The 2016 Resolutions edition: #WILLPOWER with Alexis Vogel Ganesh

Best wishes from Birkinbagbeauty

So now we had the celebration, now it is time to get into #resolution action.

 I first want to share something that could be seen as holistic. My Alexis Smart Ganesh formula:

People who read my blog know that I can be quite sceptical about products. However, I have had several of Alexis Smart formulas for different types of emotional states, and I believe they help... (see here & here).

In September last year I started a new study. Age-wise, I am not the most typical student so I had to overcome quite some things. On the other hand, staying at the same place in my life would not have been a good option either. I had been struggeling with so much sadness and a dash of failure before, that I really wanted to achieve something new...especially with my brains.

Things were not easy, starting...But after taking Alexis Smart WholeHearted I could cope with some sadness issues of mine. Afterwards, I felt my mind was ready to accomplish new things and to achieve my goals.

Enter: Ganesh

 I have been taking the drops for over a month, and I am mid-bottle now. In that time, I have been able to write four hefty essays of a high academic level in one week. (Yeh, blame our professors for giving the students such short notice...). In September, I could hardly write one Essay of 1000 words in two weeks, and in December I was able to write four.

Ofcourse, getting accustomed to University is not merely based on flower remedies. However, I feel that these drops give me a better hold of how to achieve my goals without letting my doubts get in the way. Ofcourse, doubts have a healthy element, as long as they are reasonable and able to negotiate upon.

Alexis Smart has various formulas based on Focus. On her website she has a guide of how to pick the best one for you. Otherwise, you can email her for a more personal advise.

The good thing is that Selfridges in Europe is selling them too. They have free shipping from £50 right now (normally £15) so that might be interesting for picking up some other goodies like this Suqqu Christmas set (on sale)

But I guess shopping more was not on your #resolution list?

Alexis Smart Wholehearted Remedy: a Sad Bunny Soother

I talk a lot about beauty, duh...beautyblogger. But if we go to "Happiest Girls are the Prettiest" (Audrey Hepburn), I have been lacking lately on the field of happiness.

Enter: Alexis Smart Wholehearted Remedy

I have been trying, and liking, Alexis Smart Beauty Formula no. 8 before (here). This time, I would go beyond the superfical to soothe my sadness.

So why the sadness? That is a very long story but to make it less complicated and more beauty related: necessary hairtrims.

The longer story: A couple of years ago I have lost my mother to cancer. I really held on to the hair that she touched and caressed for the last time. My hair was healthy and was able to grow a lot. My longest length was towards my booty.

Over the last 3 years I have been doing regular trims, with a sad heart every time as I would loose more of my 'mother's touched hair'. Eventually, I probably trimmed all of this hair. But symbolically, I felt more connected to my mother for still having long hair.

Then I made it blonder, so I looked more like my mother used to do. Something soothing about having the pale locks like my mother used to have. But this did not do the quality of my hair any favours either...

the ingredients to soothe a Sad Bunny? Perhaps...

So people who say "it's just hair"...It often never is "just" for a woman.

Well, you know my blog and if you find my tag 'Hair' you will find all types of products I tried to keep it healthy.

But my sadness goes further that this too, but it is a large part of it.

So I needed a Fairy Godmother or such:

USING Alexis Smart Wholehearted:

Wholehearted works like most flower remedies: take a couple of drops a day under the tongue. In Wholehearted's care: four times. 

Four drops a day keeps the sadness away (?)

Effect:

Since I have been going to University again, I had to go by train. It was emotionally so exhausting seeing various women with really long hair that sometimes I started crying for the whole train-ride. 

What a wonderful impression, right, when you still have to listen and look representative during lectures.

After a month I feel I can cope a bit better. Somehow my inner voice seems to filter things a bit better and things that were absolutely awful and intolerable can still feel bad, but I can keep a better control over the crying and other sadness-related emotions.

not quite yet, but soonish...

That does not mean I am there yet. I still need something more than drops: the occasional empathetic talk or a bit of sympathy. I could use a nice hairdresser too, but I guess that would be a case of intuition, some good references and a bit of Fairy Bunny luck.

What happened to Last Year's Resolutions?

