Behind the Mirror: Empties August

Hello My Dear Readers,

I do hope you are all doing fine wherever you are!

I have been through some changes in July - I decided to take a Roaccutane treatment, I will post my experience in some months, after I will finish the treatment.

But today I will share with you what products I have been using up lately (since my last post about Empties in May) and what my experience was with them, because I discovered I have a pretty big collection of beauty “garbage” I need to send to the recycling bin.

M.A.C. Select Moisture Cover in NW15
I am actually an NC15, but the girl at the store suggested that some warmth will do my under eye area some good. I got this product in February and in the middle of July I discovered without any warnings that I finished it. I believe that this was mainly due to the packaging of which I am no big fan. I used it on my under eye area and on my acne spots. It made the under eye area look fresh, but it was not that good at covering the acne spots. I got another M.A.C. concealer in my color when I went to get one, after I unexpectedly ran out of this one.

Color & Soin Natural – 10R Shining Red

This is a bit of a cheat, because I used this in April, but somehow I forgot to mention it in the May Empties post. I got it from a local Pharmacy, when I could not get hold of my preferred henna from Mayam for about 2 months in a row.
PLUS: Very easy to apply, with strong natural pigments (it colored even dark hair like mine). It did not interact in a bad way with the parts of the hair that were dyed with henna (but if you want to use it, I recommend at least 2 months of pause between a henna mask and this dye). It is already prepared. It has no ammonia and silicones. The hair conditioner it comes with smelled really nice and had rosemary and eucalyptus oils.
MINUS: Double the price of henna and dried the hair pretty badly. The color disappeared in four weeks.

Balea Totes Meer Salz Dusche

I got this from DM at a time when my skin was very dry and irritated, because it stated on the label to be a good product for this skin type. It smells lovely of red fruits and is enriched with minerals. I could see that my skin felt better after this shower gel than it did before. I generally like the Balea products, because they are cheap and they work. This product had 300ml and was almost twice as cheap as a Nivea 250 ml shower gel.

NIVEA Powerfruit Relax

Speaking of Nivea shower gels, I fell in love with this shower gel that has Acai scent and Blueberry antioxidants. I am not sure if really has all these, but it smells heavenly (I also repurchased it) and keeps my skin from drying.

Alverde Ultrasensitiv Dushcreme

I also got this product in the winter, to calm down my highly allergic skin and I still used it on and off until spring, when I finally used it up completely. It is a very good product for very sensitive skin, it calms it down and keeps it from drying. It has no perfume, no colorants and preservatives. It is slightly more expensive than  the Balea products, but for an all natural product it is rather cheap.

Dettol Moisture Liquid Soap

I got this product to clean my brushes, because I am a freak and I clean my face brushes after every use, since I had some bad experiences with acne outbreaks. This liquid soap is supposed to kill 99.9% of bacteria. It is not as moisturizing as I would wish, but for the brushes it did a pretty good job.

Balea Wellness Fuß Badekristalle

I got this salt mixture for swollen feet after I did the half marathon in May. This bag is for 2 usages, I used one right after the run and another one sometime after to do my pedicure. I like the fact that it helped with the swollen feet and that the feet felt refreshed after using this. It contains camphor, mint and rosemary oils and aloe vera leaf powder, which help with swollen tissue and calm down any irritations. As with their shower gels, this Balea product is good worth for its money. I will get it again.

Balea Urea Handcreme

I liked this hand cream, it was very moisturizing, because of the urea and shea butter. It also smelled really nice. I used it mainly in the evenings, because I wanted something luxurious for my hands. I think you can also use this products without any problems during the day, as it is not heavy. I got this in winter and used it on and off until spring-summer. It is also a good product for its money.

Balea Hand Balsam

This product contains monoï oil and shea butter and in the same time has no perfume. I liked that it was like a balm and protected the skin from drying. I also used this product at night to get the same SPA-feeling I was mentioning about earlier. It had only 50 ml and costs as much as the Urea hand cream, but it is worth it, you get a good hand cream.

Alverde Körperbutter

I got this body butter in the winter when I wanted to use it for my hands at night, but eventually I ended using it on my body, after the winter allergies passed. It smells lovely of red oranges and elder flower, but it also has shea butter and glycerin. It penetrates the skin very fast and doesn’t leave it oily or creamy, but hydrated. The price is very good compared with other body butters from other brands. I really recommend it.

The Body Shop Absinthe Purifying Hand Cream
I fell in love with this cream the first time I tested it in the store. It smelled absolutely lovely. It has Brazilian nut (due to its highly hydrating properties) and marula (which has purifying properties) oils and absinthe extraxt. I like t use this hand cream during the day, because it is a very light cream, it is immediately absorbed in the skin and it leaves a lovely scent. I alway get a lot of compliments when I use this cream. I repurchased it in a bigger size.

Oriflame Feetup Foot Cream

This product has 10% urea and is a very heavy cream for feet. I used it at night and it was pretty good during the winter time. It kept the feet hydrated and fresh. But I went through it pretty fast and decided to use it on and off towards spring time. It is an ok product, I am not sure if I will repurchase it.

Kiss my Face Sport broad spectrum SPF 50

I managed to finish this product in a month, because we have summer in Bucharest and because I have very fair skin. I used it every time I left the house. I liked this product. I loved the smell and the fresh feeling I got when I used it. More details about where I got it from you can find in my post here. Unfortunately when I wanted to repurchase it from iHerb, they were out, so I had to get a similar product from another brand locally.

