The Best Of Portland

'Tis the season for up to 30% off Thermage and Laser Skin Rejuvenation Services at SpaBella! - Compliments of Dr. Cynthia Gray, Board Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, Vancouver, Wa

Click Here for a direct link to Dr. Cynthia Gray's and SpaBella's website for more details.

Click Here for a direct link to Dr. Cynthia Gray's and SpaBella's website for more details.

Click Here for a direct link to Dr. Cynthia Gray's and SpaBella's website for more details.

Shhhh! There's a secret to permanently looking younger, more vivacious and boosting your confidence...Lip Implants by Dr. Cynthia Gray, M.D., Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Vancouver, Wa

Now you can wake-up every morning with lush, youthful looking lips and no one will be the wiser.

Dr. Cynthia Gray is providing one of the best kept secrets to looking more youthful and naturally beautiful, permanently.  This minor lip implant procedure can be done in the convenience of the office, under local anesthetic, and is usually completed within 45 minutes. Any sign of swelling is usually gone within 10 days of having the procedure.

No longer do you have to bother applying lip-liner to enhance the size of your lips or worry about unsightly smearing, creping or the hard, aging affects lip-liners and lipsticks can have on your appearance.  Furthermore, frequent visits to the doctor for expensive lip fillers that only last a few months can be a thing of the past. And best of all, this procedure's quick, painless and provides instant results, without looking OVERDONE. 

  

  

Call Dr. Cytnhia Gray's office today at | 360.892.0096 ext. 1 to schedule an appointment to discuss how permanent lip implants can provide you with a more youthful, vibrant and natural looking appearance.

Long, Lovely Lashes Naturally! Call SpaBella today to learn more about the latest advances in natural image enhancement. SpaBella's medi-spa services are supervised by Dr. Cynthia Gray, Board Certified Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon - Vancouver, Wa

 

The FDA approved Latisse, the first drug to promote eyelash growth, according to Allergan, the company that makes Latisse.

Latisse became available by prescription starting in the first quarter of 2009. Latisse contains the active ingredient of the glaucoma drug Lumigan, which is also made by Allergan.

Eyelash growth is a known side effect of Lumigan. But Lumigan and Latisse are used differently. Lumigan is an eyedrop, and Latisse gets dabbed along the lash line on the upper eyelids to promote longer, thicker, darker lashes.

Allergan states that "Latisse users can expect to experience longer, fuller, and darker eyelashes in as little as eight weeks, with full results in 16 weeks." If Latisse is stopped, eyelashes will gradually return to their previous appearance as new eyelashes grow in.

According to Allergan, Latisse was well-tolerated in its clinical trials, with the most common side effects being eye redness, itchy eyes, and skin hyperpigmentation.

Click Here for a link to SpaBella's website for more details!

SpaBella's Spring "Pick Me Up" Specials - Vancouver, Washington

 

Now through May 30th, 2009 take advantage of SpaBella's Spring "Pick Me Up" Specials which offer incredible savings on cutting-edge, image enhancing medical procedures.

• IPL PhotoFacial and Vitalize Peel $300 (regularly $400) - A powerful anti-aging treatment which improves overall skin condition and targets age spots.

• Microlaser Peel and PhotoFacial $500 (regularly $750) - Smooths skin texture and improves overall skin tone.

• Thermage and VI Peel $2,000 (regularly $3,000) - Lifts, countours and tones while building collagen. 

Click Here for a link to SpaBella's website to learn more about service offerings and to book your next appointment.

*Medi-spa services are overseen by Dr. Cynthia Gray, Board Certified Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon.

Wake-up your skin with the age-rejuvenating properties of CoffeeBerry®, and the other phenomenal anti-aging discoveries from REVALÉSKIN™ now available through SpaBella's state-of-the-art Online Medi-Spa.

 

Science meets nature in the first and only professional line of ORGANICEUTICAL™ anti-aging skin care products from REVALÉSKIN™, exclusively formulated with the powerful, natural super-antioxidant ingredient CoffeeBerry^® extract, featured in O, The Oprah Magazine, Instyle Magazine, OK,Allure, Marie Claire, Shape, Women's Health, Prevention and by one of the most impressive blogging sites on the web: TheBestOnTheWeb.Us.com.

