Field Test - La Prairie Cellular Power Infusion and White Caviar (Part 1 - The Products)

There are lots of ways to fight the signs of aging. Medical spa treatments use lasers, peels, and medicines to remove dark spots and wrinkles. These treatments can be expensive ($250-$500+ per office visit); involve down time (time for the skin on your face to recover from the treatment); some ingredients, such as hydroquinone, used in the treatments are harsh or have scary side effects; and often a series of treatments is needed to get the desired results.

I’ve been on the hunt for home treatments that provide professional results. Almost every cosmetic line in boutiques, department stores, and drug stores claims to have products that reduce wrinkles and fade dark spots. Most over-the-counter home treatments promise significant results, but often don’t deliver. In my experience, they work best for preventative maintenance, but don’t significantly transform or restore the skin.

These are the best I've found so far in my quest, and reKinerase PhotoFacials Sun Damage Reversal System does a good job reducing wrinkles and fine lines and restoring glowing skin. Mary Kay’s Timewise Even Complexion Essence does a good job lightening age spots without harsh ingredients. Note, dark spots are tricky and hard to fade because they begin deep in the skin layers. Fading them takes time (about 8 weeks) and takes committed daily application.

The “word on the street” is that the most effective over the counter treatments for wrinkles and age spots come from La Prairie. La Prairie Cellular Power Infusion reverses fine lines and wrinkles and White Caviar fades dark spots. Yeow! They are pricey!! But if they work, the price of a full treatment is about the same as one office visit for a medispa treatment, so it may be worth the price tag. That's what I plan to find out.

La Prairie has generously offered samples of these two treatments for me to try. So, I’ll be testing them out to see how they work and posting before and after pictures along the way, so you can come along for the ride. My field test begins next week (May 18).

Here’s what I’ll be using:

La Prairie Cellular Power Infusion

La Prairie White Caviar (Illuminating Serum, Illuminating Cream, and Illuminating Eye Serum)

I’d love to hear if you’ve used them and about your experiences with them and other anti-aging products you’ve tried.

Here are links to the rest of the series:

Part I - The Products
Part II - The Canvas
Part III – First Week of The Test
Part IV – Day 8 Update
Part V – Day 38 Update
Part VI - Week 13

Decoding The Dress - What Kate Middleton's Dress "Says"

Every outfit we wear evokes an emotional reaction and conveys a message that sets the tone for our communication and actions.

Catherine Middleton’s wedding dress is more than a pretty gown to get married in. The wedding is a union and beginning for the individuals and also the formal start of their official royal positions. This wedding dress sets the tone for The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s royal roles and future rein.

The underlying message of any outfit can be "decoded" by analyzing the elements - style, color, and fabric.

Style - The dress is modest, reserved, elegant, and retro in style. It reflects the fashion of the 1940s - 1950s, and also speaks to the values of that time. This also happens to be the period of Queen Elizabeth’s wedding. It’s the counter to Princess Diana’s elaborate, showy, complicated gown of the 1980s.

Catherine’s dress showed respect for tradition. Catherine’s veil covered her face and reinforced the traditional message. The whole look signaled the couple’s embrace of a simpler time, a time when royalty behaved like the Queen - regally, honorably and respectfully in public. It says we are not going to continue the public display of dirty laundry of Charles, Diana, Camilla and Sarah Ferguson.


Color – Catherine chose the color ivory for her dress. Ivory is classic, aged, soft and warm. It doesn’t scream for attention the way white does. William and Catherine plan to live outside the spotlight. At 28, Catherine is older than past royal brides and has had more time to come to terms with the expectations and restrictions of her new role. Ivory expresses Catherine’s maturity, respect for tradition, and preference to be in the background.


Fabric – The fabrics used in the wedding gown were classic wedding fabrics – silk satin, French and English lace, and silk tulle. The intricate lace veil was hand-crafted at London’s Royal School of Needlework and much of the lace on the gown was made in Derbyshire. The fabrics reinforce the traditional message and also demonstrate a respect and appreciation for traditional English crafts.

