tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89018449072066436632024-02-18T17:45:44.081-08:00blk-gypsy tales...This is my gypsy motto blog. Here you find random tales, on life(style) and music,
and whatever else may cross my path.
Let me carry you away ~Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14051761762813337818noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901844907206643663.post-36549311171420789712014-11-15T02:35:00.003-08:002014-11-15T02:50:40.530-08:00My current make-up and skin care products<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="color: #990000;">Hi all</span>,</span><br />
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it's been a while since I have been blogging last. Life is crazy busy and I am hardly having any spare time in front of my computer. I rather go to the beach or meet with friends in leisurely moments. Nevertheless, I missed catching up with you all! I hope you've been doing well and enjoying life. <br />
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Today, I wanna share with you what new make-up I've been using lately and I am giving you a quick overview of my skin care routine. I hope I can inspire you to fall in love with organic vegan beauty products. They have turned my skin around!<br />
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A recent brand I have come across is<i><b> </b></i><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">INIKA</span></b>. This beautiful all organic vegan brand delivers for all sophisticated ladies out there. The packaging is absolutely gorgeous and the colours are very smooth in texture and quite intense, not at all fair in colour like other natural brands can be. This high end brand has covered just about anything in their range. Their special edition looks are an absolute highlight and the kits save some money, too. I have purchased two eye-shadow colours that were part of a special edition. The ladies at the store could not give me the full kit, so I received a discount. The eye-shadow colours are called <span style="color: #6aa84f;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">lust</span> </i></span>and <span style="color: #134f5c;"><i>seduction</i></span>, and are wonderful metallic mineral powder eye-shadows. The lipstick is a new summer special called <span style="color: red;"><i>coral</i></span> and the lip whip comes in a beautiful <span style="color: orange;"><i>peach</i></span> colour. <br />
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Another brand I just learned about and love is <i><span style="color: #4c1130;"><b>100% pure</b></span></i>. This cruelty-free brand uses fruit pigments to achieve the colour spectrum of their range, fantastic! So far, I tried the pot rouge blush in the shade <span style="color: #f6b26b;"><i>ballerina</i></span>. It gives a subtle shimmer on the sheeks and is not irritating at all. If anything, it nourishes the skin. The same goes for the fruit-pigmented lip glazes in<span style="color: #e06666;"> <i>lychee</i></span> and <span style="color: #ea9999;"><i>vixen</i></span>. It surprised me how great the texture of these lipsticks are and that they stay on the lips well. Go fruits, you're the best! <br />
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A brand that I have discussed previously is <span style="color: #45818e;"><b>Alima Pure</b></span>. Their mineral foundation has become my standard foundation powder and it is really great for my skin. You can read my initial review of the mineral foundation and foundation brush <b><a href="http://blk-gypsy.blogspot.com.au/2010/11/alima-pure-mineral-foundation-brush.html" target="_blank">here</a></b>. I wanted to renew all my old eye-shadows and blushes with mineral powders. This is because pure mineral powders do not expire (if you manage to not contaminate them - I do not dip my brushes into the containers directly). They are also not irritating my skin and deliver natural sun protection as a bonus. So, I invested in a concealer (<span style="color: #f9cb9c;"><i>sand</i></span>), two luminous shimmer blushes (<span style="color: #ea9999;"><i>sahara</i></span> & <span style="color: #e69138;"><i>freja</i></span>), two luminous shimmer eye-shadows (<i><span style="color: #999999;">paris</span> </i>& <span style="color: #741b47;"><i>aubergine</i></span>), and three pearluster eye-shadows (<span style="color: #a64d79;"><i>amethyst</i></span>, <i><span style="color: #f1c232;">glow</span></i>, &<i> <span style="color: #999999;">zen</span></i>). I also scored the tea-pigmented natural definition mascaras in <span style="color: #20124d;"><i>black</i> </span>and <span style="color: #660000;"><i>brown</i></span>. Those two naturally won't last forever because they have moisture in them and get in contact with the eye area directly. I have tried the mascaras already and I am very content! By the way, the <span style="color: #741b47;"><i>aubergine</i></span> eye shadow was more grey than purple when I tried it but I have to give it another go. I applied the eye-colour in artificial light and may have misjudged the shade.<br />
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I have talked about this before but I am not shy of mentioning it again. I have acne-prone skin and need to be very selective with the products that I can use. This is true for make-up as well as skin care products. A brand that I have made only good experiences with is Miranda Kerr's own range called <span style="color: #a2c4c9;"><b>Kora Organics</b></span>. I use it for cleansing, peeling, blemish care, misting, moisturizing, light coverage, and overnight facial treatments. I almost have too many products to mention but I use at least one or two of them daily. I mix the <span style="color: #a2c4c9;"><i>soothing day and night cream</i></span> and the <i><span style="color: #a2c4c9;">tinted day cream</span> </i>to achieve a light coverage with a bit of sunscreen protection. I spritz the <span style="color: #a2c4c9;"><i>calming lavender mist</i></span> on my face at night, especially before going to bed at hot summer nights. It soothes my skin and gives me a cooling feeling before going to sleep. The <span style="color: #a2c4c9;"><i>energizing citrus mist</i></span> is just that - a fresh morning start into the day! When I wear make-up, I use it to seal my make-up. The <span style="color: #a2c4c9;"><i>blemish gel</i></span> is a little rescue potion whenever needed. At home, I usually put fresh aloe vera gel onto my newly developed blemishes but I can hardly do that when I'm out and about! This is why the little gel tube comes in handy. On days when I feel like my skin needs some extra love, I go to sleep with the <span style="color: #a2c4c9;"><i>hydrating mask</i></span> on. The next morning, I can always see how my skin has healed considerably! On other nights, I put the <span style="color: #a2c4c9;"><i>luxurious rosehip oil</i></span> on my skin before going to bed. This treatment is a little more subtle but often all I need. I wash my face with the <span style="color: #a2c4c9;"><i>foaming cleanser</i></span> and about once a week with the <span style="color: #a2c4c9;"><i>exfoliating cream</i></span> instead. I take the time about once a week to apply the <span style="color: #a2c4c9;"><i>enriched body lotion</i></span> all over my body. Since I've been using <span style="color: #a2c4c9;"><b>Kora Organics</b></span>, my skin has become softer and less irritated. I am very grateful for the improvement and I am hoping that my skin issues will disappear completely. My biggest enemy is myself because I start picking my face when I am stressed! I do not notice that I am doing it until some time later. This is why I also want to get into meditation or mindfulness exercises. I feel that my stressed-out mind is the root of my skin issue. It is hard to identify stress-triggers when they come in the form of e-mails, workload, tasks, news, etc. Where have the good old straight-forward roaring bears gone?! <br />
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<span style="color: white;"><i><b>Have you identified any triggers that can cause you instant stress reactions? How do you go about them? What do you think of organic cruelty-free make-up and skin care? Let me know, I am looking forward to be hearing your thoughts :)</b></i></span><br />
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Much love and tranquility (the natural way!),<br />
<span style="color: #990000;">ur blk_gypsy </span><br />
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<br />Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14051761762813337818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901844907206643663.post-24246471305713731362012-09-21T08:51:00.000-07:002014-11-15T04:05:09.869-08:00Kora Organics - Do it yourself facial night! <br />
<u style="color: #990000;">Dear all</u><span style="color: #990000;">,</span><br />
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I have been terribly absent for a while but there was so much going on in my life that I simply couldn't deliver. I moved to a different continent and made lots of new friends, while staying in touch with all my folks back home. I am very grateful for how things turned out! On Sunday, I am going to move into my favourite apartment of all times. I can overlook the entire city from my bedroom and from the kitchen window, I have a wonderful ocean view <span style="color: #134f5c;">~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ </span>:-)<br />
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I am very excited to be writing on this topic! I had to say goodbye to many brands that worked for me in Europe, so that I promised myself to treat my skin with some beautiful <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Kora Organics</span></b> products by top model <span style="color: #741b47;">Miranda Kerr</span> after my move to <b><i><span style="color: orange;">Australia</span></i></b>. Before I got a chance to collect some items at their shop in Sydney, I read on their blog that they were holding a "DIY Facial" in a nice Yoga loft. This was the perfect opportunity to test the range before deciding on some quite expensive products... when I arrived there, I was just blown away by the amazing ambience they had pulled off! All products were nicely presented on yoga mats and there were little tealights everywhere. Before I stepped into the room, <span style="color: #351c75;">Therese Kerr</span>, Miranda's mum, gave me a very warm and heart-felt welcome. This greeting set the stage for the entire evening...<br />
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The team had prepared little treats such as chocolate and energy balls, fruits, sorbets, and the well-known <a href="http://blk-gypsy.blogspot.com.au/search/label/Noni%20Juice" style="color: #783f04;" target="_blank">Noni juice</a> - Miranda's favourite ingredient in the <b style="color: #0b5394;">Kora Organics</b> range. It was her very own idea to use Noni juice in her skin products. After a wonderful singer sang a touching song for the visitors, <span style="color: #351c75;">Therese </span>gave a very convincing speech on food and nutrition. She shared with her audience that she once suffered from cancer herself and that it is her strong belief that her cancer got triggered by the high amount of fragrances she used on herself for a long time. She was able to overcome her health challenges and her blood tests actually show that she was able to reverse the aging process - as her blood profile is 12 years "younger" than her physical age! (I was very fortunate to talk to <span style="color: #351c75;">Therese</span>, get her advice on my skin type, and receive a very own make-over by her towards the end of the event. All I can say is that she looks absolutely stunning and her personality shines bright from the inside out!) Therese also pointed out that flawless skin is directly related to digestive health and that the body can't digest properly if we women lead our stressful lives without adequate breaks. We need to switch from a constant fight-or-flight state (sympathetic response) to the calming parasympathetic response. This omnipresent anxiety that everyone, especially females, seem to have in the modern world is taking its toll and is making the bad effects of the stress condition even worse, leading to adrenal fatigue and all sort of health problems. However, with adequate nutrition, favourable lifestyle choices, and a positive outlook, those struggles can be overcome. I was very impressed to see how passionate <span style="color: #351c75;">Therese</span> was talking about the subject and that she wanted to keep on talking :) She gave a lot of book tips, for example, <span style="color: #274e13;">The Chemical Maze</span> by <span style="color: #38761d;">Bill Statham</span> for people who wanted to keep on reading about this topic.<br />
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The actual testing of the products turned out to be a bit more hectic than I thought it would be. Everyone was talking and <span style="color: #351c75;">Therese</span> could hardly get through the noise to guide us through the steps. My skin felt instantly soft and the <i style="color: #e06666;">luxurious rosehip oil</i> (one liter of that oil costs <b style="color: #0b5394;">Kora</b> $22,000!) and the <i style="color: #674ea7;">lavender mist</i><span style="color: black;"> smelled divine! As far as the other products went, you could notice that they weren't designed for fragrance, like <span style="color: #351c75;">Therese</span> said. </span>Some even smelled like the good old goodies my grandma used to have when I was a little kid :) However, my skin loved all of the products equally well!<br />
With the exception of the <i><span style="color: #ffd966;">lip balm</span></i>, which is made with beeswax, the entire <b style="color: #0b5394;">Kora</b> range is <b style="color: #38761d;">vegan</b> and cruelty-free! So, there was only this one product that I didn't try. The <i style="color: #e69138;">tinted moisturizer</i> with natural SPF was a little cakey on my face at first but Therese fixed it for me by mixing the moisturizer with a little bit of the <i style="color: #76a5af;">soothing day and night cream</i>. She really knows her stuff! So does, Matt, her son. He came to me to inform me that the <i style="color: yellow;">citrus mist</i> (that <span style="color: #674ea7;">Therese</span> had chosen for me) was sold out and recommended the <i><span style="color: #8e7cc3;">lavender mist</span></i> instead, as both mists share a lot of the benefits. I felt so looked after, it was wonderful- Matt's partner is a sweetheart, too! They are all very kind and dedicated people, I was so grateful to have met them! The event was supposed to end at 8.30pm and when I left, it was almost 11pm - that's how much <span style="color: #cc0000;">love</span> was shared that night! No one was left out.<br />
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This is what I got that night :-) I am very looking forward to trying all the products out in my new beach home. Until then (the day after tomorrow, ha ha), I'm gonna use fresh lemon juice and mushed avocado on my face - which was the only thing helping my skin after having to adjust to the new climate. <span style="color: #6aa84f;">Nature is awesome and still the best! </span><br />
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<i>What do you think about Kora Organics?! I personally do not use anything on my skin that isn't organic, except some make-up. I buy my organically-grown groceries at the Farmer's Markets instead of shopping at the supermarket. I chose a vegan lifestyle out of respect for all beings and for our dear planet. I know that it can get rough doing things differently than most other people but this role grows on me. I keep meeting wonderful people who share this mission and handle it in their own unique ways. What is your passion?</i><br />
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<b>Love</b>, </div>
<span style="color: #660000;">Sam <b>xx</b> </span><br />
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<br />Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14051761762813337818noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901844907206643663.post-4199021179404526102012-06-01T04:10:00.000-07:002012-06-02T16:06:10.814-07:00Laser Eye Surgery - A Sharp Eye On That!<br />
<b><span style="color: #660000;">Dear readers</span></b>,<br />
<br />
it's true, this is the first time I am able to write to you without being literally glued to the screen... I was short-sighted since I am 17 years old as I have an astigmatism inherited from my mum that came into play in my teenage years. Unfortunately, my eyes have some more peculiar features. I could not get used to wearing glasses no matter how long I would try to wear them. I always saw the rim of the glass and got spacy when I tried to move. So basically, I could only watch TV with them... contact lenses weren't a whole lot better, either. I tried EVERY kind of contacts that you can imagine: regular, toric, soft and hard kinds, small-sized ones, super oxygen-permeable ones and ALL sorts of cleaning fluids. My eyes would reject them in any case, I could always feel them in my eyes and I could always see the rim, especially when I blinked. Also, the lenses would drain the natural fluids in my eyes and I was prone to eye infections if I wore them regularly.<br />
For months and months, I would just take my faith and lived my life without any eye-wear at all. My eyes felt great but I had to cross the street to read the sign, I never singled out cute guys, etc... not too great either. So, my doctor finally recommended eye surgery for me as being my last option. I had the best preconditions: My eye-sight stayed consistent for years and my eyes were otherwise healthy with a thick protection layer and I am still relatively young (28 years) which gives me at least 15 years before to think of glasses again (presbyopia hits between 40-45 years of age).<br />
<br />
