Posts Tagged ‘fine lines’

Behind Beauty: How To Get Glowing Skin in 5 Easy Steps!

One look that never goes out of style? Glowing Skin! After a long, drying winter, it can be a struggle to restore your natural glow. With these 5 Skincare Secrets from our esthetics team, you’ll soon have healthy glowing skin. Discover the best things to eat for your skin. As well as how to exfoliate, moisturize and nurture yourself. Plus, the best ways to add a touch of tan and our biggest secret to staying a glow…

What To Eat for Glowing Skin?

Carrots, with their abundance of beta carotene (the nutrient that gives them that yellow orange colour) are fantastic for giving your skin a healthy glow. While eating bags can cause your skin to turn orange due to a beta carotene overdoes, adding a handful to your lunch will help to brighten your overall skin tone.  Also rich in Vitamin A, Carrots work to protect against sun damage. They help to keep skin and hair strong and hydrated.

Cold Water Fish, especially Wild Salmon. Filled with Omega-3 fatty acids that work deep within to strengthen your cells. By improving your overall cellular structure, Omega-3s help prevent wrinkles, acne and lock in moisture. They’re also thought to help decrease the risks of disease, help fight inflammation and even increase lifespan. While the science may not be in on all of these claims, swapping grilled wild fish, such as trout, salmon, sardines, herring, or mackerel is a delicious way to shake up your week.

Berries, Green Tea, and anti-oxidant rich foods work to counter the cellular stress from Free Radicals. Adding anti-oxidants to your diet helps to keep your skin, body, and mind healthy.   For more information, check out our post on antioxidants here.

Make Sure To Exfoliate!

Another great way to rejuvenate your skin is to opt for an exfoliating masque. A slightly more intensive treatment, a masque offers additional benefits, such as deep cleansing, improved skin tone, and tighter skin. It’s key to follow the directions laid out as different masques require different lengths of time. Try applying a masque during a long bath once a week. The warmth of the water helps to open the pores allowing for better absorption. I love  choosing a masque with an exfoliating element as it accomplishes 2 things at once!

Exfoliation is very important, especially in the Spring. Winter, dries out your skin, causing an increase of dead skin cells on the surface. By actively removing them, you bring the younger, fresher skin to the surface. An accumulation of dead skin cells can also lead to break outs. Depending on your skin type and sensitivity, you should be exfoliating between 2-3 times a week. Opt for a deep cleansing scrub for oily skin types and a lighter, sugar based one for sensitive types.

When it comes to facial exfoliation, a Clarisonic Mia can revolutionize your routine. With its gentle brushes, it easily removes makeup and leaves skin feeling refreshed.

Celazome Clinical Skin Care Enzyme Exfoliating Masque
Eminence Rosehip & Maize Exfoliating Masque
SpaRitual Look Inside Organic Scrub Masque
Pangea Organics Japanese Matcha Tea with Acai & Goji Berry Mask

Moisturize & Nurture Your Skin

Canadian winters have been known to last through till June. Those spring snows and cold winds can dry out your skin just as badly in April as in December. Make sure to use a moisturizer that suited to the weather in your region. To keep your beauty routine from falling into a rut, choose a body butter with a light spring fragrance instead of the heavy winter spices. A shift in fragrance can help you feel like spring has sprung, even under 3 feet of snow. Skin feeling tired and dull after being cooped up all winter? Add a nutrient rich serum into your routine. Choose a serum that is rich in vitamin C, A, or E.  Serums work deep within the skin to improve the health of growing and newly formed skin cells. It takes around 28 days for a new skin cell to reach the surface. By treating those cells early, when they arrive on the surface they will be brighter and smoother. A skin cell will remain on the surface for about 12 days before sloughing off. This means a skin cell has a life of approximately 40 days. While turnover rate can slow as you age, if you continue to treat your skin through it’s entire life cycle, you can help delay the signs of aging.

VivierSkin C+E Repairing Antioxidant Serum with L-Ascorbic Acid USP & Vitamin E
Laboratoire Dr Renaud Omega-3 Lipid Replenishing Serum – Sérum relipidant Omega-3
Vivescence Nutri-Energy Revitalizing Vitamin Complex Yonka Hydralia – Hydrating Concentrate

Add A Touch of Tan

Spending most of winter indoors can leave yous skin rather pale making it such a challenge to resist that first sunny day… Sun damage is the number one cause of premature aging. Recent research has found that tanning beds can be just as dangerous as direct exposure. The darkening of your skin occurs when your cells are stressed by UVA and UVB rays. In order to keep from getting burned, your cells attempt to darken your skin tone by producing melanin. However, the chemical process involved in producing Melanin damages the cells and creates free radicals. This can accelerate the growth of moles, freckles, and skin cancers. Instead, opt for a touch of glow by adding a self tanner to your routine.

