Tag Archives: skin care

Make the Next 10-Days More Beautiful Results

23 Saturday Feb 2013

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It’s been 10-days since I started my challenge with the Algenist Concentrated Reconstructing Serum, and I have to say, I really like it.

A quick photo of me before starting my 10-day challenge. The girl to the right is my cute sister, and my beauty guru. She has been an aesthetician for over 10 years, and I always check-in with her before I invest in products. She was also intrigued by the new Algenist line and was anxious to see my results.

Algenist Challenge

Here’s what I have been doing different for the last 10-days:

  • Started my challenge with the Bright Skin Facial at the Costa del Sur Spa.
  • Took a 3-day relaxation trip with my RockStar husband where we slept…a ton.
  • Consistently taking my daily regimin of vitamins and supplements.
  • Using either my Clarisonic or my Eminence Organics Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant once daily.
  • Juicing twice a day.
  • Yoga once a week.
  • Remembering to drink water as much as possible.
  • Implementing the Algenist Concentrated Reconstructing Serum into my skin care routine.

Here’s what I noticed:

  • My skin looks brighter.
  • My skin feels lighter and cleaner.
  • That nasty, deep wrinkle right above my left eyebrow is less visibile.
  • The ugly crow feet that surround both eyes are also less visible.
  • The bags under my eyes are not as deep and dark as before.

Algenist_after_collage

Not to mention, I’ve received many compliments about my skin over the last few weeks, and have been carded at least 2 times! I am also wearing considerably less make-up than before. A little concealor and a light powder finish around my eyes, mascara and brow touch-ups with my favorite Tom Ford Beauty products, and I’m ready to go. It’s not the wrinkle eraser that Botox will provide, but for now, I’m very pleased with results. I have also realized that I do not take enough photos of myself. I did my best using my iPhone, but you have to trust me on this one!

So, tell me…did you take on the 10-Day Algenist Challenge? Tell me in the comments below and enter for your chance to win a full-sized bottle of the Algenist Concentrated Reconstructing Serum valued at $99.00.

Full disclosure: this article is financially supported by Algenist. Some links on this page may be affiliate links.

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Omorovicza: A Luxury Skin Care Line | Fashion

01 Sunday Jul 2012

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When I was 19 I backpacked through Eastern Europe, and my travels took me to the romantic city of Budapest in Hungary. It was in the late 1990’s and the tides were stil changing for Budapest, yet we managed to find the dark, winding, cobble stone roads that led us to candle lit pubs and buildings where ghostly scholars from the past used to wander. We also discovered the country-esque areas where the world was learning more about the natural occurring spas scattered across the Hungarian landscape. I remember sitting in a small pool of spring water with a modern day spa facility built around it, and thinking this is really awesome. I tried to recreate it once back in the U.S. with skin care products claiming to be straight from the source. Until this date, I had found nothing that brought me back to that time until I experienced a facial from Omorovicza. A small town in Hungary, rooted with regal history, Omorovicza is laden with the natural spas so many seek out, and a fairytale story to accompany it.

Baths in Budapest; Photo Courtesy of Budapest-Tourist-Guide.com

Once upon a time, there was a career savvy, American journalist who met an Hungarian prince. They fell in love. The rest is history. Amidst that history, she discovered the thermal waters found in her husband’s family’s hometown of Omorovicza cleared up any skin issues she suffered from. She suggested they find a way to bottle the benefits the waters provided to share with the rest of the world, and thus, the skin care line, Omorovicza, was born.

I was invited by Omorovicza to experience a world class facial at Neiman Marcus at the Fashion Show in Las Vegas. I’ve lived in this city for 30-some odd years and never knew there was an opportunity to experience such a thing at a department store; a very luxurious facial given by a licensed aesthetician in a spa-like atmosphere at Neiman Marcus. The Omorovicza facial itself was quite relaxing. The products were very soothing and nowhere near as evasive as the previous lines I have used. I was always a believer in, “No pain, no gain,” when it came to skin care. I wanted to feel the burn. The tingling told me that it was working; that the products were eating up my wrinkles and diminishing my lines. At the time when I went in for the Omorovicza facial, my skin was seriously struggling. I was in need of some serious love and affection from a product that could make all the break-outs, blemishes, and dry skin go away. After the facial, I had one compliment after another on how radiant and amazing my skin looked. I knew I was on to something.

neiman marcus las vegas spa room

The treatment rooms at Neiman Marcus at the Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas.

