shak-shuka

Priti Pedi Solution

Even though I can't really see my toes, I still dream about pedicures. In New York, women get mani/pedis about every week, and I just love that tradition. Going there with your best girlfriends, laughing and giggling (mostly induced by the vibrating chairs) and enjoying a therapeutic foot soak while your toesies get the royal treatment. Here in the Netherlands they haven't quite caught up to this concept, and people who touch your feet have to be licensed to do so (lucky them!) and they wear surgical gloves during the whole pedicure, which makes for a very "interesting", and sometimes painful foot rub!

Needless to say, I've gotten used to doing my own nails. And yes, I am lucky enough to have access to the best and most eco-friendly nail products on the market: Priti NYC. Usually the smell of nail polish and remover makes me gag, but I have to say, Priti NYC products don't make me gag, in fact I LOVE the smell! Something between a fruity and baby-sweet smell, I just love that I'm not inhaling toxic fumes and it's safe enough for my daughter to use as well. It's been well documented that their Priti polish wears like iron (I wore it for 10 days straight with no chipping - which included a trip to Germany, Denmark and many trade shows!) and their polish remover is a unique formula based on soy and completely non-toxic. For the girls on the go, Priti just came out with a new set of Soy Polish Remover Wipes which I am in LOVE with! Easy peasy and no mess, it's great for getting off the kids nail polish that seems to change every week. And with Halloween just around the corner, I have to say the Glow in the Dark Princess Polish is flying off the shelves and these Soy Polish Remover Wipes are just the ticket once the holidays are over (but not the fun!).

Eco Facial Cleansing Wipes

If you're anything like me, your morning getting-ready routine has now dwindled to a whopping 5 minutes (this of course includes brushing your teeth) and your nighttime routine is even more dismal. There are nights when I literally pass out in my daytime clothes only to wake up on the couch with the dog looking at me like "lady! get it together - wash up and go to BED!". Nothing like being set straight by a 150lb St Bernard....

One of my lazy nighttime guilty pleasures has been that I have very little energy to do my usual nighttime routine of washing my face, patting it dry, putting on nighttime cream, bla bla bla.......zzzz.......I discovered facial wipes which cut down my routine to probably about 3 minutes and I couldn't be more grateful. The earth could do without this lazy habit, as you can imagine how many facial wipes end up in the landfill because of me. Low and behold: an eco-friendly solution! The Body Shop has these great Vitamin E Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes (ok just writing that name made me tired...) that are tough enough to take the day off my face by gentle enough to biodegrade in the earth once I toss it in the garbage! Voila - a match made in lazy eco heaven!

Make-Up Your Mind (+Bag!)

Just as people make fun of me for having too many baskets, I now have become a hoarder of small bags. Now that I have a child it seems to make sense as she has about 100 bags filled with random toys, craft supplies, headbands - you name it, we bag it. But I've noticed that one area where I find it hard to discover a really nice compact bag is the make-up department. You should have seen some of the doozies I've been traveling with lately!

Low and behold one of our newest and favorite brands that we're carrying - Apple & Bee - does a wonderful selection of cosmetic and clutch bags. Love, love and love some more! Made from organic cotton and hemp, covered with a non-toxic, wipeable lining (on the inside so your make-up or creams don't splatter everywhere) are a dream come true for a gal like me. Personally I love them all, and they come in different shapes and sizes to fit your mood, which, if you're like me, are many, so you better just stock up on all of them!

 

Aussie Hair Vacation

Not sure if it's just me and my hairdresser, but it seems that every 8-9 weeks when I see him, he's changed brand loyalty. I suppose it's a great way to learn about new brands, but for a slow product user like myself it's hell. Of course I'm such a sucker and whatever he's using on my hair to make it look fab I just have to buy - as if that's going to give me the salon-worthy look that he's just given me (after countless hours of blowing drying and styling!).

