Goodbye to 2019 - The Year Of Extremes - And Lets Look Forward To A Year Of Balance In 2020.

Looking back at 2019, and trying to come up with a word that defines that year, extreme seemed to be the most appropriate. While things like politics and social justice received a lot of play in the news and are important topics, I am going to focus on its influence in my sector; health, wellness, fitness and skin and body care.

1. Bigger is Better

As the owner of a spa that focuses on creating the best version of yourself through balance and self improvement, I was particularly frustrated by the "bigger is better" trend. While I support people doing whatever they want to make themselves feel better there seems to be an inability to have limits and the ability to see the difference between improvement or enhancement and obsession.

Eyelashes - While they are the easiest to correct they are also the most obvious. Big, black costume-like spiders on your eyes are not your friend. Strive for something in balance and in line with your skin and hair color.

The Duck Lips - A bit of lip filler can look  lovely and remove vertical lines, but lips that enter the room before you do are distracting and take away from your other features.

Click to see a great video on this trend

When too much filler takes beautiful to weird.

Pillow Face - Don't get me wrong. A little filler can highlight facial features and help balance the face and create symmetry. But in the wrong or less talented hands you can end up with an overblown puffy look that is instantly aging.

2. #AcceptMeAsIAmOrElse

Ok, this one may make you angry at first, but hear me out. There is never any reason to be unkind to anyone regarding the way they look. Never! That being said, it is equally unkind to glamorize unhealthy bodies to make people feel better. I want to word this clearly. The world is full of different body types and all can be beautiful but taking any of those body types and adding 50 - 100 + lbs of health damaging fat, and then telling the world that this is not only fine but should be glorified, is ridiculous.  On the same note,  people who gain large amounts of weight need support and positive reinforcement, not criticism to help them lose enough weight to be healthy. I said healthy, not skinny.  That weight will be different for everyone. So  lets stop trying to feed our own egos (look what a nice person I am) by saying we a think somebody morbidly obese looks just as good as someone at a healthy weight. Instead, encourage loved ones who need to lose excess weight, which will lead to all types of life threatening diseases and lifestyle limitations, to instead make changes that will not only keep them around longer but also make them feel better.  It's time to get REAL.

3. The Quick Fix

I deal with this one a lot. Everyone nowadays seems to think that results that look good are healthy and lasting should be easily achievable  or happen after one treatment.  Trust me - you didn't get that sun damaged skin after one day at the beach. You didn't gain 30 lbs from 2 glasses of wine and you certainly can’t create lasting natural looking change in a day. You need to  actually put in the work. I always tell my clients that the treatments done at the spa need to be used as an enhancement to the basics. Without doing these core things you will never get a glowing healthy vibrant you.

• Sleep - Without it you are cranky, will overeat and not exercise. It affects everything. Get it!
• Nutrition - You  know the saying you can’t exercise your way out of a bad diet. Good clean food in balanced proportions and appropriate calories is a game changer. Track your calories for  three days you may  be surprised.
• Exercise - It is the best for slowing down the aging process and - bonus - it supports mental health. Stop looking at it as torture and consider it "you time".
• Simple skin care - Use cleanser, sunscreen, vitamin C, retinol and moisturizer. Start with these items and you will see a significant change.​

In summary, keep the extremes in sports, not on your face and body! Have a Happy and Balanced 2020!