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Author: Margit Rüdiger

CultureAndCream Author from Munich To travel during my profession as a beauty journalist was never enough for my. Also my six month on a world trip didn't do it. It always attracts me to other cities, foreign countries, on roadtrips and places I don't know yet. But I am not only interested in "culture" and "cream", I am also fascinated by people who have stories to tell .  Such unique experiences I want to share with you.

Tested for you: Press-on nails “imPRESS” from Kiss

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I always wanted to try a so-called Press-on Manicure, because it seems so easy when you need beautiful nails in a hurry and have no time for extensive nail paint. There are the self-adhesive nails in countless colors, shapes from square to oval to stiletto and also with nail design such as French, glitter or matte. I was surprised by the material of the fake nails. The ABS plastic is thin and flexible, has nothing in common with the rigid, artificial fingernails of the past. ABS plastics are among the most widely used plastics in the world. The material is easy to file into shape and paint. However, varnish and varnish remover must not contain acetone. Press-ons: No extra adhesive required For my test, I chose black Press-ons from Kiss in a square shape and medium length. One package contains 30 self-adhesive nails, from which I choose the right sizes for my natural nails. For each nail size there is the right counterpart. I put them right away in the right order for both hands. Before I start, I wash my hands extensively with soap as recommended and dry them thoroughly. With the manicure stick from the package I push back the cuticles a little. Then I clean my nails with the prepared cleaning pad, also included in the package. To attach the artificial nails, simply peel off the foil from the back of the nail and press it onto the natural nail with even pressure for 30 seconds. The self-adhesive nails fit perfectly and nestle well against the cuticle. However, I would like to shorten some of the press-ons with the file after all. But for this I should wait at least an hour. The same applies to the contact with water. All easy The result surprises me positively. The nails look natural and not at all “glued”. After a week at the latest, you should remove them. I take them off again after five days. This also works easily and without any problems. I run the manicure stick under the sides and lift off the artificial nail. The tape is super comfortable to remove and leaves no marks. The press-on nails have not harmed my natural nails in the slightest. By the way, you can reuse them up to three times. Press-ons „imPRESS“ from Kiss, 30 fake nails, 6,99 US$… weiterlesen
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The (Palazzo) Fiuggi Concept

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You have never heard of Fiuggi? Yet the Fiuggi thermal springs, located about 80 kilometers southeast of Rome, are among the oldest in Italy. Even Michelangelo and Pope Boniface VIII praised the mineral-poor, natural spring water. The palazzo, with its eight-hectare park on a hill overlooking the ancient city, has been a luxurious retreat for royalty and other celebrities since 1913. Since May 2021, one of the best medical spas can be found there. Nowhere else but Palazzo Fiuggi I would accept a raw radicchio salad, even if there were a few pieces of apple and a few nuts hidden in it. I would immediately call for the dressing. But here… I think of the healthy bitters and eat up dutifully. And indeed, it tastes good once you get used to the bitterness. All the dishes, served at individual tables in the hotel’s stylish restaurant, are tailored to each guest’s needs and chosen health program: “Immune Boot” to strengthen the immune system, “Complete Life Rewind” for regeneration, “Deep Detox” or “Optimal Weight.” I opted for four trial days to get to know the program. Gourmet food from a star chef For each program, three-star chef Heinz Beck, a German who has chosen to live in Rome, has worked with Professor David Della Morte, Medical Director of the house, to create a nutritional concept that is healthy, balanced and varied. Although the daily ration is only about 1700 to 1900 kcal, no one has to go hungry. On the contrary. Sometimes it was even too much for me.Every dish is delicious and Heinz Beck also cooks for the eye. Everything is perfectly composed in terms of color and lovingly arranged on plates or in bowls. Indulgence at the highest level. The individual menu changes daily and consists of three to four courses. Dessert included – as exquisite as “Orange tapioca with chocolate” or “Apricot gelatine with all’ondata milk ice cream”. Only the wine and the café espresso have to be dispensed with. There is only tea or water from the Fiuggi spa, but plenty of it. A vision becomes reality The vision of Lorenzo Giannuzzi, who had already been general manager of the former Palazzo Hotel from 1988 to 1992 when it was still called Palazzo della Fonte, was to bring new glory and splendor to the somewhat aging magnificent building. Giannuzzi, head of the sister hotel Forte Village in Sardinia, gave the hotel a makeover without destroying its nostalgic flair and led it to its new purpose: to create a profound, innovative wellness-medical retreat.… weiterlesen

