Romy Raves

I love Spring! To me it symbolizes a season of change, transitions, and new beginnings. I don’t know about you, but for me this is the time of year that I get obsessed with Spring cleaning. I am focused on decluttering, getting rid of the old, unused, too big, too small, outdated crap and I LOVE it! It is so freeing when you let go of the unwanted stuff and make room for new possibilities, and for me this is what Spring is all about.

I challenge you, gorgeous reader, to make a point this Spring season of cleaning, organizing, decluttering and getting rid of the stuff you just don’t have a use for anymore. Try this, and then pay attention to how it makes you feel.  Do you feel lighter, more free, open? Have you created new space for possibilities, growth and change?

In honor of this glorious season (BTW as I write this, I am in Palm Springs in 80 degree weather which certainly encourages this inspired mood), I encourage you to start thinking about new beginnings.  What is it time to let go of? What has been holding you back? What do you need to free yourself of? What have you been reluctant to start and now need to be encouraged to ’spring’ into?

If I gave you a magic wand and anything was possible and nothing could hold you back, what would you do now that you have always wanted to do? If I could give you infinite support, motivation and encouragement, what might you try now that you have never done before?

I want you to take out a piece of paper and make a list of 5 things that you need to get rid of right now or 5 things you need to change in order to open yourself up to possibilities. Spend some time really looking at this list, look for themes and patterns that are obstacles for you. What is your primary block to forward movement? How can you really let go?  Now look a little deeper and  journal on this paper about what really holds you back and gets in your way, and then, drum roll please .  .  .  .  . crumble it in a ball or tear it into small insignifcant pieces and throw it away! Viola! Freedom and openness, the pump is primed and ready. 

Now, make a list of 5 things you want to begin this Spring. Anything is possible, what do you want to do? Take some time to really listen to your soul, quiet your mind and dig deep for what really makes your heart smile. Dive in, take a chance and go for it! If 5 is too much start with 3, but START! Do it! And then post here and let me know what exciting new things all of you fabulous lovelies are up too.

Spring Fever is in the air, can you feel it??

Being a beauty blogger has it perks, many fabulous companies reach out to me and offer their signature services and treatments gratis in hopes that I will cover it on my blog and share how wonderful it is with my readers. And while I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to try many services throughout the year, sometimes a beauty maven wants to go back to her roots (not the gray roots BTW) and have an old school back to basics facial.

Don’t get me wrong, my skin does love all the microderms, peels and oxygen treatments, but sometimes it craves some skilled nurturing hands that massage with the wisdom of the years and know how to extract with finesse and thoroughness. I have always loved (and prefer) a facial with thorough extractions where the esthetician visits every inch of my face and cleans out every pore whether seen or not. THIS is why I get regular facials: to clean out the toxins, dirt and pollution from my skin and make it look clean, fresh and youthful. Recently the treatments I have been getting have only skimmed the surface of my face with maybe a handful of extractions, but all that changed yesterday.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of having a classic old school facial with Bella. Bella is Russian, trained in the art of European facials and the real deal. She gave me exactly the kind of facial that I love, nothing fancy, just a GREAT and LONG massage, thorough but gentle extractions (I don’t think she missed a single pore and she even got out those pesky millia which are the bane of my existence) and then at the end of the facial she offered some insightful recommendations for how I can make my dry combination skin look even better (less dairy, more water she said). And she didn’t even try to sell me any products either. She actually said its good to use a combination of whatever products work best for your skin, and its not necessary to stay loyal to one brand (music to a beauty bloggers ears  )

Bella has worked at some of the swankiest spas in LA (like Aida Grey), but now she does facials out of her home in Sherman Oaks, CA (sorry to my national followers) so that she can do facials on her terms. Her fabulous relaxing and results oriented facial lasts about an hour and half (the perfect amount of time for a really good facial IMO), costs $80 (and is WELL worth it) and will leave your skin clean and glowing. You can reach Bella the old fashioned way via phone at  (818) 988-1165  and tell her Romy sent you. Your skin will thank you!

I am a beauty junkie to the core, but I am obsessed with finding transformative skin changing facial care products. I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to try many different types of skincare and because of that, it takes a truly special product to impress me.  For the past couple of months I have been trying some of the Zo Skin Health Products created by the infamous Beverly Hills Dermatologist Dr. Zein Obagi. It is obvious that he knows his way around powerful anti-aging skincare because some of the products in this line have managed to impress this beauty diva.

