Skin and scents

These products look so delicious and would make the perfect holiday gifts

1  Create a soothing atmosphere in your bedroom with L'Occitane relaxing pillow mist, containing essential oils from lavender, bergamot, mandarin, sweet orange and geranium.

Links: Iceland / Outside Iceland

2  MAD et LEN hand poured scented candles come from the south of France. The candles contain essential oils and come in a beautiful rustic brushed black steel vessel. I adore scented candles and would love to add this one to my home.

Links: Iceland / Outside Iceland

3 Crema Al Polline from Florence's Santa Maria Novella 400 year old stunning Apothecary. Who can resist that? Florence is one of my favorite cities and I cannot believe that I only discovered this gem recently!

Links: Iceland / Outside Iceland

4  For luminous skin this facial serum from Icelandic company Purity herbs is worth trying. It contains sea buckthorne oil and avocado oil.

Links: Iceland / Outside Iceland

5  Mojave Ghost is a new addition to Byredo's family of perfumes, with top notes of ambrette and Jamaican nesberry. I love the name and can't wait to try this fragrance.

Links: Iceland / Outside Iceland

xxx Eva

Looking for a little glow (and then some)

Þegar ég sá að  bæði Maiken bloggari hjá Nouvelle og Andrea hjá  I want to be her! pinnuðu húðvörur frá Mario Badescu sama daginn varð ég pínu forvitin. Ég þekki þetta merki ekki neitt en þar sem ég er nú komin á þann aldur að vera farin að gera meiri kröfur á krem (og því meiri verða vonbrigðin) þá eru allar nýjungar vel þegnar. Ef krem getur látið mig líta út fyrir að hafa sofið í 8 tíma þá er ég þokkalega sátt en fæst krem standast það próf hvað þá að geta komið í veg fyrir þyngdarlögmálið eða læknað þurrk, hrukkur, bólur og litabletti (eruð þið farin að sjá fyrir ykkur Ópið eftir Munch?). Ég skoðaði aðeins heimasíðuna og sá að í þessum litlu flöskum hér að ofan gætu leynst þeir dropar sem gera gæfumuninn :)

Cellufirm drops

Peptide renewal serum

Hyaluronic emulsion 

When I noticed that both Andrea from I want to be her! and Nouvelle's Maiken Winther pinned skin care products from Mario Badescu the same day I got curious. I don't know this brand but since I have reached a stage in my life where I have greater demands on my creams (and thus get disappointed more often than not) I welcome all innovation. If the product can make me look like I've slept for 8 hours then I'm partially satisfied but the fewest of them can defy gravity, cure dryness, wrinkles, acne and dark spots (are you imagining Munch's The scream yet?). I browsed the Mario Badescu website and the little bottles above might contain the precious drops that do the wonder :)

XEva

Miracle rescue face mask

English below

Ég þurfti að fara í smá boð beint eftir flug í síðustu viku. Ég var sérstaklega þreytuleg og andlitið á mér þrútið eftir flugið svo ég var staðráðin í að finna mér eitthvað í Fríhöfninni til að redda því. Af einskærri tilviljun sá ég andlitsmaska frá Dr. Bragi - húðlína sem ég þekki ekkert og hef aldrei prófað neinar vörur frá. Húðlínan er þróuð af Dr. Jóni Braga heitnum sem var prófessor í lífefnafræði við Háskóla Íslands , einum af helstu sérfræðingum heims á sviði ensíma. Hann gerði mikið af rannsóknum á sjávarensímum og jákvæðar niðurstöður þeirra leiddu af sér þróun á húðlínunni. Mér fannst 1.500 kr. heldur dýrt fyrir einn andlitsmaska en ég keypti hann nú samt. Maskinn er blautur klútur sem maður setur á andlitið meðan maður slakar á í korter. Í maskanum eru sjávarensím sem eiga að vinna á roða, þurrki, þrota og fínum línum. Það var mjög notalegt að vera með maskann og andlitið á mér tók vel við sér. Ég fékk nokkur komment á hvað ég liti vel út þetta kvöld og það er án efa algjörlega þessum maska að þakka. Mig langar alveg svakalega að prófa meira frá þessu merki, ekki spillir að vörurnar innihalda engin, rotvarnarefni, paraben eða ilmefni. Ég sá litla túpu af rakakremi í fríhöfninni, við hliðina á maskanum sem ég væri til í að prófa en ég finn ekki þetta krem á netinu. Smellið hér til að skoða meira um þessa línu.

