Wonders of the Dead Sea in Jordan xx

A few days ago, we flew into Amman for a quick trip to the therapeutic Dead Sea. 

The Dead Sea is nestled deep in the Jordan Valley, about 45 minutes drive from Amman. It is one of the most spectacular natural landscapes in the world. It is also the lowest body of water on earth and the lowest point on earth. It has the richest source of natural salts, hiding many treasures that have accumulated over the years.

The benefits of the Dead Sea minerals have been well known since the ancient times, in fact Cleopatra with her husband Herod the Great visited the "World's Oldest Spa" many times.

Its water contains 35 different minerals including Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium, Bromine, Sulfur & Iodine; making it a wonder for your health! 

Dead Sea Benefits:

• Increases skin moisture & nourishes skin cells, leaving your skin smooth and soft.
• Relieves pains and sufferings caused by arthritis, rheumatism, psoriasis, eczema, headache, fatigue and foot-ache.
• Clears common skin disorders such as acne & pimples by regular soaking in water with added Dead Sea Salt. The high concentration of Magnesium improves skin hydration and reduces inflammation.
• Relieves allergic reactions by cleansing and detoxifying thanks to the Bromide & Magnesium in the Dead Sea.
• Improves circulation and metabolism and eradicates toxins in your body.
• Is an Anti-aging miracle! 40% reduction in the depth of wrinkling!

No wonder I felt absolutely amazing after my "float" & mud mask at the Dead Sea. My skin was amazingly soon and I even felt lighter on the inside. It felt like it had cleansed my soul as well!

There are many resorts along the Dead Sea but most of them are overpriced even just for the day. We chose to go to "The Dead Sea Spa & Resort" which offered a day's use for 20 Jordanian Dinars & an extra 5JD for a towel. All the facilities were there to be used including showers, pool, the dead sea & the free mud not to forget!

   

   

   

   

Click for more information about Jordan!

Sharing the Secret of Youthful Skin!

Today I've had the pleasure of learning more about our skin, how to keep it youthful and how to best look after it and maintain it! Dr. Summa from Silkor (in Abu Dhabi) shared her secrets with us today. 

I'm here to spill the beans....

It is important for us to look after our skin, not just for how it looks, for the truth about our skin is not seen by the naked eye but for its overall health. We need to understand what affects our skin and how to protect it from harmful factors. 

It's simple really, our skin is exposed to so many factors that damage and effect our skin especially our face & neck. Stress, UV rays, long working days, irregular sleeping patterns, pollution, excess smoking, coffee and alcohol just to name a few. Excessive smoking and caffiene kills the collagen and elastin in your epidermis as well as suffocating the oxygen in your skin, creating wrinkles & hypersensitive skin.

For most of us our biggest fear is having wrinkles, so healthy, youthful skin is our goal! 

Here are 4 ways for you to have good skin:

1. Sunscreen SPF 50+ : It is very important to wear sunscreen every day! SPF 15+ is adequate for the day if you do not intend to go into the sun, but when going into the sun SPF 50+ is highly recommended. If no sunscreen is used it causes skin damage and wrinkles, as the UV rays starve the skin cells from oxygen. Best Product recommendation is: Avene` High Protection Mineral Cream SPF 50. 
2. Hydration : Drink water, water and more water!! Water is your lifesaver and will prevent and repair wrinkles. If you are drinking bottled water it is important to check the sodium level in your bottle, the lower the sodium the better it is for you! Tip: Add fresh lemon & fresh mint to your water bottle or glass, lemon & mint cleanses the skin from inside to out as it clears the toxins in your bodies & lemon especially quickens your metabolism creating healthier skin.
3. Antioxidants : Adding antioxidants to your daily diet protects your skin from inside to out, from the harsh environmental factors such as the sun and pollution. Foods such as blueberries, omega 3 & 6 (oily fish such as salmon & flaxseed oil), olives, carrots, onion, tomatoes. Although Green Tea is also high in antioxidants, it is less concerntrated than in food. Food has a higher concerntrate of antioxidants & releases into the skin quicker than the tea.
4. Cleansing :  Most of us are in a profession where we wear make up to work, especially flight attendants who have to wear it for long periods of the day or throught out the night or wear it on a night out or simply on a daily basis to cover. Cleansing is crucial! Your perfect cleansing routine is: 

• Make up Removal: remove your make up, using a product for sensitive skin and a seperate one for eyes and lips.
• Cleanse: use a mild face wash that suits your skin whether it's dry, oil, combination or normal, with warm water.
• Toner: using toner after you cleanse removes and dirt or make up you may have missed in the last 2 steps. Best to use an alcohol-free toner. Use morning and night.
• Exfoliate: It is not recommended to use a scrub or exfoliater every day, 1-2 times a week is ideal. Massage gently over your face and rinse with warm water.
• Mask: use 1-2 times a week. Masks can be used instead of a scrub or exfoliant.
• Antioxidant Concerntrate Serum: Not only eating antioxidants but adding a few drops and patting it on your skin helps to prevent aging.
• Moisturize: For oily skin use water-based products & for Dry Skin use Oil-based products. Make sure your moisturizer contains glycolic acid. Glycolic acid dissolves the fatty molecules that keep the dead dry skin cells on the surface of your skin. When it dissolves, the dead skin cells are washed away, leaving only the new radiant beautiful skin behind. Used in Moisturizer it is penetrated into the skin quicker, making it much mor effective than in other products.
• Sunscreen: Don't forget to put your sunscreen on! If you can find a moisturizer with sunscreen (recommended SPF50) included then that hits two birds with one stone. Otherwise apply sunscreen over your moisturizer.

