Too Cheap for Visionnaire.....but I'll buy that LiftActiv 10

There's always those luxury items that we want but unfortunately cannot justify paying exorbitant prices for. So if we are able to purchase a similar product for a significantly lower price than why not? This is where my new segment "Too Cheap....but i'll buy that knockoff" comes into play.
Today's focus will be on an innovative product "Visionnaire" from Lancome.

Lancome 'Visionnaire' 30 ml $100

Function: Corrects pores, unevenness and wrinkles
For: all skin types and ages
Benefits: evens out redness and discolouration, safe to use around eyes and can even brighten dark circles, skin is more radiant, pores and wrinkles are minimized.
How to use: Treat as a serum, use in the morning or evening after cleansing and before moisturizing

Visionnaire premiered last year and has become Lancome's top seller.  Their claim is "In just 4 weeks, Visionnaire radically improves the appearance of wrinkles, pore and uneven texture, leaving your skin visibly tranformed".

Sounds damn good doesn't it? The price is not too hefty compared to some other outrageous products out there, but if you're still peering into your wallet and debating what's more important, an oil change on your car or Visionnaire, then consider the alternative.

Vichy LiftActiv Serum10 $55

 For almost half the price, you can get a similar product which boasts similar results. They both share a majority of the same ingredients only the LiftActiv promotes a special patented ingredient of theirs called "Rhamnose" which helps stimulate activity in the "Derm Source" (aka. wakes up your cells in the dermis layer and tells them to get on their asses and start doing something productive like producing collagen to plump up that saggy skin).

Vichy's claim is that " LIFTACTIV Derm Source Serum 10 is a powerful anti-wrinkle serum that leaves skin looking and feeling instantly transformed. Wrinkles appear reduced and skin feels velvety smooth."

Decision Maker
So why the hell am I paying almost double the price for the exact same product may you ask? Well my little munchkins, its simple. I was wondering the exact same thing myself until I tried out both products. The major difference is the feeling of the product. Sounds dumb right? But it is not. When Visionnaire is applied it absorbs quickly into the skin and you can feel an instant softening and smoothness to the skin. But when you apply the LiftActiv 10, the skin feels sticky to the touch and it takes a minute or two for it to absorb into the skin. Even after it has absorbed, you can always feel the LiftActiv almost sitting ontop of your skin, while the Visionnaire is completely absorbed and you skin feels like a baby's bum. If you have oily skin, LiftActiv 10 is not a product for you because sticky icky combined with your overproduction of sebum is not going to feel pleasant. I suggest forking out that extra $45 and purchase the Visionnaire, it will do wonders for your pores and acne scarring. But if you are a bit more mature and no longer have any issues with oiliness and are more on the dry side, then aren't you lucky because you can save those dollars and get the oil change your car desperately needs and still have enough for the LiftActiv your skin is also desperately asking for.

Hair be gone it's Summer time!

So summer is here and it’s time to pull out those shorts, skirts, dresses and tank tops and head to the beach in your bikini. Only problem is all winter you’ve been hiding away and letting your hair grow to beastly lengths. So what’s the best way to get rid of unwanted hair? There’s so many methods out there so today I’m gonna discuss with you each one and what the best way is.

1)      Shaving

Good old razor. It’s quick and easy and there is no pain involved. But it has a price to pay. Your hair starts to grow back almost instantly and it comes back dark, thick and stubbly…..so itchy that you need to shave pretty much every day.

What’s it good for? When you’re in a pinch otherwise don’t use it.

2)      Waxing

Painful yet effective. Removing hair from the roots you’re left hair free for a lot longer than just one day. And when your hair grows back you don’t get that itchy stubbly feeling. Because your hair grows in three different stages it’s not that your hair is growing in slower and less…but it does appear that way. I go weeks without waxing and  I don’t even realise I’m hairy until I actually look up close and realise oh damn I’m a beast!

Legs & underarms – every 3-4 weeks

Arms –beginning of summer (or vacation)

Eyebrows – every 2 weeks

Upperlip- every 3 weeks

3)      Sugaring

I recently discovered the magical powers of sugaring. It’s just a ball of melted sugar that they apply against the growth of the hair and remove with the growth of the hair. Don’t get me wrong I find all methods of hair removal are going to hurt, but sugaring doesn’t hurt as much. I find this method most effective for the bikini area or a full out brazillian. I find I do not get as sore or tender as I did when I waxed the area before. And the more often you go the less painful it is and the less frequently you have to go. I only do sugaring for my Brazilian though everything else I wax, because I can just wax myself. I wouldn’t suggest sugaring for larger body parts because it can be tedious and I wouldn’t sugar my eyebrows because it’s difficult to manipulate and you can only get precise results with waxing. But I can’t see why you couldn’t sugar your underarms that would probably nice and quick. The only thing I don’t like about sugaring is the smell of it. It smells like….well burnt sugar or very very pungent spices. So if you’re working with it all day you can definitely start smelling like it.

