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 It was the best ecard I could find. Most of you know I was supposed to get married next month, it’s not happening anymore and we are figuring out how to be boyfriend and girlfriend and so just to explain my absence this past week and probably until June. I just need to figure my life out a bit without blogging complicating anything. I love blogging but my identity is a bit wonky, I had a plan and the plan has gone awry. These things happen with good reason (ideally before and not after any ceremony!) but it’s still a bit of a shakeup. In the meantime I hope to draw up my site redesign plans and come back all shiny and new again. I hope you’ll be patient for another couple weeks. You know me, it’s supposed to be about beauty but I can’t help sharing about my whole life. I never was good at separating things!
xo
Sara
 This lovely bottle was what I intended to discuss before I got sidetracked by the “not a weight or fat loss” product that is FatGirlSixPack and felt obliged to share my opinion! But anyway, back on topic. Look, I’m even showing my own product for once! I know I tend to use promo images over my own just because I use my products to death and they stop looking shiny and new (as witnessed from above!) and I’m never sure if it’s as nice to show my grimy bottles that are nearly empty as it is to show the pretty bottles.
Annnyyyyway, onto the actual topic! Hair oils. I really wanted to purchase a hair oil because the ends of my hair are always dry and oils plus conditioner are the best way to lock in moisture. How the HELL DO YOU CHOOSE!? I certainly feel overwhelmed. There are a million ranging from a couple quid to triple digits (hello, Rahua hair masks/oils? Anyone have £100+ to spend on a hair product? Is it worth it? Would love to know!!!!) and then there are certain types of oils you (or maybe just me) keep being told to use (Argan Oil anyone?) and then it seems simple enough: Argan Oil…good! So I try to go searching for Argan Oil. Turns out there are hundreds of different kinds of Argan Oil and some are good, some are bad, some promote great environments for the farmers (so they’re fairtrade…but it never says so on the bottle and you just have to know!?) and some say they’re Argan Oil but really it’s a lie!?
 In the end I went with a trusted brand. I didn’t really know what else to do!!! I couldn’t figure out who to pick and while I hadn’t had the best experience with their under-eye oil I was/am still obsessed with their lipbalm and I liked the transparency of the company and I knew if I bought one of their oils/oil combinations I was getting exactly what it said on the bottle. I also love La Bella Figura because they are organic/fair trade and put complete ingredient lists on their products. I wasn’t going to buy an oil from them and get anything dodgy!
I picked the Bohemia Verde Hair Oil. It costs £20 and has lasted me for about 8 months. I use 1 pump in the shower and rub it over the ends of my hair (although I will admit sometimes I use two because my hair isn’t as long anymore so it’s more difficult to just hold my hair in my hands and rub the oil in, I have to rub oil into my hair like it’s shampoo!):
 It might be a bit hard to tell from the picture but there’s still a good finger’s width left and the pump lets out exactly enough product for me (which matters!!!!). I will also say that I ended up buying this because it had more than just Argan Oil. At first I was frustrated that this brand I really wanted to buy from didn’t have plain Argan Oil but reading the product description and the ingredients and how they blended together for a reason made me intrigued and while I am perpetually convinced my hair is as dry as the Sahara…every hair stylist I have encountered has told me the quality of my hair is impeccable (which is something considering I dye it every 2-4 weeks!)
Bohemia Verde is an aromatic hair elixir that enhances shine, enriches dull and dry hair, and smoothes frizz with natural ingredients without preservatives, chemicals or artificial fragrances. It features an array of nutritive oils such as argan, avocado, camellia, olive and extra virgin coconut oil, and it is elegantly scented with pure jasmine, black pepper and rose geranium essential oils for a truly exotic and luxurious product.
Bohemia Verde is lightweight and can be used on curly, straight and African-American hair. Even the finest hair will benefit from a small drop of this unique blend of vitamin-rich oils.
