Romy Raves

I recently had the delightful pleasure to experience a facial at the Dermalogica Flagship Concept Store in Santa Monica, California. And I must admit, I was skeptical about this being an impressive facial, because honestly in my mind Dermalogica was a tired brand for skincare neophytes (I’ve always thought of it as a safe skincare intro line for newbies).This savvy beauty maven had limited expectations about the impact of this facial and BOY WAS I WRONG!!

Dermalogica has really reinvented itself over the years, and I stand corrected, this brand definitely competes with the best of ‘em in terms of innovative products and state of the art skin changing facials. So let me tell you about my recent experience with Dermalogica and how they have turned me into a fan.

When I entered the Santa Monica location, I noticed that it was clean, white, modern and futuristic looking. In fact, I think the treatment rooms sort of look like high tech pods, already I am already intrigued because it certainly doesn’t look like your typical zen relaxation spa. Upon closer analysis, I think Dermalogica’s modern look is trying to subconsiously tell vistors they mean business, that something is really going to happen here.

I fill out the requisite paperwork so the Dermalogica skin therapist knows my issues and concerns and can properly ‘face map’ my skin (This is Dermalogia’s proprietary way to analyze the zones of the face and properly diagnose problems and recommend products). We then enter the pod-like room with the rotating mood colored lights (which I totally dig), I choose my preferred music (spa/relaxation) and then my modern facial begins.

It starts with an oil pre-cleanse to ensure all make-up and dirt is removed, then a cleanse with a Clarisonic brush, the official skin analysis under the magnifying light (aka Face Mapping) and then my favorite ‘wow’ part of this facial a power peel called EA35. I love peels because you feel them working and they deliver instant results, and this pineapple and papaya enzyme based exfoliating peel was one of the most impressive and active peels I have ever gotten. It zinged a little but was lessened by the skillful massage of my therapist, I could tell it was packed with high tech ingredients that deliver results.

Next came some light extractions, high frequency to kill germs and the AGE Smart Multi-Vitamin Recovery Mask. Another great modern enhancement was the Galvanic Machine, which was used along with my mask to push the actives of the mask more deeply into my skin and pull out impurities, loved this too! While the mask did its thing, I got a lovely arm massage along with the Peltier high tech massage device which got hot as she rubbed it on my pesky neck and shoulder knots (another uber cool techie touch.) The facial commenced with an automated spritz of toner from yet another techie device and an application various products from the AGE Smart line (my fav being the Renewal Lip Complex).

I left the room in a happy daze, my skin felt supple and rejuvenated. The delightful finishing touch was a warm cup of Dermalogica’s Special Un-Tea. For days, I marveled at how smooth and soft my skin felt from this gentle yet powerful facial (I am certain the EA35 peel was reason for these impressive results) and I highly recommend checking out a Dermalogica Facial in your area.

There is nothing like the newly converted, Dermalogica welcome to my world–or is that Romy ’Welcome to Our World’ (read in a robotic futuristic voice). 

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!

This savvy beauty maven is always on the hunt for the best beauty treatments and services around, and I recently had a delightful facial with Gayle Miller at Guy Matthew Salon and Day Spa in Agoura Hills, California.

 What made this facial so special you ask?  I would be delighted to tell you. First of all, Gayle is a gifted pro and knows her way around skin care products. She uses one of my all time favorite skin care lines called Epicuren. This is an active and effective line of products and I am always impressed with the results it delivers.

Second, Gayle has a very gentle yet thorough technique that really gets your skin clean and glowing. She gives your skin a thoughtful analysis and designs the facial to meet your needs. She decided that this beauty blogger needed the works, so in addition to cleansing, a relaxing massage and extractions, I tried two of her different exfoliation services and finished it off with an oxygen treatment. And let me tell you, my skin looked and felt divine after this triple whammy!

Let me tell you a little more about each of these wonderful services. First, I had Diamondtome Microdermabrasion, a gentle yet effective microderm treatment. This got rid of my surface flakes and unevenness.  Next, was my personal favorite part of this facial, the Hot Enzyme Three Layer Peel (sounds scarier than it is, I promise.) This consists of three different Epicuren products that are layered on the skin to pack a powerful punch. I liked the spicy zingy first step and how smooth and supple my skin felt after all three steps–this was a pretty unique feeling treatment to this savvy beauty junkie. And the last step and icing on the cake was the Echo2 Plus Oxygen Treatment, which gently sprays vitamins, minerals and oxygen right into the skin and gave my skin a fantastic and youthful glow, a perfect special occasion treatment.