<b>To cut a long story short: I did it!! </b>I chose the newest institute in my country with the most advanced equipment and had the surgery done by the head of department himself - it is a major intervention and not as harmless as they tell you! In fact, you need to be very brave and help the docs to make it right! You need to be motionless in a specific head position and focus on specific points and so on... if you were fully unconscious it wouldn't work! You realize everything that's going from fasten your eyelids to the burning of your eye by the laser (the sizzling noise and smell!). To be able to cope with all of this you get sedatives in advance. I am totally against medication of any kind but I told to myself that if I give my life in the hands of the medical paradigm I need to stick with it and I really think that was a wise decision!! I also took and still continue to take the prescribed eye drops every few hours which contain antibiotics and cortisone (both of which I actually hate to feed my body with!). Again, my stand is that if you do it, better do it all the way.<br />
The first few hours after the surgery were hell. I wanted to scratch my eyes out and I needed to sleep with my sunglasses on to prevent rubbing them at night. I couldn't see anything and had a hard time to even open a door, let alone trying to call someone - impossible. I cramped in bed in pain and so forth... no fun! Beware, they tell you that you feel "uncomfortable" after the surgery but this is a vast understatement! When I got up the next day, surprisingly though, I felt almost like any other day. I was calm and didn't feel exhausted at all. My eyes were sensitive in the sense that they couldn't take direct sunlight and my vision was still a little blurry but other than that I felt just fine. I went to see my regular doctor a day after the regular check-up in the clinic and she congratulated me for the excellent work these folks had done. No kidding, this was the best treatment out there!<br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"> As seen by me... all equally sharp! </span><br />
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<u>Things I have to follow from now on:</u><br />
<br />
- NEVER rubbing my eyes - this habit must die, it's not good for the eyes in the first place<br />
- taking eye drops regularly for 4 weeks in total <br />
- no make-up for 4 weeks<br />
- no exercise for 4 weeks besides walking <br />
- no washing my hair for a few days (thank god for dry shampoo)<br />
- wearing sun glasses outside and in bed, mainly to prevent anything touching my eyes <br />
<br />
This is really a serious intervention but I feel like a new person being able to see in the distance all day every day! This is the justification for me to push my body through so much stress. It was not an easy decision at all, believe me!<br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<i><b style="color: white;">What do you guys think of laser surgery for eye-sight correction? Have you done it also or do you know anybody who had good or bad experiences with it? I'd like to know, as always! </b></i><br />
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Take care, until next time!<br />
Best,<br />
ur <span style="color: #660000;">Blk-Gypsy <b>xx</b></span>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14051761762813337818noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901844907206643663.post-81865698206631181952012-03-27T15:20:00.000-07:002012-03-27T15:25:55.806-07:00My Brush Collection: ~ Wipe Wipe Away ~<span style="color: #660000;">My dears</span>,<br />
<br />
the time has finally come: I made time to publish a long scheduled blog post!! I am terribly sorry for my prolonged absence but believe me, please, my life is crazy busy and if I have to decide between reading your posts or writing a post - I surely decide for your updates most of the time!!<br />
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Tonight, I'd like to share my brush collection with you. They are my go-to helpers for every day use but they feel extremely decadent as well :-) The nicest thing is that I own most of those brushes for a long time and can ensure you that they last almost forever!<br />
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;"></span><span style="color: #38761d;"></span><a href="http://www.alimapure.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;">Alima Pure</span></a></b>:<br />
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Maybe my mostly used tool of all times: the <span style="color: #38761d;">#25 foundation brush</span> - a wonderfully reliable part of my morning routine which helps me to get an easy (and environmentally-friendly) start to the day :) I can't wait to get more products by this brand. What I know so far is sensational! The company uses only the best natural ingredients that work wonders on my skin and they never test on animals. I am indeed grateful for their truly considerate approach which is so rare these days... <br />
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<u><b><a href="http://draft.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8901844907206643663" target="_blank">Rouge Bunny Rouge</a>:</b></u></div>
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If you ever read my blog you know that I am all over this brand!! The brushes are no exception: those little fairy helpers come in beautiful arty zip bags and look as good as new no matter how often I use them. They are expensive but well worth the extra costs as they are the most beautiful tools I've seen and I never go look for replacements :) My darlings are called: <span style="color: #990000;">large shader 003</span>, <span style="color: #990000;">face contour 012</span>, <span style="color: #990000;">eye liner 008</span>, <span style="color: #990000;">crease 011</span>. <br />
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<a href="http://www.benefitcosmetics.com/" target="_blank"><b style="color: #3d85c6;"><u>Benefit:</u></b></a><br />
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Benefit brushes really do the trick and are pretty all-rounders. You can tell from how many I've got! Even though their range is not as bis as Mac, for example, I think they picked the best shapes for most occasions. This concepts works well for me at least... My choices: <span style="color: #45818e;">concealer brush</span>, <span style="color: #45818e;">fantail brush</span>, <span style="color: #45818e;">foundation brush</span>, <span style="color: #45818e;">fluff shadow brush</span> (awesome!), <span style="color: #45818e;">shadow liner brush</span>, <span style="color: #45818e;">slant powder brush</span>. <br />
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<b><u></u></b><a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/" target="_blank"><b><u>Bare Escentuals:</u></b></a></div>
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A word of warning! The <span style="color: #783f04;">angled liner shadow brush</span> hurts on the sensitive lash line! The <span style="color: #783f04;">soft focus shadow brush</span> is divine, though, and the funky <span style="color: #783f04;">rock'n roll brush</span> is too hot to be true - love it :-) <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh43Fuf55OUybT76mWs3eQ0pIOOOqWbFIkuiSQAdh8iK3OMFi8OiSYGu-jGSVZLnzNqzZN9zJaT6kQsmMqAVBR109m2ncDxVLndoO2L2ZiuEeAmVr3OlX3tuD2FG69u6xHInTOHfp9FSFx_/s1600/IMG_7361.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh43Fuf55OUybT76mWs3eQ0pIOOOqWbFIkuiSQAdh8iK3OMFi8OiSYGu-jGSVZLnzNqzZN9zJaT6kQsmMqAVBR109m2ncDxVLndoO2L2ZiuEeAmVr3OlX3tuD2FG69u6xHInTOHfp9FSFx_/s320/IMG_7361.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.diannebrill.com/" target="_blank"><u><b>Dianne Brill:</b></u></a></div>
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this brand is not very widely-known but it is a high-quality company that I like a lot. Dianne's style is awesome and a little kinky, too ;) I've got the <span style="color: #a64d79;">eye-liner/lip brush</span> (which I use for lips only - I love it as it is bigger than most other lip pencils which can make my lip line look too harsh), the small <span style="color: #a64d79;">foundation precision brush</span>, as well as the <span style="color: #a64d79;">smoky eye liner brush</span>. <br />
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<a href="http://www.maccosmetics.com/" target="_blank"><u><b>MAC:</b></u></a><br />
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I am not the biggest MAC fan as they use harsh chemicals in their products (even though they work extremely well because of that - that's why I still got plenty of MAC products for special occasions, like going out etc..). The brushes are insanely good, though! I happen to use those two the most often and think that they never got copied quite as well by other brands: the <b>219 pencil brush</b> and the <b>214 short shader brush</b>. <br />
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<div style="color: white;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>I store my brushes in a washable case with a lid to protect my brushes from dust. How do you store your make-up utensils? </b></i></span></div>
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All the best to you,<br />
I love you all!<br />
ur <span style="color: #660000;">Sam <b>xx </b></span><br />
<br />Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14051761762813337818noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901844907206643663.post-23931355178467011662011-09-28T16:45:00.000-07:002011-09-28T16:47:25.583-07:00† The City of Prague Picture StoryDear <span style="color: #990000;">readers</span>,<br />
<br />
I just had a look at my <span style="color: black;">blog</span> and realized that I have totally missed out on telling you about a wonderful trip I have taken recently! I caught up with my darling American friend in Prague and we had the most wonderful time there (she looks a lot like <span style="color: #bf9000;">Jennifer Love Hewitt</span> by the way but I am not allowed to show her to you - she's shy!).<br />
The sun was shining brightly every day and we were assured that this was a special occurrence - so we felt even more blessed to experience this town from its most gorgeous side :-)<br />
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Here are some of our views, hope you enjoy and feel inspired to visit Eastern Europe, too. I can't believe I've never been there before:</div>
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above 2: this is the view from the central tower overlooking the city center. Underneath the big place you see on the first picture is actually an amazing underground museum on the history of Prague. They found practically the entire old town way below the ground level you see today. I highly recommend anyone visiting the city to go have a look - it's way more exciting and vibrant than you might think! I am still fascinated by this experience, they've done a marvelous job down there!!</div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"> above 3: these pictures you get to take just by doing some sightseeing - amazing! </span><br />
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above: this is one of the many characteristic café's in Prague. The restaurants are typically underground - just like it used to be many centuries ago around there. </div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">above 2: the old castle and some nuns making a photo shoot on the stairway! They acted just like ordinary tourists - all excited and jittery, too cute!!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">above 2: my outfits were convenient but with an ongoing theme - I chose dark red/burgundy colors for day and night time and wore big dark sunglasses to shield from the sun, while still remaining feminine in my overall appearance and not too bulky. This is how I imagine an Eastern European women to be like! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">(haha, note the bike riding guy in the background - wonder what he is thinking ;] )</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">My make-up brand of choice was my beauty evergreen pick </span><a href="http://www.rougebunnyrouge.com/"><span style="color: #660000;">Rouge Bunny Rouge</span></a><span style="color: black;">. As their story takes place at an <span style="color: #274e13;">enchanted garden</span> in<span style="color: #274e13;"> Russia</span> (or so I believe) I thought their products would make the perfect match for my journey to Prague. I took my <span style="color: #e06666;">decadent duos</span> with me, my <span style="color: #ea9999;">blush sticks</span>, and many more items! Check out my <a href="http://blk-gypsy.blogspot.com/search/label/Rouge%20Bunny%20Rouge">previous posts</a> on the brand for reviews. </span></div>
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<i><b>Have you ever been somewhere new and returned totally blown-away by this unexpected direct hit?! Tell me all about it, where are your most favorite locations, girls? </b></i></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Much love to you,</span></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #660000;">Sam <b>xx</b></span></span><br />
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<br />Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14051761762813337818noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901844907206643663.post-12040499100062048042011-09-08T15:23:00.000-07:002011-09-28T16:47:49.834-07:00The Italian Spirit ~ ~ ~Hello my fellow <span style="color: #660000;">travelers</span>, <br />
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where have you been this summer? I've been in <span style="color: #134f5c;">Bella Italia</span> by the sea <span style="color: #0b5394;">~ ~ ~ ~</span> what a wonderful August it was but full of work, too. I am open to new possibilities when it comes to my professional career. This last month was a wonderful time to reflect on many questions I've had and working my hardest on all kinds of projects while spending a good deal on the sunny side of life, too :-)<br />
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I haven't bought many products last month, I will need to think of new posts soon. Maybe go shopping... ;-) <br />
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Love you all, let's stay in touch! <br />
ur <span style="color: #660000;">gypsy</span> xx <br />
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<br />Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14051761762813337818noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901844907206643663.post-46179562642939555652011-07-31T16:54:00.000-07:002011-09-28T16:48:06.142-07:00Next Stop - Bella Italia!Hi <span style="color: #990000;">folks</span>,<br />
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I am by far the worst job hunter I have ever come across... instead of working my ass off to earn a proper living I am taking advantage of the situation and travel all over the world to meet with friends :-) I am spending the entire August on <b style="color: #274e13;">Italy</b>'s sunny coast with a friend I worked with in my former job!! Oh well, she wants to help me out with work-related things but there will be a lot of fun and sightseeing in the meantime :-)<br />
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<i style="color: #134f5c;"><u>Beauty Confessions:</u></i><br />
There is one urgent question I have to ask you:<span style="color: #45818e;"> </span><i><span style="color: #45818e;">Is this <span style="color: #45818e;">too</span> much</span><b><span style="color: #45818e;"> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">blue</span></b> <span style="color: #45818e;">even for a gypsy like me?! </span></i><br />
Honestly, I think so! This outfit won't be making it into my suitcase - what was I thinking wearing that??<br />
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top: <span style="color: #e06666;">Victoria's Secret </span>cami<br />
skirt: <span style="color: #0b5394;">Old Navy</span><br />
shoes: <span style="color: #20124d;">Tamaris</span> (second hand) <br />
clutch: <span style="color: #bf9000;">Lucky Brand</span> (gift)<br />
bag: no name (gift)<br />
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Girls (& boys if there are any), I have another beauty confession to make: I am not wearing much make-up anymore and I quite like my effortless look even though I miss my coral summer lips and my dark smokey eyes at times... but since I have turned to organic skincare and groceries I am feeling much more comfortable in my own skin. Something has changed, I can't really put my hands on it, yet. It could be multiple reasons: simply me <span style="color: #741b47;">growing up</span>, or the awareness of <span style="color: #e69138;">nourishing the self</span>, or the many <span style="color: #6aa84f;">nutrients</span> of natural products...<br />
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This is how I look on most days now, except my nails are much stronger and longer (took this pic 2 months ago and trimmed the nails prior to guitar lessons):<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Do you have any beauty confessions to make? This is the place for sharing them! :)</b></i></span></div>
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Lots of <span style="color: #cc0000;">love</span>, <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">sunshine</span></b>, & <span style="color: #741b47;">happiness</span> <br />
ur <span style="color: #660000;">Sam <b>xx</b></span>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14051761762813337818noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901844907206643663.post-58853688505140147112011-07-19T15:52:00.001-07:002011-09-28T16:48:23.472-07:00Summer Vacation Update!Hello <span style="color: #660000;">dear readers</span>,<br />
<br />
I've
managed to LET GO and finally arrived home! There's been so much going
on but I am trying to wrap it all up in a few words for you.<br />
<br />
I've
done the most amazing road trip with my old friend (we were class mates
back in the days) in a golden car - it turned out the colour's called
"champagne" but it appears very gangster ;) I can't show you a picture
of our gold nugget, though, cause no single pic that we've shot does
this amazing car justice... (yes, I'm just a little bit of a
perfectionist). We discovered the beautiful French countryside and got
to know the lovely people of France. We felt so free and in touch with
life, it was awesome!! <br />
When we finished our trip I took the
chance to visit my family and I spent some nice quality time with them.
