Blackheads. Simply put - they are the bane of our existence. Our teen years are when our pores become defined, which is dependent on using the right skin care products and using them consistently. How we take care of our face during our teen years determines how large or small our pores will be (mainly just how much they'll hold tightly to dirt and debris as we age), but yet it is during these same years that we seem to lack the knowledge (and motivation) to implement a preventative beauty routine that will save us the grief from our older selves.

Since I can't turn back time, all I can do now is learn how to properly extract and remove blackheads, and try to minimize just how often those little skin pockets fill up with gunk. If you are younger and reading this, take heed now and do yourself a favor: keep your skin well-maintained.

Want to warm up this fall and winter with some healthy comfort food? Check out these delicious recipes from certified nutritionist and fitness trainer, Franci Cohen. I can't wait to make them myself! Yum!

For beautiful skin and a healthy heart try my HEALTHY stuffed eggplant recipe.

Growing up, my mom would bake up her mouth watering stuffed eggplant that my taste buds would give a standing ovation, but suffice it to say that my waistline did not. I decided to take this tasty lunch or dinner recipe and revise it to meet healthy standards, while maintaining the taste!

When you're messing with a favorite family recipe it makes one a little nervous, well it made me a little nervous anyway, but I am super excited to report that it did NOT disappoint and I will likely pass this version down to my kiddos.

Faccia Bella Recipes SeriesDo you want beautiful young looking skin, a healthy heart, and better overall health? The good news is that it is easier to achieve than one might think, and is well within the busy woman’s time and budget limits. Does it sound to good to be true? It’s honestly not, and is simply a matter of a few MINOR adjustments to the food you already consume, and perhaps an addition of a few new satisfying recipes.

I don’t believe in making a bunch of huge changes all at once, as that is one factor that typically assures failure. We are creatures of habit, so although one might be able to make a major change for a short time, the idea for keeping with it for the long term (which is where one will see the best benefits) is small modifications to your daily habits and routine that will amount to a big difference in the way you feel each day. Not to mention that holding out long term is where you will see the quantifiable effect on your heart healthy numbers. As an added FYI, I also don’t believe in sacrificing taste (My seven picky children and husband won’t allow for it anyway), so rest assured the recipes that come your way will be jam packed with not only nutritional royalty, but your taste buds will bow down with loyalty!

Delectable Shrimp Scampi with Ancient Grains and the Incredible Nutritional Twist (Gluten-free, Casein-free options included)

