Skin Rejuvenation Treatment at the Cork Laser Care Clinic

Hello All,


As everyone knows, I am obsessed with skin care products and treatments, I am always on the look out for the newest treatment and the finest ingredients! I cannot express how important it is to look after your skin, this includes using the correct products at home and professional treatments! Remember you wouldn't brush your teeth everyday yet never go to the dentist?! Professional treatments can make a huge difference to your skin!

With my wedding being next year, I am really concentrating on my skin care and treating my skin now! Using Image skin care products at home and getting microdermabrasion treatments is certainly making a difference to my skin but I wanted to take my skincare that step further so on Tuesday, I made an appointment for the  Cork Laser Care clinic on Penrose quay!.

The clinic is in a private area, located on the first floor of Penrose House- Just across the quay from Jurys Inn! With parking right beside the building, its perfect if you are just going to the city for a treatment and want to be on your way afterwards!

I was greeted by the lovely Gerri-who owns the clinic, she welcomed me into one of her private treatment rooms to start the skin consultation. After an in-depth skin consultation and analysis, Gerri decided that Skin Rejuvenation would be the perfect treatment for me!! I have never worked with this treatment, nor had it before so I was intrigued!

The Below pictures are of myself make up free. I took these on the morning of my appointment so I can document my progress ( for myself and for you guys! ) My skin concerns are the following:

• Slight pigmentation across the cheek and under eye area!
• Excess oil on my T-zone
• Fine lines and wrinkles around my eyes! ( booooo )
• Open and enlarged pores

What is Skin/Photo Rejuvenation and is it suitable for me?

Skin/photo rejuvenation is a non-invasive laser treatment which works in a specific and precise way to target skin concerns. It is one of the most innovative skin treatment on the market today. If any of the following skin concerns are affecting you, then Skin or Photo Rejuvenation is the treatment for you! It works on...

• Pigmentation
• sun damage and sun spots
• Spider veins and capillaries
• Acne and acne scarring
• enlarged pores
• Excess oil production  
• lack of elasticity
• fine lines and wrinkles

In order to rectify any of the above skin concerns, we need to work on the deeper levels of the skin! Even though a cosmeceutical product such as Image can do this, sometimes a more intense/precise treatment is needed and thats where the skin experts come in!

Gerri did a mixture of both photo rejuvenation ( for the pigmentation and fine lines/wrinkles) and skin rejuvenation ( for my open pores, congestion and oily t-zone.


What did the treatment feel like??  

After Gerri removed my make up, she applied a layer of cool gel to my face and neck. I also wore goggles during my appointment to protect my eyes! The flash of the laser light is quite bright but after a few flashes, I was used to it. As for the sensation, It is absolutely nothing to be worried about! Its just like a quick blast of heat...easy peasy!  After the treatment, Gerri removed the gel and applied an S.P.F creme to my face and neck. My skin felt amazingly fresh and clean!


Is there down time?

Here is the mind boggling bit....I was expecting my skin to be very red after my treatment but it wasn't at all!! It was a teeny bit red, but not very noticeable! You could literally get this treatment during your break time from work and no one would know! :-)

Below are pictures of me immediately after my treatment!!

As a beauty therapist I am often asked about skin care products and treatments. When my skin is looking good, it makes a huge difference to my confidence and mood! I am really looking forward to continuing my skin treatment at Cork Laser Care clinic and will share my experiences and results with everyone!

Gerri offers an in- depth skin analysis for free! Her clinic offers a huge range of treatments from Image peels, microdermabrasion to rejuvenation! Everyones skin and skin concerns are so different so very rarely would one type of skin treatment be enough. The therapist at the clinic will devise a personalised skin programme for you and guide you at every step on the way to fresh flawless skin! Visit her website here : http://www.corklasercare.ie/

Gone are the days that you need to be down about your skin! Even if you are an 18 year old girl or boy and are struggling with you skin, there is a treatment there for you!

Like always, please email me either on facebook or at porcelain.lady@yahoo.com if ye have any questions!

:-) xx

Pale Foundation Review: MAC full coverage

Hello All,

I've had MAC full coverage foundation for quite some time now .... we have a love/hate relationship so I decided to do a little blog post about it!

My lovely friend Shelley http://cookingupbeauty.blogspot.ie/ ( a fellow Cork Blogger! )  purchased mine for me in Dublin, Brown Thomas to be exact! I'm shade NC15- which seems to be an almost perfect match! I do use MAC studio fix foundation too and weirdly enough I find NC15 waaaay too yellow and dark, somehow it works for me in the full coverage foundation!

