Continuing my education...this time with M'Lis

Last year at the Long Beach Spa Conference I signed up for the M'Lis certification course.  I then went back to work and worked and worked and was not able to get to the course.  Fast forward to last month where I dug through my e-mails and asked the M'Lis educator if I still qualified to take the class...she said yes and today I headed down to Long Beach.

I don't know about you but I really like body treatments.  Whether it be an Infrared body wrap keeping you all toasty while you watch some Netflix or being all frosted up with contour cream and wrapped up in plastic.  I like it, can't really explain why...I just find it very relaxing.  

Bonus being that with the M'Lis wrap you lose inches.  Get wrapped up for 45 minutes and lose some inches...easy.  I also like that besides the wraps they do put a lot of focus on health/wellness.  They are really about taking care of yourself from the inside out. They are more than their wraps, they are all about resetting your body (through a cleanse...which I'm not quite ready for) and with supplements to keep you functioning at your best. 

I love taking all these different classes.  I really wish that taking classes could be my job. Oh well. 

Ps: Want to try an Infrared wrap near San Dimas? Try Infrared Body Wraps.

Care to try a M'Lis Body Contour Wrap? Click here for locations. 

Long Beach Trade Show

Boldijarre Koronczay (he's from Hungary) President
of Eminence Organics

How do I love a trade show? Let me count the ways...
1. Shopping and samples
2. Classes and demos

Yeah, technically it's not a lot list wise but multiply it into a convention center and you've really got something there.  Bonus: I won a raffle in one of the classes (a book, a shirt, and a box of detox tea), additional bonus: I got to test drive a treatment with The Contour Light (a magical machine that breaks down your fat cells and helps you to lose inches...a $100 value).

I watched some awesome demos of which I would love to continue my education in a little further down the road.  The first of which is a bamboo facial massage using warm bamboo.  The woman doing this demo had a lovely french accent and was so relaxing that I almost fell asleep watching the massage (in a nice way).  Today I watched a demo using Kansa wand as part of a facial massage and I sat there thinking "Man, I want to do this too!!".

Example of a Kansa Wand
 from Diamond Way Ayurveda

Which leads into the shopping...I gave myself a very small budget, but I splurged and bought some Eminence products anyway.  They just smell so lovely and work so hard to make their booth amazing.  They have demos at their booth all day and they give so much info.  I also picked up some brushes...you can't beat wholesale (I'm guessing) prices.

After visiting this year I was realizing that somewhere down the line I would like to teach Esthetics. I love taking classes and learning more and more about the skin care industry.  There is always something new, unfortunately in school the focus is mainly state board.  Don't get me wrong students need the state board stuff but there is so much more that I wish that I had been exposed to.




Links from the stuff I liked in Long Beach:
Diamond Way Ayurveda (Kansa Wand Face Massage)
Eminence Organics (Official Website)
Ageless Health / Dr. Rhonda Donahue (Healthy Living/Supplements/Contour Light)
M'lis (Detoxing and Body Wraps...I'll have a certification class in October)

why you need an acupressure facial

This week I took a Chinese Acupressure class at the International Dermal Institute...while it was only a two day look into a massive subject it was AWESOME.  We learned a technique that focuses on 21 points of the face and neck area and I am hooked.

I've always had the basic European massage in facials before (it's the standard that most of us learn for state board testing).  It's all fine and dandy, I mean it feels nice and relaxes you but sometimes you want something a little different...enter acupressure.

It is also very relaxing, which I wasn't sure it would be at first (being so used to the European style).  Turns out that it is relaxing but somehow in a different way.  Maybe because the focus is on breathing and overall wellness so the relaxation comes secondary.  Based off of this class I'm super excited to attend the IDI Reflexology course and the Chinese Diagnosis: Face and Body Reading.

If you have the option of trying it, I would highly recommend it! 

Starting over, all over again

                                                                      Here I am at the starting line once again.  Feels like it's happened a lot in the last few years.  Luckily, I'm at the excited for a new beginning part.

I've been taking some continuing education classes over at the Dermal Institute.  I took the 3 Day Skin Care Technique class and met a great group of fellow Estheticians. I really enjoy taking classes there, the teachers are all great and a bonus is that we use Dermalogica (which is cruelty free).  Up next is a "skin series" class and a class in gaining and retaining clients...which will be pretty important as I currently have a whopping ZERO clients in my roster.

