February consisted of doing a lot of waiting….as I anxiously awaited for my VI Acne Peel! After my series of microderms, I had to wait an entire month before doing any treatments again…and since I was previously doing something at least once a week, this seemed like a lifetime! I’m pretty sure I was having Stephanie withdrawals! But I got through it by continuing my homecare routine morning and night and using my Clarisonic brush every day for a little extra exfoliation.

The day finally came that I was able to get my peel done and one thing is for certain: do NOT make any plans to be in public after you get it done. The difference between the VI Peel and the others is that this one is left on until bedtime and not taken off at JCMG L&V. With this being said…you look like an oompa loompa when you leave! Another way I described it would be a spray tan gone bad (but only on your face!). Either way, you definitely don’t want to be seen in public because I can only imagine the weird looks you would get. Luckily, I was able to just go home and hide out for the evening. Enough with the negatives…there were far more positives! First off, the peel doesn’t burn nearly as bad. There is a numbing agent in it that allows for a more enjoyable experience without your face feeling like it’s on fire. Also, you are sent home with a kit that includes 2 pads that you have to use the first and second night to wash your face, as well as a moisturizer and sunscreen that help with the peeling process. I felt like I didn’t peel nearly as badly as I have in the past with other chemical peels because of this (or maybe it was just easier to hide). I got my peel on Wednesday and was able to go out on Saturday night with very little noticeable peeling. My skin looked and felt great! But after about a week, I started breaking out a bit more than I had been before and became discouraged, but was told this was expected. The peel goes down so deep that it draws your acne up to the surface and gets a little worse before it gets better. But there is light at the end of the tunnel and my “outbreak” is getting better, and my next step is to get another microderm to get rid of this stuff at the surface. We will continue to switch back and forth until my skin is completely clear and I cannot wait!

My trial product for the month was a blinc Amplified tubing mascara and I am hooked! This product feels so much better than any mascara I have ever worn because it feels so light and it doesn’t glob up or run down your face when you sweat. For somebody who is active, this is very neat because you can still wear some makeup without worrying that it will make you look like a raccoon. In order to get it off, you have to use warm water and use your fingers to basically slide it off your lashes. There are actually “tubes” that will end up in your hand…crazy! With this mascara I don’t even have to curl my lashes and I have gotten tons of compliments on how gorgeous my lashes are. This product makes them look very natural and like you don’t have any mascara on at all…I definitely don’t think I will ever go back to my old stuff and recommend everyone try it!

I can’t wait to see what March brings for me! My VISIA pictures are looking better and better, and in the near future I can see myself not having to worry about being embarrassed of my skin and having to cover up my blemishes. I already have a boost of confidence from my results so far and it feels great to have people comment on my improvement!