I just got notification that Olay is cutting checks in the amount of $20 bucks through a mail-in rebate for purchases over $50. Check out the details here: Olay Professional Pro-X Anti-Aging Starter Protocol
“Immerse yourself in the next generation of Mandelic and Malic Acid treatments with M2 Skin Care. Designed to tackle the most troublesome skin affected by aging, fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, acne, or acne scarring, the unique formulas will transform skin from flawed to flawless.” – SkincareRX.com
I got my SkincareRX package this past weekend, and in it was my SoPhyto Day Face Moisturizer which is what the site recommended after I filled out some key issue requests on what I was concerned with: mainly aging, hyper pigmentation, fine lines, sagging skin, and organic ingredients. I’m scheduled to start the 2 week long trial starting today. In the meantime, they also sent a sample of the MM2 Skincare Skin Recovery Moisturizer which only has enough for maybe a 3 day trial, if I use it once day, or perhaps a 2 day trial if I use it twice a day.
I tried it last night, and so far no crazy results…of course. It goes on uber-light and I guess it did moisturize enough, since I didn’t feel dry immediately afterward. I am going to give it a full day today and come back with a follow up. It has no scent, so that’s pretty good, but it also does not contain any sunscreen, which I suppose could be a good and bad thing. Good in that it will be ok if I use it under makeup since my makeup has SPF, and it doesn’t add any additional chemicals. Bad, if I’m not wearing any makeup and I have to apply an additional SPF product on top, which to be honest, won’t happen…I will just opt to skip the M2 and use a plain SPF moisturizer.
And totally off topic – doesn’t M2 kind of sound like a generic R2D2 product line?? LOL I’m just saying…
So I posted my blog about botox with Dr. D, but I wanted to do a separate entry for the actual facility itself : Nu Vela Esthetica. Seriously, when you walk in, it is just as chic as it can be, with gorgeous woodworking and serene furnishings, but what I loved about the whole experience was that the proceedures are actually CHEAPER than if you go to a ghetto strip-mall cosmetic shop. Botox runs for $10 per unit, compared to Dr. Mark’s $13 per unit.
The spa offers all the current cutting edge treatments from mesotherapy/lipo injections to all the fillers, leg vein removal, photofacials and anything/everything else any top of the line medi-spa has. One proceedure that has piqued my interest in a MAJOR way is the dermafilling of the hollows under the eyes. I am super looking forward to having rejuvenated eyes. LIKE YOU HAVE NO IDEA.
Here are some quick info links on the site that I found interesting & useful:
Before & After gallery
Service Listing & Proceedure Listings
Dr. D discusses what a chemical peel is
Located in Porter Ranch, you can save your trip to Beverly Hills and keep it local, while staying fabulous PLUS save on gas!
Dr. Raffi Dishakjian
Nu Vela Esthetica • 11200 Corbin Ave., Ste. 104 • Porter Ranch, CA 91326 • 818-832-4500
I decided it was time to move onto a more specialized botox centre, and I had a nice experience with Dr. D. at Nu Vela Esthetica a couple of weeks ago, but here is a timeline of what is happening thusfar.
1. The front receptionist is super helpful. I scheduled a consultation and went in for a first appointment for my botox. Dr. D was informative and nice, so I went ahead and scheduled my appointment. He told me more info than Dr. Marks had, he did tell me that I should plan to not work out, because sweat might move around the injection, to not use anything on my face, sit upright for at least 6 hours (no lounging on the couch) and to not wash my face. The face washing part I already knew, and I assumed that meant no makeup either, but I didn’t know about the no couch-lounging or sweating.
2. A week later, I woke up with a brand new face. I mean, dude I was smooth as before I hit puberty; you can check out my facebook profile pic, since it’s my favorite smooth forehead pic in over a decade. I was smitten with Dr. D.! He used 50 ml in my upper face, usually Dr. Marks used around 300. It didn’t hurt any less, and it was about $500 for the total job.
3. It’s been 10 days, and today I am having a teeny tiny issue. I feel like my forehead is sliding down a bit – like my eyelids are lower than they usually are. I’ve been obsessing over this, and if it doesn’t perk back up by tuesday, I’m going to go see Dr. D. and see what’s up. I’ve been taking hourly photos on my new blackberry storm to see if the low-lid issue is getting worse/better/no-movement and I’m also wondering if maybe I’m freaking out too early and should just give it a few more days? I remember having 2 week botox issues last time too, so maybe I just need to chill out and let it ‘sit’.