My X-mas Beauty Tip: „The Atelier of Dreams” by Dior

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The limited Christmas collection „The Atelier of Dreams” by Christian Dior Parfums is indeed a beauty dream. Creative director Peter Philips has already worked his magic on the visuals: a delicate engraving depicting the emblematic facade of the House of Dior in Paris adorns eyeshadows and lipsticks. The colors are sensationally festive. On eyes and nails it may shimmer this year in gold and silver. I have opted for the gold variant. „Atelier Doré“ for golden eyes The iconic 5 Couleurs Couture palette in “Atelier Doré” features four velvety, matte and satin brown shades arranged around a warm gold. This allows the entire eye to be enveloped in radiant gold. For contrast, I apply the matte brown shade along the upper lid and at the outer corners of the eye. But the palette allows for plenty of other variations. With such a strong eye makeup, I personally prefer not to use a lip color that is too flashy. I like “Rose d’Hiver”, a warm rosewood shade. So that it lasts particularly long and the mouth is beautifully defined, I use a contour pencil in the same color. With it, I not only trace the contours, but also paint the surface of the lips with it. Sophistication for the nails I also treat the nails to a little more extravagance than usual. For my festive manicure, I first use the radiant red “Poppy”. With such an intense color, the base coat underneath is not to be neglected. When applying polish, I always first apply a very thin layer of color polish in the middle of the nail and then on the sides. Then follows a more generous layer so that the color gets more depth. As a highlight, I use the top coat “Bouton d’Or” with golden and silver reflections, which cover the nails with a sparkling glittering veil. Instead of red, of course, you can choose any other nail polish color. For a discreet glitter veil, apply the TopCoat directly to the natural nails or the base coat. „The Atelier of Dreams“: 5 Couleurs Couture „469 Atelier Doré“, 65 US$; 074 Diorific Lipstick „074 Rose d’Hiver“, 40 US$; Dior Vernis „862 Poppy“, 29 US$; Dior Vernis Top Coat “001 Bouton d’Or“, 29 US$… weiterlesen

Christmas: Not Always Peace and Joy

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Christmas is considered to be the celebration of love. But in some families, the holidays are anything but harmonious. Why this happens and how you can still save the holiday. The story of the birth of Jesus in the stable in Bethlehem is one of the best known lines in the Bible. Christmas should remind us of this event. Contemplation, peace, harmony is the credo. But reality often looks different, because expectations are generally far too high. This then degenerates into stress. The tree has to be decorated, gifts bought, decorations and menus planned. And then there’s the question of who to invite. Does the mother-in-law have to be on the list, even though you know in advance that she will surely cause trouble again? But it is Christmas, after all, and we have the best intentions to make it peaceful. In the Christmas rush “Women tend to be more stressed than men,” confirms Prof. Mazda Adli, chief physician at the Fliedner Clinic in Berlin and stress researcher at Charité. “They are usually the duty-fillers during the Christmas season. Even in our emancipated world, cookies are baked more by women than by men. Gifts are more often wrapped by women because everyone thinks they can do it better. But for both, they’re faced with expectations they’re not used to meeting.” The reason why so many people take part in the stressful game around Christmas, even though they feel uncomfortable, is to be found in a kind of peer pressure. The fact that the whole family comes together at Christmas is a ritual that has been practiced for a long time. The group should be characterized by consensus, where conflict has no place. TV, cinema and advertising also present us with this image of – supposed – harmony. This is what people want to achieve for themselves and their families. But the idea of the reflective season can be a huge stressor. It’s not just that you spend more time at home and with your family. Stress also comes from having to visit relatives. You don’t really want to, but you see it as your duty, because you want to fulfill the expectation that everyone will be especially nice to each other at Christmas. Suffering instead of experiencing “It’s a pity that we often focus only on getting things done these days and not on experiencing them. We ‘suffer’ Christmas rather than perceive and enjoy it as a reflective time,” says Dr.… weiterlesen

My X-mas gift tip: Valentino Go-Clutch+ Minirosso

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Valentino bags are among the most wanted It-bags. No less stylish is the little beauty sister. This one was also designed by Pierpaolo Piccioli, the Italian has been creative director of Valentino since 2008. The cool fashion accessory made its debut on the Valentino runway in spring/summer 2017, with Piccioli wanting to show the close connection between couture and beauty. The compact clutch is the ideal companion for on-the-go make-up application and looks exceptionally good at the same time. Customized and refillable The genius of it, I think, is that you get your Go-Clutch customized in shiny, sexy Valentino red. You can choose from five shades of the compact powder. The small lipstick is available in six colors – and again in a satin or matte finish. The Minirosso can also be changed at any time to suit your mood. In any case, the mini clutch is a real eye-catcher, whether you wear it on the filigree gold chain crossbody, over your shoulder or hold it in your hand. The long chain can be easily removed and put back on again. Every fashionista – and who is not – will be delighted with this gift. Or rather keep it for yourself? I could understand it. „Valentino Go-Clutch+Minirosso“, ca. 199 €… weiterlesen

Glow for the skin – what is it actually?

