Spa Party: Hideous Holiday Outfit Spa Party!

We had a fabulous time last weekend at my friend Wendy's Hideous Holiday Outfit Spa Party. We all got dolled up with those fabulous Christmas Sweaters and fun holiday hats and accessories. All the ladies had facials and were quite silly with holiday cheer.

Joy and I all ready with our hideous holiday outfits.

The fabulous hostess, Wendy and me.

 Facial Station

 We offered 2 facials that night: Anti-Aging or Hydrating

The Anti-Aging facial included the following steps:

1. ageLOC Cleanser and Toner
2. Polishing Peel
3. Galvanic Spa
4. Future Serum
5. TruFace Essence Pearl
6. ageLOC Night Moisturizer
7. Eye Cream







The Hydrating Facial included the following steps:

1. ageLOC Cleanser and Toner
2. Exfoliant Scrub
3. Hydrating Mask
4. Future Serum
5. TruFace Essence Pearl
6. ageLOC Night Moisturizer
7. Eye Cream

 Wonderful fun ladies together on a chilly night

How To Choose the Right Anti-Aging Products For You

I have always been concerned about preserving my youthful appearance.  As a matter of fact, I began using the best cosmetics I could buy when I was in college.  It helped that I worked at the cosmetics counter of a boutique pharmacy and received the old “testers” when the cosmetic company replaced them with newer, more glamorous products.  Even at 18 years old, I knew the value of a good skin care product.

I haven’t changed a bit over the years and continue to aggressively fight the signs of aging with anti-aging skin care products.  Don’t be fooled by a big price tag…you are NOT necessarily getting more for your money by paying more for an anti-aging product.  I know, I’ve tried many products from cheap to expensive and I have actually found an entire product line that covers the spectrum of prices with the most expensive not being near what some cosmetic companies charge.

Why am I saying this? Because when it comes to “beauty” or “anti-aging” products, how do you know what will work and what is just plain lying? It is ALWAYS a good idea to find product reviews online. Be sure to read both the good and bad reviews in order to gain the “why” something did or didn’t work for that person. And remember something that you love simply won’t work for others. So here are a few sites I like to check for beauty product reviews.

      1.      TotalBeauty.com – (talking about Future Serum) “I have been using this serum for a year and have definitely AGE-LOCed my skin! I just turned 60 and people are amazed that I don't look any bit that number. I love what this product does for my skin and will continue to use it twice a day FOREVER! I only have one face....I want the best product to keep the look of YOUNG skin.”   

      2.      Amazon.com – (talking about Galvanic Spa) “Love it, but it takes time.
I have been using the galvanic spa and gels for over a year, my skin has had a dramatic improvement. This is a product that will help your skin get better and better over time. You're not going to see dramatic results in a week, have patience it's worth it!!”

      3.      The Individual Blog! I trust people that can prove to me that the product worked for them and how they made it work. Type in an exact product and see what you find!

Health Tip:  4 Tips From the Dalai Lama’s Instructions For Life

There are 20 instructions from the Dalai Lama but I wanted to share my top 4 favorites with you to help you maintain peace during the hectic schedule of the holiday season:

     1.      Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

     2.      A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

     3.      If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.

     4.      If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

      

       For the full list click here. 

Why DO we Get Wrinkles???

Ever wonder why as we age, we seem to HAVE to get wrinkles?  Hopefully your life has been filled with many reasons to smile and laugh but they contribute to...Mechanical Aging.


Here are our wet sponges. It mirrors young thick skin. We added the rubber bands to mimic the repetitive usage of our facial muscles which over time can create fine lines and wrinkles as we age.

As we age, our skin starts to dry out and thin. After our sponges dried, we took off the rubber bands to reveal what happens to our skin with repeated movement of facial muscles.

