Very Cherry (thanks mom)

 The joys of Spring are upon us! Our Daffodils and treasured Cherry Blossoms are blooming with beauty! Eminence has the perfect masque and treatment for this exciting time of the year. Pure Organic Cherry pulp and pieces along with honey, make up this powerful Vitamin C packed mask. It's a perfect Spring treatment for almost all skin types, especially for dehydrated, mature, large pored persons. The delicious scent is almost enough to make you want to taste it. This is my new must have product for Spring! It will leave your skin glowing, super hydrated, and radiant. If you are in the Vienna, VA area, we are running a special for our 90 min. Cherry Blossom facial that showcases this product, for only $100. This promotion is ending at the end of the DC's Cherry Blossom Festival so book your treatment today! http://www.loftysalon.com/ for online booking or call 703.242.0609. Even if you miss this promotion, we can special order you a jar for you to use at home for your weekly masking treatment.

Words that move me

"It is very important to generate a good attitude, a good heart, as much as possible. From this, happiness in both the short term and the long term for both yourself and others will come."

~Dalai Lama

Luscious Pears

The sweet scent of fresh pear washes over me as I apply Eminence's Pear and Poppy Seed Microderm Polisher. This fabulous form of natural manual Mircodermabrasion is a true treat to use. It's more than just a basic scrub! Pear, Poppy, and Walnut seeds in conjunction with Silica act as powerful resurfacers to deeply exfoliate and refine your skin. Green Apple puree and Green Tea enrich the skin with antioxidants and vitamins. This is one of the best manual exfoliation products I have ever used. My skin feels smooth as glass when I rinse this product off and my skin glows. It's very concentrated so you use about a dime size amount with about a tsp. of water to emulsify and work around your entire face gently for 1-2 minutes in circular motions. You should use this product 1-2 times weekly but always remember you can overexfoliate and strip the skin so always follow the recommendation guidelines. Not only does this product remove dead dry layers, but it also allows your following products to penetrate more deeply. I always recommend following your weekly exfoliation treatment with a treatment mask. The skin is perfectly prepped to get the most out of the skin changing possibilities of a facial mask.

Cananga Odorata

I've really been drawn lately to essential oil use and aromatherapy. I begin and end all my facials with the power of this centuries old technique of healing. I believe in it and can truly feel a shift in my mood as I use the different oils. My go-to oils as of late have been to begin with the all-purpose Lavender that induces relaxation and then to awaken and energize with Lemongrass. I absolutely love Lemongrass and fresh Lavender from the garden is hard to beat. I'm feeling the need to branch out and try other not as popular oils either to blend or to use separately to enhance to benefits of these powerful oils. So this brings me to the Cananga Odorata! Ylang Ylang is the essential oil derived from the greenish yellow flowers of this evergreen Asian tree. In the ten years of being an Esthetician, my appreciation has changed for different scents. I did not care much for Ylang Ylang years ago and found that in my essential oil tool kit, I always skipped it. Now I am absolutely drawn to it, loving the exotic, rich, deep fragrance that hints of jasmine and neroli. Not only the scent, but the power it has to wash away anxiety, depression, and to lower blood pressure is inspiring enough to make it a staple in my work. For more information on what this beautiful oil can do for you, check out this website I found highly informative: www.organicfacts.net/heath-benefits/essential-oils/health-benefits-of-ylang-ylang-essential-oil.html.

The power of Stone Crop

This beautiful plant is the main ingredient in my new project I am doing at work. Every month I am doing a "Nichole's Product Pick" where I feature my favorite skin care product. As my followers from Indiana may already know because I have such an affinity for this plant, I have chosen the Stone Crop collection before. The stone crop is known by many names, two of which are Sedum or Hens and Chicks. These powerful little beauties are full of healing power and have been used for centuries as a healing plant. Not only are they healing but they also have the ability to help your skin retain vital moisture. Think of it as Aloe but much more powerful. In conjunction with healing and hydrating power, this plant also has what is called tyrosinase inhibitors. Without getting too wordy, tyrosinase is an enzyme that is one of the stimulants of melanin production. A tyrosinase inhibitor "inhibits" the production of melanin, helping fight the development of hyperpigmentation or what is commonly known as sun spots or age spots. So now you see why I absolutely love and believe in the Stone Crop Collection in the Eminence line. It hydrates, it heals, and it fights hyperpigmentation....with the power of organic mother nature.

My current Nichole's Product Pick is the Stone Crop Gel Wash. This wonderful cleanser gently removes impurites and surface build-up on the skin without over stripping your vital moisture. This is very important, especially this time of year when humidity is lower and the environment is harsh. It has a beautiful fresh scent and will make your skin clean and soft. It is perfect for all skin types, especially sensitive skin because along with the other properties I have listed, the Stone Crop plant is an anti-irritant. The only client I caution to use this product are those with tree nut allergies as it does have Shea Butter in it and Shea Butter is a derivative from the nut of the African Shea Tree (Vitellaria paradoxa).