Six Years of Blogging – Happy Anniversary

Six years today I started writing this blog – I can’t believe how fast time flied by. First it was called Fashion, Style, Beauty and More, and then I changed its name to simply Victoria West. True to word, there has been everything in these amazing six years – it’s been fashion, it’s been style, it’s been beauty, and it’s been so much more in between. And since the show must go on, I hope for many years to come too.

So many exciting and wonderful things have happened in these six years since I started writing Fashion, Style, Beauty and More. My passion for fashion kept my passion for writing alive, and it’s true the other way around as well. And the most exciting thing that happened to me since I started writing this blog is the publishing of my first book, Bits of Fashion, in 2013, and later on the electronic version of my book. The day I released the book, back in 2013, was one of the happiest days of my life – taking blogging a few steps further and becoming a published writer was a dream come true for me, and now I have started working on my second book.

I have gone through so many stages in my life in these past six years. When I started this blog six years ago, I was on maternity leave taking care of my infant son. He was five months at that time. Then I came back to work, I changed jobs, I watched my son grow in front of my eyes, he started going to day care, then he started school, and now he is 6 years old, going to school in grade one. I have traveled, and I have seen more of this world. I have developed my writing, and I have developed as an individual. I have started doing refashion, I have changed the way I perceive fashion, and I am trying to make a difference with the voice that this blog gave me.

I’m happy to share my anniversary joy with you today. I want to thank you all for being my readers, for coming here every day, for sharing your thoughts with me, and for letting me be a part of your life. And since the blog’s anniversary coincides with Valentine’s Day, I also would like to wish you a fantastic Valentine and may love always be with you.

Happy Anniversary, Fashion, Style, Beauty and More.

Happy Valentine’s Day, my dear readers and friends.

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Dragii mei prieteni si cititori, astazi este o zi speciala pentru mine nu doar pentru ca e ziua Sfantului Valentin si am mancat mai multe bomboane de ciocolata decat ar fi fost cazul, dar si pentru ca este aniversarea blogului meu, care astazi implineste 6 ani.

S-au intamplat atat de multe lucruri frumoase in acesti sase ani, oh my. Cand am inceput blogul, acum 6 ani, eram in concediu de maternitate, iar Alex avea 5 luni atunci. Imi doream sa am o voce pe care sa o fac auzita, si un blog parea o cale buna de a face acea voce auzita. Mai intai blogul s-a numit Fashion, Style, Beauty and More, iar apoi titlul s-a schimbat intr-un mai simplu Victoria West. Intre timp Alex a crescut, a inceput sa mearga la gradinita, iar apoi la scoala, si acum este in clasa intai si are 6 ani (si 5 luni, evident). Eu am revenit la serviciu dupa ce mi-am incheiat concediul de maternitate, iar mai tarziu am schimbat jobul. M-am dezvoltat, am calatorit, am vazut lume noua, locuri noi, tari noi. Scrisul meu s-a dezvoltat si el, am publicat prima mea carte Bits of Fashion, mai intai in editie print iar apoi in editie ebook, si acum lucrez la cea de-a doua carte. Mi-am schimbat viziunea asupra modei si asupra felului in care consumam moda. Am inceput sa fac refashion, am schimbat multe din obiceiurile mele precedente de a cumpara si consuma moda, si acum incerc sa-i influentez pe cei din jurul meu sa faca la fel.

Au fost sase ani cu bune si cu rele, dar tin aproape de inima cele bune, si incerc sa le depasesc pe cele rele. Nu ma opresc aici, nici cu blogul, nici cu scrisul, nici cu refashion, si sper sa imi fiti alaturi asa cum mi-ati fost alaturi si pana acum, in ultimii sase ani.

Si pentru ca anivesarea blogului meu coincide cu Ziua Sfantului Valentin, va doresc sa aveti parte de multa iubire, intelegere si armonie alaturi de cel care va este drag inimii, nu doar astazi, dar si in fiecare zi.

An XBody Workout Session at Lucid Health and Fitness Studio in Toronto

Recently I was invited to experience the latest European fitness technology, called XBody. It's an innovative technology that gives you a full body workout in only 20 minutes with Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS).

