Back to life!

by Kaede

Finally I feel like a human being again. The last three weeks I spent with working day and night on my current project. I think it was worth doing it, but at this point I always ask myself what is more important to me, being successful or enjoying life…well, this is some kind of a philosophical question and is always linked with one‘s attitude to life. But there is one thing I am sure about: When all work is done, I will turn my back on university, and my belly to the sun! For this case I have discovered a great sun protection cream. You need to apply it just once a day! I use it particularly for my face, because it is so light and I hate all these oily suncreams. But well, like most good things, this cream is quite expensive…anyway, I can recommend it to anyone who has very sensitive and pale skin, it‘s worth the money.   www.daylong.com

Sping Skin with Dr. Hauschka

by Maya

Hello you. It’s time to add another post to our beauty category.

Every spring I am at war with my skin. We simply hate each other. All of a sudden it starts throwing tantrums. And despite an established facial care routine I cannot prevent breakouts and a dull, grey complexion.

And there is one cream that totally saves the day: Dr. Hauschka’s Rose Day Cream Light. It has been my spring staple for years. It provides the right amount of moisture without being greasy. It seems to minimize my pores, reduces redness, gives a matte finish and it can be worn underneath mineral foundation. According to Dr. Hauschka the cream is supposed to nurture, strengthen and soothe dry and irritated skin. It comes in a tube which is really hygienic and practical.

Dr. Hauschka has been featured as a celebrity favourite in several U.S. magazines. I’ve been browsing Dr. Hauschka’s U.S. website and realized that compared to Germany the prices are insane over there. That’s certainly one of the reasons why the brand has this luxury image overseas. Luckily Hauschka products are decently priced in Germany since it is a domestic brand.

And of course Dr. Hauschka’s “holistic” philosophy that embraces ecological and economic sustainability is certainly worth supporting.

http://www.drhauschka.com/

http://www.hauschka.de/

body and soul…

by Kaede

So ladies, it‘s summertime soon! Reminds me of my New Year‘s resolution…..doing more  sports! Guess, this is not your favorite topic, but if we are talking about divine beauty, we also have to talk about a healthy body!

There was something very useful about school: you had to do sports regularly. At the beginning of my studies I did nothing but learning and working, sitting and sitting. I really regret that now. Once you stop paying attention to your body, it is very hard to restart that. So I had quite a hard time getting used to sports again. First I tried „Tae- Bo“. It was nice, and very hard the first few times. I liked the combination of fitness and martial arts. Unfortunately I had to stop it because I had too much work to do. Later I tried other fitness courses until I finally signed up for the gym. Right now I am trying something new! My boyfriend has been doing Aikido for several years now, and he has always told me how useful it is for your body and mind. I sometimes watched him doing Aikido and did not understand this „sport“ at all. Then I tried myself and learned how difficult and challenging it is. I had my first lessons now and I think I like it. It requires concentration- which is surprisingly exhausting- frankness and patience. I am convinced that Aikido can support your health!

I try to explain what Aikido is to me. I want to leave it at that because I am not a pro, there are a lot of things that I do not understand yet and others I do not know yet. So first I think it is important to know is that Aikido is different from other martial arts. If you want action or want to learn how to defend yourself on the street you might be disappointed. If you want to exhaust your body and relieve stress you should go to the gym. Aikido happens first in your mind. I think it can even be an attitude towards life if you are devoted to it. If I had to describe Aikido in three words they would be: peace, balance and flow.

I can recommend doing sports at the University. It is cheap, even for non- students, there are many different things to do and you get to know a lot of people.

Uncovering Beauty III

by Charlie

Maybe you’ve heard of the advice, some wise grannies give their granddaughters: sleep enough, drink a lot and do remove your make up before going to bed. And I have to say there is some truth to these simple hints.

So get your eight hours of sleep, hydrate your body, preferably with water and tea and use make up remover at the end of a day.

These are the basics.

To enhance your beauty and pamper your skin here are some of my tricks:

Dr. Hauschka Clarifying Toner: use it after your cleansing routine or during the day when you feel like your skin could use something to refresh.

Speaking of Dr. Hauschka: their Cleansing Clay Mask makes your skin feel soft like silk. I love the scent. It smells like summer rain just before starting to rain.

The skin around your eyes it the most delicate one. So treat it well, for instance  with i+m Hydro-Performance Augenbalsam Hyaluron Vitamin E. You can really feel the lifting effect.

