If someone would have told me few months ago I would choose alternative hot drink over coffee, I would have laughed at them and continued to act as a coffee addict, always thinking when could I get another cup of coffee. Sometimes it even ruled my life too much, but I couldn't give up. I love the taste of coffee, the smell of coffee, the idea of coffee and the variety of coffee drinks you can get. 

When you usually enjoy green tea and throw away the tea leaves, then with matcha you will consume everything. This means 137 times more antioxidants than regular green tea! There are so many benefits in a good cup full of matcha. It boosts metabolism, clears up skin when you are prone to redness and spots and improves skin in general. Improves energy levels, nutrient balance and weight control. Green tea is extremely anti-aging when you drink it regularly. The most important factor to me is the fact that I get my needed caffeine without anxiety since I suffer from it. 

Basically you take 1/2 teaspoon of matcha powder and mix it with hot water in a regular tea cup or make a shot with juice and take it in at once. I prefer to drink it as a regular tea and since green tea can be little bit bitter, I like to add a little amount of organic local honey in it. Matcha creates little foam on top of it, but when you are pickier than me, you can always whisk it and create even more foam and enjoy your creamy foamy power drink. 

The benefits of matcha kick in quite fast. I usually feel the rush of energy right after I have finished with my drink, but still I will remain focused. I also noticed I won't feel sluggish afterwards when the effect of the caffeine has faded. It happens quite often with coffee consumption: you will feel yourself like in a rut and afterwards there's no energy at all. In conclusion I did notice in a month that my skin got better and didn't need as much care a pampering in order to maintain its cleanliness. My metabolism got punctual and much faster and overall I felt myself better, stress free and without any anxiety or insomnia.

I am not going to lie, I still consume coffee at least once a day in the morning, but I have cut down on it so much and am proud of myself. There have also been days without any coffee at all after matcha had got more and more near my heart.

About this particular Pure Chimp matcha green tea I love the fact it seems to be so high quality, the powder is very fine, dissolves quickly and only tiniest amount creates quite strong tea. Can't pass on mentioning the handy jar that can be taken with you anywhere without worrying about spilling your matcha.

Have you tried matcha green tea and did you like it?

If you are the one who also struggles often with sun- or windburned lips that can easily cause a nasty and painful cold sores. This is the little affordable magic in a pot. Whenever I feel I might get a col sore and my upper lip starts to itch or sting, I usually end up consuming enormous amounts of melissa tea. Which is good, of course. Because melissa tea has its own benefits and should be loved not only for that, but it is well known fact that melissa helps to boost your immune system and fight viruses.

Its base is the best local beeswax along with flax oil, safflower oil and of course the essential oils of melissa. It is 100% natural and handmade in Estonia, so imagine my surprise when I got to know that the best things don't have to come from far away. 

Lip balm itself is more solid than creamy, which is good, because humid weather can destroy easily melting products fast. This won't leave lips greasy, but applies very thin and so refreshing protective layer on them. Melissa's scent is so comforting, balmy and soothing. Within one application you can considerably reverse any damage that has already happened and go live on with your soft pout how it is actually meant to be.

This is my new TRIANGL Bandeau Neoprene Bikini in Pastel Neon Orange. It is called Winnie Arizona Sunset. I think that name describes it perfectly! This sure does look like a midsummer's sunset. I could talk about this gorgeous shade for hours, but that wouldn't be informative. So, onto the set itself! I got this a while ago, but have gotten really good use out of this set for the last couple of weeks. I love the fact it is bandeau as I think this kind of top is the most flattering and also convenient when sunbathing. No straps means no tan lines!

I also must admit that first when I ordered it, I was a bit worried how the top would fit and whether it would stay up or fall down too easily. It actually fits amazingly and you don't have to struggle at all in order to keep it up or worry about flashing yourself. It has been made of 100% neoprene which is little bit thicker material than swimwear usually has been made. While this material needs to be hand washed, it is so easy to do that and it goes clean within minutes. 

The benefits of this fabric and this bikini set are endless! It dries quickly after swim and isn't see through at all when getting wet. It has a flexible boning in a structured top that will hug your curves perfectly. Even though it is thicker, you won't get hot and your skin is able to breathe. It has back clasp fastening, but I also love the zipper in front that makes it easy to get on or off. As a lovely bonus it comes in a handy bag that has been made with the same material and is the same colour as the bikini set. Considering all that, I imagine this set of swimwear lasting longer than any other I have owned.

Most of all I do love the fact that with this bikini set you are covered up tastefully, yet you don't have to sacrifice the beauty of your bikini. As I said, I have always loved a good strapless bandeau, but very often they don't stay put where they should and you end up always arranging yourself. Sunbathing and swimming should be worry free and that is what this TRIANGL set offers!