Then... I was invited to a music festival by friends I know from my
former jobs at radio stations. It reminded me of how much I LOVE MUSIC -
great tunes are as essential as breathing to me! After returning home
for a couple of days I took off AGAIN to meet a dear friend from the US
in Poland. It was so wonderful to reconnect with her - she is such a
special human being and we discovered Krakow together with so much joy!<br />
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Hope you like the little impressions I prepared for you below :-)</div>
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<b style="color: white;">I'm glad to be back to blogging, though :) ha ha! What have you been up to?!</b><br />
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Happy to hear from you,<br />
<span style="color: #660000;">Sam <b>xx</b></span>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14051761762813337818noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901844907206643663.post-13168040022587676772011-05-20T05:08:00.000-07:002011-06-15T04:28:09.033-07:00Vacation Time GIVEAWAY!! Get Joop, Benefit, & Rouge Bunny Rouge Goodies - CLOSED!Hello my <b style="color: #990000;">dears</b>,<br /><br />I am preparing for the wedding party on Saturday and 2 days after I am taking off to a roadtrip with my dear lady friend through France!! My friend is going to move to Vancouver, so we wanna relax, chat, and see new things for a fortnight before we won't see each other much.We bought a matt golden Opel, so if you live in France and see us, talk to us!! Would make me happy to meet you :-)<br /><br />For the time I am on my way I am holding a sweet little<i> </i><b style="color: #741b47;">GiveAWay </b>for your own sunny vacation:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZLyOIdFZhcxhFL5MgIJyPKZHOttB1HApisX3B4e9b6kiDEJziik-LNM895Uzi4oXN427nURB7IDPCiqB0I66wWn9uGgg2o52IKZ_ug1cqYkE3z-kQGNJVaLHbgfFUxE_ULgbCuYBCs0ix/s1600/Slide1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZLyOIdFZhcxhFL5MgIJyPKZHOttB1HApisX3B4e9b6kiDEJziik-LNM895Uzi4oXN427nURB7IDPCiqB0I66wWn9uGgg2o52IKZ_ug1cqYkE3z-kQGNJVaLHbgfFUxE_ULgbCuYBCs0ix/s640/Slide1.jpg" border="0" height="480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />(sorry for the silly basket but I initially prepared this gift for Easter but actually thought that it would be a better idea to present the collection during my travels)<br /><br />There're travel-sized <u><b><i style="color: #351c75;">shower gel</i></b></u> and <u><b><i style="color: #351c75;">body lotion</i></b></u> by <b style="color: #20124d;">Joop</b> in the package as well as<br /><b style="color: #741b47;">Benefit</b>'s <u><b><i style="color: #a64d79;">Pocket Pal</i></b></u> (contains the <i style="color: #a64d79;">cheek & lip stain</i><span style="color:#a64d79;"> </span><i style="color: #a64d79;">Benetint</i> and a <span style="color:#a64d79;">sheer lip gloss</span> in one convenient wand), a mini version of the<u> <b><i style="color: #38761d;">B-Spot</i><span style="color:#38761d;"> </span><i style="color: #38761d;">fragrance</i></b></u>, and sample of the <b><u><i style="color: #45818e;">Depuffing Action Eye-Gel</i></u> </b>that worked great for my friend who I am going on vacation with (she received the full-sized package from me as a present a while ago and she loved it very much - or so she said to me, ha ha!).<br />Last but not least I enclosed a brand new <b style="color: #990000;">Rouge Bunny Rouge</b> <i style="color: #660000;">eyeshadow</i> <u><b><i style="color: #660000;">When Birds Are Singing</i></b> </u>for you to try as I am presenting this brand so often. I chose a sheer natural shade called <a href="http://blk-gypsy.blogspot.com/2010/07/arriving-reason-why-i-became-blogger.html"><i style="color: #e06666;">gracious arasari</i></a> that everyone can wear, no matter what skin, eye, or hair colour.<br /><br />So, with these 6 items I hope you're gonna be all packed up for your own wonderful journey!<br /><br />How to participate:<br />First of all, <b style="color: #783f04;">everyone</b> from all parts of the world is welcome to join!!<br />Just follow my blog via <span style="color:#783f04;">google friend connect</span> and leave me a <span style="color:#783f04;">comment</span> saying that you would like to take part in my giveway.<br />I hope you tell me also which topics you would like to have covered in the future or what else you would like to find on my blog.<br />Enter preferably until the <span style="color:#783f04;">5th of June</span>, although it may take a little longer for me to return home.<br /><br /><b style="color: #20124d;"><i style="color: white;"> What are your vacation must-haves? Which items always make it into your travel bags?</i></b><br /><br />Happy participating and please tell your friends on facebook, twitter, etc... about this!<br />I hope to find many entries when I come back!!<br /><br />Much love,<br /><span style="color:#660000;">blk_gypsy Sam<b> xx </b></span>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14051761762813337818noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901844907206643663.post-61915606280747615922011-05-18T07:56:00.000-07:002011-05-18T07:58:33.694-07:00Silk Aether Long-Lasting Cream Eye Shadows by Rouge Bunny Rouge & Benefit Creaseless Cream Eye-Shadows/LinersDear <b style="color: #660000;">readers</b>,<br /><br />how are you doing today? I am soaking up every sunray that touches my skin and in my opinion this season could last forever!<br /><br />This week-end I received an enchanted package by <span style="color:#e06666;">Nadin</span> who promotes my favorite high-end make-up brand <b style="color: #990000;">Rouge Bunny Rouge</b>. She kindly sent me two shades, namely <i><span style="color:#444444;">atlas swallowtail</span></i> (no. <i>56</i>) and<i> <span style="color:#a64d79;">brocade skipper</span></i> (no. <i>57</i>), of the new <b style="color: #990000;"><i>Silk Aether</i></b><span style="color:#990000;"> long-lasting cream eye shadows</span> to try along with a beautiful letter regarding the latest beauty news: <b style="color: #990000;">RBR</b> is going to launch a new look next month!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18nH-fLzTYLsrmlkr87bRYDOJuYn77iZGbWqU8I-EBHwMmZo3F_m9ZvjAdgEvn3ih7fUp0H3kAACnGt1oKyV1Uw0ixPMSnnc_lQBrKYe-TwXPE-RD-BWeRg_WgIHr368YLc01PpPDBUBe/s1600/Slide1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18nH-fLzTYLsrmlkr87bRYDOJuYn77iZGbWqU8I-EBHwMmZo3F_m9ZvjAdgEvn3ih7fUp0H3kAACnGt1oKyV1Uw0ixPMSnnc_lQBrKYe-TwXPE-RD-BWeRg_WgIHr368YLc01PpPDBUBe/s400/Slide1.jpg" border="0" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>btw: My neat b&w agenda on the right helps to open up the letter in style ;-)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9Qo9aDW2cSu5Gk0Ck4F0Apymjl9WQcrZigpk34maMhSAw0bjKFDZ8seemFNFU1ES5Ljb1MBIx6KAYBYcWVLokVQzqv3vIabNnIyyIyKS88qX76-eQSDbvqp0Ztsym22kIV2P6vrmrZEW/s1600/Slide2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9Qo9aDW2cSu5Gk0Ck4F0Apymjl9WQcrZigpk34maMhSAw0bjKFDZ8seemFNFU1ES5Ljb1MBIx6KAYBYcWVLokVQzqv3vIabNnIyyIyKS88qX76-eQSDbvqp0Ztsym22kIV2P6vrmrZEW/s400/Slide2.jpg" border="0" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>Needless to say, I wore these cream eye-shadows for the last couple of days and this is how they look like:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBrrf_kwcCajEgLMo9Pbo8S4cABjZIK21eKboYNc0RYUdqZ_bCrKEvzlwSZxsTHSKYebBmbKhCgXHoOxRK4ZASEmMvbveO6yl_DlSdgYJPI9NTGt668wstiIcWHVvcvM3LeASTjJ9fRccv/s1600/Slide4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBrrf_kwcCajEgLMo9Pbo8S4cABjZIK21eKboYNc0RYUdqZ_bCrKEvzlwSZxsTHSKYebBmbKhCgXHoOxRK4ZASEmMvbveO6yl_DlSdgYJPI9NTGt668wstiIcWHVvcvM3LeASTjJ9fRccv/s400/Slide4.jpg" border="0" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOz009Ezc1OsJyEccp445a3UoJJbkzIW1ll1U49B-eHElobg6Im-vyJ_1aG9jwGWecDtIL7AJtgMRmpza60Ae5mCggaMcCXfCTLA7WAZ-OsJvL0QVnU1lJY4wHXXwvi7uOdz5b3YQnJO0/s1600/Slide3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOz009Ezc1OsJyEccp445a3UoJJbkzIW1ll1U49B-eHElobg6Im-vyJ_1aG9jwGWecDtIL7AJtgMRmpza60Ae5mCggaMcCXfCTLA7WAZ-OsJvL0QVnU1lJY4wHXXwvi7uOdz5b3YQnJO0/s400/Slide3.jpg" border="0" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span id="swapText"><u>on the left side:</u> </span><i><span style="color:#444444;">atlas swallowtail</span></i> (no. <i>56</i>) is described on the <a href="http://www.rougebunnyrouge.com/cms/silk-aether/">webpage</a> as: "<span id="swapText"><i>Satin wash of nude taupe with pewter reflections; buildable to darker, more opaque and metallic greyish hue of the same colour</i>" which also is a very precise statement. I tried how buildable the colours were by putting on a small layer first and after drying "topping it up" for a slightly more dramatic look. The layers melted together despite the time that elapsed between the applications. </span><br /><br /><span id="swapText"><u>on the left side:</u> </span><i><span style="color:#a64d79;">brocade skipper</span></i> (no. <i>57</i>) is described on the <a href="http://www.rougebunnyrouge.com/cms/silk-aether/">webpage</a> as: "<span id="swapText"><i>Satin wash of blush champagne cream; buildable to darker, more opaque and metallic hue of the same colour</i>" which I would totally agree upon. It gives the eye-lid a subtle note and can be used as a base shadow or for women that prefer a very natural "just there" look for an enhanced glowing effect. </span><br /><br /><span id="swapText"><u>my thoughts:</u> </span><br /><span id="swapText">The cream-eye shadows are really smooth and fool-proof to apply. These shades are excellent for women who are aiming at putting emphasis on their appearance and radiance rather than conspicuous make-up colours and looks. I think this is a motto that runs through the entire <b style="color: #990000;">RBR</b> range. You can't overdo(se) on any shade as they act as a natural enhancement of the female moods and shapes as opposed to wearing a mask. This is what I love about this brand beside not being an organic brand which is the only wish I still have that comes into my mind. My skin is coping with every single product extremely well, though, and the formula contains many rare natural goodies as well. </span><br /><br /><span id="swapText">If, however, you are looking for more colourful options I am recommending the nostalgic-looking <b style="color: #b45f06;">Benefit</b> <span style="color:#b45f06;">creaseless cream shadows/liners</span>. You can have a quick look at them in this <a href="http://blk-gypsy.blogspot.com/search/label/Benefit">post</a>, too. My favourites are<i style="color: #444444;"> skinny jeans</i>, <i style="color: #0c343d;">strut</i>, <i style="color: #660000;">stiletto</i>, and <i style="color: #bf9000;">birthday suit</i>. The cream eye-shadows work very well when you put them on with the <span style="color:#783f04;">talent brush</span> by </span><span id="swapText"><b style="color: #b45f06;">Benefit </b></span>but you gotta be careful to close the lit very carefully after each use or they dry out for good... this is not an organic brand, too, of course. So, I think I would switch completely to <b style="color: #990000;">RBR</b> if they released equivalent shades in their <b style="color: #990000;"><i>Silk Aether </i></b>section.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTZg7MvNxE8HGRatr4WWwo46X8AfeAgtMn979aEBj9gzaEiXCEybEZ2tn1uEbN1SOLm1rt4Q2ojr9h0z782dbnTlY_IfOSf4L4usuap9zVkVpS5zGD5mODC6GzHI5XfvvEibg56Q8vfRk/s1600/Slide5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTZg7MvNxE8HGRatr4WWwo46X8AfeAgtMn979aEBj9gzaEiXCEybEZ2tn1uEbN1SOLm1rt4Q2ojr9h0z782dbnTlY_IfOSf4L4usuap9zVkVpS5zGD5mODC6GzHI5XfvvEibg56Q8vfRk/s400/Slide5.jpg" border="0" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Please stay tuned for my next post this week as I am holding a GiveAWay just for you, guys, while I am AWay doing a trip through ever-beautiful France :-) </b><br /><br /><div style="color: white; font-style: italic;"><b>Do you prefer cream eye-shadows or powder eye-shadows? Please tell me as I am curious to know!! </b></div><br />Much love,<br />ur <span style="color:#990000;">Sam</span><b><span style="color:#990000;"> xx</span></b><br /><b></b>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14051761762813337818noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901844907206643663.post-45538454368271049602011-04-24T15:21:00.000-07:002011-04-24T15:21:48.005-07:00Liebster Blog Award Nomination!!Hello <b><span style="color: #660000;">lovelies</span></b>,<br />
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I went online to stalk some of your blogs before going to bed and what I found apart from your beautiful entries was - to my surprise - that the lovely <a href="http://vintagemakeup.blogspot.com/2011/04/liebster-blog-award.html" style="color: #e06666;">Vintage Makeup</a> girl has nominated me for the <b style="color: #cc0000;">Liebster Blog</b> award!! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDonn7-EFXREhWDzvkFjcX-SySqpvvnc2f8DNkcOehxh7GPpGA3iMjvzn3ivCN9a0xnZbueVxJjvxVmGj22e5xtAZlnTZS30rzYZBCT1K83s8cP6cKN7mYzxBCuvvqhnKwHbYkrSp8Gx99/s1600/liebster+blog+award.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDonn7-EFXREhWDzvkFjcX-SySqpvvnc2f8DNkcOehxh7GPpGA3iMjvzn3ivCN9a0xnZbueVxJjvxVmGj22e5xtAZlnTZS30rzYZBCT1K83s8cP6cKN7mYzxBCuvvqhnKwHbYkrSp8Gx99/s1600/liebster+blog+award.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">T</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;"><span>he <b style="color: #cc0000;"> Liebster </b><b style="color: #cc0000;">Award</b> is designed to bring well deserved additional recognition to those bloggers with less than 300 followers. If you receive the award you link back to the blogger that nominated you and nominate 3 more blogs. </span></span></span></span></i></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;"><span></span></span></span></span></i>I am extremely happy and grateful to have received this award! My 3 nominations are:<br />
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1. <b style="color: #20124d;"><a href="http://anne-marie-bardot.blogspot.com/">Anne-Marie-Bardot</a></b>: <i style="color: #20124d;">Marisa</i> has a very interesting writing style and puts a lot of effort into every post that she creates. She's a very sweet gal, too, so follow her if hadn't had the chance, yet!<br />
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2. <b><a href="http://supremeliving-bysupergirl.blogspot.com/" style="color: #741b47;">Supreme Living</a></b>: <i style="color: #4c1130;">Supergirl </i>is just the way her name claims to be: she writes every post in two languages, so that every reader can understand the workings of her beautiful mind. She blogs on make-up, fashion, and everything else a true super girl loves!<br />
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3. <b><a href="http://alyssascookingadventures.blogspot.com/" style="color: #0c343d;">Alyssa's Cooking Adventures</a></b>: <i style="color: #0c343d;">Alyssa</i> runs a wonderful blog on delicious & healthy meals - preferably with groceries bought at Trader Joe's. Her recipes are easy to make and perfect for a low-budged, yet high quality kitchen!<br />
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Please find out about other blogs that I love in this <b style="color: black;"><a href="http://blk-gypsy.blogspot.com/2011/01/blog-lovin-my-most-influential-bloggers.html">post</a></b>. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: white;"><i>Happy Easter, everyone!! Have you found all your chocolate Easter eggs? - I luckily did ;)</i></b></span><br />
