A few weeks back, I was asked to try the Vampire Facial at 111 Harley Street in London and of course I jumped at the chance of trying something new and also becuase I had seen those bloody Kim Kardashian pictures after having her vampire facial done that were interesting and scary a the same time!
So what is the vampire facial?
It’s real name is the Plasma Rich Platelet Treatment (PRP) but it was nicknamed ‘Vampire’ Facial because they draw about 20ml of blood from your arm. They then take that blood and seperate the red blood cells from the rich plasma in a machine so you are left with a clear orangey fluid. That clear fluid is then injectd into your skin. The blood you see in peoples faces from having a vampire treatment is from the little needle pricks and not from the blood being reinjected.
What does it do?
The Rich Plasma is meant to stimulate cell regeneration and plump facial lines. Results are usually seen within six weeks as that’s about your skin’s renewal cycle. It has been known to help with wrinkles, scarring and overall quality of skin.
Before the treatment- I wanted to see if anything could be done about the scarring on my cheeks from popping so many pimples when I was younger.
During: As you can see I had minimal bleeding during the treatment and you can bruise but Dr. Alexandrides ‘is great with needles so you won’t bruise.’ The Flaky stuff you see is just dried numbing cream which they put on your face if you are sensitive. I think I could have done it without numbing cream though because it was bearable.
These are the results. Now I know it doesn’t look crazy different but I have noticed a difference in the quality of my skin. I have also noticed that the scaring has faded a bit as you can see. * please note that the picture on the left was taken with a lower quality camera so it is not as clear as the right, which would have shown a bigger difference.
A few years ago, the only product that would spring to mind with the mention of facial mist would be a water spray like Avene Thermal Water or Caudalie Beauty Elixir. Not surprisingly, in the past year, a surge of high tech facial mists have appeared on the beauty shelves promising perfect skin at the wave of a finger.
The appeal of a mist is that its handy for the girl on the go and depending on your mist of choice, can deliver antioxidants, moisture, protect against UV rays, or anti ageing benefits in one quick spray. For mists to work properly the main ingredient is usually water which means you can spray as many times per day as you like. Mists are great for travelling, refreshing your skin on a hot day or reactivating your make up.
MyChelle Apple Brightening Mist UK- £14 MyChelle Apple Brightening Mist US- $16.68
A few weeks ago, I walked into wholefoods in London, nostalgic for the states, and I went straight to their beauty section which as you would expect is full of organic, natural high-performing products. I was mostly focused on oils when I saw the Mychelle Apple Brightening Mist which I found quite interesting because because it was a spray and it appears to help the look of uneven skin tone. I then went online and did some research and liked the idea that they use ‘cutting-edge plant and marine ingredients and are always free of harmful elements — phthalates, parabens, fragrances, and artificial colors.’ I was also lucky enough to get a sample from the company and have been using it for a a few weeks now. I absolutely love the apple smell as well as the fresh feeling when I spray it on my skin. I haven’t seen a difference in the hyperpigmentation of my skin (yes I spent to much time in the sun without sunscreen as a teenager but more on this later) however I am quite happy to keep spraying it on 1-2 times a day because it contains anti-oxidants like acai, applephenon, and mangosteen and these we all know are good from protection your skin from free radicals which cause aging!
Hi Ladeis I hope everyone had a great Holiday Weekend! I had a great time visiting Newquay beach in the UK though not as warm as I would have liked it was quite sunny!
A couple of weeks ago I read that Italian cosmetics brand KIKO is opening on Regent’s Street in London (one of the busiest shopping streets in London) so I decided to go check out the KIKO store at Stratford. Basically KIKO is a high street cosmetics brand with similar prices to those at the drugstore but they have got their own big store. I tested a few products and this is what I thought.
Smart Lip Pencil, Bright Geranium £1.90- Good standard red color, creamy and stays put at a very decent price.
Super Color Mascara, Green £5.90- (see Picture Below) The Color of this mascara (come in different shades) was quite cool but the texture was quite dry almost chalky, just for color you would have to wear regular mascara if you wanted volume. It’s okay for the price but quite similar to MUA which is just £1
Perfect Eyes Duo Highlighter, £6.90- I really liked the idea of this Highlighter duo especially because I am a big fan of nude eyeliner on the inner eye rim (see this post). I really liked the highlighter end of this duo (see picture below) on brow bone, the eyeliner however was a bit on the whiter side, I prefer a more natural color but it did stay on quite good.
Super Color Eyeliner, 103 Dark Brown,£6.90- I have to confess I haven’t tried a liquid eyeliner in years (mainly use gel and brush) But I really like this eyeliner, the felt tip like brush makes it easy to apply, the color lasts all day and dries quite quickly. I would buy this again. (see Picture below)
This is how the products look on:
So this product could be totally unnecessary and not make any difference to my skin but I love it. I like the way it looks and I like the smooth cool feeling of jade against my skin. I like to keep it next to my bed and pull it out when I wake up and my eyes feel puffy. This is a chinese jade skin massager used to massage, cool and stimulate the face. According to some online resources jade roller massage was used by Chinese empresses to keep their skin young and plump. I know you can get more expensive rollers at special beauty websites but I bought this one for $5 because I wanted to try it out and it actually is better than I expected. Although its good to note that jade is like a diamond and comes in different qualities.
The jade massager is meant to also help with sinuses and to stimulate lymphatic drainage to clear toxins from the body. Have you ever used one?
How to use:
Gently roll the smaller roller around the eye socket, then place the roller vertically into the inner corner of the eye, using gentle rocking motion, press lightly to encourage lymph drainage in the eye zone, ease blocked sinuses and reduce puffiness.
With the larger end roll broad sweeps working away from the nose area, roll across the forehead, cheeks, throat and décolletage area.
