SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW

As y'all know, skincare is a huge part of my life. If I'm not working with clients in my skincare business, I'm either learning about skincare or using it myself (sometimes simultaneously!). The rest of my time is spent between cups of coffee and glasses of wine, but that's neither here nor there. Point is, skincare isn't merely a hobby for me.

I've tried many brands over the years, and if you're a person who has ever scrolled through Instagram or strolled through Sephora, you know that there's no shortage of them. I was introduced to Image Skincare while attending Atelier Esthetique Institute in NYC and was impressed with the size of the line. They offer a ton of options. I use several of their products in my regular routine and it's been a staple in my studio since my business began. But of course, no line is completely perfect. I started looking for another line to add, but it needed to check several boxes. I needed a professional, affordable line that offered more mask options and couldn't be too similar to Image so that I could ensure that there was enough variety. I discovered Skin Script, which is one of the most affordable, effective, education focused skincare brands I've ever heard of. There's a reason it's so popular with estheticians. For years, I used those two lines in the studio, but I still felt something was missing. Both Image and Skin Script are great, but in my opinion they don't offer enough products that are geared toward sensitive skin. In early 2020, I discovered Hale & Hush, which is a brand that focuses on sensitive skin, and I loved it so much I bought every product they offer. I was almost perfectly happy! Almost...

Options are important to me. I love to be able to help improve any skin issue that comes my way. And even though the three lines I'd been using were great, I still felt like I wanted more. Enter Circadia! Circadia is a well respected brand, and for good reason. Its founder, Dr. Peter Pugliese, "was the first physician of his caliber to dedicate decades of research to understanding the skin and its ability to deliver clinical and relevant information on product development." In short, he knew his stuff. Circadia's lab actually creates the formulations for many of skincare's top brands, including theirs of course. From their website:

    Circadia professional skincare is based on the skin and body’s natural Circadian rhythms. Chronobiology, the biology of time, is based on the principles of defending skin from damage during the day, and stimulating repair during sleep, and is at the core of our concept. Circadia has been a pioneer in bringing the concept of Circadian rhythms to the health and wellness industry.

Circadia’s formulations combine pure botanicals, stem cell technology, second generation vitamins, and innovative peptide development to achieve optimal skin health and beauty. The Circadia Collection offers unique treatment options such as chemical peel alternatives, innovative delivery systems and patented ingredient technology exclusive to Circadia resulted in documented performance. Our concept allows us to deliver science and nature in perfect rhythm.

Cool stuff, right? Okay, enough of that. Let's get to the good stuff-the standout products!

Micro Exfoliating Honey Cleanser: my god, this cleanser smells like heaven. I know that it says "exfoliating" and it is (due to the little beads of natural beeswax), but you can press the product together in your palms to reduce the beads and therefore the exfoliation. Or if you have super sensitive skin, you can alternate using this cleanser with another. Trust me, you're going to love this. It'll be in the treatment room very soon and I'll prove it to you!

Chrono Calm Serum: When I put this on my skin for the first time, I was shocked by how amazing it felt. It's not too thick or thin, and your skin immediately looks and feels better upon application. A gorgeous glow that also soothes irritated skin, plus reduces redness and dilated capillaries. Probably my favorite serum I've ever tried from any line, if I'm being honest (which I am, of course).

Light Day Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 37: I'm picky about sunscreens. The only one that I truly have loved before is Image Skincare's Prevention+, but I absolutely love Circadia's just as much. It has a lighter feeling on the skin than any SPF moisturizer that I've tried, and exclusive stabilizers that help to reduce the irritation that some sunscreens can cause. It's perfect for everyone, and if you've tried a ton of sunscreens and haven't been happy with any of them, I bet you'll end your search after taking this one for a spin. 

AquaPorin Hydrating Cream: This cream has a bunch of effective hydrating agents, which (obviously) boosts skin's moisture and helps prevent TEWL (transepidermal water loss). Basically, it's great for achieving and/or maintaining a healthy skin barrier and keeps your skin feeling hydrated and soft.

