LLYT Challenge : Get Out of Your Beauty Box, (Part 3)

You might remember from my last update that I pretty much thought I've figured it out. But of course, then I had to go and complicate things...

But let's start from the beginning, I mean middle. My vapour samples arrived and I immediately had to play with them. First impression? COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY! The quality is simply amazing. Now keep in mind this is my very first encounter with all natural make-up and I remember that switching to organic personal care products was an adjustment so I was expecting similar here.  But not at all! Here are my first reactions:

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1. Primer: Stratus Instant Skin Perfector (903)
Not only did it smooth the pores but the slight translucent pigmentation also evened out the complexion. In the summer I get lots of freckles and sun spots but after just putting the primer on I would almost say it was enough by itself without the foundation! Also unlike my old primer that completely mattified my skin, this primer did not wipe out the glow (and lucky me, I have been enjoying nice pregnancy glow). 

2. Foundation: Atmosphere Luminous Foundation (115)
I have followed Vapour's instructions on choosing the right color but of course I was very nervous about it actually being a good match considering that I now have to mix 3 different shades to get my right match. And guess what!? The color was a perfect match! It was so perfect that really you can't tell that I'm wearing make-up. The pores were erased and sun spots and other funny pigmentation has disappeared but once again, the skin's glow and the 'good' freckles still came through! 

3. Bronzer: Solar Translucent Bronzer (Spicy 223)
I got the sample in the darkest shade just because I figured I can always use less for a lighter effect. Waw. It's unbelievable! It really is "translucent" as the name suggests because it just bronzes your skin but does not look like you've just smeared very dark kasha on. It goes on like a cloud... It makes you look tanner but you can't see it on the skin. I don't know how that's even possible. 

4. Blush: Aura Blush Radiant (Intrigue 205) 
Once again the color was SPOT ON! Also because of the "built in" light shimmer it really gives your cheeks this ethereal, magical "elf-like" quality... not sure if you know what I mean, but trust me it's a gorgeous effect!

5. Lipstick: Siren Lipstick (Torrid 413)
This was supposed to be a "fun" sample just to play with. I went for a super deep burgundy color. You see, lipstick and I, especially dark lipstick, we just don't get along. I keep buying it and NEVER wearing it. The reason is that I look either like a) 'working girl' or b) little girl who stole mommy's lipstick.  So I wear gloss, but sometimes you don't feel like a gloss and you just want some grown up color on your lips. Surprised once again... this lipstick works perfectly on me! Now, if you love the 'regular lipstick effect" then I'm not sure you would like this. But if you like lipstick that does NOT feel like a lipstick, look like a lipstick or 'taste' like a lipstick then run to get this!  It's more of a 'stain' really. It just gives your lips color but other then that you don't even know you have anything on your lips! (Which is exactly what I love). A just for "fun" sample became a FOR SURE to buy right away. I have finally found a dark lip color that works on me.  

Overall what surprised me the most about Vapour is that you really can't see it at ALL on the skin.  It works, it has color, it adjusts your 'face issues', but even if you lean in real closely you can't actually see it on the skin. Magic I tell you!

Here are the results.

• • •

so sad...no makeup :(                                                  smug shot

After putting the make-up on, I literally said to myself - this is IT! I'm buying everything I tried because it works perfectly and will replace exactly my old make-up pieces. However... my joy was short lived as after a few hours I was washing the make-up off. Why? The smell it has, is what I find, a rather strong earthy scent. To me it smells like earth after rain, which really is not bad per se, but it is a bit too much when you're constantly smelling it because it's on your face. I even made Vito smell my face to see if he'd be appalled, but he just said it smelled "a bit herbal". (Then again, he is a smart man and knows not to EVER criticize me... so I knew I couldn't really count on him to speak freely.) In the end I concluded that it just wasn't my scent. Oh how disappointed I was. The biggest culprit turned out to be the foundation, as the bronzer and lipstick actually have a delicious scent of orange and cherry respectively, the primer and blush only having a light "herbal" scent. 

I decided not to panic and simply give it a few more tries, after all I happened to have tested the make-up on one of the hottest days of the year (28C), and due to pregnancy I might have had a heightened sensitivity to some scents... However it did make me go back to the drawing board and I ran straight onto the comforting page of possibilities; Spirit Beauty Lounge's sample ordering page! I decided to go ahead and give other companies I heard about a chance as well. Still keeping in line with my preferences for a stick foundation and cream blushes...

