Before A Laser Touches My Face

Has anyone heard of facial rejuvenation? Yeah I didn’t until i won a free session with a local company. So i started some searching by watching YouTube videos. Big mistake.

I first watched one where this mans face looked like something off of a Freddy Kruger movie. his skin looked like it was red and bleeding and inside out. He said it hurt but as time went on (he filmed over a course of 2 months,) it started to heal and it started to look like normal again. I think I watched about 3 of them and that when I was like, yeah no I don’t want this!

I emailed the guy and asked for a bit more information. So I started reading up on other sites and on his company site that he gave me.

I was looking at the wrong thing that whole time. Facial rejuvenation, the one I’m getting, is actually  Carbon Laser Skin Rejuvenation. Its a painless and non-invasive laser treatment where  fine carbon powder is applied to the pre-cleaned area of skin that is to be treated. This carbon powder absorbs dirt from deep within the skins pores which helps the pores appear smaller.  After the powders applied, a laser is moved slowly across the surface of the skin by the technician. The laser breaks down the carbon powder, taking with it any contaminants that have been absorbed. As this is a thermal treatment, the heat produced from the destruction of the carbon powder has the added benefit of stimulating the collagen in the skin, leaving it appearing noticeably firmer and smoother with diminished fine lines and wrinkles

I then found the actual videos of what it was and to say I’m excited is an understatement! If you haven’t noticed yet or know me, I’m all about taking care of your skin now (probably because i started noticing a huge difference when I’m looking after it, after all I am not the perky youthful 16 year old i once was.) So a big thing like this that apparently has noticeably results after only one, and helps improve the condition and appearance of my skin without making me look like the walking dead for a few months, I say bring it on!

I’ve left my skin naked today ready for the procedure tonight, and I’ll take before and after pictures so I can share with you all and tell you about my experience and whether or not its worth it. Hope you all are having a lovely day even in this rain here in England!

-Candi X

Pamper Night

Where I’ve been quite ill lately, it’s taken a toll on my outside as well as my inside so I thought I’d do myself a little pamper night when the kids went to sleep. 

Now who doesn’t like to pamper themselves!? Hot steamy baths, taking care of your skin, making your nails look pretty, giving yourself a foot massage (my husband wouldn’t dream of rubbing my feet unfortunately so yes I do have to massage them myself.) Its nice to get you time and there’s something about it that completely des tresses yourself! 

A lot of the skin care and moisturisers I do and use I do either once/twice a week or daily depending on what product and what for. All week I’ve done not a lot except face masks and face cream here and there. So here we go!

  
FACE: Firstly, twice a week I wash my face with this Glorious Mud facial exfoliator to get a nice deep clean and smooth away dead skin. I picked it up in savers for something like 99p because I left mine at home when I went to visit my aunt and I keep going back because it really is a nice feel and smell to it and it does its job. 

Next, Garnier Micellar Water. I use it really to help get the make up off and it does cleanse the face amazingly but if you haven’t noticed there’s another cleanser up there. Body Shop Cucumber cleansing milk. You don’t need them both but I enjoy using them both because the Body shop cleanser seems to make my face cool and refreshed.

After that I used my Quick Fix Facials collagen mask. I don’t consider myself old just yet (I’m in denial that I’ll be 30 in three years!) but it is NEVER to early to start thinking aging products and wrinkles and all that good stuff, so I like to use a collagen mask twice a week and random ones in between.

Random note: I’ve become obsessed with face masks so if you have any suggestions or favourites please share! 🙂 

And finally for my face this evening the Garnier Skin Active Moisture Bomb. I’ve only just received this as a product testing product and this with the day cream so far is great which I will do a before and after and review in a few weeks time. I’ll say it a couple times but moisturising is so so important for your skin.

 

  FEET: Next is good ol feet. The Scholl’s Wet and Dry file is another product testing product I’m using at the moment and so far so good! I’m trying to use it one a week maybe one every other week depending. 

After its all nice and smooth I painted my toes with BarryM Gelly nail polish I. This torquoise colour and if you haven’t realise yet, blues and torquoises are getting up there as my favorite colours. 
And finally I used my Baylis and Harding Sweet Manderine and Grapefruit smoothing foot lotion, massaging them and taking focus on the bottoms to release tension. And I’ll pop them in my Happy socks that are for pampered feet to lock in the moisture. 

