Is facial exercise any good?
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free skin care · Wed Jul 22, 2009 7:10 pm

Linda Lou wrote:

Preach on Sistah, about CM! You are right, she should be ashamed, but there's just something sinister about her to me.....I have a feeling she's one who would never admit to anything. Could be wrong, but it's a feeling I can't shake, esp. after being threatened by her. Linda

As for you Linda ~ YOU ARE SO NEGATIVE that one would be hard-pressed to believe anything you say. Further, knowing Carole the way I do, you would have had to push her over the edge in order for her to even be nasty towards you. I say nasty, and not "threatening" because honestly unless you can back up your statement ~ your statement is nothing more than an accusation, albeit a false one. Aprile

free skin care · Wed Jul 22, 2009 8:50 pm

Aprile - Maybe a Carole Maggio thread would be a good idea. I love her nose exercise - I do it everyday - 40-60 twice/day. And the scoop - which is free on one of the shows she DID do (on youtube)!

I wish I knew the turn up corners exercise - sounds good.
In my experience some exercises work better for some people. I seem to do good with a hodge-podge but that's been found out by trial and error. I know some have had great results with AGeless and sme can't get the same results unless they are doing FE. Just like skincare! Hope you won't let any comments get you down. Sometimes it's just how some of us express our opinion.

free skin care · Wed Jul 22, 2009 8:56 pm

Wow!! What an interesting thread!! I've heard a little bit about facial exercise and wanted to look into it a bit as I do have a few "issues" that I'd like to try and deal with before submitting myself to plastic surgeons. However, the tone of this thread leaves me with a lot more questions than answers. Will definitely continue my research...

free skin care · Wed Jul 22, 2009 9:02 pm

No, Aprile, it was her, a long time ago. Maybe 10 or 15 years.
In any case, after my daughter watched the program, she wanted to change the shape of her lips.
She wrote the author's name down and we ordered two, one for myself and my mom. It would be a stretch for a 12 year old to write down a name she saw on Oprah and it just happens to be the same book, with the same face she saw being interviewed on the book, but I suppose it could happen. If I am wrong that she was on Oprah, so what, its not even the point.

Why was I insulted? When I received the special ordered books, we all felt let-down. The photos are obviously not neutrally presented, that you would think the viewer to be stupid to not notice:
The "before's" have no make-up, their heads down, dreary looking. The after's are shown with make up, heads tilted in a more flattering pose, etc.

My observation/experience in viewing those photos are shared by others, I believe a few are on Amazon. Its been posted and stated over the years repeatedly on other forums and reviews.

Not all photos are only 5 days, only a couple were. You have to peer at them to discern if they are real or the angle she had the models hold her head.

I mentioned the nose job as a neutral statement, not a bash. In fact, it was one thing that rung authentic to me in regards to her exercises.
that appeared to be accurate documentation of what she had accomplished.

My nose is fine, so I have not had the opportunity to see if that works on me or not. I did the exercises, to keep it in shape, lol. (But it looks the same.)

Matt? No, I am not calling him a liar. I have no issues with Matt. He might be a liar, I have no idea.
Anyone here who says they saw benefits from her program is most likely not a liar either, I believe them, lol!

But I am also not lying, I did not see any improvement using her program---sometimes I thought I "might". It seemed like the muscles were firmer in some areas, but I looked the same, nothing was lifted or shaped up.

The post about her program being for toning makes perfect sense to me. I think that is my experience too. It toned, but did not re-shape or lift.

I had both her DVD's and if after taking it up again several times over the years... if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. You are mistaken that I didn't give it enough effort.

Is it not acceptable to you that it just doesn't work for some? It doesn't mean the person is defective---perhaps the program is lacking in some areas. Maybe toning is a good idea, even though you can't see it, to support the muscle building? It could be the best combo of all.

I don't think I could have been doing all of them wrong for that long of a time, its not hard to understand, but I did considered it, and is why I purchased both dvd's.

At some point you try something else.

Blame Carole for my inadequecies? I was cautious about other programs, if you call that an inadequecy...the experience did make me jaded, yes.

However---
I know I didn't give Deb's program enough time, after reading other's experiences here. When I first started doing face exercises, there were no forums like this to find out more. I will probably give it another go, due to this forum.

Deb did not have those kinds of photos, neither has anyone else that teaches face exercises, that I know of.

