Many women I know use the same brand and never deviate from what works for them.
My favourite aesthetician left the Spa that I have been going to for years and I followed her to her new location downtown at Sapphire Day Spa.
I treated myself to a facial before Christmas and spent a heavenly 90 minutes in her talented hands.
Like a butterfly flitting about searching for the new and improved... I purchased a "starter set" of the products that she recommended for my skin type from the Eminence line from Hungary.
Monoi Age Corrective Exfoliating Cleanser
Bamboo Firming Fluid
Neroli Age Corrective Eye Serum
Coconut Age Corrective Moisturizer
Bamboo Age Corrective Masque
Once a week I use these products:
Step 1 ~ Arctic Berry Exfoliant
Step 2 ~ Arctic Berry Advanced Peel
Step 3 ~ Arctic Berry Peptide Radiance Cream
My skin feels so soft after the once a week treatment and it is gentle on my skin.
Good skin care is so important.
The face reflects good skincare habits, nutritious food and healthy lifestyle choices.
After I cleanse and moisturize I wait a few minutes for the products to sink in.
I use the following products with a very "light hand."
a dusting of La Bella Donna mineral powder ~ Crema
Bobbi Brown Illuminating Bronzing Powder ~ Antigua
Pur eye shadow ~ Lavender Mourite
Maybelline Brow Drama ~ Deep Brown
Jane Iredale Mascara ~ Black Ice
Chanel Rouge Coco ~ Orchidee
For evening I will add a very thin eye liner in dark brown and use a darker lipstick.
(the shade that I purchased in Paris)
Maybelline ~ Pleasure Me Red
How are you feeling after the Festive Season?
Did you eat a wee bit too many sugary sweets or rich foods?
I know I did!
My jeans are a bit too snug.
I am not going to beat myself up for being human.
I just need to get back on track...
count my Weight Watcher Points and increase the pace and length of my walks.
In a few weeks the scale will reflect my dedication and my clothes will feel much more comfortable.
Here is how I will be eating.
If you care to join me we can support each other.
Breakfast ~ yogurt and fruit or Rogers Ancient Grains Oats with fruit.
Lunch is simple...salad with protein.
Often an egg or a bit of feta cheese crumbled over greens.
The protein helps keep hunger pangs away.
Snacks consist of fresh fruit or sliced
carrots and celery with 2 tablespoons of hummus.
Coffee with foamed skim milk is a treat.
I drink lots of water throughout the day...it is great for the skin and helps keep me feeling full.
Tea is my afternoon ritual.
A luxury that I indulge in when I sit for a bit and read in a cozy chair.
Dinnertime I make a protein and salad or fresh veggies.
Often skipping a starch like potatoes or rice and I try to avoid pasta.
Potatoes and pasta are my weakness!
So out of sight out of mind works best
in this initial stage of getting back on track.
Keep moving...
walk, swim, dance, clean the house.
To keep you motivated and not deprived...
Reward yourself with non food items.
New lingerie perhaps?
A new book...
a scented candle
or rearrange your home decor
do whatever inspires you.
I like to walk and look for the beauty along the way.
Thank you for stopping by today.
Hostess
31 comments:
This post is PERFECT.
My favorite skincare lines are Amore Pacific and Estee Lauder. I'm trying not to buy much this year, but I'm in the market for a new cleansing oil, as I'm running low.
And amen, amen to Weight Watchers! Don't you love that fruit and veggies now have no points? I restarted in November and did great through Thanksgiving, then derailed a bit over Christmas and New Year's. The dark side of the new points system is the naughty stuff has become even naughtier. Champagne and cocktails ... oof!
My new beverage of choice is kombucha--it is low in points and calories, booze-and-caffeine free, not as sweet as a soft drink, and high in pro-biotics, antioxidants and whatnot. I drink it with lunch and dinner and afterwards when watching television or reading.
Anyway, great post, and Happy New Year to you!
Counting my points right along with you! I wish we could get that fabulous yogurt here. This weekend my "reward" for refocusing is to clean out my closet. It's always such a treat to look in an see it neat and tidy, and with room between the hangers!
This may sound weird but I've actually decided not to try and take the extra weight off. It's a few pounds more than I've weighed before in my life but it seems my body needs it, and so I've conceded.
You will love your Eminence proudcts; the mineral powder which comes in a pump brush is my 365 day item I just love; it is amazing; gives you a little glow in the winter and protects you from suns rays all year long; I have been using it for about 5 years now and will keep on using it...it has an SPF of 30 and comes in different colors suited to your skin tone...check with your esthetician...my product I am using now is YOnka..and love it; I also, change often and get good results when I do....the skin needs a change too...I am a member of TOPS and love the eating pattern I follow....it is so easy to follow and so healthy for us; exercising too with long walks is a good thing.....enjoy your products...
