Your Summer Perfume

Some people do not see it necessary to change their fragrance as the seasons change. It's summer in this part of the world, so have you thought of changing your perfumer and looking for something maybe more fresh? 

The truth is summer heat increases the impact of the smell. The hotter the weather, the quicker the “notes” of a fragrance leave the skin. So, it's advised in the summer to use a lighter fragrance, reapplied more often. Whereas winter tones down the scent; in cold weather the fragrance molecules “lift” more slowly and the base notes develop more gradually. That’s why you can wear a stronger muskier fragrance in colder weather. 

Niche fragrances are recommended especially in the summer because of their long lasting effect. This is due to the high concentration of essential oils in these perfumes. 

As a leading distributor for a number of niche luxury perfume brands, we'd like to suggest a couple of fragrances that are perfect for the summer: 

  Balmy Days & Sundays from Ineke 

  'Balmy Days & Sundays is a perfume about perfect  moments on a relaxing   Sunday, lying in the grass, breathing the smells of sweet scented flowers and fragrant leaves.'

 Top notes: Freesia, Leafy Greens, Grass
 Middle notes: Honeysuckle, Rose, Mimosa

 Base notes: Chypre Accent, Musk

Chemical Bonding from Ineke 

'Chemical Bonding playfully juxtaposes
Chemistry 101 principles with human attraction.
The scent combines citrus notes with a powdery soft base, resulting in a flirtatious alchemy.' 

Top notes: Smooth Citrus Cocktail, Tea, Blackberry

Middle notes: Dewy Peony
Base notes: Vetiver, Amber, Powdery Musk

Eau Radieuse from Humiecki & Graef 

 'Inspired by the wish to create a futuristic Eau de Cologne. The perfume is spherical, light and clear. It describes the yearning and desire for lightness and abducts the carrier into the dream world
of undiscovered planets.'

Notes include: Green banana skin, fresh mandarin peel, fresh Italian lemon, fresh mint leaves, rhubarb juice, bamboo sap accord

 Agrumi Amari Di Sicilia from BOIS 1920 

'Fresh and sparkling, citrus fruit head notes, characterized by grapefruit mix with jasmine creating a fresh energetic ambiance' 

 

Top notes: grapefruit, orange, lemon, mandarin orange, petit grain and caraway

Middle notes: jasmine, patchouli, lime, lavender, black currant and sandalwood 

Base note: musk. 

Sicily and Venezia from MADE IN ITALY 

These incredibly summery fragrances from MADE IN ITALY take you to  instantly to their home land. WE have previously done a post the philosophy of this brand that you can read here.

 

 Sicilia depicts a sunny morning with warm rays of light. It's fresh and delicate and works well with summer playful mood. 

Top notes: neroli, freesia, jasmine

Middle notes: immortelle, hay, cedarwood

Base notes: Miner amber, patchouli, agar wood,  myrrh 

 

 

 Venezia is a floral, watery and woody musk fragrance that brings summer to you. 

Top notes: sea breeze, salt, bergamot, star anise

Middle notes: peony, black rush, sand accord

Base notes: sandalwood, patchouli, amber, musk 

We are going to post a more in depth article about fragrances, how they work and how the temperature and heat can affect them, meanwhile, tell us if you've got any question or seeking recommendations on what's best to wear in the summer.

What Your Skin Is Expecting While You're Expecting

 

Mitonia's Beauty Trainer Quanita Talip-Samaai tells pregnant women what their skin goes through during pregnancy and presents the perfect solutions:

There is no other time in a woman’s life when she more deserves to be luxuriously pampered than when she is pregnant!!

When pregnant, omega levels are reduced because the baby is using the mother’s omegas as a source of food to make their own healthy bodies. Therefore, at a time when your skin is about to undergo it’s most challenging test, it is at its weakest. Omega deficiency has a direct effect on the elasticity of your skin, accelerating the ageing process. As the skin becomes drier and itchy, you may also notice that hair and nails are weaker and brittle. Therefore, you need to use skincare products rich in  omega 3, 6 and 9, they are beneficial in  supplementing the required  levels of these omegas directly on the skin where you need it most.

CHANGES IN SKIN DURING PREGNANCY

A woman can look most ravishing during pregnancy. Indeed, while pregnancy can leave some lucky ladies looking radiant, for others, all that extra hormonal activity can have the opposite effect, causing a variety of pregnancy skin problems.

Acne:

Acne is the most common skin problem during pregnancy, but there are also a variety of bumps and rashes and discolorations that occur due to hormone activity. Pregnancy can cause breakouts on the skin, particularly around your mouth and chin which are the most common areas for acne to occur during pregnancy.

Good to try:

Mama Mio Clean Slate High Protein Aloe-Rich Cleanser is a gentle, yet effective cleansing gel to remove impurities without leaving the skin tight and over-dried.