Offects Exfoliating Cleanser
This is a lovely, gentle but thorough cleanser that exfoliates dull, dry skin cells. It contains encapsulated beads of vitamin E to neutralize free radicals and nourish skin cells, and an advanced lipopeptide to boost the skin’s natural production of collagen. I have been using this cleanser in my shower and like how it gently exfoliates my skin while keeping it moist and supple at the same time.

Oclipse Sunscreen + Primer SPF 30 
This is an absolutely fabulous 2 in 1 product and I adore it! It is a lightly tinted silicone based primer and sunscreen that preps the skin for cosmetics application with a beautiful silky smooth finish. This is one of those products I loved instantly because it offered immediate results in light coverage as well as that flawless silky smooth finish that I love on my skin. It contains natural melanin which is an excellent anti-oxidant and free radical quencher and it also offers broad spectrum protection (SPF 30) against UVA (aging rays) and UVB (burning rays). This is so good that it is going into my hall of fame products collection, definitely worth checking out!

Ossential Growth Factor Serum
This is one of those ‘wow’ products that you put on at night and your skin is transformed in the morning. In the AM, my skin feels softer and it looks clearer, and over time this product seems to have helped my skin look younger, fresher and more supple–LOVE that! It contains advanced lipopeptides to boost and support, and collagen to help firm and tone; Retinol to reduce pigmentation and the appearance of lines and wrinkles; and vitamins C and B to help stimulate cell renewal to keep skin radiant and younger-looking. This is a potent anti-aging cocktail and its so transformative that it feels more like prescription strength rather than an OTC product.

This skincare line is so really ‘Zo’ great becasue it is has cutting edge ingredients and transformative results, and that’s enough to make this beauty maven very happy.

In honor of St. Patty’s Day and all things green (my favorite color BTW), I just had to share this new, insanely gorgeous (albeit LOUD and BRIGHT) green nail polish color that I have been wearing for almost a week and am head over heels in love with: Four Leaf Clover by China Glaze. 

OMG! I haven’t been this excited about a nail polish in a long time! Everywhere I go, everyone keeps stopping me to ask what that awesome color is that I am wearing. It is a vibrant greenish aqua color (FYI it looks a lot more turquoise in this shot on my computer, but it is definitely a lot more green), it’s totally noticeable and makes a statement, and it has fabulous staying power. The picture below is my nails after almost a WEEK of wear and it still looks fresh. This is perfect for St. Patty’s Day and also for a statement making Spring Shade. Run out and get this fab polish, I am sure it will make you smile

Hello Beautiful Babes!  Time for some more of my favorite finds from my recent trend seeking adventures:

Magik Protection Keratin
I tried out this formaldehyde free keratin hair straightening system at IBS in NYC (I was chosen as a model ) and I am pleased to report it was an easy, quick fabulous procedure.  It took just about an hour to complete the entire process, it didn’t drip or have any nasty toxic fumes and it was light weight and smelled pleasant (no surgical masks needed). I have had the traditional Brazilian Blowout in the past, and this is a much gentler, better for you, less toxic experience. And my hair looks shiny, smooth, and straight and is effortless to style.  I am going to use Magik Keratin’s follow-up maintenance care products and report back to you about the wear, on going maintenance and longevity of this gentler hair straightening procedure.

Clarisonic Opal Sonic Infusion System with Anti-Aging Sea Serum
The Opal is the latest innovation by Clarisonic that gently infuses an anti-aging serum via sonic waves into the delicate skin around the eyes in order to help the eyes look refreshed and renewed . By using this device just one minute a day, you will notice a reduction of fine lines and wrinkles, and firmer, more hydrated skin. The skin around your eyes is supposed to look refreshed, energized, brighter and healthier. I am already a fan of the Clarisonic brush and this sounds like a very inspired little device that I am excited to try–I’ll try anything that helps my tired old eye area look more youthful

In Style Nails
This is an innovative new nail design technology that prints beautifully vivid digital images right on your nails. Basically, you upload your own design or take a picture and upload it and then a pro helps you print it right on your nails in less than a minute. This booth was jam packed at IBS and I think it is pretty unique. Want to put your kids faces on your nails? This is the ticket

AquaSun Sunless Tanning Airbrush System
I thought this was pretty cool: It is an adjustable handheld airbrush wand that you use yourself to deliver an even, salon-quality tan in the comfort of your own home. It supposed to be minimally messy and deliver a gradual tanning mist. Since Spring and Summer are around the corner, I think this would be a recessionista friendly way to get a pro-quality tan for a fraction of the the price.