VIVI Experience and Product Review

On my recent trip to Lithuania I got a chance to try out some new brands that are not available in the USA. I was especially interested in Lithuanian products as during my trip a few years ago there weren't that many to choose from. This time I was super curious about VIVI, which uses natural and organic ingredients in their products. There was a store (Palangos g. 2, Vilnius) located a few minutes walk up the street from my hotel, so that's where I went to explore this brand.

I did visit VIVI's website, and I've heard/read reviews about their products before going there, but I didn't expect to be so impressed with the store. While the products are very reasonably priced, the store looks like some high end boutique.It's very bright, very clean, and aesthetic. The store, as well as the products' packaging, is very minimal, and neutral. I loved the fact that there's a separate table with all the testers.

When I entered the store, there was another customer shopping, and hearing how the staff was interacting with her, I was happy to see knowledgeable and helpful people working there. I've seen and heard many stories of bad customer service while shopping in Lithuanian stores, but to tell the truth I haven't experienced any during my recent trip. VIVI was no exception, and I was treated wonderfully there too. Turns out that one of the ladies working there is the owner of that franchise. She was an amazing person to chat with about the brand, the store, and natural products in general. I feel proud that such beautiful, smart, young women are so entrepreneurial and so caring about what they use. VIVI was very generous, and gave 3 products to try out (I got one more myself).

The products I picked are: kalonji cream, facewash foam with silk and aloe vera, hair mask with argan and hemp oils, and toothpaste with kalident (mango flavour). I wanted to pick a variety of products in order to try different departments. So, here are my thoughts on these.

Kalonji cream: I have dry-normal skin, but I picked this cream even though it is meant for problematic skin. The ingredients offer anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, skin soothing properties, and while this is best suited for acne problems, I use it too. I tend to vary my face creams, including those for oily or combination skin. I'll choose lighter textures for summer, and richer ones for winter. I chose VIVI's kalonji cream as my nightime summer cream, because with this hot and humid weather the skin sweats during the day, and I wanted something anti-bacterial to fight whatever ugliness I have on my skin from the whole day of sweat/makeup mixture. The cream is perfect for my skin, and doesn't irritate it. I've been using it for the past 3+ weeks each night, and it didn't dry my skin. I can't tell how it works for acne, but I'm sure it won't dry the skin, which is an important factor for all skin types. Too bad there's no way to see how much product is left in the bottle, but I hope it will last long as I only need a small pump for my face.

Face wash with silk and aloe vera: I haven't tried many foam face washes, and what I tried, I wasn't thrilled with. However, hearing millions of comments on how amazing this particular face wash is, I just had to get it. The store owner suggested rose face wash foam, which is especially good for dry skin, but I'm not a big fan of roses in cosmetics (not only I don't like the scent, but I do get allergic reaction once in a while). Again, I've been using the face wash for 3+ weeks now, and it's super economical. The bottle is 155 grams total, and I haven't used even 20 grams yet (the bottle has a mark for 135 grams and what's above the line is 20 grams). I take 2 pumps for my entire face, and I only use this foam to wash my face in the evening. I love the smell as it smells like my favorite almond cake (I guess it's toasted almond fragrance), but it's not overpowering, and very gentle. The description says it does not irritate eyes, but for me it does sometimes feel uncomfortable for the eyes if I have more foam around that area and if I open my eyes. That's just a habit I have, because I want to look at the mirror and make sure that all the makeup, including mascara, is gone. I've been using the foam long enough to be certain that it washes very well and leaves no residue of makeup, so I try to remind myself that I can keep my eyes closed. It washes away makeup easily, but doesn't dry the skin, which was surprising, because I'm used to foam products (face washes, hand soap, etc.) making skin dryer. The other thing that I liked about this product is that the foam is thick and creamy (you can see in the picture that it won't fall off my hands).