INGREDIENTS
Pure Certified Organic Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil, Organic Camellia Oleifera (Camellia) Seed Oil, Certified Organic Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Certified Organic Extra Virgin Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil, Certified Organic Extra Virgin Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Wild-crafted Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Oil, Wild-crafted Pelargonium Graveolens (Rose Geranium) Oil, Certified Organic Piper nigrum (Black Pepper) Oil
I purchased my hair oil from Mise Beauty in case you want to pick some up (and you are UK based!).
 So. Does this advert make anyone feel good? Does it make you want to try this cream to give you a six pack? Does it make you believe you can skip the gym and a healthy diet in favour of using this product by Bliss and suddenly you will look like this model?
 What about these? I mean obviously you can’t be above a UK10 (that’s a US6) because otherwise you are HUGE and in dire need of detox tablets, slimming/electric pants and creams (just like some of the ones listed above) to take you from a “fat girl” into a “slim girl”. The best part is that it is two pages long. I tried to put it on “view all” and went full screen and I still couldn’t fit it all:
 Please don’t think that I have a vendetta against Bliss. They make some lovely hand creams and their massages are great.
But what message are these products sending!?! What does it say about our society that so many brands have products specifically designed to change your figure and give you a six pack? Dissolve your cellulite? Tone your arms? I mean the absurdity of these messages is beyond the pale!! We as people have gotten to a point where we are beyond reason and have started using creams and potions instead of eating right and hard work?
Let me set the record straight, I have nothing against dieting in general and eating healthy or changing your diet for the specific purpose of shifting weight (obviously within reason, I’m doing it myself [or trying to!!] and attempting to eat Primal/Paleo) because I know I could stand to lose weight and I am taking regular ballet classes to improve my fitness and tone my body), I have friends who have had great success with Slimming World and Weight Watchers combined with having a gym buddy to keep them going to the gym on a regular basis.
 I know everyone will say to me, “Sara, this is meant to be tongue in cheek, you’re taking it far too seriously!!!” But that’s not the point. I don’t care that it’s a cheeky advert. I care that it makes me feel crappy. I will tell anyone that I am overweight. Maybe not by a lot but I struggle so hard to get into that “zone” of ideal weight (whether it’s ideal in reality or in my head) and I have to admit it’s getting me down.
Everywhere I’m surrounded by products and adverts telling me to get skinny, get happy and buy buy buy! If I just join this gym over that gym I will get the perfect body. If I take this supplement I will have perfect hair and nails. This deodorant won’t rub off onto my clothes and this perfume will help me attract the perfect partner (forget about brains and what’s inside, you only need LIPSTICK!). Then comes these ranges telling me how to get perfect (by whose standards!?). Tone my arms, get a six pack, make my skin look younger (because ageing isn’t a choice anymore? I just have to stay young forever and judge anyone who chooses to age and at the same time shame anyone who chooses plastic surgery?), banish my cellulite (which I’ve actually had since age 11, it’s genetics people!)…I mean really all I’m left to do is just bemoan my gender and what seems to be our utter hatred for ourselves. We get so caught up in covering every flaw and compressing our flaws with uncomfortable underwear (that flatters no one!) and I get so dejected.
I continue to make resolves to not care what people think but taking a look around the various industries (be it beauty, advertising or news, fashion or even science [anyone remember Weird Science?]) everything has to be sexualised and perfected. Whatever happened to just being individuals?
I’m Sara and I am far from perfect.
 (I know it’s another ballet shot but it’s literally the most recent picture I’ve got)
 So LizzieO is my best kept Etsy secret…and I felt like sharing it with the world today. I stumbled across her Etsy boutique a few months ago in the traditional way, jumping from store favourites to store favourites (it’s like shopping Wikipedia, you can get lost for hours!) and I was immediately in love. She has a flair for 70s design and a passion for Art Deco styling as well. So basically we are a match made in heaven. In any one week I vacillate from a Studio 54 black jumpsuit to my 1930s fur and dress combination. It’s like someone took my fashion (or part of it) and made it real!