There are a variety of products available to slightly darken skin tone over time without the cellular damage. Looking for less of a commitment? Try the St. Tropez “Wash Off” line. These products are more of a “Body Makeup” then a true self tanner. Perfect for adding just a hint of colour to refresh winter weary skin.

Claim Your JOY!

Ever notice how much a Bride seems to Glow? There’s something magical about being happy.  It transforms wallflower into prom queen and Plain Jane into Princess Grace. Take some time this Spring to recapture your JOY by spring cleaning your life.

Between work, family, and housekeeping- it often feels like there’s no time for YOU. And it’s true. Take a moment to list the priorities in your life. Where do YOU fit? Did you make it ahead of cleaning the oven or fall somewhere below making sure you have ice cubes? Over time, you’re own hobbies tend to take a back seat to getting the kids to soccer practice or the pile of dirty dishes on the counter and YOU keep falling lower and lower on the to-do list. Women especially tend to choose the activities that will “better the household” over those that better themselves. By neglecting to nurture ourselves, we end up struggling to nurture others.

If your kids are active in lessons and classes, try booking something for yourself at the same time. Most community centers offer classes for adults as well as kids. Or, find a nearby coffee shop and dive into a good book or take 20 minutes to journal. High school students looking for a few dollars are eager to pick up an hour or two of after school babysitting, even on a weeknight. Give yourself a permission to hit the mall, gym, museum, or even an early movie with the girls. Try adding a “Me” stop to your errands.  Feel like you never get to that certain store? Plan it into your running around. It may seem like an indulgence to make a special trip to the bookstore, but if it happens to be between the dentist and groceries? Treat yourself a quick peek. Leave the office and have lunch out once in a while. Sometimes, even the smallest break from your routine can lift your spirits.

Almost as important as maximizing what makes you happy, is identifying things that are making you miserable. Is there something that is bringing you down? Be proactive about improving or changing your situation. Can’t stand the chair at work? Ask HR for a new one or buy one yourself. Feel like you haven’t had an adventure in a while? Start planning your next vacation. Sure, it might be 6 months before you can go… but there’s a lot of fun to be had in the dreaming. Hate being single? Ask a friend to set you up on a blind date or try out a new dating service. By seeking solutions, you’ll start to find yourself seeing the situation in a more positive light.

As always, just for being a follower of our blog, enter coupon code BLOG10 for 10% off your next purchase! Also, remember to follow us @spaboutique on Twitter, like our Facebook  page, and check out our boards on Pinterest! You could be the lucky winner of one of our many contests!

BEHIND BEAUTY: Soft Day Make-Up with Jane Iredale

This week, we asked one of our estheticians, Rebekah, to demonstrate an easy, clean day look for spring. She was delighted to share some of her pro tips with all of our readers. For this demo, she decided to stay within the Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup Family.

1. Start with a Primer, Jane Iredale Smooth Affair Primer. With a blending brush, use a smooth circular motion to work the cream across your face. Follow with a BB or Beauty Balm Cream. Rebekah likes Jane Iredale Glow Time Full Coverage Mineral BB Cream as it is hypoallergenic and effective!

2. Next, to complete your foundation, add Jane Iredale Amazing Base Loose Minerals Powder with SPF 20. This fantastic loose powder offers all day sun protection while matifying.

3. Smile slightly and gently blend your Jane Iredale’s PurePressed Blushes from the apple of your cheek towards your temple.

4.With the Jane Iredale PurePressed Eye Shadow Trio - Sweet Spot, take the medium colour in the trio and use as an all over base. Next, with the darkest tone, accent the contour of your eye and and highlight the lid with the light peach. Gently blend so the colours seamlessly transition from lid to brow.

5. Next, Rebekah takes the Jane Iredale Bitty Brow Kit and defines her brow with the dark brown brow colour and uses just a touch of wax to ensure they stay still.

