Romy Raves

This Giveaway is now CLOSED~Congratulations to the winners: Parmeeta and Cindy A.!

OK seriously, aren’t pouty lips totally sexy and kissable? I’m not talking overly injected fish lips, but rather nicely plump, full, lush lips with a hint of neutral gloss just like the picture to the left. Nice, huh? I think so, that is why I jumped at the chance to test out the new Fabulips Treatment at the equally fab Bliss Spa Hollywood at the W Hotel. They kindly invited me to this gorgeous modern spa (right around my bday, nice present!) to enjoy a Fabulous Facial and to be one of the first to experience a Fabulips service with my facial. I was more than happy to oblige

I arrived at the swanky W Hollywood Hotel and was whisked away to the spa where they welcomed me with open arms. I was there in the middle of the day, in the middle of the week, so the spa was nice and quiet, just the way I like it. My Bliss experience began with a lovely glass of bubbly (ahhhh my kind place!) and nibbles of the most delectable gourmet house made brownies, yum! After I was relaxed and settled in, my esthetician Tricia came to get me for my hour plus of Bliss. My facial was lovely and filled with all the features you want: cleansing, exfoliation and extractions and as a bonus I even got a blast oxygen to finish it all off. My skin was clean, supple and glowing.

However, it was the unique and inspired Fabulips Treatment that really ‘WOW’d’ me because I have never experienced anything like it before. I would describe this treatment as a facial for your lips and it all began with a refreshing foaming lip cleanser made of a unique bubbly formula that foams up, tingles and gets rid of surface impurities-I loved this step! Then my lips were exfoliated with a sweet vanilla orange sugar lip scrub to gently remove dead skin. Then my upper lip was treated to a lip wax for the ultimate smoothness (a first for me, if you can believe that!) In the final two steps of my treatment, my lips were coated with a peptide packed instant lip plumper and then sealed with the Fabulips softening lip balm. My lips felt lush, moist and smooth and I really enjoyed having this special attention lavished on my pout.

Wanna know the best part? The Bliss Fabulips Treatment is available in a delightful at home kit (which I was gifted with on my way out) so that you can pamper and plump your pout whenever you wish. I just love products that allow you to bring spa treatments home and they are much better for your budget too. I think you will really love this unique and refreshing lip treatment.

And because I love you all so much and want you to have beauty full lips too, I am giving away TWO Fabulips Treatment Kits to two lucky readers! This kit is designed to recreate Bliss Spa’s popular and unique Fabulips Treatment which cleans, exfoliates, plumps, and softens your lips. This set contains one of each of the following products: Fabulips Foaming Lip Cleanser, Fabulips Softening Lip Balm, Fabulips Sugar Lip Scrub and Fabulips Instant Lip Plumper valued at $74.

1. Become an email subscriber of Romy Raves
2. ‘Like’ me on my Facebook Fan page
3. And post a comment on this blog post telling me about your current favorite lip product and why you love it!

This contest will end at midnight PST on Monday, October 24th, 2011. Two lucky winners will be chosen using Random.org. You must have a U.S. shipping address in order to enter and win. Good Luck!

You just know it’s gonna be FAB and the gorgeous trio of products created by beauty maven, Elizabeth Dehn is no exception!

By Elizabeth Dehn is a delightful collection of skin-perfecting products that harnesses the restorative and anti-aging properties of 100% natural ingredients and is free of preservatives, synthetics, and the other harsh chemicals. Sounds good, right?

First, take at look at this beautiful woman, who has the most gorgeous, even toned radiant skin (I’ve seen it IRL and it really looks this good!)

