Healthy, healthy, healthy!!!

Hello my blog! XD

As you can see, I am on some kind of a unplanned hiatus, but I won`t give up my blog. 

Since I don`t really do anything fancy with my makeup, just the regular stuff, I will write about how I`ve turned into health "enthusiast", lol. I`ve been eating healthy and exercising since February and it only brought positive results! I feel healthier, more fit, happier. :D But I really got into sport and nutrition and try to collect as much information and try as many things as I can!

I bought myself spirulina as a supplement to fight winter blues. Because the days are getting shorter and darker, everything goes gray and it really affects my mood. I feel so unmotivated and uninspired. (T___T`) But, I`m doing my best to fight it!

What is spirulina? Here is some info from: http://www.antioxidants-for-health-and-longevity.com/spirulina-facts.html

Spirulina is a single-celled, microscopic blue-green algae that is part of the cyanobacteria family. It grows in alkaline waters of South America, Africa and Mexico. Spirulina is grown for the marketplace by commercial processors who grow these it in vast water farms.

Spirulina is thought to contain every nutrient required by the human body, in near-perfect ratios. It is especially rich in vitamin E, vitamin C, beta carotene and B complex, including B-12*** (not found in plant foods), and chlorophyll. It is also rich in essential fatty acids, carotenoids and minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium and zinc. It is recognized to be the most complete food source known; no other food contains as many nutrients as spirulina. It has more beta carotene than any other food, ounce-for-ounce.

*** well I was told spirulina doesn`t contain any active in humans B12, so don`t buy it for that - if you are vegan get B12 supplements from the pharmacy, if you`re not, don`t worry :)

So, basically, it is healthy stuff and you can eat spirulina but also use it in skin care!

I am taking the tablets for a couple days now and I really do feel more energized after them! And today I made a face mask! Just mixed the powder with some water:

 

It is super dark green and.... smells like a pond. XD

As the mask dries it tightens on your skin. I washed it off with luke warm water and did a very light peeling with brown sugar and honey. Later I put on my The Face Shop Chia seeds lotion mixed with avocado oil (I use that every day). My face feels super soft, but it is a little bit red and feels a little bit irritated. I`ll have to see how it feels in a while, I hope that overall it will help. ^^` (PS. I had the mask 2 times now, I washed it off earlier and my skin wasn`t irritated. :))

You can also mix the powdered spirulina in smoothies and whatnot and eat it, but it`s easier to eat in tablets form, as it smells like a pond. 

The other thing I got interested in is aojiru, a japanese powdered drink made from kale or young barley. I looked into buying aojiru online, but it is expensive. And I`m not getting a super expensive juicer, because well, I don`t need it and I partially think it`s a fad - you can make green juices/smoothies with other machines too. Anyway, I found powdered young barley here in Poland, online, it is very affordable and practically the same thing as japanese aojiru! (on the right, made in Germany btw)

I was surprised to find it smeels a little bit like powdered green tea aka matcha. :O I will try to make some green desserts with it! :D The only negative thing is it doesn`t dissolve in water and you get this "sandy" feeling on your teeth. XD But I mixed it with orange juice in the morning and it`s completely drinkable :D

Generally I am eating super healthy and buying "real food" aka I don`t buy pre-made food, I cook myself (I always did, but I didn`t choose wisely, just ate anything). Take a look at my food now!

 

cherries, banana, kefir and young barley smoothie for breakfast, very tasty :D

shopping: kale, tofu, okra

and my recent meal: quinoa (under the veggies), sauteed onion, mushrooms and kale with fresh tofu and a dressing of soy sauce mixed with lemon juice (ponzu style) and the other side with sriracha :D

So are you taking care of your body? Have you tried spirulina? Do you think I already reached health-freak status? (LOL, I don`t think so, because I am a rational person and I think I do things in moderation www)

Oh,  Ialso do my best to move as much as I can: http://www.endomondo.com/profile/5898366 Want to be friends on endomondo and inspire each other? I love that app!

Winter skin care favorites!

Hello!

I wonder how everyone takes care of skin in winter - it can be so rough on our delicate skin (T_T). Here in Poland we have temperature from -5C to -25C degrees... Serious freezer situation. D:

I guard my skin from all this winter by using a couple creams every day.

Below are some of my favorites!

WELEDA Skin Food cream

Oh, how I love it!! It is full of natural oils and smells like citrus fruit (mostly grapefruit/lemon to me) and it`s just like a soft warm blanket for skin! I like to apply a lot at night and just go to sleep like that - I wake up with soft, moisturized skin! (*___*) I love it! In summer I would never do that, but now I also use it in daytime, under makeup - just a thin layer and not on my forehead, because I think it would make my fringe oily. It works great. :)

You can also use it on you whole body, especially dry spots like knees, elbow, feet.

Vitacreme B12

It`s a great light cream that feels like it`s treating my skin and curing it. Blemishes, dry skin, acne marks - it helps to remove them faster and also moisturizes. It`s light and has a pleasant rose smell. (^_^*) You can also use it on cold burned/sun burned skin, on your elbows, etc. I already wrote about it HERE!

BABA DE CARACOL snail cream

Well, I dunno, the fad, the snail cream. Actually I`m not even sure there is snail secretion in this one (??), but anyway it hydrates quite well but has shady ingriedients (lots of parabens and mineral oil). I`m not crazy about it, but I`ll use it all anyway. It creates a sort of a veil on my skin, absorbs quickly and it great for layering with other creams I mention here. :D Actually I also have night version of this one too and I like it too. I won`t repurchase though. I found a way better snail extract cream with actual snail extract in it (Velvetin) and I can buy it in the natural products pharmacy right around the corner. (^_^)

IWOSTIN Hydratia Eye cream

From a Polish brand like La Roche-Posay or Avene - we also have natural springs with wonderful healthy water here in Poland, and Iwostin uses it to make really good cosmetics! (http://www.iwostin.pl/) Recently they added hydrating eye cream to their skin care line so I went and got it! I was using Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Recovery Complex, but I`ve run out and it`s kinda pricy, so I decided why not try the 5 times cheaper but still great Iwostin eye cream? ;D I like it and feel it works well. 

OXY5 and OXY10 (benzoyl peroxide acne treatment)

I decide to try it after seeing Gossmakeupartist`s acne treatment advice video! (^0^*) It dries out skin soooooo bad! XD But it really works on acne! I only apply it at night, only on my trouble areas (jaw, hairline, etc), at first I used OXY5 because the stronger one cause irritation, but now I got used to it and I can use both. It does nothing after one use, but after using it regularly I see a big difference! If you have trouble with acne why not try this? I will repurchase and continue using it. :)

What is your winter skincare?? Share your beauty secrets with me, ok?
Kisses! :D