Serving size for 1 ¼ cup (dry) of Pedon Organic Farro (gluten free option: Quinoa. I personally like Eden Organics) 4 oz of Shrimp, 9 shrimp of the 31-40-count size 4 Cherry Tomatoes Halved 1 cup of Spinach 1 clove of Garlic finely sliced ½ teaspoon of salt 1 tablespoon of fresh Oregano finely chopped 3 Scallions chopped 2 teaspoons of reduced fat Parmesan cheese (do NOT add for a casein free option) 2 tablespoon of white wine (if you are following gluten free be sure that the wine chosen is specified as gluten free, such as Frey Organic) ½ of fresh squeezed lemon juice 1 tablespoon of Chosen Foods Avocado Oil (I love olive oil, but this is a healthier option and more affordable). Cooking Instructions Farro: In a pan boil ¾ cup of water, pinch of salt, add Farro, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 25 minutes, removed from heat, drain (I rinsed too), and fluff with a fork. Quinoa: Generally cooks in 12 minutes, follow box directions for the kind you buy. Shrimp: Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with salt. Cook shrimp until pink, 5 to 6 minutes; transfer to a plate. Reduce heat to medium; add scallions, oregano, and garlic. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, Add spinach, tomatoes, wine and lemon juice. Cover and cook until tomatoes soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in shrimp and let simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle in Parmesan. To serve, scoop the juice and pour over grain choice first, then place the rest of the scampi and vegetables over it. Lastly, garnish with a pinch of finely chopped oregano and a sprinkling of the green portion of the scallions. Enjoy! Nutritional Scoop: Dish w/ Farro contains 439 calories, 30g protein, 15.5g fat (10g of monounsaturated, 2, of polyunsaturated, 1.5 unsaturated, 2g saturated, 0 transfat), 6g of fiber Dish w/Quinoa (gluten free option) contains 439 calories, 28g protein, 17g fat (10g of monounsaturated, 2g polyunsaturated, 3g unsaturated, 2g saturated, 0 transfat), 5g of fiber Casein free option subtract for parm cheese (- 13cal, -1g fat, -1g protein) Both dish options are wonderful sources of Niacin and Zinc, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Manganese, Selenium, omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, and antioxidants. More Awesome: The ingredients include anti-inflammatory qualities, which have endless benefits, collagen boosting effects, which improves the look of the skin, and healthy brain and behavioral function. (***NOTE: Though Shrimp contains higher amounts of cholesterol it is still low in fat and contains high amounts of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. Omega-3 helps to reduce inflammation, triglycerides, and assists in achieving a healthy blood pressure. There are studies showing that omega-3 fatty acids may help with other conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, depression, and many more. (via) In terms of Omega-6 the University of Maryland Medical Center states that it can, “help stimulate skin and hair growth, maintain bone health, regulate metabolism, and maintain the reproductive system.” With this said, it is safe to say that the benefit of eating Shrimp far out weighs the 1 negative.) Stay tuned for more healthy recipes! I'd love to know if you tried this recipe! Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! for more beauty reviews! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Courtney on G+.

Step 1: Apply primer over entire eyelid and up to brow line. Step 2: Apply jane.'s Ray of Light to lid. Step 3: Apply mark.'s Fab 5 green to entire crease. Step 4: Moisten brush dab in and then on Urban Decay's Zodiac over the green crease line (this adds intense sparkle & shimmer), blend upward then outward on outer corner of eyelid towards brow bone. Step 5: Clean brush, moisten again, and dab in and then on Urban Decay's Space Cowboy over the lid (again, this adds intense sparkle & shimmer.) Step 6: Highlight your brow bone with mark.'s fab 5 champagne type color and blend. Step 7: Apply black eyeliner of choice. Step 8: Apply mascara of choice. Step 9: Apply the rest of your face makeup. I used Urban Decay's Naked for my foundation coverage, jane.'s Peach Bouquet for my cheeks, and jane.'s intense color lip gloss in Million Dollar Smile for my lips. Step 10: OK ladies I hope by now you know this step...admire your hard work and say or think something fun or super positive to yourself. (IE: Boom!, Pow, Meow, Gosh the Lord did good work!) Oh and wait, let me add that we MUST pass this uplifting spirit on to our friends by telling them the same. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! for more beauty reviews! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Courtney on G+. *Disclosure

1. Apply primer. (I love Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion.) 2. Then on the inner lid and crease place a stripe of gold. Also bring it down to your inner lower lash line. I used mark. fab 5 (I use this set endlessly!) 3. Right after putting a stripe of the gold, place a stripe of pink. I used Shiseido's shimmering cream pink (PK302) again make this stripe from crease to lid...like a rainbow except it's side by side. This is a beautiful pink and it blends so well with the other colors! 4. Next apply a stripe of violet. I used Shiseido's Provence (VI704.) 5.Make a V shape on the outer lid and crease with a deep purple. Also, bring that color down to the lower lash line from the mid to outer portion. I used Aveda's Dusk Orchard. 6. Place a neutral highlighting color on your brow bone. (Hint: you want to keep the focus on the crease area down, so I chose a matte cream color.) 7. Blend and add color again where needed. I always dab the colors I'm reapplying, so it pops and looks well blended. 8. Apply black liner to the upper lash line and the waterline. 9. Apply mascara.

Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Courtney on G+. *Disclosure

Celebrity makeup artist and hairstylist, Amanda Shackleton, travels the world for her craft. Along the way, she's picked up beauty tips and tricks from each country she's visited. I've long desired to know what women in other countries and cultures use as their product staples and we asked Amanda to tell us all about her discoveries! Below Amanda has pulled together her Top 8 beauty products, all of which we can use to beautify ourselves in 2014. Arabia
1. Arabia Peninsula/India Does Best: Brightening the Eyes with Kohl. Product: Al Sharifan Kohl Kajal Eyeliner.  I was first introduced to kohl eye powder over twenty years ago in Morocco where women would make their own from oil and herbs. This one is one of the oldest around. You apply it to the waterline of your eyes both top and bottom to brighten  and define your eyes. It's a super dark black, powdery kohl that is also believed to protect eyes from the sun (especially in the desert where it gets its origins) and helps smooth and cool them. Korea
2. Korea Does Best: Covering Dark Under Eye Circles. Product: Etude House Surprise Concealer Kit. This is one of my favorite products for dark circles. It's super creamy and gentle, made for Asian skin, but works well on everyone. It has 2 colors, first a peach color to counteract the bluish tones from dark circles then a beige color to layer on top. Blended together they are magical! It's a top cosmetic brand in Korea I found recently and plan on trying other things from them. France
3. France Does Best: Red lipstick Product: YSL Rouge Pur Couture in Rouge Rock.  Ask any French woman what's her most important cosmetic and it would be a red lipstick, of course. Bright red, dark red, blue red, orange red, pink red on and on. I discovered this in Milan when I didn't have the right color red for the model. Thanks to a very generous French makeup artist, she handed me this one.

4. Japan Does Best: Flawless clear skin and brightening cremes Product: Cosme Decort Future Science Washing Creme & White Science Premium Revolution Moisturizer. It's an amazing brand of skin care products not well known in the US. On a recent trip to Asia I needed to buy moisturizer for my face. I looked everywhere for a normal moisturizer and couldn't find anything (at least in the drugstore type shops) that wasn't a whitening brightening creme.They are everywhere and now we know why Japanese/Asian women have such porcelain skin. These cleansers and moisturizers are gentle and work amazingly! No more tanning for me. Croatia
5. Croatia Does Best: Lavender Oil Croatia is a huge producer of Lavender Oil and it can be seen everywhere you go in the country, especially growing along the Dalmatian Coast. I've always used Lavender oil mixed with water to spray on clients faces as a refresher, but I was told by a Croatian Mother of the bride that the Lavender in Croatia is much more antiseptic than any where else. Now I use it on cuts and burns and even break outs. It cools and refreshes dry red skin before makeup-especially in the winter. Mexico
6. Mexico Does Best: Mascara Product: Zan Zusi Black Waterproof Roll on Mascara. I was introduced to this mascara by a Mexican producer while we were there shooting, when she asked, "Why do you think Mexican women have such long lashes?" She swore by this mascara, and though it's sometimes hard to find because it sells out so quickly, she was able to get some for the girls on the crew. I was amazed at how long and clump-proof my lashes were. You may not think of mascara when you think of Mexico, but I  do now. West Africa
7. West Africa Does Best: African Black Soap This soap is special because it uses indigenous Palm Oils not found in many places around the world. I found this in a store in Brooklyn and asked the shopkeeper why the soap was black; she told me it is black as a result of the cooking process. They cook it until it becomes a charcoal, then let it dry in the sun for weeks. The result is a gentle soap that can be used for everything. One of its special traits is detoxifying the skin. India
8. India Does Best: Hair Oil Product: Hesh Mahabhriingraj Maka Herbal Hair Oil. Working with many Indian brides, I found out how they keep their hair so long and shiny. Although there are hundreds of different oils they use for their hair, this was the one I was given. I love it--Indian men and women both use it on their scalps for massage (to condition and help hair grow), as well as, on the ends to keep hair moisturized so it doesn't get brittle. It's better than most of the high end hair products I've bought and I keep a small container in my hair kit to refresh dull hair. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Shannon on G+