Love, <span style="color: #660000;">Sam <b>xx </b></span>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14051761762813337818noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901844907206643663.post-47895269647412313422011-04-22T15:22:00.000-07:002011-04-22T16:09:07.808-07:00Spring Shower - Going Green with Màdara Mint Shower Gel & Aveda Be Curley ShampooHello <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">beauties</span>,<br /><br />I hope you had a very sunny and lovely Good Friday!! I met up with friends for a fun barbecue at the waterfront. Fantastic people and the awesome weather just make me wanna jump :-)<br />To celebrate spring I am writing about my favorite eco-friendly shower products for the season:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CjkIC43TN6YfuK2SkWA43lhAF2E5Fk75lV7Nz0qzc_GXnOCVIcCbknOmLZVNZ8RYW9ckSNKEjWvtsrQLnRIbRJfKVLtK7qScpi6Jxc36KJuBIilrrHcIBkRdOwdcUzlgjAZh33fOEksD/s1600/Slide1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CjkIC43TN6YfuK2SkWA43lhAF2E5Fk75lV7Nz0qzc_GXnOCVIcCbknOmLZVNZ8RYW9ckSNKEjWvtsrQLnRIbRJfKVLtK7qScpi6Jxc36KJuBIilrrHcIBkRdOwdcUzlgjAZh33fOEksD/s400/Slide1.jpg" border="0" height="400" width="296" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidpGjG985EE-KEw3ekd6mSu1EoDQDHl6E6aCJ7CbNqh7yHcHlQNaqj4IcpukdtuzjEI-Gxwe3fUZ8p17CcFvwLJLGlqN00X5FsEholTe69t7rknpSOgC4lNcqcLdJDHgq1z4ZIbJfdmA0r/s1600/Slide2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidpGjG985EE-KEw3ekd6mSu1EoDQDHl6E6aCJ7CbNqh7yHcHlQNaqj4IcpukdtuzjEI-Gxwe3fUZ8p17CcFvwLJLGlqN00X5FsEholTe69t7rknpSOgC4lNcqcLdJDHgq1z4ZIbJfdmA0r/s400/Slide2.jpg" border="0" height="400" width="300" /></a><b style="color: rgb(127, 96, 0);">AVEDA</b> <i style="color: rgb(127, 96, 0);">Be Curley Shampoo</i> with wheat protein is designed to enhance curls. They say on the package that they achieve that effect because "wheat protein and organic aloe blend expands when hair is wet and retracts when dry to enhance curl or wave". My hair is naturally wavy when I don't comb it whilst still moist after a shower but wait until the waves have dried. If I put my wet hair into a bun, however, I get full-on curls when I release them once they've dried! I have three kinds of hair at once :-) For spring I prefer a slight to medium romantic wave and I do feel a difference using this shampoo as my curls get more bouncy ;) <b style="color: rgb(127, 96, 0);">AVEDA</b> uses preservatives to make the product last for up to 24 months after opening but IMO they make up for it by using "certified organic lime, lemon, bergamot, orange and other pure plant and flower essences" in their formula. Also, I like the convenience of not feeling rushed to empty the bottle any time soon as a small amount goes a long way. The foaming is sufficient for covering even long hair has a very pleasant natural scent. The good quality of this product justifies the price tag for me, which says $21.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCogzrnzKkdO_nv4vEFKUhBZhTB8l92Q0-kRxngw3Gxtxju2YIZ0wTqJYfi7y4wURhjLSaJwQnALagam4lBWR5R-I6pxh2WyzwO1_D458ZKecQ3dKotlJyRrIQ2AI3697N3pcEsKdtUZj/s1600/Slide3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCogzrnzKkdO_nv4vEFKUhBZhTB8l92Q0-kRxngw3Gxtxju2YIZ0wTqJYfi7y4wURhjLSaJwQnALagam4lBWR5R-I6pxh2WyzwO1_D458ZKecQ3dKotlJyRrIQ2AI3697N3pcEsKdtUZj/s400/Slide3.jpg" border="0" height="400" width="306" /></a><b style="color: rgb(56, 118, 29);">MÁDARA</b> is a young <b style="color: rgb(68, 68, 68);">ECOCERT</b> certified brand from Latvia that uses 80% of their ingredients from organic produce and 99% of natural substances to make this mild <i style="color: rgb(56, 118, 29);">Mint Shower Gel</i>. Baltic algae extract replenishes the skin and fresh peppermint gives a natural refreshing scent that really fits perfectly to a sunny morning shower! They have very cute skin products, too. I got samples of the <i><span style="color: rgb(56, 118, 29);">deep</span> <span style="color: rgb(56, 118, 29);">moisture cream</span></i><span style="color: rgb(56, 118, 29);"> </span><i style="color: rgb(56, 118, 29);">& fluid</i> and the<i style="color: rgb(56, 118, 29);"> regenerating night cream</i> but haven't tried them, yet. They have jojoba, rose, and avocado oil amongst other goodies in them, so they won't remain untouched for long!<br /><br />I am so happy with these additions to my morning routine :)<br /><div style="color: rgb(241, 194, 50);"><br /></div><div style="color: rgb(241, 194, 50);"><span style="font-size:large;"><i><b> </b></i></span></div><div style="color: rgb(241, 194, 50);"><span style="font-size:large;"><i><b> </b></i></span></div><div style="color: rgb(241, 194, 50);"><br /></div><div style="color: rgb(241, 194, 50);"><br /></div><div style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size:large;"><i><b>What are your plans for Easter? Isn't it nice to wake up to the rising sun and knowing you're gonna have four days off?! </b></i></span></div><div style="color: yellow;"><br /></div>It's time to celebrate, guys!! I started with doing my own pre-barbecue baking:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Net9cMjxKWF5k1xNLXHWDWyYXYcr5k46TsAsq1jeHCEhNF3CQqHy_ZjE8tAMBEad3k5Y8xkhHW2AWSR1j1cNXLslllk2X4Vf8_Ga-bRMe2QHdO0JCQ1kNVf7GZ_Bd4K9yHn2Wc_pWF-I/s1600/Slide4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Net9cMjxKWF5k1xNLXHWDWyYXYcr5k46TsAsq1jeHCEhNF3CQqHy_ZjE8tAMBEad3k5Y8xkhHW2AWSR1j1cNXLslllk2X4Vf8_Ga-bRMe2QHdO0JCQ1kNVf7GZ_Bd4K9yHn2Wc_pWF-I/s400/Slide4.jpg" border="0" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />Love, <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">Sam <b>xx<br /><br /></b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">P.S.: Just read that <span style="color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">Gwyneth Paltrow</span> recommends <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Màdara</span> in her latest post on </span><a style="color: rgb(153, 102, 51);" href="http://goop.com/newsletter/127/en/">GOOP</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(153, 102, 51);"> </span>- enjoy reading her other skincare suggestions, too! Bye xx </span><b><br /></b> </span>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14051761762813337818noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901844907206643663.post-49723275925633000782011-03-31T17:42:00.000-07:002011-03-31T19:41:27.913-07:005 Day Detox - Like Chocolate for Women & GOOP<div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZUsFp21lQkDJjjRndZSs0h9KLq_Cvc_xAwp1HUixX3DjAjxIsaCBe-rgzQFS_TRlseF3RUpjTE-f2C2li-cYpKvfJhPL5aeg-kn72wrY9SINeWRDWFEW2WJlFHz7McfUpVnSuag7Zcf8/s400/Slide1.jpg" border="0" height="237" width="400" /></div> <i><i><i><i><i>Detox ladies: my fruit shelf during the cleanse (love the dragon fruit and pomegranate!)</i></i></i></i></i><br /><br />Dear <b style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">readers</b>,<br /><br /><b><span style="color: rgb(224, 102, 102);">spring </span></b>is finally arriving and I am ready to get rid of all the accumulated weight - inside and out - that I have piled up over the last couple of months. I sensed that when you are in physically or mentally extreme situations your body can sense what makes it run at an even lower pace and warns you. This has happened to me in terms of my eating and drinking habits. When I ate too much or was munching on snack foods my mind would slow down and I got disturbed from working on my tasks. Plus, I felt that I was thinking constantly about food which made me really wonder what I did wrong in terms of my eating habits.<br />In search for the answer to my question I became a big advocate of <b style="color: rgb(116, 27, 71);">Cyndi O'Meara</b> who dedicated her life to nutrition and well-being on a basis of science and common-sense. I am gonna tell you more about her <b style="color: rgb(116, 27, 71);"><i>books</i></b> and the <i><b style="color: rgb(116, 27, 71);">Healthy Living Program & Club</b> </i>in upcoming posts. She contributed the meal plans to an e-book by <b style="color: rgb(32, 18, 77);">Kim Morrison & Fleur Whelligan </b>called <b><i style="color: rgb(32, 18, 77);">Like Chocolate for Women</i></b>, which is basically an 28 day program for female self-care. It includes decluttering, aroma therapy, and meal planning. The first 5 days consisted of a detox phase that was so easy to handle that even I could do it. In fact, I got inspired to do a little self-experiment: At each night of the detox I added a food group that I was concerned of causing some of my most prevalent symptoms: fatigue, flatulence, increased mucus, and skin problems. Those foods on my black list were: 1. wheat/gluten products, 2. dairy/cow products, 3. processed foods (e.g. peanut butter), 4. chocolates/sweets.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxyVJBF3Gc7f3pm7YVRxETu-qBMFQ6WuITUBgxFuRT-xYdN_AtJ2kv5IREJScLJoJzrrrUYACao949FuJDLVnGygsLfV_ZCV1JiYT2utoP8VB7JkDwv1RxjbKsHUkAXg5NqPSLwaUn5UHb/s1600/Slide2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxyVJBF3Gc7f3pm7YVRxETu-qBMFQ6WuITUBgxFuRT-xYdN_AtJ2kv5IREJScLJoJzrrrUYACao949FuJDLVnGygsLfV_ZCV1JiYT2utoP8VB7JkDwv1RxjbKsHUkAXg5NqPSLwaUn5UHb/s400/Slide2.jpg" border="0" height="400" width="292" /></a></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJypMLbVcBZLyPPsFuwvnQWhK0wZClvjzq69BguZucPOXC892aa1BHxTmEtPoHNwCJHQ35JZXR1sQiGBK1rIYZPuJRdbYf91V1JrCwtHUCLhMOMeK8nel3grRbYKN9gmUns6yWF3x7tGSA/s400/Slide3.jpg" border="0" height="400" width="261" /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJykk_bIJ7xtzpl7fLRpnoDA-veCzZdQGUlou9_7G8qxP6kFPULGRRFafiY1YCXqM7r_yykE_rneXzGOdnMdRmHPSunKNAaHfjZqceUKzbpf6fFoETJMghTnaD8EaGMLElPZr1-7elbKvT/s1600/Slide3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div><i>I printed out the pages of the e-book and had it bound in a stationary to make it look neat.</i><br /><br />The <b>basic detox</b> consisted of juicing or blending raw <span style="color: rgb(106, 168, 79);">fruits & vegetables</span> as well as mixing in <span style="color: rgb(230, 145, 56);">eggs</span>, <span style="color: rgb(241, 194, 50);">flax-seed oil</span>, <span style="color: rgb(106, 168, 79);">barley powder</span>, and drinking <span style="color: rgb(106, 168, 79);">herbal teas</span> and <span style="color: rgb(69, 129, 142);">water</span>. Sticking to only these foods/drinks made me feel very at ease and surprisingly satisfied. I did not even crave any sweets like I usually do!<br /><br />However, I am a true coffee addict and the first couple of days my mind was loaded with images of hot steamy delicious coffee cups! I am off coffee for more than a week now and I haven't started again, yet, which is a big miracle to me. Needless to say I did not need to test my coffee addiction as it is one of my most apparent vices!<br />I experienced the biggest side-effects with wheat and dairy, which is a very prevalent phenomenon in our Western society. I could actually feel those nasty symptoms mentioned above reoccurring after eating white bread and even after having natural plain organic yogurt. I guess this is because we grew up eating these foods (mostly in a processed form) every single day and after decades of doing so our bodies just have had enough. Plus, I am a <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">blood type O</span> and according to <b style="color: rgb(120, 63, 4);">Dr.<i> </i>Peter D'Adamo</b> I should stick to a <span style="color: rgb(180, 95, 6);">hunter & gatherer diet</span> full of: fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, eggs, and meat while avoiding grains and milk products. Well, there's much debate as to whether Peter D'Adamo is just a charlatan or a real scientist but in my case the reactions of my moaning gastric system provided a confirmation of his claims. Chocolate did not cause me any problems as long as I ate dark chocolate with no or little added milk but, in general, eating any kind of sweets made me wanna crave more sweets and other foods which lead to an abrupt ending of my personalized detox phase (that was extended anyway lasting for an entire week due to my vast experimenting).<br />I must say that even though I did a lot of "cheating" at night holding my little food group self-study, I did feel weaker than usual. I went to a lot of ballet classes, too, and I guess to keep energy levels up I just need to include meat/fish, nuts (best directly from the shell) and whole grains into my diet. However, I definitely learned that less is more and that I never want to get back to my old ways (which were: counteracting sugar-lows with coffee boosters) that made me addicted to sweets and coffee. This eating regime was a burden to my body and I am determined to change this state of affairs, especially after experiencing the unpleasant relapse following the sugar trial. I do struggle with self-discipline in all kinds of areas in life and that is why this journey is going to become a long ongoing tough task but I just keep telling myself that there is no going back!!<br /><br />Meanwhile, I gather as much information on health (NOT weight loss) as possible, preferably from the Australian nutritionist <b style="color: rgb(116, 27, 71);">Cyndi O'Meara</b>. For those of you interested in her knowledge, you can visit her web-page: <a href="http://www.changinghabits.com.au/" style="color: rgb(166, 77, 121);">http://www.changinghabits.com.au</a>. There's plenty to find out, even without spending a single dollar, simply by reading through the news archive, following her on facebook, or subscribing to the newsletter!<br /><br />A great free detox program is available on <b style="color: rgb(12, 52, 61);">Gwyneth Paltrow</b>'s awesome blog <a href="http://goop.com/"><i style="color: rgb(19, 79, 92);"><b>Goop</b></i></a>. This woman is in the middle of everything, she is a true achiever and it is fun following her sophisticated weekly blog entries. She does detox regularly, so she posted her <a href="http://goop.com/newsletter/15/en/" style="color: rgb(19, 79, 92);">detox regime</a> made up by the LA detox specialist <span style="color: rgb(12, 52, 61);">Alejandro Junger</span>. For each recipe you can download a printable version. Enjoy guys!<br /><a href="http://goop.com/newsletter/15/en/"> </a><br /><div style="color: black;"><u>This video below is a little thank you for everyone who kept following me through my busy times: </u></div><u><span style="color:black;">I am as silly as always but I hope you get what I meant to say anyhow! </span></u><br />Much love from your <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">gypsy</span>, <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">blk</span> that is ;) <b><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">xx</span></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxurd3zTZ2DdUOsLoR5twBAmbqRViE7NmcOj6MPyLozP08I761a4zCdAvOZ_JrP7bMSieFkRA639UD2M2o06w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><i style="color: white;"><b>Do you use the spring for detox or fasting? This was my first try, I would love to learn about your experiences and maybe get some more good advices! </b></i>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14051761762813337818noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901844907206643663.post-35574018098858856782011-02-16T15:23:00.000-08:002011-03-05T10:05:07.552-08:00Exercise Programs - Restoring My Body ImageHello my <span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">dears</span>,<br /><br />how are you doing? I hope great! Today I am writing about exercise as it is giving me much strength lately - enhancing my body and soul. At the beginning of this year I had the chance to subscribe to a ballet course at a nice dancing studio. It's a flatrate that enables me to take lessons whenever I have 90 mins to spare. I am hardly ever going out but going to my ballet classes instead. And I must say: I feel like a whole new me - or to be more precise - I remember how well I used to feel in my body! From the age of 5 I started dancing ballet and I was very good until I quit when I became a rebellious teenager. However, I started to miss my training when I was 17 years old, so I started again. From then on I had an on-off-relationship with exercise due to my extensive traveling. Whenever I was abroad I had to sign out of my classes. Reading my books all day made this condition worse and slowly but surely my muscles became weak and caused a bad posture. Ballet is my medicine and I am so grateful to have it back!!<br /><br />This is a picture of my ruby red pointers. I dyed them myself. Too bad I emptied the bucket with the red colour into the toilet... for weeks it looked like I slaughtered someone in my bathroom, dough!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxw5jnJnBPlPBHwqVHYeG_pYLYR4-CAh62tSeYX9ODZo-SlClxAKoHHhkFXBhAQDmxWfcVOEQjiHnxbnVoPcL42LlFffB7-y7BnuTXZXJL5HnKYl4dsyApFwXBiIBj2lRrkcWZsBQOZGuI/s1600/Slide2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxw5jnJnBPlPBHwqVHYeG_pYLYR4-CAh62tSeYX9ODZo-SlClxAKoHHhkFXBhAQDmxWfcVOEQjiHnxbnVoPcL42LlFffB7-y7BnuTXZXJL5HnKYl4dsyApFwXBiIBj2lRrkcWZsBQOZGuI/s320/Slide2.jpg" border="0" height="320" width="214" /></a></div><br />I also have some other equipment that I use only sporadically. I am following fitness videos at times (for example, <b style="color: rgb(19, 79, 92);">Jillian Michaels</b> - <b><i><span style="color: rgb(69, 129, 142);">30 Day Shred</span></i></b>) but in general I much rather go for a run outside.