Tag: Ada Polla

It Takes 4 of Us to Make Me Feel Whole

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When I turned 40 last October, I asked my sisters for a gift – that they all come to visit me in Louisiana for Memorial Day weekend. And Memorial Day weekend is upon us. I can’t quite describe the feeling of having them all here with me, and I know the weekend is just beginning, but last night’s dinner was perfection. I tried to say thank you… with the following words.

First, thank you to you, Edwin. This weekend would not have been possible without you. You know what I want and don’t want. You knew having my sisters in Louisiana was the best gift ever, and you made it happen. You even bought a new boat and renovated your Hammond kitchen to prepare for “their”’arrival. Thank you. Thank you for loving me so well.

Second, to Bernard. You are the one “plus one” here this weekend, and for this I am forever grateful. Thank you for coming to be moral support for Edwin during the Polla sisters weekend takeover. I am so grateful for you and for how you love Rachel.

Thank you, Stern for being with us, for representing the extended Neill family tonight. Thank you for making the special trip from California just to meet my sisters (J).

To Roxane. You were the first of my sisters to fall in love with Louisiana, a number of years ago. You fell in love with New Orleans. With the boat and the river and the alligators. With Debra’s house which you still think is the most beautiful house you have seen in the world. Thank you for understanding why I love it here. Thank you for coming back. Please tell Guillaume he is missed, but here in spirit.

To Rachel. You host me, us, in Geneva every single time we come. You never say no when I send you my travel dates. You make sure there is champagne and gruyere in the fridge. You always make me feel like I am home. Your hospitality is the kindest and most generous there is. This weekend is a small attempt to say thank you.

To Cyrille. You came back to the US of A. I must admit I stopped believing it would happen. Last time you came to this country it was for also for me. It was to help the Alchimie booth at ISPA 2005 at the Dallas Gaylord (our first ever booth). You hated it. Hated the AC (oops sorry), hated not being able to smoke anywhere, hated working the booth and speaking to people, you hated everything. That was the trade show Edwin and I met at. Thank you for coming for me then. Thank you for agreeing to come back for me now.

Thank you for coming here together so we can show The Polla Sisters to The Neill Brothers. They have no idea what is coming…

Je vous aime. Mes sœurs. Merci.

Keep Showing Up

Categories All, My life2 Comments on Keep Showing Up

My last blog post was March 8th – more than 6 weeks ago. Ironically, it was about a fabulous talk I heard about beating burnout.  If you know me, you know that to write, I need to be in the right mind set. I need space in my head, in my heart. And well, March and April have provided a dearth of said space.

I love what I do, all of it, and I am grateful for every single day I get to do what I do. And still, sometimes, I get overwhelmed.

Perhaps it’s because the weather feels like it’s stuck in February.

Perhaps it’s because I have worked most recent weekends.

Perhaps it’s because someone close to me experienced a life or death situation (she thankfully lived).

After all, the why does not really matter. So I spent some time this weekend reminding myself to take my own advice. When my girlfriends call me and share that they are overwhelmed, these are my recommendations – which I am now acting on!

  • Focus on choice. I am choosing everything I am doing. No one is forcing me to travel as much, to work as much, to do what I do. I make these choices every day. And, well, while I don’t have the power to choose the weather or prevent accidents that happen, I choose how I react to things out of my control.
  • Look extra hot. One of my mottos is to always be overdressed, and there is no time that is more important than when things feel off. For me, that means kick ass heels and an extra bright red lip. It’s hard to have a horrible day when everyone keeps complimenting my shoes.
  • Make room for alone time. Which in crazy times means canceling two commitments per week.
  • Be kind. First to myself, which means exercising more, drinking less, eating healthier, sleeping more. And to others, because more likely than not, they are feeling the same way I do. A smile goes such a long way.
  • Be inspired by others. This morning’s encouragement from the Universe came in the form of an email from my friend Marc Ross on Boston marathon winner Desiree Linden. His concluding words were:

“Linden’s ability to persevere and succeed in exceptionally miserable physical circumstances is remarkable.