Carole does have a good reputation for loofas, that is true, no argument there. She is not bashed in that regard at all, in fact, I think many give her the benefit of the doubt, despite the photos, I think I did, I bought the dvd's in spite of them. I admit though, I was also unsure, because I really do find something odd about her skin. AT the time, I didn't know of the other programs yet. It was her or nothing, I thought, incorrectly.

I have only been doing Lou Lou's for a couple months, so it will not be temporary if I already see change. It takes months, remember? lol.

free skin care · Wed Jul 22, 2009 11:24 pm

As I have mentioned on EDS before, one red flag with CM is that most of her amazon reviewers do not review any products other than hers, which suggests that they are shills.

Doesn't mean her program is no good, just makes me uneasy.

Similarly, I agree with those who say that her face looks unnatural. Maybe she's had surgery. Maybe she just wears a lot of makeup. Again, doesn't mean that her exercises and techniques aren't effective. We've all experienced hair stylists whose own hair looked dreadful or facialists with bad skin or tubby aerobics teachers -- these people don't reflect the value of what they offer, but they still may provide a high quality service.

What surprises me is that -- as far as I know (and I have certainly not done a thorough investigation) -- the facial exercise gurus seem to be women (are there any men?) who don't have a medical background or professional training in anatomy/physiology. Maybe the traditional health care providers just see this as quackery?

free skin care · Thu Jul 23, 2009 7:41 am

SansSouci572 wrote:

No, Aprile, it was her, a long time ago. Maybe 10 or 15 years. In any case, after my daughter watched the program, she wanted to change the shape of her lips.

Sorry, Sans You ARE WRONG ~ I know for sure and IT DOES MATTER because the fact that you kept mentioning it in your post ~ it obviously connects the reason you bought her book ~ YOUR 12-YEAR OLD DAUGHTER supposedly saw her on Oprah.

SansSouci572 wrote:

But, perhaps she was watching Oprah ... and then flipped to an infomercial featuring Carole? She wrote the author's name down and we ordered two, one for myself and my mom. It would be a stretch for a 12-year old to write down a name she saw on Oprah and it just happens to be the same book, with the same face she saw being interviewed on the book, but I suppose it could happen. If I am wrong that she was on Oprah, so what, its not even the point.

The point is you keep stating your are right about her being on the Oprah Winfrey Show & you ARE MOST DEFINITELY WRONG. Not to mention ~ what 12-year old kid actually sits & watches a show about facial exercises with any attention. Not only that, she writes down the name of the book for her mom? I know my 12-year old would NEVER do that! Sounds like you conjured up that story to jump on the Maggio Hate Wagon to me.

SansSouci572 wrote:

Why was I insulted? When I received the special ordered books, we all felt let-down. The photos are obviously not neutrally presented, that you would think the viewer to be stupid to not notice:
The "before's" have no make-up, their heads down, dreary looking. The after's are shown with make up, heads tilted in a more flattering pose, etc.

Oh WE ALL felt let down? Honestly, speak for yourself. I have her first book too and the before & after photos weren't of great consequence nor a disappointment to me. To me since they were taken only days after training, I didn't expect miracle changes. I expected subtle changes. To me since they were indeed in black & white, she had her clients wear darker makeup in the afters to really show the difference in their faces. Seemed plausible enough to me. It seems to me that you were looking for a miracle book to transform your face and NOT REALLY WILLING to put in the time to actually SEE the results of your efforts. By your own admission, you didn't stick with it that long, nor did you stick with Deb's program for long either. It seemed as though you were kind of on the fence about facial exercise in general at that point.[/quote]

SansSouci572 wrote:

Not all photos are only 5 days, only a couple were. You have to peer at them to discern if they are real or the angle she had the models hold her head.

The photos that were taken for the original book were of women who had all trained with Carole for no more than 14 days. The more recent book ~ it's 5 days & those photos in color (UK version) and are up on her site. But, really we are quibbling here with the amount of days. Doesn't matter - you didn't like them or didn't feel the results were dramatic enough. Personally, I felt it would be difficult to get the exact same pose 5-14 days later, but who really cares?

SansSouci572 wrote:

I mentioned the nose job as a neutral statement, not a bash. In fact, it was one thing that rung authentic to me in regards to her exercises. that appeared to be accurate documentation of what she had accomplished.

NEUTRAL? So in other words, her nose was the only thing she ACTUALLY ADMITTED TO changing via surgery and not the rest of her face? Give me a break Sans!

SansSouci572 wrote:

Anyone here who says they saw benefits from her program is most likely not a liar either, I believe them, lol!

Again, your tone is sarcastic & your sentiments not at all authentic. You obviously don't believe anyone has seen results from her program.

