Beauty Grail - All

Can Exercising Help with Acne Breakouts?

2008-11-08T06:14:00Z

According to FutureDerm, yes it does. She highlights that there is a correlation between acne flair ups and stress. I for one have observed that I often get spots or that my existing acne gets worse in times that I’m really stressed!

In the article, it explains that stress hormones (and insulin) increases the production of sebum which in turn may lead to breakouts!!

One way of decreasing the stress/ stress hormones is via exercise!

Other ways that exercise can help with acne are: it increases sweating which help de-clog pores; increases the blood flow and oxygen to your skin which delivers vital nutrients and takes away toxins.

Note: If outdoors, don’t forget to ‘slip (on some clothes..you know what I mean:-), slop (on some sunscreen) and slap (on a hat)’ ; Oh, and make sure you use a clean towel, and not a recycled one from yesterday’s workout, to wipe off sweat!!

Happy exercising!

Limited $99 Anti-Ageing Beauty Treatment (normally $280)!

2008-10-15T04:11:00Z

One way that I often procrastinate is by going through junk mail. They mainly are just that - “rubbish”, but from time to time, you get one that piques your interest. Such an ad that I received yesterday was a flier from Elegance Beauty Canberra advertising their limited offer of - ” $290 of Anti-Ageing Beauty Treatments for only $99”!! The only catch? It’s only for the first 23 takers!!!

I was very tempted to take them up on their generous offer :

“This exclusive facial includes microdermabrasion crystals to remove dead skin cells, boost collagen and cell renewal; a dermal peel to re-texture skin and smooth away fine lines, and a repairing and restoring mask to further boost collagen renewal and repair…”

(source: Anti-Aging Psychology)

Perhaps I may not be able to take advantage of what I believe to be good offer (I’m saving up in preparation of studying Dermal Therapies at Melbourne Uni, you see), but you may?

Else, have you had this service done? I’m very eager to hear your experience.

My Delux Facial Experience at Modern Skin Care Centre

2008-10-14T10:51:00Z

I often love being pampered and getting special treatments such as facials so when at the Dermal Therapies information session (You may have heard that I’m in the process of applying for my new found passion of Dermal Therapies) we were adviced to go get salon treatments, It was a case of, “say no more”.

Modern Skin Care Centre, Woden ACT

One of the salons that I had recently visited the past two days was the Modern Skin Care Centre, a small boutique beauty salon tucked behind Woden’s Westfield Plaza.

It’s a small salon with minimal trimmings, a contrast to Endota Day Spa at Hobart Place Civic, one of the bigger spas I also recently visited. However, one of the big advantages of it’s size is it’s competitive prices on treatments. Take for example their 1.5 hour Delux facial which cost $68AU (I was told that this will go up next month). That is relatively cheap!

Free Skin Analysis

Prior to getting their Delux Facial, I had wandered yesterday to the spa for a free skin analysis. One of the things that I believe made up for the simplicity of the place was how warm and friendly the staff were. They had no air about them at all (one of my pet peeves about expensive salons is haughty attitude).

I was ushered to a curtained room and asked to lay on the examining table. The Therapist then took a close look at my face, eyeing my particular trouble spots: T-zone and sides of my nose (eeek! Luckilly, I had scrubbed off my black/white heads last night). She examined my hairline, turned my face from side-to-side and then proceeded to feel with her hands the texture and suppleness of my facial skin. Afterwards, she delivered what I had knew too well - I had bands of oiliness along my forehead, nose, cheeks and chin. Whilst the areas in between were dehydrated.

Sigh..with that, I let out a torrent of questions which she patiently answered. She told me about treatments and products they offered that I might find beneficial as well as some skin care tips. For example, she suggested that to cleanse my face in the mornings, I might want to try just toner instead of washing with water (I tried this today and did not have any problems with feeling dirty or dry).

