Sunscreen vs Moisturiser With SPF -- Which Should You Use?

Some of you might be using only sunscreen, or only moisturiser with SPF, some of you might be layering both. What is better, and is there a difference?

The answer is that there are several reasons why you should be using separate, specialised products instead of a two-in-one:

 

 

How To Care For Very Dry Hands

Hello everyone,

 

With all the hand washing and disinfecting a lot of us are dealing with very dry hands. It's not just an issue of aesthetic and comfort -- cracked and wounded skin is much harder to clean and disinfect,

Today I'm going to talk about not just about products, but about other factors that can influence the skin of your hands.

Bring your own disinfection:

The free disinfection sprays that stand in stores are mostly cheap and very drying, so I usually bring a nicer one and use that. Look for Ethanol rather than isopropyl alcohol, fragrance-free, ideally with a moisturising ingredient like glycerin.

I have and can highly recommend Sterilium (especially Sterillium Pure). It's highly effective but not harsh on the skin. I decant it into little bottles to use on the go. It's apparently a favourite among health workers in Germany.

Musical interlude -- Dreamy Electronical Versions Of 80s Dance Songs

A small obsession of mine are slow, dark remixes of fun upbeat songs. I'm not sure how it started, but I began keeping a mental collection of covers that skew dreamy, electronic and dark. Here are my favourites:

 

Daughter -- Get Lucky

I think it all started from this song. When Daft Punk asked their fans to make covers out of their electronic dance piece Get Lucky, Daughter put her own unique spin on it, and gave us this mellow, minimalist version that puts a dark twist on the originally upbeat lyrics. I was mesmerised, and mildly obsessed how reinterpreting the song worked. 

Obsession

The original by Animotion is a forgettable little 80s number. The version by Karen O (from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) that was the intro of Flesh And Bone -- an amazing, but very dark series about ballet -- translated it into a moody and dark piece. I also think the video is pretty cool.

Hooded Eye Makeup -- Ideas And Inspirations

A long time back I wrote a bit about hooded eyes. Now I have some fresh ideas that I want to share:

A hooded eye is not just little space on the moveable lid. It means that the unmovable lid looks pillowy -- however this is often not very obvious, especially on younger people. The more clear sign of the hooded eye is that the crease is longer than average, it extends to the outer corner of the eyes. This makes applying regular eyeliner impossible -- if you draw it on with your eyes closed, it will look very strange when you open your eyes (and vice versa). (I'm not going to talk about east Asian and monolid eyes here, because this is a whole big topic I'm absolutely not qualified for.)

Before I delve into actual makeup, I want to say that I always find it a pity when people approach hooded eyes as something that needs to be fixed. I find this eye feature is very charming, it is a very specific look and has not been called "bedroom eyes" in vain. A lot, and I mean really a lot of gorgeous famous women have hooded eyes -- from actresses to supermodels to singers.

I found it a pity that Renee Zellweger got work done that took away this distinctive feature of hers. I mean she is a beautiful woman and looks great still, but she looks so, I dunno, rather generic Caucasian now. Not to mention that her original eye shape that she felt the need to fix is due to her Kven and Sami heritage, which is another conversation all together.

Ok, off my soapbox and back to makeup. 

Many hooded eye makeup tutorials will tell you to apply a dark, matte shade on the unmoveable eyelid to make it recede. This is the standard "corrective" makeup for the hooded eye:

The Base Coat That Makes Nail Polish Last And Keeps My Nails Healthy -- Orly Bonder Review

 

I'm a practical person when it comes to manicures -- if it chips in two days, I can't be bothered. So I have been looking into all kind of base products and top coats, and wasn't that impressed. Most didn't seem to do make my manicure last longer. I also didn't want to use anything with formaldehyde -- while it strengthens the nails at first, with time it damages the nail and can make it separate from the nail bed.

After a lot of research I stumbled on the Orly Bonder Rubberized Formula -- a sticky base that is free from formaldehyde.

It's yellowish and a bit thick. When dry it's still tacky and rubbery, this makes it grip on to the nail polish so well. The Orly Bonder makes my manicures last around at least twice as long as along. And I'm not very gentle with my nails -- I do a lot of things with my hands, including cooking and washing the dishes by hand (and I'm unfortunately lazy about wearing gloves, mainly because I seem to be in between sizes). 

