NeoStrata's Skin Resurfacing Duo

Exfoliating your skin is an important part of any skincare routine.  In order for your skin to glow you need to slough off those dead skin cells.  If done right you'll be left with radiant skin,  if done wrong you can be doing your skin more harm than good (breakouts,  skin tears and more).

There are many different forms of exfoliating (masks,  peels, physical exfoliants, etc) and finding what works for you is key.  Today I'm going to share with you one of my personal favourite exfoliating systems,  NeoStrata's Skin Resurfacing Duo. Here's a brief description as found on NeoStrata's website

"Ideal for a quick fix for dull skin concentrating on more resistent dry skin areas. This duo will give you quick results with no downtime."

This product is marketed for all ages and skin types.  It's a two step process where you use both crystals and an activator. These are the instructions provided both on the website and directly on the packaging.

Apply Crystals. Massage gently for 1 minute. Apply Activator over Crystals. For sensitive skin, mix both products in the palm of hand before applying. Massage gently for 2 minutes. Rinse. Can be used 1-3 times weekly on face, neck, décolleté and hands.

I don't have particularly sensitive skin so I use it following the two step directions.  I also like to use the extra product on my hands to exfolitate them as well ;)

The crystals are very small and have a nice light scent to them.  A little goes a long way and I find them to be quite gentle.  The activator is a clear gel that's fairly runny. When applied on top of the crystals they react and turn white in appearance.  Its actually pretty neat to watch!  After the allotteded time is up, you rinse the duo off with warm water.  It's very easy to wash off unlike some exfoliants that just don't want to budge.

As soon as the product is rinsed my face feels instantly smoother and looks radiant. The first few times I used it my face was a bit 'pink' from the friction but it quickly dissipated after I applied my serum and cream.  Since using this regularly (3x a week) I have noticed that my skin is much healthier.

You can purchase it at most mass drugstores (I buy it at Shoppers) and it retails for around $75.  This duo will last quite a while so although the price may seem steep at first,  it will give you many uses.

Have you tried the Skin Resurfacing Duo? Would you like to?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Dave Lackie and Givenchy's #ArtofPerfumery Event

As some of you may already know,  I recently won a seat at one of Dave Lackie's coveted VIP follower dinners.  This dinner was for Givenchy and was aptly named #ArtofPerfumery.  I've been in love with Givenchy's fragrance house ever since my Mom bought me my first bottle of Very Irresistible when I was a teenager.  Having the opportunity to attend this event was not only exciting but very special to me!

The event was held at the Arcadian Lofts in beautiful downtown Toronto.  I ran into a few of my lovely Twitter friends in the lobby and seeing as we were all early,  we decided to wait for some of the other guests to arrive.  With a small group in tow, we headed for the elevator and made our way upstairs.

Connie,  Grieta and myself

Connie and I

At the entrance to the event we were met by a woman with a beaming smile and a tray full of delicious looking cocktails.  There were three to choose from,  all spins on Givenchy fragrances. Drinks in hand, we stepped into the room and what I saw was almost too beautiful for words!

The first thing that hit me was the scent!  The air was ripe with the aroma of roses and the subtle scent of fragrance.  It was as if I had walked into a garden!  Alongside the flowers were carefully placed bottles of Givenchy parfums, colognes and scented candles.  Live Irresistible,  Very Irresistible,  Ange ou Demon,  Dahlia Divin and Gentleman Only to name a few!  There were even a few tables with candies and chocolates!!!

Our gracious host Dave came over to welcome us and chat. I'm sure most of you are familiar with his generous giveaways,  Cityline appearances and infamous #protips,  but there's a lot more to him than that.  Always smiling and upbeat,  he makes you feel special and welcome.  There's no beauty question he won't answer and if he doesn't have the answer,  he'll search for it.  Whether asking his pal Nina Westbury or contacting a brand, he's sure to help you out.  There's a reason #DavesBabes has become a hash tag!

 
But back to the event...

I mingled with the guests a bit before securing a seat up front.  I wanted to be as close to the action as possible!  We were soon asked to take our seats and the wait staff came by to check for any dietary restrictions (you really get the VIP treatment at these events!) I was lucky enough to be seated next to the lovely Maria aka Best Day Blogger and we chatted while eagerly awaiting our dinner.

I could go on for days describing the meal but I think I'll let the pictures speak for themselves!  And yes,  it all tasted as good as it looks! Especially that pecan pie!  Yumm!

As we finished our desserts Dave and David spoke to us about both the art and history of perfumery. I never realized just how competitive the fragrance world is and how seriously perfumers take their jobs.  Stories about Givenchy's history,  Hubert de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn's relationship and the famed L'interdit were told and we all sat listening in awe.

I was lucky enough to speak with David Titheridge both before dinner and after the presentation.  I was blown away by how charming,  friendly and down to earth he is.  We spoke about the brand, social media and the role bloggers play nowadays.  It was a pleasure speaking with him and I have to admit he motivated me to take my blog to the next level!

At the end of the night we got to take home a fabulous gift bag with a gorgeous rose.  Inside the bag we received a bottle of the recently launched Live Irresistible EDT,  a mini bottle of Dahlia Divin and a beautiful makeup case.  I will be posting about these wonderful fragrances very soon so stay tuned for that!

I had an amazing time that I won't soon forget and I am forever grateful <3