Happiness is a habit

House MD Season 5 promo

2008-07-13T18:50:00.000+04:00

Sia - Breathe Me

2008-07-13T02:05:00.000+04:00

Hugh Laurie in old commercial videos

2008-07-13T01:36:00.002+04:00

British Telecom

Panama Cigars (with Stephen Fry)

Kelloggs-CrunchyNut

lemming list

2008-07-06T20:53:00.015+04:00

1. Amlika Leave-In Conditioner - The Body Shop

2. Vitamin E Moisture Cream

3. MAC paint in Bare Canvas

4. MAC eye-shadows in
4.1 Illegal Cargo

4.2 Nocturnelle (or Hepcat)

4.3 Beautiful Iris

MAC - Pinch O'Peach

2008-07-06T17:18:00.005+04:00

I've finally found an ultimate blush!
Blush is actually the only make-up item I can't do without.
That is - if I would have to limit muself to just one make-up item, ut would be blush.
But untill recently I couldn't find a perfect one, so I had loads of all kinds of blushes at home, none of each I was quite happy with.
Now I am - thanks to MAC!

The shade is called Pinch O'Peach, it's a powder blush, and it belongs to the MAC range of Sheertone blushes. Anctually I'm amazed at the concept of sheetone blushes itself, so I might be getting more of those.
The one that I have now is really naturally looking, you can hardly use too much since it's 'sheer' and it really refreshens my face - exactly what I wanted from a blush. The 'peach' in the name is a but misleading I think. I was looking for a pink mat blush, when I came to the store, and that's exactly what it is.
A bit of me blushed :-))) :

Sorry about the quality, I don't know how much of the perfection can be actually seen, but this blush is the best! It's a natural tenderly pink color that makes me look years younger and having- slept-hours-more-last-night-than-the-truth-is. Am happy :-)

Mika - Grace Kelly

2008-07-01T19:55:00.001+04:00

La Chasse aux Papillons - L`Artisan parfumeur

2008-06-17T21:44:00.006+04:00

Bethe Morisot La Chasse aux Papillons. 1874

There is also a song by Georges Brassens called La Chasse aux Papillons, but I didn't find a good video for it, so here is another french chanson - Ce matin Là by Barbara It also very well reflects the mood of the perfume I am actually reviewing, in case it is not quite clear :-)))

So, the perfume is La Chasse aux Papillons
by L`Artisan parfumeur

This one -
The description on the company site is amazing - "Linden and citrus blossom - the whole summer medley of aromas are at the heart of “Chasing Butterflies”… A scent playing hide-and- seek amongst the orange and lemon trees. A siesta beneath the old lime tree… Butterflies dancing in an airborne fairy ring, fragrances of summer blossoms, of sweet and delicate tuberoses, wafting through their tiny shivering wings… Such are the scents caught with the butterfly net.
“Chasing Butterflies”... A fragrance drifting on a summer breeze, sunny heat over southern scents. The fragrance of sun-kissed skin - just simply that. To make summer last a little longer!"

I really couldn't describe this perfume any better. It is one of my favourite L`Artisan parfumeur fragrances, and I'm a L`Artisan parfumeur fan. La Chasse aux Papillons is a truly summer fragrance, but a sophisticated one, not your usual summer citrucy freshwater. It is delicate and complex, and it changes, and it may feel totally different depending on God Knows What - but always light and tender. Like a butterfly quietly sitting on your shoulder, while you are sleeping in a medow.

LUSH tins

2008-06-15T19:52:00.006+04:00

These are my LUSH temple balms and solid perfumes.

Flying Fox (the orange one) temple balm is probably my favourite of the bunch right now, and I'm actually using it as a solid perfume. It smells of jasmine and honey - similar to the Flying Fox shower gel, that I also unexpectedly started to like. Unexpectedly - because the first time that I smelled it I hated it, it seemed overpowering and gave me nausea and headache... Well, strange things happen, now it's one of my favourite LUSH products.

Dream Time - (the blue one) is another temple balm. To me it smells like Dream Cream (OR Angels on Bare Skin exfoliator). It's nice. In my experience, it doesn't really cure insomnia - I'm not sure if it's suppposed to, but it is relaxing, helps with minor headaches and can be actually used for calmin small skin irritations.

Honey I Washed the Kids and American Cream - (the black things) are the two solid perfumes that I have so far. I like both of them, but honestly both their namesakes (the soap and the hair conditioner) are better. That is, they smell better - for my liking. But I like the idea of solid perfumes, and am going to get more of them. My new love is Karma, so I guess it's going to be the next :-)

The little red tin keeping them company is the Vietnamese balm called "Golden Star" or something. I don't know about Vietnam but in Russia it's like a universal medicine for some people - as it used to be in the USSR, it's a very old product, you see, a product with a history :-))))) In fact it is quite a useful thing, not a cure-all of course, but it's good to have it at hand. Essentially it contains clove, cinnamon and peppermint oils, menthol, camphor and eucalyptus oil - all the basic things. :-)

LUSH photo review

2008-06-15T01:46:00.005+04:00

Well, my addiction to LUSH is getting worse,and I already started taking picures of the stuff I have - which is still not that much - well, at least compared to what I wish I had, what I'm planning to have and what I have no need to have, but know that I will end up having none the less, beacause I'm an AD-DI-CT. :-)

All right, so, what we see here is (l-r): Coconut, Cosmetic Lad, Tea Tree Water, Lemony Flutter, Dream Cream.

Coconut is a powder deodorant - one of the several deodorants that LUSH has. I basically got it because I thought I should try some alternative to the usual antiperspirants with these harmful aluminum salts and stuff. Let's see - as an alternative it really worked - better than I actually expected. Being used to Nivea and Rexona deodorants I somehow thought that if it's natural and supposedly safe - it simply cannot work. Well - it can. It actually prevents all the unpleasant odour and lasts long enough. There are some downsides to it though - the first is that it being a powder it can't but leave some white traces, so I wouldn't use it wearing something black. I also wouldn't use it wearing something white - because since it is not an antiperspirant (which is a good thing healthwise) it doesn't really prevent you from sweating (a good thing healthwise). But all these downsides are ignorable - like I said - as an alternative it's just great. So I would definitely recommend it for a change - to alternate with you regular deo.

What's worse - in my case - is that it turned out that I really don't like the coconut smell. I actually knew that when I was buying Coconut, but for some reason I thought that it's just that chemical coconut smell that you usually get in cheap perfume and bathworks that I hate. Nope. I don't like coconut smell period. Well, too bad, I guess I'll need another deodorand powder, still not sure which, besides I hear that Coconut is actually the most effective.. :-(

Cosmetic Lad - moisturiser. Well, for me it's just ok, I'm still in search of a perfect moisturiser. But CL is not bad, it is supposed to be a moisturiser good enough to convert guys to using moisturisers as such and LUSH in particular :-) It is good enough for girls too and I've heard many girls praying by it. So it might work miracles for some, I guess. Not me. However I really like the smell - it's creamy and sweet, a bit like a chewing-gum, in my opinion, but not too sweet. (It shouldn't scare the guys away, remember? :-))

Tea Tree Water toner. I really like this toner, it did make my skin visibly better - not that it needed some dramatic improvement - thanks God. I have basically a normal skin sometimes sensitive. This toner promises to cure the irritations and blemishes you have. I personally love it for its pore diminishing quality - after a mask or exfoliation I feel that I need to squeeze those open pores back, and TTW gives me this nice feeling.

Lemony Flutter I've already written about. Still love it.

