Happy Holidays!

Well it's been quite a crazy few months.  I am working at a cosmetics company called DermaQuest, learning everything about the business of high end skin care.  It's been an adventure, to say the least.  I am still in transition.  Things are going well.  I can't report too much because a lot of stuff is "in the works" and a month or so from now, I hope to have a more important announcement.

In the meantime, I am still happily offering skin care treatments from the Bella Forte Beauty Lounge and now have some amazing education and products to share.

I'll share more when I have more time!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS and THANK GOD 2012 is ALMOST OVER.  

2012 was a bit of a struggle, personally and professionally.  But things are looking WAY UP.  Pistol and I are ready to move forward to success and happiness - at full-speed.

I'm High Tech!! Book Your Next House-Call Appointment ONLINE!!

So now you can go do Style Seat to book your next spa party, waxing, workshop or skin treatment on Style Seat.  

I've updated my menu services to include more details and have some really great services available.  I am really excited to promote my house calls and spa parties.  I am also offering DIY Workshops and Consultations.

Check it out!

End-of-Summer DETOX! Your Skin Needs it.

Summer is winding down.  It's a little sad, isn't it?  All of that time enjoying the outdoors and long summer nights might be showing up on your skin: sunburns, wind, sunscreen, less sleep and passing out without washing your face will cause patchy skin, break-outs, dryness, oiliness, dullness and clogged pores.

Get back on track and get a professional DETOX FACIAL or BACK TREATMENT SPECIAL:

- Deep cleaning with steam and ozone

- Mild to deep exfoliation, depending on skin's condition

- High Frequency treatment

- Seaweed Mask with chamomile and aloe vera to nourish, detoxify, rebalance, hydrate and regenerate oily, congested skin OR

- Multi-Vitamin Mask to deeply hydrate and nourish dry, damaged skin

- Oil-free hydrating serum or Vitamin C Anti-Oxidant moisturizer depending on skin type

- Sunscreen

A professional Detox Skin Treatment will go the extra mile by not only deep cleaning the pores, but also by killing lingering bacteria beneath the skin's surface, and stimulating cell regeneration.  A professional esthetician can do this by using the ozone function on the facial steamer, combined with the high frequency machine.  Ozone is stimulated oxygen and has been used for many years to speed up stubborn break-outs and increase healing.  It doesn't hurt, is completely safe and healthy for your skin (but not to be used on pregnant women, people with large metal implants or pacemakers).

You can also do a Detox Facial at home if you don't have the time or money.  Check out my blog from last year with step-by-step instructions DIY DETOX FACIAL - Be a Bitchen Kitchen Beautician.

I'm offering a great END-of-SUMMER deal: Get a Detox Facial and Back Treatment for only $50.   Make it $65 and I will travel to your house (in Oakland/SF area).  The regular price for each treatment is $35.  You save $20!

NEW! SPA PARTIES & HOUSE CALLS!

SPA PARTIES are FUN!

I just did my first Baby Shower Spa Party a month ago.  I performed hand/arm treatments and neck/shoulder massages.  I also created scrubs, soaps and bath bombs with super cute packaging and utilized the invitation logo, date and name of the Mom-to-Be.

It was so much fun, and a smashing success, so I have now expanded my skin care services to include Spa Parties and House Calls!  Customize your  special event with mini-facials, peels, waxing, body treatments and neck/shoulder massages on your party menu.

Also, I can target age groups, skin issues and themes:
Kids parties with gentle mini-facials and DIY projects like soap-making and mask-making with fresh fruits;
Teen parties with special attention and information about treating teen skin issues;
Anti-Aging parties focusing on the best treatments for aging skin: brown spots, wrinkles, dryness, sensitivities; Theme parties focusing on romance, pre-concert festivities, birthdays, divorce, anti-stress, summer solstice, etc.

If you really want to make it special, I can create personalized scrubs, lotions and soaps and labels with your party's logo, a special quote, whatever you want!

What a great gift for a special person: Brides, Moms-to-Be, Birthday Girls, the Broken Hearted...You bring the booze and I'll bring the pampering.