I apply mine using a damp beauty blender :)  http://www.beautybay.com/accessories/beautyblender/sponge/ I have applied it with a few foundation brushes before but I find it much easier to blend out using the damp sponge! This foundation covers anything and everything!! no need for a concealer with this baby!! I have combination skin, oily T-zone and normal everywhere else! The texture of this foundation is quite thick and creamy- it took some time for me to get used to! It has no SPF which is both a pro and con- it does picture well ( you don't get that white flash back! ) but for days that I wont be infront of a camera ( lol most days? ) I rather an SPF-being so pale n all I have to be uber careful!

The picture below is of me with just the foundation on in front of an open window during the day.....

My skin is kind of behaving lately but i LOVE the finish that this foundation gives. When i first got it, I found that it was seeping into every pore on my face but with the lovely Benefit Porefessional- that problem is solved. The below picture is of me after I had finished my make up- no setting powder just blush, highlight and a crap loada eyeshadow!! ;)

Never Mind the manky mess in the background!! Below are a few pics in a more natural daylight setting! 

I feel that when I'm having a more normal to dry skin day rather than an oily skin day, this foundation lasts for the day! When Im oily, I hate it- even with a primer and blotting paper!

Era, to sum it up..............

PROS

• Unreal Coverage
• Great shade for us pale ladies!
• Photographs very nicely!
• Lasting power is great ( not when im oily tho ) 

CONS

• No SPF!
• Annoyingly creamy/greasy when I'm having an oily day! 
• Even with the beauty blender, it takes a little elbow grease to blend!
• A biotch to cleanse off..!!!! 

xx

Wedding Dress Shopping- My experince

Hello Folks!

 For those who don't know me personally I'm currently planning my wedding for next July and lovin' every second of it! Obviously the second I had that ring on me finger I was pinning wedding dresses galore to my secret board on Pinterest! ;) After multiple episodes of "Say Yes to the Dress" on youtube, I bit the bullet and booked a few appointments to try on dresses....yey!!

I did find the thought of wedding dress shopping a small bit overwhelming but in actual fact it was quite exciting! My sister, who worked as a consultant in a bridal shop a few years ago, came with me along with my mum :)

I did think I would go to every single bridal shop in Ireland and even had plans to go to london (?!?!?!?) to get the dress LOL! My pinterest board was full of gowns that I could imagine myself in. I just went to just 3 shops in the end, any more was unnecessary as I fell in love with a dress I tried on in the 2nd Shop.

 I loved the whole experience but what happens on "Say Yes to The dress" is a far cry from what happens in reality....no champagne, no dramatic tears, no tantrums .... in fact when my mum saw me in the dress she literally said " Ya girl thats the one, You're a  feckin' bride ride in it!!" hahaha!! She's a legend! Also, I found it quite surprising how cheap looking some materials are in real life- remember that bridal gowns are heavily photoshopped online! I remember trying on a particular dress that I had developed an obsession with, it was ALOT of money but it didn't look it-at all! It's amazing what a bit of airbrushing can do!!

I thought I'd point out a few things though for any of my readers that are engaged and are starting the whole dress process....

• Bring someone blunt- mega blunt!!
• Bring a strapless bra, and god dammit not a black one!
• Bring heels-think of the amount of feet that have been in those heels that the shop provides in the dress room.....maaannnnk!
• Bring an open mind..! try on EVERYTHING! 
• Try on all different shapes and colours- even if you think you know what suits you!!
• Relax and enjoy it!!! 

It is nice to your research beforehand but I wouldn't dwell on it. I remember reading one blog and one of the things they said to remember is what type and theme of a wedding you are having!! ....wait...what? I have to have a theme?!?! Lets be blunt here, a wedding is a wedding...be it in a barn, a cathedral, a hotel, a mosque or a feckin' castle, you wear what you feel savage in...end of!! lol! 

I'm currently on the hunt for bridesmaids dresses now, so if anyone has any advice feel free to mail me either on facebook or porcelain.lady@yahoo.com

Talk to ye soon xx

Skin Science: Salicylic Acid

Hello folks,

Today I've decided to write another skin science blog post.There are so many ingredients used in skin products, I feel it is so important to know what they do and more importantly are they suitable for your skin type! I'll try to keep this to the point and short! Like always, you can mail me here porcelain.lady@yahoo.com or mail me on facebook if you have any questions.!

Salicylic acid has been a magic ingredient in the Beauty Industry for quite some time now. It is  a monohydroxybenzoic acid (a type of phenolic acid and a beta hydroxy acid )  a.k.a "BHA" and is mainly used in beauty and skin products for its powerful effects on acne and blemishes.

The shelves in Boots, Debenhams and other department stores are full of products which promise to minimize pores, clear blemishes. brighten the skin, lift pigmentation...etc but unless they contain the right ingredients in the correct formulation and quantity, then you are wasting your hard earned cash and valuable time!

