Sensational Serums from Juliette Armand, skinPhD & Kiehl’s

If you are looking for a new facial skin serum, I have 3 great ones for you to try. All 3 of these sensational serums are highly effective, but won’t completely break the bank.

Juliette Armand Elements 03 Hyaluronic Acid Serum

Juliette Armand Elements 03 Hyaluronic Acid Review

This baby is packed with Hyaluronic acid which is known for enhancing skin moisture. If you have dry skin or you’re looking for a serum with a firming action, you want to look out for one containing Hyaluronic acid. A tiny bit of product is needed as the thick texture spreads very well. My skin sighs with relief when I apply this serum. My skin is left feeling soft and plump. So much so that I have forgotten to apply moisturiser afterwards on a few occasions. This serums is great for all skin types that needs a bit of extra moisture and I highly recommend it. R475 for 30ml. Visit Juliette Armand on Facebook to learn more about a brand that is quickly becoming one of my favourites.

skinPhD Pause Age Dermotox Serum

skinPHD Pause Age Dermotox Anti-Wrinkle Serums review

Dermotox is the one for you if you are looking for a serum to tighten, lift and decrease the visible signs of ageing. This serum uses latest technology ingredients that aid to reduce muscular contraction and regular use is said to decrease expression lines. In all honestly, I haven’t had a chance to use it religiously as many products land on my desk, but when I have used it my skin feels moisturised, tight and appears visibly smoother. I have been using a skinPhD moisturiser that I have been loving, and if that’s anything to go by, Dermotox is a winner. I hope to visit the skinPhD salon in Plattekloof soon, so keep your eyes peeled for more on this brand. Dermotox Serum retails for R495 for 50ml. Visit skinPhD HERE.

Kiehl’s Dermatologist Solutions ™ Precision Lifting & Pore-Tightening Concentrate

Kiehl's Precision Lifting & Pore-Tightening Concentrate Review

Oh Kiehl’s, you never cease to impress. Kiehl’s launched the Precision Lifting & Pore-Tightening Concentrate in September in SA and after reading the press release I couldn’t wait to try it. Scientific research showed that sagging skin can lead to enlarged pores. I am completely screwed then! I already have huge pores and now I hear that age is just making it worse. This is where Kiehl’s steps in to save the day. “To effectively address sagging skin and enlarged pores, we identified ingredients with strong dossiers to support skin’s elasticity, firmness and tonicity,” stated Dr. Geoff Genesky, Head of Kiehl’s Skincare Laboratory. “This led us to a formula that includes Micro-filtered Yeast Extract and Geranium Essential Oil.” This formula has clinically demonstrated to show improvement in skin firmness/tautness, a visible reduction in pore size, more defined facial contours and skin that is smoother and appears more lifted than before use. I need to use it for a longer period of time to comment on the state of my pores (which is a ‘saak van gebed’), but I can tell you that my skin definitely feels smoother and firmer. As with all Kiehl’s products, this serum is a pleasure to use and guaranteed to give results. R895 for 50ml.

PS Just a heads-up. Kiehl’s is opening a new store on Thursday the 26th November at 12:00 at the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town. The first 50 patrons will each receive a R500 gift voucher off of their first R1000 spent.

xoxo

Disclosure Ranking: 2

How the Exilis Elite helped bust some of my belly fat

A couple of months ago I had the opportunity to experience an Exilis Elite treatment at Skin & Body Renewal at Cape Quarter.

What is Exilis Elite you may ask?

Exilis Elite Pretty Please Charlie review

The award winning BTL Exilis Elite offers treatments that are a safe and relatively pain-free alternative to surgery and other invasive treatments. The results are proven and clinically tested. Simply put, Exilis is a machine that uses radiofrequency to tighten skin and melt away fat on the face and body. It sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?

That’s exactly what I thought, but hey, I’m willing to try anything.

Exilis Elite body treatments are by no means going to take you from fat to slim, as only a healthy eating plan and exercise can do that, but those stubborn areas like the love handles, inner thighs, cankles, inner knees, bra bulges, upper arms, etc can be treated with amazing results. Truly remarkable results can be achieved with the facial procedures as well. Have a look at these before and after’s and tell me you are not impressed…

Pretty Please Charlie Exilis Elite review before & after
Before & After

How the Exilis Elite helped bust some of my belly fat

I chose to have a treatment done on my stomach. I have never had a flat stomach and my regular readers know that I am in a constant battle with my weight. Exilis Elite treatment will be most effective if you have it done when you are within 5 kg’s of your ideal weight. I am not, but I was still curious to see what this machine can do. The skin on my tummy also did a great deal of stretching during my pregnancy and is not nearly as tight as it used to be.

The treatment itself required me to lie on my back whilst the therapist ‘massaged’ the treatment area with the Exilis Elite applicator. The aim is to heat up the area to the point where the fat cell will be damaged (note that I am over simplifying here!). At a temperature of 44ºC the fat cells can be permanently destroyed. Obviously that was what both the therapist and I wanted to accomplish. But damn, do you know how hot that is? We (I say ‘we’ as I had to give the therapist constant feedback on how I was experiencing the treatment) got the temp up to 44ºC quite a few times, but most of the treatment was performed at 42ºC. It hurt at times, but it was not unbearable. Would the discomfort stop me from doing it again? Not at all.

I was measured before and after the treatment and over the 4 different areas that were measured, I lost an average of 1.75cms. That’s huge!

Because I have to be completely honest, I have to share my not-so-pleasant recovery process. Please note that I seem to be the exception to the rule as most people only experience mild redness or swelling for a couple of hours after treatment. I was nauseous for 2 days after the treatment. Upon consulting with the Skin & Body Renewal doctor, I was told that it was because my liver was working so hard at processing the fat that the treatment broke down. All of the sudden the nausea doesn’t sound so bad, does it? I took liver supplements for the next couple of days and that helped. I also developed Panniculitis. Not nearly as scary as it sounds! I had 3 lumps under my skin that were caused by the fat cells that became inflamed. I am happy to say that all lumps have since disappeared. I also suffered from quite a bit of swelling around my waist, but that also subsided within a couple of days.

I can guarantee you, even after experiencing these side effect, I still would not think twice about having these treatments again. My stomach looks better than it has in years. It has a flatter appearance and the skin is a little tighter than before. And this is after only one treatment.

Will one treatment be enough to give you the results you want? Probably not. It all depends on the area and how your body responds to the treatment. It is recommended to have one treatment every two to three weeks for a minimum of four treatments. Maintenance treatments can then be done if necessary.

Treatments are not cheap, but they are worth every cent. I had my procedure done at Skin & Body Renewal and you can have a look at their prices HERE.

Is it worth the money and discomfort? Yes, yes, YES! I am so happy with my results and I would love to go back for more treatments. I can just imagine how great my stomach would look after 2 or 3 more fat busting sessions. The bum and thighs could also use a couple of sessions.

Thank you so much to BTL Aesthetics for giving me the chance to experience this amazing treatment. And a special thanks to Skin & Body Renewal Cape Quarter for performing the treatment and for all the follow-up calls. I’ll most definitely be visiting you again soon.

To find a salon or clinic near you to experience Elixis Elite, you can contact BTL Medical SA on +27 76 232 8058.

xoxo