I have been a Goodlife Fitness Club member for about three years now, and I work out about three times a week. That is, my goal is to go there three times a week, but sometimes, when I have a busy schedule, I manage to go to Goodlife once a week or a couple of times a week. I usually work out during my lunch hour at work, as I go to a Goodlife club that is steps away form my office. Sometimes I prefer to go to fitness classes, and sometimes I prefer to work out by myself, depending on my mood on that day.

I didn't know much about XBody before, but I have heard of it. Specifically, I saw photos of at least one of my close friends on Facebook who does XBody, and she has posted photos from her XBody workouts on Facebook. So when I received the invitation from Lucid Health and Fitness studio from Toronto to try on XBody, I enthusiastically said yes.

Lucid Health and Fitness studio from Toronto (located at 99 Yorkville Avenue) has launched this revolutionary fitness system, called XBody, from Europe in Canada for the first time in Toronto. During the XBody workout you wear the Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) suit, a suit that targets all muscle groups simultaneously. In a way, it works like an Abtronic. EMS technology is not new; physiotherapists have been applying EMS therapeutically for decades in cases of muscle rehabilitation. XBody has simply taken this proven technology to the next level!

Imagine a full body suit that applies the power of EMS across all of your major muscle groups simultaneously while you work out in as little as 20 minutes for a full body workout. XBody amplifies your own efforts. The effect is a better, more balanced workout that accomplishes in only minutes what would normally take hours at the gym. XBody works your core like never before and tones and strengthens all of your muscle groups at the same time. XBody technology has been widely used across Europe since 2010 and is currently distributed across thousands of EMS studios in France, Germany, Spain and 27 other countries worldwide.

Last week I went to Lucid Health and Fitness studio from 99 Yorkville Avenue in Toronto to try on XBody. Aman Hasebenebi, the instructor from the studio, greeted me when I arrived. She explained to me how it would work, and then I proceeded to getting ready for my XBody workout. First, I changed from my clothes and I put on a black protective suit to wear underneath the XBody suit. You're supposed to be completely naked when putting on that protective layer underneath the XBody suit, because the lesser the clothes and layers underneath the XBody suit, the greater the effect that the EMS has on your muscles and body. I only kept my thong on.

Then, I was ready to start the XBody workout, and Aman connected me to the main tower that monitored my XBody activity. I started feeling the first impulses, and I compared them to the Abtronic effect. Aman was setting short sequences of workout (a few seconds each), and she was closely monitoring what I was doing and how I was feeling. The impulses were coming onto me like electric shock waves of low intensity, this is how I would describe it. Every time when a new series of four (or so) electric waves were sent through my body by the monitoring machine, I was supposed to contract both my hands and to clench my fists (using contracting balls), in order to "face" and fight back the electric waves. Aman warned me if I don't contract my arms and my hands, and if I don't clench my fists when she tells me to, I will feel "funny".

So one time, at one of the wave sequences, I missed to follow Aman's instructions, and I missed to contract my arms and my hands, and to clench my fists, and I felt the electric waves washing right over me through my entire body, and I felt every single bit of that electric shock going through me. This was the "funny" part that Aman referred to at the beginning of my workout, and in that moment I knew exactly what she meant. I panicked, so I had to stop for a couple of minutes and compose myself. But in just a few moments I was ready to go on again. When you do an XBody workout, it is very important you follow your trainer's instructions to the letter and do exactly as she says. When your trainer says contract your hands now, then you contract your hands now, otherwise you will feel like struck by the lightning (it's just a metaphor, don't take it literally).

Overall, it was a great workout and I really enjoyed it, and I definitely would do it again. Here's some more information about XBody.

XBody builds and tones muscles, and the EMS suit covers all major muscle groups, even the ones you might have missed at a traditional gym. As you train, your muscles work against their own contractions, building muscle strength and tone. It’s easy, and you can’t go wrong.

EMS full body workout activates over 90% of the muscle fibers at the same time during each contraction. As opposed to conventional strength training, deeper muscles are used as well, for effective core strength.