SansSouci572 wrote:

But I am also not lying, I did not see any improvement using her program---sometimes I thought I "might". It seemed like the muscles were firmer in some areas, but I looked the same, nothing was lifted or shaped up.

This statement actually proves what you said previously about the mouth corners looking better (using Deb's program), and then they didn't stay that way. So don't you think if you would have stuck with the Facercise program, you might have eventually seen the results you were looking to achieve?

SansSouci572 wrote:

I had both her DVD's and if after taking it up again several times over the years... if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. You are mistaken that I didn't give it enough effort.

OKAY so let me get this straight ~ you were extremely disappointed with her first book (released in 1995) especially the before & after photos and didn't feel she was on the up & up from the get go. But even still, you decide to give her program a couple of months, You get some muscle gain, but not the lift you were looking for. So then approx. 7 years later in 2002, you ordered her DVDS's. Makes perfect sense to me, especially since you were so disappointed with her program that you decided to waste more time & money. Not only that, there were no other facial exercise programs out there to try.

What I am trying to point out here is that you are NOT credible. By your own admission, you didn't stick with the program or Deb's for that matter long enough to see results. But, now that you're back to trying out a new program, Lou Lou's ~ you are back to Maggio bashing. Let's hope, as they say the third time is a charm for you. Sans ~ I got to tell ya ~ You are not being fair to the women of this forum. You definitely have an ax to grind with Carole Maggio ~ that's clear to me. But, it's really not fair to your fellow EDS members to continue down this Maggio bashing road. Women looking for a natural way to transform their faces and stave off the aging process, should be reading a positive forum that encourages, not the constant bashing you & others have done to Carole, her program & her fine reputation. It's unfair and ridiculous for you to assume it's okay to continue to do this when you don't even have your facts straight. THAT'S the reason I continued to insist she'd never been on Oprah, because it does matter ~ it discredits YOU and your ideas about Carole, Facercise, etc. While you are certainly entitled to your personal opinions, this really isn't the place to express those views. This should be a place for women to share what works ~ NOT a forum to bash others & their fine reputations.

free skin care · Thu Jul 23, 2009 9:58 am

Which proves that no amount of facial exercise can fix everything that ails you.

free skin care · Thu Jul 23, 2009 10:35 am

My daughter watched Oprah everyday, she is still a big fan. I go to her web-site and participate with the Eckhart Tolle type of lessons, and listen to her spritual radio programs, but don't watch it much as a show.

Yes, she did write the name of the book down, I asked her to after she told me about it, I was in the other room. She was intrigued about the lip exercises, they were demonstrating it.

She had no lips at all, like Reba. She copied those exercises, and added some of her own, which I relayed on loulou's forum. And now she has lips like Jolie.
But my daughter IS like that, even if yours is not, and she has always had a great attention span. And she would do that for me, had I not been there, she would have written down things she thought I might like. That is how our family is.
I don't think it was an informercial, because she loved Oprah, and is the opposite of your kid, she does do things like that, she would most certainly write down something for me, and she would not watch an informercial about face exercising. She would not have then, anyway. I did not have jowls then, she would not have watched it for me either!
An informercial is even longer than a short segment Oprah would feature. But I can ask her, if its important to you.

The photos in Carole's book are not slight head movements that are hard to duplicate, they are not even close, and its not just darkening.

Carole was very young when she got the nose job, I don't think she admitted anything else at the time because there was nothing to admit.
When I first saw photos, I was not expecting miracles either.
I would expect the photos to not be ridiculous however, and they were ridiculous.

Yes, I was on the fence about face exercising.
I wasn't looking for miracles, no. When the pink book came out, I didn't need them either.

I don't have wrinkles, but I have gained weight, and didn't know if the jowls were from being fat or from my age. If its from being fat, I don't see how that would lift fat. That was my fence sitting. I thought perhaps I should lipo the fat off.
Instead, I tried exercising again first. I bought her newer book, and both dvd's. I also bought a few other face exercise books, and did not care for them, I stuck with Carole's. The others were insipid, stick your tongue out kind of thing. Hers was about muscle.

Then I discovered Deb;s program and bought those dvd's too. It seemed more hard-core. But it was time consuming, both in time for each day, and also I got the impression that it would take a good 8 months to see anything, and I thought it seemed like quite a bit of time if nothing could be done, as I am just fat.