I  had to go to this event straight after a flight last week. My face looked bloated and tired and I was determined to get something in duty free to save it. I accidentally past by this Dr. Bragi face mask. I have never tried anything from this Icelandic brand before. It is created by the late Dr. Jón Bragi, a professor in biochemistry at the University of Iceland, who did extensive research on the effectiveness of marine enzymes from Iceland's sea waters. The products are paraben, artificial additives and perfume free. I thought that for one face mask the price was a little high but decided to give it a go anyway. It's a wet fabric cloth mask that you cover your face with for 15 minutes while lying down and relaxing. The mask contains marine enzymes and is supposed to target redness, dehydration, loss of firmness and signs of ageing. The face mask felt really good against the skin and after only one use my face had this nice glow. I got a lot of comments on "looking good" that night and I definitely credit that to this face mask. I really want to try some of the other products from this line. Especially a small bottle of moisturizer that was sitting on the shelf besides the face mask but I don't see that in the webshop. Must go look elsewhere :) Check out the Dr. Bragi webshop

Xx Eva

I tried - Going to bed without make-up...

Since I've been going to the gym 4-7 times a week my waterproof mascara has been my best friend. However it's a pain to take off and I really, really want to minimize the time that I stay in the bathroom removing make-up and cleansing my face - The longer it takes the chance is bigger that I go to bed with make-up on and leave it there until I have no choice the next morning. I have bought a few make-up removers for waterproof mascara but they are either expensive or not doing the job - or both. So I have turned to cold pressed coconut oil. The best make-up remover ever. I slather it on my eyes, rub it in and remove the make up with a wet cotton pad. It does not sting or burn, it just feels great and removes every trace of make up. I guess most of you have heard of this genius (!) advice before - so I will include a little twist. I have stopped using eye cream....! I have been using all kinds of eye creams for years because I tend to have very puffy eyes especially when travelling, so on my last trip I brought the coconut oil with me and there was not a puff in sight. I love this! Another cheap product that I'm loving is Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser. I put a little drop on the clarisonic brush and it feels great against my skin. Added bonus, these products are available at the drugstore or supermarket (online check f.ex. here)!

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Eftir að ég fór að fara á æfingar 4-7 sinnum í viku hef ég þurft að fjárfesta í vatnsheldum maskara sem er snilld en það óþolandi að taka hann af. Ég nenni ekki að vera lengi inni á baðherbergi á kvöldin og þegar það er eitthvað svona vesen er auðveldara að fara bara að sofa með allt framan í sér og ráðast í þetta morguninn eftir þegar maður hefur svosem ekkert val hvort sem er. Ég er búin að kaupa margar mismunandi gerðir dýrar og ódýrar til að fjarlækja augnfarða en hef ekki fundið neitt sem mér líkar nógu vel. Ég prófaði því að nota kaldpressaða kókosolíu sem hefur reynst það besta hingað til! Ég nudda henni á augun og þurrka með votri bómullarskífu. Ég finn ekki fyrir neinum sviða undan olíunni og þetta er eitthvað svo auðvelt og þægilegt. Líklega hafið þið heyrt um þetta ráð áður þar sem kókosolía hefur verið mikið í umræðunni  - svo ég er með smá aukavinning hérna. Ég er hætt að nota augnkrem...! Ég hef notað alls konar augnkrem í mörg ár, aðallega af því ég er oft bólgin í kringum augun, sérstaklega á ferðalögum. Ég tók kókosolíuna með mér í síðustu ferð og varð ekkert bólgin, hvorki eftir flug né lítinn svefn. Önnur svona ódýr snilld er Cetaphil "gentle skin cleanser" sem ég set á clarisonic burstann til að þrífa á mér andlitið. Rosalega mjúkt og þægilegt hreinsiefni. Það besta við þetta er að þetta fæst í næstu matvöruverslun! (Cetaphil fæst í Kosti).

Xx Eva

Meet my rescue team

Meet my new rescue team. The Clarisonic "Mia" cleansing device which I ordered online and the Shiseido moisture relaxing mask which I got on sale at the airport. Tried both yesterday and at least my skin feels silky soft. After cleansing I put the mask on for about ten minutes, rinsed it of and applied a mix of some of my oils and went to bed early. After long nights of partying in Riga, Latvia last weekend, the flights and a cold I was desperate ;) I'll let you know if this thing is just another fad or a keeper.