Dream Cream - body lotion for troubled skin. I would never dream of spending so much money on a body cream :-))) But this cream is just legendary. Some people say it helped them get rid of some skin problems they've been having for ages. I just had to give it a try. I'm not crazy about the smell, but it's not unpleasant. Sort of chamomile-lavenderish neutral smell, that kind of reminds me hundreds of creams from my childhood, but none in particular. Great moisturiser, a little goes a long way, which kind of balances its price. As for its miraculous qualities - yeah, I've already had a chance to check them. I got a little burn from a cooking oil, and applied some DC right away. Well, I don't know, may be any cream would have done the same, but less than in 10 minutes I completely forgot about the burn! Being a butterfingers that I m, I'm thinking it's gonna be my staple :-)

There Are Worse Things I Could Do

2008-06-15T01:42:00.003+04:00

My favourite song from "Grease"

Stockard Channing

Comandante Che Guevara

2008-06-03T20:32:00.003+04:00

Hasta siempre - Carlos Puebla

Hasta siempre - Nathalie Cardone

Hasta Siempre-Buena Vista Social Club

Aprendimos a quererte
desde la histórica altura
donde el sol de tu bravura
le puso cerco a la muerte
Estribillo:

Aquí se queda la clara
la entrañable transparencia
de tu querida presencia
comandante Che Guevara

Tu mano gloriosa y fuerte
sobre la historia dispara
cuando todo Santa Clara
se despierta para verte
Estribillo: ...
Vienes quemando la brisa
con soles de primavera
para plantar la bandera
con la luz de tu sonrisa
Estribillo: ...
Tu amor revolucionario
Te conduce a nueva empresa
Donde espera la firmeza
De tu brazo libertario
Estribillo: ...
Seguiremos adelante
Como junto a tí seguimos,
Y con Fidel te decimos:
¡hasta siempre comandante!
Estribillo: ...

More Brazilian Music

2008-04-08T23:44:00.003+04:00

Elis Regina sings Águas de Março by Antonio Carlos Jobim

É pau, é pedra, é o fim do caminho
É um resto de toco, é um pouco sozinho
É um caco de vidro, é a vida, é o sol
É a noite, é a morte, é um laço, é o anzol
É peroba do campo, é o nó da madeira
Caingá, candeia, é o Matita Pereira

É madeira de vento, tombo da ribanceira
É o mistério profundo, é o queira ou não queira
É o vento ventando, é o fim da ladeira
É a viga, é o vão, festa da cumeeira
É a chuva chovendo, é conversa ribeira
Das águas de março, é o fim da canseira
É o pé, é o chão, é a marcha estradeira
Passarinho na mão, pedra de atiradeira

É uma ave no céu, é uma ave no chão
É um regato, é uma fonte, é um pedaço de pão
É o fundo do poço, é o fim do caminho
No rosto o desgosto, é um pouco sozinho

É um estrepe, é um prego, é uma conta, é um conto
É uma ponta, é um ponto, é um pingo pingando
É um peixe, é um gesto, é uma prata brilhando
É a luz da manhã, é o tijolo chegando
É a lenha, é o dia, é o fim da picada
É a garrafa de cana, o estilhaço na estrada
É o projeto da casa, é o corpo na cama
É o carro enguiçado, é a lama, é a lama

É um passo, é uma ponte, é um sapo, é uma rã
É um resto de mato, na luz da manhã
São as águas de março fechando o verão
É a promessa de vida no teu coração

É uma cobra, é um pau, é João, é José
É um espinho na mão, é um corte no pé
É um passo, é uma ponte, é um sapo, é uma rã
É um belo horizonte, é uma febre terçã
São as águas de março fechando o verão
É a promessa de vida no teu coração

English lyrics

A stick, a stone,
It's the end of the road,
It's the rest of a stump,
It's a little alone

It's a sliver of glass,
It is life, it's the sun,
It is night, it is death,
It's a trap, it's a gun

The oak when it blooms,
A fox in the brush,
A knot in the wood,
The song of a thrush

The wood of the wind,
A cliff, a fall,
A scratch, a lump,
It is nothing at all

It's the wind blowing free,
It's the end of the slope,
It's a beam, it's a void,
It's a hunch, it's a hope

And the river bank talks
of the waters of March,
It's the end of the strain,
The joy in your heart

The foot, the ground,
The flesh and the bone,
The beat of the road,
A slingshot's stone

A fish, a flash,
A silvery glow,
A fight, a bet,
The range of a bow

The bed of the well,
The end of the line,
The dismay in the face,
It's a loss, it's a find

A spear, a spike,
A point, a nail,
A drip, a drop,
The end of the tale

A truckload of bricks
in the soft morning light,
The shot of a gun
in the dead of the night

A mile, a must,
A thrust, a bump,
It's a girl, it's a rhyme,
It's a cold, it's the mumps

The plan of the house,
The body in bed,
And the car that got stuck,
It's the mud, it's the mud

Afloat, adrift,
A flight, a wing,
A hawk, a quail,
The promise of spring

And the riverbank talks
of the waters of March,
It's the promise of life
It's the joy in your heart

A stick, a stone,
It's the end of the road
It's the rest of a stump,
It's a little alone

A snake, a stick,
It is John, it is Joe,
It's a thorn in your hand
and a cut in your toe

A point, a grain,
A bee, a bite,
A blink, a buzzard,
A sudden stroke of night

A pin, a needle,
A sting, a pain,
A snail, a riddle,
A wasp, a stain

A pass in the mountains,
A horse and a mule,
In the distance the shelves
rode three shadows of blue

And the riverbank talks
of the waters of March,
It's the promise of life
in your heart, in your heart

A stick, a stone,
The end of the road,
The rest of a stump,
A lonesome road

A sliver of glass,
A life, the sun,
A knife, a death,
The end of the run

And the riverbank talks
of the waters of March,
It's the end of all strain,
It's the joy in your heart.

NB: (wiki again)"Composer-guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves relates that Jobim told him that writing in this kind of stream of consciousness was his version of therapy and saved him thousands in psychoanalysis bills".
how cool :-)

Shampoo struggle

2008-04-08T21:56:00.009+04:00

Ok, so I have a very special relationships with the shampoos - for some reason, it is extremely hard for me to find a suitable shampoo for my seemingly undemanding hair. I mean - it's straight, normal, I don't dye it, it's not too thick but there's quite enough of it - you might think that it could be happy with just anything. But no, it's not. When it's unhappy with the shampoo I'm treating it to, it gets fluffy - not in a good way, dull, although normally it's super-shiny :-), and my scalp gets itchy. Yuk.

The problem is that the result I get with this or that shampoo is highly unpredictable. It doesn't depend on price. I've had some VERY bad experience with VERY expensive shampoos.

Specifically, the japanese proffessional hair cair brand MoltoBene - well, I personally find $30+ very expensive for a shampoo. That was a total disaster, my hair looked really bad - unwashed and unwanted. I'm ashamed of it now, but I actually used up the whole big jar, because I was genuinely hoping that such a "high-end" shampoo can't but be doing me good. Even if you can't tell it by the way it looks. Not that I'm saying that this is a bad brand. I've read tons of the reviews (why do you thinj I bougth it?) of the happy and satisfied customers. Too bad I can't be one of them.

On the other hand I've had some really good experience with some mass-market shampoos (NOT ALL OF THEM) and even with some - very unknown globally - and very reasonably priced (to say the least) Russian and Belorussian shampoos.