I chose these to try next:

Additional samples: 

Tsi-Lai Organics perfume oil Kizes/ W3LL People Narcissist Foundation + Concealer No 2/ W3LL People Universalist Multi-Use Colorstick No 4/ RMS Uncover Up *22/ RMS Living Luminizer/ RMS Lip to Cheek *Promise/ Kjaer Weis Lip Tint Goddess/ Kjaer Weis Cream Blush Blossoming/ ILIA Beauty Multi-Stick All Of Me 

Ordering a sample kit from Spirit Beauty Lounge was by far the easiest way to try all that I wanted from one source. Their 9 samples for $25 (free delivery in US and Internationally) is just perfect. I even threw in Tsi-Lai perfume oil to try as I'd been curious about it, and the Ilia stick in a coral color that I don't usually wear, "just for fun". 

What a roller coaster ride? :-) Who knew choosing make-up could be so... riveting! Then again, it's not really buying new make-up that's riveting, it's "Stepping Outside Of MY Beauty Box" that's hard. Stay tuned for the third update on this challenge where I'll reveal my final choices! Unless I run back crying to my old staples... 
 

• • •     LESSONS LEARNED    • • •

Only by trying something new
will you discover something new. 

Love it? Share it! - We are dedicated to sharing stories that spark ideas and are meaningful to you. The best way to let us know is to post a comment, like below or pin on Pinterest! ~ For More ways to Live Like You're Traveling, follow us on Feedly, Bloglovin, Pinterest, or Facebook. 

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IDEA119 : Bake the Easiest Lemon Tart Just Like the One in Normandy, France

Let me tell you a story about my search for the perfect lemon tart recipe. It all started last summer in Normandy, France where we went on a family vacation. My dad and brother joined from New York, Vito's mom and brother with his girlfriend made us a merry little group of eight. We stayed in a lovely town by the sea called Saint Aubin sur Mer, where time didn't hurry, tourists were not many, yet there were plenty of things to do and see. It was a delicious week of family bonding, discovering the sites and of course eating as many pain au chocolate for breakfast as humanly possible (well, maybe this last one was just my personal achievement).

We stayed at a camping (Cote de Nacre) a ten minute walk from the seaside promenade lined with sunny colored villas, happy little cafes and restaurants. Our mornings consisted of sightseeing, and afternoons in the pool or at the beach and of course no day went by without promenading up and down by the sea.

Walking from Cote de Nacre camping to the beach. 

Pastel villas along the promenade in Saint Aubin sur Mer. (Mo has just two settings, run or sit.) 

But back to the lemon tart...  as you can imagine a family of eight including one 1.5 year old boy and one 13 year old boy there is always someone ready for a snack (or a 5 course meal).

Dinner on the promenade.

On one such occasion we stopped at a cozy cafe with cream colored furniture, nautical prints and walls lined with book shelves giving you a feeling of a sea side day lounge. Lemon tart was the first thing we saw on the chalk board menu and that was enough of a suggestion for all us to order a round. The tart was incredible! The lemony filling was creamy with sweet and tart flavors in perfect harmony. The crust, a wonderful companion, perfectly yummy yet not trying to compete jealously with the filling for attention. The tart was so delicious that we immediately ordered seconds nervous that the cafe might not have enough! Thankfully they did, so there was no need for violence. And since that moment I've been looking for a recipe that will reunite me with my perfect lemon tart...

My brother reclining after the lemon tart and Nutella crape. 

Until finally! I have come across this recipe on Julia's blog.  She in turn found it in a newspaper article about a German illustrator who lived in Lisbon for a while. This illustrator upon tasting this tart at a rowdy summer backyard party asked the cousin of her neighbor, a certain Anita, for the recipe. She then illustrated the recipe which Julia transcribes on her blog. (In English thankfully.) 

So there! A recipe found via our global neighbor Julia, from literally someone's actual neighbor (well cousin of said neighbor) has made its way to me in The Netherlands! AND! What has set off this world wind recipe search? Why a visit to a little seaside town in France called Saint Aubin sur Mer... Now tell me we are not all connected. :)

• • • 

If you are like me and have been searching for an easy way to make lemon tart feel free to raise your hopes high.  Real high! This tart does not require intimidating baking thermometers, high scores on your math tests to perform calculations involving heat, altitude, timing, and egg yolk temperaments. There are two, JUST TWO ingredients for the filling. Condensed milk and juice of 2 lemons, ok 3 if you count lemon zest. That's it!!! The crust? The easiest ever, and you don't even have to have your butter at room temperature. I hate it when recipes call for that, when I want to bake, I must bake right then and there before inspiration leaves me and I can't wait for princess butter to arrive at room temperature. (Excuse me, I'm an Aries, it's a biological fact that I can't wait for stuff.) 

