Fleuresse

Beautiful packaging with nothing to deliver.  When I first received Fleuresse, I was really impressed with how well everything was packaged.  From the outside in, it showed class and sophisticated elegance.  Wrapped in plastic, it guaranteed that only my hands would be touching what lays inside the package.  I felt special, thinking that I was about to experience pure luxury for my skin.  To my dismay, it was the complete opposite.

The Fleuresse Go Kit is developed for a 7 day (one week) use of night and day skincare treatments.  It consists of a cleanser, serum, day cream, night cream and an eye cream.  Fleuresse states on their website, “The Fleuresse skincare system, hydrates, nourishes and accelerates skin cell regeneration to reveal brighter, more youthful looking skin.”  They also state on their website, “Kyani combines the remarkable ingredients we have used for years in the Triangle of Health-Blueberry, Noni and Tocotrienol Vitamin E with plant stem cell extracts from a rare variety of Swiss apple”.  They also go on to state, “this blend of natural ingredients”, which would be great if those were the only ingredients used.  These ingredients that are used on their home page of the Flueresse as their opening statement are misleading.  Delving further into the ingredients of their products, I was utterly in shock by the lengthy list.  For the Fleuresse Day Crème Ingredient list, I counted 64 ingredients.  Sixty-four!  Never have I seen such a long list of ingredients, especially with the word “natural” being used to describe it. 

 

 

  Above is the ingredient list for Fleuresse Day Crème.  As you can see, it took me three screen shots to capture all of the listed ingredients.  Look closer at the ingredient list, particularly to the first five listed ingredients:

  1. Water
  2. Dimethicone
  3. Polysilicone-11
  4. Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
  5. Hexlyene Glycol

Two forms of chemically derived silicone are listed as number 2 and number 3.  What does this mean for your skin?  It is a great filler on your skin, helps to give your skin that smooth touch and smooth appearance by helping to “fill in” fine lines on your skin.  It also is a film on your skin and just sits there.  It does not penetrate into the skin and deliver amazing results that the other ingredients would that were listed in their Triangle of Health.  These two are great ingredients to use as a primer for your makeup but not for using as a skincare treatment intended to “hydrate, nourish and accelerate skin cell regeneration”.

Using the cleanser, I felt like I was using a cheap lotion from the all-a-dollar store.  I never felt that I was getting a deep cleanse.  If it weren’t for the use of my Clarisonic with my cleanse, I would have felt that I was layering on cleanser after cleanser, day after day.  The serum had a nice glide to it but I had to use more of the product because it would dry up too fast.  Applying the Day Crème and the Night Crème on my skin, I felt like I was reapplying the cleanser.  There was no change in scent, texture or amount used for application.  The eye cream had a brightening color of pink hue which was my favorite choice out of the entire kit.

What I experienced with the Fleuresse Go Kit is that my skin got drier.  I never once saw a “brighter, more youthful” appearance on my skin as they state it will do.  It felt like I was applying silicone to my skin everyday.  Fleuresse created an illusion.  They began with the packaging, artistically creating an aesthetic appeal to the eye and for their product they filled it with silicone to help deceive the consumers eye for it delivers no benefits to the skin.

Flueresse Go Kit receives 2.0 stars.

APIVITA Bee Radiant

APIVITA’s Bee Radiant line illuminates your skin with that natural “dewy” look without making your skin feel super oily and overloaded with products.  What I truly love about this line is that it extracts the core foundation of  APIVITA’s nomenclature by bringing it into existence with products.  Derived from the Latin words Apis (bee) and Vita (life) which translates into APIVITA, “life of the bee”, the Bee Radiant collection in all three of their products contains their patented propolis extract.

Propolis comes from APIVITA’s own Beehives.  Being beekeepers of their 200 beehives,  APIVITA control’s the elements in which the bees are exposed.  Changing their locations twice a year to accommodate the seasonal shifts of blossoms among herbs, trees and trees bearing fruit.  This allows the bees to “produce honey, pollen and royal jelly free of pesticides, antibiotics and chemical residues” (APIVITA Beekeeping).  By controlling the environment the bees are exposed to, APIVITA creates products without all the pollutants that can damage your skin.

