So basically, I been busy busy busy…as a Bee. Yeah, I know it’s a little cliche but really thats exactly how I feel. I been working 60+ hours a week at the restaurant and moving to a new house… ALL at the same time. Do you know how much stuff I have accumulated over the past decade? Let me give you just a short list of examples.

Dishes, Electronics, Appliances, Men’s Clothing, Women’s Clothing, Books, Jewelry, Couches, Tables, Chairs, Mattresses, Heavy Winter Jackets, Space Heaters, Laptops, A Desktop, Various Bags Full of Assorted Nick-Knacks, CDs, Gaming Systems, etc., etc., etc.

This is above and beyond cleaning up an entire 4 bedroom, 3 level townhouse, sweeping, vacuuming, painting, scrubbing, blah blah blah. Well… only if I want any part of my gigantic security deposit back.

The biggest issues are 1. Cleaning the basement floor, which happens to be covered in ashes, candle wax, burns, ink marks and other assorted food and canine related stains. 2. That stinkin’ MOTHERFUCKIN’ heavy and bulky, unyielding piece of SHIT. I totally had no idea what I was in for when I bought this. It was all shriveled up and relatively light when it was rolled up… But now as I attempt to drag this behemoth out of the house, up the stairs and through the front door, [The fact that it snowed this weekend didn't help AT ALL] It just wasn’t happening.

Me and Lily finally came to the conclusion that it’s gonna take at least one or more people, in addition to the two of us, specifically strong and able-bodied people to brute force this monstrosity into or on top of either a pick-up truck OR a full sized white van… with blacked out windows. [AKA: a police jump out van]

SO, in a nutshell, this is what I have been up too recently. Moving, working, purchasing presents, getting ready for the holidays, eating copious amounts of rich decadent food… oh, and not keeping up with any of my online accounts: Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, WordPress, BleacherReport or anything else that would pretty much connect me to the online outside world.

เมื่อคืนเราบีบหลอด facial scrub foam อย่างแรง เพราะใกล้จะหมด ทำให้มีเสียงดัง เฟอบ และตามด้วยเสียงร้องของเรา เพราะเม็ด scrub เล็ก ๆ กระเด็นเข้าตา เจ็บและแสบมาก ๆ ๆ ตากแดงก่ำเหมือนเลือด เราต้องรีบกวักน้ำสะอาดเข้าตาเพื่อล้างหลายต่อหลายครั้ง ตามด้วยน้ำยาล้างตา 2-3 ครั้ง และตามด้วยการหยอดน้ำตาเทียมอีก 2-3 ครั้ง แบบ natural tear ที่ไม่มีสารกันบูด และหลับตาเพื่อพักตา กว่าจะหายเจ็บใช้เวลาเป็นชั่วโมง
เราเพิ่งรู้ว่า อะไร อะไร ในร่างกายของเราสามารถล้างให้สะอาดได้ไม่ยาก เช่นต้องการป้องกันหวัด 2009 ก็ล้างมือให้สะอาดก่อนจะใช้มือ จะล้างเท่าไรต่อวันก็ได้ แต่การจะเอาลูกตาออกมาล้าง แสนลำบาก แค่เม็ด scrub เม็ดเดียว เจ็บแสบอะไรขนาดนี้….กลัวตาบอดจริง ๆ
พอเล่าให้เพื่อนฟัง เพื่อนบอกว่า คราวหน้าไม่ว่าจะเป็น scrub, foam, shampoo, soap, cosmetic…ให้เอาหัวจุ่มลงถังน้ำไปเลย

Looking for a last-minute gift to give to a guy? You can’t go wrong with facial products. Try gifting Kiehl’s Facial Fuel line to someone. It is designed for men’s skin to withstand the abuse it takes everyday with shaving, playing sports, being outside, etc., etc. I went from Jack Black (another great product by the way) to using Kiehl’s the past two years and counting. The facial wash is very mild, the energizing scrub feels great, but the best thing in the line is the moisturizer. Get it with the White Eagle or Blue Eagle Shaving creams while you are at it.

I have never made a New Year’s Resolutions.  I figure, if I cannot get myself to do “whatever it is” during the year, then I am not going to follow through just because it is January 1^st.  I have not even gone to a New Years Eve party in many years and I rather miss doing so. 

One of my grand nephews posted his New Year’s resolutions the other day and it made me wonder about New Year’s traditions.  Like most research, you never learn just one thing, when you start digging. 

