The Tale of Mr.John

Oh, dear, it's nearly 2015 in 3 days! What have you planned for next year? I have no specific plan. 

I'd like to have a glimpse on a product I invest for days ahead. 

It is called John Masters Organic - Rose & Apricot Antioxidant Day Creme.

First, why I choose antioxidant? Because the world's air is quite poisonous lately.  Need something to intoxinate my skin! 

Secondly, hey, it's apricot.  How sweet the sound! 

And, creme? For oily skin? Come on, not all creme is bad for skin with oil trouble.  Our concern is the ingredients.  If it's in gel form, oil free, but contains dimethicone, it could cause traffic pore jam or blocked pores! If you're allergic to avocado oil, it may gives you red spots.  Whatever.  Really, don't eat what people say.  Try to see your condition first, baby. 

So, day after day, I was Googling about this day moisturizer--one thing I didn't have months ago. Here's the information I got from the official source: 

a light moisturizer enriched with natural botanicals

This light yet potent formula is infused with apricot oil and peach & rice extract to help reduce wrinkles and promote cellular turnover. High in omega-6, this creme hydrates and protects the skin against harmful bacteria, while oat kernel extract stimulates pro-collagen production resulting in soft, healthy skin. 

key ingredients

• rose flower oil - softens and nourishes skin
• apricot - treats dryness
• peach - a natural source of alpha-hydroxy acids; tightens skin, reduces wrinkles and lightens age spots
• rice - softens and heals while helping to prevent wrinkles
• oat kernel - stimulates collagen production; revitalizing; protects against UVA rays; anti-inflammatory
• borage oil - restores moisture; highest GLA source
• aspen bark - new all-natural preservative; protects against harmful bacteria

properties

• enriched with anti-oxidants
• extremely gentle for sensitive skin
• increases hydration and retains moisture

usage

• for normal to dry skin
• can be used over serum for extra moisture

Voilà. After I read that long essay, I dropped my choice.  And after a month waiting, tadaa, the bottle arrived safely! Along with a cute natural-like box.

Now, to the ingredients list:

ingredients

Aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) leaf juice*, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil*, cetearyl olivate, sorbitan olivate, glycerin*, butyrospermum parkii (shea) nut butter*, rosa damascena (rose) flower water*, borago officinalis (borage) seed oil, populus tremuloides (aspen) bark extract, cetyl esters wax, avena sativa (oat) kernel extract*, oryza sativa (rice) extract*, malpighia glabra (acerola) fruit extract*, camellia sinensis (white tea) leaf extract*, spirulina platensis (algae) extract*, triticum vulgare (wheat) germ oil*, sodium hyaluronate, prunus armeniaca (apricot) extract*, calophyllum inophyllum (foraha) seed oil*, prunus persica (peach) extract*, rosa damascena (rose) flower oil*, tanacetum annuum flower oil, anthemis nobilis (chamomile) flower oil, xanthan gum, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract*, potassium sorbate, geraniol†

* Certified Organic

† A natural component of essential oils

So far, there's nothing too dangerous inside.  I was a bit skeptical about shea butter on my skin, but, thankfully, it's nothing but goodness! :D Horray!

Look, the base is aloe vera juice.  What a blessing! I also see rice extract--known to absorb excess oil sometimes.  And, acerola fruit extract! Don't forget the...APRICOT! The star of this creme. 

How it goes on me? Oh, it slides nicely on the face, not really light, but not terribly waxy.  Just the right expectation of a facial cream.  It aids my skin from the season's windy dryness.  I don't see any pimples popped after using this during these weeks. The scent is herb-y, reminds me of a valley where I can sing, "The hills are aliii~ve with the sound of muu~sic." with my deep alto voice.  Hahaha. 

Anyway, please note, you only need a veeeery small amount.  Around a corn seed-size for every application.  Moreover if you're a chihuahua. Your face must be sooo small and cute! Woof!  But I guess no chihuahua needs moisturizer, right? 

I have no regret for purchasing this small brownish bottle.  It's my skin saviour! :D 

I'm Here, I'm Here!

And surprisingly getting slimmer.  

Ho? What's with the body shape topic? Nothing.  It's just me and my mirror, and friends who told me I look thin.  Blame my pescaterian lifestlye, or my process into ovolacto.  Then my habit of drinking homemade almond milk and I decided to not eating instant noodles for (at least) 3 months ahead. 

Well, the fact is, we're here, December! And it's already on the middle of the month.  Getting nearer for me to step on 23rd yearly stage of my life. 

