J.Lo Realizes A Big Dream

J.Lo has announced that something new is on the way for her. In 2021, she will officially realize a long-time dream.

It was announced several months ago that she was coming out with, you guessed, a skincare line. This is a no-brainer. She’s long been known for having beautiful, glowing skin along with a serious skincare regimen. J.Lo definitely realizes the importance of taking care of her skin. It has served her well.

Her brand, dubbed JLo Beauty (of course!), will launch on January, 1, 2021 on its respective website. The brand will launch with eight skincare products including eye cream, a dietary supplement, and sunscreen.

J.Lo is pretty amazing and I expect that this product will be no less. One product she mentions that is used in her brand is olive oil. She says that the oil is part of her mother and aunt’s beauty secret. To be honest, it has been one of my long-time favorites to because it’s really an oil made for the skin. The prices vary for each of the launch items. So far, there have been rave reviews from those who were fortunate enough to test the products before they are released to the public.

Save ya coins so you can be part of this brand’s historic launch in a few weeks!

Threading

In this post, I am going to talk about threading. I'm pretty sure you guessed that by the title but anyway, I digress. 

So, what is threading? 

Threading is the removal of unwanted hair using, you guessed it, thread. Threading has been around for centuries. It started growing in popularity in the United States within the last 15 years or so. 

The thread is the same thread that can be found in craft and fabric stores around the country. The hair removal specialist 'shapes' the thread in her hand and between her fingers in a unique way that creates a 'catch' for the hair. The hairs are removed one by one, row by row until the desired shape is achieved. 

In doing so, the hair is removed without removing any skin. I have found this method to be pretty amazing! The shape is different from waxing. It's fuller (in my experience) and it lasts about 3 weeks. 

In this post, as with the last one, I'm speaking more of the brow vs. other areas of the body. 

So, I'm sure one wants to know if this hurts. Um, yes! So, here's the deal, the first time was the most painful. It also depends on how skilled your technician is because the more she is comfortable with this method, the better your experience will be. I have been going to the same awesome person for years. She is amazing! 

The pain is definitely something that you get used to and it doesn't hurt every time. You do want to be consistent with your appointments because going without for a length of time will cause more pain. The longer the hair (or more hair), the greater potential for pain. So, keep your appointments consistent. 

Another tip is to use ice on the brow before going. This can help to numb the pain. In order for this method to be effective, however you have to use the ice to numb as close to your appointment as possible. So, like 5-10 minutes before your appointment, ice would be great. You would place it on the brow and let it numb the area. Beware of the 'frostbite effect' because too much ice for too long is not good for the skin either. 

Anyway, this method is effective for me and I have found it to be the best for long-term use in brow hair removal. 
 

Waxing

This week, I will be providing a brief overview of waxing and threading and some differences between the two. 

While this is in no way meant to be an end-all, it is meant to provide some background and arm you with the necessary information to make informed decisions. 

OK-so let's get to it! Waxing is a hair-removal method. In short, waxing in a salon using warm (or very warm) wax for human use. This is usually beeswax (though some people may also use soy).  The wax is heated in a warmer and then applied to the skin using a spatula and removed with muslin strips. Muslin is a type of material that is also worn on the body. 

Once the wax is applied, the strip is applied and then quickly removed producing a finished product. Cream is then applied to protect the skin against irriation. This sounds quick enough, right? Well, it is. It's a method that has been around for a long time. 

There is another another type of waxing which is 'cold.' This pretty much means that instead of the wax being warmed, the wax is on strips that don't require heat to use. These aren't typical in salons (in my experience) but they are used at home very often. It reminds me of Nad's hair removal strips that were very popular several years ago. This method of cold waxing hasn't been very effective for me. I like the warmer. 

Warm waxing isn't something I suggest for trying at home because it's harder to control. It's easy to make mistakes (if you're not seasoned with hair removal) and it could be disastrous for you if you somehow drop a hot ball of wax on your brow. You could end up bald in that area. Sometimes hair can take a long time to grow back. For some people, it never grows back. That's a REALLY good look. *sarcasm*

One drawback that I've found with the waxing method is the layer of skin that is removed along with the unwanted hair. Over time, this can cause the skin to crinkle. It's not the best look but it typically wouldn't be noticeable to anyone but you. I personally didn't like this becuase I thought to myself that is if looks like this now, what would this look like 10 years from now? And, I didn't like that over time, it started to thin my brows out. It was my body's way of saying that I needed to change up my method. As mentioned here, I'm speaking of waxing the brow. I have found that for other areas of the body, this method has worked fine for me. Brow skin needs some protection and care, so I went on a search for another method that would preserve this space on my face. 

Waxing is not a bad method. It's just good to know other alternatives. In my next post, I'll talk about threading. 

Buche De Noel

I am a fan of Lush! Yessssss! It is such a great store. I found their products to be really great. I like that the products and the way that care is taken for each product. The brand has really continued to introduce high quality products for everyone from skin care to hair care, masks and bathing products. 

One of the great things that I can say about Lush is that these are actually natural products. There are some brands that use "natural" in wording but products aren't what I'd actually call natural.  I tend to purchase the seaweed mask because it is awesome! It also requires refrigeration (from the store to your home). It is stored in a fridge at the store so it requires you to take it home and use it within a reasonable time. Expiration dates are printed on the bottom of the container.

On a recent trip to the store, I was introduced to this cleanser. The Buche De Noel cleanser is only around for the holidays. We can all use luminous skin, especially during the winter.