I went in today to have Kael fill in a few spots where lashes have fallen off. i also noticed they kind of clump together, and i am not sure how aggressive i can be in brushing them apart with my lash brush, so i scheduled a quick follow-up consult.
She replaced a few that had fallen out and said that it is very typical for a few to fall out. she also showed me how i could brush them with the lash brush and fan them out. they are fragile, but not as fragile as i imagined, so now i feel a little more comfortable brushing through them.
this morning after my shower, they were a little clumped together, so i took the lash brush and fanned them out. two of them did come out, but i can't notice a difference.
i have not experienced any of the discomfort that some have experienced. i really like not having to put mascara on daily and even more so, love not having to remove it every evening!
kimberly
I guess you could call this "Before"
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Lash Extensions $150 (initial appointment) $50-75 for follow-up
This is an appointment that i have been looking forward to. Anything that helps make my daily beauty routine simpler is a wonderful thing to me.
Here is a photo of me with my natural lashes.
Because my natural lashes are so light, Kael started by tinting them a dark brown so that they would blend with the extensions. once they were tinted, she rinsed all the tint off and then applied the protective sheilds below my eyes (see photos). the lash extensions come in various lengths, and she chose a length that close to my natural length. just like my own lashes, which are shorter, closest to my nose and gradually longer to the outsides, she applied the extensions. they are put on one by one, alternating from the left to the right eye. by alternating it gave each lash a chance to dry before applying the next. so back and forth she worked for about an hour.
the process was completely painless, for that matter, feelingless (is that a word?). i could feel her fingers on my eyebrows as she steadied them but i could not feel the lashes being glued on. at one point i slightly dozed off. it was a pretty relaxing procedure.
Kael gave me a couple pointers to make these lashes last as long as possible.
1. do not use waterproof mascara. in fact the ultimate goal would be to not use any, since the lashes are fuller and they are dark brown anyhow.
2. do not use oil-based eye makeup remover. the oil can break down the glue.
3. be gentle with your eyes.
some clients experience a little bit of discomfort the next day. it can be attributed to the lashes being glued to the lids, and the glue kinda tugging at the lid. also, if you sleep on your side or tummy, it can put pressure on the lashes, causes the pressure. i made an effort to sleep on my back, and i did not wake up with any discomfort.
i did notice that when i wash my face, i have to be very gentle washing around my eyes. i am not sure how gentle i am supposed to be, but i avoided them all together. i soaped up my fingers and just massaged my lids, but i tried not to touch my lashes.
i think that the lashes are very subtle. so much so, that i don't think anyone would even suspect i have lash extensions unless i pointed them out. this is a service that i would love to continue to have. i really enjoy having one less thing to do in my morning routine.
Here is a photo of me with my natural lashes.
Because my natural lashes are so light, Kael started by tinting them a dark brown so that they would blend with the extensions. once they were tinted, she rinsed all the tint off and then applied the protective sheilds below my eyes (see photos). the lash extensions come in various lengths, and she chose a length that close to my natural length. just like my own lashes, which are shorter, closest to my nose and gradually longer to the outsides, she applied the extensions. they are put on one by one, alternating from the left to the right eye. by alternating it gave each lash a chance to dry before applying the next. so back and forth she worked for about an hour.
the process was completely painless, for that matter, feelingless (is that a word?). i could feel her fingers on my eyebrows as she steadied them but i could not feel the lashes being glued on. at one point i slightly dozed off. it was a pretty relaxing procedure.
Kael gave me a couple pointers to make these lashes last as long as possible.
1. do not use waterproof mascara. in fact the ultimate goal would be to not use any, since the lashes are fuller and they are dark brown anyhow.
2. do not use oil-based eye makeup remover. the oil can break down the glue.