What does that mean? I'm getting older! Simply.  But let's not say 'old', therefore, use the word 'wise'.  Adding an age on your life path is another chance to gain some wisdom.  Plus to remind you that you're  better than yesterday, you're smarter, braver, you're Winnie The Pooh! (?)

Anyway, I usually have a birthday list, but this year, I don't really feel like making it.  Instead, I started reading my old middle school (and a bit elementary) diaries! Yes, I have a lot of them.  Two-three books per year.   And you know what? Somehow there's a magical clue inside my puberty-based-real-life stories! 

For example, I met a boy I know once and I wrote there: 'I wish we could see each other again'.  I was there, not knowing that 8 years later, I'll meet him randomly and found out how grown up he is (honestly, charming).  

Then, I started to like a guy who were similar to my fictional character in the first place, not realizing that I'll be here, still adore him without a will to own him.  LOL.  

What else? I had dreams (I mean dreams you have in your sleep) which becomes real somehow. 

I said I haardly want to see Keane live.  And I fulfilled that ambition. Horray! 

I was an insecure little girl when I was a teenager--due to my 'Moon in Cancer' trait.  I can really feel like I'm not reading a Capricorn-lady's journal.  Seriously, it's sooo...watery.  X) I cried, I was sad, I was feeling guilty, I tried to be nice to everyone, then, tadaaa, I had a lot of things going in my mind! 

My diaries are so detail, I poured everything out.  Maybe because I had no Path, Instagram, Facebook, Friendster, Twitter, and other instant-curhat-medias. Oy.  Another exciting thing to do? I add some weird notes from The Future Ningrum on some amazing statements I made on those silly pages of teenager-tale. 

Ah, it's funny to see the process of growing up.  How fluctuative I could be.  I miss my school life.  When everything seems too heavy, serious, then if I see it from a different perspectives, those physic patterns, economic theories, they are jokes.  Real jokes.  What really matter is the way I achieve happiness between worries and anxiousness. 

And, hey, I survived these apocalypses anyway! 

When saving money to buy a new CD of Keane is such a struggle.  

When a wish to eat something I want can be very important. 

When having a Bioré facial wash is a pride. 

When I couldn't handle my nervous face everytime I saw my crush at school.

When one acne means doomsday. 

There's one interesting idea I found, too.  Since middle school, I always have wanted to gain a lot of money to donate an orangutan saviour foundation or something.  I'm lucky to keep my ambition on this.  :) 

Now start counting down.  Day four, day three... 

Welcome to The End of Octopus!

...I mean October. What an epic typo. 

So, the edge of October means the closer we'll be to November. 

November means one month before December. 

Oh, how I love December! This twelve month of Masehi calender means celebrations! It started with my brother's birthday, continues with my uncle, cousin, a bunch of acquaintance, and me! <3 I know it sound childish, but, who doesn't feel enthusiastic about birthdays? Two days after my-oh-I'm-getting-old-reminder, there will be Christmas.  Pine trees, decoration, cake, and everything!

Not so long after that, hey, New Year Celebration! 

OMG, I can't wait for December to come faster! 

And here's a picture of natural beauty stuff I've been waiting for to get into my life soon. <3 

Ugh, yeah!

Happy Halloween, folks. Trick or treat! Brick or retreat! Don't think about that last phrase! :p

Veggie Report Again

I forget when I decided to stop eating chicken.  Around...several months ago? I started with duck then continued with chicken. So, I don't consume any poultry now. 

But then I realized then I have to develop. My goal is to eat zero animals! 

I will reduce the amount of seafood supply to my gastronomy life.  What does that mean? I'll be an ovo-lacto vegetarian soon! Okay, avoiding dairy products such as yogurt, cheese, and milk won't be an instant step.  Egg? What if I eat a carrot cake? It's vegetable-based but it contains egg or milk, except I get the vegan version. 

And Indonesia hasn't have so many vegan choices for those kind of things: cake, cookies, etc. 

Hey, alors, can I say 'Good bye fishes, crabs, shrimp, I'm going to let you free!' right now? 

Perhaps later, in 2015.  I'll be officially an ovo-lacto. ASAP. 

Wish me luck! And let's reduce meat consumption, baby! <3

Not A Scientist Tips, But Still An Aid

Living 4 years of my life taking care of pampering products, from body care, skin care, make up, and llamas, I've became a serious researcher for these stuff. 

