Things that make you go Oooooo #3

Ferris Wheels by Convexstyle

It has been a while since my last list but now it's time for a new "Things that make you go Oooooo" in its new home on my new blog Cateaclysmic.
♥ The Outnet - You can get some amazing designer goods here for a knock down price and keep an eye out for their flash sales to as you can get some beautiful things for an excellent price.
♥ American Idol winner, Kris Allen's album Brand New Shoes is the prefect thing to listen to on a sunny afternoon with glass of iced tea and a good book.
♥ Speaking of tea, Whittard's has a great selection of instant teas the Dreamtime blend being my favorite and it's perfect to drink hot or cold.
♥ 3D movies
♥ Dish a Day - so many wonderful food pictures it's bound to make you hungry!
♥ This little owl enjoys a good scratch.
♥ Little Daft Punk
♥ Tokyo Times offers some interesting snapshots off life in Japan from the bizarre to the beautiful
♥ The Baby and the Buddha is and interesting and moving documentary about a young Tibetan monk's journey to find the reincarnation of his Buddhist master
♥ I love The Zoo, taking animal pictures is one of my favorite hobbies.
♥ Lily Bay Soaps - they have the most delicious looking soaps I've seen and their prices are really great to!
♥ Zokku Natsume Yuujinchou - an anime with spirits and monsters reminiscent of Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away
♥ Sailor Moon - I grew up watching this and seeing it again made be feel so nostalgic, I also love the messages at the end of each episode although cheesy they have a great positive meaning.
♥ Moonywolf has such a creative and imaginative gallery of artwork, it's definitely a world you must visit.
♥ Cherry Coke, the perfect thing to quench your thirst in the summer weather

Beauty Blitz: My 5 Must Have Products

Bathroom Sink by Simple Moth

I've recently started switching the beauty products I use to more natural and organic ones. I have very sensitive skin and often perfumed or chemical based products cause my skin to burn or break out. The recently growth or more environmental friendly and organic products means that there is a wide array of products to now choose from, I'm a great believer that the more natural the product the more beneficial it is to your skin and that often in the long term the stronger more chemical based products cause more harm than good to your skin.

Here are my top 5 current favorite beauty products:
Egyptian Magic Cream

You may have heard about this cream before as Madonna and other youth defying celebrities are a big fan of it. This is a 100% natural and organic cream which is multi purposed, you can use it as hair conditioner, facial cream, lip balm and even to heal burns. It does come at a high price of between £25 - £30 but you do get a large 118ml tub, I've had my tub since March and with two people using it religiously I still have over half a tub left! One thing about this cream is true it is definitely magic, I am prone to the odd eczema or dry skin break out and after using this cream for a couple days my skin problems seem to disappear. I also use this as a night cream and it has improved my complexion making it clearer, more even and brighter even my mother commented one morning how clear my skin looked and this was a few minutes after I'd woken up, before I had the chance to put make up on. This is my number one must have product, it's definitely worth it's high price as it does exactly what it states and has a multitude of uses, this is one product I think everyone needs in their bathrooms.

Dr Bronner's Organic Tea Tree Castile Liquid Soap

This is another one of those multi purpose beauty products which you can use as a regular body wash, facial cleanser or even a shampoo. This product states it is even suitable for vegans so you know you're getting a great natural and organic product. A little of this soap goes a very long way I found I only need to use one of two drops to wash my body and face so one bottle will last you a good few months. It's extremely cheap to buy, between £3 - £5 for a 236ml bottle, making it great value for money. I found after using this my skin breakouts almost disappeared and that my skin became much softer and more supple, it does have a rather strong smell of tea tree, however Dr Bronner does make a rose, citrus, lavender and peppermint version which is just as effective. I'm a big fan of Dr Bronner's liquid soap, especially the tea tree version, and with them being so cost effective and multi purpose they're all I need to use in the shower.

Skinfood Mushroom BB cream

BB or Blemish Balm cream is currently very popular in Asia but slowly making its way towards the west. BB cream not only provides a natural coverage for skin but promotes skin regeneration and softens the skins texture giving a brighter more healthier glow. BB cream was first made popular by Korean celebrities and you'll find most of the Korean cosmetic brands offer their own BB creams, Skinfood is just one of them. Priced between £12 - £20 (per 50g tube) depending on where you source it from this cream is not cheap and the shades are limited there are only two to choose from #1 which is a bright yellow toned cream and #2 which is a slightly darker more natural shade, it suits my Asian skin tone but for darker skin tones and more pinkish tones I don't think the coverage would be as effective. This cream is very effective at what it's supposed to do, I found that it did in fact promote a more healthy glow to my skin and after a week of using it I did not need to use foundation anymore as my skin looked more even and healthy with just the use of the BB cream. This cream is said to have anti-aging, whitening and sun protection so it's great to use as just a moisturiser or primer under make-up. BB cream is definitely one of those products to look out for and try, I would recommend Skinfoods range as it sources natural ingredients to aid the creams properties, in addition to the mushroom there is also an aloe vera and ginkgo green version which is just as popular.

Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream

I've been a fan of Burt's Bees products for a while but this is by far my favorite product of theirs. This cream smells so wonderful that you'd almost want to eat it (which I wouldn't recommend!) and it works perfectly as an intensive hand and nail treatment, so perfect that even my grandmother swears by it. Hangnails, hard cuticles and dry skin are no match for this cream after just one intensive treatment all those problems disappear and it leaves your nails with a glossy healthy glow, making old hands feel young again. However this product as with most Burt's Bees products is expensive when I first tried it it was only £3 for a 17g tin but now that price has doubled and it costs between £5 - £7 for a tin! You don't need to use this product daily though you only really need it as an intensive treatment once a month (or bi-weekly if you have particularly troublesome nails) so one tin will last you for a good few treatments, perfect for a beauty treat.

Figs & Rouge Rambling Rose Balm

I've only been using this product for a week but I'm already in love with it. If you don't already know I have a soft spot for roses so this was a bit of an impulse buy but I'm happy I purchased it. The scent is so wonderful and romantic and I adore the packaging, it's also small enough to keep in your purse. I've been using this as a lip balm and too soothe the occasional dry patch and it's very light and works pretty well so it's perfect for travel. At a price of between £2 - £3 it's also very cost effective the perfect thing to pop in your purse if you need a moisture boost or a burst of roses.

An Introduction...

Star in the Sky, Star in the Sea

Welcome to Cateaclysmic
I decided after some long debate and thought that La Grande Belle Fleur had become too chaotic, cluttered and without focus. My solution was to create a new blog dedicated to everything I find weird, wonderful and interesting in this world.

La Grande Belle Fleur will now be dedicated solely to my Etsy shop, jewellery and accessories and all the other content I write about will now be here.
Although I have a LiveJournal I consider that to be my personal journal and secret diary and that I needed a new place to express all my interests and thoughts with the world.
And so to a new beginning and a new blog...
Love & Hugs
Cate
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