So...I got Dysport!

I'll be 34 in a couple of weeks (May 16 to be exact) and while by no stretch of the imagination do I consider that to be OLLLLLLLLLLD I am definitely not getting any younger. My forehead has always been a big insecurity of mine, from pregnancy-induced melasma, to the "surprise" lines that never go away, even when I'm not surprised, to the permanently etched 11's right in between my eye brows that made me look angry, when I wasn't. (Ah, the good old resting bitch face.) I'd been thinking about getting some sort of help with my forehead, by way of injections for the last few years, but would always talk myself out of it. "You're too young." // "It will hurt." //  "People will judge you!" Were all thoughts that ran through my head. I'd been approached by my friends at Blackhawk Plastic Surgery & MedSpa before about doing Dysport, but always politely declined, thanks to the excuses running through my head. Well, when I was offered again a few weeks ago I decided to go for it!

First off - what is Dysport? You've all heard of Botox, right? Dysport is basically a different brand of botox. It's a prescription injection that smooths wrinkles and lines. It temporarily paralyzes the muscles that it's injected to, so not only does it treat those lines and wrinkles, but it's a preventative measure too. If you can't continue to make motion with those lines and wrinkles (and those nasty 11's that always make you look angry!) they can't get any deeper, and they can't get any worse.

I've been to Dr. Ronan's office before, for a HydraFacial so I was familiar with it. The office is clean, friendly and inviting, and located in beautiful Blackhawk Plaza. The entire staff is so welcoming and friendly, and it really is a place that you feel comfortable and welcome.

Please bear with the terrible picture, but here is an untouched close up right before the procedure. It's a bit blown out, so you can't see quite how bad the 11's were, but trust me - they were deep and unhappy.

When I got to Blackhawk Plastic Surgery I spoke to Dr. Ronan about the insecurities with my surprise lines and 11's. He showed me exactly where he was going to inject, and what to expect. Knowing that I didn't want to look frozen he said he'd go moderate. He also prefers to use Dysport as opposed to Botox because it gives a more natural look. I was nervous all day leading up to the procedure. I have a pretty high pain threshold but I've never had a needle in my face. The fear of the unknown was getting to me, lol.

So - did it hurt?! NOPE! Not at all. You definitely feel a slight pinch for about a half a second at each of the injection spots, but I can say with complete confidence that it does not hurt in the slightest.

So - how does it look?!  Well, here I am, just about a week and a half later. Completely untouched, and unedited. The only makeup I'm wearing is CC Cream, mascara and lipstick. The 11's that made me look constantly angry are GONE!! (Peace out, RBF!) The deep "surprise lines" just about completely diminished, though you can still see my expressions quite clearly. I feel that it's a subtle difference to anyone who isn't me, but I am so incredibly happy with the final results! In just the last week I've had so many people (friends, family and strangers!) stop and tell me that my skin looks great. I feel more confident, and haven't once been asked if I'm angry when I'm not. (Again, peace out RBF!)  It's funny - people are leaving direct messages to me on Instagram, just about every time I post a story where I'm facing the camera, saying that my skin looks great, asking what makeup I'm using, or what skincare. It's all thanks to Dysport, and Dr. Ronan!! I have to say, this experience with Dysport has been the biggest confidence booster!

Would you recommend it or do it again?! Yes and YES!!! The results look and feel very natural. I am all about aging gracefully, but I don't see injectables as a hindrance to that, just another form of self care, same as a great skincare routine, and a healthy diet. The Dysport I received should last about four months, and I hope to do it again once it's worn off.

Ok, ok, but what does it cost?! Well, it all depends on what exactly you're getting done. I often times see Groupon specials for $12 for an area of Botox, and people I'm assuming end up disappointed when they buy ten areas of Botox, but really need twenty or thirty. When it comes to something like an injectable or filler, why would you trust a Groupon? When dealing with your face I can't stress how important it is to go to a trusted professional! Dr. Ronan is a renowned doctor, and people from all over the country go to see him, He'll take the time to discuss your goals, so you can get exactly what you need, no more and no less, and pay for just that. One of the many things I love about Dr. Ronan's office, is they offer beauty memberships so you can pay a flat monthly fee, as opposed to one big chunk all at once. Memberships start at just $50 a month, and go up from there. You can lump your injectables, facials, medical-grade skin care products and more and that one fee, and have incredible skin that you feel confident in all the time.

You can't beat that! If you have any questions about the Dysport, or Blackhawk Plastic Surgery at all, please let me know and I am happy to answer them for you!

Thank you, Dr. Ronan!

