What Is Your Skin Telling You?

Here is a great article with some amazing information that we all need to know! Click here and read >> What is your skin telling you?

It is so amazing how our skin's health is connected with so many other areas of our bodies! What you think may be another pesky break out could really be so much more... Last summer I was breaking out on my forehead (area 3). My doctor told me it was because I was dehydrated. The weather was extra dry, and this girl was not drinking enough water to compensate.  I would have never known to make that connection! This article explains that, and so much more. Pay attention to your skin. What is it trying to tell you? 

BRIDAL BUZZ

Some Bridal Buzz Tips From My Wedding Day, December 1st, 2012!

Some of these topics might be a little crazy, but they are everyday issues we all face... Just keeping it real.

**Check out this article by clicking the link below for an amazing DIY mask to give you the wedding-day glow! I tried it, and was blown away by the results!**

Yogurt & Honey: 2 Key Ingredients in Your DIY Facial

One thing you should invest in on your big day is AIRBRUSH MAKE-UP...

For those of us who were not born with the perfect, China-doll complexion, the airbrush foundation application is the way to go. It makes your pores look tiny, and gives you the porcelain/flawless finish we all strive for. You know, the ones you see in every picture you pin on Pinterest? I did it for my engagement photos and for my wedding day! Believe me, it is the way to go.

My skin was doing the best EVER until 2 days before my wedding- OF COURSE. All the anxiety/stress/excitement showed themselves right in the middle of my forehead, which is very common for most brides. With the airbrush make-up you could not even see the bump in person, much less the photography!

A little hint, in case this happens to you:

DO NOT SQUEEZE! Trust me, that is harder than it seems. It only makes things ten times worse. My make-up artist let me know that the best thing to do is to use a warm compress on the area with the break-out. Take a washcloth and moisten it with hot water. Fold it up and apply it to the pimple.  As the outer folds of the washcloth start to cool, refold it so the warmer inside layers are exposed and reapply.  After 10 or 15 minutes when the washcloth has cooled off, run it under more hot water to get it hot again and repeat.  Keep doing this for as long as you've got time. Visine eye-drops reduce the redness in the pimple. You can squeeze some on a Q-tip or cotton ball and apply. AND you wont believe what you can use to shrink it!!! Keep reading ;)

*~My Bag of Tricks~* In my bag of tricks for the wedding, one of the most important things I made sure I had was..... Preparation H cream!! Not for the intended use of course- haha! Any hemorrhoid cream does WONDERS on under-eye circles, bags, and puffiness. I got about 3 hours of sleep the night before my wedding because I was so excited. The next morning, it would have been very obvious. I applied the cream before I went to sleep. When I woke up, I could not believe how effective that was! The point of the cream is to shrink swelling/ inflammation on the area in which it is applied (gross, I know). So, it also shrinks the swelling of pimples! Pretty cool stuff. The only downfall is, it is kind of embarrassing when you buy some at the drug store :) 

Another remedy for under eye puffiness (if you have more time) is potato slices. Raw potato slices will help tighten baggy, puffy eyes. All you need is a potato and a knife or slicer! Leave them on for 10 minutes. They truly work wonders. The last remedy for the pesky under-eye circles/puffiness is the frozen spoon trick. Freeze two spoons over-night. The morning of your big day completely dry under your eyes (you know why- go ahead, get a mental picture of the spoons being frozen to your face, lol). Lie down and place the bottom part of the spoons on your eyes. Once the coldness of the back of the spoons dissipates, turn them over to the scooped side. Leave the spoons in that position until they get warm.

If you have any crazy remedies in your Bag of Tricks, I would love to hear about them!! We all need affordable, DIY, at-home remedies to help with those every day pesky problems, and to help us look our best on our big day!

Much Love!!! Meg

Golden Words For Your Skin-Care Regimen: Word # 1

The Golden Words of Glowing SKIN

Do you have a skin-care regimen? By the time we are in our mid-twenties, we should have a routine skin-care regimen in place. It is important not to over-do our skin regimen, since that can "stress" your skin and cause it to be irritated. Also, we must make sure what we are doing is truly necessary. It is important to know what gives the best result over time, and provides your skin what it craves.  

Here is Golden Word Number One:

Exfoliate: It is so important to exfoliate your skin about once a week. There is a difference between washing your face and exfoliating. We should wash our face in the morning with gentle cleansers for a fresh palette to apply our make-up too, and before we go to sleep, to wash the dead skin, make-up, oil, and dirt build-up. The facial cleansers we choose should not have the harsh treatments, parabens, or fillers in them (that you get from most stores). I suggest asking a specialist what is best for your skin, especially if it is sensitive like mine. I used products from local stores that only made my face worse! Finally, I found a delicate cleanser that I can't live without! (Just message me directly if you would like to hear about it). Once a week, we should defer to a gentle/textured scrub. These scrubs truly give you the GLOW you desire as they pull away the dead layer of skin that builds up over the week. Also, try the spinning brushes that gently exfoliate giving that healthy, polished shine. Remember it is so important not to over exfoliate your skin (even though the glow you get afterwards is kind of addicting!). 