Hair mask with argan and hemp oils: I usually use all hair masks as conditioners, so this was no exception. I tried putting it into my hair, braiding, leaving through the night, and washing my hair in the morning, but it's just something I don't do regularly. As for the result, I think I prefer leaving it for a minute or so while using as a conditioner. I have long, blonde, and very fine hair. I take good care of my hair, so it is healthy and shiny, but no matter if I use my all time favorite Earth Science hair mask or any other conditioner, I do put extra products on the ends to moisturize them even more. This mask works like magic, because it leaves hair soft and smooth, and I don't need to use additional products for my ends. I can run my fingers through the hair without a problem! As with the previous products, a little goes a long way, so I hope I'll enjoy this effect for a long long time.

Toothpaste with kalident (mango flavor): I knew that it's a non-foaming toothpaste, and that some people don't like it, but I didn't think it was that different from other toothpastes. This toothpaste comes in 3 flavors: mint, mango, and clover. I didn't want mint as it's just too traditional, and clover is something that makes me sick even thinking about, so I picked mango flavor. It's not the worst toothpaste, but I'm not sure if I would buy it again (and foaming is not the reason behind this). I love the mango flavor though! It doesn't give mint freshness to the mouth, but that doesn't bother me as long as my teeth feel clean and look shiny. The instructions recommend taking a small amount of toothpaste, but I take a lot in order to feel something. Even with that un-economical usage, I still have a little more than half of the tube left, and I've been using it for almost a month. Anyway, as I mentioned before, I don't really feel anything when I put the toothbrush into my mouth, and it seems that the toothpaste disappears. I know it's there just because of the mango taste, and full mouth of liquid. This is a part that bothers me as it's hard to comprehend if something is or is not going on in my mouth. While I used the toothpaste like that many times, I realized there's another way to use it. Instead of using just VIVI's toothpaste, I'll squeeze some other toothpaste on the brush as well. This way I can feel the texture as well as mango flavor. The other inconvenient thing for me is the residue that this toothpaste leave. I'm guessing it's kalident (a bioactive calcium) that does it. After brushing my teeth I have to look at the mirror to see if no toothpaste is left somewhere on my face, because otherwise it's not easy to wipe off. Any leftovers with harden and won't be brushed off by just wiping with a towel. I'm mentioning that, because I almost left the house with my "white lip liner" few times. After using regular toothpastes, I just wipe my face with the towel, but with this one it doesn't seem to work that great as it dries really fast. It kinda reminds me of liquid calcium supplement, and how it hardens around the cap.

I'm happy I got a chance to try these products, and I like every single one of them, but I don't think I will repurchase the toothpaste as I want products to make my life easier, not complicate it (even if those are small things). I would definitely buy hair mask and face wash again in the future. I'm sure they will last me a long time, but I'm already planning the best way to get them shipped to me. The kalonji cream is nice, and I enjoy using it, but not sure if I want to get a second one right away. I would probably want to try some other face creams from VIVI before returning to this one. Even while exploring the products in the store, I had 3-4 creams on my list that I was interested in, but picked only this one as I realized that I can't use that many items that quickly (I had some open ones waiting for me at home).

VIVI's products look and feel like high end natural/organic products, but the price is quite low for what you get, so I would definitely recommend trying something out from this brand.    

The English version of VIVI's website is here. If you live abroad, and spend 60 EUR or more, the store will give you free international delivery (put your shipping address in the comments field)! That's a piece of information that got me very excited as I know I want to try so many more items from this brand.  

Review: KIDE y-highlighter

Finally the beautiful Kide y-highlighter is mine! I could not stop thinking about this brand ever since I saw it online for the first time. However, it's not something I could check out in person as The Detox Market is the only one store selling Kide products in the USA, and I don't live close to it. They did have a sale on Kide products once, but I missed it, so when I saw that y-highlighter is on sale, I didn't miss my chance anymore.

It's a whole long story of how complicated my shipment was. The post office delayed the delivery, and on the day I was supposed to get it, I didn't. Turns out my package was left on top of mailbox on a pretty busy street, and someone stole it. :( The worst thing is that there was nothing the post office could do... I wish they were smarter then to leave packages outside. Anyway, the store was super generous, and sent me a new one, which I received yesterday, and I fell in love right away. Now I wanna try other products from Kide too!

