PRODUCTS USED:
Smashbox Anti-shine
Hourglass Veil Primer Make Up For Ever HD Foundation in 125 and 120 MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC30
MAC NC35
Smashbox Halo in Light
Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder
MAC Fix+ Spray

I also thought it was interesting how her voice kind of perks up as she starts getting closer to the finished look. But man, gorgeous girl with or without makeup. What do you think?

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Shy

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Cecilia Wong products

You might be surprised to find that as much as I write about about beauty, I’m horrible about getting myself to the spa. When I first moved to NY, I was regular about monthly facials…that is, until my lady moved away and I never made time to find someone to replace her. Enter Cecilia Wong, an NYC-based skin care expert whose focus is holistic and natural treatments. And if there’s anyone who believes about the strong connection between food and beauty, it’s her.

I was invited to get a facial at her spa in Union Square, and after 12 hours on a plane from Argentina back to New York, it couldn’t have been a more perfect time. I was set on trying out her Omega and Vitamin C treatment, a hydrating lymphatic facial designed to brighten and soften skin. When I got there though, I first had a quick consultation with Cecilia and we discussed some of my other issues, including dreaded breakouts.

Inside her spa

She asked me about my skincare routine and I told her about my love for argan oil (she had no issue with that); but otherwise my biggest problem is that I’m not very consistent with a regimen and can find myself dealing with random breakouts. Cecilia (who by the way, also happens to have pretty large base of South Asian clients and is quite familiar with our skin concerns) suggested we try the Awakening Peel instead — an exfoliating treatment that uses organic fruit peel and LED Light Therapy (a mix of red for anti aging and blue for congest skin), and Black Currant-infused serums. Hey, she’s the expert, so I listened.

While she was doing my facial, she told me she herself had severe acne issues from the age of 15, which, sidenote was pretty shocking because I dare you to even find a blemish on her face. Her mother recommended she change her diet, focusing more on fruits and vegetables, and she began experimenting with DIY-face scrubs and masks made of papaya and blueberries. Slowly but surely, her skin started getting better.

From then, she was inspired to experiment with different ingredients for skin care. “Your skin instantly absorbs anything you put on it, so you want to limit the chemicals and irritants as much as possible, and replace it with natural and antioxidant rich ingredients,” she explained while I was getting my facial. She’s a big believer in also starting from the inside-out to alleviate skin issues — drinking plenty of water and non-processed foods. Til this day she says she juices daily! She believes it helps her skin majorly. In fact, her whole product line is inspired by her love for juicing. She designed her products to benefit the skin the same way juicing does the body (goodness in, toxins out).

Cecilia Wong Black Currant Serum

After some light extractions and a few minutes under the LED lights, my skin was seriously glowing and felt so soft. She wanted to make sure I kept up the maintenance and asked me if I was exfoliating at home, to which I fessed up and said “not really.” She told me wash my face only with water in the morning and to do some light exfoliating at night. She sent me off with a sample of her Exfoliating Milk Cleanser. I’ve been following the regimen religiously, and now, after as little as a week, I feel such a difference in my skin. For once, it’s behaving…scars have lightened and I’ve experienced no breakouts since. The mixture of exfoliating and the cold weather has left my skin a little dry, but I’ve re-implemented some argan oil to smooth out those issues.

I love the holistic approach Cecilia uses: natural-based skincare coupled with updated technology (LED lights, micocurrent facials, ultrasonic therapy). Trust I’ll be back to the spa for more of Cecilia’s magic.

I highly recommend trying one of her treatments if you’re in NYC. To make an appointment, you can call (917) 596-5206. If you don’t live here though and can’t get to Cecilia yourself (sadness), I asked the skincare guru for her best DIY acne treatments. Luckily, she obliged! Check these out (and believe me, she knows her stuff!):

.

CECILIA’S BODY SCRUB FOR ACNE PRONE SKIN
1/4 cup raw organic cane sugar or fine brown sugar
1 cup grapeseed oil or sunflower seed oil
1/4 cup grated lemon peel (or the juice of half of a fresh lemon)
1-2 gel capsules of Vitamin E
2-3 drops of an essential oil of your choice (lavender or rosemary for calming, peppermint for invigorating, cinnamon for circulation, eucalyptus to kill bacteria/acne)
*Mix ingredients together, apply to skin and rub lightly in a circular motion. Rinse with water.

