Skin Care

I have troubled skin. It's not a secret. It is also not a secret that I am open to suggestions and to trying something new. The one thing I've been completely opposed to, though, is La Mer. I can't really explain the "why" of it all, just that I've spent quite a good bit of time opposed to the stuff.

Recently my stress levels increased exponentially, and the stress, combined with my hormonal breakout patterns, plus my complete inability to keep my hands off my face turned my skin into a big ole mess.

Desperate times called for desperate measures. Two days before I left for Cancun, I stopped by my local Neiman Marcus as it was right next to the restaurant where I was meeting my family for dinner. I was early. I wandered over to the La Mer counter.

The wonderful consultant gave me this:

La Mer "The Concentrate." She made me a two week sample to try. Well guess what? My self-inflicted red marks faded! My fine lines were reduced! And my face wasn't peeling with a massive intensity like it does with Retin-A!

So I've saved my money. And tomorrow, during the Neiman Marcus "InCircle" event, I will spend $350 for a bottle of this. (and get All this cool stuff for free, too!)

I know it is insanely expensive. But it works.

Skincare Book

I posted about THIS BOOK on my workout blog because it has some diet tips for better overall health. Namely, the Green Sludge Cocktail that I'm going to be drinking for the next two weeks at least.

I feel it is appropriate to post about it here, too, because it has all kinds of skincare product tips and tricks and is written by a successful dermatologist.

In my world, anything is worth a try...

Awesome Moisturizer!

I've been a huge fan of Philosophy (www.philosophy.com) skincare products for a while. I spoke earlier about the "Makeup Optional" kit for congested skin. In it, there was "hope in a bottle" which I loved (and still do love).

Over Christmas, my brother got me another Philosophy collection that included their microdermabrasion product and "hope in a jar."

This stuff is A-MAZING! It's perfect for the drier winter weather and keeps my skin hyrated, makes the fine lines less visible, and doesn't break me out.

I've been using it since Christmas morning. Go get this stuff!

Favorite Cosmetics and Skincare

It's time for me to replenish my supply of cosmetic and skincare items. As I peruse Sephora, I realize that I have a lot of favorites and I'm out of everything!

I may just incorporate this list into my Christmas Wish list as well and just go ahead and ask Santa for gift cards. ;-)

I'm at the end of my NARS blush and lipgloss in Orgasm. I like old-school blush and love the lipgloss. It isn't too gooey and the color is subtle and flattering.

I also need more of my Philosphy skincare. Right now I use the Philosophy Makeup Optional Kit for Congested Skin. I've been going back and forth between that and Obagi, something I've mentioned before. I am, however, all out of everything but Retin-A, so I'm in limbo.

I love Covergirl's Lash Exact mascara and Perfect Point eyeliner.

I have more to bring up, such as foundation, bronzer, eye shadow, cheek and lip stains, etc, but I'm tired of posting links at the moment.

More to come...

Way to go, Sak's!*

*And the lovely, lovely La Mer representative.

Question: What happens when you walk up to the La Mer counter, tell the representative what you want, and also that it is your first ever purchase of their product line?

Answer: You get set up with samples of the entire La Mer skincare line, including the wondermous, fabulous, cult and celebrity favorite Creme de la Mer.

I think I'm going to be in a LOT of trouble if this kind of treatment keeps up. ;-)

I finally *get* the hype...

I received a sample of the La Mer SPF 18 Fluid Tint prior to my trip to Mexico this year. Being a doubter, I pretty much scoffed at it, but went ahead and threw it into my bag at the last minute.

I'm not a summer foundation wearer. My skin, even though I wear sun block all the time, does get darker in the summer, so my regular tint never looks right and my face always ends up looking strangely white. At least it does to me.

I found myself needing some coverage last week, though, so I tried some of my sample and... I have few words other than Amazing. Incredible. Wonderful. and other hyperbolic, and yet totally true adjectives.

This stuff goes on smooth, provides light moisture, sun protection, and the perfect amount of coverage. I could not ask for more. And while I am a notorious about not being able to let go of money if it's for something for myself, I find that I simply MUST shell out $65 for a full-sized tube. It is WORTH it. Plus, a tiny drop the size of a pea is all you need!

