WOW Factor?

There are many undeniable truths in life.  Unfortunately, ageing is one of those inevitable consequences Father Time has waiting for all of us.  I mean it must be “father” time surely? Mother Nature would never be so much of a bitch that she would saddle us with menopause and wrinkles?  That isn’t very sisterly!  But, either way the ageing process happens, rich, poor, fat or thin it is not something that is easily avoided or is it?

As an aficionado of all things that support age avoidance I like to think I have seen everything the world of aesthetics has to offer.  In the name of staying young I have thoroughly brutalised by body!  I have lost count of how many times I have shown up for the afternoon school run looking like I’d had a fight with a cheese grater.  I know you are thinking I must have something wrong with me to punish my skin in the name of vanity literally at every opportunity.  The answer is possibly with a “but”… I don’t feel 47 years old!  Not in body and most definitely not in mind.  So, what is wrong with wanting to look the way I feel?

I am obviously always on the hunt for the best potion or procedure to help further the cause of age avoidance.  So, hearing a rumour about a new facial that involved six quite aggressive treatments in one sounded like just the kind of exquisitely painful torture I could use!  It must be painful, right?  But, the reality is they have each and every element down to such an exact science that the reality is ultra-luxury and so relaxing! But, the clue in what the experience would be like was in the name, WOW Facial.

The consultation itself is an opportunity to learn about what your individual skin needs.  This is what is unique about higher end skin care.  The treatments are tweaked to your needs.

The WOW experience starts with the resurfacing of the skin using a gentle peel that leaves you smooth and glowing without a hint of peeling or redness.  The second stage is the “Dermaplaning”.  This in itself is an amazing treatment using a surgical scalpel that physically exfoliates the skin along with removing any peach fuzz you have on your face.  The next treatment is using what is called the “Wow” gun which superficially injects Hyaluronic and Succinic Acids to stimulate your collagen and elastin.  The fourth stage in the WOW experience is the super SciFi Led mask which looks straight out of Star Trek.  It uses blue, red and near infrared lights to further stimulate your collagen and elastin.  Just when you think that you cannot become any more relaxed they put the signature WOW mask on your face before finishing with a hydrating spritz of Wow Spray to protect your skin following the treatment.

The entire experience screams of pure luxury.  Should you have these treatments separately, it could easily set you back more than a £1000.  However, a Wow Facial has been set at a much more reasonable £250 no matter where in the country you are having the treatment.  So, you can have the Harley Street treatment no matter where you live.

The outcome for my skin was a healthy glow and a ready for Instagram filtered look without the filter.  I cannot wait to have another Wow experience!

For more information or your nearest WOW Facialist visit https://www.wowfacial.co.uk.

Model Makeover

As a Beauty Blogger I am in an incredibly lucky position to have access to the best Aesthetic professionals in the world.  It is a privilege that is certainly not lost on me.  As such I get to experience the best that the industry has to offer.  But, not everyone is in this position.  I have been speaking to various women who really want to see what aesthetics is all about and what it can offer them, but unfortunately cannot afford the treatments.

So, in an attempt to see if there is such a thing as champagne aesthetics on a prosecco budget I started investigating opportunities to be an aesthetic “model”.  Ok, ok I know what you are picturing!  A classroom of full of nervous newbs with shaky hands pointing a massive needle at your face.  Leaving the procedure with one eye brow on your forehead and the other twitching by your lips? But, that is the exact opposite of what I found!

I have visited the amazing professionals at Juvea Aesthetics many times as well as sat at their table as they were honoured with multiple awards for excellence.  They are award winners for both their Aesthetic practice as well as their Medical Aesthetic Training Academy, MATA Courses.  So, when deciding to write this piece I knew exactly who to call!  MATA only trains those with a medical qualification, so I was confident that my face would be in good hands.  The educator who would be leading my session was the stunning Dr Unnati Desai.  She is one of the best Aesthetic Doctors in Harley Street.  A thorough and professional consultation was carried out prior to any treatment.  The session was a one on one with Dr Desai and the delegate who was also a practicing GP.  So, there was no shaky hands and I certainly felt 100% safe.

