What I can’t leave the house without …
Anyone who knows me will find it somewhat hysterical that I would be writing about my favourite ‘beauty’ product. I’m one of those girls who considers mascara and lip-balm “dolling myself up”. I’m pretty useless in that whole arena and since having kids even worse.
The only ‘area’ that I did try and spend a bit of time on was my hair — not because I love it all styled but because (as if being born with ‘mousy’ coloured hair wasn’t enough) the World at large also decided I should have that kind of hair that is neither straight nor curly — so, even after spending hours with the dryer and the straightener, it only needs to smell rain to turn to frizz. Great!
After having a baby I realised life was seriously too short to waste time with a hair-dryer so I cut off all my hair and attempted to go for a Meg Ryan-esque quirky messy look. It helped a bit but I still had my frizz problem — until my very good friend Caroline introduced me to Kiehl’s Silk Groom. I get out of the shower, scrunch some into my hair and go. I haven’t used a hair dryer or straighteners for 3 years and it is solely down to this little bottle of goodness that calms my hair down on a daily basis. It would now be the one thing I’d save from a burning wash bag (yes – even before my tooth-brush!).
-Mo
Something for the mommies….Lollia Bubble Bath
Bubble Baths are considered a real treat at our house. Lately, my girls seem to go suddenly deaf when I call them to come in for an evening bath, but when I mention that bubbles will be present… it’s party time! That being said, I have spent countless dollars trying all sorts of “organic” and “all-natural” products from Whole Foods and the like… but to be honest, I really don’t like any of them. The bubbles are totally lame, they don’t smell all that great and they are expensive to boot! Look, my thought is… if you are going to take a bubble bath then you just have to make the commitment. Mr. Bubble didn’t kill any of us and it’s all going to be ok. I received this Lollia Bubble Bath as a gift and I absolutely love it — I mean, how cool that it’s in a wine bottle! A small quantity makes a ton of bubbles, it smells great without being too overpowering and my girls don’t come out covered in hives. I would give this to a mommy in need in a heartbeat as it is great for the whole family and even better as a housewarming gift for a new mom!
-Dina
Invisible Zinc
All those scorching Australian summers that I spent oiling myself with ‘Hawaiian Tropic’ –- how it makes me cringe! If only this product was around when I was in my late teens… okay, who am I kidding, I still would have ignored the facts, all for a deep bronze tan that didn’t ever last. The fact is that the sun ages your skin prematurely and causes cancer. Whilst I did come to my senses long ago, I am sure that I still wear the damage of those early reckless years. These days, I don’t leave home without having applied Invisible Zinc to each and every member of my family (husband excluded here, he is not partial to me assaulting him with ‘goo’ every morning — not for want of trying, mind you).
The concept behind Invisible Zinc is technology that provides a physical (not chemical) barrier between you and the sun’s UVA and UVB rays. They use a world patented form of Zinc Oxide that has been milled down so that it is no longer visible to the naked eye …fortunately you can banish all images of the white zinc-nosed, speedo-clad Aussie lifeguard, not quite the look I favor either when I head for the beach! Zinc Oxide is a natural sunscreen agent that sits on the skin reflecting dangerous UVA and UVB rays without unnecessary chemical sun-filters (incidentally, most chemical sunscreens offer little or no protection against UVA rays).
So Courtney, take note! This Aussie product is a must-have for you and your family over the coming months… and for those of you shivering in the Northern Hemisphere, as strange as it may seem, summer is just around the corner! (-:
-Sara
Removeez — remove with ease!
Here’s a product that deserves a place in every family’s first-aid cabinet… Removeez is a natural solution which removes everything from sticky tar and sap to permanent marker, tattoos, bandages, chewing gum, etc. One little bottle with many different uses. (Have you ever had to get chewing gum out of your hair? It’s not fun –I still have nightmares!)
Designed by California beach parents, Removeez is 100% natural and dermatologist tested. It’s made from a blend of citrus oils and plant extracts, and naturally removes anything sticky or messy. I even used it yesterday on myself after a painting project left my hands a mess. And I gave it the ultimate test when I used it to take a temporary tattoo off my son’s arm. Works like a charm!
-Courtney
Aesop — an Aussie classic!
