Gettin' Soapy with Naomi Pure Beauty

There is something wonderfully old-school about a good piece of clean soap. 

Nowadays it does not have to be that all-removing type like our mums use to treasure. We can have both worlds of gentle care and practical hold. And how convenient is something non-liquidy for travel? 

I have already been testing some gorgeous Osmea Beauty soaps lately. But for shipping reasons, I wanted to look closer and more European. 

Yeh, I know! I should buy locally Dutch at the rural market but somehow the soap-making qualities have not been as esthetically pleasing as Naomi Pure Beauty. And carbon offset from Ireland is not as bad as US right? And for some reason I find the air more pure in Ireland than my own little (crowded/polluted) country so there you go...

1. Black Magic

 My first choice is not based on some eerie need for potential voodooooooo; I was simply looking for something with active charcoal after seeing it featured as "wonderproduct" on far far away US Osmeabeauty site. Claimed as healing for eczema and congested skin, I wanted to give the active charcoal a shot.

Naomi Pure Beauty is even more positive about Black Magic with Activated Charcoal as it can be a "Acne Remedy, Reduce Blemishes, Skin Perfection, Clean Skin, Detoxify, Purify". 

I have been using it a couple of times, and it is a strong soap. With strong I mean that it has the properties to make your skin wonderfully clean like one of those hamman experiences. I soaped myself in and got the exfoliating body brush to accompany it. Afterwards, my skin became even more clean than the grainy sugar/salt scrubs I use frequently.

The water will mix in greyish when you use it. That seems like proof that the charcoal is not just a gimmic.

It is not the type of soap I would use every day, due to overexfoliating. However, how delightfully detoxifying this one is when using one or two times a week.

2. Seaweed Soap

I picked up my second soap on the same account I frequently pick up a anti-cellulite lotion: Slimming! I am normal sized but the thighs are always demanding. Winter time often brings in the warming chocolaty drinks, mmmmm, so slathering them in seaweed soap makes me think that they can stay in their trusted pair of skinny jeans.

I have only used it once, and it smells like a mix of soap and something leafy. I'm not a seaweed expert but I guess that is probably it. The embedded seaweed bits function as a exfoliating tool so you actually stimulate the so-called problem area twice.

3. Cafe Mocha

  

 I just bought this soap for scentual pleasure. Good for me: no agenda! Ok, getting clean ofcourse or I could just sniff the coffee I brewed earlier, right?

It smells nice and coffee-ish but it could be slightly stronger. Perhaps I have to use it some more times to let the fragance cure a bit more.

4. Coconut Soap

 The coconut soap is marketed as a shampoo soap. My hairstory is extremely difficult: My damaged hair only tolerates Alterna Caviar Repair X line lately so I did not expect miracles from this one.

That said, I tried it and it is a pure way of washing hairs. My hair did not look too bad afterwards, but I still need the Alterna Caviar Repair X to make it look like it has not been traumatised (it has). So I like it as a more neutral soap for the body.

 *

Overall, I really like these soaps and the price has been fantastic for the quality thinking it is about 3.50 per soap. The labels looks instagram-worthy and that is important these days.

I gotten the four in a set over here for €12 which is a fab deal. It will make a cute holiday gift for those people you do not really know that well, but are still on you "to know better"-list.

Cowshed Slender Cow Body Sculpting Serum

Something about Cowshed's name is not that attractive to me. I like the outdoors and still I am a bit iffy to be associated with a 'slender cow', or any cow at all. Most of us know how the other end of the cow-variety will sound and it's often not too flattering.

Still, it was a freebie with something I cannot remember anymore, somewhere during Autumn '13.  It had 'target cellulite' on it and 'skinny', fair enough.

Also, Cowshed is a British brand and on the organic side of the spectrum. So me try try...

 

I had no idea what to expect from an organic 'body serum'. Their website lists these two ingredients as the main game players:

 Nice, there's Tamanu Oil again: It already passed around in my last post on haircare... 

