The Nightmare, by Henry Fuseli (1781) is thought to be one of the classic depictions of sleep paralysis perceived as a demonic visitation.

Normally I wouldn’t post on this kind of thing, if not for the fact that it happened to me this morning. Probably one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. I’m telling my story because if I had known about this phenomenon, I probably wouldn’t have been so frightened.

Just after 9am this morning when I lay down to watch the news, I apparently fell asleep. Not long after, I woke (or at least I thought I had) to find myself paralyzed. My eyes could move and I could see in front of me. I even looked for details, like which of my husbands shirts was hanging on the rocking chair. I could hear the Fox 10 morning newscast playing on the TV. I tried to move my head and move my body but nothing was happening. I could not speak and I could not scream. At this point I panicked and tried to focus on moving my hand toward my phone to call 911 and hope that someone would discover me and help me.

Soon after that I felt a presence in my living room and began to hear and see things/people out of the corner of my eye. I won’t get into detail since I did eventually fully awake, regaining movement and realizing everything was ok. I immediately went to google and searched paralyzed dream and came across a phenomenon called sleep paralysis, which I had never heard of. I found an abundance of recorded accounts that either matched or went above and beyond what I experienced.

I guess what I wondered most is “If this is common and happens to around 30% of people, why had I never heard of it before?”

From Wikipedia: “Sleep paralysis occurs when the brain awakes from a REM state, but the body paralysis persists. This leaves the person fully conscious but unable to move. The paralysis can last from several seconds to several minutes by which the individual may experience panic symptoms. As the correlation with REM sleep suggests, the paralysis is not entirely complete; eye movement is still possible during such episodes.

In addition, the paralysis may be accompanied by terrifying hallucinations and an acute sense of danger. Sleep paralysis is particularly frightening to the individual because of the vividness of such hallucinations. The hallucinatory element to sleep paralysis makes it more likely that someone will interpret the experience as a dream, since dream-like objects may appear in the room alongside one’s normal vision. Some scientists have proposed this condition as an explanation for alien abductions and ghostly encounters.”

From Another Site: “Statistics report that 20% to 40% of people report having had some or other version of sleep paralysis. For a third of them the experience is nothing more than a momentary fear of the possibility of paralysis followed by a swift return to normal. A substantial two thirds of those who report having experienced sleep paralysis describe episodes of hallucinations of varying degrees. In simple language the hallucinations are similar in nature, distinguished only by their association with those experienced at sleep onset and those upon waking.

Features of the hallucinations have often been postulated as an explanation for the proliferation of reports of alien abduction and demon visitation. The reason for this is the characteristic nature of the hallucination. There tends to be certain uniformly experienced features that include the “sense of a presence” that is felt to be malevolent in nature.

People who suffer from sleep paralysis often report the sense of there being someone in the room with them. They speak of a pressure or weight felt on the body, often in the vicinity of the chest area. Whatever the particular configuration of symptoms, all report a vivid level of fear. This is shared by all, even those who, on some level, recognize that the experience is not altogether real.

This vivid and horrific experience of sleep paralysis is not culture specific. It affects people across the world and literature and mythology are full of references to it. In Canada it is called “a visit from the old hag”, in Japan it is being “bound and fastened in metal”. The Mexicans use a phrase that means ” the dead getting on top” and in the southern United States it is known as “the witch riding your back”. “

EDIT: Western Culture refuses to acknowledge these occurrences and they are put off as psychotic episodes. No wonder people don’t speak openly about this. It makes me sad that this happens to people and they are made to believe they are crazy, when all along there are countless recorded accounts and there is a legit scientific explanation!

All I know is I hope it never happens to me again, but if it does I may be more relaxed knowing that it will eventually come to an end. Has this ever happened to any of you?

UD Hearts NYC – Book of Shadows Vol. III – for Holiday 2010

Look for this amazing limited-edition palette to hit shelves in October. If you will be in the NYC area on August 28th, you can try to purchase one of the 1,000 pieces that will be available for sale exclusively at the Times Square Sephora starting at 1pm.