Blood circulation in muscular and connective tissues are also enhanced, which leads to firmer, more toned skin. A bonus to EMS is that it is also an effective anti-cellulite treatment, working to positively break down problem fat accumulation in the body.

It's a balanced all-body training. The built-in electrodes target, stimulate and develop all the muscle groups, even if you don’t. Skilled trainers scale and adjust the level of each group separately so the otherwise “weaker links” of the body can be strengthened. Optimal core strength is a major benefit of EMS training.

When you do XBody training, there is no joint stress. The electrical impulses work on the muscles directly; there is no pressure on the joints, so they are not overworked, which is often the case with weight workouts. The muscle workout makes bones stronger, so they are more resistant to fractures, and indirectly helps avoid osteoporosis.

It also relieves back problems. As there are electrodes built into the training suit along the spinal cord, those rarely trained muscles get worked as well. Muscles therefore get stronger, which can lead to the relief of back problems.

Can you lose weight with EMS? The answer is yes. In the first phase of the training, you lose centimeters; and in the second phase, fat depots are attacked. You also burn more calories because your muscle activity is working five times more, which means that energy consumption will increase, it transforms how the body uses up calories. It is a very effective tool for weight loss and fat removal. EMS has been shown to attack and reduce problem fat accumulations.

When do you see results? You already feel vitalized after the first training session. Visible success, such as a better posture usually sets in after three sessions. Reshaping of your body, power increase and improvement of your skin’s appearance will be visible after six consecutive sessions within a period of three weeks.

No gym bag required! The EMS suit is provided on-site so you literally need nothing to workout. And if you feel intimidated by the body fashionistas and gym rats at more traditional gym sweat-shops, then at Lucid Health and Fitness you’ll be pleased by their clean, intimate studio surroundings and private changing area, as well as one on one style of training.

It is a safe training environment. XBody has been evaluated and approved by the CSA Special Inspection Service as per the guidelines for Field Approval of Health Care Equipment. Training or therapy using XBody’s low-frequency current stimulation is not dangerous. During this process, small intrinsic electric pulses initiate every movement and exclusively activate the striated skeletal muscles. Therefore, the impulse does not seem foreign to the body nor reach the organs or the heart.

Aman Hasebenebi, instructor at Lucid Health and Fitness studio in Toronto

When you do XBody workout, it's very important to contract your hands as the EMS impulses come over through your body. The contracting balls and hearts are great to help you with that.

Photo credit: Victoria West

Refashion -- Prima reconditionare din 2016

Uuugh, deja suntem la mijlocul lunii februarie, si eu inca n-am scris despre niciun refashion pe care l-am facut in acest an. Si asta pentru ca nu prea am reconditionat nimic de la inceputul lui 2016, pentru ca am fost ocupata cu serviciul, iar seara cand ajungeam acasa, ma copleseau treburile casnice de zi cu zi, si mai ajungeam sa deschid blogul in weekend. Iar cand apucam sa scriu un articol nou pentru blog in weekend, apareau alte subiecte pe care vroiam sa le abordez, si povestile de refashion au ramas neglijate in ultimele sase saptamani.

Un alt motiv pentru care nu am atins masina de cusut in acest an este ca vreau sa fac acel curs de croitorie pe care l-am amintit la inceputul anului, in articolul dedicat rezolutiilor mele pentru 2016. M-am inscris la acest curs in octombrie trecut, cursul trebuia sa inceapa pe 6 ianuarie, dar pentru ca nu s-au inscris suficiente persoane la curs, acesta a fost amanat pentru februarie. Nu m-a intristat acest lucru, m-am gandit ca intre timp trece vremea friguroasa de iarna (in ianuarie am avut cateva zile geroase aici la Toronto), si poate se mai incalzeste pana cand incepe cursul. Acum cateva zile am primit telefon de la scoala de croitorie ca in sfarsit cursul este la capacitate maxima, si voi incepe orele saptamana viitoare, in seara de 17 februarie. De-abia astept! Iar cand voi fi progresat cu abilitatile mele de a coase, si cand voi sti (sper) sa cos mai bine, ma voi aventura in reconditionari mai complexe, si voi reveni cu mai multe povesti de refashion pe blog.