After the consultation, I was lead back to the reception area where she generously offered samples to try. These were Dr. Ecksteins Nano Eye Gel, Collagen facial Pack, Facial Toner and the one I’m most interested in, Azulen Paste to try. I was very satisfied with the attention that I was given that I booked for a Delux Facial ( which I went for today).

The Delux Facial

I arrived back at the salon at the specified time. This time, a younger therapist looked after me. After a few minutes of waiting, I was lead to one of the curtained rooms. She gave me the usual initial instructions which I promptly carried out. When she left the room for me to undress, I took a closer look at my surroundings. I did not mind the compactness of the space, but the clothes hanger on offer left a lot to be desired. It was rather sticky and seem to be smeared with spray tan?? Okay…I thought in my head, “I hope this is not a sign of the quality of treatment I’m about to get!?!?!”

The therapist soon return and helped me settle on the examination table. A good touch was an electric blanket to warm the covers (I really dislike cold beds so this was a much welcomed surprise). Laying on the table, she briefly told me what she was about to do. Hmm.. I thought clients were to be briefed on the entire process (i.e. what products will be used, what procedures will be carried out) and then given cues as the treatment went along? Plus there was no initial analysis of any sort to start of with before getting straight into business. Oh well. By this stage, I was too comfortable and was already happily day dreaming.

I’d tell you what products she used on my skin but as I mentioned, details provided were a little on the light side. At least the products used were gentle enough and smelt pleasant. Also, since I was not asked of my “handling” (gentle vs firm) preference, I was lulled by extremely gentle and very slooooooooow strokes. I know I could have piped up and said something, but then again, I was far too comfortable and almost certain to have fallen asleep (hope I didn’t snore!).

One thing that’s sure to wake up a client is the extraction stage! Ugh, this is never pleasant (for me anyway) so I think every therapist should warn their customer before actaully going ahead with the digging and scraping!! Let me just say that in my head I was chanting “No pain, no gain! No pain, no gain! No pain, no gain!” It felt like she was was using the common “two-thumbs-and-squeeze” method!! She squeezed my whole face - the spots on my nose, chin and cheeks. Even my forehead which I thought was pimple free, she managed to get her fingers into. Ouch!!

1.5 hours did come to pass and the therapist finished off by applying Azulen paste to my angry spots. I was actually a little relieved to be upstanding and dressed. I came prepared with a hair brush to try to make myself presentable again. Unfortunately, no mirrors were to be found. Doh! Mental note to self- bring a compact mirror too next time! I believe that salons should exercise little touches like complimentary combs and accessible mirror for the client. They do add to the over all customer satisfaction experience!

I thanked my therapist and left the salon (not before I took a close look for the first time at her face. She was in her teens or early twenties suffering from spots just like me. That kind of explained my facial experience. It was okay. Not rave worthy but I’m sure will improve in time). I decided to take a detour to a chemist just to check out their skin care range before heading home. I really should have made a bee-line for the toilets first as just as I suspected, my face still had bits of smeared creams to it (that would explain the funny look from the chemist).

Overall, My skin does feel clean. My pores have been unblocked and the roughness and flakes around my lips have been sloughed away. If you are looking for a straightforward general facial that’s reasonably priced, I still think stopping by and having a chat with the friendly staff at Modern Skin Care Centre, Woden ACT is worth the go(…incase you’re thinking it, I’m in now way, shape or form, affiliated with them.)

Megan Gale Tinted Day wear Sunscreen

2008-10-14T00:52:00Z

picture: Adore Beauty

There are two products I absolutely can’t do without. 1 is a lip balm. Yes, having full lips do have it’s cons in that it’s susceptible to wind/sun burn!! I may never have to get

Face Belt

2008-10-02T10:00:00Z

picture: CScout Japan

Do you have chubby cheeks you want slimmed? or a double chin you want to get rid of? Well, here is a possible solutions for you…I just don’t think it’s very effective at all!

One product hailing from Japan that’s designed to address the mentioned facial issues is the Kogao Meiku Beruto (small face make belt) or face belt.