Derived from the fruit of the coffee plant (Coffea arabica), CoffeeBerry^® extract has one of the highest antioxidant scores ever recorded and can now help your skin look smoother and younger. CoffeeBerry^® extract  is exceptionally rich in polyphenol antioxidants, such as chlorogenic acid, condensed proanthocyanidins, quinic acid, and ferulic acid. Polyphenol antioxidants help to fend off free radicals-molecules that cause cell damage and result in processes that lead to signs of aging.

Click Here to find out more about the anti-aging and skin rejuvenation properties of this unique product and to order the entire line of REVALÉSKIN™  products from the convenience of your desktop! 

SpaBella is a state-of-the-art Medi-Spa under the supervision of Dr. Cynthia Gray, a Board Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon serving Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington.

The Best Of Portland is proud to announce it's taking it's successful show on the road. Check-out new sister site "The Best". It's gorgeous, and what can we say? It's... THE BEST!

     

We will officially be launching our exciting new national site on February 14th, 2009. If you're curious and would like to take a sneak-peak in advance, please visit us at | www.TheBestOnTheWeb.us.com!

You are who you associate with...so why not make it TheBestOnTheWeb?

For advertising opportunities contact: NitPicky@TheBestofPortland.net for details.

Give yourself the gift of ageless eyes this holiday season! Dr. Cynthia Gray, Medical Director of Spa Bella in Vancouver, Washington offers some tips on how to turn back time without surgery.

  
Puffy Eyes

Some puffiness is genetic, and no eye cream will erase or reduce it. But if your bags come and go, fluid retention is probably the cause. Salty dinners, late nights, a cocktail or two — they can all make your body hold on to water. "Since lid skin is thinner than elsewhere on your face, you'll notice swelling more," explains Cynthia Gray, MD, a Board Certified Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon practicing out of Vancouver, Washington. 

To the Rescue: Thanks to the pull of gravity, morning facial puffiness is usually gone by lunchtime.Elastoderm by Obagi works like no other topical eye treatment can.  If you want to bring the snap back into your skin, Elastoderm is clinically proven to help restore elasticity and to reduce fine lines and wrinkles in that delicate. "The pressure helps stimulate circulation and drain excess fluid." There are many great over the counter beauty products that can make a difference temporarily. You can get this miracle elixir for $95. Although there are many great over the counter temporary fixes, nothing can compare to Obagi products prescriptive strength.

Dark Circles
When blood vessels show through skin, they can give the eye area a bluish cast. "Since skin becomes more translucent with age, blood vessels appear more prominent," explains Cynthia Gray, M.D. A less common cause of darkness: post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation, doctor-speak for clusters of brown pigment that collect underneath the eyes due to heredity or chronic rubbing (often because of allergies or bothersome contact lenses).

To the Rescue:Daily use of any basic eye cream will temporarily plump skin so blood vessels are less visible, says Dr. Gray. Eye creams are a better choice for this purpose than regular face creams, because they tend to have a higher concentration of emollient for plumping and a thicker texture, which makes them adhere to the ever-mobile eye area. "Circle Delete"  $29 "Active Light" $25 (contains cucumber - long known for it's rejuvenation properties around the delicate eye area and white tea extracts. Vitamin C & K are also known to lessen dark circles. Rosemary Leaf extract is a powerful anti-oxidant, Avocado and sunflower oils aid in absorption and create the illusion of plumper more youthful looking tissue. The star ingredient of this product, Buckwheat Wax,  in clinical studies has been shown to reduce puffiness, which can create shadows around the delicate eye area.  "Disappear" $24 all by Jane Iredale. This fabulous line offers natural, good for the skin solutions that have been approved by  Plastic Surgeons and Dermatologists.

Lines and Wrinkles
Every time you smile, frown, yawn, or squint, the skin around your eyes crinkles up. Eventually, as the collagen levels diminish, your skin literally stays scrunched, and deeper creases take the place of fine lines.

