonus gifts doesn’t really go with my skin tone and I end up tossing it out or giving it to friends, but the sample size of Glamour-full full potential lips plump and shine lip gloss that was included, wasn’t a stark contrast to my complexion. 

The colour itself is a mixture of muted pink and lavender hues. When I apply it, it gives my lips that glossy, shiny effect with just a whisper of pink.

My lips are quite full already, so I haven’t noticed a plumping effect (you might feel a slight tingling when you wear it the first couple of times). But other than that, this is a great lip gloss.

P.S.  If the Clinique lip gloss is a bit too pricey and you want to try a less expensive brand, you should take a look at Barely Nude Infallible Lip Gloss from L’Oreal.  It’s a great lip gloss (I bought this one too!) and the colour is as delicate as the Clinique lip gloss.   

P.S S. Both lip glosses look fantastic when worn with a smoky eye.

Michelle

The Grammys

There are only a handful of award shows that get me to drop everything and sit glued to the tube for extended periods of time—and the Grammys is one of them. I made sure to do everything that I needed to do by 8pm on Sunday, Jan 31st, 2010.


Even though the Grammys are extremely political (psst...sometimes the person most deserving doesn’t get the award, and it goes to an artist that is good, but deserved it ages ago), I can’t miss it because I love to watch the performances.


I viewed every minute of the 3 and half hour telecast and it was.....uh, okay. It wasn’t as fun and exciting as I would have liked, but it was alright.


Here’s my breakdown of some of the performances of the night. Let me know if you agree, disagree or think I’m too picky! LOL!

The Performances

Beyoncé- If I Were A Boy

I'm a Beyoncé fan, but her performance was a bit dry and boring. It was flashy, but it didn’t get me moving. I felt a sense of nostalgia during her “You Oughta Know” interlude (originally sung by Alanis Morissette), but it didn’t quite serve a purpose. I was waiting for Alanis to run up on stage and sing with Beyoncé, but that never happened. Oh well.

Lady Gaga- Poker Face
I totally appreciate her energy and creativity that she brings to her performances. You can’t deny the bedazzled one that!


The first half of her performance was good. I even liked her costume. It was crazy, but I thought it looked cool! The second part of her performance kind fell flat. She played the piano alongside Elton John (it sorta reminded me of when Eminem performed with Elton John ages ago). It wasn’t a particularly bad performance; I was just anticipating something more electrifying.

P!nk- Glitter In The Air
I know a lot of people with disagree with me, but I will say it. The P!nk performance was good, but I did not love it as much as everyone else. Am I the only one that remembered that she did a similar routine on another award show? Don’t get me wrong, it was good, and the woman is talented, but it seemed a little too familiar.

Jamie Foxx f/T-Pain & Slash- Blame it
Call me ghetto, but I loooved this performance. I thought it was hilarious. Jamie and T-Pain got me dancing in my living room. They got crunk up in there!

Drake f/Lil Wayne & Eminem- Forever
This is officially my song of the moment. I keep saying that I’m not a Drake fan, but I continue to write about his songs. Yes, I think I’m in denial (or a hater!) I think that I will be lusting over the man soon enough!


I liked this performance because it injected a little hip hop into the award show. It was also cute to see Taylor Swift (someone I don’t peg to be a hip hop fan) get her dance on to this song. Soo cute!

Well, that’s my take on the Grammys. Let me know what you think. E-mail me at michelle@happygrrls.com

-Michelle