Sylfirm X at Xthetics Calgary

By this time, if you’re anywhere near interested in skincare, you’ve heard about Morpheus 8, which delivers radio frequency energy deeper within the skin via micro-needles. This leads to increased collagen production, which in turn, can lead to a more youthful appearance. Although the before and after results look promising, the technology has become so popular that it’s being offered by people who haven’t been trained on the device as thoroughly. The reported side effects are hyperpigmentation and fat loss in the face – not the results people were hoping for. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

An alternative exists in the form of Sylfirm X, from Xcitetech, which is licensed by Health Canada to provide radiofrequency microneedling and it’s approved for use around the delicate eye area which can be more prone to needing a lift. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

A few weeks ago, I went to Xthetics YYC to find out more. The great thing about Xthetics is that you first meet with a doctor to discuss your skin concerns, and then the doctor suggests the treatments that would work.  Dr. Maria showed me some before and afters from treatments they had done at Xthetics, so I was able to see some real results, and again, I’ll say that the results are impressive. After a treatment, it takes about 4 weeks for you to see the results of the collagen production in your skin, and the improvements just keep coming. Best results are experienced after 3 treatments, spaced 4 weeks apart.

Sylfirm X allows the user to change settings so that results are tailored to what the client wants, leading to fewer chances of un-wanted side effects. This means no fat loss in the face, but the technology can be used for fat-reduction too.  If you struggle with pigmentation issues such as melasma, loss of firmness, or even excess fat in areas where it’s unwanted, then the Sylfirm X treatment might be for you.   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

There’s virtually no downtime – I had the treatment done on my neck and experienced negligible redness for an hour and then everything was back to normal. Gone is the scabbing and redness from the old-school method of micro-needling, and I’ll never go back to that when I know that something better exists.  After the treatment, there’s no blood, no open wounds at all because the needles cauterize the holes that they’ve just made as they come out of the skin.  This helps lessen the downtime – if you’ve ever had micro-needling, you know that there can sometimes be pinpricks of blood but there won’t be any with the Sylfirm X treatment.

The skin is then treated to exosomes which are taken out of the fridge and mixed on the spot.  These help heal skin topically.  You can’t use any actives for about a week and just treat your skin to the most gentle, basic skincare.  For me, this included spraying with Halederma and then putting some Cerave Healing Ointment on top, which my skin loves anyway.

If you have questions, drop them in the comments. I asked lots of questions so hopefully, I’ll be able to answer them. My initial treatment was gifted – I would have gotten it on my face but I went in a couple of days after my burn disaster so additional heat wouldn’t have been a good idea.

 

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Bon Parfumeur 304 Perfume Review

304 is the perfume launched this year by the brand Bon Parfumeur. This brand makes affordable and easy-to-wear perfumes. I haven’t sampled everything from the brand, but I visited their booth at Esxence and there’s nothing animalic or over-the-top from the brand. I appreciate that aesthetic and still, there are lot of interesting things to choose from. Bon Parfumeur isn’t a new brand either – they’ve been around for a while and you can find their perfumes at Harry Rosen and Simon’s in Canada. Because of their pared-back aesthetic, people sometimes mistake them for an in-house brand from those stores, but actually, the brand is independent and based in France. The perfumer for this scent is Anne Flipo and taps into the trend of clean musky perfumes.

August 16

Clean musks are having a moment – they’ve always been around, but I think after the overdose of lactonic sweets, people also want something super clean in their fragrance wardrobes. Clean musk should be affordable since you’re basically smelling like laundry. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Bon Parfumeur 304 gives that clean musk but adds some spicy top notes to make the scent more interesting. This is my preferred take on musk. 304 takes zesty ginger and toned-down cumin, setting off the clean musk in its base. This is perfect for hot sticky days when you want to smell fresh but not boring.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

 

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Geranium Pour Monsieur Every Summer

There’s a heat wave and I’m going to the dentist so of course I needed to wear the perfume made to smell like mouthwash: Geranium Pour Monsieur. I don’t want the mintiness of this in the winter, but in the summer it’s just right. Aspects of it remind me of the now discontinued Kryptomint, but this is more complex. It has cinnamon and cloves that add to the spiciness, the zippiness that mint would give, and benzoin and sandalwood to give it creaminess in the drydown.

Am I going to get a big bottle of this once my travel size runs out?

Definitely not.

But this is a fun one to wear for right now.

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Dior Poison – Summer Tuberose


Poison is what you need for summer nights and consider this a reminder that a great tuberose perfume exists at your local Dior counter.