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij0VL6GS4HPs7nFhiPM5L9ZIAGNL2QDjRt0WM9W4cYTyvUZJMrRd5KgLgko9J111pdrEPfXg86j-yikcg8HNB2D6DBMaaIK_VIFIi5Qc8xpapqKe3ZdqpXi5IXm62_WMKjsOaeKLhPkFrm/s1600/Slide1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij0VL6GS4HPs7nFhiPM5L9ZIAGNL2QDjRt0WM9W4cYTyvUZJMrRd5KgLgko9J111pdrEPfXg86j-yikcg8HNB2D6DBMaaIK_VIFIi5Qc8xpapqKe3ZdqpXi5IXm62_WMKjsOaeKLhPkFrm/s320/Slide1.jpg" border="0" height="320" width="241" /></a></div><br />Another way to exercise is <b style="color: rgb(32, 18, 77);">Power Plate</b>. I have a studio right in my neighbourhood, so when I am too lazy to go anywhere I stop by this studio for a personal training on the vibrating plate. Just 30 mins are highly efficient because the plate stimulates the inner muscles, too, how perfect!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKV3bb9rkNtI-R1tdXjU0zGwgWsEnpjqw1QGEmOvn4SqZe0VrhKLuWREXNJ_LWqbLXw2UZTXf_Lf8_dAUFYY9r_BgrgnlhnJZsF55QCSi7cAyCg_FdESyV4CY0Q0daoEq5yLdAdcDE5NAk/s1600/power-plate-training.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKV3bb9rkNtI-R1tdXjU0zGwgWsEnpjqw1QGEmOvn4SqZe0VrhKLuWREXNJ_LWqbLXw2UZTXf_Lf8_dAUFYY9r_BgrgnlhnJZsF55QCSi7cAyCg_FdESyV4CY0Q0daoEq5yLdAdcDE5NAk/s320/power-plate-training.jpg" border="0" height="320" width="234" /></a></div><br />Seriously, without my ballet I am not the whole me! I'm having as much stress as ever but my moods are much more even and I enjoy moving cause I start feeling my body again! This is a cheer for exercise :-)<br /><br /><i style="color: white;"><b>What about you?! What is your favourite sports that you can't live without? Or do you loathe exercise?</b></i><br /><br />Happy working out,<br />your <span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">Sam <b>xx<br /><br /></b></span><a href="http://www.helpster.de/system/articles/icons/9067/large/76f78b98accf91dff76e37592f63ef7097faffd6.jpg?1278589961"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 184px;" src="http://www.helpster.de/system/articles/icons/9067/large/76f78b98accf91dff76e37592f63ef7097faffd6.jpg?1278589961" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 51);">Extra Bit: </span></b><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 51); font-style: italic;">~The perfect Sit-Up~<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">A couple of months ago I was hit by a car (yeah, that wasn't too good...) and because of this accident my pelvis was multi-dimensionally shifted, so I had to see a physio therapist for a long time. I am fixed now, don't worry!! My "trainer" was a lovely lady who showed me how to do the perfect sit-up for strength and definition:<br />The important thing most other fitness coaches forget to advice their clients is to push the <span style="font-weight: bold;">heels</span> on the ground while lifting the torso! Also, your lower back needs to be pressed to the mat at all times and your <span style="font-weight: bold;">pelvic floor muscle</span> needs to be tight, too. Count until 8 before you let down and lay down again. Repeat this procedure 15 times and if you really want to make a difference, do the sides as well (same technique, just left to the side). This way, your sit-up is highly efficient!<br />I did this every night for a couple of weeks and I felt amazing. I need to start that routine again!!<br /></span></span><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 51);"><br /><br /><br /></span></b></span>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14051761762813337818noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901844907206643663.post-82838699910971947282011-01-23T16:10:00.000-08:002011-01-23T16:31:44.283-08:00Blog Lovin' - My Most Influential BloggersHello fellow <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">bloggers</span>,<br /><br />being a true <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">gypsy</span> means to be a bit unconventional at times. I knew it would be like this when I started my blog cause there is an unpredictable side to my life. Events evolve right in front of my eyes and I need to go with them as they come, that's just the road a <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">gypsy</span>'s gotta go...<br />I deeply apologize for my relatively absence all this while. I know that I am still new to the blogging world and I should've been able to speak to you more frequently but my life turned out to be more than hectic and this won't change too soon. Many of you lovelies make up the reasons why I still try to write as often as possible, so I'd like to dedicate this post to you guys.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhMV1IbnDN0FW1kAmbKtn2Epf361tHMmIgT3y3MHkAevBXI3WoaxCPrPU09Rl7F1z7sO71ivujnDyXsIIObRjmpBQiqgg_Qv80oRIy0G5zqqgraEh5bgl2ZfdFMZeTSLDALULNEl-3rau/s1600/Tali.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhMV1IbnDN0FW1kAmbKtn2Epf361tHMmIgT3y3MHkAevBXI3WoaxCPrPU09Rl7F1z7sO71ivujnDyXsIIObRjmpBQiqgg_Qv80oRIy0G5zqqgraEh5bgl2ZfdFMZeTSLDALULNEl-3rau/s1600/Tali.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><b style="color: magenta;">Tali</b> was the first blogger that I got to know through the world wide web. Her ongoing love for make-up and all things beautiful made me get in touch with this community. When I first started out she recommended my blog to her followers which made my heart melt!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QCpwRXTDmZhrn9bRQ08M5c5o0xgoNyH6s-k4LFzNA7DB-k5ej2ZfY1MbykROsgmKCloGoTlBKQKUnYmDndtj09aIcoi4YVpMKE7aiTMPznYSfVP1R55ldFSrFd_nLWvLgieCpiwXsT3a/s1600/Supergirl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QCpwRXTDmZhrn9bRQ08M5c5o0xgoNyH6s-k4LFzNA7DB-k5ej2ZfY1MbykROsgmKCloGoTlBKQKUnYmDndtj09aIcoi4YVpMKE7aiTMPznYSfVP1R55ldFSrFd_nLWvLgieCpiwXsT3a/s1600/Supergirl.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><b style="color: red;">Supergirl</b> is a true super girl! Her comments brighten up my days and on her blog she has very innovative ideas. She always takes the time to write her posts bilingual, that is so great!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3qN5AUHwj8lLEn33LcyfIdvhUmfqzXmO-Zpmw4iS_jin0Pvhyphenhyphen_t8TX-YWKLBLNundGhJ2qCDm_jl4pFnA0IdBm4WHcvXFFHdbinr2Ct7mLlgUrZuM06M-Xei1BCDpjNPKHrwMuKNvmAxm/s1600/Roshas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3qN5AUHwj8lLEn33LcyfIdvhUmfqzXmO-Zpmw4iS_jin0Pvhyphenhyphen_t8TX-YWKLBLNundGhJ2qCDm_jl4pFnA0IdBm4WHcvXFFHdbinr2Ct7mLlgUrZuM06M-Xei1BCDpjNPKHrwMuKNvmAxm/s1600/Roshas.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><b style="color: cyan;">Roshas</b> is a very beautiful and cute person! I love her personality and her weight loss tips helped me out big time. I'm gonna write a post on my eating regime and how important optimism is in order to change bad habits. That is totally inspired by her suggestions!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0FsLPGHGBkF2Tq__73v8PZ573gFz0aJMrBeNXvZFqQO_qiK5haKlY083PNXQtKrW5rKHVZ0tycOf2l3gya3H_k4nTIiJaCAILXyigbVxMqbfw0B0lXno5zDKIBKtbv3RsT6RGaQ2U6Aid/s1600/Marisa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0FsLPGHGBkF2Tq__73v8PZ573gFz0aJMrBeNXvZFqQO_qiK5haKlY083PNXQtKrW5rKHVZ0tycOf2l3gya3H_k4nTIiJaCAILXyigbVxMqbfw0B0lXno5zDKIBKtbv3RsT6RGaQ2U6Aid/s1600/Marisa.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><b style="color: orange;"><br />Marisa</b> is such a doll! She has an absolutely adorable style and works out every day by herself to keep fit and healthy. I think she's gonna be a total role model for a lot of young women. Keep on going, hon!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMIPRhJv5AViaH0YOA3lJZ44tlEAQ-viUBWtiSIJXbFijBLxdWaCE5ab3QqET9KXH2Ge18UVO2eIs3LRHRijD8IffyZZinsnjoDQkcMF51CEC0-nyTYHwchbSIob3vT3BiwxBQd00C2ejT/s1600/miranda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMIPRhJv5AViaH0YOA3lJZ44tlEAQ-viUBWtiSIJXbFijBLxdWaCE5ab3QqET9KXH2Ge18UVO2eIs3LRHRijD8IffyZZinsnjoDQkcMF51CEC0-nyTYHwchbSIob3vT3BiwxBQd00C2ejT/s320/miranda.jpg" border="0" height="320" width="248" /></a><b style="color: lime;"> Miranda</b> is a supermodel with a twist: she is very modest and believes that everybody is beautiful and precious. She knows no exception from this rule and speaks openly to anyone. Her health blog is an example of how many great people share their wisdoms with others.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibHir8Xm3VjPbMzR58SB992MV4ohM3g98opyMzB3iTGZdlaMhX7qQlxEV-ofkz9WCBI2X1t-yBDIhBrIbrHov7kGl4KGu4cfOLb_owzWQHO3zH0etsu6SfXeFKAHp4ZNOYzJXm6sviu9jb/s1600/Replica.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibHir8Xm3VjPbMzR58SB992MV4ohM3g98opyMzB3iTGZdlaMhX7qQlxEV-ofkz9WCBI2X1t-yBDIhBrIbrHov7kGl4KGu4cfOLb_owzWQHO3zH0etsu6SfXeFKAHp4ZNOYzJXm6sviu9jb/s1600/Replica.jpg" border="0" /></a><b style="color: rgb(68, 68, 68);"> Replica</b> is a wonderful blogger! I love her preference for brands that are not commonly known but of very high-quality such as RBR or Snowberry. She always takes pictures of the ingredients list, I could hug her for doing that :) She is the first person I ever talked to on a blog and asked for advice (just before Tali)!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYpZdVSEJR64hBT9PzwSKj3APpIWMougHcp97y_XBmrucWuB7LrJU-kDVKvBFW5hx3fiXEADE7SOCbCg6X5WeSeZUS5HP3ouS8HcbtuwmhrGFb0WOtrbpow5Ut13UE_si9GEC1tc1zh0Ff/s1600/tina_mbc.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYpZdVSEJR64hBT9PzwSKj3APpIWMougHcp97y_XBmrucWuB7LrJU-kDVKvBFW5hx3fiXEADE7SOCbCg6X5WeSeZUS5HP3ouS8HcbtuwmhrGFb0WOtrbpow5Ut13UE_si9GEC1tc1zh0Ff/s1600/tina_mbc.JPG" border="0" /></a><b style="color: purple;">Tina</b> is a very mature young woman from Greece. I adore her for always finding the right words and I can tell that she is a 100% honest in every word she says. She deserves all the attention that she is getting! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><b style="color: rgb(76, 17, 48);"> </b><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgyVRaeaewJ8diuycqsFkbPkDNhoyaRCzzzwWH6zqgmqHOIqnU52ts1A7YmgHkdbwSoiVyDdH85aykoBl8LbOBQwdwViy9yKqgG5G2nYrlDvcipB08XLNTIqld2Xt9OFwA0ysaPwLza6Y/s1600/Mushine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgyVRaeaewJ8diuycqsFkbPkDNhoyaRCzzzwWH6zqgmqHOIqnU52ts1A7YmgHkdbwSoiVyDdH85aykoBl8LbOBQwdwViy9yKqgG5G2nYrlDvcipB08XLNTIqld2Xt9OFwA0ysaPwLza6Y/s1600/Mushine.jpg" border="0" /></a><b style="color: rgb(76, 17, 48);"> Mushine</b> has a wonderful innovative blog. She crafts so many things that it is delightful to see what she comes up with. She is beautiful inside and out and this shows in everything she does!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzWLq04-UAxahT-RvJpeyD1z3ghyphenhyphenKPy0YN_YJTPUZ0JnlGpgQ7C4OxwV7ZFCaG707nuV4fiSCWRg82dmhLsrpVXdiI3bnV2x38Ro6XyMDykXlsjk_A7Yz8a_TOmydOMqKZYQ7Q0-G2JWs0/s1600/ModestyBrown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzWLq04-UAxahT-RvJpeyD1z3ghyphenhyphenKPy0YN_YJTPUZ0JnlGpgQ7C4OxwV7ZFCaG707nuV4fiSCWRg82dmhLsrpVXdiI3bnV2x38Ro6XyMDykXlsjk_A7Yz8a_TOmydOMqKZYQ7Q0-G2JWs0/s1600/ModestyBrown.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><b style="color: rgb(120, 63, 4);">Modesty Brown</b> is a chemist and along with her scientific background she is very kind to everyone who comments or poses questions to her. You can really rely on her which is great!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6N9o195RRWslqxzpLlfLdOjfXaD9E1pf-_ftHjYoj_aoZFIy_6fwD_yUNoEMb7nciTcI3XEeuYbfGMtZ5XtXLsSc0wVPyEI_sSB66JnKT7AlnYUN6hoG_Pj3slhRLj42MUYeszZhE0Qa/s1600/GraceLondon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6N9o195RRWslqxzpLlfLdOjfXaD9E1pf-_ftHjYoj_aoZFIy_6fwD_yUNoEMb7nciTcI3XEeuYbfGMtZ5XtXLsSc0wVPyEI_sSB66JnKT7AlnYUN6hoG_Pj3slhRLj42MUYeszZhE0Qa/s200/GraceLondon.jpg" border="0" height="200" width="200" /></a></div><b style="color: rgb(39, 78, 19);">Grace</b> has a lovely blog and her flawless skin has been praised by famous people like Edward Bess! I like to read through her posts, old and new!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfz12Ih9DC0JVYhUonetpivu8J78o9KAMN9ftqt0lN8TXmIb6hmlyGZqpLEDR6MUimvUUHJgyIgbc4P1UlZ1cbCn5FD6eTP8FSYmox0tqEJhJ8BeSWRoHRLkB6RBeEnEvHem27vXKwUGra/s1600/Fantastic.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfz12Ih9DC0JVYhUonetpivu8J78o9KAMN9ftqt0lN8TXmIb6hmlyGZqpLEDR6MUimvUUHJgyIgbc4P1UlZ1cbCn5FD6eTP8FSYmox0tqEJhJ8BeSWRoHRLkB6RBeEnEvHem27vXKwUGra/s400/Fantastic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565538421315582914" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 51);">"Fantastic"</span> :) I hardly ever seen a beautiful woman such as this one and her blog is a retreat! She is a model and knows to have little time on her hands but when she does post it's delightful!<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><u><i>.... the list goes on!</i></u></div></div><br />These wonderful girls are just a few!! I met many more since I started 6 months ago and I only made the most positive experiences! I thank you all for the warm words and attention that I have received!<br /><br />I have new ideas for upcoming posts, mostly on health and exercise rather than make-up as my life is changing substantially at the moment. I am also gonna have a blog sale coming up, too.<br />So, please bear with me to make this a fun place to hang out! Without you, guys, this is just another page in the endless <span style="color: rgb(19, 79, 92);">www.</span> universe. Let's fill this place with light and laughter :-)<br /><br />So long,<br />ur gypsy <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">Sam <b>xx</b></span>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14051761762813337818noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901844907206643663.post-32560395652553254172011-01-18T15:31:00.000-08:002011-01-23T03:21:39.564-08:00Benefit - Bathina Gettin' Steamy Shower Gel & Touch Me Then Try To Leave... Cream<div style="color: rgb(12, 52, 61);"><b>Happy New Year 2011 to all of you!! </b></div><br />I wish you the best for the new year and I am looking forward to getting to know you further! I am so sorry for not writing posts as often as I would like but I am in an extremely busy and challenging phase of my life. I have a couple of exams to go before I'm fully finished with university. What AM I gonna be once I'm not a student anymore?! This thought makes me go nuts...<br /><br />I was with my family on Christmas and I cooked and baked a lot in my family's kitchen and I was staying in my old rooms (I had 2). Gee, it's been so long since I have moved out - 7 years!! This year's gonna be a new turning point in my life!<br /> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZ0tqVG89qvWEUw7K6oFrzZhxxnjTPACyBxwNPlcUMPZOvOLwhBMpEiG2AZ-ptHbFsWhyphenhyphenGOWrGYaSqsVRsdKnpY1qVElYZrCh-QYQ-BFTtoxSA_TQADnpOikEPqmmHPHG7JCVe5KZ4A9J/s1600/Slide1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZ0tqVG89qvWEUw7K6oFrzZhxxnjTPACyBxwNPlcUMPZOvOLwhBMpEiG2AZ-ptHbFsWhyphenhyphenGOWrGYaSqsVRsdKnpY1qVElYZrCh-QYQ-BFTtoxSA_TQADnpOikEPqmmHPHG7JCVe5KZ4A9J/s320/Slide1.jpg" border="0" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>When I opened some shelves of my old cupboards I found wonderful long forgotten Benefit items - the <b style="color: rgb(224, 102, 102);">Bathina</b> <i style="color: rgb(224, 102, 102);">Gettin' Steamy</i> shower gel and the <i style="color: rgb(234, 153, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(224, 102, 102);">Touch Me Then Try To Leave...</span> </i>body cream. Both smell divine, they're a very sensual experience, wow!! I must've placed them there at some point when I paid my family a visit. What a great gift to myself this turned out to be :)<br />My skin felt very soft and had an awesome scent both after the shower and after applying the lotion. Putting on either one of them is enough, actually. No other fragrance needed! I love the retro pin-up design, too! The shower gel is also ideal to wash your lingerie with :-) Your delicate clothes will soak in the soft scent... I highly recommed the entire <b style="color: rgb(224, 102, 102);">Bathina</b> collection! I have more, take a look at my previous post <a href="http://blk-gypsy.blogspot.com/2010/08/my-benefit-collection-intro.html">here</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br />I also show you the <b style="color: rgb(180, 95, 6);">bread</b> I was baking at home... <span style="color: rgb(180, 95, 6);">yumm* </span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha37vYRBENCAfAVE7N6sGcul5RZGr0mjLfX3f7jYJk4cWhvy5x2_XGYZnZex7_dehaUbnwAR8YfCq0ferOsG_H0GeyknRBsN8iFukU1WJEJYses6BB84I9_jJvdZtJacDDUNomkyrYXomB/s1600/Slide2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha37vYRBENCAfAVE7N6sGcul5RZGr0mjLfX3f7jYJk4cWhvy5x2_XGYZnZex7_dehaUbnwAR8YfCq0ferOsG_H0GeyknRBsN8iFukU1WJEJYses6BB84I9_jJvdZtJacDDUNomkyrYXomB/s320/Slide2.jpg" border="0" height="240" width="320" /></a></div> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOolapYzylQH71IzrLi70CQHRdkS3V75FzHGireG0xDD9G9fNREssDk-Qj97rfeKmDGXeI0EMIvfwZNkkKYEFEBaiDMrD7UNk9d0fNt6IdWfDaqI0xN2ikGhSXWy98xf4ulR9Ys3heiBPn/s1600/Slide3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOolapYzylQH71IzrLi70CQHRdkS3V75FzHGireG0xDD9G9fNREssDk-Qj97rfeKmDGXeI0EMIvfwZNkkKYEFEBaiDMrD7UNk9d0fNt6IdWfDaqI0xN2ikGhSXWy98xf4ulR9Ys3heiBPn/s320/Slide3.jpg" border="0" height="240" width="320" /></a></div> <br /><span style="font-size:large;"><b><i style="color: white;">How do you like the Bathina collection by Benefit? </i><i style="color: white;">What are your plans for the new year? Are you hitting a milestone, too?! </i></b></span><br /><br />All my love,<br />ur <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">Sam <b>xx </b></span>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14051761762813337818noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901844907206643663.post-76771702553997973932010-12-24T07:54:00.000-08:002010-12-24T07:56:02.328-08:00Self-Made X-Mas Gifts<span style="color:#990000;">Hello lovelies</span>,<br /><br />this year I made a lot of Christmas gifts myself and matched them with various presents that I bought for my family and friends.