6. Then, she applies her Jane Iredale’s Eye Pencil. While the trend this spring is nearly liner less eyes, Rebekah still wants a touch of liner to help open her eyes. She chooses a pencil instead of her usual liquid liner as it creates a softer line and is much more forgiving. Always sharpen your pencil before each use as this gives you the most control over the line. Struggling to get it straight? Try applying the liner in little dashes, connecting them together instead of trying for one swooping line. For a touch of vintage charm, Rebekah adds a slightly winged out tip.

7. To finish up her eye, she applies Jane Iredale Longest Lash Mascara. Rebekah always opts to do her mascara last, so that she doesn’t accidentally get powder stuck to her lashes. Plus, it’s a great finishing step as it really makes your eye pop! Open your mouth slightly to widen the eye, brush the mascara on the top and bottom lid. Then, relax your eyes and “fiddle” the brush back and forth.

8. With Jane Iredale Lip Liner Pencil Crayon in a colour that complements your lip gloss, outline and colour in your lip. This helps your lip colour last longer. The lip liner just around the edge of the lip has really fallen out of fashion and our clients are wearing a solid lip.

9. Rebekah adds Jane Iredale PureGloss Lip Gloss for a touch more colour and shine. If you notice you have fine lines forming around your lips, opt for Jane Iredale PureMoist LipColours With SPF 18 instead as some glosses can bleed into fine lines and leave your sharp lips looking blurry.

10. Finally, she finishes with the Jane Iredale’s D2O Hydration Spray. This product really sets the look and keeps you fresh and hydrated.

As always, just for being a follower of our blog, enter coupon code BLOG10 for 10% off your next purchase! Also, remember to follow us @spaboutique on Twitter, like our Facebook  page, and check out our boards on Pinterest! You could be the lucky winner of one of our many contests!

 

GM Collin, A Superior Level of Skin Improvement.

With the Academy Awards just around the corner (Sunday Feb 24th!), all the A-List Stars are getting their “Game Face” on. Masks, massages and makeup are the order of the day! Personally, I think they’ve got the right idea. Who doesn’t need a mid-winter pick me up?

My pick for Best Oscar Winning Skin? GM Collin.

With all of their ingredients derived from natural plant and marine extracts, it’s no surprise the GM Collin Skincare line is filled with award winning products. Plus! For the 9^th consecutive year, they are sponsoring an elegant beauty suite at the chic L’ermitage Hotel in Beverly Hills.  With a full spa in the hotel, it’s serious A-List pampering.

Here are just a couple of the Amazing Products the stars will be given this awards season:

GM Collin Lip “Plumping” Complex: Rose (7.5g) 
Want that perfect pout? This plumper contains dehyradted collagen and hyaluronic acid spheres that increase natural moisture for results that look like lip injections, with no needles or pain!

GM Collin Instant Radiance Anti-Aging Eye Patch (5 pairs)
A 20 minute treatment that actively reduces the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, puffiness and fatigue. Leaves your eyes feeling revitalized.

GM Collin Hydramucine Optimal Cream: Creme (50ml)
An extremely rich, velvety crème, packed with vegetal microspheres forms micro water reservoirs. This leaves your skin feeling hydrated, supple and soothed.

GM Collin Daily Ceramide Comfort: Ceramide Confort 
A hyper nourishing skin care supplement, capsule contains Ceramide and essential lipid complexes to provide you with instant, incredible comfort, a silky smooth skin and protects against environmental elements.

Celebrate Awards Season! 15% off all our GM Collin products!
For the next 3 days, use code: 15OFFGM to receive your discount!

*Offer expires Friday February 22, 2012 at 11:59 PM PST. This promotion cannot be combined with any other promotion. Cannot be applied to previous order. Offer valid while quantities last.

As always, just for being a follower of our blog, enter coupon code BLOG10 for 10% off your next purchase! Also, remember to follow us @spaboutique on Twitter, like our Facebook  page, and check out our boards on Pinterest! You could be the lucky winner of one of our many contests!

Achieving an Even Skin Tone: how to prevent and treat hyperpigmentation

In the past, anti-aging skincare was all about combating wrinkles, texture issues, and sagging skin.  Nowadays, evening out skin tone (reducing dark spots) plays a huge role in achieving a more youthful looking skin.

The problem is that most of us didn’t realize the damage that was happening to our skin (by not using a daily SPF product) until it was too late.  Now we are all scrambling to find the best answer to lighten pigmentation spots without wasting our money on the latest ‘miracle in a jar’.  Is it really possible to lighten dark spots on your skin with a cream or a masque that we see on TV commercials and in magazine ads? Probably not.  Let’s face it, getting rid of dark spots on the skin takes a lot of time and effort and one simple product is just not going to do the job.  What we need is a skincare system designed for our skin’s needs and we need to use it properly and diligently.