One of the benefits of the session is that because I large portion is about education I learned quite a bit about the types of fillers available. I learned that my vermilion border, which is basically the demarcation between the lip and your normal skin had been damaged slightly during a previous procedure.  Dr Desai explained how this would be corrected with the new filler.  It was very informative and quite fascinating actually.  The session included filler in my lips as well as my Nasolabial folds also known as your “smile lines”.  My session was informative and carried out perfectly.  I would certainly consider being a model in the future and could not have hoped for a better result!

**Well, honestly I am not going to say every training program is equal.  Though working well within current legislation there are Aesthetic “academies” that are training students without any prior medical experience to inject toxins and fillers into your face.  So, like any medical procedure make sure you look at reviews and feel happy that you are in safe hands as a model.  This should be a mutually beneficial arrangement.  Remember that although you are getting treatments for a heavily discounted rate, you are providing them an opportunity to practice and you should feel confident you are in safe hands.

If you would like more information about Mata Courses or becoming an aesthetic model contact https://www.matacourses.com for further details.

It’s been awhile…

Welcome 2018!!  Last year I can honestly say was one of the worst years I have ever experienced. But, it is a shiny new year, with a little rebrand and some amazing things coming soon!  Stayed tuned for some of the latest, greatest, craziest and most bizarre things going on in the world of  beauty and aesthetics.  Plus more diet, fitness and general masochistic abuse of my body in the name of vanity and weight loss!!!

Double Espresso Please

So, now you have your luscious lips all you need is a great lip colour to finish off your sexy new persona.  I consider myself a lipstick aficionado.  But, as much as I love a bold beautiful colour even the superstars have let me down in the stamina department.  Often the bolder colours either peel off or just don’t have the staying power of the more natural shades.  So, when someone challenged me to try an extremely dark colour in a brand that I had never heard of I did not hold out much hope.   Enter Acti-Labs a French company that makes a whole host of products including a vast make-up range.  Now I need to say at this point I had sworn off writing about products that would be classed as “multi-level Marketing”.  Not for any other reason than up to now I have found that many of them are not great and it can be awkward because you are often dealing with someone trying to make a business from their home rather than a faceless PR.

But, after speaking to the gorgeous Kertrina I was convinced to give it a try.  I was sent some lip colours that blew me away.  I had purposely chosen very dark colours as they are often the most difficult to sustain over an entire day.  To my shock they looked as good at 9pm as they had at 6am when I first applied them.  As someone who is most indelicate when eating or drinking I definitely put them through their paces.  My favourite colour was the Mega Matte espresso.  Very dark with a dark reddy hue.  As it was so dark I thought it would probably start peeling by mid-day.  But, I was wrong, wrong, wrong!!  It was perfect from beginning to end.  They are all gorgeous and I would definitely recommend this lippy lot for your next beauty haul.

Just a little side note Kertrina sent me some the Acti-Labs Whitening Toothpaste and at it worked better than anything I have used before.  So, Acti-Labs is certainly worth little look!!

A “Perk”fect Pout

I once had a friend who described the first impression I make when entering a room as “here comes Melissa’s lips”.  I have stuck with that over the years as I think there are few things that make a bolder statement than a fabulous set of freshly plumped lips.  I know you natural beauty fans are cringing.  But, honestly I don’t believe that genuine natural beauty exists in anyone over the age of 12.  Now put down your torches and pitchforks anyone can be beautiful, but let’s not delude ourselves.  At 46 I need all the help I can get! As we age lips get thinner and all that lovely collagen we took for granted in our 20’s has done a runner.  I, being a big fan of white coats and needles am quite happy to get regular fillers in my race with Father Time.  I am referring to time with a male pronoun not because I am being patriarchal, but because surely only a man would have the audacity to steal your collagen and impose the menopause on you in one swoop.