Mechanical aging is the repeated movements that we do with our facial muscles: squinting, smiling, puckering, etc. Just like the sponge, when our skin is new, it easily goes back into the shape we want. But as we age, our facial expressions get “stuck” and our skin does not want to go back to its original position. Adding moisture to our skin can deter wrinkles and skin aging just like adding water to the sponge gets rid of the crease. We are not going to stop smiling (we hope!), squinting, and laughing so it may be necessary to apply additional treatment product to prevent and correct wrinkles caused by mechanical aging. (explanation credit by NuSkin) (photos: by us!)

If you are looking to rid yourself of your wrinkles think about trying one of the many products I believe in.

Gift Baskets!

 "Anti-Aging or Turning 50" Basket - For the person in your life who wants to turn back the clock.

 My assistant came up with the great idea to have a Mother's Day basket for my clients. I always love getting a basket full of goodies, who doesn't? Then the ideas just started flowing for all these fun baskets! Here are just a few of the ones we came up with. Check my facebook page for the rest of the fun baskets along with the details of what is included in each basket and their prices.

 "Beach Basket" - Comes with the fun sand bucket! Perfect for a day on the beach.

 "Birthday Basket" - The things you might not treat yourself with.

 "Mother's Day Basket" - Perfect to pamper your Mom this year.

"Sandal Ready!" Basket - Who doesn't want their feet to look sexy smooth in sandals?

Have a price point in mind? We can work with you to create a custom gift basket personalized for your lucky recipient!

Julie’s 10 Favorite Beauty Things –One I share with Oprah’s Favorite Things List

Happy May Day!  I find this day to be one of lightness and joy.  It seems the weather is always perfect on May 1^st, the grass is green, flowers are blooming and the earth is truly awake!  On my favorite day of the year I thought I would share with you my list of beauty product favorites:

•  Clarsonic Sonic Skin Care System – I use this at night to remove all traces of makeup and environmental residue for clean, smooth skin ready to absorb the nutrients found in my skin care products.
•        Liquid Body Lufra – I use this everyday in the shower.  This soapless formula gently eases away dead skin cells and excess oil for soft, polished skin all over your body.
•        Water Pik Professional – I use this at night after brushing and flossing to remove the last particles of food hiding in between my teeth and 99.9% of plaque biofilm for healthy gums.
•     Epoch Baobab Body Butter – (An Oprah favorite!)  I use this after the shower.  Its light , fresh scent in a rich cream makes my skin soft and supple all day without feeling greasy.
•    Galvanic Face Spa – I use this 2 to 3 times per week to hydrate, erase wrinkles, and improve the tone and texture of the skin on my face so I can keep my age a mystery.
•       Pureology Antifade Complex INCHARGE Flexible Styling Spray – Without being heavy or sticky, this spray keeps my hair in place and in shape all day.
•        Future Serum – Received award for “Best Serum 2012” by NewBeauty Magazine. I use this day and night on clean skin before any other products.  This miracle serum stimulates collagen production by 150% for youthful skin structure and youthful glow.
•        Athleta Workout & Casual Wear – I love the design and fabrics used for my workouts whether I am running, climbing, biking, swimming, doing yoga or just hanging out.  These clothes never fade, never lose their shape with washing and drying.  They simplify laundry!
• 
•      Tru Face Essence Ultra – I use one of these little “pearls” morning and night after my future serum to restore facial firmness and skin elasticity with an ingredient shown to increase skin elastin which gives my skin the ability to maintain its youthful structure and firmness.
•      Arabian Rose Fragrance Oil by Kuumba Made – (http://www.kuumbamade.com/store/index.php?p=product&id=18 for photo) Before I go to bed at night I roll this oil on the palms of my hands, rub them together then rub on the sides of my neck and over my pj top for the heavenly, relaxing spicy rose fragrance promotes balance, harmony, and a sense of well-being as I drift off to sleep.
•  

 I would love to know your favorite beauty products, please share here on my blog or on my facebook page. I made this list into a board on my Pinterest page....enjoy! 

Anti-Aging Skin Care: What Is Right For You?

All of us have a one time or another, have fantasized about the one product that does it all…cleanse, tone, exfoliate, hydrate, protect, and reverse the signs of aging.  Some of us are looking for simplicity, the fewer the products the better even if they don’t address every skin care concern.  Then there are those of us determined to leave no anti-aging stone unturned and think nothing of layering multiple products morning and night.

