The Natura Bissé Pure Air Bubble Diamond White Facial

Yesterday, I experienced the ultimate in luxury: the Natura Bissé Pure Air Bubble with a Diamond White Facial, compliments of Natura Bissé and Neiman Marcus. I came home feeling relaxed and pampered, and my skin looked 100% better than when I arrived. This morning, it looks like I experienced an overnight miracle. My skin looks 200% better - maybe more. It is amazingly smooth, firm, and even-toned; the little expression lines under my eyes are gone; a nagging puffy pocket from sinus congestion is gone; and the dehydration that I've been suffering this month appears to be a thing of the past. The tag line for Natura Bissé is "My skin. My secret." It won't be a secret when I go to work. I look eight years younger.

The 99.9% Pure Air Bubble is a fairly spacious, isolated area specifically designed to enhance treatments, increase the efficacy of treatment products, and transport the client to a state of complete tranquility (check!). The innovative bubble of pure, sterile air (free of contaminants and allergens) is said to improve clarity and energy and detoxify the skin, helping the Diamond White Facial provide maximum results.

The Bubble02 used by Natura Bissé was developed by a Spanish company for athletes, those with respiratory allergies and asthma conditions. The pure air oxygenates every cell in the body (so it's a whole-body experience), but is very beneficial for the skin. Natura Bissé has exclusive rights to the Bubble02 for beauty purposes. I think it made every part of my body feel good.

The Diamond White Facial is a renewing treatment that clarifies and evens skin tone, revealing a fresh and brightened complexion. The facial offers the advanced ingredients in Natura Bissé's products to minimize melanin and gently exfoliate, lightening the skin and reducing the appearance of hyperpigmentation. An anti-inflammatory effect soothes the skin, providing rapid anti-aging results that last.

When I arrived, I saw something like a compact, round, white tent with a generator-like devise that was pumping air into the bubble. Space-age in appearance, it looks like a novelty - until you experience it. Was I concerned that the bubble would make me lightheaded? Honestly, yes, I didn't know what to expect. What I did know was that my Natura Bissé friends, Denise Thomas, Natura Bissé specialist at Neiman Marcus Tysons Galleria, and Michael Ann Guthrie, National Sales Director for Natura Bissé, wouldn't lead me astray. Once I entered the bubble, aesthetician Alexis put me completely at ease. All she had to do was remove my makeup with The Cure All-In-One Cleanser (she used Natura Bissé's Cleansing Sponges), apply The Cure Hydro Gel Toner, and I was putty - even before she applied the Glyco Extreme Peel.

After that? Alexis applied Diamond Collection products (primarily) and a few treatments that are used only for spa facials. Every so often, I detected the relaxing scent of lavender. The Pure Air Bubble ensures that each product used was super-effective - more effective than "normal" because the pure air facilitates absorption. The environment, free of pollutants - even indoor air pollution - induced my feelings of serenity. All of my little anxieties had been set free about five minutes into the facial.

My Pure Air Bubble Diamond White Facial lasted an hour. In addition to the facial, Alexis did a neck massage, arm massage with Diamond Body Cream (which provides exceptional hydration for a softer, sculpted, and firmer skin) and a lower leg and foot massage. When it was over? I didn't want to move. I haven't been that relaxed in a long time. Even better, I was stunned when I looked at my face in the dressing room mirror. My complexion was even, plumped, and lineless.

I've known for more years than I can count that the Natura Bissé products I know and love are top-notch. No matter what your skin concerns, Natura Bissé has a solution for you. It's a line that has earned a legion of celebrity fans, including Rachel Roy, Oprah, Beyonce, Melissa George, Nicolette Sheridan, Madonna - the list is very long. Just as long is the company's list of international skin care awards, from Vogue and Elle, to name just two.

Despite what I already knew, my Natura Bissé Pure Air Bubble Diamond White Facial was kind of life-changing. Yesterday, I learned a couple of things. Pure Air is a trip - a skin-care and pampering high. I don't remember being as relaxed as I was in the bubble in well over a year - even after massage therapy (which is pretty darn good). My other lesson? Natura Bissé can fix your parched late-winter skin in an hour or less. Here I am after a night's sleep (too little actually), and my skin looks totally hydrated. I've been layering the best moisturizers I have in my house during the last two weeks, trying to banish the late-winter blahs, but nothing has worked well. One hour in the bubble, and I'm "cured." I'm still on a cloud - the Natura Bissé cloud. Who said clouds were just for weather watchers and tech geeks?

