SUGARLEDGE

trying out - crest white strips

2011-05-18T12:57:00.000-07:00

Having heard excellent reviews for a while, I was glad to discover that crest white strips were available in pharmacies in France. Its an at-home teeth whitening system that you use twice a day for 14 days and claims to leave your pearly whites with professional looking results that will last for up to a year. I highly doubt that the results will exceed 3-4 months but..... we'll see!

I've used it for a couple of days now-(inconsistently- i must admit) and have noticed a slight improvement- nothing to do cartwheels of ecstasy over. I don't need it for anything major-just want it to remove stains from all that green tea drink-age i engage in. Let me know if you've tied it. Ill do a proper update/review when I've used up the box.

take care and smile (because you're a superstar!) xox

words of sweet insight

2011-05-18T12:09:00.001-07:00

'Life is too short to be little'

Benjamin Disraeli

what's on my plate? -a typical day on my new diet

2011-05-16T08:35:00.000-07:00

Recently, I've been incredibly good on the healthy eating/regular exercise front. (Let's hope this spark of motivation keeps burning!). This follows a decision to get my body in the best shape of my life. I refuse to have high blood pressure/high cholesterol/diabetes etc when i'm much older so i need to form healthy habits now. At the moment I go for a run 5 days a week at Jardin Tuileries (a gorgeous park with trees and lakes where you can watch the sun set to the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower.I know. Paris indignantly refuses to stop being magical after all these months.)

Whilst it was initially VERY HARD to motivate myself to exercise consistently, I now look forward to workouts, anticipating the endorphin high. Luckily, exercise has the roll-on effect of making junk food seem less appetizing-why ruin all that had work for 5 minutes of pleasure and a week of guilt? So i've been eating healthily-really healthily. Here are some snippets - insight into my plate if you will!

I think a fruit bowl is a necessity for anyone embarking on a healthy eating journey-it can provide you with breakfast, a snack or something to glare at you disapprovingly when you're contemplating that sneaky chocolate bar.I'm clearly loving apples and oranges at the moment-always have an apple with me on the go!Im not much of a breakfast person so i have cereal (bran flakes/special k)sometimes with skimmed milk-just not often.I know breakfast is important to kick start you metabolism but i'm rarely hungry first thing in the morning so mostly skip it.

nothing beats a good old salad for lunch- when i'm hungrier I make one with chicken or tuna otherwise i just mix up the vegetables i use -cucumbers, mushrooms, spinach, avocados, pomegranates etc Dressing-wise, I like vinaigrette- you really don't want to ruin your effort with a creamy high fat salad dressing.

I love snacking on dried fruits & nuts (this bag has almonds,raisins, hazlenuts and dried pineapple) AND galettes du riz complet (wholemeal rice cakes) you can have anything on/with them-buerre sale(salted butter), honey,cheese, cucumber, tomato etc which means you can choose how low-fat or filling you'd like them to be. They're also great on their own.Carrots are also awesome to nibble on, when peckish.

Brown rice and vegetables- a favorite, for supper. I always keep a bag of frozen vegetables in my fridge. This one has green beans,broccoli, mushrooms,peppers etc and is delicious.

FOR DRINKS? water and green tea. i don't do soft-drinks -diet or otherwise and i only drink coffee (has to be excellent quality like, from my favorite cafe) once every couple of weeks.

This means that once in a while i can have a slice of chocolate cake or some wine entirely guiltlessly :)

words of sweet insight

2011-05-16T07:33:00.000-07:00

'its never too late to be who you might have been'

GEORGE ELIOT

My hair Products & Regimen

2011-05-08T05:21:00.000-07:00

I recently switched up my hair regimen after a lot of ups and downs with my hair-. These are most of my absolute favourite products(trust me, i've tried A LOT of others) . This might be helpful for women with afro-Caribbean hair/black women. Especially those with relaxed hair since my hair is relaxed.

BASICS of my hair regimen that i use all the time -elasta qp dpr11 conditioner (amazing deep conditioner) , the body shop rainforest moisture shampoo(admittedly not the best ever but- has no sulphates, parabens, colourants-and doesn't strip my hair so i love it for that), the body shop rainforest moisture conditioner(same as shampoo), motions leave in conditioner (does wonderful things to my hair-so glad i discovered it!), olive oil moisturizing hair lotion (you cant go wrong with this, im only using this now because all my others have finished/are hard to find in france but its fantastic).