Garnier Mineral Intensive 72h

Now, normally I would not talk about antiperspirants, but I felt this was worth a small mention. The reason being the fact that it was pretty impressive how it behaved itself during the hard gym classes. I felt fresh even after the classes. It says on the bottle that it is “enriched with absorbent mineralite, regulates perspiration peaks”, is good for sensitive skin and has no alcohol. Nothing to contradict there.

Vichy Capital Soleil SPF 50

This cream is for oily skin, I got it last year (yes, I know, I shall not use last year’s sun protection, but this one was in the fridge) and used it when I went to the sea side and every day during summer. I was so happy when I finished it, because the smell drove me crazy. I cannot understand why some dermatological-cosmetic brands insist on adding perfume to some of their formulations, when they mention “hypoallergenic” on their packages. Sensitive skin being mostly allergic to perfumes (even natural ones). But in any case this product did its job and protected me from the sun and in the same time it kept my skin from getting too greasy. Unfortunately, I will not get this again.

Logona Bio Calendula Lip Balm

I love this product! It is perfect! Do you know how some of the lip products hydrate the lips, but in the same time you don’t feel that they are moisturized? Like the product only makes the first skin layer smoother, by coating it? Well this one doesn’t. You really feel like your lips are hydrated to the fullest. The only downside of it is that it does not have a SPF. I used it during the nights to keep my lips from drying. Oh… and this is my 2^nd finished tube.

OptiFree Replenish and Refresh Eye drops

I spoke about these products before, but this is the last time I will mention them. Because my doctor changed my lenses solution and eye drops.

Coconut Oil

I have been using this oil (that is solid at temperatures under 21 degrees) in a variety of mixtures (body oil, henna, hair oil and lip butter) because of its hydrating properties. I also applied this product in the evenings directly on my skin and hair, but I am no big fan of coconut smell, but in the morning the effect was wonderful – both the hair and skin were feeling hydrated and smooth and I still could detect a faint scent of coconuts. It is not a heavy oil and penetrates the skin very fast.

Castor Oil

This is a very heavy oil. I used it mainly in hair compositions (henna, hair oil) and applied it directly on my eyelashes each evening after I removed my make-up and applied the eye cream. At one point I even made an eye make-up remover with castor oil and cornflower water. I like what this hair does to the hairs: the hair is much shinier and the roots are strengthened.

Cornflower water

Besides using this water in the above mentioned eye make-up remover, I used it in eye cream and eye gel compositions. I talked about them here.

Argan Oil

Everybody without exception loves this oil. It is the perfect oil for hydrating any skin types and for preventing wrinkles. It is also very good for the hair. I used it in body oils and hair oils mixtures. I haven’t used it by itself on my face skin yet, because until recently my skin was oily, but now that it is drier I am thinking of using it in face massages.

Tahiti Monoï Oil

I know everybody is crazy after Monoï oil. I am not sure how many know, that this oil is composed of coconut oil with a specific natural fragrance, which makes it so unique and even good for dry and sensitive skin. I used it in body oil mixtures and as it is directly on the skin in the evenings. The smell is not overpowering, it actually is very soothing and calming and the skin felt amazing.

Pomegranate Oil

This is a very potent oil and needs to be added 1 to 10% in other oils. It has a very strong antioxidant effect, thus preventing wrinkles and premature skin ageing. I mixed it with various oils for body oil mixtures and added it also in face masks.

Ylang Ylang Essential Oil

I used this essential oil in hair mixtures. It makes the hair oil mixture and the henna mask smell better and even after you wash the hair and condition it, a faint smell of ylang-ylang can still be felt. One of its advantages is that it does not dry out the hair.

Red vine extract

I got this product with the idea of mixing it in eye creams, but after looking at the recipes I came to the conclusion I cannot add it. But after doing some more research, I found that I can use it in a make-up remover. So I added it and enjoyed the result very much. This is an active ingredient, which helps improve the blood flow in the capillaries and helps reduce dark circles around the eye. The overall effect of this ingredient is of fresh looking skin, because the skin gets more oxygen.

Tea Tree Essential Oil

I used this product in a face gommage cream, face masks, face oils for massage and make-up removal. I also used this product directly on the spots at night after the face oil. However only until after I started on the Roaccutane treatment I could notice an improvement for my skin due to this oil. I know that normally this product takes longer than its medical alternative (benzoyl peroxide) to show a real effect on the skin, but until recently I only felt that my skin was feeling slightly refreshed after using it, but with no other benefit. Now, I can really see what it can do. I am happy that I could really make use of this product and make my skin get over the chemical alternative that is benzoyl peroxide (or not, as it is now the case in Romania, that we cannot find Brevoxyl, the product containing this active ingredient anywhere).

I know it has been a very long post, but I do hope you can find some useful information within it. All these products were purchased by me during some months. This post is in no way a sponsored post.

Please let me know if you used or use some of these products. I would love to read what your experience was with them!

Until next time,
Smile, it is good for the skin!
Love,
Alex.

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Books: New On My Shelf

Hello my dear readers,

I hope you are all doing well wherever you are and whenever you read this post!

Those of you who know me, know that I am an book worm thourgh and through (I even sometimes wear the eye glasses to prove that) and that I love books - so much so that, like Rory Gilmore from the famous series, "Gilmore Girls" I do not leave the house without a book in my bag, not even when i go to a social event (party, concert, a.s.o.).