Bee Radiant Age Defense Illuminating Serum with orange stem cells & Vitamin C helps to penetrate into the skin, defending it against harmful environmental stressors that age the skin.  The serum, a thin, milky substance, resembling the texture, consistency and color of the inside of a milk thistle stem, glides on smoothly into the skin.  A strong, masculine aroma mixes well with the vitamin  C blends of bergamot, green tangerine, grapefruit and the orange stem cells that made my skin smell fresh as the products absorbed into my skin.  As soon as it touched the skin, it illuminated it, rid any dull, lackluster, tired looking skin from my face.  Designed to treat fine lines and combat external elements that prematurely age the skin, I knew my skin was in good hands.  It left my skin feeling moisturized and hydrated from the wild rose tea that is infused within it.

BEE RADIANT Age Defense Illuminating Serum receives 5.0 Stars!APIVITA 5-Action Eye Serum was tricky at first for me to use.  The serum was extremely thin the first few times that I pumped it out to use around my eyes.  I tried to catch the serum as it drizzled off of my pinky and placed it around the orbitals of my eyes.  My eyes didn’t look so tired and quickly awoke as I continued rubbing in the serum.  It didn’t take long for my eyes to soak in the serum.

APIVITA calls the eye serum 5-action because it delivers 5 actions to the skin:  1.)  Firmness 2.) Smoothed Wrinkles 3.)  Hydration  4.)  Signs of Fatigue and 5.)  Dark Circles.  The tackiness within the serum creates both the firmness around the eye and the adds the hydration to the eyes that they need.  The smoothness around the eyes is created by the copper complex ingredient that helps against aging the skin and helps to treat fine lines.  The tiredness and dark circles are treated by the white lily and ginseng that help to produce the illuminating look around the eyes.

I found by my third time I used the serum, to shake the bottle first.  After I shook the bottle, the ingredients blended together and when I pumped out the serum, it came out in a more thick, creamy substance which was ideal to apply around my eyes.

5-Action Eye Serum receives 4.0 Stars.

I really liked the ingredient components that made Bee Radiant Age Defense Illuminating Cream with Orange Stem Cells (Light Texture).  Made with the same ingredients as the Bee Radiant Age Defense Illuminating Serum with orange stem cells & vitamin C, the Illuminating Cream delivers the same age-defying properties that help to fight against environmental pollutants and premature aging and comes in both light texture for oily skin and rich texture for dry skin.

Milky in color, texture similar to pudding, the Bee Radiant Cream felt nice in my fingertips but once when I started applying it into my skin, the cream became harder to rub in.  I had to continue rubbing the cream, over and over into the skin, waiting for the heat from application to warm up the product to melt into my skin.  I used a smaller amount the second and third time for applying it and had the same result every time.  Although when it was once applied, my skin was radiant, illuminated in the mirror and felt like a matte texture on my fingers but looked dewy and glowed beautifully.

I love creams placed in jars because they look like the classic, retro “cold cream” the fashionable, glamour cream. APIVITA shines in elegance as always when it comes to packaging.  The only thing that was missing from this packaging was a reusable applicator.  I had an applicator that I used when I retrieved the product from the jar.  This keeps the product free from cross-contamination of using fingers.

Other than the hard application of the cream into the skin and a reusable applicator for sanitation purposes, this product stays true to its name and illuminated my skin with age defensive properties.

*Skincare tip: A little bit goes a long ways.  More bang for your buck!

BEE RADIANT Age Defense Illuminating Cream with Orange Stem Cells Light Texture

Receives 3.o Stars

The BEE RADIANT line is a great anti-aging line and the skin receives the best results by using all 3 products together.

 

Exotic Escape by Perfectly Posh

I regretfully admit that I am ashamed to have delayed a most tantalizing, skincare, tropical retreat.  Perfectly Posh, a quite lamb amongst the roar of the lions, is a fierce to be reckon with.  Who would’ve known that such products with great integrity for the skin could be affordable and effective?!?  I was literally blown away by the deliverance of each and every product I tried.