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Actually, you can no longer hear the word glow. Hardly any cosmetics manufacturer does not have at least one product in its range that promises glow for the skin. The beauty pages of women’s magazines outdo each other with recommendations for a “glowy” or “dewy” complexion. For men, by the way, glow is never to be mentioned; there, glow tends to be equated with oily. But what actually makes this mysterious glow of the female skin? Glow means as much as radiate or shine. The term has a positive connotation because it means softly glowing skin that looks as if an Insta-filter has been placed over it. A baby’s skin naturally possesses it. Even in youth, this rosy freshness is still present because the skin is well supplied with blood and has enough elasticity. Unfortunately, this natural glow diminishes with age, when environmental damage affects the skin and it is already thinner and less even due to wrinkles and pigment spots. It becomes visibly paler and loses its radiant appearance. What you got from nature when you were young, you need to work on it later. Perfect skin does not exist Don’t be embarrassed if your skin isn’t absolutely flawless. It only exists on TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest anyway, thanks to filters and light corrections. True, social media would have us believe that hair, pimple and pore-free skin is the norm and everything else is somehow „wrong“ with it. But that’s absolute nonsense! “When people talk about ‘radiant skin,’ they usually mean an even complexion without spots – a smooth surface that reflects light in a flattering way,” confirms London dermatologist Dr. Justine Kluk. It’s a misconception that only glowing skin is healthy, and if it’s not, you’re doing something wrong. Although you eat healthy, get enough sleep, moisturize your skin, wear sunscreen, don’t smoke, and all of these can obviously be better for your body and your skin, ‘glow’ is not a reliable indicator of your health,” Dr. Kluk says. Even if someone has acne or rosacea, they may basically be a healthy person. Step by step This is not to say that you can’t improve the appearance of your skin. But you should not try to achieve everything at once, but always set yourself only one goal. Otherwise, you could overtax your skin. It’s best to keep your routine as simple as possible and approach the goal you set step by step.… weiterlesen

Tested for you: „Volumising Dry Shampoo“ from La Biosthetique

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I admit it, I am fond of dry shampoos. Especially the new generation, which is transparent and does not leave this despite brushing still visible, ugly gray haze on the hair. I have actually also already tried any amount of such products. With some, as I said, powder residue was visible, others showed hardly any effect and still others made the hair stringy. What do we expect from a dry shampoo? Definetly a refreshing of the hairstyle and a volume boost, with which we can postpone the next hair wash a little while. Dry shampoo kills bad hair days That’s exactly what the “Volumising Dry Shampoo” from the new “Volume” series by La Biostethique promises. Although the hair care line, which is based on an extract on Tahitian microalgae, is especially designed for fine hair and mine is anything but fine, but I try it anyway. After all, stringy roots exist in other hair textures as well. You know those Bad Hair Days when your hairstyle flops. In liquid dissolved powder particles My test begins: At first glance, the spray bottle with the milky-cloudy liquid does not look like a dry shampoo. I shake the bottle as recommended and then spray in parts directly the roots of my hair with it. There, the extra-fine powder particles dissolved in the liquid care formula which should absorb the excess oil. Magnesium and an active complex of plant proteins and the algae extracts provide new stability and support the structure. Refreshing volume booster I like the pleasant fresh scent of the dry shampoo and that the liquid dries immediately in the hair. I massage it in lightly with my fingertips and then brush the hair thoroughly overhead. A look in the mirror: The hairstyle has again stand and fullness, especially at the roots, and my hair looks like freshly washed. The next wash can actually wait until tomorrow or the day after. „Volumising Dry Shampoo“ from La Biosthetique, 100 ml, 23 Euro… weiterlesen

Cosmetic Surgery: Benefit or Delusion?

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Not everyone likes or is able to accept their appearance and would say “I am the way I am”. Then a change is desired. If cosmetic surgery goes well, you look “not done”. If it goes wrong, however, you won’t get your screwed-up face back. There are already some celeb examples of this. Some celebrities now even publicly admit that something went wrong during a cosmetic surgery procedure – not least because it can no longer be hidden. One of them is Linda Evangelista, the top model of the 90s. The beauty of yesteryear is hardly recognizable. According to her own statement, a surgery five years ago disfigured her so much that for years she hardly dared to go outside, fell into depression and, of course, couldn’t get any more jobs as a model. Even the always very self-confident actress Jamie Lee Curtis, who used to speak out vehemently against the optimization mania in terms of beauty, at some point could no longer resist the temptation. The trigger was a film director who didn’t want to shoot with her because her eyes were “too big” for him. Curtis went under the knife for the first time. She is also not a good example of a successful procedure. With her confession, as she herself says, she wants to warn young people in particular. They shouldn’t be tempted to undertake a cosmetic surgery procedure by supposed social media ideals. “Once you’ve screwed up your face, you won’t get it back,” says Curtis. Increasing numbers among younger women If you look at the statistics, the number of cosmetic surgery is actually increasing, especially among young women. It’s interesting when you look at the numbers in Germany. Germany is considered a country that has so far reacted rather cautiously to plastic surgery. According to a recent study by Merz Aesthetics, the 29-39 year olds have increased from 3.5% to 29.1% for fillers and similarly strong for botulinum toxin. The figures from an evaluation by the International Society of Plastic Surgery (ISAP) put it even more precisely: With 457 Botox injections per 100,000 inhabitants, Germany ranks fifth worldwide for this procedure. In the global cosmetic surgery comparison, it ranks 8th.In addition to botox and hyaluronic acid injections, breast operations are particularly in demand. When it comes to breast enlargements, Germany ranks 8th with 80.56 operations per 100,000 inhabitants, just behind the USA. Belgium is the front runner.… weiterlesen