Today I will introduce you to the latest additions to my collection during the past months (some of them are my own purchases, some I received as a birthday present from my friends). Starting from the bottom of the picture:

 

TERRY PRATCHETT - "I Shall Wear Midnight" (Birthday present, haven't read it yet)

I love Terry Pratchett's witty writing, satire and intricate action that has a tendency to resolve itself in the most unexpected ways. I am sure I will love this book as much as I loved all the other books I read from him and will most probably be next in line for reading.

JANE AUSTEN - "Sense and Sensibility" (not read yet) and "Northanger Abbey" (not read yet in English)

These books come from the last order I placed at bookdepository. Needless to say, that I like Jane Austen and part of the reason is due to the same wittiness and sarcasm I sometimes find typical for the English writers I love (like the above mentioned Terry Pratchett for example). But there is also a component in her writing that is very present and real: the intimate psychological analysis of her characters' emotions and actions. She has a talent of clearly explaining the reasons behind their natures. Yes, most of her books have what we call happy endings, but that only because she is trying to teach her readers, that acting in a vertical manner and with an open and true heart, once can succeed at getting the chance to be happy.

ALAN GLYNN - "Limitless" (not read yet)

There is a fascination I have for movies made after books, mainly because I feel that the movies have a certain substance and their scripts feel thought through in another way, than those that are not based on movies. By this I do not intend to criticize those movies that are not based on books, I just mean to explain that they are different. I saw "Limitless" with Bradley Cooper and Robert DeNiro and I was fascinated by the story of a pill that can help you reach more of your brain potential. And being the fan of such SF stories, I decided I need the book and as soon as I saw it in the shelf in the book store, I decided I wanted to get it. I haven't read it yet, but will do, no worries and will report back after.

STEPHEN KING - "Carrie" (read), "Hearts in Atlantins" (Birthday present, read)

"Carrie" is the last book I finished (also from the last bookdepository order together with the other above mentioned books) and I was fascinated through and through. Even though I had less spare time, in those few free minutes, I simply devoured it. I loved the way it was written, as well as the novelty of the characters' psychology. I haven't seen any of the movies yet, but I am not sure I want to rush into them just yet. I will hold on to my vision of the characters' and the feel of the book's actions for a while.

"Hearts in Atlantis" is another birthday present that has also been devoured. I liked the first story in the book, "Low Men In Yellow Coats". I found the love story as something so fragile and beautiful, that it did not need to be clearly exposed as such, as it was standing for itself at the end. For those of you who think that Martin's idea of presenting the story fragmented from the perspective of various characters is his own or inovative, I think you should try out these two books and you will see this technique taken to a whole other level.

NEIL GAIMAN - "Startdust" (read) and "Coraline" (in the reading)

This is another example of book I got, after I saw the movie years ago. I recently saw the book in the book store and had to get it (I get like that about books sometimes). Again, I devoured it and loved its story and characters. I pictured most of the actors from the movie in the characters while I was reading the book, but otherwise, I was completely taken by the book's beauty.

You must know this is not a book for children, like the "Graveyard Book", it has quite some grown up stuff in it, so if you feel that you don't want to read this because it should be only a children's book, then you're safe - it isn't. Also, Neil Gaiman is my favorite contemporary author (he managed to top even Haruki Murakami, which is damn hard).

"Coraline", now this is a children’s book, but also parents can read it and understand a lot of things about their children from it. This is the book I am currently devouring. I am mesmerized and I love the atmosphere, as much as I loved the atmosphere of the movie, when I saw it (over and over again). This is the last book that comes from the same bookdepository  order as the above mentioned books.

MARK LAWRENCE - "Prince of Thorns" (Birthday present, haven't read it yet)

This book I got as a birthday present and I have a missing from Oliviu Crâznic, the friend who gave me the book to read it and let him know how I feel. I will do that, I promise, as soon as I am finished with Pratchett's book. :) So far, I am intrigued and curious by the title. The guy at the book store advertised it as interesting and captivating, I was told.

STEVEN ERIKSON - "The First Collected Tales of BAUCHELAIN & KORBAL BROACH. Tree Short Novels of the Malazan Empire"  (Birthday present, read)

This book was also a birthday present. I read it and I was fascinated by the language. Dear Lord! This is the way in which an author should write - complicated enough so that the reader gets out there and looks for words in the dictionary and thus broadens his/her vocabulary. The stories are at time funny, at times dark, at times horrifying. Nonetheless, they keep you nailed to the book until you finish it. I have added his "Malazan Empire" book series to my "to get books" list and will look for them.

DUMITRU ȚEPELEAG - "La Belle Roumanie" (Birthday present, not yet read)
A dear friend of mine gave me this book as a birthday present and knowing her, this book promises to be interesting and special. I am curious to read it and as soon as I will do it, I will surely post my thoughts on it.

In addition to these books, there was another magazine in Romanian language I read and about which you can find my review here (it is in Romanian): „Colecţia de povestiri ştiinţifico-fantastice Anticipaţia” editura Nemira, nr. 3/februarie 2013.

This was about all I had under the category "new books" in my collection so far.

Please let me know, if you wish to know my opinion on the books from this post I haven't read now, after I finished them and if you wish to read other posts about new books?

Read, it is good for the soul!

Love,

Alex.

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Behind the Mirror: New In Beauty-wise

Hello my dear readers,

I would like to present you some new products I got lately.

A good friend of mine, told me about an USA-based on line store called iHerb. She told me it got a lot of beauty and healthy products you cannot get in Romania. So I decided to visit this website and I even found some stuff I have been wanting for a long time.