I believe that the Pure Air Bubble Diamond White Facial is fully booked for this visit to Neiman Marcus (if you're local, you could check by calling Denise at (703) 761-1600, extension 3305) Here are the takeaways.

• If someone every offers you a chance to experience Natura Bissé's Pure Air Bubble Diamond White Facial, do it! You know the old Monopoly fate...Do not pass Go, do not collect collect $200. Go directly to jail. You'll have missed a truly memorable experience. Make friends at your Natura Bissé counter. Ask about the bubble.
  
• If you've never tried Natura Bissé skin care, stop by a counter for a consultation. There are collections for many different skin types and conditions. There will be at least one that's right for you.
  
• There are two new Natura Bissé miracles for spring: Tolerance Enzyme Peel (a two-minute exfoliating treatment), developed specifically for sensitive skin, and Eye Recovery Balm (which I used last night before I went to sleep). I'll tell you more about these great new products as soon as I've tested them more thoroughly. I think you'll love them.

Many thanks to Neiman Marcus for introducing us to the Pure Air Bubble. I'm already looking forward to the bubble's next visit!

Photo courtesy of Neiman Marcus

DC Area: The Natura Bissé Pure Air Bubble Facial is Coming!

The Natura Bissé Pure Air Bubble, featuring Diamond White Facial, is coming to Neiman Marcus Tysons Galleria from February 22 through 24. If you make an appointment, you can have an opportunity to experience this unique skin therapy - compliments of Natura Bissé and Neiman Marcus.

The 99.9% Pure Air Bubble is a spacious, isolated area specifically designed to enhance treatments, increase the efficacy of treatment products, and transport the client to a state of complete tranquility. I'll take tranquility, and if it helps my skin, even better! The innovative bubble of pure, sterile air (free of contaminants and allergens) is said to improve and clarity and energy and detoxify the skin, helping the Diamond White Facial provide maximum results.

The Bubble02 used by Natura Bissé was developed by a Spanish company for athletes, those with respiratory allergies, and asthma conditions. The pure air oxygenates every cell in the body (so it's a whole-body experience), but is very beneficial for the skin. Natura Bissé has exclusive rights to the Bubble02 for beauty purposes. I've got to try it! I wonder if it will make my back feel better (there's always hope, right?).

The Diamond White Facial is a renewing treatment that clarifies and evens skin tone, revealing a fresh and brightened complexion. The facial offers advanced ingredients to minimize melanin and gently exfoliate to lighten the skin and reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation. An anti-inflammatory effect soothes the skin, providing rapid results that last.

To make an appointment to glow, call Denise Thomas, Natura Bissé specialist, at (703) 761-1600, extension 3305. Please tell her Charlestongirl sent you so that you receive extra-special treatment and "priority boarding." Will I see you in first class?

Photo courtesy of Neiman Marcus

You Must Experience a Kate Somerville DermalQuench Oxygen Treatment

Last week, I had an appointment to have my second-ever complimentary Kate Somerville DermalQuench Oxygen Treatment at Neiman Marcus Tysons Galleria. I had booked the last appointment of the day for a DermalQuench. What a way to end the day! I wish I had had somewhere to go.

Two of Kate's lovely team members, Nina Montelibano and Aleen Vartkessian, had come to the DC area for a couple of days, and we lucked out with a full day of treatments for those who knew the magic of DermalQuench and had booked an appointment.

The DermalQuench Oxygen Treatment produces instant, unbelievable results. Neiman Marcus and other Kate Somerville counters occasionally offer the treatments for free - treatments that cost hundreds of dollars elsewhere. When Nina finished my hour-long treatment, I looked as if I had stepped out of a time capsule into a face that I had about five years ago. It was amazing. My face had a glow, and it had "lost" all the fine lines. Even my nasolabial folds (smile lines around the mouth) weren't as deep. My skin was plumped, youthful, and pretty.

