Good Skin - Luck of the Irish?

Happy Saint Patrick's Day :)

Do you need the luck of the Irish to have good skin? I have been researching and asking a couple women that I know about their skin care regime. Good skin - defined by me as a healthy glow and minimum wrinkles - a product of good genes or product or both. I have 3 different perpectives, not including my own/family :) I have Kristine who uses some product, she is fair skinned, blonde hair/green eyes with great skin. (I think they are blue but she swears they are green) , then I talked to another fair skinned blonde with good skin, Gina, who uses no product at all. Then I have Cynthia who tans very easily who has her own skin care business and she shared her secrets and some pictures of before using product and after using product. Last but not least, lil ole me, who is dark skinned and has started  using product.

Kristine says:

There are TONS of “make out of your fridge” face masks and skin care that I will do when I have time, but below is my basic routine right now.

Natural Beauty :)

Morning routine:                                      

Gentle astringent

Oil of Olay lotion

Nighttime:

Cleanse with:

Pears Glycerin soap or Neutrogena Glycerin soap.

Exfoliation pad (2.00 for 2 at Wal-Mart)

Exfoliate every other night with CVS Brand Apricot scrub

Steam cream lotion

Garnier Eye roller

Gina tells me that she got her good skin from her mother and that she goes to bed pretty much every night with her make up on.  Her skin looks really good, I would be broke out with acne like a teenager. So we can chalk hers as genes (not sure if she is Irish but she may have gotten some their luck)     Isn't she beautiful?                       

Beautiful with great genes

Cynthia, is a self made business lady, Executive Level V Leader at Rodan + Fields Dermatologists and she gave me access to some before and after pictures :) She also has GORGEOUS skin!!!

Cynthia says:

"I use the ANTI-AGE Regimen from Rodan & Fields in conjunction with their AMP MD System. This is the tool that provides clinically proven results similar to BOTOX and better than RESTALYNE in the comfort of your home with NO INJECTIONS and a fraction of the cost.    

In the morning, I use a Cleanser, a Toner, and a day cream with SPF 30. Simple! In the evening, I repeat the Cleanser, Toner - then I ROLL my face with our patent-pending tool "AMP MD" - next I follow with the Peptide Serum, and finish with the Overnight Restorative Cream. "Rolling" at night takes ~ 1 minute! This process is creating micro-channels in your skin so that the peptides and retinols can get below the first several layers of the skin & MASS PRODUCE collagen at up to 500% more than just putting the same items on without rolling. Pretty impressive! We've seen extremely fabulous results - ALLURE has deemed us as the "Must Have At Home solution for Anti-Aging" for 2011, as well as the TODAY SHOW featuring Rodan + Fields twice this year already."

4 Weeks using REVERSE

Before starting using Reverse

Top: Before first usage of AMP MD System
Middle: After first usage of AMP MD System
Bottom: After 9 uses of AMP MD System over 11 days



Wow, those are pretty impressive results!!! I have problems with deep lines on my  forehead and fine lines are starting to show around my mouth. Of course, I am an ex-smoker and a die hard tanner :) MMMM, I may have to check into the $$$ part for Rodan & Fields.

Okay, so currently I wash my face with Dove soap and I have an Aveda mask or Lemon-Mint Clay mask that I use maybe every quarter or maybe twice a year. I gravitate towards masks as I grew up watching  the women of my family peeling them as a child. I thought it was fascinating and it doesn't take alot of effort on my part :)

Kristine gave me a tube of Garnier Nutritioniste Ultra-Lift Intensive. I have been using for almost a week. The first night I tried it, I thought it smelled weird but I no longer smell it and I told Kristine the next day that I didn't think it worked cuz I still looked 40 that morning, she advised me it was a wrinkle cream not a miracle cream LOL Sorry, you know had to put some humor in here somewhere :P But back on track,  I also used Aveda eye cream for awhile, I am not sure if I saw a difference but I must admit I didn't notice the lines around my eye and mouth until AFTER I ran out of it. Another blogger friend, Lorena, suggested I also try Oil of Olay.

What skin care regime do you do? What have you tried and didn't like and why? What is your most favorite product?

Heathen wanted to be in the pic
This is his Spring coat that is all the rage.
Doesn't he look cute?

See my shoes? :)

Shirt - Belks
Tee - Sam's
Capris - JcPenney
Shoes - my beloved thrifted Prada's :)
Not sure I like that color green tee with this
but all in all not a bad St Patrick Day outfit

Good, handsome boy :)

Heathen giving Mr Man a hug!!!
Gotta love em :)