Now I'm not a baker and trust me when I say, you can't do this recipe wrong. I did have to look up how to beat egg yolks stiff on youtube because I wasn't 100% sure of the right way to do it. I know my grandma did it by hand with a fork but after 2 minutes (ok 15 seconds) I gave up and looked it up on youtube.  Here is the video, listen to the nice Italian lady all the way to the end, that's when she tells you how to make your egg whites really stiff.  

Lemon Tart 
Recipe: on Julia's blog.
 

Saint Aubin sur Mer, Normandy, France.
Stay at: Camping Cote de Nacre  (Groups)

Eat at: Wherever speaks to you on the promenade, however for dinner you should make a reservation, and of course lemon tart and other deserts at Aux Bains des Mots.

To do: Visit the town of Cabourg on market day and eat lunch on the promenade, bring your swim suits for when the inevitable desire strikes for a dip in the sea.  Normandy is also the land of apple brandy, do visit Château du Breui, a Calvados distillery and a historical manor house. 

Sight see: Saint Aubin sur Mer is a great base for discovering Normany. Not to miss  Omaha Beach and the Normandy American Cemetery Memorial. Visit the UNESCO heritage site, the medieval monastery Le Mont Saint Michel.  

Take home: a bottle of Calvados. Hemingway would have approved.  

Now, what have we conclude from all this madness? 

• • •    LESSONS LEARNED    • • •

You might find your lemon tart exactly where
you didn't think to look for it.

Love it? Share it! - We are dedicated to sharing stories that spark ideas and are meaningful to you. The best way to let us know is to post a comment, like below or pin on Pinterest! ~ For more ways to Live Like You're Traveling, follow us on Feedly, Bloglovin, Pinterest, or Facebook. 

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LLYT Challenge : Step Out Of Your Beauty Box (Part 2)

Is it August already!? I thought I'd check in with a little progress report to our Step Outside of your Beauty Box challenge .

July came and went in a delicious haze of unusually hot summer weather and trips to the beach right after work to enjoy the long Northern European days... Pasta salad, check, drinks from the freezer, check, kid and towels, check and check! Eventhough I've been extra careful to avoid direct sunlight this summer, because of my delicate status (36 weeks pregnant! ...eeek!) and the skin being extra sensitive to the sun during this time, I still managed to somehow get pretty dark. Once my face is tan there is no need for foundation, blush or even mascara. I got away with relying solely on the above handsome threesome as my beauty entourage:  

Badger Balm's Damascus Rose Face Sunscreen as face moisturizer and sunscreen.
Nuxe's Huile Prodigieuse OR on body and face for a lovely shimmer. 
Crazy Rumors KibisKiss lip tint as natural lip protection and great color on the lips. 

Et voila'! That was it. However don't think I was sitting around twiddling my thumbs. I know that sooner or later the weather will get cooler and the tan will fade away just like those warm summer rays and my face will need 'help' again. So! I have been a busy worker bee asking my friends and "Global Neighbors" for their suggestions of favorite organic make-up options. One company I kept hearing about was Vapour Organic Beauty. I love my creamy foundations, blushes and eye shadows and seems like Vapour's products would give me a similar consistency that I love. I've ordered 5 samples directly from their website, a nice deal for $15 (plus $5 International Delivery and a $10 discount on the next purchase of a full sized product). I am going to be trying the basics; primer, foundation and blush.

Atmosphere Luminous Foundation (115)
Aura Blush Radiant (Intrigue 205)
Stratus Instant Skin Perfector (903)

With these I'm targeting for elimination few of my staples, the Dream Matte Mousse foundation, the creamy blush and Studio Secrets Primer.  

Now that I'm at this point I can see it'll be harder then I thought. I've figured out the perfect way to combine my make-up elements to achieve various effects, for example I use three different shades of Dream Matte Mousse mixed together to arrive at the perfect foundation color for me year round. Complicating matters even further I may add a bit of lotion for a shearer coverage and a skin luminizer for extra glow.  Because you know, some times you feel like a luminizer, and sometimes you don't.  

- - -    JOIN THE CHALLENGE!   - - -

What's something that you've been meaning to change or try with your beauty regiment?  Challenges never expire. Show us how you tackled this challenge. We'd love to feature your results! 

