PUREOLOGY

I'm very lazy looking after my hair and my most common only treatment is wiping some left over coconut oil into my hair when I'm cooking.

I had a haircut in London not too long ago with my amazing hairdresser whom I've seen on a regular basis for the last 7 years or so and as my hair was dry like a hayfield he recommended this product: Pureology mask. Works wonders on a dry hair!


Heidi x  

VINYLUX

I discovered Vinylux nail polish in Miami this winter - it's a weekly polish that you can remove by yourself and doesn't require soaking in acetone or breaking the surface before. It lasts about a week nice and shiny without chipping and even longer on your toes.  

I was very happy to find it here in London as well. I love red nails on me but they normally last only about a day. I'm not good at maintaining anything (hair, nails etc.) and I hate the idea of not being able to remove the polish by myself, so Vinylux is clearly the product for me.

Perfect red!

Heidi x

EPSOM SALT

Another great routine besides the lemon water (I'm a big fan of that habit as well) is having an Epsom salt bath 3-4 times a week.

This specific salt is rich with magnesium and sulfate that can be both absorbed through your skin. According to studies it has a lot of health benefits; it improves nerve function and absorption of nutrients, relieves stress and flushes toxins and heavy metals from the cells, eases muscle pain and reduces inflammation just to name a few.

Add few cups of Epsom salt to your bath and soak for at least 12 minutes.


Heidi x    

ON MY COFFEE TABLE

I go back to these books every now and then when looking for new ideas (minus the art book!).


Heidi x

MY NEW ADDICTION

My newest perfume addiction is Clive Christian's "X". I can't get enough of it! If you happen to be a in a department store that stocks it give it a try... I bet you'll like it too.

Minna x

CALIFORNIA BABY

Here's great few organic and non-toxic products for kids that we love from California Baby: bug repellent made of essential oils and a bubble bath mix.

Happy Valentine's!

Heidi x

WEDDING MANI @ LORETA JAG

We managed to fit quite a lot in our short girlie weekend. One of the things I had planned for us was a manicure at my favourite salon Loreta Jag in Knightsbridge. This is what awaited for us. What a lovely treat!

Loreta opened her salon only recently. Before that she operated a mobile service. I have had her doing my nails for years; from before I even had children. I'm fussy when it comes to my nails and I can, a hand on my heart say that nobody does a mani and a pedi like Loreta. She's quick and efficient and does the most immaculate job in painting. The other girls at her salon seem to be just as good too!

Loreta herself is on the left.

My friend Anna's super cool manicure. The kind of colour I often opt for.

And this is mine. I wanted Loreta to do my nails for my wedding so I had to have them done a week before the date. Never mind though as Shellac (or Artistic in this case) will still look brand new on the day. Note (the just about visible) different colour on my ring finger. Thought that was quite clever of me, heh.

Minna x

Ps. Thank you SO MUCH for all the lovely comments in my previous post!

Pps. You can find Loreta Jag in 2 Yeoman's Row in Knightsbridge not far from Harrods. 

INSIDE MY BATHROOM

I wanted to post about a product that I've heard a lot people talking about. A friend of mine gave me one to try, but truthfully I haven't been using it for too long. 

Do you know this one? It's supposed to be a miracle cream used by make-up artists. So far it feels fine on my face but I'm still testing if it's going to be a permanent addition to my routine.
 

Heidi x

MY FAVOURITE CLEANSING PRODUCT

A quick post about my favourite cleansing product I always stock up when I'm in France. You can find it in most pharmacies. It's a make-up remover that doesn't need to be rinsed off with water. My skin is pretty dry and I find washing my face with water makes it worse. This one removes make-up and dirt gently and lets your skin breathe.

You just dap some product onto a cotton ball and wipe off the make-up from your face, followed by a toner and a face cream.

Heidi x

OIL PULLING

I wanted to share my latest addition to my morning routine: oil pulling. There's been quite a lot of talk about this ancient Ayurvedic method for oral health, detoxification and rejuvenation in various blogs, websites and social media. So what is oil pulling? It's simply using an oil as a mouthwash. The process of swishing oil in your mouth attracts and removes bacteria, toxins and parasites. Apparently this practice whitens teeth, clears up acne and can lead to a healthy and glowing complexion.

Sounds bizarre, I know but I'm giving it a try! So far my gums, mouth and lips feel hydrated and my teeth are very shiny.  

Here's what I do:

First thing in the morning before I brush my teeth or eat anything I put a tablespoon of cold-pressed, unrefined oil in my mouth. I've been using coconut oil, but apparently a lot of people use sesame and sunflower oil. I swish it around in my mouth and push it and pull it through my teeth for about 10-15 minutes. Then I spill it all out and the oil should now have a milky, watery texture. That's your reference you've done it properly. Remember not to swallow! The oil will be filled with toxins once pulled. Then I rinse my mouth with salty water followed by a normal brush.

One way to get me very quiet while preparing breakfast for the family!

Heidi x

HELIOCARE

A quick beauty post, quite relevant to beach holidays. Have you ever heard of a sun cream brand Heliocare? I hadn't until a Dermatologist recommended it to me and now I want to recommend it to you guys as it's brilliant. I started wearing an SPF under my daily moisturiser about five years ago. I guess 30 is the age when you start noticing the first signs of ageing and realising that your skin is not invincible after all! What a shock! :-) In those five years I've tried many different sun creams that are meant for face and neck. Most of them are way too heavy and leave your face looking ghost white. Some are too greasy. Heliocare smells lovely, is light and non-greasy, doesn't leave a white layer on your face and at least for my skin is enough on its own to moisturise as well. I use it every single day of the year whether it's winter or summer or whether I'm in Finland or Barbados. If only I had started wearing an SPF every day when I was 20! If you're in your twenties and reading this start now and you'll thank me when you're older ;-) The Heliocare cream I use is the SPF 50 gel. Even though it's called a gel the consistency is more like a light cream. In London I buy Heliocare at a pharmacy on Wigmore Street but you can order it from Amazon too.

Minna x

MANE THINGS FIRST

As silly as this may seem I thought I better explain what has happened to my hair as I know I will get asked when you see a picture of me on the blog... :-)

1. Early this year I had my long hair cut to a long bob. I quite liked it.

2. I headed down to South of France for the summer and within the first week of sun on my hair the colour turned a very cheap shade of blonde. I turned to a local French hairdresser who gave me a much nicer colour however the "trim" he gave me ended up being a bit more like a butchering that gave me a hairstyle that someone I know calls the "newsreader" look. I hated it... With passion.

3. I disliked the newsreader look so much that I decided to go for hair extensions. So that's where we are at currently. I've also decided to grow out my natural colour and forget about the super blonde look. I think it's time; after all I'm nearer to 40 than 30! 

When I think back to my long history of different hair styles the one I liked it the most was when I was in my teens and my hair was long, healthy and very close to my natural colour or even a touch darker. You live and learn. Right, now that's out of the way and I can start posting ;-)

Minna x