 
The Orly Bonder has another huge advantage. My nails are not very strong, and wearing nail polish for more than a week means my nail layers separate and peel off. This means I could paint my nails once every 4-8 weeks, that's how long it takes for the damage to grow out. Since I am using Orly Bonder Rubberised formula, my nails have been completely healthy. The base coat creates a barrier between my nail and the polish.

Minuses? The Orly Bonder does not completely keep my nails from getting stained by my red and orange nail polish. The Bonder itself leaves a light yellowish tint on the nails, which looks flattering on some nails and less so on others. The formula is a bit rubbery, which means it can be less than smooth to apply. Also the brush isn't the best.

The right way to apply it is to apply on dry and oil-free nails. Make sure that the outer edges of the nails are well covered, you can sweep a bit under the nail just to make sure.  Although the product is not that cheap, a little goes a very long way. The photo of the bottle in the post is a bit old, the new one is a bit sleeker.

 

Have you use the Orly Bonder? Or do you have other holy grail nail bases?

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Zeta

Photo credit: VenusianGlow

Should You Be Supplementing Vitamin D? My Personal Experience.

I'm writing this post because some of my family have been diagnosed with a vitamin D deficiency, with one family member having extremely low levels.
 

If you live in a country where you don't get much sun during the winter, you might be feeling sluggish and moody during the cold half of the year. And might be chalking it up to things like spending so much time indoors, the cold and the darkness. But actually a lot of people living in the higher latitudes are deficient in Vitamin D -- this paper suggests 41,6% of people in the US. And double that number of black people  -- research shows that the more melanin your skin has, the less it absorbs the ultraviolet radiation that is needed to synthesize vitamin D.

Your Weekly Deep-Clean For Your Pores -- 4 Steps Clean Out.

Today I'd like to share with you a four-step treatment that I have been doing since some years to keep my pores small and clear.

The pores around my nose and my forehead get clogged with sebaceous filaments aka sebum (which are mainly fat and dead skin cells). While sebaceous filaments are perfectly normal, over time they can widen the pores, giving you that strawberry look. Cleaning out your pores will not shrink them, but it will keep them from getting bigger.

This method has four steps and is best done when you have some time for yourself, as you have to take some time between the steps. I like to do this on weekends or quiet weekday evenings.

What You Need To Cleanse Your Pores

You need:

* An AHA or an enzyme product to exfoliate. If you are doing this in the winter, and committing to using sunscreen you can pick a product with alpha hydroxic acids. I use one I made myself. An enzyme product can be used all year, also on dry and sensitive skin. I like Orientana's papaya and ginseng scrub, or ___________
* A 2% BHA product to dissolve the sebum. I use Vianek's normalising cleansing gel. You can use Stridex strips, the Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, Logona Aktiv Pickel-Stopp Bio, or diy a BHA toner.

* A clay mask to draw out the gunk from the pores. The Queen Julep mask is very popular for this, I use Kaolin clay.

* Oil to dissolve the remaining sebum. I use either sunflower, jojoba or grapeseed or my own mixes, but you can use any face oil that works for you.

How To Clean Out Your Pores In Four Steps

This is the basic enzyme/aha-bha-clay-oil method that I use. You can modify it to suit your skin. If your skin is dry and sensitive, work only on the areas with clogged pores. And try skipping the AHA.

0. Start with clean, product-free skin. Remove any dead skin cells on the surface with a cotton or microfibre face cloth, a soft brush, a konjac sponge or gauze or a silicone scrubby.

1. Apply the AHA or enzyme product and leave it on for 15-20 minutes. This will act as a mechanical peel and loosen dead skin cells from the surface.

2. Apply the BHA product on the areas with clogged pores. Leave on for 15-20 minutes. The BHA will penetrate the sebum in the pores and loosen it.

3. Apply the clay mask, keep it on for 10-15 minutes. Spritz it with water and don't allow it to dry out. This will draw the gunk out of the pores to the surface. Clean off the clay with a cloth.

4. Apply oil on your face and gently massage with your fingers for 2-5 minutes. At this point some people start feeling "grits", which is sebum and dead skin cells. Wash off the oil. You can do this with a washcloth dipped in warm water, or with micellar water or another cleanser.

Enjoy your clear skin! You can continue with your regular routine now. I like to just use a hydrolate, and light moisturiser if my skin feels dry.