I purchased and am trying one of the "new" face oils. You put it on real lightly so it is not supposed to clog pores. I also have fallen in love with the new micellar cleansing waters....oh wow they work well and FAST! Even takes off eye makeup and very inexpensive
Sounds like you have achieved balance in beauty routines - products and spa. I tend to switch beauty routines based on the season. Currently with winter cold and dampness, I like Egyptian Magic. I find it absorbs nicely and is protective in the winter weather. I'm looking for a good spa match and will continue to try various spas until I find the right match. Like you, I feel some tightness in my clothes. It's the holiday season and to be expected. A sign we enjoyed everything about the holidays! In a couple weeks all will readjust. Tea in the afternoon sounds delightful. Enjoy - Susan
I have very reactive skin; but I'm always game to try products that I hear good things about. I have wasted a small fortune in expensive skin care products that inflamed my skin. I currently (for the past four years) use a Thalgo Terre & Mer creme that I mix with one of their fluids. I also use several Biotherm Blue Therapy products, and Cle de Peau eye creme.
My old standby when my face freaks out is Vaseline® the miracle jelly!
I use SKII Facial Treatment Essense; but only to wet my sponge when applying my foundation or BB creme.
I too am trying to eat healthier and drop the 10 pounds that I packed on through too much indulgence and fun! It takes me a couple of weeks to get beyond the obsessing about food stage before I really settle into getting it right:)
Another one who needs to return to the healthy eating regime. If only I can ignore the chocolate!! I use Avène facial products as I have very temperamental skin and find it very soothing and not expensive. I'm back to my pilates and yoga classes but need to walk more. Once the never ending rain has stopped I will make an effort to do so.
I know, I know. I've got a bit too tight jeans month also. Yes, time to get going and knock those few pounds off. And I also just wrote about my beauty basics, but travelling beauty basics. Love Chanel lippy and Mac blush, but have switched to Blinc mascara. The mascaras have begun to bother my eyes and this one, which builds little tubes around my lashes, doesn't cause me any irritation. Nice foamy bowl of coffee! I don't drink coffee so my French bowls tend to just sit in the cupboard. Maybe hot chocolate. :D
Hi Leslie, my jeans have become rather snug as well ... :) I follow a very similar way of eating to you and to be honest I love oats, yoghurt, fruit salads etc. it's just avoiding the remains of the Christmas cake and other treats I find hard ... and bread! Definitely my weakness. It has to be good bread though. So in some ways it's easy in the Uk unless we're eating out. When we travel it's much harder. There's a bakery in a small village in Switzerland and their bread is amazing! My mouths watering as I type!! I remember you commenting on how good the bread was in France compared to Canada.
I tend to alternate between Origins, LOccitane and Bobbi Brown skincare. Bobbi Brown make up and a couple of favourite Dior and Chanel lipsticks.
I'm trying to get back to my daily walk which is proving more difficult time wise at the moment.
I always enjoy your posts about your meals, walks, what skin care you're using etc.
Good Luck with your weight loss. I'd be happy to offer support and very grateful to receive some .. and encouragement!
Take care, have a good weekend.
Rosie
I'm terrible when it comes to skin care, oil of olaz or anything from the supermarket, I really should try harder, and do you know, I've never had a facial, maybe your post is just the inspiration I need!
As for snug jeans, mine are absolutely excruciating, that's what comes of making a Christmas cake, that I know very well,my family hate, and then eating it all myself!
I wish I could make an omelette that looks as perfect as yours, to help with my diet!
Susan.x
It seems January is a good time to reset our health and beauty routines. Great advice, Leslie. I've been using Vichy products for awhile and really love the way they treat my skin. Cutting back on potatoes and pasta and bread is my way of taking off a few of those pesky pounds, too. Tis the season!
I noticed a few of my friends had much better looking skin. When I asked what they were doing differently, they all replied that they had starting get facials. That convinced me! My facialist also uses Eminence products and they are life-changing.
Back to Weight Watchers yesterday-up 1.8 but it could have been so much worse :).
Made a pot of veggie soup this morning, steel oats in the crockpot, roasted a big pan of veggies and poached some chicken breasts. Making a turkey breast tomorrow, will make a pot of a grain Monday and that will get us through the week-snow storm or not.
I so enjoy your blog and the focus on enjoying the simple/good things at this stage of our lives.
Thank you.
Thanks for your post -- your observations, lovely photos and the thoughtful comments are all spot on, and I can only hope they will motivate me! Over the years that "extra 10" has become and extra 20 and it seems daunting to tackle. I do pretty well with healthy mealtimes but find myself getting hungry in between.