HOUSE CALLS
If you are local, and want to stay home and have the spa experience come to you, get a full facial, peel, waxing or body treatment.  Prices start at $50 for the first custom facial (plus an extra $10 to go over the bridge or for locations over 10 miles away).  Add-on prices remain the same.  Each additional person is only $30.  It's a great treat for you and a couple of friends.

Contact me at (415) 948-3577 or by email me at la_stephenator@yahoo.com.

SUPER DISCOUNT SALE!! Bombs, Lotions, Soaps and Scrubs!

Bella Forté Products are all hand-made with TLC and 90% organic, natural ingredients. Only the safest, least harmful preservatives are used in water-based products (like lotions). Because of their natural contents, everything is made in small batches and the shelf life is shorter than store-bought products.  Please note the expiration dates, use liberally and enjoy!

Aromatherapy Bath Bombs

8 oz $4 / 5.5 oz $3 / Buddha Bomb / Skully / 3.5 oz $3

(Made with baking soda, citric acid, goats milk powder, olive oil, essential oils)

- Lemongrass-Basil (Detoxifying-Hangover Bomb)

- Peppermint-Lime (Wake-Up Call)

- Amber-Tangerine-Sandalwood (Sensual)

                                                      - Eucalyptus-Lemon (I Gotta Cold!)

Sugar Body Scrubs 8 oz $8 / 4 oz $4

(Made with coconut oil, olive oil, pumpkin seed oil, coconut-based liquid soap & essential/fragrance oils)

- Vanilla-Cinnamon (Sugar Tits)

- Pumpkin Pie (Limited edition)

- Cherry Lemonade

- Amber-Tangerine

Light Hydrating Shea Butter Lotions 4 oz $4

(Made with shea butter, olive oil, jojoba oil and essential/fragrance oils)

- Vanilla-Cinnamon

- Cherry-Lemonade

- Amber-Tangerine-Sandalwood

Goats Milk Soaps w/ Shea Butter $3 / Mini-Soaps .25 each (5 for $1.00)

(Hydrating, gentle, silky soap made with goats milk and shea butter.  Excellent for shaving.  Keep it out of the water when you’re done to make it last longer.)

- Peppermint-Lime

- Amber-Tangerine-Sandalwood

- Lavender-Ylang-Ylang

- Cherry-Lemonade

Peels! Not So Scary: Fruit Enzymes vs Chemical Peels

Does the word "PEEL" make your skin crawl?

People often recall images of red, swollen, burnt faces seen on their friends, coworkers or on Samantha in Sex in the City.  

NO!  I WON'T DO THIS TO YOU!!

Those are powerful chemical peels performed in a doctor's office.  These powerful peels can result in burning, peeling, scabbing and even scarring. The client must stay out of the sun completely.  Celebrities will hide at a retreat covered in gauze while their skin repairs...and sometimes the results are not as expected. These procedures are for people who want immediate results, are under constant care, and have a lot of money.


Personally, I don't believe in assaulting skin like that, but if it works for them, they can spend the thousands of dollars to do it.  


I perform peels that are gentle and create beautiful effects on the skin over a few sessions.  Clients have a choice of how strong they want their treatment, but I will always perform a regular facial prior to deciding on a peel.  This way, I can see how the skin reacts to ingredients, learn about the client's skin care routine, and prepare their skin for the next step.

Gentle peels create a variety of noticeable results

- Smooth skin by exfoliating dead skin cells
- Plump skin by stimulating collagen, elastin and new cell growth
- Improvement of fine lines
- Clear skin by unclogging blackheads and closed comedones (clogged pores under the skin)

ENZYMES

Enzymes occur naturally in fruits.  They are nutrients and proteins that instigate metabolic processes and speed up biological reactions in all cells of all living things.  Just as enzymes are necessary us to digest food, they aid in digesting dead skin cells and stimulating active new ones.


They are like Pac-Man, gobbling away dead skin, allowing new skin cells to grow and nutrients to penetrate the skin:

Enzyme peels use fruit enzymes, combined with Alpha Hydroxy Acids (Glycolic and Lactic Acids).  The enzymes destroy dead skin cells and gently release new skin, while the AHAs loosen and detach the dead skin cells.