I decided one evening I needed a vacation for my skin.  I needed to let my skin venture to a place it’s never been, somewhere tropical, somewhere where I could taste the savory cocktails, hear the whistling of the palm tree’s leaves sifting in the air and feel the warm rays from the sun dance on my skin.  I turned to the Perfectly Posh collection that sat on my counter and as I gazed upon each product it was as if they were whispering to me, it’s about time.

IMG_0110I picked up the Best Face Forever cleanser and began my exotic escape.  At first glance, I thought this cleanser was actually a thick moisturizer.  I reread the product and confirmed that it was indeed a facial cleanser.  I removed the BFF from the container and immediately felt little particles of beads on my fingertips, I got a little excited, for this was an exfoliating cleanser.  I do like exfoliating cleansers, the minute removing of dead skin cells is always a nice addition to the skin along with cleansing it.  I applied it on my skin and instantly felt a tingling sensation.

Perfectly Posh surprised me twice and I loved it!  The aroma of a refreshing minty-smell filtered through my nose as I continued with my facial cleanse.  Wow! The cooling on my skin was sensational.  My skin felt smooth and ever so clean.  Even after I finished the cleanse on my face I could still feel the lingering effects of the peppermint on my skin for a small while which made the cleansing experience even more fantastic.

bff perfectly posh    BFF Best Face Forever is a gentle exfoliating face wash that can be used daily.  The moisturizing properties of the aloe vera and glycerin will not dry out the skin but aid in keeping the natural oils of your skin to remain after cleansing.  The cooling sensation from the peppermint oil entices the senses to soothe and comfort tired and overworked skin.  The citrus scent of grapefruit allows a refreshing synergism among receptors to uplift the spirits while cleansing.  Perfectly Posh’s BFF is the new form of products you can count on to deliver the best cleanse each and every day.

BFF Best Face Forever Exfoliating Face Wash Receives 5 Stars!

5stars1My exotic skincare escapism continued on with the Hoku Kukui bath bar chunk.  Kukui nut is one of my favorite tropical scents and when I read this body bar’s name, I could not wait to start washing the day’s wear off my skin.

The body bar was a nice, colorful, earth blend of beige, tan and brown. IMG_0112 I allowed the cascading shower to prep my skin with water and began rubbing the Hoku Kukui bar on my body.  The combination of the water and the bath bar created a nice cream-colored lather on my skin.  I could feel the moisture on my skin as I continued to lather the bath bar all over my body.  I kept waiting for the scent of the Kukui nut to kick in but to my disappointment, it was faint almost non-existent.  The smell was rather bland and reminded me of an overcompensating organic health extremist making sure no synthetic chemicals were in it.  The bar crumbled away in some of the areas where the colors bordered each other and left little pieces on the floor beneath my feet and the shower drain, waiting for me to pick them up after I finished cleansing my body.

 

hoku kukuiThe Hoku Kukui Bath Bar left my skin with that squeaky-clean feel yet also very moisturized.  To be able to create such a complex satisfactory blend on the skin is a job well done.  Perfectly Posh was able to incorporate a proportioned mix of ingredients to execute a great cleanser for the body.  If the scent of the Kukui nut was more in existence, immediately registered by the olfactory system and some of the bar didn’t crumble upon washing, this would be a 5.0 star rating.

Hoku Kukui Nut Bath Bar receives 3.o stars!

3 stars

 

 

IMG_9978The Stripper worked its magic on me next, seduced me with its tingling sensation when it touched my skin, enchanted me when it started to tighten on my face.  I fell in love with the stripper!  A clarifying detox mud for the skin, The Stripper, is a genuis play on words as it is a sultry purplish color, applies smoothly on the skin with a fan brush and truly strips the impurities off of the skin without drying out the skin when its done.  Rich in detoxifying elements of clays and muds, the skin rests easy in the hands of The Stripper as it sits on the skin, drawing out environmental pollutants, ridding the pores of undesirable deposits of product debris (makeup, oxygenated serums, physical sunscreen, etc.).

