Cellular Recovery Skin Bliss Capsules

Okay, I know you were hoping I had a magical answer for all of the dropped cell phone calls everyone gets, but no - I'm not talkikng about that kind of cell here! I can't believe I haven't mentioned the Cellular Recovery Skin Bliss Capsules in the anti-ageing department! These little guys rock and it's fun to apply. What more could you ask for? Play time and happy skin!



I use this daily, morning and night - before I put on makeup and after I take it off. It's got those nifty anti-oxidants that everyone's talking about (and I've bought more green tea for too!) The oils have aromatherapy properties that wake me up in the morning and relax me at night as well, which makes me feel like I'm doing more than just washing my face - I'm taking care of my well being. =)

So why are they so fun? Look at the picture! There are two colours of tiny beads that contain the oils inside them. You break open a pink capsule in the morning and warm the oil between your palms and then I smooth it around my face in circle down to my neck. It's a mini-massage morning or night. Nighttime comes around and I remove all of my makeup and do my cleanser/toner/eye serum routine and then I use a green capsule and give myself a night time circular facial massage.

Happy Hump Day Honeys!

Hello again, I just wanted to say I'm quite pleased with my Elemis face routine this morning. I woke up, and as you all know I'm living in a warehouse now - it's not the cleanest of places! Dirt can creep in anywhere and I don't know about you but I may be a woman, but I also sweat - so I've been a tad worried that my face was going to freak out with the weather changes between southern and northern California and all the dirt and work I've had to do to "make" my desk, but once again Elemis comes through!

It's really nice having a routine to follow, and results that follow it. Nothing has changed with my routine in the morning/evenings and my face has remained constant as well. It makes me happy that I don't have to worry about this on top of all the other stress of moving! Now to get my butt in gear to do some mountain biking...okay, it might be awhile I'll be honest. =) But for now, for what it's worth, Elemis has been the only constant in my life, and she's done me good so I thought it right to praise her here. =) (yes, I know I'm talking about a product as a person, leave me alone it's been a stressful week! I know you won't leave me Elemis, will you?)

More Facial Care Stuff I'm Diggin'

I didn't post about the stuff that I've been using on my face that isn't part of my daily regimen, but nevertheless, these things deserve mention because i use them when my skin isn't behaving and they smooth it right out.

Along with my daily routine, I also do the Herbal Lavender Repair Mask a couple times a week. I've always liked the feel of putting a mask on, leaving it, and rinsing away the clogged pores, dirt, etc. but never really found one that didn't do exactly the opposite and actually clog my pores instead! Not this time, Elemis' Lavender Mask is perfect for me because it's for combination skin like mine (read: finicky skin!) - and I only use it once or twice a week at the most. I use it on the day I feel like I need the most pampering, and it tends to work out well because it's usually around that time I'm most stressed and it SHOWS through my skin. I don't know about you, but when I freak out, I break out. A little pampering with this mask that smells so good (how can you go wrong with rosemary, thyme, and lavender?) and my outlook is improved and my skin is happy too.

I also use something called S.O.S. Emergency Cream when my face decides it wants to break out - see above stress statement! I just moved and I'm sure you all know that moving is stressful, so this S.O.S stuff has come out of the medicine cabinet more often than not recently - it calms the breakouts, I just put dabs of it in the areas that tend to break out - for me that's my chin and my forehead - and they don't go from breakout to blowout. It's rather nice to feel like I can head a zit off at the pass, pardon all the puns. =)

If Your Skin Is Like Mine, This Is Going To Be Your Routine!!!

Hi Again!

It's friday morning (TGIF!)and I've just finished my refreshing morning face cleaning routine which reminded me that I need to tell you guys about my face care line. I am still using the line that smells like citrus & lavendar, it's so yummy! I used to be hesitant of lavendar because it usually comes off smelling too strong and like you've been at your grandmum's house for too long - buy my cleanser and toner are awesome and light. I feel like I'm ready for a fresh walk on the beach after I've washed my face, seriously.

Okay, so you want to know right? What do I use daily? Here's my run down:

Daily:

Both morning and night I use the Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser and then the Balancing Lavender Toner.

