Tag Archives: Natural

australia, food

Add some “Bliss” to your cup of tea

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“Sometimes, you just need a break. In a beautiful place. Alone. To figure everything out!”

There is a charming organic cafe right in the middle of China town. It’s called Bliss Organic Cafe and it is colourful, cosy and very friendly! The menu is really appetizing and there is a large choice of vegan dishes. The staff is absolutely lovely and they are always happy to chat and put people at ease. It is impossible to feel stress when you enter this little paradise: so peaceful, so many good vibes! But most of all, there is an amazing secret garden at the back of the place where you can relax and enjoy a drink! Can it get even better than that?!

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Bliss Organic Cafe and its lively secret garden

My favourite beverage is the warm apple juice: so sweet and so comforting! I just love the flavour and IMG_1159the smell of it! As you know I have a sweet tooth and I can’t help indulging myself with their homemade pastries! I highly recommend the chocolate and goji energy ball or the dark chocolate rocky road bar! Both are absolutely divine. As for the perfect spot to enjoy these little treats, I would definitely point the sofa at the back of the secret garden under the majestic trees.

This is what I like about Adelaide and about Australia: no matter the season you can really enjoy being outdoor! Actually maybe it is even better sitting outside when it is Autumn or Winter time. Let’s be honest it never really gets “very” cold here (comparing to Europe… and my vague memories of -20 in Canada haha). Furthermore, Aussies cafe are very  well equipped providing special outdoors heating and/or beautiful warm blankets. So when the sun disappears below the horizon and it is getting chilly, “no worries”, you can still enjoy the moment and sit outside under the stars feeling bliss in your heart ❤

Bliss Organic Cafe

7 Compton Street

Adelaide, South Australia

(08) 8231 0205

https://www.facebook.com/blissorganic?fref=ts

australia, food, lifestyle

You should drink more water!

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“No water, no life. No blue, no green” – Sylvia Earle

Forget about make-up, beauty creams, vitamins, miracle pills, fancy clothes, jewels to make you beautiful… because a girl’s best friend is closer that you think, it is actually: WATER!

Water has many virtues: it helps to digest, to regulate body temperature, to help with weight loss, to feel full of energy, to have a clearer skin, to stay fresh, to prevent headache, to beat colds, to think clearer! With all these benefits it should definitely be part of your beauty routine ❤

We are supposed to drink around 2-3 litres a day… which seems like a lot! But you can make it fun by adding cucumbers, lemons or fruits in your glass of water, to spice up things so it does not get boring! Here is a lovely article with 20 cool recipes and amazing pictures that will make you fall in love with your glass of water!  http://www.diyncrafts.com/7075/health/20-delicious-detox-waters-cleanse-body-burn-fat

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Water spiced up with mint, orange, lemon and cinnamon!

I personally adore tea so it is another disguised way to hydrate your body and feel splendid! My favorite time being in the afternoon while blogging and enjoying an homemade iced tea or a warm and comforting cup of my favorite blend.

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Delicious mint and lemon iced tea at “E for Ethel” cafe

You can also make it trendy and healthy at home! In Adelaide we are lucky to live near Mount Lofty and its natural springs. You can enjoy pure and refreshing water for a really decent price and it is always nice to buy local! It is non polluted,  it is natural, high quality and it tastes good! Here is my tip: buy a 10 liter Mount Lofty water pack (easy to find at Coles supermarket), it is convenient, cheaper and environment friendly! Then buy a beautiful bottle: I went for “Voss”, they have really stylish glass bottles but their water is so expensive because it comes from Norway springs! So now what I do, I fill my trendy “Voss” bottle with my “Mount Lofty natural spring water“,  I place it in the fridge and I have always fresh and  pure water to offer. I must say the bottle looks pretty cool on my table which is always a PLUS to feel good about yourself or when you have guests!

