Stop the Presses: Alchimie Forever Is Coming to QVC

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!

Alright, so I'm a little excited. One of my favorite skincare brands in the whole wide world is coming to QVC. Well, at least one of their delightful product offerings will be available at this time. Of course, I'll be pushing for them to offer more there - for instance their Kantic mask and moisturizers -- yoohoo, anyone listening??? lol!

Alchimie Forever, a swiss brand of gorgeous skincare from the Polla family, is the result of 20+ years of clinical experience in dermatology and biomedical research on antioxidants and the aging process. Alchimie Forever products combine some of the most powerful natural antioxidants. Extracted from herbs (rosemary, basil), plants (green tea, watercress, turmeric), and fruits and vegetables (blueberries, grape seeds, tomatoes), these antioxidants have complementary effects that strengthen, protect, and promote healthier, more youthful-looking skin. These products are as scrumptious as they are effective. You'll always find several of their products in my bathroom. (read more of my items on Alchimie Forever here.)

So, I've just learned they bringing their Diode 1 + Diode 2 Age-Defying Serums to QVC. Join Ada Polla as she brings Alchimie Forever to the masses for the first time on Wed., 4/22 at 4 am EST. Too late or too early to watch, that's okay, you can also view the fab deal they're offering to introduce the products on the QVC website directly.


Yayyyyyy, Ada! You're going to do great ... I'm going to set my alarm to watch "in person". This is so exciting. xo

WINNER: Alchimie Forever Excimer+ Facial Scrub

AND THE WINNER IS ...

Judy

Congratulations, Judy!! The scrub will be packaged and sent to you at the mailing address you provided to me this week. Hope you enjoy!

Look for more giveaways from For the Love of Beauty coming soon!

Winner chosen thru random # generator at mathgoodies.com

CONTEST + GIVEAWAY REMINDERS

Alchimie Forever Excimer+ Facial Scrub Giveaway by For the Love of Beauty

Entries accepted until 11:59pm on Sun., 5/11/08

Enter Here

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TotalBeauty still has their marvelous Totally Green Sweepstakes going on, and prizes are given out all day. Check 'em out by clicking the bar above.

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My friend Daneen over at Spoiled Pretty is giving away the Motherload in honor of Mother's Day. Included are products from Stila and Cynthia Rowley. Entries accepted thru midnight on Sat., 5/10/08.

Enter Here

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Lipstick Powder 'n Paint has a Biotherm giveaway going on thru May 31st, 2008. Products include: RIDES REPAIR - wrinkle repair Day cream for Dry Skin, RIDES REPAIR SERUM - Ultra-smoothing serum, RIDES REPAIR EYE - Eye contour smoothing. For more info and to enter, click here.

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Backstage Beauty Giveaway by Allure

Fashion lovers look to a select circle of designers for the latest trends every season. The beauty world relies on one woman in particular: makeup artist Pat McGrath. A backstage star at the biggest shows, McGrath is a major trendsetter. All this month, enter to win some of her favorites from the fall 2008 fashion shows. You could receive a basket filled with more than $650 worth of makeup from Cover Girl, Max Factor, Nars, Benefit, and more.

Enter Here

You can check out OTHER Allure giveaways coming soon - here.

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For Glamour Magazine giveaways from Goody Beauty Rx, Kipling, Kohl's Bridal and Nivea, click here

BRAINS & BEAUTY: Ada Polla Tray of Alchimie Forever

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree in the Polla family. Ada Polla Tray, co-creator of the cosmeceutical skincare line Alchimie Forever, launched the antioxidant skincare line in North America in 2004 and is leading its further development stateside and in Europe. Created by Ada's parents, Drs. Luigi and Barbara Polla, in 2000, Alchimie Forever first launched in Geneva, Switzerland. This is a family that has devoted itself to the science and care of skin. Luigi Polla, MD is a world-renowned dermatologist and European leader in the field of cosmetic laser therapy. Barbara Polla, MD is a leader in biomedical research on antioxidants and stress proteins. Both are specialists in cellular aging. Their skincare line is based on a combination of powerful natural antioxidants including green tea, rosemary, basil, turmeric, blueberries, grape seeds and tomatoes.


Known for their love and promotion of art (they have the Analix Forever Art Gallery in Geneva) as well as science, the Polla family is without a doubt making their mark.


You may be thinking, "...sure, Ada just had everything spoon-fed to her". Wrong! This sassy, ambitious woman is forging her own trail here in the USA. Ada followed up her undergrad degree from Harvard (magna cum laude at that) with an MBA from Georgetown and travels extensively to promote the skincare line. Her efforts have landed the company's high-end anti-aging products in the pages of French Vogue, InStyle, Vivre and more.


The products marry anti-aging technology with botanicals. Aside from what's already at top, what other ingredients can you find in the line? Yummy, fabulous, good for the skin ingredients like oats, wild pansies, jojoba and shea butters, watercress, willowbark, papaya, cucumber, grapefruit, vitamin E. In some of their body products (Q-Switch for instance), you can also find infusions of caffeinated mate' leaves, Amazonian guarana, ginger, and marine algae for toning effects.

