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The Beauty Connoisseurs

Saturday, June 20, 2009

The Case For Exfoliation



As I am sure you know by now, my skin is very important to me. Its also rather temperamental! I have extremely dry skin which tends to flake and gets worse depending on the weather. I don't just mean a change in season... I mean if its 75 degrees today and then tomorrow its 52 degrees my skin will instantly be a flaky, dry mess! Living in Michigan I have plenty of sucky skin days. I have always used an exfoliant for my face, but just began daily full body exfoliation within the last six months. Here's my case for exfoliation for any skin type.

Exfoliation is the process of removing dead skin cells from the outer layer of the skin (epidermis). Skin cells regenerate every day in the lower layer of the skin (dermis). In order for the young skin cells to show there brilliance the old skin cells that make our skin rough, dry and dull need to be removed. For dry skin types, dead skin cells accumulate and make the skin look and feel even more dry. They also prevent moisture from penetrating the pores. For oily skin types, dead skin cells get trapped in the oil naturally produced by your skin and clog the pores. This causes the skin to not only appear dull but also results in breakouts. Exfoliation becomes more important as we age because the natural process of cell turnover slows down.

There are two types of exfoliation: Mechanical and Chemical. Mechanical exfoliation uses various abrasives to physically remove dead skin cells from the skin's surface. Daily mechanical exfoliation should be limited to gentle exfoliants like finely ground fruit seeds, fine sugar/salt, etc. A more abrasive exfoliant like medium to coarse salt/sugar, jojoba beads and whole fruit seeds (like grape and strawberry seeds) can be used 1-2 times per week to really refresh the skin.

Chemical exfoliation employs alphahydroxy acids (AHA's), betahydroxy acids (BHA's)and enzymes to loosen the "glue" that holds dead skin cells together and sloughs them away. Citrus fruits such as lemons, tomatoes, grapefruit, oranges and lime contain natural chemicals (AHA's and BHA's, etc) that exfoliate without the need for rubbing or scrubbing. Chemical exfoliation should be used sparingly and in safe concentrations. Even natural chemicals can be way too strong for use on the skin (especially sensitive skin).

Most natural exfoliants are also rich in vitamins and minerals which is great for healthy skin. Any exfoliating treatment should be followed by a good moisturizer. After proper exfoliation, the skin can more easily absorb a moisturizer because it has been wiped clean of debris and the pores are open.

The second step in the Envie Body Care Systeme is our Silkening Body Polish which is a combination of exfoliants and a moisturizer. Our body polish is suitable for daily use as it contains a fine mechanical exfoliant (crushed walnut shells) and a gentle chemical exfoliant (Bamboo extract). The body polish is followed by our Luxury Shower Gel which is infused with Jojoba Oil and our Conditioning Body Butter Creme with Shea butter, Cocoa Butter, Marajuca, Avocado, Pumpkin Seed and Jojoba Oils.

Exfoliation is key for healthy, glowing, radiant skin... and what's more glam than that?!

Learn more about Envie and buy our products HERE
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Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Evolution of a Woman; Growth of a Brand



Not too long ago I was having a conversation with my mom that really put some things in perspective. Just looking back at my life; the things I've done, what I've learned and what I've always wanted to do, I realized that I have been moving towards my life purpose everyday. Sometimes crawling, sometimes walking and other times running. When you're living in your purpose, everything comes together and you begin to see that the cliche "Everything happens for a reason" is really true.

I fell in love with chemistry in high school and took all the chemistry classes I could fit in my schedule. I'm a nerd, I know! But I'm also a glam girl. So I paired my love of chemistry and my infatuation with healthy skin and hair to choose the perfect career.

Envie began to take shape in my freshman year of college. There was a really basic assignment to give a quick speech about your career choice. I kept it short, but it was thorough... I made posters with pictures of my imaginary products, wrote product descriptions and an ad campaign. When I look back that was probably a really dorky thing to do, but that was me-- putting my dreams on paper and sharing them with everyone who was [forced] to listen.

I built the Envie brand to represent me. Everything from the name to the fundamental mission of Envie is about who I am. Envie (on-vee-ay) is the french translation for desire-- a spin off of my name Desiree. I believe in vanity. When women care for their outer selves it makes a difference in the way they feel on the inside. Their confidence builds and they are thus able to achieve more. I believe in health. Our bodies need more than a quick fix or concealer; our skin needs nutrition to reach its greatest potential. I believe in luxury. Everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy the finer things-- Envie is among them. I believe in personal growth and development thus Envie seeks out women's organizations to aid in their missions. I believe in giving back via my time, efforts, money and love.

I don't represent my brand. My brand represents me. Get to know Envie.
Visit our Pre-Launch site HERE
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Friday, June 12, 2009

Envie Pre-Launch


As you all know, I have been working tirelessly on launching my line of bath and body products. As with any venture I have faced some road blocks, but I trudge on! So today I am pleased to share that we have positioned ourselves for a Pre-Launch. We still have a short way to go before the official launch of Envie Bath and Body, but we saw no reason why we couldn't offer you just a little bit of the good stuff.

The Pre-Launch was inspired by the overwhelming feedback that we received after hosting a few sampling events. You were ready to buy and who are we to deny you the chance! So this Pre-Launch is nothing fancy; just a temporary site for you to buy our products before their official release. And to show our appreciation, we're offering some pretty deep discounts.

There are 3 campaigns scheduled for the Pre-Launch, maybe more. Your response will determine how long we keep the good stuff coming!

The first campaign begins at midnight Monday, June 15, 2009 and will run for ONE WEEK ONLY!

Here's what we're offering:

The Envie Body Care Systeme-- Our unique product grouping was specially designed to nourish, condition and soften your skin. This system consists of four products that are all natural and naturally scented with our own essential oil blends. The featured products are: Luxury Bubble Bath, Silkening Body Polish, Luxury Shower Gel and Conditioning Body Butter Creme. Purchase the entire systeme or individual items. By using the complete Body Care Systeme your skin will absorb all of these wonderful nutrients:

Linoleic acid

Oleic acid

Palmitic acid

Stearic acid

Linolenic acid

Vitamins A, B1, B2, B5 (Panthothenic acid), D, E, C and K

Minerals

Silica

Protein

Lecithin

We can't wait to serve you! Here's to the Glam Life!
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