Pentru astazi am un refashion simplu de tot, asa ca sa sparg gheata pentru acest an. Va mai aduceti aminte de acest pulover rosu pe care l-am reconditionat anul trecut?

Era un pulover turtleneck, nu imi mai placea gulerul turtleneck, si am renuntat la guler, pe care l-am pastrat in colectia mea de scrapuri textile. Iata si gulerul ramas de la acel refashion:

M-am hotarat sa fac o bentita pentru iarna din el, si mai intai m-am asigurat ca este taiat drept:

Pe urma am cusut marginea aia taiata in interior de mana, ca sa nu se destrame, si iata ce mi-a iesit:

Am purtat-o astazi la serviciu, iar pozele de mai sus sunt facute la mine in birou. Le-am facut cu telefonul, asa ca imi cer scuze daca sunt imperfecte. Astazi fiind vinerea dinainte de Valentin, am purtat o tinuta potrivita zilei Sfantul Valentin. In compania noastra exista un obicei ca de sarbatori sa purtam culorile simbolice ale acelor sarbatori -- verde de Sfantul Patrick, portocaliu de Halloween, culori pastel de Paste; si bineinteles, rosu de Valentin. Iar acesta este tricoul meu de Valentin, foarte sugestiv cu LOVE pe el, ha? Il am de doi ani, si l-am purtat prima oara acum doi ani (adica in 2014), tot de Valentin la serviciu, caci il cumparasem de la Walmart cu doar cateva zile inainte. In acel an Ziua Sfantului Valentin a picat intr-o vineri, si mi s-a parut cat se poate de potrivit sa il port vinerea de Valentin la birou. Anul trecut Valentin a picat intr-o sambata, si n-am purtat tricoul vinerea inainte de asta, ca m-am gandit ca daca Valentin nu pica intr-o zi lucratoare, n-are rost sa-l port la serviciu. Dar anul acesta mi-a venit cheful sa-l port din nou, char daca astazi a fost 12 februarie, iar Valentin pica in weekend, din nou. Am primit complimente pentru tinuta mea de astazi, iar o colega mi-a zis ca ii place outfitul meu de Valentin.

Colierul pe care il port in aceasta tinuta se numeste "Loveheart" si este un pandativ de cristal Swarosvki, cat se poate de potrivit pentru aceasta zi si pentru aceasta tinuta, nu-i asa? L-am mai purtat de Valentin acum doi ani, in tinuta pe care v-am aratat-o pe blog atunci. Colierul in sine il am de vreo patru ani, si l-am primit de la Swarovski cu ocazia unui eveniment monden de-al lor care a avut loc la Toronto prin 2012.

Blugii sunt Gap, preferatii mei, ii am de trei ani, imi sta bestial de bine cu ei, au o croiala perfecta, si ii voi purta la nesfarsit. Iar cand vor ajunge nepurtabili, imi voi lua o pereche identica de la Gap, caci modelul respectiv face parte din colectia constanta 1969, prezenta in magazinele Gap in orice sezon. Prima oara am descoperit aceasta colectie in 2009, si de atunci am cumparat blugi Gap din aceasta colectie tot timpul, atat pentru mine cat si pentru John. In afara de acesti blugi, mai am o pereche albi, tot din colectia 1969, dar si o alta pereche de blugi Gap evazati, din alta colectie insa. Pentru mine Gap e locul numarul 1 pentru blugi; atunci cand vreau sa cumpar blugi noi si n-am timp sa caut prin magazine, merg la Gap si imi iau o pereche de 1969; adica la Gap merg la sigur, la tinta.

Sacoul pe care il port in aceasta tinuta este Beechers Brook (un brand canadian), thriftuit la Value Village acum doi ani; botinele cu toc stilettos sunt random, le am de doi ani, si le tin la birou, ca sa ma schimb de cizme, pentru mai multa eleganta a tinutelor mele de zi cu zi la serviciu, la jobul meu IT. Le port in special in combnatie cu pantaloni sau blugi (cum a fost astazi), caci mai am si alte perechi de pantofi la birou pe care le port in combinatie cu fuste si rochii, atunci cand vreau sa renunt la cizmele groase de iarna si sa port un pantof mai elegant la birou.