Kate Somerville's DermalQuench Oxygen Treatment is delivered through a pen-like wand (connected to the oxygen machine) that pumps booster serum and oxygen into the skin in short alternating bursts. It's so hydrating and plumping it literally takes off years. This treatment is well-known among celebrities who suffer from jet lag or have to walk the red carpet looking fabulous. It's starting to be well-known among my set (ordinary women), unwilling to look "older," but not willing to endure expensive, painful, and bruising injections. I hear many women have asked where they can buy the DermalQuench machine, and I know why. The treatment could be addictive. I'd like to have one before I leave the house for important events!

By delivering oxygen, vitamins, and hyaluronic acid serum under hyperbaric pressure, DermalQuench produces age-defying results. The treatment feels like a high-powered airbrushing. It's cool, gentle, and relaxing - hard to explain - and there's absolutely no discomfort. After a treatment, the skin is hydrated, plumped, soothed, softened, toned, and firmed. The treatment can be used anywhere on your face. Concerned about your undereye area? No problem - the treatment can be applied there. Concerned about your whole face? No problem! The treatment can cover your entire face; it will just take a little longer. Nina did most of my face. She worked around my eyes as we chatted about everything. Once Aleen had finished up with her customer, she joined our chat. I felt like I'd spent an hour with my girlfriends. It was over before I knew it. I had fun while Nina made me look good!

The results are said to last two to three days, long enough to look younger (and great) for a big event. I've experienced two days of bliss (not three) on the two occasions I've been treated to a DermalQuench treatment.

If you live in the DC area, call Margarita Vega at (703) 761-1600, extension 3304, to find out the next date for treatments and book an appointment. While you're at a Kate Somerville counter anywhere, you should take the opportunity learn about Kate Somerville's fabulous skin-care products that will make you glow. You'll want to prolong the effects of your treatment after you have one. I love Kate's skin care and have slowing been adding more and more of her products to my rotation.

If you don't live in the DC area, you have options. Most Kate Somerville counters offer DermalQuench Oxygen Treatments now and then, so ask. Kate's own clinic in Los Angeles provides all Kate Somerville services.

You need to do this! I have never experienced a treatment that took off years in just a few minutes - until I had a DermalQuench. Want to see a cool video? Check out this one from just one clinic that uses this fabulous Kate Somerville technology. Or Google DermalQuench to see what the commotion's all about.

Fresh Event at Neiman Marcus, Tysons Galleria, with Jawn Marques

Visiting with the Fresh team is like a day of sugar kisses. It does wonders for your face and spirits! Last Thursday, Jawn Marques, Creative Director of Fresh, and Alyson O'Brien, Account Executive (and Best Things in Beauty guest contributor) joined product specialist Alison Kauffman at Neiman Marcus, Tysons Galleria, for a day of beauty. I had looked forward to the event for at least a month. I made an appointment for my friend Berry too. Fresh products are so universally appealing, I knew she would have fun.

Jawn was doing mini-facials and makeup applications, with a hand and arm treatment thrown in too for pampering. Berry went first, and his mini-facial turned her dry, reactive skin into a glowing wonder. Jawn usually exfoliates with Sugar Face Polish ($55), but he does so much more. He cleanses, tones, exfoliates, treats (always a mask and a serum after), and moisturizes - using many Fresh products that he custom-selects for his client based on her or her skin condition.

Berry started out a little dry. Her skin showed her recent travel and the ravages of winter and retinol, but by the time he finished with her, her face was radiant. For makeup, he gave her a golden bronze look on her eyes, and because her skin looked so good by the time he had finished the facial, he used almost no foundation on her peaches and cream complexion. On her lips? Fresh Sugar Rosé Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15 ($22.50), of course! I think he also used a lip gloss with her lip treatment, but I got carried away chatting and missed that detail. The results? Jawn and Berry posed for me when he had finished. Her hair got a little flattened under the headband he had used to keep it out of the way, but otherwise, she looked fabulous.
The whole time he was working, I had three things going on: 1) talking with Jawn and Berry, 2) talking with Alyson O'Brien (shown immediately above on the left; she wrote a guest post for Best Things in Beauty here), and 3) talking with Alison Kauffman (at right above) - all without leaving my comfy chair. So I missed a few details. What I know is that Berry and I both hopped out of Jawn's chair with a naturally pretty look. While Jawn was working with me, Berry shopped Fresh's wonderful fragrances and soaps - a treat one should never miss.