Did you know?:

That, Auld Lang Syne is actually a Scottish song and is totally unreadable in English for me.  I really like Hamish Macbeth and Bagpipes and the landscape of Scotland and the lilt in their speech.  I just cannot always understand it.  Thanks to poet, Robert Burns, who wrote it, and Guy Lombardo, who first played it in 1929, we have a tradition that makes us feel, on January 1st, like we are part of something greater, as people all over  (okay, in your time zone anyway) sing the same song, at the same time, just with the wrong lyrics.  Sort of like our National Anthem, eh?  Check the link at the bottom of this post to view the proper lyrics.

That, Scotland is also the birthplace of Hogmanay (hog-mah-NAY).  This is a “rousing” Scottish tradition of “first-footing.”  Okay, when did the Scottish ever do anything that was n0t rousing?  That is why I love them so.  ”First-footing” is when neighbors visit each other for New Year’s wishes.  They bring a gift of coal for the fire (which would be really welcome this year) and shortbread (which, I have had honest-to-goodness Scottish Shortbread and it is good).  It is sort of like our bottle of booze and cookies, which would be equally welcome.  The part I like is that it is considered especially lucky if a tall, dark and handsome man is the first person to enter your house after the New Year is rung.  Hmmmm, Viggo Mortensen, I will be waiting.  (HAH!  Betcha thought I could not figure a way to get him in for New Years?)

 On to Japan: As a symbol of renewal, New Years is a very important holidame to bid farewell to the problems of the past and prepare for a new beginning, and houses are scrubbed, with this in mind.  For several years now, I have said to myself “Whew! That year is done.  It’s gotta get better, next year.”  Now, I know where my problem lies.  This New Year’s day will find me elbow deep in soapy water.  I am working on a good new year.

Then, in Spain, they eat twelve grapes at midnight.  This secures twelve happy months.  So, I will be scrubbing with grapes in my mouth. 

In my Ancestral homeland of the Netherlands, at least the Dutch part, they burn their Christmas trees and shoots off fireworks to purge the old and welcome the new.  Since husband is allergic to what they put on fir trees, I have a plastic one.  Oh, the shame and totally non-burnable, so can I just burn the wood that is down from the tornado?  I am hedging all bets here.

So, this year, as the New Year ball drops in Times square and millions of people in fancy clothing gather to swill their favorite drink , eat cookies, and sing Auld Lang Syne , I shall be down on my knees scrubbing the house and eating grapes and blacked eyed peas.  This is a traditional southern dish and ensures I will have plenty of everything the rest of the new year.

And, what about my New Year’s Resolutions?  Those items the Babylonians are believed to have first made and broken? 

If we just work at:

• treating each other with respect
• treating our world with respect
• and treating ourselves with respect

How can we lose?

It’s the first time I have used infoplease New Year’s Traditions  check it out.

SEMUA BARANG READY STOCK

Tony Moly Gold Black Sugar Scrub

Terbuat dari gula kristal murni, tidak meninggalkan sisa residu di wajah, dengan wangi yang lembut.

Menghaluskan kulit dan mengangkat sel kulit mati di wajah anda.

Cara Pemakaian:
1. Bersihkan wajah dan keringkan dengan handuk.
2. Oleskan Tony Moly Black Sugar Scrub sambil digosok2 lembut dengan gerakan memutar ke atas.
3. Diamkan selama 10-15 menit.
4. Bilas dengan air.

Price :

It was a rather warm Summer night on Saturday here in Perth and we had clear skies, so I decided to head out and spend a few hours shooting some star trails. I decided to head down to Lake Clifton http://www.lakeclifton.com.au South of Mandurah, and about 100km South of Perth. On this visit, there was no moon not like on my last visit http://eos20.wordpress.com/2009/08/07/august-7/ so conditions were ideal for shooting star trails, but having some moon light would have been ideal so I could have used the ambient light from the moon to illuminate the Thrombolites http://www.lakeclifton.com.au/yalgorup.html so had to use my spotlight to bring out the detail of the Thrombolites. I brought along two cameras on this visit, I bought my EOS 7D and used my new EF-S 15-85 IS lens, and I also brought along my old EOS 300D and 18-55 lens, and I also brought along my 50mm f/2.5 macro to use as a large aperture lens. I set up both cameras on tripods with shutter release cables, and I shot a series of 30 second exposures and combined them using the Star Trails stacking software http://www.startrails.de/ which I find does a better job then shooting a single long exposure which tends to result in a image full of long exposure noise which can easily ruin a nights work, and by using software I can delete frames if necessary (Planes flying though the exposure, camera shake, etc) and I get a cleaner final result and can shoot star trails pretty much anywhere without worrying about getting a over exposed shot when shooting near bright light sources such as in the city.