At the moment I have the following shampoos in heavy rotation:
1. Gliss Kur

2. Elseve by L'Oreal

3. Butter milk shampoo by a Belorussian company Exclusive Cosmetic

It costs less than 2 dollars and claims to have multyvitamines and lactoserum extract. Well, I don't know how exactly they manage it but is is a great shampoo for its price. For any price actually - I mean, I have only good tings to say about it, although a friend of mine complained of getting dandruff after using it. Well, nothing of the kind happened to me. And it smells of vanilla :-D

4. Jacque Dessange

And that's it. I don't find it sufficient and would love to add something to this selection, but at this point I am too cautious with the shampoos.
Even though I do realise how individual the preferences in shampoos may be - and this post proves it only too well, I'm still open for any recommendations :-)

Oh, you might ask, what all this has to do with happiness :-)))))))) Well, when my hair is happy - I'm happy too. So we're happy together :-)))))

Berimbau

2008-04-08T21:14:00.002+04:00

Berimbau (Vinicius de Moraes and Baden Powell)

Quem e homem de bem nao trai
O amor que lhe quer seu bem
Quem diz muito que vai, nao vai
Assim como nao vai, nao vem
Quem de dentro de si nao sai
Vai morrer sem amar ningue…m
O dinheiro de quem nao da
E o trabalho de quem nao tem
Capoeira que e bom nao cai
Mas se um dia ele cai, cai bem

Capoeira me mandou dizer que ja chegou
Chegou para lutar
Berimbau me confirmou vai ter briga de amor
Tristeza camara

Astrud Gilberto (original) by stevemxa13

Coral Brasil Ensemble & BR Jazz

Badi Assad & Toquinho

Nossa Alma Canta (live at Venice carnival). You can actually see the berimbaus* here :)

*The berimbau is a single-string percussion instrument, a musical bow, from Brazil. The berimbau's origins are not entirely clear, but there is not much doubt on its African origin, as no Indigenous Brazilian or European people use musical bows, and very similar instruments are played in the southern parts of Africa. The berimbau was eventually incorporated into the practice of the Afro-Brazilian martial art capoeira, where it commands how the capoeiristas move in the roda (Wiki)

Hugh Laurie

2008-04-01T15:27:00.001+04:00

Hugh Laurie on House, fame and LA

A recent poll put Laurie in the top five favourite television personalities in the US, up there with Oprah and Jay Leno. This popularity is due to his role as Dr Gregory House, which has also won him critical acclaim (two Emmys) and financial security (he supposedly gets $200,000 per episode). “That’s an exaggeration. I am being very handsomely paid, though. My ship has come in and I’ll be forever grateful.” He has made three series of House to date, is halfway through the fourth and is signed up for three more. Will he then be able never to work again? “That would depend on how long I live,” he replies (he is 48), with impeccable logic. “If I step under a bus in a week’s time, the answer is yes.”

The holy grail of American television is to make 100 episodes (House is up to 82). “Then you sell it to syndication and it’s on for ever and it will haunt you in a Hong Kong hotel bedroom.” Will he get a slice of that? “I don’t know, I think they have to pay something to the cast.” Er, shouldn’t he find out? “That was all on page 65 of the contract. At the time [when the pilot episode was made] I blindly signed up thinking it wouldn’t go anywhere. I don’t know what the odds are [of a pilot becoming a long-running hit] – one in 100? One in 200? Not that I regret it. It’s just at the time I didn’t realise what I was getting myself into.”

What he was getting himself into was nine months a year in a rented flat in Los Angeles, away from his wife and three children in London, 15 hours of filming a day, sometimes six days a week. For obvious reasons, he is reluctant to complain, yet, “It is a bit of a gilded cage, I suppose. But what are the choices? Everything in life is an exchange of sorts. The one thing that bedevils actors, lack of security, I have gained at the expense of freedom.”
........
Given that he has mentioned the shrink, how often does he see him? “Once a week for an hour. I’d been doing this job over there for a while, and I hate to use the word stressful – it’s not stressful like being in Baghdad – but it got to me, and continues to do so from time to time in a big way. But things are only stressful if you care about them. Marcus Aurelius, I think it was who said, ‘If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your own estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.’”
.........
In House, I ask, how much acting is he doing? “Oh, a lot. I’m working quite hard. I’m conscious of the artifice with every gesture.” Why has the public taken this not very likeable character to its heart? “Oh, he is likeable, he’s just not good. But we don’t only like people because they’re good. He’s funny, honest, very good at what he does. I would like him if I met him, and I also feel absurd talking about a fictional character, so I’d better stop.”

Choosing a face powder

2008-03-31T21:36:00.002+04:00

I'm in the process of choosing a new face powder, and the choice seems a bit difficult.

I am basically choosing between 4 variants below. I've never used any of them, but I've made some research... and still I'm not sure which one is better...

Well, these are the powders that I'm choosing from:

1. Shiseido Luminizing Colour Powder

I guess I need this tone - L.2 Apricot - the most neutral. I have a rather pale skin close to olive, normal, as far as the skin condition is concerned. What I like about this variant is that it has three colors that you can blend or use separately - I'm kind of hoping to use the white segment as a highlighter. I also like that it comes in a nice-looking box with a brush and a mirror - I actually don't hava a powder that I could safely take out of my bag in a public place to, say, take something out of my own eye :-))) This seems like a safe option.

2. Givenchy Prisme Again! Compact Powder Quartet

I want it in 01 Beautiful Pastel. To me it seems less practical than Shiseido and more of an extravagance on my part. I just like the way it looks and it has a certain magic attraction for me. It also comes with a brush and promises some opportunities with different colors - but I'm not sure about the colors themselves. Can they actually be used as correctors for various purposes? May be I need an Elegant Beige instead, but I don't want it to be too dark... I've tested them both in the stores but still not quite sure. None af them actually made me look like a goddess... eh well... I'm afraid I'm just not...

3. Guerlaine Meteorites Powder

Again I'm inclined to the classic o1 Mythic tone. Meteorites is even less practical than Prisme - and no public places for it. However it's a cult product. And I'm kind of getting under its charm and start genuinely believeing that I need it. Besides, it is very decadent - which is a good thing. And if it did level the skin tone and gave it a healthy glow - it would have been really cool. The problem is, I've tested it too and I was unpleasantly surprised with actually seeing these particles that are supposed to give you the healthy glow. I was hoping that it would just look as if I am NATURALLY beautiful and all GLOWY :-))) Nevertheless I am considering it, I don't even know why... Because it's classic. Silly little thing, useless in a way, but nice. And in the bottom of my heart I'm still hoping that the impression I got after testing it in a store was wrong and it can make my complexion look naturally good :-)))

4. MAC Mineralize Skinfinish/Natural, Light Medium

"A luxurious domed face powder with minerals, slowly baked to provide a dimensional yet natural-matte finish. Provides perfect low coverage. Use to set and fix foundation or as a touch-up throughout the day" - that's what the site says. What attracts me - I've only tried MAC eyshadows, but this brand somehow makes me trust it. It does have the cultship around it, which - susceptible to such things as I am - I find hard to resist :-))) It is a proffessional make up - which I like. And their assistants are always ready to help to select the right tone. Abd they have many tones too. It is also cheaper than the other three. What makes me doubt: they actually only had one tone in the store when I came determined to buy this powder. (Too dark.) I never got to this level of determination ever since... Also - no mirror, no brush.

So I'm debating. No, I am not tempted to buy all of them - I need just one, really. I only need to know for sure - which one :-(

Top-5 LUSH products

2008-03-30T14:13:00.000+04:00

As I promised - My LUSH top-5.

Disclaimer: Being a newby, I haven't yet tried all the LUSH products (I suppose in a time I will :-)))), so this list is far from objective, but well, these 5 are my favourites so far.

I might update the list later.

#1 Creamy Candy Bath

It' my favoutite LUSH bubble bar so far - it smells like the Rok Star Soap, and the smell lingers for a long time. I remember after the first time I took a bath with it (by the way, I used only 1/3 of the bar and it made a vary foamy bath), I couldn't get - what is it that I smell all the time, wherever I go - something subtly sweet and gentle. Took me some time to get it :-))) Till the next bath :-)) It also makes my skin soft and nice, and my personality - bubblier :-)

#2 Aqua Mirabilis

It is an exfoliating massage bar that you use while in the shower - after shower gel, soap or whatever you prefer. You just slide it over your body or if you want it to go longer - rub it in your hands and then massage yourself with what is left on your hands. May be it's just because it was the first body exfoliator that I used in my life (long enough to be embarrased of never having used an exfoliator before), but I thought that what it did to my body was really a miracle. The thing is that the unnecessary hair that grow on my legs are very long inside (gosh, THIS is embarassing...and sort of gross... sorry), which results in me having the problem with ingrown hair since like 13. I thought it was just my bad luck and put up with it. Well. Aqua Mirabilis actually rid me of this problem! I can't even believe it myself. And it feels great too - the ground almond shells in combination with the oils produce fantastic sensation that you want to go on and on. I also adore the smell of it - something like cookies and milk - such a pity that it doesn't stay longer though.