Love it? Share it! - We are dedicated to sharing stories that spark ideas and are meaningful to you. The best way to let us know is by posting a comment, like below or pin it on Pinterest! ~ For More ways Live Like You're Traveling follow us on Feedly, Bloglovin, Pinterest, or Facebook. 

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IDEA118: Plan Your Next Trip with 5 of Our Favorite Travel Booking Sites

"We want to go somewhere tropical and luxurious.... any ideas?" Mu-Hsien asked me the other day.

"When?"

"Beginning of August."

"WHAT!? And only now you're asking for IDEAS?" I'm a super planner, at the moment I'm thinking about a weekend away next March, so clearly I was shocked and appalled at this nonchalant treatment of the most sacred thing on earth...travel.

In a knee jerk reaction I immediately invited Mu to my favorite sites for booking travel. 

After a day of browsing Mu-Hsien dismissed Caribbean as being to risky for stormy weather in August, Asia as being simply too far for an impromptu week-long escape, California and Florida as not "exotic" enough, Canada not tropical enough, and Hawaii a tad over the budget for the uber sexy and romantic accommodation that she envisioned.  

Dilemma seems to have only intensified and Mu-Hsien once again proved that she really should have been born a princess. 

I told her that there is only one place where someone like her can be helped... and that is at a travel agency.  

"A travel agency!?" exclaimed Mu-Hsien amused. "Do those still exist?" 

While Mu-Hsien is seeking wisdom and guidance at a Travel Agency, I thought I'd share with you all my favorite sites for travel booking and inspiration in hopes that you never to get caught without a travel idea and perhaps help you unleash that travel buying trigger finger!

1. Booking.com

This is my absolute first stop when I look for any accommodation. Booking.com, a Dutch company, lists not only hotels, but also B&B's, design hotels, villas and apartments from all over the world. The real gem however is in the reviews. For most accommodations you are likely to find hundreds of reviews. You can even filter reviewers by families, mature or young couples, single travelers or groups. I use Booking.com to book just about all of my accommodation if where I'm going does not require me buying a plane ride.        

2. Expedia.com

Everyone is familiar with expedia. I use it in situation when I need a simple flight + hotel combination. Many times I have concluded that the price on expedia really can't be beat any other way. I've even used it for some far away business trips. This is also great for last minute getaways and when you're flexible about your destination. TIP: If you're outside of the US, expedia will automatically redirect you to the local site with local currency. Be sure to click back to expedia.com and purchase in USD. For some reason listings in USD prices are almost always LESS EXPENSIVE.  

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The next three picks are member sites. Sort of your Rue La La but for travel. There you'll find unbelievable discounts on super luxurious hotels, resorts and trips. Yes, I'd put most of these into the splurge category but if used wisely they could really lead you to a STEAL. I use these as follows: 

•  Sexy hotel night stay right in your own city - you know, for celebrating something special, or just for a quicky romantic get away without traveling far.

• When booking a week or longer holiday I always like to include at least few indulgent hotel nights either to start or end your vacation with. If you're booking via another site, or a travel agent you can always exclude a few nights of hotel bookings and reserve something extravagant on your own.  

• Inspiration!!! These sites really give you a nice bite sized introduction to some non-mainstream travel destinations or simply places that might not be on your radar. Many times the deals on these sites are still a bit over my budget but supplied with some inspiration I simply looks for a different option in the same area. Besides, you do know that most of these incredible resorts and hotels can be enjoyed for the day? That's right! Sleep next door at a more 'realistically priced' place and in the morning simply stroll on over to spend the day at the grandiose pool of the neighboring resort. Sometimes you'll have to pay for a day pass, and sometimes just having breakfast or lunch there will get you in for the whole day! I know, I know, you love me... 

3. Jetsetter.com 

I absolutely love LOVE! their online magazine. With features like "72 hours in...",  "Your Hot Summer in...", "Top Ten..." you'll be feverishly scribbling all over your travel list.  

4. Tablethotels.com 

This site has some really unbelievable deals not only on famous large hotels, but also on really gorgeous small design hotels. You can also see reviews from other members that have stayed there. 

5. Vacationist.com and Familygetaway.com 

This is really three sites in one, presented by Travel+Leisure. I particularly find Family Getaway very interesting because it makes it easy to book trips specifically with kids in mind. The site already takes into account that you'll need those fun extras like cots, Kids clubs with furry characters, pools with slides and so on. You can also bid on vacations and see if you can get even a bigger discount.  

