Monthly Archives

February 2021

IS IT TIME FOR THE ROARING 20s 2.0

By | Beauty, Fashion, Food for thought, Party | No Comments

There’s a lot of speculation in the media about this magical “post pandemic” world that everybody has been looking forward to so much. The question is: what will it look like? Will we stay forever cautious of close contact and social situations? Or will global society come back to “normal”? Some experts are even convinced that our world is about to enter a completely new unpredictable stage…

Social distancing, mask wearing, continuous disinfection of every surface – all these things have become a part of our everyday routine and are very likely to stay there. It is said that the world will never be as free as it was – individuals will take caution in talking with strangers, reconsider their lifestyles and be less likely to engage in “one-night-stands”.

However, there is also the completely opposite scenario in the media. In this case the Covid-19 pandemic is often compared to the Spanish Flu. After the world recovered from one of the deadliest pandemics, closing following on the shirt tails of one of the world’s deadliest conflicts,  a decade of consumerism, new music, fashion, freedom, glittering excesses and self gratification set in. The dawn of the Jazz Age. F. Scott Fitzgerald called it ‘the most expensive orgy in history’.

The roaring 20s, or an era of champagne, as it is sometimes called, was not only the time of crazy parties that we’ve read about in The Beautiful & the Damned and The Great Gatsby but also of a new and constantly changing fashion.

What trends can we expect to see in 2021? The annus horribles that was 2020 is over. We need to embrace colour, glitter and all that is gold! Expect to see colour blocking, bold lips and dramatic eyes.

In times of hardship, sales of beauty products traditionally soar. This is particularly true for lipstick. A bold, bright lip can transform you! Channel your inner goddess with classic red, be it matte, glossy or glitter!

With masks and facial coverings being the norm these days, it’s only your eyes that can express you in public. Shimmery green, bold orange and hot pink are all set to be trends for 2021, just look at what the models at Tom Ford and Burberry were wearing!

Even though the pandemic is still not over, we can already see the longing of individuals for social events and new activities. A good example is the Chinese Spring Festival, which is held every year and is famous as a time for major movie premiers and shopping. Even though the places in the theaters were limited to 50% capacity all the tickets for this week were sold out! The supermarkets have experienced a flow of great number of customers despite the suggestion of the government to “stay home”. The ski resorts are full and people are desperate to get back to some form of normality.

As people return to the work place, so will they return to after work drinks and dinners and dancing.

We at Glow Concierge are hoping that the prediction of a roaring 20s part 2 will come true and very soon all of us will be able to have the time of our lives. Until then, we would recommend you to enjoy this time at home: take a bath, order a massage, read a book, have a fitness session in your garden. Our providers are always here to pamper you whenever you feel the urge for some self care.

WHICH FACIAL IS BEST FOR YOU?

By | Beauty, Health, Massage | No Comments

Winter, continuous mask-wearing, junk food… A lengthy list can be made of all the factors influencing the health of your skin. This is still not an excuse to “not give a damn” about it. And while you working on your habits and perfecting your skincare routine is the main part of the treatment, facials can also help a lot.

Let’s be honest, who doesn’t enjoy a nice face massage, your cosmetologist applying yet another aromatic mask or this feeling of glowing skin after the treatment. Sounds great in theory, but how to get there? Which facial to choose?

Unfortunately, there is no single solution for everybody. Facials are usually chosen based on the current requirement of your skin. Thus, we decided to sort them by skin types.

(If you are unsure about your skin type, the right master will always know what to do)

Oily skin

Facial massage with extremely oily and creamy masks is not recommended for those with oily skin. This type usually requires deep cleansing and masks reducing the pores.

Our tip. Andrei has a number of facials designed for oily skin and inflamed skin. The Acne Skin Facial deeply cleanses the pores without stripping the hydrolipidic film away. It has a strong anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effect and keeps the hydration at an optimal level (plus you get a short massage as a bonus while waiting for your mask to work)

Dry skin

This skin type needs a treatment opposite to the previous one. The aim of the facial here would be to enrich the skin with vitamins and minerals and regenerate the tissues, urging them to work.

Our tip. Vitamin C or Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy are both meant for all skin types, but will definitely benefit those with dry skin. While the former stimulates the production of collagen fibres and protects the cells from free radicals, the latter is famous for its extreme hydrating effect.

Aging skin

Over time our skin can start loosing collagen, which is responsible for keeping it lifted. The oil glands and organs responsible for skin cell reproduction can also become less active.

Weekly scrubbing, face massage, moisture-rich masks and retinoid-based creams are recommended to keep the skin in shape and help it with its functions.

