Happy New Year!!
Starting a fresh, new year is the ideal time to hit the reset button in many areas of your life. It is the perfect time to check yourself on your priorities, your health, your relationships and more! Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, too. Make a special plan for your sweetie or devise a way to finally ask that person out that you’ve been thinking about nonstop.
Starting out 2014, you may also want to consider making a promise to yourself that you will take better care of your skin. Put on that sunscreen every day – even in these cold, winter days! Powerful rays from the sun don’t stop just because it isn’t hot outside. Protect what you’ve got!
You should also make a habit of checking your skin for new or changing spots. You should get something looked at (actually make that appointment!) if it is new, different or just plain odd. Checking your skin at the start of every new season (every 3 months) is a good way to remind yourself. These days, with smart phones that have reminders you can program, there are no excuses!
Maybe this new year you want a new look.  If you are stuck in a rut, change up that hair color! Cut it shorter! Grab a friend who is on the cutting edge of current trends and beg for his/her honest assessment of your style, whether it is clothing, hair or makeup. Come in to Belladerm for a consultation to find out what services/products could dramatically change your skin or body. This is the time! Be energized for NEW things in the NEW year and then get the momentum going to go after what you are passionate about changing.
Have you heard it takes 21 days to form a new habit? Some say that this claim came out of thin air and has no actual facts behind it. Whether or not that is true, this is an interesting article about the topic of habit formation. Don’t be discouraged if you are setting out to make a big transformation and 21 days pass but you aren’t feeling like you’ve got it down yet. Many people have given up because they continue to fail after 21 days so they resign to the fact that they simply cannot change. Stay the course and be encouraged. Your goals are worth your hard work and effort.
Our wish for you in the new year is that you will develop or continue healthy beauty habits, which include some pampering because you DO deserve it! We are here to help you in all of your aesthetic endeavors and don’t forget, consultations are free so come on in to chat with us!
Enjoy the New Year!

Mid-November hits and it you can almost feel something different in the air. Besides the crisp, cold wind chill, that is! You can feel it when you stroll into your favorite mall or store – a certain energy and urgency is felt everywhere you go. Do you ever get to New Year’s Day and think, “WHAT just happened? It was all a whirlwind!” The holiday season can be so much more enjoyable when you stay focused on taking care of yourself and letting the little things go. Yes, I know these days it is harder than ever to not want to keep up with everyone else and make impressive little custom Pinterest-inspired name placards for the Thanksgiving meal BUT really, wouldn’t you rather be in a better mood for your loved ones? Missing out on some precious sleep to make crafty goodies is something you might want to reconsider. Maybe pick a few special areas in which you will be an overachiever – an amazing Christmas lights display or tree decor, a couple of impressive new recipes at Christmas, extra-special gifts this year – but vow to not run yourself ragged doing it all perfectly.  In the end, the memories with your family are what counts, so stay focused on that!
A couple of tips for the season:

• Keep a bunch of generic but well-loved gifts on hand and stocked up so you don’t have to leave your house at the last minute. There is always someone that slips through the cracks or who you just spontaneously want to thank with a little gift, so this will come in handy!
• Experts suggest taking a time out from the holiday hustle and bustle to enjoy a hot cup of coffee, a steamy cup of soup or a “leisurely”, but healthy meal. This will not only fill you up but boost your energy and your immune system for all you still have to do. We have some fabulous ways to give you a little break from the holiday frenzy. Watch for specials from Belladerm to treat yourself! 
• Don’t cut out exercise during this time. You may need to scale back to fit in all of the things you need to get done right now, but keep up some sort of routine. You’ll need it to deal with the the holiday hoopla you’ll encounter.
• We know you can’t do this every night, but choose one night a week to wind down with a cup of hot chamomile or a hot bath about an hour before you head for bed. This will recharge your batteries.
• Keep eating well and making sure that your body is getting vitamins C & zinc to combat the germs circulating everywhere.
• If holiday weight gain is a worry on your mind, think about keeping a casual log of what you consumed each day. When you are accountable, you can make better choices. Better yet, find a pal or spouse to discuss progress with. And allow yourselves special treats. It is the holidays, after all! Even just focusing on portion control helps a great deal!

This time of year can be maddening when you look in the mirror and see red eyes, puffiness, allergy “shiners” and a red nose. And all about the time you want some nice family photos for the Christmas card.  They have termed it “allergy face” and there ARE ways to combat it! Zyrtec found in a study that 81% of women with allergies don’t believe they can fully cover up their symptoms, however.
You’ll find loads of information online, but some of the fast tips you can glean are:

• DO use extra moisturizer as the allergy meds can dry you out, making skin appear more flaky
• DO use a humidifier as another method to keep skin more hydrated
• DON’T do nothing – there are many wonderful products and things you can do at home to help
• DO consider using a silvery eyeliner or a blue eyeliner, which will combat the redness and make the whites appear more white
• DO layer a bronzer with blush to chisel the cheekbones more, which helps a puffy face look better
• DO apply cold compresses to swollen areas – a cold spoon is a popular choice for puffy eyes
• DO draw attention elsewhere with bold color, like on your lips
• DO buy a green color correction concealer and play with it until you find what works best – layering under skin-toned concealer