Real Techniques Brushes by Samantha Chapman.

I witnessed the love these brushes received on various on line media from every single person who used them. Since I was slightly in need of good face brushes, I decided to go for it. Also, the price was really good ($17,99 for 4 brushes). I got the "your base/ flawless core collection" set which consists of:

• Detailer brush - I used it for pin-point concealing on my face and I really like it
• Pointed foundation brush - I feel it to be very small for applying foundation and for foundation I mainly use fingers because I feel the finish is more natural, but I really like using this brush for the under eye concealer.
• Buffing brush - I use it exactly for what it is said to do and to blend the edges of my bronzer/ blusher
• Contour brush - Now this one I love. It is perfect for contouring and it is by far my favorite brush.

All in all, I think I understand what the love was all about and I support it 100%.

Physicians Formula Healthy Wear, Powder Foundation SPF 50

I have been looking for a SPF 50 powder for as long as I can remember and I could not find any, not to mention what I found was very expensive (this was about $14.35). I hav

e very pale skin and with all the acne treatment going on I need full SPF coverage on my face in the Summer time, when the sun is merciless and cruel. The color matches perfectly. I use it during the day, if I ever go out at night I cannot use it, because in pictures I would look like a shiny disco ball, as it flashes back pretty badly (due to all the SPF 50 ingredients). This is a perfect product for Summer, to put over the normal sun screen I use (which is also SPF 50).

Kiss my Face, Sport Clear Spray SPF 50

The face is not the only place I use sun screen during the summer. I also use it for any part of my body that might get exposed to the sun. Mainly because I am not a sun worshipper and because I am not a fan of tanned skin. I really prefer mine to stay naturally as pale as possible. But also, because using SPF during the Summer is the healthy thing to do.

I got this spray thinking I might use it in the half marathon at which I participated in mid-May. But due to some mishaps with the postal services I managed to get hold of it much later. However, I have been using this spray and it is by far the best I ever used, because it leaves no marks on the clothes, it is water and sweat resistant, I keep it in the fridge and when I spray it on it feels so refreshing and it smells ok (naturally coconutty - I normally do not like coconuts, but this is a smell I can deal with in the summer and it is not too heavy, it just leaves the skin smelling nice). Oh, and a very big perk it was cheaper than anything I can get here in the Pharmacy for its size ($13.04 for 236ml).

The iHerb website gave me a coupon on my order. This coupon: RKQ746 can be used by any of you and you will get $10 off your first order from their website www.iHerb.com. 

NAKED Palette from UrbanDecay

Again, I might be the last person concerned with beauty products on the face of this Earth who got a much acclaimed and beloved product - and I am referring to the Eye Shadows Palette from Urban Decay known as Naked 1. Ever since my face literally exploded some months back, my beauty budget has been mainly used to invest in products to stabilize and get it under control. Now that it is mostly stabilized and controlled, I decided I would like something for my soul to feel happy and good. So when I got an SMS form Sephora that I have a discount at a purchase from their store and in the same time I saw that they introduced the Naked Palettes in Romania, I thought to myself "This is it!". I went over there and got the one I liked best, which proved to be the Naked 1. Since then I use it almost daily and I like the quality of the eye shadows, it is pretty impressive (I have oily eye lids and even without my eye shadow base - not the one the Palette comes with - they last). I also like the finishes and the colors of the shades. I did not own similar colors for all of the shades before, so it is a plus. I know it is fashionable to mention the favorite shades, but I love them all just the same as I love my Estee Lauder Pure Color Eyeshadow Duo palette in the color 11 "Shells", which I got many months back also from Sephora (also due to some promotional discount) and which for me has one of the best quality pro color payoff ratio.

 

This blog post has not been in any way sponsored by any of the producers or vendors mentioned above and the opinions are my very own.

If you want to read more of these posts, please let me know. I will also try to do a post on new books.

Take care and smile, it is good for the skin!

Love,

Alex.

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Music: "Beauty and the Beat", Bucharest 7th of May. Concert Notes

Hello my dear readers,

it is about time I write something about music. You must know about me that I love music: I breathe music, I sing music, I listen to music, I look at music[videos] and I go to music[concerts] ever since I can remember - I think I have painted a pretty convincing picture. But I love especially the unexpected music projects and one of these is Tarja Turunen's and Mike Terrana's "Beauty and the Beat" (it is pretty obvious who is which). I had the pleasure of going to their Bucharest concert together with the Bucharest Symphonic Orchestra and Choir on this Tuesday, the 7th of May.

I love symphonic music, Opera will always be my mistress and Rock music is their (sometimes) illegitimate child. What Tarja and Mike did was blend them all together and go around the world and perform with the local Symphonic Orchestras and Choirs. I think the courage alone to take on this last endeavor is highly laudable! To sing with new musicians such an extensive repertoire (from classical pieces to rock music and Tarja's own songs) almost every one-two concerts shows high professionalism and musical knowledge from all the participants at the musical act.

Even, if I knew that Tarja and Mike will perform various songs only with an orchestra and choir, on Tuesday I was amazed three times:
      Firstly by our amazing Symphonic Orchestra - we have highly talented musicians.
      Secondly by the great conductor, Florin Totan, who could conduct Mozart, as well as Led Zeppelin, Frank Sinatra or Tarja's own songs.
      Thirdly the funny moments provided by all the musicians on stage: the orchestra, choir, conductor, Tarja and Mike showed that you can still make music with joie de vivre.