#3 Soft Coeur

It is a massage bar that you use after shower or whenever you need a massage - or to give a massage ;-) The smell is divine - warm and sweet - it's not just honey or chocolate, but it's just something inexplicably beautiful an tasty. Makes you want to lick it. Which is ok, I guess, since this brown thing inside is the real chocolate :-)

#4 American Cream

Hair conditioner. My story about this one is a winter story. It's about how after using the American Cream on Sunday I went to my office on Monday and how when I enterd the building and took my cap off I immedialtely felt the smell of my conditioner. And not only me, but my co-workers, who smiled and said - what is this nice smell. :-)))) It's amazing how a hair conditioner (which also is VERY very good as a conditioner - that is, it totally serves its purpose, smoothing my hair and moisturizing it) can produce such an effect. Yeah, I also got an American Cream solid perfume, as soon as theay started selling SP in Russia. I like it too - would have been better though had the smell been stronger and more eh.. persistent. But it is the conditioner in my top-5, not the SP, because the idea of your hair smelling of strawberry vanilla is somewhat sexier, I guess. :)

#5 Lemony Flutter

Lemony Flutter is a cuticle butter. Actually nail care is one of my obsessions - I like nail polishes and I love it when my nails are done and are looking good. However, because I lack self-discipline and sometimes completely forget that I have nails to care about whatsoever and neglect them for TOO LONG (no exagerations), at times I was just horrified with my nails. By the time that I remembered to look at my nails, they were so awfully shabby, that it was actually stressfull to even look at them. :-))))) And since I like my nails to look nice (see above), I had to overcome the stress and do something about it. Which at this point took some effort. Well, rejoice, this long and sad story has a happy ending! Lemony Flutter! Partly because it is LUSH and I want to use it again and again - and don't forget to. Partly due to its great softening qualities - it has all kinds of oils and butters in it, and it is very thick and nourishing. But it helpd me maintain my nails the way I like them to be :-))) Effortlessly! The cuticle on my nails basically stopped growing, so all I need to do is to gently move it away about once a week. Highly recommended!

Petite Cherie - Annick Goutal

2008-03-29T23:36:00.000+03:00

I've been crazy about perfumes for a while already, spending on them way more than a sensible woman should :-)))))
I mean, it's not like anything a sensible woman can't live without. Unfortunately for my bank account, I tend to like the perfumes that are on the costly side too.

Here's one of them - the one I fell in love with today, and still haven't had a chance to buy. But the more I think about it the more it looks like it is inevitable. Sensible as I am,... eh, no, I don't think I can keep living without it for a long time :-)

Here's my beauty -

Petite Cherie by Annick Goutal.

Official description:

A fruity fragrance, covered with a ripple of peach and pear, drunk with the scent of sensual rose musk, standing royal in its vanilla frame, all sprinkled with the powdery scent of refreshing cut grass. Sweet, musky and sassy, mischievous and mouth-watering: the irresistible fragrance of childhood.

Olfactory family: Fruity, floral, musky

Composition: Pear, peach, rose musk, cut grass, vanilla

My impression: "Fragrance of childhood" is true indeed. It's very innocent and light, tender and sweet, and fresh and wet. It feels very clean and cozy, it is a smell you want you home to smell like. This is the perfume that awakens a child in me. Actually, strange as it may sound, that is why I'm considering buying it for my mum :-)) And it is a very youthful smell too. But it would sound good on my mum too.

It also comes in a butterfly bottle, which looks almost like a toy. So pretty. So charming. So petite cherie...

Metisse - Boom Boom Ba

2008-03-28T23:28:00.000+03:00

This is a video from the TV-show Dead Like Me, that went for two seasons only, unfortunately. It is a great show, one of my favourites, totally makes me happier :-))
It is in this show that I first heard the song by Metisse - I love it, love it, love it -

words:

Kélé, filla, saba, nani, norou: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. (Agni, an Ivory Coast dialect)

A-boom boom ba
A-boom boom ba
A-boom boom ba
A-boom boom ba
Can you hear my heart beat in this bond
Do you know that behind of this bond
Lies the deep desire I'm in love hey
Make a wonderful love if I may
All my dreams to be all I can do
Only I love, only love
And you say I knew we should find a new way
Make a wonderful love if I may
Can you hear my heart beat in this hurt
Do you know that behind of this hurt
Lies the deep desire I'm in love hey

Los Pop Tops - Mamy blue - 2 versions

2008-03-28T23:03:00.000+03:00

Paco-Paco - «Taka Takatá» (Music video, 1974)

2008-03-28T22:58:00.000+03:00

My LUSH Obsession

2008-03-16T02:23:00.000+03:00

For a long time I did manage to stay away from these little black shops in the malls, and even occasionally looking into them I would just look around, check the prices and walk away with "thanks, but no, thanks"

That couldn't last forever though.

I don't even know how that happened, but I only see, that there's something worryingly close to an addiction going on - I seriously am addicted to LUSH products, to an extend that when I go to sleep I lull myself with thinking - what I am going to by next from LUSH. It is a bit of a deviation, I know. BUT actually - the LUSH products actually do make me HAPPIER. In a way. For some little time. But in the end of the day - that's what matters :-)))))

So I'm just going to keep enjoying my insanity - while I can :-)

Now I just thought I might describe some of the LUSH products that I already have. Which is not that much actually, but I'm pretty sure, that's not the end of it.

First come SOAPS - LUSH has a big range of colorful handmade soaps, and I still have a way to go to test all af them, but I already have tried some that I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy again.

1. Sultana of Soap

This was actually the first soap that I bought from LUSH - and I totally fell in love with it. It smells like heaven - as far as I can gather. It's fruity and sweet, but not heavy, it's soft and creamy and it gives a lot of foam if used with a bath sponge - which is how I prefer it. Among its ingredients are Dried Apricots, Dried Currants, Dried Cranberries, Olibanum Oil, Bergamot Oil and some chemicals :-)))))))

2. Rock Star

Rock Star - is probably my favourite soap at the moment. It's pink - as you can see :-)))) and it's super-girly. It smells very pink if that makes any sense - like a dream of a bubble-gum. However - my friend, who is very macho-man and who was very much against the idea of paying around $6 for a bar of soap - fell under its charm too, it was actually the first LUSH soap that I noticed him using - while he ignored the more masculine ones that I bought, desperately trying to make him like what I like ( in that instance - Lush). Gosh, was I happy! And he even got me some LUSH soaps as a gift recently - Rock Star included :-)))))

3. Honey I Washed The Kids

I bought it after I found out that it smells exactly like the Soft Coer massage bar - which is probably my favoutite LUSH product of all. Well, it's definitely in top-3. Top-5 - for sure :-))) I'll make my Top-5 later, I guess. Well, HIWTK soap is divine. The official LUSH site says: "On paper it`s difficult to portray the full effect of this honeycomb toffee scented soap. Suffice to say that people who fully intended to walk past a Lush shop find themselves unable to resist its tempting, mouth-watering fragrance. They inhale and say `Mmmmmm` then they exhale and say `Ahhhhh` then they pick up a big chunk and join the queue for the till."