I’ll update again tomorrow, it’s getting late.
Strivectin is by far not the most affordable product around, and after doing a full 3 month run of the Strivectin Orbital Eye Treatment with little noticeable results, and a level 6 toxicity warning at SkinDeep’s Cosmetic Database, I was kind of leary to try any more of the product, but I’ve got to say, my hands look pretty darn nice. Pretty darn nice…I must say! I’ll post photos later, because I am in dire need of a nail fill lol!
Anyway, at $38 average price for the cream, it did last around 6 months with daily application following the box instructions of a dime size drop on the back of hands, and rubbing the backs of the hands so that knuckles and outer skin area are treated the most heaviest.
Ok so after a couple of failed attempts at being schooled on how to apply the BE stuff at Sephora, I decided to make my way into the local Bare Escentual’s actual boutique (this is the 3rd time in a row that I’ve attempted to talk with a consultant – there usually is a waiting list).
Anyway, shout out to Nikki who took her time to show me and my mom how to put on a fabulous face, even under the pressure of being short a couple of girls. Just for the record – I ended up buying another batch of Rare Minerals because I bought my last one from amazon.com and didn’t really know how to put it on, and just washed my face with the Bare Escentuals cleanser, and I promise you all, my skin feels like SILK!! Raise the Roof!
I’ve got to call mama tomorrow morning and see how her cleanser is working out. It took off my makeup, but I didn’t have any mascara on so I don’t know how good its going to be on getting my chola-gunk mascara off, but will totally let you know. PEACE and happy monday tomorrow!
Native to North America, blueberries played an important role in North American Indian food culture. They work their protective magic by preventing free-radical damage, inhibiting enzymes from cleaving the collagen matrix, and directly cross-linking with collagen fibers to form a more stable collagen matrix. Bottom line? Eat blueberries on a regular basis. Not only will you have firmer skin for longer days, but you can also fuel your health by their ability neutralize free radical damage to the collagen matrix of cells and tissues that can lead to cataracts, glaucoma, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, peptic ulcers, heart disease and cancer. Throw a few on your cereal, in your smoothie or even better yet, by the handful – yummy and delish!
Click here to read more on the amazing properties of the super blue miracle berry!
Great…now my mom has yet another reason to get on my ass.
When I was in college, I got my tongue pierced and out of the blue I started receiving ‘anonymous’ newspaper and magazine clippings about how toxic tongue rings are and yada yada with yellow post-it-notes saying “Because I love you, mi hija”. Nothing bad happened from getting my tongue ring, although I do feel bad for the few that got horrible infections and loss of whatever.
Now…Newsweek has a new article out that is making it’s rounds all over the place stating that Botox injected into lab rats is showing that the solution can travel into your brain. Here is a rundown of the article:
The bottom line? The FDA’s Katz says that people getting Botox for cosmetic reasons should “make their own personal best judgment about this” and “be aware that there’s the potential for” the neurotoxin to spread.
So there you have it. A simple breakdown for the botox prone, to debate and combat those loved ones in your life that are going to run rampant with this new study and try to ruin your day…like my mom. lol.
How do you spend a glamorous day in the sun in today’s elements? A super foxy wide brimmed hat!
Check out this one by Badgley Mischka that I scored at TJMaxx for UNDER 30 BUCKS this week!
Now you can stop being scared of the sun, prevent sunspots & damage from the sun and look supercute at the same time.
Don’t forget that even though you have protection with a sun, you totally still need your SPF.
Ooo a free gift from Macy’s with any $21 purchase from Clinique full of spring colors, plus some new anti-aging products and the launch of the fake-bake no streak tanning product line is in too just in time for Mama’s day. Click here to check out the goods.
Ok so I just finished swelling down from my 2008 wrinkle filler injections – this time with the latest and greatest, Juvederm. Last year, I had 2 treatments of Restalyn, on my face paranthesis, the corners of my mouth and on my upper lip (1 thread) but I had a couple of super minor problems – the first being a tiny lump that formed on the underside of my top lip, which to me wasn’t a super big deal because it wasn’t visible and didn’t hurt. It ended up dissolving about a year later. The other problem was that my side face filler was kind of visible under my skin – kind of like i had a baby slug under my skin -omg-gross, but it wasn’t really gross, it was just kind of weird. I’ll post a photo later to show you what I’m talking about.
