Pimples? Zits? I've got that good stuff...

image source: GlamGlow.com

The body has the amazing ability to tell you when something just isn't right. Your face is no exception. Most of the time, when you are stressed, or there is a hormonal imbalance, your skin is the first to show off all of those lovely imperfections and my skin is definitely no exception to this.

For me, it has been a stressful couple of weeks lately with everything on my plate both at work and at home, and my skin has been paying the price for it. Pimples, zits, whatever you want to call them, they all decided to gather and throw a party; location: my forehead. Yay me! While they were partying it up on my forehead, I was agonizing on how I was going to get rid of these new and very much unwanted friends. 

I immediately found myself driving to my local Sephora to find a miracle treatment and was introduced to this amazing mud mask by Glam Glow. What was once Hollywood's Best Kept Secret is now available to all of us. This product was developed for celebrities who wanted a miracle in a bottle that could fix their skin instantly and have them camera ready in an instant. You know when I heard this, I had to try it out! I wanted fast results too! You know, to get myself selfie ready ;)

Alright, let me just tell you how amazing this stuff is!!! As soon as I got home, I cleansed my skin, put on the mask and timed it for 15mins. In the first 30 seconds after putting it on, I could feel this stuff working! (If you are trying this out for the first time, don't get nervous, it will tingle for a little bit but will subside after a few minutes.) The crazy part of this was seeing the dirt from my skin being pulled out to the surface. Gross right?  Gross but cool in knowing that all of that gunk was being cleared from my skin. The proprietary blend of clay, charcoal, AHA and BHA acids worked together like a magnet to absorb all of those toxins, bacteria, and excess oil from my skin. The combination of these ingredients also helped to declog and minimize my pores. It's in a cinch, amazing!

So if you like me, have some uninvited friends that are visiting on your forehead or wherever else on your face, try the Glam Glow Super Mud Mask and kick them out! Don't just take my word for it, go on and try it out for yourself. 

P.S. I do advise that if you do use this mask to have a hydrating moisturizer on hand. Your skin will feel tight and dry after rinsing off the mask, so make sure that you've got a heavy duty moisturizer on deck to slather on after your treatment mask.

Review: Ole Henriksen Melting Cleanser

Last month, while traveling to Rome, I brought with me the new Ole Henriksen Pure Truth Melting Cleanser.  With limited space in my suitcase, I was stuck between choosing whether I can fit an extra pair of shoes OR taking my full size makeup remover + full size cleanser. Obviously, the shoes won out...I'm a girl after all and an extra pair of shoes trumps everything (who cares that I didn’t end up wearing those extra pair of shoes? lol #storyofmylife) Anyway, I had heard so much about this new, melting cleanser and wanted to know what all of the hype was. I am typically not a fan of oil based cleansers, because of the messy consistency and because it requires more steps than I normally care for in my skincare regimen, but, I took a leap of faith and tried it out. 

To start, this cleanser is not like any other -- it is gel formulated and is oil based. Applied directly to dry skin, the gel breaks down into an oil like consistency and emulsifies into a milky liquid once water is added. Melting away all makeup and impurities the cleanser leaves the skin hydrated and brightened with key ingredients: rose hip oil (hydrates) , virgin cherry oil (cuts down redness) , and vitamin c (brightens). 

Overall, I was happy that I took this cleanser on my trip and would recommend this product for anyone who wants to kill two birds with one stone.  Remove your makeup and cleanse your skin at the same time, it’s pretty genius! 

Pros: 

• Gel based consistency keeps the cleanser in tact unlike most oil cleansers - duh it’s a gel ;)
• Removes any type of makeup including waterproof makeup
• Leaves the skin feeling hydrated+ radiant.

Cons:

• Not for anyone who likes the squeaky clean, “dry” feeling after cleansing. This cleanser hydrates and will not give you that feel. 
• If you’re not into using a wash cloth - this cleanser is not for you. Although the cleanser melts off all of the makeup and impurities, you MUST use a wash cloth to wipe off all of that melted matter from your face. 

If this is your first time trying out an oil cleanser, buy the travel size. It’s $12 and you get so much product for what you are spending. Try it out and let me know your thoughts! Happy Cleansing :)

Beauty: An Intro to Peels

With the stress of work and lack of hydration from traveling, my skin definitely was showing signs of congestion, dullness, and dehydration. I was lucky enough that while visiting my best friend Sergio in LA, he gave me the best facial using a Glycolic Peel on my skin. Admittedly, I used to be scared that a peel meant that it was going to burn and peel my skin off. This is a myth and needs to be debunked. Think of peels as another form of an exfoliator that is chemical based and is not physical much like St. Ive's Apricot Scrub (you know you have all used this at some point...don't be ashamed). 

So what exactly does a peel do? It safely exfoliates your skin, removing any dull and dead skin, helping cells to turnover so that new and younger cells can be revealed -- and isn't that what all women crave? Younger looking skin? At least I do! Peels are also great because they help to treat breakouts and it smooth out the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

If you are new to the peel game and have not used peels before, I recommend easing your skin into it by using peels that are safe enough to use on a daily basis and for you new booties...here is what I recommend:

Dr. Gross Alpha Beta Peel Original Formula :
Price:  $16-$88
This is one of my longstanding favorite peels that I like to keep in my wardrobe of skincare products. It's a little pricey, but well worth it and if you are trying it out for the first time, they have a trial size of 5 treatments for $16 so give it a try!

Step One Pad Ingredients:

• Glycolic Acid: Helps to reduce signs of aging and acts as an exfoliant -- safely removing from the outer layers of dead skin. 
• Willow Bark Extract: Helps to clear pores and acts as an astringent and helps to soothe the skin - also great for acne prone skin. 

Step Two Pad Ingredients:

• Retinol: Helps to reverse signs of aging and also helps to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles.

For those of you that are peel professionals and love that burning sensation of a good AHA or BHA because for some reason you feel like it's working, here are my favorite:

Ole Henriksen Power Peel: 
Price: $16-45

I like this peel from Ole Henriksen because all of the ingredients are natural. 

This is a three step system that consists of the following:

Step One - Almond Polish:

• Retextures the skin and preps the skin for the lemon Strip Peel. 
• Active Ingredients: Almond Extract, Oat Kernel Flour, Bamboo Stem Powder, Honey, and Orange Peel.

Step Two - Lemon Strip:

• Further helps to exfoliate the skin and also helps to refine any fine lines or signs of aging. 
• Active Ingredeints: Lactic, Glycolic and Fruit Acids, and Licorice and Algae Extract.

Step Three - Chamomile Comfort:

• Helps to soothe and Calm the skin. 
• Active IngredientsChamomile, Evening Primrose Oil, and Jojoba Seed Oil.

Last but not least, with any peel, make sure that right after you use a good night time moisturizer and that the next day you wear a sunscreen even if you plan to stay indoors. Your skin will be a little more sensitive than usual to sunlight so ensure that you have a good SPF to wear during the day.