It was not Deb's program that lifted my mouth corners, it was LouLou's. When I saw that she was a former Deb trainer and had selected a program that only took 5 minutes, plus---her book was inexpensive. I tried it.
When I started reading her book, it really struck me, too. The way she wrote, I took an immediate liking to her.
Now that I see face exercising does work, I feel like trying Debs too, but not right now. If it had not been for LouLou though, I don't think I would have tried, I would have just got lipo for the fat.
LouLou was my babysteps I guess you would say, the introduction. I shall see if I still need more later, or would like more refinement.

To the contrary, I do think it is fair to say what did and did not work for me, and I did not see results with Carole's program. You can use the extremely emotional word of bashing if you like, but it detracts from your post.

free skin care · Thu Jul 23, 2009 11:10 am

I have become more refined in my choices of body exercises. I used to just go to the gym, jump on the treadmill, or take a class that looked fun.
I lifted a few weights.
I felt better, but I did not look any different. That is how my face exercises were, it wasn't making me look different.

I recently purchased Tracey Anderson's dvd's, she is Paltrow and Madonna's personal trainer.
In her DVD, Tracey tells us how she used to have a body like a gymnist, but she wanted a dancer's body, so she developed a dancer's routine. Runners have runner's legs, each activity produced a different result, and you should think about what you want to achieve, and then do that, because its up to you. So now I am planning what i want to look like, and its working!

Madonna and Gwyneth could not be more different in their end results. While I appreciate the time and sheer strength and power Madonna has with her arms, I do not want arms like that. But obviously, many people do, or they would not do that. If you don't like her arms, stop before you end up with arms like Madonna. Or, if you like fish lips, buy them. If you don't, then pass or get more natural ones.

That is what I thought to myself about Carole's program, that I would stop before I got to the point where it appeared I had bouncy balls under my skin, because I do not like that look. Some people think its gorgeous, but its not for me.
Carole has a completely different face than me, hers is skinny compared to mine, and more boney. It did look nicer, filled out, but now it looks like filler with skin stretched over it.
In any case, I don't like that look, of a face that worked up, just as I do not like Madonna's arms. I like Gwyneth Paltrows arms though!

Perhaps the face exercises are the same as the other types of exercises, you can choose what look you want, and some people do not like the end results, and some do.
When I first started this, my main objective was just to look like I used to.
Because of the forum and the photos, I am inclined to get even more into it. Now I want eyes like Toby's for example. Or that young girl on Deb's site. Her eyes are amazing too.
And I really like Deb's face and LouLou's, and the ladies that are on their sites, that is my goal.

free skin care · Thu Jul 23, 2009 11:14 am

I know this is a volatile subject matter, but I just want to echo what many of the ladies have said here, that ANY facial exercise will most likely yield some results and tis a process of trial and error.

I will also offer that I have been very happy with the lip ex I appropriated from Carole's program and the eye and cheek ex from LouLou's. I plan on investing in FE as soon as I become gainfully employed.

On a personal note I would like to post an incident from today. As I was loading my mom's bags of mulch for her (I was just outside the shop), two men passed me and went into the store talking about the "young woman hoisting these 'big bags' into the truck, two at a time".
Mom overheard and had to tell me the conversation (of course I look like a kid to mom~lol). Made my day, and totally convinces me that we are doing the right thing, just give it time.

free skin care · Thu Jul 23, 2009 11:51 am

Sansouci

Its not that it takes 8 months to see results, nothing could be further from the truth - many people get results from the massage alone within a couple of weeks, but its important to think of facial exercises as a long term commitment, because in my opinion all are truly progressive (meaning you constantly build and build on what you have previously done).

I think Carole is quite an ambassador for facial exercises, in that she does a lot of tv shows and speaks and writes regularly about them. I even had a session with her a couple of years ago, and she was highly motivating, and you know I really like how she weaves energy techniques into her exercises (and some people love them and some hate them). I never really got them initially but I understand them now. There are so many programs out there, but I can understand why people are wary about bringing them out, because people can be rather unkind about the authors etc (and you know I appreciate everyone has their own views, but sometimes it feels like their messages take on a tone of attempting to kind of bash the author). I have had this done on myself (as a trainer of FE), but have seen it done to many others (Deb, and even Lou have had things said about them on EDS even), and its of course hurtful and saddening. If you found facercise wasn't for you - thats great, but to be honest there are so many programs out there, it may just not have been right for you at that moment in time, but you might want to revisit it later on in the future and see how your face responds as muscles need shocking at times, and sometimes trying out a program can deliver some great results.