It doesn’t take much brain power to work out how to use it. Just strap it on around your face and head and wear it at night or when ever you are out of sight (unless you are not easily embarrassed). The manufacture claim that in time you will have have a slimmer face… um,in your dreams!

This product reminds me of ab blaster contraptions I once bought years ago, back in high school (yeah, a very long time ago). Needless to say, I would have been better off, pocket and belly-wise, just sticking to crunches and push ups just as you’d be wiser adopting a healthy diet and regular exercise (…or lipo) for a slimmer face.

The real challenge with 21st Century Ageing.

2008-09-15T02:20:00Z

image credit: Inyourface

I had a chance to view a Bond Girl, Britt Ekland, from her 20’s through to 60’s.

I observed that although she looked beautiful through out, I found her looking rather unnatural from her 50’s (where plastic surgery looked to have played a role).

This made me think ”what’s the real problem with growing older??”. Perhaps the real issue with aging was not trying to hold on to beauty, as in Britt Ekland’s case where she stayed stunning at every age.

Rather, the real challenge especially in this day and age where cosmetic surgery is prevalent is to remain as natural-looking as possible.

Answering to my Second Calling

2008-09-14T05:30:00Z

It has been approximately two months since anyone has heard a peep from me here at Beauty Grail. I feel that I owe it to readers to explain my absence. The good news is, my passion for beauty has not waned. In fact, the exact opposite is true. I have found a renewed vigour in its pursuit and I am even more excited and determined to learn as much as I can and to share that knowledge with anyone and everyone.

You see, last July I had the joy of celebrating my “New 20’s” with friends and family in Sydney (yes, that’s me below letting my hair down at The Ivy).

Celebrating my b-day at The Ivy Sydney ‘08

I don’t know what it is about birthdays, but it’s one of the times during the year that I find my self reflecting. This birthday, I paused to think about the next phase of my life , “Where and who do I want to be?”. “What purpose do I want to dedicate myself to?”

Beauty has always been a big part of my life. I’ve been lucky enough to express it via my art and graphics. However, more recently, I’ve experienced a second calling to apply that passion to a different type of canvas; the human face.

“What exactly do you mean?” I imagine you asking. Well, take this blog of mine for example. I initially started it to cover cosmetics and write up tutorials on applying makeup. In the process however, my focus quickly changed when I realized that part of the success in achieving flawless looks is by having great skin to work with in the first place.

Thus my research took a turn more and more towards the latest products and practices towards beautiful skin and on how to achieve the best skin ever. More importantly, I was being compelled to make the career transition to skin care expert.

In the time that I was away, I was busy talking about this with family, friends and with industry practitioners. I was also researching courses to possibly undertake. I was tossing between dermatology and beauty therapy but was ecstatic to learn about Bachelor Health Science in Dermal Therapies which I believe to be the middle ground. I’ll explain further about Dermal Therapies in my next post.

For now, I’ve made the commitment towards this and am currently taking the steps to answer my second calling of becoming a Skin Expert…and you know what? Since coming to this decision, I have worn a smile as wide as that in my b-day picture .

May you also be living your life purpose!

Photoshop Beauty

2008-07-21T14:38:00Z

One of the reasons I’ve stopped obsessing over fashion and celebrity magazines is because of (most of) the “picture-perfect” faces that grace the pages. It is very easy to forget that the pictures often get tweaked (some overhauled) with PhotoShop as the pictures below from ellf.ru show.

picture: ellf.ru

So each time you flick through a magazine and find yourself getting depressed or jealous at all the perfect people in it, STOP…because most likely it’s been Photoshopped!

The Five Day Face Lift Diet

2008-07-20T09:50:00Z

image credit: shielaz413 It’s my birthday in 5 days and I’ve organized a “Sex and The City” style celebration with my girlfriends. Problem is I haven’t exactly been a very good girl, going without exercise and good food for the past 2 months! Not only did I feel it (the consequence of an unhealthy lifestyle), I certainly saw it as well, especially in my face!