Lately he has been quite good, and the past few visits have been consistent with the same brand - Aussie brand Kevin Murphy. If you don't already know of this brand, hussle to a place that sells it and you will not be disappointed. Everything from the conditioner (I used this one with Kakadu Plum that smells divine) to my current favorite - Hair Resort Spray. Although the name sounds a bit strange, it really does do what it says - gives you sexy, textured beach hair. I am probably the laziest hair-doer ever, as my routine includes sleeping on wet hair so that I can avoid using a blow dryer. In the morning I spritz on this Spray and voila! It's a cross-breed between a styling product and a hairspray, so it's a wonderful combo of the two. Best of all, all of Murphy's products are not tested on animals, based on renewable and sustainable ingredients, and he is part of Al Gore's Climate Project in Australia, so you know he's serious about not only his commitment to hair but also the environment. Put down that Aqua Net ladies and raise your bottle of Hair Resort Spray!

Summer Skin Precious Oil

It's that time of year when we shed the knee-high boots for open-toed sandals which means: it's time for a waxing appointment, a pedicure, and maybe a bit of color? Not sure about you, but after a looooong winter my skin is dry, cracked, and whiter than freshly-bleached teeth. Alabaster is one thing if you're Nicole Kidman, but blinding people with your bare legs is a completely different thing!

Ever since my first trip to Paris, I have relied on Nuxe Multi-Purpose Oil for easing into summertime clothing and showing of skin. You can use this natural oil from your face to your hair to your body, but I have to say I'm most partial to using it on my legs so that it gives me not a fake tan look, but it minimizes the fact that my body hasn't seen the sun in ages! I personally find the smell intoxicating, something like a trip to Tahiti minus the carbon emissions :) The smell is thanks to the combination of 6 precious plant oils (Borage, St John's Wort, Sweet Almond, Hazelnut, Camilla, and Macadamia) - in fact, most of Nuxe's products are based on natural, plant-based ingredients, and another one of my faves is the Nuxe Lip Balm - it's the only pot lip balm that I'll ever dip my finger into!

Invisible Zinc=Visible Results

A few weeks ago I went for a facial and the esthetician had me put my head into this small booth where it had a special blacklight so that I (more like she) could see the state of my skin. I pride myself on the fact that I've taken care of my skin ever since I can remember - washing gently, lots of cream to stay soft, and sunscreen everyday, no mattter the weather. I was not prepared for the mirror inside that blacklit booth for the sunspotted face in front of me! AGH! I was somewhat comforted by the esthetician telling me that my skin actually looked really good in comparison to the average person. Scary!

Clearly I can't go back in time, but I can make sure that I prevent any more damage from happening. Even though we have about 40 days of sunshine here in Holland, that doesn't mean our BFF the sun isn't working it's magic on our skin. When looking for proper facial sunscreen, I think it's best to look to the experts in the Southern Hemisphere who have the strongest sun in the world (or at least in my opinion). Invisible Zinc is an Australian brand of sunscreen that is exactly that - invisible zinc, which means it's one of the safest and most natural ways to create a physical barrier between you and the sun. Rather than absorb the suns rays, zinc oxide repels the rays, meaning it's a much more powerful protectant for the skin. Invisible Zinc is even endorsed by Aussit hottie Elle "the Body" Macpherson, so you know it has to be good (tee-hee!). There are a myriad of choices to choose from, but I think the simplest is to stick to your regular skincare routine, and top it off with a little Face+Body Sunscreen. Of course you can go crazy with the variety of choices that Invisible Zinc has to offer, but starting simple is good, and will prevent a horror film reaction if you get a facial like I did!

Sleeping Beauty Serum

In London last week, I hit my favorite usual spots: shops, health food stores (remember they have a version of Whole Foods there - Fresh&Wild) and of course, plenty of restaurants. Upon returning, i barely ate on the train ride home, which is rare for me as I am a big "nosher" - it was a bit of detox I think. I hate officially eaten and shopped myself silly.

One of the first places that I hit up was Neal's Yard Remedies. You've heard me rave about them before, and this time was no exception. The store was jam-packed since it was a weekend, but that didn't phase me as I had my shopping game-face on, and was ready to rumble. Plus, Neal's Yard shoppers are generally nicer than others. I sniffed, I rubbed, I schmeered, I found creams, lotions, potions, and soaps. But there was one new item that I had peaked on the site and seen was "coming soon' that I had to have. I asked the sales assistant there and made a fool of myself calling it the "Sleeping Beauty Serum" but thank goodness she knew what I meant and went to grab me the very - last - sample. Be still my beating heart! It was the tiniest jar of Beauty Sleep Concentrate, and it was mine! The Concentrate wasn't in stock for a few days, making me think about changing my ticket home!  Instead, I felt like I could barely wait until nighttime to use it, but I did, and boy was I impressed with the results. My skin not only felt amazing after I put it on, but it smelled great too. The next morning dare I say I looked fresh and dewy, even after only 5 hours of sleep? Why yes, I did! Beauty Sleep Concentrate should be called something closer to Sleeping Beauty Concentrate, because that is pretty much the effect you see the next morning!