Sa aveti o zi a Sfantului Valentin plina de iubire!

Photo credit: Victoria West

How to Pull off the Boyfriend Shirt Look

I like to dress outside the box, and I do so whenever I get the chance. Dressing conventionally every day would be very boring for me, so I like to have an unconventional style, a style that I would see no one else wearing. The place where I experiment and play with my outfits is, believe it or not, my office. My workplace is my runway, and one of the reasons why I love my job (even though my day time job is unrelated to writing and fashion) is the fact that our company dress code is casual attire which gives us quite a lot of dressing freedom, and this is how I bring my passion for fashion into my day time job on a daily basis, which gives me one more reason to love my job.

One of the unconventional outfits that I wore to work was to wear a skirt as a top, and I did so with several of my skirts, and I combined them with a blazer and pants or jeans. Do you think anyone noticed that my top was actually not a top, but a skirt? Nope, nobody noticed. :) Another unconventional outfit of mine was to wear dresses as skirts, combined with sweaters, so the dress was not even visible as a dress under the sweater, but it created the illusion of a skirt, and I pulled it off as a skirt. I wore such an outfit at the beginning of this week, a dress combined with a sweater that passed on as a skirt. Another way to wear a dress as a skirt is to combine it with a shirt and a skinny belt. What you need to make this work is to make sure that the upper part of the dress is not visible under the shirt or the sweater, and also the dress must be made of a light material, to avoid any bulgy effect under the shirt or the sweater.

Another unconventional outfit that I wore to work was denim shorts with a long black blazer, opac burgundy tights and high heels (5 inches platforms). Shorts aren't exactly allowed in my office, but I managed to pull it off, thanks to the long blazer that balanced the whole outfit which made my shorts look like a skirt rather than actual shorts. A newer colleague of mine saw me wearing my denim shorts on that day (it was a Friday, and everybody in my company tends to wear jeans on Fridays), and surprised, she asked me: "Are we allowed to wear shorts at work?" "Nope, we're not, I'm breaking the rules today. :)". Either the HR team didn't see me on that day, or they saw me but they didn't dislike my outfit -- whatever the case, I didn't get any negative feedback regarding my outfit in the office on that Friday, somehow frivolous (and I'll be the first one to admit that) for our dress code.

My favorite unconventional outfit is the boyfriend shirt look, which involves an actual boyfriend shirt. Every now and again I feel attracted by the right side of my walk-in closet and I let myslef inspired by my husband's wardrobe; case in point, his shirts. I pulled it off twice, at work -- once I did it combined with a black pencil skirt, and another time with flared jeans.

In today's story, I will showcase the boyfriend shirt look in combination with flared jeans, and I hope it will inspire you to try it on! :)

When you want to pull off the boyfriend shirt look with an actual men's shirt, the most important thing is to keep the whole look balanced, that is keep the shirt as the only androginous element of your outfit, while the rest of it should be feminine, and that's because you want to be inspired by your boyfriend's (or husband's) wardrobe, and not look like him.

Flared jeans are a great way to achieve that balance, but also accessories are important. The way how I chose to make the whole boyfriend shirt look feminine, is to pile up necklaces (I love layered jewelry style), and to cinch my waist with a leopard belt. Also, I wore leopard platform ankle boots and a clutch. High heels are very important when pulling off an unconventional outfit, or an outfit inspired by men's wardrobe, never underestimate what a pair of high heels can do.

Have a look at the photos below, what do you think? :)

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Imi place sa ma imbrac neconventional. Sa port tinute conventionale in fiecare zi mi se pare plictisitor, si de multe ori aleg sa ma imbrac "outside the box" si sa port unele haine si in afara scopului lor original. Am doua fuste pe care le-am purtat ca bluze in combinatie cu sacouri si pantaloni sau blugi, si mai am si alte fuste in garderoba, mulate, care pot fi purtate ca topuri (ceea ce voi face in viitorul apropiat). Mai obisnuiesc sa port camasi pe post de bolerouri, in combinatie cu un top cu bretele si o fusta.