Obagi Medical is a leader in complete skin rejuvenation using specific top-quality ingredients to prevent and correct all types of skin conditions including skin with hyper/hypo-pigmentation.  Obagi is most well-know for their Nu-Derm system  which effectively treats all signs of aging and evens out skin tone using products that contain proven pigmentation lighteners like arbutin or hydroquinone.  Another excellent system is the Obagi-C RX System which also has products which contain arbutin and hydroquinone, but the Obagi-C system also contains premium grade Vitamin C in the L-Ascorbic Acid form.  This form of Vitamin C penetrates deep into the skin to stimulate collagen synthesis as well as acts an an powerful antioxidant which protects your skin from harmful free radical damage.

Here is a brief breakdown of each Obagi System for lightening skin pigmentation:

The Obagi Nu-Derm FX System (with arbutin) is suitable for anyone with no to mild pigmentation, fine lines, wrinkles, loss of elasticity, texture issues, and/or adult acne.

The Obagi Nu-Derm System (with hydroquinone) is suited for anyone with mild to stubborn pigmentation (including melasma), fine lines, wrinkles, loss of elasticity, texture issues, and/or adult acne.

The Obagi C-FX System (with arbutin) is made for anyone with no to mild pigmentation, minimal signs of aging, and mild texture issues.

The Obagi-C RX System (with hydroquinone) is excellent for anyone with mild to moderate pigmentation, minimal signs of aging, and mild texture issues.

Each system comes in a starter set with full sized products and it is highly recommended to use all of the products in the set for best results.  Additionally, a prescription retinol (Vitamin A) may be added to the regime to greatly boost results.  The daily use of an SPF product is mandatory and if it is not properly used you should not expect to achieve good results.  A daily SPF is not only necessary during treatment, but continuously after treatment as well to prevent recurring pigmentation damage as well as skin aging.

Watch to learn more about each system>>

 

We would love to hear your thoughts on the topic of this blog!  Feel free to post your comments or questions below.  As always, just for being a follower of our blog, enter coupon code BLOG10 for 10% off your next purchase! Also, remember to follow us @spaboutique on Twitter, like our Facebook  page, and check out our boards on Pinterest! You could be the lucky winner of one of our many contests!

 

Combat dark circles, puffy eyes, crow’s feet with GM Collin Instant Radiance Anti-Aging Eye Patch

We hope you’re as excited as we are about the new anti-aging eye patch from GM Collin!

It’s called the Instant Radiance Anti-Aging Eye Patch and it’s made for all skin types and works great for tired eyes, wrinkles, dark circles, and puffiness.

How to use:

Each box comes with 5 packets.  Each packet contains 2 eye patches.

The eye patches can be used as often as desired for instant radiance or as a 2 week intensive treatment. They can even be left on overnight for more severe eye concerns.

•Remove eye patches from packet and place on clean skin under the eye are

•Press lightly to ensure the gelled surface adheres to the skin

•Leave on for 20 minutes

•Remove and apply your favorite GM Collin eye cream

How it works:

Thanks to ingredients like a specialized green tea & oak complex, tri & tetrapeptides, watermelon & apple fruit extract your eye area will be left soothed, vitalized, and firmed.  Fine lines, wrinkles, dark cirlces, and puffiness are greatly diminished.

Clinical Trial:

In a clinical evaluation the total surface area of lines and wrinkles was reduced by an average of 42% (up to 76%). Crow’s feet were decreased by an average of 27% (up to 83%) and hydration was improved by 38% (up to 79%).

I was lucky enough to get a sample of the GM Collin Instant Radiance Anti-Aging Eye Patch to try out and I couldn't believe the results.  I've tried this type of eye treatment before with minimal results, but this one was love at first try.  My eye area was instantly firmed, brightened, and revitalized and I didn't even leave it on the full 20 minutes! I will definitely be using this eye patch again.

 

We would love to hear your thoughts on the topic of this blog!  Feel free to post your comments or questions below.  As always, just for being a follower of our blog, enter coupon code BLOG10 for 10% off your next purchase! Also, remember to follow us @spaboutique on Twitter, like our Facebook  page, and check out our boards on Pinterest! You could be the lucky winner of one of our many contests!