LITTLE TREASURES...

Rose Oil + Egyptian Magic = Best Friends Forever!

So about two weeks ago I received my new tub of Egyptian Magic in the mail.I ordered online at Beautybay.com as shipping was free worldwide I believe.
Anyways, I have a long history with my old friend Egyptian Magic.First I heard about it on youtube and found my first tub on ebay while I was in the US.Funny enough I wasn't quite sure if I could use it on my face because it had a weird smell, while the main reason for buying it was to treat my blemishes and scars which I had a lot of.Soooooo......I contacted the company via email to ask if the balm was safe to use on my face, given the funny smell.And guess what?They answered right away giving details about the product and reassuring me that the tub I got was fine and OK to use AND they offered to send me another tub for free!!!They said that the smell and the color of each batch they make may be different, but the stronger the smell, the better product I got.Of course I sent my mailing address in!I paid about $30 back then and getting a second product for free was.....amazing!

I wanna say I started using it and loved it the very first time I applied it all over my face.The stuff looks like vaseline and melts to the touch.But unlike vaseline it is 100% natural.It's made of a few bee products,including honey,plus virgin olive oil.Ingridients are listed on the packaging but it's practically all products that bees make which is amazing.
I have only good things to say about Egyptian Magic.It softens the skin,it sinks in and doesn't leave oily residue,it nourishes and calms so good that I wake up in the moring with no redness on my face and nice full and soft lips.It even makes my eyelashes stronger and possibly longer but I can't tell.I also use it as an eye cream.I have used it in the morning under my foundation and it works great- I just have to leave it for a few minutes to sink in before starting my foundation.And of course- it managed to clear my old acne scars which we all know take forever.Mine are due to hyperpigmentation and take months to heal but this stuff works wonders on any kind of scarring.This tub is 120ml and lasts a really long time (about 6-8 months if used daily).I started using it in 2010 and this is my fourth tub.

Now, about the rose oil....First thing I have to say is that rose oil is quite hard to find and is expensive.This little thing I hold in my hand was full and was 1,5 gram.I think it cost me as much as the whole tub of Egyptian Magic which was 28 EUR.I mentioned about rose oil in an old post here .We've been hearing about all kinds of magic oils lately but let's just say this one is the Queen of all oils.
Rose oil can't be used on its own!!!It's too strong, it has a strong rose scent, it can even burn your skin if used directly on.It's to be mixed with other base oils, it can be added to a face cream, you can even take it as a medication for kidney or stomach problems!Last year I discovered that adding rose oil to my Egyptian Magic balm worked wonders for my skin.I started using it in April and by mid June I swear I could show my face in public with no make up on!

Well,I just received my 1,5 grams of rose oil the other day and have been using it :) I smell like roses all the time!I also checked with a specialist and turns out I did great mixing the oil with this balm.The lady said that the texture and ingridients of Egyptian Magic will work with the oil much better than if I was to put in in a regular face cream.Anyways, I was supposed to put a couple of drops in the balm,use it and then add more drops after a while.And I did! But then today I had I big ooooops.....While trying to add a few drops in my tub, it all just spilled and came out at once, filling that little hole I had digged in.So now I have a little well of rose oil :) It's no big deal, I'll leave it like this and will use tiny amounts as I gradually mix it in.And do I have to say that the balm does not smell funny anymore?
In my opinion this stuff I got here is better than any high end face cream or serum with a crazy price tag on it.
Now watch me get clear and younger skin in no time! LOL.....I really hope the scars and discoloration that this winter left me to deal with will disappear just in time for beach season, cause nobody likes to cover up while sweating in the heat.

And here's a mug shot

 or two....

:)

ROSE FESTIVAL

 For the past couple of weeks we've been enjoying a colorful Rose Festival here in my home town (Kazanlak).It is an annual festival with pretty long history and usually starts the first week of June.During these weeks of celebration we get to choose and crown our Queen of Roses - a girl who's chosen among all of our high school graduates.We also get to see a few concerts, photo and art exhibitions, crafts and old traditions, we have wine tasting events etc, etc....and a carnaval all through the town led by the Queen herself :)
The Rose Festival is an event that gathers lots of tourists from all over the world- mainly Japan and France ,as these countries also celebrate the beauty and the aroma of the rose.

 My home town is situated in a beautiful rose valley and this time of year it's really beautiful and dreamy out here.The rose valley is the home of the famous Rosa Damascena which contains the precious oils used in the parfume and pharmaceutical industries.The flower was brought from the Middle East back in the 1200's and now it's known to live in Bulgaria and Turkey which countries are the main producers of rose oil.Bulgaria produces about 70% of all rose oil in the world. The essential oil is extracted from the petals of the rose  through steam distillation which is a labor-intensive process and due to the low content of oils in the rose blooms,the rose oil is very highly priced.A kilo costs about $5000 on the international market but prices can vary.The harvesting of the flowers starts in the end of May and continues through June, it's done by hand and early in the morning before sunrise (while the petals are still moist) and the blossoms are distilled the same day.It takes about 4000 kg of roses to produce 1 kg of oil.This is more than a million flowers!

 The rose smell is amazing and really strong.This type of rose looks nothing like the regular roses, it's pink and smells much different.

 Me in the rose gardens with my rose necklace on :)

 This is our Queen of Roses 2012 - her name is Neli Slavova and she's going to represent our town and traditions during the rose festival in Fukuyama ,Japan.

 These rose necklaces were a hit

Here's a photo of the rose oil itself.I got three of these glass things last summer.I managed to get a good price but they still cost me a lot as one of these contains only a gram of oil.The oil is liquid at room temperature but if it gets a bit colder (like under 19 C ) it starts to form crystals - kinda like frozen olive oil.And this is how you know you've got the real thing!

I use it mainly for my face as it has good anti-bacterial and anti-ageing properties and a calming effect on the skin.It works wonders on rashes ,pimples and allergies.I put a tiny amount in my face cream (usually at night) and this is how I keep the breakouts in check.Another great product is the rose water ,which is more common, quite affordable and really refreshing.

and an evening rose after the rain....