Every element of the wedding look reinforces the message of traditional, reserved royalty. Catherine Middleton’s wedding dress says “I respect tradition, my country, and my royal duties.”

If you liked this post, you might like tese too. For more outfits decoded, click these links.

Michelle Obama – Decoding The Inauguration Look
Michelle Obama – It’s Not Really About The Shorts
Jennifer Lopez – How Image Gets In The Way
What Is Ines Sainz Asking For?

For info about decoding color, click here.

The Evolution Of Mineral Foundation

Mineral foundations have become a staple in many women’s makeup bags.
They love this new generation of foundations because the makeup is lightweight, provides good coverage for spots and other imperfections, and is all natural. The down side – many mineral makeups are messy powders that have to be custom color blended for every application.

Advanced Mineral Makeup’s new liquid mineral makeup is the best of both worlds. It’s super lightweight, looks very natural – like your skin, but better, and is easily applied with fingers or a foundation brush. The best thing? The shades match real women’s skin tones (many foundation companies are still using a warm/neutral/cool system that makes foundation matching a real challenge). This foundation comes in 7 easy-to-match shades ranging from fair to medium…think Nicole Kidman to Angela Bassett. Fingers crossed that they will add darker shades so everyone can wear it.



Here are a few more high lights:
· The makeup is all pigment, so a little goes a long. Apply over your moisturizer before it dries so the foundation goes on and blends smoothly.
· It won’t settle in creases and it contains antioxidants, botanicals and anti-aging ingredients, so it gives you a more youthful appearance.
· Anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory
· Contains no perfumes, FD&C dyes, binders, talc, or parabens
· Oil-free and non-comedogenic

Thank you so much Stacey Adair for introducing me to the makeup and sending the sample to try! I fell in love with it and it’s become my secret for looking good on “no makeup” days.

In Houston, Advanced Mineral Makeup’s liquid foundation is available at Soteria Skin and Spiegel Spa. For more info about the makeup, visit www.AdvancedMineralMakeup.com or contact Stacey Adair at www.SkinWisePlus.com.

Professional Twist On A Strapless Dress

Runways and stores are full of strapless dress this season. Lots of women are hesitant to wear them for fear of falling out or appearing unprofessional. Here's an all-business twist to solve both challenges...Joy Sewing (Fashion and Beauty Editor at the Houston Chronicle) was spotted this morning wearing her brilliant combination of white button-down blouse under a tailored strapless dress.

She couldn't be more chic and professional. This combination is so going in my arsenal of creative fashion fixes! Thanks Joy, for a great idea!

Nail Shellac

Nail Shellac, is the latest nail process to hit salons - a cross between nail polish and acrylic tips – that’s reported to last up to 14 days. My networking buddy Nikki gave it a try and reviewed the process for us. Here’s her report.

The process began with a regular manicure and then the Shellac-ing began. The application process is similar to regular polish, but you dry your nails under UV light for about 1 ½ minutes after each coat of Shellac is applied. The UV light cures and hardens the Shellac, otherwise it will become soft and sticky after about 3 days. Four coats are applied – a clear base coat, 2 coats of colored Shellac and a top clear coat. The manicurist said the Shellac dries so completely under the UV light that you could Shellas your toes and then lace up your sneakers and go jogging immediately after the process.

Shellac isn't "bullet-proof" and how well you take care of your nails determines how long it lasts. As with acrylic tips or regular nail polish, the rate of your nail growth is going to affect how long the beauty of the Shellac-ing lasts.

Nikki was pleased with how long the Shellac lasted - it looked good for over a week. She typed a lot, washed her hands quite a bit, and washed a few dishes in hot water and a little bleach and the Shellac lasted through all that. After about a week, she could see the space between the polish and the cuticles was widening as her nails grew out. As of day 10, she noticed that the polish began lifting off one side of a nail. It didn’t last 14 days for Nikki.

The Shellac is removed by soaking nails in acetone for 10 minutes. The residual softened shellac may be removed/scraped off with an orange stick or cuticle tool.

