Beauty, Charm & Style

At the moment, I have long, swept to the side, wispy bangs.  And they look amazing…when I have the time to put my hair up in hot rollers in the morning.  But on those snooze button mornings, where my hair lacks body or control and remains straight at sticks – those are the days I dread my bangs.

Those once wispy hairs are now just a big clump getting in the way of things. I refuse to pin my bangs back like the Olympic gymnasts when I wear a ponytail and if I pull all my hair back in a headband, suddenly my forehead is exposed to the world.  Everyone now see its imperfections, fine lines and occasional dry patches.

But, I don’t want to hide behind my bangs.  Not any more. I have a nice forehead and the masses deserve to see it.  I’m going to use Kate Somerville’s Quench Hydrating Face Serum and see what happens.

Kate Somerville’s Quench Hydrating Face Serum

Hydration is essential for healthy skin, we all know this, but it is still often overlooked.  So, after I finish my wash and tone, I apply 2 pumps of the Quench Hydrating Face Serum to my forehead, T-zone and cheeks.  I let the serum soak into my skin, locking in that moisture.  Then I apply my night cream and hit the hay for some much needed beauty sleep.

Having added this hydrating serum to my nighttime routine, in these past two weeks, my skin seems to have regenerated and repaired itself.  I look forward to the powerful citrus smell as I apply the serum to my face and I get all excited every night when I get to use my secret serum.

Leaving my skin undeniably luminous, I have achieved a gorgeous and dewy complexion. And with my face illuminated, my whole spirit shines a little more.   I’m not afraid anymore to hit the town with my wide headband and a naked forehead!

The Breakdown:

• $ 65.00 for a 1 oz. Pump bottle
• For Normal to Dry Skin
• Vitamin A helps counteract aging
• Helps protect your skin against environmental aggression and excessive UV exposure

Tips:

• This is a powerful serum and if you notice any irritation, try using every other day – you’ll get the same effect without any tenderness or inflammation.

The evidence of my life’s stresses and poor sleeping habits can be read all over my face.  Right now, I’m undertaking yet another huge project at work, attempting a jam packed social life and trying my best not to die of exhaustion. And trying as hard as I can, there is  just no getting past the puffy, dark circles under my eyes.  I’m a tired little girl over here.

But lucky for me, I have Clark’s Botanicals Anti-Puff Eye Cream.  The name says it all.  I like things that are that easy and simple.

Clark’s Botanicals Anti-Puff Eye Cream

Specifically targeting stubborn puffiness, dark circles and wrinkles, I can see the high concentration of botanicals and vitamins go to work.  Tapping the cream ever so lighting underneath and above the eye, I can already see a tightening of the skin around the eye.

Clark’s botanicals takes a natural and unique approach to clearing up my skin, basically by giving my skin a long lasting, daily dose of the vitamins it craves.   I use the eye cream along side my regular daily moisturizer and I go from drab to fab. My eyes are de-puffed and gone is the tired look I was so guilty of before.

The Breakdown:

• 0.5 fl. oz
• $87 each
• Vitamin K lightens dark circles while Vitamins A and E smooth, sooth and soften the delicate skin around the eyes.

Tips:

• A percentage of profits from the sale of Clark’s Botanicals will go to The Spinal Cord Injury Project at Rutgers University, one of the leading collaborative neurologi-cal research centers in the world.

When I think about my grandmother, one of the details I remember is how soft and clear her skin remains, even at 87 years old. She’s still alive and kicking and her skin is in better condition than any botoxed, feather lifted and collagined face around. A follower of Helena Rubenstein’s motto, “There are no ugly women, only lazy ones,” my grandmother follows a daily regime of a good face wash, cold crème and moisturizing.

Determined to do my part against pre-mature aging, I happily brought home Chanel’s Precision Ultra Correction Serum. Chanel has always been a brand trusted by women everywhere and especially by those in my family.  But this stuff ain’t my granny’s Chanel.

Chanel Precision Ultra Correction Serum

Using the prescribed pea size pump and gently applying the serum on my freshly washed face, I pay extra close attention to the delicate skin around my eyes and my mouth.  Careful not to put too much pressure on my face, I don’t rub the serum in too hard.  Almost immediately I can tell the difference and my skin feels firmer, softer and plumper than before.

The serum contains sweet almond proteins, which are supposed to aid in the continuous lifting of the skin that in turn makes it firmer.  We all know the health benefits of almonds for our body, why not also for our skin?  But once I get past all the scientific jargon, I realize my face looks RADIANT!

It doesn’t hide the fine lines I already have but the more I use it, the tighter my skin feels.  And now, after about 8 weeks, my skin feels better and healthier and I can see and feel a difference.  Everyone knows youth is fleeting. And just as I have a retirement saving plan, I need an anti-wrinkle plan. It’s all about prevention and preservation and I want to look good when I’m playing shuffleboard down in Florida.

The Breakdown:

• 1 oz or 1.7 oz pump bottles
• Between $120.00 – $167.00
• Contains Kombucha Extract which protects both the skin’s elastin and collagen.  (Kombucha dates back to 250 BC, where the Qin Dynasty of China referred to it as the “Immortal Health Elixir.”)

Tips:

• You only need to use once a day, a double dose is not necessary.

Right smack dab in the middle of Los Angeles are the Le Brea Tar Pits. It is next to a few museums and is surrounded by some beautiful parks. Fossils have been excavated from hundreds of pits in the park with work starting in the early 20th century. In the 1940s and 1950s there was great public excitement over the dramatic mammal fossils recovered. But now, attention had shifted to microfossils, to fossilized insects and plants, and even to pollen grains.

That concludes today’s science lesson. And don’t worry. This is not a transition into some sort of tar compound face masque.  Rather, while we are on the topic of historical fossils and promordiale ooze, I want to chat with you about my own time machine – Primordiale Cell Defense from Lancome, a skin perfecting serum that renews my skin and leaves my face touchable and soft.

Primordiale Cell Defense from Lancome

Adding the serum to my morning routine, I apply to my face after using my regular toner. This serum is light and silky and after the application my skin instantly feels smoother and softer.  There is a slight sparkling white grape scent that settles onto my face.  Yum.

Revealing radiant skin, I love that Lancôme blocks 99% of damaging free radicals for visible skin perfection – especially as I see my pores shrink in size after a few weeks of use. A unique complex accelerates cell turnover for a more even skin tone and texture and detoxifies cells by neutralizing the pollutants that generate free radicals.  I know that is a lot of science talk, but it works, and that is what matters.

Like a time machine, my skin looks a few year younger, more supple and back to its fighting condition.

The Breakdown:

• 1 fl. ox pump bottle
• $64.00
• Vitamins E and C protects skin cells from free radicals and improves microcirculation for a radiant complexion