Last year I made a slightly ironic spin to some resolutions that were somewhat serious: 

An overview:

1. Taking my superfoods (here):

The superficial: I linked this resolution with a new eyecream from Nourish. I'll spare you the complete name but it has Kale inside. I really enjoyed this eyecream but somehow I have not repurchased yet. I think I will soon.

The deeper meaning: I was already on a good roll in the previous year but I continued taking my green juices meticiously. It might have been too much, which will connect to my next resolution.

2. Focus on Inner Beauty (here):

The Superficial: I've bought a holistic Flower Remedy from Californian blender Alexis Smart (more here). I love to repurchase but shipping costs are exuberant. Still debating...

The Deeper: getting closer to the big 4.0., getting single, photo/face-obsessed society & competing (sorry, but that sometimes how it is) with women who are becoming more & more 'flawless' can be a total B&*%. I'm not quite there yet so that resolution still stays in 2015.

3. Improving my French (here):

The Superficial: buying a buckload of French cosmetics: ✓, ✓ and another check. I refound my love for this online retailer who has sharper prices.

The Deeper: Another ✓ for improving language: I've lived in Barcelona for 2 months to go to a Spanish language school. Living in a metropole has always been a bucketlist thing and, though my Spanish kinda seeped down the last couple of months, I improved on it.

4. A New Cafeine Habit (here):

The Superficial: I think few people would say that they want to use more caffeine in the new year, but I'm talking anti-cellulite creams here. That's a serious business to stay perky upon.

The Deeper: I drank a lot of coffee and still do. I'm going to replace some cups with herbal tea to tone it down.

5. Cleaning Up (here):

The Superficial: Facial cleansing grains from quirky etsy-shops.

The Deeper: I always thought that getting closer to the dreadful 4.0 would include a sudden vigour into cleaning the house. In my case: not really (or really not). I just have to tackle this undesire with a sharper schedule and a good playlist on my headphone.

I'm gonna think of a new set of resolutions so you'll hear soon about them....

Ps: do you have some resolutions? Either superficial or deeper?

Alexis Smart Beauty Formula no. 8: a Post-Resolutions Update

Remember my delirious set of resolutions in '14? I thought it's time to give an update on these after the first 3 months have been 'resolution'-nised into 2014.

I just finished my Alexis Smart Beauty Potion no. 8: I blogged about it here.

Alexis Smart remedies are a type of Bach-remedies sort of drops that you can use according to your 'lack' or 'what's missing'. I intentionally placed these words into brackets as Flower Remedies do not believe too much into 'lacks' and 'negative', only into strenghtening the postive aspects of a person (read more in my previous article).

Now, did it work? 

Ok, the aspect of thinking of buying a 'beauty potion' and especially in the mystical sounding 'no 8' is that you might expect Beeaaauuutttyyy. Never mind my sarcasm because as a beautyblogger I won't strive for unpretty-ness, but I'm not one to be in the Oscar Wilde type-of-thinking that "beauty for beauty's sake" is enough.

Neither is the standpoint of this formula, as it focusses on inner-beauty and relaxation, that will help your outer features be more of "your radiant self".

In that aspect: It worked! 

I've been using the drops religiously every 4 times a day for a month, and felt more relaxed after that month. 

I had lapsed into a certain beauty-obession before the formula. For example: working out! I frequently went to a High Intensity Training to trim away my *hardly there* cellulite and I wasn't having that much fun with it anymore. Moreover, I didn't loose any fatty tissue, I started to gain again!

Not so unlogical as the H.I.T training made me really tired so afterwards I sank into the couch with food and didn't come out for a while.

Then it figured: I used to have a better body when I did my Zumba classes: they are not so high intensity, but I had heaps of energy and a zest for life afterwards. I wouldn't sink into the couch but had energy to walk frequently, cycle, etc. Basically, a lower intensity training but still with tons of fun has a better result on my body and food patterns.

This is just a body example but I have had a similar epiphany with my superfoods: I blended every powder, think spirulina, wheatgrass, barley, MSM, Acai, Baobab into my morning smoothie. Then at 10 am I felt I missed something nice tasting so I drank lots of sugary coffee. 

OVERCOMPENSATION!