I would love to know - what are YOUR thoughts on injectables? What about bigger things like plastic surgery? Let's get a conversation going here! I'll go first - obviously I am all for them. Once I lose a bit more weight, and save a bit more I would really love to do a breast reduction. I am also intrigued by CoolSculpting! What are YOUR thoughts??

My journey to healthy skin

Friends, you've followed along for my fitness journey, and now it's time for my skincare journey. With a background in makeup and skincare I've been fortunate enough to try a multitude of different products promising great skin, but to no avail. I've struggled with acne my entire life, and then melasma after pregnancy. I'm starting to get deep lines in my forehead, and while I'm all for aging gracefully, I would still love to slow down the process, while taking care of my existing skin problems. There have been products here and there that have worked, but only to address one issue - either acne, fine lines OR skin discoloration. I've had a hard time finding what would work for all three.

A few months ago I received an email from the MedSpa at Dr. Mariotti's office inviting me to come in for a treatment of my choice. After speaking in depth with Tricia, the medical aesthetician at Dr. Mariotti's office, it sounded like a RevePeel was the way to go. What is a RevePeel? Well, let's break it down:

I went in for a consultation at the beautiful offices so that Tricia Starke, the licensed Medical Aesthetician who would be performing my peel, could see my skin in person, and decide if the RevePeel was really the right treatment for me. Tricia has been in this business for over thirty years, and was dubbed "The Queen of the RevePeel" by the RevePeel creator, herself! I had a full skin analysis, and took all sorts of fun pictures to see damage not only on the surface, but under it as well, and it was decided that the RevePeel was the way to go!

I was sent home with pre-peel skincare products to start some cell turnover, and get my skin ready to receive the peel in a week. I was given a specific set of instructions of the order to use each product, and how much. I felt very comfortable knowing that I was in great, well-educated hands and couldn't wait for my peel!

One week later was the big day. I lay down on the cozy, heated table and Tricia started to work her magic. The RevePeel itself generally takes an hour and a half, and uses one of each vial of peel solution, but can last longer and use more of the solution depending on your skin issues. Tricia will assess your skin at the consultation and let you know exactly what you're in for.

Be warned - here are some extreme closeups of my naked, not so great skin. The first picture was done at the very start of the peel. The second after about three passes of the peel solution, and the third after six "passes" when my peel was complete.

The peel doesn't hurt, but there is heat with each "pass" of the peel solution, which can be considered uncomfortable to some. I had a little hand-held fan to keep on my face any time I needed it.

I left the office with very red skin, and headed home with strict instructions to stay away from the sun. Your skin is raw, and needs to heal. The healing process takes about a week, and again - not so pretty ;) It is called a PEEL afterall, and your old skin peels off, revealing new, healthy skin.

Here is my peeling, and healing process in the week post-peel. Get prepared for the most unattractive pictures of me ever to hit the internet, I'm not wearing a stitch of makeup and these are completely un-edited:

Days two through five I was looking rough! I didn't leave the house much, except for when I absolutely needed to. I was peeling like crazy, but the peel was doing wonders. I saw improvement in my skin every single day. Once my skin was done peeling I saw such a drastic improvement in my hyperpigmentation and acne scars. I was also really pleasantly surprised to see that the lines in my forehead seem to be significantly less deep, and it really helped to clear up my existing acne. During the week post-peel Tricia texted every single day asking how I was doing, and answering any questions I had. I felt really happy knowing that she truly cared and wanted the best for me and my skin. (She even texted on the weekends!) I loved that the procedure was done in a medical office (actually, the RevePeel can ONLY be done in a medical office.) The staff was warm and friendly, and I can't wait to go back for a facial, so I can keep my skin in the great shape it's in! And they do everything there, so if you're at the stage where you're thinking about fillers or other procedures it truly is a one-stop shop.

Yesterday I had a friend tell me I was glowing (she didn't know I'd had the peel done) and I couldn't help but get a little swell of pride. Having healthier, better looking skin has been a real confidence boost for me! I haven't worn makeup to the gym once since having the peel, and again, even without makeup on people are complimenting my skin. I am so grateful to Tricia, and Dr. Mariotti's office for finally helping me achieve healthy skin. If you want to go the best skin of your life I can't recommend going in for a skin consultation with Tricia enough. Let me know if you have any questions at all, I'm happy to answer them!

You can find Dr. Mariotti's surgical office and Med Spa at:

HydraFacial - Treat Yo'self!

So, I am 32 years old, and just had my first facial ever last week. I've always been a bit afraid of facials - I've never had great skin, and I've heard about extractions (where they squeeze your pimples out - eww!) and was just like - NOPE. I think I'm good. But then I was lucky enough to receive a HydraFacial at Blackhawk Plastic Surgery, and would now like to be a professional facial-getter. Is that a thing? How do I become one?