Are you big on facials? What are your biggest skin concerns?

Salon Info:
Cecilia Wong
215 Park Avenue South
Between 17th & 18th St
Suite 1304 (13th floor)
New York, NY 10003
(917) 596-5206

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Shy

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Olay Pro-X Clear Acne Protocol line

Olay didn’t just tell us about the adult acne line any old way either — a handful of beauty writers were invited to Exhale Spa on the UES to take part in a Hot Ki Power Vinyasa class with instructor (and creator) Isauro Fernandez. Ki Power Vinyasa is a combination of vinyasa and martial arts. All I know is it was no walk in the park.

My Olay yoga mat

I'm focused man!

Hot Ki Power yoga at Exhale Spa

After an intense hour-long workout (extra intense for me — I was fasting that day and couldn’t drink any water either!) on our Olay-branded yoga mats, NYC dermatologist Dr. Diane Berson talked to us about the connection between working out and taking care of your skin.

“After a workout, [Olay Professional Pro-X Clear] is the perfect fit,” she said. “A lot of the traditional acne products that used to be available over-the-counter were targeted to adolescent skin…[which] tends to be very oily and very clogged. It’s important while you’re using products that decrease acne, to also use products that contain barrier repair products.”

Olay Professional Pro-X Clear Acne Protocol, $40

She assured us that it’s a “myth” that you grow out of acne.

“Adult women can deal with acne breakouts at the same time they’re dealing with anti-aging concerns.” That’s why she’s a fan of the new line from Olay, a three-step system which contains salicylic acid and niacinamide to treat breakouts and redness. Results, she says, can be seen in as little as four weeks.

Sounds like something you can use? Well then, you’re going to LOVE today’s giveaway!! I’m partnering up with Olay this week to give one lucky BATF reader:

- The ENTIRE Pro-X Clear line
- 2 yoga mats
- 2 water bottles
- 2 Lululemon yoga bags.

Seriously, how amazing? All you have to do to enter is one of the following, however doing both increases your chances at winning:
1) Leave a comment below
2) Tweet “Win the entire Olay Pro-X Clear line, yoga mats, & more http://ow.ly/6JdNB @BeautyNDFeast #OlayBATFgiveaway”

You have to have a US shipping address to be eligible. Winner will be announced on Friday, 10/7. Good luck!

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Shy

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I'm hungry

New York may be the fashion capital of the US, but when it comes to beauty, Los Angeles reigns supreme. Those of you who don’t believe me should watch an episode of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. These ladies have been nipped, tucked, tucked again, lasered, lifted, Botoxed, and Juvedermed–all in the name of beauty.

Poolside at the Four Seasons Westlake Village

The great thing about being a native Angeleno is knowing where the movie stars, trophy wives, and reality queens go to get these procedures done–especially when they want to keep it on the down low. Though Bev Hills may be “Mecca” to L.A. beauty junkies, the Four Seasons Hotel in Westlake Village is the secret hideaway to where the elite flock when they must recuperate from plastic surgery.

It was only a matter of time until dermatologists from the 90210 took notice, which would explain my invitation to the Four Seasons Hotel’s most recent celebration. Dr. Ronald Moy–a board certified dermatologist, President of the American Academy of Dermatology, professor at UCLA, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (I’m guessing he was voted “Most Likely to Succeed” in high school)–has just launched is signature treatment and product line DNA EGF Renewal at the luxury hotel and spa.

Dr. Ronald Moy's DNA EGF Renewal Travel Kit

The event also showcased other brands like NuFace, Glo Minerals, and Yamaguchi hair product. Thanks to a complimentary blowout from Yamaguchi’s salon in the hotel, I got to test the goods and they were extremely gentle on my hair. I suspect this is due to the absence of alcohol in their products. They use sake in their hairspray to replace alcohol because it produces a very gentle, pliable hold. That’s great news to me because I try to avoid looking like a 1980s cheerleader whenever possible.

