Tag Archives: beauty care

Beauty Journal Spa Days

Sundays are my spa days.  This is the day I try out all of the different products I receive, including the stuff my friends recommend.

This past weekend, I extended the spa day to Saturday, because I wanted to try out the Sulwhasoo K-Beauty treatment.  The following day, I used all of the products you see in the picture above.

Here are the products I’ll be discussing today.


K-Beauty

K-Beauty is short for Korean Beauty.  This is a phenomenon that is starting to kick up steam in the United States.  Korean women are known for the soft youthful skin.  What we did not know is that these women have an intensive skin regimen.

For some lines, they use ten different beauty products every day.  Sulwhasoo created an introductory box that has only five products you can apply.  They also include full sized bottles of the Essential Balancing Water EX and Essential Balancing Emulsion EX.  According to Neiman Marcus, they are the “two key products to hydrate and balance the skin at the beginning of your skincare routine.”

After washing my face in the morning, I applied all five of the products to my face.  I recommend only doing this during the day, and not using this as an evening routine.  I tried the latter and ended up feeling very itchy.  I did not have the same reaction during the daytime.

By the afternoon I noticed something that I have not seen happen with any other product I tried thus far.  My pores were miraculously smaller.  My face also felt so much softer.

Of all the products I tried, Sulwhasoo gave me the best results.

Sulwhasoo is an expensive regimen.  I recommend purchasing the Essential Duo Set first to try the products out.  You will receive five sample sizes to try out, and the full sized bottles of the toner and emulsion.  So if you feel like continuing the K-Beauty care, you only have to buy three other products.

The Duo Set is $121.  After the results I received, I feel that the money was well spent.

Sunday Spa Day

At first, I wanted to report that you should never use one of the products I tried out.  But then I spoke to my friend about it and she explained I made a mistake.  So I’m going to have to give this product another try.

Let’s start from the beginning.

Spa days start with a long shower, trying out new products.  I received a sample of L’Oreal Extraordinary Clay Shampoo and Conditioner.  While my hair felt fabulous in the shower, it did not give me the same results as Clear Complete Scalp does.

I am a loyal user of Clear shampoo products.  I am always happy with the results.

I washed my face with Dior Gentle Foaming Cleanser, before using the Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion treatment.  I followed that up with the Fresh Honey Mask and then the Karuna K-Beauty mask.

I applied the One Love Organics to my arms and legs.  It’s a nice oil spray you can mist onto your body post-shower.

After the masks, I exfoliated my lips using the Fresh lip polish with the Bliss Spa Pout-o-Matic.  This device is similar to the Clarisonic Facial Cleansing System, but for your lips.  I usually switch between Fresh and the Bliss lip exfoliants.

So the part where I went wrong was applying the Breathe Deeply on my face.  There is alcohol in it and it burned my skin immediately.  I raced to take it off of my face as it turned red, before I could feel the cooling mint on my skin.

This is why it was a bad idea: the microdermabrasion.   My skin was raw from the treatment.  That is why I had the reaction.  I am going to try the Breathe Deeply again at some juncture, just not after an exfoliation.

My Favorites

Of all the products I tried this weekend, the Sulwhasoo tops the list.  I also love the Fresh Honey Mask.  I find myself using this mask again and again over the other treatments.

As for the Karuna mask, I am not sold on this beauty treatment.  This is not my first time using it.  I believe the Sulwhasoo beauty treatment is far superior to what the Karuna mask is trying to do.

My only comment on Dr. Brandt’s microdermabrasion is that I was pleasantly surprised I did not have an allergic reaction to it.  That was my main fear since I have super sensitive skin.  It feels like sand paper, but it does do what it says it will do.

I plan on using Sulwhasoo more often because out of everything I tried, it is the only skincare regimen that had immediate and positive results.  If you’re going to spend the money, it is better to spend it on something that works for you and not waste it on the products that have little to no results.

Beauty Journal Day Two: You Won’t Be Needing This Anymore

Beauty Journal Day 2

Keeping in mind the fails from Day One, I held off on taking any Hum Nutrition products until after 10AM.  This proved to be a wise move.

Here are the Hum Nutrition products I am using:

Five pills, one protein powder.  Luckily, everything went down smoothly for most of the day.  I think one of the most important benefits of doing all of these different supplements is that I am forced to drink more water.  That’s a good thing, because it helps rid your body of toxins faster.

What’s also great about these products…you feel it working instantly.

What is Hum Nutrition?