Like Maya I’ve never been a fan of liquid foundation. Dr. Hauschka’s Translucent Face Powder is the right tool to finish your make up.

Smokey eyes are sexy. It needs a little bit of time and training to get them perfect but the effort is definitely worth it. An Eyeshadow Base may help the colors stay on longer.

To go along with Maya and Kaede, find your personal fragrance and wear it with pleasure (it’s the icing on the cake) and keep smiling cos a smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks.  ~Charles Gordy

Uncovering Beauty II

by Kaede

So here we are talking about women‘s second favorite topic: Beauty! Everyone of us is at least a little vain and wants to be pretty…me too. I am definitely no beauty expert, but I have one rule that I would truly recommend to many women out there:

Keep it simple! If you don‘t know how to use make- up, stop it! Make- up makes you look prettier only if you use it right! I often see girls experimenting with colors and eyeliners, well, I did too, when I was young, that‘s Ok. But grown- up women should know what suits their skin color and what they can handle.

Here is a little secret: Most men don‘t like make- up! You may laugh now, but apparently there are women out there not knowing this. Men like make- up when they don‘t know it‘s make- up!

Since I am no morning person, I don‘t have the time and patience to do a long procedure every day. So after clarifying and creaming I just put some loose and transparent powder on, for my eyes I use a brown mascara and for a fresh look I put some Rouge on…but not too much! I don‘t have a very beautiful skin, but I have to live with that, because tons of foundation won‘t change that!

The most precious beauty-tip I can think of is: Smile! There are so many beautiful girls out there who know how to use make- up, who have a great style, but who have not realized that looking bored and annoyed does not make them sexy.

I see so many people everyday, but at the end of the day I remember those people who smiled at me. An honest smile is much more beautiful then any perfectly made make- up! It is the best distraction from little flaws because it shows your inner beauty!

I once straightened my hair very often, because I thought this is the only way to control them. I have wavy hair, something between curly and straight, a fact that really frustrated me, because it is so hard to handle: sometimes you cannot wear them down because the weather will turn it in everything but beautiful, and sometimes you cannot wear it in a ponytail because there is a strand of hair that just wants to stick out! But I learned that forcing my hair to be different does not work! So now I try to make the best of it. If I have enough time I don‘t blow-dry my hair, I get really nice and soft curls then, if it‘s necessary I straighten the front strands. I also use a creamy oil that you do not need to wash out, it makes them smooth and soft.

So all in all, I would recommend to stick to your natural beauty! Don‘t try to hide behind a mask of make-up, because by night you need to take it off!

Uncovering Beauty

by Maya

Georgia O’Keeffe “The Black Iris” (1926)

Hello world and happy Monday. You are certainly wondering what special treat we have for you this week. Beware this is going to be very girly since we are planning to disclose our ultimate beauty secrets. Our dos and don’ts when it comes to beauty routines, make up and cosmetics.

I started dabbling with make up when I was in my late teens and I definitely had my share of fashion and beauty faux pas. Currently I’m at a point where I have an established make up and beauty routine.  I use make up daily, especially when I’m working. I feel better with it, more confident. But I try to go for the natural look. My personal motto has always been enhancing instead of masking. In my opinion it is so much more sophisticated to make the best of your natural looks than trying to be somebody else.

Here are some of my tips:
Know your colours: I’m a summer type and I would never wear orange, peach or salmon because these colours make me look like death itself.

Bobbi Brown eye shadow in Espresso as eye liner: My holy grail of eye liners. Two years ago I wanted to treat myself and bought Bobbi Brown’s limited edition eye shadow palette “Shimmering Nudes”. Bobbi Brown recommends using a dark chocolate brown eye shadow instead of liner and the colour “Espresso” is included in nearly every single eye make up palette. First I was quite sceptical but was quickly convinced by the super easy application and the very natural, soft look it created. It perfectly does the job a good eye liner is supposed to do: defining your eyes.

Do not apply Mascara to your lower lashes, especially if you have very fair skin and do not normally line your lower lash line: it turns you into a sad clown, looks unnatural and breaks the line of your face.

Shimmering eye shadow in dusty purple / lavender and soft rose is the most versatile eye shadow out there, especially for brunettes: it works with my bluish/greenish/greyish eyes, but it also looks great with dark brown eyes like Charlie’s.