Many people who I am helping combine both Ageless and FE, and are having great results - and thats partly because both are good systems, but also they are doing the hard work needed and making healthy choices (lol don't worry I'm not going into a nutrition lecture here).

Sean

SansSouci572 wrote:

Then I discovered Deb;s program and bought those dvd's too. It seemed more hard-core. But it was time consuming, both in time for each day, and also I got the impression that it would take a good 8 months to see anything, and I thought it seemed like quite a bit of time if nothing could be done, as I am just fat.

It was not Deb's program that lifted my mouth corners, it was LouLou's. When I saw that she was a former Deb trainer and had selected a program that only took 5 minutes, plus---her book was inexpensive. I tried it.
When I started reading her book, it really struck me, too. The way she wrote, I took an immediate liking to her.
Now that I see face exercising does work, I feel like trying Debs too, but not right now. If it had not been for LouLou though, I don't think I would have tried, I would have just got lipo for the fat.
LouLou was my babysteps I guess you would say, the introduction. I shall see if I still need more later, or would like more refinement.

To the contrary, I do think it is fair to say what did and did not work for me, and I did not see results with Carole's program. You can use the extremely emotional word of bashing if you like, but it detracts from your post.

free skin care · Thu Jul 23, 2009 1:05 pm

How kind of you to respond Sean! I am glad that it will take less than 8 months for the initial developments. I think I shall have to start reading that forum now too, and not just gasp at the photos.

Yes, indeed, Carole was like an ambassador. If not for her, I would not have tried any at all.
And if not for the transformation of my daughter's lips, I would not have kept trying. My daughter would not have tried it either, had she not watched it. She always gives credit to Carole for the initial idea.

Years ago, Carole answered a personal email I wrote her. I told her that the face exercises were not working, and she answered quickly, (within hours!) and told me to add resistance with my fingers, it was my next step, and her reply is not what is published in the books or dvds.

She struck me as very kind, and we chatted back and forth a few times, and I joked, all you need to do now, is discover the cure for cellulite, and you will be rich! (And perhaps she did!)
And she told me of some sites to go to where they were doing something about cellulite, that people were getting rid of it. Now I forgot the details of what she said. I knew that she was cutting edge and would figure it out if there was a way and told her so.

I thought it was very kind of her though, her response was thoughtful and kind, and addressed me specifically, not was not a canned response from a secretary or standard reply, she listened, asked more questions and answered. (That is what I think would be a good standard for people here, rather than getting upset)

I went ahead and asked my daughter about the show, and here is her response:
"I remember watching a morning talk show it was the original lady with the short reddish hair. She was promoting her book facercise or something like that. She showed how to do the nose, the under chin, cheeks and the lips. I copied her lip one cause mine were so small. she said only 30 sec 3 times a day but I upped it to like an hour a day or more haha."

My daughter also added her own exercises, she pushed against her lips with her two fingers, made the underside go to the outside, and pushed against them, then she would try to relax them by brushing them with her hands, to loosen them up.
It was amazing. The only thing was, her lips were always dry, and she has to do them all the time or they go back. But she doesn't mind, she just does it out of habit now, when she sits.
I liked Carole's energy weaving thing too. I do that sort of work, work with energy anyway.
(I am Berkeley Psychic Institute trained---its the same idea, different applications). When I had the brief chat with Carole, I could tell we were on the same wave length in that regard as well.
She invited me to go to her studio to take lessons, as we are both in CA.
The photos she had published seemed quite unlike the personal response I had from her.
Both the reviews on amazon, which seemed "suspect" and those photos had made me uneasy. But she herself, did not seem like that in her responses.

You know how you can sense what a person is like by their writing, their energy? It seemed very nice, and it troubled me that she had published those photos, because it undermined her work.
Yes, I have been on forums where someone attacks you.
You have to respond as neutral as possible, and you don't know if responding makes it worse, or drags out even more strange accusations...in which you can see the person sat for hours dissecting what you said and interjects twisted logic into every sentence you said, with added plots and intentions projected into your posts.

On the other hand, I think, I should like a friend like that who would stick up for me, but in a way, its mis-guided, because you start noticing that they are being paranoid instead of listening to what they have to say, and it hurts Carole instead of defending her. Sort of, or you think crazy person. Avoid.

You can see my face at myspace, using this user name, SansSouci572 name to find with a yahoo address. My daughter is on there too. She has very nice lips now.
Her name is UH-OH, in my photos.

You will see I have a fat face, the exact opposite of Carole. So maybe that is why it didn't do anything, my face is too big for it to show up? Kind of like to have a six pack ab, you have to be skinny enough for it to show?