Where can I find one?

Self Tanning = Safe Tanning

Sun-Tanning causes wrinkles, other signs of premature aging, and skin cancer. It can take years to come to the surface, but it WILL catch up with you. Self-Tanning products have a come a long way in recent years, so there’s really no reason to risk it.

Here are my tips to getting natural, even color INDOORS…

1. Always Exfoliate Before Self Tanning

If you start with a smooth/even surface, you are more likely to get smooth/even results. I like to exfoliate my body with St. Ives Apricot Scrub in the shower before self tanning. St. Ives Apricot Scrub is available at most grocery and drug stores for around $4.

Ps. This is the regular apricot scrub, NOT the blemish fighting scrub.

2. Moisturize Skin After Exfoliating

After exfoliating in your shower, but before applying self tanner, apply moisturizer to your body. When your skin is smooth and moisturized, self tanner is less likely to grab onto dry patches of skin, causing a blotchiness.

3. Use a Self Tanning Mitt

Self tanning mitts are inexpensive. They allow for easy/even application, and they cut your self tanning time in half. I always use a self tanning mitt to buff self tanner into my skin. It’s quick and it protects my hands from coming in contact with self tanner.

Self Tanning Mitts are available at Ulta stores and other beauty supply stores for only a few dollars.

4. Use a Good Self Tanner

No matter how well you prep your skin, if you slap on a bad self tanner, you’re just going to end up looking a streaky-orange mess. I recently tried the above Summer Lovers Self Tanning Mousse by Napoleon Perdis and I fell in LOVE with it. It pumps out a blue-green tinted foam with a tropical scent. You know you are going to get good color when your self tanner has a blue-green tint to it.

Blue counteracts Orange… No Oompa Loompas here

The Summer Lovers Self Tanning Mousse dries quickly and does not transfer onto sheets or clothes. It gradually develops into a natural, even tan. The developing smell comes at a minimum and is much more tolerable than any other self tanner I’ve used. Apply it before bed and you will probably never even smell it. You may need to apply this a couple consecutive days depending on how deep you want your tan to go. I recommend this to girls with fair to light/medium complexions because it gives gradual, natural results.

Napoleon Perdis Summer Lovers Self Tanning Mousse is available at ULTA stores for $37.

Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse Foundation

Attention: This review is NOT for the Dream Matte Mousse Foundation.

This review is for the NEW Dream Smooth Mousse Foundation.

I picked up this foundation at my local CVS last week. I normally don’t do drugstore makeup. Not because I’m a high-end snob, but because I just haven’t had much luck when I have tried drugstore makeup. I do like Revlon Colorstay liquid makeup for Summer. It stays matte and does not budge, even in heat and humidity. But for winter, especially when traveling to colder climates, I like a more moisturizing foundation. I’m so glad I picked this up and gave it a shot.

Read on for review…

Read the rest of this entry »

Red hair, milky skin, head to toe freckles, and a mean cocaine habit. No NOT Miss Lohan. Julianne Moore portrayed the quintessential 1970’s porn queen with her role as Amber Waves in the film, Boogie Nights.

Marc Jacobs

Vera Wang

Michael Kors

Francisco Costa

Brian Atwood kills with a HEEL… seem familiar ??

For Harper’s Bazaar’s September issue, stylist, Rachel Zoe immortalizes her infamous catchphrase, “I Die” with a clever pictorial. Super legit.

Source: Huffington Post

Proposition 8 was passed by California voters in 2008, banning same-sex marriages in the state. On August 4th, a Federal Judge ruled Proposition 8 unconstitutional and in violation of the protection clause of the 14th Amendment. Congrats LGBT Community and the NOH8 Campaign on this victory!

Prop 8 Supporters are expected to file an appeal to the judge’s ruling, which would bring the case to the US Supreme Court.

I said no to the diapers, but I think I would pick a few of these up, they’re longer lasting and damn cute. Available at Cynthia Rowley online.