Jæja hér er björgunarteymið mitt mætt. Clarisonic "Mia" hreinsiburstinn sem ég pantaði á netinu og rakamaskinn "moisture relaxing mask"  frá Shiseido sem var á tilboði í Fríhöfninni. Ég prófaði bæði í gær og húðin er silkimjúk. Ég hreinsaði  andlitið með tryllitækinu og setti maskann á mig á eftir í tíu mínútur. Eftir það setti ég á mig blöndu af nokkrum olíum og fór svo snemma að sofa. Það var smá partýstand í Riga, Lettlandi um síðustu helgi sem hafði sín áhrif, flugið og kvef ofan í þetta allt saman hafði í för með sér mikla örvæntingu ;) Ég mun láta ykkur vita hvort ég er að fíla þetta tæki eða hvort þetta rykfellur uppi í hillu.

Xx Eva

Two things to try...

People have been raving about the Clarisonic skin cleansing device for a long time now and I'm always thinking about getting it but never do. I've been afraid that it would just sit in the bathroom cabinet with the rest of the (expensive) skin care stuff I've used one time only. Now I am at a point that I don't even care anymore I'm so curious to try! I'd also like to try Shiseido's Advanced Super Revitalizing Cream to brighten up my winter dull skin. Those two together - Oh my ;)

Xx Eva

A weekend in D.C.

I spent the weekend in DC - locked up in meeting rooms most of the time - not at all a bad thing - A great conference and even though time was limited I can recommend some things. Just around the corner from the conference hotel I found this lovely vintage shop (I felt sooo lucky) called Via Gypset. I  spent my lunchtime in there both Friday and Saturday and got myself a black velvet bolero jacket with gold details and a little hippie top. I really really wanted the lavender fur coat (Boy band of outsiders) but it was too big. Via Gypset has a good selection of high end pieces as well as some more fun stuff....And they will have an online shop up and running soon - probably February. Of course I stopped by CVS and got bio oil (for my many scars), Cetaphil face wash, Burt's bees serum with royal jelly and travel size hair conditioner and heavy cream from Redken. If you want great food, go to Lincoln or Central Saint Michel Richard - OMG I got the best meals ever. Please order the mussels at Lincoln and the spinach salad at Central. These are not cheap restaurants but I'm telling you, they are well worth the money!

Xx Eva

Imges: Dusty, lincolnrestaurant-dc.com, centralmichelrichard.com

FULL COVER

One step correcteur serum/Stila // Full cover waterproof concealer/ Makeup forever

 

When I was in San Francisco I bought these two products at SEPHORA. I have used both almost every day since! I'm not sure if they are making me any prettier but I still lik'em. The three-color Stila serum is very smooth and soft and I'm trying to convince myself that the green takes away some of the redness on my cheeks and around my nose. The Makeup forever concealer is really thick and I only apply it right on top of the serum - on the same red areas (it's to heavy for the under eye area, for that I'd probably use YSL Touche éclat or something similar). My face is dry like a desert in the wintertime and I'm using a lot of different products to try to give it some moisture. I use Embryolisse moisturizer in the morning and oils in the evening (I switch between the "home-made" ones and Nuxe - huile prodegieuse) or I use the EGF serum. It's still not enough. I should probably drink more water, eat more wisely and get more sleep. Why is that so hard?

 

Xx Eva

 

 

In my bathroom cabinet

I'm not very loyal to make-up and skincare products or brands but these five products I buy again and again and they are always in my bathroom cabinet.

1. EGF Bio Effect serum - I put two drops on my face in the evening
2. L'Oreal Mascara - Best mascara I've found since Dior Maximeyes was discontinued
3. Clinique antiperspirant deodorant - Suits my sensitive skin
4. Dior Bronze self tanner - Smells nice and gives just a hint of color
5. Kanebo Sensai silk peeling powder - I use this once a week. It leaves my skin incredibly soft and smooth.