But forget it, I just want to write an systematic-looking intro.  Actually, I would love to share some tips for you about toiletries world.  Based on my principles and experience.  Sometimes people ask me about these lip products tips, better ingredients, and all.  From my neighbour to my brother, from alpaca to giraffe. 

So, aye, I gather all knowledges I know about treating your body parts right. Please don't be shy to ask anything.  I'll answer it even if you ask me how to eat an apple with eyes closed.  That's okay! 

Alright. Let's start with...

LIP LOVE

+ Loving lip stain? Better apply the liquid on a lip covered with lip balm/ butter.  Seriously.  It'll avoid dryness! :D

+ Some people asked me whether this or that is good for lips or not.  And what brand should be great. Firstly,  I would suggest to choose truly natural/ organic/ vegan lip products, because: natural or organic means you won't be exposed by too much synthetic materials that could harm our health, but it possibly refers to the existence of carmine the crushed cochineal (a.k.a bugs) inside your red / pink shaded lippies. Yes it is natural but it's...cruel. Meanwhile, if you take vegan / vegetarian ones, they won't offer you any animal particles such as that carmine or beeswax.  Beeswax is useful and it's not actually an animal her/himself, but it's quite heavy for lips sometimes!

+ Read your ingredients, and make sure you don't see crimson lake, cochineal, Natural Red 4, CI 75470,  or E120.  Yes it means bug. It means you murder for your lips.

+ Now you know what to avoid and what to tolerate, let's take a closer look.  Natural lip products come with various oil or butter blends.  Whether it's castor, olive, sweet almond, jojoba, avocado, coconut oil, or shea, candellila, cacao butter, with random fragrance compound from essential oils or extract of fruit/ flower. Those are things to make your lip products packaged beautifully. 

+ Okay.  Brands.  To be short, my recommendations are: 100% Pure lip butter, 100% Pure lip glaze, Hurraw! lip balms (buy it here for Indonesian citizen), or make your own lip stain (and you'll get a blush along with it).  Or you may try Utama Spice's lip balm.  They're quite good if you're okay with beeswax. :) 

Now let's jump into...

FACE FEST

+ Yes, I don't use facial foam and I've been into that lifestyle for a succesful one & a half year after finishing 100% Pure Lavender Seafoam.  And... I'm alive! How come? 

+ Then how to clean your face? Uhm, yes, to be honest, just wipe it with something oily that will take the dirt, grime, and dust.  If you wear layers of make up, do massage your face with plantbased oil (like coconut, olive, candlenut, canary) then wash with normal-to-warm water.  

+ Scrub your face twice a week using rolled oats, sugar, or whatever gritty and easy! Mix it with honey or your favourite oil.  ( remember to use this for body exfoliator too!)

+ So, for these 2 activities to your face's sake, you only need one kind of oil and something you would likely to find in everybody's kitchen.  Ditch the tubes and bottles of cleansers and scrubs/ exfoliators! You'll save hundred Rupiahs and reduce a lot of waste!

+ Better invest a holy grail moisturizer.  It will literally sink into your skin.  Note: beeswax and silicone won't sink.  

+ Make sure you know your needs.  Anti-aging? Pore problems? Sandy Cheeks? Just need a little glow? Oily? Combo? Dry? Galau? :p 

+ What's the best option? You decide. I myself have been searching a perfect moisturizer.  My favorite for evening use is surely that Aromanaturals crémes, but I can't use it as a day cream since the retinyl palmitate will react to the sunray.  You may catch something interesting here at Naauty Organics. I've just discovered this online shop focusing on 'good' products. :D

And move to...

BODY BUILDING (?) 

+ Good news! You can buy a bottle of virgin coconut oil and use it for face and body! :) Quite a saving, right? But only if you want to, and you're not boring with coconut scent.  I know, I know.  We love applying body care products due to the assorted kinds of smell they offer.

+ The form; butter, lotion, or oil? It's up to you! I love lotion, if it's not too sticky or too light you can't feel anything after that. Hahaha. And there's a lotion formula that ironically dry your skin more.  I don't know what cause this, but, be careful.  Butter? It's good if you can handle the usual problem: stiff texture! Like it just stand on your skin and do nothing.  My Cocoa Love from Utama Spice will disappear on the surface after hours. Or even overnight.  The Body Shop's Chocolate and Vanilla Bliss body butter are on a thicker side with smoother texture--weirdly.  Very thick and overwhelming somehow.  Lotions from Nicole's Naturals are good, the best I can have.  Not sticky nor abstract. And the rose aroma is superb! :) 

+ Preservatives? Yes, the reality is, anytime you apply body lotion, your body will drink some of the potion.  So, please say BYE to paraben, pthalates, glycols, BHA, BHT, ah, Google yourself about ingredients to avoid in toiletries, okay? :D 

+ I'm telling you that basically, hand cream and body cream will do things the same way. (Moreover, sometimes, hand + body + face moisturizer may come in ONE ITEM).  So, don't buy hand cream plus body cream from the same range! You'll be bored and end up with sadness (and stash, and rubbish).  Except you're fanatic about the specific scent. :D 

Ho, ho, ho, merry...

