the beauty blog :: andre chreky :: the salon spa

Skincare vs Skin Scare

Winter is tough on our skin: post-holiday stress and fluctuating winter temperatures make it necessary to find products that address facial needs throughout the season. Whether you need to quench thirsty skin or are looking to keep the pesky “maskne” (caused by protective masks) at bay, here are my recommendations:

Boost Your Moisture

Guinot Hydrazone Moisturising Cream

If you’re looking for a luxurious treatment that feels like a day at the spa, go for the Guinot Hydrazone Moisturising Cream.  Formulated with hydrocyte liposomes and vitamin E to nourish and intensely moisturize, this cream can be used on all skin types. Apply both morning and evening to leave skin continuously supple and soft.

Avene Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream

For a stronger moisture boost, turn to Avene, a cult favorite French pharmacy skincare brand. The Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream prevents water from evaporating from skin in the dry winter air and preserves your moisture barrier for 24 hours. It’s gentle enough to use morning and night and doesn’t contain any harsh ingredients or fragrances: perfect for sensitive skin! Say au revoir to dryness and tightness and bonjour to soft and hydrated skin!

SkinCeuticals Hyaluronic Acid Intensifier

If your usual moisturizer isn’t quite doing the trick, add a hyaluronic acid serum to your routine. Hyaluronic Acid, found naturally in your skin, magnifies your skin’s ability to retain moisture, making your favorite day or night cream extra-effective. SkinCeutical’s serum contains proxylane and licorice root extract, which help the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, lighten dark spots, and improve skin texture.

 

Beat Maskne

Kate Somerville Eradikate Acne Treatment

Has your skin resorted to its teenage troubles during the pandemic? Join the club! Luckily, the Kate Somerville Eradikate Acne Treatment can keep breakouts at bay. Apply a small bit of this spot treatment to any blemish and watch it disappear overnight. It contains the same ingredients as prescription solutions for clinical acne control, including 10% sulfur.

Sunday Riley U.F.O. Ultra-Clarifying Acne Treatment Face Oil

Do you need a continuous solution rather than an occasional spot treatment? Seek the help of a product you can use daily. The Sunday Riley U.F.O Acne Treatment Face Oil is one of my favorites for a gentle, yet effective skin clearing treatment. This oil contains1.5% salicylic acid, tea tree oil, and cumin seed oil to clear acne-causing buildup and brighten the appearance of older blemish discolorations. To keep the product moisture-friendly, Sunday Riley added milk thistle and cucumber seed oil to replenish the skin’s natural moisture and soothe irritation.

First Aid Beauty Purifying Mask with Red Clay

Enjoy an extra boost between targeted acne treatments with the First Aid Beauty Purifying Mask. It works extra-well on oily or acne-prone skin. Red clay and probiotics act as “magnets,” drawing out acne-causing dirt, oil, and bacteria. Vitamin C and licorice root neutralize the skin’s pH and hyper-pigmentation often caused by breakouts. Apply this mask as often as twice a week for noticeably clearer skin and improved skin texture. Be sure to follow up with your favorite moisturizing products to counteract this mask’s more drying ingredients.

FLOTUS Flair

It’s nearly Inauguration Day: welcome, Dr. Jill Biden to the role of Style Setter in Chief. First ladies often set trends in hairstyles and fashion. Let’s look back at our last four first ladies and see how they chose to style their hair for their first day on the job.

Melania Trump

Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images; Kevin Dietsch, Pool/Getty Images

In 2017, Melania Trump chose an elegant updo to highlight the sculptural collar on her powder blue Ralph Lauren Collection jacket. Later, at the inaugural ball, she let her hair down in loose, sleek waves, which added Hollywood glamour her Hervé Pierre couture gown.

 

Michelle Obama

Ron Sachs-Pool, Getty Images; Alex Brandom, AF

Michelle Obama often changed up her look style during her tenure as first lady, but she chose a sleek, classic look for her husband’s inauguration. Her simple-yet-chic blowout allowed both her sparkling yellow Isabel Toledo ensemble and her intricate Jason Wu gown to shine on their own.

 

Laura Bush

APPLEWHITE/AP/REX/Shutterstock; Joe Raedle/Newsmakers/Getty Images

Laura kept it classic with her signature short blowout. For the inauguration ceremony, her timeless, simple silhouette balanced the liveliness of her bright turquoise sheath dress and jacket. For the inaugural ball, Mrs. Bush chose a more daring embellished dress. She let her ruby-red crystal and Chantilly lace gown do the talking, while keeping her hair smooth and classic.

