Brand faves : The Body Shop

Hello you,

September is there and I'm back on track with a review of my favourite products from The Body Shop!

I should start by claiming outloud my longtime love for this brand, not only it has been one of the first beauty brand to take strong actions against animal testing as well as putting a big emphasis on sustainable production, The Body Shop has been also the very first beauty brand I discovered as a young teen.. The fruity lip balms, the little perfumes.. It's a brand that has a special place in my heart!

In a more objective standpoint, The Body Shop is also a brand that in 40 years of existence has never failed to evolve and innovate. Always offering high-quality, naturally-inspired skincare, hair care and make-up produced ethically and sustainably, The Body Shop keeps on setting the example in the world of cosmetics!

Today I wanted to share with you a few of my holy grale products from the brand :

• Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil

This is the most efficient and gentle cleanser I have ever tried ! It removes any kind of makeup, even waterproof and leaves the skin hydrated, souple and glowing.
You just apply it on dry skin, massage it well and rince it with water using a muslim cloth and it does wonder!!
It is very cheap as well considering that a bottle goes on for at least a couple of months !
13 euros in store or online

• Overnight Serum-in-oil Vitamin E

Let me introduce you your new best anti-dry-winter-skin buddy! This serum is one of my winter must have, I apply it at night instead of a night cream, it deeply nourishes the skin without leaving it greasy It replenishes and recharge the skin with moisture overnight and you wake up with a baby skin souple and radiant ! Love it !

24 euros in store or online

• Nutriganics Smoothing Night Cream

This night cream is a quite recent discovery of mine, it aims at fighting the first signs of ageing, helps the skin to feel plumper and more toned. I am frankly too young to start worrying about fine lines and wrinkles but I can say that I feel my skin a lot smoother since I started using it !

An overall really good organic night cream that helps you prevent the first signs of ageing!

22 euros online or in store

• Hawaiian Kukui Cream

This is  a rather new product part of the " Spa of the world" collection. It is a luxurious body butter, rich in texture and with a delicious tropical scent. The Kui Kui oil is usually used by hawaiian women, it  nourishes deeply the skin leaving it souple and delicately scented.
Pamper yourself and feel great !
29 euros online or in store

• Radiant highlighter

A fabulously blendable make-up enhancer that brightens the appearance of the skin to provide a healthy-looking radiant skin! I love putting this magic cream on my cheek bones and on the arch of my brows!
16 euros online or in store 












Et voilà a little selection of products to add to your wishlist !
What is your favourite product from The Body Shop ? I'm curious to know, comment below !


Cheers x


Talia

Food for thought: Mindful eating

Hello you,

I will start this article with a disclaimer, I am here to share my personal point of view, my discoveries and things I have learned along the way. No propaganda, just sharing facts.

This being said I would like to share with you today my recent discoveries on the topic of food. I am a self-proclaimed flexitarian since I eat very little meat, not really for ethical reasons but more because it doesn't appeal to me at all...

I am a huge veggie lover and I can go on fruits and salads for months without needing anything else and yet feeling great.

Until now, my knowledge on food was more linked to intuition but I recently decided to acquire more sound knowledge on the matter, here are some of my discoveries...

I have mentioned the Rich Roll Podcast in a previous post, his program has aroused my interest on food especially the virtues of a plant based diet. I was especially inspired by two podcasts he made with Heather Lounsbury, a nutritionist, acupuncturist, Reiki Master and author of Fix your mood with food and another great episode made with Michelle McMaken, a professor at the NYU School of Medicine teaching plant-based nutrition. Throughout these talks we learn how simple diet changes can have a tremendously powerful impacts on our overall health.

I highly suggest listening to these talks, both available online!!

On my journey learning about nutrition I stumbled across two great documentaries, Cowspiracy and Fork over knives.

The first one, Cowspiracy, reveals how animal agriculture is the most destructive industry facing the planet today – and the intrepid filmmaker Kip Andersen investigates why the world’s leading environmental organizations are too afraid to talk about it. A real eye- opener...

Fork over knives,on the other hand, examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods. A must-see!!

