Athena 7-Minute Lift Revisited: Look 10 Years Younger By Christmas

You're tired. Stressed. You've got umteen gifts to buy, a high school reunion, and your first office party at your spouse's new job... all between now and the new year. When you look in the mirror, you see crows' feet and widow's furrows, and age spots... How can you enjoy the holidays when you feel so decrepit?

from The Plastic Doll Collection by El Rincon If you looked 10 years younger, would that put a different spin on your holiday activities? Well, you only need about two weeks to get there!

• Exercise daily, outdoors if possible
• Sleep soundly, at least eight hours a night
• Start using Athena 7-Minute Lift as soon as you can (They deliver in two days!)

You can do it!

Exercise is the best possible thing you can do for your overall health and well- being. If you can walk fast, jog, swim, bike, or run for 30-45 minutes every day, it will lift your spirits. Don't kill yourself; just go at your own speed plus an extra bounce or two. Drink water to replenish what you've lost, and then some. Oxygenate and hydrate -- the two best activities for your skin.

Lack of sleep shows in your moods, your reaction times, and your face! You want to put on a happy face? Sleep. The more rested you are, the less likely you will be to have black circles under your eyes and swollen eyelids.

And then, there's...

Athena 7-Minute Lift

Since I last reviewed this product in March (Facelift In A Jar: Review Of Athena 7-Minute Lift ), the Athena package has been refreshed a bit, I've found some complementary skincare products, and I've tested a few competing products.... all of which I want to share in this "update."

First, the competing products I tried... Lifecell and Hydroderm, two highly-advertised solutions for wrinkle removal. I was not unhappy with Athena; what caused me to try Lifecell and Hydroderm were the rave reviews I was reading on the net. A few, supposedly-unbiased, reviewers evaluated Lifecell higher than Athena, with Hydroderm coming close to second. Why not try them, I thought; I owe it to my readers.

Not to waste your time or my space, neither product was effective for me, after giving Lifecell and Hydroderm three weeks each. These products are more expensive, and less effective than Athena in removing wrinkles. I am not a "disser:" I just don't think these products are effective wrinkle removers. Maybe they provide other benefits to your skin, perhaps they are better moisturizers, but I did not see any difference in the depth of my wrinkles in three weeks.

Now that I'm back with Athena and I got the same results as I did the first time I used it, instantly, I'm even more resolved to share it with you. And my last order (my third jar) was improved, or at least it looked that way, as the cream, or putty, was moister and lighter colored... perhaps fresher? The jar is also delivered in a sealed outer envelop and includes a perfect applicator brush for the product.. The new brush makes the cream easier to apply... I just dip the tip of the brush in water, double dab the cream and lightly shmear it across one quarter of my face. I do that three more times, and I'm ready to meditate for the 7-minutes it takes to form a facelift.

In a way, Athena works a lot like Botox without the pain and expense. Although it's made of pure botanical oils, the Lift not only fills up your wrinkles, it creates a slight numbing sensation in your muscles that reminds you not to make that frown or squint your eyes. I suspect that is one of the reasons that the 7-Minute Lift works so well over time. If you use muscles less frequently, they won't form wrinkles on your skin.

OK, so Athena 7-Minute Lift works for the wrinkles.... As you only have a few weeks to lose 10 years, I'll share some of the products I've found to be compatible with the 7-Minute Lift for other skincare issues: dark circles, age spots, cleansing, and moisturizing. When you have time to investigate others, let us know what you find.

Cleansers & Moisturizers Compatible With Athena 7-Minute Lift

Facial skin may become dry if you're using Athena, and oil based products really impair the performance of the Lift. My compromise solution, although it may not give me the tightest facelift on the block, is to use a rich night cream, Trienelle Nightly Restoration Formula. It is water-based, but contains several natural skin oils and vitamins, that moisturizes skin without being greasy. A 50 ml jar costs $55 and lasts about two months, if used sparingly. (Hint: Leave face slightly damp before applying.)

Before applying Athena 7-Minute Lift in the morning, I cleanse my face with Boots No7 Quick-Thinking 4-in-1 Wipes, a British product that I recently discovered at Target (30 wipes for $6.99). It removes surface oils from my face without drying it, and it's fragrance free. Another great product by Boots, is its Clay Conditioning Mask at $8.99, a super pore cleanser.

After my Athena application and the required 7-minute wait, I apply only sunblock, the one recommended by my dermatologist, Neutrogena UltraSheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 30. (about $9 per 3 oz. tube). You need sunblock to prevent further signs of aging, and this sunblock is water-based and moisturizing as well.

Although I have not tried Athena's other products yet, the company does have a skin care line that complements the 7-Minute Lift. You can find them here.

Age Spot Products Compatible With Athena 7-Minute Lift

Bleach. It's about the only product that works on age spots. The particular bleach you want to use is called hydroquinone and is contained in several age spot products. I used one of the least expensive products, Daggett & Ramsdell Skin Bleach Cream with Hydroquinone ($5.99), on a few spots on my hands and face and it lightened them, but the results are not permanent. If you don't use sunblock, the dark spots reappear as soon as your skin is exposed to the sun. If you want permanent, go with laser surgery or liquid nitrogen, which will mark you with white spots instead of dark ones.

Makeup Products Compatible With Athena 7-Minute Lift

When your skin is dry, the less make-up you pile on, the better, especially since oil based make-up will lesson the effectiveness of Athena 7-Minute Lift. That's just one good reason to get plenty of exercise and sleep, because the benefits make up for less make-up. If you don't have dark circles under your eyes, you won't need to cover them up with three layers of pancake. If you have the glow of the outdoors in your cheeks, no need to blush them up.

After using the 7-Minute Lift for a few weeks, you may decide not to wear a foundation at all. But if you do, you will need to use a primer such as MAC Prep + Prime Skin ($22) to provide a smooth surface for a water-based liquid foundation, like MAC Face & Body Foundation ($31). On a daily basis, I just use a dusting of MAC Select Sheer Pressed Powder ($21). (Yes, I'm a "big MAC" fan.) Underneath the powder, I use Lancome's Effacernes Waterproof Undereye Concealer ($25), not only under my eyes, but on the inner eyelid near my nose, to cover age spots, blemishes, and dark shadows. It's lightweight and a little goes a long way. Bleach and cover-up product is my way of dealing with age spots; I just haven't found a solution that will end up looking any more natural than that.

As for lip and eye makeup, you can use your preferred brands without interference from Athena 7-Minute Lift. But I have found, in general, that when using the 7-Minute Lift, the less makeup I wear, the younger I look. Imagine that?

Yes, you can lose 10 years in 10 (to 14) days and I bet you'll enjoy your holiday activities more when you're looking your best. Let us know your results!

Keeping you posted...