Say NO to “do it yourself” eyebrows: please do me a favour and do not pluck your eyebrows at home if you are not an eyebrow pro. Eyebrows are such an essential part of your face and believe me nothing ruins it more than over plucked eyebrows. Sometimes I just want to scream at all those teenage girls who are running around with hideous eyebrows: “Why do you hate yourself!?” For your first time you should always visit a professional beautician. It is really cheap and she will create the best shape for your face. Afterwards you can follow the professionally created line and just pluck stray hairs beneath it.

Use powder shadow to line your brows: Eyebrow pencils are very tricky to use. You definitely need some practice if you want to prevent the painted look. Eyebrow powder defines natural eyebrows. I use one in a shade that is slightly lighter than my natural brow colour.

L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara: I’ve tried so many mascaras and finally found this one. It is the most perfect mascara for my lashes.

I would sue them if they dared to discontinue it.

Using Oil under moisturizer in winter: I always had problems with dry, flaky facial skin during winter time. I tried to go for richer creams but it didn’t work. Last winter I discovered Aubrey Organics Sea Buckthorn with Ester-C® Rejuvenating Antioxidant Serum which I used under my normal day cream and I had the best skin. It does not have to be that expensive. Almond oil will do the job as well. It is inexpensive and you can get it everywhere. Believe me it is not greasy at all; it magnificently sinks into your skin.

Mineral make up foundation: I’ve never liked the feel of liquid foundation. Often it is too heavy and tends to look unnatural. At the same time my face needs some light coverage. Then I discovered Mineral Make Up and have never used normal foundation again. It is light, you do not feel it at all but it still offers enough coverage which looks incredibly natural. I would always go for natural cosmetics lines that offer mineral make up. I’ve tried Monavé and Geografx. Both brands are really good. It is also very easy to apply if you know some tricks. It is very important to find the right colour and use just a small amount of powder. Using the right brush is essential; a normal powder brush is no good. The best brush is a soft kabuki.

Be careful with dark lipsticks: They look too harsh and make your lips appear smaller. And you always look older. Try the smokey eyes look instead.

Paint your toe nails: a very easy way to feel sexy

Do not colour your hair at home: please invest the extra money to get a professional cut and colouring. I used to do it myself but quickly realized that nothing beats a professional colour treatment at a salon. It is simply different: it looks and feels better and it does not ruin your hair. Do not go blond if you are dark haired and cannot afford a regular professional treatment to fix dark roots. Being blond isn’t simply worth looking tacky and ruining your hair. I’m a brunette and am constantly trying out different shades of brown. You can make a significant difference without making a dramatic change.

Do NOT buy cheap drugstore fragrances: believe me you can smell the cheapness. Ok, Dior does not have real roses in its stuff either. But designer brands use high-quality chemical formulas for their fragrances and they hire some of the best “noses” to create them.

All Natural: Aubrey Organics Hair Care

by Maya

Happy Wednesday everyone. It’s time for another product review. Today I will launch into cosmetics. I have to admit that I’m not very open-minded when it comes to cosmetic products. With the exception of eye makeup I do not use conventional cosmetics at all. I am a huge fan of natural cosmetic products which I have been using for almost 10 years and which helped me to overcome severe skin problems when I was in my early twenties.

There are 3 major criteria which distinguish natural cosmetics from their conventional counterparts. Natural products do not contain:

– Petrochemical ingredients: in very simple terms this is basically the same as the fuel you fill up your car with. Cosmetic companies use liquid paraffin for the oil base in their crèmes. It is cheap, easy to work with and it creates the illusion of softness. But since it has an inorganic origin is does not sink into your skin but just sits on top of it.

– Silicones: these ingredients make your hair shine and are used in anti-aging products. Some silicones are not water soluble. They stay in your hair and build a layer which turns your hair into a dull mess over time.

– Synthetic preservatives: parabenes are commonly used in mostly all conventional cosmetic products. They have a fungicidal effect that prolongs the shelf life of crèmes. The problem is that this effect does not stop when the product is applied to the skin. Currently parabenes are under discussion to influence cancer.

Natural cosmetics do not use these ingredients. Instead they contain natural oils and use natural preservation. There are so many different brands in the market that sell great products which do not cost a fortune.