Linden’s ability to persevere and succeed in exceptionally challenging mental circumstances is remarkable.

To succeed in 2018, Linden had to find a deeper gear to compete.

Her pinned Tweet displays where she finds this deeper gear:

“Some days it just flows and I feel like I’m born to do this, other days it feels like I’m trudging through hell. Every day I make the choice to show up and see what I’ve got, and to try and be better.”

My advice: keep showing up.

#MondayMotivaton #TogetherForward”

I don’t think any advice can be more profound.

Make a choice to show up and keep showing up.

You might just achieve your goal.

So keep showing up. Today and every day.

Moisturizing Tips

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Most of us use a moisturizer – but do we use the right one, in the right way? I speak to women every day about their moisturizer choices and habits, here are some of my favorite tips.

  1. Yes, well all should use a moisturizer daily. Choose it based on your skin type – refer to my father’s advice above, I could not put it in better words (to his delight!).
  2. Take seasonality into account when choosing the right moisturizer. This means that you may have to different ones, a light one for the humid summer and a more hydrating one for the dry winter. Also remember climate, in particular if you have recently moved or travel a lot. As I write this, sitting at my hotel desk in Las Vegas, I feel the dryness in my skin all the more than I did two days ago in Washington DC…
  3. The moisturizer that was right for you in your 20s is probably no longer right for you in your 40s. The number of women I speak to who have not changed their cream in 20+ years is staggering. Our skin is a living, breathing organism that evolves and changes with time. As you adapt your wardrobe from your 20s to your 40s, so should you adapt your skin care products.
  4. The perfect morning cream offers hydration, anti-aging benefits, and broad spectrum SPF protection. Look for an SPF of 20 or above for daily use, to protect your skin from 90+% of UV, such as our Protective Day Cream SPF 23.
  5. Do not use a moisturizer with SPF in the evening.
  6. Apply your moisturizer from the clavicle or collarbone to forehead, always moving against gravity. Always remember your face does not end at your chin, but rather mid-chest.
  7. Don’t forget to exfoliate once to three times per week to help slough off dead skin cells – and help your moisturizer really absorb.
  8. If you are looking for the perfect Alchimie Forever facial moisturizer to incorporate in your routine, here are your three choices:

Entering my 40th year… with serenity and gratitude

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Today is my favorite day of the year. Today, I turn 39. Today is filled with love, family and friends, champagne, home-made cake, purple roses, calls, texts, Facebook messages, and unexpected gifts.

This morning, as I sipped coffee from my favorite spot at home, I sent thanks to the Universe as I would not want to go back to a different age if I could. I wouldn’t go back to high school (a perm and braces… I don’t think so), college (when I thought I knew things I didn’t), my late 20s (when I thought I was all grown up and wasn’t), or even my early 30s. I am grateful to be 39. I am exactly where I want to be. I feel stronger than I ever have, more serene than ever before, forever youthful, and excited about the future. And I still get carded sometimes.

This morning, I realized that what makes my birthday so special is indeed what makes my life so special – a husband that loves me for who I am, 3 sisters whom I cherish (Cyrille sent me this image and message), family I am so close to despite geographical distance, a run by the Potomac, trees with leaves of gold, lunch with a best friend, a glass of pink Moet, dinner with my god-children, a wonderful team and business partners that support my vision and dreams.

Today, I am entering my 40th year. With serenity, gratitude, and anticipation of all that lies ahead. And with a little bit of extra Tightening eye contour gel.

15 Beauty Rules

Categories Alchimie Forever, Beauty1 Comment on 15 Beauty Rules

I was invited by Progressions Salon and Spa last week to participate in a Wellness and Stress Management event. In thinking about the theme, I was reminded of the core of our brand’s DNA, and of the reason why my parents decided to create a product brand so many years ago: because looking good, means feeling good, means doing good. Indeed, looking good is a way to relieve stress, and increase wellness.

The question, of course, is what can we do to look good, to look better? Here are 15 rules, strategies, rather, that I learned from my parents – and that I follow religiously.   