I'm still not completely there of being obsessed: see my last hairstory-trauma.

Funnily, because I'm less obessed I will not repurchase an expensive bottle of drops. I do love her fomulas and am on another one I might blog about it soon.  She recommends taking one formula at the time and that one is a bit more important right now. See, it works!

Resolution '14: Focus on Inner Beauty (with Alex Beauty Formula N8)

I kinda have a songtune in my head when writing about my latest 'gimmick':"I'm a believer". I'm too young to thought it was sung by 'The Beatles' (instead of the Monkeys) but too old to think of Justin.

So I bought the Flower Remedy concoction from Alexis Smart. Flower Remedies are tinctures based on alcohol [yippie, alcohol...missed it since NYE!] and a whole lot of distilled flowers and herbs inside. Here is a more nuanced description of what I totally cramped into one sentence. 

It is based on Dr. Bach formulas and have been sold since the end of the 1930s. So in a way it is something that 'believers' think they really help, and the cynics think they won't.

Smart compared to my oftenly used Bach Rescue Remedy

Alexis has been so smart (ofcourse, this pun!) to embed her Californian roots and the need for beauty into a formula. Botox is soooo 2013 or maybe sooo 2012 and relaxing the face can also occur by releasing inner tension: when you do not feel the need to frown, you don't have to paralyse muscles either.

It is not the only remedy of her; she's having a variety and I was really between choices. But most formulas cannot be mixed up or combined (except for First Aid):

So I picked beauty as I felt really unpretty in December, even if I took major effort to be radiant. But you know, sometimes it isn't happening and some inner relaxation about the [obsession with] beauty might help, and that is a part of this formula

And how superficial I might sound, it sure seems to work on ms. Smart herself, the beauty formula:

Right now I have been using it for a week...I am not so obsessed about beauty, layers of makeup and blowdrying hair as I was in December. I think the muscles in my face look more relaxed. But I might be a believer... (but if the placebo helps...)

Ah, the song from the Monkeys

De Mamiel Autumn Facial Oil

Autumn is officially over and I'm about to discuss my De Mamiel Autumn oil. I'm still going to because seasons are not always bound to dates, so there you go:

 

 I adore this oil right now in autumn-like weather, but that is not how it started...

When I got this oil, the season-date was offically autumn, but felt like an Indian Summer. I opened it and found the fragance to be too warm, too obtrusive, so I went back to my Bodhi Face Oil.

Then it started to get colder, leaves where falling and the rain kicked in. I tried this oil again and the blend of warming and soothing oils felt like bliss.

I will not elaborate too much about this oil as De Mamiel is already brilliant in that (see here). The ingredient list proves that it is not only a couple of oils blended together: it is a long and beautiful list and it is not merely bound to aromatherapy. 

 

The Flower essences even go deeper into treating a specific target: perhaps Bach Flower Remedies might sound familiar, especially their Rescue Remedy.  For example, they addded "Yerba Santa – helps encourage healthy breathing, helps release trauma and promotes positive thought" & "Snowdrop – helps the mind accept transition". Both healthy breathing (during flu season) and acceptance for the seasonal transition is key for autumn.

Shortly, De Mamiel season oils combine both aromatherapy, beautiful base oils and the flower remedy powers to target the [possible] physical and emotional reaction that is attacted to the season.

I am often slightly cynical about 'the latest thing' but I have to notice that I love using this oil. The blend and the fragance (that I found obtrusive during summer weather) feels like the most harmonic blend at night when weather is autumn-like.

golden oil

Also, "next morning skin"! If my skin gotten sensitive (read: patchy) during the day, this oil has the properties to balance it over night. I wake up with less patches and a dewy & more radiant complexion.

I can't hardly think that De Mamiel Winter oil will be better. However, my curiosity and my almost empty bottle of Autumn made me order Winter too.

The 'Autumn' blend is still on sale at cultbeauty.com & victoriahealth.com. I'm waiting for 'Winter' that I bought from beingcontent, partly because I ordered their sample set (£3) that will include May Lindstrom the Blue Cocoon too.

previous sample set

I'm so curious if that one lives up to the already created hype. 

ps: Happy winter (summer for southern Hemisphere) and happy preparation for Xmas...