The menthol in the D-Tox mud is exhilarating!  I felt as though my skin was on a pleasurable experience of its exotic inhabitants.  As the mud dried, my skin tightened and the purplish color morphed into a reddish-brown clay appearance.  The scent was subtle which was perfect.  Some detox masks have an unbearable scent that reek like nature’s worst scents and I was very happy that this one did neither, it stayed neutral.

the stripper d-tox mudAfter I took The Stripper off of my skin, my skin no longer had any areas of red showing on my skin, the pores were deeply cleansed, my skin was not extremely dry and the best part, I could still feel the menthol on my skin, that wonderful tingling and cooling sensation which lasted for about 10 minutes after I removed the mask.  This detox mask worked wonderfully and was easy to apply and remove.

The Stripper D*Tox Body Mud Receives 5.o Stars!5stars1

 

 

 

IMG_0111My face was receiving so much attention, I thought I’d make my feet happy with a little Rio Rumba, an exfoliating sand scrub.  A natural pedicure-grade foot treatment, my feet danced in my hands as white sand and sugar scrubbed away any mild dryness.  The exotic fruit and amazon rose were beyond intoxicating to my senses.  I felt like I was punch drunk in love because I kept sniffing the air like a new scent had just been birthed from the exotic fruits.  Delicious!

rio rumba sand scrubThe sand scrub was well mixed, the exfoliating ingredients stayed on my feet and didn’t fly all over the place or leave a pile of leftovers on the ground as I scrubbed.  Easy to rinse off, my feet were smooth and soft, even lightly moisturized when I was done.  I was saddened to have to stop scrubbing because I wanted to continue inhaling its thrilling exotic-scented wonders.  I’d have to admit that this scrub is on my top 5 scrubs for the feet.

Rio Rumba Sand Scrub receives 5.0 Stars!5stars1

 

 

 

IMG_0113Now that my feet received a titillating treatment, my body was ready to become a Brazilian Bombshell, at least that is what I imagined as I read, Skindelicious Brazilian Bombshell.  Excited to rub the combination of a brazil nut and babassu oil infused body butter onto my skin, I envisioned myself as a Brazilian Bombshell, skin kissed with the mysterious grandeur of the Amazon. brazilian bombshell

The scent was not strong like what I would imagine a bombshell to be wearing, it smelt more of baby lotion with a hint of coconut.  The butter was more like a lotion, not thick enough to be deemed either a cream or a butter.  There needed to be more moisture adhering to the skin.  If I’m going to be a Brazilian Bombshell, my skin needs to radiate beauty from the natural glow of the exotic oils and drenched in exotic scents from its natural surroundings.

Brazilian Bombshell Body Butter Receives 3.0 Stars!

3 stars

IMG_0114Last but not least, my exotic escape ends with the finishing touch of a Big, Fat, Yummy, Key Lime Pie dessert for the hands.  Every time I hear the words, Key Lime Pie, I think of my mom, it is one of her favorite desserts.  She is very picky about her Key Lime Pie, it has to smell pleasingly fragrant of lime and taste just as good as it smells.  I’d have to say that this hand cream would satisfy my mom’s strict guidelines to her savory dessert.

key lime pie hand cremeSmelling just like a scrumptious Key Lime Pie, I applied the hand crème onto my hands.  It was an effortless application onto my skin.  Absorbing nicely the ingredients of coconut oil, apricot kernel oil and vitamin E into my hands, I was impressed with no oily residue.  Usually hand creme’s tend to leave an oily residue that rubs off on everything you touch after application but I found this not to be the case with this product.  A very nourishing hand crème that will keep your skin soft and supple.

Key Lime Pie Hand Crème Receives 5.0 Stars!5stars1Perfectly Posh delivered a close to perfect exotic skincare escape.  I am mad at myself for not enjoying such wonderful products sooner.  Please forgive me for putting baby in the corner, for it needs to be dancing in the center of a ballroom, a full spectacle for others to witness its wondrous works.