When I was in college I often went skiing in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. I always tell myself that one day I'll get back there (but this time to check out the spas in addition to the skiing!) One of those places is Stoweflake Spa and Wellness Center in Stowe, Vermont. Surinda Oberai Cavanagh, Spa Director and Ayurvedic Consultant at Stoweflake Spa and Wellness Center, offers A Girl's Gotta Spa! readers these tips to stay stress free and glowing this holiday season. Tips for a Stress-Free Holiday Season

• Begin your day with a large glass of warm or hot water. This is great for hydration and cleansing the digestive system.
• Before you bathe, generously apply a high quality massage oil (Sarada Ayurvedic massage oil) to your entire body. Use minimal soap. This practice will calm and coat your nervous system, nourish and hydrate your skin and leave you feeling warmer when the cold winds blow this season.
• Eat your main meal between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM. This is when your digestive system is most efficient. This will minimize holiday weight gain.
• Have warm milk with nutmeg before bed. This is a wonderful evening routine and nutmeg is a very effective sedative.

Facial Glow Tips for the Holidays

• Make sure you moisturize your face each day before heading out in to the elements with a heavy winter moisturizer or facial oil. This will protect against the drying effects of the winter weather.
• Take a teaspoon of turmeric in raw honey internally for its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.
• Make sure you exercise to the point of breaking a sweat. This will ensure your lymphatic system is stimulated.

Try this at home facial mask to cleanse and exfoliate daily. Simple Holiday At-Home Mask

• 3 Teaspoons raw honey
• ½ Teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 Teaspoon whole plain yogurt
• Mix together and apply to face and neck. Leave on for 8-10 minutes and then rinse with warm water.

If you try any of these, let us know how they work for you! Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! for more beauty reviews! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Shannon on G+

Here's an easy and quick makeup tutorial to get this chic look in under 5 minutes! Main brands used are jane. Cosmetics, Aveda, and Mirabella. Step 1: Apply primer over entire eyelid. Step 2: Apply jane.'s Polished Pewter cream eye shadow to lid. Step 3: Apply Aveda 992 Juniper eyeliner to your upper and lower lid. Step 4: Use Mirabella Clover eye shadow lightly blended into the lower lash line. Step 5: Apply mascara of choice. Step 6: Apply the rest of your face makeup. I left my face natural and just used jane.'s Peach Bouquet for my cheeks, and a slightly tinted copper lip gloss for my lips.

Readers, do you have any requests for look how-to or ideas you need for a certain occasion? Let me know and I will do my best to get up a post on it with you in mind! Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! for more beauty reviews! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Courtney on G+. *Disclosure

Whether your next vacation be relaxing on the beach, touring cities in Europe, or just going to your families, you should never forget about your skin. High-end skin care brands rarely put out economy size products, but many of them downsize into fabulous travel sets and starter kits. Not only do these A-list products travel well, but they create an opportunity to sample luxury lines at a lower cost. “Maintaining your skin regime while on vacation is essential to keeping your skin beautiful. Be sure to toss your products into your carry-on, just in case your luggage ever gets lost,” says Dr. David E. Bank, Founder and Director of the Center for Dermatology, Cosmetic & Laser Surgery. Dr. Bank’s 4 tips for flawless skin while traveling: · Cleanse your face daily. You need to wash off the cellular debris that can collect while sitting in a stuffy airplane or even riding in the car. A new environment means new toxins and sometimes our skin will absorb these, so be sure to wash them off. · Use a toner that helps balance the PH levels in your skin. This prepares the skin for your moisturizer and helps the moisturizer work more efficiently. · Moisturize! Lower humidity levels will dry your skin making those fine lines and wrinkles appear more prominent than they really are. · Use products containing Antioxidants. This is the main line of defense against free radicals. Choose a light gel or serum formulation so you aren’t clogging your pores. What are some of your favorite products that you use when traveling to keep your skin properly hydrated? Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! for more beauty reviews! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Shannon on G+