MOISTURISERS: ive gone through at least 2-3 tubs/bottles of each of these so i can properly give an opinion on them and honestly do like them. Neutrogena triple moisture leave-in(works incredibly well, smells divine but impossible to find if you don't live in the US :( highly recommend though! ), 'Elasta qp mango butter' (smells gorgeous-very thick and rich so you'll either love or hate it depending on your hairs' needs) , 'Roots of nature shea butter green tea'( it has a slightly oilier feeling consistency than the others & smells lovely)and ORS olive oil moisturizing hair lotion.

options for those of you who want SULPHATE FREE SHAMPOOS-Dr Bronners Soap and Organix Shampoo (these come in lots of different lovely scents and are easy to find)

HEAT PROTECTANTS: Mizani 'therma strength' & Rusk thermal serum (i think any brand will work just fine -these aren't particularly exceptional but they work well)

Other products I love but use for specific purposes: Roux Porosity Control (to neutralize hair PH a few days before and after relaxer), Beyond the zone noodle curls (helps define and retain curl for braid outs, pin-curl etc) Aphogee 2 min reconstructor (amazing protein conditioner -must have!), Mane & Tail Detangler (detangling hair whilst stretching/when it is horribly tangled-i recommend!! only use on dry hair though)

Did you notice what was missing? I did not include the hair oils I use to seal in my moisturizer. I have tried many oils in my time -At the moment Im using extra virgin olive oil (especially love it for pre-shampoo treatments) and my favourite one of all time is Coconut oil which i get from Holland & Barrett in England.

Regimen
moisturize & seal with oil daily x2
wash with shampoo at least once a week and co-wash all other times (particularly when working out regularly)
deep condition once a week
pre shampoo treatment every-time i wash with shampoo
heat protectant -when using blowdryer & hair straighteners
protein conditioner(aphogee) every other week

Hope this is helpful! :)

Random favourite things right now

2011-05-07T18:01:00.000-07:00

podcasts - TED -nothing beats intelligent/talented people giving inspiring speeches - it makes for awesome 'waiting for metro' listening
nail polish-red (any red, only red) i am either growing up....or pretending to be sophisticated :P

fragrance- h&m vanilla and ginger body spray -c'etait bon marche et j'adore vanille en ce moment!

makeup item to lust after -chanel 'dragon' rouge allure laque -the makeup loins reverberate with desire whenever i see this shade of red ;) WANT! i imagine owning yet being too shy to wear it and just waiting till i'm all alone so i can put it on and dance like a lunatic then wipe it off later, go to bed and PRETEND it never happened...and/or that i am sane

tv show- 'the good wife' - starting to love it almost as much as West Wing and CSI- don't worry, whilst it doesn't appear so, i maintain a healthy geeky/trashy show balance.
song- 'i smile' kirk franklin - it so sprightly & uplifting :) :) <3 i dare you to listen to it without smiling -makes your heart just melt

piece of clothing-calvin klein cream blazer -perfect dressy accompaniment to summer garb-dresses,jeans etc since its light and has 3/4 sleeves

makeup item i'm grateful i own- NARS multiple 'palm beach' -its so worth it. its the best way i can get a summer glow especially with my estee lauder double wear light foundation mattifying my face.

hair product- Motions leave in conditioner- it recently joined my hair regimen and is blossoming well in this environment.

What are your favorite things right now??? Id love to know :) Bisous

im back!

2011-05-06T15:01:00.000-07:00

hello darlings

Its been a while since our last tète-à-tète - a while peppered with a couple of natural disasters, easter(which i spent at Chrissay-sur-manse a gorgeous village in the french country-side) a royal wedding and the death of a terrorist.Oh how time flies!Im back to bombarding you with posts now, though. Have a couple of exciting bits coming up in the next few days, so definitely look out for that! Really hope you've all been well and if you haven't
im hoping really hard on your behalf that wonderful things come your way :)

Bisous!

the slap on my face

2011-03-18T16:41:00.000-07:00

St Paddys Day makeup

an adhoc outing with a couple of friends to two irish pubs on Boulevard Poissoniere on 2eme - Concorans & O'Sullivans -and thats unfortunately as green as i bothered to go :) super-fun night though!

ps: please excuse the efforts of my face to outshine tinfoil - its SPF's fault x

On balance

2011-03-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

Today I bring you a quotation from one of my favorite books-Paulo Coehlo's 'The Alchemist' the fact that my copy is adorned with scribbles & highlighter and just generally weather-beaten can attest to that. It's the sort of book youll either love or hate, since you now know where I stand i will loosely paraphrase one of Coehlo's profound little parables as concisely as i can.

Basically someone is given a spoon containing some drops of oil. He is to walk through a gorgeous palace whilst ensuring none of the oil spills out of the spoon.On his return, after concentrating on his task and keeping the oil intact, he is asked if he noticed and enjoyed all the beautiful sights-obviously, he didn't. He is asked to go again with the same spoon of oil but notice the beauty of his surroundings.He does as he is told but ends up spilling the oil

hence this piece of advise:

'The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon' paulo coehlo

the slap on my face

2011-03-17T06:48:00.000-07:00

palette series - 'sleek storm'

L'as du Falafel

2011-03-17T06:38:00.000-07:00

I spent last weekend, flu-ridden and grumpy. On sunday, sick of being sick, i went for a walk and for some fresh air and ended up on rue des ecouffes just where it hits rue de rosiers. The entire area looks a bit like a carnival during weekends because of the multitudes wandering around and shopping in the Marais and because of a certain Israeli restaurant that always has a massive queue- always and massive being the operative words in that phrase. Parisians will queue for good food and I can too affirm that their falafels are amaze.Love the aubergine touch and the spicy sauce. They remind me of an equally awesome place i used to go to, called magic roll in Bristol when I was at university there.

lets pray for

2011-03-17T05:44:00.000-07:00

JAPAN

after the devastating earthquake and tsunami on the 11th of March and subsequent nuclear plant explosions lets pray

-for safety for everyone living within the chaos there now
-for comfort for those who have lost loved ones.
-for the most effective aid (supplies, provision of shelter etc) and means of containing and preventing further disaster to be employed so that no more precious lives are lost.

if you would like to, you can donate to the british red cross japan tsunami appeal HERE or that of the american red cross HERE

words of sweet insight

2011-03-07T12:39:00.000-08:00

''I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass''

Maya Angelou

the slap on my face

2011-03-03T12:33:00.000-08:00

products: mac studio finish concealer 'nw45', le metier de beaute flawless finish foundation 'XI', mac eyeshadows -trax (lid), orange (crease), embark(outer v) samoa silk( highlight), barry m dd no38 topshop neon rose blusher, sleek flamingo blusher, illamasqua 'welt' lipstick, rimmel cappuccino lipliner, mac 'right image' creamsheen glass, sleek contour powder.

death and work

2011-03-03T12:22:00.000-08:00

I went to one of my favourite museums yesterday- Maison Europeenne de la Photographie. A few months ago, I fell in love with this little gem at their Karl Lagerfeld 'Parcours de Travail' exhibition and I just enjoy their mix of art media through portraits to art installations and everything in between. Their exhibitions are always startling and provocative tacking various issues underpinning human existence- sex, fashion, poverty, aging, drugs,travel, cluture, violence, war. Speaking of war, the most captivating of the exhibitions i saw this time was a tribute to Henri Muet called 'Vietnam' - showcasing his work as a photo journalist during the war. The innocence and pain was visually tangible in those black and white photographs from what seemed a different age and world. What struck me was how he died. It was on 10th february 197 during the invasion of Laos by South Vietnamese troops- and he died in a burning helicopter.

It makes me wonder whether we all have a core which is at peace with sacrificing our lives for our passion/work or just a few special people are wired that way? Are some dissipated in the split between work for sustenance and work for passion so that this question only ever reigns as a possibility for those who view work as an extention of their personal constitution-who they are and what they stand for? Many would die for faith & love but few of us would die for work. Maybe its a lesson that our chosen work should embody our faith and love.

these are words of the super brave Henri Muet- a man who literally died for the job he loved.

'I really love my job and I wouldn't change it for anything in the world. You probably think i'm a bit crazy, but then you've known for ages that i'm a bit of a dare devil'

the slap on my face

2011-02-28T14:54:00.000-08:00

purple eyeshadow & nude lips :)

On incompatibility

2011-02-28T14:44:00.000-08:00

this is a little extract from the book 'Juliet, Naked.' that made me giggle. Its a Nick Hornby novel.

''If...jigsaw pieces had thoughts and feelings then... possible to imagine them saying. 'Im staying here, where else would i go?' and if another jigsaw piece came along offering its tabs and blanks, enticingly in an attempt to lure one of the pieces away, It would be easy to resist temptation.'Look' the object of the seducers admiration would say 'you're a bit of telephone box and i'm the face of Mary queen of Scots. We just wouldn't look right together''

the magic of cococook

2011-02-28T14:31:00.000-08:00

I love quick healthy food so its no surprise that i fell in love with a lovely little bistro is paris called cococook. Their food is fresh, organic, and delicious. My personal favorite sandwich (pictured here) is their 'foccacia au poulet' with chicken, rocket, avocado, smoked peppers and foccacia. mmm! Also picked up some hot chocolate from there (pictured below) i got dark chocolate & nuts and my friend got white chocolate with raspberries.

I tend to go to the one on rue chalot especially after wandering around marche des enfants rouges.

hair care tips!

2011-02-28T12:34:00.001-08:00

Now, what i say will not apply to every hair type (duh!) some things will be useful & some you'll have to tweak to suit your hair type/needs so bear that in mind. I have black/afro-carribean type hair (if you want to call it that!) thats relaxed (and is a bit of a crazy-thick-voluminous monster!)this tips were accumulated from my research, learning from others & personal trial and error.