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10 litres pack of natural spring water
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Stylish Voss bottle

 

 

 

 

 

And now a funny story: I am going to reveal a little secret about Mount Lofty 10 litres pack that only Australian people know because they were born with it I assume. It seems that foreigners don’t know how to make the water flow from the box… My friend Nasim (from Iran) and I (from France) made exactly the same mistake, turning the plastic button from right to left and the other way around… we turned every part of it but nothing happened, not a single drop of water. One day Nasim’s neighbor (from Oz) paid a visit to her and Nasim asked her if she knew how to use the water pack! Her neighbor smiled and said, “Oh, it is easy, there is a little trick to know” and she showed her! Then it happened the same thing to me and I spotted that Nasim had a Mount Lofty water pack at home too, so I asked her to show me how to use it and she said, “it is easy, there is a little trick”… when thinking of it I feel stupid now haha… don’t turn the plastic bit, it won’t do anything! For god’s sake it is not a French wine barrel with a small pourer to turn on and off! So the technique is to lift the small plastic bit up or down like if you were switching a light on or off and the miracle will happen, you will have your own fountain of water springing in your home ❤ magic!

australia, food

Beautiful colours at cafe Troppo

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I have noticed that each time I am moving to a new country, I need to find a little cafe I like. Maybe it is because I need a routine, a place that I can call mine, where I feel at ease. It is fun how you try to create your own story when you arrive somewhere new… I guess it is a way to appropriate yourself your new life and your new city.

When I moved to Adelaide, my first house was in in the South West CBD. I think it is a lovely area because it is very closed from China town, central market and Victoria square. In my opinion it is very lively and there are many cool and cheap restaurants in this part of the city!

Anyway, one day I was exploring the neighborhood and I have noticed this little charming hipster place:  Cafe Troppo. I love the funky decoration, the wood tables and chairs and the beautiful view on Whitmore square. I really like to  sit at the Terrace while enjoying a nice and refreshing drink.  It is the perfect spot for a drink with a friend or to relax on your own with a book or the newspaper.

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The staff is nice and friendly and the menu looks really appealing! So far I have tested the iced chai latte and the homemade iced tea and they were both delicious. I have been told that the coffee and the food are also a hit!

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Iced Chai Latte

I love also the way they present the drinks with all these colors, it definitely adds charm to the experience. I can’t help taking pictures to post them on my Instagram 😉

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Homemade Iced Tea

 

I bet you are thirsty… Now you know where to go  😉

 

CAFE TROPPO

42 Whitmore Square

SA 5000 ADELAIDE

http://cafetroppoadelaide.com

https://www.facebook.com/CafeTroppo

france, lifestyle

My favorite natural beauty products

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Every girl has a beauty routine, products and brands she trusts because she knows it works well on her skin. No matter what people say or think: it is not that easy to find the equivalent version when living abroad. Nobody wants to risk an  allergy or to look like a “beautiful” red lobster. Every wise girl knows best that it is better to pack in your suitcase the beauty products you cherish the most to pamper yourself! It will save you time, money and stress, so you can explore then at your own pace local brands and find what works best for you!

Speaking of that I recently posted about a popular French beauty brand called L’Occitane as I think it is part of the routine of many women.  Actually the article received many likes so today I thought I could  share with you MY favorite French brands that I make sure to pack in my suitcase when moving abroad  😉

First I have to confess that I have tried in the past famous brands such as Chanel, Dior, Clarins… they were good but in my opinion not spectacular considering the price. Furthermore I have realised I was more into organic cosmetics so my selection is natural products orientated.

“Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction” – E.O. Wilson

So here is my top 3 ❤

1.  Senteurs de fée Paris

I absolutely adore this brand. I am a huge fan of all their products and I have been using them for many years. I am in love with the rose fragrance and a lot of their products contain this amazing ingredient! I find them extremely effective at keeping my skin nice and moisturized. They are absolutely perfect! There is only one shop and it is in Paris (Le Marais). When you enter the shop, the magic happens: the colors, the lovely smells, the atmosphere. I had the chance to meet Katia (the creator of this amazing brand) and she is as splendid and lively as her products! My favorites are:

  • Nectar de rose: an aromatic hydratating face care. It is actually an oil texture composed with apricot, macadamia nut and bulgaria rose. It is perfect for my sensitive skin since I can not possibly use cream.  If I could only bring one beauty product on a desert island, I will definitely choose “Nectar de rose” because it is the best product ever!
  • Rose huile vraie: a non greasy body oil which smells divine and makes your skin so soft… I just love it! The bottle looks so nice with a kind of retro look. Like I said I am fond of all their products.