The skin doesn’t lie and mine told the story of a chocolate and ice cream eating marathon! With my “Girls’ Night” fast approaching, I decided to buy some decent foundation to try to mask the junk food-induced fine lines. Even the makeup consultant couldn’t help but describe the skin around my eyes as ”crepey”.

Crepey?! This wasn’t exactly how I wanted to look on my b-day!! I needed to get serious and tackle the problem PROPERLY - via anti aging packed nutrition.

I declined the pricey foundation and instead went straight home to revisit my Leslie Kenton Skin Revolution book which I purchased about 5 years ago. In it was her Five Day Face Lift Diet (quite similar to the N.V. Perricone MD Three-Day Nutritional Face Lift™ eating plan).

The diet promised to:

Firm skin
Detoxify skin
Clear puffiness
Smooth fine lines
Counter cross linking which causes wrinkles to form
Prevent irregular pigmentations
Enhance skin’s immune functions

The Five Day Face Lift Diet menu from the book is as follows:

ON RISING

200 ml of spring or purified water with juice of 1/2 lemon squeezed into it.

BREAKFAST

2 cups porridge made with steel cut oats (not instant oats as they shunt too much sugar into your bloodstream to fast, and make it with water not milk).

1 grated or chopped apple or a handful of berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, loganberries, blackberries - fresh or frozen).

1-2 tablespoons walnuts - preferably chopped but whole is OK (optional).

1-2 tablespoons almonds - preferably chopped (optional).

1 tablespoon cold pressed flaxseed added after the porridge has been removed from the stove.

a dash of cinnamon (optional)

1 cup of green tea and/or 200ml of spring or purified water.

EVERY HOUR OR TWO

200 ml of spring or purified water.

LUNCH

Raw Powerhouse Salad - an inspiring medley of brightly coloured crunchy vegetables -..dressed with extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice, garlic, herbs and seasoning. Eat it with…

100g to 200g of omega-3-rich fish (wild salmon, tuna - fresh or tinned - mackarel, sardines, herring etc.).

a slice of melon (any kind but watermelon which is too high in sugar) or a handful of any kind of berries.

1 cup of green tea and/or 200ml of spring or purified water.

EVERY HOUR OR TWO

200 ml of spring or purified water.

DINNER

100g to 200g of omega-3-rich fish, organic lamb’s liver or tofu or an omelette.

Large mixed green salad dressed with avocado, herbs, garlic, extra virgin oilive oil and flaxseed oil, and fresh lemon juice or cider or balsamic vinegar.

a slice of melon (any kind but watermelon which is too high in sugar) or a handful of any kind of berries - fresh or frozen.

1 cup of green tea and/or 200ml of spring or purified water.

EVENING

200 ml of spring or purified water.

SNACKS

If you want to snack, one of the following can be eaten twice a day either between breakfast and lunch, lunch and dinner or at bedtime.

50g chicken or turkey breast.

1 kiwifruit or a small pear or apple.

a handful of macadamias or walnuts.

200 ml of spring or purified water.

Lunch and dinner are interchangeable.

I’ve had to tweak the menu a little. For breakfast for example, I ate only 1 cup of oats (instead of 2) as this made me very full already!

Have you tried this yet? Did you notice any changes?

Day 1
It’s day 1 for me of this Five Day Face Lift Diet . So far so good. I noticed that I started feeling much better except later in the day when my sugar cravings kicked in. Like the hulk, I turned mean and harassed my partner to buy me some ice cream. Thankfully, he stuck to our deal of not letting me have any. It must just be chocolate withdrawals! I just need to keep telling myself, “Only 4 more days to feeling and looking hot and sexy!” I’ll let you know the results at the end of the week.

Day 2
Would you believe that this is my second day (in a long time) of being totally chocolate and ice cream free!? Sad no? As I mentioned, my partner Dave managed to not be bullied by me into buying me the bad but yummy stuff (knowing how weak I was, I made him promise before starting the diet to not let me have any chocolate).

