Like most millennials, my attention span is mega short and lasts about as long as Lindsay Lohan’s sobriety. So I’m always looking for ways to change up my look. In my fantasy life I could have bangs one day and they would be gone the next, rock a different nail color and shape daily and even test out being different height each week. But once I come back down to earth, I remember that while that’s not possible, there are things I can do to change up my look when I’m getting the itch to try something new.
Bond Street Salon, Delray Beach, FL – Located in the heart of Delray Beach’s trendy Pineapple Grove (which I am fortunate enough to call home), Bond Street is ultra hip and provides great customer service as well as experienced super stylists. After over a year of not dying my hair, I decided that summer was the perfect time to go back to blonde. After all, anyone who has had half of a conversation with me about politics or real estate knows that I am a true blonde on the inside.
Bond Street Salon is named in homage to the movement created by Vidal Sassoon, the most influential hair stylist of the 1960s, and the location of his first salon on Bond Street in the West End of London, England.
Walking in, I totally had a moment of, “I’m so not cool enough to be here.” The vibe is funky with a classy finish, and the hairstylists all look like they were transported from the trendy streets of Williamsburg, NY. But everyone’s friendly demeanor made me feel right at home right away. The owner, Lauren, introduced me to my stylist, Jessica, who took the time to explain to me the different routes that I could go. Let me tell you – I am hair stupid. I may know my fashion and my cosmetics, but when it comes to hair, I barely know a blowout from a blowfish.
First we did a base color that wouldn’t be too dramatic of a change, but that would tie in some dark with the new blonde. We decided to go with a bayalage treatment for the highlights, which I had heard of, but never had done. She showed me examples of what it would look like to make sure that I would get the results that I wanted. Usually if I have highlights, they put foils in my hair, but this treatment was done with saran wrap, which causes less damage and allows the stylist (or really, ARTIST, from what I saw), to control the exact look.
Four and a half hours later (that’s right, I did not wake up like this), I was BLONDE. I was honestly shocked at just how blonde we got it on the first try, as it typically takes 2 or 3 treatments to get there when I am coming from being so dark. I am thrilled with the results and am pleased to report that though it may sound corny, this summer, blondes WILL be having more fun!
Dr. Mylissa’s Medical Boutique, Delray Beach, FL – Now we get to the taboo portion of the blog – the one where people will either be all for it, or completely shy away into a cocoon of judgement. Botox. Restylane. Juvederm. FILLERS! Come on people, it’s 2016, we have to accept that this is a normal part of a gal’s beauty regimen these days. I have been getting injections now for 3 years and if my face could express itself, it would say, “I don’t care what you think, I feel FIERCE.” I know my true friends are the ones who will agree with me when I say I have wrinkles. I don’t need people in my life who sugarcoat things, I don’t need yes people, I need people who will be honest and give constructive criticism. Life is about constantly improving yourself in all areas, and if someone wants to make these improvements to feel better and look younger, then more power to them!
Rant aside, let’s talk about Dr. Mylissa. Once again, a place where the staff is above and beyond friendly. They roll out the red carpet for you – no, literally, there is a red carpet at the entrance. If that doesn’t scream “Pamper me!” then I don’t know what does! Side note, I went there for the cosmetic fillers, but they also do all kinds of facials and other treatments including help with weight loss.
Before going to Dr. Mylissa, I had been really depressed about how I was starting to look like my Bubby. My cheeks were drooping and my eyes were sinking in, making me look like a living episode of The Walking Dead. I explained my concerns and we decided on a few things: Juvederm Voluma to plump up my cheeks, Restylane and Restylane Silk under my eyes (this is actually a newer treatment and use for Restylane) and just a bit of Botox in my forehead to erase stubborn wrinkles. A lot of people are scared of these procedures because they don’t like needles, but get some numbing cream and you don’t even feel it! This was actually the first med spa to offer me numbing cream and I can’t believe no one ever had before. It’s key! You feel nothing!
Before and after Juvederm Voluma… You can see the cheek area completely lifted up and the skin around my jowls is tighter; lines around my mouth are gone.
The results of the Juvederm and Restylane are immediate, and the Botox takes about 4 days to set in. I had extremely minimal bruising and swelling, but everyone reacts differently, so my suggestion is to Google ways to minimize bruising – I discovered after the fact that there are things you can do ahead of time (like cutting out alcohol for a few days) to minimize effects.
I was so pleased with the results. The Restylane not only filled in my eye sockets but really pulled up everything in my face like a mini face lift. The fillers were perfect and I no longer have to spend so much time contouring my face with makeup because now I have real cheekbones.