On this night it was pitch black, with no ambient lighting out here, since it’s located a fair way away from the nearest towns, which meant the stars were easily visible with very little light pollution other then headlights of passing cars off in the distance. There was a bit of lightning off towards the horizon East of my location when I arrived, but that only lasted about 30 mins and didn’t affect my shooting since I had the cameras pointed South to try and get the best star trail patterns, unfortunately I didn’t end up aiming the cameras directly at the Southern Star, so I was a bit off, and didn’t get the full circle I was after, but the results still came out well enough.

It was windy on this visit, unlike on my first visit where it was relativity calm which resulted in some nice reflections on the water, and the tide was coming in which meant the Thrombolites were submerged again on this visit, and I ended up getting wet to set my camera up low enough to get the composition I was after on my final star trail series, but I think it was worth it for the shot I ended up getting. Here are a few of the photos from the night:

http://www.redbubble.com/people/eos20/art/4261586-2-star-trails-over-lake-clifton

http://www.redbubble.com/people/eos20/art/4261582-2-star-trails-over-lake-clifton-thrombolites

http://www.redbubble.com/people/eos20/art/4262314-3-star-trails-over-thrombolites

Body Treatments

Jasmine Rice Body Polish

(60 minutes)                                                

This treatment revitalizes the body and uplifts the mind. The jasmine perfumed rice enhances the natural shine of the skin. The treatment consists of a jasmine rice body polish followed by a shower and an application of moisturizer.

Healing Foot Massage 

(5o minutes)                                                      

This treatment begins with a foot massage to stimulate the blood circulation after which the therapeutic areas of the feet are massaged with stones and healing touch to promote a balanced flow of energy, thus promoting body relaxation and peace of mind.

Bath Ritual

(40 minutes)                                                                      

Enjoy the water ritual that allows bubble to stimulate the body circulation and relax with scent of essential oil from various bath bombs.

Heat Treatment

(30 minutes)                                                               

Detoxify and improving body circulatory system with steam bath to promote the growing skin.

The heel of your feet get the most stress from everyday activity; whether it’s the type of restricting shoes you wear, standing on your feet all day, or the cold dry spell of winter.  Overtimes, the skin develops callus, becomes cracked and blistering.  If you suffering from old lady cracked heel syndrome, worry no more! Dr. Scholl’s Callus Remover cream exfoliates dead skin right off, leaving you with newly exposed skin.  Sorta gross scrubbing off dead skin….. but the end result is quite impressive.  After, use Dr. Scholl’s Pedicure Essentials Ultra Overnight foot cream.  Not only is it good for your feet, but great for other dry areas such as hands knees and elbows as well.  If you are looking to transform those dead looking hoves, into baby soft skin, the combination of those creams are perfect essentials!  They are available in any drugstore for the callus remover and so they are great for your feet AND your wallet!

Clean, Elegant, and Simple.

Over time it happens. Mac’s become slower because of junk left behind in application or even updates for it. This junk overall slows down your computer and takes up HDD. CleanMyMac does exactly what it name suggests. This simple to use programs scrubs your Mac of all that junk you don’t need to speed up performance and free up needed space.

I dont like to keep saying simple, however truly it is. You just need to click scan and after it scans thru your mac, click remove and thats it! No extra effort on your part. You can also go into individual areas and be more exact on what you want to remove.  The removal process also is secure about important files that need admin privileges to remove, which keeps anyone else from deleting important information.

One area that many of us don’t need is the Multi-Language’s that our Mac posses. When I scrubbed mine, I racked at about 3-5 Gigabits of just packs of different languages. I apologies towards, Mac users that use the different languages, however for most home-based user’s, its completely unnecessary.

Customization in certain areas help you with what you clean and what not to.

I may have not won you over with this, however if you don’t believe me, there is a Free Trail version out. It only removes about 200 Megabits of information for the Trail version, but it throws out the idea that you can have an clean and efficient Mac again. The full version Costs $29.99 for Lifetime and $14.99 for only 6 months, however for what it does it is a well worth the buy.

CleanMyMac Main Site

To exfoliate your face: Apply a dime-sized amount of plain sugar to your wet face (steer clear of the eye area) in tiny circular motions until the sugar turns into a sticky serum (up to three minutes) and watch it works wonders! Rinse off with warm water and apply the healing moisturizer of your choice. Look at that lovely glow!

I went out on a walk today and was drive-by hollered at by two 1990 era scrubs who were indeed “leaning out the passenger side of their best friends’ rides.” Said rides were both beat up Accords.

