Sisterhood of Travelling Spas: Alqvimia Barcelona

Spa-ing, is it actually a verb? I think it should be...

In my case it has been a while since I had a relaxing treatment so I decided to make it a verb again. Also, in the beginning of 2014 I made a couple of resolutions that included to try out more french products. Now, Alqvimia is as Spanish as you can find, or a gorgeous brand that sells divinely, aromatherapeutically infused products for face and body. But the idea was there and going to it's spa would combine a couple of elements:

• getting familiar with their brand without buying the full monthy (bottle)
• Time out being in a hectic city like Barcelona
• mmm, soothing massages and masks that will draw out city impurities

I decided to go for the Facial Absolute Beauty Express. It is one of their facial treatments in a relatively shorter timespan. I like long treatments but as it had been my 1st time I wanted to know if the therapists would be really skilled. I think a longer treatment with someone who isn't really skilled, dedicated or not really connected is often ackward and not really relaxing. In this case, I could have spend hours with her because her way of bringing relaxation was total bliss. 

40 minutes is often not enough to experience that spa-drownsiness that you can get in good hands. But Beatrice quickly got me into a lulling state of being with the exotic music, synchronising massage, the aromatherapeutic blend of the rose water mist, and later some other divine mixtures personalised for my skin. Their slogan 'total relaxation is paradise' never been more fitting.

Some other quirky elements from the treatment:

• Massage and scrub is elaborate, a fabulous plumping method when done right
• the mask is a custom made blend
• the mask covers eyes and ( if not too claustophobic/ having a cold) lips as well 
• The spa is in the centre of Barcelona, just 2 minutes from Placa de Catalunya
• a lovely tea-infusion afterwards

I really liked this introduction to Spanish brand Alqvimia: the shorter treatment totally gets you zoned out.

And results, ofcourse we want them too! I left the place without a smidge of makeup and felt totally confident about the radiance of my skin: that happens so seldom I cannot even remember (a woman who prioritizes her compact makeup before the mobile).

I think it's a gorgeous perk up being on a hectic citytrip or when working in Barcelona without much time on hands. I'd like to have a longer treatment in the future that includes both body and face.

The Alqvimia spa is situated on Ramblas Catalunya 24 in Barcelona and you can read about them over here.

Flower to the People: Mad Hippy Antioxidant Facial Oil

This one got me by it's name. I just really like original hippies. I could never be a real one myself and due to my previous deodorant adventure into organics, my armpits neither, but I kinda love them. 

I think it involves a certain level of healthy madness to be a real hippy en pleine forme. I'm not talking about the Bohemian crowd visiting Ibiza, Goa, Tulum, etc who have floaty dresses, yoga the shizzle out of their body, but would scream day & night if you would take away their mobile: that's some nice faux-hippiness. Nothing wrong with that as I like to get regular showers too and don't take me away from my materialist amount of facecare either.

boxed and beflowered

Facecare and materialism: hence another faceoil from a label that seems to be doing face-oils before it gotten too popular. Also, it's still has a white, flowery label which is something different from the darker labels lately.

What differs from Mad Hippy is that it's on the cheaper side, hence real-hippy affordable. It aims to be anti-oxidant and has Camu Camu as it's *wonder* ingredient: It's packed with 30x more vitamin C than an orange.

 Now I love fancy ingredients, especially from Rainforest areas. However, I'm somewhat aware that the carbon footprint of shipping out exotic ingredients around the world is not that environmentally friendly. Not that I'm such a saint, because I'm kinda glad this oil is infused with such gorgeously potent ingredients:

Argan oil (argania spinosa), pomegranate seed oil (punica granatum), sunflower seed oil (helianthus annuus), cranberry fruit extract (vaccinium macrocarpon), pomegranate extract (punica granatum), blueberry extract (vaccinium angustifolium), strawberry fruit extract (fragaria vesca), kiwi extract (actinidia chinensis), watermelon fruit extract (citrullus vulgaris), grape seed extract (vitis vinifera), raspberry seed extract (rubus idaeus), camu camu fruit extract (myrciaria dubia), acai fruit extract (euterpe oleracea), goji extract (lycium barbarum), sea buckthorn berry extract (hippophae rhamnoides), hemp seed extract (cannabis sativa), broccoli extract (brassica oleracea italica), sweet orange oil (citrus sinensis), vitamin E (tocopherol). 

It almost sounds like my morning smoothie.

And indeed, "More Actives, More Results":

Right now I like this blend of oils. Springtime is the perfect time to boost your skin to life. Antioxidants are excellent for recovering the skin from the stronger sunrays of late spring/beginning summer. It's a thicker oil so I prefer it for nighttime. It smells like a fruity smoothie with a hint of real Argan oil scent. People knowing their real argan that it's a bit herbally strong, almost like a certain form of meat. But it's only faintly present. I'm glad they used the unfiltered argan, as it's often more potent than the filtered versions (cough Josie Maran).

Most of all, the price: it's a mere $19.99 for a good amount of 30 ml.

Now If I just find some good organic deodorant and cycle to Spain for holidays....

April's Empties

This month has been a normal empties month:

• Pai daycream in Macademia & Rose has not been finished yet, but it reached the expiry date. I quite like the neutral texture but I opened it too late 

•  De Mamiel Spring oil is nice, but I'm not too fond of it's lemony, home-cleansing scent. I added some neroli & geranium to perk it up: that worked 

•  Nourish Revital-eye made it to my Best of 2013 List. I've emptied my 2nd tube & keep on loving its effect on my eyes.

• Avene eau Thermale had been on my wishlist for a while. I got the samplesize and like it, but I cannot really distinguish between this one and La Roche Posay: I just like both types.
•  Ren Evercalm cleanser is lovely, but these days I'm more partial to either cleansing oils or micellar waters. But it's nice to try
• Kris dAmour makes some lovely oils. The soothing faceoil, is everything it promises, delightfully soo
• Estelle & Child lifting Eyecream was a bit of a miss for me. It gave me an irritation: the saleswoman told me it was because the eyec  re am contained too many actives but I don, t have yhis promblem with either Pai Echium nor Nourish Revital-Eyes. It's just not working for me.

Both of my pot eyeliners dried out.  

I really liked RMS Unpowder which explained why I finished in 4 months

• Nexxus Emergencee changed into Polymedic: the formula is still similarly brilliant and givesmhair a good dose of protein.
• Trilogy Refresh and Shine is an excellent, organic conditioner with light but effective detangling properties
• Less is MORE Lindengloss shampoo smells amazing and cleanses light but effectively. I want themfull size now!
• Ila Nourish body lotion is light and has that hwrbal scent. Lovely, but the full size would be a tad too pricy for me
• Last but not least has been Timothy Dunn Mille Fleurs candle: so good that it should become a perfume.