Un alt fel neconventional de a-mi purta hainele -- imi place sa port rochii pe post de fuste, in combinatii cu camasi sau pulovere. Chiar saptamana aceasta am purtat o rochie in combinatie cu un pulover, iar sub pulover nici nu se vedea ca este rochie, ci crea iluzia unei fuste. Un alt fel in care am ales sa port o rochie drept fusta a fost sa o combin cu o camasa si curea subtire. Secretul acestor tinute, in care rochia sa creeze iluzia unei fuste, este ca rochia trebuie sa fie mai mult sau mai putin mulata, ca partea de sus a acesteia sa nu se vada deloc pe sub pulover sau camasa, si rochia sa fie confectionata dintr-un material (relativ) subtire, pentru a evita volumul excesiv in partea de sus.

Am incercat pana acum si combinatii mai riscante. :) Am un sacou negru lung (customized, designed by me and tailored by a dressmaker), pe care l-am purtat la serviciu intr-o vineri in combinatie cu pantaloni scurti denim, ciorapi mati grena si pantofi cu toc inalt si platforme. La mine la serviciu dress code-ul este casual si lumea tinde sa poarte blugi vinerea. Numai ca pantalonii scurti nu sunt pe lista tinutelor acceptate in biroul nostru, asa ca m-am riscat. :) O colega mai noua m-a vazut si m-a intrebat surprinsa, avem voie sa purtam pantaloni scurti la birou? Si i-am zis nu, n-avem voie, I'm breaking the rules today. :) Ori cei de la Resurse Umane nu m-au vazut, ori m-au vazut si nu i-a deranjat tinuta mea, dar in ziua aia n-am primit niciun feedback negativ de la nimeni in privinta tinutei mele oarecum frivole pentru compania noastra. Si asta pentru ca sacoul era lung si imi acoperea tot ce trebuia acoperit, incat lasa la vedere doar cat o palma din pantalonii mei scurti care puteau trece drept fusta si nu pantaloni scurti, so I pulled it off. :) M-am riscat cu aceasta tinuta la birou, dar n-am regretat.

O alta tinuta "outside the box" pe care am purtat-o la serviciu  a fost fusta pencil neagra combinata cu o camasa alba a sotului meu pentru un oversized look. How did I pull it off? Cu ajutorul accesoriilor -- am combinat tinuta cu ciorapi mati albastru electric, pantofi cu toc inalt de 5 inch si platforme, layered jewerly la gat si curea leopard. Mi-a fost admirata tinuta si am primit complimente pentru ea, iar persoana respectiva nici nu si-a dat seama ca nu e camasa mea, ci o camasa barbateasca. I pulled it off again!

The boyfriend shirt look este personajul principal din articolul de astazi, si as vrea sa va arat si un alt fel in care am ales sa port camasa sotului pentru a crea acest look, si anume in combinatie cu blugi evazati.

De multe ori ma simt atrasa de partea din dreapta a dressingului meu, si ma las inspirata de garderoba sotului meu, iar the boyfriend shirt look este un exemplu perfect. Cum am ales sa accesorizez aceasta tinuta? Atunci cand te lasi inspirata de garderoba iubitului sau a sotului, este foarte important sa pastrezi tinuta balansata, si anume sa porti un singur element androgin in tinuta, camasa in exemplul de fata, iar celelalte piese din tinuta sa fie feminine. Pantofii cu toc inalt sunt foarte importanti, nu subestimati niciodata ce poate sa faca o pereche de pantofi cu toc inalt. In tinuta mea de astazi, camasa sotului a fost combinata cu blugi evazati, cu bijuterii in stil layered, curea leopard, botine leopard (platforme), si un clutch.

Ce parere aveti despre acest stil? Va simtiti atrase de garderoba iubitului/sotului? Purtati tinute inspirate de moda barbatilor? Va astept cu opinii si pareri!