First I walked into the office, and it was beautiful and had the faintest, yummiest smell. I couldn't
quite put my finger on what I was smelling, but I want to figure out a way to get my house to smell just like it. So light and pretty. The aesthetician, Marlo (who had the most flawless, incredible skin I'd ever seen! If that's a result of those facials, sign me up!!) took me into the facial room and started explaining what the HydraFacial was, and how that cool machine was going to be doing a lot of it. She explained the steps (1. Cleansing and exfoliation, 2. Acid Peel, 3. Extractions - this part I was nervous about! 4. Hydration and then 5. Protection) She got started with cleansing my skin, and then turned the machine on and got to work.

Each step had a separate little head that went over my skin, and kind of felt like a small, massaging vacuum. It was really cool! Marlo explained every step along the way. The extractions I was really nervous for, but they were truly painless. The whole procedure took only about 40 minutes, and when I was done my skin was a bit red, but not crazy red like I was expecting. When I got home, Tony asked if I was going to have crazy, peely skin for the next couple days, and I was happy to say that though the procedure was intense, and included an acid peel it was still gently, while being super effective. It's now three days later and my skin looks SO freaking smooth. No breakouts, just nice skin. I've only been using a light coverage tinted moisturizer as my daily makeup, and I haven't felt self conscious at all about going to the gym without a stitch of makeup. I am so pleased!

If you are local, I highly suggest you giving Blackhawk Plastic Surgery a call at 925.272.429 and asking about the HydrFacial! You can find them on Facebook HERE.

Beauty Love // EXFOLIATION!

So, just a little bit ago I came out of the bathroom covered in my favorite face mask, looking super hot. Tony

asked what I'm doing, to which I replied "Exfolating." He asked why, so I started going on and on about all the benefits of exoliation. He had a glazed look in his eyes, when he said "You know who would probably be super into this? Your blog readers." What can I say? He's a punk, but I love him. So, if there are any of you interested in why you should exfoliate, read on.

I've worked in sales my entire working life, and the majority of that time has been in the beauty industry, where I was fortunate enough to get quite a bit of education on many subjects. One of the most fascinating to me is exfoliation.

What's exfoliation, you ask? Well, simply put it's getting rid of the dead skin that's sitting there. (Be it on your face, your body, your scalp, etc.) Dead skin sitting on your face can cause clogged pores, which can cause breakouts, dead skin siting on your scalp can cause dandruff and dead skin sitting on your body can cause body breakouts, as well as rough, flaky skin. No one wants any of those. There are two types of exfoliants - chemical and mechanical. Chemical is usually a type of peel, liquid or gel where mechanical is usually something cream-based with little beads of something that you physically scrub around.

My skin likes to go crazy with any sort of weather change (hot to cold, cold to hot), and with any sort of life change (hello, stress acne!) I've found that the best way to combat acne, and keep my skin looking good is with gentle, daily exfoliation.

Here are some of my favorite facial exfoliators:

Paula's Choice Resist BH9. This for me is a once a week product. It's a super thin gel, that you lightly apply after all of your other skincare products. I originally got a sample of this, back when I subscribed to Birchbox, and I'm so glad that I did, because this seems to be a miracle product. Use it on areas you really have some damage (for me I like to use it mostly on my nose, where blackheads tend to hang out.)

Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid. This is my everyday exfoliator. Just put a drop on a cotton pad, and swipe on your face.

Paula's Choice Pore-Refining Treatment with 2% BHA. I tend to have more acne-prone skin, so BHA exfoliators (betahydroxy acid) are what really work for me, though if you tend to be dry, you'll prefer an AHA (alphahydroxy acid) I love this super strong exfoliant right before I know I'm going to get my period. I always, always get acne right around my chin around my time of the month, if I don't use this.

If you have dry skin - give the Paula's Choice 8% AHA gel a try. It's gentle enough to be used daily, but removes those dead skin cells, while smoothing and soothing dry skin.

Glamglow Tingle Exfoliate treatment is incredible! I use it maybe twice a month, and my skin always looks better afterwards. The only downside is it's price.

If you noticed, I didn't mention any mechanical (scrubby) exfoliators. I'm not a fan of those for the delicate skin on your face. I've used them before, and gotten tiny little cuts from them, and while they don't necessarily hurt, a tiny, little cut on your face can look like a blotchy red mess. Also, are you noticing a trend with Paula's Choice? I've used all sorts of skincare brands, and this is the one I keep coming back to. Their prices are fair, and they have a great guarantee if you're not loving what you bought. They also offer samples of just about everything! (You can use my personal link for $10 off your first order.)