At-home Peels and Microdermabrasion

I think that it is no secret that I'm a fan of leaving certain things up to the professionals. I do not believe that even with the advancements of science that you can get the same strength or results at home as you can get in a doctor's office.

That being said, I am a huge fan of the two products above, both by Loreal.

First, the ReFinish Microdermabrasion kit...

We all know (or should know) that it is a good idea to exfoliate regularly. How often depends on your skin's sensitivity. I use this product once or twice per week, usually in the mornings. It leaves my face feeling very smooth. It in no way replaces a clinical Microdermabrasion, but it is a damn fine exfoliator and does contain aluminum oxide crystals, delivered in a creamy base. It's clinical counterpart is delivered by a technician who uses a tool to blast the face with the dry crystal powder. The temptation with this product is to rub too hard, thereby leaving red, chaffed skin. This really needs a light touch (as do all at-home exfoliators).

Now for ReNoviste, the anti-aging Glycolic peel kit...

This kit contains a 10% glycolic acid solution, which is applied with a cotton disk. The instructions are to leave it on for 5 minutes, then use another disk to apply the enclosed neutralizer. You are then to rinse your face and apply the enclosed moisturizer.

Again, this cannot compete with an in-office visit as you are working with liscensed professionals and stronger chemicals. If you have sensitive skin, this might be too harsh for you as well. What the acid peels do is another form of exfoliation, this time, delivering the results via an acid such as glycolic or alpha hydroxy instead of scrubbing. I personally love this peel product above all the other over the counter ones that I've tried. I try to do one every week or two because I do see results.

*Please note that this commentary is in no way an attempt to replace the advice of a doctor. You are dealing with chemicals here, and it is always a good idea to have the "go ahead" by a professional.

Annual Spring/Summer Foot PSA

As warm weather and sandal season fast approach, don't forget to visit your friendly neighborhood salon for a pedicure!

Here are some at-home tips for getting your feet sandal-ready:

• Apply cuticle oil to your toenails
• Soak your feet in warm, soapy water for 10 to 15 minutes
• Use an orange stick to gently push back the cuticles
• If you feel comfortable with it, use cuticle nippers to gently cut away excess skin
• Invest a couple of dollars in a foot file. Use it on your heels and the parts of your feet that get the roughest. It can be used wet or dry, but best results are wet.
• Use an exfoliating scrub on your feet. This can be done in the shower when you are scrubbing the rest of yourself. It doesn't have to be a different scrub from what you'd use on your body.
• Be sure to file your toenails down to a decent length. You don't want your toenails to be longer than your fingernails!
  

Don't let embarassing feet stand in the way of enjoying all the cute shoes this season has to offer! A little nail polish and extra effort go a long way toward making your feet a star attraction rather than something you want to hide!

Obagi, Day 57

I'll admit that I've been a little lax in my skincare over the past several weeks. I'm really, really good in the morning, scrubbing my face, applying my Regenerist Eye Lifting Serum around my eyes, and my Obagi Clear and Exfoderm prior to putting on my makeup. But at night, I've been really, really bad. I've actually averaged about two or three nights per week of the Obagi Blender and the Retin-A. For someone who is trying to resurface her skin, well, this is a bad thing.

As my 33rd birthday is fast-approaching, I've decided to be totally faithful to the regimen for an entire week without rest. I started on Sunday morning with an AM dose of Retin-A. My skin today is peeling big-time and looks like I am slightly sunburned. This is good, though. Once I get through this week, I'm scheduling a microdermabrasion and will take a "mid-point" photo to compare my pre-Obagi face with what it is now.

The surface lines around my eyes and mouth are continuing their disappearing act and I am really loving that. Once I can make it through a full 3 months of this, I plan to schedule a partial blue peel (enough to make a difference, but not enough to turn me blue) as a reward. I cannot wait to get to that point.

While the things I describe may sound a bit harsh, this is all just part of it. We put our poor faces through so much! If we want to begin cellular regeneration, this is the price we pay. And at this point in my life, I really don't care if I have to peel a bit. The only person I care about impressing is my husband and he gets to see the transformation first hand.

