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Bonjour Mes Amis,

I hope you’ve all had a lovely start to your week so far; I know my Monday was definitely more lively than usual!  I was here at A French Touch enjoying the company of a few of you lovely ladies, Patricia, and Hollywood’s own Emily Katz (along with her ADORABLE shoes)!

During her two presentations yesterday, Emily shared her make-up tips, tricks, secrets, and stories from over 20 years of hard work and experience 

 while demonstrating proper make-up application and technique on our two lovely models.

So, in case you weren’t lucky enough to join us yesterday, I took all sorts of notes and pictures, and am here to share it all with you!

Emily’s Tips:

• “Get peels, and use sun screen.”  Seriously ladies, not only does it take that dull, aged look off your face, but a peel series can help your other skin care products penetrate more deeply to get better results.  Sun damage causes somewhere around 90% of visible aging, so sun protection will also prevent the addition of years of visible aging on your face, neck and decollete.  
• “You need a good Brush Kit.”  Brushes  make the application of make-up and even skin care products easy; they allow for a more even application of product, keep it from getting stuck in your pores, and allow for more specific (and sanitary!) product placement than fingers.
• “A good sponge is like an eraser, it should be your new best friend.”  This also helps with the even application of product, blending, and smoothing for a perfect finish to your look.
• “You need a good concealer.”  Concealer proved to be quite the star of the show yesterday, by covering and blending everything from wrinkles to dark/red spots to blemishes, and even reducing the appearance of puffy skin.  “Use it correctively over red patches or dark spots, and you’ll melt the years off.”  A fun tip; yellow-based concealers will cover red patches better, while peach/pink-based concealers will cover blue dark spots (like dark under-eye circles) better. 

• Every concealer, foundation, BB cream, etc. will look different on you, both compared to the original color, and also to how it might look on others, because our skin has a unique pH that can alter the hue of our make-up.  If you’re lucky or choose from a high quality brand, it shouldn’t change drastically.  Emily joked that this is how a lot of her make-up ends up in the “guilt drawer”; we all have one, full of make-up that we bought, tried, and didn’t like as much as we thought we would!
• “Change your mascara every 3 months.”  When it starts getting clumpy, flakey, or smelly, it’s time to go!  Also, don’t pump your mascara to get more out; it encourages bacteria growth and actually forces product away from the brush.  Instead, hold it upside down and roll it between your hands so the warmth will melt in onto the brush.
• “Less is more.  I’m a real minimalist when it comes to make-up.  The older we get, the less make-up we should use, because too much looks like a cakey mask, not attractive!”
• “Stand in your beauty.  Reflect who you are, and learn to be sheer with yourself; you should love your features and learn to enhance them, not hide them.”

We had a lovely time yesterday, and I hope you all can attend next time; make-up tips, cute shoes, french hors d’oeuvres, champagne, a gift certificate towards a facial, and a good time are certainly my favorite way to brighten up a Monday!  Don’t worry though, I’ll be sure to tell you when Emily’s coming back!

Bisous,

Bonjour Mes Amis,

Let’s imagine for a moment, mes amis, that we are in Paris, la ville d’amour.  You’re sitting at  a small outside table at a quiet café, overlooking a park with a hot cappuccino, listening to the melodic cadences of the French language being tossed around old cobblestone streets, observing the beautiful architecture found on every city block.  Perhaps later you wander through an outdoor market with fresh flowers and produce, then take in a beautiful view of the city from the very top of la Tour Eiffel, and top off your day with a warm crepe and a walk around le Basillique du Sacre Coeur at dusk.

When I think of Paris (especially when I’m lounging here in our sitting room at A French Touch!), I think of the effortless, clean, stylish elegance that French culture exudes.  The French have always commanded a great deal of respect and influence when it comes to fashion and make-up, but only gradually are cultures like ours starting to pick up on the wisdom and sophistication of their skincare philosophies, as well.  

Lucky you, though, because A French Touch seeks to embrace all of these beauty secrets, out of a desire to help you maintain and reflect your natural beauty and to help your skin age gracefully.  

So let’s begin first with the concept of a skincare salon.  Skincare salons are as common in France as hair and nail salons are in the US.  The idea of a skincare salon might sound suspiciously like a spa, but the ‘salon’ part is supposed to emphasize a regular treatment of the skin to maintain a healthy appearance, rather than a once-in-a-great-while treat for oneself.  In France, the skincare salons are known as “Les Instituts de Beauté”, institutes of beauty, where skin is therapeutically nourished and refreshed.

The French do not believe in heavy make-up application, and therefore emphasize maintaining the natural beauty and balance of your skin so that excessive make-up is not needed.  The trick to make-up is to make it look as though you aren’t wearing any, rather than  looking like a five-year-old who went rummaging through her mother’s vanity drawers!  Foundation, blush, eye make-up and lip products are only to be used to create an I-am-this-beautiful-after-just-waking-up look.