One of the gentleman referred to me as “Mama”, which I thought was strange, considering, he looked like he could be my grandfather. I politely declined “No thank you” when he offered me a night of scary, unprotected, violent sex.

En kroppsskrubb piggar alltid upp i duschen. Dessa tre står hemma hos mig just nu. Från vänster:

1. Greenland moisturising body scrub, 250 ml, 139 kronor. Gillar pumpflaskan, men inte att det är väldigt glest mellan kornen. Lös geléaktig konsistens och ganska trist. Gör heller inga särskilda underverk på huden. Auf Wiedersehen, Greenland.
2. Comfort Zone Sacred Nature face body delicate scrub, 200 ml, 395 kronor. Krämig, lite trög konsistens men en mjuk scrub med fina korn som är lätt att arbeta med. Lämnar huden betydligt mjukare och doftar fräscht. Något dyr.
3. Weleda Birch Body Scrub, 150 ml, 129 kronor. Superfräsch doft, bra korntäthet. Lätt, lite mjölkig konsistens som är lätt att smörja in kroppen med. Huden känns mjuk och som om den har fått sig en “omgång”. Piggar upp.

Recently I have been studying and feeling the stress building up as I approach the month of December… A friend of mine suggested going to the Aurora Spa retreat together, so I tagged along! I booked myself in for a kitya karnu treatment and hearing raving reviews about it as well, I was really looking forward to it.

Arriving at the spa, the entrance to it is so peaceful. You work into the dimly lit lobby, then up a flight of  slate coloured stairs, before you see a water feature and around the right side, the door opens into the reception of the spa. It felt warm and bright inside. Then you get brought up a flight of cream coloured stairs to the waiting area where you have a view of the sunbaking deck. The therapist explained to me where my locker is and what to get changed into. Basically for the treatment, I wore bikini bottoms and just wrapped myself into a bathing robe and changed into massage slippers. And then wait in the waiting area. I then saw my friend and we sat down for some herbal tea and filled the forms..until our therapists came to bring us in for the treatment.

I was brought into a small changeroom where I had to unrobe and wrap myself with a towel. There was a choice of two aromatic oils ( one lime&rose and the other lavender) and two salts (one kakadu lime salts and one white clay salts). I chose the strongest smelling ones as I needed something more invigorating. Then the therapist showed me into a steam room where there was a bed inside the steaming room. It was hot steamy and hard to breathe at first, but when I lied down ,I found myself relaxing into it. The therapist was very reassuring, and told me if I felt like I couldn’t breathe, I could let her know.

First I lied on my tummy, face down. She scrubbed my legs and back with the oil first before sprinkly the salts and then rubbing them into my skin. The sprinkling of the warmed salts felt lovely. I felt like a chicken being marinated.8) Then she washed me with warm water from a sprinkler. It was different. Then I was given a sip of cold water before I turned around.. She then placed a modesty towel over my front before she massaged my face with a cleanser. Then she placed a mask on my face before she applied a thick mask onto my hair. A cool towel was applied over my face several times, which was really refreshing and pleasant while she applied oil over my body again and then sprinkled salts generously, then scrubbed me.  And towards the end, a very cold towel was placed over my eyes and then hot water was sprinkled over me to wash the salts away.

At the very end, I was told by the therapist I could take my time to sit up and have a shower. The shower was wonderful. I couldn’t believe the salts look so blackish on the towels. My hair felt soft and moisturised. Going out of the room, the therapist guided me back to the changeroom where I got out of the wet bikini bottoms and changed into my dry robe and she gave me an extra towel for my wet hair. Then she sat me down to apply Darphin’s serum and moisturiser over my face (felt sooo wonderful) and then guided me back to the waiting area to have a cup of tea. My friend came out not long after. I felt soo relaxed and I told my friend that I thought that I was only going to be in the steaming room for 5 mins but turned out it was going to be an hour in there! I must say this was a very unique spa experience and is so warming! I highly reccomend it for a cooler day..and yes you will have soft silky skin after and you will feel revitalised.A lil secret..I loved the rich body cream in the changeroom too.. I then realised that I have found a good spa place to go to in Melbourne. However I must say I recommend going on the weekdays. Sat seemed really busy!

Do you scrub?  How often should you scrub?