Controversially, perhaps, what else will you find in some Alchimie Forever products? Parabens.

Ada offers no apology for using parabens. She believes that studies indicting parabens as cancerous are deeply flawed. "We don't know if parabens are implicated in cancer because the researchers did not study this. We need large-scale studies to prove or disprove causation, and there hasn't been a single one." Until there's an antibacterial agent that's equally effective and doesn't irritate the skin, Ada says Alchimie Forver will continue to use parabens (noted: albeit at very low, fractional percentages) and "not using them with our natural ingredients would pose a health risk".

What I can tell you of the products I've tried from Alchimie Forever is I completely adore them! They feel wonderful on the skin, are incredibly effective, their light, fresh aromas are a treat to the senses and a joy to use.

GIVEAWAY

Sooooo . . . to close out our wonderful week of Earth Day explorations, we're giving away a jar of Alchimie Forever's new gentle antioxidant facial scrub: Excimer+.

This isn't just any scrub, this is an ultra-gentle creamy exfoliant with cranberry and jojoba beads that work synergistically to remove dead skin cells and brighten the skin, while papaya enzymes exfoliate. Lychee extract rejuvenates and brightens as rosemary works to calm inflammation and prevent breakouts. Shea butter hydrates, ensuring this scrub is gentle enough for the most sensitive skin types.

TO ENTER:

• 1) Post a comment to this feature letting what your favorite skincare ingredient is;
• 2) Send me an email with GIVEAWAY in the subject line, and include your email address and US mailing address (failure to send this information will prevent my being able to send you the product, thus disqualify entry)

That's all there is to it! Some restrictions may apply. Contest open to US residents only. Winners will be chosen at random from among entrants. This giveaway is limited to one winner. Duplicate entries will not improve your chances of winning. Giveaway sponsored by Alchimie Forever and by For the Love of Beauty. Entries will be accepted through 11:59 pm on Sun., 05/11/08.

Alchimie Forever - Skincare You Can't Wait to Get Home to Apply

Have been so glad to hear from so many of you about your love for Alchimie Forever. Others have emailed wanting more information. Happy to go on and on about this gem of a skincare company, but will try and keep your interest with the important points. I don't quite remember how I stumbled upon them a little over two years ago, but for sure I have loved everything I've ever tried.

Husband and wife team, Dr. Luigi Polla and Dr. Barbara Polla, created the Alchimie Forever skincare line to advance and extend the healing and preventive benefits achieved through their Swiss based medical spa in Geneva, Forever Laser Institute. Dr. Luigi Polla, a dermatologist and European leader in the field of cosmetic laser therapy, is an expert on skin aging. Dr. Barbara Polla, a leader in biomedical research on antioxidants and stress proteins, is a specialist in cellular aging. You can see how their joint expertise would produce a remarkable line of products in skincare. In addition to wonderful products, you can expect excellent customer service from Alchimie Forever. As president of the company, their daughter, Ada, has been wonderfully interactive in reaching out to consumers, personally answering questions, and really helping folks understand the benefits and the science behind her family's products. Any doubts? Look at the skin of this beautiful family.

Dr.'s Luigi and Barbara Polla

Ada Polla Tray

Rachel Polla

Alchimie Forever offers a full line of skincare, addressing the needs of women, men, and body. You'll delight in the "luscious-ness" of these products; an experience for all the senses! Among my favorites so far:

Kantic Mask

Brightening moisture mask

Blueberries, wild pansies, oats, grapes, vitamin E

This creamy, soothing mask is packed with antioxidants and oat extracts to soothe, protect, and brighten dull skin. Blueberries help to quell redness, oats and wild pansies combine to speed the recovery of dry, distressed skin and calm irritation, while grape extracts combat free radicals and repair the look of past skin damage.

Weekly use helps reduce the appearance of redness, fine lines and wrinkles, restoring the skin's healthy glow.

Kantic Lights Off

Calming evening cream

Blueberries, jojoba, grape seeds, vitamin E

Increase the beneficial effects of beauty sleep with this midweight night cream that nourishes, renews, and brightens the skin, leaving it soft and silky the next morning.

Packed with antioxidants derived from blueberries, grape seeds, and vitamin E, this cream revives tired, dehydrated skin and helps minimize the signs of stress and fatigue. Daily use softens the appearance of fine lines and quells redness, leaving the skin soft and radiant.

Q-Switch

Optimizing body contour gel

Maté, guarana, marine algae, ginger

This slimming gel is infused with caffeinated maté leaves and Amazonian guarana, and stimulating ginger and marine algae, to visibly lift and tone the skin.

With continued use, these natural botanicals minimize the appearance of cellulite and water retention, resulting in smoother, firmer-looking skin and more beautiful feminine contours.

alchimie-forever.com