Of course there are other factors to help the appearance and health of your skin besides these 4. Healthy diet, treatments & high concerntrated vitamin and omega 3+6 supplements, practicing de-stressing activities such as yoga also help greatly.

Recommended Treatments:

• Peels are recommended to be done - once a year.
• Diamond Micro-dermabrasion - once every 2 months
• Fractional C02 Laser - ask your cosmetic doctor for personal advice (it targets the skin deeply and stimulates collagen) 

Wishing you all the best with you skin routine & healthy youthful radiant skin for many years to come!

Birthday WishList ♥

My birthday is coming up in just over 2 weeks. The big 2-5! I don't feel that age at all, every year I feel younger and younger!
If all works out, I plan to spend it in Barcelona at the Sonar Festival!
Anyway... here's my Birthday Wishlist!

Zimmermann $250

Zimmermann $195

Zimmermann shorts

Zimmermann

Zimmermann

Shoes To Die For!

Instantly in love with these aztec wedges! Juilane Louie is working with Aldo and has created these AMAZING shoes! I need to get my dirty paws onto them! Being a little dramatic, but I'm not sure I can live without them!
M-U-S-T H-A-V-E T-H-E-M!!!

May Purchases: NastyGal & Market HQ

 
    

 

 

May Lust-List

Zara

Tigerlily

Zara

shopbop

LF stores

Jeffery Cambell

LF Stores

LF Stores

Market HQ

Market HQ

Hearty Knit Shorts @ Market HQ

Market HQ

Vintage split dress @ Market HQ

Travel Diary: Istanbul (Part I)

Another weekend off in February... where shall I go?! With plenty of delicious foods and sights to embrace, reasonable temperature and visa on arrival... Istanbul seemed the perfect destination!

It's one of the oldest cities in the world and has layers of diversity - a city where east meets west - a mix of Middle Eastern & European characteristics.

Flying from Abu Dhabi is a very easy 4 and a half hours to Istanbul, 18 hours from Sydney and probably around 7 hours from London.

On the Friday afternoon I arrived, with a little difficulty finding my Hotel Evsen (which I wouldn't really recommend to anyone else, the location is perfect but the service is a little lacking), to my hotel room with my requested french balcony, unpacking all my winter pieces and freshening up before I embark on my first Turkish experience. I picked up my map and made sure I marked my hotel and ventured up to the Blue Mosque by foot which was only 10 minutes away. Soaking up the atmosphere, capturing the streets sights and sounds, eyeing off mountainous stacks of delicious Turkish delight and pistachio nougat at every possible chance on the way.

I had completely forgot it was Friday!! The mosque is closed on this holy day for prayers, so unfortunately the blueness was never revealed to me. Although I didn't get a chance to go inside it was beautiful to see and sit in the mosque's courtyard, feel the weathered marble and imagine what it's like inside.

I wondered in the direction of Aya Sofia, across the road and through a manicured garden, freshly roasted chestnut stalls are plentiful. I spent the rest of the afternoon perched on the garden's wall watching the last of the drowning sunlight of the Aya Sofia, before heading home for an early night in.

The temperature had dropped noticeably on Saturday, almost down to 0 degrees. I had a busy day ahead, with a day and half left in colourful Istanbul, there was still lots to see, taste, explore and capture.

I started the day walking up Divan Yolu Cad, the main road of the old roman city following signs to the Grand Bazaar, grabbing a juicy lamb and salad filled kebab on the way. You will find the entrance of the enclosed bazaar, an arch with Grand Bazaar written above. It's buzzing with locals and tourists alike, eager shopkeepers, tea boys scurrying the labyrinth-like paths. Every second stall sells wooden backgammon boards, ceramics, jewelery, carpets and Turkish delicacies. Aimlessly wondering the bazaar, turning down 'innocent' invitations to look at their stores, 'Merhaba'-ing the local shopkeepers... I stumpled across a cute little ceramic shop, he was unlike all the other keepers, he was patiently in his stall & not haggling every person that walked past and that intrigued me to go inside. His english was great and was lovely to talk with him. He ordered an apple tea for me as I poked around his ceramics. Apple tea is like hot sweet apple juice in a espresso cup-sized glass - just the thing I needed to defrost my fingers and body.  After a lovely chat, a cup of hot apple tea and my first Turkish purchases, I was on my way again.

I found an amazing shop filled with traditional Afghan jewelery! Such unique pieces, old silver, torquise stones, red beads, headdress's, rings and heavy necklaces. There was one that particularily caught my eye, long with torquise stones but cost as much as my weekend away, if not more! It was stunning and certainly something no one else would have..but i had to leave it for this time. I instead, found 2 beautiful silver headdress'. The cute little shop assistant offered me more tea and told me his excitement about playing in the national cricket team (i had no idea Turkey had a cricket team!!) and that he will be traveling to Pakistan next week to fetch the best cricket balls and bats for their tour. How cute!

You can spend hours in the Grand Bazaar, make sure you haggle otherwise they will easily rip you off! I couldn't leave Istanbul and not buy a backgammon board, after I'd bought a hand carved board I was off out in the fresh air again.

It was time to wonder over the Galata Bridge - filled with local fishermen. There were so many fishermen, I was suprised they seemed to catch anything at all!

To Be Continued.....