<br />I'd like to share 2 ideas with you.<br /><br />1. Lip Balm:<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; CLEAR: both" class="separator"><a style="MARGIN-LEFT: 1em; MARGIN-RIGHT: 1em" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtgYy6RRw31zkutNACK5h3pSctGUVWTz_NY0t0MMdgth02A8PxB2fXtHzU8AoeSV53kaUyi7Ba5aaRbWed7nHcU9Jvcg6C-H0R0t9eSjA6rKQQdn5WkZSErADr_HFFf7BQxfGc5xGT5LuW/s1600/IMG_5902.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtgYy6RRw31zkutNACK5h3pSctGUVWTz_NY0t0MMdgth02A8PxB2fXtHzU8AoeSV53kaUyi7Ba5aaRbWed7nHcU9Jvcg6C-H0R0t9eSjA6rKQQdn5WkZSErADr_HFFf7BQxfGc5xGT5LuW/s320/IMG_5902.JPG" width="240" height="320" n4="true" /></a></div><br />I created my own lip balm and put them into little containers that I picked for each person individually. I found an Asian box, some retro boxes from the 50's & 60's, and an oriental container.<br />The ingredients for the lip balm:<br />- 40 ml beeswax<br />- 60 ml Almoond oil<br />- some splashes of rose water<br />- 4 drops eucalyptus oil<br />you heat it up in a stove until it's fully blended and then spill it into the little balm boxes. Let the substance cool off before you use it. Done!<br /><br />2. Chocolate Plate:<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; CLEAR: both" class="separator"><a style="MARGIN-LEFT: 1em; MARGIN-RIGHT: 1em" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQDmehK35S7zQmu28YkOVbiQfAo8vtfppW_3P_GDQQPOHWylRgyiyzkJ9-qF0NHZt8ue18akM07fH16MSlv5AWj_zDij1vQGJCw9imdJjKJQU1itehtYqKwMLkpxP3tFfVFpah-xmyLPh/s1600/IMG_5901.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQDmehK35S7zQmu28YkOVbiQfAo8vtfppW_3P_GDQQPOHWylRgyiyzkJ9-qF0NHZt8ue18akM07fH16MSlv5AWj_zDij1vQGJCw9imdJjKJQU1itehtYqKwMLkpxP3tFfVFpah-xmyLPh/s320/IMG_5901.JPG" width="320" height="240" n4="true" /></a></div><br />I melted white chocoloate in a bowl that was placed in stove filled with water. I added poppy seeds to the melted white chocolate and spreaded the mix evenly on a tall plate. Next I prepared the same mix with dark chocolate and added cinnamon, clove, and pepper to the liquid chocolate. Then I created some stars and a semi circle with the dark mixture. I let it cool off and it is ready for transport in a cardboard box.<br /><br /><span style="color:white;">Did you create some self-made goodies for your folks? Do you like this better or do you prefer presents bought in a store? </span><br /><br />I wish you'all a very <span style="color:#990000;"><strong>Merry Christmas</strong></span> and a <span style="color:#741b47;"><strong>Happy New Year 2011</strong></span>!! I am so happy I created this blog because it is just so delightful to meet you here! Thank you for bringing so much happiness into my life!!<br /><br />Love, <span style="color:#660000;">Sam xx </span>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14051761762813337818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901844907206643663.post-56206393687986834212010-12-12T17:26:00.000-08:002010-12-12T18:02:45.349-08:00Snowberry - Instant Deep Cleanser<b style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><br /></b><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Little Snowferries*</span><br />It is definitely winter where I live and the Christmas markets are the place to be :) The best past-time activity for dark and freezing evenings in December!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjn91DKSAXwBGqDG1vB9bJPQuOUEGBUMqemdUJhxItm179YpFPpP74Rr71KFlIkLhABdIYWYXflBU4MCn6QVvUhODNEPn7O0ouX8rYqFTHOg94pTA8eVi_g7uP_lK6RnwciUbNvwT8SVgf/s1600/Slide4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjn91DKSAXwBGqDG1vB9bJPQuOUEGBUMqemdUJhxItm179YpFPpP74Rr71KFlIkLhABdIYWYXflBU4MCn6QVvUhODNEPn7O0ouX8rYqFTHOg94pTA8eVi_g7uP_lK6RnwciUbNvwT8SVgf/s320/Slide4.jpg" border="0" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzBZTZ-7OvG5NnWlxIq1N-Vmf-vvCa5_4edtFW-NgF_r-LXIumgsw4NQQzek8HGXmm2ytujsEupHngA37qjfyHkg0_CylCs9Bg-_RCeHmpcKyM75m5ACHlrDcBcopD8Hxog0EHI_rZisCh/s1600/Slide3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzBZTZ-7OvG5NnWlxIq1N-Vmf-vvCa5_4edtFW-NgF_r-LXIumgsw4NQQzek8HGXmm2ytujsEupHngA37qjfyHkg0_CylCs9Bg-_RCeHmpcKyM75m5ACHlrDcBcopD8Hxog0EHI_rZisCh/s320/Slide3.jpg" border="0" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br />When I come home at night my skin's usually dry from the cold outside and the heaters indoors. Washing my face could make this condition worse. Not so since I am using my <i style="color: rgb(7, 55, 99);"><b>Snowberry</b></i> <i><span style="color: rgb(7, 55, 99);">Instant Deep Cleanser</span></i>. My skin feels really smooth and silky even before I apply my night cream! In my opinion this product is the perfect winter treat and makes a perfect gift.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYFJKOjz7LOwoTh9C55CrsyqZWdfHyr_2itDDznMpmEg6LZbmp2gNtZfYOGoiuLgDpqav1OmydnT8SgKRogWdP-QItiJ3P0wdrMhyeG_n0W6yaCo1-covozTrTyk5n8MHjnM_hHksa9jCO/s1600/Slide1.jpg"><br /></a>The packaging is very cute and the formula contains an advanced combination of natural ingredients and the latest findings in skin care science. The company is based in <span style="color: rgb(39, 78, 19);">New Zealand</span> and many of the ingredients are harvested from the local <span style="color: rgb(39, 78, 19);">rainforests</span>.<br />I spent 3 weeks on this amazing island and I can safely say that I am still day-dreaming of seeing these strong and pristine landscapes again! (If you like I put up some pictures of my travels)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYFJKOjz7LOwoTh9C55CrsyqZWdfHyr_2itDDznMpmEg6LZbmp2gNtZfYOGoiuLgDpqav1OmydnT8SgKRogWdP-QItiJ3P0wdrMhyeG_n0W6yaCo1-covozTrTyk5n8MHjnM_hHksa9jCO/s1600/Slide1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 302px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYFJKOjz7LOwoTh9C55CrsyqZWdfHyr_2itDDznMpmEg6LZbmp2gNtZfYOGoiuLgDpqav1OmydnT8SgKRogWdP-QItiJ3P0wdrMhyeG_n0W6yaCo1-covozTrTyk5n8MHjnM_hHksa9jCO/s400/Slide1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549972914350061090" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4-Foj7boMfCecE7aTERw68qCSuMNq7Q-9wXjw0hnBXwuvDfYpQu9O00yWb9y8leiuXQor0jFsIyAnh-3rHGpq2VjybCArw3QlSMpUhPoot371brw8N_hMexZw2B89SOHc6KkwnpY-z3W/s1600/Slide2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 301px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4-Foj7boMfCecE7aTERw68qCSuMNq7Q-9wXjw0hnBXwuvDfYpQu9O00yWb9y8leiuXQor0jFsIyAnh-3rHGpq2VjybCArw3QlSMpUhPoot371brw8N_hMexZw2B89SOHc6KkwnpY-z3W/s400/Slide2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549972985909178482" border="0" /></a>Sorry the pic above looks so useless... the cleanser in my hand is lightly red and with one pulp you can cover your entire face. The product comes in two sizes, 15ml and 50ml. I got and recommend the big-sized version as it's better value for money)<br /><br />The <i><span style="color: rgb(7, 55, 99);">Instant Deep Cleanser</span></i> is made using the following substances:<br /><br /><div class="tab" id="third" style="display: block;"> <div align="justify"><strong>Melia azadirachta linn (Neem) seed oil </strong>An exotic natural emollient from Neem seeds with moisturising, hydrating, and skin softening properties. This oil stimulates cell regeneration, a mild antiseptic and gives skin a smooth and healthy appearance.</div><div align="justify"><br /><strong>Plantservative WM </strong>A naturally derived ingredient from the Japanese Honeysuckle with strong anti-microbial and preserving properties.</div><div align="justify"><br /><strong>Inca Inchi Oil </strong><br />An exotic natural plant ingredient with moisturising, hydrating, skin softening and sun protection properties.</div><div align="justify"><br /><strong>Passion Fruit Oil (WS) </strong>A natural active emollient from Passion flower with a high level of linoleic acid, providing deep nourishment and moisturization for the skin.</div><div align="justify"><br /><strong>Dracorin GOC </strong><br />A naturally derived plant/synthetic ingredient with emulsifying properties and provides a rich texture and feel to the skin.</div><div align="justify"><br /><strong>Dermofeel G6CY (Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate) </strong><br />A naturally derived plant ingredient with skin conditioning agent, emollient, solubiliser and secondary emulsifier.</div><div align="justify"><br /><strong>Orchard Complex OS </strong><br />A natural plant ingredient with emmoliency and anti-aging properties. It also enhances product spreadability delivering a smooth feel to the skin.</div><div align="justify"><br /><strong>Sopholiance </strong><br />An active, naturally derived anti-bacterial & anti-lipase agent, which prevents growth of certain noxious gram positive bacteria yet respects the natural flora of the skin.</div><div align="justify"><br /><strong>Sun Essence (Cloudberry Seed Oil) </strong>An exotic natural plant ingredient with moisturising, hydrating, and skin softening properties.</div><div align="justify"><br /><strong>Pufabe Echium Oil </strong><br />A natural ingredient from an Arctic plant with moisturising and hydrating properties.</div><div align="justify"><br /><strong>Wheat Soramides </strong><br />An ingredient of essential lipids for the skin with moisturising, revitalising and restructuring properties. Rich in Phospholipids, Ceramides, Phytoserols, fatty acids and retinol with functions including skin-identical lipid composition and reconstruction effects.</div><div align="justify"><br /><strong>Lyconat CI 75125 (Lycopene) </strong><br />A natural biotech ingredient derived from a natural fermentative process which involves a fungus, the Blakeslea Trispora, which has active anti-aging properties.</div><div align="justify"><br /><strong>Nikkol VC-IP </strong><br />A naturally derived ingredient from Vitamin C with anti-aging properties. Primary function is to promote collagen synthesis and inhibit lipid peroxidation.</div><div align="justify"><br /><strong>Macpaste </strong><br />A naturally derived gelling agent from nuts of the macadamia tree with moisturising and emolliency properties.</div><div align="justify"><br /><strong>Coleus Oil </strong><br />A natural extract from the roots of Coleus forskohlii with excellent cleansing and moisturising properties while giving a pleasant aroma.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />It contains NO: </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> Lauryl Sulfates</div><div align="justify">Petrochemicals</div><div align="justify">Propylene or Butylene Glycols</div><div align="justify">Volatile Alcohols</div><div align="justify">Artificial Colours </div><div align="justify">Silicones</div><div align="justify">DEA or MEA </div><div align="justify">not tested on Animals </div><div align="justify"><br /></div></div>...And this is only the cleanser! Check out the other products at the well-designed webside <a href="http://www.snowberrybeauty.com/" style="color: rgb(7, 55, 99);">http://www.snowberrybeauty.com/</a><br /><br />I am very confident that is the kind of brand that'll eventually knock out <span style="color: rgb(53, 28, 117);">L'Oreal</span> and all those other companies that only look at their own profits rather than the sustainability of our planet and the health of their costumers. My skin never felt this good during the winter months and it makes me a bit angry realizing that I wasted many years wondering how to 'cure' my skin. Since I've changed my cleansing routine my skin has improved tremendously! <i style="color: rgb(7, 55, 99);"><b>Snowberry </b></i>even claims to be certified '<span style="color: rgb(39, 78, 19);">carbon neutral</span>', meaning that "<span style="font-size:100%;">the carbon the company produces at any given time is neutralised by mechanisms such as registered forest regeneration, which extracts the same quantity of carbon dioxide from the air." </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Taken together</span><span style="font-size:100%;">, I can safely say that all these great properties make up for the steep price of 38 Euros. </span><br /><br /><div style="color:white;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><i>What do you think of this brand? Do you know Christmas markets and hot wine punch?! </i></b></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Season's Greetings,<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">Sam<b> xx</b></span></span>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14051761762813337818noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901844907206643663.post-74494010047443840652010-11-28T15:34:00.000-08:002010-12-10T03:12:20.584-08:00Miranda Kerr - Treasure YourselfHello <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">dear bloggers</span>,<br /><br />I hope you had a great week-end! I just came back from a great sushi dinner with my lovely friend who moved house recently to another city. We used to meet up pretty much each day and now that she's in town only on certain occasions I treasure each moment we get to see each other even more!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvl1W2635pnT_aYDrHqw1KYJKloNY0IoUWxWA_NcyzhuFUBI4NHg5YnH9rHhTGxFzkj4Qyzhr_f7fV5KOOWY9_tHP7sTOb0phmKa1CILmeSmQKoTejhCn4ICH-5-zxK3iHG3I3lqOw92-/s1600/Slide1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvl1W2635pnT_aYDrHqw1KYJKloNY0IoUWxWA_NcyzhuFUBI4NHg5YnH9rHhTGxFzkj4Qyzhr_f7fV5KOOWY9_tHP7sTOb0phmKa1CILmeSmQKoTejhCn4ICH-5-zxK3iHG3I3lqOw92-/s320/Slide1.jpg" border="0" height="320" width="241" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>So, to me it's time to write about the book "<i><b style="color: rgb(76, 17, 48);">Treasure Yourself</b></i>" written by the <span style="color:magenta;">Victoria's Secret</span> model <span style="color: rgb(116, 27, 71);">Miranda Kerr</span>. I certainly feel intimated by all the <span style="color:magenta;">VS</span> models, knowing in the back of my mind that each guy on this planet would immediately go for any of the girls if they could only get their hands on them! However, Miranda seems to be a kind-hearted and healthily living person and for that I really appreciate her. She studied nutrition and psychology when she wasn't sure if modeling was her thing. I did not know about her at all but, by chance, I found out about her skin care line <b style="color: rgb(11, 83, 148);">Kora Organics</b>. Her products can be purchased online by visiting her side <span style="color: rgb(11, 83, 148);"><a style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);" href="http://www.koraorganics.com/">http://www.koraorganics.com/</a> </span>and by doing so I got hooked on her <a href="http://www.koraorganics.com/blog/" style="color: rgb(11, 83, 148);">blog</a> that is presented alongside the product page. I started reading it when it just came out and it was very spare at first but by now there are many nutritionists, family members, and Miranda's personal trainer etc. blogging about health care and well-being. I highly recommend checking out her blog!!<br />I couldn't resist buying her book and I must admit I did not regret the purchase at all. At first I thought it might be a bit cheesy reading "happy notes" by a super model who's "got it all" but it is really very interesting to read what she thinks. It is surely made for teenagers, though, as the chapters are very compact and I got the impression I'm reading one introduction after another when these few pages are actually the whole chapters (approximately 10 pages per chapter!). Only half the book is about <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Miranda</span>'s life and experiences, the other part contains short affirmations to help aquiring a more positive outlook.