3. be gentle with your eyes.
some clients experience a little bit of discomfort the next day. it can be attributed to the lashes being glued to the lids, and the glue kinda tugging at the lid. also, if you sleep on your side or tummy, it can put pressure on the lashes, causes the pressure. i made an effort to sleep on my back, and i did not wake up with any discomfort.
i did notice that when i wash my face, i have to be very gentle washing around my eyes. i am not sure how gentle i am supposed to be, but i avoided them all together. i soaped up my fingers and just massaged my lids, but i tried not to touch my lashes.
i think that the lashes are very subtle. so much so, that i don't think anyone would even suspect i have lash extensions unless i pointed them out. this is a service that i would love to continue to have. i really enjoy having one less thing to do in my morning routine.
Friday, February 10, 2012
1 year follow-up appointment
It's hard for me to believe it's been 1 year since i first started this blog. it was a turning point in my life...i started to pay attention to my skin, the amount of water i was drinking and how things that i eat or drink affect my skin, and the way i feel.
i thought it would be a good idea to go meet with Megan at Misbehaven and have her take a close up look at my skin. i wanted to see if my skin has digressed, if the little changes i have made, taking most of the advice she gave me, modifying others to my budget, but overall making lots of changes to my beauty regimen, had made a difference.
it was unfortunate that the day i met with her, i had not had any water to drink yet that day. i had lots of water the days before that, but that particular day i had been out and about and just hadn't had a chance to hydrate. (although i'd found time for lots of coffee and even a soda):
Megan put on her microscope looking goggles and took a close look at my skin. she did notice it was dehydrated, a little red, and my forehead was a little oilier than usual. all of which can happen when skin is dehydrated. she said the lines around my mouth were a little more pronounced. shoot. we came to the conclusion that a big part of the wrinkles around my mouth are because i sleep on either my stomach or my side, squishing my face. sounds lovely, huh?
i don't see myself changing my sleeping pattern, so i guess i will live with the wrinkles around my mouth. but i do recognize that i need to drink more water.
i told megan that i had been using Eminence Moisturizer daily and also using the exfolliant for my face daily. i have incorporated a vitamin E oil to my face at night. i was curious if that was clogging my pores, but she said it was not.
all in all, my daily beauty routine seems to be working just fine. i just need to keep drinking lots and lots of water.
which consists of:
cleansing in the morning,
moisturizing with Eminence Rose whip moisturizer right after i wash my face
a little bare minerals natural colored eye shadow
mascara
eminence bronzing blush.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Hot Stone Massage
Let me start by saying, there is no way to fully give credit to the wonderful relaxing feeling this massage provided, but let me try to explain to you, just how lovely it felt.
Margo really set the stage for a relaxing massage. the lights were low, if not off, and a few candles were flickering. there was some peaceful music playing in the background and the temperature in the room was very warm. she started the massage on the back of my legs. she used a warm oil and massaged my calves and feet. then she took the flat hot stones and put them in the palm of her hand and massaged with the stones. the oil helped the stones just glide over the skin. when she was finished massaging my feet, she took small flat stones and placed them between each toe, then wrapped my feet up in the blanket. after massaging my entire leg, she moved up to my back and arms, with the same hot stone & oil technique. how long did this take? i have to confess, i dozed off. it was sooo completely relaxing that i fell into a light sleep. the hot stones were just so soothing on my muscles. this type of massage isn't a deep tissue massage, where they are working on specific muscles which can be slightly abrazive, but more of a gliding feeling, with the intense heat.
once Margo had worked all the way up to my fingertips and upper back, she had me turn onto my back, and she started the whole massage over again, but this time on the front of my legs.
i can not express enough just how wonderful this felt. i was, and i mean this with all my heart, nearly in tears as i laid there thinking to myself "WHAT can i do to convince EVERYONE that this is a massage that they NEED and DESERVE!" I was thinking of ways i could contact every husband i know and tell him he HAD to purchase one of these massages for his wife! what a perfect gift of spa treatment!
