The Pink Tea Garden | A Health & Well-Being Event

A partly sunny and breezy day set the perfect backdrop for the Pink Tea Garden organised on the 12th of April at Vincent's Eco Estate, a secluded little gem in one of the most traditional villages in Malta, Mġarr. The event was supposed to take place a week before but since weather conditions were not favourable, the team behind it postponed the event and I was really glad as I could make it this time round!

I made my way there together with Thereseanne from A Blonde On The Go and we made the most of the afternoon in this idyllic setting! The event centered around a health and well-being theme and there were stalls from different vendors which have to do with out health and well-being, and there was a program of different talks, of which we attended two - one about different teas and tisanes hosted by Tettiera and a skin care workshop by Ellie & Carl.

This event is the first of it's kind and was organised by Pink magazine in collaboration with Tettiera, a local artisanal tea leaves brand. All sorts of aspects pertaining to our health and well-being were there under one 'roof' - healthy foods, skin care, aromatherapy and of course tea!

Both the Tettiera Tea Talk and the Ellie & Carl skin care workshop offered a deeper insight into two of my favourite subjects. For example did you know that green tea has a moderate caffeine level, black tea has a high level and white tea has almost none? I also learnt a new skin care technique with supposed medicinal benefits according to Chinese medicine - Gua Sha. Through the use of a specially shaped tool, the skin is massaged or 'scraped', to encourage blood flow and help in toxin removal from the body. I look forward to trying out myself!

We also had the chance to sample foods from Good Earth, vegan dishes from Dr. Juice, sweets by Jo's Delights as well as the new Perrier Strawberry flavour! The garden's beauty was further brought out by decorations from Mediterranean Ceramics and Daniel Grech's beautiful floral blooms.

All this could not have been possible without the help of all these sponsors and participants: Alpro, Brown’s Pharmacy, Camilleri Caterers, Dical House, Dr Juice, Ellie & Carl, Farmer’s Deli, Good Earth, Honey & Zest, Jo’s Delights, Mint Health, My Melts My Remedies, Myoka Spas, Nupo, Perrier, Sanya, Saz Mifsud, Thalgo, The Health Store, Vincent’s Eco Farm and Nestlé’s Yes.

Thank you once again to Pink Magazine editior Fiona Galea Debono for inviting me to share the fun! Oh and do check out the event video on the Times Of Malta, we made it there too!

316km² | Charles & Ron Spring Summer '19 Collection Launch

316km². My Malta's total area! How tiny and yet so rich! A tiny island whose name is met with blank stares many a time, and with jubilant expressions whenever we meet someone who has actually visited! A small island bang in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea with 300 days of sunshine per year and a history richer than any other country's, I never tire of boasting about my Malta!

Even more so, when we have such a formidable fashion duo such as Charles & Ron, who always take an aspect from our history and culture and seamlessly transcend it into their superb fashion collections. 

Last Friday I was invited to the launch of the Spring Summer '19 collection at their newly opened store at MINUSTHREE at The Point Shopping Complex in Sliema. The collection was first launched last September during New York Fashion Week as part of Art Hearts Fashion Week.

In their own words:

"A summer day in Malta or Gozo can take you from a village to a bar and later a beautiful beach. We wanted this collection to truly capture the spirit of island life. Small towns, villages, and iconic spots such as Glen Eagles Bar in the harbour of Gozo really capture that spirit. Images of the bar, pictures from beautiful Xwejni Bay, traditional house façades and the idea of putting some iconic animals in the spotlight sets us off on the design journey for Spring/Summer 2019".

The colour palette is inspirired by our traditional homes built from limestone and their doors, façades  and balconies painted in pastel colours - orange, mint, lilac, baby blue and yellow, paired with C&R's signature black and white. We have different animal motifs on the garments depicting endemic animal species such as the Fresh Water Crab and the Wall Lizard as well as other species which are often associated with the Maltese Islands such as the Maltese Falcon and the Dolphin Fish, some of which are even in danger of extinction and thus Charles and Ron aim at raising awareness about them.