So I should probably talk a little more about these supplements.  This is what each supplement is supposed to do (according to the label):

  • Collagen Love – Before taking painful anti-wrinkle measures…keep fine lines under control.  One key contributor to aging is reduced collagen production, leading to wrinkling, sagging and discoloration.  Collagen Love contains a unique skin repair blend with Types I, II and III Collagen – essential for young looking skin.
  • Big Chill – Don’t let stress ruin your looks!  Stress releases hormones that make us unhealthy, breakout and age.  Big Chill contains adaptogens that are clinically researched for their ability to stop you reacting to stress, so you can keep a clear head and stay beautiful during demanding conditions.
  • Flatter Me– Your secret to a flatter stomach.  Designed around your diet, we developed a comprehensive proprietary enzyme blend that supports all major phases of nutrient digestion. Flatter Me is formulated to optimize protein, carb, fiber and fat breakdown and to help with nutrient absorption, relief from indigestion and bloating.
  • Red Carpet – Blow in every photo opp!  Our vegetarian Red Carpet formula includes the perfect balance of GLA, ALA and Vitamin E – only found in nature and at HUM.  Made from bio-available nutrients from Black Currant and Sunflower seeds.  Red Carpet’s healthy essential fats support glamorous hair and glowing skin.
  • Skinny Bird – Pounds come and go like lovers!  Skinny Bird has a unique SMAC formula that keep unwanted pounds in check.  SMAC -for stress eating (5-HTP), to help boost Metabolism (green tea), to help curb Appetite (caralluma) and Chromium (to help support healthy blood sugar levels already within normal ranges.
  • Raw Beauty Superfood Powder – Looking for the ultimate beauty snack that keeps you going?  Raw Beauty is your answer.  Over 30 beauty detox superfoods help improve your energy, support radiant skin and boost your metabolism.  Best of all, never before has so much goodness tasted so delicious.  Raw Beauty is a unique proprietary blend developed by HUM’s leading nutritionists: alkalizing greens, detoxifying and energizing herbs, beauty boosting phytonutrients and digestion supporting fiber, fruits, vegetables, enzymes and probiotics.

Why Hum Nutrition?

The main reason why I chose to do Hum Nutrition is because I like the idea of focusing on beauty from within.  A lot of the issues we have with the outside of our body are a result of what is going on inside of our body.

Before I purchased these products, I went to see my doctor and told her everything that was going on with my body.  I asked that we look at everything.  They took out eight vials of blood to do extensive testing.  From there, I was able to see everything that was going wrong inside of my body, as well as see key nutrients I was missing.

Since I am missing one hormonal gland (it was removed when we found a tumor in it), I needed to find out why peri-menopause started immediately after the surgery and why my hair looks like it is thinning.  For the peri-menopause, we can accredit that issue to my mother’s side.  She started PMS at age 44.  It’s very likely I will too.  Peri-menopause begins five years before menopause.

As for what I thought was my hair part becoming wider and wider, it ends up that there was a hormonal issue, which was also linked to needing more Vitamin D.  They also found a severe iron deficiency (i.e. it didn’t even register).  My cholesterol was over the borderline dangerous (which explained why I felt like I was about to have a heart attack all of the time).

Do you see a common theme?  There were vitamin deficiencies popping up left and right.  Those deficiencies were the cause of most of my concerns.  That is why it makes sense for me to use Hum Nutrition since their focus is on boosting the vitamin intake in the body and supporting healthy digestion (which becomes an issue the older you get).

The Morning Routine

After all of the mistakes I made yesterday, I tried to simplify everything today.  Here’s what I used:


So after washing my face with Fresh Soy Face Cleanser, I used Sulwhasoo Essential Balancing Water (toner).  Sulwhasoo is part of the K-Beauty movement (Korean Beauty).  For those who don’t know what that is, it is a 10 product beauty regimen that Korean women use to keep their skin soft and youthful.  [Don’t worry…I’ll discuss this more later.]

After applying the toner, I took the wand from the Estee Lauder Perfectionist CP+R and put the product on my palm.  I rubbed my palms together to warm up the product and applied it to my face.

Next, I scooped up some First Aid Beauty moisturizer and spritzed it with the Shiseido sunscreen.  At this time, Matthew Lucifer was checking out all of the beauty products I was using.  For some time, now he’s been trying to get into the First Aid Beauty moisturizer.  Today, he succeeded.

With moisturizer on both of my hands, he sat in front of me and being true to his middle name, pushed that full container of moisturizer off the sink and onto the rug.  He jumped off the sink to check out his accomplishment only to discover that maybe this was a bad idea.  He looked up at me like he was saying, “You won’t be needing this anymore!”