Yes we live in a hectic world.  We have enough time just to do the basic, short of not bathing, not brushing teeth, not washing your face and hair… I can fully apprehend especially with coco in my life now.  I raced for every single minute of my life to make the fullest use so that i can have some “mine” time.  It’s amazing that I still have time to write! Perhaps that helps to keep me “connected”. Scrubbing / exfoliation is as basic as washing your face.  To me it’s basic hygiene.  I know many skip the scrub due to “no – time”, “i go for facial”, “no necessary” etc.  But NO you need to scrub, at least twice a week.  That helps to remove grime that has settled deeper into your pores.  Yes, your beautician may be able to help clear the pores, but deep-rooted black heads remover may “hurt” your pores.  Most importantly one should not deprive your skin of oxygen it needs to breathe.  With all blackheads and sebum settling in the pores, how healthy can your skin get? The next time you skip scrubbing your face, think again.

(Having said the above, caution, not to over-scrub!)

You have heard about all the various products meant for oily skin and have searched throughout different stores for the best ones, but now you are beginning to wonder; is there no easier way? There are so many different products out there to choose from, what about natural methods for taking care of oily skin?
When you have oily skin, you have certain goals you would like to attain regarding your skin.

First, it would be great to find products that allow you to help disguise the oil on your face so it does not look greasy. Second, you would like to find ways of getting your skin to look healthier, not so dull and unpleasant as it may look now. Third and most importantly, you want to find ways of controlling the oil by slowing down its production. This final goal can help you attain your first two much easier. With controlled oil production you will be able to get your skin to look much healthier and less greasy without as much effort.

However, you do not feel you should have to buy dozens of different products just to achieve these goals. It can become costly and frustrating, especially when you buy a product and realize it does not quite work out the way you had hoped. So what about natural remedies, some of which you may find you already have around your home?

Different natural remedies can do different things to your skin. Here are a few you may consider trying, but keep in mind that every different skin type has specific needs, so what may work for one person may not necessarily be meant for you.

Witch hazel. This acts as an astringent, tightening your skin and pores and helping to dry skin. This is a fairly common astringent.

Oatmeal. Also an astringent, oatmeal can help soak up oil and firm the skin to help prevent oil in the future.

Cold Water. Water has a few benefits. Washing away cleanser with just water removes the possibility of wiping your face with a potentially bacteria filled cloth. Cold water can also act as an alcohol free astringent (and the best part is, it comes right out of your faucet!) and constrict your skin to help slow oil.

Alum.One final astringent you may want to look into.

Almond & Honey. Mixing these two ingredients can make for an effective scrub. Using ground almonds (sometimes referred to almond meal) and combining them with honey, you can gently rub the mixture on your face with a hot washcloth. Avoid scrubbing as the honey and almonds will do their job without any extra vigorous scouring. Rinse the mixture thoroughly once you have hit all areas of your face.

Aloe Vera. Aloe can give your skin a cool, refreshing feeling as well as helping to soak up extra oil. Keep your aloe in the refrigerator to keep it nice and cold and apply after you cleanse your face and allow it to dry.

Aloe and Oatmeal. This combination can be used as a scrub as well. Putting these ingredients together can provide a strong oil fighting creation; putting together an oil absorbing ingredient with an ingredient with astringent properties and making a scrub? Just be careful this does not dry your skin out too much, or the consequence can be your face making more oil. Also, do not scrub vigorously; gently rub on and then wash it off after about 15 minutes.

Papaya. Mashing papaya fruit can offer you yet another form of a scrub or cleanser. It can help in softening up skin and wiping away dead skin cells and leave your skin feeling refreshed.

These are only a few of the home remedies you can find for your oily skin. Be careful when searching for some remedies, as there are many out there and some simply do not work, leading you do waste ingredients that may have otherwise been of some use to you.

Deeeeey… twoooo.

(Day two, said in UK Big Brother voice-over accent).

Is day two of my hormone free… freedom and I have restrained myself from committing any of the following:

1) Frenzied physical attacks on random men

2) Random abusive comments directed at shop assistants, Tesco check out operators, leaflet hander-outerers at tube station

3) Tearful bouts of sobbing related to pathetic current state of love life.

I decided to dedicate yesterday and today to cleansing self of all residue chicken hormones (in between frantically completing overdue marketing plan for work and watching X Factor). This involved:

1) Rediscovering my favourite face scrub and mashing over my face with gusto. (Perhaps slightly too much gusto, as facial skin resembled peeled lemon for about thirty minutes after mashing). Here it is:

It’s the Sanctuary Spa Radiant Skin Exfoliator. It comes in a nice big tube and you only need a little squirt each time, so it lasts for ages.

It smells deliciously fresh and citrusy and feels like you’re rubbing your face on a (nice, grape seed-infused) meat-pounder. And if you actually use it properly instead of mashing your face into a ball like I did, it makes your face sparkle and your skin feel squeaky.