Natural hair care is a totally different story. It is very hard to replace aggressive detergents like Sodium Lauryl Sulhate and silicones with natural ingredients that achieve similar results. I had tried so many different brands and had never been satisfied until I discovered Aubrey Organics. Aubrey Organics is an American company that was founded in 1967 and works with purest natural and organic ingredients. I have been using their hair products for about a year and my hair is at its best. Even my hairdresser complimented on it, I don’t have any split ends after 4 months without a cut. This is a total novelty. So far I tried the following products:

Blue Camomile Hydrating Shampoo & Camomile Luxurious Volumizing Shampoo: both shampoos contain a very gentle Coconut Oil-Corn Oil Soap that does not dry out your hair at all.

GPB Glycogen Protein Balancing Conditioner: this is simply the best conditioner I have ever used. Ever! Actually this is the only conditioner I can use for my hair. I have a very “special” hair structure. It is curly/ wavy and needs a lot of moisture. At the same time it is rather fine and gets weighed down easily by conditioners. I do not know how it works but this conditioner creates the silkiest hair without taking away its volume.

Mandarin Magic Ginkgo Leaf & Ginseng Root Hair Moisturizing Jelly & B-5 Design Gel: I was searching for a natural styling product that does not contain alcohol. Almost all natural styling aids need alcohol for preservation and texture but unfortunately it has a drying effect on my hair. Aubrey’s gels work without any alcohol. They offer light hold, body and moisture. I will never again use a different product for hair styling and hope that they do not discontinue them. 

The prices of Aubrey products may appear quite high but their bottles are pretty big and the products can be used very sparingly. They have a huge variety of shampoos and conditioners. You can choose the best product for your hair type.

Shop at:

USA: http://www.aubrey-organics.com/

Germany: http://www.aubrey-organics.de/

Smell like a goddess: Bulgari Omnia Crystalline

by Maya

This is my first fragrance review ever. I hope you enjoy it. First of all, let me tell you that I am totally incapable of choosing a perfume for myself. I have a very strange body chemistry that makes most perfumes turn sour on my skin. At the same time there is definitely something wrong with my nose/brain connection. Every time I buy a perfume because I am convinced that it smells lovely I end up hating it at home. The last time this happened to me was with L by Lolita Lempicka. At the store it smelled delicious like summer and vanilla; back at home it turned out to be harsh and masculine. What a waste of money!

On the other hand, my boyfriend is the most accomplished nose. He always succeeds in choosing the most amazing fragrances for me even if I’m not with him to try them. For Christmas he got me two new fragrances as a surprise: the new Boss “Orange” and Bulgari “Omnia Crystalline” and both smelled great on me.

Whereas Boss “Orange” is the typical sweet, vanilla based mass market fragrance, Omnia Crystalline surprisingly turned out to be a real find.

According to Bulgari it is supposed to have notes of Bamboo, nashi pear, Lotus Flower and Balsa wood. Now, could somebody please explain to me what bamboo and nashi pear are supposed to smell like? I am always amazed how the perfume industry’s marketing experts manage to come up with the fanciest names for their newest chemical formulas.

The fragrance is very fresh and transparent. I was always convinced that fresh scents were not for me. So I was pretty sure that I would not like it. But the freshness is not citrusy or aquatic at all. In fact Omnia Crystalline has a very feminine and sultry touch in a sophisticated way since it lacks the typical heaviness and sweetness. Crystalline whispers “sexy” instead of screaming it. The dry down is soft and airy. There is definitely something unusual about it that I cannot quite put my finger on.

It comes as an EDT but the staying power is excellent on me. I can still smell it after a long day at work. For me it is the perfect everyday scent. It will put a finishing touch on an elegant office outfit without annoying your co-workers.

Inspired by this one I recently tried the original Bulgari Omnia which is an oriental with gourmand notes of tea and white chocolate. At first I didn’t like it all. The middle notes smelled musty, like sour wood. But then the dry down happened to be absolutely delicious; warm, cosy and slightly sweet. I will need to go back and try it again.

If you are interested in fragrances, you should definitely go and read:

http://www.nstperfume.com/; http://boisdejasmin.typepad.com/ .  These blogs are made by girls who are real experts in perfumes. They are amazing in describing scents, it’s almost poetry.

If you are searching for a review of a certain fragrance you should go to www.makeupalley.com . The registration is free and you will find useful information on fragrance and cosmetics in general.

If you are sick and tired of mass market perfumes I recommend trying out some niche lines. You may like:

–         Serge Lutens: http://www.salons-shiseido.com/en/

–         Le Parfums de Rosine: www.les-parfums-de-rosine.com/

–         Annick Goutal: www.annickgoutal.com