Sunday, September 29, 2013

Marie Claire's 25th Anniversary Celebrations & The First Ever Murad Day Spa Retreat

As part of Marie Claire's 25th Anniversary, London has been playing host to a number of special events throughout September.  As part of these celebrations, Murad were hosting it's first ever Day Spa Retreat at The Mayfair Hotel.

The event itself promised attendees the opportunity to meet Dr Murad and his son Jeff Murad, the VP of New Product Development, a treatment from a menu which included Indian Head Massages, Leg Lifts and Radiance Boosting Facials, a high-tech skin scan and a goodie bag full of some Murad Essentials.
I'm a recent convert to Murad. I'd been walking past the concession in my local department store for some time and had been tempted to stop by on numerous occasions.  Then fate struck me, I'd been flicking through my September copy of Instyle and there in front of me was an irresistible Murad offer; a bumper bag of goodies with any purchase.  Not being one to miss out on a deal, I finally plucked up the courage to stop by the counter.  As a starting point I was directed to use the Essential-C Cleanser which is part of the Environmental Shield Range and helps to protect the skin from free radicals and repair environmentally damaged skin, which is ideal for those living in the city.  After a couple of weeks I was told to pop back in for a free facial and a chance to talk about the products and have a closer look at my skin.

It was on my revisit that I was told about Dr Murad's impending to visit to the UK and being the product and beauty addict that I am, I jumped at the opportunity.  I mean, how often do you get the chance to meet the founder/creator of a skin care line, naturally my other half was brought along to enjoy the ride!

Now for those who don't know much about Murad, here's my Murad 101:
  • Dr Murad has 18 dermatological based patents with over 50,000 existing for the brand alone.  This includes patents on products within the Blemish Control Line which can boast an overall reduction of spots and acne of 90% in just 4-weeks great for those with problem teenage skin
  • Vogue have called Dr Murad one of the country's top dermatologists
  • Dr Murad was the first to introduce a range of Dr branded skincare
  • Murad are based in LA and are firm believers in Inclusive Healthcare - it's not just about the skincare, Murad also focus on supplements which benefit your body from the inside
  • Murad are one of the few brands to offer a full refund on their products in 30-days if you're not 100% happy with the results, now that's confidence in your products!
We were joined at the event by the Dr and his son, Jeff Murad who is the VP for New Product Development. The Dr then spoke to us about life as well as giving us a brief science lesson on skin!  What struck me most about the Dr's presentation was that there was no sales pitch, in fact, he barely mentioned his skincare at all instead focusing on taking care of yourself from the inside out. This will ultimately help to keep our skin youthful and glowing.

Another super important tip for good skin is to eat water dense foods such as cucumbers and watermelons. The water here is more structured thus keeping your body hydrated for longer than compared to when you simply drink 2 litres of water a day.  In the battle for hydrated skin, the Dr has now also created a new solution, which like another well-known skincare product helps to attract water to the skin, binds water to the skins surface and helps your skin to retain water.

He also suggested that 20% of the food we eat should be comfort food.  Why I hear you ask? Because eating these foods make us smile, they make us happy, and when your heart is happy, your skin will naturally glow.  This is fantastic news if you've got a sweet tooth like me, I'm certainly not willing to give up the cupcakes any time soon, and besides who would keep you updated with all the delicious food I've been eating!
The main focus, and what I took away from the talk is that you should stop striving to live up to everyone else's expectations, you are your own worst critic (so I was told directly by the Dr), your smile is your most beautiful aspect, and you should learn from your inner toddler.  This final point especially rings true, when we were young we were so curious, free of inhibitions, we were just happy being ourselves, being free and we were comfortable within our own skin.  As we get older, this all changes as rules and regulation of working life become the norm and the stresses of  these changes can really take their toll on our skin and our health.
 
Once the Dr had finished, it was time to move on to the high-tech skin scans. Here, a specialised camera scans your face so you can see what is really going on underneath all that make-up.  I was good and only wore a slick of mascara so hopefully the machine didn't have to work to hard. Once your face has been scanned, the consultants can point out where the early signs of ageing are creeping in, any areas of pigmentation, sun-damaged skin, acne, redness and congestion of the pores and can tailor a routine to fit your needs.  Another plus with the Murad range is there is something to suit every single skin care concern with 8 different ranges which can be mixed and matched to suit you.
The final part of the day involved a mini facial in the treatment rooms which was incredibly relaxing. My skin was thoroughly cleansed before a Glycolic Peel was applied and left for a couple of minutes.  This is an intensive exfoliating treatment which encourages faster cell turnover to reveal glowing skin, there a slight tingle whilst the treatment was on my skin but that let me know it was working.  The peel was then removed and my skin moisturised with the Essential-C Day Moisturising cream, again from the Environmental Shield Range which smells incredible.  Ad had the same treatment and he even noted that his skin had never felt so soft, both of us still had wonderful skin following a very good nights sleep.
After the facial, I had the chance to invest in some new products which were recommended based on the results of my skin scan.  At the moment, my skin is a little dehydrated with signs of hormonal ageing so I grabbed the Time-Release Blemish Cleanser and the Skin Perfecting Lotion.  Ad also grabbed some goodies as well, I can't wait to see how he finds the results!

To top off the experience we were both given a goodie bag with Murads Summer Essentials.  I received a travel size of Essential-C Cleanser, which I've loved using to date so this was a welcome treat, a broad spectrum sun-cream (which is handy if your moisturiser doesn't have an SPF), a pomegranate lip-gloss which again, smells wonderful and has a cheeky bonus of having an SPF, active radiance serum which promises results within a week and finally a lovely beach bag.
Whilst the summer sun might be dwindling away, my skin will still be glowing.  Please keep an eye open for my review on the Clarifying Mask which has already proven itself to be a star product in my books and I've only been using it for a couple of weeks!  If you'd like any more information on Dr Murad and his products then please go to the Murad Website, here you can also find out what products will be right for you by taking their free online test.

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