Pearl Facial & Body Wrap: Beauty, Elegance and Glow!

The ultimate jewels of femininity and elegance, pearls bring to life the magic of the ocean. For many ages, pearls have been a sign of classic beauty and purity. But their appeal lies not only in their jewellery purpose, but also in their spa properties. Since ancient times, pearl dust has been highly desired for the great value of its minerals, proteins, and amino-acids, which strengthen the skin and improve its moisture retention ability. Pearl dust hydrates our skin and leaves us with a healthy radiant glow. Research has also revealed that pearls influence the transfer of melanin to the skin surface, filtering the sun’s rays and counteracting the sun damage. Because of its magical glowing properties, the wives of the Chinese emperors were well-known to apply pearl powder on their skin daily.

There are facial and body wraps available with pearl dust in many spas. This luxurious treatment aims at moisturizing and improving the oxygenation to the skin, as well as leaving our skin as smooth and pure as the fairy pearls. Pearl facials are also well-known for their anti-aging treatments. There are also many face creams and cleansers that you may buy with pearl dust and use it at home! Go on and feel like an Empress!

Cleopatra’s Soft Secret: Milk Baths

Throughout history, it has been widely written that Cleopatra bathed herself in milk baths almost every day. The Queen of Nile had the most radiant, soft and young skin and for this, she was known worldwide for her beauty. Today, Cleopatra is still the glowing icon that many women look up to for beauty tips. Even if it means digging in Egyptian BC history. Milk baths however haven’t just been used by Cleopatra. Elizabeth I of England and Elisabeth of Bavaria both have acclaimed the beautifying secret of bathing in milk.

Milk baths utilize lactic acid which dissolves the proteins holding together the dead skin cells and thus, exfoliates the skin. The rejuvenating baths help to exfoliate, soften and smooth the skin, accelerate the skin cell renewal and moisturize and relieve stress. What is crucial though is the use of fresh milk!

Making a milk bath at home is not a hard task and most importantly, it is a misconception that one needs to fill up the entire bathtub with fresh milk. You only need to pour a couple of cups of fresh milk into the tub as the warm water is filling. In general, two to three cups of milk is enough but you may use as much as you want. You may also use milk powder if you would like. For the honey, you may add one or two teaspoons to add fragrance and nutrients to the water. You can also add sea salts, which I love to do, and any other oils you like. You can also add petals and flowers in the tub for that extra sensual luxury and romantic appeal. Definitely worthy of a Queen!

Some people say that the milk baths leave their skin way too oily. You can use fat free milk instead. The oily skin just means that your skin got very moisturized which is a great thing because it cleansed better and you do not need to apply additional moisturizer after your bath.

As an alternative, you can always buy milk powder or milk bath products from beauty stores. Just make sure it is organic and fresh! You may find milk baths in many delicious flavours such as strawberries, vanilla, lavender and the yummy chocolate. I should also note that cleaning your bathtub is a bit inconvenient after your milk bath, but your baby soft skin is certainly worth it!

Fashion: Yachting

Going on a yacht and sailing away is becoming more and more about fashion than the sport itself. We have seen famous designers, such as Roberto Cavalli and supermodels, such as Kate Moss indulge in this hot lifestyle over the summer. Yachts are also the set for many designer photo shoots and music videos. Yachting has also inspired many design collections with its crisp whites and linen long dresses. And who can forget the never-ending nautical trend? Many designers have also made collections especially for cruising and “boat dressing.” Whether you will chose to sail from Positano to Provence or from Venice to Santorini, the sun-drenched coasts, the azure waters and the Mediterranean breeze will be the perfect combination to your upscale fashion sense. Now, here are a few tips for your yachting adventure.

Hot Bikini: Chose a beautiful and glamorous bikini. Softer colors and golden tones are preferable. You may chose bandeau, triangle or a one piece bikini. Keep in mind that the most important thing for a bikini, is to feel comfortable and sexy. You can slip into some tiny Brazilian cuts like Rosa Cha or chose from the variety of swimwear at Victoria’s Secret.

Cover-up Essential: As it gets quite windy on the yacht, you need to have a cover-up. Remember to chose wisely in order to be color coordinated with your bikini. If your bikini is neutral, chose a pattern and bolder cover-up. You can be more elegant with a Kimono-style or crocheted cover-up.

Hat Must-Have: Hats are very important and here is your chance to experiment with an extravagant hat. You may chose over sized crocheted hat with large decorations. Just remember that it should fit you well, so that you do not have to chase it in the sea.

Sunscreen: You should enjoy the sun to the fullest but be extra careful. Sunscreens are extremely important to ensure that your skin will be youthful and glowing. Remember to apply the lotions regularly throughout the day and do not forget to protect your face, lips and hair also. If you chose to wear lip gloss, be sure to apply sunscreen on top of it. As an alternative, the Balm Shelter Lip Gloss is a moisturizing, sheer gloss with SPF to protect and it comes in all shades. Aveeno offers good face and body sunscreens and Fekkai has some great leave-in-conditioners with activated UV shield to protect your hair!

Accessorize: Sunglasses are your absolute most important accessory. Remember that fashion and protection will go hand in hand. Over sized glasses are still in but you can experiment with the patterns and colors. Bags are a necessity. Louis Vuitton offers great beach bags, large but classy enough to show your fashion sense and practical side. Jewelry becomes more important as the sun sets. Chose one center piece and remember that less is more. You may decide to wear a large turquoise ring or a white pearls necklace.

Dress Appropriately: When on the yacht, fancy dresses and shoes are not needed. However, when stopping at ports and going to the fancy coast restaurants, note that cotton, linen and silk materials are impressive. White is the queen of chic but do not underestimate all shades of blue. You may chose longer or capri linen pants and short silk dresses. Shoes are preferably wedges or comfortable high slides. The materials can be colorful fabrics and even decorated with crystals or flowers for a more fancy look. Remember that gold tones are especially stunning with a golden tan during summer. If you are looking for high fashion, Chanel never disappoints with Resort wear and its Cruise Collections.

Sea Scent: When going out at night, make sure you bring your sea adventure to the inland. Eau d’Italie from Positano, Italy is a collection of shower gels, scented soaps and perfumes inspired by the world famous five-star Positano hotel La Sirenuse hotel on the Amalfi Coast in Italy. This fragrance is so cultural that it is sold only at the hotel and a few London boutiques. It has a fresh and seductive scent especially for the summer months.

Bring Your Camera: You will be spending unforgettable moments at sea. The adventure-romance combo should be pictured. Explore the coasts and azure waters, and at night have some fun time in your fashion outfits and golden tan.

The Glow Purse!

Did you know that the average European woman spends around 14.3 hours in a year to look for objects in her bag? Imagine our bags were glowing once we opened them and we can find everything right away! Imagine no more, as it is now a reality. Merry Kawamura Ganjavian is a Spanish Design Collective of three young designers based in Madrid, Spain. Alfonso Merry del Val is Spanish and has a valuable experience in product design, Key Portilla-Kawamura is Spanish and Japanese and is an architect and Ali Ganjavian Afshar is Iranian and British and is also an architect. They have traveled to many countries and have developed a range of different, innovative and exciting projects there. One of their most interesting is the “Glow Purse,” which is an illuminated handbag. The technology is based on micro-LEDs (LUMENs) that are integrated in the inner lining of the bag and help it glow when opened. This lightning mechanism can be switched on manually and is easily rechargeable in your house with a base or operated with a small exchangeable battery. Absolutely cute, stylish and ultra-practical!