If you travel to France, make sure to pop by this lovely shop, it is in a nice area in Paris and it is totally worth it.  They also ship worldwide, look for the English version! http://www.senteursdefee.com/index.php

 

2. Douces angevines

I like this brand and their products smell amazing (if you like the  smell of plants). I have read in the press that the French actress Marion Cotillard loves them too. One day, I was in a changing room in Paris trying some clothes on. When I handed back the clothes to the shop keeper, she asked me what my body lotion was. She said it smelt so good on the clothes. I actually was wearing Douces angevines’Baobab oil! On the other hand, one day I was at my parents place and my father came into the bathroom because of the smell. He said that it reminded him some kind of medication you use to breathe better and found awkward it was part of my beauty routine (men…). So I guess it is a matter of taste… I personally like it. My favorites are:

  • Fantômette: A non greasy plant fluid to remove make-up and clean the skin. I find it very effective on the eyelids especially when you are wearing waterproof make-up.
  • Berbere: A pre-shampoo fluid to protect and repair your hair. It smells very nice and when using it I find that my hair is more shiny, soft and beautiful with a nice glow!

You can find those products in organic shops in France or you can place an order via their website and take the opportunity to learn more about them:  http://en.doucesangevines.com/s/10843_beauty-of-the-face

 

3. Couleur caramel

Organic and natural make up range. The products are high quality, easy to use, look pretty all day long! I have been using this brand for many years and I am pretty happy with the results. Products last long so it is a plus! Furthermore the packaging is so cute! I really like this brand! My favorites products are:

Eyeshadows: silky, velvety made with micronized powder… they have a full range of beautiful colors! It is perfect for a natural make-up.

Mascaras: water based formula, will protect your eyelids and it is perfect for sensitive eyes! It is very easy to remove it and I like the natural smell.

Have a look at their website, there is a good selection and I particularly enjoy their special collections/editions for summer, valentine’s day, christmas… they are very creative! http://www.couleurcaramel.com.au

 

I hope you like my selection and as I said these are definitely nice natural French brands that you have to test when you go to France.  I am sure you will fall in love with them! What about you? What is your beauty routine? Do you pack also your favorite products in your suitcase when going abroad? What are your essentials?

As for me, after 5 months living in Australia, I am at this crossroad where I need to start buying local because now I am living here and I have to embrace my new lifestyle and I want to…  But I have been so busy these past few months that I did not have a real chance to explore and test Australian beauty brands. Shame on me!

So if you happen to live in this wonderful country (or New Zealand) and have amazing natural/organic brands to recommend me I would be really thankful!

SMILE 🙂 You are beautiful ❤

france, lifestyle

Once upon a time L’Occitane

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Tuesday, after English class I had an interesting conversation with my friend Gabriela. She is from Venezuela (South America) and has been living in Adelaide for 3 years.

Somehow we started to talk about beauty products (ah girls….) and she told me that she was in love with a famous French brand called: L’Occitane

Actually when I was living in London, my friend Joyce (from Brazil) told me exactly the same thing! Each time she had an opportunity to travel to France, she would buy L’Occitane beauty products! I mean they ship worldwide but it is way cheaper to buy the products locally! Although I would not say either that these beauty products are what I would call “cheap” in France.

Anyway, I thought since this brand seems to be pretty successful abroad, let’s write about it!

In my opinion L’Occitane is a good brand and their products have a wonderful fragrance and a good quality.

Now close your eyes and imagine the Lavender fields in Provence in the South of France! Try to picture the local Mediterranean culture, artisanal bakeries,  purple eggplants, ripe tomatoes, grapevines, lavender perfume in the air… Now you start getting a taste of the beautiful Provence in France… L’Occitane beauty products are all made there and also in Corsica (also a beautiful area)! They believe in the art of healing through plants and they use natural ingredients.