Here Are Your Personal Invites!

Jetsetter -  [Invitation] 
Tablet Hotels - [Invitation] 
The Vacationist - [Invitation]  
Family Getaway - [Invitation] 

*When you sign-up you can spread the love by inviting your friends and receive a nifty little bonus if your friends book travel.

Booking.com 
Expedia.com  

Happy travels! 

• • •    WHAT ABOUT YOU?    • • •

What's your favorite travel booking website? 
Do you also have a travel agent on speed dial?

Love it? Share it! - We are dedicated to sharing stories that spark ideas and are meaningful to you. The best way to let us know is to post a comment, like below or pin on Pinterest! ~ For more ways to Live Like You're Traveling, follow us on Feedly, Bloglovin, Pinterest, or Facebook. 

IDEA118: Transform Your Urban Garden

I kind of have a habit of popping up shop. A glutton for INSTANT GRATIFICATION.
Earlier the same day, the above looked like: this scene { the before }.

I couldn't wait. I bought a little of everything from a local shop that would be a staple. 
Not pictured are also batches of herbs, parsley, basil, thyme, rosemary and other greens, Arugala, lettuces... our garden was now becoming a reality! 

• • • 

In addition to the back garden, we also addressed the back porch which was a drabby open area. Using bamboo rollup blinds and hanging plants (5' long), we enclosed it for greater privacy outside and to warm up the space for breakfast on the porch and al fresco dinners.

From the inside... we like to open the kitchen windows wide open make it feel like it extends out towards the porch.

And now with a proper garden...a proper work space was in order. A similar potting bench was put together the same day I planted all the new veggies. Again...instant gratification! BONUS: It also doubles as a serving/side table for the porch.  

For more ideas on creating privacy, we've been getting ideas from: Landscaping for Privacy, by Marty Wingate

Next up for (part 3) - we'll take a closer look at the varieties of flowers planted and those planted just for the purpose of helping out the veggie garden!  

• • •    WHAT ABOUT YOU?    • • •

How do you create privacy in your yard? 
What do you use to organize your gardening tools & space?

Get everyday adventure ideas @LiveLikeYoureTraveling

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IDEA117: Stock Your Global Pantry with Nudo-Italia Olive Oil and Adopt Your Own Tree

Few years ago Vito and I stayed for a week in Sicily, spending some time in Taormina, visiting quietly fuming Etna and taking a spin to see some of the Eolian islands. Even though it was the first week in October, the weather was still sweltering during the day only cooling off pleasantly at night. Compared to the "mainland" Italy, Sicily to me always feels so undiscovered, do full of nature's abundance. It seems that the raw elements are in charge and we humans are mere guests allowed to observe.  

The same feeling applies to Sicilian cuisine. The ingredients themselves are at the very center of cooking, coming fresh from the sea or land. The less is done to them the more glorious their taste is. This really is very surprising in Sicily, the most simplest ingredients are thrown together and are already delicious without a lot of complicated moves in the kitchen. Just a drizzle of olive oil and a twist of salt and you're done! On our first day there we sat down for a nice lunch, a salad (for me) and a simple pizza with pomodorini and ruccola (for Vito). I eat salads for lunch all the time, but this salad was out of this world. Greens, tomatoes, mushrooms, tuna and a sprinkle of corn, and of course a generous splash of olive oil somehow resulting in an explosion of taste! Vito's equally unpretentious pizza got a drizzle of oil as well and washing it all down with a light white wine, we could not have been happier. 

Through out the week over and over we have experienced this phenomenon of delicious ingredients enhanced just with olive oil. Even a basket of bread, which I usually ignore when eating out, would be inhaled immediately with intermittent dunking in a little plate of olive oil and Sicilian salt. We thought about how to bring this "magic" back home with us. Is it even possible? I mean, we can't reproduce the fresh air and sea breeze and sunshine that are so instrumental in making the ingredients taste so good. No, sadly it's not possible at the moment, and neither is a lavish Sicilian summer residence, but there is something we can do to incorporate a big part of Sicilian magic in our cooking... and that is, to use best quality olive oil.  

