City Geisha

Demographic testing has shown that most of my City Geisha followers are in their early 20’s to early 30’s with a small percentage being in their teens and an even smaller percentage in their 40’s and upwards.  So City Geisha tweenies, the following post may not concern you for another decade or two but ageing is a real concern for  a lot of my readers and preventative measures are already put in place to ward off signs of ageing such as the meticulous use of sunscreen, to night creams packed full of skin renewal goodness to a healthy diet packed full of anti-oxidant rich food.   It is a billion dollar industry, one that feeds off the insecurities of us women who are scared shitless about ageing and losing our youthful looks.

Just recently I was at the gym when a stunning gym member was scrutinizing her looks in the mirror and exclaimed in horror at having found her first under eye wrinkle.  Crazy cause I couldn’t see it, all I could see was the total package, her whole face, her entire beautiful face. Such is a woman’s ability to hone in on one small, minute detail and dwell over it.

Everyone’s got their own little ageing niggles as the years pass on: for some, it’s the appearance of brown age spots on once-immaculate cheeks while for others, it’s the onset of withered hands, reminiscent of Grandma’s.   The flaws that begin to bother us no longer just stop at the odd wrinkle: now there’s a host of new enemies threatening to steal our youth.  Thankfully, there is a wide range of creams out there created specifically to target such ageing concerns and reduce the effects with careful application. But if you are impatient like me, you may want to consider the following high-tech products that will zap away at the problems in an instant, according to Stylist.

Public Enemy 1: A Sagging Decolletage

A wrinkly neck is a sure dead-giveaway of your true age. The skin on the neck and chest is a lot thinner than anywhere else on your body and is an area that is constantly moving and supporting the head’s weight. However most of us neglect it, failing to protect it from the UV rays or giving it some TLC in the form of hydration. But here are some ways to treat a saggy neck:

1. This Works: Perfect Cleavage, 2. Clarins Advanced Extra Firming Neck Cream, 3. Lulu’s Time Bomb

1.  This Works: Perfect Cleavage - a natural serum packed with larch extract and yellow algae which hydrates while its rose oil helps repair damage to the skin.  Skin looks plump and clear in 3 weeks.

2. Clarins Advanced Extra Firming Neck Cream - uses plum kernel extract to firm the skin and ironwood to stimulate collagen production. This rich formula strengthens the skin overnight.

3. Lulu’s Time Bomb - targets drooping skin with chrysanthellum extract, a small African plant with gold petals that stimulate the skin’s fat molecules.  It’s especially effective on a wrinkly neck needing hydration.

Public Enemy 2 - Thinning Eyebrows

Now that catwalk trends are dictating bold, bushy brows, over-plucking is no longer the done things.  Especially because as we age, the brows become naturally more sparse so here is what you can do about it:

1. Hair transplants, 2. LiBrow, 3. Adonia Organics Brow Revive

1.  Hair Transplants - under a local anesthetic, incisions are made along the brow line and hair follicles from the head are then transplanted on to the brow.  It’s quite a long process - roughly 4 hours in total - but it does leave you with brows to be proud of.  Very similar to the eyelash transplant I had done a couple of years ago. Click here to read my full story.

2.  LiBrow - sister product to the hugely successful eyelash growth accelerator, LiLash, this is a serum that works to repair weak hair follicles while conditioning and strengthening brittle hair. Just apply it every night and within two weeks, brows are thickened to look healthy and on trend.

3.  Adonia Organics Brow Revive - uses a blend of organic essential oils to boost circulation to encourage hair growth in just 21 days.

Public Enemy 3 - Veiny Hands

Hands are an immediate give-away of a woman’s true age after her neck and they’re not helped by being constantly exposed to the elements, UV rays and washing up.

1. Natura Bisse Tensolift Hand Cream, 2. Elemis Pro Collagen Hand and Nail Cream, 3. Sanctuary Anti-Ageing Intensive Hand Mask

1.  Natura Bisse Tensolift Hand Cream - a high-tech cream with hyaluronic acid and lipds to give the skin back its smoothness. Its perennis flower extract strengthens the skin’s defences, banishing that withered, wrinkly appearance.

2.  Elemis Pro Collagen Hand and Nail Cream - packed with antioxidants from rich marine algae extracts, aloe vera and linden flower oil.  Skin looks instantly plumped out.

3.  Sanctuary Anti-Ageing Intensive Hand Mask - you apply the super enrichingj pumpkin and rice protein-packed mask to your hands before popping them into a pair of gloves to get the ingredients penetrating right into the skin.  Hands look younger in just four weeks.

Public Enemy 4 - Pigmentation

Pigmentation and age spots can be down to unbalanced hormones or a genetic predisposition for freckles and discolouration, but it is sun damage in particular that causes the inner cells of the skin to become hyperactive, triggering an over-production of dark spots.

1. Meladerm, 2. Ole Henriksen Enlighten Me Pigment Lightening Serum, 3. Clinique Even Better Skin Tone Corrector

1.  Meladerm - number 1 rated product by all the professionals, this product contains natural ingredients and a punchy, penetrative formula that uses powerful anti-oxidants to break up melanin pigment and visible results can be seen in as little as 2 weeks. This stuff is AWESOME.…read my full review on it and to see where you can purchase it).

2.  Ole Henriksen Enlighten Me Pigment Lightening Serum - a soothing serum that uses lactic acid and tumeric extracts to exfoliate and even out skin tone.  Works brilliantly as a makeup primer and brightens the complexion.

3.  Clinique Even Better Skin Tone Corrector - as if by magic, this hard hitting serum uses yeast extract to break up clusters of age spots.  The texture is super-smooth and leaves the complexion clear.

Public Enemy 5 - Spider Veins

Tiny spider veins can appear out of nowhere on your legs and those little red lightning bolts can look unsightly.  They appear due to weak capillaries and bad circulation, or, as our skin often thins as we grow older, veins simply become more pronounced.

1. Provenance Spider Vein Cream, 2. Skin Doctors Vein Away Plus Cream, 3. Ultra Vein Gard Cream

1.  Provenance Spider Vein Cream - rich in horse chestnut extract which is packed with Vitamin B3 and omega 3 oils to stimulate the circulation, causing the appearance of fine purple thread veins to fade.

2.  Skin Doctors Vein Away Plus Cream - a leading skincare brand from Down Under that keeps Aussie girls’ pins in flawlessly good condition.  The phytotonine concentrate is the secret ingredient.  It is packed with arnica and cypress extracts that reduce the appearance of spider veins in just 6-8 weeks.

3.  Ultra Vein Gard Cream - uses horse chestnut seed and gotu kola extracts to strengthen and tone blood vessels.  The tingly sensation soothes the legs and diminishes the appearance of angry-looking capillaries after just a few applications.