But, I know that many of you are looking for a less invasive way of giving the old girl a bit of a boost.  There are some genuinely ingenious ways of getting that pout just right.  I was invited to the multiple award winning clinic Juvea Aesthetics to have a treatment called “Perk” Lips.  This treatment is from the company that brought us the Rolls Royce of facials, Hydrafacial.  Perk is literally a lunchtime lip boost.  Performed by the gorgeous and amazingly talented El If Ay I was in great hands.

Perk involves putting a tingly minty serum over your lips and using what I can only describe as a mini hoover over your lips.  It exfoliates as well so it leaves you with a gorgeous pillowy finish that is perfect if you want to test drive some super lush lips before committing to more invasive treatments.  You take home the peppermint oil and peony extract that lightly plump your pout.  So, you can give your lips a little boost anytime.  This little roller ball of freshness is now a staple in my handbag.

The Perk Lips is an amazing treatment for anyone, but particularly if you are considering lip fillers. Perk will give you a little preview of what you would look like with fuller lips.

There are a whole list of Perk treatments that can be done over a lunchtime without any downtime and the only side effect is fabulousness!

Multitasking Miracle

Like any busy mum I find it hard to incorporate a solid beauty routine into my already jam packed day.  That’s why I appreciate products that have multiple uses.  So, discovering DermaEraze Miracle Oil was an absolute boon!  This little bottle of fabulousness can be used on the skin and hair.  Although it is an oil, it absorbs like a lotion.  So, it is the perfect primer under my make-up for my dry skin.  I use it at night as a moisturiser and absorbs so quickly your skin feels soft and smooth from the first use.  But, it can be used over the whole body and is particularly good for scars and stretch marks.   I obviously have extensive scars over my entire body due to plastic surgery and have noticed a visible difference in the last three months of use.

Created by world renowned Skin Repair Specialist Lorena Öberg, This formulation is made from the purest Olive, Almond and Avocado oils.  The healing properties of the oil make it an ideal product to use alongside aesthetic procedures such as micro-needling as it aids the skins ability to repair itself.

The Miracle Oil has done a beautiful job in keeping my hair extensions in great condition.  I use it prior to straitening and any other heat treatments as it keeps my ends smooth and shiny.  Again because it absorbs so well there are no issues with it causing the extensions to slip or the bonds to break down.

This is certainly a product that will remain a staple in my beauty routine.

Coming soon I will be revisiting Lorena in clinic to try her world famous DermaEraze Stretch Mark Removal Treatment. Just in time for bikini season!

Click here for more information on the DermaEraze Stretch Mark Removal Treatment.

The Big Boy Room

The thing about proper gym training is that the relationship you build with your trainer becomes so much more than that of a task manager.  The thing about being with someone who really knows what they are doing is that at a certain point they know your body and its limits better than you do.  Darrell stepped up our training by taking me to the area of the gym where the big boys train.  That part that I dared not tread in the past as I felt this area was off limits to me.  I am not sure if this is the former fatty talking or just someone who happens to have a vagina rather than a penis.  But, there is something about the testosterone fuelled weight lifting floor that scared the hell out of me.  But, full of excitement and a bag of nerves I followed Darrell into belly of the beast, also known as the body building floor.

Today we were going to do dead lifts.  I was going to do deadlifts!! My form was good and I felt stronger than I ever had my whole life.  That’s the thing about living in a fat suit, when you are in it though you are pushing every possible physical boundary with the sheer mass you are carrying you don’t feel strong.  Quite the opposite, you feel weak and at the mercy of something you need for survival yet can’t control.  So, this new feeling of strength was something almost spiritual.  Having spent the better part of my life hiding my body the idea of lifting weights was a bit cathartic.  The “big boy” room thick with testosterone and heaving with the kind of men that I feared would judge me actually respected my effort.  It was another stamp to add to my “passport” of places I felt I was not allowed to enter as a fat girl.  Whether societal or self-imposed there were just some things that were off limits to me in my old body.