Onto the Hair Tips!

TIP ONE - avoid heat appliances: hair straighteners/flat irons, blowdryers, curling tongs etc- they damage your hair! Try letting your hair air dry naturally or use the 'cool' or 'low' setting on your blow dryer & if you absolutely can't hold back, use a heat protectant product/thermal serum before straightening your hair. Obviously using a heat protectant does not negate the fact that you are damaging your hair with heat. However, to prep your hair to handle the heat better, moisturise & deep condition it more regularly in the period preceeding so that your hair is in a more nourished & healthier state.

TIP TWO - moisturise & seal: let this 2 stage process be your mantra! to moisturize your hair do not you one of those petroleum based hair greases packed with mineral oil. what you need is a water based moisturiser since they actually penetrate the hair(if it is water based, the first ingredient will be 'water(aqua)'!). So you moisturize with that and seal in the moisture with an oil - this could be coconut oil, argan/morroccan oil, vitamin e oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil etc use whatever you feel comfortable with. Just make sure you get the extra virgin/pure unrefined version of the oil - not one packed with chemicals & synthetic fragrances!

TIP THREE - deep-conditioning & pre-shampoo treatments - if you take only one thing out of this list, please let it be deep-conditioning your hair because it works! If you want to drastically improve dry damaged hair, deep condition it regularly!To do this you need a good-quality rich emolient conditioner which says in its instructions that you should leave it on your hair for a good period of time(not wash it off immediately/after 2mins!).For even better results, add oils like extra virgin olive oil to your deep conditioner. Pre- shampoo treatments are just the reverse (i.e. saturating your hair with conditioner & or oils and leaving it in,before washing it).

TIP FOUR - avoid/minimize the use of harsh chemicals: eg. dyes, relaxers etc Be careful with how often you use these eg with dyes be wary of the strength of the chemicals you use & how much of your hair you use it on e.g. if most of your hair already has the colour, just do you roots that need retouching, not all your hair. With relaxers, increase the time in between each relax, so that you are using less chemicals altogether & your hair is generally healthier. This also goes with avoiding shampoos&conditioners that contain sulphates - sodium laureth sulphate/ammonium lauryl sulphate etc since whilst they make products foam up, they are cheap detergents which strip your hair of its natural oils and dry it out.

TIP FIVE - wrapping hair with a satin/silk scarf at night: what tends to happen is that when you sleep on a cotton pillowcase, the friction between the fabric and your hair can cause breakage. it can also absorb the moisture & oils in your hair & dry it out.

TIP SIX - detangle hair gently from tips/ends to roots: always use a wide tooth/big shower comb to detangle & comb gently , in sections from the tips of your hair, upwards.

TIP SEVEN - maintain a balance between moisture & protein: you hair is essentially protein. Protein-rich conditioners & products add strength to your hair whilst moisture-rich products will keep your hair nourished & ensure it doesn't become dry & brittle. However, whilst protein is good, if you leave it on your hair for too long it can make your hair harden and break.So be careful not to neglect one far too much in favour of the other since your hair needs both!

TIP EIGHT - scalp massages: give them to yourself (or better yet get someone to give you them *wink*) regulary. They aid circulation & help your hair grow.

TIP NINE - cold water rinses: whenever you wash your hair, make sure your final rinse is done with cold water. it closes up the hair follicle & makes it stronger.

TIP TEN - minimal manipulation - don't over manipulate/over style you hair. leave it alone! putting lots of tension & stress on your hair won't yield the best results!

i really hope you found this helpful!x x x

ps: i did not touch on more obvious factors such as that: consuming a healthy diet, maintaining general good health and a stress free lifestyle are huge contributors in this terrain!

finally, i am not a hair stylist/hair doctor/hair whatever..im just a girl trying to grow healthy hair who loves sharing info & helping others! 'eww cheesy much?' haha! ;)x

words of sweet insight

2011-02-21T11:03:00.000-08:00

'Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve.... You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.'

~Martin Luther King, Jr.

the slap on my face

2011-02-18T07:42:00.000-08:00

eyes- giorgio armani mediterranean palette

lips - rimmel lipliner 'indian pink'

be healthy!

2011-02-18T07:28:00.000-08:00

Because nothing is more important than health, this is a list of 5 important numbers we should all know and check regularly in order to monitor our health and take better care of our selves. the figures below denote what is considered healthy/normal so should serve as a useful guideline :)

NORMAL BLOOD PRESSURE: 120/80 s considered healthy and any thing up to 140/90 and above is really bad. Reducing salt intake and regular exercise are good ways to maintain healthy blood pressure//

NORMAL AMOUNT OF DAILY SALT CONSUMPTION: 6 grams is what we should be aiming for. Too much salt increases the risk of lots of diseases so this is one to be careful of. processed foods are major culprits. you'll be surprised how many ready made salads sold in supermarkets contain up to or more than 6 grams of salt by themselves!

