beauty Archives - Wander-Lust

13 May 2018

Sticky Post By Wander-lust Posted in Off the Beaten Track Permalink

The Treatwell Series » I tried the popular Lypossage

Sticky Post By Wander-lust On May 13, 2018

A few weeks ago I found my first grey hair. I panicked just a little. Being in my thirties, I’m confronted with the fact that I’m getting older, and it’s literally the first time that I started to look for ways to slow down the process. Not that there is anything wrong with getting older, but I would like to do it gracefully and the time has come to give that little extra attention to..well, me! In collaboration with Treatwell, I’m going to spend the next few months testing different treatments that are suppose to make me feel and look better on the in and outside. Last month I reviewed a Microdermabrasion treatment and this month I tried a Lypossage, a touch massage that smoothes out your skin and reduces cellulite.

Lypossage sounds like a treatment you’re having done at a plastic surgery clinic

What is Lypossage?
Lypossage sounds like a treatment you’re having done at a plastic surgery clinic, but don’t worry, it’s nothing like that. It’s in fact a massage that is gaining popularity amongst many women, especially when bikini season is starting. It’s a deep and touch massage that loosens up these touch and stuck area’s so it can then start to break down and leave your body. Lypossage also detoxifies the body of stalled lymphatic fluid (Lymphoedema) that can create the lumps and bulges we know as cellulite. Besides that, it also tones the muscles, lifting and firming sagging tissue. It’s part of a healthy lifestyle and even though it’s not the most relaxing massage you’ll ever have, it’s something that (especially) women stand in line for.

I had my first Lypossage treatment at Vitalíté Amsterdam. This salon, located on the canals of Amsterdam, is run by a wonderful “local” lady named Nancy. She first got into this treatment back in 2005, when the US founder Charles W. Wiltsie came to Amsterdam to introduce Lypossage to the European market. Nancy followed an intensive workshop and since then she is offering the treatment in her own salon. Funny enough, Lypossage is recently taking a center stage in the beauty treatment world, because several celebrities have recently posted on social media about it. I was curious and made my appointment.

She is working my body as if she is preparing bread dough!

No Pain No gain
There are 3 different zones; zone one is focusing on your legs, bum and tummy. Zone 2 is for the upper body and Zone 3 is for the face. I went for Zone 1, because after my pregnancy, I started to see some small signs of cellulite, something I had never seen before. Time to get into it! After filling out a short questionnaire, it was time to lay down on the treatment table. The massage starts on the legs and works up to the bum and tummy. “It’s all about the fast movement”, she says. And fast she is! She is working my body as if she is preparing bread dough! Besides the heavy massaging of the skin, she also “hits” it short and fast with the outside knuckles of her hands. This sounds painful but it’s actually not. The massage is less enjoyable if I had to compare the two. Especially when she arrives next to my hips, an area where my fat likes to store itself. (hello chips & pizzas). Those kind of problem area’s tend to be more sensitive.

My tummy is the thing that affected me the most. Not at the time, but afterwards. During the treatment she lifts my tummy between her fingers when I exhale, I needed to tense my tummy muscles (I do have them somewhere), and she pulls it. She does this three times after massaging it. I don’t want to get into details, but I had to see Mr. Toilet 3 times that and the next day. My body was literally detoxing and I really felt my body was getting rid of anything that didn’t belong there anymore. It’s important to drink a lot of water or herbal tea after the Lypossage, so that’s what I did.

My Verdict
The treatment itself wasn’t so bad as I thought it would be. After a while, you don’t even feel discomfort. Nancy told me, that her customers feel less every time they come in for a treatment because everything starts to “loosen” up. A Lypossage treatment at Vitalíté is 45 minutes long and costs €60,-. You can also buy a package of 10 treatments for €575,- which gives you a discount of 25 euro. Would I do it again? Yes I would. I really felt the effect it had on my body, so something was going on. My legs feel & look firmer and my skin felt smooth, even after a week. I think it’s the perfect treatment to do before a beach holiday. I would suggest getting at least three Lypossage treatments to get the best result. Want to try the same treatment I had? Book yours here!