But, this wasn’t all about my head.  Under Darrell’s expert guidance my body so beaten and scared from weight loss and plastic surgery was toned and taut.  The results were hard to dismiss and furthered my original hypothesis that it was all about excuses.  Once the barriers were dropped and I really took on board what Darrell was teaching me I had complete faith in the process.

Before

After

Since this was written Darrell has moved.  What is a huge loss to me is a massive gain to clients in Leeds.  Darrell is so much more than a trainer.  He helped me in ways I could not have imagined.  You see the last thing I had wanted in the beginning was a male trainer.   Men in the gym generally had been something I tried to avoid at all costs.  But, the idea of working one on one with a male PT was something of nightmares.  It was my own jaded view of men in general I suppose, but in my mind they represented everything that kept me weak.  These were the kind of guys that mooed at the 16 year old Melissa.  I suppose I stereotyped all “fit” men in this way.  But, Darrell changed all that.  He showed me that my only limitations were self-imposed and anything was possible.  He pushed me continuously and encouraged me to lift more and was always there to spot me when I needed it, whilst at the same time knowing when to hold back and let me take care of business.  The sessions we had were about pushing the limits I had and helping me attain a strength I didn’t think possible. We had many a conversation that started with me saying “I want to be able to do Tough Mudder or I think I want to enter a charity boxing match or I want to be able to do pull ups unaided.”  His reply was always “you can do it” “we can train for that”.

So, Darrell I can’t possibly thank you enough for what you have given me.  You are a credit not only to your profession, but more importantly to your gender.

I will continue this journey with a new trainer.  So, this is not over yet!

Watch this space…

You’re gonna feel a little prick

So, if someone told you they could make the skin on your face and neck instantly look younger by sticking hundreds of needles in it what would you think?  A bit scary right?  Well, when that person is the amazing Milena Lazarova of Dr Joney De Souza Skin and Laser Clinic, what you actually say is wh at time should I be there?

Dr Joney De Souza’s clinic in the heart of Harley Street has become one of my favourite clinics.  Whether I am there to see Dr Joney for a bit of needle artistry or the always gorgeous Milena Lazarova I am never disappointed.

Micro-needling with the Dermapen or Goldpen has recently become the hot treatment of choice amongst celebrities.  The treatment involves using a device with tiny needles on the end of the pen that make the smallest of punctures in the skin.  This process relies on the skins natural ability to repair itself.  So, these tiny injuries to the skin stimulate collagen growth, reducing the size of your pores and instantly giving you smoother looking and feeling skin.

When a treatment involves needles one would automatically assume there will be an element of pain involved.  But, with the pen in the expert hands of Milena it was more relaxing than anything else.  The “needling” felt a bit like a soft cactus being run over my face.  Even in the most sensitive parts of my face near my eyes I experienced no pain.

The great thing about the Dermapen treatment is that it can be repeated every couple of weeks for maximum results.  But, as a boost for the skin now and then it is certainly a beautiful treat.  The results following the treatment were instant.  My skin was glowing when I left the clinic and in the days following my make-up went on like pure silk.

The Dermapen/Goldpen is a very versatile treatment that not only works for anti-ageing, but also can be used for scar correction, stretch marks, blemishes and is even used to promote hair growth for those suffering from thinning.

 

The results of my treatment were so dramatic that it was recently featured in Woman magazine.

*Like all aesthetic treatments micro-needling should only be performed by trained practitioners.