Materials used in this collection range from playful tulle to silk, chiffon, cotton knits, as well as light wash and embroidered denim. The collection also includes bags, belts, sneakers and encrusted jewellery.

I think this collection ticks off all the boxes for me, so much so that I already got my hands on an item from it 😉 Thank you Charles & Ron for having me and well done on the collection once again!

Review | Dove Shower & Shave Mousse

Spring has finally made it's much-awaited appearance and that only means one thing - skirts get shorter and well shaving gets a move up the priority list 😛

I for one, have invested in having laser hair removal done a few years ago and although the results are exceptional, there a few stubborn hairs which have survived. This is where Dove Shower & Shave Mousse comes in!

These days I seem to always be in a hurry running from one meeting to the next, juggling long shifts at work, housework, getting our new home ready, wedding meetings, basic errands and the speck of social life I have left. Consequently, I rarely have the luxury of putting a couple of hours aside for myself just to relax and pamper myself.

In this regard, Dover Shower Mousse is truly a life and time saver! With three different fragrances - Argan Oil, Rose Oil and Coconut Oil, I really am spoilt for choice! The mousse lathers up nicely so I can cleanse my skin with it and then proceed to shaving the rebel hairs, all while leaving my skin silky smooth and smelling divine too! Gone is the feeling and appearance of dry skin right after shaving!

Not sure which sent to go for? Each cap comes with a little sticker you can scratch to see which one is more appealing to you. I find the packaging is environmentally friendly in that you only get the bottle - no boxes or extra packaging which is otherwise going to waste. 

I have used all three of them and if I were to pick one, I'd go for Coconut! I have declared it before and will do again, the smell of coconut screams summer to me and for that reason alone, it's a firm favourite!

Thank you Dove for saving me time!

PR Samples

Breathing Purer Air with Puressentiel Purifying Spray

We can all agree that the environment around us is not what it used to be - there's too many a construction site and pollution is getting worse by the minute. While we can all do our bit to help ease the repercussions on our environment, we can also count on French brand Puressentiel to at least help us breathe purer air in our homes and other indoor spaces.

Although I had heard of the brand before, I was only recently introduced to their products, specifically the Purifying Spray with 41 essential oils, which is what I'll be reviewing in today's post. But first, if you're also new to the brand, let me introduce you to it first.

Puressentiel was founded in 2005 as the first aromatherapy laboratory in pharmaceuticals in France and the European continent. Today, it is the leading brand in the European aromatherapy market, with its products being distributed in 80 countries. Puressentiel formulates healthy, aromatherapeutic and cosmetic products, that are natural and organic, using the purest essential oils and active ingredients. In fact, Puressentiel's product portfolio spans over 250 products, with the Purifying Air Spray being their number 1 best seller.

Puressentiel Purifying Air Spray is meant for indoor use to improve the air quality, which is almost always contaminated with bacteria and other micro-organisms. In fact, the 41-essential-oil-blend has been tested for anti-bacterial activity against 4 of the most common strains of bacteria which are commensals of our living environment but may cause infection when the opportunity arises. From the conducted studies, it was concluded that Puressentiel Purifying Air Spray kills 99.99% of bacteria. The same blend was also tested on 2 common viruses and it was found to, again, eliminate 99.99% of viruses.

To get maximum benefit out of the Puressentiel Purifying Air Spray, all you have to do is spray a couple of times in the corners of the room and the citrussy smell will take over in a matter of seconds. If you are sensitive to perfumes, I'd suggest spraying once and always make sure there is adequate ventilation because the scent is quite intense.

I personally don't mind it but my fiance does so I usually spray it in the morning to make sure that by the time he's back home, the smell has dissipated.

You can also try spraying it on carpets as they harbour a lot of micro-organisms or even in your car, hotel rooms... just make sure you open a window first!