My favorite products from this brand are:

  • Aromachologie repairing shampoo: I just love this shampoo, it smells amazing, it makes your hair very shiny and beautiful! Frankly all their shampoos are the best and I always get compliments when using them! I have tested other brands but so far these are my favorites and my hair is very demanding.
  • Shea butter hand cream: again, it smells so good and will leave your hands as soft as a baby skin! This product is so successful it is said that they are selling this hand cream every 3 seconds around the world! For the record, it is so good that when I was living and working in Paris in finance, I was sharing my office with a man. Guess what, he had this shea butter hand cream on his desk (a present from his wife)! Sometimes his male colleagues would have a chat with him at his desk and use the cream too while talking to each other… it was hilarious to see these “macho men” having a little chat while hydrating their hands! Actually it was like watching an episode of ‘Sex and the City” except that in this situation Carrie Bradshaw was a French man named Philippe wearing big black shoes!

In my mind, all their products smell divine and a lot of my French friends like this brand too. It is quite common in France to offer these beauty products for Christmas or a birthday or any occasion actually… like I said it is popular, it is a good brand and it makes a perfect gift!

Now you are starting to get curious?! Hopefully there are many L’Occitane shops around the world so you don’t have to buy a flight ticket to go to France:  http://www.loccitane.com

What about you? What is your beauty routine? Do you have many L’Occitane products in your bathroom?

As for me, in my twenties I used to be a huge fan of their products and owned many of them (facial care, body care, soap, candles)… Now I only buy their shampoos and hand/foot creams.

Don’t get me wrong I still like them! But now I am getting older, I favour other wonderful natural beauty products to pamper my face, my body and my soul… but this is another story… coming soon 😉

 

food, Short trips

Whether you favour sweet or savoury, Bali is the key!

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« People who love to eat are always the best people.» Julia Child

Bali is a beautiful country full of colours and smiling faces, and somehow you manage to find all these ingredients in their authentic and unique cuisine. Balinese cuisine is generous and each plate is a symphony of flavors where the rice is the key note.

As my first time in Bali, I had the chance to live in a villa and to experience Ketut’s wonderful cooking. She cooked for us amazing and traditionnal dishes that I really recommend you to try when in Bali :

  • Nasi Goreng: basically fried rice mixed with spices, vegetables, eggs and sweet soy sauce. I really liked it.
  • Satay : Spices marinated meat barbecued… yummy!
  • Gado Gado : vegetable salad covered with peanut sauce. It was really good!
  • Pepes Ikan Tongkol : Languan fish and spices wrapped in banana leaf and grilled. This cooking technique gives a lovely taste to the fish.
  • Nasi Kuning Bali : actually balinese yellow rice. The best rice I have ever tasted in my life!

Overall everything was absolutely delicious!

I have also asked Ketut what her favorite meal was since she is a local and I was curious to know about it ! She told me she likes “babi Guling”. It is a kind of dish made with a whole suckling pig and the inside is stuffed with spices and vegetables… then it is grilled and rolled over a charcoal. I have not tried it but I feel next time I go to Bali, I will give it a try because the way she was describing it I could tell this was something amazing!

I have also fallen in love with two restaurants in Bali that I am sure you will fancy too ❤

My favorite one is pretty popular and called the « Betelnut Cafe » and it is in Canggu facing a beautiful rice paddy (actually very closed from Echo Beach). The place looks great, nice decoration and the staff is really friendly. Everything is fresh, very healthy and it tastes marvellous! I recommend the balinese salad with a fruit dragon smoothie… Just perfect !

I also like a famous organic restaurant and shop called « Bali Buda ». There are 4 of them in Bali and you can easily locate them in Sanur, Ubud, Keroban and Bukit. Everything is homemade everyday and tastes great. They bake bread each morning before the sun rises and it has nothing to envy to French bakeries. If you feel overwhelmed by the menu, you should give a try to the yellow curry and the mud chocolate cake… I have to confess I am still dreaming of it when I have a craving for chocolate…

What can I say, Bali makes my heart dreamy, my soul shiny and my belly happy 🙂

 

Betelnut Cafe
Jalan Pantai Batu Bolong No. 60
Canggu, Kuta,
Bali, Indonesia
Tel : 62 821-4680-7233
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Betelnut-Cafe/289844997715255

 

Bali Buda Ubud
Jl Jembawan #1
(across from the Ubud Post Office)
Ubud, Mas, Gianyar 80571
Bali, Indonesia
Tel. (0361) 976324 / 978963
http://www.balibuda.com