Why get rid of dead skin cells?  Well, they can increase the appearance of wrinkles, and clog pores, creating blackheads and pimples.  Acne is a result of an overproduction of skin cells.  The skin doesn't have a chance to shed them fast enough, the pore clogs with cells, bacteria gets blocked in, and a pimple grows.


Enzymes penetrate the top layers of skin, stimulate new cells, detox the pores, and increase the natural exoliation process, resulting in immediately better tone and texture.


Enzyme peels are usually recommended for dark skin, active acneic skin, and sensitive skin, as there are no extreme chemicals, friction or temperatures involved.


I have two great fruit enzyme peels:  

The Pomegranate Enzyme Peel is good for all skin types, as deeply cleans pores while adding hydration and brightening qualities.  Lactic Acid can be added to the peel for additional brightening.  

The Pumpkin-Yam peel is best for oily and break-out prone skin.

CHEMICAL PEELS

Chemexfoliation is one of the least invasive ways to improve your skin's appearance.  Chemical solutions are carefully applied to skin by a certified practitioner to improve break-outs, texture, fine lines and pigmentation, resulting in a healthier glow.  A combination of alpha hydroxy acids and beta hydroxy acids are used (such as glycolic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid and maleic acid).

I have been certified by PCA Skin, the provider of my chemical peels.  They are the lightest and gentlest and come with a Post-Procedure Kit to ensure the best results.

PCA chemical peels can be very effective at treating facial blemishes and acne, uneven skin pigmentation, fine wrinkles, and damage caused by the sun, aging, and other sources of skin imperfections.


It is normal for clients to experience some temporary redness, flaking, scaling, and/or dryness which usually resolves as the skin adjusts to PCA chemical peels. In order to achieve the desired results, a client will often need a series of PCA chemical peels. 


Here's a really good article about the Myths and Truths about chemical peels:


Top 5 Myths and Truths about Chemical Peels


If you're interested in learning more about peels, or would like to schedule one, please feel free to contact me any time!


--Stephene

New Toys, New Peels, Better Facials!!

Hi friends!
I went to the Face and Body Expo in San Jose this weekend and bought a bunch of new serums and masks from one of my favorite skin care lines, Skin Script.  I'm excited about their new Pomegranate Enzyme peel, a mild but effective enzyme peel that has lots of antioxidants, hydrates and brightens all skin types.  


I bought a new gadget called the bt-Micro.  

The bt-Micro tool uses ultrasonic sound waves to "shimmy" off dead skin cells, plus microcurrent (safe, low level positive electrical impulses) to stimulate collagen and elastin, retrain the facial muscles, and when combined with serums, creams and masks, increase product penetration.  It has another desincrustation function that uses negative electrical impulses, which open pores and release sebum for easier extractions and deep pore cleansing.  


It's so rad.


Finally, I got these crazy magnifying glasses that make me look like a mad scientist in a cave. But they replace the use of a mag light, which I always felt is cumbersome and expensive for what it does.   These things work pretty well, if you don't get scared.

The show was a fun and educational, but a little overwhelming with all of the products and machines being pushed.  I attended a few lectures about ingredients and new therapies, and even had a telangiectasias spot (small, dilated blood vessels) removed on my jawline by a machine called a Lamprobe.  The spot was immediately 50% lighter, but I can't tell if it's completely disappeared yet because now the blood is coagulated and scabbed (as expected), so when that falls off, I will let you know if it works.  The machine is used to remove blood vessels around the nose, red spots and small moles.  Unfortunately, it costs around $6,000, so I won't be buying one any time soon, but I will share what I know about it if you are looking in to getting a treatment.  It's usually $150 per treatment at a high end spa or medi-spa, and can take a few visits to completely remove the spot.


Well, I came home broke so please come in for a treatment so that I can make some money back!  I'm still offering facials for only $25 and that includes LED light therapy, light facial waxing, and with the bt-Micro to deep clean your pores, and make the most of the serums to plump your skin.  


I need the practice and it's the end of summer, so you might need a facial.  It's a win-win!


xoxo,
Stephene