HAIR FAIR !

+ Many people know I have epic thick hair.  And it's jet black.  I tried many methods to take care of my hair properly.  Following my Mom: using Sunsilk Black Shine forever.  The shampoo makes my hair oily, and it strips my scalp. Thinking about natural substances: using Mustika Ratu's spinach shampoo. Afraid of oily hair, using Sariayu's carrot formula.  Give up? Trying The Body Shop's Olive and Bearberry shampoo then realized they contains SLS.  Hair feels terrible? Conditioner.  Smooth and cute but MORE oil in the end. Itchy scalp + dandruff: moved to L'Occitane Soothing Shampoo, smells adorable.  Trying Natur and Etude House's hair mist : stickiness. Back to The Body Shop, love the Rainforest Hair Care, unfortunately not a correct match to scalp.  Blah. In the end, I discovered shampoo bar (or just a simple natural soap bar) and vinegar works good!

+ WHAT? VINEGAR? Yes, vinegar.  Soap is alkali, vinegar is acidic. You mix them and you'll find balance.  So, clean with soap, rinse with vinegar, plus water : awesome smooth hair with no addition of dangerous chemicals! :D And it's cheap, baby. You can use apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, that mainstream vinegar which is refreshing for your soto soup, too. By the way, instead of soap, you may use baking soda.  Combine it with water and use it for 'shampoo with no foam'.

+ Anyway, hair mist is a useful weapon.  In Indonesia, a lot people smoke! SMOKE LIKE CRAZY and they spread the ashes around! So impolite! :(  In several places, the terrible ashy fragrance lingers, causing our hair (and body) to smell bad.  And, oh, people who burn the trash.  Please, trashes are for recycling/ reusing/ reducing, not for another pollution! :(  

Our hair is the victim.  It'll smell more intense compared to another part of our body. So, yes, I suggest you to invest in a hair mist.  A good hair mist is better without silicons, and I prefer ones with more natural materials.  My favourite one is from L'Occitane, because I find it works. :) By the way, you can make one at home too.  Use water and essential oil, put into a spray bottle (reuse something, please!).  Then use anytime you want. :D 

+ Dry shampoo? I support the habit of making things yourself--not everything but most of things. Get your corn starch / maizena + cacao/ coffee powder for darker hair, keep in a narrow container, or even better, empty powder bottle, sprinkle some dry rice to avoid humidity. Then? Use it with a help from make up brush or hair brush. Mess your hair with the powder and be happy! :D

Phew! Finish! For a while. NO MAKE UP TIPS? No. I'm not a master of make up! I use it for fun only. ;)  

If I found something interesting on the way, I would tell you immediately! Remember, to make Earth happier, we should hang out with this motto: 

Erase the greed, 

grow a seed. 

Make Mother Earth your best friend,

listen to her until the end. 

 Wisely keep your gold, 

respect the old. 

Choose plant, 

but don't kill the ant. 

 

I love you all! 

*spontaneously made 10 seconds ago

My Stack of Stuff

Bonjour, People! How's your day? 

Well, I have a good day--so far--since it's still in the midday. 

Anyway, I want to share my, uhm, tiny problem I have here. What problem? This!

That? No, it's those.  It's plural. There's a development in my toiletries amount.  I don't know what is the trigger... Hahaha. But these are so many, still, for my standard! If you want to see my previous collection, see this and that. 

The picture above shows all I have except brushes, eyelash curler, sponges, et cetera.  Oh, and nail polishes aren't included.  I have 3 bottles of that. 