I finished applying the moisturizer, picked up what was left inside the container (now only half), and washed out the rug.   It was the washing out the rug that upset him.  It wasn’t that he did something wrong, it was because I was doing something he’s never seen me do before in the bathroom sink and that made him mad.

This is the second time he’s pushed a jar of moisturizer off of the sink.  The first time he did it, it was a jar of La Prairie.  My freak out was much bigger that time, because it was a $350 jar.

The Evening

The supplements went down fine throughout the day, but by evening, my body couldn’t do anymore supplements.  I started puking them all up.  So tomorrow, I’m going to have to cut back on the number of supplements I am trying.

I think going healthy is strange.  When we go back to working out after a long hiatus, it is like we try to make up for lost time and try to run five miles, instead of easing back into things.  My supplement adventure is no different.

As for the evening routine, here are the products I used…


For the evening mask, I chose Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask.  This product really does leave a dewy feeling on your skin when you wake up in the morning, making your skin feel extra soft.

Instead of using KP Duty on my arms tonight, I used Juara Candlenut Body Creme. I love this lotion, because it smells so nice and really hydrates the skin.  I actually think this cream does a much better job at helping hydrate keratosis pilaris (chicken skin).  KP Duty feels greasy and more medicine like, while Juara feels more luxurious on your skin.

To finish out the skin repair, my friend taught me this little trick when it comes to moisturizing your feet…use Vaseline.  Out of all the foot lotions, creams, etc. I have used over the years, Vaseline seems to be the only thing that works at both repairing and moisturizing tired feet.

In Conclusion

Tomorrow, I will be cutting back on the nutritional supplements.  I’m going to continue with the Superfood Protein powder, and then cut back to 2-3 supplements.  After I use up those supplements, I will switch to the other ones to try out.

I hope that with time, I will be able to develop a well rounded out beauty care program for myself.  My friend asked me why I don’t try to use one product at a time to see how it works.  The truth is that I buy a lot of beauty care products and receive a lot of them from various companies.

I have so many products, plus I keep purchasing more.  I am not looking for a cure all or anything, I just find exploring new products to be fun.  You can say that it brings me joy.  I like having my little spa days, trying out new products.  Along the way, I do find a few loves that stick with me.  Perhaps I’m just trying to discover more loves along the way.

[Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive compensation.]




Beauty Journal Day One: I Puked My Guts Out

Beauty Journal: Day 1

It was all my fault.  I should never attempt something like this right after waking up.

I wanted to start the new Hum Nutrition program right off the bat, so I separated out the vitamins according to when I was supposed to take them.  I took a Skinny Bird, which is part of Hum Nutrition’s Weight Loss Program.  These supplements are supposed to be taken three times a day, 30 minutes before you eat.

I put one in my mouth and gagged.  This happens every single time I try to take a horse sized pill.  I usually gag or vomit up the pill.

I drank one glass of water and waited.

Nope.  Not going down.  Need another glass of water.

Nope.  Still not going down.  Try another glass.

Ok…maybe it went down.


I tell Alexa to set the timer for 30 minutes so that I’ll know when to eat breakfast.  I go about my morning, reading my book, and going to the bathroom three times because I drank so much water.

Alexa notifies me that my 30 minutes are up, so I go to phase 2 and make a cup of the Raw Beauty Green Super Food Powder in Mint Chocolate Chip with almond milk.  It’s not bad.  I can actually feel the skin on my arms tingling like it is coming to life.  Crazy feeling.

Yet, I worry I’m going to puke this up.

I heat up my breakfast, which if I’m going to be completely honest, it was a hot link.  Or two.  I eat what I crave.

I take vitamin #2: Collagen Love with a glass of water.  This is not good.  This makes glass of water #4.

And there it is…I puke that sucker up along with the Super Food drink.

Ugh.  This is horrible.

So this is where the mistake was made…I cannot drink or eat first thing in the morning, because I will puke it all up.  This reaction is not because the stuff was bad, it’s just that I cannot eat or drink this early in the morning.  Four glasses of water was a recipe for disaster.

Note to self.  I will have to put off doing any of this until later in the morning when I can eat and drink.

THIS HAPPENED: So I was able to get one pill down and most of the Super Food drink.  Not all of the drink came back up.  The effects worked immediately, which means it increased my metabolism.  Between the water and the two Hum nutrition products I was able to get down…success with #2 (which becomes a little more difficult as you approach your 40s…all that fiber you have to eat is no joke).

Also, Skinny Bird really suppressed my appetite.  I made two hot links for breakfast.  I was only able to eat one.  I think my stomach was full anyway from the four glasses of water.