side note:
one of the things i talked to Margo about was how it felt for me to be having such a luxurious treatment, and consequently how hard her hands and fingers have to work to make this such a wonderful feeling. it always makes me feel kinda sad when i get these kinds of treatments that require such intense patience, strength and agility from the ladies. i told Margo "On one hand i want to send EVERYONE to you, on the other hand i feel bad that your hands would be so tired at the end of the day!" she reassured me that it would be a WoNdErFuL thing if i encouraged everyone to come and get a hot stone massage.
once she had massaged my arms, all the way to my fingertips, she placed the hot stone in my palm and then closed my fingers over it, and tucked my hands to my side. then she worked her way all the way up to my neck, continued the massage on my face, my head and even my ear lobes.
the entire massage was almost 2 hours. when i got up, i was completely relaxed. my hair was a mess, from her massaging my scalp, so i recommend you do this when you can just go home afterwards.
please if you decide to treat yourself to a Hot Stone Massage, leave me a comment and tell me how your experience was!
photos courtesy of photobucket.com
Margo really set the stage for a relaxing massage. the lights were low, if not off, and a few candles were flickering. there was some peaceful music playing in the background and the temperature in the room was very warm. she started the massage on the back of my legs. she used a warm oil and massaged my calves and feet. then she took the flat hot stones and put them in the palm of her hand and massaged with the stones. the oil helped the stones just glide over the skin. when she was finished massaging my feet, she took small flat stones and placed them between each toe, then wrapped my feet up in the blanket. after massaging my entire leg, she moved up to my back and arms, with the same hot stone & oil technique. how long did this take? i have to confess, i dozed off. it was sooo completely relaxing that i fell into a light sleep. the hot stones were just so soothing on my muscles. this type of massage isn't a deep tissue massage, where they are working on specific muscles which can be slightly abrazive, but more of a gliding feeling, with the intense heat.
once Margo had worked all the way up to my fingertips and upper back, she had me turn onto my back, and she started the whole massage over again, but this time on the front of my legs.
i can not express enough just how wonderful this felt. i was, and i mean this with all my heart, nearly in tears as i laid there thinking to myself "WHAT can i do to convince EVERYONE that this is a massage that they NEED and DESERVE!" I was thinking of ways i could contact every husband i know and tell him he HAD to purchase one of these massages for his wife! what a perfect gift of spa treatment!
side note:
one of the things i talked to Margo about was how it felt for me to be having such a luxurious treatment, and consequently how hard her hands and fingers have to work to make this such a wonderful feeling. it always makes me feel kinda sad when i get these kinds of treatments that require such intense patience, strength and agility from the ladies. i told Margo "On one hand i want to send EVERYONE to you, on the other hand i feel bad that your hands would be so tired at the end of the day!" she reassured me that it would be a WoNdErFuL thing if i encouraged everyone to come and get a hot stone massage.
once she had massaged my arms, all the way to my fingertips, she placed the hot stone in my palm and then closed my fingers over it, and tucked my hands to my side. then she worked her way all the way up to my neck, continued the massage on my face, my head and even my ear lobes.
the entire massage was almost 2 hours. when i got up, i was completely relaxed. my hair was a mess, from her massaging my scalp, so i recommend you do this when you can just go home afterwards.
please if you decide to treat yourself to a Hot Stone Massage, leave me a comment and tell me how your experience was!
photos courtesy of photobucket.com
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Body Exfoliation with Slimming wrap $85
one of the services that i have been anxiously awaiting was the Body Exfoliation wrap. I scheduled this one intentionally right before i went on vacation. Ciara did the treatment on me. i had the choice between a "Slimming Mask" or a "Deep Moisturizing". i easily chose the "Slimming Mask". Ciara said that this kind of mask is typically a "Series" treatment, and that most likely i wouldn't see any slimming effects after just one session. but i was willing to take a chance!