<br />Nevertheless, her words reminded me of my state of mind when I am on travels. I seem to have this 'broader perspective' on things and see my possibilities and the goodness of my future very clearly. Once I have settled back down, though, I seem to lose track of this inner sense and I feel taken in by every-day hassles and inconveniences. Reading her book really established a connection to that self-awareness I seem to have merely on my journeys - even though I'm still in my living room right this moment.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJ5chPXaK4_SRe2X1LRnm3-r31icGBZcmj2nrFymNUY77rlTBklbp4CnqYsunY4ZPbb1pozwxQODPtFZUmV_F6unx17AzC2OL0pTWGQWdeSXA3EanjuXCzMbAMRAONbXnwtmAVOw_gquj/s1600/Slide2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img style="width: 437px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJ5chPXaK4_SRe2X1LRnm3-r31icGBZcmj2nrFymNUY77rlTBklbp4CnqYsunY4ZPbb1pozwxQODPtFZUmV_F6unx17AzC2OL0pTWGQWdeSXA3EanjuXCzMbAMRAONbXnwtmAVOw_gquj/s320/Slide2.jpg" border="0" /></a></div> <i>(Miranda has a great poem in her book that Audrey Hepburn used to lov</i><i>e / I arranged that my garden fairy can watch the flowers on the book, lol. In the background you see the snow on the grass!)</i><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I must admit that I like the fact that the shape of <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Miranda</span>'s face is a tiny bit round - this is a big issue I have with myself! It calms me down, somehow, knowing that this beautiful woman has a heart-shaped face, too... I feel very conscious of my looks at times, especially since I am 'tied to the chair' cause I literally have to study for my exams for months and months and months... it is very draining and it shows in my appearance, posture, and strength. I really can't wait to get out into this world again - but as <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Miranda</span> says in her book - you can't push through tough times too hard otherwise your abilities won't develop fully leaving you poorly prepared for what's still to come. My biggest weakness is my impatience! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I would like to contribute a pic on her page but I can't decide which one of the three I should pick?! Help me, please :) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34juNZIPbaMc1oMywYvR6ZmMNTiCLneh1OilXsk2bAwz__3zY8q1-C7flFb8-Qy5AwynO-5g-JOT6P_V7gQrvgQ21nidRQPp-QDLYnEwxDJY8FX2IBBOD4Nhyphenhyphen7RAKDoFag-8swB0BqUEk/s1600/Slide3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34juNZIPbaMc1oMywYvR6ZmMNTiCLneh1OilXsk2bAwz__3zY8q1-C7flFb8-Qy5AwynO-5g-JOT6P_V7gQrvgQ21nidRQPp-QDLYnEwxDJY8FX2IBBOD4Nhyphenhyphen7RAKDoFag-8swB0BqUEk/s320/Slide3.jpg" border="0" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="color: white;"><i><b>Have a great night, I hope that I didn't bug you with my spiritual talk - but once in a while it's time to do so, what do you think?!</b></i></div><br />Lots of love,<br />your <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">Sam xxx </span>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14051761762813337818noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901844907206643663.post-84185031240342666042010-11-13T15:48:00.000-08:002014-11-15T04:04:32.550-08:00Alima Pure - Mineral Foundation & Brush<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tP1Zo0O0ADXfXdhaitw-p2CjMnZKZNR8WW0IrKf7Cao5sajHwfNbnR-PAaTJhDT9HSy4C9CFoaYhkEUnIkzBG0RmlvyXsxVCEh-4magmphZrgZrtG2jLKdgfGly6ubxgR56Z3Fae2ksq/s1600/Slide1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tP1Zo0O0ADXfXdhaitw-p2CjMnZKZNR8WW0IrKf7Cao5sajHwfNbnR-PAaTJhDT9HSy4C9CFoaYhkEUnIkzBG0RmlvyXsxVCEh-4magmphZrgZrtG2jLKdgfGly6ubxgR56Z3Fae2ksq/s320/Slide1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
hello my pretty <b style="color: #660000;">darls</b>, <br />
<br />
I am very eager to write about the <span style="color: #274e13;">Satin Matte Foundation</span> by <b><span style="color: #274e13;">Alima Pure </span></b>and the matching <span style="color: #274e13;">Foundation Brush</span>. I've been using the foundation combo for well over two months now almost every day and I must say I am delighted about the way my skin improved! The brand is certified organic and there are no ingredients other than minerals. Normally, when I use foundation my skin gets itchy or greasy after a couple of hours and that would make me go insane. Since I got to know the <b style="color: #cc0000;">Rouge Bunny Rouge</b> line these incidents have decreased but <b style="color: #cc0000;">RBR </b>is too expensive to wear each day exclusively. So, the compromise I came up with is that I use <b><span style="color: #274e13;">Alima Pure </span></b>to university & work and <b style="color: #cc0000;">RBR </b>for getting ready to going out :) The <b><span style="color: #274e13;">Alima Pure </span></b>powder foundation blends in seamlessly and I forget I'm wearing it 10 minutes after application. My shade is <i style="color: #274e13;">neutral 3</i> - there is a wide variety of colours to choose from, which I love cause my skin tone keeps changing depending on the season and the country I am living in that year. As the <span style="color: #274e13;">Satin Matte Foundation </span>contains minerals only it doesn't go off for years unless nothing touches the inside of the dose. So it's advisable to dust some powder onto the inside of the lid or onto a tissue and dip'n swirl the contents on the brush from there.<br />
I strongly recommend getting the <span style="color: #274e13;">Foundation Brush</span>, too, because it is an exceptionally high quality beauty tool. The hair is really dense and soft - it feels great and is very pretty looking! I washed it several times and it's still in its fine condition. The web-page gives information on how to take care of the brushes properly <a href="http://www.alimapure.com/alima-101-mineral-cosmetics/techniques-natural-cosmetics/brush-care-mineral-makeup/">here</a>. <br />
The only downside that comes to my mind is that the lid of the powder broke after the first couple of times I've opened it. Since then the lid is gradually cracking further, which means that I can't take it with me on travels :( <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRFSlMqMEo8D1KuBNW1LwDy-J8msouCosCP35oyoFR4WNXv0gb8eMHoS3QFufIPl9z_ze33V9LOTf0NiIqyJeC8P2vk1kLeEA2N7DysGjw0VC4IeR6987b1RfyHXLKVnot55GlFNcV4zi/s1600/Slide2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRFSlMqMEo8D1KuBNW1LwDy-J8msouCosCP35oyoFR4WNXv0gb8eMHoS3QFufIPl9z_ze33V9LOTf0NiIqyJeC8P2vk1kLeEA2N7DysGjw0VC4IeR6987b1RfyHXLKVnot55GlFNcV4zi/s320/Slide2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="color: white;">
<b>I'm so glad I found out about this brand! Do you know </b><b>Alima Pure?! I would like to know how the other products are working. </b></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b><br />
</b></div>
All the best you guys!<br />
Talk to you soon - ur <b style="color: #660000;">Sam xx</b><br />
<br />
<b style="color: #660000;"> - + - </b><br />
I just read on <a href="http://www.allure.com/beauty/blogs/reporter/2010/11/alicia-silverstones-secrets-to.html" style="color: red;">allure.com</a> that <span style="color: #a64d79;">Alicia Silverstone</span> is recommending <b><span style="color: #274e13;">Alima Pure</span></b>, too! She is a gorgeous woman who took the time to explain to my uncle's godchild (11yrs old) at a charity event that, even though being vegetarian is important and animal-friendly, eating fish is substantial for maintaining a healthy body, especially for a person growing up. Since then my uncle's godchild eats fish cause "Alicia said so"!! I think that is great, thank you <span style="color: #a64d79;">Alicia</span> :) <br />
<b style="color: #660000;"> </b> <br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><br />
</span><br />
<b><span style="color: #274e13;"> </span></b>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14051761762813337818noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901844907206643663.post-27565094999464056382010-11-07T13:57:00.000-08:002010-11-07T15:45:08.733-08:00New Guest Post on ZunetaHello <b><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">my dears</span></b>,<br /><br />how are you doing?! I have written a guest post talking about three beautiful products on <a href="http://www.zuneta.com/blog/?p=2139"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b style="color: purple;">Zuneta</b></span></a>.<br /><br />Please follow the link above to read the full review on:<br /><ul><li><i><span style="color: rgb(69, 129, 142);">Specialist Fly-Away Control Stick</span></i> by <strong style="color: rgb(19, 79, 92);">Cutler</strong></li><li> <i><span style="color:orange;">Blitz Gold Leaf eye shadow</span> </i>by <strong style="color: orange;">Belmacz</strong><strong> </strong></li><li><i style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Hues of Enchantment- Colour Burst Lipstick</i> by <b style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Rouge Bunny Rouge</b></li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9eyE3xksOerNrjIVWLdmeAtc3sJ3sVKgI8togV_Q9aJIRJpRk08a1SruOFwJ13VkGnvQcJ2ZITM53frPV4Z1LP4YTMIXFVtkOpONYenNB2Jm0zI3PKZq205tkhFGjxUgQFsrO6OYIikJ/s1600/Untitled2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9eyE3xksOerNrjIVWLdmeAtc3sJ3sVKgI8togV_Q9aJIRJpRk08a1SruOFwJ13VkGnvQcJ2ZITM53frPV4Z1LP4YTMIXFVtkOpONYenNB2Jm0zI3PKZq205tkhFGjxUgQFsrO6OYIikJ/s320/Untitled2.png" border="0" height="320" width="239" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaaRtoc_R1bxS8QP4aHwcort0RJZIihPtE3WfV2v2aLEjudA9gKxuRE2Rh0ujC9EwMrEV25JDeiLefoVa4lacFHzkI8zQdkI6_MUmPRmaNs_fpHHqnZ_VK3AgcbBuQpqcv_O7gFPNCRCcC/s1600/Untitled3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9s5S-ww_LHf0Ofoo7922cXDgoxmweubbrr3ukx09N_fk0cukMK6GgQGK0N3bckAfJ8bYkw7_9j4y1bWfpUxMNkdF7oLujwkh1y1FgkGVZa35RRc3Xf33sQR0XiKv5rorckkgfHZdDRzkc/s1600/Untitled1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9s5S-ww_LHf0Ofoo7922cXDgoxmweubbrr3ukx09N_fk0cukMK6GgQGK0N3bckAfJ8bYkw7_9j4y1bWfpUxMNkdF7oLujwkh1y1FgkGVZa35RRc3Xf33sQR0XiKv5rorckkgfHZdDRzkc/s320/Untitled1.png" border="0" height="155" width="320" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Hope to hear/read/see from you soon! You're great :)<br />Best, <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">Sam <b>xx</b></span>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14051761762813337818noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901844907206643663.post-2396521953284810602010-10-24T12:57:00.000-07:002010-11-12T17:25:09.421-08:00Guest Post on Zuneta<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ7Stfhb0R5LimvDZjH0l8dAg4lfvlO2y5DD9dQP9ovt2OCnStLcK3vJVcXKMKWq4P7pE0PcLq8ThGNvDacp2d9m252Ecu4Fr5-AYik1DhIltNPMKXeO3R7V2WV5Vs7T3xVFD2qOCizny7/s1600/zuneta-logo.gif"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 145px; height: 155px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ7Stfhb0R5LimvDZjH0l8dAg4lfvlO2y5DD9dQP9ovt2OCnStLcK3vJVcXKMKWq4P7pE0PcLq8ThGNvDacp2d9m252Ecu4Fr5-AYik1DhIltNPMKXeO3R7V2WV5Vs7T3xVFD2qOCizny7/s400/zuneta-logo.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531706276382480514" border="0" /></a>Hey <span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">guys</span>,<br /><br />how has your week-end been?! I hope great!<br /><br />I have submitted a guest post on <b style="color: rgb(7, 55, 99);">Zuneta</b>. Please follow this <b><a href="http://www.zuneta.com/blog/?p=2001">link</a> </b>and a have a look :)<br /><br />Kisses, ur <span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">gypsy</span> xx<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PPII5dRwWRG-87R1PHZdgR7XAARyRCd4CMCfkaFIGqqlgf1AhyJjaTnFiVbkVSyNuNhMYe9wm4EJIY3uEHL6eaFmXVKIAr6AurwtLUmE-dWyGZ8LSZMa52pZlm2GAcv5s363UMcJCzD5/s1600/blkgypsy2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PPII5dRwWRG-87R1PHZdgR7XAARyRCd4CMCfkaFIGqqlgf1AhyJjaTnFiVbkVSyNuNhMYe9wm4EJIY3uEHL6eaFmXVKIAr6AurwtLUmE-dWyGZ8LSZMa52pZlm2GAcv5s363UMcJCzD5/s400/blkgypsy2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538838453435438066" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXitWVmBCdVdmZY1CD0cLBHIrrO6jER40l2yTrx8QTB7gCBh4GUTLZ6WlCssg8H4RvQ7r3FkWUCgxfewMuwij-cCvNIxg2ymPuRQ-5jfV2En0Y2x1Dw02Cr1b3J2eF0RQhTycirsVT5MWC/s1600/blkgypsy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 249px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXitWVmBCdVdmZY1CD0cLBHIrrO6jER40l2yTrx8QTB7gCBh4GUTLZ6WlCssg8H4RvQ7r3FkWUCgxfewMuwij-cCvNIxg2ymPuRQ-5jfV2En0Y2x1Dw02Cr1b3J2eF0RQhTycirsVT5MWC/s400/blkgypsy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538838324133507778" border="0" /></a>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14051761762813337818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901844907206643663.post-88041560305622450652010-10-18T15:20:00.000-07:002010-10-18T15:29:19.569-07:00Rouge Bunny Rouge Eye Pencils - Devotion Ink Quartz Eyeliner & Feline Gaze Eye KohlHello <span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">lovelies</span>,<br /><br />how has your week been so far?! I'm having a pretty rough time as I need to take exams until April (!!) and I am already ready for making off to the <a href="http://www.travel-to-bahamas.info/"><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;color:blue;" >Bahamas</span></a>!!<br />My week-end got a lot brighter, though, when I found the<span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"> </span><b style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Rouge Bunny Rouge</b> <i color="orange"><b>Devotion Ink</b></i><span style="color:orange;"> </span><i style="color: orange;"><span style="color:orange;">Quartz Eyeliner</span> </i><b><i style="color: orange;">-</i></b><span style="color:orange;"><b> </b><i>tiger eye essence </i></span>and the new blue shade <i><span style="color: rgb(11, 83, 148);">vera</span></i> from the <i><b style="color: rgb(11, 83, 148);"><span style="color: rgb(11, 83, 148);">Feline Gaze</span> </b><span style="color: rgb(11, 83, 148);">Eye Kohl</span> </i>pencils in my mail for review! Thank you, Nadin from <b style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">RBR</b> :-) <span style="color:orange;"><i> </i></span><br /><span id="swapText"></span><br />To be honest with you, I am extremely clueless on how to achieve a <b style="color: purple;">Brigitte Bardot</b> cat eye using a liquid eye liner... I am desperate to try, though! I am used to kohl pencils (well, my so-called method of choice is to smudge them until they look '<span style="color: rgb(116, 27, 71);">sassy</span>' on groomed days and '<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">grunge</span>' on most other days...)<span id="swapText"> </span><br /><span style="color:orange;"><i> </i></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;">As you can see, my little <i><b><span style="color: rgb(106, 168, 79);">garden fairy</span></b></i> loves them as much as I do <span style="color: rgb(106, 168, 79);">~<br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1TtfYqn9ikVKjv4k7b00HaMCGzWrPDVtYlJwnHjrQ69xjRUFk9FK6Qpvzy5uUS7oJLuxWM0EqUCbz8QxBFsno-CyL8WKN1dTs2I-lXXkAM3R1zMWiFHMQJFvi6_jXgRSCLZcf4Y9uJrit/s1600/Slide1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1TtfYqn9ikVKjv4k7b00HaMCGzWrPDVtYlJwnHjrQ69xjRUFk9FK6Qpvzy5uUS7oJLuxWM0EqUCbz8QxBFsno-CyL8WKN1dTs2I-lXXkAM3R1zMWiFHMQJFvi6_jXgRSCLZcf4Y9uJrit/s320/Slide1.jpg" border="0" height="229" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: rgb(106, 168, 79); text-align: center;">(I know that my little cutie has quite an issue with her wings. She keeps abandoning them each time I try to glue'em back on her. So, I decided to just leave her be...)