I was searching for a while to find a great source of olive oil and finally came across a company called Nudo-Italia that offers quarterly olive oil delivery straight from grove. And "straight from the grove" is not just a clever tag line, you'll know WHICH grove the oil comes from! Through their "Adopt a tree" program you can actually browse a list of small family operated olive groves that they work with and choose one yourself. When you adopt a tree you receive quarterly delivery of 1st press olive oil. Recently Nudo-Italia added a Sicilian grove called Barone Pastore located on the Trapanese cost. You can read more about it here. And guess what!? You can actually VISIT your tree, and hug it, if that's what you're into. Yes, yes, you can visit the grove and your tree, as well as arrange for a tour of the olive press and learn more about your olive oil and how it's made. 

Most of the grove owners also operate Agriturismo, which is a farm stay type bed and breakfast. (Check them out here.) What do you know? Maybe that dream summer residence in Sicily is not so far fetched after all... 

Or better yet, take a tour with global neighbor J, of (*sparklingly) to Sicily, back when she was dating her Sicilian husband R, in "Meet Me in Sicily..."

While scheming up a yearly Sicilian getaway, feel free to indulge in Sicilian style living right in your own home.  We've been doing just that by taking advantage of the uncharacteristically warm summer here in the Netherlands and grilling up anything that moves, chopping-up anything that's green and dousing it all in Nudo-Italia olive oil. Ahhh... che vita dolce! 

 Where to find Nudo-Italia olive oil: 

Order on their website & world wide delivery costs are already included in the price.
(Grove photos via Nudo-Italia.com)

And I did not forget about the Sicilian salt! Like the Barone Pastore olive grove, the salt is also found on the Trapanese coast, which is said to have the oldest salt marshes of Europe. (In the US purchase HERE, rest of the world HERE.) 

 • • •    WHAT ABOUT YOU?    • • •

Do you have an obsession with something from Sicily? 
Any delicacies you buy directly from producers?
 

Love it? Share it! - We are dedicated to sharing stories that spark ideas and are meaningful to you. The best way to let us know is by posting a comment, like below or pin it on Pinterest! ~ For More ways Live Like You're Traveling follow us on Feedly, Bloglovin, Pinterest, or Facebook. 

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IDEA116: Get Rid of the Old to Make Room for a New Urban Garden

Pretty uninspiring no?

After a year of renovating the inside of the house, we were finally in a place to be able to focus on creating a garden in the back. I considered raised beds but since I had already witnessed a friend grow a bountiful garden last year straight from the ground...my eagerness pushed me to get started already. Prior to the scene above we had to clear away some awkwardly placed trees with the help of hubby's good friend. I think he enjoyed himself :). 

Then came some help of my own... (go team!) 

We weeded, raked and tilled... I also re-used the stone that was left over from the previous owner to create the two boxed in areas and integrated zen stones to be nestled within the flowers bed-to-be. One box for veggies, another for flowers. Paver stones were used to create a walking path in the middle of the boxed in areas for access to the plants. I decided to use a more organic shape for the path... what do you think? 

Preparing the soil

What I learned in this process:
Essentially the plants are only as healthy as the soil. Mind-blowing I know, but I never gave that much thought to soil and kind of expected plants to grow with sun and water. Now I understand that there are different types of nutrients that certain types of plants thrive in (ie. nitrogen rich etc.) 

Materials I used:
• Organic top soil to cover and mix into the top 6'
• Worm castings (worm poop) to enrich the soil. 

Next up in (part 2)...a transformation of plants, creating deck privacy and a new potting area! ~ M

• • •    LESSONS LEARNED    • • •

Not all shit is bad.

Get everyday adventure ideas @LiveLikeYoureTraveling 

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IDEA115: Get Summery Soft Lips with Organic Lip Tints

I don't know about you, but in the summer when it's warm I just want to wear as little as possible!  That goes not only for clothes but also for make-up.  I just want to take it all OFF. However, while the foundation may hibernate and there is no need for extensive blush, I still want color on my lips. I still want...something! Also keeping in mind a personal challenge to upgrade my cosmetics with more organic and natural options, I was quite critical when searching for my new lip color. 

I came across HibisKiss Lip Color and wanted to try it simply because I kind of got seduced by the beyond adorable packaging and thought it would be a great little lip balm for the summer with some natural sun protection build in.  When I first put it on I was very pleasantly surprised at exactly how much color it gave my lips! I got "Tropical" and it really complements my natural lip color which is cool pink making my lips more vivid, more present, and giving them a lovely subtle shimmer.  It smells and tastes delicious too and is quite long lasting for a 'balm'.  Also, it's organic!!! And that's no crazy rumor. ;-) (Rest of the world here.)  