From fashion to make-up to everyday life, the chic French femininity we love conveys a sense of effortlessness, of simplicity, of natural beauty.  However, when it comes to the skincare ritual behind the effortless beauty, the opposite couldn’t be more true; French women dedicate a great deal of time to applying quality products that ensure the health of their skin.  They generously employ moisturizers, serums that stimulate collagen production, and liberally apply their sun protection on a very frequent and regular basis.  All of this stems out of a longing for natural beauty, not a false, cakey, make-up induced appearance, and out of a love for their skin.  

I know you might be a bit tired of my “Show your skin some love” theme from this summer, but I mean it in earnest when I say that it is the absolute best way to give yourself that extra bit of ‘me time’, that ten minutes of pampering and unwinding to begin and end your day with.  I know since I stepped up my skincare routine after starting at A French Touch, I have come to look forward to cleansing and soothing my face at the end of a long day, almost like I’m exfoliating and moisturizing and nourishing all the stress away; that time is just for me, and I love it because I deserve a few moments to feel beautiful, even after the make-up comes off!

Alors, mes amis, I hope these thoughts find you happy and leave you happier.  Stay beautiful, because you are, and because you deserve to feel like it, too.

Bisous,

Bonjour, Mes Amis!

We have a very exciting event coming up for you next week, mes amis!  One of Elle’s Beauty Genius MakeUp Artists Emily Katz is coming to A French Touch Salon this Monday, the 23rd, to discuss how to maintain a beautiful you with skin care and make-up tips adored by Hollywood’s most glamorous.  

Over the past 20 years, Emily has become the biggest and best in makeup and skin care by working with the stars of Lost, Big Fish, Nine Lives of Chloe King, 24, and Anger Management.  She also provides skin care consultations and classic makeup styles for some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, always emphasizing healthy skin and a natural look.

Her simple message, “Stand in your Beauty”, describes a natural and healthy sense of beauty and self that we strive to impart at A French Touch; she describes it perfectly, saying “I strive to bring out the beauty that is in each of us, without creating a mask so that a woman feels like she’s expressing her inner beauty as well.

Even a full-on glamour makeup still allows a woman to feel gorgeous and be herself when she knows that sometimes less is more! I love skin, and prefer to let it show through a makeup without looking cake-y or dull.

Beautiful skin…or the impression of it, without heavy looking coverage is what I always strive for. I find it important that we feel beautiful inside and out, and want to support women in doing just that.”

You hit the mark, Emily, we couldn’t have said it better ourselves!  Please go to her website for a fuller appreciation of Emily’s talents and philosophy at http://www.ektruth.com/.

So, be sure to join us at either 11:00 a.m. or 5:30 p.m. for one of Emily’s talks and demonstrations, as she shares her favorite skin care products (she loves Jan Marini, too!), and some age-defying makeup tips that keep your skin looking young, fresh, and naturally beautiful.  She’ll also be offering discounted private consultations, to help you capture the glamour and youthful beauty of the stars for yourself and make it reflect the true, beautiful you.  Call us or email us if you’d like to reserve a seat for you and the special women in your life (and really, what better way to spice up your Monday!).

I’ll see you there, mes amis!

Bisous,

Bonjour, Mes Amis!

Let’s kick our exfoliation up a notch to the professional level, shall we?

I know I’ve mentioned peels earlier this week, but I want to go through what our peels at A French Touch are like, and what results they’re designed to have.  First, however, let’s get a few misconceptions about chemical peels out of the way.

For those of you who are imagining the skin on your face peeling off like it does after a bad sunburn, I’m happy to say that you’ve got it all wrong!  

Only very strong chemical peels have that effect on your skin, but A French Touch prefers to offer gentler, effective peels that provide results without downtime.  We want our lovely clients to be able to jump back into their busy lives, feeling refreshed but not feeling the side effects!  Our Jan Marini-inspired peels penetrate the skin deeper than our home-care products (and certainly deeper than a mechanical form of exfoliation), working to not only clear away the dull-looking top layer of debris, but also to revitalize your skin’s natural glow and beauty.  Jan Marini Skin Research says that peels are one of the most popular aesthetic treatments out there, and are effective in treating acne, acne scars, hyper-pigmentation, photo-damage, lines, and wrinkles.  More radiance and no downtime, what more could you ask for?