Will this be 2014 IT-oil????

If you look at the rest of the ingredient list, you will see lots of essential oils like lavender, frankincense, lavendula & clary sage. This will add to a herbally fragance when using the milk. Also, various oils are known to have a 'deslacking effect, such as Clary sage & black pepper.

serum-like pump

It applies like a body-milk and not like a serum. I would not compare it to my usual 'cellulite-challengers' like Decleor or Vichy that often have a gel-like composition.

What I did notice is the subtle amount of shimmer:

Moody January light doesn't make it appear well but I agree that it would make one of those lovely leg-glowing potions during warmer weather.

I didn't see a real improvement on my body when using it: I am a bit of a Caffeine freak when it comes to Challenging Cellulite and it was not included in the 'Cowshed Slender Cow'. Most anti-cellulite potions are not miracle workers but I think caffeine is one of the ingredients that can help getting the extra water out of the cells. Ofcourse, in combination with exercise and a bit of body brushing/massage...

However, it makes a wonderfully moisturizing and herbally fresh body lotion that gives the right amount of glow to [slightly] lacklustre pre-spring skin.

Concluding to all this skinny talk, I'd add this wonderful photo of a very slender Lily Cole who reads to her bovines:

Photograph by Juergen Teller; styled by Camilla Nickerson; W magazine March 2009.

 I wonder what she reads to them and whether the milk will be better when reading to them [the new substainable farming?]...

Or, keep on grazing and don't be mooooo-dy for the rest of January...;)

Birkinbagbeauty's Best of 2013: Body

I have featured a lot of body-products, hair-related products and other potionalities in 2013. So here is the list of my favourites [also with some newbies]:

Nails:

I became familiar with Ciate thanks to UK Fashion magazines' GWP. Ciate nailpolishes stand out for: 1. fab coverage even after 1 coat 2. dries fast 3. superb colours 4. longevity. I got the Ciate Advent-set and found some favourites: Pillow Talk is the more-than-just-a-neutral Mauve that suits both warmer & cooler oufits. Cutie Pie for that creamy basic that looks luxe without being too fuzzy.

Perfume

In autumn I regretted not been able to find my yearly fragance-infatuation. Then I remembered testing Caligna in the exquisite Parisian l'Artisan Parfumeur shop during summery 30°C weather and liking it. Testing it this winter in colder weather made me even love it more.

I know, showing a paper sample doesn't show that much enthousiasm...But Caligna only comes for the hefty pricetag of €120, which needs some more sampling before I will resist that #nobuy.

Body Moisturizers:

Darphin Nourishing Satin Oil with Ginger and delightful vanilla fragance has been one of those 'special occasion' luxuries that moisturizes as a dream and fragances you so softly. Yes, I'm getting poetic about this and it needs a better review. 
This Works Really Rich Firming Lotion is one of the few (nicely) fraganced products that work when I'm supersensitive: with the added bonus of putting tons of moisture on the dry parts. I have a partial fondness of jasmine so that makes it wonderful for hydrating the body.

Hair:
Oh dear, I've been completely obsessed by reconstructing my hair (see here). Conclusion beginning '14: I have some hair again...!  It's not perfect yet, but it is a major improvement on the sad 'do I used to have.

I've started Phylia [de M] Connect mid '12 and the result is that my the hairgrowth from that time, an estimated 25/30 cm, is full and thick. It's literary 'gettin' it to your roots': the vitamins and the minerals. I haven't been using it since spring but I think it has been the key to my healthier hair.

Hair Styling:

Healthier hair needs some direction, aka styling. I'm still a sensitive person and not everything on my head agrees with my picky scalp. I consider Rene Furtherer Volumea a gorgeous natural alternative on volumizing my 'do, adding some wonderful gloss as a bonus.