I graciously accepted the travel bag Omorovicza offered after my facial, and continued to use the product day and night. Within days, my troubled skin was repairing itself. I love the Queen of Hungary Mist. From the moment I experienced the scent and the way the atomizer distributed the mist on my face, it brought me back to sitting in the thermal waters in Budapest. Nothing since had lived up to that exact memory. I loved hearing about each product and how it was produced, and that all the Omorovicza products are literally taken from the thermal waters and sediment, bottled and shared with the world. Even the Gentle Buffing Cleanser uses rocks from the waters to create the exfoliant. The Thermal Cleansing Balm wiped away all debris, even mascara, while the Rejuvenating Night Cream and the Balancing Moisturizer hydrated my skin all day and night, creating a suple cavas to apply my everyday make-up.

I am thoroughly addicted to the Omorovicza line, and have written my former skin care line a ‘Dear John”. I want you to experience the Omorovicza line first hand, too. Call Ilona today to schedule your facial. It retails for $175 at luxury spas around the country where the Omorovicza line is available. Currently, Omorovicza is available at select Four Seasons and St. Regis Hotels, select Neiman Marcus and Bergdof Goodmans throughout the United States.

When booking your appointment, please announce you are a RockStarMom Las Vegas reader to receive a special gift from Omorovicza. Enjoy this moment of tranquility and transform yourself to the thermal waters of Omorovicza in Hungary. Be good to yourself.

A purchase of 1-2 items is suggested when you book an Omorovicza facial. Contact Ilona at 702.731.3636 to schedule your appointment.

Omorovicza did provide me with several items from their line to review, however, all thoughts and words are my own.

 

BlogHer 2011 Top 10 Review (6-10)

14 Wednesday Sep 2011

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Continuing on my journey from the BlogHer 2011 Social Media Conference in San Diego…my remaining Top 10 Likes (6-10): (To the right is @RedLotusMama, @JustOneMiss and me taking a stroll down PlaySkool’s Sesame Street.  They recently acquired the Sesame Street license and have a new line of toys out in time for Christmas!)

6. Johnson&Johnson Corporate and Social Responsibility– Having been a loyal subscriber to my blog, you know by now that I am an advocate for all things natural, and I also am an advocate for community support and social responsibility.  That is why when I first walked through the Johnson&Johnson exhibit, I went in a little judgemental.  The first thing that popped in my mind was all the chemicals used to make our babies smell so delicious with their infamous pink lotion.  The thought of the eczema all over my daughter’s skin because of it, and the fact that I now had to read labels everywhere I went because obviously, Big Biz isn’t looking out for me and my family’s well being.  But I took a gander anyway, and was intrigued by the community programs they have set up for consumers and bloggers alike.  The one that helped me walk away with a bit of a different outlook on the company was their Corporate and Social Responsibility table.  Again, I pessimistically asked the rep, “How long has Johnson&Johnson had this division?”  Thinking, naively that they would respond within the last 10 years or so, a quick fix to appease the changing demands of their more culture and community savvy consumers.  She answered with a matter of fact, “Since 1906.  In fact, our first philanthropic campaign was to help out those affected by the Great Fire of San Francisco in 1906.”  Their company has been based out of New Jersey since it’s fruition.  That is some serious dedication to the United States, especially 100 years ago when it wasn’t so easy to get across the country to lend a hand.  I do believe there is more they can do to make their natural products, well, more natural, but in a pinch, I will go with the product whose company I feel good about because they are community advocates as well.

