Beer or Wine?

The Czech company Manufaktura has some great products. I first discovered it when I was in Prague, and the smell of all their products mesmerized me. I picked the wine range pictured bellow that smells amazing and is really good too. On top is the beer range which surprisingly, also smells really good. They are also one of those companies that try to stay away from ingredients that are not so good for the skin, such as mineral oil. They don't test on animals and a large portion of their products are actually hand made which is nice

Images via http://www.a-cosmetics.sk

Greek Beauty

Kalimera Kriti offered products from the Greek cosmetics brand Korres. The products are made from natural plant and herb extracts without any harmful ingredients like parabens, mineral oil, petrolatum, etc. The company is sort of like The Body Shop but a little more expensive. The shampoo pictured above is not your typical shampoo smell which is kind of refreshing, to be able to have your hair smell a little different. It honestly smells organic like the herbs themselves. Not like they tried to recreate the "natural" smell of the particular herbs, like some companies do and try to sell the products as "natural".

The body products were also really nice. The particular body wash I used was with Green Tea and the smell was a bit "manly" for my taste, but it still smelled really nice. The body lotion was really hydrating though. When I put it on my sunburned skin it brought back the moisture to my epidermis.

Images via out.com and beautyandthedirt.com

Bamboo

The bamboo range from Roger et Gallet is very fresh. When you use any of the products, you end up with a light scent that clings to your skin and makes you want to smell your arms. On top of that the soap makes your skin feel so luxuriously soft. 

Secrets of getting skin right

Ten things that are crucial in your skin care regimen:

1. Water/ Hydration 

- drink at least one glass of water first thing in the morning and one before going to bed

- and of course drink at least 6 to 8 glasses throughout the day

-add additional glasses to the 6 to 8 if you are travelling or exercising

2. Circulation = Glowing skin

-start your shower with hot water to open up your pores 

- use a blast of cold water at the end of your shower to get your blood circulation going and close up your pores

3. DO NOT USE HOT WATER ON YOUR FACE

- hot water weakens your vessels which will stretch and loosen your skin, it also dries out your skin

- use lukewarm to cold water instead 

4. Beware of the Sun 

-do not suntan from 11a.m. to 3 p.m. 

-use sunscreen

-and use the sun to your benefit with moderation 

5. Masques

- you can either use store bought masks, such as clay masks 

                                 OR

-you can make your own ( I posted some recipes here)

6. ALWAYS wash your face before going to bed!!!

7. Care for you face and neck GENTLY

-do not scrub the thin skin around your eyes and neck

-use an oil based eye-makeup remover like Lancome Bi-Facil or simply use olive oil 

8. Routine

- it is important to create a beauty routine that you will follow everyday, it will improve your skin and your mood

9. Simple is Key 

- do not put a thousand moisturizers on your face, it will not help! 

-do not over wash your face - it will only dry it out - washing your face twice a day is more than enough

10. Once again - drink lots and lots of water!

- AND don't smoke!

Image by Edouard Boubat

Beauty Products You Can Eat

I have been doing some research on beauty because my skin has not been looking the greatest for the past couple of weeks. I wanted to try something that i could make myself so I know what I am putting on my skin. All of the recipes below are from ingredients you use in your kitchen and because you make them yourself you know that they're fresh, and therefore more effective. So here they are, few recipes for dry skin for you to enjoy:

Sparkling Spa Honey Scrub
(this is meant for the face but in my opinion sugar is way too harsh for the face so I would use it on my body- obviously if you are using this on your body you need to make a bigger amount)

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of honey
1 tablespoon of mineral water

Mix all ingredients together. Rub it all around your face and rinse off.

White Bean Wonder Mask

Ingredients:
1/4 cup of white beans
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon of lemon juice

Soak the beans overnight. In a small saucepan bring the beans and 3 cups of water to a boil. Simmer until soft. Drain the beans. In a small bowl, mash the beans with a fork, then add the oil and lemon juice.

Cover your face and neck with the mask and relax for 20 to 30 minutes. Rinse with warm water and moisturize afterwards.
(The white beans contain calcium- helps with cell renewal and has antioxidants [if you suffer from dry skin in the winter you should take calcium tablets to combat the dryness] it also has anti-aging properties, potassium - a mineral that helps with new cell growth enabling your skin to look healthier and folate- helps with the division of skin cells [ if you have a folate deficiency it can lead to depression]) .


Sweetie Pie Cleanser

Ingredients:
 3 tablespoons apple juice
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 teaspoon flour

In a small bowl mis together the apple juice and cream. Slowly stir in the flour so that it thickens the mixture.
Wash your face and neck with the cleanser only at night. Rinse off with warm water. In the morning splash cold water on both face and neck.
(Apple juice contains malic  acid which is an excellent exfoliator. Heavy cream is hydrating and the flour binds the ingredients together.)

Image is by the photographer Albert Watson.
The recipes are from the book Return To Beauty by Narine Nikogosian.

Wish List

I never really know what I would like as a present for christmas or my birthday. Only after the event do I realize that there are so many things that I would in fact like but just never really remember it at the time of gift giving and receiving. So here are a few items that I would like right now so that when my birthday comes around, I will actually know what to ask for.

Any lotion, fragrance, shower gel, well anything really from L'Occitane.

A simple yet beautiful illustration like this one by Cori Dantini in a vintage frame.

A book about the graffiti artist Banksy or any other art/design book.

Any book from Stephen Clarke (apart from the ones I have already...although I wouldn't even mind if I had doubles if the books are from Stephen Clarke) or any other great novel or a writing guide.

As I am obsessed with notebooks and writing utensils, I would love any sort of pretty notebooks like these ones from Moleskine and a pen to accompany it. 

A vintage camera, or any fun cameras from Lomography. 

Even though I very much dislike Ed Hardy his perfumes are absolutely amazing. This one in particular is my favourite one. It's really feminine and floral but very different. It seems that a lot of perfumes' smell is similar, but this one will surely make you stand out from the crowd. 

A travel bag like this one by Billykirk.  A cheaper alternative would be great though. 

And last but not least, a vintage typewriter. They are beautiful and it would be such an experience to write on one late at night. 

A day of roses

Speaking of France, a couple years ago, my grandmother came to visit me in Paris. She was looking for a specific body lotion from Fragonard that my aunt loved but could not get it anywhere in Italy (where she lives) so she asked if we could look for it. I have never heard of the label so I was not sure where to look for it. One day, I took my grandmother to the Louvre and there it was, a Fragonard store! Of course I went through all the perfumes and lotions to see what they smell like. They were all wonderful and the scents were so real! But finally I decided on the Rose de mai scent. The first time i put it on, locked in my bathroom, my grandmother who was two closed doors away from me yelled out, "are you putting on the body lotion? It smells so wonderful!" And it did smell magnificent the whole day...I didn't even have to wear perfume! I am so happy I found it. Thank you grandma! :)