I shipped the package to my work address this time, and all of my work stopped as I unpacked the highlighter - I had to take pictures and swatch it right away.

I wasn't sure what to expect as there aren't many swatches or real/user pictures of Kide cosmetics on the internet. I did find some YouTube video, but it wasn't of the best quality. Since the packaging was so cute, and I didn't expect anything less than perfect for the price, I decided to try it myself. I was debating, but chose color "Gold". I'm happy I got this color as it's not too gold-ish, and I think "Silver" could be too demanding for my makeup skills (I wear very simple and quick makeup, so "Gold" is a more universal and easy to use color).

The highlighter (just like all other Kide products) comes in a wooden package that feels really fancy in hands. It retails for $85, and there's 10 grams of product, so it's a bit pricey, but could be a great way to reward yourself.

As you can see from the pictures, the color is very universal, and the product doesn't have single glitter particles, but instead is very even. The highlighter feels nice and soft, kinda creamy/silky (not chalky at all). It's well pigmented, and it's easy to take on a brush and transfer on the skin. I fell in love with it the moment I touched it at work.  

It's definitely the most luxurious feeling highlighter that I've ever used, and I would recommend it to anyone without a blink. I understand it is a rather expensive product, so I'm sure one can find very similar looking (in terms of effect) one cheaper, but if you can afford it, and want something special for yourself, go for it!.

So many empties

This is going to be a long post as I have a bunch of products that I've used up. This is from around 4-6 weeks time. Some I finished before my trip, and others after the trip, but I used up a lot during my trip as I took a lot of samples and leftovers in order not to have to bring stuff back home.

-MyChelle "tropical skin smoother" face scrub - it's a very gentle, yet effective product. I've had it before (still in old packaging), and wanted to try again. Since the tube is so small, I took it on my trip, and used it up. I used it every day for 2 weeks, but it would obviously last longer when using 2-3 times a week. 

-Andalou "apricot probiotic" cleansing milk - that smell! It smells divine and it does the job. I had it a few years ago, and I wasn't disappointed now either. 

-Deep Steep "honeydew peppermint" moisture stick - never ever again I'm getting this product. I thought it will be so easy and mess-free to apply this body butter to my skin, but the stick is way too soft and melts easily when it's touching the skin. I used it on my soles to give moisture, and it lasted me less than 7 times (can't remember exact number, but I think around 5). The only good thing is that it wasn't greasy and felt quite light on the skin.

-Weleda "white mallow" body lotion - just like all Weleda's body lotions, this one was amazing! It was light, but moisturizing, it absorbed quickly, and had a pleasant smell. Since it's from a baby line, the fragrance was lighter than the regular ones. I would definitely buy full size.

-Deep Steep "daily reparing" shampoo and conditioner - these were just ok. I wouldn't buy them and I don't recommend to anyone as for that price you can get something really good. However, it's my personal opinion, and since everyone has different taste and needs, maybe for someone it's a great product. 

-Giovanni 'frizz be gone" hair serum - around 5 years ago I had this and was very happy with the product, but when trying it now, I wasn't so thrilled. It was an ok product, but I can't say anything good/bad about it.

-Himalaya toothpaste - it was a great size for traveling, but I lacked freshness in my mouth.          

-Alba Botanica "acne dote" face & body scrub - I'm sure you've seen it in my blog already, so I won't write too much about it. It's my must-have product, and can't imagine my life without it anymore. It usually lasts me much longer as I only use it for my tights, but this one I've used up during 2 weeks of my trip, because I used it as a full body scrub (and I used more than needed so I wouldn't have to take it back home).
-Andalou "sunflower & citrus" shampoo - this is a mini one, which I got for traveling specifically, but it's one of my favorite shampoos, and I do have a full size bottle in my bathroom.  