All in all, Nikki liked her Shellac experience and would do it again.

Nikki’s Shellac manicure was $35 at the Sensia Studio & Japanese Day Spa. For more about Shellac or to find a Shellac manicurist in your area, visit Creative Nail Design.

For more about Nikki Johnson, The Millionaire's Assistant™ visit www.assistantnikki.com, follow her on twitter or find her on facebook .

Thanks so much for your review Nikki!!

Smorgasbord Of Anti-Ageing Treatments

Lori Yeats, owner of Soteria Skin in Bellaire, TX, invited me to try her ultimate anti-aging facial. I was blown away by all the anti-aging treatments she packed into this 2 hour facial and had to share the experience. The facial is a tremendous value and unlike any that I have experienced. It’s $155, but similar services at other spas could be as much as 3 to 5 times that. Here’s everything included in the facial:

1. Microdermabrasion – This treatment removes the outer and upper layers of dead skin cells, accelerates cell turnover as well as collagen production for firmer, more glowing skin. This process can minimize fine lines and wrinkles, enlarged pores, and acne scars. My skin was smoother and more glowy after the treatment. It can take a few days after this treatment to see the full effects.

Lori’s microdermabrasion pre-treatment really sets her apart. Most other spas prep the skin for microdermabrasion by removing facial oils with acetone (yes, the same ingredient that’s in most nailpolish removers). Soteria uses a papaya enzyme mask to get the same results with natural ingredients and without using harsh chemicals.

2. LED light therapy – LED Light Therapy has been used by NASA, the US Army and athletes for quick healing. It is also an effective, non-invasive way to help rejuvenate and repair the skin. In the ultimate anti-aging facial, the skin of the face is exposed to red and infrared light that penetrate into the dermis layer of the skin, energizing the cells, stimulating collagen and elastin, to give skin back its youthful look.

3. Microcurrent Non-Surgical Facelift – As we age, the communication between our brains and muscles decreases, causing our muscles to weaken and our faces to sag. This treatment uses micro currents to get the facial muscles and brain “talking” again. After Lori treated on side of my face, she let me look in a mirror to compare it to the untreated side. Wow, I instantly saw a difference in the tone and lift of my face! This is a great treatment to do a couple days before an important event. For lasting effects, you need a series of treatments that re-educate your muscles

4. Oxygen Therapy – Oxygen has been used to speed skin rejuvenation in medical applications for years. Soteria Skin adds oxygen therapy to their facial to increase the effect of the other skin renewal treatments. You may not recognize the direct effect of this treatment, but the results of the other treatments will be more pronounced because of this step.

Thank you Lori for a great experience! For more info about Soteria Skin or their Ultimate Anti-Aging Facial, visit www.soteriaskin.com

Test Panel - Veet Ready To Use Wax Strips

At-home waxing strips are brand new from Veet. If you’re feeling shy or have a last minute event, now you can take care of that furry upper lip in the privacy of your own bathroom.

The Imagine testing panel loved the results we got with Veet’s Ready-To-Use Wax Strips for the face. They were easy to use, painless and most importantly…gently removed the hair from the upper lip area. The wax is room temperature and mounted on backing paper so there’s no hot mess to contend with. We may never go back to the salon for a lip wax!



Here’s how to use them:

· The wax strips are packaged between two backing strips. Rub the wax strip between your hands for 10 to 15 seconds to warm the wax. Peel apart the paper backings to expose two ready-to-use wax strips.
· For face, apply the wax strip to the hairy place on your face and rub the back of the strip in the direction of hair growth.
· Hold the skin taught.
· Pull back on the backing paper tab in the direction of hair-growth in a quick, swift motion.
· Remove any excess wax with the Perfect Finish Wipe.

$4.49 for 20 wax strips for the face and 4 perfect finish wipes. Now available at drug stores, grocery stores and mass merchandisers.

For more info and a coupon, visit: http://www.veet.us/veet-ready-to-use-wax-strips-for-face.php