I am one of the latter, with an arsenal of anti-aging skin care products.  It works for me because people mistake me for a sister to my daughters; aged 19-25 and I have never had an invasive surgery, treatment and never an injectible.  My husband teases me at night saying I have to start my “57 Steps” before I can go to bed.  Now I don’t have 57 steps even when you include flossing, brushing and use a water pik on my teeth.  However, I have fair skin and when I was in high school we used either baby oil or cocoa butter when we literally “baked” in the sun for the perfect tan.  At 45 I had age spots popping up, noticeable wrinkles, loss of tone and brightness and an overall thinning of my skin.  I had to take action! 

After having spent many $ with no results I finally found a system that actually targets the sources of aging with a combination of skin care products to reverse the sun damage as well as nutritional supplements that while they help anti-age my body they anti-age my skin from the inside out.  I have found my perfect blend of products to compliment my micro current system.  You may not a person to spend a lot of time reversing sun damage.  It might not be important.  Everyone has his or her priorities.  If you are looking for a simple skin care regimen it is possible to find products that really work-- just make sure you work with someone to find the right combination of products which will best help you.

Question:  What do you use to ease the pain, prevent blistering and heal sunburn?

My most successful way to treat a sunburn is with tea.  For a whole body sunburn, I suggest soaking in a bathtub of lukewarm tea.  I like to use the Lipton Cold Brew tea bags.  You can also dip a washcloth in a bowl of tea and place on face and neck for the “skiers” sunburn.  The cool water helps reduce the temperature of the skin and reduce the amount of inflammation of the burned skin.

Health Tip:  Summer Proof Your Look –Hydrating Mist

Stash a spray bottle filled with a hydrating mist in your bag to help keep you cool the entire day.

You can make your own using this recipe:  Mix orange and lemon peels in a bowl, pour 750 ml of boiling water on the peels to extract essence (make sure you have enough boiling water to submerge peels). Cover and leave the mixture to rest overnight, strain the following day, and add Vitamin E oil from two capsules (extract the oil from the capsules by piercing the capsule with a sterilized needle), transfer to a purse-sized spray bottle and spritz it on your face, nape, neck and chest when the heat becomes unbearable, fan yourself immediately after for a refreshing feeling. You can also keep your face mist in the fridge until you need it for maximum cooling effect.  If that seems like too much trouble for under $10 I can get a big bottle of my favorite hydrating mist because it actually draws moisture to your skin and hair (I love this when traveling) and you can get a small mister bottle for your purse.

Brad Pitt Loves His Galvanic current Spa & You Will Too

I was excited to find this image last week for my latest newsletter on the Galvanic Current Spa and its anti-aging skin benefits, the cost comparison of salon visits to using the anti-aging products which actually reverse the signs of aging at a cellular level, and instructions for the Galvanic current Spa. When a man uses the Galvanic current Spa to get a youthful appearance for his red carpet appearances, it speaks volumes! In my next newsletter I break down the benefits and cost of the the same company's Body Spa – with an amazing before and after picture! In my newsletter, I also was pleased to report that my Antioxidant Challengers are all improving their scores, Mike -the greatest gain- 21,000! They all report feeling better and more vibrant taking their supplements. No one has gotten either a cold or flu either…good stuff.




Health Tip: What does it takes to lose 400 calories?
Aerobic dancing = 50 minutes
Cycling (12-13.9 mph) = 44 minutes
In-Line Skating = 28 minutes
Elliptical Trainer = 52 minutes
Running (6mph) = 35 minutes
Swimming (vigorous) = 35 minutes
Walking (3.5 mph, brisk pace) = 93 minutes
Tennis (singles) = 44 minutes
Remember to lose 1 pound in a week, you need to burn 3,500 calories which means anyone one of the above 9 times in one week. This is why you need to combine your efforts by reducing calories eaten by adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet. The additional fruits and vegetables are full of antioxidants so your skin will glow!