Mineral Fusion cleanser and face cream, Dolce & Gabbana "dolce" fragrance sample, Madara "deep moisture" cream, Trilogy "very gentle" moisturizing" cream, and Melvita "youthful" day cream - all products were ok, but I liked Mineral Fusion cleanser and Trilogy cream more than the rest of the items. Not sure if I'd buy them myself, but I would use them if I had them.

Weleda "skin food" cream, body lotions in "citrus", "pomegranate" and "evening primrose", and Barefoot SOS cream - I love all of Weleda's body lotions, so I enjoyed using these samples. The lotions absorb quickly, are light, but moisturizing, and they smell lovely. Skin food is a very rich and super moisturizing cream, which is too heavy for my face or body on a regular basis, but it's great for feet or dry hands. I've never used anything from Barefoot SOS, but I did enjoy this sample - the cream was rich and very similar to "skin food".

Surya Henna "color fixation" shampoo and conditioner, Giovanni "golden wheat" shampoo, Broo "warm vanilla" conditioner, Giovanni hair and body super potion, Mineral Fusion "minerals on a mission" shampoo, conditioner and beauty balm, Giovanni "tea tree" shampoo and conditioner, Giovanni super potion and hair towelette - I do like Giovanni shampoos from the old lines ("golden wheat" and "tea tree"), and I've been a fan of those for years, but I do not like any new lines (the ones coming in colorful packaging). The super potions and hair towelette was just the same as "frizz be gone" serum, and all the products were slippery and didn't do much to my hair. However, out of this bunch I loved Broo conditioner, especially the way it smelled! The smell stayed in my hair for a while and I loved that. Full size bottle is in my wishlist now.  

-Too Fruit "banana and fig" face cream - it is from a kids/teens line, but I couldn't resist the smell. It does smell like bananas mostly. The cream was moisturizing, but wasn't heavy and didn't leave oiliness on my skin. I used it as a part of my evening skincare routine.
-John Masters Organics "rose & aloe" toning mist - I used it as any other toner, and I didn't see any difference with this one. I wouldn't buy it again as it wasn't any different from other toners that I've used.
-Nature's Gate toothpaste - I like NG toothpastes, and this was no exception. 

-Earth Science hair mask is a favorite of mine! I do have the full size tube in my bathroom, but I bought this one specifically for traveling. I've been using this product for years, and I'm still not bored. If I had to choose only one hair mask/conditioner, this would be my choice.
-JMO "rose & apricot" hair milk - I just don't care for it. I was super excited to try it, and had this product in my wishlist for a while. I was hoping for a light texture, something similar to JMO's detanglers, maybe even thinner since it's a hair milk. Yet, I was so disppointed when I received the product. I wasn't thrilled about the smell, but I got used to it. What made me sad was that this was quite a thick cream that made my hair sticky and "I didn't was my hair for 5 days" looking. No matter if you use a tiny bit of the product or a whole lot of it, the hair just doesn't look good. I used it up as an overnight hair mask by applying a lot of the product to my hair, braiding them and sleeping like that.
-Veria ID conditioner - recently I used up shampoo from this line, and I've just finished the conditioner. I didn't like it as it did nothing to my hair. I wouldn't buy this conditioner, because I can buy the one I love for the same price, so why waste my money on something I don't enjoy using.

-Aubrey Organics "raspberry honey" shave cream - it's not the first time I'm using it, and I still like it. It lasts pretty well, and the smell is nice. The texture is a bit sliperry/silicone-y feeling, but I don't mind that.
-Giovanni "tea tree & mint" shave cream - another favorite of mine. It does the job, the price is good, and the quantity is fine too. Nothing to complain about.
-Another one of Alba Botanica's scrubs - refer to the review above.
-Nubian Heritage "raw shea butter" body wash - the smell is sweet and strong, and was a little too much for me, but the creamy texture feels amazing! I highly highly recommend these body washes.
-Seaweed Bath Co. "citrus scent" body wash - OMG, I'm in love with this scent! It's citrus-y, but very natural and pleasant, and it has a nice texture. The only con is the color, which is a little weird, but that's nothing compared to all the pros. 