I thrash my hands. Hot water, cleaning products, using my fingernails as tools… you name it… most mothers will understand! As a result, my hands are often flaky and dry — not unlike sandpaper. Over the years I have tried dozens of hand lotions, but none have worked their magic like a potion from Australian skin care range Aesop. The lotion is called Aesop Ressurection Aromatique Hand Balm and I honestly think it is the holy grail of all hand creams.
I first discovered Aesop several years ago in the restroom of a local Melbourne restaurant. It smelled and felt so intoxicatingly good that I kept going back for more (really!), and I have been hooked ever since. It soaks in, leaving no greasy residue and you can literally smell the botanical and fruity ingredients permeating your skin (rosemary, mandarin and cedarwood……delicious). In our dry Australian climate it’s no wonder this product has become somewhat of an Aussie cult favorite.
The hand cream can be purchased online but Aesop also have lovely signature stores in London, Paris, Zurich, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei and across Australia and these are definitely worth a visit.
- Sara
Go Home Gorgeous
Giving birth is exhausting, physically and emotionally, and once the baby is born the mother is typically not that free or in the mood to go to a spa. A new business in the Minneapolis area, which is expanding in other cities, has decided to bring the mountain to Mohammed!
Go Home Gorgeous will send a massage specialist to the hospital room to give the new mother the pampering she deserves. Apparently the massage therapists are also doulas so they’re quite trained in post-partum care. Their packages, not surprisingly, have proved to be excellent baby shower gifts.
A new business run by women to cater for women during an economic downturn — this is excellent news!
-Michela
Baby hair gel
Way back before I had children, I used to love making homemade beauty products — I gave all my friends handmade lip balm for Christmas one year, and I’d make facial masks and other potions for myself. Now that time is of the essence and we are rushing to get out the door, I don’t do much of that, unfortunately. But the other day, I broke down and whipped up a batch of homemade baby hair gel for my 6-month-old with wild hair. I don’t mind the ’spike’ look most days, but nothing could keep the poor little one’s hair flat for picture time except for this magic potion. (Check out this recipe and many more great tips on feeding your baby in Super Baby Food.)
Baby Hair Gel:
Dissolve ½ teaspoon of unflavored gelatin powder in one cup of warm water. Poor into clean baby food jars, and keep refrigerated. [Add your own label, if you wish!] Use as you would normal hair gel — just a dab will do it– and the best part is that it doesn’t make fine baby hair all greasy.
xx Rebecca
Cowshed for babies
I’ve been a fan of the Cowshed beauty products since my first trip to Babington House 5 years ago! So when Cowshed launched their new Baby Cow Organics collection just in time for my baby to be born, I knew I had to check them out.
The new collection, which includes a body lotion, baby oil, bottom balm and a cream, is 90% organic and is made from meadowfoam oil to suit baby’s delicate skin. (Meadowfoam oil is known to be one of the most stable vegetable oils, making it safe and long-lasting!)
I’ve been using the baby lotion and oil on my baby, and I love it! Smells much better than olive oil and is nearly just as natural!
-Courtney
My Little Paris
This is one for us, girls. I have lately become a regular reader of the great blog MyLittleParis. I eagerly await the bi-weekly emails with the top tips on all that is Paris! The best way I can describe it is as a Babyccino for grown-ups.
It has great tips of what’s new, what to do, where to eat, where to stay and where to shop. The great thing is that they have just started an English language version and so even non-French speakers can get a piece of the action.
I especially love the fact that they always seem to be in the know about private sales of some of my favourite labels like Sandro, Maje and Paul and Joe where the clothes are up to 50% off. I do always love a bargain….
- Emilie
Birthstones
We had a little discussion about birthstones on Babyccino a while ago. It seems that the tradition of birthstones is much more commonly known of in the USA than in Europe. Of course it got me all curious and I did a little research…
In the Old Testament, detailed instructions can be found for the fabrication of a breastplate for the high priest. This ‘breastplate of Aaron’ is where the tradition of birthstones arose from. Twelve gemstones are described, to be laid out in a plate and to be set in gold, each of them representing one of the twelve sons of Aaron, being the commanders of the twelve tribes of Israel. They were said to be able to communicate directly to God through those gemstones!
The stones also corresponded with the twelve signs of the zodiac and the twelve months of the year – hence the tradition of the birth stones.