The only downside was that the sound engineer could not harmonize Mike's drums to the orchestra at the first songs. Only from Rossini's "Barber of Seville" have they managed to blend his drums with the acoustic instruments.

This concert was delayed (for which she expressed her sincerest apologies at the very beginning of the concert), because in April, when it should have taken place, Tarja was very ill. Those who did not think this as true, should consider the fact that she was unable to sing "O mio babbino caro" and "Song to the Moon", both pretty difficult pieces with extensive parts in the high register, which require a stable voice in order to be able to perform the correctly. When you are recuperating from a laryngitis, your voice is anything but stable on the high notes.

I recommend you to go to this wonderful concert and experience Queen's "You Take My Breath Away", Mozart's "Eine kleine Nachtmusic", Led Zeppelin's famous riffs, Tarja on drums while Mike seriously sings "Fly me to the Moon" complete with very funny moments provided everyone on stage. Needles to mention Tarja's performances on "Swanheart", "Into the Sun", "The Reign" and "Witch Hunt" will literally take you to places you've never been in a long time. All these complete with the classical Lieds, rock songs and Musicals pieces show a very versatile Tarja, with an amazing vocal technique few vocal artists achieve.

All in all "Beauty and the Beat" was a successful experiment and event, that took you away from this world for about 2 hours returning you fresh, happy and sad but safe, back to the world.

Have you also been to one (or more) of these experimental shows?

At the end Tarja promised to return within the tour to promote the new album, "Coulours in the Dark" on the 15th of October 2014 (more details on the album's blog).

Sing, it is great for the soul!
Alex.

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Behind the Mirror: Empties

My Dear Readers,

I think it is about time I presented to you some of the products I finished since I posted my last finished products post. It has been a very long time and for some products I don't have the packages anymore, because I had to get rid of them when I moved.
This is why the first products I will talk about don't have photos.

Goldwell Dualsenses Green Pure Repair 60 sec treatment
I haven't been using any conditioner in more than 1 year, because I was using this product. I got the big bottle (1.500 ml) in December 2011 and it lasted until about February 2013 - so yes, more than 1 year. I loved it because it was all natural, it had goji berries, argan oil and shea butter extracts an no parabens, no silicones and it smelled divine. This is a hair mask, which should be used for damaged hair. My hair felt smooth, flexible and very silky by using this. I managed to grow it very long. When I used this hair treatment after henna, my hair felt amazing. I used it 2 times a week and during all this time, I did not use it entirely alone.
I recommend it to everybody who wants to have naturally beautiful hair. It really works.

elemental Mayam Apricot oil
I used this oil on its own to massage it into my neck and necklace areas in the evenings before I went to sleep, after I did my cleansing routine - being a rather heavy oil for my taste - compared to castor oil it is light - and entering slower into the skin I could not use it during the day. I wasn't very happy with the scent of this oil, but I liked the results of using it. The skin was brightened and looked much better - it is great for sensitive skin, because it calms it down and keeps it hydrated. I also used this oil in a combination with other oils (Aloe, Macadamia Nut, Tea Tree, Raspberry seed oil) when I was on the sea side, to help regenerate and calm down my skin after being to the beach.
It is an oil that can be used mostly on all skin types (in massages, for its illuminating effects), but if you have an oily skin I would not use it during the day and if it is acne prone, I would not use it more than 2-3 times a week.

Balea Med Creme-Öl Körperlotion
I got this body lotion last winter, when it was really cold and I got a horrible cold allergy. I used products from Balea Med before this one. Especially the products for highly sensitive skin (which have no smell and no parabens and have helped me with this allergy), but I wanted a bigger bottle than the one available for the highly sensitive skin products - this one was 400 ml. I got this and was not at all disappointed. The product even thought it has a thick consistency, it is almost immediately very well absorbed by the skin. The skin was hydrated in a way in which only the body oils I made did, without the oily sensations.
In the summer however I don't think I'll use this product, because it is somewhat too thick.

Alverde Deo mit Acerolakirsche
It has a 24h lasting effect and smells divine. I got this because it leaves no marks on the skin and has no aluminium  I recently purchased it again. I recommend it, but in the high summer, I think this product needs to be reapplied during the day.

Alverde Feuchtigkeitslotion Quitte und Brombeere
I got this product with the idea in mind, that it will be good for the winter time. Unfortunately I got a very bad allergy to the cold and had to switch to non-scented products, because it irritated my skin very much due to the smell. Even though it is an all natural product, my skin was that affected by the cold that no perfume (natural or not) was tolerated.
Once the cold was over I could use this product normally and I really enjoyed it's perfume without being affected by it. It has a light texture and it was very well absorbed by the skin, however not as hydrating as I would have wished.