While I try my best to use all natural products, there are some exceptions that I will make, e.g. mouthwash+toothpaste for traveling. There are also some categories of products that I can't find equivalents to in natural department.

-Crest mouthwash and toohpaste, Dolce & Gabbana "light blue" fragrance, and Buxom "full & fabulous" mascara. "Light blue" is one of my all time favorite scents, and I've gone through a couple full size bottles as well as these travel sized sprays. I do have one 1.7 oz bottle that I currently use. As for Buxom mascara, I did like it, and it made my lashes full, and I would recommend it to anyone. Yet keep in mind that the mascara seemed to get thicker after some time and you could see chunks of it on the brush, so I had to make sure to wipe the brush before using.

-Garnier "white chocolate" hair dye - this is something I can't fully convert to in the natural department. I've used natural hair coloring products, but they don't give the results I want, which is very light blonde hair without any yellow/orange tone. Garnier does the job, so I keep using it for probably 6 years now. I do switch to natural hair dye once in a while (usually during winter), but I can't give up Garnier completely.
-Veet hair removal gel cream - I don't know about the "gel" part as for me it's a cream, but the product works, and that's all that matters. I know it's not the best option, but I never came accross natural hair removal creams. I wonder if there are any at all. I only use it for bikini, and this bottle lasts me about 6 months, so I don't put too much thought into switching to something better, but I definitely would if there was a natural product out there.

Intercontinental beauty haul and mini review

I was extra excited about my recent trip to Lithuania, because I wanted to see what natural/organic stores sell there, and to bring new brands to try. I've met nice people who told me about different brands, and that made me want to get everything. However, I decided to limit myself, and tried to pick the things that I would need most, instead of getting a bunch of items that will not be used for another 6 months or longer. Besides, there can always be another trip planned to get those items that I left behind.

So, here are the goodies from my recent trip:

-I've heard great reviews about Compeed blister plasters, and I had a chance to use them. On my second day in Lithuania I was wearing flats that I haven't worn since last summer. They were super comfy, but I remembered that after a while the sole gets kinda hard, which makes my feet tired, but never gives blisters. Anyway, I was out in the city wearing these flats and sure enough after 30 minutes I felt uncomfortable. I don't know how to explain the feeling, but it felt as if my sole is hitting a brick each time I take a step. This was so weird as the flats had soft sole. Anyway, I got back to the hotel and it turned out that I got the worst blister ever, which ran from the sole of my foot up to the side of the sole. It was huge and painful, and regular bandaids didn't help. So, I remembered Compeed and went to the drugstore to get them. After putting the plaster on, I barely felt anything, and thought it was a miracle product. Supposedly it works as second skin, and you have to wear it until the plaster falls of by itself. Well, for a few days it was fine, but then it seemed like the blister is getting bigger, and the pain returned. Eventually I took the bandaid off, and did the regular blister removal/cure procedure, which I'm not gonna mention as it is gross. So, I didn't have the best experience with these plasters, but at least I tried...

-Sante "bio-goji" lip balm was another item that I was interested in. There's never enough of lip balms, right? It's a very nice balm, in fact, nicer than I was hoping for. It's not too heavy, but moisturizers the lips well, and it seems it will last a long time.        

-Lavera "pomegranate and brazil nut" lip balm - I had it in my wishlist for so long, but never got before. I do like it, but compared to Sante one, I prefer Sante. Lavera is a bit more oily, and I don't like its yellow-ish/brown-ish color. 

-Another item that I've wanted for years is Logona "tropic" body butter. I was looking at it during my last trip to Lithuania, but didn't get as there were no testers and I wasn't sure how it smells. I didn't want anything too sweet, and the sales associate assured me it was sweet, but not crazy sweet. So I did get it, and I am very happy with my purchase. My nose doesn't smell any pineapple in it, but I do smell cocoa butter well. This body butter is rich and moisturizing, and the texture is that of a cream (not like raw shea/cocoa or any other butter), which makes it easy to apply. Another great feature of this body butter is that a small spatula is included with it (it's kept under the lid), so you don't have to dip your fingers into the product. 