Pigmentation:

Pigmentation during pregnancy is related to hormones and exposure to the sun. Women with darker complexions and dark hair are at a greater risk. Staying out of the sun can definitely diminish the amount of discoloration you experience, so can wearing a sunscreen anytime you are outdoors.

Skin Stretching and Itching

From annoying belly itches to potentially serious body rashes, there is no question that pregnancy can sometimes make your skin crawl. Part of the problem is caused by hormones and part is the result of skin stretching, which also causes it to itch. Many women suffer from harmless, all-over itchiness during pregnancy due to the skin stretching resulting from the growth of the unborn baby.

Good to try:

Mama Mio Tummy Rub Stretch Mark Oil and Butter are designed to increase the skin’s elasticity. Helps to fight stretch marks and banish itchy tummies.

Stretch Marks

Stretch marks are caused during pregnancy when your tummy and breasts expand and stretch. It is important to treat the stretch marks before, during and after pregnancy for best results.

Good to try:

Mama Mio Goodbye Stretch Marks help to repair and minimise the appearance of stretch marks by up to 70%. It repairs cells both at the surface and at deep tissue level.

Postnatal sagginess in the skin

After delivery, most women struggle to retain their former skin tone. The body weight lost during delivery causes the skin in the tummy area to sag. In a quest to firm it up again and tone it, a combination of work out and using the right products should do the trick.

Good to try:

Get Waisted Body Shaper works by increasing lipolysis, the breakdown of stored fat, in the fat cells within your skin. Packed with 7 clinically proven waist whittling actives with the added bonus of two anti-aging skin tighteners for a drum-tight tummy. Get Waisted dramatically increases the destruction of fat leading to a tighter, less wobbly tummy.

Mama Mio products

The Mama Mio signature fragrance is Gravida, meaning Pregnancy in Latin. It is a blend of 10 essential oils created specifically for pregnancy with physical and emotional benefits and smells amazing too. Each one of the oils has been chosen for its safety and specific benefits during pregnancy. This blend is more than just a fragrance; it adds a crucial layer of physical and psychological well-being for the mother to be. None of the products carry more than 1.5% of fragrance, making it safe to use during pregnancy.

All Mama Mio products are free of parabens, petrolatum, artificial fragrance, synthetic colour, sodium laureth and laurel sulphate, phthalates and xenoestrogen. The products are not tested on animals, but have been thoroughly tested on pregnant volunteers. Mama Mio products are clinically tested, safety tested, allergy tested and free from harmful chemicals. 

Why Pregnant Ladies Love Mama Mio

Our very own lovely Marymae had a Mama Mio SPA experience yesterday. Marymae is  32 weeks pregnant and apparently the treatment came at the very right time ;)

She shares her thoughts and feedback with us and here’s what she wrote:

“I just had an ultimate and amazing experience with Mama Mio. 

I have been using Mama Mio products since the start of my pregnancy and so far, I’m quite happy with the results. But yesterday, I was lucky to be invited for a “Mama Mio Touch Treatment” for the face and body. Still using the same Mama Mio products I use at home, the facial and body massage was indeed very relaxing and invigorating that after the treatment, I’d managed to do a bit of extra exercise at home.

The facial was nice. Besides the radiant effect on my face, I was very comfortable with the products being used knowing that they’re safe to use during this delicate time my body is going through. However, for me, the highlight of the whole treatment was the gentle massage done on my tummy and back using serums and creams blended together. It was very soothing and calming.  Indeed, a wonderful stress reliever. I believe the sense of relaxation has to do with Mama Mio’s signature fragrance called Gravida, meaning Pregnancy in Latin. It is a blend of 10 essential oils created specifically for pregnancy with physical and emotional benefits.

I must say that I had a great spa experience yesterday and would surely recommend it to anyone especially to pregnant and working mothers like me who need extra care and pampering during pregnancy and to those who want to remain beautiful after pregnancy.”

For Men Only

The skin is the largest organ of your body, because it not only serves as a protective layer against the various elements, but also breathes and perspires to provide overall temperature control for the body. For men to look their best, they require grooming, as it is an overall investment in healthy, younger looking skin. This involves the use of cleansers and exfoliators to wash away dead skin, along with dust and dirt; shaving oil, gel or foam to soften and soothe the skin while shaving; and moisturiser to protect the skin against UVA and dryness.

Although men traditionally spend less time caring for their skin than women do, they spend more time damaging their skin through outdoor activities and hazardous work conditions. Many men already know that a basic regimen consists of four elements (i.e. cleansing, exfoliating, shaving and moisturising) that are sometimes addressed in single, multi-functional products. 

Here are 4 essentials that every man should know:

Cleanse: Excess dirt and oil can clog pores, which leaves the skin prone to breakouts. Wash your face both morning and night.

Good to Try: Eve Taylor Men Skin Care - Face Wash

Cleanses and lifts daily impurities, a blend of active ingredients to remove daily grime and freshen the skin without an over-drying effect. It gives even the most dull, tired-looking skin a brighter fresher appearance.