Xx Eva

Happy Christmas

Vipp pedal bin // Wool blanket // Tall coffee cups // Algae mask/ Blue Lagoon // Key chain/Tulipop // Hairbrush/Mason Pearson // Jón in color // Scented candle/Voluspa // Goose lamp/Heico

I've just realized that Christmas will be here before we know it. So now is the time to write a wish list :) Besides world peace, mine would include the algae mask, Jón in color and a Heico lamp. I have already bought 2 Christmas presents, both for my daughter and due to my impulsiveness relapse  - I gave them to her already!...not at all a great move.

Xx Eva

Obsession

Image Eva



My skincare obsession continues. I decided to make my own remedies and found some recipes online. This is no new science but since I've never tried anything like this I figured why not give it a go. These recipes promise to clear your skin, moisturize, give it a healthy glow and reduce fine lines (hallelujah).  The first bottle contains olive oil and the juice from one lemon and one orange. The second bottle is filled up,half and half; castor oil and olive oil.  The castor oil is said to remove black heads and other "dirt" from your skin, the olive oil acts as a moisturizer and the lemon and orange juice give you "the glow" and work on the fine lines. I can't wait to try this. I will keep you posted :) (Yes I know, I'm probably a little over-excited...can't help myself ;))

Xx Eva

Three is a party



What they promise to do:
1. Chanel sublimage la creme, The complexion will be more radiant and even. Facial contours  firmer. The face smoother, more toned and you will glow with beauty.
2. Dr. Brandt lineless eye cream, an anti-aging, anti-oxidant eye care essential which  maintains a youthful eye contour with vitamins C and E to help the skin look younger by reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
3. Estee Lauder advanced night repair, a serum for younger, smoother and more radiant looking skin.

I went through some of the top-shelf posts on into the gloss and got inspired by women that are around the age of forty. Some of the stuff recommended would ruin me and some of the products are prescription only, which I cannot be bothered with. So here are three products that should not be so hard to find. I wouldn't buy the Chanel cream "just to try" because it is really, really expensive, but if I could get my hands on a sample and it would work - maybe I would go for it and switch between that one and the Embryolisse cream (the cheap pharmacy cream sans parabens from France). I am always looking for that one perfect face cream without much luck. The eye cream I would love to try and I can't believe I've never tried the Advanced night repair!

Xx Eva

Only Lyon





Sweater/Etoile Isabel Marant // Jeans/JBrand // Coat/Etoile Isabel Marant // Bag/Zadig & Voltaire // Boots/Fiorentini & Baker // Belt/Etoile Isabel Marant // Earrings/Sandro

Just got back from Lyon. It took me a while to get the feel of this city (maybe because I was locked up in meeting rooms most of the time) but it has a certain charm. First of all the Lyonnaise people are some of the nicest and most helpful people in Europe! When I spoke in my cassé French everyone was very patient and happy that I did try :) The city is partly set on a hill which is really pretty and the view from up there is fantastic. The park is peaceful and neat and it contains a zoo as well as a botanical garden. The food - Oh my Lord! If you want good food, go to Lyon! You get the typical Lyonnaise food at the Bouchon's and then you have all kinds of restaurants in all the neighborhoods that just serve genuinely good food. Nothing fancy just really tasty. I went to Le Bouchon de L'Opera and can recommend everything I ate :) The restaurant interior can not be described to do it justice but it is really cozy, French and over the top :) The waiter turned out to be the chef as well and better service is hard to find!  Be sure to taste the salade Lyonnaise and the saint Marcellin cheese if you go there.  Another restau I can recommend is the Cuisine & dependence. A small restaurant with delicate food. It is also very nice to walk around the old town in the evening - It is full of life and restaurants where you can sit outside have a meal and do some people watching. Now to the wine. Drinking red wine without getting purple teeth or drunk right away is refreshing - and if you are as lucky as I was you can taste as many beaujolais crus as you wish :) (yes I passed by a wine tasting). The Lyon fashion is all about black, biker boots and leather. You can get a great selection of Isabel Marant, Sandro, Maje, The Kooples and all the other French labels and if you don't have much time you should hurry to Printemps' first floor :) My pharmacy purchases this time included: Klorane dry shampoo, Embryolisse moisturizer, Bioderma cleanser (both good for dry/sensitive skin) and two devine vanilla fragrances :) I would love to go to Lyon again on December 8th when they celebrate Fête des lumières - I imagine it to be magical.
Xx Eva