If you care enough to read the label on a food product then you should read the label on a skin product!  Don't be fooled by fancy packaging and glamorous displays in the shop-  in fact, the majority of legitimate skin care companies spent their money on researching and resourcing the best ingredients rather than poring money into fancy packaging and labelling!

Right, onto Salicylic Acid...... What does it do??

Salicylic acid has potent exfoliation properties and can even be used for nail infections, psoriasis, warts and extremely hard skin. Salicylic belongs to a group of medicines called keratolytics. Your skin is made of keratin-a protein- a keratolytic ingredient has the ability to soften the keratin in the skin-hence where salicylic gets its exfoliation ability from. Now I know what some of you may be thinking..."I use a scrub on my skin which has granules in it, that surely is enough exfoliating?" No! But simply. Scrubs and physical exfoliation ingredients only scratch the surface-literally! Think of it this way...you have a blocked pore....u need to get under that pore and push the crap out of the pore so you can clean it properly! too graphic? lol!  This is why whilst using salicylic acid and many other chemical exfoliators, peeling or shedding of the skin will occur- Fear not, this is normal! A scrub to a chemical exfoliator is like a spring clean to a deep clean! :-)

 By promoting deep pore exfoliation-which a normal cleanser simply cannot do!- it can help unclog pores, loosen blackheads and soften acne cysts. Although it can certainly help  acne and acne prone skin, it cannot prevent it! However if acne, clogged pores, or blackheads are a concern of yours, you need this in your skin care! pronto!!

 Many products for hard skin on the feet, corns and ingrown toenails actually have salicylic acid present- but thats not saying you can rub a foot creme onto your face- nope, don't do that!! lol

I have listed 3 of my favourite ( tried and tested ) products which contain salicylic acid ! Like I have said before, if you are unsure how to use a product then please ask a skin care professional! Using it correctly is just as important as using the correct product in the first place! I'm happy to help if any of ye need it. Some people may only need to use a salicylic product 3 times a week so please, pretty please, use it correctly and it all depends on the level of salicylic acid used, some of you may never peel or shed while using it.....just depends of the strength you  are using.
 

 Get reading those ingredients folk!! 

• Available at Boots and many supermarkets! Very refreshing on the skin, and not too drying!  Not the nicest of smells but brilliant at blasting those blemishes!

•  Clear Cell is a range by Image cosmecuticals, The salicylic used is quite potent and wouldn't be suitable for mild acne. If you very oily skin with prominent acne then this is the product for you!

• Excellent for those who have acne prone yet sensitive skin.

Skin Basics: Know your skin type!

Hello Folks,

I'm going to jump right in....in order to look after your skin, knowing what type of skin you have is essential! I'm keeping this post nice and simple, but if anyone needs help or has any questions please email me on porcelain.lady@yahoo.com Your skin may change over time and medication can effect your skin but below I explain what accompanies each skin type....

There are 4 skin types....Normal, Oily, Dry and Combination! How to tell which one you have? Read on.....



Normal:

• No visible pores
• No areas of excess oil
• No areas of dryness/flakiness

A normal skin style doesn't necessarily mean "perfect" skin. A normal skin type just means normal/balanced oil production! You can still have breakouts and areas of imperfections and have "normal" skin.

Oily: 

• Areas of excess oil, typically the "T" zone ( forehead, nose and chin )
• Areas of blocked pores and congestion
• large or visible pores
• Shiney appearance
• Feeling os grease/oil on the skin

An oily skin tone just means that the sebaceous gland is overproducing oil, this may be due to hormones, use of wrong skin care products or genetics. 

Dry:

• Areas of dry/flaking skin
• A feeling of tightness on the skin
• Dull/lifeless appearance

Dry skin can be actually difficult to "diagnose". Many people who think they have dry skin actually have dehydrated skin! The difference is dry skin doesn't produce enough oil, dehydrated skin has enough oil but not enough water! To see which one you have pinch you skin, if you can see thin shallow lines you have dehydrated skin! Drink water!! :) Of course you can have both dry and dehydrated skin.!
 

Combination:

• A combination of any of the above 3 skin types! ;)

Combination skin types can be a little tricky to handle especially if you have areas of excess oil and areas of flacking dry skin! The trick is to be quite specific about what you use on your skin.... using 2 masks is a great way for combating both oily and dry areas eg. A clay based mask on the T-zone and an oil based mask on the dry areas! :)

Keep an eye on my blog for posts on ingredients to look out for for each skin type and concern! 

Simple skin tip....

Simple Skin tip! DOUBLE CLEANSE!! The ingredients in your cleanser are made up of molecules which use energy to do their job.....its a waste of their energy removing make up....This is what your First cleanse is for folks! Below are my two favourite cleansers! I use the boots one first, then the Image Vital C cleanser....This trick makes your cleanser work a billion times better...try it