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• • •

More All Natural Options

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1 - Yes to Carrots C Me Blush Lip Tint in Sunset Pink. This little number contains peppermint oil which I hear makes your lip tingle a bit after application.  How fun for the summer! And imagine sneakingly re-applying this right before smooching with your honey? You'll leave his lips tingling and he won't even know what hit him! (In the US you can grab it at Target or Walmart. Rest of the world here.)

2 - Badger Balm Lip Tint & Shimmer in Jasper Red!  This is very interesting because the lip tint comes with a shimmer stick on the other end!  Because, some days you feel like a shimmer and some days you don't. ;-)  (Rest of the world here.) 

3 - Korres Mandarin Lip Butter Stick in ROSE! Lovely addition to the line-up by this Greek natural company. (Worldwide here.) 

4 - Intelligent Nutrients Lip Delivery Antioxidant Gloss in Purple Maize. It's getting more "complex" here with this deeper grape color.  This is more of a gloss, but because it's all natural it's not sticky like the regular glosses. (Worldwide here.) 

5 - Kjaer Weis Lip Tint in Goddess. Ok true, at $48 this one is a definite splurge.  But I imagine using this as an instrument of seduction... It's a delicious summer night, it's late, you just had a wonderful dinner with your husband/lover/hot guy you met 3 hours ago followed by a decadent desert you both shared... you take out this mysterious (to him) silver case out of your snakeskin purse, rotate the top to open it and proceed to massage your lips with deep burgundy color with your finger. Is it getting hot in here yet? Then you click the silver case shut dropping it back in your purse as he watches you mesmerized. And then... well, what happens then is clearly non of our business.  
(Rest of the world here.)

Hope you've enjoyed this organic lip line-up! 

 

 • • •    WHAT ABOUT YOU?    • • •

What organic lip tints do you use? 
Know of any good organic lip tint recipes?

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LLYT Challenge : Step Out of your Beauty Box (part 1)

Welcome to the first edition of *OTSP* Challenges!

A big reason why Mu-Hsien and I started this blog is to challenge ourselves to get off our butts and actually take STEPS toward living our best lives. Back in high school we'd always talk about what we'd do when our "real lives" started.  It was always at some point in the future. When we'd graduate college, after getting a first job, after getting married... And then voila! The future is NOW and we are living our "real lives." But we still catch ourselves postponing doing something we want...until we're less busy...when we become millionaires? We decided to put a stop to this hard-to-break habit and challenge each other to act on our visions. The trick we discovered, is breaking down big goals into small projects and completing them one by one, rather then taking on the daunting task of tackling big concepts. 

So today is 1st of July and I decided to get cracking on the big bodacious goal of being the impossibly glamorous and mysterious woman that I've always imagined I'd grow-up to become. You know the one that leaves an air of exoticism wafting in the air long after she leaves the room, the kind of woman that mystifies even her own husband. You get the picture. Well that's a pretty big undertaking, so I thought, why not break it down and start with some basics.? One look through my arsenal of seduction tools (the make-up bag) proved to be a disappointing mix of brands that I've stuck to since...ehem High School, 6 varying shades of plum eye shadow (except for one brave green hue) and a few different bottles of the same pinkish cheek highlighting liquids. There is zero mystery there...I can't believe it but really my make-up choices for the past 15 years have been literally on repeat play. Please DON'T tell ANYONE!

So this month I'm issuing a challenge to...
Step outside my beauty box!

And what more fun way to do a challenge? Why, it's to challenge you all to do it with us. Have you perhaps also been doing the same things beauty wise? Have you been thinking about changing some aspect of your beauty routine? For me, I've decided to approach this challenge with the goal of upping the exotic factor of my cosmetics collection as well as transitioning to all natural and organic make-up. Going organic is something I've started a few years ago with body care products but somehow I have not gotten around to doing the same with my make-up.

Hope you like this challenge and might decide to "Step Outside of Your Beauty Box" too!  Feel free to read more about the idea of monthly challenges.
 

- - -    JOIN THE CHALLENGE!   - - -

 

What's something that you've been meaning to change or try with your beauty regiment?  Show us how you tackled this challenge. We'd love to feature your results!
 { Show Us + Tag it ‎‎#StepOutsideYourBeautyBox }

on our Facebook Page  or leave a blog post link in a comment below.