I must say that after having read, listened and watched all of these pieces of information, I am convinced that a whole food, plant-based diet is the best choice for anyone who wants to lead a healthy life. 

A lot of myths have been debunked especially on the necessity of dairy for calcium intake or meat for protein.

I now feel comforted and enlightened ... And I hope you will feel more conscious as well after having browsed through these suggestions!

If you have other book or documentary recommandations on the topic don't hesitate to share them in the comments!

Cheers x

Talia

Food for the brain: The bliss of Not Knowing

Hello you,

How does the unknown appeal to you ? Are you comfortable with the idea of stepping in an uncertain situation or having to accomplish a task without having a clue on how to deal with it ?

Some of you might be thrilled by this idea, finding it exciting and invigorating but a lot of us, probably the vast majority (including me), have a more fearful approach towards the unknown, feeling lost and paralyzed when facing the darkness.

A few days ago, I stumbled accross a great book on the subject : "Not Knowing, the art of turning uncertainty into opportunity"by Steven D'Souza and Diana Renner.

Written originally as a management book, the knowledge and the concrete examples presented in the book can easily be applied to any aera of our dailylife. Through a diverse range of inspirational stories from people in all walks of life, the authors unveil the mindset and skills of those who not only tolerate the unknown but use it to their advantage- to experience joy, creativity, excitement and possibility for their whole lives.

Through the book we learn how having to face the unknown is actually a blessing in disguise. Ditching the comfort of knowledge and expertise and stepping into the unknown with a humble and curious attitude is actually a powerful way to grow as a human being.

Common wisdom states that knowledge is king, the teacher knows and earns respect for that, the leader has to know because he is the leader and when your boss drops a question to you on a subject you should be informed on you often mumble a vague answer by fear of being uncovered as a fool who doesn't know...

This mindset is so ingrained in our societies that we have forgotten what accepting the limits of erudition can bring to us. Leaning into your own Not Knowing makes you more strong, open-minded, brave and prone to grab oppportunities in life!

Those who hold tight to what they know and refuse to see further have a limited perception of the world where knowledge would be something fixed and timeless... A vain illusion in world where science, technology, economy and therefor knowledge has never changed so quickly!

"Being in the dark is a space of full potential".

I highly recommend reading this book to anyone willing to grow and  become a fuller version of themselves.

I bought my copy on Amazon but it is broadly available in bookshops as well !

Hope you enjoyed the post! If you have any good book recommendation please comment below !

Cheers x

Talia

Food for the brain : My favourite podcasts !

Hello you,

I wanted to share with you today my recent discovery and love for podcasts! I got into listening to them about a year ago, slowly exploring the myriad of programs that exists on the web and finding my favourite ones !

To me listening to podcasts is an easy and smart way to learn new things and extend my knowledge on topics that tickle my interest. I listen and download  them on my phone using an app called Stitcher that even allows me to listen to my favourite episodes "off  line", during my runs for instance ....how COOL is that :) ?! 

Here are my most-listened programs, ones that I faithfully download every week... You can listen to them on your phone via apps such as Stitcher, Itunes, Podcast Addict or even straight on the program's website from your computer...Hope you will find something that interests you !

• The Rich Roll Podcast

Rich has had an inspiring life transformation. He went from being a New York attorney, struggling with alcoolism and depression to becoming an accomplished vegan ultra-endurance athlete, wellness and plant based nutrition advocate, motivational speaker and overall great human being (in my humble opinion..;)

He accomplished races that anyone would think humanly unfeasable, the Epic 5 for instance, 5 ironman races (basically 5 of longest format of thriatlons, i.e. 226 kilometers ) in 5 days... Mind blowing! In his podcast Rich has deep conversations with some of the most bright and forward thinking minds in health, nutrition,art, and entertainment.

• Freakonomics Radio
  

Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt melded popculture and economics and created a very unique kind of podcast. Each weekly episoe explores the riddles of everyday life-from cheating and crime to parenting and sports-and reaches conclusions that turn conventional wisdom on its head.                                              

• Ted Radio Hour
  

The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas: astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, new ways to think and create. Based on Talks given by riveting speakers on the world-renowned TED stage, each show is centered on a common theme – such as the source of happiness, crowd-sourcing innovation, power shifts, or inexplicable connections.

