bits and bobs

I thought today i would give you a random post about stuff that's been happening lately.

USA
Many of you know i am moving to the US to be with my husband. Visa's are the hold up right now, but if all goes as expected then i will be leaving the country in Feb/march 2012. I will be leaving a hot and humid pool side summer - for a full blown snowy winters ending. HA, now that's going to be an interesting plane ride.

KIDS
they are all going away for the holidays to visit family out of state. Which will afford me time to catch up on leaving preparations, sale of business etc. But they have become my life so much more over the years and i miss them terribly when they are away more than a few days.

WEDDINGS
My best friend Diana is getting married to her e-harmony beau, on dec 17th. Of course i am bridesmaid, makeup artist, hair stylist and anything else that needs to happen on the day, and i cant wait! Its been so wonderful seeing my friend bloom over the past 2 years into this amazing, confident, full person! She is god filled, real, silly, funny, crazy and i just love her to bits! I'll do a whole post on some of the awesome things that have occurred in, and because of our friendship another time. But boy, we are very very blessed! And people cant help but notice it.

 


ME
finding it so hard not to indulge in super summer sales, i am loving the neon trend right now...and just want some acid colored clothes and accessories soooo bad!!!! But i am doing the self controlled thing well and saving my pingers.

Things i love about coastal Australian living? - being able to swim half of the year, beer, seafood bbq's, laughter and the casual relaxed nature of the average Australian. Koalas in your yard, snakes crossing the street (ok, so i don't really love this, but it fascinates me) MEDICARE...I think when you sum it all up, we have a wonderful life here. And many cultures agree.

Well, my freckles are beginning to appear raised after my laser, and in a few days they should fall off....how cool is that?! Not that i ever cared about my freckles, truth be told i kinda like them....but having a uniformed complexion is something i am definitely looking forward to.

My sister Rach has been visiting for the past 2 months and it has been really nice! She will be going back to Queensland mid December, and i will surely miss her.



My addictions right now are: edamame, sunbathing pool side, holosync technology, and reading self-help books (yes, that's what i do...and the bible counts as one too!)

Well thats enough randomness for one day, bless you all my friends

 enjoying sunshine the natural mood enhancer,
joanna xo

KTP laser theropy

Today was the day, i had my first treatment of the KTP laser. I have been medicare approved for a course of 6 treatments!

Here is how the day went:

1.Meet with the doctor to confirm medicare eligibility.
2.He signs forms
3.Cosmetic surgeon puts glasses on you, hands you a cold air blowing device (to assist with the burning you will feel)
4. She then puts a gel conductor on your skin, and gives you a sample of the laser on a less sensitive part of your face.
5. The surgeon uses the laser to get pinpoint accuracy on viens, pigmentation etc. She then runs the laser in continue lines across the areas of concerns including larger pores and pimples.
6. read care instructions, cover in sunscreen, pay the bill - head to medicare to claim your rebate instantly!

What does this all feel like?

Well to say it was pleasantly relaxing would be a downright lie! If you can imagine being slapped across your face with tiny rubber bands, or grazing a pin just below the surface of your skin you would be close to accurate. For the most part, a lot of foot wiggling was the only "noise" coming from me. And the worst part for me was around the corners of the nose...which was a little more like a pin AFTER it had been put into flame.

The whole procedure was over in less than 20mins. And aside from feeling a little sun-burnt, and the odd whiff of burnt skin. It was actually OK. Now about 2 hours later, my freckles are darker than normal as this is what happens, my skin feels almost totally fine, and i am beginning to show the signs of whats known as the "bubble wrap" effect. In which little bumps appear under the skin.

Recovery is about 5-7 days. And breaks between treatment course is 4-6 weeks. I am really excited about the results, i should see a 50% improvement after the first session alone. The longest part to treat will be my birthmark. But it will be gone after the full 6 sessions. The other huge bonus of treating the skin from the epidermis is the increased production of collagen. Which in turn tightens and gives the skin a more youthful appearance. No complaints here.

In between things get a little redder, and darker while the pigment falls away. Makeup can be used as normal to cover any symptoms.

Some pics of the day, enjoy.