So, after seeing previous collection posts, what do you think? Yes. I have way too many products.  I have collected so many things during a year. Now let's take a look at each group carefully: 

thankfully, everyone have different function. so it's not very ineffective. but that foundation, I already keep it for 4 years!

the scrub is a souvenir from my cousin, the solid perfume is now 2 years old, and that deodorant is not used oftenly.

nah. here's the most doubling part! i have 2 hand cream tubes--one from my friend (the apple one), 1 body butter, 1 body oil, and a tin of honey-shea butter! i thought it's okay to have 3-4 products to moisturize, in case i need them in separated moments (butter for night, oil for day--for example), but in fact, no. i give up.

i rarely have my eyes area painted--but i have this much things around.  ah, what did i do? anyone wants to adopt my stuff? i never touch the tosca eyeliner and mascara! LOL.

other treatment: hair mist, face vitamin creams, nose pack, bentonite clay.

and these lippies, fellas. i can't use them all the time! now i try to use my lip butter religiously first as a start.

Now this is what I think about them: 

Maybe you have the answer for me? Or you have a similar product with me and would love to tell me about it? ;) 

Happy Tuesday, lovelies! :* 

My Kind of Day

My Kind of Day by ningnangningnung featuring an ice cream freezer container

Happy (Late) World Rhino Day! - September 22nd

selamatkan badak. 

jangan biarkan culanya dicuri.

itu miliknya. 

bukan hak kita. 

Veggie Report (and tiny recipe)

I'm back! Here I am at home alone, nobody's around and I eat whatever in my sight.  

I open this morning with a banana-strawberry-smoothies! Smoothies? Yes, smoothies! Alright, 3 'smoothies' word is enough. 

Here's my beautiful smoothies: 

INGREDIENTS:

-2 bananas ( I use pisang ambon)

-3 strawberries (I got local organic ones)

-1 and a half cup of plain almond milk (got this from Yummylk as usual)

-1 tablespoon honey (mine is 'Madu Bunga Rambutan' from Green Choice)

Prepare 1 blender, but not for a material, but a tool to mix all these crunchy little things above! Cut the banana and strawberry first, then put inside the blender.  So, blend them properly, about 30 seconds. 

(how many times you see the world 'blend' ?)

After that, you'll get a foamy smoothie.  Top with whatever you like.  Fruit slices, chia seeds, almond nuts, matcha powder, lemon, anything! :D 

Lately, I've been in the mood for cooking.  Anything I can cook, I cook.  I even wish I'll marry a chef! LOL.  Or at least a man with a will to make a meal and a will to be my partner forever.  

Vegetarian preferred.  

*eh kok curhat?

The other 'manyunpiece' I made on Monday--the only free day I have--is this miso butter pasta.  I read the recipe on Martha Stewart's website, then I did a bit improvisation. 

 

PREPARATION: 

-300 g pasta--whatever you like--I found a spinach fettuccine, so I used that

-1/4 cup miso paste

-1 shallots, slice

-basil, rosemary (I have my rosemary plant picked)

-pepper 

-water

-6 tablespoons unsalted butter

As an addition, I bought a salmon fillet.  My mother and father would love to eat too, so I have to put some meat for them--they still want some meat.  Sorry to say, salmon kids, I still eat your ancestors... :'( 

Anyway, this is very easy to make! First, cook the pasta until al dente ( I feel cool saying this name) and drain.  

Simmer your shallot sprinkles, with butter.  Then add miso and water.  Water is needed to avoid the seasonings to be stikcy! Toss with pasta plus those herbs you've prepared before.  

Mix well, and it's ready!

If you use salmon, as I did, marinate salmon with lemon juice and salt first.  It's going to be more delicious. 

If you happen to be strictly vegan, use tofu or mushroom! :D

Thankfully, people in my house said this cuisine is delicious ;)

And that's all my report! Stay concern with EARTH, fellas.  

Keep your love of animals (and those humanbeings around you). 

By the way, you know the reason why we should start cooking at home more often? Remember those delivery or take away service we like in town? Yeah, you see that right.  It's yummy! Okay, it's really yummy to be honest. And practical.  Saves a lot of time and energy.  The last point is wrong. 

WRONG? 

Yap. Time? We have to: call, order, wait. If it is too slow, we have to wait longer.

Energy? Delivering food with motorcycle or even car is quiet a carbon footprint.  Couldn't blame this topic too much because I still send and receive many packages via JNE and other courrier services.  But, the food should have a container, right? And...what kind of container we usually find? 

STYROFOAM. PLASTIC. KERESEK. 

Please just make your own conclusion about those materials.  

Merçi. 

 

 

Green As Peas

Well, don't be bored with the word 'green' on this blog, okay? :D 

Anyway, have you ever be so frustated with stuff? Like a stack of book, or clothes, or even plates!