I like to repeat this weekly, 

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Zeta

Photo credit: VenusianGlow

I Didn't Shave My Legs This Summer, Here Is What Happened (Nothing)

Hello everyone

So it all started with me re-thinking my body hair this quarantine. Well, honestly it kind of started with my now-tween, and her worries about her (pretty much invisible) leg hair that led me to ask myself questions about beauty, body-acceptance and the role of society in our beauty standards. 

Also, I realised that in quarantine I couldn't be bothered to shave my legs. I had so much going on, and when I looked down at my shins and asked myself if the hair really bothered me that much, the answer was "nah". So I decided to roll with that for a while and see what happens. 

Why I Am Testing Single Hair Products And Tracking Them In A Spreadsheet

Hello everyone,

I hope quarantine has not been treating you too badly. Here in Germany shops and schools have reopened, though with a lot of restrictions. I'm still working less hours as I normally do, and decided to use this to go back to the basics of caring for my hair. I want to understand how specific products and ingredients work with my hair. I normally use several products and techniques and often don't know why the work (or not). I also see a lot of magic combos online -- detailed routines and product lists that I then try to copy.

Now it's back to the basics -- I'll wash my hair any do just one thing. Only aloe vera gel. Or only a protein mask. Or only a vinegar rinse. I document the results in an excel table: I record volume, curl, definition, shine and softness. I also note how my hair looks on the second and third and fourth day. I also test and record techniques. For example air drying vs air drying most of the way with a hair dryer at the end vs using the hair dryer first and then letting my hair air dry.

The results have been very illuminating. I know now that anything with protein will give my hair a lot of curl, that aloe vera gives me hold and a nice texture and I can use tons of it without overdoing it. And yes, most of the products I tested are simple kitchen-shelf type of things because they just work so well for me. I have written a lot about these here.

I really recommend trying out a hair diary, whether a detailed excel sheet or a quick jot of what you did and the effect. Don't forget to include the weather, especially if it's raining, as that can influence frizz levels!

alias            

Zeta

Photo credit: VenusianGlow

DIY Rice Water Protein Hair Rinse For Smoothness And Curl Definition

Rice water is one of my very best hair care tips. The proteins my waves more pronounced. It keeps my hair fresh, because the starch absorbs oil. The rice rinse also calms frizz and makes my hair smoother to the touch, and much easier to detangle. It minimises breakage through rubbing because the hair cuticles get smoother, so it's perfect for high-porosity hair.

How to make the rice water hair rinse

Here are a couple of methods that bring slightly different effects. I suggest playing around!

I Tried A Sea Sponge Natural Tampon -- My Experience And Review

Hello everyone, I recently go the chance to try sea sponge tampons from Tom&Pat and I was really curious. I am all for natural, low-waste periods, and while I am a big fan of my period cup I realised that they may not work for everyone. The sea-sponge is a natural alternative to a tampons, there are low-waste since on can last around 6 months. They are a renewable resource, and have been used in ancient times -- and here I was, thinking that tampons are a modern invention. They are also a good alternative if you want to avoid the pesticides, bleach and halogenic organic compounds that are often found in conventional (non-organic) tampons and pads.

The sponges that I got are roughly the size of a plum, which makes them suitable for anyone with  medium flow. They got me through 8 hours of bleeding (I removed them after that time as I would a tampon, to avoid TSS). Tom&Pat offer them in three sizes, depending on how your flow is.

So, did they work? Yes! I didn't leak at all, and the sponge contained everything. And it was super super comfortable.

What Everyone With Greying Hair Should Know About Sunlight -- Aka How I Fried My Hair Last Summer

This was taken in June -- the beginning of summer -- but you can already see the dryness and coarseness in spite of loving conditioning.

Hey everyone, now that summer is coming I have to write about this. I made a huge mistake last summer which really damaged my hair, and I hope that this post can help some of you from repeating my mistake.

To preface this -- I have quite a bit of grey hair. I started greying when I was in my early twenties, a few whites here and there. Now there are many more, though not yet enough for a proper salt-and-pepper look (I tried, and it did not look good). If you have any greys you might know that they don't just have a different colour, they have a whole different texture. You might have noticed your first grey because they grew straight up like an antenna (I did). They are coarser and stubborn. And they are very susceptible to UV damage.

I did not know this.