Beauty - Dermalux facial at Ellen Conlin, a review

I had the pleasure of going to Ellen Conlin hair & beauty in Giffnock the other week to try a Dermalux Triwave facial.

I was a bit unsure of what to expect, but the whole experience was just lovely.

Kirsty talked me through the facial...

Dermalux is an LED Phototherapy which is a non-invasive skin treatment that accelerates the body's own natural repair processes improving your complexion, fine lines & wrinkles. It can also help heal symptoms such as acne, rosacea, psoriasis and eczema.  Three specifically chosen light waves are used - red, near infrared and blue light.

...and then I got myself comfortable on the treatment table. I was nice and cosy under layers of furry blankets. Bliss!

The Elizabeth Arden PRO range that I've been trialling was used to remove my make-up and prep my skin for the light therapy. Following this a pair of goggles (not for safety, but more for comfort) were placed over my eyes and the Dermalux light was moved into place.

 

The machine perhaps looks a bit daunting and I can be claustrophobic at times (I'm going for an MRI next week and I'm already dreading it), but I can assure you that this was absolutely fine. It also doesn't make a sound! 

(This isn't me btw!)

 

The light was warm (not hot), soothing and actually very relaxing.

 

Imagine yourself chilling out on a lounger by a pool somewhere lovely and sunny... in fact, the blue light is used to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder.

 

Kirsty then proceeded to give me a shoulder, neck and head massage, followed by an arm and hand massage. It was just divine. She then left me to relax and enjoy the rest of my time under the light (the light is on for 30 minutes). I very nearly fell asleep and only came to when the light automatically switched off!

 

Surprisingly, the effects were immediate; straight away my skin looked brighter and glowing. (It's difficult to tell from the photographs, so you are going to have to take my word for it!).

 

Kirsty had put some Elizabeth Arden PRO Smoothing Eye Serum on my lips, and after the light therapy my lips were look plump and fuller than usual. Yes, it's an eye serum I hear you shout but it's designed for fine lines and wrinkles and so Kirsty explained it's also great for the area around your lips. When Rick saw me after the treatment, he immediately commented on my pout - so it really was an obvious difference! It's the type of facial that would be really good ahead of a big event or special night out.

 

 

I'd say that my skin is in good condition and I've really been looking after it over the past year or so. However I do still get breakouts, particularly my chin, and I was suffering from one when I had the Dermalux facial. The next day, my breakout had calmed down - it hadn't disappeared so please don't think that you can have a treatment and then you get immediate results after one facial. That said, I think with perhaps two or three treatments then I'd see a dramatic improvement.

 

At £60 it's a bit more pricey than the facials I'm used to having, but the LED phototherapy has upped the ante in the beauty world. (The machine itself costs thousands and thousands to buy!). I'll most definitely be back.

 

Thank you Ellen Conlin for the complimentary facial. Opinions as always are honest and are my own.



Skincare - Elizabeth Arden PRO, a Review

I have been trialling the Elizabeth Arden PRO High Definition Radiance Try Me Kit for a few weeks now and I thought I'd let you know how I got on.

Elizabeth Arden collaborated with Joe Lewis for Elizabeth Arden PRO. Joe Lewis is a chemist & cosmeceutical skincare researcher and is the founder of PRIORI Skincare. My sister swears by PRIORI and I had always meant to try them but just hadn't got around to it. If you haven't heard of Joe Lewis, or PRIORI, then take my word for it that he's a big name in skincare.

As a scientist myself, I love that the Elizabeth Arden PRO products have been developed by a scientist and have been clinically proven. 

The range is based on the Skin Health & Beauty Pyramid Philosophy; the pyramid base comprises of 'fundamental' technologies for daily skin protection. 

"Everyone concerned about improving skin health and beauty 

must be committed to a lifelong lifestyle that includes 

daily protection against sun and environmental exposures"

Next up from the base is the core of the pyramid; these are the 'need to have' technologies for skin transformation. Finally at the top are the 'nice to have' ingredients. You'll see below that for each of the products I've been using, they have their own pyramid diagram which shows you in red the key ingredients and where these fit into the overall picture.

This Try Me Kit comes with the following: 50 mL Gentle Facial Cleanser, 15 mL Age Defying Serum and a 15 mL Triple Action Protector SPF 50 and has an RRP of £70. Elizabeth Arden PRO is a salon only brand; they are stocked in Glasgow by Ellen Conlin Hair & Beauty.

The cleanser removes make-up and gently exfoliates the skin leaving it soft and glowing. I've been using this twice daily as a second cleanse after a cleansing oil. The cleanser is to be used sparingly around the eyes. So with this in mind, I used the oil to remove eye make-up and surface dirt followed by a second deep cleanse with Elizabeth Arden PRO.

The serum is designed to defy the signs of aging and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles with a combination of ingredients. AHAs can cause sun sensitivity so I was recommended to use the serum only at night-time.

Finally the Triple Action Protector, SPF 50, is what I've been using after cleansing each morning. This is a tinted sunscreen suitable for all skin types. I like to think that I have good skin and I do think that using an SPF has a lot to do with this. I lived abroad for a year and a half when I was little and we wore sunscreen every day. I rarely am out in the sun without sunscreen as my foundation/base layer has an SPF, although it's not as high as 50. It's a really good habit to get into and I was actually reading an article in the hairdresser the other month about a lady who was insisting that her children at age 9 or 10 years old wear SPF daily on their faces. This is also something that my kids dad has requested. Despite living in cold, wet Glasgow we still have harmful UV rays. I'm now 33 years old, but I think I look younger. Someone that didn't know me recently thought I was in my late twenties... this made me happy!

After all my spiel above, you'll be wanting to know how I got on...

My skin is definitely smoother, softer and perhaps even a bit brighter - noticeably so across my cheeks! I've had a breakout of a couple of spots on my chin again which isn't great (stress or hormones!) but the rest of my skin is lovely. 

The cleanser smells clean and fresh. The directions say to lather and massage over the face. I found it didn't lather very much, but it's a nice consistency and I washed this off with a warm flannel before patting dry. Immediately after using it my skin feels softer.

The serum smells a bit strange, and it's yellow in colour and runny in consistency. If you look closely it also sparkles. But don't let that put you off, once it's on you can't see it.

I've also been going out without any foundation on! I've been using the tinted Triple Action Protector, then adding a little concealer onto my chin and under eye area and that's all. It doesn't give much coverage and depending on what I'm up to, I do sometimes still use my bareMinerals Complexion Rescue in addition to the SPF 50. I've filmed myself before I started using the product (I just need to find the footage... ooops!) and I'll do another little video to round it up. So keep an eye on my YouTube channel too.

Thank you Ellen Conlin Hair for the complimentary Try Me Kit. As always, opinions are honest and are my own.