NORMAL AMOUNT OF CALORIES FOR DAILY CONSUMPTION: for :women -2000 and men- 2500 calories

NORMAL LEVELS OF CHOLESTEROL: Total cholesterol should be- less than 5.0mmol/l and LDL ie low density lipoprotein cholesterol - less than 3.0mmol/l OR less than 100mg/dL if you have concerns about high cholesterol, it can be reduced by reducing the about of saturated fat/trans fat in your diet

NORMAL BLOOK SUGAR LEVEL: between 3.6 and 5.8 mM (millimoles/liter) OR 64.8 and 104.4 mg/dL

ps: obviously certain things vary with based on different cases/individuals. I am not a medical professional of any kind-just a girl who wants us all to a little more aware and health conscious so i encourage you to do your own research into any of these concerns.knowledge is power :)

5 ways to be prudent and pennywise with beauty/makeup purchases

2011-02-18T06:44:00.000-08:00

a few tips to help you save & be thrifty with the makeup products you own and buy.
1.Will you honestly use it?: ask yourself that before you buy it.this one particularly targets the urge to buy that 47th pale pink shimmery lipgloss, with the 46 unloved ones at home.

2.Have a 'one in one out' policy i.e I have to finish one thing before I can buy another.

3. Don't be afraid to mix products you don't like with ones you do.This is a handy way to get rid of stuff youre not keen on, but do not want to waste.You can mix liquid foundations from different brands or use a lipliner to make the most of a lipstick you dont like. there is always a way!

4. Find alternative uses for products that fail to serve their original purpose. eg. Perhaps a foundation/powder that is too dark can be used for contouring, and ones too light used for highlighting. The wrong shade of blusher could be the right shade of eyeshadow. The wrong shade of lipliner could be the right shade of eyeliner!

5. If you know you won't use it, give it to someone who will.Whether, friends, family or fellow makeup lovers.Its sad to keep something you know someone else will appreciate, only to bin it later on. There is always a loving home out there for your unwanted makeup plus, it'll make someone else happy!

shiny new drugstore makeup!

2011-02-13T15:06:00.000-08:00

sleek storm palette
sleek 'scandalous' blusher
sleek 'flamingo' blusher
sleek 'rebel' glitter eye liner
17 'mardi gras' eyeshadow
17 'violet rock' eyeshadow
17 photo flawless eye liner
eyelure girls aloud 'nicola' lashes
rimmel 'cappuccino' lip pencil
rimmel 'indian pink' lip pencil
gosh 'black' art liner
gosh 'copper girl' velvet touch eyeliner

a recent trip to london resulted in the above attack on boots & superdrug because 'drugstore' makeup is somehow much more expensive( and unfortunately less interesting) in France. Im glad to welcome the sleek palette to my collection and the blushers- wow! they're crazy pigmented and lovely- obviously don't blend as easily as nars ones but for less than 5 pounds each, they're amazing.ive always loved the quality of 17 eyeshadows and 'mardi gras' is a dupe for mac's 'satin taupe' -win win! also recently getting into lipliners and rimmel's cappucino is awesome -sort of like mac's fresh brew in lipliner form. Excited to try the 'nicola' lashes since the 'cheryl' ones were a disappointment (really illuminating the 'fake' aspect of fake lashes) and i've heard great things about the former. What drugstore makeup purchases have you made recently? Any great finds?!

words of sweet insight

2011-02-13T14:49:00.001-08:00

'We can do no great things, only small things with great love.'

Mother Teresa

the slap on my face

2011-02-09T17:44:00.000-08:00

gelato and coffee at Pozzetto

2011-02-09T17:33:00.000-08:00

gelato and coffee at Pozzetto

I had the BEST cappuccino of my life last weekend. 'In Paris?'...your doubful gaze inquires. Ok ill admit it was at an Italian cafe in Paris.I borrowed (*cough* stole) the suggestion from my favorite ' what to do in Paris' blog - www.hipparis.com and it was friggin AMAZE!

