Author

bibouzi

Love beauty and planet

Hi all !

Today we’re here to talk about a great combo that I’ve had the chance to test out in the past few weeks.
If you’ve been in the hair care aisle in a pharmacy recently, you most probably noticed these new lovely colored bottles with Love beauty and planet written all over them. The name is intriguing and it says it all : these new beauties are good for you AND for the environment. Packaged with recycled materials and containing natural and ethically sourced ingredients, their carbon footprint is almost equal to zero. And these natural ingredients are just as good for the planet as they are for your hair – i twill definitely be grateful for them.

For you, I tested the « volume and bounty » range, that ensures body and strength for fine hair.

The shampoo has a delicious smell – a mix of coconut water and mimosa flower that instantly reminds you of vacations. It lathers, which isn’t something I usually like because it proves the formula has sulphates. Contrarily to these though, it doesn’t leave your hair « squeaky-clean » ; they’re rather left smooth and hydrated.
The conditioner has the same beautiful smell. When applied to hair, it leaves them smooth and easy to detangle once rinsed off. It really wasn’t too heavy like a lot of conditioners sometimes are.

The result? Easy to style hair that has VOLUME! The ultimate test for me is usually to see if my hair naturally curls after air-drying. The more they do, the more I know the products I used weren’t too heavy. And it that case, the result is superb!

Therefore, it’s a big YES for me, especially considering their price. It’s apparently a big yes for Zineb too, who told me she really liked the line. Talking of, if you wanna read more on some other of her hair care tips, you can do here.

Let me know if you have tested them and what you thought about them!
Laurianne

25 April 2018 0 comment

Chocolate coconut tartlets

My love for baking began when I was young, I enjoyed spending time with my mother in the kitchen cooking. I think that’s how I developed the passion that I have for cooking today. Well, I must admit that my style has changed, I try to alter recipes to create healthy treats that my family and I can enjoy, while ultimately feeling good about what I’m putting in my body. My Vitamix E310 Explorian Series blender makes creating healthy and delicious recipes, easy! So if you’re looking for the perfect gift for mom, look no further!

I can’t wait for Rania to be my little helper. It will be a nice activity to do together and who knows, she might develop the same love for cooking that I have!

I made some chocolate tartlets, but these aren’t your traditional tarts, as these do not require the use of an oven. I used a 75% dark chocolate but if you or your children don’t enjoy the taste of dark chocolate, feel free to adapt the recipe by using chocolate with a lower concentration.

Here is what you need for this recipe. I hope you enjoy!

Crust
1 cup of nut mix of your choice: walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, etc.
¼ Medjool dates (they are easy to mix).
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
Pinch of salt.

Filling
1 cup of coconut cream (I only used the part at the top of the can, Brand used: Cha’s organics),
½ cup of soft dates,
3 ounces of melted dark chocolate,
¼ of melted coconut oil,
2 tsp of vanilla extract.

Steps
1. To make the crust, pour all the ingredients into your Vitamix (dates, nuts, cinnamon and salt) and blend until you get a soft texture.
2. Transfer the mixture to a mold and spread the mixture at the bottom and all around the sides. I used small pie dishes.
3. Rinse your blender.
4. In a small saucepan, heat the coconut cream over low heat.
5. In a blender, mix the coconut cream, dates, chocolate, coconut oil and vanilla extract until the mixture becomes homogeneous.
6. Pour the result on the crust.
7. Cool on the counter.

For serving, add nuts as decoration, a scoop of ice cream or coconut cream.

15 April 2018 0 comment

Healthy Hair: what not to do

I am often asked what is the secret to having beautiful hair and the products I use. I think that even before talking about products, you need to know some basic rules that I think make our hair healthier.

Lately, I lost a lot of my hair but it’s all because of breastfeeding. It has nothing to do with my diet or the products I use.

Instead of telling you what I do to have healthy hair, I will first tell you everything I do not do and sometimes it is what makes all the difference.