You realized how useless those things are but you can do nothing. 

My daddy loves to collect...balms and other pharmacy stuff.  Cajuput oils, Tiger brand balsem, muscle-pain creams, etc.  There are so much at the corners around my house.  Double, triple amount. Isn't that crazy? XD

And sometimes, he forget things easily, he doesn't throw away package wrapping papers or plastic, and buying shampoo in sachets or bottle then keep the empty bottles without any function at all.  LOL. 

Meanwhile, my mommy has so much itsy-bitsy-teenie-weenie collectables! From sculptures to paper crafts.  I understand this, since the whole family members are artsy personals.  But somehow things are too many I can't stand looking at our shelves...

Then my brother? He bought so many books and he has plan to sell or donate them but he hasn't start a bit.  He has a bunch of clothes, jackets, shoes, socks, and other he hasn't sort out.  He is so busy! 

What about me? Just the same.  I keep many glass jars, bills, plastic packagings, and all those trashes to be reused, but it becomes a stack! I love anything with reusable containers, but... And oh, I have 7 pair of shoes, great amount of fashion stuff, and...I have no idea again. Hahaha.  I don't quite save so many make up, but they still need 3 boxes! I don't know why!

Here, photos from 2010.  My toiletries collection.  I haven't got time to publish these here, so, now I show you:

I don't show you my desk or wardrobe, by the way.  There will be too many...pernak-pernik.

Oy.  So, it was 2010 or 2011, I forget.  But, look.  I already possessed stuff that I got trouble using it until the last drop.  Like...having 3 products with the same function: body lotion, body butter, body oil! *it is happening this second...

So that's my problem.  Is it your problem too? It is a global problem, Fellas! It influences your financial-life, your interior designer's effort, and Mother Earth (remember that almost every little thing now, always be packaged with plastic pockets?) !

Anybody has solution for this? Alright! I have several ideas on  'how to reduce our habit to collect everything' and 'to avoid stacks around the house'!

First thing first, make a very short shopping list.  Change your will.  You don't need that new pair of shoes or those fancy candies.  Instead of a random flat shoes on department store, maybe you better invest in one high-quality-synthetic-leather shoes from a local brand and make sure it fits almost all of your look.  And, candies? Buy grapes and apples! They are healthier and won't harm your tooth!

Secondly, pray.  I mean, like, pray. Say to yourself that you want to have a better breathing oxygen, you want to see a soothing view, you want to bring home less purchased products, you want to reduce your cleaning-activity.  Give yourself a reason to stop adding more and more fillings into your house! You may even believe that your pet will be happier without all those craps!

Third lesson. Listen to your wallet.  It may sounds basic.  But, seriously, don't pay more than you can actually spend.  Postpone anything you can postpone at the time. Save your time, save your passion to shop and possess.

July the Fourth. Remember Bea Johnson.  Hahaha. She is my role model.  I won't live totally like her anyway.  I'm an artist, I need a lot of colouring tools, drawing and crafting medias, and all.  But at least I'll try to reduce my rubbish with all my love to Mother Earth and to my mental-health.  :p

Fifth. OPEN A GARAGE SALE.  This activity is quite effective.  But please, please plant this into your mind: when a stuff sold, it doesn't mean you have an excuse to buy a substitution. No. It means you want to give more space to breathe, not a space to be filled again.  Hahaha. Alright.  Advertisement.  Please visit my garage sale Instagram: Huraya Garage Sale. Thank you!

Sixties Era. Go vintage.  Live like our ancestors.  Be a little stingy.  Buy a natural soap instead of mainstream shampoos, invest a vinegar too.  Use DIY skin care, but stay critical! Bring reusable bags (or even a cute basket) to your traditional market and, slowly, you teach these vegetable vendors to ask the customer whether he/she wants a plastic bag or not.  It may clicks the unrevealed green spirits out there! You know, there are many, many people who brings eco bag everywhere but they always forget to use it properly and end up using usual plastic bags, and it becomes...another culture.

Seven habits.  Oh, sorry, it's a book title.  Hm, the last solution I know for a while: find a large box, put everything annoying into that, and...throw them away or donate them to those who might need your treasure! xoxo

another 2011 collection :p ah, I miss that bag

So, ready to be cleaner and greener and prettier? :D 

Think!

We think too less.
We swallow anything the world offer.
Then we forget to be a human.

We mix religion and culture.
We tend to use religion as our weapons.
While religion should be a peacemaker tool.

We show our fortune to anyone.
We blame people as thieves.
Money, paper and metal, conquer the world.

