Biotherm Homme Abdosculpt Review

I bought this product a couple of times. I would buy it again. It is one of my favourite Biotherm Men's products. Although it will not give you abs (like the hot Biotherm model for this product) this product does firm and tighten the skin around the abdomen area. I did notice a difference when using this product. I believe it retails for around $55 CDN. I much rather use a product like this than go to the gym or change my bad eating habits! :)

Rating: ***1/2 out of *****

Everything you need to know about PEDICURES. Part 1

Implements (Tools) needed for a Pedicure

1.           

               Nail File

2.        Toenail Clippers

3.       Foot File

4.       Foot Bath and Pedicure Chairs (Separate or Together)

5.       Toe Separators (optional)- they are awkward. Kleenex can be used instead.

6.       Cuticle Pusher

7.       Cuticle Nippers

8.       Nail Polish (Base, Top, and Colour)

9.       Nail Polish Remover

10   Cotton

11   Cuticle Softener (can be used on calluses)

12   Foot Sanitizer

13   Foot Soak

14   Pedicure Slippers

15   Foot Lotion

16   Towels

17  Credo Blade (optional), Ingrown Nails Remover (optional)

SPA Pedicure Products

1.       Foot Scrub

2.       Foot Mask (Usually Menthol/Peppermint) or Paraffin Mask

3.       Aromatherapy Oils, Specialty Creams

Pedicure  Pre-service

1.      

            Make sure that all of your implements are properly sanitized.

2.       Make sure that you have everything you need to perform the service

3.       Set up all of your implements and towels

4.       Fill the pedicure tub with warm water, add the foot soak solution.

5.       Greet your client, fill out client file, Perhaps your salon has containers with individual implements for sanitary purposes. Pull this out.

6.       Choose a nail polish colour.

Common Foot Conditions to Look for:

1.      

            Nail Fungus

2.       Athletes Foot

3.       Ingrown toe nails

4.       Calluses

5.        Bunions

6.       Corns

7.       Warts

Naturmed Review

A well known Italian skin care line by estheticians. While I was receiving my training as an esthetician at Laurenzo's School of Esthetics. I taught my class of estheticians at the Canadian Aesthetic Academy using the Naturmed line. It is also the line I chose to use when I operated my own spa. I continue to use this line for my home services. Naturmed offers a wide range of aromatherapy, natural, and scientific ingredients. Results can be seen immediately after a Naturmed spa treatment. The Glycolic peel and fruit acid mask are amongst my favourites in the line. It is an affordable line to use by estheticians and affordable for client to purchase and use at home.

Rating: ****1/2 out of *****

Clarins Bright + Exfoliator Review

I am not a big fan of the Clarins brand but this scrub is my FAVOURITE! It is one of the best on the market. It smells wonderfully pleasant and has strawberry and raspberry ingredients in it. The exfoliating beads are gentle yet effective. I like to start off using this scrub on my cleansed face dry, work it in, and then and water as I work it in further. After that I rinse it off and my face is bright and squeaky clean! The price isn't bad. I believe it retails for $34CDN for 50ml. They recently repackaged and reformulated the scrub. The new version is just as good as the old version.

Rating: ***** out of *****

Clinique Dramatically Different Mositurizer Review

This moisturizer is an excellent price in comparison to moisturizers of other Prestige brands. It is unfortunate that is offers little to no anti-aging benefits. It is a basic moisturizer that only offers moisture to the skin. It balances the oil and water content in the skin. If you are using this product you would still need to use a better moisturizer on top of it as well as an SPF factor. It is a pointless product in my opinion and not worth the $29CDN for 125ml. I believe that the only reason it is so popular is its price point and it is a qualifier for Clinique's Gift with Purchase amount of $26.50. If you MUST buy a DDML product I would suggest the Gel formula as a better option. It is lighter in weight and not as greasy/heavy as the lotion.

Rating for lotion: * out of *****
Rating for gel: ** 1/5 out of *****

Lancome Genifique Review

One of Lancome's newer products. A youth activating concentrate that is intended to be used under your serum day and night. Due to its success Lancome has added several other products to the Genifique family. When this product first came out I was absolutely in love with it. It is very light weight and one only needs a drop or two for use on the face. I came to realize that 1. This may just be an extra skin care routine step that is not required and 2. The results were not extreme. It offered some extra hydration to my skin but besides that if didn't offer me any other results. This product is over priced. Retailing at approximately $95 CDN for 30ml and $125CDN for 50ml. If you are well off and are looking for an extra step, though unnecessary, to your skin care routine, then this product is for you.