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVn00XjeuJR-6CU6JjAXBZooaf-3mfTra67kE_y4p6zNeLlqwaSWu62tN0NQLXsYZRrHTKNCoTKC6Dsd9IatggYyoyBuH33KwsIu6RcOtKOWjY9fcQIi0IiYaMvK90askuib5PwKh7Uak/s1600/Slide2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVn00XjeuJR-6CU6JjAXBZooaf-3mfTra67kE_y4p6zNeLlqwaSWu62tN0NQLXsYZRrHTKNCoTKC6Dsd9IatggYyoyBuH33KwsIu6RcOtKOWjY9fcQIi0IiYaMvK90askuib5PwKh7Uak/s320/Slide2.jpg" border="0" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsiPFXFriPGzRiFbsD6h-ymT3J-n-oG6hk1uGMat1m0v5e6iDhv5ad8OiO7uSury1317nIPWBDZvrhSCG-roj6fU4TJcyRsK9aRhtuC3FTU2Cvfm7Nrz5N-MxYSBcw3nWRL0Ued8jERIfe/s1600/Slide3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsiPFXFriPGzRiFbsD6h-ymT3J-n-oG6hk1uGMat1m0v5e6iDhv5ad8OiO7uSury1317nIPWBDZvrhSCG-roj6fU4TJcyRsK9aRhtuC3FTU2Cvfm7Nrz5N-MxYSBcw3nWRL0Ued8jERIfe/s320/Slide3.jpg" border="0" height="229" width="320" /></a></div><br /><i><span style="color: rgb(11, 83, 148);">Vera </span></i><span id="swapText">is a beautiful shade, perfect for Autumn and Winter months! This looks like <a href="http://www.vfsterrett.com/arabian_nights_013.asp"><span style=";font-family:";" ><span style="color: rgb(7, 55, 99);">Arabian nights</span></span></a> to me! The describtion states: "</span><span id="swapText"><i>A creamy frosted blue-violet iris with a coal-dust colour base</i>", which I would absolutely agree with. The kohl pencil is actually longer lasting than the liquid eye liner but both are not fading throughout the day (I tested it without using a base). </span><i><span style="color: rgb(11, 83, 148);"><br /></span></i><br />The colour of the <i style="color: orange;">tiger eye essence</i> is just like it is described on the web-page: "<span id="swapText"><i>Dilute black ink base, lavished with 24 carat gold and polished copper, for an overall bursting with glitter, black-bronze holographic effect.</i>" Perfect!! It gives your outfit an oriental glam touch, too, I would say. The tip is pretty solid and doesn't slip off the lash line, so even a beginner like me can work with that, lol! Because it was still morning, I only did a very fine line but you see - it's possible to do so - you can always build up on that for night time. </span><br /><div style="color: rgb(103, 78, 167); text-align: center;"><b><span id="swapText"> </span><span id="swapText">On another note: </span></b></div><div style="color: rgb(103, 78, 167);"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ozUlAIeSWH9zss2DkRF0v3zW-rcDiGQCLr-GxcfGFAw0rkc8GLKTHC4_SzaerzEUth_BKEBvYFC079MOiT-JPD-LV2Nrh4YiQgnFNtEsFJKs8kqBAKCPtSXDRHkhGuLF2UazRjal7gmK/s1600/Slide4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ozUlAIeSWH9zss2DkRF0v3zW-rcDiGQCLr-GxcfGFAw0rkc8GLKTHC4_SzaerzEUth_BKEBvYFC079MOiT-JPD-LV2Nrh4YiQgnFNtEsFJKs8kqBAKCPtSXDRHkhGuLF2UazRjal7gmK/s320/Slide4.jpg" border="0" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: rgb(103, 78, 167);"><br /></div><span id="swapText"></span><span id="swapText">This is what I was cooking myself last night - veggies with salmon, spices, lemon juice, and lemon balm. It takes about 15 mins to make but it is really yummy and healthy! What foods do you like to prepare for yourselves? I really ignored cooking for the longest time and can't wait to finally get started! <i style="color: white;"><b>Do you have any suggestions?! </b></i></span><br /><span id="swapText"><i><b style="color: white;">Are you guys tuning up for the changing of the seasons, too?!</b></i></span><span style="color:orange;"><i> </i></span><span id="swapText"> </span><br /><span id="swapText">Much love always, <span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">Sam <b>xx</b></span></span><br /><br />Please visit the <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">RBR</span> web-side to check my quotes: <a href="http://www.rougebunnyrouge.com/">http://www.rougebunnyrouge.com</a><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:orange;"><i> </i> </span>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14051761762813337818noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901844907206643663.post-29607191396079548812010-10-13T15:42:00.000-07:002014-11-15T21:51:48.821-08:00Autumn Shades - Alverde: Haul & Review (+ Laser Hair Removal Update)Hey lovelies,<br />
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I apologize for not blogging much the last couple of weeks. I have so much to do that I hardly have any free time. I am very happy to get to write this post, though!!<br />
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The Autumn is at its peak and I walked a bit through the near-by forest to look at the colorful leaves. Such a relaxing sight...<br />
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I picked up the vast majority of an Autumn make-up feature by the organic drugstore brand <b style="color: #274e13;">Alverde</b>. My favorites are the 2 lip glosses that look great on lips and taste like mint! The eye-shadows <i style="color: #38761d;">magic brown, sage, sand, and spirit</i> are beautifully pigmented and are made of recyclable packaging. The <i style="color: #38761d;">magic rose</i> blush is too pigmented for my fair skin color. I need to use the smallest amount to make it work for me. The matching eye-pencils <i><span style="color: #38761d;">magic wood and earth</span></i> and the brown mascara (containing minerals and silk) have great effects but, unfortunately, they smudge throughout the day... As <b style="color: #274e13;">Alverde</b> is a drugstore brand you get great value for money!! The earthy colors give my face a natural touch-up and I personally don't need to look 'well groomed' at all times. So, if my eye make-up doesn't last long - well, on some days I can live with it knowing that I can give my skin a rest by using this brand which abandons synthetic ingredients from all formulations.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Below you find the ingredients list for the entire special edition </span></b>(too bad it's not a permanent set!) :<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Lip Gloss with boost effect shade original: </span><br />
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil*, Lanolin, Brassica Campestris, Aleurites/ Fordi Oil Copolymer, Rhus Verniciflua Cera, Cera Carnauba*, Candelilla Cera, CI 77019, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, CI 77891, Olea Europaea Oil*, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline, Glycine Soja Oil*, Mentha Piperita Oil*, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Menthol, Silica, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Capsicum Frutescens Fruit Extract*, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, CI 77163, CI 75470, Brassica Campestris Seed Oil*, Parfum**, Limonene**, Linalool**, Benzyl Benzoate**<br />
* ingredients from certified organic agriculture<br />
** natural essential oils<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Lip Gloss with boost effect shade 002: </span><br />
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil*, Lanolin, Brassica Campestris, Aleurites/ Fordi Oil Copolymer, Mica, Rhus Verniciflua Cera, Cera Carnauba*, Candelilla Cera, CI 77891, Glycine Soja Oil*, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Olea Europaea Oil*, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline, Mentha Piperita Oil*, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract*, CI 77491, CI 77499, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Menthol, CI 75470, Silica, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, CI 77163, Capsicum Frutescens Fruit Extract*, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Tocopherol, Brassica Campestris Seed Oil*, Aroma**, Limonene**, Linalool**, Benzyl Benzoate**<br />
* ingredients from certified organic agriculture<br />
** natural essential oils<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Lip Colour shade 223 Magic Rosewood, 224 Magic Strawberry, 225 Magic Chesnut:</span><br />
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil*, Mica, Cera Carnauba*, CI 77891, Candelilla Cera, Cera Alba*, Glycine Soja Oil*, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil*, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil*, Shorea Stenoptera Butter, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract*, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Alcohol*, Aroma**, Linalool**, Benzyl Benzoate**, Coumarin**, Limonene**, Geraniol**,m [+/- Talc, CI 77163, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 75470]<br />
* ingredients from certified organic agriculture<br />
** from natural essential oils<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Lipstick shade 118 Magic Nude, 119 Magic Tree, 120 Magic Berry:</span><br />
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Mica, Kaolin, Butyrospermum Parkii*, Rhus Verniciflua Peel Cera, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil*, Rhus Succedanea Fruit Cera, Cera Alba*, Copernicia Cerifera Cera*, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbyl Palmitate; [+/- CI 77491, CI 77891, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 75470]<br />
* ingredients from certified organic agriculture<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Powder Rouge shade 504 Magic Rose, 505 Magic Terra:</span><br />
Mica, Talc, Tricaprylin, Magnesium Stearate, Bisabolol, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract*, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil*, Simmondsia Chinensis Oil*, Glycine Soja Oil*, Olea Europaea Oil*, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Parfum**, Linalool**, Coumarin**, Benzyl Benzoate**, Limonene**, Geraniol**, [+/- CI 77163, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77891, CI 75470, Silver Oxide]<br />
* ingredients from certified organic agriculture<br />
** from natural essential oils<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Eye-Shadow shade 310 Magic Sand, 311 Magic Sage, 312 Magic Brown, 313 Magic Spirit:</span><br />
Mica, Talc, Tricaprylin, Magnesium Stearate, Bisabolol, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract*, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil*, Simmondsia Chinensis Oil*, Glycine Soja Oil*, Olea Europaea Oil*, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Parfum**, Linalool**, Coumarin**, Benzyl Benzoate**, Limonene**, Geraniol**, [+/- CI 77163, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77891, CI 77289, Tin Oxide, Silica, Silver Oxide]<br />
* ingredients from certified organic agriculture<br />
** from natural essential oils<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Mascara shade 070 Magic Earth:</span><br />
Aqua, Alcohol*, CI 77499, Stearic Acid, Cera Alba*, CI 77491, Algin, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Jojoba Esters, Oenothera Biennis Oil*, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil*, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract*, Serica, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Shellac, Silica, Parfum**, Limonene**, Linalool**, Citral**, Citronellol**<br />
* ingredients from certified organic agriculture<br />
** natural essential oils<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Eyeliner Kohl shade 041 Magic Earth, 042 Magic Wood, 043 Magic Forest:</span><br />
Rhus Verniciflua Peel Cera, Mica, Butyrospermum Parkii*, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil*, Copernicia Cerifera Cera*, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbyl Palmitate; [+/- CI 77499, CI 77891, CI 77491, CI 77492]<br />
* ingredients from certified organic agriculture<br />
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<b><i>Do you like/use organic make-up? </i></b></div>
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Have a great week,<br />
ur<span style="color: #660000;"> gypsy girl xx</span><br />
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P.S.: <b style="color: #0b5394;">Laser Hair Removal Update:</b><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;">It is going great!! Even after the first treatment I noticed that fewer hair are growing back and the second appointment was even more manageable in terms of the slight discomfort you get from the heat of the laser... you notice less and less of it with every new treatment! All thumbs up so far :-)</span>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14051761762813337818noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901844907206643663.post-37700332139788315972010-09-28T16:15:00.000-07:002010-12-08T02:19:45.033-08:00Miranda Kerr inspired ~ Noni JuiceHello <span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">darlings</span>,<br /><br />I don't have time to surf the internet a lot lately but I am all over the <a href="http://www.koraorganics.com/blog/"><b style="color: rgb(19, 79, 92);">Kora Organics</b> <span style="color: rgb(69, 129, 142);">blog</span></a> by the lovely <i><span style="color: rgb(224, 102, 102);">Victoria's Secret</span></i> model <span style="color: rgb(19, 79, 92);">Miranda Kerr</span>. The beautiful lady herself and many other fantastic guest bloggers contribute to spread her <span style="color: rgb(142, 124, 195);">passion</span> for a healthy and mindful life style. I noticed that when I first started my little blog I had something very similar in mind: getting together with all those wonderful people I know to share their insights on the beauty and fashion industry on this blog. Until I finally get going with that I am following her blog instead!! There, <span style="color: rgb(19, 79, 92);">Miranda</span> states that she drinks <span style="color: rgb(120, 63, 4);">Noni juice</span> ever since she was twelve years old and that it is a key ingredient to her <b style="color: rgb(19, 79, 92);">Kora</b> <b style="color: rgb(19, 79, 92);">Organics</b> skin care line (that I desperately wanna try btw!!).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB4JTQMSrytagdEq_SuxPGA_5EDUcgSdossmtb2lYtRhkVbC7Gp4eF7qhw0V8zuVUgEcmzzuhOzi8dgIwgcyoZ-NKPD6r9mdSpJhGgxanW_jHLunT8dgMRxjjdzJgAde_EWK-BZXPQZYpF/s1600/Slide1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB4JTQMSrytagdEq_SuxPGA_5EDUcgSdossmtb2lYtRhkVbC7Gp4eF7qhw0V8zuVUgEcmzzuhOzi8dgIwgcyoZ-NKPD6r9mdSpJhGgxanW_jHLunT8dgMRxjjdzJgAde_EWK-BZXPQZYpF/s320/Slide1.jpg" border="0" height="320" width="241" /></a></div><br />In my local organic supermarket I found <span style="color: rgb(120, 63, 4);">100%</span> <b style="color: rgb(127, 96, 0);">Cook Islands </b><span style="color: rgb(127, 96, 0);">Noni Juice</span> for about 12 Euros. I deliberately chose a gross color to highlight this juice because it taste unlike anything I would normally drink!! Despite the awful taste I managed to drink two sips each morning for two weeks now.<br /><br />This is what the <a href="http://www.gse-vertrieb.de/index_en.html"><b style="color: rgb(127, 96, 0);">GSE - Cook Islands </b><span style="color: rgb(120, 63, 4);">web side</span></a> writes about <span style="color: rgb(120, 63, 4);">Noni</span>:<br /><br /><div style="color: rgb(230, 145, 56);font-family:Times,";"><span style="font-size:large;">"</span><span style="font-size:large;">We are the first company in Europe to be able to offer a certified organic juice from the Noni fruit in accordance with the European Law, the Council Regulation. The product is<br />sold by the name Cook Islands Noni® and is certified organic. The Cook Islands claim to be „the only fully organic farming region in the world“. The use of pesticides and herbicides is not allowed on any of the islands. Cook Islands Noni® is a product of the intact environment of this small group of islands."</span></div><br />What I found on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahitian_Noni"><i style="color: black;">Wikipedia</i></a> did not sound that positive. Repeated studies did not find any positive effect on the well-being of people volunteering to take part in validating examinations. That's why all manufacturers are prohibited to label the juice as "health-promoting". Nonetheless, I am drinking the juice for a fortnight and I have to say that I feel like my body craves the juice despite the taste!! It's really hard to describe but I haven't skipped a single <i>intake</i> since I started!! Anyone help me explain that, please?! Did you ever had a similar experience?<br /><br />My personal theory to make sense of that oddity is that the <span style="color: rgb(120, 63, 4);">Noni juice</span> does contain some minerals that other fancy juices and foods in every day life may not have to that extend. Even though it might not "heal" anything, it does contribute to get all the various nutritions a healthy body needs. <i><b style="color: white;">What do you think on that matter?! Am I just superstitious??</b></i><br /><br />Much love, <b style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"> </b><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"></span><b style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">Sam</b><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"> xx</span>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14051761762813337818noreply@blogger.com4