Vichy Normaderm Solution Mincellaire
This is a product I bought last summer, shortly before my horrible acne breakout and which I haven't used since. I wanted to use it at the gym to remove the make-up before I worked out. I must admit I did not like this product very much, mainly because it dried my skin pretty badly. I decided to finish this product so I started using it again until I finished it, but I did not find it especially good. I did not see a big improvement on clearing or soothing my skin - I used it on a cotton pad to remove the first make-up layer, before using a face gel to deeply cleanse the skin.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Gel Moussant
I got this 400 ml bottle shortly before last Christmas and I used it up just at the beginning of April. I must admit I got completely hooked by this product - no wonder since it has citric acid (which helps gently exfoliate the skin) and zinc (which helps restore the skin tissue and heal the skin marks). It cleanses my skin without drying and it also keeps it from getting too fat. I think this is the best face wash I ever used and I highly recommend it to all those who have sensitive acne prone skin.
When I started using this product, in December my skin was starting to heal from the acne outbreak, but it was very dried out because of the treatment I received from the doctor. This gel helped by not over-drying and also by preventing the appearance of other blemishes. I also like the package it comes with and that it is really good value for money in this 400 ml size. I already got a new bottle.

astellas Zineryt
This is one of the products I received from my doctor to help cure the acne blemishes. It contains erythromycin (an antibiotic which helps cure a large range of bacteria) and zinc acetate (which helps hydrate and restore the affected tissue) as active ingredients. However the whole mixture is in alcohol and after about 5 weeks the product loses its effectiveness.
It did its job in a decent way, however I got to use a better product along the way. In any case this product is used during the day after cleansing the face, as a toner and before the make-up. During the colder months it is recommended to use a hydrating cream above it and in the summer a cream with SPF (30 or above).
Is you feel you need to use this product, ask your dermatologist first, because it is medicine.

Alcon Opti-Free Replenish
This is another bottle of the lenses solution I have used up. More details, on this can be found in this post.

Bourjois Volume Glamour Ultra Curl
I think this is the 4th one of these rimmels I have used up. I still love it, the only thing that bugs me with it, is that they added a perfume to this product. This disappointed me, because I do not like all things scented and especially not on the eyes, because I wear lenses and they are pretty sensitive. Otherwise it still does its job, but I am wondering, if I should not look for something non-scented, in order to prevent a possible allergy. Do you have a suggestion for a non scented rimmel that gives volume and curl to your lashes?
You can also find a blog post on this product here.

M.A.C. Blot Powder/ Pressed
This is my first ever M.A.C. product I used up. It lasted me for about 1 year and I loved it all the way. I had the color "Medium". It was a really good product for my oily skin (as its name, it blotted the skin) and it is very translucent, so it blended very well with all the foundations I used. I would most likely get this product again.
When I got this product at the M.A.C. counter, the lady was very nice and she was very helpful and supportive. It made me go again to the M.A.C. shop when I needed a new powder an later when I needed a foundation and concealer, but more on this to come.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios AC, SPF 30
It took me a year to finish this product, mainly because I started using it when I got the acne breakout and then had to switch to a 50 SPF and I had to abandon this product. I started using it again ever since the sun started burning on the sky again this spring and I finished it out. Another blog post on this product, you can find here.

What are your empties?
Smile, it is good for the skin!
Alex.

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Behind the Mirror: Cremă de ochi „făcută în casă”

Dragele și dragii mei cititori,

voi continua seria de produse cosmetice făcute în casă cu o cremă de ochi, pe care am facut-o în aceeași perioadă cu gelul de ochi, pe care vi l-am prezentat anterior.
Toate ingredientele, rețeta și recipientele au fost și de această dată luate de pe site-ul elemetal.
Această cremă este mai hidratantă decât gelul de ochi și o folosesc în principal noaptea.
Conține:
ulei de orez (un ulei foarte ușor, care intră repde în piele și prin proprietățile sale este foarte bun pentru îngrijirea zonei sensibile a ochilor)
acid hialuronic (ajută la refacerea epidermei și astfel are un efect de „umplere” a ridurilor)
extract de acmella (foarte bun în regenerearea tenului și tratarea ridurilor)
ulei esențial de trandafiri (pe lângă mirosul foarte frumos, ajută la circulația sanguină în capilare) șâ
apă de albăstrele (ajută la eliminarea lichidului de sub ochi și decolorează cearcănele).

Textura cremei este una foarte fină și penetrantă, fără a lăsa urme grase. Am folosit acestă cremă inclusiv după ce mi-am facut masaj cu ulei vegetal și a intrat foarte bine și repede în piele.
Termenul de folosire al acestui produs este tot de 3 luni, iar cantitatea rezultată ajunge pentru această perioadă.
Produsul nu costă foarte mult, dar poate fi ușor mai complicat de făcut pentru un începător, mai ales comparat cu gelul de ochi. Totuși rezultatele obținute merită efortul depus.

Smile, it is good for the skin!
Alex.

Behind the Mirror: Self-Made Eye Cream

Hello my dears,

to continue my series of posts related to self-made cosmetics, here I talk about an eye cream I made.
Again, all the ingredients, the recipe and the recipient are from elemetal.
I made this eye cream shortly after I did the eye gel and it is slightly more hydrating, so I use it at night.
It contains
rice oil (a very light oil, which enters the skin fast and due to its properties is very good to care for the sensitive area around the eyes)
hyaluronic acid (helps regenerate the skin and has a "filling up" effect against the wrinkles)
acmella extract (very goon active ingredient to regenerate the skin and help fight wrinkles)
essential rose oil (besides its lovely smell, it helps intensify the blood circulation in the capillary) and
corn flower water (helps eliminate the accumulated liquid under the eye and helps diminish the pigmentation around the eye).

The texture of this cream is very light and penetrates the skin deeply and leaves it hydrated  but without leaving a greasy film.
I used this cream at night even after I already made a massage with some oil on my area around the eye and it was still absorbed by the skin.
This product must also be used within 3 months and it also lasts for this entire period.
It is not very expensive, though for a beginner, it might be a bit complicated to be done compared to the eye gel. Nonetheless the results are worth it.

Smile, it is good for the skin!
Alex.