I almost never use the hair dryer (hot air). I always dry them naturally, summer or winter. I take a shower in the evening most of the time, so I never have to go out with wet hair (it’s bad for the hair, especially in winter) or sleep with wet hair (I find it so uncomfortable) .
I have never dyed my hair: too many harmful agents! I understand that there are new products that are not as harmful as before but no, it does not interest me!
I wash my hair once or twice a week. For those who are not able to wash their hair at the same frequency, I recommend Low Poo shampoos that do not foam and therefore have a softer washing base.

Finally, as with all things, eat well to avoid deficiencies and to provide the hair with the vitamins and minerals they need.

Picture by Tsikimamy Photographie

6 April 2018 2 comments

Dr. Hauschka – Combination skin and imperfections line review

Hi all!
For my first blog post on here, I thought it’d be fun to share a bit of info about me, especially through my skin type and my current skincare routine.

Thanks to bad genetics and some other circumstances, my skin is very hard to take care of: it’s a fun mix of combination skin and imperfections. Ever since my teenage years, I have been suffering from acne, at different levels of intensity. In 2014, my then cystic acne was so bad, I had to go on Accutane, which helped a lot with the acne but also left my skin very dry. Today, my skin is still dry but I have and oilier T zone and I still have acne (waaaayy less intense) on my temples, cheeks and jawline. Ever since, I have started to use products that are gentler to the skin, with a preference for more natural products because they usually contain less irritants and have a tendency to be less comedogenic. Which is why, when I had the opportunity to test Dr. Hauschka products, that are all 100% natural and #NATRUE certified (which means they also are organic), I had to jump on the occasion!

I received three products to try that are targeted towards combination skins or imperfections: the cleansing cream, the melissa day cream and the clarifying face oil.

The first one is a cleanser, but thanks to its lightly grainy texture, it also helps gently exfoliate the skin. To use it, you mix it with water and gently PRESS it into the skin to cleanse, refine skin texture and absorb impurities. The Dr. Hauschka philosophy states that you should never « massage » or « rub » the skin, because it causes tiny skin injuries. Now I must say : with this philosophy, you do see that the skin is softer, less red and sensitive, but you can imagine that it takes a whole lot more time, which is why I don’t always respect it… oops ! It’s also important to note that this cleanser removes your face makeup (foundation, primer, powders) but it isn’t enough to take off eyeliner and mascara, which is why I need to use a regular eye makeup remover with it.

The melissa day cream is a moisturizer that can be used daily. The Melissa extract helps to mattify the skin and to control excess oil and sebum. Personally, I love this moisturizer’s texture, which is so different than other moisturizers for oily skins which are usually gels. This one is very creamy and melts into the skin as you apply it, and it really sinks in quickly to reveal matte but hydrated skin. It’s a perfect base for any foundation and kind of lets you skip the primer step. It’s really all I ever wanted from a moisturizer, and its lemony melissa smell is a bit medicinal but for me is also a pure pleasure.

Finally, my favorite product from the range: the clarifying day oil. This product deserves nothing less than a big WOW, but here again, I must admit I cheated a little bit. First, just like the cleansing cream, it’s supposed to be pressed in the skin, which I don’t always do. But most importantly, this product is designed to be worn during the day, under a moisturizer but after trying it, I found it to be a bit to oily, which is why I have started to use it at night. And I’ll repeat myself: WOW. When I wake up in the morning, my skin is not greasy, but rather hydrated, calmed, and evened out in terms of tone and texture, with an incredible glow. I really don’t like to present products as “miracle-workers” but this one really has an instant effect and gives you that Beyoncé glow every single time. I think that if you like face oils but are also acne-prone, you’l have no choice but to love this during the days AND during the night.

Do you guys have hard to manage skin? Let me know what you guys use daily on your skin and we’ll talk next week!

Laurianne

3 April 2018 0 comment