I love and adore her kimono collections, she takes vintage silk kimonos and turns them into boleros and bomber jackets (as pictured above!). She also makes fantastic dresses and skirts. I have to admit I’m saving up for this skirt (SEQUINS!! FISHTAIL!! and another kimono bomber!):
 Be honest…have you ever seen anything more Euro and fabulous!? Imagine wearing it to a party or to a big night out (where you could ensure no one would step on the awesomeness of your train).
I am 100% obsessed. She also makes beautiful gowns and backless dresses…anything a girl could dream of and it exists! Plus because for some stupid reason no one understands how amazing she is…her prices are still absurdly low. I mean this talent for this cost!? It’s practically robbery. I shouldn’t be writing this post and I should keep her shop a secret…but I can’t help myself!
I know I sound like a fangirl…but it’s only because I am. The shop owner has no idea I’m writing this and I’d probably be mortified if she read me gushing incessantly about how amazing I found her because I’m trying to have a business relationship with her while she designs clothing for me!
 Yes. Seriously. I apologise for my absence the past few days but I suffer from chronic and severe migraine headaches (to put it simply I’ve had a migraine since February and it hasn’t stopped. It’s there when I go to sleep and it’s there when I wake up…there’s zero relief and I’ve become immune to all migraine medication) and I’ve spent the entire time from Friday to now coping with the pain of my constant migraine unable to do anything but cry. So…yeah. No posts! Please forgive me? I’m actually waiting for Botox injections in my migraine points but I don’t know when that will happen.
 Technically this review is about two months overdue but I’m glad I spent two months using this cream on a twice daily basis because now I feel confident in saying that this cream is fantastic for my dry/dehydrated/sensitive skin. It is very rich and actually designed for the “ultimate in anti ageing”. It really is the top of the range from Caudalie, this 50mL bottle sets you back £92.50 ($155.00) so not cheap and not something I could afford on a regular basis but I received it to trial and I’ve been using it twice daily for two months and I’ve barely gone through 1/4 of the bottle (at least I don’t think I’ve gone through 1/4 of the bottle, it is opaque but still very heavy!) because a little goes a long way. I use this after my morning and night serums/oils to lock everything in and then apply a light layer of MitoQ to finish off (my skin drinks in all my oils/serums and then this rich cream (I do find it heavy but in a good way, I need a richer cream for my skin because it needs more moisture than a light lotion can provide). I’m definitely a huge fan but it’s out of my price range for certain!
Ingredients
AQUA (WATER), CETEARYL ALCOHOL*, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, GLYCERIN*, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE*, HYDROGENATED ETHYLHEXYL OLIVATE*, HYDROGENATED OLIVE OIL UNSAPONIFIABLES*, VITIS VINIFERA (GRAPE) SEED OIL*, SESAMUM INDICUM (SESAME) SEED OIL*, HYDROGENATED APRICOT KERNEL OIL*, ETHYLHEXYL PALMITATE*, PEG-20 STEARATE*, C12- 15 ALKYL BENZOATE, IMPERATA CYLINDRICA ROOT EXTRACT*, PALMITOYL GRAPE SEED EXTRACT*, DIMETHICONE, PROPYL GRAPEVINE SHOOT EXTRACT OLIVATE*, TRIBEHENIN, CARBOMER, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, PARFUM (FRAGRANCE), POTASSIUM SORBATE, PALMITOYL GRAPEVINE SHOOT EXTRACT*, TOCOPHEROL*, CASSIA ANGUSTIFOLIA SEED POLYSACCHARIDE*, LECITHIN*, CERAMIDE2, SILICADIMETHYLSILYLATE, SODIUMCARBOXYMETHYL BETAGLUCAN, ADENOSINE, POLYSORBATE 20, SODIUMHYDROXIDE, PENTYLENE GLYCOL, SODIUM HYALURONATE, ACRYLATES/C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, PALMITOYL OLIGOPEPTIDE, PALMITOYL TETRAPEPTIDE-7, GERANIOL, LINALOOL, CITRONELLOL, COUMARIN. * Plant Origin
