LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics - Face Cleansers

  I always like to try something new in my beauty routine. And once I've tried Lush Cosmetics, I keep coming back to their store for something new all the time! 

 Lush is outstanding "green" company which makes unique and great quality products. The philosophy of the company stands for using fresh organic ingredients, preventing animal product testing and supporting hundreds of environmental groups through their Charity Pot program. So, you can make yourself look beautiful and save the planet in the same time - I definitely like that idea!

 And the variety of the products they make will surprise you, they have products for your hair, body, face, makeup, perfume, bath and shower products and so on. And all of these come in great variety of flavors and colors. I'm sure everyone can find something unique specially for them!

 Trust me, you will not regret going to the store (if you have one near you)! You will get the service like nowhere else. You can test pretty much everything they sell in the store, the workers in Lush are always ready to demonstrate you how their product works! Or you can check their website, if you've already decided what you want to buy:

Lush Cosmetics USA

At my last visit I decided to check a face cleanser, I read a lot of great reviews on that product and decided to give it a try. I tried on the back of my hand "Ocean Salt" and "Dark Angels" - both of these scrubs-cleansers worked great and left my skin very soft and smelling great. 

"Ocean Salt" makes the skin brighter and it feels like it's a little more deep cleaning than "Dark Angels" (and it smells like a glass of fresh made Margarita!), but I've decided to get "Dark Angels" because it might work better for my combination oily type of skin.

"Dark Angels" Cleanser

Black sugar, charcoal and it's rhassoul mud base deep-cleanses to help prevent breakouts while vitamin rich cold-pressed organic avocado oil nourishes skin to leave it soft and lightly hydrated.

You can get it in two different sizes - 3.5 oz or 8.4 oz. But even smaller size should last you for a while, because you need just a little of that scrub for one time. It comes in form of a slightly damp paste, so to use it you need to add some water.

How to Use: since I don't like to use any extra bowls in preparation, I just splash my face with water and take a pinch of "Dark Angels" paste and start to rub it in my skin. I might add a few extra drops of water in the paste in my palm to moisture it a little more. Just cover all of your face with it and gently massage it for a little bit. After that rinse it out and enjoy your freshly exfoliated skin.

You can use "Dark Angels" for your face and your body (for the body I would probably use that extra bowl to prepare the scrub mix). And after using this cleanser you can continue with your regular routine - put on the moisturizer, night cream, serum and so on.

I use this scrub 2-3 times a week, but depending on your skin you should decide, if you should use it more/less often.

I highly recommend you to try LUSH products. I'm in love with my face cleanser, it exfoliates really good, but doesn't leave my skin dry after!

Take care of yourself and of the world we live in! Support the love and kindness by getting great natural based product!

Natural Perfumes and Makeup

 Have you ever wondered what are your perfumes made of? Or your favorite makeup? It might seem not as important as the food you eat, but these chemicals also get into your body through the pores on your skin and definitely can't be good for you. After reading the list of all the chemical ingredients in my perfume I've decided to try something more healthy. And I wasn't disappointed!

This is my personal favorite brand of "organic" perfumes - "Pacifica" , I'm just in love with a quality and in general with the concept and philosophy of this company! 

"Our mission is complete when we have delivered the best performing products, using the safest ingredients, in recyclable packaging and components to the largest possible audience of beauty consumers."

All Pacifica products are gluten-free, 100% vegan, and cruelty-free.

Pacifica www.pacificabeauty.com

I would definitely recomend you to check their products out and try it for yourself. Or if you want a perfume, they sell it at Whole Foods stores, you can try testers and choose from great variety of amazing fruit and flower smells!

Pacifica perfumes come as spray, roll-on or solid. I've got 1 fl oz spray for $22.00 couple months ago and it's not even half done by now! I use it 2-3 times a day to refresh the scent and keep this beautiful smell all day. I'm totally in love with Hawaiian Ruby Guava, it's sweet, fruity and in the same time very sensitive and playful. 

And if you look in the back of the box, you will see a super simple list of ingredients: natural grain alcohol, water and essential oils! That's it, safe and healthy!

In the same time, the scent of this perfume is very unique and relaxing, smelling Hawaiian fruits and flowers makes me feel like I'm having a vacation all year long :)

My next purchase is definitely going to be "Stellar Gaze Lenght & Strenght Mineral Mascara" from Pacifica. 

Stellar Gaze Lenght &Strenght Mineral Mscara Pacifica

This mascara gets great reviews, it's light, no clumps or flaking, and the most important part - it's infused with coconut oil and vitamin B to hydrate and give the strength to your lashes!  So, it's for sure in my list of things to try!

Love yourself, get the best for your body, take a good care of it and you will feel the difference! Stay healthy and happy!

Ponce de Leon Lighthouse, Florida

I will never stop to be amazed by the beauty of the life, by gorgeous nature around us. Don't take it for granted, explore, look around and enjoy the beauty of this world!