I sat at that lovely cafe on Rue du Roi de Sicile, with a book and marveled at the flavours. It was 10 degrees that day -practically summer compared to the negatives we'd been getting since winter so I could justify my first gelato of the year (sidenote: 'gelato mio' on st johns wood high str is my holy grail for gelato in london!they even had a concurrent 'gelato world cup' last summer with flavours from every single participating country each of which disappeared when the country got kicked out of the actual word cup.loved it! ) anyway i sat in Pozetto and people watched (The Marais is perfect for that with les jeunes gens loitering around its cafes, kooky boutiques, vintage shops etc) whilst reading (The Broker) a John Grisham novel - someone who i haven't read since my early/mid teens. I wolfed down novels by the likes of him, Sidney Sheldon, Danielle Steel (*the shame*) and many others who i don't read really anymore -except for nostalgic reasons ofcourse :)

words of sweet insight

2011-02-09T17:16:00.001-08:00

''If everyone howled at every injustice, every act of barbarism, every act of unkindness, then we would be taking the first step towards a real humanity''

Nelson DeMille

Views on News - Eqypt

2011-02-09T17:14:00.000-08:00

Egypt protests

The protests mostly centred in Cairo’s tahrir square in Egypt have dominated the news for the past two weeks. It underlines the clash between those who want to retain the current authoritarian regime of Hosni Moubarak (president since 1981- talk about outstaying your welcome!) and those pushing for democracy and demanding that he resign immediately. It has been messy -from physical violence to industrial unrest and its heart breaking that some people have lost their lives. Its somewhat amazing that this was sparked by the enormous support garnered by a facebook page created for Khalid Said –a 28 year old who was killed whilst protesting last summer.

I have a GREAT amount to ADMIRATION and respect for the protesters who show up every day taking drastic measures to fight for a representative government and the basic freedoms they deserve. It’s their country so if they’re fed up of the corruption, rigged elections, poverty, high unemployment and sheer illegitimacy of the past, it is their place to step up and demand change!

There is talk of what extent foreign governments should get involved. Is it their place to get involved? Are they credible enough models of democratic governments to be dabbling in Eqypt’s affair? It’s clearly, democracy versus autocracy so I don’t think we should stand by and watch an unwanted and destructive leader hog power for 30 years (!!!) whilst disregarding the rights of millions of citizens. I also don’t think foreign governments should massively interfere because it’s Egypt’s battle to fight, its Egypt’s country to run and It’s Egypt’s political history to rewrite. However I think we should explicitly state our condemnation for a government that denies people of rights that we take for granted and support the fight for fairness and freedom & pray for peace– because that’s just basic humanity.

seeking silver lining

2011-02-05T06:48:00.000-08:00

5 WAYS TO CHEER YOURSELF UP

UN- make a list a 50 things that make you happy - could be places,people, things, memories, sensations. Seems silly and excessive but trust me, it works- you'll be surprised how easily they come,once you get going! Keep the list, dig it up anytime you're sad and remind yourself that there are wonderful things in your life!

DEUX-do something really sweet and thoughtful for someone else. it'll distract you and you'll get the warm & fuzzies from brightening up someone else's day.

TROIS-hit the gym! exercise makes your body produce endorphins- happy hormones, and you'll generally feel healthier and happier

QUATRE-look to artistic media for escapist fun- watch a film, read a book, listen to music OR alternatively if you're a DIY type individual -sing, write-a poem/song/story, draw, paint, shake your groove thang! etc

CINQ- sign up for something new and challenging- volunteer, learn a language, try a new sport, take a class, set a goal for yourself because sometimes sadness is the underbelly of a lack of that feeling of direction/purpose/achievement.

the slap on my face

2011-02-05T06:05:00.000-08:00

plum lips & false lashes

words of sweet insight

2011-02-05T01:30:00.000-08:00

''When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not change, so I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country. But it, too, seemed immovable.

As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it.

And now, as I lie on my deathbed, I suddenly realize: If I had only changed myself first, then by example I would have changed my family.

From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able to better my country, and who knows, I may have even changed the world.''

inscribed on the tomb of an Anglican Bishop in Westminster Abby (1100 A.D.)

if you ever feel...

2011-02-04T10:23:00.000-08:00

LIKE MOVING ON FROM A BREAK-UP

Read - Elizabeth Gilbert's 'Eat.Pray.Love'

Dance -to Gloria Gaynors 'I will survive'

Watch -the film 'High Fidelity'
and I leave you with the somewhat trite yet classic

‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”—Alfred Lord Tennyson

the slap on my face

2011-02-03T09:19:00.000-08:00

neutral eyes & bold pink lips

lipstick- mac 'lickable'

On Fear

2011-02-03T09:06:00.000-08:00

some funny and thoughtful words from 'a single man' by chistopher isherwood

''Fear, after all, is our real enemy. Fear is taking over our world. Fear is being used as a tool of manipulation in our society. Itʼs how politicians peddle policy and how Madison Avenue sells us things that we donʼt need. Think about it. Fear that weʼre going to be attacked, fear that there are communists lurking around every corner, fear that some little Caribbean country that doesnʼt believe in our way of life poses a threat to us. Fear that black culture may take over the world. Fear of Elvis Presleyʼs hips. Well, maybe that one is a real fear. Fear that our bad breath might ruin our friendships… Fear of growing old and being alone."