Next up… Before and after Restylane. Eyes no longer sunken in and it pulled up everything in my face, making my fillers even more defined.
Warning. This kind of stuff IS addictive, and I decided to go back for just one more procedure – LIPS!!! Oh lord did I want lips! I had seen incredible results on my friends and I just HAD to try! My lips are not shockingly thin, but my top lip disappears when I smile and it’s something that had been bothering me. So I got Juvederm XC in my lips. It didn’t hurt like I expected (once again, numbing cream), but this bruising was BAD. That is no fault to any doctor, again the recovery is different for every individual, but I say it to warn you that if you have anything important that you need to look good for, I would do your lips at least one week in advance. I smothered arnica gel on nearly hourly and iced them daily and was able to drastically reduce the bruising in only 4 days. And once I got to see the final results, was I obsessed! I used up 2 phones and one iPad worth of memory space just taking selfies. What a difference it makes! I think this actually might be my favorite procedure and I will definitely be doing it regularly. I’ll be going back to Dr. Mylissa because of how comfortable she made me feel with all of the procedures and even when I was panicking about the bruises, she offered to see me and was there to reassure me I wasn’t going to be permanently deformed (I have a tendency to over-exaggerate if you haven’t noticed.)
Before and after Juvederm XC – the most noticeable procedure with great results (in this picture you an see a bit of the bruising and sweeping under my eyes from the Restylane – this is 3 days after that injection)
The final results, I can’t express my happiness enough. No really, I can’t express it.
And just a side note, don’t do these procedures because they are trendy, or your friends are doing them – do them for you. If you are fine with how you look, then don’t let anyone pressure you. But if you have a problem area that bothers you, don’t let anyone stop you from doing this. One of these best parts is that it’s not like plastic surgery in the sense that it’s not a dramatic change. In fact, besides my lips, no one noticed the other fillers – they may think I look a little better, a little fresher, and could think it’s due to a healthy diet or a good night’s sleep, but if I hadn’t said anything, most people wouldn’t think twice about why I look like I suddenly did a keg stand over the Fountain of Youth.
Eleven Salon & Spa, Delray Beach, FL – Change of hair, change of face – how about a change of attitude? Eleven Salon & Spa promises you the “Best Day Ever.” Balancing a full time job while trying to start up a blog and business and also incorporating daily gym routine, errands, cleaning and cat mothering leaves me exhausted, stressed and drained. But I don’t have time for negativity and neither should you, which is why we all deserve a recharge. Walking in to Eleven, I left my baggage at the door as I took in the beautiful surroundings. I mean, I would live here. There is so much fun and funky artwork, featuring many pieces by local artist Salvatore Principe. And the place is huge! My favorite location is the outdoor pool and cabana, where they will be starting a ladies Sunday Funday this summer – a unique alternative to stuffing my face with mimosas and bacon and biscuits and Bloody Marys and waffles and…. Wait what was I talking about again?
Sorry. Food brain fart.
The pool and cabanas. Gorgeous. Can’t wait to have a girl’s day there!!
They have a salon but I booked my treatment for a massage and scalp massage. My masseuse Jill (loved her sight on seen for her name, obvs) led me to the locker room to change into a luxurious robe, and then after to the relaxation room where I was left with a glass of champagne. I’m the first to admit that I have champagne dreams on a draft beer budget, but sitting there in the relaxation room with my robe and my champs, I felt like the Princess that I always claim to be. And I really believe that is just as important as the actual spa procedure – to make customers feel like royalty.
The Relaxation Room
Jill’s 50 minute massage was relaxing and she also went HAM on my problem spots. She finished it up with a 10 minute scalp massage which I had never had done before. Anyone who goes to the hair salon and wishes the shampoo girl would stay just a little longer would enjoy this. Note though that there are tons of oils that go in your hair and you will need to wash it after. I unfortunately didn’t have time after (so I went on a second date looking like I had dipped my head into a vat of McDonald’s fry grease) but if I had, the locker room is equipped with showers, blow dryers, high tech straighteners and all kinds of great hair products. But honestly I was so relaxed from the massage that I didn’t care. To me, I definitely felt like I was having “The Best Day Ever.”
Change, whether small or big, is always good. A big part of my personal style is constantly reinventing myself. It worked for all the greats – The Beatles, Madonna, Rihanna (I realized I just placed Madonna and Rihanna in the same category as The Beatles, but please remember we are talking style only.) Change your style, change your attitude, change your life.