Well, sort of :-)))

4. Bohemian

I got it in that same wonderfull gift from my friend as the Rock Star. Honestly, I myself probably wouldn't buy it, knowing that it's a lemon soap, since lemon would seem rather a plain choice for me, too flat and too fresh, I'd probably look for something more interesting (ha-ha). But now that it's mine, I know I will want to buy it again. It does smell of lemon, no surprises here. And not much other than lemon. But - HOW! The smell is so strong and so fresh, so invigorating. It is - if nothing else - a very usefull soap to have. It would come handy if you, say, haven't slept last night (and feel like dying), and are expecting guests tonight(and should be entertaining and full of life) - which is exactly what happened to me yesterday, and yes, I was entertaining and full of life :-)))

5. Skinny Dip

Skinny Dip desreves a long story. Actually on lush.co.uk it goes under the lable "butter cream", but in fact it is a soap, just creamier than you regular soap would be. I bought it, because someone recommended it as a good soft facial cleanser for everyday use. Didn't work for me - that is, for my face. And at first I even hated the smell. Which oddly, according to various lush-forums and even the official site, is very often the case. After which - probably on the 3-rd use, I just realized that it's great, that it's so MY type of smell, that it's so perfect, that I just can't live without it. Which is, according to...see above...very often the case. I wonder why this happens. I didn't even know anything about this phenomenon, when I became part of it. Weird. Anyways, the list of ingredients is pretty impressive - now wonder it's a complex bouquet - Creamed Coconut Infusion, Organic Aloe Vera Gel, Almond Oil, Cocoa Butter, Clove Bud Oil, Cedarwood Oil, Clary Sage Oil, Ylang Ylang Oil, Vetivert Oil, Palmarosa Oil , and some chemicals. Probably it's them chemicals that make up for the resulting perfect smell - don't care :-)) Personally I don't feel coconuts in it, which is good, because am not a fan of that smell. I do feel clove, but not too much, and I might describe it as somewhat herby or spicey. All in all it's very feminine and seductive and fresh at the same time. It doesn't produce much foam - which is a huge minus for me, since I like to feel foam over my body when I wash myself - I feel more washed this way :-))) But I adore the smell so much, that I'm even prepared to ignore this factor.

Well, I guess that was my Top-5 of Lush Soaps, even though I didn't plan it that way first. So be it :-))) I'll continue later with my top-5 of Lush everything and other things that I have to say about my latest obsession :-)))

men

2008-02-12T12:16:00.000+03:00

two extremely useful guides published today :-))))))))))))))))))))))

1.How to Train a Husband

Attention, frustrated wives: if you want your husband to start listening to you and stop leaving his socks on the floor, all you need is a little patience and a lot of mackerel. Such is the putative relationship advice of Amy Sutherland, a journalist who spent a year at an animal-trainer school and decided to apply the trainers' techniques to her husband's annoying habits. According to Sutherland, the key to marital bliss is to ignore negative habits and reward positive ones, the same approach animal trainers use to get killer whales to leap from their tanks and elephants to stand on their heads. So to teach her husband, Scott, to stop storming around the house when he couldn't find his keys, she practiced what trainers call Least Reinforcing Scenario, which means she ignored his outbursts, and didn't offer to help with the search. To prevent Scott from hovering over her while she tried to cook, she engineered "incompatible behaviors" by setting a bowl of chips and salsa at the other end of the room. Soon she had a key-finding, salsa-eating mate and, she says, a happier marriage.

Sutherland first wrote about her experiment in The New York Times in 2006, where it became the most e-mailed story of the year. This week her book, "What Shamu Taught Me About Life, Love and Marriage," comes out, and a movie is in development. Sutherland admits that her ideas are not groundbreaking: in the 1890s Ivan Pavlov experimented with dogs to study stimulus and response. In the 1930s, B. F. Skinner used rats and pigeons to develop his theory of "operant behaviors," the idea that behavior is affected by its consequences. That doesn't mean the strategy is not controversial: critics bristle at the idea that humans are as easily manipulated as dogs or marine mammals, and contend that books such as Sutherland's reinforce war-of-the-sexes stereotypes about women using their feminine wiles to manipulate simple-minded men.

The idea of women training simple men is a well-worn trope of pop culture. In the 1963 film "If a Man Answers," Sandra Dee's mother hands her a canine-training manual with the advice "If you want a perfect marriage, treat your husband like a dog." More recently, the BBC reality show "Bring Your Husband to Heel" featured a professional dog trainer teaching wives how to get their husbands to sit and stay.
While Sutherland claims that animal-training techniques work on both genders, in another new book, "Seducing the Boys Club," Nina DiSesa advocates a gender-specific approach to changing people's behavior. DiSesa, who was the first female chairman of the ad agency McCann Erickson, argues that women should use their femininity to manipulate the men they work with and advance their careers. Instead of criticizing an employee's ad proposal, she flatters him for his "brilliant" idea, then sweetly asks if he had any other inspirations. "Women use these tactics with men all the time," she says. "We're mothers, wives, girlfriends, sisters. We know how to handle men, we just don't do it at work."

While DiSesa's tactics may appall feminists, the appeal of Sutherland's approach is obvious: no tearful couples-therapy sessions, no tantrums about unmet expectations. But Sutherland says it's not a quick fix. In fact, she was the one who wound up being retrained, as she taught herself not to take her husband's actions personally, and not to react when he did things that annoyed her. DiSesa also says she retrained herself to stop criticizing and confronting the men she worked with, and instead use "S and M," seduction and manipulation, to get her way.

And, she says, we shouldn't admit to our manipulations. "If people think I'm being conniving, I am," she says. "But if men see it coming, they'll duck." Sutherland's husband eventually caught on to her experiment (it didn't help that she wrote a book about the animal-trainer school), and even started using the techniques back on her. Now they use the word "shamu" as a verb, as in "Did you just shamu me?"

Shamuing might work to get your husband to stop leaving his socks on the bathroom floor, says psychotherapist Marlin Potash, author of "Hidden Agendas: What's Really Going On in Your Relationships." "In small doses, it's really a good idea," she says. But she's skeptical of the idea that the technique will work with real marital problems such as lack of communication or sexual incompatibility: "I don't really believe that changing these small behaviors is how one transforms a marriage." Sutherland makes no claims to be a relationship expert. And she's not opposed to therapy, although she says, judging from the enthusiastic response to her essay, "Psychologists might want to consider bringing more animals into the mix."

Sit, Beg, Roll Over, Stay
Animal trainers use lots of tricks to train their charges. Try the techniques below at home.

Reward positive behavior: If your mate picks up just one dirty sock without being asked, give lots of praise. Or a tasty fish.
Ignore negatives: Don ' t nag about the rest of the filthy laundry still piled on the floor. Trainers call this Least Reinforcing Scenario.
Don ' t take it personally: Laundry is just laundry, not a symbol for how much your spouse loves you or values your marriage.

2. How to undress for sex

Nothing kills passion more than a pair of socks that won’t budge. Our correspondent has a Valentine’s guide for girls undressing guys, and guys undressing themselves

Undressing a man has always been challenging, not just for the poor lads themselves but for women. Unless he starts stripping off like one of the Chippendales (a dubious choice), he is left with only one technique. And this utilitarian, kit-off-as-fast-as-you-can-by-candle-light option creates the danger of a passion-dampening trouser-waddle, or even a stumble and collapse.

Understandably, the poor, eager loves have trouble unbuttoning with any panache as they approach the height of passion. So, as Valentine’s Day nears, here are a few tips for the undressing man – or the lucky woman undressing him.

I’ll begin with my favourite attire: black-tie. As a formalist, I approve of its architectural lines (white-tie is even better) – a well-cut suit can create an erotic silhouette from the most challenging of physiques. It is the zenith of power dressing, and dead sexy when worn with just a tinge of irony. The personification of this is Daniel Craig in Casino Royale – rough trade wrapped up in Savile Row, with an incredulous gleam in his eye.

