Beauty, Charm & Style

I remember when I first realized I needed to take better care of my face and skin.  When I was eight I just scrubbed my face in the tub and went about my day.  But when I was eleven, and a burgeoning woman, with puberty looming over my head, I realized I needed to step up my game.

Going strictly off my commercial watching and TEEN magazine advertisements, I decided makeup remover pads, astringent and my mom’s face lotion was the perfect skin care combination for me.

Following a good face scrub, I wiped the damp pad across my face and tossed the pad in the trash.  Then I soaked a cotton ball in astringent and spread the alcohol laced, sterile smelling potion all over my face.

And then my face began to burn. Beauty is pain. I smoothed over some lotion and looked in a mirror and my face was RED!  Eek!

I ran downstairs, found my mom, she laughed at my red face and I instantly began to cry. After calming me down, she lathered on some super strong lotion.  I cancelled my evening plans of a pizza party and a sleep over, and hit the hay early that night.

After a good night sleep, the lotion sank in and my when I awoke, my face was back to normal – more or less. It still took about another day to completely heal, but my skin is resilient and it returned to its normal, pre-pubescent state.

The important lessons learned here were that I have sensitive skin, I shouldn’t use alcohol-based products and that my face takes a long time to de-redden.  Luckily, I’ve come a long way since this red-faced revolution and have a better knowledge of what my face needs and what works well with my system.

Philosophy: The great mystery is the great debate. People ask “how” was the universe created, the more important question is “why” was it created at all.

What an amazing statement to read while standing in my bathroom, wearing my old bathrobe, doing a simple daily facial.  Really makes me think, makes me ponder my own existence.  Why am I here? How big is the universe? What purpose is being?

My head hurts.

Philosophy’s the Great Mystery One-Minute Daily Facial will heal me.

Philosophy Great Mystery Facial

Really, the great mystery is how did philosophy manage to create a spa quality deep cleansing facial of this caliber in my bathroom. As I slather the paste onto my skin, the aroma fills me nose, I’m instantly relaxed and my head has stopped hurting from thinking about existence.  Rather, I’m calm.  I’m breathing better and deeper.

After massaging the cleanser into my face for a minute, I rinse with cool water and pat dry. Deep cleaning, exfoliating and purifying my face in a record speed, my skin is tight, crisp and clean.  It acts fast, so I don’t feel like I’m selfishly wasting my time being vain.

The Breakdown:

• 5 oz bottle
• $25 each
• Contains sea salts for natural, therapeutic exfoliation
• Smells like lavender

Tips:

• Use every day, once a week, or on special occasions – you decide.

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.