Category

Aging Gracefully

Category

Peter Thomas Roth Camu Camu Vitamin C Brightening Sleeping Mask

Want to wake up to beautifully radiant skin? I’ve found a product that puts a whole new twist on getting your BEAUTY SLEEP. I’m sure everyone can relate to the hectic lifestyle most of us live today. From careers, to kids to taking over the world, not only are our bodies and minds in overdrive, our skin takes the brunt of it daily! The most important time for our skin to rejuvenate is while we sleep. That is why it is so important to develop a nightly skincare routine that works for you. Since I suffer from dry skin and now with my concerns of aging, I’m constantly on the hunt for the next miracle product. Unfortunately as I’ve aged, my skin has become super sensitive and reactive, so I definitely have to watch what I use on my face or I will end up flaring my eczema. I had stumbled upon some amazing reviews of this Peter Thomas Roth Camu Camu Vitamin C Brightening Mask and I had to see what all the buzz was about for myself. I must admit, at first I was totally put off by the smell (Yes, I have an extremely sensitive sense of smell) but the smell quickly disappeared and off to bed I went. The packaging says to use this over PTR’s Vitamin C Serum, but I find that it works just great on its own. When I wake up in the morning my skin is perfectly hydrated and even. Any traces of fine lines I had the night before are also gone. What? How is this possible…ok, the moment I start laughing, they start to creep back in, but overall this product makes my skin look like a million bucks! This mask will help improve your skin over time so you can halt the aging process dead in its tracks…well, at least for the eight hours while you’re sleeping! Bravo-

CARGO Cosmetics The BIG Bronzer

I’m always in the mood to channel my inner J-Lo. Yep, I know, like every other woman on the planet, I’m always looking for a way to re-create the “J-Lo Glow.” Let’s just say the older we get, your skin just starts to lose it’s natural luster. Sigh. I have been a huge fan of highlighters for years. I have also been strategically placing my favorite highlighters of the moment across the bridge of my nose, swept across the tops of my cheekbones and up the temples for too many years to count. I even sometimes put a pearlescent highlighter on my cupids bow just to draw attention to my lips at the perfect spot. I know, it all sounds like trickery! But makeup has always been a way to create an illusion, camouflage our imperfections, highlight our favorite features or just change our looks, if only for the day. It’s like starting with a fresh canvas every day and your makeup is your tool to paint any picture you want. So with that being said, I’m always on the hunt for the greatest highlighters and bronzers. I especially like bronzers with a subtle shimmer, because for me, they are way more versatile. I have been a fan of CARGO Cosmetics for years. From the first time it was used on me while filming an episode of FELICITY (I know I’m dating myself) I became obsessed. I think I may have owned every lipgloss duo they ever made, and their One Base is phenomenal. I have been wanting to try their bronzers for a while now and I recently broke down and finally bought their BIG Bronzer. It had amazing reviews online and when I saw it in person, I knew what all of the fuss was about. It consists of the perfect golden hue and has a slight shimmer to it and did I mention this thing is BIG? Hence the name. The compact itself is enormous compared to other brands. This bronzer will easily last me for years! I also love the texture of this bronzer as it is super light and doesn’t cake or grab color in certain areas of my face like a lot of powder bronzers. It is just the perfect golden glow to make your J-Lo goals a reality! I actually feel like I could be the next “Jenny from the block.” Ok, maybe I won’t go that far, but it’s pretty darn close!