DURING PROCEDURE:

    

2HOURS AFTER:

    


Hats and sunscreen...
Joanna xo

corrective makeup

As you know by now i have issues with redness on my face. I thought that tonight as a follow on theme from my cosmetic enhancement segment, i would post some pictures of what i do to deal with this.

Firstly i want to say that i don't use a heap of makeup to mask the affects of my birthmark, and ruddy complexion. It is all about finding products that are liquid in their texture but highly pigmented. Also if you suffer redness you want to pick shades that are quite yellow based. And you will know yellow based colors when you find them!

For me my perfect correcting shade is L'Oreal true match in w4.
w = warm which have a golden base to them.
c = cool which have a pink undertone (don't even look here!) and
 n = neutral which is a blend and quite possibly another match for ruddy skins could be found in this shade range. But i cant stress enough the importance of finding a yellow based product - which will counteract the redness.

i particularly love these foundations for the range of shade choices, the watery consistency yet - medium to full coverage, they are totally build-able and extremely affordable.

i also use camo quad concealer palette in medium (which can be brought from www.coastalscents.com) for a mere $8.
 i place this over any spots, marks and in a triangle shape down the sides of my nose and up and out to the corner of the eye blending inside these perimeters. This product has a amazing texture and covers very, very well.

Here is a picture of half my face using only these products. Do bere in mind, i am not adverse to having flushed cheeks in the right places, so i simply conceal out the areas of redness that bother me, leaving the blush area, lightly covered for a natural glow.
                                        

So you see already without using any corrective makeup (which is usually much heavier and more pigmented than normal foundation) These products markedly improve the color of my skin.

I decided to complete the look by making up a whole side of my face to show you how much we can naturally enhance what we have via the medium of makeup.

                 

Be blessed my friends,

joanna xo

who says we have to grow old gracefully?

I was thinking today about that saying " grow old gracefully". How many of us with a choice to have a minor nip and tuck here and there wouldn't ponder this option as the years unfolded?  I think that statement seemed much more fitting in the yesteryear. With today's affordability and procedure diversities, anyone can afford to shave the years off or simply have their flaws removed. Most of these treatments are done over a lunch hour and less and less have need for recovery time. Once upon a time short of a face lift, there wasn't much else one could do.

I guess it just comes down to personal choice more than ever. I myself, don't have a problem with the general signs of aging (at my age) But ask me in another 5 yrs. This whole thinking was all triggered by a visit to a skin clinic. My best friend had a desire to treat her broken capillaries.

For years i have had a ruddy complexion and i have become a master at using makeup to cover this without making my face look like i am 15 and putting on my foundation with a shovel! However i don't feel comfortable with people seeing my skin sans makeup. And the least that i do, is put fake tan on my face in a bid to be makeup free over the swimming season. I also have a birthmark on my jaw which i once again cover pretty much daily.

After a chat to the surgeon, i was informed that with laser treatment (medicare rebated) due to the level at which my condition is, i could have my skin more uniformed in color, my pigmentation greatly reduced (bye bye freckles) my pores significantly decreased in size (every woman's dream) and my fine lines addressed all in the same procedure. To which my out of pocket expense would be minimal.

This was like music to my ears. I couldn't have dream't that one day something as amazing as the harnessing of energy into concentrated dots could do so many wonderful things! My days of needing to wear makeup many soon decline greatly, then i can simply enjoy wearing it instead. For years i have enjoyed transforming people with the medium of makeup from the person they see, to a more radiant and beautiful version of themselves. I finally feel that with this treatment, i am going to be the one looking in that mirror, with tears of joy.

Here is a brief summery of some of today's non surgical cosmetic procedures for your information, or amusement...i am neither advocating nor condoning, simply sharing information and my own thoughts.

be blessed,
joanna xo

Anti-wrinkle treatments

Muscle-relaxer injections can rejuvenate the appearance of the face. Designed to smooth away fine lines and wrinkles, muscle-relaxer injections are a
quick and effective solution.  

Arm lift / Brachioplasty

Brachioplasty or arm lift is a procedure that removes loose, sagging skin from the upper arms and is generally sought by patients who have experienced significant weight loss. 