When it was my turn, Jawn used the wonderful new Black Tea Age Delay Face Serum ($80) on me (among many other products). I had wanted this serum since its winter introduction, and I finally purchased one Thursday. The serum is a concentrated blend of potent antioxidants and peptides that firms, restores, and refines the complexion for smoother, younger-looking skin. The secret to this powerhouse formula is black tea extract. Packed with polyphenols, potent antioxidants that defend against the most aggressive free radicals, black tea extract protects the integrity of the cell membrane to prevent lines and wrinkles from forming. Its high melanin content also has a brightening effect on the skin for a radiant glow. I know I'm going to love it. I love everything from Fresh I've ever bought.

Jawn used the Fresh Imperial Bedroom Face Palette ($55) on my eyes. This palette is a little hard to find, but Neiman Marcus had it. This subtly sultry collection from Fresh captures the behind-the-curtain, forbidden sensuality of imperial aristocracy. The palette includes luminous shades of lightly gilded Eye Lusters (Pale Moonlight and Gilded Satin), an opalescent Satin Liner (called Black Chemise, but to my eye it has traces of deep blue and green in it), a warm shimmering Satin Luster for the cheeks (Chantilly Lace), and a seductive Crown Rubies Lip Shine. The colors have an elegant brilliance that remains discreet on the skin for a masterful expression of sheer sophistication.

All fives shades were customer-blended by Alina Roytberg, co-founder of Fresh, who was inspired by the unmatched charm, romance, and over-indulgence of the British aristocracy of the early 1800s This pleasure-seeking period was all about excess and style, sophistication and lust. "I imagined a luring bedroom setting where a sensuous, shimmering beauty is lit only by candlelight and surrounded by plush fabrics and rich colors" said Alina. While history may be the inspiration for this opulent collection, the result is modern and dramatic. I loved it! I came home with that too.

I swatched the shades so that you could see how pretty they are. My photo was taken outdoors in the last snatch of sunlight we had today, and I applied each shade with my fingers. I started with Chantilly Lace at the top. Below (top to bottom) are Pale Moonlight, Gilded Satin, Black Chemise, and Crown Rubies. John mixed the Lip Shine in with the Stain Liner and used it on my eyes. These colors all have an elegant glow, perfect for those of us who like a radiant, natural look. He used Sugar Rosé Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15 on my lips, as he had with Berry.

Skip forward to the end of my session, and here I am posing with Jawn. Isn't that a silly, self-satisfied smile on my face? I went straight from Neiman Marcus to physical therapy, and everyone in the room complimented me on my appearance! I was sure they wouldn't recognize me with makeup on. Normally, I have no incentive to dress up for torture. Because we were running late, I didn't have time to get close-up photos of his masterful work on my eyes. It was one of those times when I didn't want to wash off my makeup when it was time to go to sleep.

I have a lot more to tell you about Fresh. Click on this link for a quick description of Jawn's last visit. Stay tuned in the coming week for more about Jawn Marques and celebrity beauty.

Photo at top courtesy of Fresh; palette photo courtesy of beauty.com

Why You Need a Kate Somerville DERMAL QUENCH Treatment

After work today, I had an appointment with Margarita Vega, Product Specialist for Kate Somerville at Neiman Marcus at Tysons Galleria. I had booked the last appointment of the day for a DERMAL QUENCH treatment and facial (referenced in some materials as DERMAQUENCH).

Margarita was ready for me when I arrived a few minutes early. Our weather was horrendous, and she had had a few cancellations. I can't imagine why anyone would have given up a slot to avoid getting wet. I got drenched multiple times today, but I wouldn't have missed this treatment for rain or anything short of hospitalization.

DERMAL QUENCH Oxygen Treatment produces instant, unbelievable results, and Neiman Marcus is doing the treatments for free - treatments that cost hundreds of dollars elsewhere.When Margarita was finished, I had stepped out of a time capsule into a face that I had about three years ago.