Myth Busters!!! Most of us have heard the myth that it is OK to sleep in your make-up since it acts as a moisturizer to your skin. That part may be true, BUT there is so much more to the story. There are so many "extra" things in our make-up that are not good to keep on for an extended period of time. It is not good to sleep in your make-up since bacteria can grow, and the oil/dirt/make-up can settle into your pores and existing wrinkles. Not only does this clog your pores for a pimple/blackhead-FEST and make the appearance of wrinkles worse, but it can give your skin a dull and grayish look since dead skin cells build up. We do not want that! INSTEAD, wash your face with a gentle cleanser before you go to bed, and use some good moisture cream (since our skin dehydrates while we sleep). I will share more about that in the up-coming posts. 

*Message me directly if you would like to hear about some amazing products that can help you exfoliate!

Much LOVE from MeGlow!!

   

Complimentary Facial

OK- I took advantage of my complimentary skin treatment that I discussed in the previous post.... and I have to say, that was a piece of CAKE! I was a little nervous, but it was so quick and easy. I only felt a tiny bit of tingling that tickled just a little. Two days ago I had this done over my lunch break, and it lasted about 45 minutes! The treatment I got was the Oxygen Trio. I was told by my skin specialist (who is AMAZING) that I would see full results in 24-48 hours. I could see the results soon after I left. I will definitely be doing this again in the next several weeks. Check out the before and after pics! In both I am wearing eye makeup but no face makeup. Pretty cool, huh?? 

Before          AFTER!!!                                     Another AFTER pic :)

Before, my face had some scarring, sunspots, and redness. After my Oxygen trio facial, I did not even need to wear face makeup to work. My skin looked better afterwards than it did with makeup on before! It was cool to the touch and felt smooth and refreshed.

Email me at meglow8@gmail.com for information about my skin care treatment, skin care specialist, different products available to you, etc. It is totally worth it!! -Meg

Get the Professional Wedding Day GLOW that fits in YOUR budget!

Click here for >> Beauty Tips on Pre-Wedding Facials!

 

Tips for a Wedding Day Glow 

Or any special event that you want to “WOW” people (Reunion, Graduation, etc.)!

That time in your life is finally here. The day you have dreamed of since you were a little girl. You have seen your friends do it, your sister, cousins, etc. Now- it is your day in the spotlight, your time to GLOW. The last thing you need is a big pimple, dry or lackluster skin screwing up your perfect day. We all focus and stress over working out, getting the perfect dress, hairstyle, etc. But- our skin is our best accessory- hence the term "Blushing- Bride". It is never too soon to get a head start on your wedding day complexion. I suggest consulting an aesthetician or dermatologist to discuss any concerns/issues. Then, it is time to decide on your bridal boot-camp skincare plan of action! Don't be afraid to try these skin treatments. I was nervous at first because the terms "abrasion" and "peel" aren't too "a-peeling" (haha). If you’ve never had a facial before, have one right away so you know how your skin will react. Get recommendations from friends, from your favorite blogs, magazine beauty-editor blogs, makeup artists, etc. My suggestion is to try these long before your wedding just to see how your skin reacts. You will probably be surprised at the results! 

Keep Reading by clicking "Read More" below, to find out facial treatments to consider, what to expect, and how you can fit this in your budget!

Awesome article!

Click Here>> StyleList | How to Get a Glowing Complexion

Out with the Orange

OK- We all know we feel so much prettier with a tan, right? I know I do.  I would try on bathing suits and clothes under the horrifying fluorescent lights in dressing rooms -you know, the ones that make you hate your life? The ones that make you want to throw everything you just tried on in a dumpster because you look fat and pale? AND, the ones that made your skin look disgusting?! After leaving the shopping center, I would feel depressed and ugly. I would diet and tan my life away until I felt better! I used to tan every other day, and for some reason, it made me feel skinnier!And for the time being, it made my face seem more clear, and less oily. Then I hit a brick wall.  Not only did I notice larger pores and WRINKLES over time, but it is extremely dangerous. I have more sun spots on me that I need to monitor and have checked by a dermatologist. Have you ever looked in one of those lights that show the UV damage you have gotten over the years? I have.... there was my brick wall- and it HURT. Now that I am getting married, I have decided to truly focus on my skin, and getting it healthy again for the wedding. I have not tanned in a tanning bed in a year, and wear SPF 20 daily. I have seen incredible improvements!! Flawless, supple, even-toned skin is so much more attractive than the leathery look. Trust me, you will regret it if you do not start taking care of your skin NOW. It is never too late to start. If you want a nice, healthy color and glow (and still want that "skinny" look/feeling) go for a spray-tan. Just make sure it is not very dark, and they only go over your face lightly! Stay tuned to learn about more products I use to help my skin glow!

Here are some pictures showing my skin improvements. I have less puffiness, less sun spots, more supple/ moisturized skin, less wrinkles, more even skin tone. That is a combination for LESS MAKE-UP!

Before :    

After: