Mermaid Off Duty

Orange County. The OC. Whatever you call it, it’s pretty far from me so i don’t find myself talking adventures there often, but when my friend mentioned there was a place we could take the kids where the girls could be mermaids, it was worth exploring. Alaia and her best friend were getting ready to graduate and we were looking for something special to do for the girls. Having a son I was kind of worried there wouldn’t be anything fun for him to do, but they also had a pirate experience so he could join in the fun. Since we had littles, we did the cheapest package for them in case they weren’t actually that interested and opted for the full package for our 5 year olds.

Honestly, everyone was entertained. I actually thought my son was entertained the most once he was transformed into a pirate and got to run around with a sword after the pirate from Once Upon An Island. While everyone loved the experience inside and getting transformed, getting to go outside and into the ocean with a fish tail. . . . yeah. They are both still talking about this one!

Four Face Oil Hacks

Wait did I just say face oil? As in putting oil on my face?

Yup sure did.

If you are looking at me like I lost my mind right now because you’ve always heard to avoid oil, same girl, same. I was traveling to Paris for a skincare brand I was working with and they included a gift of a face oil from one of their French brands. I picked it up, and instantly thought. . . WTF am I supposed to do with this? Not put it on my face right?!?

My dear friend and eventually my co-founder of Aesthetic Influencer, Nicole, was on that trip with me and assured me that it was a fantastic product and that I basically had everything I thought I knew about oil for my face wrong. Imagine the look on my face when she told me that oil they gave me wouldn’t break me out, but instead change my life and my skin because even people with oily skin can use oil. Adding the oil on my face would tell my body to overproducing sebum which could help controlling oily skin. Mind Blown. However, as fast as that oil absorbed into my skin, she told me it wasn’t a replacement to my moisturizer because it oil kind of coats my skin so I still needed to layer something that pulls water into my skin and hydrates it. The oil is just the last step and seals it all it to keep moisture from escaping. Here’s a little brand secret for you too . . . Nicole is also an aesthetician and biochemist who I pulled in to help source the right private label skincare lab for the perfect blend. Pravada Private Label in Florida had this delicious blend of Black Current, Jojoba, Grape Seed, and Primrose that was great for an oily girl like me.

Ok, now that we cleared that up and your at least curious if not already a fan, let’s go over a few hacks for your newfound love, Face Oil.

#1 Use Face Oil For A Dewy Look

I’ve been using this highlighter in Golden Bronze from Mac for the past 10 years if not longer…..shhh. So many products I’ve loved have been discontinued, but this one has stood the test of time. Now that highlighting is having it’s 15 minutes of fame, and has taken over the beauty scene, everyone wants that coveted dewy look.  One of the best ways to get it, is to start with a dewy base. Enter: face oil!

You can either apply it to your skin before your makeup as a primer (being sure to let it soak in) or mix it in with your foundation. You can also use the face oil to highlight key areas like your cheekbones or apply it to your beauty blender or brush before blending in your foundation. Either way the results are a beautiful, healthy glow.

#2 Use Face Oil To Remove Makeup

The same oil you mixed in with your foundation can also help take it all off later! Are you double cleansing? Using an oil as your first cleanse uses the theory that ‘like attracts like.’ Using an oil based cleanser will melt off your makeup, and remove all oil based dirt from the skin. You should then rinse the oil off with lukewarm water, and follow with your normal cleanser. 

#3 Use Face Oil To On Your Cuticles

A lightweight oil that absorbs fast is perfect for your cuticles, especially in the winter months! I’m always washing my hands between being in and out of medical buildings to see clients or my kid’s schools which are overrun with germs. Between the constant washing and drier, cool air, they can get pretty dehydrated since cuticles have less oil glands to keep them moisturized. If mine stay dry too long, they peel and crack . . . and my nail girl starts cracking jokes. A little goes a long way so I try to rub a few drops in after using it on my face.

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What is microinfusion the $16 Amazon hack my skin is obsessed with

I was first introduced to microinfusions close to two years ago through a plastic surgeon I was friends with. It was starting to pop up in offices in Los Angeles my agency Aesthetic Influencer worked with, but there are so many treatments that I come in contact with that new ones don’t always hold my attention especially since I’m cautious of many peels and lasers as a women of color.

So WTF is microinfusion and why is my skin obsessed? It’s a combination of microneedling by stamping and infusing the skin with serums simultaneously. In a clinic, a microinfusion facial may include a cocktail of what a provider may typically inject into a client’s face like Botox and Filler, but microinfusions are not meant to erase wrinkles, only soften them. It’s usually a treatment done as an addition to injectables to concentrate on the skin because it leads to instant gratification with the least amount of downtime. The typical results are eliminating fine lines and tightening of the skin for a “Glass Skin” effect. Here in Los Angeles, it’s usually a treatment recommended to Hollywood clients before a major event because it leaves a radiant glow with minimal downtime. The device used is called AquaGold which the company sells to professionals and then another version A.S.A.P Microinfusion System for use at home. I had one professional treatment with Botox, Hyaluronic Acid, and PRP from a dermatologist that was a client and was hooked! Naturally I told all of my friends about it.

How much does a professional treatment cost? Like most treatments, you should be going in for a series, but being anywhere from $600 - $900 per treatment, most of us didn’t seek out a professional treatment as often as was recommended. Even at the lower price end, $600 is a lot to drop for a sprinkle of Botox labeled as a facial on a regular basis, but just like Botox injected with a needle. . . the effects won’t last forever. While at-home therapies can never replace the multitude of benefits professional services have, just like you still need to brush your teeth everyday after going to see the dentist, microinfusing your skin at home can help enhance the results you get in a professional setting. Now just to keep it all the way real, $600 is a lot of money for tiny droplets of Botox and the promise of better skin. Luckily, if you are curious to see if it makes an immediate difference for you, most offices in the States do some form of this with Aquagold so the price has been driven down to as low as $250 with Botox plus a blend of other serums in some areas.

Can I get this done cheaper?! You can try the treatment at home for $225 for Dew & Go Microneedling Infusion Stamp, but $59 will get you the same thing called TokStick from Korea made by the same parent company, Beuon. They sell this cute version without ampules for $59 so you are able to infuse your skin with serums of your choice or get the device plus a set of four serum ampules for $89.

What may my results be like at home versus professional treatment mixing Botox in the serum? While some aestheticians are now doing a microinfusion facial with a mix of different serums, most microinfusion facials are done by medical professionals because they mix Botox and Filler into the vile. Home results are going to be closer to using a microneedle product like Banish ($69 for microneedle) since you won’t even get to add in Botox of Filler in your mix! Since you aren’t able to actually infuse a mixture into your skin at home that’s similar to what a doctor would use with Vitamin C, glutathione, hyaluronic acid filler, and Botox, the real magic is coming from having tiny needles stamping into the skin which stimulates your own natural collagen production.

I can’t use Botox at home so what are some options to needle with? One suggestion you could use at home that’s a steal at $23 and easily accessed at a Drug Store is this dermatologist-grade, oil-free serum from Vichy with 15% vitamin C and hyaluronic acid. Expect it to reduce fine lines, firm skin, even skin tone with continued use. I get a lot of products free since I work with many skincare brands or dermatologists that gift me products, but as an insider tip, I love this brightening serum with kojic acid, hyaluronic acid, and licorice root that you can order a sample of from Pravada Private Label for $4. If you love it enough to start your own skincare line, you can private label it from then at minimums as low as 12 units around $10 each under your own ‘brand,’

Germaphobe update. There is a $16 version of Aquagold sold on Amazon (Hydra Micro 20) that I know some clinics have purchased to do their microinfusion treatments since they can purchase it far cheaper than Aquagold’s wholesale price. After testing it, this one is now hands down the winner for me. At $16, I can economically replace the device after each treatment just like a doctor would which would be a better option for anyone who is now a germaphobe post-COVID and not wanting to risk infection because they are reusing needles. In clinics, the Aquagold device is never saved for reuse. You always get a fresh one with each treatment.

Does it hurt?! You ARE poking your face with needles. Everyone has a different threshold for pain, but since you are not using anything to numb your face like a doctor would, it’s not pleasant. As a tip, remember you are going to tap lightly. The needles do all the work for you so don’t press hard.

So what should you expect after a treatment at home? If you do this at home, I would recommend this as an evening ritual after you’ve cleaned your face and then started stamping in a serum. In the morning, you’'ll rinse your face off with a gentle cleanser. Since microinfusion can make your skin more sensitive to the sun, while I recommend sun protection EVERY DAY OF YOUR LIFE, be sure not to “forget” in the days following this treatment.

So what do you think of this treatment? Would you give this a try at home?

How to use microneedling infusion stamp

Summer Road tripping with the littles

This wasn't the first and won't be the last time I take the kids out of town solo. It's never easy, but it's always worth it. A lot of times we just call it sleepovers because it centers around me picking a nice hotel where we swim, make s’mores, and stay up late playing games with room service. Our trips haven't been particularly adventurous until this past year now that they are getting bigger. They've mostly been a way for us to really bond. I'm not on a crazy schedule so we take our time, we color, someone else cleans up after us and brings dinner to the room, and I just really use that time to give them my total undivided attention. It's usually around when my husband is already out of town so it ends up being easier for us both to be in a new environment.

Our trip to South Lake Tahoe was super spontaneous. I talked myself out of driving out of town with the kids on my own at least 3x in 24 hours because I do spend the night out of town with just us, but more like pick an easy resort and two hours or so away and go swimming. At most, we maybe leave the place once or twice and just hang out on the property. It’s also never been a destination that felt so “very middle of nowhere” on my own.

I would have loved to rent a kayak or boat because the water is so beautiful and crystal clear, but I stuck to activities this round that I thought I could manage on my own easily. We stuck to hiking and exploring the lake. I picked out hiking trails and beaches that were pretty popular so there was pretty much always a lot of people around even if the areas we were at looked desolate in photographs. I didn't geotag where we were while I was gone because as much as I love chatting online, there are still too many people out there that could use that information to target a woman who is traveling on her own. Actually, I exercise that same bit of caution online as I never mention my kid's school or camps or post a photo with them wearing any school tees.

I thought I was going to chat more about what we did while we were gone (Mostly Eagle Falls, Sand Harbor Beach, and exploring the city to eat), but I got so many DMs and questions from friends about traveling on my own with the kids that I decided to make this post about that.

Here are a few of my tips if you are going to attempt a few nights away like this yourself before the summer is out:

Be Alert: I'm an optimistic person, but my father has instilled street smarts into me from day one. I'm never going to be the person who just leaves their purse on a chair during a birthday party, and when traveling, I'm always going to remain on high alert especially if I'm traveling solo without my husband because there are crazy people out there who target women and women who may be alone with children. I make it very clear to my children that not all people are good people and I'm here to protect them, but I need their help sticking close to me and listening so I can keep us all safe.

Let Someone Know Where You Are: We planned really last minute, but my husband had our hotel information and we just got our daughter a Gizmo which also acts as a location tracker so we had that with us and activated so he could stay on top of where we were in case we had any issues.

Hotels/Resorts > Airbnb: So everyone may not agree with me here, but I felt 110% more secure staying in a hotel with multiple other guests, kid-friendly, with and someone we could check in with more than I did trying to be in contact with a homeowner and then being off in the woods somewhere on our own. For all that we may as well went camping somewhere on our own. . . . which wasn't something I felt comfortable doing on my own.

Talk Through What Happens If You Get Separated: I just got my daughter a Gizmo which is like an Apple Watch for kids that you can program up to 10 numbers of people they can contact by calling or texting. I felt much more at ease knowing she could call me if we got separated (when we weren't in areas with no cell service while hiking!). For both children, I've always told them to look for a mommy and yell out my full name instead of "mommy" if they ever got lost. In a mommy and me class, they explained that teaching this to young children can help so you can identify them in a crowd where there may be a ton of other kids saying mommy and to specifically tell them to look for a woman for help because women will most likely commit to helping a young child while a man may be hesitant of looking like he was trying to run off with them. My kids are of an age that they can remember my phone number, but there are companies who make tattoos of your name and number you can put on a child's wrist for the day that I've ordered for things like days at Disneyland when they were too young for basic conversation.

Are you heading anywhere with the littles this summer? DM me @jasminepennamma and let me know. I’d love to hear!

Summer School - Learning A New Skill For The Summer

School is out this week and although both kids will be enrolled in camps while my husband and I are working, it still feels like we will have some downtime because we will be light of the sports and extra activities. With my oldest being an early reader and my youngest starting, I’m going to do my best to go to the library each week so they can pick a new book for us to read together. I remember being part of summer book clubs like Book It (free pizza at Pizza Hut!) and 600 Minutes (Free ticket to six flags!) which I loved, but while I think these programs helped me start an early love of devouring books, I wanted to try my own twist to it.

In college, I never really had a summer “off”, but whether I was taking summer classes or working at an internship, while it felt great to have a break from the demands of the school year, that didn’t mean I needed to take a break from learning. For me, the best part about the slow days of summer is that you have a chance to learn on your own terms. So while in school I would pick a class I was really interested in that had nothing to do with my major, and even while away on internship I would enroll in something that excited me like a commercial acting class or art class.

For myself and my kids, I want us to each pick a skill that we want to learn and use books that we check out at the library, YouTube videos, and a lot of trial and error to work on it to continuously get better over the summer. For me it will probably center around shooting and editing video and for my daughter around art. I’m not sure what my son will pick, but I know he’s always been into helping in the kitchen so I may start him out with snacks and smoothies he can make after school. We haven’t picked it out exactly, but we have a few days together at a hotel when school is out to try and figure it out!

Dirty 30

30th birthdays are known to be huge milestones, but I couldn’t exactly put my finger on WHAT this milestone was because the closer I got to 30, the less of a milestone it looked like. I still have friends who are in the Dirty Thirty Club who are out every night, drinking until the dawn breaks, or running out of town for every excuse of a college reunion type party. So I can’t really say that 30 feels ‘old‘ like it did when I was younger. Everyone is still out and about living their life! So for me, thirty became a time to cherish my loved ones and to learn to age well instead of a year to be afraid of.

My 20's were met with exciting firsts like my first NY apartment (29th and 5th), my first paid ‘corporate internship’ (Neiman Marcus), my first helicopter ride (and engagement!), and of course the first day of the rest of my married life (in Hawaii). With the 20's behind me, I look forward to the 30's and other firsts like first born, first word, and family first. And what better way to start that off than my last day of my 20's in Vegas with my friends, and the first day of my 30th in Maui at the Four Seasons with my husband? I could get used to 30!

And I’ll leave you with that sunscreen speech from ’99. From NY to LA, can you tell I was paying attention?! (Minus the part about not reading beauty magazines. The nerve!). Not planning a move from Cali anytime soon though, I’m starting to really dig my soft side.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts. Don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don’t waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long and, in the end, it’s only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else’s.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they’ll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They’re your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live inCalifornia once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you’ll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you’ll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don’t mess too much with your hair or by the time you’re 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.