Bright White Serum: If you have pigmentation issues, this is your best bet. Pigmentation is not an issue that can be solved once a month in the treatment room. You absolutely have to have products in your skincare arsenal to combat it and you have to be religious about sunscreen application to make those products even worth buying. If you're serious about reducing pigmentation and willing to dedicate your life to SPF and hats in order to achieve those results, this is the serum for you.

Myo Cyte Plus Anti Wrinke Serum: This serum stimulates the regeneration of collagen and elastin, which are key to youthful looking skin. Now, I always like to include a little reminder that aging is a completely normal process and there is nothing wrong with it. However, I like to do my best to slow down that process and many other people feel the same way. If you're one of them, this serum is a great addition to your routine.

Vitamin C Reversal Serum: Even if you're just a skincare newbie, you've still likely heard about Vitamin C's importance to skin. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, helps boost collagen production, helps brighten, helps boost your SPF...it's kind of like skincare's little black dress. Every skincare line has a Vitamin C product, but not all are created equal. Some people react to Vitamin C because it can be strong, but this serum has been formulated to reduce the likelihood of that happening-yay! I'd bathe in this Vitamin C serum if I could.

I could go on and on, but there are way too many products for me to discuss. Feel free to check out Circadia's website and see what they have to offer. There are also some great before and afters if you want to see the magic for yourself.

I will slowly be adding Circadia products into the treatment room and I can't wait for you to experience them. I've received amazing feedback about the cocoa enzyme and the marshmallow whip mask used in February's specials, so I have high hopes that you'll love the line as much as I do. I've personally tested several professional only products and am very much looking forward to getting them on your faces! In the meantime, if you have any questions about Circadia or want to add some of their products to your routine, please let me know. I'm happy to help! Ordering is super easy, and a little birdie has told me that anyone who gets an order drop shipped to them also receives a free at home facial kit...message me for details!

love & lipstick (& SPF always),

Cherrie

cherriedarlingbeauty.glossgenius.com

instagram.com/cherriedarlingbeauty

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

Personally, I'm offended that the holidays are here already. This year has felt like a month and a million all at the same time. But trees are up, Mariah Carey is inching toward the top of the Billboard Hot 100, and best of all, prices are slashing! I've put together a few great gift ideas for those of you who are feeling overwhelmed by the idea of hitting the mall-especially during a global pandemic. Let's go!

1. Gift certificate to Cherrie Darling Beauty! Okay, yes, I was obviously going to start with this one. This is the perfect gift for several reasons. First, you can make it out for any amount. Need to give a casual acquaintance something small? Box of chocolates and $10 gift certificate to yours truly...easy peasy! Second, you can choose to purchase a gift certificate for any service. If your wife has been hinting that she'd like to relax before she goes crazy because she recently became a distance learning teacher, you can gift her with a Deluxe Facial and take the guesswork out of it. Trust me, she'll be happy. Third, you can buy a gift certificate for people who don't even live local! You can send one to your cousin in California and they can schedule a Digital Consultation or purchase products that will be delivered to their doorstep. You can't go wrong! Plus, if you buy gift certificates during my Black Friday sale (Black Friday-December 1), you get 10% off! 

2. Image Skincare Hydrating Essentials Skincare Set. I've been using Image Skincare for 5 years now and there's a reason it's one of the best selling professional skincare brands-it works! I use a ton of Image products in my treatments and my clients are die-hard fans of several of their bestsellers. Image is offering several cute holiday sets, but this particular kit includes the Vital C Hydrating Facial Cleanser, Vital C Hydrating Anti Aging Serum, and Prevention + Daily Ultimate Protection SPF Moisturizer. It's an amazing starter kit that covers almost everything you need for a full regimen (throw a night cream in there and you're golden!). Separately, this kit would total $148, but bundled together, you get it for $126! Plus, if you order during my Black Friday sale, shipping is FREE! 

3. Customized product gift sets. I can work with any budget to help you design a gift for someone in your life. I use several different lines in my treatment room and can honestly create anything from a sample bag filled with lots of goodies to test or a full blown regimen. There are certain things that ALL people need in their routine, such as lip balm, SPF, moisturizer, and cleanser. I can help you choose what will work best for your recipient and make sure it doesn't break the bank. No matter how much you have to spend, I can make it happen.

