Almost in the middle of the week......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2njHW9ydWs

My 5 Favorite Beauty Products!

Today iam going to share with you my favorite beauty products...natural ones, of course,and handmade by myself,OF COURSE!The cosmetic industry uses thousands of synthetic chemicals in its products and I got fed up of all that synthetic&artificial poo on my skin so i decided to make mine!Daily i like to keep it simple,i use a moisturizing face oil with SPF (and yes i have Oily Skin and the best way to fight Oily skin is with...Oil!Read more, some loose powder on the top, blush and a red lipstick on winter or pink on Summer.
Here it goes:

1.Wonder Serum
Rose&Geranium Face Serum 
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.580236788659683.151054.554485917901437&type=3

2.Cleopatra
Golden Moisturizing Body Oil (SPF4)with Ylang-Ylang and Coconut Oil 
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=672905969392764&set=a.672905932726101.1073741838.554485917901437&type=3&theater

3.Do you c?
Vitamin C Day&Night Face cream (i use it on winter or at nightime)
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=677792515570776&set=a.564367270246635.148228.554485917901437&type=3&theater

4.Soy Yo
Soya Moisturizing Face Cream
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=684193218264039&set=a.564367270246635.148228.554485917901437&type=3&theater

5.Gujarat 

Moisturizing Herbal Hair Oil

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.700150056668355.1073741842.554485917901437&type=3

Feral Childe Summer Sale!

Selected items are on sale at http://www.feralchilde.com/

How to have a Lovely Day...or Week!:)

"Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is a nobler art of leaving things undone..."Lin Yutang 

Did you know that 80% of non-traumatic deaths are stress related??

Relaxation:

• gives the heart a rest by slowing the heart rate

• reduces blood pressure

• slows the rate of breathing, which reduces the need for oxygen

• increases blood flow to the muscles

• decreases muscle tension

and...as a result of relaxation, many people experience:

• more energy

• better sleep

• enhanced immunity

• increased concentration

• better problem-solving abilities

• greater efficiency

• smoother emotions — less anger, crying, anxiety, frustration

• less headaches and pain

So...we encourage you to make relaxation a priority!

That´s what i did this weekend...but only after jumping&dancing really  hard at the Rachid Taha  concert (World Music Festival of Sines)!ive been a hudge fan of Taha for so many years and that was really a great moment!Aya Habibi!

hummm*

11 Benefits of Green Tea That You Didn’t Know About

“When tea becomes ritual, it takes its place at the heart of our ability to see greatness in small things. Where is beauty to be found? In great things that, like everything else, are doomed to die, or in small things that aspire to nothing, yet know how to set a jewel of infinity in a single moment?” 

― Muriel Barbery, The Elegance of the Hedgehog

Iam so fond of herbal tea,in particular the Green one!Green tea has been used as a medicine for thousands of years, originating in China but widely used throughout Asia this beverage has a multitude of uses from lowering blood pressure to preventing cancer. The reason that green tea has more health benefits attached to it than black tea is (apparently) due to the processing. Black tea is processed in a way that allows for fermentation whereas green tea’s processing avoids the fermentation process. As a result, green tea retains maximum amount of antioxidants and poly-phenols the substances that give green tea its many benefits on:

1.Weight Loss

2.Diabetes

3.Heart Disease

4.Esophageal Cancer

5.Cholesterol

6.Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

7.Tooth Decay

8.Blood Pressure

9.Depression

10.Anti-viral and Anti-bacterial

11.Skincare

You can see in the pictures above,my wide collection of teas...:)

TRASHED trailer (2012) - Environmental documentary with Jeremy Irons

http://www.trashedfilm.com/watchfilm.php

Trashed - No Place For Waste with the participation of Jeremy Irons, looks at the risks to the food chain and the environment through pollution of our air, land and sea by waste. The film reveals surprising truths about very immediate and potent dangers to our health. It is a global conversation from Iceland to Indonesia between the film star Jeremy Irons and scientists, politicians and ordinary individuals whose health and livelihoods have been fundamentally affected by waste pollution. Visually and emotionally the film is both horrific and beautiful: an interplay of human interest and political wake-up call. But it ends on a message of hope: showing how the risks to our survival can easily be averted through sustainable approaches that provide far more employment than the current 'waste industry'.
(C) Blenheim Films 2012

A must see!
(and Jeremy Irons aaaaaah...)

Have an amazing week!

From T-Shirt to Fringe Necklace

Here´s an old picture of me (still blonde..) & an old tshirt (bought just because of  the "Natural Blonde" joke...) i just transformed (me included...) into this:

1.Pick an old shirt
2.cut it

3.leave full length or cut to desired length

Et voilá!

DIY Aloe vera ice cubes to soothe sunburns,tight skin and close skin pores.