Alterra is a German brand that offers natural products that have a very affordable price. I haven't tried anything yet, but I got makeup remove milk, 24H cream, lifting-effect concentrate, and face fluid. This brand has few lines with different products in them. I got only facial items, but there are hair care and body care products as well. The only downside is that I didn't keep the cardboard packaging (to make traveling easier), and that's where the Lithuanian and English descriptions were. I'm sure I will have no problems with using these goodies, but I wish I could read more about what they do.   

It's so hard to find high quality natural makeup, especially lip products and mascaras, but I think I managed to do one. Lepo lip gloss in color "10" was an unplanned purchase. In fact, I didn't even know about this brand. I was exploring the tiny old streets of Vilnius when I was passing some natural store, and decided to check it out. I went inside, and I wasn't thrilled with the selection. However, when I was about to leave I saw Lepo's stand very accidentally. I tested few products on my hand, and came across this lip gloss. Actually I was looking at the lighter color as this seemed totally not what I like, but the sales associate swatched both colors on her hand and right away I changed my mind. This color looks so different on the lips than it does in the tube! I love this gloss so much that ever since getting it, I haven't used any other. I wish I got another color too! The gloss is light, non-sticky, but lasts well enough. It has a very neutral smell/taste, which doesn't irritate me and it makes it easy to use the lip gloss for a long time without getting tired of it. As you can see from the picture, the color is very minimal, but it has nice shine to it. It also doesn't dry lips. Hands down it's my favorite lip gloss at the moment. Now I wanna try more products from this brand. The only problem is that they're not readily available, so I need to find a way to get them. Maybe a trip to Italy would work?        

While I was away, a few packages arrive to my house carrying all these goodies.
-Madara "anti cellulite" cream - I like these kind of products to tighten my skin after workout. Not sure if they really work, but I feel better, and that's what is the most important, right? This cream absorbs quickly, doesn't leave oiliness on the skin, and smells soft and nice. By the way, Naturisimo.com ships worldwide for FREE, and there's a code "TREAT" that gives you 10% off your order!
-John Masters Organics "geranium & grapefruit" body milk - haven't tried yet, but I hope it will be nice. I really like the original one ("blood orange & vanilla"), so hopefully the new body milk will be as good as that one or even better.
-JMO "bare" detangler - I'm currently using "citrus & neroli" detangler that is my favorite and I've used a couple of them, but I wanted to try something different, and "bare" is waiting its turn.
-JMO "raspberry & orange" body scrub - I was a little surprised when I saw the size of it (I knew what I'm ordering, but still it was a tiny container), but let's hope it works and lasts well.
-100% Pure "carrot" facial scrub - it's been on my wishlist forever, so I finally got it. Haven't tried it though as I'm trying to finish up 2 scrubs that I currently use. 

DIY: Spa for feet - lemon vodka pedicure

When it comes to feet, they can never be too soft, especially with the sandal season coming any day now. Recently I've heard about this "acid pedicure" that makes feet extra soft and crack-free. So, while researching what it is and what it does, I came across Cosmopolitan's vodka lemon pedicure, which I decided to try. My feet are on the dryer, but soft side, yet, I still wanted them to be smoother. After stopping at the grocery and liquor stores during my lunch break at work, I had everything I needed.

Here's the list of items needed:
-1 gallon of warm water
-2 cups of lemon juice
-1 thinly sliced lemon
-1/4 cup vodka
-1/4 cup of sugar
-1 lemon cut in half
-shea butter

As you can see from the picture, I didn't have enough lemon juice (somehow managed to buy only 1 cup, but used additional 1/2 cup that I had in the fridge), and I used an extra half of lemon. For shea butter I used Evan Healy whipped shea butter, which smells divine!