4. If you're local, you should definitely check out everything The Willows has to offer. I joined the team at The Willows a few months ago, and while a fire in our building set us back a little, we're still kickin' in our temporary space and have plenty of options to take care of all your wellness needs. Lori does massage, reiki, cupping, and other types of wellness treatments. Let's face it, we've all had a stressful year. What would be better than getting a massage and then popping into my treatment room for a facial? Nothing I can think of! After grabbing a gift certificate for CDB, grab one to see Lori for one of her amazing sessions! While you're at The Willows, you have to check out Deb's shop, Under the Crystal Moon. There are sooooo many pretty, shiny things! Really cool, unique gifts. I don't know much about crystals, if I'm being honest, but Deb is a wealth of information and guided me toward the perfect choices for me to keep on my bedside table. I'm willing to do ANYTHING to suck the negativity out of 2020 and put some happy vibes into it instead. At The Willows, you can find something for everyone, and best of all, for any budget! 

5. Stocking stuffer ideas. You can't go wrong with any of these. They work for any skin type or condition! Image Skincare's Ormedic Lip Enhancement Complex (my number one bestseller, $22), a hydrating or anti-aging sheet mask ($7), Four Star Favorites sample kit ($22), or Skin Script's Cucumber Hydration Toner ($12.50). Pop one of these into a stocking with some chocolates and you're good to go!

There are so many amazing businesses that need your support right now. Restaurants seem to be getting the most attention (and it's certainly well deserved), but don't forget about your small bookstores, family owned hardware stores, consignment shops, boutiques, etc. I know that it might cost a few less dollars to go to Target and that Amazon can get your stuff delivered in less than two days, but Target and Amazon are going to be just fine. Our small businesses will not. So yes, my gift guide is filled with stuff that will support my business, but there are many out there that could also use your support. I highly recommend making your next shopping trip closer to home and opening your eyes to some of your local spots that you might have never noticed before! Some really awesome spots in my neighborhood of downtown Bethel? Relay Bookhouse, Disc & Dat, Occasions, Byrd's Books, Britt's Nail Bar, Putnam House, J. Lawrence, and Portofino. There are so many more! Visit an old favorite or try something new. Either way, shop local!

If you have any questions about gift certificates, treatments, products, or anything at all, just send me a message. I'm happy to help!

Happy Shopping!

Cherrie

cherriedarlingbeauty.glossgenius.com

instagram.com/cherriedarlingbeauty

facebook.com/cherriedarlingbeauty

TRUST ME, I'M A PROFESSIONAL

I didn't really get into skincare until I was in my late 20s. Before I went to esthetics school, the idea of paying more than $6 for a cleanser (or "face wash," as those who are not in the field tend to call it) was an insane concept. It brings me great shame to admit, but yes, I was once...*GULP* a Clean & Clear, Neutrogena, St. Ives Apricot Scrub user. So trust me when I say that I understand why people are hesitant to pay the price tag that comes with using professional skincare products. I've been in your shoes! Take this journey with me to learn why you should be marching those shoes right out of the CVS beauty aisle and why you should make the switch to professional products instead.

I can say with 100% certainty that the most common question I am asked is "what drugstore products do you recommend?" To put it bluntly, I don't. You don't come in for a service and expect me to use drugstore products on your skin, right? You're spending your hard earned cash to experience a professional treatment. During a facial, I use cleansers, toners, exfoliants, masks, serums, moisturizers, eye creams, facial oils, lip treatments, etc. Hundreds of dollars worth of products! Clients are always so happy with their results, and are eager to learn how to maintain them between the recommended monthly treatments. And of course, they want to do so in the most inexpensive way possible. But I didn't use a $6 cleanser or a $12 serum on your skin during the treatment, so how can I tell you that doing so at home will get you the same results? It won't! 