She started the treatment by exfoliating my legs with a sugar scrub. the sugar scrub dissolves quicker than a salt scrub, but the sugars are also supposed to help with the moisturizing. then she used hot towels to wipe all the exfoliation product off. then she put the blueberry with paprika mask on my legs and wrapped them in plastic, similar to saran wrap. she exfoliated my stomach, chest and arms next. then she put the blueberry mask on the rest of my body and then wrapped my entire body in the plastic wrap. then she put the body blanket over me and wrapped me up. I layed there for a few minutes before she began the unraveling process. Ciara finished the service by putting a moisturizing Stone Crop product all over. my skin felt brand new and incredibly supple. She recommended i drink 50-100 ounces of water a day over the next few days and eliminate coffee and soda to help with the removal of toxins. She also recommended that i moisturize deeply twice a day for the next two days.
This service was absolutely relaxing, and i think would be a perfect thing to have done in the winter, when skin feels so dry, or before a prom, weddding or any other event when you might be exposing your skin. my skin feels wonderful!
For someone who wants to have JUST the exfoliation process, without the slimming or intense moisture mask, it would be $65 rather than $85.
I highly recommend every woman to ask for an "Exfoliation Body Wrap" for christmas or their birthday gift!
She started the treatment by exfoliating my legs with a sugar scrub. the sugar scrub dissolves quicker than a salt scrub, but the sugars are also supposed to help with the moisturizing. then she used hot towels to wipe all the exfoliation product off. then she put the blueberry with paprika mask on my legs and wrapped them in plastic, similar to saran wrap. she exfoliated my stomach, chest and arms next. then she put the blueberry mask on the rest of my body and then wrapped my entire body in the plastic wrap. then she put the body blanket over me and wrapped me up. I layed there for a few minutes before she began the unraveling process. Ciara finished the service by putting a moisturizing Stone Crop product all over. my skin felt brand new and incredibly supple. She recommended i drink 50-100 ounces of water a day over the next few days and eliminate coffee and soda to help with the removal of toxins. She also recommended that i moisturize deeply twice a day for the next two days.
This service was absolutely relaxing, and i think would be a perfect thing to have done in the winter, when skin feels so dry, or before a prom, weddding or any other event when you might be exposing your skin. my skin feels wonderful!
For someone who wants to have JUST the exfoliation process, without the slimming or intense moisture mask, it would be $65 rather than $85.
I highly recommend every woman to ask for an "Exfoliation Body Wrap" for christmas or their birthday gift!
Friday, October 14, 2011
1/2 Hour Swedish Massage & 1/2 Hour Deep Tissue Massage $40 ea.
Monday i had the pleasure of a 1/2 hour swedish massage with Sandra at Misbehaven. from start to finish it was a very pleasant and relaxing experience. low lights, soft music set the stage. the massage started with me laying on my back and the first thing Sandra did was put a Stone Crop facial product on her hands and began the soft massage on my face. it was just enough pressure to be very relaxing. the scent of the stone crop product was lovely. one thing that really stuck out to me was the pressure she put on my cheekbones. it seemed to open up my sinuses. the soft pressure allowed me to breath clearly, where as i usually feel slightly stuffed up. the focus of the massage was my head, neck arms and back. i was worried that when i left the massage i would be greasy feeling, but the oils that she massaged with did not leave me feeling oily. i would recommend a 1/2 hour swedish massage for anyone who just wants a quick relaxing massage, not too much pressure, just very relaxing.
Thursday i went for my deep tissue massage with Margo. this massage focuses on the upper body, and even more specifically, wherever you may have issues or tension. i tend to hold my tension in my upper body. my shoulders are tight, and i have a nagging (feels like a pinched nerve) around my right shoulder blade. the room was low light and again, relaxing music in the background and a chocolate on the pillow, which i enjoyed right away. this massage began with me laying on my stomach, and the Margo massaging my back. she used all kinds of pressure and movements on my back and neck. it was a much more intense massage. i won't say it was painful, but i also say it took some effort on my part to relax, since the type of massage was so deep that it kinda hurt. ok, so i said it. i did kinda hurt at times. Margo asked me several times if the pressure was too intense, but since i knew that she was aware of where my tension was, and those were the areas where the pressure was so intense, i told her to continue with the amount of pressure she was putting. she massaged my back, neck, arms and scalp. then i flipped to my back and she did an upper chest & neck massage, as well as a my face, scalp and even my ears. again her pressure was pretty intense, but a little more relaxing then the massage on my back and shoulders.
