My #BeLuminous Skin Journey

Eight weeks ago I started a skincare journey with Olay Regenerist Luminous skincare products. Going into it, I knew that the project involved posting a no-makeup photo publicly (hooray for not having to endure the Facebook trend – been there, done that on the blog already!) and sharing my experience using the products. It also involved a photo and video shoot in Toronto that I was looking forward to and dreading with equal gusto (more about that later).

In my second post, I shared my experience with the product thus far, and that experience continues today. I use all three Olay Regenerist Luminous products daily, yet my favourite is the Luminous Tone Perfecting Cream. My skin seems to crave it in the morning after my shower – if more than a few minutes go by without applying it, the skin on my face feels dry and itchy. Yet, simply applying Luminous Tone Perfecting Cream instantly takes away the dry itch and my skin doesn’t show any of the redness or irritation it did moments before. The scent is light and fresh and my face feels soft afterwards, not greasy.

A few weeks ago, I visited Toronto and as part of my participation in the campaign, agreed to a photo shoot and video shoot for Olay with a professional team of make-up and hair stylists, photographers and videographers. Sitting in the chair, the team determined they wanted my bangs off my face (a fresh face indeed!) so my long, thick, hair was braided back off my face. That was overwhelming in itself – my face (and my angry wrinkle) was completely exposed! Thankfully, my makeup was done impeccably so my angry wrinkle and sun damage was somewhat obscured for the camera.

Sitting in the photographer’s chair, bright white lights shining and reflecting off my face and about a dozen people standing at attention watching me be photographed, one thought stood out among the rest, “Every woman should allow herself to be this vulnerable, just once.”

Sure, having my face in the capable hands of a professional photographer makes me realize there are far worse situations one could be in. Yet, I bet if you ask many women to describe an uncomfortable situation, something like standing on a stage, speaking in front of others, having yourself critiqued in any way would be a common answer.

At the end of it all, however, the thought that stands out the most is – empowerment. Was it uncomfortable? Sure. Was I happy with my hair braided back and my face and all its flaws completely exposed for a photo shoot? No. Am I grateful for the experience and everything I’ve learned along the way? Absolutely.

At the end of it all, I’ve learned we are all luminous. We all shine whether or not we have bright lights and light reflectors in our face. Some days it takes a little extra something to make us shine – whether it’s a cup of coffee, a call from a friend, or a beauty product that makes us feel good and ready to face the day. As for me, my luminous spirit comes from a morning cup of coffee in one hand and yes, a great facial cream like Olay Regenerist in the other. And, some bangs to cover that angrywrinkle. 😉

Olay Regenerist Luminous brings you a complete regime to brighten yourskin step-by-step.
Step 1: Olay Regenerist Luminous Brightening Cream Cleanser’s creamy formula instantly illuminates skin and leaves it feeling smooth, conditioned and even textured.
Step 2: Recapture healthy-looking, youthful luminosity with Luminous Tone Perfecting Cream. You’ll feel intense hydration immediately, and see visibly younger-looking skin in 2 weeks and more even skin tone in 8 weeks.
Step 3: Luminous Dark Circle Correcting HydraSwirl uses a distinctive dual-swirl formula with a gel to hydrate and a cream to instantly reduce the appearance of dark circles.

For more information, visit Olay.ca.

Disclosure: This post was brought to you by Procter & Gamble via Glam Media Canada. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Procter & Gamble.