7. edenfantasys.com– Yes, I was given a BOB (Battery Operated Boyfriend) at BlogHer 2011.  I said it.  And, it’s a totally girly BOB!  Would that make it my BOG (Battery Operated Girlfriend) or my BOGB (Battery Operated Gay Boyfriend)?  Either way, it’s pink, with big crystal ball on the handle and embossed pink hearts all over it.  And, it’s my prize SWAG because it took me two days to get to the front of the line at the edenfantasys.com booth…every day they were at least 2-3 bloggers deep grabbing for their SWAG bag filled with all kinds of fun, adult stuff.  Mom’s need a break, too!  So deep inside my bags filled with cleaning products, school supplies and food stuffs, hid my fun, pink, BOB to take home for me!  The funny thing is that it is totally noisy, and it sounds a lot like the bubble gun my mom bought the kids at Sea World.  Every time I heard that noise, I would turn in fear of them holding up this bright pink, vibrating object ala the movie, Parenthood, and asking if it was a flashlight.  Go ahead, click the link…you know you want to!!

8. philosophy SkinCare Line– As I mentioned in the previous post, I was given the opportunity to try out this line, or at least some samples from it.  For the rest of my vacation, I used the purity made simple one-step facial cleanser and the keep the peace protective color corrector spf 20.  What intrigued me by this line was the close comparison to the skin line I already use, and the price point was a little more appealing.  You can purchase the full size anti-age skincare collection for $110, which includes all the products you need to get started.  I am a Cetaphil girl myself for cleanser, but I have to admit, I really liked this face wash.  My skin felt a little congested after the moisturizer, but that could have just been the fact that I switched to something new.  I will be giving that anti-age line a try though to see how it compares with my current products.

9. Boiron Products– I was introduced to this homeopathic, all-natural brand back in college, and it has been apart of my medicine cabinet ever since.  I even use the children’s line, that’s how much I believe in it.  At the booth, they handed me their Cold Season starter pack, which has everything I have already used, along with a bag full of their teething product, Camilia.  It started out as a box or two, then they found out I had teething twins, and handed me a whole bag.  I have to admit, it was a sweet deal.  I’ve been using it on the twins for the last few weeks.  Admittedly, I still succumb to Children’s Advil at night time because, let’s face it, we all need our sleep around here.  But, during the day, I prefer to give them the Camilia because otherwise, I fear they would be constantly dosed up with Advil, and it’s nice to have options where I’m not concerned about their little bodies handling that much medication.  It seems to calm them during the day, enough to get by.  It is also benzocaine free, the stuff that numbs their gums.  This is also the same stuff that can make it tough for them to swallow or breathe if given too much due to the numbing effect.  At the Expo, another leading brand offered me a tube of their new natural product for teething.  I tried that as well, and my Baby A was gagging and struggling a little with swallowing, so that was enough for me to toss it.  The reps at the Boiron booth were also happy to be there.  You could sense they were proud of their products and the company, so they were engaging with us Bloggers.  I love supporting a company that supports their people and genuinely believes their product is for the greater good.

10. The Mother Company– “Can I offer you a Starbucks iced latte?” That was how I was lured into The Mother Company booth.  A cute, spunky woman who sought me out in a crowd of about 25 bloggers, gathering around her booth.  She asked me if I had kids, which to my reply, her eyes got wide and she gasped a little.  I love the reactions people give me when I tell them how many, as if I am the only person in the world with 4 kids.  Anyway, we started talking about the Mother Company, and what is was all about.  But she had me sold when she handed me a DVD with a sassy looking 1950’s mama on the front (reminded me a bit of Joan from Mad Men in an apron) about feelings…a subject I’ve found challenging to address with my own kids lately.  I didn’t have time to check out their website right away, but I got a really good feeling from the women there.  Especially since they also had their investors with them, women who had grown children, investing in us women, with the new generation to raise.  Talk about support!  I popped the DVD into the car when I had the kids and they loved it.  My daughter was singing the “Happy Song” for days.  I finally had a chance to visit their site, and loved how they address everything from Kindergarten readiness, to divorce, to Helicopter parenting, to imaginary friends.  It’s all there.  A wholesome resource for mamas to explore.

That was fun to re-live!  BlogHer 2011 went so quickly, there was so much to learn, and I was exhausted come Saturday night.  It was a great experience and hopefully, you gained a little more insight into products and places as well.

Thanks for reading!

*Products discussed in this post were given to me for free, however my words and thoughts are 100% my own.