On beauty

Aesthetics, looks, beauty have always been important to me.  Of course true beauty goes much beyond that, but it's wonderful and inspiring to have beautiful things to look at.  Be they objects, scenery, art, or people, it's lovely to see something that really pleases the eye.  I've loved looking at all things beautiful ever since I can remember.  I'm sure we all like things that look good, but as I've become older, I've really realised how important aesthetics are to me.  Fashion, beauty, interior design, art, photography all mean so much to me, and bring a lot of joy to my life.  Can we really call something that brings so much joy and does no harm superficial?  I am talking just outer beauty here.

I'm not going to get into a huge philosophical conversation regarding beauty, because I simply don't know enough about it.  What I do know is that beauty is subjective, and different to all of us.  That's what makes it so wonderful and interesting!  When perceiving something, no one can have the same experience as you. While there are so many other much more important things in life, beauty surprises, delights, pleases, and in my opinion vastly improves quality of life.

Isn't it interesting though how you can look of photos of someone, and then meet them in person, and realise how you find their looks changing?  Someone very attractive can suddenly seem incredibly plain, while someone regular can suddenly become irresistible.  All through the power of personality, charm, charisma, and mannerisms.  We can all influence how beautiful we're perceived, and can bring so much joy and happiness to others' lives.

Winter hair and beauty saviours

Tigi Bedhead After Party, Ghd hair straighteners and Aussie leave-in conditioner to smoothe dry winter hair / Givenchy Prisme Again blush and Guerlain Terracotta bronzer to bring some much-needed colour to a pale winter complexion / Chanel Inimitable mascara in black to make your eyes POP / Clarins HydraQuench Cream-Mask to moisturise dry tight skin

On Collins Avenue

Let's light up this dreary, dark, gray Friday the 13th with a little hint of bright colour!  In search of a little tiny something to lift my spirits, I headed to Kicks yesterday to raid their extensive nail polish collection.  Lo and behold, I found exactly the shade I was looking for, here in Helsinki!  Both my fingers and toes are now painted a larger-than-life coral pink, courtesy of OPI's "On Collins Ave".  This Barbie shade of red (which, by the way, completely sold out in the US earlier this year) is definitely better suited for tanned summertime holiday tootsies than washed out scandinavian winter skin.  So the fake tanners may well be making an appearance this weekend...

Where and what exactly is this Collins Avenue, which has inspired such an uplifting shade of red?  I should have known... Miami Beach, where else!  Collins Avenue, or the Strip of Miami as it's known, is home to many of the famous art deco hotels Miami is so renowned for.  Collins Avenue also houses some more recent luxury hotels, night clubs, fabulous shopping, stretching all the way down to South Beach.  Could this be fate?  Either way, sounds like my kind of place!

My french cosmetics collection...

... continues its ever-expanding growth.  Two great websites which offer my favourite brands, and deliver to Finland include hqhair.com and leguidesante.co.uk.  This time I think I (re)discovered some keepers.

From Le Guide Sante, Bioderma's H20 waters cleanse your skin without water, perfect for the dry and cold weather we're having.  I've heard about them for years, and they are all the rave in La France.  I used Crealine H20 for a while when I lived in Paris, but left my bottle somewhere, and moved on to another product.  So now we're reunited once again, and I've also purchased a pal for the Crealine H20, Sebium H20, for oilier skin.  Would be rude not to, really.  Both products are super gentle and effective.

From hqhair.com, I received two wonderful moisturisers, Caudalie's Vinosource Nourishing Cream, and Pulpe Vitaminee Energinzing Cream.  I'm using the former at night, and the latter during the day.  Both claim to use all natural ingredients, are non-comedogenic, and contain no mineral oils.  Lush!