Vitalíté Amsterdam
Prinsengracht 80, Amsterdam
Website

Love,

Elke

05 Apr 2018

Sticky Post By Wander-lust Posted in Amsterdam Guide, Travel Essentials Permalink

The Treatwell Series » Microdermabrasion

Sticky Post By Wander-lust On April 5, 2018

Last week I found my first grey hair. I panicked just a little. Being in my thirties, I’m confronted with the fact that I’m getting older, and it’s literally the first time that I started to look for ways to slow down the process. Not that there is anything wrong with getting older, but I would like to do it gracefully and the time has come to give that little extra attention to..well, me! In collaboration with Treatwell, I’m going to spend the next few months testing different treatments that are suppose to make me feel and look better on the in and outside. Starting on the outside and on order to tackle my wrinkles and blemishes, I decided to have a Microdermabrasion treatment.

It’s perfect for those that have skin with a few imperfections

What is Microdermabrasion?
If you chop the word into 3 parts, you can easily find out what it actually means. Micro = small, Derma = Skin, Brasion = scraping. Sounds a bit weird? Well, it’s basically a peeling, an exfoliation 3.0, but not chemical. It’s perfect for those that have skin with a few imperfections that we all have. (except Doutzen Kroes, I envy you) Tiny crystals remove all the dead skin and your body is triggered to produce new skin. (this already happens on a regular basis, but when you get older, it happens less frequently and slower). Time to put it to the test!

Sanne Swinkels Skincare
I decided to get my first Microdermabrasion treatment at Sanne Swinkels Skincare in Amsterdam. She set up her own beauty salon a few years ago, after working for one of the most successful beauty clinics in the Netherlands. She is specialised in skincare and your treatment is always tailor made. Before we start, Sanne wants to know everything about my skin. What are my worries, complaints and problems? We find out that my skin is dehydrated. I don’t drink enough water and I should use a good cleansing product instead of just cleansing with water. (shame on me)

Sanne Swinkels Skincare

After a load of information about what she is going to do, we start the treatment. Sanne tells me that it’s not going to be a relaxing feeling, and that I am definitely going to feel it. The machine she is using looks interesting and you could compare it to a small vacum for your face. Inside a tube, tiny aluminiumoxide crystals are being blown onto your skin and by circular movements, the dead skin cells are being removed. Does it hurt? Well, it doesn’t feel like the best thing in the world, but I could handle it. She also includes my chest area and the collarbone area is a little sensitive. After the treatment, the relaxing part starts. Finally! Sanne massages my skin to get the blood flowing and 3 important steps follow; Tone, Hydrate and moisturise.

Where the Microdermabrasion magic happens

The Result
Now, don’t expect your skin to start glowing immediately. Your skin just had a rough session and needs to recover. It will look red and will feel sensitive. Do not apply any make-up for at least one day and avoid the sunshine. Because the top layer of your skin has been removed, it will produce new, fresh skin but this takes a few days. After about 2 days, your skin will start to peel, so moisture is key here! After 6 days my skin really looked refreshed, tighter and glowy. Sanne says that ideally, you come for a treatment every 4 to 6 weeks, but once every season is also a good option. Good to know: with 1 peeling you are not there BUT it’s a good start.. A series of 6-10 treatments is usually recommended for the best results, with 2 weeks / 10 days in between for skin to recover.

Looking pretty good for someone who has just had their skin cells vacuumed off their face

My verdict: What I liked a lot, is that you can have it done during your lunch hour and go straight back to work looking pretty good for someone who has just had their skin cells vacuumed off their face. I do feel like my skin looked better after 1 week, and my blemishes had disappeared. Mind you, I do think you should go for a Microdermabrasion treatment more often if you have a problem skin. Did it make me feel any younger? In a way it did, because it’s a first step into the greater care I want to give my skin, especially because I am seeing the sun often during my travels.

To book the same Microdermabrasion treatment I had, visit the Sanne Swinkels Skincare page on the Treatwell website.

Love,

Elke

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29 Mar 2017

Sticky Post By Wander-lust Posted in Amsterdam Guide, Obsessions, Spots, Travel Essentials With No Comments Permalink

Body Sugaring, and why we love this new trend

Sticky Post By Wander-lust On March 29, 2017 With No Comments

I am all for trying new things and when it comes to getting my skin smooth and ready for a holiday, I’m first in line. So when I got invited to try a Body Sugaring treatment, I thought it would involve eating something sweet because then hell yeah, count me in! Nope, this was a new waxing method and I was going to test it at Amsterdam based salon Sweet & Smooth.