Well here’s her story: After more than a decade of slathering, schmearing, and sorting out other people’s products, Elizabeth set out to create her own (and beat me to the punch cause it’s a dream of mine to create my own products someday J.) So based on her vast experience with products, Elizabeth knew what she didn’t want (chemicals, cheap fillers, false promises) and what she did (nutritious ingredients, effective formulas, pretty packaging). The result is a trio of three skin loving products that I have been testing out over the last few months and I can honestly say that I am hooked! They are gentle, nurturing and really effective. Plus I adore the very feminine vintage boudoir packaging, super cute! Let me tell you a little more about the products in the line:

FACE SPRAY

The Face Spray is a refreshing alcohol-free facial mist that infuses your skin with antioxidants and preps it for moisture. It’s the perfect pick-me-up for dehydrated skin or to refresh your makeup. The Face Spray contains organic citrus essential oils which smell deliciously refreshing and they instantly energize your skin and help increase circulation giving your skin a healthy glow. This is my favorite product in the line and I have been totally addicted to it this summer, my skin adores it! This spray instantly wakes up my skin and the smell puts me in a good mood.

THE SERUMThe Serum is a super-potent yet lightweight serum that does it all: feeds, hydrates, and gives your skin a gorgeous rosy glow. It contains a luxurious blend of plant oils and essential fatty acids that restores moisture and elasticity while vitamin C and E help reverse sun damage and protect against free radicals. For my skin, this serum is the perfect night time replenisher and it will be perfect when my skin gets drier during the cooler Fall and Winter months. You can also put a small drop of this serum over your makeup for a dewy glow or midday moisture boost.

SHEA CREAMThe Shea Cream is a luscious velvety soft cream that instantly replenishes and restores your skin without clogging pores. It contains wildcraft harvested shea butter which is rich in vitamin A and helps reverse sun damage, diminishes fine lines and wrinkles, and protects against free radicals. It also contains rosehip seed oil to rebuild collagen and elasticity as well as calendula to calm irritation. This fluffy yummy smelling miracle cream is packed with so many healing ingredients that it helps treat acne, eczema, skin allergies, sunburn, and chapped skin. This is the perfect product to heal your skin after spending the summer in the sun or when your skin needs a little extra TLC. I love it on my lips and dry patches too.

Thank you Elizabeth, my beauty blogging sista, for paving the way and creating such a beautiful trio of products to indulge and pamper women’s skin! I’m totally a fan!

Since my 44th birthday is rapidly approaching, I openly admit that I am obsessed with my skin. Let me clarify, I am obsessed with keeping my skin healthy, supple, radiant, even toned and firm. It will come as no surprise to you, that I am willing to try almost anything to keep myself looking as youthful as possible (in an age appropriate way of course, not in that overly zealous processed fake looking way). Being a beauty blogger and focused on anti-aging skincare, I am fortunate that I get to try many products and treatments that transform your skin, and while many of the products and treatments are impressive, very few have blow me away-until now!

Let me tell you about my newest discovery and latest obsession: the VI Peel. The VI Peel is a brilliant next generation professional peel created by Dr. Abdala Kalil, who created this ground breaking peel for his daughter who suffered from terrible acne. Dr. Kalil designed this peel to deliver the strongest and most effective acids and vitamins currently available with virtually no pain and little down time, and also to deliver dramatic and noticeable results within a week. The VI Peel is designed to improve the tone, texture and clarity of your skin, reduce age spots and hyper-pigmentation, soften lines and wrinkles, treat acne, and stimulate the production of collagen.

This peel differs from many of the old school peels on the market because it is potent, painless, and has very little down time. I have been getting professional peels for many years and while I love the results (and am willing to suffer for vanity), other medical grade peels tend to burn, be uncomfortable, and result in a very unattractive brown snake like shedding of your skin for several days (can you say ’shut in’?!). Not only is the VI Peel not painful at all IMO, but instead of shedding like an ugly snake, your skin peels in a light, fluffy, gentle way. This mild peeling is easy to camouflage with moisturizer and make-up, which is virtually impossible to do when you get a traditional peel.

What did I think of the VI Peel? I LOVED IT!!!!!! It is without a doubt, the BEST peel I have ever had! So let me tell you about my experience, why I loved it and, oh yeah I am dying to share the impressive BEFORE and AFTER pictures!!