Good things that were created for good,
has became a destroyer of Earth and the creatures

What are we searching?

Veggie Report #bla

Ah, thanks internet connection.  You're finally permanently stay at home.

Anyway, I have some development on my almost-vegetarian life. In case you're curious...
In these majestic 3 weeks or more, I have eaten A LOT of fruit.  I mean a lot.  My meals should always contain fruits--even in dried version--like raissins.  And my snack is blueberries or papaya.  Or rolled oats *lol*.  And thanks to 'Mang Sayur' (Mr.Vegetable a.k.a a man who walks along the residence to sell groceries in a wheel), he brought me a lotta' avocado--by order.  And carrots.  And so, and so.

Well, and, as a visual person, I always make new artpiece with my meals! And it encourages me so much that I can't stop making nice breakfast, beautiful lunch, plant-based everything.  Two fruits per day.  No poultry, beef, bacon, whatever.  Still take a little portion of seafood (salmon, salmon!). 

And what happened after? I haven't known it yet.  Let's see.  But I feel, my body is stronger! I walk slower! Due to lack-of-meat, I tend to be mooore calm.  Maybe, a herbivore life makes a giraffe beautiful and elegant? *forget it

Out of those stupid analysis, here are some pictures of my repas:

I believe every individual body has different handling and structure.  And taste.  You may eat your meat.  By the way, meat comes from cruelty.  Meat means cow's/chicken's/piglet's/goat's/and friends' tears.  That's all about meat that I don't like. 

And yet, we're genetically closer to orangutan rather than lions. Just fyi. ;)

Happy Saturday Night, babes! <3

I Found You Again, Baby!

Normally, I would say, "Hi, what's up blog?"
Hahaha.  But I'm eccentric, I won't say that.  Instead, I'll speak to you like, "Wow, it's been a long time!"
Sounds similar? Whatever. 

Let's jump into the case itself.  I'm here to tell you guys.  I eat fruits everyday now! Mostly avocados--in a smooth form, mixed with cereals, or other fruits.
And, talkin' about fruits, I have a new fruity product from The Body Shop! Yes, you don't mispell it. I still bought TBS' stuff if I like it, and the ingredients are okay. :D

Anyway, but why suddenly a hand cream? I'm attacked by...a sale. Not only that.  There's one with identical scent with my fave Strawberry Purée Body Lotion. I mean very identical.  And thankfully, it contains NO parabens.  And if I read carefully, well, right, it's better than the ancestor too!

The name of this stuff is: Strawberry Hand Cream. 

And it's on sale last Thursday.  Only IDR 69.000 from 79.000.  <3

Olala!
By the way, this is the reason behind my purchase:

Aqua/Water (Solvent/Diluent), Glycerin (Humectant), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (Emollient), Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil/Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil (Skin Conditioning Agent - Occlusive), Sodium Polyacrylate (Film Former/Viscosity Increasing Agent), Parfum/Fragrance (Fragrance), Cetyl Alcohol (Emulsifier), Pentaerythrityl Distearate (Skin Conditioning Agent - Emollient), Phenoxyethanol (Preservative), Caprylyl Glycol (Skin Conditioning Agent), Cetearyl Alcohol (Emulsifier), Cetearyl Glucoside (Surfactant), Glycine Soja Oil/Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil (Emollient/Skin Conditioner), Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil (Emollient), Fragaria Ananassa Seed Oil/Fragaria Ananassa (Strawberry) Seed Oil (Natural Additive), Butyrospermum Parkii Butter/Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter (Skin Conditioning Agent - Emollient), Myristamidopropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate (Skin-Conditioning Agent), Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate (Skin Conditioning Agent), Xanthan Gum (Viscosity Modifier), Disodium EDTA (Chelating Agent), Limonene (Fragrance Ingredient), Myristyl Alcohol (Emulsifier/Emollient), Stearyl Alcohol (Emollient), Cinnamal (Fragrance Ingredient), Citric Acid (pH Adjuster), Caramel (Colorant), CI 14700/Red 4 (Colorant).

Wait! What a long list.  XD LOL. Every explanation of each material's function make it longer. 
Anyway.  Paraben-free. No mineral oil. No BHA/BHT. All seems (quite) safe.  

And it works actually the same with the Purée Body Lotion! Not sticky, not heavy.  Just happy! :D

If only they improve the naturality of their ingredients, it might be sooo adorable.  But for a while, I'm satisfied by this hand cream.  Thank you, TBS! ;)

When Life Gives You Lemon, Grab A Cocoa :)

Hello, yellow!