 

Hillary Clinton

William J. Clinton Presidential Library

Mrs. Clinton chose a hat for the chilly January inauguration ceremony, then wowed with an intricate updo for the festivities at the inaugural ball. The year was 1993, and the “big hair” trend of the 80’s was still going strong. Hillary’s voluminous side-swept part added flair to her sleek updo, for a look that was trendy, yet classic enough to fit with the White House elegance and refinement. She shared the spotlight with little-known designer Sarah Phillips, whose embellished indigo gown created a silhouette both playful and sophisticated.

The New “I Do”

Every bride understands the challenges of planning a perfect wedding, but weddings planned for 2020 or 2021 have been extraordinarily difficult. A new crop of complexities has arisen in the age of COVID, with many brides choosing to postpone, downsize, or virtualize.

No matter what type of wedding you’re planning this year, one thing you won’t have to worry about is looking your best! Whether you’ve chosen a new date or are opting for an intimate or virtual “minimony,” we’ll help you find your perfect bridal style, so that you look relaxed and beautiful on your big (or not-so-big) day!

Big Days in Small Packages
Brides, all eyes are on you, even if it’s through a webcam! A downsized ceremony doesn’t require sacrificing elegance. Whether you walk down the aisle for an intimate backyard gathering or toast your marriage over Zoom, you deserve to feel beautiful. Our wedding team can’t travel to your venue these days, but they have everything to help you feel your gorgeous best, right at the salon! With our COVID-safe practices and private bridal suite, you can still enjoy your pre-wedding ritual of getting ready with your bridesmaids and loved ones.

Sooner or Later
If you’ve pushed back your nuptials until you can throw your dream wedding, we’ll make sure everything on our end goes smoothly. Change your date, change your venue, even change your mind about your hairstyle: we’ve got you covered!

Have you postponed your ceremony by a year or longer? Consider scheduling a new trial to  make sure the look you planned matches  any changes you’ve had to make to your ceremony!

Resolved: to Find Joy

About those resolutions we made this time last year…I doubt any of us wound up keeping them! If 2020 turned out to be the year of simply “trying to get by,” let’s resolve to make 2021 the year of redefining – and embracing – what brings us happiness. I’m resolved to find joy wherever possible this year. Here are my goals:

Move
Probably the most common resolution is to “get in shape,” but with many gyms still closed, you might find it harder to kick start your exercise routine. Personally, I’m focusing on the little steps that add up, such as walking instead of driving and taking the stairs instead of the elevator. For more intense workouts, check out free videos on YouTube posted by yogis and personal trainers. Over the past year, fitness experts have found ways to adapt their routines for those of us stuck in our homes. You’ll be amazed by the range of classes you can enjoy in the privacy of your living room.

Simplify
Staying at home – with no guests to impress – might cause clutter to pile up. (Hello, online impulse buys!) Take advantage of your time at home to jumpstart your spring cleaning. While a quarantine’s worth of clutter may seem daunting, start with one room, or even one closet. Take stock of what you need/cherish versus items that prompt you to say, “What on earth was I thinking…”. I follow this rule of thumb: if I haven’t used something in a year, it’s probably okay to pass it along. Stage a virtual yard sale with apps like Poshmark, Mercari, or Facebook Marketplace, and invest the extra cash on things you will love -- and actually use.

Learn
A year’s worth of unexpected free time might once have seemed like a dream come true. But let’s face it, boredom has become an issue. Many of our clients have used their extra hours to delve into hobbies they’ve always wanted to try. Afterall, it’s not too late to try something new! Pick up an abandoned hobby or explore one you’ve always wanted to master. There are online tutorials for every hobby, from knitting to baking to languages to home improvement, at little or no cost. You just might discover a passion that will bring you joy, even post-pandemic.

Love
If this past year has taught us anything, it’s how vital our connections with loved ones are. I never knew how much I would miss seeing my friends and family until that privilege went away. The silver lining of living in quarantine is the gift of time. With curtailed work and school hours, and some adult children returning home, we are able to reconnect with our partners and children through quality time once lost in the whirlwind of everyday life. Rather than going stir-crazy after nearly a year of being stuck together, cherish these moments with your loved ones before life returns to normal and free time becomes a scarcity once again.