So, after a long night of hobnobbing with CEOs over a three-course banquet, then rolling out of the BMW with wife/girlfriend/recently seduced PA in tow, our boy in black-tie finds himself feeling about as sexy as an overfed king penguin in a circus ring. An immediate easing of the circumference is required.

For the male undressing himself, I suggest first a subtle unbuttoning of the jacket. Then, with a blasé shrug of the shoulders, slip off the jacket and throw it on a well-placed chair, even though it may well be an expensive suit. This suggests that, despite your stitched-up appearance, you are capable of wild abandonment.

(Note to fastidious men: there is nothing less sexy than a lover fussing over his creased lapels while his partner, draped over the bed, is left contemplating her pedicure.)

For the woman undressing the man: after unbuttoning the jacket, stand behind your partner and, with both hands grasping the lapels (indicating that you are at the wheel now), ease off the jacket and drape it carefully over the nearest ottoman while still nibbling his left ear.

The next thing to come off is the tie. Personally, I love ties. A man in a suit and tie is like a surprise present with a ribbon around it. And what girl doesn’t love surprises?

Of course, whether one is undressing or undresser, it is compulsory to be practised in undoing the knot, so the act can be choreographed into a lingering caress of silk against starched cotton. The secret is to look confident and maintain eye contact, thus distracting attention from your fumbling fingers.

If the fumbling goes on for too long with no result, the best option is the lowered-knot technique. For the woman doing the undressing, this will involve giving him a smouldering look while creating sufficient slack before the knot turns into an impenetrable lump, then looping the tie over his head. If you get really desperate, just resort to nail scissors.

For the urbane male undressing himself, a quick yank on the offending accessory can be quite sexy, indicating a bullish impatience to cut to the chase.

Thankfully, bow ties are less challenging and, tied correctly, should not present like little silk Rubik’s cubes. Some versions (admittedly less desirable) even have hooks and eyes. Women take note: the top button should be undone at the same time as the tie, releasing the Adam’s apple and the lower octave.

By now our rapidly sobering hero stands resplendent in cummerbund (possibly), shirt, socks and trousers. The cummerbund comes off next. Here he should breathe in, rip off the garment and allow it to slip teasingly to the floor. Do not pick it up or slide it under the bed with your foot.

If you are the female in this scenario, I suggest an embrace around the girth. Using this as an alibi, unhook the cummerbund from behind. The rotund will love you for it, the svelte will see it as homage to their athleticism – and it places you in a great position for the next stage: unbuttoning the shirt.

Black-tie involves three shirt studs with a couple of buttons above and below. Here our semi-clad hero manfully and swiftly undoes the studs (hesitation could be seen as stage fright).

Alternatively, with the top button already undone, our girl could always slide down the torso to remove the three shirt studs with her mouth. However, as these can be set with diamonds, the traditional route is probably safer if you don’t want to end up in the Royal Brompton, awaiting an X-ray.

Shirt off, our gallant of the trading floor now stands bare-chested in trousers, shoes and socks.

Shoes come off next, ladies. To avoid kneeling, I suggest wrapping a leg around his and easing off the shoes with your foot. This is possible because, earlier that evening and at the risk of appearing continental, our strategic rake donned laceless shoes. If you are the man, slip off each shoe deftly by using your toes.

Now, at last, we arrive at the moment when even the most alluring disrobing can collapse into a mise en scène with all the seductive oomph of a Topman changing room at sale time. Yes, it’s how, artfully, to remove the socks before the trousers. This is vital. Fail, and you are both confronted with sock against denuded leg. Passion dies.

One recommended method developed by my better half is this: after quickly unzipping (gentlemen please note: labouring over the fly will make you look coy, narcissistic or merely perverse), hook your thumbs into the waistband of your trousers and, with one smooth motion, pull them off. Hook your socks on the way down. This may be slightly inelegant, but it works.

As we approach full disclosure, let me digress on the subject of the lower undergarment. A discerning gay friend of mine is completely convinced that no gay man ever wears boxer shorts. On the other hand, he says, if I am ever faced with a disrobing man who reveals a pair of conventional briefs, I should assume automatically that he is gay.

As it happens, I disagree. What with the emergence of the metrosexual, the postmetrosexual and the current recession, there is a new defiance in the heterosexual community when it comes to advertising the family jewels. And why not? After all, the Tudors wore massive codpieces.

No matter how confident about his tackle a man is, though – even if he is David Beckham – I strongly suggest that boxers, briefs, G-strings and loincloths should all be whipped off with the socks.

And now, I believe, our hero is au naturel and ready for action. Happy Valentine’s.

"How Do I Ask for a Raise" from Fortune magazine

2008-02-08T14:56:00.000+03:00

My Salary Has Doubled, But I'm Still Underpaid. How Do I Get a Raise?

Working your way up the corporate ladder can leave you with skimpier pay than you deserve. Here's what to do. Plus, do employees seeking to move up have an "insider advantage"

By Anne Fisher, FORTUNE senior writer

January 24, 2005: 7:35 AM EST

Dear Annie:
I've been working at an investment firm for over 10 years now. I came in at a very low level, just to get a foot in the door, but eventually moved up to a portfolio-manager position and am now director of marketing. My problem is, even though my salary has doubled over the past decade, I started out so cheap that my pay is still way below what people with my job are earning elsewhere. It's also much less than I'm actually worth to the firm, based on my performance. The CEO makes all the pay decisions here, and I know that if I ask for a raise, he'll point to how much my compensation has already increased. Another hurdle is that he comes from a sales background and is very skilled at talking people into (or out of) things. Would I be crazy to ask for more money? He has fired people in the past just for asking.
-- Because I'm Worth It

Dear BIWI:
He's fired people just for asking? Wow. Well, he's no doubt counting on that to discourage others, such as yourself, from approaching him on the subject. But it obviously bugs you that you're not making what you're worth, so talk to him anyway. You need to go armed with a proposal based on hard facts. Write up a brief memo that succinctly spells out 1) the data you've collected on what your peers at other firms earn and any other supporting facts you can muster, such as salary ranges mentioned in ads for jobs similar to yours; 2) any and all evidence of how your performance contributes to your firm's sales and profits.

The more facts you have at your fingertips, the harder it will be for your CEO to "sales talk" you. Then, state a specific request: What kind of raise would satisfy you? A 5% raise or a 10% one? Another point: Is there anything -- stock options, extra paid vacation, a company car -- you would be willing to accept instead of a salary hike, or along with a smaller raise than you're seeking? If so, that would give both you and your CEO a bit of room to negotiate.

One question: Have you given much thought to what you'll do if he fires you? Given his track record, it might be smart to figure that out now. But don't be intimidated out of asking. If this company really will not pay you what you're worth, you may be better off elsewhere.

Dear Annie:
Now that the job market is finally starting to pick up a little, I've had a couple of offers from companies where I had interviewed two or three years ago. But what I'd really like is to stay at the company where I work now and go after a higher-level finance-manager position that has opened up. I happen to know that several outside candidates are also competing for the job. Is there an "insider advantage"? What are my chances?
-- The Insider

Dear TI:
Interestingly, it seems there is more of an "insider advantage" than there was five years ago. A new study by Development Dimensions International (DDI) (http://www.ddiworld.com) says that 40% of U.S. managers are planning to increase hiring this year. In 2004, more than half -- 53% -- of management positions were filled from within, up from 44% in 1999. Scott Erker, a DDI vice president, expects that trend to continue or even accelerate. "Last year's increase represents a realization that there is untapped talent in organizations," he says. "Companies also see providing opportunities (for current employees) as a retention strategy, which has the added benefit of placing someone who's already familiar with the organization."

So, assuming your qualifications are roughly equal to the outsiders', your chances are probably pretty good. One tip: When applying for the job, there's no need to mention the offers you've received from other companies. You want to be promoted because you're the best person for the job, not because you threatened to quit if you didn't get it.