Can be used as a pre-shave to prepare for a more refreshing shave.

Exfoliate: Shaving helps get rid of dead skin cells, but cleansing and shaving won’t get rid of the gunk deep down in your pores. Clear the debris two to three times a week with a gentle exfoliator. In addition to a deep clean, exfoliation also softens hair follicles for less-irritating shaves and prepares your skin for moisturizers.

Good to Try: Eve Taylor Men Skin Care - Face Scrub

An invigorating and revitalizing scrub to clear congested skin of oil, dirt & dead skin cells, helping to prevent in-grown hairs and blemishes. It leaves the skin smoother, fresher, brighter and with more invigorated appearance.

Can also be used as a pre-shave to alleviate roughness and help soften rough facial hair for a closer, more comfortable shave.

Shave: Shaving should be performed after cleansing and exfoliation.

Good to Try: Eve Taylor Men Skin Care - Shave Foam

A moisture-rich aerosol free foam shave to soften stubble, hydrate and condition the skin. It provides a clean soap free, easy glide shave experience that will soften even the heaviest of beards.

The Aloe Vera & Green Tea in this shave foam ensure skin integrity is maintained with a well-groomed and moisturised after feel.

Eve Taylor Men Skin Care - Shave Gel

Non-foaming Aloe Vera based shave gel to provide a soothing transparent shave medium that gives a smooth ultra-close stubble free shave.

Easy glide, no stretch or drag, to reduce nicks, bumps, redness and razor burn leaves the skin cool and refreshed.

Ideal for all skin types, even the most sensitive.

Eve Taylor Men Skin Care - Shave Oil

Triple-action non-greasy shave oil to aid skin integrity and soften facial hairs for a gentle shave and superior razor glide. It helps reducing redness and irritations in the skin.

Moisturise: Replenish moisture to skin on a daily basis.

Good to Try: Eve Taylor Men Skin Care Face Balm

A light moisturising Balm to re-hydrate and help skin's natural barrier defence against airborne aggravators, the face balm contains Chamomile to soothe & Ginseng to rejuvenate.

It provides the ideal solution for an effective after shave aid for skin suppleness.

Protects, moisturises and conditions your skin, leaving it non-greasy and ready for what the day has in store.

 Eve Taylor products are found in The Spa, Fairmont Hotel, Dubai. 

Don't Risk Cancer To Look Beautiful

Shocking? Indeed! But unfortunately this is the truth about what consumers, seeking a perfectly flawless skin, are risking to endure in order to reach their goal. 

In a very prominent medical research, tissues taken from sufferers of breast cancer were all found to carry traces of parabens, a preservative widely used in cosmetics products. The tests suggested the chemicals had seeped into the tissues after being applied to the skin. Parabens have been shown to mimic the action of the female hormone estrogen, a hormone that can drive the growth of human breast tumors. Many brands in the skincare industry use parabens for its cost efficiency and for bringing down the cost of production; it’s also used as a food preservative, but in this case it’s easily eliminated from the body leaving no critical side effects. 

Meanwhile the use of parabens is still very debatable by the skincare industry, we say ‘prevention is always better than cure’. While most skincare manufacturers claim that the chemicals used in their products are safe, no extensive study has been conducted to reveal the long term effects of these chemicals on the human species.  Following the study, The Health Report commented: ‘The only safe synthetic chemical is the one that you do not have contact with'. 

Consumers should be very alert when choosing a skin care product: read the ingredients, be educated on what’s safe and what to avoid. Just recently, Australia has embarked on a new scheme to ensure consumers have deeper insights regarding the products they use. . There will be an online database with a chemical assessment of each ingredient in cosmetics. This move comes as a response to the general trend where natural and organic based products are being more appealing to consumers.  

All is needed for one to be safe is to educate him/her self, always read the label, and choose what’s best for his/her wellbeing. 

Stay beautiful, but more importantly stay safe! 

People Love Miriam Quevedo

Just recently, we announced that Miriam Quevedo products are only a click away from you. We also had the chance to place a sample of Miriam Quevedo Extreme Caviar Anti-Aging Mask in March GlamBox. Following that, we received Glambox survey results on how well the product was perceived by Glambox's subscribers of around 300 ladies, having tried the mask and were kind enough to answer some questions about the product. The results were heart warming to us and we're proud to share them with you:

• 71% would recommend Miriam Quevedo products to their friends after sampling through GlamBox. 
• 69% of respondents noticed a difference in the condition of their hair after using the product
• 98% felt that the texture of the mask is good to excellent. 
• 83% loved the fragrance of it. 
• Compared to other brands, 84% of ladies surveyed said it's good to excellent. 
• 75% are willing to try the other haircare products from Miriam Quevedo.

We appreciate every feedback we receive and yours is highly cherished, so please, leave us a comment, write us, tweet us and tell us about your feedback.

Big thank you to Glambox and its subscribers.