Green for Chic - Where nature and beauty meet

Around three weeks ago I was visiting my folks back home in Madrid and amongst other things I was catching up on sleep, eating good food, reading more and trying to recuperate some positive energy back into myself. All this was my solution after a stressful month that I had experienced.

On Friday morning I decided to head out for some shopping with my mum and we wanted to just spend some girly time together. It was not the best day to be doing this, as it was cold and rainy. Nevertheless, we decided to make the most of it.  I had heard of a pop up store in town where various designers were showing their collections and convinced her to take me there.

This was my purely accidental discovery for Green for Chic. I entered their store, located at Federica & Co. (Calle Hermosilla 26, Madrid) and simply felt pulled by the holistic feel it gave me. The warm woods and recycled materials which had been used to compliment the interiors added a fresh and natural feel to their eco friendly cosmetics which were on display. I felt I was inside a beautiful garden where I was breathing pure aromas that allured me to stay and try them all day. I normally don’t blog about places or brands, and least of all about stores. I did feel quite compelled to do it this time though, and the reason being the philosophy these two ladies believed in.

Carole and Beatriz showcase various natural cosmetic brands from around Europe and other parts of the world. They believe that beauty products which traditionally belong in herbalist stores have now arrived in an elegant glamorous world, where not only does one purchase a high quality product but is assured that the lipstick or nail polish they acquire has not been tested on animals, is not harming the planet and is free from toxic chemicals that could otherwise harm you, the end user.

My entire weekend was driven by this idea, on how we make such an effort to eat the right food, exercise, surround ourselves around positive people and try to be good human beings. However, it had not struck me so deeply on how using the right beauty products plays a fundamental part of my internal and external self care regime too.  As these lovely ladies said to me “Nature is a luxury”. It is indeed and we are part of this nature, so therefore must luxuriously take care of ourselves and pamper our face and body with only the right products.

Effectively I was introduced to a larger world of what until now had been limited to The Body Shop and perhaps a few products I consumed from my chemist. Green for Chic adds an additional frill to your beauty experience because you actually get personalised assistance for your needs. I was not particularly looking to pick up anything specific as much as I was simply browsing the charming displays, awed almost entirely by their nail polish display. I am a big fan of nail colours and I was invited to try their infinitely delicious pantones. The warm attention these ladies gave me was a clear sign of how much they believed in their product. I usually fear how quickly nail colour chips off, though they assured me Uslu Airlines, a charming brand which names all its shades by airport or heliport codes wouldn’t disappoint me and as a bonus it was free from many of the injurious chemicals that cause harm to the nail and often encourage an unattractive yellow tint to the nail after removing the lacquer. I applied the colour the very same evening and it lasted me for a whole week, with a lovely shine included. I must say I was impressed with my Heliport JCO. Shellac and the likes could be forgotten for a while!

There was a myriad of products available for men, women and even children. I was particularly excited by a strategy they had adopted, which was to benchmark up and coming brands at their store for a trial period. This is so fresh and encouraging, given the current economic climate we live in.

I liked their commitment to nature, their customers and above all their sound choice of brands. All the brands Green for Chic distributes are driven by their own philosophy to benefit the environment and an example of this is Erborian - a Korean brand of cosmetics that bases all its products on the Korean medical science pharmacopoeia. Their products are made with ingredients such as ginseng, liquorice and ginger. The star product in this case was the BB cream, which moisturizes and softens your skin, giving it a velvety touch, a perfect pre foundation base. Green for Chic literally spoke of the cream as if it was their baby. I had actually seen the cream at other cosmetic retailers, but I was moved by the passion with which these women lauded their brands. I could see the conviction in their decisions to grandstand every brand, because it was worth the celebration.

Green for Chic is a store which for me stood out firstly for the type of product they had chosen to share with the consumer and bring under one roof a wonderful selection of brands that all believed in the longevity of nature, and this includes you and me. They also stood out for the approach they gave to retailing; a tailor made package to pamper your every need. Lastly I want to thank them for the opportunity I was given to blog about them and share my experience with my readers. For those who don’t live in Madrid, Green for Chic has a website www.greenforchic.com and here you can read and buy their carefully selected products.

A weekend that exemplified my belief that I must take care of myself. I took away a beautiful message with me that nature is luxury and our resources are finite. We are part of this nature, therefore must treat ourselves luxuriously and feed the body happiness and plenitude to remain beautiful.

Summer Calling

A mundane Monday like all others

Yet this one was special

Ripe and red

“Beautiful colour” she said

Cherries were here

It was so clear

Spring was at an end

Summer was round the bend

A tiresome Tuesday like all others

A watch mark I suddenly noticed

From cream to olive

My first tan

Calling sun and sand

In my head it was all planned

A weak Wednesday like all others

Spotted; Mr Softie van parked across the road

A sudden feeling of unload

Cone in my hand

Strawberries and cream

Oh the classic summer dream

A terrible Thursday like all others

Radio plays Will’s Summertime

A singular tune

So apt for this particular time

Not jiving to it

Would be the ultimate crime

A fantastic Friday like all others

Glorious summer time hours

Eight to three

And then we are free

Off to a garden party

Barbeque, whole and hearty

A sexy Saturday

Out all day

Summer dresses

In the mood for girly tresses

Chilled white

A longer day and shorter night

Beautiful sunlight

A Sunday to be sluggish

Endless conversations about rubbish

Laid on the grass

Fill up another glass

Game, set, and match

Break Through The Clutter

Recently I have had to spend a lot of time at home and I noticed more than ever before how much parts of my house needed decluttering. It was actually bothering me and my eyes to see such a mess and although at the time it made no sense to me, but a few days later I received an article from a good friend and it spoke about the benefits decluttering can have on your body and mind. Not only does an organized home look attractive and provides one with more space, but you actually function better as a human being as it clears out your own mind, giving you more physical space and fresh energy. This provides clarity and allows you to release negative layers or vibes that have been held onto because of all the “things” that surround you.