I have combination skin, where sometimes my forhead gets these tiny little bumbs and sometimes (usually thanks to that monthly visitor) my chin breaks out with a couple REAL pimples at 30 years old! But my forehead and cheeks would end up dry with any sort of cleanser that was for oily skin. Since I started using the toner especially morning and night, my breakouts are gone. I get one zit around the beginning of my cycle and that's how I know it's coming. Can't complain about that! The cleanser has lime blossom extracts in it that make it smell so light and fresh, and it still has vitamin E in it to retain my skin's elasticity. I'm a sucker for vit. E in products (or tocophoryl - same thing) but have always had a hard time finding ines that weren't too greast. These are it!

I also use the Absolute Eye Serum daily (although I dropped my little dropper, these babies are made of glass so be careful! Luckily I didn't break it while it was still inside the bottle, so i just dab a drop on with my finger now). This is part of the anti-aging line at Elemis technically, but since I'm not against aging I'll just explain why I love it. I use it around my eyes and eyelids and it makes the dark circles disappear. There's some nice stuff in it to help retain the tightness of your skin in that area too - absolute of osmanthus & rosewood essential oil, but for me it's about results, and the fact that I can come home from a night of partying and wake up in the morning ready to work and looking refreshed is most important to me.

I still use, (and have faithfully) - the Pro-Collagen Marine Cream as an overall light moisturiser for my face and neck and it works great as a once a day thing for me. I either put it on in the morning when I do my morning routine if I have to put on makeup (because it's great as an under makeup cream) or at night just after my shower and routine, it feels light & tight doesn't leave me feeling like I'm going to bed with a puddle of oil on my face.

Stay tuned for my opinions, review and use of the Herbal Lavender Rpair Mask, S.O.S. Emergency Cream, and Cellular Recovery Skin Bliss Capsules; I use all of these as well, but not daily and I will explain why in my very next post. They are awesome! Especially the S.O.S. cream, it's a great spot acne reducer. I hope what I've shared so far has been helpful - please comment if you have any questions, I just hope you've taken away from this that

a.) i love the lime & lavender face routine and
b.) i love the eye serum & pro-collagen marine cream.

I don't think I'll ever switch any of those products again, ever!

Oh Elemis, How Do I Love Thee?

Let me count the ways...1,2,3,4,5,6,7!!!

Yes, my most recent shipment of Elemis products has finally arrived! I was a little late ordering so I've been waiting on this stuff and using some generic stuff from the grocery down the street and it's SO apparent that there *is* a difference between Elemis stuff and anything you can find at your local drug store. Not only was my skin unhappy, but the general feeling that I wasn't taking care of my skin as well as I should be had me feeling guilty and generally depressed. Not majorly depressed, I just didn't feel at the top of my game, yano?

Well, thank you Elemis, because even if I bought it, it's nice to see things in the mail that make you smile (as opposed to those nasty bills). In fact, I was just crying over how stressed I was about having a show to attend and having everyone looking at me and how I'd probably look better had I bought my favourite products sooner - so I took the Absolute Eye Serum out and used it immediately. I'm sure some of this is placebo effect, but I felt instantly better. I know that the stuff works because I've used it before, but I'd say this is a sign that now that I know my products work (after over a year of testing & trying out new Elemis stff) - they put my mind at ease. I know I look and feel better when I take care of my skin, hair and body.

I got some more Pro-Collagen Marine Cream & Cellular Recovery Skin Bliss Capsules and the SOS Emergency Cream again too. I also ordered a line for my face that I haven't tried yet, but am starting now! I ordered Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser, Balancing Lavendar Toner, and the Herbal Lavendar Repair Mask. I promise to keep you posted, I'll be using these tonight and throughout the conference while I am away!

Here it is the middle of March and I feel like I haven't done much in my health & beauty progress. Oh but I have been, I swear! Skin, be good to me. Bah! I've been paying a lot of attention to my condo though, making it more like our home on the beach, rather than an old furnished vacation rental that we moved into and never updated. It's been good, removing the clutter, and clearing out spaces - making things more clean brings clarity in my life, I don't know about you - but I really believe that making every aspect of your life more zenlike (paying attention to everything you do and doing it with purpose) yields happiness and results. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm attempting to apply this same principle to my skin and it's working out great!