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Behind the Mirror: Gel pentru îngrijirea zonei ochilor „făcut în casă”

Dragele și dragii mei cititori,

For the English version, press here.
A trecut ceva vreme de când nu am mai postat nimic aici, dar asta nu înseamnă că am fost total inactivă. Din contră am învățat să îmi fac singură diferite cosmetice.
După o perioadă de a proape 3 luni de testare pe propria-mi piele (la propriu) vă pot prezenta părerea mea despre un gel de ochi cu efect revitalizant și antirid. Conține aloe (ajută la hidratarea zonei sensibile din jurul ochilor), apă de albăstrele (ajută la prevenirea cearcănelor) și de trandafiri (stimulează circulația sângelui în capilare), iar ca ingrediente active am adăugat un pic de acid hialuronic (pentru prevenirea și tratarea ridurilor) și cafeină (pentru eliminarea lichidului acumulat).

Miroase minunat (de la apa de trandafiri) și are un efect revigorant (intensificat și de faptul că țin gelul la frigider - ceea ce recomand pentru orice produs cosmetic).
Folosesc în principal produsul dimineața înainte de a-mi aplica machiajul (pe moment folosesc un concealer de la MAC și am observat că nu se strânge atât de tare în cute). Seara folosesc alt produs un pic mai hidratant.
Produsul este destul de ieftin și se poate folosi fără probleme 3 luni, iar cantitatea obținută ajunge pentru această perioadă.
Toate ingredientele, rețeta și recipientul le-am luat de la elemental.

În concluzie sunt foarte mulțumită de acest gel și vi-l recomand (dacă nu aveți un ten matur, atunci vă trebuie ceva mai multă hidratare). Chiar dacă sunteți începătoare în tainele produselor cosmetice „home-made” sau „self-made”, acest gel este un bun produs cu care puteți începe: este ușor de preparat, rezultatele sunt foarte motivante pentru a încerca și alte produse, iar per total aveți siguranța că folosiți numai ingrediente naturale care vor oferi tenului vostru totalitatea beneficiilor lor.

Până la următorul post, zâmbiți, face bine la ten! :)
Alex.

Books: „Colecţia de povestiri ştiinţifico-fantastice Anticipaţia” editura Nemira, nr. 3/februarie 2013

Trebuie să recunosc deschis că după ce am terminat (cu unele dificultăţi) volumul 5 din Saga „Cântec de gheaţă şi foc”, nu am mai avut disponibilitatea sufletească necesară pentru a citi altceva scris de George R.R. Martin. Simţeam nevoia de „o gură de aer” pentru a mă reface interior după lungile, detaliatele şi uneori sângeroasele descrieri de evenimente, peisaje, trăiri, diferitele povestiri încâlcite fără finalitate şi personaje care mereu par a fi împinse în conjuncturi contrare dorinţelor lor. Dar iată că Nemira a scos la sfârşitul lunii februarie în revista „Colecţia depovestiri ştiinţifico-fantastice Anticipaţia” o traducere după povestirea lui Martin „In The Lost Lands”, în română „În tărâmurile pustiite” care se păstrează în același stil caracteristic lui descris mai sus.

În acest text, Martin spune povestea unui nobil cavaler care se duce la o vrăjitoare (dacă vreţi…) pentru a-i cere în numele domniţei lui un serviciu, contra cost evident. Acest serviciu este puterea de a se transforma în vârcolac. Totuşi, în acelaşi timp, şi cavalerul cumpără de la vrăjitoare un serviciu pentru el însuşi – ca domniţa să nu îşi primească serviciul cerut. Restul povestirii arată cum vrăjitoarea „Alys-cea-Plumburie” îndeplineşte serviciile pentru care a fost contractată, cu ajutorul puterilor ei supraomeneşti şi a unui licantrop. Acţiunea se desfăşoară între două lumi opuse: lumea organizată, umană, înfloritoare, condusă de domniţă, şi lumea pustie, bântuită de spirite şi creaturi ale nopţii – tărâmul pustiit –, poziţionată în povestire la graniţa cu lumea oamenilor şi în care foarte puţini oameni au trecut.

Întreaga povestire este construită pe antiteze: cele două servicii contrare pe care Alys-cea-Plumburie trebuie să le ofere în același timp, cele două lumi (cea înfloritoare a oamenilor şi cea pustiită a fiinţelor nopţii), cele două personaje feminine care gravitează în permanenţă între bine şi rău (albastra domniţă Melange – personaj aproape absent, vrajitoarea Alys-cea-Plumburie – personajul principal), cele două personaje masculine (vârcolacul şi cavalerul albastru).

Totuşi apar elemente prezente şi în volumele din Saga „Cântec de gheaţă şi de foc”: cel mai evident fiind descrierea foarte detaliată a blazoanelor, alături de culorile acestora, importanţa acestora pentru lumea în care trăiesc cavalerii, descrierile meticulos de crude ale unor întâmplări, care au rolul de a scoate în evidenţă caracterul personajelor care sunt implicate în ele. Deşi aceste elemente nu sunt neapărat pe gustul meu şi m-au obosit şi plictisit pe alocuri în „Dansul Dragonilor”, tensiunea care se naşte din evenimentele povestite, întrebarea pe care cititorul şi-o pune inevitabil („cum poate vrăjitoarea să îndeplinească ambele servicii?”) duc spre un sfârşit total neprevăzut, care va oferi, la fel ca și mie, satisfacţie cititorului.

