Natural beauty uses natural products.

So the cats out of the bag: LUSH is one of my newly found fetishes I just cannot get over even after 3 months of living my life in it. Literally.

After my tour d'Europe, I decided to stay in England with my uncle in London. And after my third day of staying in Oxford to check out the university, I finally decided to get some shopping done before I take off for Toronto.

I randomly came across a store called LUSH on a random street in Oxford. As soon as I entered, I was overwhelmed by hundred different types of wonderful fragrances.

The prices aren't as expensive as they seem and this place makes The Body Shop look like McDonalds. Trust me, I don't like spending big bucks on soap but organic bath and body products from LUSH was one of the best purchases I made in England all together.

Here are some of my personal favourites :)

The comforter bubble bar comes in 2 different colors. (blue and pink i think)

It smells soo good you'd for sure be tempted to lick it before you put it in water for it to foam up.

This massage bar is the besttt especially after a night out in your new heels ;)

LUSH has recently started a environment-friendly initiative where they wrap their products in these beautiful Japanese clothes instead of paper or plastic wraps to reduce waste. How more appealing can a store get?

The one I went to in Oxford was awesome and the friendly staff there made my experience that much more extraordinary :)

Rome Sweet Rome

This city truly does not require an introduction. It is one of the most popular cities in the world that attracts millions of tourists every year.

I felt like I was walking down the streets of Ancient Rome and it felt like I would bump into people in their togas.

The Pantheon, the famous temple dedicated to all the gods of Ancient Rome.

The tomb of one of the most well-achieved men in history, Julius Caesar.

The Gate of Death inside the Colosseum which led to Spoliarium where the corpses of the gladiators who were mercilessly killed in the arena were stripped of their armour and weapons.

The legendary Trevi fountain. This picture simply does not do justice to this 85 feet Baroque fountain. It is located at the conjunction of three roads, hence its name Trevi (tre vie meaning three roads). The local myth holds that if you throw a coin in the fountain, you are guaranteed to return to Rome.

I dare say Colosseum is the symbol of Italy just like the Eiffel tower is the symbol of France. It was a place of entertainment in the ancient Rome where thousands of people watched gladiators as they fought animals and other gladiator.

Vatican City

The legendary Vatican guards!

Spanish steps: The first time I heard of this place was on America’s Next Top Model. Without a doubt, this place was a central place for fashion designers and models. Right across from the steps was a row of top notch designer stores such as Chanel, Prada, Gucci, Bvoulgari, Louis Vuitton and many more.

I even saw some girls dressed up in nice designer clothes, heels, and sunglasses, waiting to be discovered by potential agents. This small area was very full of life and I hope to shop here next time I come back!

Our last destination in Rome was not a very well known one. Cappucine monks were a group of friars in the 16^th century whose skeletons got turned into a funeral art. This is where the name of the coffee “cappuccino” originated from, possibly referring to the colours of their habits and their white heads surrounded by a ring of brown hair.

I still remember a motto written on one of the tomb stones placed alongside with a skeleton with skin still attached to it: “What you are now we used to be, what we are now you will be.” It gave me a surge of body chills. Sometimes I feel like I am too caught up in working towards my goal that I overlook the beauty and joy of living everyday life. Carpe Diem! (Seize the Day!)

Critique Musicale: Yelle

L’artiste de mon choix pour cette critique est Yelle de son patronyme Julie Budet. Elle est née le 17 janvier 1983, à Saint-Brieuc, en France. Quand elle était une étudiante, elle a suivi des cours en « Arts et Spectacle », mais elle préfèrait passer son temps libre à faire de la musique avec son compagnon.

Yelle est une chanteuse découverte grâce à MySpace. Son premier album, « Je veux te voir », a reçu plus de 125 000 cliques et écoutes. Son succès sur MySpace avec cet album a permis à Yelle de se faire découvrir par Michael Youn. Son deuxième album, « À Cause des garçons » devient vite très populaire. Ses chansons reposent sur les musiques de la Tecktonik, qui est un type de danse moderne très populaire en France. Le principal genre de la plupart de ses chansons est la musique club, la Tecktonik, la musique moderne et le pop. Les thèmes qui sont présents dans ses chansons sont le rapport entre les amoureux et sexe.


Personnellement, je ne suis pas d'accord avec les paroles de ses chansons. C’est très superficiel et sexuellement dégradant. Mais j’aime le rythme et aussi j’aime le fait qu’elle n’ait pas peur de chanter à propos de choses comme ça avec confiance.

Ce qui différencie Yelle des autres musiciens français, c’est le fait qu’elle est très libre et qu'elle parle librement à propos du sexe, du jogging, des garçons ou de sa meilleure amie. Elle est très confidente et crispée. Ce n'est pas typique des chanteuses français de son temps.

Pour conclure, j’aime beaucoup les chansons de Yelle à que j’ai commencé à écouter il y a onze mois. J’ai remarqué que beaucoup de clubs ici jouent ses chansons et son courage et sa personnalité sont bien représentés dans ses chansons.

Allez ici pour écouter à « Je veux te voir »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsrN3qxX2Yw