Ann Dalton, CEO and Founder of Perfectly Posh deserves a standing ovation.  The creative mind that cultivated such great products and playfully dubbed each product a memorable name, has delivered a truly effective product line that consumers skin should be devouring.

According to their website, Perfectly Posh is founded off of four principles:

We Simply Pamper.

The Best Ingredients.

Made in the USA.

You Deserve It!

No fillers are used in any Perfectly Posh product which means you get quality ingredients delivered directly to the skin.  Some products are vegan for those who want to avoid using products with animal ingredients and no animal testing is performed during creation of the products.

Enjoy an exotic escape yourself with the pampering of Perfectly Posh and let one of their Perfectly Posh consultants, Janeen Ellis customize your journey.

 

 

April Showers Bring May Flowers

AprilShowers

May is here and the April rains have sprung growth among the flowers.  Flowers not only are aesthetically pleasing to the eye but each and every flower expel a different scent and awaken a different response physically to the skin and mentally awakens the emotions.

articole_child-smelling-flower

 

Flowers are beneficial to wellness, by awakening your mental state, it allows the mind to connect to an emotional response, whether it be good or bad, a reaction occurs when the eye sees certain flowers and the nose inhales their scents.

brideflowergirl

Flowers are associated with memories, flashing back to events, places and dates of where and when they were made.

flowersandskin

Flowers deliver different benefits to the skin which help to calm, soothe, treat ailments, tighten, firm, heal and many more additional benefits.

wildflowers

Flowers add to wellness, they add to skincare.  Appreciate the beauty they create freely within the lands they grow and be grateful for their abundance of various benefits to serve mother earth and aid in all forms of life whether it be mammal or plant.

april_showers

Thank you April for your showers that bring such beautiful May flowers.

 

Categories for 2015 Best Products

prosucts2015categoryThe year is almost over and the best products of 2015 will soon be posted.  Here are the categories:

Best Gel Cleanser

Best Cream Cleanser

Best Oil Cleanser

Best Toner

Best Chemical Exfoliator

Best Mechanical Scrub Exfoliator for Face

Best Mechanical Scrub Exfoliator for Body

Best Eye Cream

Best Eye Gel

Best Serum

Best Moisturizer

Best BB Moisturizer

Best Mask

Best Body Lotion

Best Body Cream

Look for the Best Products of 2015 on December 30th and see if your favorite made the list!

How Do Enzymes Work on the Skin?

A lot of skincare enzymes come from fruit.

A lot of skincare enzymes come from fruit.

When it comes to the skin, enzymes are the magical components to exfoliating the skin, brightening the skin and also hydrating the skin.  Merriam-Webster’s dictionary fully defines an enzyme as:  “any of numerous complex proteins that are produced by living cells and catalyze specific biochemical reactions at body temperature”.  Basically, what this means in layman terms is that when an enzyme is applied to a certain region on the body, the body will react a certain way at its own temperature.

pacmanimageAn enzyme when applied to the skin, will create a biochemical reaction to rid the skin of dead skin cells.  I like to describe an enzyme as Pac-Man, once it is applied to the skin, Pac-Man will go to work eating away all the dead skin cells.  When the dead skin cells have been eaten by Pac-Man, then it is done working.  To me, I can visualize a small, bright yellow, Pac-Man, clearing a path by eating all the dots until there is nothing left.  It’s kind of fun relating an enzyme’s action to that of an arcade game I played as a child.  It adds a playful attitude to “chemicals at work”.

steaminfaceThe great thing about using an enzyme on the skin is that no matter the amount of time it is left on the skin, once when it has done all its work, it no longer stays active.  This is important for those who tend to damage their skin with active ingredients that continue to work when left on the skin.  Enzymes allow more of a cushion for treating the skin and deliver wonderful results as well; however, they stop working when heat is applied to skin.  Stay away from hot towels or steam when using an enzyme because it will kill the enzyme.  Enzymes work best on your own body temperature.