2) Passing time at favourite coffee shop pretending to work on marketing plan for… work. Spotted very hot coffee-sipping lad sitting directly opposite and smirking at me in what I perceived to be a let’s-get-it-on way, and spent fifteen minutes dividing time between typing with convincingly sophisticated-glamourous-andamazinginbed-business-woman-gestures and sending him penetrating stares. Was forced to put routine to a stop when very hot coffee-sipping lad was joined by a second very hot coffee-sipping lad who was also staring at me – staring at me with look of death. After mentally referring back to latest True Blood marathon and trying to determine whether death-starer could be some kind of vampire, realised that death-staring lad had put arm around smirking-lad and they were now both sitting, joined at hip in coupledom, smirking and staring at me. After recovering from disappointment and shame at obvious disintegration of gaydar, realised smirker was still smirking at me in what was an overtly sexual manner whilst death-staring boyfriend immersed himself in his newspaper. Could only draw conclusion that smirker must be bi and struggling to break free from restrictive relationship bounds placed on him by over-protective death-starer. Began formulating plan in head involving casually brushing past smirker exuding confidence, wit and bedroom skill until realised was not cleansing at all but simply re-immersing self in behavioural pattern I have been trying to reverse for the last year. Left toxic coffee shop.

3) Cooking the breakfast of dreams. Caramelised banana and pecan waffles (banana is fruit, pecan is nut product, therefore recipe has clear health benefits). Except could not find pecans in morning ugg-boot-tracksuit Tesco scavange so substituted for… cinnamon (tree bark therefore nut-related). Involved frying bananas in a slush of melted butter and sugar and pouring sticky mess over toasted waffles (hand made/47p from Tesco) and then dousing the whole plate in golden syrup and cinnamon. Devoured in minutes with flat mate who agreed to definite health benefits of dairy/fruit/spice combination. Amazing.

IDR 175.000

Zamian Black Cacao Sugar Scrub

Scrub yang dapat mengangkat sel kulit mati di wajah. Komedo dan jerawat akan hilang, lalu pori – pori di wajah akan mengecil.

Terbuat dari gula pasir dan coklat.
isi 75gr.

Gunakan seminggu 1 – 2 kali.

J’ai croisé mon livreur chronopost dans le hall de mon immeuble il y a quelques jours avec un colis d’un autre genre et j’ai tout de suite su que c’était le mien.

Un colis qui ressemble à ça :

Un colis bien parfumé et qui contenait des lusheries de Noël youpi youpi j’adore ça, Noël avant l’heure c’est génial pour l’impatiente que je suis !

Un colis qui contenait un ballotin “Plaisirs d’hiver” (Season greetings en VO).

Je vais vous donner mon avis sur chaque produit et en leur donnant une note sur 5 .

1) Savon Tsar des neiges : note 3,5/5

Ingrédients : Propylène glycol, infusion de canneberges (Vaccinium macrocarpon), huile de colza, huile de tournesol, huile de noix de coco (Brassica napus, Helianthus annuus, Cocos nucifera), eau (Aqua), jus de pomme bio (Pyrus malus), hydroxyde de sodium, stéarate de sodium, parfum, huile essentielle d’origan (Origanum vulgare), absolu de rose (Rosa damascena), huile essentielle de géranium (Pelargonium graveolens), chlorure de sodium, limonène*, géraniol, dioxyde de titane, colorant 61585, colorant 18050, poudre de flocons de neige, grands cristaux de sucre blanc
* Naturellement présent dans les huiles essentielles.

Ce que j’en ai pensé : l’odeur est surprenante. Quand on est habitués aux produits sucrés et girly de Lush, passer à un savon plus brut c’est assez étrange. L’odeur n’est pas désagréable mais je trouve qu’elle convient davantage à une odeur destinée à des cosmétiques mixtes ou pour homme. La mousse est agréable, les mains ne sont pas sèches après l’utilisation. Le savon colore un peu la mousse au départ mais ça part très vite. Les cristaux de sucre blanc on les voit sur le savon et c’est assez sympa.

2) Gelée de douche Strawberry Santa : note 4/5

Ingrédients : Glycérine, infusion de noix de coco séchée et de gousse de vanille (Cocos nucifera et Vanilla planifolia), eau de source, laurethsulfate de sodium, propylène glycol, fraises fraîches (Fragaria vesca), parfum, extrait de carragheen (Chondrus crispus), résine de benjoin (Styrax benzoin), absolu de jasmin (Jasminum grandiflorum), huile essentielle de géranium (Pelargonium graveolens), cinnamal*, linalol*, colorant 14700, parahydroxybenzoate de méthyle, parahydroxybenzoate de propyle.
* Naturellement présent dans les huiles essentielles.