Tools:

Since my new hairstyle my priorities switched from 'smoothing out damaged hairs' into 'extra volumising the fresh hairs': that needed a fabulous blowdryer! Reviews gave such positive marks on both T3 (superexpensive) & Parlux 385 (under €100) that I went for the last: also for the cute array of colours!
This latest version is both lightweighted and has a industrial motor inside (techie story here). In my non-techie terms: I love the various settings, heats-'n-coolnesses, and with the right techniques & styling products I'm able to experiment more with hairstyles.

These have been my 2013 body favourites and I could probably list a ton more, but I'll keep it relatively simple with "the excellent of class '13".

Magazine freebies

The British Magazines have been spoiling their readers for the upcoming Xmas editions.

First, a Gilded shade from Kate Spade for Nails Inc that is included in GlamourUk magazine:

 

Marie Claire UK offers its readers a scrub in my favourite Rituals Fortune line (I reviewed the shower oil here):

Let's just stare at that Kate Spade by Nails Inc hue again:

There are more magazines that are offering gwp: I chose these first as my arm was getting overloaded by heavy magazines and their freebies already ; )

Rituals Fortune shower Oil

I feel it is time for a good old review with too much talk and with a bit of sense.

I like Rituals as it is one of the few Dutch Cosmetic brands that gotten big outside Holland. They started out in 2000 and I loved them instantly. They had this Eastern (sorry about being vague) holistic feel with shops that were/are decorated in rustic colours & with wash-n-water departments to try out your products immediately.

I have liked washing oils a lot and an because I have been into various Japanese products that work with this concept. Face-oil cleansers came first and the body followed up. I have tried l'Occitane Almond cleansing oil for body too. They often feel much softer on the skin during winter-showers.

I feel like this person in the shower:

Hehehe, not really but I loved the oiled up quality of her skin. Actually with the studs on her back she reminds me of that Aston Kucher "Dude, Where's My Car?" movie.

Storyline: Geeky Aston & friend meet a supergorgeous woman and get into a night partying with other model-types. They turned out to be aliens. (Youtub)

 

I like how this film

1. has a pre-Demi-divorced Aston in it...cuuuuute
2. plays with the idea that women who are "too pretty", "too tall", "size 0" etc cannot be human.
3. hilarious in that 2000-something kinda way.

My shower-oil is actually aimed at making you feel human again:

Laughing Buddha: Bringer of Happiness. Symbol of good luck and Prosperity

 It works as simple as the face oils for cleansing:

1. Put the oil on either dry or wet skin 
   
2. Add water
3. Lather into a milky cleansing substance
   

4. Rinse

Verdict:

• Scent: a high fraganced, slightly artificial orange with the hint of a Cedar note
• Scent: Thus a wonderful concoction to get going in the morning (awakening orange) but feel warmer as well (Cedar)
• Substance: Thinner, slightly runny (dry) oil
• Substance: A little goes a longer way
• Afterfeel: more moisturizing than shower-gels etc
• Afterfeel: fragance stays on for quite long
• Price:  Quite affordable for € 8.50 for 200 ml/6.7 fl.oz

Conclusion: Affordable way to cleanse yourself in a Haute-Spa way but try before to see it the fragance agrees with you.

Availability: At the rituals site (here) for € 8.50 for 200 ml

Intelligent Nutrients Anti-ageing Body Elixir

Since summer is almost officially over there is the luxury to hide our bodies in our comfortable clothes again.

However, let's not forget to pamper our bodies after doing us a favour during summertime, and still being our loyal servants under more layered autumnal wear:

I bought some Intelligent Nutrients body-elixirs, read oils, because of the rave reviews on the organic beautyblogs (here & here), were on sale at feelunique, and I actually wanted something with organic wholeness. 

[I still use non-organic oils too: I will review Darphin's gorgeously fraganced Huile Nourissante soon] 

And there is the packaging that spells out joy, or peacefulness: dependant on the type of oil you have.

motivating words imprinted in the cardboard packaging

I picked two aromas: Restore & Attune.

Attune, according to the site, smells like "High summer in a greenhouse".