My Experience: I was personally invited by Dr. Kalil to try out the VI Peel. I loved Dr. Kalil right from the start because he is blunt, direct and honest. He said that my skin could look way better and that his peel would definitely do that for me, I liked his confidence. I trusted him so much, that I tried not to flinch when he gently applied pure accentone to my face to thoroughly prep and clean my skin for the peel. After I got over the shock of it, I am happy to report that it didn’t hurt at all.

Next, Dr. Kalil gently but thoroughly applied the VI Peel to every single area of my face with a cotton swab. And I mean everywhere! He went all the way up into my hairline and even around my eyes (which is never done with a traditional peel because it would burn too much) and it didn’t bother me at all. Dr. Kalil told me that he put some top secret ingredients in the peel to buffer the typical burn without compromising the efficacy. He even went over every inch of my face again and made a point of spot treating my more pigmented areas. It was all finished within twenty minutes, not one bit of burning or pain involved. He told me to leave the peel on my face for at least four hours (most peels need to be washed off immediately because they burn so much) and he sent me on my way with a delightful little VI Peel Take Home Kit to ensure the proper care of my skin in the coming days.

After I left, my skin felt fine and I easily washed it off that evening. For the first two days of the peel, you apply a post peel towelette at bedtime which contains milder acids and helps to facilitate the peeling process. Dr. Kalil also gave me special 1% hydrocortisone cream that he told me to apply everyday to minimize discomfort and it really helped. I also used the VI DERM moisturizer and SPF 30 Sun Protection (also in the Take Home Kit) everyday throughout my peel and I really liked the light weight, fast penetration and calming effect it had on my skin. I have never gotten a special after peel home care kit before, and I must say that I really appreciated the thought that went into creating products that continue to treat the skin after leaving the doctors office. It was a nice touch!

Why Did I LOVE the VI Peel? Painless, fast, comfortable, subtle peeling, no extreme down time, and visible transformative results. Seriously, this was such a pleasant peel experience and I honestly had no discomfort. Maybe at the height of my peeling in days 3-4 it was a bit annoying and buggy, but that was it! It was obviously a treat getting the peel from the creator, I loved the take home kit and the results were the most transformative of any peel I have ever gotten, take a look and judge for yourself:

I promise you that these photos have not been retouched at all and I have NO make-up on my face (other than lash extensions). Doesn’t my skin look amazing?? Luminous, radiant, firmer, smoother, more youthful and almost flawless without a stitch of make-up? A picture is worth a thousand words so you be the judge. If you like what you what you see, search HERE for a doctor or med spa near you that offers the VI Peel or beg your local pratictioner to offer it because it is so FAB! I can’t wait until my next one

Disclosure: Vi Medical invited me to have a VI Peel with Dr. Kalil and as always, I made no promises about coverage. However, it is an amazing, impressive treatment and I am thrilled to share it with you.

I’ve been getting facials since I was 16 years old and am now 43, so if you do the math that is well over twenty five years of experience with a lot of treatments and trying out all types of skincare. While I have definitely tried all sorts of skincare products over the years, nobody quite does it like the French do, they just ‘get’ it and truly understand how to pamper and treat the skin in a luxurious way. And in my opinion, Yon-Ka Paris is a truly a pioneer and a leader in anti-aging skincare. With roots in botany, aromatherapy, science and beauty, Yon-Ka is a line that combines the best of nature and the best of science in order to deliver gentle but tangible results.

Yon-Ka  was one of the very first treatment lines I used on my skin during my early years of getting facials and I LOVED it! I will never forget the wonderfully addictive herbal floral smell of the Yon-Ka pink toner aka Lotion PS and how the smell instantly lifted my spirits and freshend my skin. I just started using it again and it is just as good as I remembered it, plus the fabulous smell transports me back in time. Lotion PS is an alcohol-free mist with invigorating aromas (lavender, rosemary, thyme, geranium, cypress) that tone, stimulate, soften and hydrate the skin. A classic and still amazing after all these years.

And how could I forget another all time Yon-Ka fav, Phyto-Contour Eye Cream. This refreshing eye product contains rosemary extracts and is still amazingly wonderful at diminishing dark circles and puffiness. It instantly wakes up tired eyes, decongests fluid buildup, fights under-eye bumps, and provides a visible lift. Ahhhh take me away!