I'm lucky to find myself living in one of the most beautiful places in the world, surrounded by oceans and warmth of all-year-long summer - Florida! This place is the heart of tourism, millions of people from all the countries come here every year long to enjoy the beaches of Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, to have fun at world famous parks like Disney, Universal Studious, Sea World, Aquatica, to do some shopping at biggest malls and outlets and so on. 

I want to share my experience of visiting one of the historical places which will charm you with it's peaceful nature and beautiful architecture. This year I've visited Ponce de Leon Lighthouse - the tallest lighthouse of Florida and one of the tallest lighthouses in the country!

You might get more information about the lighthouse and it's location on the website:

http://ponceinlet.org/

For only $5.00 you are allowed to walk around and take a look at all the interesting things on the property. 

I wasn't really interested in the group tours, so me and my husband were exploring everything by ourselves. You can walk through the houses where lighthouse keepers were living, you can see the remains of the boats and anchors, and if you are interested in history, you can dig more information around, you can read all the stories and interesting facts written on the boards all over the place.

You can also visit the small museum of lighthouse lights, you can find there all kinds of lights starting from 1800s. It's pretty cool, especially if you want to make some futuristic looking photos :)

And finally the best part - you can climb all the way to the top of the lighthouse!

That's where the fun begins, you will have 203 steps of 175ft tower ahead of you. But trust me, this mini workout totally worth the beautiful view you will see from the top! And even going up is pretty fun, the stairs are old and unusual, so you can take photos and  read interesting facts on the walls through all the way up.

And than finally you will be on the top of the lighthouse, so just enjoy the view on the beautiful beach and the rest of Ponce de Leon Inlet. 

It feels great, the wind in my hair made me feel free and alive, and in the same time I felt so relaxed and calm, because it's so quiet and peaceful here. 

And after that fun continues - you still need to go back, so the same 203 steps are still ahead of you! 

After you make your way downstairs, you can continue to walk around the lighthouse property or you can have a little drive and spend the rest of your day on the beach.

For me Lighthouse is the symbol of hope and new beginnings, the lost ships were saved by it's light, it leads sailors home. So it was very inspiring and exciting to be there and get all the way on the top, to breath the fresh salty air and just feel free!

Travel and explore new places and emotions! 

Lavender Essential Oil Uses

Nature gives us so much to keep our body and mind healthy and happy. And essential oil is one of those nature's little gifts which you can use for your skin, hair, baths, aromatherapy and many other things.

Lavender Essential Oil is one of my favorite, it has so many uses. I'm going to share with you one of the ways I use it. 

After a long working day or after intense workout, or just if you feel a little down - get yourself a little treat, fill your tub up with hot water and put there

• a cup of Epsom Salt
• a few drops of Tea Tree Oil
• a few drops of Lavender Oil

This simple combination works perfect for me, it takes all the tension away from your muscles, makes you feel relaxed and rested. 

The smell of Lavender is used for centuries for relaxation, it's well known for calming effect it has in aromatherapy. 

And the mix of Tea Tree and Lavender Oils works great for your skin, both of these oils are the natural treatments for acne, because they have antibacterial effect. 

It's totally worth it to spend some time in the bath tub at least once a week, you will have a great night sleep (Lavender is also a great remedy when you have insomnia),  will feel rested and fresh in the morning. 

You can order essential oils online or you can buy it in some stores like "Whole Foods". I bought a small 5 oz bottle  of "Aura Cacia" Lavender Oil there for about $10.00 and since I need just a few drops, I'm sure it's going to last me for a while.

And talking about the Lavender, there is one more use for it. Insects hate the smell of Lavender. I always put a little bag with dried Lavender in the closet with my winter sweaters and coats - it keeps all the moths away. Or you can just put a few drops of Lavender Oil on a little pillow and keep it in your closet. And if you like to enjoy fresh air and keep your windows opened, just put that pillow or cotton ball with a few drops of Lavender oil on your window and it's going to keep those annoying mosquitoes away.

I'm totally in love with Lavender Oil, it's a little miracle which can do so much for you! Just try it, bring some relaxation and calmness into your life, simply accept this beautiful present from Mother Nature! 

Simple Tips to Help You to Improve Your Eating Habbits

 "We are what we eat", we all heard this millions of times. But still it's not so easy to say "no" to your favorite cookies with morning coffee or a piece of chocolate. Good news, you don't need to say "no" to be healthy, you just need to be smarter about the food you eat!

 I will share with you a few simple tips and tricks which can improve your everyday eating routine and may be even break some of your bad habits.

•  Start to drink coffee and tea without adding sugar. 

 It's not going to be easy at first, because the taste of your drink is not going to be the same. But try to convince yourself to do it, make this first small step in the right direction. Do it for couple weeks and you will not crave that sweetness in your drink any more.

• Substitute sugar with healthier option

 You can still enjoy the same flavor of your favorite food not using sugar. Substitute sugar with honey or Stevia in the raw, when you do your cooking.
 Stevia in the raw is an extract from the sweet leaves of the stevia plant, it has "0" calories and it's a natural substitute to sugar. 