Ce que j’en ai pensé : Une gelée très agréable, délicatement parfumée. Il en faut peu sur la fleur de douche pour faire une mousse abondante. Bien sûr la gelée est en pot et malheureusement la forme originelle du père Noël n’est pas conservée [EDIT : Merci Add de m'avoir dit pour papa nowel : j'avais deux pots de Strawberry Santa dont un qui a du souffrir en voyage, l'autre papanowel est intact, *joie* *en mode gamine de 10 ans*]

3) Gel douche Happy Hippy :  note 4/5

Ingrédients : Eau (Aqua), jus de pamplemousse rose frais (Citrus grandis), eau de pamplemousse (Citrus grandis), laurethsulfate de sodium, cocoamphoacétate de sodium, laurylbétaïne, propylène glycol, huile essentielle de pamplemousse (Citrus paradisi), huile essentielle de bergamote (Citrus Aurantium bergamia), huile essentielle d’encens (Boswellia carterii), acide lactique, limonène*, parfum, parahydroxybenzoate de méthyle.
* Naturellement présent dans les huiles essentielles.

Ce que j’en ai pensé : Un gel douche qui sent bon le pamplemousse, et ça fait du bien le matin lorsqu’on a les idées embrumées. Le nom Happy hippy : je comprends le happy mais il ne me fait pas penser à une odeur hippy comme on pourrait le penser avec du patchouli ou des choses plus caractéristiques. Le gel douche est trop épais à mon goût, il faut appuyer fort sur le flacon pour que ça sorte.  Il nettoie bien. Monsieur Aroma aime ce gel douche

4) Exfoliant au sucre Scratch : note 4,5/5

Ingrédients : Sucre issu du commerce équitable, bicarbonate de soude, crème de tartre (acide tartrique), laurethsulfate de sodium, fenouil frais (Foeniculum vulgare), huile essentielle de fenouil (Foeniculum vulgare), huile essentielle de lavande (Lavandula augustifolia), racine de gingembre frais (Zingiber officinale), glycérine, cocoamide diéthanolamine, laurylbétaïne, limonène, linalol*, parfum, chlorophylle (colorant 75810).
* Naturellement présent dans les huiles essentielles.

Ce que j’en ai pensé : J’avais déjà utilisé ce gommage, et c’est l’un de mes préférés. Même si le gommage est un peu corsé (avec du sucre un peu plus fin ça serait parfait. Voici ci-dessous un petit mode d’emploi trouvé sur le site de Lush

J’ai testé aussi un baume Lèvres Gourmandes( en VO “Let Them Eat Cake”) : note 4,5/5

Ingrédients : Huile d’olive extra vierge bio (Olea europaea), infusion de groseilles, de raisins blancs et de raisins secs (Ribes rubrum), cire du Japon, infusion de citron frais et d’écorce d’orange fraîche (Citrus limonum, Citrus Aurantium dulcis), beurre de karité (Butyrospermum parkii), huile de noyau de prune (Prunus domestica), arôme, xérès, absolu de vanille (Vanilla planifolia), huile essentielle de citron (Citrus limonum), huile essentielle de citron vert (Citrus aurantifolia), huile essentielle de cognac (Vitis vinifera), glycérine, mélasse noire bio, cinnamal*, citral*, eugénol*, géraniol*, benzoate de benzyle*, limonène*, linalol*, parahydroxybenzoate de méthyle.

Ce que j’en ai pensé : il est super agréable, et l’odeur me fait fortement penser à un cake aux fruits confits. J’aime beaucoup ! Par contre quand je l’ai ouvert, il était tout chamboulé ! ce qui était dans le pot était collé au couvercle. Il a voyagé à l’envers hihi En tout cas mes lèvres ont aimé. La compo me laisse songeuse : HE de cognac ? c’est de l’alcool simplement ?

Et pour finir, une gelée de douche Tchin-Tchin : note 5/5

Ingrédients : Glycérine, infusion de fleur de sureau (Sambucus nigra), laurethsulfate de sodium, propylène glycol, extrait de carragheen, parfum, huile essentielle d’orange douce (Citrus Aurantium dulcis), huile essentielle de cognac (Vitis vinifera), huile essentielle de citron vert (Citrus aurantifolia), dioxyde de titane, citral*, limonène*, linalol*, parahydroxybenzoate de méthyle.
* Naturellement présent dans les huiles essentielles.