OTC (over the counter) products differ from professional products in a variety of ways. They are mass produced, made for consumers who are "self diagnosing" their own skin conditions, and therefore contain a very small percentage of active ingredients (and a large percentage of filler ingredients) in order to avoid irritating skin (and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the stuff you're buying at Sephora, Ulta, Macy's, etc. is also considered OTC...despite costing just as much as pro products!). Professional products, however, are made in small batches so as to maintain the integrity of the ingredients. Pro skincare lines also use more technologically advanced delivery systems, meaning that active ingredients can get to where they need to go in order to do what they need to do. For instance, if you have a serum that is making a claim to have x% of an active ingredient, but the molecules of that serum are too large to actually penetrate the skin's surface, that ingredient cannot do anything other than sit on top of the skin. Professional lines use molecular technology that allow ingredients to penetrate the skin's layers in order to effect change. They also take into account the skin's pH, whereas OTC products normally do not. The skin's pH should be between 4.5-5.5, but OTC products make the skin too alkaline, which leaves the skin susceptible to bacterial growth and free radical invasion. Protecting the skin's barrier is the most important thing for all skin types! Bottom line-OTC products strip the skin. Let's leave the stripping for bachelor parties, shall we?

I've seen some articles claim that the best way to see if a product has effective active ingredients is to check the order of ingredients listed, but unfortunately that's not exactly true. I was trying to find a way to say this well in my own words, but I think this quote from celebrity esthetician and trusted skin care expert Renee Rouleau does a better job than I can:

Two products can have the exact same list of ingredients, and one will be highly effective while the other could be completely useless. The difference is the concentration of those ingredients. One product may use a very small amount while the other uses a clinically active level. Unfortunately for you, the consumer, there is no way to understand the difference. This is because all ingredients are supposed to be listed in order of the concentration used, but for ingredients with a concentration less than 1% they can be listed in any order. There’s a big difference between an ingredients used at .01% versus 1%, but you would never know it from the label on the bottle, tube or jar.

Don't forget that a lot of the claims that you see have absolutely no ACTUAL, LEGAL meaning. Terms like "dermatologist tested," "clinically proven," or "studies show..." are not regulated. A dermatologist can take a product, test it on their own skin and no one else, have a terrible reaction, but the product can still make the claim "dermatologist tested" because it's technically true. It's misleading, though, because it leads the consumer to believe that it's been tested on a ton of people and has been proven by a doctor to be considered safe. False! There is a lot of bullshit in the beauty industry, and consumers don't have time to do their homework on every product or every claim. That's why it should be left to the professionals. The claims that professional skincare lines make are usually based on results from an unbiased, third party lab, and there is information readily available to back it up. Professional brands work directly with estheticians in a very hands-on way, so you can be sure that when you're having a regimen designed for you, it's done by someone who knows what they're doing. There is a reason why licensed estheticians only work with one or two skincare lines. They take trainings from these brands, they use the products on all different skin types and conditions, and are constantly updating their knowledge based on the newest information available. They know how that specific line's delivery systems work, they stay up to date on product reformulations, and they are able to check in with clients on a regular basis to see how their skin is reacting to new products. Your local drugstore employees aren't checking in with you to see if your new moisturizer is working with your acne prone skin, but I bet your esthetician does!

I know that it's tough to want to shell out $60 for a Vitamin C serum when you see one on the shelf for $15. But it's not the same! When you use a high quality product, you don't need to use as much of it and you don't go through it as quickly. Professional products will last longer, they'll do more for your skin, and they come with an expert who can help you tweak your regimen to make them work for your specific skin type and concerns. Yes, that does mean that they cost more. But cost and worth are not the same thing. Plus, when you're using the right products, you don't need as many of them! You can start your professional skincare journey with just THREE products and see positive results, I guarantee it. Once you see the difference the right products make, you won't even look in the direction of St. Ives anymore. There are a lot of professional lines out there, and it can definitely be overwhelming. Reach out to your skin care specialist (if you don't have one yet...ahem...allow me to introduce myself). Personally, I use a well respected, industry leading brand called Image Skincare and have recently added Hale & Hush (a brand dedicated to sensitive skin and Oncology patients) as well. I'm obsessed! I can't wait to reopen so that I can share their products with you guys. Until then, if you are looking for some advice on building a regimen, I can guide you via the internet. Simply reach out via my website (cherriedarlingbeauty.glossgenius.com), my Instagram (instagram.com/cherriedarlingbeauty), Facebook (facebook.com/cherriedarlingbeauty), or my email (cherriedarlingbeauty@gmail.com). Now is the perfect time to try something new! As always, let me know if you have any questions. I'd love to hear from you!

love & lipstick (& liposomes!),

Cherrie