Next time you see a product that contains an enzyme, think of it as the Pac-Man that is going to clear a path on your skin from all the debris that has been laying on it.  Enzymes can be used on all skin types, sensitive skin, dry skin, maturing skin, acneic skin and photo-damaged skin.

 

Skin To Caretaker

Stop!BodySilhouette

Will you please stop?!?

Look at me.

Am I pleasing to the eye?!?

Love.

You call this love?!?

Care for me.

Can you just give me some TLC?!?

Quality.

Do I not deserve quality?!?

Protect, shield me.

Will you provide me shelter?!?

Maintenance.

Am I functioning properly?!?

Neglect, abandon me.

You are all I got?!?

Nourish.

Can you feed me healthy nutrients?!?

You and me.

Do you?!?…and I’ll do me.

 

 

 

 

 

Look For a Pattern

 

Leonardo Da Vinci's Codex of Atlanticus, a game of finding patterns.

Leonardo Da Vinci’s Codex of Atlanticus, a game of finding patterns.

I like to read inspirational books in regards to business and success.  One of my favorite books is, 100 Simple Secrets of Successful People, (What Scientists have learned and how you can use it.) written by David Niven, Ph.D.  In chapter 32 of the book, he states, “Great thinkers notice patterns”.  He continues writing about how people who notice patterns can decipher what goes along with what that others are unable to recognize.

I think that Dr. David Niven’s theory can applied to skincare.  As an Aesthetician, when I’m looking at my client’s skin, I look for patterns.  These patterns can be physical, what I am directly looking at, at that specific time on each client.  These patterns can be habitual, what common habits do my clients have in common.  These patterns can also be environmental, what types of external elements are my clients being exposed to.

smokingacigaretteIt is the commonality of certain patterns I notice, that I then can make a deduction.  For instance, cigarette smoke creates a yellow hue on the skin around the upper lip, chin and fingers used to hold the cigarette.  This staining on the skin is due to the carcinogenic factor of the smoke emitted from the cigarette.  The same thing applies to weed, cigars, pipe smoking, etc., the only variance is the shade of the hue changing from yellow to a greyish-brown.  Smoking also causes premature aging, fine lines appear faster along the lips and crows feet around the eyes.

When I see certain patterns, I am able to treat the skin with the right kind of products and devices.  Knowing what creates what allows me to better apply the proper care.  You don’t have to be an Aesthetician or Dermatologist to notice patterns within your own skin.  Use your acute sensibility to what you see on your own skin.  Look for a pattern that distinguishes certain results.  If your eyes get puffy after eating sushi the day before, observe the salt intake of the soy sauce you used to marinate the sushi you ate.  Drink water to relieve that excess water retention being held under the eyes.

man-looking-in-the-mirror1Look for a pattern within your skin and create your own skin success.  Fine tune your awareness when you’re applying product on the skin and see how your skin reacts, is it good or is the response bad?  We usually notice when something is bad with our skin because our skin will let you know by turning a different color, (mostly red) and even break out in a rash.  When that type of reaction occurs with a product then we are quicker to notice it and refrain from causing that bad reaction again.  Seeing patterns with your skin and relating it to your habits, environmental exposure and physical appearance will help you to maintain a healthy lifestyle for your skin.

Welcome!

IMG_0432 Welcome, I am so happy you have stopped by and visited my blog.  Skinification was a very fun blog I had for a couple years.  One day, I went to repair the site and accidentally installed a new format which deleted my site in its entirety.  All the posts, all the hard work and research I had done for those two years were GONE!  I was devastated but also ready for a new change.

There is more to me than just skincare, I am a licensed Massage Therapist, still work in the spa industry, write for fun and for magazine publications, love music and find myself dancing randomly  to any given song.  Health and wellness are extremely important to me because living a balanced life is vital for longevity in today’s society.  My new blog will discuss more than just skin, it will discuss my well-rounded knowledge of wellness as a whole.

This blog is my own opinion.  I write with a disclaimer, certain things may not be good for you so always make sure to check with your health care provider before trying something new to you.