(Yawn-ka) Yon-Ka Eye Cream

 
In one of my many former reincarnations (ok, professions, but they feel like past lives) I worked at one of the top spas in New York, and we sold some of the finest face and body products. Luckily we were given some freebies so we were able to play guinea pigs on each other or ourselves and see what did work for us ($100? why thank you) and didn't (electric blue eyeshadow? the 1980's want it BACK!).

Some of the products that we sold seemed unimaginable as to why you would need it - eye cream? I was young, fresh, carefree, able to sleep whenever I wanted....ah, those were the days. Now I don't just use eye cream, I buy stock in it. Which one do you ask? Well, one of the brands that I tried out at the spa that I still am loyal to today: Yonka Phyto Contour Eye Cream. Long time, sounds like Willy Wonka, but boy oh boy does it work. I personally think that all new mothers should be given this cream along with an undereye concealer so that they can feel human again once they climb out of the post-baby slumber. This Eye Cream seriously does what it says: depuffs, minimizes the dark circles (don't expect miracles here ladies), and I have to say, feels really cool when applied. Finding out that it's made from rosemary, beech buds, aloe vera and Vitamin E only convinced me even more that I'm doing the right thing to keep my peepers looking as fresh as they can be after 5 hours of sleep.

Dr Dewy Hauschka

If you're anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere, you'll feel my pain: dry, cracked, even chapped skin on every part of your body. You can slather your body is oil or cocoa butter, but my face has been so dry lately (thank you climate change for making this the coldest winter in 100 years of Dutch history!) that I look like a plaster or mummy coming to life.

Literally every time I go out, I bring Dr Hauschka's Rose Day Cream with me. It is the ONLY thing that keeps my skin looking moisturized, dare I even say dewy (on days when the heat is not cranked up to the tropics at home)? The smell is divine, as if you've just gathered 1000 rose petals and slipped the natural wax of them off onto your face. No nasty fake rose "Grandma-esque" smells here. All natural, the tube is recyclable, biodynamic agriculture - Dr Hauschka is the face of green beauty products. Lately since my hands have been chapped too, I've also been slathering on the Hand Cream, and the handy tube is just the right size to slip into your bag so when you go to shake hands with someone, they don't mistake you for a reptile!

Dr Bronner's to the Rescue

It is with great excitement that I get to share with you the news that we now carry the Dr. Bronner brand at Shak-Shuka! Having been a long-time fan of the famous Magic Castille Soap and its many many uses, we thought it would be a perfect addition for the eco-friendly family. Dr. Bronner has really stepped up their eco credentials with now being fair trade, organic, biodegradable, and now carries a children's line fthat's equally great for sensitive folks as it is fragrance-free.

So if you haven't ever tried Dr. Bronner's products, the Magic Castille Soap is one of the first products you HAVE to try. Why? Because it can be used in a million ways, but according to the packaging, there are actually 18 uses that Dr. Bronner thought the soap was a suitable substitute for. Here is just a shortlist of the many ways that the almond/peppermint/lavender/baby liquid soap can be used:

facial cleanser
liquid hand soap
bodywash
bubble bath
shampoo
shaving cream
toothpaste
mouthwash
denture cleaner
mint deodorant
massage oil
baby oil
sun tan oil
toilet cleaner
car cleaner
laundry soap
dishwashing liquid
pet cleaning

I'm not quite sure about how it holds up as a deodorant or a massage oil, but I can personally vouch for it's effectiveness in the household, for the pets, as a shampoo/body wash, and I have even used the peppermint as a toothpaste one time (it was a camping trip - please don't ask). If 18+ ways of using a soap isn't your type of thing, there is a luxurious Body Balm, Lip Balm or Bar Soap that'll get you addicted to Dr. Bronner's in less than, say....18 seconds?!