Tested for you: Amazing Eyelashes! “Magnetic Eyeliner & Lash Kit” by Kiss

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Unfortunately, all Christmas parties and celebrations are canceled again this year due to Corona, on which I wanted to “jingle” with my new eyelashes. In everyday life, I would never wear fake lashes, but there are simply occasions when it may be something more. And they will certainly come back. The idea of magnetic lashes I actually found quite great, because you can completely do without the glue, which often irritates the eyes. But with the click system, where you have to press a lash from above and below on your own lashes, which then connect magnetically, I just could not cope. It always made me blink so much that they never ended up sitting where they were supposed to. Also, the double layer of lashes looked quite unnatural. I promptly disposed of them after the third hapless attempt. That’s what I call a classic bad purchase! Liner and lashes deliver what they promise In contrast, the Kiss set of magnetic eyeliner and lashes is something special. It works right away and perfectly optimizes your own lashes. The black eyeliner with nourishing biotin is smudge-proof and lasts all day without smudging. You can wear it alone or in combination with the artificial eyelashes, which stick to it without glue. The secret is five double-strength magnets on each lash line. The Fake Lashes – comes in different designs, look like glued on, but are not. Applying the fake lashes is also easy going: first I try out whether the length of the lash band fits my eyes. Not quite. I have to shorten them a tiny bit at the ends. After this trial run, I apply the eyeliner twice close to the edge of the upper eyelid and carefully make sure that the line is continuous from the inner corner of the eye to the outer corner. This is the only way to achieve the maximum adhesive strength for the “Kiss” lashes, which are now on their turn. I carefully pull them off their packaging. While I now look in the mirror with half-closed eyes, I fix each lash band from the inside to the outside on the eyeliner, which has dried well in the meantime. Fits! It’s a really simple concept: eyeliner, lashes, done! „Magnetic Eyeliner & Lash Kit“ from Kiss, ca. 16 Euro… weiterlesen

Fattoria La Vialla: Living with Nature

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Be more than seem – This is exactly what makes the largest company in biodynamic agriculture in Europe very special. The Fattoria La Vialla in Tuscany is one of the exceptions in today’s time, in which a lot is promised and only a few kept. Appearances are all too often deceptive. But everything is authentic here. At first glance, the Fattoria La Vialla is a huge, 1400 hectare site with lots of greenery, with 33,000 olive trees and 33 hidden residential units on it. It’s almost like a small village. The Fattoria La Vialla was founded in 1978 by Piero and Giuliana Lo Franco. It was built on the ruins of derelict farms that have been lovingly restored. The company near Arezzo is now run in the second generation by the brothers Antonio, Bandino and Gianni. Self-catering holiday at the Fattoria La Villa The individual and very cozy accommodations are rented during the season from March to October to guests who want to get to know farm life and the in-house products from biodynamic production of bread, cheese, sausage, lamb, chickens, eggs, pesto, olive oil and wine and want to enjoy Cantuccini. Everyone who lives in one of the “Podere” or the picturesque “Torre” has to take care of himself. You can get the delicious groceries in the farm shop. Freshly baked bread is served every morning from 9.30 a.m. Only what is produced on the farm is sold in the „Hofladen“. If you want to cook yourself, you can book one of the tables in the idyllic courtyard and let yourself be pampered in Tuscan style. You can also order all the La Vialla groceries online. Sustainability in practice The Fattoria La Vialla follows biodynamic agriculture. That is a step further than biological. Organic is the cultivation without fertilizers, natural cattle breeding without hormones in the feed. Biodynamic, however, means that everything is fed back into the natural cycle. The plants are not changed, but supported in their natural way of life. The olive trees from biodynamic cultivation have for example 20 percent more polyphenols than those from organic farming, because they have to protect themselves against attacks from the environment. The more you deal with the concept of the Fattoria La Vialla , the more positively you will be surprised. Living in harmony with nature. Sustainability as a natural consequence of this and not a forced measure as is often practiced otherwise.… weiterlesen