Personally, this has been a lifesaver for me because as much as I love spring time, the dreaded allergies that take over me at this time of year are the absolute worst. I find the smell helps me breathe better and it's pleasant so I can't complain at all! Moreover, recent studies have concluded that the air quality has a direct effect on our happiness and well-being (!) and sadly, Malta didn't do great in that regard, thus I always look forward to using Puressentiel Purifying Spray to uplift my mood!

You can find Puressentiel in all leading pharmacies around Malta & Gozo. 

PR Sample

L-Għarusa | Filming of a scene from the last episode of Season 1

If you live in Malta, the exceptional television drama production L-Għarusa needs no introduction; and if you remember, I was invited to join the actors backstage for filming back in June before the series starting airing. Fast forward a few months and (very sadly) we are now at the end of the first season.

It's become somewhat of a Tuesday night ritual for me - have a shower, prepare a cuppa and a little sweet snack and snuggle up in front of the television anxiously waiting for the next episode and what it has in store! And, if like me you haven't missed an episode, you would know that Lucrezia is organizing a masked ball at the Gauci Fontana palace in a bid to liven up the place a little. Well, last Wednesday, I was lucky enough to be invited again to go behind the scenes during filming of this masked ball scene! 

What We Know So Far

The story centres around the Gauci Fontana family and the presumed killing of their only daughter and heir Bettina on her wedding day in 1932 as well as the year before the murder; however, the story also takes us in the present day when Bettina's wedding dress was bought by a museum and exhibited and we have two young employees trying to chase the history behind it, all while a romance is budding between them.

Amid all the characters, there seems to be the love triangle trend 

- Bettina, Bert and Diego

- Amelia, Agostino and Bernard

- and in the present day, Alan, Diane and Liz

The story is set when Maltese nobility still had a strong presence among the society and it was customary for the elite families to arrange marriages for their children, hence, Bettina is engaged to Bert, which we now know that he is not really of noble blood after shocking revelations about his true family origins. This is unknown to the Gauci Fontana's though and thus Arturo still thinks this marriage is what's best for his daughter.

With actor JP Xuereb who plays Bert

There is however a series of circumstances which lead to Bettina meeting Diego, a circus performer and a forbidden relationship soon develops and ends in both of them getting married in secret. All this was possible thanks to Bettina's uncle Dott. Amadeo Gauci Fontana, who shared a close relationship together until Bettina discovers he had tampered with her birth documents in a bid for her to lose her birthright and the Gauci Fontana heritage. What happens next between Bettina and Diego is yet to be discovered!

Someone cleans up well! Actor/model Davide Tucci plays Diego and needs to introduction

In the household, there is also Arturo's sister Emilia and her daughter Amelia who is now the Gauci Fontana heiress by succession following her cousin's untimely death. There are also the servants who come with stories of their own - the budding romance between Liberat & Domenico, Nena and her past and Tonin, his wife Maria Angela and what looks like a broken marriage between them.

But I guess we'll have to wait for Season 2 to start airing before we can get any closure to any of the stories and finally discover who killed Bettina.

About Verdala Palace

Malta is laced with rich, baroque buildings dating back to the period of the Knights of St. John and I must say that the Verdala Palace in the limits of Buskett is most definitely one of the most imposing of them all, and thus very apt to be considered as the filming location for the Gauci Fontana palace. I had only ventured in the gardens once for an event last year but I never had the opportunity to witness the grandeur of the halls inside. My jaw dropped in astonishment as soon as I walked into the first room. There are paintings all around with the most prominent being a full-length painting depicting Grandmaster Hughues Loubenx de Verdalle (the one who built the palace) and another showing Grandmaster Francisco Ximenes de Texada. Much of the other rooms are steeping in priceless works of art and I am truly grateful at having been invited!

In conclusion, I invite you all to tune it to TVM on Tuesday 9th April 2019 to witness the masked ball at the Gauci Fontana palace while we all wait for the story to be unveiled and secrets to be revealed!