Who loves chocolate? :D I do! And I believe most of you do, too!

Chocolate comes from cocoa, a 'fruit' first found in America, where Indian used to live, and used by them as beverages.  The real cocoa is bitter, as appears on dark chocolate bars you see.

Cocoa or kakao contains antioxidant, plus phenylhetylamine, a natural chemical compound you get when you're falling in love.  It simply makes you happy! So, there's no reason to avoid chocolate anyway.  Who cares it possibly causes acnes...

Beside as a snack, cocoa is functionally functional as skin remedy! Trust me.  Cocoa butter is great to moisturize your skin, and it protects the barrier.  But, how many cocoa butter-containing products that are served without parabens, additional glycol groups, and so on? Well, not much here.  We could find some clean products in US/UK/Europe, but only a little in Indonesia (not talking about the brand--it's about the distribution). I tried The Body Shop's Chocomania body butter and not very impressed.  The cocoa butter line too, it doesn't attract me--thinking about the preservatives, the price, and the smell.  I like the Chocomania scent, it reminds me of a chocolate drink with...I don't know...hazelnut? Something retro, lah.  Sadly, the ingredients list isn't very handsome.  And it's overly heavy on my skin, I don't know why.  :(

Thankfully, we have Utama Spice.  Made in Bali. And finally opened a store in Bandung my lovely-on-progress hometown.  And it's like truly natural! Sure, I bought some stuff there.  And to stay strict with the context, let's just talk about the Cocoa Love body butter! :D

It is kept in a simple plastic jar, with an interesting label design.  Behind, an ingredients list.  And there, written:

This is a supreme hydrating Cocoa seed butter great for sensitive or sun damaged skin. It's the healing power of love coming to you in chocolate form. 

Ingredients:

Cocos Nucifera (Virgin Coconut) Oil, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Vanilla Planifolia (Vanilla) Pod, Cinnamomum Burmani (Cinnamon) Bark. 

Add some flour, whipped cream, and colourful sprinkles and you'll get a cute tart, not a body butter, silly!

Alright.  Sounds yummy? Sounds trustable? No beeswax, which I'm quite happy with, because previously, there's a beeswax inside--I've applied a smaller amount last year, got a sample from Lynn.  It's a little lighter and absorbs into skin better than before.  But I...I don't know why they got rid of the beeswax, while they claimed on the website that 'A base of virgin coconut oil, aloe vera and beeswax, our body butters provide natural hydration for longer lasting protection and moisture retention, a central component of  our aromatherapy skin care ritual. Pleasure your senses and feed your skin.'

Well, perhaps the cocoa butter itself has take a place of beeswax--since they have same profession--protecting the skin.  :D

My overall thought: the scent is naturally yummy, it could help my hunger... the texture is great, it's a little hard maybe, you should melt it first with your palms or on the skin, let your body's higher degree count melt it.  And uhm, yes, it basically moisturizes your skin perfectly without feeling any stickiness.  It will get in your skin! Trust me.  If I sleep with this butter on, I wake up normally with a supple skin.  Thought, not as magical as Aromanaturals' effect.

If you're curious about the other Utama Spice products, please come to their website or offline store in Ubud and Bandung, and I heard that they are available on Jakarta's Guardians too.  :D

And if you need a little help, uhm, this is my review on their body lotion! ;)

 

 Have a great Saturday, fellas :D

One Fine Friday

100% Pure lip & cheek tint in Peach Glow  - lip glaze in Cabernet - lip butter in Cherry

On this one fine Friday, let me show you my favourite lip products from 100% Pure, and yes, let me serve you my version of green tea latté. ;D

It's made of matcha powder (use only a half teaspoon or you'll end up with a bitter taste), honey, sugar (because I run out of honey), and soy milk which I bought from 'penjaja kembang tahu keliling' a.k.a a man who sells some soy products like tofu and beancurd by travelling around the residences. :D

Since I've been obsessed with colourful sprinkles (or chocolate flakes or whatever), I put some cake decoration on the top! :D Yaay!

And, that's all I want to say today. Later, I'll come to you with reviews of a body butter! Guess what body butter is it. :D

Selamat Saling Memaafkan :)

 Karena hidup terlalu lucu untuk dibuat ribet.  Selama kita bisa saling menghargai dan menyayangi, tak akan ada kekacauan. 

:) 

Selamat Idul Fitri 1435 H <3