i opted for the additional $10 paraffin wax treatment on my feet, so before Margo started the front side massage, she put my feet in footie bags that had hot paraffin in them. then she put my feet into a sock of sorts and velcro'd them shut around my calves. my feet sat in the paraffin during the entire 2nd half of my massage. the foot soak was wonderful.
as soon as the massage was over, i noticed that i felt stuffed up. Margo greeted me after the massage with a glass of water. about an hour later i had quite an intense headache. i ended up not feeling so hot that evening, feeling even a tad nauseated and opted to go to bed early since i wasn't feeling all that good. this morning when i was on a walk with a friend, i told her about my deep tissue massage, and she said that those symptoms of nausea, headache, etc., are very common from deep tissue massages. the intense massage releases toxins from the body. she also said that one way to avoid those symptoms is to drink lots of water after the massage. other than the glass Margo gave me, i did not drink any more water that day. i didn't do any research to confirm what my friend said, but it would make sense as to why i didn't feel good shortly after my massage.
this morning when i woke up i noticed that my shoulder muscles are sore from the deep pressure. the nagging pain in my right shoulder blade is not bothering me though, so that is a relief. next time i will try hydrating myself after my massage.
Thursday i went for my deep tissue massage with Margo. this massage focuses on the upper body, and even more specifically, wherever you may have issues or tension. i tend to hold my tension in my upper body. my shoulders are tight, and i have a nagging (feels like a pinched nerve) around my right shoulder blade. the room was low light and again, relaxing music in the background and a chocolate on the pillow, which i enjoyed right away. this massage began with me laying on my stomach, and the Margo massaging my back. she used all kinds of pressure and movements on my back and neck. it was a much more intense massage. i won't say it was painful, but i also say it took some effort on my part to relax, since the type of massage was so deep that it kinda hurt. ok, so i said it. i did kinda hurt at times. Margo asked me several times if the pressure was too intense, but since i knew that she was aware of where my tension was, and those were the areas where the pressure was so intense, i told her to continue with the amount of pressure she was putting. she massaged my back, neck, arms and scalp. then i flipped to my back and she did an upper chest & neck massage, as well as a my face, scalp and even my ears. again her pressure was pretty intense, but a little more relaxing then the massage on my back and shoulders.
i opted for the additional $10 paraffin wax treatment on my feet, so before Margo started the front side massage, she put my feet in footie bags that had hot paraffin in them. then she put my feet into a sock of sorts and velcro'd them shut around my calves. my feet sat in the paraffin during the entire 2nd half of my massage. the foot soak was wonderful.
as soon as the massage was over, i noticed that i felt stuffed up. Margo greeted me after the massage with a glass of water. about an hour later i had quite an intense headache. i ended up not feeling so hot that evening, feeling even a tad nauseated and opted to go to bed early since i wasn't feeling all that good. this morning when i was on a walk with a friend, i told her about my deep tissue massage, and she said that those symptoms of nausea, headache, etc., are very common from deep tissue massages. the intense massage releases toxins from the body. she also said that one way to avoid those symptoms is to drink lots of water after the massage. other than the glass Margo gave me, i did not drink any more water that day. i didn't do any research to confirm what my friend said, but it would make sense as to why i didn't feel good shortly after my massage.