 

 

#NoExcuses

So it begins! I have never made my advocacy  for the Abby Pell’s of this world a secret. Those amazing super humans who embraced the “no excuses” hashtag with both hands and got mostly hate for their effort.  I remain an advocate for all body shapes.  But, why is it that these women who have chosen to push their physical limits get so much hate?  As anyone who has followed me knows I used to weigh over 350 pounds.  I am certainly not the poster girl for gym bunnies by any stretch of the imagination.  But, this topic intrigues me, particularly in light of the recent controversy over Eugenia Cooney’s YouTube channel and the petition to ban her.  Now I do agree she certainly has an eating disorder.  But, has the pendulum swung so far that it is now ok to body shame those we consider too skinny?  There are super sized (by their own description) fashion bloggers that if they were experiencing the same vitriol as Eugenia we would be going out of our way to defend them.  Are they not just as much of an example of an eating disorder as Eugenia? I don’t know the answer.  But, I digress.  This is about really digging deep and saying NO actually there is no excuse for this middle age spread.  Yes, I have lost a lot of weight and have been incredibly lucky to have been able to have the extensive plastic surgery to remove loose skin.  But, that just put me on a more level playing field with the majority of women.  I am an extremely busy mum of seven year old twins.  I don’t want to get up at 5am to do crunches in my living room any more than anyone else.  But, having lived most of my life in a fat suit feel I would be doing myself the ultimate dis-service by not finding out what is possible.

So, my question was; what happens when an average mum drops all excuses and hits the gym?  Well the first step like most of my body transformation would require expert help.  This would seem the easy part.  But, I soon found out that picking a personal trainer is very much like finding a therapist or partner for that matter.  You need someone you trust and that you can work with.  I searched for months before I found Darrell Wilson of DW Holistic Fitness.  During our first meeting he blinded me with the science of exercise.  It’s not that I expected a personal trainer to be dim.  But, I suppose we all hold silly stereotypes of the super fit perhaps being more muscle than brain, to which I profusely apologise.  Darrell has an incredible knowledge of not only the science of behind exercise, but also knows everything you can possibly think of about the nutrition needed to lose weight and gain muscle. His ability to explain the reasons behind every movement is nothing short of astounding.

Over my many years as a serial dieter I have possessed many a gym membership.  For the most part it was the usual story.  Following the obligatory “New Year’s resolution” I happily handed over my bank details to a very pushy sales person and for a month or two religiously went to the gym losing that same two stone repeatedly each year only to gain it back the second I eyeballed a cream cake. But, the fact is walking halfheartedly on a treadmill and pushing around a couple of dumbbells for an hour does not a six pack make.

There is certainly much more reason to be motivated when you have someone at your side to tell you exactly what is happening to your body during exercise.   Having thought I knew quite a lot about the topic myself soon learned I didn’t know much at all.  So, having found “the one” we started training. I think the best part of working with a great PT is that you are really motivated to make progress.  Was I sore the next day?  Yes!  I found muscles I didn’t know existed.  The feeling of satisfaction following each workout cannot be put into words.  The truly amazing thing is how quickly I felt the results.  I am obviously a work in progress, but having been working with Darrell for just over a month now the difference in my body is very noticeable.  The satisfaction in seeing the free weights go up each week is an awesome feeling.  He is a ball buster in the nicest possible way!  The workouts are always challenging, but the fact that I am seeing the results is such a great motivator.  I started out with a marked weakness on my left side as compared to the right.  But, over the last few weeks I have seen such a big difference that my left side has nearly caught up.

I have certainly come a long way from the “Davina” hand weights collecting dust under my bed.  Having that support from someone at your side each session is extra motivation to stay on track.  I have been resistant to having a trainer in the past because I felt self-conscious.  But, Darrell in addition to knowing what he is talking about is a genuinely nice person that spurs you on in such a positive way.  I can’t think of a better cheerleader in this very foreign territory.

So, I remain without excuses and on the way to finding out what is truly possible.  This is chapter one of a series on building a better body.  Will I end up with a six pack? Don’t know! But, what is certain is that building a better body is so much more complex then losing weight.  So, with science, good nutrition and a truly inspirational Trainer there are no excuses and no limits!