Facial skin care

a variety of treatments for younger, more luminous looking skin, including laser skin resurfacing, FotoFacial™ IPL, dermabrasion, microdermabrasion,
and chemical peels

Sclerotherapy

Sclerotherapy is an injection procedure that can greatly reduce and/or remove unsightly spider veins which develop on the face or legs

Cosmetic Injections

 dermal stimulators, and lip enhancement treatments.

Laser Hair Removal

This disables the follicle from growing hair, which means that over several treatments, there is a long-term reduction in the amount of hair in that area.

Ultherapy

Ultherapy® is a revolution in facial rejuvenation. Ultherapy® uses ultrasound energy, commonly used in medical imaging and physical therapy to achieve skin tightening in an
in-office treatment.




All information on these procedures was taken from http://www.silkwoodmedical.com.au/non_surgical.html

blurple

OK, so i am unsure how many of you remember the blue and purple ice blocks that were around in the 80's But i didnt just love the way they tasted (blackcurrent and lemonade) but the color combo was fantastic. So anyhow this makeup look reminded me of that childhood treat, and i thought it was fun to start getting into the colorful spring swing of things.

Face:
Lo'real True match foundation
Camo Quad concealer
M.U.F HD powder

Cheeks:
MAC pinch o peach blush
NYX taupe blush (to contour)

Lips:
revlon Matte lipstick in 011-stormy pink
NP set lip gloss in nude

Eyes:
Creative me #1 palette - turquoise/purple/deep purple/ocean blue
Too faced- Smokey eye Natural palette - satin sheets (inner corner highlight) & pink cheeks (to blend out top color)
Gel liner-black
Clarins- water resistant mascara in black

  


  

Have some fun taking inspiration from the exotic blooms of springtime!

joanna xo

a virtual dreamboard

Apon reflection i have noticed something about my life. I have always been excited about the "possibilities" of living. Over the years i have created a few dream boards, either the tangible kind with pictures and words, or the internal dialogue of mind movies.

No matter what form these pictures and words have come in something amazing has happened. Almost everything that i have focused on,  has come to pass in my life. This can be equally said for positive and negative.

SO today i thought why not start everyone thinking about their own dreams? Here are some images to get you on your way...a great way to create something of the non-space filling kind - is to make a virtual board. Place it somewhere on your computer that you can see and fill your sub-conscious with everyday! Then as you start laying claim and receiving these things, just replace them with a new set of dreams and goals.

fancy being able to travel to exotic locations?

Or is a change in career direction your plan?

Maybe you want to be a better cook, or spend more time developing a hobby? 

what about owning your dream home?

Or you may just want to be able to devote more time to the simple things in life...

There is something very intelligent and magical about allowing the brain to do its job and create thoughts into actions and in turn reality.

be blessed

joanna xo

spring time

The heat is definitely here! I am having swimming pool issues, and aside from the expense the time consumption is KILLING me. Alas, i shall plod on.

A quick post on some of my favorite spring makeup trends... want something simple? Try natural breathable foundation, pale cream blush, lightly defined brows, separated and curled lashes, a lip stain in a berry hue and you cant go wrong. Also forgo the fake tanning for now...pale skin is definitely IN!

1.Bright lips are key to the season, think matte and creme based formulas.



2.Feeling a little adventurous? try color blocking



3.A more subtle take on a smokey eye using pinks and mauve -



4.I love this peach blush and flawless skin look below



5.coral is a huge player in spring makeup




Need to find a new spring scent? Well these babies should have you covered.
looking for fruity-floral?
Try Vera wang's new addition - preppy princess


or Marc Jacobs "daisy Eau so fresh"


Something fresh and lively more your scene?
try Versaces, Versense-


or

High line by bond no. 9 (described as a green unisex fragrance)



Kenzo L'eau par Kenzo -(a freah oceanic scent)



Perhaps your just a romantic girl at heart and want something to softly whisper it while your reading in the park...

diorissimo - by  christian dior



cherry blossom - by L'Occitane


and lastly my newest addition- which comes into the floral /oriental family-
intimately yours- by Beckham



enjoying flower filled vases, and cloudless skies
joanna xo