(And I have pink skin, yuck, and too dark of hair and need a hair cut) lol. Working on a makeover, all the way around, not just physically either!

Her book is cheap, so is her dvd's. I sold my dvd's after I saw that I was doing them right, had no problem at all, and it was worth the $2 loss to watch, it was almost like renting it. Perhaps its even on netflix now?

free skin care · Sun Jul 26, 2009 8:04 pm

Hi
can someone tell me if flex effect exercises instructions are clear and concise like ageless? I have briefly looked through ageless and carole maggio and I prefer ageless because they're much easier to understand.
Thanks

free skin care · Sun Jul 26, 2009 8:34 pm

I found FE exercises easy to do - just a little practice.

free skin care · Sun Jul 26, 2009 8:49 pm

Is it easier than ageless or just as easy? Im concerned the instructions are complicated.

free skin care · Sun Jul 26, 2009 9:33 pm

FE instructions are no more complicated than Ageless, but the exercises themselves are harder -- and therefore, more difficult to ascertain if you are doing them correctly.

I have been doing Ageless for a couple of months now, have memorized the exercises, and it's very easy to do them at stoplights (eg). Whereas the most effective FE exercises require putting your fingers in your mouth, so best done with clean hands.

I don't feel as though getting either one was a waste as they are different but complementary.

free skin care · Mon Jul 27, 2009 12:33 pm

I have to say I've ended up in the same place as many of the other people here, researching and trying facial exercise. I'm going to invest in FE as soon as the new package comes out!! Up until then I'll keep on with Ageless, although I find that it's difficult to do anything without proper support, and their forum is certainly not the place I'd go to find it! It seems you'll be left waiting for a rather blase' response for weeks from Loulou, and end up being guided by people who've been doing it hardly longer than yourself (seeing as the program is very new) who've somehow miraculously developed an instant expertise in the technique.

I find that Kassy is a superb source of balanced information, and couldn't agree more with what she said. It's so important to think clearly about the information and photos we're presented with, removed from the big desire we all have to WANT to believe.

Real support and trainers exist at FE, and it has been around for years, meaning there are quite a few people willing to share pics of their transformations, which don't look in the least the result of any other procedures (which is more than I can say for ANY other programs). I'm particularly awed by the results of a Spanish lady called Loli.

I do enjoy Ageless, as it's quick, and is certainly better than doing nothing, however I'm disappointed by the lack of real commitment to follow-up and the kind of kissy wissy business that goes on with the 'favorites' that give the most praise to LL and never question her divinity. I come to forums for in depth information from the many people who are here to share and learn, and am incredibly grateful from those that have taken the time and energy to experiment and post.

Aprile, you're starting to be quite over the top in your rabid defense of CM. It's clear to anyone with a pair of eyes that she's had work (those lips!!!), and aside from that she's exercised her face into some kind of tautness that no one in their right mind would aim for, and despite your ten years haven't come close to, either. Your 'blog' hasn't been added to in months (I went there quite some time ago when you'd been advertising it on another thread). Where are these b/a's? Also, have you ever tried another program to give you some balanced insight? I don't believe anyone has been the least bit insulting to you (I'm the first!), yet you've attacked Linda Lou a number of times rather voraciously. She's not the only one that's mentioned that CM has clearly had work. I'm starting to think you're involved with CM, as your 'blog' seems a glorified front for hawking her products. Yes, really. I'm sure CM has some good exercises, and her louffas are lovely, and indeed the idea behind the cellulite treatment is sound. But let's keep it real here. It's not the only program, and she's far from the ideal 'face' for her product. The before and afters on her site do indeed insult the intellect of women. It's wonderful that she's so outspoken on facial exercise and has got the word out there, but I can't help but cringe when I think of the face she's giving it. Those tv apprearances where she can barely talk through her bloated lips are probably more damaging to facial exercise's reputation than helpful.

Facial exercise is obviously good, and there are certain exercises in each program that are worth including in a personalized routine. Although I'm disappointed that photos of Deb are always cut up into little pieces and it makes me feel like she's hiding something, I agree that she doesn't look tucked or filled. And the parts of her face we see do indeed look very good. This is more than I can say for any of the other programs, and the reason that I'm heavily leaning towards it, as many others are too. Of course I've still got a few reservations, particularly about the time commitment, and feel I'll also need to work with a trainer to make sure I don't get any dreaded overbuild.