Shot of Sleep, Straight Up

Before

I’ve heard people talk about something called sleep. I believe it’s something I used to do before children and the weight of the world got the better of me.  I try my best with make-up and what can only be described as industrial grade concealer to hide the stress and lack of sleep that has taken residence under my eyes.  With bags big enough to hold all my luggage and dark circles that would be the envy of most raccoons there is only so much a mere cosmetic can be expected to do.  I have tried all the light reflecting magic, miracle potions out there and don’t get me wrong they can make a difference up to a point.  But, the 24/7 hustle of being a working mum who’s building a brand, writing as well as 9 to 5’ing takes a toll.

I am obviously very open minded when it comes to aesthetics and plastics. So, when I learned about the use of fillers to treat Tear Troughs, the area around the eyes, I was more than intrigued.  Now, don’t get me wrong the idea of having a filler, in this case Teosyal injected into the eye socket sounds a bit frightening. However, I was incredibly lucky to have had a Teoxane Trainer carrying out my treatment.

Dr Linea Strachan is trained dentist, but has been doing aesthetics for nearly 10 years.  She is the clinical director of A&L Clinics, which is one of the best and busiest cosmetic clinics in Suffolk. Luckily for me she has recently started running a clinic from Harley Street.  She is the teacher for intermediate and advanced filler techniques for Teoxane UK.  Dr Strachan is an award winning practitioner having won in two categories in facial aesthetics in the Aesthetic Dentistry Awards 2016.

Before

I met Dr Strachan in Harley Street on the day of the treatment. As a rule of thumb people will often tell you that the best way to judge someone’s aesthetic skill is by looking at them.  Well Dr Strachan is certainly an amazing advert for her work.  She is as brilliant as she is stunning.  Following in intensive consultation and taking a set of before photos she explained that she would be using a new bit of technology for the treatment called a Teosyalpen.  It is basically an electronic dispenser that distributes the filler into the area being treated.  Dr Strachan first put in a small cannula which was then attached to the Teosyalpen.  I have had filler on many occasions and even with a numbing cream there is often a sting.  Not overly painful but usually enough to cause the eyes water a bit.  But, with the pen there was literally nothing.  I did not have any numbing cream and the only thing I felt was the tinniest scratch when the cannula was put in and just a bit of vibration as the teosyal went into the tear trough.  This was hands down the least painful treatment I have ever had.  It took no more than 15 minutes per side and the results were instant.  Because of the technique Dr Strachan uses there was no bruising and I couldn’t even see the entry point from the needle.

After

Following the procedure you look like you have just come out of a week long nap! I was in awe of the difference.  There was minimal swelling which was pretty much gone within the week.  No down time whatsoever and a result that lasts up to a year.  Seriously, what’s not to love?

After

Time for a safety lecture and some words of caution about this and all aesthetic treatments. A tear trough should not under any circumstances be administered by a non-medically trained practitioner!  Now I realise there are a number of people who are happy to be injected with any number of things by beauticians, I am not one of them.  Every single one of these procedures have the ability to cause serious and life altering side effects in the wrong hands.  Prior to any procedure an extensive consultation should be carried out to ensure you are suitable and safe to have the treatment. In addition the person injecting you should have the training to deal with complications should they arise.  I know a “bit of filler” seems like no bid deal.  But, if you were to have an allergic reaction to it does that beautician injecting you in the backroom of a salon have the medical training to deal with an anaphylactic shock? Will basic life support even be something he or she is trained in much less the injection of adrenaline in an emergency.   I say this as a nurse not just a blogger. These are things you need to consider when undertaking a “bit of a tweak”.   Beauticians are amazing at their jobs and in no way am I putting down their skills for “beauty treatments”. Injecting chemicals into the skin though done for non-medical reasons are still medical procedures and should be respected as that.   I believe that aesthetic treatments should be regulated in such a way as to make it illegal for anyone other than medically trained professionals to inject them.  With the treatment of your Tear Troughs in particular the experience and education of your practitioner is absolutely your number one priority.