this morning when i woke up i noticed that my shoulder muscles are sore from the deep pressure. the nagging pain in my right shoulder blade is not bothering me though, so that is a relief. next time i will try hydrating myself after my massage.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Henna $35
Sandy at Misbehaven did the Henna on my chest. it only lasted a couple days, but i loved it while it was there. by the 3rd day, it was faded out just enough to look kinda like splotchy patches, and with my freckles, it just kinda blended. Sandy told me before the whole process that henna doesn't last as long on the chest because of the skin being thinner there. it lasts longest on hands, arms, feet & legs.
there is all kinds of tradition that go along with henna, for example the bride to be will have her feet and legs henna'd before her wedding, and the more detailed and intricate the design, and the higher up her leg, the more patience she must have. also, her husband to be's initials will be hidden somewhere in the design and it isn't until he finds his initials that the wedding can be consummated. an ice breaker for sure, since they may not have ever had a chance to talk, prior to the wedding. but the most intriguing tradition is that after the bride and groom are wed, the sisters and his mother will stay with them and do all the chores, cooking, cleaning, etc., until her henna is completely gone. Hence the care and attention to preserving the henna, such as putting olive oil on it, and covering it will vaseline before bathing, to help preserve it.
Sandy started by drawing the peacock design on my chest, and then filling in the details. she finished with dusting it with green, teal and blue glitter dust, then filled in the circles on the feathers with jewels. the adornment is just a way to make the henna, which is like a brown looking toothpaste consistency, look pretty while it is setting on your skin. i had the henna applied at 2:30 in the afternoon, and then had to wear a strapless top to keep the area free of anything that could rub the henna off. that evening before bed, i put olive oil on the henna and let it just soak in for a bit, before wiping it off. i used a little warm water to try and get the excess glitter and oil off my chest. at that point, the stain was very faint, almost unnoticeable, but by the next morning it had turned to a darker brown shade. by day 3 it was, like i mentioned earlier, it was not really obvious that i had a henna on my chest, and looked more like splotchy skin. the henna was almost the color of my freckles so i think that is another reason it didn't show up very much.
i had several people who saw the henna the first day, with the dusted glitter comment how gorgeous it was.
i think for $35 it's well worth the experience. i know i will have it done again. next time i am going to have my feet done with an intricate design. put on a pair of flip flops and you look like you have the most beautiful slippers on.
there is all kinds of tradition that go along with henna, for example the bride to be will have her feet and legs henna'd before her wedding, and the more detailed and intricate the design, and the higher up her leg, the more patience she must have. also, her husband to be's initials will be hidden somewhere in the design and it isn't until he finds his initials that the wedding can be consummated. an ice breaker for sure, since they may not have ever had a chance to talk, prior to the wedding. but the most intriguing tradition is that after the bride and groom are wed, the sisters and his mother will stay with them and do all the chores, cooking, cleaning, etc., until her henna is completely gone. Hence the care and attention to preserving the henna, such as putting olive oil on it, and covering it will vaseline before bathing, to help preserve it.
Sandy started by drawing the peacock design on my chest, and then filling in the details. she finished with dusting it with green, teal and blue glitter dust, then filled in the circles on the feathers with jewels. the adornment is just a way to make the henna, which is like a brown looking toothpaste consistency, look pretty while it is setting on your skin. i had the henna applied at 2:30 in the afternoon, and then had to wear a strapless top to keep the area free of anything that could rub the henna off. that evening before bed, i put olive oil on the henna and let it just soak in for a bit, before wiping it off. i used a little warm water to try and get the excess glitter and oil off my chest. at that point, the stain was very faint, almost unnoticeable, but by the next morning it had turned to a darker brown shade. by day 3 it was, like i mentioned earlier, it was not really obvious that i had a henna on my chest, and looked more like splotchy skin. the henna was almost the color of my freckles so i think that is another reason it didn't show up very much.
i had several people who saw the henna the first day, with the dusted glitter comment how gorgeous it was.
i think for $35 it's well worth the experience. i know i will have it done again. next time i am going to have my feet done with an intricate design. put on a pair of flip flops and you look like you have the most beautiful slippers on.
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