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It Cosmetics Hello Sunshine Review and HaleDerma

August 15
I’ve had an accident that doesn’t allow me to wear much makeup these days (read on if you want to know about it) but before that, I did have a chance to try this It Cosmetics Hello Sunshine Invisible Hydrating Serum Lotion which was sent to me. I was intrigued because it was partly marketed as a primer/sunscreen duo. I was expecting a matte, oil-absorbing formula, which is what I’d want under makeup, but this is actually a moisturizing sunscreen but it does work remarkably well with makeup. Makeup glides on to your skin when you wear this sunscreen and melts into it. The final finish is glowy and healthy-looking. Don’t bother trying to mattify this because it won’t work, just rock your glossy skin as if you wanted it to look that way. Makeup will look flawless. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

 

But I’m not using this anymore – last week I got badly splashed with hot oil, suffering burns all over my arm and face. It’s a miracle the oil didn’t get my eye because it did get around my eye and the rest of my face. Incidentally, a couple of days later I had an appointment with Xthetics in Calgary about something unrelated, and the kind people there cleaned the burn on my face and sent me home with the Halederma hypochlorous acid spray – I’ve read about hypoclorous acid all over the place to treat eczema and other skin conditions, but it’s great for aiding would healing and I did have a pretty bad wound on my face. I’m spraying it on and patting gently to clean my burns. The burns on my face are healing quicker than I expected them to. I also reached for Biafine that I had picked up in Paris years ago, and you can see that it’s on its last legs. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

 

Other than that, I’m staying away from makeup and using mineral sunscreen until all this heals. I know there are some clever, helpful people following me – doctors, aestheticians, formulators – if you have any advice for me as my burns heal, please share it in the comments or via dm. Yes, I’ve seen a doctor and a nurse, so I’m doing the things they’ve told me to do.

 

As people have pointed out, if anyone knows about taking care of your skin, it’s me.

 

 

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Charlotte Tilbury Island Glow Lip and Cheek Tint

Every summer, Charlotte Tilbury comes out with a lip and cheek tint.  In past years, it’s been more neutral and muted colours, but this year, the year of blush, the colours are bright but they are so wearable.  Each shade blends so beautifully and looks glowy.  Because it’s so pigmented, a little goes a long way and the lasting power is amazing.

Finally! A lip and cheek product in bright colours and tons of pigment! I love all of these although the last one, Beach Peach Glow, is my favorite for everyday. Most of these are a bit light for my lips but I can pull off the Pinched Cheek Glow as a lip tint.

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Matte Eyeshadows That Don’t Crease

Matte cream eyeshadows! I love these! They stay put and give a subtle wash of colour although you can see that my preference is for a shade that’s a bit smoky. These Watier cosmetics eye creams are available now.

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New Vegamour Gro+ Scalp Serum and Microneedling

July 4
There’s now a derma roller for your scalp, thanks to Vegamour. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Vegamour, the brand that has made hair growth serum aesthetically pleasing and worthy of adding to your bathroom counter, has now come out with an advanced system that includes a derma roller that you use on your scalp before applying the serum. This system is meant for people who are experiencing severe shedding while the original Gro line was meant for people who had thinning hair. In a study done over 120 days, people who used the system saw an improvement in the growth of their hair. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

The derma roller has a removable head so that you can clean and replace it, and it comes with a case so that you can keep it out of sight and away from prying hands or from getting dinged on your counter. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Again, the aesthetics of the whole system are insta-worthy, and the system can be used in conjunction with other treatments you may be seeking for hair loss. As always, if you are experiencing shedding (not just thinning) of your hair, you should seek support from a doctor to get to the root cause. Also know that hair thinning is related to age and … how do I say this… we are ALL going to experience the effects of our age. I know a lot of people have dm’d me to talk about their hair thinning and not being what it used to be. You are not alone in this! Some is normal, too much might warrant further investigation and treatment. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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How to Choose the Right Sunscreen

July 4
If you’re confused by the sunscreen options available, know that I always just choose the “sport” version over any other because it sticks to skin a bit better and is water resistant for longer. In the case of these Vichy sunscreens, the formula of the Sport sunscreen is light and gel-like, while the Ultra-Hydrating UV Lotion is thicker and richer. It takes longer to rub in and feels like a heavy cream, so impatient people might be better off with the Ultra-Light Refreshing Lotion. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

The Vichy sunscreens also have Mexoryl which keeps sunscreen stable longer. This is what keeps the Americans stocking up on sunscreen when they visit Canada – the formulas are elegant even though the actual sun-protection ingredients are the same. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

And yes, these are broad spectrum which means that they protect your skin against UVB and UVA rays but it seems that most sunscreens do offer broad spectrum protection these days anyway. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

The complaint I hear most: I use sunscreen and I still got a burn or tan. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Honestly, the best BEST thing to do is to stay out of the sun.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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Cerave Skin Renewing Collection

July 4
I have the most oily skin and this is not me complaining, just sharing a fact of life. Because it’s even more… glowy in the summer, my hot tip is that it’s also the best time for me to use all the retinoids I can handle because it just seems to work without me experiencing the excessive dryness that I normally would in the wintertime. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Cerave Skin Renewing products entered at the perfect time, and I’m alternating between the Nightly Exfoliating Treatment and the Retinol Serum. The Exfoliating Treatment has glycolic and lactic acid to leave your skin texture smoother, whereas the retinol serum exfoliates deeper. The Skin Renewing Night Cream has no retinoid it and can be used on top of either the retinol serum or the exfoliating treatment. Shea butter gives it a rich, creamy feel, and a thick texture.

Beware: they do get rid of freckles because of how well they work, especially when used consistently. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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