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IDEA114: Get Luminous Skin with this Natural French Beauty Secret

My grandma told me to never reveal my beauty secrets... but I figured... what the heck!  You know for a while I had lots of my friends convinced that my sweat sparkles? Yes yes, the lovely shimmer is what happens when I sweat. Now I will reveal what it really is, sorry grandma, this is just too good not to share!  

Let's talk summer skin...
You're showing a lot of it during the balmy summer days so making sure it's looking wonderful is pretty important. Enter: Organic Bronzing Oil.

I've been using bronzing oils in the summers for a long time after I accidentally discovered a bottle in a tiny local pharmacy. Bronzing oil is just what it sounds like, it's an oil to which tiny golden sparkles are added.  When you apply it to your skin it gives a beautiful overall shimmer.  The sparkle particles are really tiny so it doesn't look like you've spilled glitter all over yourself, it just gives your skin a light sparkle when the sun hits it.  

As I "grew-up" I've modified my choice of bronzing oils and now I use only the organic versions made with lovely, good for your skin, oils. My current choice is Huile Prodigieuse OR by NUXE. ($34.96 here worldwide.) 

NUXE, meaning Nature plus Luxury, is a French bio-cosmetics company started in 1989 by an entrepreneur Aliza Jabes with the help of her research pharmacist father. It's made with oils of: borage, St Johns Wort, sweet almond, camellia, hazelnut, and macadamia and Vitamin E.  These lightly moisturize the skin and also have a very pretty scent.  Now perhaps it's misleading to call this a "bronzing" oil because it does not actually change your skin color, but simply make it more glowing. You know, it gives you that je ne sais quoi...

What I love is that it's so light, you can use this on your face AND your hair for the ultimate sun kissed just returning from a day on my yacht look! 

• • • 

More all natural choices
 

Nuxe falls close to the middle of this line-up in terms of price. The difference lies in the different mixes of oils and of course "brand mythology".  

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1 - Monoi de Tahiti Precious Dry Oil from Yves Rocher another French cosmetics brand, is also a delicious choice made with Monoi de Tahiti oil.  I've always been a huge (HUGE!) fan of their regular Monoi de Tahiti Oil so I have a feeling this shimmery addition is going to be a huge hit for the brand as well. (A steal at $20 for 100ml bottle, and seems to be perpetually on sale for $12 on the Yves Rocher world sites. )

2 - Acorelle Organic Glittering Dry Oil from Acorelle again a French bio cosmetics brand.  Made with jojoba, and vitamine E oils, scented with calendula extract and ylang ylang oil.(13.90 Euro. Worldwide here. The delivery cost however to the USA is a hefty 19 Euro so this will only be worth it if you're buying a few more hard to get items.)

3 - Organic Bronzing Shimmer Oil from LucyB Cosmetics, a company inspired by bush flowers of Australia, is made with organic coconut, jojoba and sunflower oils.  It's scented with LucyB's signature Australian Bush Flower Essences.
($28 for a 50ml bottle. Rest of the world here.)

4 - Gold Shimmer Oil from Omorovicza, a Hungarian Company with roots going back 2000 years when the Omorovicza family set up a spa after the healing properties of Hungarian thermal waters were discovered. Coconut, rice germ, apricot seed and calendula oils were scented with ylang-ylang to create this. 
(A splurge at $80 for a 100ml bottle in the US here. Rest of the world here.)

Or make your own organic bronzing oil! 
Grab yourself a bottle of organic sunflower oil and some gold and bronze mica powders. Mix the gold and bronze powders to achieve the color of your choice and measure about 1 tsp of mica powder for 1 oz of oil. Add some essential oils to scent it. The below supplies will last you for more then one portion.  

• Sunflower oil  ($6.50 for 16 oz)
• Gold and bronze mica powders ($12.60)
• A little glass bottle for your creation

• • • 

The final step in pulling off this beauty secret is to know exactly what to say when you receive numerous complements and inquiries about why your skin is shimmering.  I suggest something like this: "What? Me? Sparkling? Where?" Look really surprised and pretend to inspect your skin carefully... "Oh hmm... I don't know, I am a bit sweaty, I guess that's what it is...I'm so embarrassed..."   Look appropriately embarrassed because someone noticed you shwitzing.  Practice this little performance in front of the mirror a few times to perfect it. 

 • • •    WHAT ABOUT YOU?    • • •

What is your go to beauty secret? 
What's a beauty tip you can't live without in the summer? 
{ Show us + Tag it‎‎ #OTSPnaturalbeauty }

on our Facebook Page or leave a photo or blog post link in the comments.
 

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