  1. Prevention is everything. Don’t wait to see wrinkles or have bad skin to use great products, get regular facials, and go to your dermatologist at least once per year. Think of your skin care the way you think of your dental care – you don’t wait to have rotting teeth to brush your teeth daily; you don’t wait to have cavities to go visit a dentist twice annually for your checkup. The same behavior applies to skin.
  2. No smoking. Ever.
  3. No sun. Ever. If you must sun, remember: no “unprotected sun.” And no tanning beds either.
  4. Never go to bed without washing your face. I recently learned from a very credible source (a German R&D specialist) that every day you sleep with your makeup on you age your skin 7 days…
  5. Exfoliate once per week. Every week. This not only helps your skin look its best, it also will help all of your skin care products work better. Using expensive serums and masks on skin that is never exfoliated is like taking a shower with your rain coat on. It’s a shower… but it’s not exactly have its full desired effect…
  6. Use a product with broad-spectrum SPF protection every morning. January 1 through December 31. Yes, that includes the winter months.
  7. Use an antioxidant product every day, ideally twice a day. This will help your skin age as gracefully as possible.
  8. If you’re old enough to drink, you’re old enough for a good eye cream. The skin around the eyes is the first to show signs of aging, so prevention is even more important.
  9. Sleep on your back. You can train yourself to do this. Even if it’s not all night, every night, it will truly make a difference. My dermatologist father can always tell on which side a woman (or man!) sleeps because the wrinkles are deeper on that side of the face.
  10. Use products on your neck and décolleté. Your face does not end at your jawline, but rather just above your chest.
  11. The hands are a woman’s second face. Treat them like you treat your face, with anti-aging products and sun protection.
  12. Use more skin care and less makeup as you grow older. Makeup ages you. Except mascara and lipstick.
  13. Make an extra effort to look good on the days you feel bad, sick, tired, sad, upset, or are in a bad mood. Nothing brightens those hard days as regular compliments throughout the day about your lovely outfit, great hair, or fabulous necklace. It works every time!
  14. Look at yourself in the mirror. Really look. That way you will never wake up thinking “how did this line just appear, it was not there yesterday….” Wrinkles take time to form. If you see them forming, you’ll be less shocked or upset when you realize they are fully formed.
  15. Every year you grow older, spend 1 more minute in your bathroom.

Four men I can't live without…

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…As in, the men who keep me beautiful. They each make me feel good because they make me look good, and I am grateful to have them in my life!

My dermatologist, my father: Dr. Luigi L. Polla, Forever Institut

Together since: 1977

It starts with my father, of course! As I recently shared with Glamour Magazine, he is the source of all of my skin care knowledge and good skin habits. And the only one whom I entrust my face to when it comes to Botox.

polla

My hair whisperer: Frank Rizzieri, Rizzieri Salon & Spa

Together since: 2014

Other than blow-outs (see below), I was never one for hair cuts, hair styles, or hair extensions. That is, until I met Frank Rizzieri – then all that changed. I now drive 3.5 hours to Marlton, NJ, for my hair appointments, because he is worth it. I never look as good as I do walking out of his salon.

fr

My blow-out guru: Enver Coban, Georgetown Salon & Spa

Together since: 2002

Enver came into my life thanks to the recommendation of my friend Pirooz Sarshar. Having just moved to DC, I asked Pirooz who gave the best blow-out in town. “Go to the Turks,” he said (himself of Turkish origin). And so I did. I met Enver when he was working at George at the Four Seasons, and followed him to Georgetown Salon and Spa. He still gives me the best blow-out, in under 30 minutes.

enver

My eyebrow master: Erwin Gomez, Karma Salon

Together since: 2002

I can’t recall who recommended I go to Erwin for my eyebrows – if it was a best friend, or perhaps Allure Magazine, but I am forever grateful. I get compliments on my eyebrows weekly, and I have him to thank. The maintenance is an investment, but Erwin is worth every penny. And when, one day in 2014, he told me: “After more than 10 years, your eyebrows are finally looking the way they should!” I didn’t know if I should cry or celebrate!

er