Gayle has a delightful demeanor and I would highly rec giving her facial a try, especially if you like a more gentle and renewing facial with beautiful skin results.  And here’s the BEST part: Right now she is offering Romy Raves readers a special introductory price of $65 which includes a classic facial with all the trimmings PLUS ANY 2 of the special treatments I have reviewed above. That means you can get a facial with microderm and/or a three layer hot enzyme peel and/or an awesome oxygen treatment all for for a steal. These treatments typically cost about $100 each or $20 to add on to a regular facial which is regularly $85, SO needless to say this is a fabulous bargain not to be missed!

Guy Matthew Salon and Day Spa is located at 30115 Agoura Road in Agoura Hills, California. To book a facial with Gayle call (818) 889-0212. And remember to tell her Romy Raves sent you!

Well neither had I until today. Remember Marlene, the amazing esthetician who offers amazing economy busting facials at about $40 (see April 20, 2009 blog post)? Today, I went to see her for my regular monthly facial and she has come up with a wonderfully inspired all organic summer time facial called the Spicy AHA Fruit Pulp Treatment that knocked my socks off!

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Being the beauty junkie that I am, I have certainly had my share of facials, but to my delight and surprise, Marlene came up with something really cool and different that even impressed this savvy connoisseur. Let me tell you about it: First, she applies a citrus scented oil to get the skin in the mood; then she applies a fruit pulp peel that gently exfoliates the skin which is shortly followed by my favorite ‘wow’ part of the facial–a stimulating spicy lime masque that totally wakes up the skin, feels very tingly (that’s the cayenne pepper in the masque), and detoxifies and oxygenates skin; while the spicy lime is working its magic, Marlene gives you a relaxing hand and foot massage; next comes the yummy smelling part of this facial, a peach masque that she uses to calm the skin and remove the lime masque. She finishes this refreshing treatment with a calendula serum and a scrumptious apricot moisturizer. Divine!

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After the treatment, my skin is slightly flushed and pink because of the stimulating lime, but in a totally healthy looking kinda way, like I just got back from vacation or just had mind blowing sex. And my skin feels really supple, hydrated and happy. Give Marlene a call so you can put on a happy face too, and of course tell her that Romy sent you.

As many of you know, I am a huge beauty product junkie and finding great new products is my life’s mission. These days environmentally friendly products are all the rage, and anybody who is anybody is making their brand’s version of green or organic products. And while these products are supposedly better for you in the long run, I am still skeptical about their efficacy and tend to believe that chemically derived products offer better results. For this reason, I get really excited when I find new organic and green products that really work.

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So let me introduce you to Alaska Glacial Mud Co. Glacial Facial Purifying Mineral Mud Masks, one of my new favorite good for you and also good for the environment products. This delightful new find of mine has so many wonderful things going for it, it is worth mentioning these goodies here: this mask is made of sustainable hand harvested Alaskan glacial mineral mud that is both wild and certified organic; it exfoliates, detoxifies, softens, moisturizes and nourishes the skin with 60+ trace elements that promote skin cell regeneration; it has anti-aging, anti-oxidant and immune protective properties; and it also has a slew of other good for you ingredients like kelp, cranberry and vitamin B5 to name a few. And in further support of its ‘green-ness’, the company donates 10% of its profits to wilderness preservation, habitat restoration, environmental education and sustainable community development–Wow that’s impressive! So this product delivers ALL these benefits and I have not even begun to mention what it does for your skin!

After being taken with the inherent goodness of this product, I was even more surprised by the enjoyable usage experience and how fresh and radiant it made my skin look and feel. I was taken by the smell of this product (this is a big driver of why I am drawn to a particular product and I LOVED the lavender-peppermint and vanilla-lavender scents–Yummy!) which are refreshing fragrances and rather unexpected in a mud mask; I really like the cool, moist, nourishing and refreshing feeling of this mask, and it is definitely not at all drying like mud masks typically are; and best of all was the hydrated and vibrant look of my skin after washing it off. And then suddenly I snap out of this euphoric spa like experience, and I remember its good for you too–I am delighted and hooked!

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I think this would be the perfect mask to use during those hot summer months when your skin is sluggish, congested and needs a refreshing ‘pick me up’ or when its ‘that time of the month’ and you are cranky and so is your skin (I think the lavender peppermint would work wonders!) Why don’t you give this wonderful product a try and get your skin summer ready! Please let me know what you think and how it makes your skin look and feel–and of course as always there is a special added bonus for Romy’s Raves readers: You get a FREE terrycloth headband with every order, just enter promo code FREETERRYHEADBAND-09

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Romy

Woman with a Radiant Glow