Our first, most gentle peel is the Jan Marini 40% Glycolic Acid Peel, which we offer as a one-time treatment, a series of 3 over three weeks (recommended), and as an add-on to your facial.  This peel uses (obviously) Glycolic Acid, which is a product many of us already use in our home-care routines (Bioglycolic cleansers, lotions, and creams for the face and body), just in a  stronger solution.  This peel has zero-downtime, which means you’ll be able to immediately re-apply your makeup and sunscreen and be on your way!  The Glycolic Acid Peel specializes in treating fine lines, uneven texture, acne, and pigmentation issues, even with one application; however, both Patricia and the experts at Jan Marini tell us that these peels, as with most skincare products and procedures, work best with continued application and treatment (read: you get to relax for a peaceful session every week and treat your skin to a little TLC!).

Our new Brilliance Peel takes the Glycolic Acid Peel and turns up the anti-aging magic just a bit!  In this peel, we combine Glycolic Acid with Jan Marini’s new Retinol Plus Mask, which uses Retinol and several other wrinkle-eliminating ingredients to boost cell turnover rates, collagen stimulation, and evenness of pigmentation (this mask is coming soon, read more about it here!).  The combination of these two treatments in one works wonders for your skin because, as the Glycolic acid removes that cement-like top layer of dead skin cells, the Retinol Plus Mask is able to penetrate and absorb even more deepkly into the skin, amplifying the results and leaving you looking lovely!  Again, this peel works best as a series of 3 over 3 weeks, and has almost no downtime.

Finally, the Refine Peel is our most intensive peel, and should be done as a series of 3, but 3 to 4 weeks apart, due to the strength of the peel.  Jan Marini says that the Refine Peel is excellent in providing overall skin rejuvenation with less peeling and downtime than more aggressive treatments, and works to visibly combat uneven texture, fine lines and wrinkles, acne, and uneven pigmentation while rejuvenating the deeper levels of your skin.  The application of the Refine Peel is followed by a high-powered Retinol Activator, which synthesizes collagen as it regenerates tissue. Finally, our popular, elegant  Antioxidant SPF33 Sunscreen is applied and off you go! And we top off your experience with our signature Sothys hand treatment and Green Tea with Citrus.

You may see flaking that lasts from 3 to 5 days, easily minimized with our efficient Skin Zyme Mask (see above) and BIOSHIELD home care cream.  In fact,  Jan Marini’s new BIOSHIELD is a rapid recovery complex that was designed specifically to speed up recovery and  enhance treatment results from these peels. Unlike most petrolatum-based (yes, read “petroleum”!) products recommended post-laser, or post-peel,  this formula  delivers Epidermal Growth Factor, Palmitoyl Oligopeptides and Tetrapeptides to stimulate collagen and reduce inflammation and Co-Enzyme Q-10 super-antioxidant to reveal healed, healthy, GORGEOUS skin!   

And there you have it, mes amis!  Our peels are gentle enough for all skin types, but effective, and definitely the most thorough method of exfoliation we can offer you.  Exfoliation is a very important component in your skincare regimen, so make sure you’re exfoliating often; your skin will look healthier, and your other home-care products will absorb so much  more  to reveal your most beautiful skin!  If you aren’t sure which method or peel is right for you, call or email us to set up a free 15 minute consultation with our expert, Patricia.

Alors, bon week-end à vous!

Bisous,

Bonjour, Mes Amis!

Alright, now you’re thinking “Jessie might be onto something with this whole exfoliation thing, but what should I do now?  Take a pumice stone to my face?”

First of all, please don’t use a pumice stone on your face!  Let me show you all of the fabulous products we have here to gently exfoliate your skin, leaving it glowing, not raw!

The Colorescience Family:

• Colorescience’s Illuminating Cleanser incorporates tiny beads of natural minerals to help mechanically exfoliate your skin as you cleanse.  This product is perfect for removing your long-lasting mineral makeup, without being harsh on your skin!

The Sothys Family:

• Sothys’ Desquacrem is the gentlest option, as it is granule-free and can be used several times a week.  This deep-pore cleanser dissolves oil, which facilitates the removal of blackheads to leave your skin feeling smooth and flawless. This exfoliant is often used under steam during the French facial protocol.
• Sothys’ Gelée Gommante Visage (micro-gel peeling) is a newer exfoliant by Sothys, which uses exfoliating particles to remove the dull top layer. It transforms from a gel into an oil as you massage it in—perfectly luxurious, in typical Sothys fashion!  This product, too, is paraben free, and contains white tea extract to calm your skin.
• Sothys’ Beauty Garden Gommage Exfoliant works well as a mechanical exfoliant, especially for sensitive skin.  The word “Gommage” actually comes from the word “gomme” which means ‘eraser’ in French; so to complete the analogy, this exfoliant uses all natural ingredients like finely ground walnut shells (no irritants for sensitive skin types!) to literally rub and erase away that dull top layer of skin!  As an added bonus, this product is paraben-free and eco-certified organic.

