Why Spa and when?

I am still working to get my post graduated certificate from International Dermal Institute.  I am also trying to work out what kind of Esthetician I would like to be.  I think that I would really like to focus in on skin care and body treatments, and not so much on waxing.  Waxing has just never been my thing (maybe because I too feel the pain that we have to suffer walking around letting our hairs grow out prior to a session).

Personally, I'd rather go the shave and laser route...to me it's just easier (especially if you consider how many deals are to be had on things like Groupon and Living Social).

Bunny applauds going cruelty free

 Here's what I do know, I want to provide a cruelty free experience (bunnies of the world rejoice!).   I would also like to focus on facials and things like body wraps and such.  These are the treatments that I enjoy, and I'd like to think others do too...I could be wrong.  I know I don't go as much as I'd like, do you?

Pretty Kitty...an experience

One day I was driving and saw this sign...I wondered what kind of place it was,  and then promptly forgot about it.  Then a girl I was working with mentioned she had an appointment there.  "Oh! What do they do there?" I asked..."Brazilians." she replied.  

Sure enough, if you check the Pretty Kitty website they pride themselves on a 10-15 minute Brazillian and let's face it the less time a stranger spends down there with hot wax the better.  I've been there twice now (for both brow and bikini waxes) and have to say they do good work.

My first time there, we started with my brows...which I had not touched in a while (quite a while).  She pointed out that one was thinner than the other and that she'd like to have it more grown in before she shaped it.  Made total sense to me and she did some quick clean up on my brows.  Her bikini wax work was super fast (but not rushed)...didn't even have time to be uncomfortable while laying half naked on a table.  

This time the girl I had was newer (still mastering her timing) and although I didn't not time her the front desk did and gave me $10 off for keeping me over the 15 minute mark.  No complaints here.  She also did good work.

I find their prices reasonable and their service is great.  They have a bunch of locations (I go to the one in Chino Hills).  If you're curious about getting a Brazilian, I would recommend this place, just for the time on the table factor alone! 

Now that my bikini line is ready for summer maybe I should get the rest of me ready by hitting the gym.  Oh wait, the cookies are calling my name from the kitchen.

Cheers all!

my week in review...work rants and product raves

The last couple of days have been kind of rough work wise.  My boss and I had a sit down that brought me to tears...more out of frustration than anything else.  She went on about how much she appreciates what I do, and that I'm someone she depends on and all that I do doesn't go unnoticed...which is all very well and good, but I just wanted to work out a more reasonable schedule.  To me reasonable is an eight hour day (more on occasion if necessary), but she just didn't seem to get it.  I don't know how better to explain it...we're just not seeing eye to eye right now.  I'm not sure what to do from here.

The good news is, I was wearing Urban Decay's All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray and after putting it on at 6:30 in the morning, wearing it all day and crying a little...my makeup stayed in place!  All you do is mist on your face after your makeup application and voila!  I picked up the trial size at ULTA, and am totally happy with the purchase (especially in this insane heat we've been having...100 degrees at 6pm!).  I would have given the NYX version a shot, but it was out of stock that day.

I've been keeping up with Pilates and doing weekly sessions with Becky at Equilibrium Fitness in La Verne. I feel like I've become more aware of my posture, especially that my shoulder are always super tense apparently.  Last week I also visited the Ricciolo Salon (located next door to Equilibrium) because my eyebrows were out of control...and sometimes they just need a pro with a lighted magnifying glass.  The salon is nice, the staff was friendly and they took me as a sweaty walk-in no problem.

How do you deal with work stress?  Have you have any new go to products you're loving?
Let me know, I'd love to hear from you!

Cheers~~Tam

Bangs and Brows...or, your "brow-to" guide

I let my friend give me bangs, that friend in cosmetology school...I'm trusting. Something I've become aware of after the fact though is that you really have to stay on top of your eyebrows.  It's strange because when I have no bangs I can let things get scragly...but when the attention is right there EEP!

So, yeah, I'm not an amazing photog...it's the main reason I don't work for TMZ.

It all looked great in the bathroom mirror though!

I don't go to the salon for eyebrow waxing too much (last time I was red and bumpy for days) and while I like how quick threading is, the place I like to go isn't super convenient.

These are the tools I use to keep my brows ship shape:

I pick up the disposable mascara wands from Sally Beauty Supply.  I highly suggest the mini scissors from Cinema Secrets, kind of pricey but worth it when you use them regularly.  For thinner brows or when you have a little space to fill in, I prefer powder over pencil. 

Brow to by tamorama featuring brow tools

How do you keep your brows tame?  What tools or products do you like?

Cheers!

~~Tam

pretty hairy situation

Under your arms, on your legs, the dreaded upper lip and where to begin with the bikini area...HAIR!  It all seems to grow so much faster that the top of your head (I mean really how much longer can it take to grow out a lousy hair cut and yet our legs are stubbly by the end of the day).

So, what can you do?

Well the options are almost endless, we've got shaving, waxing, sugaring, lasers, threading, and depilatories...just to name a few.

Shaving...we'll I'd say were all pretty familiar with that...so let's move on.

Waxing. Ouch. It's okay for the legs when we've got everything growing in one direction for the most part.  Doing it yourself can be a bit tricky (for me it's the back of legs and under my left arm that I can just never get right).  If I'm going to wax, I like to use Brazilian Blue Hard Wax (for professional use, but there is a list on the site of spas that use it).

Sugaring.  I thought I'd love this, it gets promoted by how natural it is.  Plus you move with the hairs not against it, so you're supposed to not get ingrowns....yeah, um tell that to my ingrowns (yuck).  There are plenty of how to's on youtube, but the hardest part is keeping the sugar at the right temperature.  It warms with your skin, and if it's too warm or too cool it just doesn't work right.  Still, visiting a pro seems the way to go.  I go to the Wild Earth Spa in La Verne.  They usually have some pretty good specials around swim suit season. I've gotten my bikini area done, as well as my underarms and lower legs.

Laser. Yes! I was super in love with the place I was going, but they've been out of commission for a couple of months now (which at this point means I'll pretty much be starting from scratch if I go back).  If you're looking for a place to try, see if you can find a place that charges by the time that your there (example: 15 minutes, 30 minutes) rather than by the area (example: legs, underarms).  If you go by the time, they can just move from one spot to the next. It just makes sense, and I don't know why more places haven't figured it out. I would love love love to go to school and learn how to do this, but I live in California, where you need to have a nursing degree to do laser.  **Which, if I may go off on a bit of a tangent, is absolutely crazy that you need more schooling to take off a tattoo than you do to put one on!** I've used the laser for my upper lip/chin (just a few strays that grow in a little darker), my underarms (anything that grows back has been super fine), bikini area, and lower leg/toes. 

Threading is fine, but I think it's better for smaller areas like your brows and maybe your lip (if you don't break out...which I do. My upper lip hates to be messed with, laser was really the only thing that didn't upset my lip).  When I've given up on tweezing my brows I take them to a lovely woman in Diamond Bar at Shear Artistry.

Depilatories: (you know the stinky stuff by like Nair and Veet) I think it's a little smelly, no matter what they do to improve it. Plus, I don't really know that it works...I try it every few years or so to see if it's improved. I'm never thrilled though.

What do you do to get rid of your hairy situations?  Do you have a preferred method? What places do you frequent?