After these classes, I'll be hopping to the application process.  I'm not even really sure where to begin...but I'll figure it out.  Just need to get organized, be focused, and keep up my skills.

Unfortunately my workouts took a backseat when I was in class last week (2+ hours in traffic sure takes a lot out of you!)...but I will get started again, no wagon falling off for me!

my non new year's resolutions

I think we can all pretty much agree that all our vows to eat healthy, exercise regularly, and volunteer our time to charity are all noble goals...that we don't really end up keeping.  Yet each year we feel like we get a bit of a do-over. This year though, I'm just going to get a jump start on the new year and instead of resolving to be the best version of me, I'm just going to put some intentions out there and hope for the best.. No start dates (certainly not January first), and no deadlines... Here we go:

not quite...heehee

I'm going to find a way to remotivate myself to exercise.  A long time ago it was easy for me to pop over to the gym on my way home from work, but it's been a while since I've been exercising on regular basis.  I've got a meeting with a personal trainer next week (day after Christmas) to try and help with the matter.  Other than that my upcoming plans to get moving are to try a trampoline class...they've just opened a Sky Zone in my area and I saw a clip of their aerobics class (SkyRobics) and it looked like fun. 

I'd also like to give some horseback riding a try...I've only been a couple of times, but I love it.

To bring out my inner Katniss I'll also give archery a shot over withPasadena Roving Archers, I've got some friends that will check that out with me.



I'm not going to stress too much over food.  I try to be healthy, but have my lapses (especially right now with all the baked goodies and candies around).  So yeah, that will get back to normal-ish after a bit.

A little goat friend from The Gentle Barn, how could you not wanna help out this guy?

As for making the world a better place I will continue to donate to places like The Gentle Barn, and my local humane society (where I picked up my charming lil' monster Mitch).  The Beauty Bus Foundation is something I'd like to be involved with.

I'd like to become a better planner.  I want to get together with friends and plan outings and such.  There are things I like to do, but I generally just wait for someone else to make the plans. 

I'm going to continue with my continuing education...I like classes and school, who knew?  I've decided I'd like to take an online class about Effective Selling, because sales looks like it is to be a part of my life...I'm also looking into classes about computers, because I'd like to be more computer savvy.  Skin care and make up classes are still on my to-do list.  And a cooking class or two...too!

New Year's Resolutions haven't worked for me, have they worked for you?  What's on you to-do/to-try/or to-consider list? 

Cheers!~~tami

pretty/esthetic

aesthetics, esthetics

a branch of philosophy dealing with beauty and the beautiful.

In my International Dermal Institute class today we talked about some of the terms they like to use, such as skin therapist instead of esthetician,  because as skin therapists we treat the skin and the skin's conditions. Now, it's not that I don't like dealing with beauty...but offering to treat the skin does sound a little more professional.

My class went really well today.  I'm attending the International Three Day Skin Care Technique class, which is quite the mouthful and quite a bit of material too.  I got a mini facial today while we practiced the double cleanse, it was so relaxing that I can't wait for tomorrow when we practice the massage part!  

I was a little nervous at first (my last attempt at a facial was during a practical interview...and it did not go well), so I knew going in that I was a little rusty.  Luckily most of the class seemed to feel the same. Our instructor, Jennifer is great!  She is really patient, and great at going step by step to make sure all of us are getting it right.  

If you, or anyone you know is taking esthetician or skin care classes and feel that they need some continuing education I would highly recommend IDI...and I'm paying for these classes (not getting paid to say nice things).  

pretty good school day

I've been attending classes at the International Dermal Institute for the last couple of months.  It's nice that they offer post-graduate education for estheticians because you really don't learn enough in school.  I feel like I learned just enough to pass the State Board exams...but we didn't really delve into some of the skin care areas that I find interesting.

Today I took a class in cosmeceutical ingredients.  And right off the bat it was pointed out that actually "cosmeceutical" is actually more of a made up marketing term than anything else.  All it really is, is a combo of cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. So basically any product out there that uses vitamins, antioxidants, and/or peptides can go ahead and give itself the fancy-schmancy title of being a cosmeceutical.

I got a lot out of the class, and hope to incorporate some of my new found/refreshed knowledge in future posts.