Rub that pregnant belly
Unfortunately for me, there was just no avoiding stretch marks. I inherited the gene from my mom, and despite all the lotions and potions I tried, I ended up with a tummy that looked like a road map after my first pregnancy. I think you’re either going to get them, or you’re not. But I do think there’s still something nice about rubbing oils on your pregnant belly. Whether it makes your skin less dry and itchy, or it just encourages you to take a few minutes out of your busy day to pamper yourself, pregnancy oils definitely serve a purpose.
My favorite one by far, both for the smell and for the consistency, is the Mama Mio Tummy Rub Oil. My friend Britta gave it to me, raving about the lovely smell, and I couldn’t agree more. The smell is divine, and the oil is perfectly balanced to make your tummy soft without leaving your hands all oily. I really, really recommend it!
-Courtney
MAC my day!
Last week my (architectural) business partner and I had some time to kill at the Manchester airport, and we happened to end up at the MAC make-up counter. We’d had some very important meetings with a new client, so I was pretty tired and beaten up. Also, I don’t know much about make-up; and I don’t use much of it either.
Which is probably why a nice shop assistant came up to me and advised me to immediately try out the MAC Strobe Liquid. This product would do wonders for my skin!! Skeptical at first (but intrigued), I asked her if I could have a try. Of course I could.
She applied some of the wonder substance to my cheeks, and hallelujah, the dull and grey complexion of my stressed-out and tired skin was immediately transformed to healthy looking skin with a real J. Lo glow! Needless to say, I bought the Strobe Liquid, along with some foundation (never used before), a brush to apply the foundation (I would have used my fingers) and a very natural looking blush powder. So, if you’ve seen me recently and thought that I was very ’radiant’ looking – it’s MAC, not me 
.
xxx Esther
Jergens naturals
I received a couple samples of the new Jergens Naturals range of lotions recently, and despite my lack of enthusiasm and (dare I admit my beauty snobbery?!) initial skepticism, I am loving it!
Jergens is a mass-market brand that has been a popular fixture in most American pharmacies for over a century… synonymous, in my mind, with low prices and synthetic ingredients… which is why I initially turned my nose up to it.
BUT, the new Jergens line offers four different body moisturizers which are 95% natural, free from parabens and silicones and made with natural ingredients like Jojoba oil, avocado, olive oil, soy extracts, pomegranate, etc.
And, for the first time Jergens is being launched here in the UK, available from Boots, Superdrug and most supermarkets. The best bit? The price. A natural body moisturizer that actually works… available for only £4.88? What a steal!
-Courtney
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• End of ‘having babies’ theme week• Wrap dress, again…
• Tricotti, again…
• Got milk?
• The jealous bunch (or older siblings)
• TENS machine
• c-sections, not bad after all
Bath cars
Every year at Christmas time my hairdresser gives away a little present to his customers. A very nice gesture indeed, but unfortunately he’s not very creative at finding new gifts; for the last 3 years the present has been a wooden back roller like the one pictured. I don’t mind though, because the car/massage roller has become the favourite bath toy my children like to play with while puddling around. They like to give each other back massages, or use the rollers as cars on the bath-rim. And I must say, they look rather cute on the side of the bath; much more Zen than many of the other bath toys we have!
The roller/car pictured is from The Wooden Wagon, but I also found cute ones here and here. Or check your local drugstore!
xxx Esther
ONE YEAR AGO WE WROTE ABOUT:
• Teach your kids their shapes!• To kiss or not to kiss and how many times? This is the question
Brilliant!
I love Aveda. I have religiously gone there for my hair colour for over 9 years now, as their all natural dyes makes my hair look all natural brown!
I already wrote about my husband’s favourite Aveda product, the Control Paste, a while ago, but I thought I’d let all of you straight-hair-lovers know about one of my favourite Aveda products, the Brilliant Emillient Finishing Gloss. Wonderful stuff.
It’s really easy to use; just apply a tiny bit (one pump does the job for me) to dry hair and apply evenly. I like to use it after I’ve blow-dried my hair, and it makes it really smooth and shiny.
It might not look cheap at first sight, but trust me, the bottle lasts so long it’s as if it magically refills!
Available at any Aveda hairdresser, or in the US through Amazon…
xxx Esther
Rituals
There are many rituals in the day of an average human being, and taking care of ourselves is certainly an important one! Dutch home and body cosmetics brand ‘Rituals‘ strives to transform everyday routines into more meaningful rituals: feeling good about ourselves and caring about others and the environment.