This is what promted me to remember my beauty blog: I went shopping this week with my girlfriend and we went to the MAC makeup counter and I listened to the lady give my friend all sorts of advice about what to put on her face for what look and how to reduce blemishes and acne's appearance by using foundation and powder, etc. By the time she was done my friend had six (6) things she had to buy just to create a base foundation for her makeup! That's ridiculous. I've always been one for the natural look - especially on a daily basis, I don't want to put foundation on. This can't be good for her skin or her pores can it???

In any case, I came back here, and realised that I was last freaking out about bikini season, so I put one on and looked in the mirror. Things are looking pretty good if I do say so myself, I'm even happy with my stretch mark tiger stripes which seem to have disappeared since last year. I've always loved my stretch marks, as I see them as a sign of growth and maturity (sort of like rings on a tree trunk), but it doesn't hurt to try to make them a little less visible right? Since I'm past the prevention stage (though I'm sure I'll be researching that once I decided to make babies eventually) I was looking for something that would minimise the appearance of my stretch marks, mostly because in the summer they're much more obvious due to my naturally olive and easily tanned skin. Stretch marks don't tan! Who made that rule? Grrrr!!!

Oh well, that's the case for me so I went on my crazy internet research binge ... and you know what? I found that skin products that contain things like shea butter, bladderwreck sea kelp, xanthum gum, horsetail plant extract, milk protein &/or macadamia nut oil are great for stretch marks and even scars from other things (like surgery). Okay, I knew about shea butter, oils, and milk protein as ingredients that are generally good for keeping the skin supple, but these others I had no idea about. I went to the Elemis site and looked around and found Elemis Contouring Silhouette Cream, which contains the kelp and horsetail plant extract plus shea butter so I ordered it. It's on it's way, I can't wait to see how it works. A friend of mine has it and swears by it, but she's also had two babies and her stretch marks are from pregnancy and all around her belly, thighs, breasts, and lower back/butt. I wonder if it will work as well for me - I only have growth spurt stretch marks on my breasts and hips and they're much less pronounced than hers. But if it worked for her, it *has* to work for lil' old me, right??!

Ack! I just realised it's almost March! Spring starts next month, and summer isn't far behind. That means that bikini season is just around the corner, and more of my skin is going to be showing than any other time of year. Ok, don't forget to breathe...

I am excited though, because it's been just about a year since I started on this committed path to my skin, and I think this year could be my best bathing suit year yet! I remember all of those little bumps on the backs of my arms, thighs, and on my forehead that would never go away no matter which cleanser I used, but now that is a thing of the past. I can't wait to lounge around in my bikini, acting like it's the most natural thing in the world - meantime everyone's going to be looking at my skin wondering how I got so lucky and for once I don't have to excuse my natural physique due to genetics. I can blame it all on Elemis!

Don't hate me because I'm beautiful, hate me because I buy more Elemis products than you do and my skin can prove it. Hah!

I've never been one for anti-aging anything, but this stuff rocks. I am happy to have wrinkles and laugh lines and the like, but I think it's fair to say that just like everyone else, if there were an easy way to do it, I'd get rid of them.



Well here it is: the easy way. What could be easier that just putting lotion on after your shower? You can combine this Marine Cream with the Erotic Cream Moisturising Mask or just use it alone beneath your makeup, etc. It makes a great base for foundation and powder, none of that oily crap that makes your skin break out!

Hello, hello! I've found another product worthy of mention & I'm certain every one of my female friends is going to want this stuff & maybe even a couple of my guy pals too. It's like a miracle cure for the good old "bags indicating you've experienced life" under your eyes - in other words, if you're tired of looking tired, this very well may be the answer. I'd never had a problem with bags under my eyes, except after college all-nighters and post-college all-night...stuff, until now.

These days I find that even if I get 7 hours of sleep those familiar puffy bags that I once only associated with wild nights or study groups show up the next day - and they don't tend to go away, either. I thought I was doomed to just accept this as part of growing older, until I tried Bright Eyes Recovery Gel, by Elemis.