Laura Mercier Creme de Pistache body scrub is one of my all-time favorites! LM is a company I used to work for, and I was lucky enough to take home this stuff practically by the gallon for free (those were the days!) It is a chunk of change, but if you feel like splurging, do yourself a favor and do so with this. The scrubbing elements are crushed up almond, pistachio and hazlenut shells, and I guarantee after you this your skin will be so soft that you can't stop touching it!

Softsoap Crushed Coconut Body Wash - if you're crazy for anything coconut, like myself, do yourself a favor and snag this double pack from Amazon for only six bucks. I can only ever find it at Rite-Aid, and that's only once in a while, and there one retails for about the same as you can get two on Amazon. This yummy, cheapie gets its exfoliating properties from crushed coconut shell bits.

HERE is also a great list of 25 body scrubs you can make yourself! Someone feel free to make me up a batch of this one ;)

Aveda Invati Exfoliating Shampoo. This stuff is great, but it is expensive!! It exfoliates the scalp with wintergreen and salicylic acid. Pop into a local Aveda and see if they have a sample you can try before you buy.

BIG Shampoo by Lush. This shampoo is truly amazing! It's packed with sea salt, which gently exfoliates your scalp as you lather up.

THIS DIY recipe is one that I've tried, and it works incredibly well! I just swap out the patchouli (because I really, reeeeeeallllllly dislike the smell of patchouli), and instead use a drop of lavender or rosemary (sometimes both!)


....and I can't write a whole post about exfoliation without mentioning one of my all-time favorite products, the duo of Paula's Choice lip exfoliators and balm! I've given this as a gift SO many times, but especially love gifting it to myself! I have the balm in my nightstand, my purse, and one in my desk drawer, and I've got the scrub in my bedroom bathroom and in my shower! The combination of the two is so powerful, and guarantees to give you kissably smooth lips!

So, now that I've written this long-winded post (anyone still reading?) I would love to know how often YOU exfoliate, and what you exfoliate with?? What has worked for you in the past, and what hasn't? I'm always happy to learn more, and would love your feedback!

I'm in love with H20 plus {a review}

When I was younger there used to be an H20 store in our mall. It was downstairs, near the elevator and I would always save my babysitting money to spend there. I remember absolutely loving the body care products, especially the Milk Hand & Nail Cream. I have fond memories of Friday nights at the mall, with my friends, and it always included a stop at the H20 store.

Fast forward several years, and now I'm noticing the amazing skincare by one of my favorite brands. The fabulous people at H20 Plus were sweet enough to send me a bunch of products targeted to my combination/acne prone skin that were also anti-aging, because I'd much rather do my best now to prevent sun damage and wrinkles than really pay for it later.  For the last month+ I have been using the Aqualibrium® Marine Cleansing Gel, Sea Results Daily Defense Serum, Face Oasis™ Shine-Neutralizing Gel and the Sea Results Eye Mender Plus every single day. (On a side note, I need to ask - are you using an eye cream?? If not, get on it, girlfriend! An eye cream is the best defense to prevent wrinkles and age spots around your eyes. It will also help your makeup go on smoothly, and will help to keep an overall younger, more refreshed appearance.) I also use the Aqualibrium® Cleansing Face Wipes every night to take off my makeup, the Aqualibrium® Lip Mender is the last thing I put on before I go to bed every night, and I've been using the Aqualibrium Sea Mineral Mud Mask about once a week.

I have to say, I'm always nervous to start a whole new skincare line. Working in the makeup industry, I had access to lots of different brands, but for the most part stuck to one until it stopped working. For me, my skin goes through a bit of a "purging" stage when I start a new skincare line, or sometimes even a new foundation, and let's face it - breakouts aren't fun. BUT, I am so thrilled that my skin experience no new breakouts of purging once I started using the H20 Plus line. It cleared existing breakouts, smoothed my skin, and I've noticed the last bits of some melasma fading away. I couldn't be more thrilled with the line! The next things on my to-try list are definitely the Sea Results Deep Sleep Recovery Cream, the Waterwhite Advanced™ Brightening Hydrator Cream and the Aquafirm+ Weekly Active Foam Mask (anyone else LOVE a good at-home face mask??)

Big, HUG thank you to the fabulous girls at H20 Plus (I'm talking to YOU, Amanda!) for letting me try this amazing line. I am HOOKED!!

What skincare are you using?? Do you tend to stick to all one brand, or do you mix and match? I'd love to know what's working for you!