Day 3: Olay Total Effects Revitalizing Foam Cleanser

Do you want super clean skin? Duh! Who doesn’t? I am constantly switching cleansers, but I definitely have my favorites! When I search for cleansers I look for products that don’t dry out my skin, flair my eczema and actually have the POWER to remove my makeup! I also love cleansers that foam a bit. Since I’m an avid user of my Clarisonic, I like the foaming action. I have used a lot of high end ($30 and up) cleansers thinking they were better. But after years of “probably ” wasting tons of money, my dermatologist told me to use something that just gets the job done. Something that is gentle on my skin, but powerful enough to remove my makeup. She told me that since cleansers don’t actually sit on your skin for any significant amount of time, they are not really adding anything to your skincare routine in regards to repairing or treating your skin. It’s just a bunch of fluff! With that being said, one of my favorite drugstore finds is the OLAY Total Effects Revitalizing Foam Cleanser. It does an amazing job at removing a face full of makeup and never leaves my skin feeling dry or tight. It works beautifully with my Clarisonic and leaves my skin makeup free and super soft! Who doesn’t love that?

GlyDerm Glycolic Acid Peels

 

This post has been a long time coming! I was introduced to GlyDerm a few years back and quickly became a a huge fan. The entire line by GlyDerm is really effective at targeting fine lines and wrinkles as well as pigmentation issues. Of course, like everyone else, I’m always looking for a way to keep my skin looking young and fresh without having to go to drastic measures. I love the idea of mild surface peels that will not only remove the top layers of my skin, but with minimal downtime and without the harsh outcome of some more severe deep peels.

I was super excited when GlyDerm sent a series of peels to my esthetician for me to try (or for her to use on ME!) Well, I started the series of peels late last year and did a series of 5 peels, each a few weeks apart. The first peel applied was a 20% peel and it did not irritate my extremely sensitive skin at all. My skin actually just looked super fresh and revitalized. The peel was applied to my clean skin and left to sit for a few minutes before it was removed. I felt no stinging or discomfort whatsoever. As instructed by my esthetician, the peels are to be applied two weeks apart and were to be worked up to a higher concentration. Since I have super sensitive skin and my pigmentation was not super bad (I know the before pics below on the left make it look bad!) but we actually never went past 40%. Each time we did a peel, my dark spots lightened. I took extra care in keeping my skin well hydrated after each peel to prevent my skin from becoming reactive. The Gly Mist was super cooling and hydrating and left my skin looking like a million bucks!

I’ve been using the entire GlyDerm line of products in conjunction with the peels which I believe has been the perfect combination for such a great outcome. Now back to the peels… I didn’t experience any peeling until I reached the 40% concentration and even that was mild. Overall, I would suggest these peels to anyone that wants fresher, younger looking and more even skin tone. When skin is not properly cared for or exfoliated, it also prevents your skincare products from doing their job and penetrating the deeper layers. Just make sure you ALWAYS apply sunblock to prevent your pigmentation from coming back. Your skin is also more sensitive to the sun after a glycolic peel. With all that said, these peels are absolutely fabulous for giving you perfectly flawless skin. TRUST ME!

I would like to send a huge THANK YOU to the folks at GLYDERM for helping me keep my complexion looking picture perfect! I still have not met a GLYDERM product I didn’t LOVE!

**GLYDERM peels are only performed through licensed dermatologists and estheticians. Click here to find a provider in your area-

Lancome Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector

Of course I’m like every other woman on the planet in regards to wanting to stop the aging process dead in it’s tracks! So, I’m constantly on the hunt for the latest and greatest skincare treatments. I have been an avid user of serums for years. I have also battled dry skin, so I have always liked the fact that I can layer a moisturizer over a targeted treatment serum to boost the moisture level in my skin. As I have gotten older, my skincare concerns have changed. I now want something not only for hydration, but also to help treat fine lines, discoloration and firm my skin.

On my latest quest for the fountain of youth, I kept reading rave reviews about the Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector by Lancome. I have used Lancome products in the past with great success. So it was no surprise that this serum blew me away. After the first application I noticed perfectly hydrated skin and my fine lines were virtually gone. Within three days, my pores were smaller, my skin was incredibly smooth and I still had very minimal lines. I also have extremely sensitive skin and I did not have any adverse reactions or irritation to this serum. Visionnaire has now become a daily staple in my skincare routine. I must admit, I might just be in LOVE-