Review: Eye Cream

I love products. Especially eye care products. You see, I suffer from the malady called "dark undereye circles." Yes. It's true. :(

Since I have zero qualms about trying something new, especially something in a well-done commercial, I picked up a tiny little bottle of this stuff at the grocery store. I did think to myself, "For eighteen bucks at a GROCERY store, this stuff had better work!" And guess what? It did. No one has been more amazed than me. I didn't think it would.

I use this lightweight gel-like cream each morning after I wash my face and before I put on all of my layers of Obagi stuff and makeup. It perks up my eye area and does make a difference on my circles. Best $18 I've spent in a long time.

Obagi, Day 28

Well, I've been at this for about 4 weeks now. There have been some days here and there where I skipped the Retin-A or used regular moisturizer instead of the skin bleaching and exfoliating creams, but for the most part, I've been extremely faithful to the program.

Drumroll please...

The fine lines around my eyes diminsh more and more each day.

The little acne scars that I only recently created (like, WTF??? I'm in my 30s! I should know better!) are becoming less visible as my skin regenerates.

My overall complexion is brighter.

One of my friends told me last week that my skin "glowed" and I wasn't even wearing makeup.

I'm still not posting a picture yet. Not until I've gone through at least two more weeks. Then y'all can have the before and after shots.

Obagi, Day Eleven

Well folks, it's day 11. My face is so red and itchy and peeling that I can hardly stand it. But then I look at my right eye... And I notice the visible lack of surface lines. The crow's feet have all but disappeared on that side. So has the line that goes from my nose to my mouth. But only on the right side. My left crow's feet and mouth line are both still intact (GRR!), but they are a bit less visible.

If a person can tough out the peeling and redness, the results will speak for themselves. The true test for me will be going back to the office on Monday, peeling face and all...

Obagi, Day Four

Well, the Retin-A has turned my face red, and it, combined with the Exfoderm product have made my face begin to peel in earnest.

It would be much harder to deal with in the summer. It's annoying, but I know that the end result will be worth it as my skin begins to regenerate.

Obagi

A few years ago, I went through the entire Obagi regimen (www.obagi.com) for about four months. My love for all things Obagi culminated in a partial Blue Peel (I didn't turn blue because they didn't go all the way with it). Honestly, my skin never looked better than it did at that moment in time. I went without any kind of foundation for almost two weeks and there were no fine lines at my eyes or around my mouth. I just had this amazing, clear, perfect, smooth skin.

So what do I do? That's right. I start using something else right away. I found a system that combines the ONLY approved and proven anti-wrinkle, skin lightening products (Retin-A and hydroquinone), loved it, saw results, and decided to quit. Brilliant.

Some people HATE Retin-A with a passion. It's too harsh, it makes the skin peel, the face turn red, blah, blah, blah... Of course it does and it is harsh. We all would like there to be a miracle product out there that doesn't have TEMPORARY side effects, but, well, there isn't one. And Retin-A is about as miraculous as it gets. Yes. There is redness and peeling. But you get through it. And results are noticable.

Almost three years after the first time I tried Obagi, I'm going to do it again. I'm also going to post before and after pictures for the world (or just my three readers) to see. I started on the products Tuesday morning, but forgot to take a photo. Last night, I had a petite facial and a microdermabrasion (an in-office one, NOT an at-home one... DON'T get me started on my feelings about THOSE) to sort of prepare myself for the coming weeks... I then came home and had Dr Pop take the most unflattering and horrible photo of my make-up free face. I'm still debating on waiting to post the picture until I have an "after" shot. :)

I love this stuff!!!

From softening my lips, to smoothing my cuticles, this stuff is incredible. There are some who say that this product is a trifle overrated, but I'm definitely not one of them. I keep it by my desk at work, in my purse, and by my bed. And for around $6, really, can you ask for more? It keeps my hands smooth in a non-greasy way and is even working miracles on my husband's dry, cracked skin. It definitely works hard for a small pricetag.