The Jan Marini Family:

• Jan Marini’s SkinZyme Mask is an enzymatic exfoliant, which uses the proteolytic enzymes naturally found in green papaya, which serve to digest the top layer of dead skin cells and debris to reveal the healthy and fresh skin underneath.
• Jan Marini’s Bioglycolic products, which include the Bioglycolic Cleansers, Bioclear Face Cream, and Bioclear Face Lotion, all use a tame dosage of glycolic acid (only 12%, so you can use it daily for homecare) to chemically exfoliate your skin.  Glycolic acid gently dissolves the dull top layer, and is mild enough to let you start and finish your day feeling refreshed and renewed (those of you on the Skin Care Management System know what I’m talking about!)

Other Mechanical Exfoliators offered at A French Touch Salon:

• Spacells:  “A revolutionary facial sponge that not only cleans and removes make-up, but exfoliates and massages your skin, stimulating blood and lymph flow to decrease puffiness, eliminate toxins and promote cellular regeneration. Use daily for softer, smoother, younger-looking skin.”
• Clarisonic Brushes:  “Unlike spinning devices, this patented sonic cleansing technology works with skin’s natural elasticity, oscillating at a sonic frequency that produces over 300 movements per second. The resulting flexing action created between the outer and inner brushes works to loosen dirt and oil (and dead skin cells), removing deep-seated impurities from pores and priming skin to better absorb topical treatments.”

So, mes amis, you have a few options available at A French Touch, but whichever you choose, remember that incorporating exfoliation frequently and regularly into your skincare routine is essential for maintaining a healthy, youthful glow, and to maximize the benefits of your favorite products!  Tomorrow, come back and I’ll tell you all about the crème de la crème of exfoliation, our heavenly peels!

Bisous,

Bonjour, Mes Amis!

I hope you’ve all had a lovely and relaxing weekend, and got to enjoy our extended summer weather a bit (wearing your sun protection, of course)!  I know that nothing leaves me feeling more refreshed and renewed like a long weekend of reading, relaxing, and doing nothing!  Which got me thinking, doesn’t my skin deserve a little time to refresh, too?

So, let’s talk about exfoliation!  We are all, no doubt, familiar with the concept of exfoliation (let’s face it, it’s not exactly new to the world of skin care!), but just to recap, Exfoliation is defined as the act of removing that top layer of dead skin cells and debris that we accumulate over time, which cause our skin to look dull and matte.  But I want to dig a little deeper.  How does one go about exfoliating?  As it turns out, we have three options:

• Mechanical Exfoliation:  This implies the use of simple friction, by implementing either a tool (a brush, loofah, etc.) or a product with a coarse ingredient (sea salt, sugar, crystals, pumice, etc.) to knock this top layer loose and wipe it off of the skin beneath it.  This is the most basic form of exfoliation, and is an excellent step to incorporate into your weekly skin care regimen.
• Enzymatic Exfoliation:  We borrow very specific enzymes (all natural proteins) from fruits like pineapple and papaya that are specially wired to break down and digest dead skin cells.  Unlike mechanical exfoliation, using enzymes to resurface your skin actually penetrates much deeper and works to clear debris out of your pores and deeper layers of your skin, as well.

• Alpha or Beta Hydroxy Acid Exfoliation:  This may sound a bit scarier, but Acid Exfoliation uses naturally-derived acids, like Salicylic Acid (from willow tree bark), Lactic Acid (from milk), and Glycolic Acid (from sugarcane, and which many of us use in our Jan Marini Skin Care Management Systems, anyway!) to provide a deeper, more intensive form of exfoliation.  Similar to using enzymes, these acids (used in our peels and our home-care products) penetrate deep into the skin and pores to remove debris, while also stimulating the skin’s natural renewal cycle—your cellular turnover rate, which can slow with age—to stimulate cellular renewal on the skin’s surface. Glycolic peels have the added benefit of synthesizing collagen in the skin.

But, I have yet to mention the most important part: WHY should we exfoliate?

Exfoliation by itself can give your skin a youthful, healthy glow by removing the top layer of dead cells and debris, which makes your skin more luminous (because we see the living layer, full of natural oils, on top!) and provide a cleared path for oxygen to reach your living cells.  

However, exfoliation is, perhaps, even more important to your skin care regimen because it makes the other products you use—from moisturizing creams to anti-aging serums—more effective!

Yes, you read that right, it will enhance the benefits of your other products.  If you don’t exfoliate, the products you apply don’t always penetrate through that dead top layer, and therefore don’t do much for your skin.  However, removing this top layer regularly enables your products to penetrate the skin completely and really work their magic!  

Now that I’ve told you how wonderful exfoliation is for you, check back with me tomorrow to see what products we have at A French Touch to give your skin that easy, at-home renewal it needs!  Then on Thursday, I’ll send you off into your weekend daydreaming about our refreshing and anti-aging peels!

Alors, à bientôt!

Bisous,