I found Lorelle's excellent blog about a month ago and have been going back to it for inspiration ever since. As a result, I have decided to take blogging more seriously and set up some goals and made a list of the things that only I can (and will) tell you about.

Here are some of the thing I'm planning to write about in the future.

Alverde product reviews:

Do expect quite a lot of them as I've fallen in love with these products all over again. Alverde is a German brand and it is only available in Drogerie-Markt stores in Europe which is probably why I have not come across a single English language review of any of their products so far. Well, it is time to change that because I believe they deserve to be introduced to an international public and it is more than possible that ladies from the US or UK (or any other part of the world) have already come across the brand while visiting Europe but did not know and trust the brand enough to buy anything from them. A pity really, because these products do not contain any synthetic fragraces, preservatives, mineral oils, or animal by-products (except beeswax), and they are dermatologically tested (but never on animals). However, they contain ingredients from natural sources such as shea-butter, cocoa-butter, almond oil, wildrose-extract, buckthorn extract, aloe vera, and many more.

Their scent is natural and quite pleasant, though at first it might come across as a bit unusual for those who haven't used natural cosmetics before. They don't cost a fortune either: most facial moisturisers are between 4-5 $, shower-gels and body-lotions are around 3 $, and their wonderful calendula lip balm costs roughly the same. All in all, I strongly advise all of you to give them a try if you happen to come by a Drogerie-Markt store.
If you speak German or would just like to take a peek at the products here's a link to the German Drogerie-Markt site: www.drogerie-markt.de

Introducing Hungarian (and European) beauty brands:

Have you ever heard of the brand Éminence? You haven't? You haven't lost anything. You have? Well, then, forget about it. Éminence is a poor copy of the Hungarian brand Ilcsi Beautifying Herbs and does not even come close to the original. What makes Ilcsi so special is that all their products are made of fruits, vegetables, flowers, spices and Hungarian healing waters. They can only be purchased from your beautician who knows your skin and can recommend the products which best suit its needs. My favourites are the blackthorn gel mask and the rose hip gel mask: both smell delicious and they liven up dull skin, make it plump, tight and incredibly smooth.
(If you decide to visit their homepage then look to the left and you'll find the word 'ENGLISH' under 'Termékek' and 'Kapcsolat'. Click on it and the entire site will show up in English from then on. Happy browsing!)

Other Hungarian brands are: Helia-D, Omorovicza, Aden and Fáma. European brands I intend to introduce are: Artdeco, Be-Yu, Balea, and Stender.

Hungarian fashion blogs:

There are a few actually, and I thought I should share them with you if not for anything else, then for their cultural value. They certainly won't introduce you to the latest fashion trends, much less influence those trends, but they might just give you a few ideas and you can also see how Hungarian people dress nowadays.

(Image from ourstyle.freeblog.hu)

Tips, Tricks and Beauty Myths:

I consider myself a conscious consumer who likes to make an informed decision about buying things, and I also like to know what makes a certain product work and what is an empty claim only. Therefore, I do a lot of research before I go out and buy a new cosmetic item, even if it means I have to read through boring reports and look for a long time before I find an answer to my questions. This, however, has many advantages. One, for example, is that I won't buy anything with chamomile in it if I decide to lighten my hair, simply because chamomile is not capable of lightening our hair. I'll whip up a honey hair mask instead, because when honey comes in contact with water a small amount of hydrogen-peroxide is formed which, if the mask is used repeatedly, will be enough to lighten my hair by a shade or two without damaging it drastically, especially if I mix in some olive oil for good measure. (More on this later...)

Although I'm not a real expert and certainly no Paula Begoun, I have gained a considerable amount of knowledge during the years and I can spot a beauty myth waiting to be busted from miles, which I fully intend to do in future posts.

alverde