Margarita did a facial before she did the oxygen treatment. Naturally, she used Kate Somerville's pro-level products for all phases of my relaxing treat. She cleansed my skin with Gentle Daily Wash and then exfoliated with Micro Glycolic Polisher, a professional-strength treatment peel that resurfaces and restores skin. I told her that my face could handle glycolic acid, despite the sensitivity of my skin - and it did. Kate Somerville has products for every skin type, and Margarita was careful to talk to me about my skin and what it likes before she selected the treatments she applied.

The Quench Hydrating Mask was an incredibly cooling pleasure. While it was working, she made my treat even better by a quick arm and hand massage, using Goat Milk Body Lotion. She also applied Neck Tissue Repair in such a soothing way. By that point, I was so relaxed, she could have done anything and I would have been happy. The reason I went, though, was to experience Kate Somerville's DERMAL QUENCH Oxygen Treatment - applied with a machine that pumps serum and oxygen into your skin, hydrating and plumping it to take off the years.

This treatment is well-known among celebrities who suffer from jet lag or have to walk the red carpet looking fabulous. It's starting to be well-known among my set (ordinary women), unwilling to look "older," but not willing to endure expensive, painful, and bruising injections. Margarita told me that women want to know where they can buy the DERMAL QUENCH machine, and now I know why. This could get addictive.

What does DERMAL QUENCH do? It's a hydrating treatment that delivers oxygen, vitamins, and hyaluronic acid serum under hyperbaric pressure to produce age-defying results. After complimenting my skin, which was very sweet and totally unnecessary, Margareta told me that she would concentrate on the lines on my forehead. I asked her to also work on my nasolabial folds, which bother me more than my forehead, and she was game. The machine and the HydraKate Line Release serum used with it are intended to hydrate, plump, soothe, soften, tone, and lift the skin. The treatment can be used anywhere on your face. Concerned about your undereye area? No problem - the treatment can be applied there. You will glow when your treatment is over. In fact, you probably won't want to leave. The treatment feels like a high-powered airbrushing, but it's gentle and relaxing. The results are said to last two to three days, long enough to look younger (and great) for a big event.

HydraKate Line Release, used with the oxygen treatment, has some high-tech ingredients.

• HSC Complex - a proprietary ingredient that counters the loss of lipids
• Hyaluronic Acid - a moisture magnet
• Leuphasyl - reduces the depth of expression wrinkles and is a safe alternative to Botox
• SNAP-8 - reduces wrinkles and muscular contractions at the surface
• Pepha-Tight - algae extract and pullulan to strengthen connective tissue and firm the skin, while hydrating
  
• Peptides - the darlings of state-of-the-art skin care, which help to build collagen and reduce the signs of aging
  

Margarita showed me my face in a magnifying mirror after she did the initial facial treatments and before she did the DERMAL QUENCH treatment. I saw my "expression lines," hard to miss in the mirror. Then she set to work with her little spray wand, a pleasant experience once I realized how it felt and exactly what she was doing (concentrating on any little wrinkle she saw). After about five minutes (maybe a few more - I was totally relaxed in her hands), she was finished and handed me a mirror. I was stunned - totally stunned. While I still had some wrinkles on my forehead, they were significantly reduced. The nasolabial folds and the other shallow parentheses around my mouth? They were gone - truly gone. She noticed the dramatic difference. So did I. It was amazing. No wonder women want to buy the machine.

Margarita finished my treatment with more serum and Line Release Under Eye Repair Cream. I was relaxed, hydrated, dewy, and free of the surface wrinkles that plague me. You can experience this too.

If you live in the DC area, Margarita will be doing the DERMAL QUENCH treatment on November 11. Call (703) 761-1600, extension 3304, to book an appointment. If you would also like the luxury of a facial and the oxygen treatment, you can make an appointment for November 23. She does them about once a month, and they are complimentary. You should take the opportunity learn about Kate Somerville's fabulous skin-care products and the ones that will make you glow. I'm building a list, and Margarita kindly gave me some samples to bring home so that I can continue to experience the luxury of Kate Somerville and make my treatment results last as long as possible.