But there you have it, my 2 cents, and I do hope that there's no unnecessary abuse. It's important that people feel they can share their true thoughts here. I'm very saddened that some of the most experienced facial exercises and informative posters refuse to post on this topic any more due to the abusive tone that many people adopt, and have taken to only sending PMs. Although they've been very helpful to me, I truly wish I could share them with everyone, as many could benefit, if it wasn't such an emotionally volatile subject.

There's no need for the discipleship that happens around the 'gurus' of the chosen program. We are all perfectly able to pick and choose and blend programs, if we wish. Indeed, we should! I do yoga, because I love the way my body feels, but don't feel the least bit like I'm betraying yoga if I also walk for cardio and fat burning! Surely it's the same here?!!

free skin care · Mon Jul 27, 2009 12:41 pm

For those of you dealing with a "double chin". I asked Carole Maggio whether her No Lipo, Lipo routine would work to reduce that area. Here is her answer: "Pull your chin up high, point your tongue to the roof of your mouth, take one knuckle and grind up and down NOT too hard daily until you feel heat. The skin will sag slightly for a few days and start to tighten up." BTW ~ the reason this isn't in her book is that she is constantly tweaking her program for better results and gets requests for tips how to spot reduce certain areas of the face. Good luck to all! Best wishes, Aprile

free skin care · Mon Jul 27, 2009 12:42 pm

Great post, trigger! Very Happy

I agree about the expertise and thorough help one can find at the FE forums - especially the WorkShop forum - it's an incredible source of education & assistance in doing FE. I've already learned so much from everyone's posts and I especially appreciate Loli's detailed visual graphics.

And yes - I do all sorts of different exercise programs for the body (when I make the time, that is) and I certainly don't feel "disloyal" to yoga when I do Pilates or Lotte Berk or anything else!

free skin care · Mon Jul 27, 2009 12:45 pm

aprile wrote:

For those of you dealing with a "double chin". I asked Carole Maggio whether her No Lipo, Lipo routine would work to reduce that area. Here is her answer: "Pull your chin up high, point your tongue to the roof of your mouth, take one knuckle and grind up and down NOT too hard daily until you feel heat. The skin will sag slightly for a few days and start to tighten up." BTW ~ the reason this isn't in her book is that she is constantly tweaking her program for better results and gets requests for tips how to spot reduce certain areas of the face. Good luck to all! Best wishes, Aprile

Thanks for the tip, Aprile (and Carole) ... I'm adding this to my massage routine immediately. I was doing something similar occasionally but without the tongue-to-roof-of-mouth addition.

free skin care · Mon Jul 27, 2009 1:49 pm

Trigger, your post hit the nail on the head. The room was getting a bit steamed up -- thanks for letting in some air.

I, too, come here to get honest feedback. It would be a shame to have people censoring their opinions on products so as to not 'offend' any one. We're all adults -- we should be able to agree to disagree if necessary.

free skin care · Mon Jul 27, 2009 2:01 pm

trigger wrote:

Aprile, you're starting to be quite over the top in your rabid defense of CM. It's clear to anyone with a pair of eyes that she's had work (those lips!!!), and aside from that she's exercised her face into some kind of tautness that no one in their right mind would aim for, and despite your ten years haven't come close to, either. Your 'blog' hasn't been added to in months (I went there quite some time ago when you'd been advertising it on another thread). Where are these b/a's? Also, have you ever tried another program to give you some balanced insight? I don't believe anyone has been the least bit insulting to you (I'm the first!), yet you've attacked Linda Lou a number of times rather voraciously. She's not the only one that's mentioned that CM has clearly had work. I'm starting to think you're involved with CM, as your 'blog' seems a glorified front for hawking her products. Yes, really. I'm sure CM has some good exercises, and her louffas are lovely, and indeed the idea behind the cellulite treatment is sound. But let's keep it real here. It's not the only program, and she's far from the ideal 'face' for her product. The before and afters on her site do indeed insult the intellect of women. It's wonderful that she's so outspoken on facial exercise and has got the word out there, but I can't help but cringe when I think of the face she's giving it. Those tv apprearances where she can barely talk through her bloated lips are probably more damaging to facial exercise's reputation than helpful.

But there you have it, my 2 cents, and I do hope that there's no unnecessary abuse. It's important that people feel they can share their true thoughts here. I'm very saddened that some of the most experienced facial exercises and informative posters refuse to post.