To the Rescue:A few ingredients are essential. The first is retinol, a vitamin A derivative that rebuilds collagen levels and helps smooth fine lines. (Tretinoin, the stronger, prescription-strength version, also known by brand names like Retin-A and Renova, yields faster, more dramatic results but can irritate the delicate eye area.) Antioxidants like green tea and vitamin C, which help skin retain collagen, are effective wrinkle reducers, too. If your skin is especially sensitive, swap vitamin A products for peptides — proteins that also stimulate collagen growth. "Peptides don't sting or cause redness the way retinols and their cousins can, but they are also less potent," says Dr. Gray. Elastoderm by Obagi and the following in-office procedures can improve the collagen and dramatically reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles; Fraxel (3-5 days down-time) approx. cost on a case-by-case basis and Thermage (no down-time) approx. $1,700 for both eyes.

Sagging Lids
As collagen, elastin, and fat decrease with age, eyelids get droopier. "Genetics determine when your skin will sag and to what extent," says Dr. Gray, M.D.. "And like any skin aging, sun exposure hastens the effect."As a result, some women have sagging in their late 30s.

To the Rescue: No eye cream alone will reverse sagging once skin begins its downward slide. Only surgery gives you truly long-term improvement. But artfully applied eye makeup can make drooping lids less noticeable.The trick is to define the lashline and neutralize the lid. Apply a light, nude-colored shadow (like cream or mocha, depending on your skin tone) from your lashes to your brow. Next, dip a liner brush, such as Jane Iredale Eye Liner/Brow Brush ($12, janeiredaledirect.com), in a gray, brown, or black shadow, and apply color as close to the base of top lashes as possible. Shadow creates a softer, more natural look than a pencil liner. Finish with dark-brown or black mascara. Try Rimmel Colour Rush Eye Shadow Quad in Smokey Brun ($5.40, drugstores). Consider making an appointment with both Diane Warren, a phenomenal laser rejuvenation specialist and one of the few cosmetic tattoo artists working in tandem with a plastic surgeon in the Vancouver, Washington area, and Esther Williams, an amazing make-up artist. Both can be found at SpaBella | 360.892.0096 ext. 2 Make an up their sleeves!

When you want faster and more dramatic results, you can find plenty of longer-lasting options in a consultation with Dr. Gray. Some of these minimally invasive procedures include:

Best for Banishing Wrinkles

Botox injections. Tiny injections of botulinum toxin are injected into the muscles that cause wrinkles, forcing them to relax. The injections take effect in a week or so, and the area stays smooth for three to six months. Cost: about $500.

Chemical peels.A medium-depth peel (like trichloroacetic acid, a.k.a. TCA) stimulates collagen growth by removing the top layer of skin. The body senses an injury and cranks out new healthy skin as a way of healing itself. You'll look like you have a bad sunburn for five to seven days, but then facial skin will be smoother and less lined for six months to a year. Cost: about $1,000.

Lasers. Many kinds of lasers are used around the eyes, usually as part of an allover facial rejuvenation treatment. Lasers help reduce wrinkles by resurfacing skin and stimulating collagen production. As with a peel, you'll look badly sunburned for a few days to a week before the smoothing shows up; it'll last for a year or more, until new wrinkles form. Cost: about $2,000 for the face, including eyes.

My favorite is a combination of the two!  After a thorough IPL treatment to treat age spots, wrinkling and various skin aging conditions, I like to give my patients a double whammy by applying a cocktail of light chemicals to their skin just before they walk out the door. The great thing about the double-whammy is that there is no down-time. Even with the extra dose of age rejuvenation this special cocktail provides you can go right back to work...looking, at the most, a little flushed and no one but you and your surgeon is the wiser!

Best for Hiding Dark Circles

Hyaluronic acid injections.This clear gel filler, known by brand names like Restylane and Juvéderm, is injected directly into the hollows beneath the eyes to even them so they no longer appear as dark shadows. Expect swelling, mild bruising, and tenderness for up to a week afterward (the bruising can be covered with concealer). Results will last three to six months — or more. Cost: about $600.