What I really like about the eating plan is that it’s very easy to follow and prepare. I find that the breakfast (hot oatmeal) is perfect for Canberra’s present cold season. Also, it’s very filling which lasts me well into midday (though I still make it a point to have the healthy snack option for brunch). Before the meal plan, I used to have omelette in the morning. This took more effort to prepare and I found myself hungry well before lunch.

Although I think it’s too early to notice any drastic weight or skin improvements, I believe that my midsection (my biggest problem area) has actually shrunk ( I’ve gone from the 3 month preggers look to 2 ;-). The sugar headaches too seem to be a thing of the past!

I love my MaMa

2008-07-14T10:52:00Z

Just like my Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Cream, Mama Lotion came highly recommended in FutureDerm.

The “Ma-Ma” in MaMa Lotion

I was particularly curious with its main ingredients which I had not heard of before. These were, Mandelic acid and Malic acid.

FutureDerm’s Nicki Zevola explained that Mandelic acid is an alphahydroxy acid (AHA) derived from almonds. It is a powerful antioxidant which stops free radicals from causing cell damage. In addition, it has antibacterial properties (useful in controlling breakouts).

Malic acid, is also an AHA. It is naturally found in fruits such as apples. Some of its benefits are it is moisturizing and it stimulates the production of collagen (as you may or may not know, our skin’s ability to produce collagen decreases as we get older). Another thumbs up is that it is less irritating than other AHAs like glycolic acid.

What is MaMa Lotion good for?

I visited its website to see what else I could uncover about MaMa Lotion. Some of the results noted from its use were listed there:

Evened out skin tone including removing age spots & freckles

Faded acne scars

Significantly reduced acne breakouts

Tightened the skin & pores

Shrunk or eliminated blackheads

Reduced or erased fine lines and wrinkles

Significantly reduced the symptoms of rosacea

Faded melasma

(source: MCK Laboratories)

Results of MaMa Lotionon on acne scarring and melasma after 1 month of treatment

picture: MaMa Lotion

My own MaMa impression

When I first tried out MaMa Lotion, I applied about 2-3 drops to my freshly cleansed face. I did experience some stinging and the lotion felt somewhat tacky on my skin. These sensations went not long after. I then followed it up with my moisturiser.

After about a week of some minor peeling, I analyzed my face. At a glance, I saw no dramatic improvements. My fine lines were definitely still there. However, I did feel a difference. My face felt soooo much smoother. The only other time it felt this way would have been before I hit my teens!

Delighted so far, I decided to incorporate it into my night skin care routine (applied every other night when I don’t use retinol).

Mama Lotion can be purchased at various online stores and retails for around $44US.

Glamr Rating: (If and once it gets rid of my fine lines will I award it an extra star :-)

Guess the Celebrity

2008-07-11T13:26:00Z

I haven’t had a chance to squeak, “hello” in some days now thanks to a nagging cold. Thankfully, I’m almost over it. I just need to distract myself with something light hearted.

I came across this funny quiz at Celebrity Cosmetic Surgery where the aim is to try to name as many celebrities as possible just by pic of their (enhanced?) decollage.

picture: Ayy!

I only managed to correctly identify one celebrity (#3), but then again I’m still recovering from my cold ;-)

Think you can do better? Read on for the answers.

picture: Ayy!

4 Stupid Things to do to your Skin

2008-07-07T11:28:00Z

It’s a dreary day, perfect for keeping dry indoors and reading up on blogs. I’m currently checking out the blog directory, BlogCatalog, and one post that caught my attention was Four Stupidest Things Americans Do To Their Skin at Anti-Aging Psychology Blog .

After being side-tracked into having a self debate about the title (“Most Stupid” versus “Stupidest”), I managed to read on and find out what the 4 stupid things were.

According to the author, Dr. Michael Brickey, some common mistakes Americans make (where it comes to skin care) were:

#1 Using Soap

image credit: Jon Evans I once declined a friend’s offer of her soap come time to shower after an exhausting workout. I decided I’d rather risk smelling bad from just a warm shower rather than lathering up with soap. Why? It’s because (some) soaps are alkaline and strip the skin of natural oils thus an be drying.