Skincare consultations at Dr. Moy's poolside cabana.

Dr. Moy’s skincare line, DNA EGF Renewal, promises to repair aging and sun-damaged skin using enzymes (these increase cell turnover through nonabrasive exfoliation) and plant-based “Epidermal Growth Factors” that encourage cell restoration. Never one to appreciate empty promises, I kind of wish the line would not push the whole “I look ten years younger” approach–but they do. That type of marketing automatically makes me assume a product is all hype, but I figured that I’d try to be more open-minded. Moy is probably more of an expert than I, anyway, since he has published hundreds of articles on dermatologic surgeries and treatments.

Dr. Moy fielding questions from editors and bloggers

I’m happy I got a sampling of his product line. Maybe I’m not exactly the target consumer age group (I can’t say my skin looks ten years younger per se), but it looks noticeably clearer, smoother, and brighter. These are reason enough to plunk down the Benjamins, because I LOVE products that show me major results. Since some of the products come with a hefty price tag, I suggest trying the Travel Companion Kit ($65) to sample a variety of DNA EFG Renewal products.

Here is my rundown of his products…

Renewal Foaming Cleanser: This is HANDS DOWN my favorite product in the line. I tend to get tons of clogged pores around my chin and T-zone and this took them out with sheer force. I spread the potent but gentle foam around my face, left it on for 3-5 minutes as I would a mask, then rinsed. I will not hesitate to spend $28 because it did the job!

DNA Defense SPF 30+: This is another great product. When shopping for a daytime moisturizer that has an SPF, there are usually two barriers to success–oiliness and a high enough SPF. Anything below SPF 30 is useless at protecting your skin from the harmful rays that age your skin. Unfortunately, many moisturizers with sunscreen leave skin with an oily residue. Thanks to micro-fine beads of zinc oxide, I was able to wear this product without feeling dirty or greasy at the middle or end of the day. Success! The price ($45) also leaves you feeling not-so-dirty.

Growth Factor Serum: I didn’t see much of a difference with this one, but I think that is because I’ve only been using it for a few days. It’s supposed to help with pore size and since my pores are like giant craters, that might take longer than normal. The price is steep at $145.

DNA Night Renewal: I actually liked this product more than the Growth Factor Serum that all of the aestheticians raved about at the event. I saw more results on my skin the next day from the DNA Night Renewal. I like products that make my skin glow upon waking up in the morning and that is exactly what this one does. My skin looks healthy every morning. It’s expensive, though, at $130 a pop.

Those of you who wish to be pampered directly can make an appointment with the spa at the Four Seasons for one of his signature treatments or dermatology services.

To-die-for desserts at Ronald Moy's product launch at the Four Seasons

Specific Beauty skincare

Specific Beauty is a very interesting brand. They specialize in addressing the issues of skin tones that range from medium (tan/olive) to dark skin tones. Their products are part of a total skin regimen that aims to brighten and even out skin complexions specifically for that skin color range.

Personally, I paid attention to them when I was reading an article about how and why skin pigmentation happens, written by Dr. Leslie Baumann, a leading dermatologist.

I’m going to get geeky for a second: what I learned was pigment and spots on your skin happen when skin cells called melanocytes become overactive. There are two ways to prevent this: one is to prevent melanin pigments from taking root in the skin cells (by using products with topical soy, like Aveeno, for example); the other way was to block an enzyme (called tyrosinase, which leads to the formation of melanin). “Ingredients that hydroquinone, kojic acid, arbutin and licorice do this.” She then recommends Specific Beauty Skin Brightening Serum to treat this (it contains licorice and niacinamide, plus antioxidants to even out your skin complexion).

The derm behind the line is Dr. Heather Woolery-Lloyd, who spent over 10 years researching tan to dark skin complexions. Good news is, BATF is partnering up with Specific Beauty so you can win the Brightening serum, and whole bag of products from the line! Included in this week’s giveaway are:

*Exfoliating Cleansing Cloths: dual-sided to carefully exfoliate the skin, while providing a deep clean to remove impurities, all without the need to rinse with water.