Boyfriend shirt -- City of London 

Jeans -- Bongo 

Layered necklaces -- Swarovski & random 

Leopard belt -- Walmart 

Leopard ankle platform boots -- Winners 

Clutch -- Louis Vuitton
Eyewear -- Oakley

Photo credit: Victoria West

Cartea mea "Bits of Fashion" intr-un spot publicitar online pe eBay.ca

Ieri cand scriam articolul meu despre samponul uscat Batiste, am folosit site-ul de procesare a pozelor Resize.it pentru cateva poze pe care le-am inclus in articol; si in timp ce procesam pozele de la Muzeul de Aviatie Hamilton pe care vroiam sa vi le arat, iata ce am vazut pe site:

Este un screenshot de pe Resize.it, cand am vazut acest spot publicitar online la cartea mea Bits of Fashion, ceea ce mi-a dat un prilej pentru zambet. Spotul publicitar este un link catre eBay, unul din site-urile unde cartea mea este disponibila. Am accesat spotul, si am aterizat pe pagina eBay (pe eBay.ca) unde cartea mea este listata. Spotul cu pricina mi-a facut seara de vineri mai frumoasa. :)

Sa aveti in continuare un weekend frumos!

Review: Samponul uscat Batiste

Astazi as vrea sa fac un review samponului uscat Batiste, un produs fabricat in Marea Britanie, actualmente senzatia blogurilor de frumusete. Mi l-am luat vara trecuta, in iunie, inca il mai am, ultima oara l-am folosit weekendul trecut, si in articolul de astazi voi descrie impresiile pe care le-am avut in urma utilizarii acestui produs, atat de apreciat de cele care il folosesc.

Prima oara am auzit de el de la Andreea Balaban, in unul din video-urile ei. Ma interesa demult sa gasesc un sampon uscat, dar nu cunosteam nici un brand care le produce, si a naibii ca nici timp sa scotocesc internetul nu aveam. Noroc de Andreea cu videoclipurile ei – cand a vorbit despre acest sampon pe blogul ei, mi-am facut imediat o nota mentala sa-mi iau si eu. Andreea a fost foarte incantata de acest sampon, ceea ce m-a convins si pe mine sa-mi iau unul. Nu stiam unde se comercializeaza, dar din fiericire am dat peste el absolut intamplator -- eram intr-o vineri seara la cumparaturi la HomeSense, l-am vazut pe raftul cu produse pentru ingrijirea parului, si imediat l-am pus in cos. Mi-am luat varianta XXL Volume. Erau trei sampoane Batiste pe raft la HomeSense, si primul meu impuls a fost sa mi le iau pe toate trei, "ca sa fie acolo"; dar pana la urma m-am gandit ca n-are rost sa ma grabesc si sa-mi iau atat de multe deodata, ci mai bine imi iau unul ca sa-l testez, sa vad daca imi place, si daca da, imi mai iau pe viitor.

L-am incercat a doua zi dimineata, sambata. In acea vineri seara nu m-am spalat pe cap (de obicei ma spal pe cap in fiecare zi), pentru ca ma gandeam ca o sa vreau sa-l incerc sambata, sa-l testez, sa vad cum este, cum functioneaza. Sambata dimineata eu si familia mea voiam sa facem o iesire la un muzeu de aviatie, si in timp ce ma pregateam pentru plecare, am testat si samponul.

Iata descrierea produsului:

Batiste Dry Shampoo XXL Volume is perfect for use between washes when you want amazing volume. A quick burst revitalises hair, removes excess grease and gives you ultimate volume, body and texture, making any style no-fuss with no need to backcomb!

How to use it
Shake vigorously before use. Keeping nozzle about 30 cm from hair, spray into roots. Massage through with fingertips. Brush and style.

Dupa ce l-am folosit, iata ce am constatat. Batiste da un volum grozav parului, si mai ales il face sa arate curat, (aproape) ca dupa spalat. Eu am parul gras si ma spal pe cap in fiecare zi, si atunci cand l-am testat prima oara ma gandeam ca daca as putea sa-mi schimb rutina sa ma spal pe cap o data la doua zile, iar intre doua spalari sa folosesc samponul Batise, pentru mine ar fi super, merita cu prisosinta sa il am in baie. Are o singura mica problema, nu grava ce-i drept -- cand il sprayezi, pudra aia se aseaza alba pe par, si imediat dupa sprayere arati ca si cum ai avea faina in cap. Dar daca perii parul, albeata pudrei se disperseaza si nu mai ai aspectul ala de faina in par. Iar volumul pe care il da -- WOW! Deci merita folosit, fara indoiala.

