Fridays with Felicia: Volume 6

Fridays with Felicia: An intimate look behind the curtain as I share my favorite style/beauty discoveries and ThisThatBeauty shenanigans from previous week.

Last week I had THE BEST 30-min facial ever. From there I began my quest to replicate similar results at home. Enter Brazilian Skin Peel, a professional strength self-neutralizing at-home glycolic peel. The product is marketed as a foolproof alternative to tricky at-home treatments and pricey professional peels. For those of you who have tried at-home peels, you already know that timing is everything. Leave that sucker on too long and hello chemical burn and Aquaphor for the next seven days. Not pretty, not pretty at all. So many women don’t trust themselves to manage this delicate at-home process…and I don’t blame you. However, Brazilian Peel’s two-step process makes skin irritation, burning and excessive peeling a thing of the past. The time-released glycolic treatment leaves no room for error or over processing. The one step mistake-proof treatment comes in a pre-measured syringe with a time-released neutralizer that automatically deactivates the glycolic acid within 10 minutes—no guesswork, no skin irritation, just beautiful skin!

After one use of the 30% glycolic acid (with Açai) treatment my skin appeared more radiant and illuminated. I look forward to following the recommended dosage and doing three more weekly treatments. I cant wait to see the results after four consecutive treatments…watch out now!

With sustained use the product claims to:

• Remove the upper layer of dead skin cells to reveal fresh new skin below
• Enhance moisture retention and improve the efficacy of treatment products
• Hasten cell regeneration to bring fresh, new, soft skin to the surface
• Restore skin’s elastin and collagen-building function to tighten, firm and plump skin
• Reduce the appearance of fine line, wrinkles, blemishes and dark spots (woot woot!)
• Repair and reverse sun damage, hyper-pigmentation, dullness, roughness and dryness (woot woot again!)
• Reduce the damaging effects of free radicals
• Soothe and calm via Magnesium and Sulfur
• Maintain a radiant, youthful complexion

How many of you regularly use an eye cream or serum? While I currently use an eye cream (daily, both day and night), it took me years to jump on board and “get” that I actually needed to use one. I remember that workday afternoon in the bathroom at About.com (a previous employer)…I was washing my hands, looked up at the mirror, and was shocked at the image that stared back. I asked myself, “when did my eyes get so tired looking”. Maybe it was the bad lighting, maybe I had a rough day. Who knows and who cares…all I knew was that the image reflecting back was not pleasing. I immediately scheduled an appointment with my derm to discuss. She explained that I didn’t have fine lines or wrinkles but like most women, my eyes were starting to show signs of stress due to environmental factors like free radicals and workplace factors like staring at a computer all day. At that point I decided to incorporate an eye cream into my regiment. It took me over a year to understand formulations and find a cream that met needs. After much trial and error, I finally got a handle on the best products for my peepers.

Most eye creams require continued and sustained usage before showing signs of results. Well Elizabeth Grant The Socializer ($40) is changing that. I recently started using The Socializer and have noticed immediate, yes, I said immediate results. The two-part clickable pen duo features an eye cream for day (Bright Lights) and one for evening (Late Nights). The illuminating action of Bright Lights instantly perks up tired eyes and imparts an illuminating tint (see swatch on my hand<====) that miraculously diffuses darkness. The formula is extremely hydrating and soothing. I like to extend the product slightly beyond the outer eye area for a hint of sexy reflective highlighting.

Both day and night treatment products contain:

• Ulva Lactuca – An algae that is known to help improve the skin’s elasticity
• Matrixyl– To increase collagen synthesis, reduce the appearance of wrinkles, and regenerate skin
• Allantoin- To relieve irritated skin
• Chamomile – To soothe and calm the skin

Working in fashion and beauty has been a dream of mine ever since I was a wee lad who blew her weekly allowance at the local beauty supply store on VO5 Hot Oil Treatment and Lee Press-on Nails….holy 80’s, Batman!

While I greatly enjoy what I do, and sincerely feel that everyone should experience the satisfaction on working their passion….it aint easy or as glamorous as it may appear. Are you considering following your passion? I highly recommend you follow the MTV docu-series “MTV Hired“. In the series, MTV takes an inside look at the lives of young people attempting to secure the job of their dreams. Viewers get a firsthand look at the ups and downs experienced by applicants during the interview process and the nail-biting wait before they get a call back from a potential employer.

While the series features a wide range of professions, including personal training, shoe design, event coordinating and many more…..On June 3 at 6:30 theBalm Cosmetics and its CEO/Founder, Marissa Shipman, will be featured. The episode will show how young girls can break into the cosmetics industry. This ep is a must watch if you are interested in living the ThisThatBeauty/ Fridays with Felicia life!

SAVINGS ALERT: This weekend Beauty360.com is celebrating the un-official start of summer with a special offering of 25% off all makeup purchases! Stock up on hot new colors for summer from prestige beauty brands like Vincent Longo, Paula Dorf, Laura Geller, Cargo and many more. Simply enter coupon code VIP25 at checkout. This sale will last through Sunday, May 30^th . Click on the following link for additional details and products: http://tinyurl.com/33zqzv5

The new and improved 2.0 version of mySkin.com launches today so its only fitting that I include it here as part of “Fridays with Felicia“. With so many product claims and products out on the market, how do consumers navigate the maze of offerings and know which products actually work? mySkin.com uses scientific algorithms to analyze your skin profile and give you personalized skincare recommendations. Pretty cool, huh? The site was founded by two Harvard Business School classmates, a world renowned bio-physicists, and a leading plastic surgeon out of Europe. Supporters of the online initiative include the CEO of La Prairie and Geraldine Laybourne, who started Oxygen Media with Oprah Winfrey. Build your profile and try mySkin.com for yourself!

Lastly, today, the Friday before Memorial Day has been Declared “Don’t Fry Day” to Encourage Sun Safety Awareness. As you prepare for the warm weather and great outdoors this Memorial Day weekend, the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention wants to remind you to to practice sun‐safe behaviors.