PARIS BEAUTY BUYS

I ended up buying the cheaper version of the BB cream from Lab. Garnier. It's not worse than the Estee Lauder one, just different. What I like about it is that I don´t need to apply additional sunscreen (note the Estee Lauder one has a higher factor) and I don't need to apply concealer! Also there is no need for extra moisturizer, I just apply a little serum underneath. I think I will use this in the summertime as there is no point applying anything with sunscreen in it during winter here in Iceland. My other Paris beauty buys include Huile Prodigieuse (dry oil) from Nuxe. I love the smell - they also have it as perfume, but I like the oil, I have had it before. In addition I got  argan oil for dry/mature (!) skin for dry patches on my cheeks. I think I can blend it with the Nuxe one. There was a pharmacy right outside my hotel and I spent at least an hour in there. Parisian pharmacies are almost as good as U.S. drugstores :)

Xx Eva

WATER WORKS

We have the purest water here in Iceland and I'm grateful. My problem is that I have found it hard to drink a decent amount of water during the day. Usually ending up with a cup of coffee instead of water. Doing 3-5 cardio sessions a week where I sweat so much that I look like I'm coming straight from the shower, I had to improve my drinking habits. According to this hydration calculator I should be drinking 10 glasses of water a day! I´m guessing on my good days I've been drinking 5-6 glasses. 


Occasionally I have bought some juices from The Berry Company and loved them and when I tasted their tea's I was sold. Now I blend my water (7:1) with the white or the green tea (it's supposed to be served unblended though)and it makes the water run down much more smoothly, helping me reach the 10 glasses a day.

Xx E

Ps. I got a sample of Estee Lauder's BB cream yesterday and quite like it. It smells of cucumber and the consistency is quite thick. I have only tried it once and I was pleasantly surprised. I'll wait with a verdict though until I've used it for at least a week :) Haven't checked if it contains some 'evil' ingredients (I suppose at least perfume if it smells of cucumber). Found this educational post about chemicals in skincare products.

THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL

Recently  - Well maybe for about a year or so, I have spotted in various beauty editorials, ad‘s, blogs and drugstores; The BB cream. I am not the one to jump on the latest trends when it comes to skincare products but since BB creams continue to emerge  I decided to read a little to see what the fuzz is about. It appears that this is not at all a new product. BB creams (blemish balms) have been hugely popular around Asia (specially Korea and Japan) for years. They just haven‘t been marketed heavily anywhere else until  recently. So.. what is it? From what I have read it‘s like a ten in one product! It‘s a base, moisturizer, sunblock, concealer, pore smoother, brightener, tightener, light foundation, blemish and wrinkle treatment and it soothes the skin. Yes that’s actually eleven!  The reviews are mixed as you would expect.  Some say you need to apply moisturizer on top (or maybe underneath), your skin can look oily and the color range is poor. Still most big skincare companies like Clinique, Dior and Estee Lauder have come out with a version and more are on their way.  Why would I want to buy one? Well convenience for one. I use moisturizer, eye-cream and concealer every day and SPF in the summer.  Also if this does something more like makes my skin illuminate or minimizes my pores that would be an added benefit. I hate when people ask me if I'm tired when I have had 10 hours of sleep and something in a jar that would (instantly) make me look young and well rested would be nice. I will definitely have to try one at least. If you are thinking about trying one it is probably a good idea to read the label first and find out which one would fit your skin. Especially if, like me, you have sensitive skin or skin prone to acne.  I will post again when I have done the In vivo research :)
Xx E

Pure skin

My 16 year old daughter just came home from a  vacation in the south of Spain. Before she went I made sure to stock up on sunscreen - SPF 50 for her fair skin and also some aloe vera after sun lotion. She came home with some freckles and a hint of a tan but she brought back the bottle of after sun and told me it contained "unhealthy stuff" -meaning parabens. In my eagerness to educate her about the dangers of sun rays I had forgotten about parabens. I usually go for cosmetics that are claimed to have no parabens - one of the reasons being that they might irritate my sensitive skin. When my daughter brought the parabens to my attention I decided to do some online research and realised that there are so many ingredients besides  parabens to look out for and try to avoid. My goal now is to consciously look for pure cosmetics and read the label before I hand out my credit card. One of the brands I came across while  researching was Sóley Organics. An Icelandic brand free from parabens amongst other things and the packaging is pretty. I haven't tried any of the products yet but I'm quite tempted.

Xx Eva