-------------------------------------------------------

Drugstore Doubles

2008-02-08T12:13:00.000+03:00

The link leads to the full text of Paula Begoun's report on the expensive and similar cheap beauty products. I only included here the products from that report that I am likely to use - that is, I didn't include things like Brow Enhancer or Eyeliner since I never use them and in most likeliness never will. The same goes for Styling Wax and suchlikes. I also skipped shampoos and conditioners because I have my own special relationshiops with those, and my own ideas about which of them go best for me. On which I'll probably dwell later on . So - here it is.

Drugstore Doubles
The Best in Beauty from Chanel to Cover Girl
A Special Report by Paula Begoun
Cleanser for Normal to Dry Skin

Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Solutions Cream Cleanser for Dry Skin ($9 for 5.1 ounces) is excellent and very similar to the higher-priced Trish McEvoy Gentle Cleansing Lotion ($55 for 6.8 ounces).

Cleanser for Normal to Oily Skin
Lancome Gel Clarte Clarifying Gel-to-Foam Cleanser ($20 for 4.2 ounces) works beautifully to cleanse and remove makeup from normal to oily skin, but so does the nearly identical L’Oreal Ideal Balance Foaming Gel Cleanser for Combination Skin ($7.99 for 6.7 ounces).

AHA Product
Vespera Bionic Serum ($55 for 1 ounce). - Neutrogena Healthy Skin Face Lotion ($11.99 for 2.5 ounces). It contains 8% glycolic acid in a light moisturizing base and the correct pH range to exfoliate skin. Neutrogena also markets a sensitive skin version of this product, which contains 5% glycolic acid.

BHA Product
Neutrogena Rapid Clear Acne Defense Face Lotion ($7.99 for 1.7 ounces) - Serious Skin Care Clarifying Treatment ($17.50 for 2 ounces) is an OK option, but with only 0.5% salicylic acid, don’t expect amazing results.

Daytime Moisturizer with SPF 15
Dove Fresh Radiance Moisturizer SPF 15 ($9.99 for 1.7 ounces) - Clinique Repairwear SPF 15 Intensive Cream ($45 for 1.7 ounces). Both are great for normal to dry skin (with lots of interesting beneficial ingredients), and both contain an in-part zinc oxide sunscreen for sufficient UVA protection. Prefer to avoid zinc oxide? Consider Olay Complete Defense Daily UV Moisturizer SPF 30 ($14.99 for 2.5 ounces), which contains an in-part avobenzone sunscreen and is beautifully formulated. Looking for a great sunscreen for normal to oily skin? Consider Estee Lauder DayWear Plus Multi-Protection Antioxidant Lotion SPF 15 ($38 for 1.7 ounces) or, if a higher SPF number is needed, Neutrogena UltraSheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 30 ($8.99 for 3 ounces).

Facial Moisturizer, Normal to Dry Skin
Spa Sciences Anti-Aging Moisture Day Lotion ($18.99 for 1.7 ounces). Although the lack of sunscreen makes it an inappropriate solo choice for daytime, this fragrance-free product can be used as a nighttime moisturizer for someone with normal to dry skin. - Prescriptives Intensive Rebuilding Moisturizer ($95 for 2 ounces). In the middle of this price spectrum is the supremely well-formulated WhiteLight EX Extra Brightening Intensive Night Creme ($45 for 1 ounce) from Estee Lauder (but don’t count on it to lighten skin).

Facial Moisturizer, Normal to Oily/Combination Skin
Having a generous cosmetics budget means you may want to consider Prescriptives Redness Relief Gel ($50 for 1 ounce) for its ultra-light texture and state-of-the-art formula - Olay Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum ($18.99 for 1.7 ounces).

Body Moisturizer
Clinique Water Therapy Firming Body Smoother ($27.50 for 6.7 ounces). - Dove Intensive Firming Cream, Intensive Firming Lotion, Intensive Nourishing Lotion, Regenerating Night Lotion, and Cool Moisture Body Lotion ($5.99-$7.99 for 6.7 ounces).

Body Wash/Shower Gel
The vast majority of body washes on the market are well-formulated. All of them contain standard detergent cleansing agents (identical to those used in shampoo) and a variety of additives depending on the formula goals or label claims. It is a rare occurrence to find a body wash that contains irritants such as menthol or citrus oils, but be aware, they do exist. Companies that offer excellent body washes for reasonable prices include Dove, Olay, Neutrogena, The Body Shop, Axe (for men—but I refuse to vouch for the fragrance), Ivory, Aveeno, Dial, Lever 2000, Nivea, and Jergens.

Specialty/"Anti-Aging" Product
DDF C3 Plus Serum ($50 for 0.5 ounce) provides skin with copious vitamin C, water-binding agents (including peptides), and other antioxidants, plus it is packaged in an opaque, airless container to keep everything potent. If vitamin C isn’t on your must-have list but you still want an elegant serum to use morning or evening, consider Neutrogena Visibly Firm Lift Serum Active Copper ($18.99 for 1 ounce).

Murad Brightening Treatment SPF 15 ($45 for 1 ounce) combines an effective sunscreen with higher than usual levels of hydroquinone alternatives, including arbutin and uva ursi extract.

Foundation with Sunscreen
The price is a bit startling, but those with normal to oily skin will likely be impressed with Chanel Double Perfection Crème Powder Makeup SPF 15 ($42). It contains an in-part titanium dioxide sunscreen and despite its name, is not nearly as slick or greasy as traditional cream-to-powder makeup. For less money and a higher sun protection factor, consider Clinique Superbalanced Compact Makeup SPF 20 ($26.50). If you’re looking to spend even less, Cover Girl AquaSmooth Makeup SPF 15 ($8.99) is superb and offers plenty of real-skin shades. Almost all of Revlon’s foundations will also keep you covered in real-skin tones and great sunscreens, plus you’ll save money at the same time.

If you have normal to dry skin, I’m fond of Neutrogena Visibly Even Natural-Look Makeup SPF 20 ($11.75). Shopping the department store cosmetic counters? Consider Lancome Renergie Lift Lifting Makeup SPF 20 ($37), one of the few Lancome foundations with a sunscreen that offers sufficient UVA
protection.

Tinted Moisturizer/Sheer Foundation with Sunscreen
Neutrogena hit a grand slam with the introduction of its Healthy Skin Enhancer SPF 20 ($10.99), which features great colors and an in-part titanium dioxide sunscreen with retinol and plenty of antioxidants. Those looking for greater sun protection can consider Revlon Age Defying Light Makeup SPF 30 ($12.99). The buck really could stop here, but for those who can’t resist the lure of spending more than needed, I also highly recommend Aveda Inner Light Tinted Moisture SPF 15 ($25) and Bobbi Brown SPF 15 Tinted Moisturizer ($36).

Concealer
Choosing Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Under Eye Concealer ($6.99) rather than Lancome Maquicomplet Complete Coverage Concealer ($24) will not only leave you with more money in your pocketbook, but since L’Oreal owns Lancome and Maybelline, you will find many of their makeup products are more comparable than ever. Good thing, too, because Maybelline’s concealer shades have improved tremendously since L’Oreal has been in charge.

Loose Powder
With its ultra-fine texture and non-powdery appearance on skin, M.A.C. Select Sheer Loose Powder ($19.50) is among the best. At nearly twice the price, Giorgio Armani Micro-fil Loose Powder ($42) is also excellent—but for one-quarter of that price, your skin is likely to be just as happy with L’Oreal Translucide Naturally Luminous Powder ($10.89). By the way, L’Oreal owns Giorgio Armani Cosmetics!

Pressed Powder
Stila Sheer Color Face Powder SPF 15 ($23) not only has a gorgeous silky texture and smooth application but also provides additional sun protection, perfect for touching up your makeup to reduce shine and boosting your skin’s defenses against aging UV rays. A similar but less expensive pressed powder that offers even longer sun protection is Neutrogena Healthy Defense Protective Powder SPF 30 ($9.99).