Best for Lifting Sagging Lids

Blepharoplasty. During this surgery, Dr. Gray makes tiny incisions around or inside the eyelids to remove loose skin and excess fat, which create a droopy, sleepy look. It takes about two weeks before the bruising goes down; you may not want to return to work until then. But the tightening effect lasts for years. "This procedure can make you look 10 to 15 years younger," says Cynthia Gray, M.D. Cost: Upper lids can be done in office for approx. $3,000. Both upper and lower lids however require a visit to the hospital and cost approximately $6,000.

Dr. Cynthia Gray, a Board Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon can be reached via SpaBella Med-Spa, as well as her medical practice in Vancouver Washington at| 360.892.0096.  Call and schedule an appointment today!

Jo Malone - the art of fragrance combining

Inspired by utter femininity, Tuberose is a sultry, intoxicating fragrance. The exotic scent of this famous aphrodisiac flower is set off with hints of sandalwood and tree moss to create an air of high-spirited expectation. Click Here to order the fragrance cologne.

Click Here to order the luxury candles

Get the hair product system Hollywood is buzzing about! WEN® Cleansing Conditioner

 WEN® Cleansing Conditioner is a revolutionary new concept in cleansing your hair that has Hollywood buzzing! It’s special because it cleanses hair thoroughly but without lathering and all the harsh ingredients that may be found in ordinary shampoos — it is designed so it won’t strip your hair and scalp of their natural oils. Your hair is left with sheen, moisture, manageability and better color retention.

Click Here to order your own system today!

Do-It-Yourself Tarot® won a "Best in Show" award and the attention of Portland's fashionistas at this weekend's "Spirit & Style Women's Fair" at The Oregon Convention Center - Portland, Or

This was where the City's "Real Women went to have Real Fun" and to learn more about what the fair city of Portland, Oregon has to offer them in terms of local products, services and entertainment.

Just two of the many exciting, locally developed products that were featured at this weekend's three-day event included; London Boggs "Do-It-Yourself Tarot®" (Click Here for a link to their website), which debuted at this event and wound up with a "Best in Show" award!  Do-It-Yourself Tarot is a cool and funky fortune-telling concept which has literally turned the tarot industry upside down, with some of the world's largest game manufacturers and virtual online service providers rushing to try to jump-in on the interest this revolutionary product stirred simply by placing the placing the futures of consumers in their own hands.

Now everything one requires to interpret their very own tarot card readings, is all in the cards.....the original Do-It-Yourself Tarot® deck of divination cards, that is. 

In addition to eliminating the need for books, years of experience required to understand the cards meanings and / or expensive visits to dubious psychics, in order to obtain a tarot card reading, is this unique deck's cutting edge imagery. The black & white objects and self-explanatory verbiage cuts to the chase, with regard to each card's meaning. Now you don't have to guess what the cards may be indicating because it's all there in black & white and clear for any eye to see. Don't leave your future to chance. There's an amazing deck of cards in your future. Click Here to watch this amazing company's online infomercial, to learn more about the deck and to order one for yourself!

 

This same company also debuted a revolutionary and AMAZINGLY "Green" 100% soy candle that is non-carcinogenic, virtually soot-free, comes with a lead-free wick and burns 3x longer than average paraffin candles. The average burntime for these $27.95 candles is estimated to be anywhere from 60-80 hours!  Another thing that is down-right cool about these candles is that they melt at lower than average temperatures and reduce to naturally occurring oils, which can actually be used... if you can believe, for massage oil! It's unique White Sage and Chamomile scent is the icing on the cake. Some believe that White Sage, when burned, cleanses one's surrounding of negative energy.

With today's hustle and bustle, the additional Chamomile additive is suppose to be relaxing. A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of each candle has been ear-marked for various causes near and dear to the developer's heart and includes; cancer research, fighting the exploitation of children and those who fund it.  Clearly this is a candle intended to make a difference in the world.