Restore, is meant for "mental rehab & refuge" and smells like "A haute bohemian".

various proof of certificated organicness

The bottle is a green glass and has a hygienic pump-dispenser that pumps out small-enough amounts to dose your oils:

The list of ingredients is a total powerhouse of various precious oils:

 

This oil is absolutely not marketed as a dry oil, but the result was a wonderfully dewy-but-dry texture of my arm after 2 minutes:

 

Verdict: I think it is too early to draw conclusions yet, but I really like the two oils. "Attune" is more of the "happy oil" that is perfect on chirpy days, and the other is wonderful when I have the "tired blahs" and need some serious "restore".

Availability: There full-price again on feelunique.com, however, Beautybay.com has a slight discount going on right now.

Newbies: More Pixi Endless Eyeliners

After liking my first Pixie Endless eyeliner I ventured into more colourful options from their line:

On tissue:

Copper Glow | Deep Plum | Black Blue | True Teal

For more dimension, visit swatch-a-rina DrivellerKate!

PS: Armani Cosmetics [almost] landed in the Netherlands!

You can order it from the Bijenkorf's website right now and get a Mini Maestro lip laquer as a GWP. Or visit the Bijenkorf in Den Haag as it will be launched officially this weekend.

Scrub-a-Dub in Pink

There is something decent about bodyscrubs: They remove the dead skincells but I personally wouldn't spend too much on stuff that will disappear into the drain.

Still, it needs some essence to qualify as a good scrub: good grains (not to small nor large), nice scent (or nicely unscented) and a bit of extra to keep scrubbing for more than 3 seconds:

I really like my latest find by fashionstore Stories...I have the Shinjuku Bloom version and it smells like a cocktail of fruits & flowers.

The best thing about it is that it lathers slightly, and stays scrubby for more than 20 seconds!

☼ That's fantastic for prepping the body for some fun summertimes ☼

Candeling

Candles got me through this winter...

Ok, that statement is a bit bolder than I needed it to be but I certainly enjoyed some of the ones I have since December.

One of my favourites has been the Cire Trudon Mademoiselle de La Valliere (here in newstate)

And here she is going for the last bit:

This 'Mademoiselle' has been a soft &soothing bunch of flowers that were also 'boyfriend approved'. Not every man is keen on a constant waft of girly superflowers, and I'm not always into the so-called masculine scents of tabac or pinewoods. This was the perfect compromise.

It burned quite well and equally: Ofcourse, I listened to the instructions of the saleswoman to press the wax gently when it has cooled down enough (but not hard yet).

I already have a Cire Trudon follower up: a more zesty, greener and travel-fantasy enabling Abd el Kader, probably their most famous one. 

I have burned it a couple of times, and the keynotes embody that hopeful idea that is connected to the beginning of spring.

And I added a new brand, albeit slightly sensual or dermis-pampering: the Oskia Rose de Mai massage (oil) candle:

Placed in holder that has a teapot-esque spout it offers the opportunity to 'recycle' the warmed wax as a massage oil.

I honestly was not too charmed about the quality of the warm wax substance: It might be fun for 'sensual' moments, but as a skincare product it lacked good absorption and it felt wax-like on skin.

The scent was rather lovely, a purer and soft rose that lingers quietly in the house.

Cire Trudon is getting more popular, hence available at more (r)etailers. In Holland at Skin Cosmetics (in the store) and cloudninestore.nl. In the rest of the world at Farfetch.com,  Barneys.com, liberty.co.uk, Ausliebezumduft.com, L'eclaireur.com and others too and prices start at €60. That is expensive, but the candles are large and will last for a longer period. Moreover, afterwards you will have a beautiful handblown glass that will be gorgeous for storing smaller things in a decorative manner.

Oskia Rose de Mai Massage candle is available on their own site at oskiaskincare.com, but also on Zuneta.com (20% discount with code SPRING on everything!) & cultbeauty.com.