Rating: *** out of *****

Estee Lauder Idealist Review

This is one of Lauder's best products. It gentle exfoliates your skin leaving it feeling silky smooth. An excellent product to perfect your make up application. It is a serum and is intended to go under your daytime moisturizer. I personally preferred the older formation better than the new one. However, the new formulation offers pore minimizing through its water chesnut ingredient. Glucosomine is one of Lauder's ingredients of choice for a gentle exfoliation. This product leaves your complexion radiant, even and luminous. $63 CDN for 30ml and $93 CDN for 50ml makes this product expensive, but worth the money. Sometimes Lauder produces 100ml value sizes which is well worth it. A less expensive and very similar product is Clinique's Turnaround Concentrate which retails at $47 for 30ml. Clinique is owned by Lauder and Turnaround offers comparable results.

 Rating: ***** out of *****

Q and A. Is there a difference between Male skin and Female skin?

Yes! Male skin is thicker than female skin. It is often irritated more often than female skin due to the process of shaving. Male skin is often more oilier than woman's skin and contains larger pores and hair follicles. It is more prone to acne, and folliculitus. It is sad that men don't often take proper care of there skin. More and more are beginning to show an interest but are no where close to consuming skin care products in equivalent to their female counterparts. Men tend to prefer purchasing skin care products in a pharmacy type setting as opposed to a cosmetic counter (due to shyness or fear of embarrassment). No hard will come from a male using a female skin care product or vice versa. Male skin care products are often much less expensive than female products. Male skin care lines often include a more masculine scent or no scent at all. They are also made with fewer steps to follow and less products required. Shaving products are amongst the best sellers of male skin care lines. Once a man enjoys a product they become a very loyal customer. Sampling through one's partner is a great method to get a man onto a skin care line.

Q and A. Why do I need a serum AND moisturizer? What is the difference?

Serums contain concentrated ingredients that have the ability to correct and protect the skin. These products have the ability to penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin (the dermis and hypodermis) to target skin care concerns. Common concerns which serums are made to target include: Wrinkles, loss of firmness in the skin, hyperpigmentation (sun damage), lack of radiance/ luminosity, redness and sensitivities, acne and blemishes.

Moisturizers are to be used AFTER your daily serum. The hydrate the epidermis (top layer of the skin) and enhance the abilities of your serum.You should use a separate moisturizer for day, night, and eye. Day time moisturizers contain ingredients to prevent your skin to free radicals and environmental exposure. They are often lighter in texture than night moisturizers. Night moisturizers contain ingredients to assist the skin in its reparation process while you sleep. These thicker moisturizers insure that moisture does not escape the skin during the night. The skin around the eye area is different from that of the rest of the face and as such it requires a specific eye care moisturizer. The skin around the eye area is prone to the accumulation of milia (tiny white pumps) due to heavy product usage. These bumps can only be safely removed through the process of lancing which must be performed by a licensed esthetician or physician. The skin around the eye are is 10x thinner than the rest of the facial skin. It is the first area to display signs of aging. Eye areas also have specific concerns. These include puffiness, dark circles, loss of firmness, and wrinkles.

Are you taking proper care of your skin?

It is important that one follows a proper skincare regime in order to maintain optimum skin radiance and health. You skin care routine should include the following steps:


1.Cleanser
2. Toner/ Astringent/ Softener/ Lotion
3. Exfoliator (For use once or twice a week). Your exfoliator can be chemical based or manual.
4. Mask or intensive ampule treatment (For weekly use to target specific concerns)
5. Daily Concentrated Serum
6. Facial moisturizer
7. Eye are moisturizer
8. Sun protection *** I suggest an SPF of 30 be used daily. Some moisturizers and foundations contain SPF within them but they are usually in lower amounts.

Are you taking proper care of your skin?


 

Shiseido Advanced Essential Energy Hand Nourishing Cream Review

One of the best hand creams on the market. Ingredients include cherry blossoms, green tea and rice extract. This light weight cream softens the hands with a delicate smell. It does not leave the hands feelings greasy or heavy. This item retails at $27 CDN but it is well worth the results.

Rating: ***** out of *****

Elizabeth Arden Peel and Reveal Review

This product is excellent! It is one of my favourite Elizabeth Arden products. The company recently reformulated and repackaged Peel and Reveal as part of the Intervene collection. The smell, texture, and results  of the new product are similar to the old. The product is reasonably priced at around $45 CDN. Using the product only once or twice awake makes it last quite a long time! Great for all skin types. An excellent method of gentle exfoliation for the skin!

Rating: **** 1/2 out of *****

Estee Lauder Nail polish Review

I have used many different nail polishes working in the esthetic and cosmetic industry and I must say that Estee Lauder's polishes are amongst the worst. Not only are they poor in performance and quality but they are outrageously priced at $25 CDN a bottle. The polish applies streaky and does not cover the nail bed adequately. It does not dry well and at least 3 coats are needed for a good colour application. OPI, China Glaze, Creative, Zoya and Essie polishes are the way to go when it comes to a good polish. These brands also retail at half the price of Lauder.

Rating: * out of *****