Get out your camera and win some SkinMedica products!

As most women will tell you, we accumulate large quantities of skin care products. Because of this, we often find decorative ways to display these products, rather than store them behind closed doors. Often, they’re packaged nicely and it’s just easier to access them in the morning and in the evening. Whether they are in a pretty basket or housed on a glass shelf, we can get pretty creative with our displays.

Recently, I was setting up my own bathroom, and putting out all of my SkinMedica products, and I thought it would be a great way to run a contest: I could have patients show me their OWN SkinMedica setups! I could give away product (because really, who doesn’t love free product?) and allow people to get some decorating ideas to boot.

So, here are the rules:

1. Email me a photo of your SkinMedica setup to info@stlcosmeticsurgery.com

2. I’ll pin your photos onto our Pinterest board, under the category of Home Decor.

3. Repin your favorites!

4. Our staff will choose the best one for the week, and each Friday in April I will announce a weekly winner, who will receive (1) SkinMedica Daily Physical Defense Sunscreen and (1) SkinMedica Dermal Repair Cream.

5. At the end of the month, I’ll announce a grand prize winner who will receive a surprise SkinMedica Package.

Good luck, and happy pinning! Get decorating!

-Rhonda

Employee Spotlight: Mary Ann Egner, Medical Esthetician

On any typical day in our spa, Mary Ann Egner’s schedule is jam-packed. As a certified medical esthetician who has been with St. Louis Cosmetic Surgery Medical Spa for many years, Mary Ann has built a client base of dedicated patients who appreciate her warmth and expansive advice about skin care. Caring for her patients is a passion for Mary Ann, and she does everything she can to make sure each person walks out of here feeling calm, happy and beautiful. Whether they need a chemical peel, microderm, laser hair removal or a knowledge base in skin care products, she takes careful stock of each person’s needs and tailors a plan specifically for them. She considers her job a blessing, and comes to work every day feeling lucky to be here and to be helping people feel better about themselves.

Mary Ann’s Favorite Product:

“Up The Anti” by PRESCRIBEDsolutions Full Spectrum Sunblock with SPF 30 ($50)

Why She Recommends This Product:

“I love it because it is a physical, not a chemical SPF. It has no additives that will cause breakouts, which is the common complaint I hear about using SPF on the face. It also has a bronzer which helps even the skin tone and hide imperfections, all while being very light on the skin.”

Posted by: Rhonda Shrum

Want dramatic eyes with little work? Here’s how.

Many women like the look of long, thick eyelashes. A long dark eyelash can really bring attention to an eye and make it seem bigger and brighter. There are countless ways to achieve this look, from expensive mascaras to drugstore false lashes, but one of the easiest ways to get real long lashes is with Latisse®, the only FDA approved eyelash enhancement product.

Promoted by the likes of Brooke Shields and Clair Danes, Latisse® is a prescription drug  that is applied to the base of eyelashes to generate longer lashes. Used in conjunction with another amazing makeup technique, permanent makeup, you can achieve beautiful, dramatic eyes with little to no effort every morning.

If you’re tired of spending tons of money at the drugstore on false eyelashes, “extending” mascaras and eyeliner that inevitably wears off, this combination may be just the thing you’re looking for. If you get in before the end of February, you can have a free sample of Latisse® with ANY permanent makeup service!

Tired of Eyeliner Smudges? Permanent Cosmetics May be the Answer

Posted by: Rhonda Shrum

Ever since I was an awkward 7th grader with big hair, I’ve been an eyeliner fanatic. For over 20 years, I have diligently smudged black, brown, or gray liner onto my small eyelids, hoping to brighten them up. And every day, I’ve been crabby when it inevitably migrated onto my hands, clothing, pillow, or some unsuspecting man’s white dress shirt. I’ve tried pencil, I’ve tried liquid; I’ve tried the drug store brands, I’ve tried the high-dollar stuff. It all, in the end, gave me raccoon eyes. I’d heard stories of people getting their eyes “tattooed,” but the thought freaked me out. A needle that close to my eye? And what if it looks horrible?

Although my concerns are normal, they turned out to be unfounded. I have been closely watching Janice Lewis, our Permanent Cosmetics Artist, perform utter magic on patients since I started here in September. Week after week I was amazed at how great these women looked after receiving permanent eyeliner, eyebrows, or lip color. I knew, once I got over my needle-fear, that I had to have this done. Her talent completely wiped away any fear I had of looking fake or tacky.

On the day of my procedure, I was slightly nervous. Before starting, Janice applied numbing cream to my eyes and allowed that to work for 15 minutes. As the numbness set in, I was covered in a blanket and left to cat nap and relax. The whole process was calming and helped ease my nerves.

Once the actual tattooing began to take place, I realized it wasn’t nearly as bad as I had envisioned. Permanent eyeliner is achieved by implanting pigments in the lash line, so it feels a bit like someone is scraping at your eyelid with a teeny, tiny prickly instrument. The process was generally more tiring and irritating than painful, and since top and lower eyeliner only takes an hour, it’s completely bearable because each eye gets a break while the other is being worked on.

I am beyond pleased with the results. I was slightly swollen and red for a couple of days afterwards, and now, three days out, I am experiencing teeny-tiny flakes as the tattoo heals but otherwise no ill effects. The stark color is fading a bit so it’s not so harsh, and it’s completely freeing to wake up in the morning and not have to do the whole eyeliner routine. Here are my before and right-after photos:

Permanent cosmetics begin at $500. Visit our website at http://www.stlmedspa.com or call 636-530-9020 for more details.