Aloe  Vera  grows in dry climates such as those found in parts of Africa and India and has been used medicinally for centuries. Egyptians called it the “plant of immortality.

Aloe leaves secrete a clear gel that when broken off from the rest of the plant that can be applied topically to heal wounds and soothe skin.

Frozen,i used to soothe sunburns,tight skin and close skin pores.

What will you need:

• An ice cube tray 
• Aloe vera gel
  
  
  
  
  

1.Extract the internal gel from a fresh Aloe.Pour it into the liquefier.2.When liquid,fill each reservoir of the ice cube tray three quarters of the way with aloe gel. If you only have a limited amount of gel, consider adding a small amount of water to each reservoir to beef up each cube.

3.Allow the ice to freeze. 

4.Apply one cube to the affected area the minute (or even before) you feel pain or just use it daily in your skin for its other skin benefits such as psoriasis, acne and eczema.It also It fights aging andlessens the visibility of stretch marks.Balances both dry and oily skin.renews and restores healthy skin Has anti-oxidant properties that repairs free radical damage and stimulates cellular regeneration. clarifies complexions while reducing redness. Reduce wrinkles, scars and burns 

p.s-Made into a beverage and taken internally, it has been used to help many other conditions. Some of them are constipation, ulcers, diabetes, headaches, arthritis, and coughs. Taking aloe internally does have side effects, which can include pain, electrolyte imbalances, and diarrhea.

Check out Aloe Vera facial toners:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=656651924351502&set=a.632679633415398.1073741825.554485917901437&type=3&theater

Dont buy,upcycle your clothes!

The summer sales season have just arrived,but this year ive done a very firm decision...iam not going to buy a single piece!Instead of buying new clothes,i will upcycle the old ones!
I will start with the tshirts and tops,then i will move to the dresses and so and on...till i´ll have a brand new wardrobe!yay!
And this, with no sew at all!I hate sewing...
i will keep you posted with some ideias and tips!

A sneak a peek of an old sweatshirt turned into a scarf...

Argan Oil (rancid...)

Just like the past five years (it´s already tradition...)last weekend i went to the Fil Feira Internacional de Artesanato-Lisboa, a very popular Arts&Crafts International fair held in Lisbon every year.
So,this year i bought an amazing dress from an Indian seller...

...an African phone pouch...

...and finally,a rancid Argan Oil bottle bought to a North African seller!As all the bottles were sealed i wasn´t able to try them before buying it...It has a smokey smell and it is definitely rancid, good&fresh Argan Oil should smell nutty and not like this one :(

But, iam the "nutty" one!Even smelly,i tried it on my face (yes,blergh!),BUT,amazingly, even rancid,it left my skin super smooth,super moisturized and it was immediately absorved by the skin, just as a fresh Argan Oil would!

I mixed it with my favorite parfum oil essence (to prevent me from fainting when iam having it on my face...) and im quite happy with it now.

I don´t advise you to do the same, but as for me, for this one, ill go rancid! :D

This oil (extracted from the fruit of Morocco's argan tree)  is well know for its its endless hydrating and healing properties.does not clog pores and helps minimize fine lines,Argan oil can also help people with mild acne as the oleic acid found in the oil helps promote healthy levels of sebum production, and its linoleic acid helps prevent excess dead skin cells by promoting healthy skin turnover.

Its extraction,by traditional methods is a very  thought process that envolve the folowing steps:

1.the women harvest the nuts from the argan trees, which grow only in southwestern Morocco. Apparently, Moroccan goats are great at climbing trees, i saw one but no one believed me...they are super cute, actually one of my fav animal :)

 2.The women let the nuts dry. When they pick them, they look like green olives,To make a liter of oil, you need 88 pounds of fruit!

3, Once the nuts are dry, the women use two stones to break apart the dried flesh of the nut, and then to break away the hull. Its hard work!

4.They squeeze the paste by hand to extract the oil. The oil is bottled and the remaining solid stuff left from squeezing is fed to the goats as a special treat (one of the women said it was the animal's version of chocolate).

However, the oil used in cosmetic and culinary products available for sale today has most likely been harvested directly from the tree and processed with machines.

Ive been twice in Morocco, but unfortunately did´t had the possibility to watch the Argan Oil production process http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jfnc1ySS4D4 (i was more busy getting lost in the Medinas looking for their super cool-colorful local Drug Stores!) but, Its on my TO DO list.

El Fna square in Marrakesh © CatiaCoias 

"Welcome to my beautiful shop"...somewhere in the High Atlas Mountains © CatiaCoias 

The fresh and colorful Yves Saint Laurent Majorelle Garden in Marrakech!© CatiaCoias 

The Majorelle Garden saved me from the 48°degrees felt on Marrakesh that day!it was super hot,the air seemed to  burn my nostrils!As you can see by my face...i was in an excruciating pain © CatiaCoias