Ce que j’en ai pensé : ma gelée préférée. L’odeur est une T-U-E-R-I-E. Je ne suis pas une fan d’alcool, je ne connais pas tellement l’odeur du cognac mais le mélange orange douce et cognac sent trop bon. Pareil que pour Strawberry Santa : il en faut peu sur la fleur de douche pour faire une mousse abondante. Et la salle de bains est merveilleusement parfumée. Je suis très fan.

J’ai aussi reçu des Ballistics que je ne peux utiliser pour l’instant faute de baignoire.

Surveillez mon blog d’ici la fin novembre : je ferai un concours à l’occasion de mon anniversaire avec d’autres produits à gagner.

Je remercie chaleureusement Géraldine pour sa gentillesse et sa disponibilité.

Pour les Lush addicts, il existe un groupe sur

Come ormai tutti sanno lo scrub viene utilizzato per eliminare le cellule morte che nascondono la luminosità del viso.  Gli scrub che si trovano in commercio sono composti da granuli (noccioli, miscrosfere e sabbia) e da creme o gel. Data la loro semplice composizione è possibile creare una versione fai-da-te di questo prodotto altrettanto efficace ma decisamente più economica!

Ricetta:

1 cucchiaio scarso della vostra crema idratante

1 cucchiano scarso di miele

1 cucchiaio di zucchero

3/4 gocce di limone (per schiarire la pelle dalle macchioline)

Basta mescolare questi ingredienti e massaggiare il viso con movimenti circolari per ottenere un ottimo risultato. Per chi necessita di una pulizia davvero profonda, prima di applicare lo scrub, potrebbe fare qualche minuto di vapori, gli stessi che si utilizzano quando si ha il raffreddore o la tosse. Bisogna far bollire dell’acqua in una pentola, mettere un cucchiaio di bicarbonato e porre il viso sulla pentola facendo attenzione a non scottarsi (anche il viso), con l’ausilio di un asciugamano. In questo modo il vapore caldo andrà a sciogliere le impurità e apporterà benefici anche alle vie respiratorie! Dopo questo passaggio si potrà stendere lo scrub e per finire, una volta massaggiato e risciacquato, la crema idratante quotidiana! Al fine di mantenere la pelle pulita e sempre luminosa è bene utilizzare lo scrub una volta a settimana!

This gift basket includes:

• 6.5 oz Sugar Scrub
• 6.5 oz Shower Gel
• 6.5 oz Body Lotion
• Bath Sponge
• $10 Coupon for Next Mary Kay Purchase

Available in the following fragrances:

• Warm Amber – Warm, creamy, rich, and cozy.
• Exotic Passionfruit – Juciy, zesty, and fruity.
• Simply Cotton (pictured above) – Clean, crisp, and refreshing.
• Sparkling Honeysuckle – Floral, luxurious, and opulent.

Price: $45.00 (plus tax)

For individual pricing and customized baskets email Krista King, Independent Mary Kay Beauty Consultant at kristaking@marykay.com.

“What is wrong Lisa?” Stacey asked.

“What makes you think something is wrong?” Lisa said through tense lips.

“Oh I don’t know, it could be you are creeping me out by keeping your face as still as stone?”

Lisa sighed “My face feels like it will crack apart if I make any sudden move.  And by sudden move I mean, breathe, yawn, smile……” Lisa’s voice trailed off, as she put her head down on her desk.

” Yea, this wacky weather isn’t helping any that is for sure.  One day it is spring like, the next day, it is winter!” I never know if I should put the heat on, or open the window.” Stacey sympathized.

A couple hours later, Lisa came by Stacey’s desk and asked her to lunch.

“Sorry Lisa, I would love to, but I have a couple things to get done.  Raincheck?”

When Lisa returned to her desk after lunch there was a pretty bag sitting on her desk with colorful tissue paper coming out the top. No card was attached to the outside of the bag, and she looked around to see if any of her co-workers were secretly watching her. Everyone looked busy.

Shrugging her shoulders, she dove eagerly into the bag. She pulled out a baggy labeled powdered milk, one labeled ground oatmeal, and one labeled cornmeal. Then she saw the notecard, and opened it.

It read: Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly. Combine 1 tablespoon of scrub mix with enough water to make a spreadable paste. Allow to thicken for 1 minute. Massage onto face and throat. Rinse well. Follow up with your favorite moisturizer. This will put the smile back on your face.

And it was signed:

Super Spice

On a mission to spice up lives everywhere.

Lisa was all smiles the next day when she arrived at work the next morning.

“Wow, you are glowing. You have to tell me what product took your skin from dry to fab overnight!!” Stacey said.

Lisa’s grin widened.  “A special recipe. I’ll take you to lunch and tell you all about it!

****Look in the recipe section for how to make this scrub.