*Daily Hydrating Lotion SPF 30: daily moisturizer that provides broad spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays with SPF 30.

*Night Treatment Complex: lightweight skin brightening formula that helps improve skin texture while you sleep.

*Skin Brightening Serum: a special multi-benefit complex of licorice, antioxidants, retinol and niacinimide – to provide the skin with the ultimate brightening benefits.

For this giveaway, you can enter via Facebook or Twitter. Either:

1) Tweet the following “Get a @SpecificBeauty Skin Care Regimen to pamper your spring skin! RT + Follow @SpecificBeauty & @BeautyNDFeast #SpecificBeauty”

2) “Like” Specific Beauty on Facebook and leave a comment saying “Beauty and the Feast” sent you on their wall!

Winner will be chosen and announced on April 27th! Good luck!

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Shy

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CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser

It says foaming, but it’s a gel consistency that stays pretty clean. I used to use stronger face washes, but this has been gentle yet effective enough. I actually felt like I broke out when I stopped using it. Otherwise, I feel like my skin feels pretty balanced and clean when I use this!

Clarisonic ($195)

Clarisonic skin care system

I love my Clarisonic. I feel like I’m getting a facial at home every single time I use it. I had to change the brush head to the one designed for ’sensitive skin’ though because my skin can’t take too much buffing. Another thing is, I don’t use it every single day. I feel like it’s too much exfoliating for me (personally, I think you should use it sparingly or you might irritate your skin, but I guess there are some types that can handle it). When I feel like I need a deep cleaning though, I bust this out for sure.

CeraVe’s Facial Moisturizing Lotion AM and PM Lotion ($14 each)

CeraVe's AM and PM Lotions

Can you tell I love CeraVe? The AM lotion has UV protection (SPF 30) and the PM lotion has hyaluronic acid which is an excellent moisturizer, as well as niacinamide which is proven to help create more ceramides and fatty acids to protect your skin. My face feels so soft afterwards when I use these routinely. To be honest, I was first introduced to the products from an event with Dr. Leslie Baumann, a well-respected derm and one of my skin idols (will talk more about her endeavors in a post to come). But she believes in specific skin types and based on mine, I was given these to take home. I couldn’t believe something as easy as a drugstore brand could works so well, but they did for me.

For occasional breakouts: This is going to be a tease, but NOTHING works better for me than Avène’s Cleanance Acne Spot Treatment. The reason I feel bad for even mentioning it is because it’s no longer available in their line for purchase I know, because I wanted to write a whole post about how much of a life-saver this has been to me in the past (like when I had this giant zit on my nose during my trip to Europe and just two applications of this on the plane ride from Berlin to Paris, and it vanished…true story). Shortly found out that it’s no longer in production. Why do companies get rid of their best products?! Believe me, I’m devastated and have been savoring every last drop. Anyone have anything they use that works? I need a replacement soon.

Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel and Seaweed Cleansing Lotion ($12 and $15)

Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel and Seaweed Lotion

I know it sounds fancy pants, but Mario Badescu products are ridiculously affordable and effective (both of these for example are under $20 and come in big 8.0 fl oz bottles). I switched to MB when I was traveling recently because they came in little travel-friendly bottles that fit into a green case that made it easy to carry around. It’s extremely gentle on my skin too, and I love its fresh, relaxing scent. So many beauty editors have told me they get their facials from MB’s flagship on 52nd street (also very affordable $65 for NY standards). I always tell people to go to their website (mariobadescu.com), where you can fill out a questionnaire and they’ll send you samples of products that fit your skincare needs for free. I’ve done it before and the little samples they’ve sent me were fantastic (especially their Strawberry Face Scrub, yum).

For other night creams, I’ll also switch it up between Face It’s Dream Beautifully ($45) and Dr. Brandt’s Pores No More Pore Effect ($55) when my skin is feeling really dry. Don’t even get me started on masks and other indulgences — it’s a wholeee other story, maybe for another post.

But ENOUGH about me — what skin care products have been working for you lately?

x
Shy