“Contains Caudalie’s three signature patents: Resveratrol-Oleyl to lift and firm, Viniferine to correct dark spots and brighten, and anti-oxidant rich grape-seed Polyphenols”
 The other half of the Premier Cru range is The Eye Cream. Another lovely product, it actually seems to brighten the perpetually bruised looking skin that is my undereyes! I even put it on a bruise and it seemed to be less bruise looking within 24 hours. I was definitely impressed. I will say that this is one of those nozzles where you have to be super careful how hard you press down or you will end up with massively too much product (which bothers me!). I press down very gently (less than 1/4 of the way down) and try to get about a pea sized amount (or smaller) and spread it between my fingers and then spread it all over my eyes. I am sure that’s probably wrong, I put it all around my undereye and my eyelids too (because they get tired from staring at a computer all day and feel nice being massaged with very luxurious feeling lotion!). I genuinely feel it improves the moisture and colour quality of the skin around my eyes (which I’m not sure I’ve ever said before) but this is also extremely expensive (but worth it and again very slow to empty!) costing £49 or $98 for 15mL. If you struggle with dry skin or dark circles I would recommend this. Bear in mind I still always use under eye pens and things when applying makeup but I feel through continuous use of this product my undereyes have improved. But just because it has helped me doesn’t mean it will help you….but it might!?
Ingredients
AQUA (WATER), BUTYLENE GLYCOL, CETEARYL ALCOHOL*, ETHYLHEXYL STEARATE*, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, GLYCERIN*, TRIISOSTEARIN*, POLYMETHYL METHACRYLATE, BIS-BEHENYL/ ISOSTEARYL/PHYTOSTERYL DIMER DILINOLEYL DIMER DILINOLEATE*, PEG-20 STEARATE*, CI 77891 (TITANIUM DIOXIDE), IMPERATA CYLINDRICA ROOT EXTRACT*, CI 77019 (MICA), HYDROGENATED AVOCADO OIL*, HYDROGENATED OLIVE OIL STEARYL ESTERS*, SILICA, VITIS VINIFERA (GRAPE) SEED OIL*, PALMITOYL GRAPE SEED EXTRACT*, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE*, HYDROLYZED HIBISCUS ESCULENTUS EXTRACT*, DEXTRIN*, CAFFEINE*, BENZYL ALCOHOL, PROPYL GRAPEVINE SHOOT EXTRACT OLIVATE*, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, COFFEA ARABICA (COFFEE) SEED EXTRACT*, CARBOMER, PALMITOYL GRAPEVINE SHOOT EXTRACT*, XANTHAN GUM, TOCOPHEROL*, LECITHIN*, HYALURONIC ACID, DEHYDROACETIC ACID, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, POLYSORBATE 20, SODIUM CARBOXYMETHYL BETAGLUCAN, ACETYL TETRAPEPTIDE-5, TIN OXIDE, ACRYLATES/C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, PALMITOYL OLIGOPEPTIDE, PALMITOYL TETRAPEPTIDE-7. (116/202) * Plant Origin
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It was the best ecard I could find. Most of you know I was supposed to get married next month, it’s not happening anymore and we are figuring out how to be boyfriend and girlfriend and so just to explain my absence this past week and probably until June. I just need to figure my life out a bit without blogging complicating anything. I love blogging but my identity is a bit wonky, I had a plan and the plan has gone awry. These things happen with good reason (ideally before and not after any ceremony!) but it’s still a bit of a shakeup. In the meantime I hope to draw up my site redesign plans and come back all shiny and new again. I hope you’ll be patient for another couple weeks. You know me, it’s supposed to be about beauty but I can’t help sharing about my whole life. I never was good at separating things!