The Sweet & Smooth salon is situated in Amsterdam West, near Mercatorsquare. This is somewhat surprising because you would expect that most award winning salons are based near the city center. Yes, you’ve read it correctly, Sweet & Smooth is award winning. It’s officially the best waxing salon of The Netherlands, voted by Treatwell customers. When entering the salon I noticed that it’s quite small and it doesn’t look like your typical beautysalon. Owner Nicoleta tells me: “I don’t like those hospital white walls and floors, I’m a retro kind of girl who likes jazz and authenticity.” She immediately makes me feel comfortable, something that is quite nice before you’re about to experience something rather unpleasant. Nicoleta explains that sugaring is already popular in Scandinavian countries as well as in Eastern Europe.

Proud and well deserved, Nicoleta with her award

So What Is Sugaring?
Sugaring might be new to you but it’s an acient Egyptian beauty method used all over the world, including Europe. The natural ingredients (sugar and lime) are kind to your skin and less painful. The difference to waxing with strips is that the body sugaring paste will be applied against the direction of the hair growth, but the hair will be removed in the direction of the hair growth. The result is that hair almost never breaks, it reduces ingrown hair. So back at my treatment. Nicoleta grabs a lump of warm sugar and twists and turns it before rubbing it onto my skin. She is using the same sugar for my entire treatment and adds some new sugar now and then to keep it warm and smooth. I’m realizing that this sugaring is quite sustainable as you don’t need any waxing strips and a lot of wax. That’s a bonus!

It’s not completely painless (let’s be real girls) but the Treatwell voters didn’t lie, it’s seriously a lot less painful than any other hair removal treatments I’ve experienced! And I have to admit that my skin feels all mighty soft without a trace of a rash. And even after a few days, my skin feels like it has had a much needed peel. This sugaring is definitely something I can get used to, especially when it’s time to wear that bikini again. This salon might be smaller and less luxurious than you might be used to, this treatment combined with Nicoleta’s comfortable service is definitely worth coming for.

Sweet & Smooth is available for bookings via Treatwell.
Hondiusstraat 10HS, Amsterdam
Website

Love,

Elke

26 Apr 2016

Sticky Post By Wander-lust Posted in Obsessions, Packing Guide, Travel Essentials With No Comments Permalink

Packing Guide » The Ultimate Travel Skin Kit

Sticky Post By Wander-lust On April 26, 2016 With No Comments

I’m traveling for the weekend quite often, flying around on a monthly basis for work. Everyone knows that you can carry limited quantities of liquids through airport security when you are only allowed to bring hand luggage. Liquids may only be carried in containers holding 100ml or less. HELP!

One thing that causes some stress on a female traveler would probably be about packing those liquid toiletries right? How can you bring all your favorites toiletries? It already happened to me a couple of times, when I start packing my bags in a rush and totally forgot to check the quantities. I had to say goodbye to some of my favorite (and very expensive) creams at the security. But this will not happen to me again! Luckily our favorite brand Dermalogica came with Travel Skin Kit options.

This Dermalogica Travel Skin Kit basically contains a full regimen of what your skin needs most, wherever you’re going! For £26.35 you get a cleanser, toner, scrub and active moist. There are several travel skin kits available.

Elke uses the normal/dry travel kit from Dermalogica

One of our favorites is the multi-active toner. The air at high altitudes has very little moisture, it makes the cabin air dry. Your skin gets dehydrated and this toner has the perfect solution for it. It helps the condition and prepares the skin for proper moisture absorption. Arnica and Cucumber extracts help to keep the skin smooth and refreshed. Spray directly over the entire face and throat with eyes closed.

Handy for in your bag!

Skin secrets on the plane:

» Make sure to drink a lot of water before and during the flight

» Sleep with your hair out of your face. Many of us use oil and hair care products. Make sure to pull all of your hair off your face as it can be harmful.

» Make sure that your moisturize has SPF of 30 or higher. It isn’t just for vacation, it’s your best weapon in the fight against wrinkles and sun damage. When you get out of the plane and your skin is exposed with daylight, it’s very important that your skin is protected. Don’t forget your chest and the top of your hands (which most people forget).
» Don’t pick at your face. You see seriously everything in the lights of the toilets. Most of us know we shouldn’t do this, but lots of us do it anyway….

Good luck and let me know if it helped you!

Love,

Sarah