Atunci cand l-am cumparat vara trecuta, vorbeam cu o prietena despre acest sampon si dansa mi-a spus ca a incercat mai multe feluri de sampoane din astea uscate din comert, printre care Herbal Essences si Pantene, si acestea aveau o problema cu orificiul de sprayere, si anume dupa un timp acel orificiu se infunda, ceea ce facea utilizarea samponului imposibila. Speram ca Batiste nu va avea aceasta problema la fel ca unele sampoane massmarket, si din fericire, asa si s-a dovedit -- pana acum n-a avut nicio problema cu el, si functioneaza perfect.

Desi la inceput am fost tentata sa folosesc Batiste intre doua spalari, astfel incat sa-mi schimb rutina spalarii pe cap si sa nu ma mai spal pe cap in fiecare zi, trebuie sa spun ca pana la urma mi-am pastrat rutina de ingrijire a parului exact la fel, fara sa schimb nimic, adica sa ma spal pe cap in fiecare zi la fel cum o faceam si inainte, si sa folosesc Batiste doar pentru situatii de urgenta. De altfel, chiar acesta si este conceptul samponului uscat Batiste -- este menit doar pentru urgente, atunci cand n-ai avut timp sa te speli pe cap si cu acest produs iti revitalizezi parul pentru un scurt timp, pana cand poti sa ajungi la dus; dar nu este conceput pentru utilizare de rutina, si nicidecum nu este conceput pentru a rari ingrijirea parului. Parul trebuie spalat atunci cand este murdar, si frecventa spalarii parului este diferita de la o persoana la alta, in functie de tipul de par -- pentru mine e in fiecare zi, pentru altcineva poate fi o data la doua zile, sau la trei, sau o data pe saptamana, etc.

Cel mai mult mi-a folosit sa il am la indemana vara trecuta, in timpul vacantei road trip pe care am facut-o in august. Eu si John avem o casa mobila, si ultima noastra vacanta a fost o calatorie prin Canada si America timp de o saptamana cu RV-ul. Dusul si apa calda sunt perfect functionale in casa noastra mobila si am putut sa facem dus ca acasa, dar presiunea la apa nu este la fel de mare ca in baia de acasa. In timpul acestei calatorii cand faceam dus, nu m-am spalat si pe cap in fiecare zi, ci o data la doua zile, din cauza presiunii scazute la apa, care a facut spalatul pe cap mai dificil ca de obicei. Ei bine, samponul uscat Batiste mi-a prins foarte bine in aceasta vacanta, cand m-am spalat pe cap la doua zile, si intre spalari foloseam Batiste. Asa ca daca mergeti in vacanta cu rulota, unde presiunea la apa e mult mai scazuta, sau daca mergeti pur si simplu intr-o vacanta mai rustica (o cabana in creierii muntilor, cu conditii mai modeste si cu stele mai putine), samponul uscat Batiste va fi o comoara in geanta voastra de voiaj.

Iata si careva poze in care puteti sa vedeti cum arata parul meu, tratat cu samponul uscat Batiste. In primele doua poze, cu parul lasat liber, sunt la muzeul de aviatie din Hamilton pe care l-am vizitat vara trecuta; a fost prima oara cand am incercat samponul Batiste.

In urmatoarele doua poze sunt in Statele Unite, la Sault Sainte Marie (statul Michigan), in timpul vacantei road trip despre care va spuneam mai sus; parul prins in pony tail de data aceasta.

Inca mai am samponul in baie, am consumat pana acum aproximativ jumatate de continut, si l-am folosit doar pentru situatii de urgenta, si nu pentru ingrijirea de rutina a parului. Acum ma bucur ca n-am cumparat trei tuburi, ci numai unul -- probabil va mai dura cateva luni pana cand il voi consuma de tot. Dar sunt incantata de el, si cu siguranta il voi mai lua, va fi prezent in baia mea tot timpul.

Voi ce parere aveti despre acest produs? Il folositi, va place?

Sa aveti un weekend fantastic!

Photo credit: Victoria West