Looking for a superior pressed powder without sunscreen? Try Cover Girl TruBlend Pressed Powder ($7.49) or, if your skin color is harder to match, consider L’Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Powder ($7.99). If you prefer to try the shade at the store before making a purchase, high marks go to Estee Lauder AeroMatte Ultralucent Pressed Powder ($26).

Powder Blush
Vincent Longo Day Play Duo Compact Powder Blush ($23.50) is a wonderful option if you’re feeling extravagant, but an equally impressive powder blush for those with realistic cosmetics budgets is L’Oreal Feel Naturale Light Softening Blush $9.79). Note that with Longo’s product, you get two powder blush shades in one compact.

Cream Blush
A relatively new option to consider at the department store is Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks ($22). It is a true cream blush, meaning it’s best for normal to dry skin, but does not have a greasy feel or slip all over the face during blending. Those looking to spend less for a comparable product should explore Merle Norman Luxiva Crème Blush ($14.50) or, for an option that’s more cream-to-powder than just creamy, Revlon Cream Blush ($8.99).

Cream (or Cream-Like) Eyeshadows
Delux Beauty Cream Powder Eye Shadow ($18) is one of the best in terms of color selection, easy application, and long wear with only minimal risk of creasing. A bonafide steal by comparison is Revlon Illuminance Crème Shadow ($5.99) which provides four crease-proof creamy eyeshadows in one convenient compact. The Not Just Nudes quad is an ideal set of neutrals for most skin tones, though some shine is apparent.

Lip Gloss
Chanel really does produce some marvelous lip glosses. Their Cristalle Gloss Waterlight Lip Gloss ($24.50) is wonderfully light-textured and very glossy. A dramatically less expensive but truly equally appealing choice is Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss ($6.99).

Mascara
It’s no secret that I and millions of women worldwide are fans of many L’Oreal and Maybelline mascaras, so I’m taking a break from singing the praises of their lash-enhancing products to brag about another worthy contender. Instead, three cheers to Revlon, whose Fabulash Mascara ($6.99) is fabulous. There are some unquestionably wonderful mascaras at the department store too, and one that equals Fabulash’s greatness for a bit more money is Stila Mega Lash Mascara ($9.50). Given the wealth of brilliant mascaras that cost $10 or less, I am leaving this list void of a truly pricey mascara (they’re out there, and many are magnificent, but not more so than options that cost less money).

Waterproof Mascara
Two of my favorites at the department store are Laura Mercier Waterproof Mascara ($19) and Estee Lauder Illusionist Waterproof Curling Mascara ($21). Another department store option that is significantly less expensive but just as impressive is M.A.C. Splashproof Lash Waterproof Mascara ($9.50). At the drugstore, consider Maybelline Volum’ Express Waterproof Mascara ($5.99).

10 flipping tasty pancake recipes

2008-02-05T11:11:00.000+03:00

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/real_food/article3305941.ece

Tell us about your favourite pancakes - what makes the best batter mix? do you flip or stick? use free-range organic eggs? - by using the comment box at the bottom of the page.

The classic: Fine crepes with lemon and sugar

The detox: Mixed berry pancakes

The boozer: Spiced apple pancakes with calvados sabayon

The continental: Cinnamon pancakes with praline cream and chocolate sauce

The romantic: Lacy crepes with rose-water butter

The kid's favourite: Banana and ricotta pancakes with maple-pecan sauce

For Chinese New Year: Chinese roast pork with pancakes

The seasonal: Baked rhubarb

The dinner party "pancakes": Sweetcorn blinis with aubergine and tomato

The wheat-free option: Red onion and rosemary farinate

The Scandinavian: Warm potato pancakes with smoked eel

The most influential albums - according to The Times

2008-02-04T09:10:00.000+03:00

The 20 bestselling albums

1 Michael Jackson, Thriller As thrilling today as it ever was.

2 Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin IV Still worth a listen? Ask the millions who fought for tickets last year.

3 Pink Floyd, The Wall The alienation of the modern world? Yup, still relevant.

4 AC/DC, Back in Black A great guitar riff never really goes out of fashion.

5 Shania Twain, Come on Over Er, actually, we’re kind of busy right now . . .

6 The Beatles, The Beatles (White Album) Its eclectic brilliance is still the target that ambitious bands aim for.

7 Fleetwood Mac, Rumours You can still feel the intra-band heartbreak behind the smooth pop songs.

8 Whitney Houston, Bodyguard OST You may think you’ve heard that song enough now.

9 Boston, Boston Has found its rightful home on classic rock stations.

10 Alanis Morissette, Jagged Little Pill We thought it was going to be the beginning of a brilliant career. Oh, well.

11 Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti Many people’s favourite Zep album.

12 Eagles, Hotel California Overexposed, and soon to be over here again.

13 Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon The album that shot the Floyd into the super league.

14 Bruce Springsteen, Born in the USA Far from his best work (try Nebraska), but still capable of setting off those “fist pumping in the air” reflexes.

15 Bee Gees, Saturday Night Fever OST Silly hair, silly voices, yet somehow magnificent.

16 Guns N’ Roses, Appetite for Destruction It certainly sounds dated now; mind you, it sounded dated even then.

17 Santana, Supernatural A remarkable resurgence late in his career, but head instead for the early albums.

18 Meat Loaf, Bat out of Hell More is more.

19 Britney Spears, Baby One More Time Back when she was a singer, not an increasingly distressing news story.

20 Prince, Purple Rain Before the squiggles and record-company wrangles, he was capable of timeless genius.

The 20 most influential albums

1 The Velvet Underground, The Velvet Underground & Nico Hardly anybody bought it, as the saying goes, but everyone who did formed a band.

2 Beatles, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Created the idea of using the recording studio as an instrument.

3 David Bowie, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars The arrival of postmodernism in rock’s most glamorous self-fulfilling prophecy.

4 Patti Smith, Horses Pioneered vast new territories for women in popular music.

5 Beach Boys, Pet Sounds The instrumentation, the harmonies, the arrangements, the sheer ambition.

6 Beatles, Revolver Goodbye “pop group”, hello “rock band”.

7 The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Are You Experienced? Shaped our sonic world – the template for guitar heroes everywhere.

8 Bob Dylan, Highway 61 Revisited How does it feel? Like a whole new world just opened up.

9 Public Enemy, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back Hip-hop comes of age.

10 Sex Pistols, Never Mind the Bollocks... Rendered the rock dinosaurs extinct (for a while).

11 Kraftwerk, Trans-Europe Express It sounded like the future then; eerily, it still does now.

12 Michael Jackson, Thriller The last quarter of a century of R&B starts here.

13 Nirvana, Nevermind Rendered the rock dinosaurs extinct (again).

14 NWA, Straight Outta Compton Created the template for gangsta rap.

15 Aretha Franklin, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You A soul masterpiece, and an album whose anthems radiated out into the wider culture.

16 Ramones, Ramones Rock’s ultimate palate-cleanser. Generations of punks started here.

17 Marvin Gaye, What’s Going On Motown finds its social conscience.

18 The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Gilded Palace of Sin It was largely ignored at the time, but where would alt-country be without it?

19 Bob Marley and the Wailers, Live! Reggae goes global.

20 Joni Mitchell, Blue Searching for sensitive singer-songwriters? Here’s the source.

Guitarrr

2008-02-03T02:59:00.000+03:00

This here is a song that has recently become quite popular in Russian online community, it's really positive and funny. Somehow reminiscent of Kusturica in the general atmosphere. The singer's name is Peter Nalitch - http://www.myspace.com/peternalitch.

Here we go

2008-01-22T12:47:00.001+03:00

This blog is basically for storing stuff from the internet that I find usefull - in any way - and for making lists of the things that I need/like/dislike/want to make a list of .