If you don't live in the DC area, you have options. Many of the Kate Somerville counters are offering DERMAL QUENCH treatments, so ask. Kate's own clinic in Los Angeles provides all Kate Somerville services.

You need to do this! I have never experienced a treatment that took off years in just a few minutes - until today. Want to see a cool video? Check out this one from just one clinic that uses this fabulous Kate Somerville technology. Or Google DERMAL QUENCH to see what a phenomenon it is.

Photo courtesy of Kate Somerville

A Sisley Facial - The Ultimate Luxury

This year, two Sisley aestheticians have treated me to one-hour complimentary facials. At some Sisley locations, including the two Neiman Marcus stores in my area, Sisley's experts offer their customers this ultimate luxury - an hour of skin pampering with Sisley's extraordinary skin care. Victoria Hamilton at Mazza Gallerie treated me last week, and I want to tell you about the experience. I can't do that, though, without also telling you that Simone Noorestani at Tysons Galleria has also given me two facials this year. Both of these lovely ladies know how to make a customer feel very special!

There are facials, and then there are facials. My skin won't tolerate the kind of facial that involves picking, prodding, rigorous massage, or other tortuous procedures. As a result, when I was first offered a Sisley facial, I demurred. I didn't want to end up a red, blotchy mess. Silly me I should have known a Sisley pro wouldn't do that to me!

My skin loves the Sisley approach - cleansing, exfoliation, masks, light massage, and moisture, the essential elements of a Sisley facial. In the process, your neck, arms, and hands get a little TLC too. After lying on a comfy table in a darkened room, with soothing music, and a healing touch for an hour, I leave a new woman - calm and without a care in the world.

Sisley's aestheticians select the products they use during a facial based on your skin type and concerns. My Sisley friends know me well, so they never have to ask. They always cleanse my skin with Lyslait Cleansing Milk with White Lily, a rich, delicate cleanser that I use at home. It leaves the skin soft and glowing. It's perfect for dry and sensitive skin. A follow-up with Botanical Floral Toning Lotion, rich in rose, cornflower, and witch hazel extracts, tones the skin and prepares it for the treatments that follow.

Because my skin is so thin, Sisley's pros usually exfoliate with Gentle Facial Buffing Cream, which scrubs away dead skin cells so gently. It leaves my skin gleaming.

I am usually so relaxed by this point that I can't tell you the exact order in which the next few products are applied. Sisley makes a massage cream with essential oils (that is customized to your skin type), and it's used to gently massage the face and neck. Victoria used the formula for sensitive skin on me last week. These products feel good and smell like an herb garden in bloom. Unfortunately, you can't purchase the massage creams. Sisley makes them specially for use in their facials.

The masks are always divine. Simone and Victoria have used different masks, both using Botanical Facial Mask with Linden Blossom, but Victoria mixing in another product to achieve two purposes. I'm always fascinated with their choices. Then there is Sisley's incomparable Eye Contour Mask - one that will reduce fine lines and puffiness. It works.

Last week, Victoria used an after-sun product on my arms and hands that I would never have thought to try. It was wonderfully cooling - a real treat. I think I need it.

Both use and love Sisleÿa Daily Line Reducer, an anti-wrinkle serum that uses natural plant-derived ingredients to increase the production of collagen and elastin. It contains white willow, wheat protein, and lavender, and like most of Sisley's botanical formulas, smells good as you apply it. Victoria also showed me how to apply the new Sisleÿa Global Firming Serum to firm the skin on the lower half of my face (under the cheekbones). No matter what treatment products they select, they always follow with a generous application of a moisturizer, often one of the Comfort Extreme Creams for me.

I could go on for several more paragraphs - what a heavenly experience. The fact that there is no charge and no pressure to purchase after the facial adds to the love! What I find hilarious is that they always offer to have someone apply makeup for me after the facial. Are we kidding? I want my skin to experience the sheer luxury of Sisley skin care, without color that I have to wash off before bed, taking my Sisley skin care with it. I go to sleep at night knowing that Sisley has my back - and my face!

Love you, Sisley, Victoria, and Simone!

If you have a Sisley counter near you, ask about this complimentary treat. You will find many of the Sisley products mentioned here reviewed if you use the "Search This Blog" feature on the right-hand side of the page.