• Drink water 15-30 minutes before you eat

This little trick will help you to feel full faster, so you don't have to eat that much to beat your hunger. Since your stomach is already full with liquid you will not have that much space for actual food.

• Drink glass of warm water with lemon in the morning

One full glass of water with a squeezed lemon will make your stomach to wake up and be ready to digest coming breakfast, and the juice of lemon will have some weight-loss effect and boost your immune system up.

• Have your last meal of the day at least 2-3 hours before you go to bed

Eating right before you go to sleep has a lot of negative effects - weight gain, heart burn, insomnia. Spare yourself from all of that by not filling your stomach up before you go to bed, it will help you to fall asleep much faster and feel fresh and rested in the morning.

If you feel really hungry, you shouldn't torture yourself, just get some healthy snack (fruits, juice, yogurt, cottage cheese or just drink some water)

If you follow these simple steps, you will see and feel the difference in couple weeks, all of these little tricks will have detox effect on your body, will bust up your immune system and metabolism - and it will lead to cleaner skin, weight loss, and you being more healthy and energized. 

Start with small changes in your every day routine and you will see results pretty soon! Stay healthy and happy!

Easy Start to Your Yoga Practice at Home "How to..."

We all have different reasons why we want to start to do yoga - to lose weight, to feel more relaxed, to be more healthy, to bring something new in your life and so on. But whatever is your reason, you are here, you are making a decision to change yourself now! And that's great and exciting! But sometimes it also might be confusing, if you are not sure how to start.

I've just started to be a self learner, doing my yoga at home, watching yoga videos, reading yoga magazines and blogs. And I will be glad to share that experience and lead you through a few easy steps!

• Get a right equipment and clothes

I know it might sound a little silly that your new yoga clothes will motivate you, but it really does! You will feel ready and energized, when you put on your new leggings and open your new yoga mat on the floor. You don't have to buy the most advanced and expensive stuff, get something simple for beginning.

• Find a videos you like and return to them

If you search for yoga video on YouTube, you might go through a lot until you find the one which fits you. It's also important to get the connection with yoga teacher, even if you don't meet in person, you should feel the right energy. If you realize in the middle of your video class that you are not motivated and you are forcing yourself too much - turn it off and start a new video with different teacher! Don't waste your time making yourself suffer or be bored, yoga should bring you just joy and relaxation!

I have a suggestion, start from 30 day Challenge, that will keep you coming back at least for a months. I started with 30-Day Yoga Challenge from Erin Motz

30-Day Challenge with Erin Motz

I really enjoyed spending 15-20 minutes every day with this very positive person with great energy. This Challenge slowly enrolls you into yoga basics and shows you that it's pretty possible to find time for your class every day! Start with little, and who knows may be soon you will spend hours doing your yoga!

• Find a right time for your yoga

I know it's not easy, but try, this will only benefit you! Instead of watching one episode of your favorite tv-show you can make yourself a better person! So, just do it, wake up 30 minutes earlier in the morning or get time for yourself in the middle of the day, or just right before you go to bed. 

 But there are a few tips about timing. Never do yoga on full stomach. If you just had your lunch, wait a little, take a walk, do you choirs, but don't start yoga, it will not make you happy, trust me... :)

Also pick a right video depending on time of the day, don't do relaxation yoga when you  just woke up, it's not going to wake you up and fill up with energy - find morning energizing video instead.

The rest is up to you! Be gentle to yourself, it's not a place to compete with someone, you don't have to do everything perfect  from the first time. Be patient, learn something new every day, love yourself and thank yourself for what you have already achieved!

There is still so much to learn, this is just a beginning of your journey to happiness and perfection!

Starting This New Journey Right Here And Right Now

 This is my first post in my first blog ever. I have to say it's pretty exciting! And I'm not sure where it's going to bring me, but I feel like I have so many inspiring ideas and thoughts and I need to share it and pass it on! Who knows, may be it will be useful to someone, may be it will be interesting to someone or may be it will even change someone's life to better side!

 I started to be interested in doing yoga recently, but it wasn't that serious for me and I was doing my yoga exercises just once in a while. And than I made a New Year's resolution to myself that I will start to exercise  more and by the end of the year I will learn to do headstand and may be even hand stand. It seemed too unreal and difficult, but I did my first headstand less than in two months after I started to be more devoted to yoga! 

 This little thing made me believe in myself and gave me strength to achieve more in all the other aspects of my life! This proved to me one more time the simple truth, which I learned once from one of my favorite Paulo Coelho's book "And, when you want something, all the universe conspire in helping you to achieve it". 

 If you believe and want something with all your heart, you will find the way to get it, the Universe will send you the opportunities to reach your goal! 

 That's why I continue my journey to become brighter and happier human being. And I want people around me to get this positive energy and get a chance to change their lives! Keep your heart and mind opened, and good things are coming!