ANYway, I went to Dr. Marks again to get this year’s filler upper – same places – nasal folds, lip crease, upper lip (2 threads this time) but this time with Juvederm – which has a waaaay more smooth look. No under-skin slugs, smooth injection sites, but the downfall (tiny actually) is that my lip bruised up at the injection site so I had to cover it up for a couple of days. And after the 3rd day the swelling goes down and the injections end up looking way more natural. I may have to go get the corners of my mouth retouched but other than that, I’m pretty happy and actually prefer Juvederm over Restalyn. And of course, Dr. Marks did a fabulous job with absolutely no pain whatsoever so I was a happy camper. Am a happy camper I mean.
The procedure will run you approximately $500 bucks for about a year of plumpness.
Good lord, these women look SO dry and haggard this season – is it because I have a new plasma tv?? But it’s not even broadcast in HD (please don’t) and they just look SO lacking moisture and dusty! OMG drink your water ladies – you look so very skin-thirsty! AND….did you see the new clips from the new series The Real Housewives of NYC -? The dark haired girl was on another reality show – was it an earlier season of the Apprentice? And does Jo really think she can sing? JUST ASKING….Oh – I guess we will all find out soon enough because she’s going to be dishing it on her new reality show (gag me).
I signed up for the free sample promotion over at Murad.com even after having the scary incident with the stingy Vitamin C facial, and after getting slammed with spam for about 3 months, I finally got a sample package that was 1/10 of what Beauty Gallery dished out, so blah on that note, but they did send me a tube of the Intensive Wrinkle Reducer which retails for about $150…and while it was really only enough for a week’s worth of application, it had the same stingy effect that my previous Dr. Murad face skincare has traumatized me with — it STINGS! I’m starting to kind of feel like Murad stuff is in cahoots with the bullies of yesteryear – kind of always everywhere, and will more often than not hurt more than it helps.
omg, so as promised, I set out to do some research on the malibuwellness.com salesperson’s statement that sunscreen is actually toxic for your skin, and check out what I found:
“The idea that sunscreen prevents cancer is a myth. It’s a myth promoted by a profit-seeking tag-team effort between the cancer industry and the sunscreen industry. The sunscreen industry makes money by selling lotion products that actually contain cancer-causing chemicals. It then donates a portion of that money to the cancer industry through non-profit groups like the American Cancer Society which, in turn, run heart-breaking public service ads urging people to use sunscreen to “prevent cancer.”
“The benefits of sunscreen are a myth. Proponents say sunscreen prevents sunburn, but in fact, the real cause of sunburn is not merely UV exposure: It is a lack of antioxidant nutrition. Start eating lots of berries and microalgae (spirulina, astaxanthin, blue-green algae, etc.), and you’ll build up an internal sunscreen that will protect your skin from sunburn from the inside out. ”
Click here to read the rest of this particular article.
It won’t be the first time that dangerous and toxic procedures were mass produced and readily available for the public’s consumption…(i.e. phen phen, cocaine in coca cola, the junk food epidemic, the lobotomy, norplant, vioxx, the list goes on) but like Oprah says, “people who know better, do better”.
Wow, I am SO glad that I was at the same place at the same time with the saleschick. I am going to go toss all my sunscreen away.
Additional linkage of sunscreen’s toxic disaster:
toss your sunscreen!
sunscreen chemicals cause colon cancer
sunscreen health disaster
sunscreen causes cancer
sunscreen is dangerous
sunscreen is more harmful than good
BBC – Sunscreen may be Toxic
Ok so Dr. Marks had to go out of town so he postponed my second mesotherapy / lipodissolve treatment that I am undergoing for my double chin until mid-november. I had O take a pic of my side profile before the first treatment so that I could document the actual results, and the second is 2 weeks later. I’m not seeing too much of a difference yet, but then again I’ve had two people tell me that my face looks thinner, so I guess maybe its more obvious in the whole view rather than the side profile. I will take full front pics too- for comparison shots. Dr. Marks suggests 3-4 sessions to get the best results, spread over a series of 2 week intervals.
SylviaG: Let’s.Get.Good