I read the book last year -a good story- not great, just good. However it is insanely well written - the kind of prose that is so brilliant i find myself about to weep and dance and break into a cold sweat and scream all at the same time. I haven't yet seen the film odd since i'm a massive fan off both Tom Ford (oh that immaculate creature) and Colin Firth (gotta love bbc's pride & prej). The book is excellently written though -spot on aesthetic & brilliant manipulation of syntax!

travel makeup tips

2011-02-02T16:52:00.000-08:00

So you're off on holiday(you lucky cow)- Here are a few handy tips for ensuring your method of packing your makeup and cosmetics is most effective. This is dedicated to ladies like myself who'd gladly pack 10 lipsticks and 7 pairs of shoes for a two day trip.

1.Pack your necessities first and everything else after: start by packing personal essentials-the products that you know you need e.g concealer might be a necessity for your under-eye circles, powder might be necessary because your t-zone is prone to oilyness etc it might help to mentally replay your daily makeup routine and pack in that order. Remember to stick to necessities at this stage, if you don't normally wear something, don't pack it.

2.Use palettes to ensure variety whilst conserving space:i would kiss the genius that came up with this concept - little versions of lots of things in one little convenient little compact.Most makeup brands have eyeshadow palettes or bronzer-blush duo compacts etc

3.If a product is very messy or difficult to work with, ditch it!: this includes for example, loose eyeshadow pigments or liquids-foundations, face spritzes etc that are not well packaged or with lids that don't fasten well.If it happens to spill/pour in your luggage, it could be disastrous,especially whilst you're abroad. In the same breath carefully fasten and package any potential culprits in a waterproof cosmetic bag.

4.Take sample sizes of products:this is where they come in handy and means you're not lugging your 2 litre shampoo bottle abroad. The same applies, for transferring your beauty/skincare products into travel size containers.

5. Take versatile products: remember all those beauty products that you fell for due to shiny marketing claims of versatility -the 5 billion ways they can be used etc? well, its their time to shine so dig out all your 3-in 1 multi use products because they'll conserve space whilst killing 2 bird with one stone.

6. Don't forget your tools: they're the easiest and most annoying to forget so check that your makeup brushes, eyelash curlers, tweezers, cotton buds etc are all packed too.

hope this aids your jet-setting/beach-bumming/club-hopping/back-packing/thrill -seeking efforts.

Bon Voyage!

lets pray for..

2011-02-02T15:36:00.000-08:00

EGYPT

that somewhere within the chaos and violence, between those pro and against Mubarak's government, peace and a resolution is reached AND for the families of the hundreds who have already lost their lives in the protests.

quick five

2011-02-01T11:52:00.000-08:00

LIPSTICKS that rock my socks <3

i guess this would be my 'trapped on a desert island' five...although what kind of dodgy desert island inspires prioritizing lipstick?

the lipsticks from l-r: mac 'hug me', mac 'blooming lovely', rimmel 'vintage pink', rimmel 'stare at me', mac 'ruby woo'
mac 'hug me' lipstick: its an excellent basic nude pinky brown. i love the sheer glossy lustre finish and creamy texture. the vanilla scent characteristic of mac's lipsticks in general is a lovely touch.

mac 'blooming lovely' lipstick: its the pale lavender pink of the bunch- it was a close call between this and mac's 'up the amp' but alas the latter requires a certain amount of courage to pull off so wearability wins here.

rimmel 'vintage pink' lipstick: my favorite pink lippie ever! its the perfect pink with a purple undertone- easy to wear with a moisturizing creamy finish

rimmel 'stare at me' lipstick: this berry toned beauty is for the girl in the power suit - a strong sexy colour thats not as brazen as a full on red but still packs a punch nevertheless.

mac 'ruby woo' lipstick: the bad-ass fire engine red is a necessity.this is it and that is all.

dejeuner at Merce and the Muse

2011-02-01T11:16:00.000-08:00

dejeuner at Merce and the Muse

i really like the laid back atmosphere at this cafe/bistro in the Marais - its a bit like eating in a friends living room...just with random photography paraphernalia lying around and tasty healthy tartes salees et salades!

words of sweet insight

2011-02-01T11:03:00.000-08:00

''Ever tried. Ever failed.No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.''