The whole process is very simple and I followed directions from Cosmopolitan's article. You combine warm water, lemon juice, vodka, and thinly sliced lemon into some basin (I used just a big pot for that), and soak your feet for 5 minutes. I did soak longer, maybe 10 minutes or so. Afterwards take one half of lemon, dip it into the sugar and scrub your feet. Keep dipping-scrubbing until that half of lemon is used up and perform the same on the other foot. However, my lemons were riped and juicy, so I felt that one half was enough for both feet. Once the sugar is gone, wash your feet with water, and apply shea butter massaging it well into the skin.

The whole ritual was fun, and I felt pampered (at least my feet were), but the result was more of a "per application", which means that my feet were very soft until I took the shower next time. The feet spa didn't leave a long lasting effect. If you have really rough feet, this might not be for you as it is kinda a gentle treatment, but I enjoyed every part of it, and I think I will do it again sometime.
  

Teeth care and oil pulling

Nowadays I want to really take care of myself. To have beautiful nails, glowing skin, healthy teeth is more important than mastering the art of makeup, because when everything else is perfect, there's no need to cover it up. Anyway, I'm taking special care of my teeth and gums, so I'm cinstantly looking into new products and methods to do that.

Recently I found out about oil pulling method, which involves swishing a tablespoon of coconut oil (some sources mention other oils too) in the mouth for 15-20 minutes until the oil doubles in amount due to oil mixing with saliva. It's supposed to reduce the amount of harmful bacteria in one's mouth, and this helps with cavities and gum problems. By reducing bacteria in the mouth people can avoid many dental issues, including bad breath. If you search online, you'll find many good feedbacks about it.

Since it sounds so appealing, I had to try it myself. Besides, it seemed like a small step that could give amazing results. I must mention that I do not have any big issues with my teeth, but preventative care is a big deal for me. So, one morning I decided it will be the day. It's recommended to do this on an empty stomach, and that's how I did it. I got out of bed and took a teaspoon of coconut oil (while this method mentions tablespoon, it seemed too much for me). The oil felt weird in my mouth, but very quickly it dissolved and felt ok. I got back to bed thinking I will check my email, read something online to pass the time, but not even 5 minutes later I was running for the bathroom. I barely made it, and the nausea was so bad that I told myself I will never ever try oil pulling again.    

The products I use for my teeth and mouth: coconut oil, mouth wash, brushing rinse (I use it as mouth wash), whitening toothpaste, toothpaste, floss

However, I was still curious how oil affects dental health, so I thought of a different way to use it. Instead of swishing oil around my mouth for 20 minutes, I use it in two different ways. First way is to take half a teaspoon or a teaspoon of coconut oil, move it around my mouth until it melts and swish for a minute or so. Then I spit the oil out, rinse my mouth with warm water, and brush my teeth the regular way. The other method I use it brushing my teeth with toothpaste, using the floss, and then taking coconut oil and swishing in my mouth for a short time. Afterwards I rinse with regular mouth wash. Sometimes after spitting the oil out I'll brush my teeth with whatever is left in my mouth and only then rinse or use toothpaste. Either way, I use the whole set: coconut oil, toothpaste, dental floss, and mouth wash.

I haven't noticed any obvious difference in my dental health since I started using oil, but I would be curious to see if my dentist will notice anything next time I'm having an appointment. Besides, I didn't find any other purpose for coconut oil in my kitchen or in my bathroom (believe me, I tried it all) that I would like, so this is a way to use it up, and I'm sure it makes no harm.    

P.S. Just want to mention that I usually have 2-3 toothpastes and 1-2 mouth washes open at one time, so I switch them around, e.g. will use one in the morning and the other one in the evening, or will use one for few days, and then the next one for other days.

Exploring Uoga Uoga products

Uoga Uoga is a Lithuanian brand offering fresh natural cosmetics. I've been eyeing this brand for the longest time, but I could never pick what I wanna try, so I decided to wait until I can touch and test the products in person.

During my trip to Lithuania I went to Uoga Uoga counter with a list of products I'm mostly interested in.