Hmmm.... And why do you think that is Trigger? I decided to create a blog dedicated to helping women find natural solutions to aging. I posted about Carole's program & products simply because they are what I've been using & they've worked very well for me personally. I also plan to add little tid bits here & there about other products I've used with success. But Rome wasn't built in a day, and I've had my challenges with my dinosaur computer. Facercise is the only facial exercise program I know, so why would I post about another? I am sure there are other programs that also work, but don't have any knowledge to espouse. I had planned to post those photos (which are not updates, but old photos of myself with my son documenting my progress throughout the years) that I am trying to transfer to a disk & add to my blog via my dinosaur computer drive. I am also getting some technical help from a friend of mine who has been super busy, & I didn't want to impose upon him. I put a new post on the blog this past weekend about a new facial mitt that I tried from Carole ~ you can go & check it out if you like. Sorry if you felt my coming to Carole Maggio's defense was offensive or slamming you. This forum should be for sharing information and for giving "newbies" the hope and support they need. It should NOT be used for trashing a woman who made $14.95 each book, who answered the questions of many for free I might add ~ for years & years to help them better understand & master her program. So YES I did take exception to your comments and Linda Lou's for as far as the eye could see ~ BOTH of you seemed to only care about tearing her down. Just not fair. You are entitled to your opinion, just as I am entitled to mine. However, her lips are not filled, you can bet your bottom dollar on that. They are a unique shape ~ I liken them to Betty Boops lips. BTW, there ARE women on the No Lipo, Lipo thread who happen to find her beautiful just as I do. Let us never forget Trigger ~ that beauty indeed is in the eye of the beholder. Perhaps if you need some help with a double chin, you might check out the tip I left for Sanssouci & others from Carole. I asked Carole for a fellow EDS'er who PM'd me. Carole responded kindly with the tip. Best regards, Aprile

free skin care · Mon Jul 27, 2009 2:06 pm

SansSouci572 wrote:

My daughter also added her own exercises, she pushed against her lips with her two fingers, made the underside go to the outside, and pushed against them, then she would try to relax them by brushing them with her hands, to loosen them up.
It was amazing. The only thing was, her lips were always dry, and she has to do them all the time or they go back.

I notice this myself. It seems like I get a nice 'puffy' lip when I do LL's or FE's upper lip curl but the effect is temporary. All the other exercises seem to slowly but surely create a cumulative build. Is this just the nature of the lips -- will I never get 'build' here? Will it just be 'puffiness' or inflammation that constantly needs to be pumped? Does anyone doing Ageless or FE have any thoughts on this?

Vangirl

free skin care · Mon Jul 27, 2009 2:24 pm

I notice this myself. It seems like I get a nice 'puffy' lip when I do LL's or FE's upper lip curl but the effect is temporary. All the other exercises seem to slowly but surely create a cumulative build. Is this just the nature of the lips -- will I never get 'build' here? Will it just be 'puffiness' or inflammation that constantly needs to be pumped? Does anyone doing Ageless or FE have any thoughts on this?

You could always ask Aprile to ask CM what she does to achieve that wonderful naturally full lip! Hehe couldn't resist!! Laughing

BTW, I agree with you vangirl. Mine pumps up for a while, and then goes back to normal, but I've only been going for 6 months.

free skin care · Mon Jul 27, 2009 2:46 pm

aprile wrote:

This forum should be for sharing information and for giving "newbies" the hope and support they need. It should NOT be used for trashing a woman who made $14.95 each book, who answered the questions of many for free I might add ~ for years & years to help them better understand & master her program. So YES I did take exception to your comments and Linda Lou's for as far as the eye could see ~ BOTH of you seemed to only care about tearing her down. Just not fair. You are entitled to your opinion, just as I am entitled to mine.

Aprile, I don't think anyone is 'trashing' Carol. Certainly, they are critiquing how she looks. You have to expect that -- her face is her product. When someone is trying to decide whether or not they want to buy a specific facial program they're going to take a look at the innovator and say "do I like what facial exercising has done to her face?" A lot of people don't like Carol's. And because it looks like she's had a facelift (so tight and pulled), naturally people are going to accuse her of that as well. I know you say she hasn't had one. Fine. I'll give you the benefit of doubt. But if that's the case, I would say I wouldn't buy her program 'cause I wouldn't want to look that unnatural. I don't think any one has fixated on it, nor has anyone an 'ax to grind' with Carol. However, you seem to have an ax to grind with anyone that critcizes her.

You might want to follow Sister Sweet's advice and start your own Carol Maggio thread as posting in a forum with contradictory opinions seems difficult for you.

Vangirl

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