I very much like the Rituals products. They look good, feel good, and best of all: they smell very good too! No chemical smells, but nice and natural ones. In fact, all Rituals products are made using natural, renewable, and preferably organic ingredients wherever possible. The products are not overly expensive, and last a very long time! We have the Sereni-tea foaming shower gel in our shower and love it. A little bit of gel transforms to a lathering foam. I think we’ve had the same bottle for over five months now, and we both use it daily! (more…)
Nuxe Facial Oil
I am a bit of a victim of my genetic heritage. I have very dark hair, like my French mother and yet I have my father’s typical Irish skin, pale and covered in freckles. My skin does not cope well with the cold, dry winters here in Paris. Add onto this the hard Parisian water and I feel like my skin has been replaced with parchment paper.
So, as you do here in France, I popped into my local pharmacy to see what they would recommend. I walked out with what is now my all-time favourite facial cleanser: the NUXE facial oil. Honestly, it has made such a difference to my skin. I never thought I could wash my face with oil and it would feel clean, but it does and on top of that my skin never feels tight anymore. It is organic and only has a subtle scent to it.
I love it! Unfortunately it is only available at the moment in France, but I am sure it will soon be distributed internationally so keep an eye out for it!
- Emilie
Arty & Bella
Last year (2008, can you remember?) we were invited to a Christmas party at my friend Petrina’s house, which by the way was lovely. There, I met a cute woman named Laura, and I ended up chatting with her a good part of the evening. She at some point told me about her friend, Zelda, in London (can you follow?) who makes the cutest hand-sewn hair-clips.
And this is how it happened that right now I am sitting in front of a gorgeous headband, and a selection of exquisite hairclips for my daughter, all in blue (to go with her eyes), or pink (to go with her taste).
Zelda started making her own line of baby and kid-friendly hair accessories when she was looking for something cute for her daughter to wear on her first birthday, and couldn’t find anything that she really loved. So she ended up making her own cute hair-clips by covering a regular clip with felt, and adding some beautiful flowers. And her clips had so much success that before long her little business Arty & Bella, named after her kids, was born!
All Zelda’s clips are hand sewn in her ’slightly chaotic London home’, and are absolutely beautiful. They are made without glue, so soft enough even for the most delicate little girls. Zelda’s online shop is most definitely worth a visit, or, if you happen to be in the neighbourhood, you can also check them out at Harrods, because they recently added Arty & Bella to their kiddies department! Way to go, Zelda!
xxx Esther
When the sun doesn’t shine…
When I was home for the holidays last month, my sister (who is not even really a make-up expert herself) looked at my face and told me I needed to find a new make-up. Really? I thought. Was I doing a bad job putting mine on? Was it really that obvious that I don’t have a clue when it comes to make-up?
It’s quite possible my worries were actually valid, but what my sister was getting at was that she had found the most perfect tinted moisturizer and I must have it too. So, of course I took her advice.
Chantecaille Tinted Moisturizer is like magic for your face. It goes on so smoothly and easily, you couldn’t even leave smudge lines if you tried. And it gives you the perfect sun-kissed glow. Plus, it has SPF 15, so it protects your face from sun damage (if your face were to ever see the sun this time of year)!
I’m no make-up guru, but I’m LOVING this new find!
-Courtney
Mum and Babe
A while ago I wrote a blog post about one of my favourite streets here in Paris, rue Keller. Rue Keller has just gotten even better. It is worth visiting for this place alone — Mum and Babe, Paris’ first Hairdresser and Beauty Salon with creche.
A beautiful separate room with a professional child minder awaits your children while you get your hair cut or coloured, have a massage or a manicure. Lucie, the owner, realised the need for a parent-friendly pamper centre when her niece was born and she could not find a place for her sister-in-law to have a well deserved post-natal massage, with baby in tow. It has taken three long years for her to find the perfect location and the perfect staff and set-up. But finally her persistence has paid off and Mum and Babe opened at the beginning of January. The childcare is included in the price of the treatment for up to two children under the age of six. Mum and Babe are offering a 10% discount for the month of January so there is no excuse not to treat yourself! As I write the website is still under construction so here are the details: (more…)