I've found that the best skin routine for me is using prescription retinoid products at night, with an additional slather of basic moisturizer (Cetaphil, Cerave or Vitamin e oil) and gentle cleansers and Cerave or Amlactin lotion for day.Where I struggle is to find natural looking makeup that makes me look like a more intense me, if that makes sense, and to find a flattering shade of lipstick that won't bleed or make my thin lips look more stern. I also love Blinc mascara, and it's drugstore brand little sister, Boots Always Perfect.
Nice to read your blog posts again...I have missed them.
I love the zero point fruit and veggies...they have made all the difference in my weight loss journey and continued good luck to you...sounds like you are pleased with the results so far.
Maybe there is an American company that makes a similar yogurt?
Trader Joe's or Whole Foods might have some.
I have yet to clean out my closet and it is on my do list.
You look great and are much leaner than I am...
I am height challenged and have a hypothyroid condition which makes it more noticeable when I gain a few pounds...plus my doctor has scared me about my blood pressure going back up if I gain too much weight. It is not for vanity I assure you...
I am enjoying the products and have purchased some full sized items...I have used their sunscreen before and liked it.
Walks are my favourite way to help keep extra pounds from accumulating...the beautiful scenery and chatting with a friend make them much easier...keep up the good work!
I too use a micellar water to remove my mascara ad eye make up...it works so well and does not require much more than a quick swipe of a cotton pad.
January is a great time to recommit to health and wellness...starting the New Year with a positive vibe seems like the right thing to focus on...good luck!
I know you are loyal to your favourites as I remember your comments on previous posts...your skin is gorgeous so keep doing what you are doing!
Planning is a big part of the regime...getting the fridge cleaned out and the cookies and chocolates out of the house!!
The rain really puts a damper on things doesn't it?
I walk with an umbrella but when the gale force winds blow I usually skip my walk...I am considering buying a used treadmill.
You are the second commenter to mention Blinc mascara...I use Jane Iredale.
I have never had a problem with her products as they are gentle and free of some of the nasty chemical additives that some companies put in their make up. Clean make up should be our first consideration...
The bread in France is better because they use heritage wheat and there are no additives...it is simply delicious. We have a great little French bakery here in town that use heritage wheat and their baguettes are almost as good as those I nibbled in Paris!
OK you are "ON" we are going to support each other.
Let's check in with each other at the end of the week and see how we have done.
XO
Facials are lovely but expensive.
They are a splurge for me now that I am not working.
If you have a good spa in town you might give it a try as they really make a difference and I find that my skin glows and is refreshed and clear.
The steaming adds moisture, softens and clear out the pores.
BTW they are very relaxing...
David Lebovitz's recipe in My Paris Kitchen is my go to...I bought a non stick crepe pan and a flexible silicone spatula to help me roll and flip my omelet...otherwise they would look like the dog's breakfast!!
You can do it Susan!
Your skin is radiant Lorrie...whatever you are doing is perfect.
Why is it that potatoes and pasta...which are my favourites are the culprits that hinder weight loss? It is not fair!
Hi Jan C...
thank you for your comment.
Hooray for products that work...
and good wholesome foods that fuel us and satisfy.
Hi Adele,
You may not be familiar with Weight Watchers...you can eat well and be satisfied. Fruits and Vegetables in their natural state can be consumed for ZERO points! When I feel hungry I can eat a banana, an apple, oranges or veggies...I usually add a wee bit of protein to help keep hunger at bay...a tablespoon of hummus, a small chunk of cheese or peanut or almond butter or a hard boiled egg.
I am not proud of the fact that I was so heavy....
My doctor read me the "riot act."
He told me that I should lose 10% of my body weight to reduce my risk of a heart attack. I had hypertension...aka high blood pressure and was on medication to control it.
I had topped out at over 160 pounds and I am 5'1...I was FAT.
Morbidly Obese is the category that I fell into...not proud of it, but it is a fact.
I lost over 30 pounds with the help of Weight Watchers to get off of my high blood pressure medication...I never want to be that chubby again or rely on medication...other than my hypothyroid meds which I cannot get off of because my thyroid id not working much at all...unfortunately it runs in my family and I cannot fight genetics.
Good luck to you if you want to lose weight...email me and I will support you in this journey.
Make up is tricky...it depends on your skin type and I am no expert.
I aspire to the less is more approach...but I am 60 and live a very simple life...no red carpet events! (the Golden Globes are on right now as I type!)
But thankfully there are many talented artists out there that can help...Lisa Eldridge is brilliant! You can watch her You Tube videos...she is amazing!
Please keep in touch!
I love Lisa Eldridge, too! Thanks for your kind words, and support. I also have a hypoactive thyroid, but it's well controlled with daily medication so I really can't fall back on that as an excuse. I've tried upping my workout regime, but I've always done a lot of yoga, pilates, walking, taking the stairs, etc. so I guess I'll have to add in some dreaded cardio workouts. (By the way, I noticed I had an incorrect use of apostrophe in my original post and am mortified, just so you know....) Onward!
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