Beauty Routine

Here are the products I put on before my makeup:

Later that morning…

So it’s later in the morning and I try to eat a bowl of Cheerios with blueberries (trying to inject something healthy).  I took two bites and my stomach alerts me that there is no way in hell I am eating anything.

Four glasses of water really did its number by making me feel full all morning…or maybe it was the Skinny Bird.

I tried to take the Collagen Love again, but I couldn’t.  I decided that it is best to try this Hum Nutrition thing all over again tomorrow, but with the new modifications from the lessons learned today.

Discussion re: the Beauty Routine

I sent links to my friend for the products I tried this morning.  I complained I had no idea what I was doing or why nothing came with instructions (the Clinique products did, but it didn’t help).

I started off applying the Estee Lauder Perfectionist CP+R.  It was a wand.  I assumed I was supposed to spread the wand in places where wrinkles may or may not be forming.

Second, I applied the Clinique Moisture Surge Intense Skin Fortifying Hydrator.  Next, I applied the Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief.  Then I mixed the Shiseido sunscreen with the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream and applied it to my face as the finale.

Starting off with the first step…my friend notes my first of several errors.

After washing my face, I should have applied toner.  I never use toner.  It dries my face out.  She just shook her head and explained that toners come in various strengths.  The purpose of the toner is so that your face is prepared to receive all of the beauty care you are about to apply to your face.  That is why it is essential.

Next, with the serum, I needed to dab it onto the palm of my hand, and then rub my two palms together to ‘warm it up’ before applying it all over my face.  For the areas I want to focus on, I should dab another dot on my finger and focus on applying the serum diligently to those target areas.

For the moisturizer + sunscreen, she told me to pick just one moisturizer.  I apparently put on three different moisturizers this morning.

Now, my face is ready for makeup.

The Evening Routine

After dinner, I took my makeup off and started with the evening’s routine.  Here are the products I used:


As my friend says, the first thing you need to do every night is remove your makeup.  I use Yes to Blueberries Cleansing Facial Wipes to remove all of my makeup.  Next, I wash my face with Fresh Soy Face Cleanser.  I love the smell of this product.  It smells so clean!

Next, I apply the Bliss eye cream.  I start with the eye cream because my eyes are the most sensitive area on my face.  I should probably mention at some point that I have uber-sensitive skin.  I don’t want any other product on my fingers when I touch the area around my eyes or I will have an allergic reaction.  That is why I start with the eye cream first.

After applying the eye cream, I use the Bliss Thinny Thin Chin on my neck.  After surgery to remove a tumor in my neck a few years back, I noticed my neck was quickly aging.  I’ve been using this product for the past few months off and on.  My friends say they don’t notice anything, but also noted that since I’m losing weight, that could be the reason why my neck looks (to me) like it is aging.    We’ll see if this product works.

For my night cream, I decided to go with the Farmacy Sleep Tight Night Balm.  This product is a little different from my other night creams.  It feels like there is a gel on your face all night long.

Every time I use this night balm, I wake up in the middle of the night to Matthew Lucifer (my Maine Coon cat) lying on my chest, licking the product off of my face.  I always have to fight him off.

What I like about this balm is that my face feels super soft in the morning.  For those looking for some extra plump, this really does plump up your face too.

After I finished applying all of these facial products, I applied some KP Duty to my arms.  I have what is known as keratosis pilaris (aka chicken skin).  This is a lovely skin issue I picked up from my dad’s side of the gene pool.  I’m not sure if this product even works, but I’m going to give it a whirl and couple it with using coconut oil on my spa days.

[KP duty is also a favorite middle of the night licking session for Matthew.  I had to keep hiding my arms under the sheets.  He kept pulling the sheet back to get to my arms.  I swear that cat is nuts.]

In Conclusion

In conclusion, I learned what I did wrong in the beauty department, and there were a lot of errors today.  I am thankful that my late night routine was on par, even though I forgot to brush and floss.

One last note on making new changes stick, and this is a lesson I learned from “The Secret.”  If any change you make in your life is something that brings you joy, then you will learn to stick with the new program.  You have to figure out what about this brings you joy.  You have to surround yourself with joy in order for all of your dreams and wishes to come true.

If you are trying to lose weight, but hate working out, you need to find something in the exercise process that brings you joy.  Focus on that joy every single time you go to workout.  It will change your mindset.  In the end, this is about finding happiness in the changes you are making.

So that’s it for today.  Tomorrow, I will be back on the Hum Nutrition testing ground with the new modifications, and correcting everything I did wrong throughout the day!

xxoo,

Michelle

[Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links, which means I may make a small commission on the sale of an item if you purchase through one of these links.]