Our tip. Eleftheria makes the best rejuvance facial, also known as “The Fingertip Facelift”. Deep massage of the facial tissues is a great non-invasive treatment to encourage the natural functions of the body to regain their vitality.

Next step – Microneedling

Microneedling is a more intensive facial treatment that also enables highly effective ingredients to be infiltrated into the skin effectively. The skin naturally forms a protective layer on the surface against environmental influences. This layer makes it difficult for active ingredients to penetrate deep into the skin. With the help of sterile disposable needles, this procedure perforates the skin, in order to introduce the active ingredients into the skin exactly where they can be best used. The ingredients can be always chosen to your skin type. This is the perfect treatment to deal with wrinkles, black spots or dry skin.

Our tip. Check our Instagram page to see the results of microneedling with Monique! You will be surprised. A single treatment includes: cleaning, enzyme peeling, disinfection, needling with active ingredients (tailored to the respective skin treatment type), bio-cellulose aquaxyl mask, final care including sun protection.

Facial or microneedling – treat yourself, your skin deserves it! At Glowconcierge we have more than 6 masters ready to tailor their facial treatments to your needs. We come to you ♡

Your Glow Concierge

GUA SHA︱STORY AND HEALTH BENEFITS

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What it is

These days Gua Sha is a highly discussed massage technique that every beauty blogger is incorporating in her/his morning routine.  This practice has been discussed in various journals around the world starting from Vogue to MedicalNewsToday, where it had both, its lovers and its haters. But let’s start with the basics, what is gua sha and where does it come from?

Gua Sha – often translated as “scraping” in English – is an ancient technique from East Asia. It is often advertised today as part of the daily routine of every Asian princess to improve her skin quality and look flawless. Apparently, this story was created to increase sales volumes of the fancy-looking gua sha tools. In reality, this method was first used on exhausted workers and struggling from heat individuals to improve their blood circulation and relieve the symptoms by applying high pressure on selected regions of their body.

Which materials to use

Such materials as coins, spoons or even animal bones were used in the past, as they help to massage the deeper skin layers. Nowadays, if you search for gua sha tools you will most likely find bian stone, jade or rose quartz rollers and scrapers. These materials are said to carry healing energies. Experts recommend using the rose quartz ones during the morning and the jade in the evening due to their different energies and influence on the body.  

Doctor’s opinion

Nyla Raja, aesthetic doctor and founder of the U.K.-based aesthetics and medispa clinic called Dr. Nyla Raja questions the extent to which gua sha can improve the elastin production in the skin and reduce wrinkles.

“Using a jade gua sha tool at home essentially gives your face a mini workout ― you are stimulating blood circulation, which increases the amount of oxygen and nutrients to the skin, which can improve skin health,”  – Raja says.

However, the doctor believes that gua sha is unlikely to reach the deeper layer of the skin and lead to all of the expected benefits.

How to choose a perfect tool

  • It should feel heavy in your hand.
  • If you are looking to buy a jade tool – make sure that it is cold (only authentic stone will have this quality).
  • Follow your intuition. Feel the connection with the stone you are holding.

How to perform gua sha massage on your face and neck

  1. Apply some oil or cream on the areas you are about to massage
  2. Position the top corner (ridge side down) of the gua sha tool under your eye and move it towards your ear. Then bring it up and follow the eyebrow line in the same direction. Repeat the movement at least 8 times.
  3. Work your way down, massaging the cheekbone and the jawline with the same movements from the center of your face to the ear.
  4. Apply the tool starting from your chin along the jawline and, once you’ve reached the ear go down along the neck. Repeat.
  5. Once you’re done with step 4, stay at the neck and start moving roller up from your collarbone to your jaw.

You can either do every step twice for both sides of your face or finish with one side and start with the other. At all times make sure that you’ve got enough oil on your face and neck to avoid any irritation and unpleasant feelings.

Gua Sha is not recommended to people who

  • have medical conditions affecting the skin or veins
  • bleed easily
  • are pregnant
  • take medication to thin their blood
  • have deep vein thrombosis
  • have an infection, tumor, or wound that has not healed fully
  • have implants

Many experts warn that gua sha is not the one and only tool to improve your skin quality. Our appearance is the manifestation of the inner health and balance. The right diet, skincare products, exercise routine and inner balance can all equally contribute to your well-being and skin appearance.

We at Glow Concierge strive to improve the lives of our clients. That is why every Saturday we search for tips, like this one, to help you find your perfect tools to a greater health. We are convinced that if you start performing this massage along with facials and microneedling with our providers, you will get the perfect glowing skin in weeks.

Your Glow Concierge Team