4)      Threading

This is a very difficult technique to master and I give mad props to anyone that can do it. Threading is an ancient method that originated from Indian and Persian cultures. Threading is usually very inexpensive due to the fact that the only resource you need is thin cotton thread. I used to get my eyebrow and upper lip threading for like $6.  But those are the only areas I would get threaded. The only thing I hated about it is you are expected to hold down parts taut while the practitioner is threading you. I wear contacts so I would be pressing down on my eyelid and after my eyes would get all blurry. Otherwise threading is cool I suggest everyone to try it!

5)      Laser and Electrolysis

I grouped these two together just because to me they are essentially the same as in they use machines and technology to remove hair. Laser Hair Removal should really be called Laser Hair Reduction, because although after a few (very expensive) sessions your hair will be gone, after a while it will start to come back. It may not come back in full force as much as before, but eventually it will. Laser is something you would have to do every few years. Electrolysis is the only proven form of permanent hair removal. It is also the most painful method. A “probe” aka. needle is inserted into each individual hair follicle and then you are zapped with an electric current for what feels like an eternity. Suddenly you understand what it feels like to be a moth stuck in a bug zapper. Not pleasant! Not only that, but it also takes a bit of playing around with the buttons and dials before you can figure out the right formula to properly remove the hair, and it’s different for everyone! I’d rather just wax and sugar myself every once in a while then to go through that pain. 

Check out my video if you're too lazy to read or just wanna!

 

Cats love makeup brushes!

So lately i have been breaking out and I don't know why. There is no specific pattern or area  that has more than others, so I figured it may be one of the new products I have been using. I finally discovered the culprit........his name is Quezy. Quezy the cat. My fiance spotted him while I was in the washroom and took a few pictures to show me. Apparently Quezy has taken a liking to my brushes and has been brushing himself up against them and licking them!

Here he is commiting the crime:                                   



I had to wash all of brushes and keep my door shut after this discovery, so that Quezy couldn't come in an wreak havoc any longer.

Fast forward to the middle of the night when I have to get up and use the washroom. In my groggy state I wander into the washroom (without my glasses) and forget to close the door behind me. Upon my return I see what appears to be a dark shadow hovering over my brushes that I have laid out on a towel to dry over night. Without my glasses I can't see anything! I creep closer and low and behold it's Quezy! He's a quick one. Damn it! I have to clean my brushes again and set them in a high, inaccessible place to dry. These darn cats are crafty!

Please excuse the clutter. I have to organize my stuff, apparently i can't just leave my brushes out like that anymore. So there you have it, if you ever find your skin randomly acting up. Chances are your cat is licking them and shedding on them. It also doesn't help if you are allergic to their hair as well!

Tip of the Day #1 Ingrown Hairs

After waxing or even shaving do you get nasty ingrown hairs? Do you know what an ingrown hair is? They occur usually on the legs, underarms and bikini area because the hair is so coarse there. Sometimes the hair can grow in curly and end up trapped under the skin creating the area to become and red and sore.......hence ingrown hair! How do I get rid of them you may ask?

1) Exfoliate! The best I find are exfoliating gloves, you can buy them at the dollar store even, very inexpensive. Before you turn the water on in the shower just quickly sweep it over your body to help release any dead skin.

2) Moisturize! Keeping the skin soft and smooth after you exfoliate is the key to keeping your skin from looking bumpy and red

3) If you've already gotten a pretty sore ingrown hair use this quick remedy to cure them:

1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp olive oil
2 aspirin pills (desirably uncoated, but they can be diffult to find so if you have clear coated ones, i find sprinkling a little water on them helps to break them up)

1. Crush up the aspirin pills
2. Mix the ingredients together and apply on to the infected area.
3. Just put a dot of it on and leave it. Who cares if it gets on your clothes you're gonna wash it anyways! Think of it as zit cream.

*The honey is anti-bacterial, the olive oil is moisturizing and the aspirin will bring the swelling and redness down making it easier for the hair to break free from under the skin* 

Keep doing this a couple times and it will come around!


Hope you enjoyed today's tip and learned something amazing for your future health and wellness!

My first Youtube Video!

So I finally did it. After how long of practice runs and fails I finally posted my first video. It's so newb but I i don't care because I finally did it. I totally just woke up and had time before work so I just recorded it without thinking about it. Best way to do it. So here it is and there is many more to come!