Povestea este prezentată în această revistă pentru a exemplifica trăsăturile de bază ale literaturii Dark Fantasy (explicate în detaliu şi cu exemple de Oliviu Crâznic în eseul său din aceeaşi revistă, „Literatura Dark Fantasy. Antieroi şi creaturi ale nopţii în întunecate lumi imaginare”) şi vă las pe voi, cititorii, să le descoperiţi una câte una pe parcursul lecturii povestirii. Tot în acest eseu veți găsi o listă de autori (români și străini) și operele lor din sfera Dark Fantasy, listă care mie mi s-a părut foarte interesantă.

După eseul menţionat mai sus puteţi citi povestirea lui Oliviu Crâznic însuşi, „Lenore Arras”, în care îl veţi descoperi pe Ferrin, un tânăr care a fugit toată viaţa, alături de frumoasa Lenore, de ducele de Arras, care angajase mulţi asasini şi pusese un preţ pe capetele lor. Şi aici avem un personaj absent, pe Lenore, fiinţa cea mai dragă lui Ferrin, motivul pentru care el a trăit şi motivul pentru care el a continuat să fugă. O dată pierdută, el se simte pierdut  la rândul lui şi goneşte printr-un peisaj iernatic pentru a o răzbuna şi, astfel, pentru a-şi găsi pacea.

Marea parte a acţiunii se petrece în goana cailor într-o  natură sălbatică, posedată parcă de iarna. Este una din puţinele povestiri unde zăpada capătă conotaţii aproape demonice. Personajul principal rememorează fără cronologie diferite evenimente din viaţa sa, dominate de fiinţa angelică a Lenorei, care la sfârşit oferă cheia întregii poveşti.

Acţiunea se petrece în evul mediu, evidenţiat atât prin limbajul povestirii cât şi prin credinţa în lumea spirituală afişată de personaje. Deoarece am menţionat limbajul, nu am putut să nu remarc atenţia pe care autorul o acordă acestuia, grija cu care îşi alege cuvintele, modul în care acestea sunt îmbinate în expresii tipice perioadei istorice. De altfel nimic nu este la întâmplare în această povestire – nici un element nu este prezentat fără rost, nu apare fără a avea un rol de jucat: referinţele la zeul Hypnos corelate cu absenţa somnului, albul zăpezii şi protejarea de lucirea ei cauzatoare de oftalmie, chinul neînţeles şi dezvăluit abia la final al personajului principal, denumirile geografice (Cheiul Oaselor) sunt doar câteva exemple de elemente care creează cadrul de „dark fantasy”.

Oliviu Crâznic nu este deloc străin povestirilor cu şi despre creaturi ale nopţii. Stau mărturie în acest sens romanul său „...şi la sfârşit a mai rămas coşmarul” şi eseul de la sfârşitul cărţii sale, care vă va oferi indicii despre izvoarele istorice care l-au inspirat în această povestire. De asemenea capacitatea de a-şi ţine cititorul lipit de scriitura lui alergând nebuneşte peste rândurile scrise se desprinde şi din roman. Veţi fi la fel de incitaţi de a afla deznodământul şi fascinaţi de cele povestite ca în cazul povestirii „Lenore Arras”.

Independent de talentele literare ale celor doi autori, nu pot să nu remarc însă, calitatea îndoielnică a hârtiei în contrast cu coperta lucioasă a revistei. De asemenea desenul de pe copertă nu este foarte atrăgător şi nici deosebit de frumos, după gustul meu. În interiorul revistei găsiţi şi unele poze care par a fi alese în corelaţie cu cele scrise, totuşi nu mă impresionează prea tare. De asemenea total neimpresionantă mi se pare şi traducerea povestirii lui George R.R. Martin.

Dar dacă suneţi cu adevărat fani ai literaturii fantastice, fie ea „dark fantasy”, gotică sau romantică, „Colecţiade povestiri ştiinţifico-fantastice Anticipaţia” din luna februarie vă va oferi cu siguranţă cel puţin un motiv sau un element care să vă placă.

Disclaimer: Nu am fost plătită sa scriu această recenzie și nici nu am primit revista cu scopul de a-i face recenzie.

Behind the Mirror: Self Made Eye Gel

Hello my dear readers,

Pentru versiunea în română aici.
I know I haven't been posting here for some time now, but I have been pretty busy lately and I will show you with what. I have been exploring a little more in depth the whole "make your own cosmetics" area.
Today I will share you my experience with an eye gel I did recently. All the ingredients and the receipt I got from elemental.
Here you can see the final result.

The gel promises to ameliorate the wrinkles and help reform the area around your eyes.
I have been using it for about 2 and a half months now and I have definitely seen an improvement on my eye area. The wrinkles seem to have been slightly diminished. It smells divine of roses from the rose water (and I am not a rose scent fan, but this one hasn't started any of my nausea attacks - yet). It also has some hyaluronic acid (which helps treat the wrinkles), caffeine (which helps fight against puffy eyes), aloe (to hydrate the sensitive area around the eyes) and corn flower water (helps keep the skin around the eyes fresh).
Another pro about this gel, is that it is mostly inexpensive and very easy to make.
I use this gel only mornings before my concealer (I currently use one from MAC, because the Clinique one was too heavy and creased).
If you wish to start making your own cosmetics, I would recommend you to start with an easy product like this one, because it is easy to make, it's results are motivating to try make other products and you know that all the ingredients are natural and your skin can benefit fully from all their properties.

Smile, it is good for the skin!
Love,
Alex.

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