Quite Apeeling- V. I. Diaries

The V.I. Peel that I just had at the spa has a few at home components to fully complete the process. After I got the peel (on Saturday), I had to apply a towelette soaked with retinoic acid to a clean dry face an hour before bed. The next night I repeated this same step which left my skin quite feeling itchy. A good trick when that happens is to gently tap the skin with your fingertips or even tap with q-tips if you're being good & keeping your hands off your face! The 48 hours following the peel, I felt like I had a rather intense sunburn (you can see the pink near my eye). Not painful in that way, but my skin felt hot to the touch & very tight(& looked rather tan- which never happens for me!) During the entire peel process, it was incredibly important to be wearing SPF whenever outside. As an esthetician, I wear an SPF 365 days a year. For anyone considering a high strength peel, it is imperative to follow the home care protocol and protect the new skin that will be unveiling itself during the process. Otherwise it will become just as damaged as the layers you're trying to shed! Tomorrow take a peek as the peeling begins!

Peace. Love. Peels. M

Quite Apeeling- V. I. Peel Diaries

The whole staff at La Papillon -I've always thought is quite appealing(if I do say so myself!) Lately however, we've been truly a-peel-ing! When working in a spa, you need to put your best face forward. So what do we do? We do a chemical peel. Last week I tried out our newest peel- the V.I. Peel and I'll be giving you a peek behind the scenes as to what to expect. I do an intense peel at least twice a year. I love them. You can get results in under a week with a medical peel that would take a very good quality home skincare regimen at least 9-12 months to achieve. It is perfect for a girl like me who's rather impatient! A blend of high strength AHA's is applied to the face, in 4-6 hours it is then topped with retinoic acid(a form of vitamin A). The V.I Peel offers a reduction in fine lines, lessening of hyperpigmentation and proven collagen stimulation. In short your skin looks and feels like a baby's behind! I highly recommend a peel to anyone who is serious about changing their skin. Yes you will be literally peeling for about 3-4 days, but it's so worth it! Brides-to-be, are you listening? Find the time, you won't be disappointed. Just work backwards from any specific big events. Once the actual peel is applied, peeling will start around 48 hours after and will take @ 4 days to taper off. Allocate a total of 7-10 days just in case. Stay tuned this week for my personal peel diaries + pics!

Peace. Love. Peels. M

Make-Up Must Have Monday

This little themed make-up collection is just too hysterical & fabulous! Too Faced's Walk of Shame make-up bag comes complete with everything a gal needs to spend the night at a beau's & still look glam while leaving his place in the morning!

Universally flattering shades fill the shadow & bronzer compact.
Top is Totally Toasted(a previous favorite) shadow, then Silk Teddy shadow, then Sun Bunny Bronzer Light, then Totally Nude lipstick from kit.

What made me go back & actually buy the kit? The lipstick's packaging, that was topped with a bit of bling! The actual shade is called Totally Nude- however I would say it's more a cappuccino color, complete with the faint scent of coffee. The color pulls a smidge orange on me, but it's easily remedied with a swipe of peach or pink gloss to liven it up. Too Face's beloved Shadow Insurance, a sample of their primer, mints & a travel toothbrush round out the offerings housed in a super cute black satin clutch. I think this is a steal of a deal at $38 & would be the perfect gift for bridesmaids or a friend with a great sense of humor!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Fabulous Finds Friday

Girleens, I'm not going to lie. When I discovered this fabulous find, I was slightly bitter.

Why you ask? Because these Target Merona gold flats are pretty darn close to my Tory Burch Reese flats at almost 10x the price! I almost drove my shopping cart right into the aisle upon discovering them!

Yes, my Torys have the tassel & signature medallion at the back- but if you walk quickly, no one will know the difference! My loss is your gain my beauties. Have a great weekend & happy shopping!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Hershey's Better Basket: Blog Hop

Ahhh Easter is just around the corner. Screen doors are left open to let in fresh air... The sun tempts us with her beautiful rays while creating a smidge of fear that skimpy clothes season draws near! Easter baskets overflow with all sorts of goodies to sabotage all hopes of cutting out carbs! The best treat(calorie free!) I'm getting for Easter? My favorite girl Laura of Chicken Nuggets of Wisdom bestowing her Virtual Better Basket to yours truly! Not only am I feeling the love, but due to this blog hop money is being donated to the Children's Miracle Network. It's a win win! Who do I pass the torch (ahem basket) to? Actually two lovely ladies: (1)The fabulous Kelly of Gouldylox Reviews who besides becoming a good friend(we're both obsessed with movies & make-up)- gives back to our local community through her amazing organization Karma Dogs & (2) The lovely Jennifer of Sky Blue Events- not just because she can whip up a fabulous cocktail or throw an elegant event(well that doesn't hurt), but because she's been instilling a philanthropic nature in her young daughter ever since I've known her.

• HERSHEY’S BETTER BASKET BLOG HOP RULES*

Copy and paste these rules to your blog post.* Create a blog post giving a virtual Easter Basket to another blogger – you can give as many Virtual Baskets as you want.* Link back to person who gave you an Easter Basket.* Let each person you are giving a Virtual Easter Basket know you have given them a Basket.* Leave your link at BetterBasket.info/BlogHop comment section. You can also find the official rules of this #betterbasket blog hop, and more information about Better Basket with Hershey’s there.* Hershey’s is donating $10 per each blog participating to the Better Basket Blog Hop to Children’s Miracle Network (up to total of $5,000 by blog posts written by April 4th, 2010).* Please note that only one blog post by each blog url will count towards the donation.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

In the Blink of an Eye

I have been somewhat obsessed with lid primers lately... I had never really used them very much before, but now I turn to them to keep my shadow vibrant throughout the day. I love intense eyes & nude glossy lips! I've tried quite a few lately, & here are my thoughts... Too Faced's Shadow insurance definitely offers more longevity than without. You can also use it to secure some glitter on your lid( you know mama loves her sparkle!)

Probably the most well known shadow primer is Urban Decay's Shadow Potion. It has gotten rave reviews, so what did I do? I went out and bought, in the XL or super sized version no less. Alas, the love affair wasn't there for me. It's not that it didn't work in holding the shadow in place, the issue was I actually thought that it made my lids look more 'crepey' than in reality. Anyone who knows me has heard me say that I'm allergic to aging, so no thank you to crinkly texture!

Trish McEvoy's is still by far, my favorite. It offers smooth coverage, with opaque coverage so you can wear it all by itself. I have it in 5 different shades- need I say more?The only tip, is that it sets quickly, so you need to work quickly to blend it!

Peace. Love. Primer. M

Hope for Hyperpigmentation

Out, Out Damn Spot! Hyperpigmentation has been the bain of my existence for quite some time now. Freckles have always been deemed adorable by loved ones, but it wasn't until my friend took some professional photos of me that I saw them up close. Needless to say, I felt like Gorbachev & declared war on them. Now studies, recently reported in Allure magazine, are showing that it's possible to lesson skin discoloration by taking a supplement! A significant reduction was shown when test subjects took a pill with vitamins A, C, E and the antioxidant procyanidin in it twice a day for eight weeks. Procyanidin is found in apples, red wine, chocolate, pine bark extract and grape seed extract. This supplement is only available in some Asian countries right now, however 48 milligrams of procyanidin and a multivitamin could provide similar results! Get thee to a vitamin shop!

Peace. Love. Freckles. M