• Invisibilia

 

Invisbilia was launched last year, for a pilot season but its success was so big in the podcast world that a second season is on its way ! This podcast explores the intangible forces that shape human behavior-things like ideas, beliefs, assumptions and emotions. I cannot wait for the new season to come out !

I really hope this post will encourage you to explore the world of podcasts! I am sure you will find something that will feed your soul and knowledge!

Cheers x

Talia

Get the summer glow inside out!

Hello you,

Summer is here, sunny days and freakles on the nose, I love this season !
It is the time of the year when you want to wear less on your body and face and feel sexy 'au naturel'.
Here are my top tips to get a healthy and radiant skin this summer :

• Scrub, scrub, scrub and moisturise!

Scrub your skin to get rid of dead cells, enhance your tan and make your skin irresistibly smooth. I recently discovered an amazing product,the Cotton Care Madapollam Body Scrub by & Other Stories. It has a delicate floral scent that lingers on your skin and its milky texture makes it very easy to use under the shower. Exquisite product and sweet price, only 11 euros in store or online!

Finalise your pampering ritual by using a light moisturiser, I'm currently using and loving Steel Garden Body Lotion always by & Other Stories ( 9 euros). 

These two products will leave your skin feeling silky-soft I promise !

• Have fun with highlighter!

To get the dewy beach goddess look get your hands on a cream highlighter ! I have tried quite a few and my favourite is by far the Strobe Cream by M.A.C. Apply it after your moisturiser on the cheek bones, the bridge of the nose and under the arch of the brows and you'll see that you skin becomes istantaneously radiant !

Sweet price here again, 10 euros for the travel size product !

• Drink up and get your vitamin C!

This is no big surprise but hydration is key for your skin. A well hydrated skin is supple and radiant so get your H2O by drinking water and also by consuming a diet rich in vegetables and fruits. Focus on vitamin C dense food (brocoli, tomato, orange, spinach..)in order to help your skin boost healthy collagen production and get a good amount of antioxidants.

• Get a fair share of good fats!

Fat is your friend when it's unsaturated and  healthy, good fat can be found in avocado, fatty fish or nuts , it helps lowering bad cholesterol, it protects your heart, reduces risk of breast cancer and gives you shiny hair and good skin! 

Eat mindfully and make your body happy !

Cheers x

Talia

Food for the brain: My favourite TED talks

Hello you,

Today I wanted to start the day by sharing some of my all time favourite TED Talks, these are talks that made me think, change and grow!

If you are not familiar with what TED is it's a global set of conferences run by a non- profit organization under the slogan " Ideas worth spreading". Since 1990 conferences have been held around the world on a myriad of subjects such as technology, psychology, science, business amongst many others. 

I love going to their website  and browse through various topics and talks ( always more stimulating than falling into a cat videos black hole ;)

• My first pick is a talk called "The paradox of choice" made by the american psychologist Barry Schwartz. In this video he discusses how the freedom of choice deeply rooted in our western societies has made us not freerer but more paralysed. An eye-opening talk !

• My second pick is a talk called "The power of vulnerability" made by american social researcher Brené Brown. In this talk Brené shares her own life experience and discoveries to  show us why our vulnerability is so precious and important to our life. A very soothing talk !

• And finally for all the lovers out there, listen to my last pick to discover how love acts exactly like a drug on your brain ! Canadian anthropologist Helen Fisher explains it all in this funny talk called "The brain in love" !

Hope you enjoyed this post !

Cheers x

Talia

Welcome to Dazzle & Grace!

Hello you ,

Welcome to Dazzle & Grace, a blog filled of food for your brain, your soul and cheeky self!
I will be writing and sharing with you about wellness, self-growth and beauty !
Along the years I have come to really understand that a happy life is the sum of basic things: self-love and understanding, social ties, love bonds and purpose.
My goal is to  turn this virtual space into a cave of treasures where you can come and find ideas and inspiration to become your happier, brighter, fuller self!

Keep reading!

Cheers,

Talia