To tell the truth, my first impression wasn't that great. While the counter was clean, bright, well organized, and attractive, some tiny things set me back, and I left without getting any products from my list. Well, I did get some samples to try at the hotel, which I'm glad about as afterwards I changed my mind about Uoga Uoga to the better. The biggest issue I had at the counter was that the makeup products didn't have names on the packaging/counter, so I had to ask the sales associate to help me in identifying them. For example, I knew the name of the mineral foundation I was interested in, but the packaging had only number written on, and, also, it turned out it was misplaced in the wrong spot, so it all added to the confusion when looking at the color palette.

In my mind I imagined how products should smell, but in reality they had very neutral fragrance, and in case of shampoos, they had a rather medical smell. A while ago I loved strong sweet fragrance, but nowadays I prefer neutral or even herbal scents, so the way Uoga Uoga products smell was a good thing for me. On the other hand, the texture/packaging wasn't....

I was interested in two body butters: "Forest Delight" and "Cranberry Flood". The first one has a texture of a cream while second one is based on coconut oil. The second issue with the brand I encountered when trying to open the packaging. I've already tried some face creams on my hands, but I managed to open "Forest Delight". "Cranberry Flood" was a challenge! The jar was already oily as some of the body butter leaked from the jar and was covering the lid, so it was slippery in my hands. I had to use a tissue to open the lid. The smell was really great, and probably one of the strongest of the products I tried. I might have considered purchasing it if not for the packaging - I'm too scared to take this product on the plane (I always imagine the worst case scenario where the product leaks and half of the items in my luggage are ruined).

Just to be clear, most of the products I tested were based on oil, but Uoga Uoga carries items base on water too.

The brand was kind enough to gift me the lip gloss in color "catch me if you can", which gives just nice shimmer to the lips without adding any color. I got the samples of the other items I was interested in mostly, and I've already tried them out. By the way, the cute card in the photo has a recipe for making parsley ice cubes.

"Rowan day" shampoo is meant for dry hair, and the sales associated recommended another one commenting on my healthy normal hair and saying that this shampoo might be too heavy. However, I dye my hair very light, and I try to really take care of it by using different products to restore moisture, so that combined with the great reviews I've heard about "rowan day" made me pick this shampoo. I wasn't thrilled by the medical smell, and was skeptical about shampoo itself as I find natural shampoos to be one of the hardest categories in finding the right one. How wrong I was about this product! I didn't need additional leave-in spray after washing my hair, and it dried to look full, healthy, voluminous, dropping nicely around my face, I put my hair in a ponytail for few hours, and when I let them loose again, all I had to do is run my fingers through the hair to make the look perfect again. The best part is that my fingers didn't get tangled in the hair!

The second item on my wishlist was "moon dew" cleansing lotion for the face. One should take a damp cotton ball, put some lotion on it, and clean the face. I'm usually not a fan when it comes to few steps of washing the makeup off, but I enjoyed using the product. I don't feel comfortable leaving the skin as is, so I used another cleanser to wash my face, which took longer than usual in my makeup removal process. Not sure I would buy "moon dew", but I would highly recommend it for anyone who likes that kind of products.

Probably the product that I'm most excited about is mineral foundation. While reading descriptions for each color, I picked something different, but in the store the only shade that would fit me was "never sleeping beauty". I was a little lost at Uoga Uoga counter as I was thinking I need a tiny bit darker shade, but this was the only light shade with all the rest being way too dark for me. I also didn't really like the texture and feel of the foundation between my fingers. Again, somehow my mind worked weird about this brand and I though the cost was 6 EUR while in reality it is 18 EUR. That kept me from "well, I'll give it a try", and I took only a sample with me. I did try "never sleeping beauty" on my face. The sample pot wasn't to comfortable to swirl the foundation inside, so I took some with my brush and dotted my face with it before blending it out. At first I thought it will be very yellow, but once I was finished with my makeup, I really liked the result. In fact, I liked it so much that I'm thinking of getting the full size! The foundation has medium coverage, is very light feeling, makes the skin look healthy and radiant, and doesn't make it matte.         

To sum it up, I wasn't thrilled with face or body care products, but makeup items and hair products make me want try everything from those ranges.