For me the clutter has several drawbacks on my life and I have recently realized the many reasons it holds me back. I will explain my reasons with real examples, as I always feel putting yourself in those shoes helps you walk the road better. I had a drawer full of old cinema tickets, business cards from restaurants I had been to, supermarket receipts and even flyers from places I had visited. I am an emotional person and tend to hold onto memories, except one needs to sometimes let go of such material memories to give room for new memories. A movie you watch at the cinema may be special at the time, but a week later a new movie is released and your ticket will not make you hold onto the special moment you lived a week ago. Therefore, clutter of this kind makes it hard for you to move towards the future.

Coming back to my drawer, it is closed and I cannot see the clutter at simple sight. Nevertheless, clutter may be a pile of clothes on the floor or a closed stuffed drawer or in my case a table full of papers that needed to be filed in folders. This table of papers was on my top floor in my home and unless I would not physically go upstairs, I didn’t have to see it. I know subconsciously I did this on purpose, I escaped the clutter. Sadly I was just cheating on myself and not a day would go by when my thoughts would not be collapsed by this pile of papers. It took me three long hours to file six months or more of papers that had depleted my mind for so long. The relief this gave me cannot be explained unless you experience it. Therefore, unseen clutter can also deteriorate your thinking.

My daughter has a fairly small room and I often find it hard to breathe in there due to her piled up toys and floor space which is seldom clear, as she sits on it and spreads all her things around. I decided to find a solution to this problem and picked up a couple of transparent boxes with wheels on them.  I encourage her to play and once she is done, all the toys go in these boxes and are placed under her table or on top of her cupboards, clearing floor space and actually allowing me to breathe. This example states the flow of positive energy that decluttering can create. If you do not have a flow of positive energy travelling through your home, it deteriorates your mind and in my case prevented me from breathing.

Have you ever gone out shopping and bought something which you later realized you already had? Not only have you wasted your time, your money and in addition have added to the already existing clutter that was in your home, by buying this repeated item. I would say that clutter certainly makes you less productive and you actually lose control of your belongings. I have a family member who believes she needs to buy only that many clothes which can be replaced by others sitting in her closet. Therefore, if she likes something in a store, she asks herself where in her closet will this item be shelved or hung, in order for the purchase to be justified. I admire her philosophy because most of us are driven by fashion, trends, sales, a need to feel good about yourself and ultimately stock up with the thought that more material things will bring us happiness. Can you see how this is totally erroneous and the key is in less is more!

Clutter and chaos. I am often trying to “multi task” and I am sure most of you are too. However, in all honesty what we are really doing is running around like headless chickens in all directions. I find this happens in my car. I make an effort to clean it out every two weeks, but the days when it looks like a war zone, I simply cannot focus on where I exactly need to go. I find myself with a list of errands and for some reason miscalculate my routes and end up being highly inefficient. A dirty messy car invites a disturbed aimless destination.

 Clutter and social embarrassment. There are people who dress in a disheveled manner and just look very confused and messy when you see them. Often these are the people who tend to have cluttered homes and surroundings. I remember when I had both my children, for a long time my home was a mess and I was truly embarrassed to entertain guests due to the state of my house. I know this was simply a phase, but quite often these habits just remain and you end up becoming a social outcaste due to your disorderly ways, reflecting upon your appearance in most cases.

Solutions

In the past two weeks I have cleared out a lot of mess in many places. I admit this clutter does not arrive in your home over night and nor will it depart over night. It is not realistic to expect one to clean up in one day or even spend hours on such tasks. What time you spend decluttering is time you probably could use getting your goals and other more important tasks finished in the day. This is a very incorrect attitude we have and in fact spending only fifteen minutes cleaning out an area of your room or home can provide you with so much positive energy from the clutter you have released, that this energy you will then invest in your bigger decisions on life. Imagine if you used slots of fifteen minutes every day, how much clarity your mind would receive?

Material belongings are important to our life, but you pay an emotional baggage price to carry them too. Travel light and you will be able to see the world more clearly. If your home is open and offers your space and light, this will generate the same space and light in your mind. After all, don’t we often eat with our eyes? So, the exact same thing happens with what we see in our immediate surroundings your home, your workplace, your bedroom and even your car.

As my mother always tells me “you never know what you have until you clean your room.”

On Verge

Have you ever jumped in and out of your skin?

Found yourself on top of a hill with no shade to stand under, the skin around your lips and eyes starts to crack and peel.  Don’t you wish for one moment you could simply have a hand to cover the glare and give you a screen, to sooth them for just one instant and feel a breath of relief.

Have you ever bled without pain?

You are soiled red but the gates of pain are simply numb. You simply watch the drops stain. If only a hand could compress the hurt and brake the flow of this rouge river game.

Have you ever spat words of scorn? Only to discover it was a feeble attempt that bounced the daggers back at your wall of ice. They simply echo back, the acid splatters in your face. You regret what you said; you wish you were dead.

Have you ever defied your own line of fire? You’ve broken down your walls of guard and allowed trespassers to rape your morals. If only a hand could pull you back and tug you in, the rules you made would still be in.