Latest trip to NY! I'm about that Tea..

New York! Concrete Jungle where dreams are made of.. 

I always have a wonderful time when I travel to NY. As soon as I get off the plane I can feel the energy in the air. I begin to walk a little faster, I'm excited, I'm on a mission! I find inspiration from talking to strangers, family and friends, from what  I see and how I feel. I love the fashion that comes with the change of seasons. People seem to have their own sense of style and there is a hustlers spirit in the people. Only the strong survive here, after all if you can make it here you can make it anywhere! 

During this trip I was in the market for some new Teas to try. I absolutely love tea! I drink it every morning along with a glass of water. Usually Green Tea is my preference in the morning, it tastes delicious and it gets my metabolism going right away. While in my favorite tea shop near Chinatown, I met a man from Trinidad and Tobago. He was sitting having a pot of tea himself and said that I should try Pu-erh Tea. He said it's a very old tea and has many medicinal properties. The man behind the counter grabbed a big glass container and opened it for me to have a smell. It smelled like dirt, old dirt, and cost $8/oz (loose leaf). I bought 1oz to give it a try. I also bought one of my staples (Jazmine Pearls) another of the Green Tea varieties, Dragonwell Green Tea and 2oz of Lavender Flowers (great for relaxation) 

When I got back to Brooklyn I immediately put a pot of water on to boil, I wanted to try this ancient tea right away! I also looked online to see what kind of information I could find on Pu-erh Tea,

 and I found a lot. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pu-erh_tea

 http://www.teabenefits.com/pu-erh-tea-benefits.html

The way I drink tea is just to grab a pinch of the leaves and throw them in my favorite mug or pot, then pour boiling water over them and steep. I don't ever remove the leaves I just drink as they sink to the bottom. Whole tea leaves can be reused 2-3 times, so I refill a couple times with the same leaves. It's rare that I sweeten my tea (but if I do) it's with a little Agave Nectar, Honey or even Pure Maple Syrup.

Dragon Well Green Tea

 Jazmine Pearls (Green)




Pu-erh Tea

The truth about Blackheads!

Hello Everyone! Happy October!

So I've been noticing a lot of commercials and adds lately about certain products out there that claim they remove blackheads and rid the pores of unwanted dirt and debris. This could not be further from the truth and frankly it makes me a little irritated. 

So many clients come to me for facials and can't understand why they have massive blackheads all over their nose, chin, forehead, and everywhere else. Surely that scrub or small hand held machine is supposed to be handling this issue right?? Not the case! The only, and I repeat, ONLY way to remove blackheads is to have them manually extracted. During a facial I use steam and enzymes to soften and loosen blackheads, then I use a technique with my fingers to lift them up and out of the pores. When done properly the whole blackhead will slide right out. Now with time and everyday exposure to the elements (depending on how oily your skin) the blackhead will return, but you can prolong the process by taking care of your skin at home using good products for your skin type. 

If you have pesky blackheads that you are tired of and need to have removed, come on in for a Deep Pore Cleansing Facial.. I will take care of that for you, no prob!  And don't forget to try the delicious Pumpkin Enzyme on special this month. $40 for a 30 min treatment or you can add the enzyme to any facial for only $10. 

EL