I had an opportunity to try Jimmy Choo's perfume for free and I have to say that it has become one of my favourites. I do like it right away, but it is the subtle tones that emerge after a while that I really love. To me, it smells soft and velvety somehow and it is the perfect scent for this time of year.

It's not easy to know what is right or wrong at times, but sometimes it feels as if it's better to be safe than sorry. For years there have been warnings about parabens and their possible links to cancer, but as of yet nothing has been scientifically proven. Lately there has also been warnings about aluminium salts in deodorants and in general it feels weird to use products with a lot of chemicals.

I rarely use make-up, but, when I do, I've noticed that BareMinerals seems to work well on my skin. Other skincare products I use on a daily basis and paraben-free Avène has been my favourite brand for years, both because of its usefulness for my rosacea-prone skin and because of its very few ingredients. In addition, I have swapped my old aluminium salt-filled deodorant with Biotherm's Deo Pure Natural.

I'm aware that our everyday lives are filled with chemicals and materials that are not particularly beneficial for us and it's not possible to get rid of everything, but I just feel we have to begin somewhere and I have chosen to start with the things that come in direct contact with my skin.

These clips were really popular about ten years ago and I remember having several versions of them, in plastic as well as metal. I still use the metal ones occasionally, as I fasten my hair rolled into a bun with them, but the metal has darkened and I don't have many left either since these small items tend to disappear. Yesterday I decided to look for new ones and was happy to find these from BaByliss at Stylingagenten and I ordered them, since the price was really good as well. I was so surprised this morning when they arrived in the mail. Excellent service! And the clips seems to be in sturdy metal and really good, too.

A new favourite! I received a "pakkeleg" gift at the Christmas dinner in late November, a Lady Million Body Lotion. Not sure whether I liked it or not, I put it on hold for a day or two and then I tried it on and realised I liked the scent very much. It works tremendously well on my skin and the boys in my family all seem to like it just as much as I do. My youngest son even crowned it "my best perfume" and that is high praise. I decided to buy the Eau de Parfum as well, and wearing it almost feels like being wrapped in silk or velvet.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with rosacea, a facial skin disorder characterized by redness on the cheeks, nose, chin or forehead; small visible blood vessels on the face; bumps or pimples on the face; and watery or irritated eyes. I have experienced the redness, the bumps and the small visible blood vessels on the cheeks, but I haven't noticed that much else, but that on the other hand was pretty bad. At some points it really hurt...

Nobody knows why it appears and it has no real cure, but it is possible to control and manage. For me it seems to get worse if I am emotionally stressed out (I think this was how it all started), when I stay out for too long in the sun, and when I have an allergic reaction to something (dogs, horses, hay or pollen). I have also learned that my skin is very sensitive to creams, cleansing products, and make-up. I had to find completely new products and adopt new habits, and I was really happy to discover the exceptionally mild skin care series from French Avène and the mineral make-up from Bare Minerals, even though I'm not using make-up that often. With the help from the medicine I use, a gel, the products from Avène and Bare Minerals, my rosacea, while not having vanished, is most of the time barely noticeable except for an occasional pimple. It's honestly such a relief and very nice to feel the difference from what my skin was like a year ago.

I'm really blogging a lot at the moment... Perhaps it's simply because it feels as if I'm further away from all the weird things at work at the moment, the things that have drained all my energy. I do feel happier in general and things feel great!

Unfortunately, my hair doesn't exactly agree. It's that time of year when it just feels dirty/boring/dry even if you've just taken a shower. I realised that it has been ages since I treated my hair to my favourite shampoo from Kérastase and, as I searched for it on the web, I found both the schampoo and the conditioner at really good prices at Feel Unique in the UK. Perfect!