#2 Mineral Oils

There seems to be a debate on just how bad mineral oil is. Dr. Michael Brickey is obviously part of the camp that is totally against it. The downside he mentioned were:

” Mineral oil coats your skin, clogs your pores, and prevents your skin from breathing. It keeps your skin from exfoliating dead skin cells and toxins. It keeps your skin from absorbing vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants in a moisturizer.”

(source: Anti-Aging Psychology)

Beauty Brains sits on the end of the pole on this debate citing that the bad rap on mineral oils is totally bogus.

One that sits in the middle is FutureDerm . She says it is okay so long as it is not used in conjunction with other products containing comedogenic (pore-clogging) ingredients and that it’s benefits are not blown beyond ‘hydrating’.

I find myself sitting somewhere in the middle too. My fav lipbalm to date happens to be Vaseline Lip Therapy and most of my body and hand lotions contain Mineral Oil. I prefer my face products however to be Mineral Oil free as it is tends to be very sensitive and fussy.

#3 Fragrances and Dyes

What good is a cream that smells like a dream if it causes irritation to the skin? That unfortunately is the side effect for some people to fragrances as well as dyes. It is therefore advised that to keep your skin happy, best to try to steer clear of these.

#4 Sun Damage

image credit: Alan Light

The effects of over exposure to the sun can be very detrimental. We’re not just talking about a bit of reddening or peeling of skin. There’s premature aging and more importantly, increased chances of skin cancer and other skin disorders. These just make baking out on the sun totally unglamorous and uncool.

Retinol - Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Cream

2008-07-07T03:14:00Z

picture: Amazon

I just love starting my Mondays with a package!! One was delivered to my door early this morning. Like an excited little girl on Christmas, I ripped open the box, very curious to see what was inside.

There I found 3 bottles of Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Creams. I almost forgot that I won these through eBay about 2 weeks ago! Undeterred by my recent negative MAC eBay experience, I went ahead and purchased these after reading a post about it in one of my fav blogs, FutureDerm.

In the blog, Nicki Zevola of Future Derm, compared 3 products containing retinol. They were Skinceuticals Retinol 0.5, Philosophy Help Me Retinol Night Treatment and Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Cream. Out of the three, she found Neutrogena to be the best value for money whilst containing a high percentage of retinol!

After carefully cleansing my face, I applied a pea-size amount. I really liked how it glided onto my skin and left no sticky feeling afterwards.

I did experience some mild stinging sensation. However, like it says on the packaging, it’s only temporary and it quickly went away.

So far so good. I do hope it proves effective for me so I can add it to my (ever growing) list of top skin care product “must haves” instead of “money waster”. Stay tuned.

October ‘08 Update: I’ve actually added this product to my beauty night regime ( my retinoid product of choice during my rest days from retin-A).

In Search for Beauty on BlogCatalog

2008-07-07T02:23:00Z

I’m in the process of adding my blog to the directory BlogCatalog. You may want to check it out as it lists some interesting blogs on beauty (not to mention many other topics).Cheers!

Lift Magic- cosmetic facial procedure simulator

2008-07-05T05:55:00Z

picture: Lift Magic

It’s the weekend so I decided to try to get up to date with my Google Reader (as it stands, I have over 1000 posts to read!). I was up to Celebrity Cosmetic Surgery subscription when I came across a link to Lift Magic.

Lift Magic is a website which allows you to simulate some popular cosmetic facial procedures like eye brow lift, nose reduction and lip augmentation.

Apply these enhancements (if you are not too chicken or coy) to your own photo. Else, you can use the already uploaded image or browse through the internet for other pics.

I have given the program a go a few times and the results I’ve managed to achieve so far looked more like poor Photoshop jobs. It is by no means accurate, however it does give you some idea of end results. The least, it’s a bit of good fun.