I've tried cooling eye gels before, but never with much success. That's all they did - cooled they skin just below my eyes and made it tingle. It *felt* like it was doing something, but looking in the mirror didn't reveal any actual results. My eyes were still baggy, but now they were watering too. Sweeeeeet. But not this time! I gave this stuff as a gift to my girlfriend who's had the baggy eyes syndrome since childhood and it's the only thing I've ever seen work for her ever! How cool is that?

Whoo hoo! My first post in my new health & beauty blog! I have one to explore my personality (introspective), one for my photography, one for my writing (mostly essays on modern topics I find interesting or pertinent to me), and now one that's entirely dedicated to my beauty care regimen. I'm obviously a big fan of the blog, I find it helps me to read back in my own posts to see what's worked for me in the past and what hasn't. In this particular case, I think a blog is exactly what I need to get my skincare products in order. Thank you for taking this journey with me.

So let's get right to what got me to post today anyhow shall we? I was recommended this product by a friend of mine because I was dying for hand lotion that would moisturise my hands, but not leave them too greasy to type! She told me about Elemis' Intensive Hand Therapy lotion last year, and I just realised today that I've been using it for a year since, because I was looking down at my hands as I worked on something else and noticed those little cracks aren't there anymore.

!!!

Do you *know* how exciting that is? This is progress! I love progress! My hands used to be a tad bit of a source of shame for me, I hated seeing them in photographs because they seemed to take over the whole picture. I'm sure this is just because I was sensitive about my long fingers (I'm a piano player with a 9-key span) that had horrid nails attached to the ends of them - but now my fingernails are stronger and don't chip or look yellow/lined. I can paint them again without feeling guilty! I'm always happy when I find that I've invested in something for bettering myself has become a success, this is one of those times. Perhaps I will post a picture of my perfectly pretty palms soon!

My Favourites

This post serves as a list of my favourite products up to date. I will add products as I find new ones that work for me, and remove any that didn't! I hope this is helpful to some of you, I know someone asked about my hand cream:

Intensive Hand Repair:



This is the stuff I mentioned that got me started on my Elemis obsession - all I know is that my nails are stronger than ever, they look lovely and through all of my housecleaning and dog handling and trips to Burning Man, my hands are finally something I am proud of (I've always hated the thought that I would *have* to have a manicure if I wanted pretty nails - no more!)

For Everyone Wondering, This Is Why I Love Elemis!

Most people who know me know that I'm not one to rant and rave about and brandname of anything, and I'm likely to seek out products that have ingredients I like, from small business owners I can support, or have an environmental stance that shines through in all of their work. If I'm promoting it by saying it's name outloud, you can bet I've researched it and tested it out myself for awhile before I'll start raving to the masses. Just like I'm afraid of how doctors in America are overmedicating their patients, I don't want to send all of my friends off on a shopping spree just because I like the pretty packaging.

(Okay, I admit, I like their packaging.) AND they don't test their products on animals. Mui importante!

But mostly I love that I've been able to find something in each part of the Elemis Skin/Body/Hair/Makeup/Anti-Ageing Lineups that actually works for me! I'm so tired of seeing commercials on TV and reading magazines with ads for Covergirl, Clairol, Maybelline, etc. promising results - basically promising things that no one could ever deliver. Listen, if you're human and an adult who is aging like the rest of us - no product is going to make you perfect, or reverse the last few decades of your life. Nor does any one product have the answers for everyone. When did the media start lumping us all into the same category? Oh, I know. When they wanted to make a bunch of money off of you by playing to your insecurities and fears.

That being said, Elemis products aren't cheap, but i found a great place to get them (see previous link). But this is also one of their biggest selling points for me (ironically). Once I realised that if I wanted something to work for me personally I would have to invest in it, life became much easier. The really fun part of this is allowing myself to try a new product after researching it and it's ingredients online - it's like a little gift to my body, my temple - and I believe Elemis products are a gift from myself to my body.

You Love ELEMIS Too!!!

Check it out, i'm so stoked!!! I got these in my email from loyal readers, and it tickles me PINK to know you guys are getting something out of my blog!