Samuel Beckett

the slap on my face

2011-01-28T13:27:00.000-08:00

...amidst my 'less is more' jaunt sans eyeshadow, eyeliner etc i've been sticking to just 5 products: foundation (le metier de beaute), mascara (lancome hypnose), lipstick (mac 'hug me') and for that perfect natural cheek glow? burgundy blush (helen e 'teracotta'/mac 'fever') & highlighter (nars 'palm beach' multiple) eclair chocolat!x

'no makeup' makeup

seeking silver lining

2011-01-28T13:03:00.000-08:00

I am a HUMONGOUS fan of thedailylove which my sister first introduced me to, about a year ago. It is a service which bombards you with positivity, encouragement, love & wisdom. You type your email in to subscribe and everyday you get a couple of quotations and some musings that resonate with any one who want to be excellent & make our world excellent too. GET IN! x

I support those who care about the welfare of others and want to make their lives a little brighter hence i heart www.thedailylove.com!

le food whore

2011-01-25T11:01:00.000-08:00

this is the sort of thing that reinforces my love affair with french food -the perfect dinner at Les Papilles on Rue Gay Lussac on 5th. It was heavenly from the entree -leek and potato soup with creme fraiche,caramelised onions, croutons through the plat -beef and vegetable, then dessert -some soul awakening mix of pineapples, caramel,cream, hazelnuts, biscotti etc, followed by cheese and concluded with espresso.( both my descriptions and photos pale in comparison!)Would i recommend the restaurant? hell f-ing yeah! Besides salmon lasagna at 'Comptoir des Mers' & a foie gras pate at 'Le Fouquet', i fail to recall a better meal since i moved to Paris!

the slap on my face

2011-01-25T09:12:00.000-08:00

classic polished 'everyday' makeup

If you ever feel...

2011-01-24T16:36:00.000-08:00

LIKE AN OUTSIDER

dance to the song 'raise your glass' by Pink

'I`m a drifter and an outsider. There`s not one single environment I can totally belong to. My cultural roots are
something illusive'
-Ang Lee (Academy Award winning film director)

dont change yourself for anyone because you are amazing just as you are x

Quick five

2011-01-24T15:39:00.000-08:00

HEALTHY EATING some tips

ONE- switch from white to brown by eating whole-meal versions of your carbs e.g brown bread, brown pasta, brown rice

TWO- always take a piece of fruit and bottle of water to work/school/everywhere with you

THREE- snack on carrot sticks/cherry tomatoes/celery sticks -make sure its a veggie you like so you actually stick with it!

FOUR- switch your sugary and caffeinated hot drinks to herbal teas -green tea, lemon & ginger tea, darjeeling tea, peppermint tea etc

FIVE- don't eat when your not hungry (i.e just because you're bored, sad, lonely, anxious etc) forming an emotional attachment to food is unhealthy because real happiness does not reside in a bag of crisps...or tub of ice-cream

these are a few tips to help you (and me!) eat our five portions of fruit & veg daily and live healthily. I abhor the connotations that arise from the idea of 'dieting' so have not used it in this post.

On living

2011-01-23T10:09:00.000-08:00

'One Day' by David Nicholls

an extract from one of my favourite novels of 2010 -words drenched in insight from one of the characters on pages 12&13!

' The trick of it is to be courageous and bold and make a difference. Not change the world exactly, just the bit around you. Go out there with your...passion and work hard at ...something. Change lives through art maybe. Write beautifully, Cherish your friends, Stay true to your principles. Live Passionately and fully and well. Experience new things. Love and be loved if at all possible. Eat sensibly. Stuff like that.'

the Day spent...

2011-01-23T08:14:00.000-08:00

saying goodbye

A friend of 4 months finally leaves Paris for her home town California tomorrow and so we spent the day together- an elongated goodbye. We had lunch at the bistro Merce and the Muse, Coffee around place du Marche Sainte Catherine, Saw the film ‘La chance de ma vie’ (don’t waste your money on this crap) and got divine macarons at Lauduree. We contemplated the Monet exhibition both times we walked by the Grand Palais-but a 3 hour queue wait in 0 degree weather? Non merci! That said, I’ll go back- because Claude Monet is absolutely worth risking frostbite for.
The day did end and we hugged goodbye near Hotel de Ville. I have a store of our memories - from a terrible series of unfortunate events en route to Greece, to fervent museum hopping through Italy together etc etc and yet we may never see each other again.

There is something both saddening and freeing about saying goodbye.

the photos allude to inside jokes from our travels the former in athens,greece and latter in florence,italy :)

Bienvenue!

2011-01-23T07:47:00.000-08:00

This is the beginning of something hopefully special. We get to skip the awkward handshake-hug bit of initial meetings and bask in virtual synchronicity- fine by me. It'll work the way you expect -You read it, I write it. This blog is devoted to all manner of issues that move me -from the trivial and mundane to the crucial and heartbreaking. Its a journey of my efforts to improve my approach to life, fight for causes that need our voices to be a little louder and the fun I have in between. I hope that somewhere within my literary soliloquy you snatch something interesting/funny/meaningful/special.

tartelette aux fraises x