And while I was excited to rediscover these classic favs, Yon-Ka has certainly kept up with modern skincare trends and has created some new products that I found equally impressive. I am absolutely loving one of Yon-Ka’s newest products called the Advanced Optimizer Gel Lift for the Neck, Decollete, & Bust. This product contains a wonderful combination of plant extracts and peptides that smooths, tones and restores firmness to the neck and chest area. I like the refreshing herbal smell and how my neck and chest look instantly smoother and firmer after I use it. Over time, I have noticed a that this product has helped soften the age related signs on my neck and chest.

A couple of other new Yon-Ka product discoveries I would like to tell you about are Alpha -Contour and Masque 105. Alpha-Contour is an instantly absorbing eye and lip treatment gel that contains fruit acids. It helps eliminate dead skin cells, replenishes moisture, and reduces lines around the eyes and lips. I like how it makes the skin around my eyes look and feel fresher. 

Masque 105 is one of those yummy smelling multi-purpose masques that I like to use around ‘that time of the month’ when my skin is wacky and hormonal. This masque cleanses, clarifies, firms, and oxygenates all skin types. It detoxifies and purifies the skin, it helps tighten enlarged pores, and it relieves dry skin from occasional blemishes. This masque literally takes your skin (and mood) from blah to ahhh in moments!

During the summer, I had the delightful privilege of being able to sit down with anti-aging skin care maven Kate Somerville at her ethereal Melrose Place Medi-Skin Clinic to learn all about her newest skin care innovations and latest product launches. It was such a treat to be in this beautiful and intimate setting with Kate (along with some other key members of the the media) and listen to her share her skin care philosophy and her enthusiasm about the the types of transformational products she is able to create.

I have to say that Kate is a fabulous, down to earth, inspiring woman who is authentically passionate about giving women beautiful skin–and speaking of amazing skin you should see her skin IRL, smooth, even toned, youthful, radiant and flawless! No wonder Hollywood insiders flock to Kate for her genuine demeanor, amazing treatments and transformational products (FYI for you star struck types: When I was driving away from the clinic, I almost ran over the swarm of paparazzi who were running down the street and chasing the starlet who just left the KS clinic–only in LA–looked like Renee Zellweger to me).

Since meeting Kate this summer, I have been trying a couple of her newest products and I’d like to tell you about these innovative products and my impressions of them. 

CytoCell Dermal Energizing Treatment 

This innovative treatment contains the cutting edge Peptide P-199, which is a synthetic peptide that stimulates stem cell activity and restores the skin with new energized cells. Peptide P-199 stimulates collagen production, enhances skin tissue and cellular regeneration, improves skin tone and radiance, improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, helps skin look smoother, and promotes the birth of healthy new skin cells.

All I can say is WOW! This product really delivers rejuvenation, radiance and overall freshness to the skin–no wonder stem cells are all the rage in the skin care industry. I love the lavender/oxygen smell and how my skin immediately drinks up this delightful cream on contact. I use this cream at night and when I wake up in the morning, my skin feels smoother and looks clearer and brighter. Over time, I have noticed a softening of fine lines and a more youthful look to my overall complexion.

Neck Tissue Repair 

This cream combines Advanced Moisture Complex, peptides and cutting edge technology to provide superior hydration for the neck and decollete. This advanced cream helps reduce the depth, density and volume of wrinkles on the neck and chest; it hydrates and prevents water loss; it improves skin firmness, skin tone and elasticity; and it provides superior skin smoothing properties.

While admittedly, I do have those pesky annoying deep horizontal lines on my neck, I have never really been all that diligent about using a neck cream, until now. Kate’s Neck Repair cream smells fresh and slightly fruity/floral and almost immediately it makes my neck and chest feel soft and supple. This is one of those products that you have to use consistently over time to see results, and since I have been using it, my neck lines have noticeably softened and my neck and chest look firmer and more supple.