Aimee from Miami: "I LOVE Pro-Collagen Marine Cream! I've always had troubles with moisturizers on the past. They've made me breakout, I felt greasy, or they just didn't work well under my makeup. I've been concerned in the last couple of years about some fine lines and wrinkles that have been popping up out of nowhere...so I wanted to make certain that I added a moisturizer to my daily routine. You recommended Pro-Collagen Marine Cream as one of the first things you tried by Elemis, so...I gave it a whirl, and I love it! My skin has never felt better! It's smooth, moisturized, goes great under my makeup and doesn't make me break-out! I'm addicted!!!"

Jill from Los Angeles: "I cannot say enough about the Elemis Japanese Camellia Oil. it is a wonderful product! I used it throughout my entire pregnancy and thanks to it being so rich in the collagen plant I did not get one single stretch mark nor was my skin itchy!!! The best thing about this product is that you can still continue to use it after pregnancy to help keep the elasticity intact, get rid of that winter, dry, flaky skin and even soften those rough cuticles. Definitely a must have!"

Charmaine from Jamaica: "I love Elemis Lime & Ginger Salt Glow and Elemis Frangipani Monoi Melt. I have dry skin and no matter what I try my skin still seems to be dry and scaly. I tried the Elemis Lime & Ginger Salt Glow and my body felt like silk. I'm addicted to this body scrub. I use it at least twice a week in the shower. As a body moisturizer I use the Frangipani Monoi Melt. This oil has a great scent and leaves your skin moisturized and glowing all day long. Once your body warms up the scent is even stronger. You can even wear it alone without perfume, this is all I need!"

Chrys from New York: "My two must have Elemis products are, the Bright Eyes Recovery Gel... This product is the best; it helps with my tired and puffy eyes. I like the fact that I can pop this product into my handbag and take it with me where ever i go, as I do a lot of traveling and I am always at my computer, this product really helps the peepers! My other must have is the Liquid Radiance. I am always concerned with my pore size and sun damage. The power packed ingredients in these little babies help to resurface and feed my skin with all those vitamins and amino acids. These two are the best to have on hand at all times."

Sarah from London "I LOVE the Exotic Frangipani Monoi Moisture Melt (except the name which is a bloody mouthful!) According to legend, this emulsion isbased on a time tested formula that has been used in the Polynesian Islands for thousands of years. Elemis uses pure coconut coprah oil and lets the petals of the fragipini literally melt into the oil. A thick waxy emulsion is created which when put into a bowl of hot water, becomes liquid so that you can pour it lavishly over your body and hair! I have long, thick hair, so I use it as a treatment and leave it in with my hair in a braid - it looks shiny and smells lovely, and meanwhile my hair and scalp are being conditioned. It makes a huge difference to the look and condition of my hair. It also really eliminates dry skin and is fabulous for hang nails if you rub the oil into your fingernails. This oil is a must try!"

Ben from San Diego: "I'm not a big fan of high-priced moisturixers and stuff -- honestly, I used to think they all worked the same, so there was no point in spending extra money. but I have pretty dry skin, and when I got a sample of the SOS Survival Cream for men, I tried it...and I have to say, it works incredibly well. Like, better than anything I've ever used. And my wife says she likes the smell...so, I guess I'm a customer for life. The shaving products are really good too, it makes you feel like you just came out of a Las Vegas spa!"

Patricia from Daytona Beach: "One of my favorite products is the Elemis Total Glow Self Tanning Cream. The safest way to tan is to truly fake it! I love the sun but I'm Irish and I've got fair skin which burns easily so all I end up with after is a sun burn that resembles a lobster. So as you can imagine it's not the most flattering look when it starts to peel. Before I start the process, I always make sure that I use an exfoliator and moisturizer. The exfoliator ensures that the dead skin has been removed and helps increase the effectiveness of how the product works. Massage the product evenly paying particular attention to the jointed areas. This product is so easily absorbed, giving a natural golden tan (not orange) 2-3 hours after application. This product also contains nourishing extracts of macadamia nut oil, leaving the skin moisturized and radiant. Since I am now living in the Sunshine State this is a must have product!!"