  

HAIR: Since my hair is coloured and underneath is bleached for the blue, my hair needs extra care and moisture. Any type of hair mask is good and I highly suggest anything with Aragon oil, but I totally love my Naobay hair mask. I received it in my glossy box, and already ordered a new one ready for when this runs out. My split ends are unrecognisable, and my hair is so manageable! They are good to try and use once a week although I tend to do it twice some weeks. 

  
SKIN: Finally my moisturiser. After a bath dry off and put on a nice moisturiser. It’ll keep your skin healthy smooth and happy. I started using Nivea irresistibly Smooth. It smells great and keeps my skin moisturised baisically all day and all night when I apply after my bath. Keeps the moisture in your skin.

Now finally, to keep me going I drank a large glass of water and filled my huge liter water bottle ready to drink in the morning. That is the secret weapon to good skin and body care!

What’s your nightly routines like? And what’s your favourite skin tips I’d love to hear it! Good night y’all! 

-Candi x

Me Time

It’s crazy. In the two years and one month and 11 days of being a mother, the longest I had “me time” was a few hours. If I wanted to pamper myself, I have my kids with me. Need to go shopping their with me. To work out I even use them as my weights which thank goodness they love hehe.

I think for me I felt a bit guilty leaving them in one sense even though I’d crave even that 20 minutes of my bath alone at night. But as I’m sat here on a double bus, on top I might mention, (can’t do that with a push chair!) and listening to my iPod (I had to dust it off it’s been that long since I’ve been able to plug them in on a bus trip, and traveling back home after12 hours of me time, I’m really reflecting on my time.

I love my kids. I live, breath and beyond love my kids. I should feel guilty when I say this but, I really enjoyed it. I felt relaxed, it felt odd but almost pleasing not having to see to them as soon as I wake up. I could get dressed and washed first take some proper time on my makeup and drink a HOT cup of coffee. I even goofed around with my cousin which is a different goof I’m like with my kids. I felt really refreshed.

Due to certain circumstances in life, this isn’t something I can do often hence why in the first time in two years I had that amount of time to just go without my boys to visit my aunt and cousin. But it made me reflect, I can love my boys more then anything but I can love my time as well.

As I mentioned in my Out of the Darkeness blog I’ve started feeling like I’m getting me back. And this day has helped as well. As mothers, I think we all need to do something to connect with ourselves. Keep us healthy in head and heart. Get to know yourself again. Enjoy something you may not get to do often since having kids. I guarentee you you’ll feel amazing.

I love my boys and I can’t wait to get home to them I’ve missed them beyond believe. But I’m glad I’ve had some me time. 🙂

-Candi X

Accept

Who’s ever been disappointed? I bet any of you reading this has been. Whether it was the concert you wanted to see was sold out, or your size wasn’t there in the dress you’ve had your eyes on for weeks. Or how about even deeper, disappointed in someones actions towards you or people getting your hopes up and then completely crashing them.

Disappointment has really become a very well known acquaintance in my life. However, I’m learning to adjust the gut wrenching stab in the heart feeling. I’m saying to myself, “Right, that’s not happening, so what do I do now to make sure We come out on top?” or “Well that wasn’t the right thing for now at least.”

I use to be sick to my stomach every time some sort of disappointment occurred and yes it does still hurt at times when something disappointing comes along, but life doesn’t always have to be like that. Acceptance. That’s key. Once you accept that there’s a better thing out there for you, or other ways to go around it, you find yourself focusing on finding new ways to get what you want in life. Life is going to keep throwing set backs at you because how boring would it be if you were handed everything on a silver platter? Trials and tribulations is what sets the men or women from the girls or boys. Gotta work for it if you want it bad enough.

I’m a very firm believer that everything happens for a reason. and I’ve ACCEPTED that. When something in life that you wanted to do is “set back” you can either

A) get so upset give up and be like everything is ruined (which is what I use to do.)

   or

B) take is as it is and find a different way to achieve it if it’s something you really really want.

If you want something bad enough in life don’t let the disappointments torment you. Learn, grow, and work harder to get it. You’ll appreciate it more I guarantee you because when you do go through the hard times for it, you’ll be so so so glad when its in the palms of your hand.

-Candi x