You can layer and layer good skincare and take your time to work its magic, but if it doesn't you probably put so much bad stuff on your skin during daytime, your skin can't take it anymore. Whenever I have troubled skin times I turn to natural makeup. Especially natural face makeup! Couleur Caramel is a lovely French cosmetics brand that does its makeup clean, pure and full of good ingredients that actually take care of your skin. These would also be perfect items to use in your summer makeup routine as I can't imagine what could be worse for your skin than sweating under sun having silicones, parabens, parfums and other chemicals on sitting on your skin.

Couleur Caramel Smoothing Velvet Primer enhances the complexion, improves foundation application and sets makeup by prolonging its hold. It has sheer texture that smoothes skin tone and makes its texture velvety smooth. I apply it only on my oilier areas as it has a mattifying effect, yet it leaves skin its healthy look. I imagine that this would be a life saver product for people who are overly oily. As I also get drier areas I sometimes prefer to use tiniest amount and mix it with my foundation, then I apply the mixture on my face and I will get poreless airbrushed finish in a natural way. This primer is a true multi-tasker and can also used throughout the day on makeup when unwanted shine comes peeks through and makeup need little correction in general. While this is not all, it contains lots of natural oils that are beneficial for skin. This product restored my belief into makeup primers as I always thought you can't get a good pore concealing primer without nasties in it. Turns out you can and while using it you are able to enjoy its sweet dessert-like aroma!

Couleur Caramel Natur'fluid Foundation is a light coverage foundation to achieve a natural finish with. It allows to even out skin tone while hydrating  skin completely and giving you radiant a complexion. The application process itself feels always so good and comforting on skin, almost like putting on skincare. What can be better? During the day it will sink more into skin, so it won't be very long-lasting, but whenever I reapply it on areas where I might need more coverage, it won't look cakey or unnatural. Perfect summer time foundation! Mine comes in shade 12, natural beige. 

Couleur Caramel Dark Circle Concealer has turned out to be my hero product! This concealer gets so creamy with the heat of your fingers, yet dries perfectly matte but not dry looking on skin. It diminishes everything from dark circles to acne scars, blemishes and redness. A lot of times I don't even use powder to set it as it finds the right way to cooperate with skin and stay on long hours. Having a huge benefit of not getting into fine lines, but adapting with skin's texture, I love this so much that can't go a day without it. Whenever I choose not use makeup on that day, I only dab little bit this product on problem areas and I am good to go. Mine comes in shade 12, light beige.

Or should I just say 'perfect summer flush'? Because this is just that perfect shade which gives you so healthy and natural flush. I would see this blush to cooperate with any complexion and skin undertone. 

It is Kallos Cosmetics Love Pure Blush  and mine is in shade 07. In the packaging it has little bit of fine golden speckles in it and colour seems to have a warm coral undertone to it. On face it is comes out very natural and matte, not too powdery and the shade appears to be rosy pink with the slightest hint of coral. 

When I first got it I couldn't believe the quality of the product. Thing is, it is extremely affordable, but both packaging and product itself seem to be something you usually won't get with that little amount of money. This Kallos blush is highly pigmented and little bit goes very long way. You basically need just a slight swipe of colour to get the right amount without going overboard. Whenever applied too much, which has happened to me couple of times since I wasn't familiar with this product yet, it is easy to blend out and perfect cheeks with warm flush to them have been achieved.

As it is soon to be weekend it is right time to talk about pampering yourself. I usually take the time to do face masks, scrubs and hair treatments on Friday or Saturday evenings. This is the time to myself. While there are different masks I do I want to talk about the most special one. It is Vestige Verdant - an all organic bioactive anti aging mask that heals and soothes your skin.

First and foremost, this has been created in Estonia and looks quite luxurious to begin with. Quite big jar holds 200ml of face mask that looks something like mud, but really is based on organic peat. While it claims to be anti-aging it has so much more in it. The benefits list is very long and includes the properties of deep cleansing, moisturising, improving skin's texture, reviving blood circulation, healing allergic or overly sensitive skin, diminishing acne, relieving stress and restoring skin's natural pH balance.

How does it work? As I said it is based on organic natural peat that has one of Vestige Verdant's key ingredients, humic acid in it. This substance is originally so complex, that its molecular structure is impossible to replicate synthetically. So they have harnessed the power of nature with the purpose of making this miracle mask happen. Humic acid detoxifies and is also powerful enough to fight with cellulite. Deep cleansing and moisturising effect comes form a lot of minerals and bioactive ingredients that also give tour skin its natural pH balance. Fulvic acid in it, proven to be powerful electrolyte, will heal anything that may be troubling your skin. Soothing properties come from bioactive hymatomelanic acid that accelerates healing process, improves texture and is known to have the ability to fight with cancer cells.

Onto my true opinion! This mask doesn't have a scent to it and has a quite wet muddy texture. It should be applied whenever needed on a clean surface, but can be used daily if skin tolerates it. When applied it feels so soothing as it is moist and quite cold. Layer should be thick enough to cover the whole skin without your skin peeking through. Right after finished with an application, it is time to relax. Soon, great things will start to happen! After a while you will feel slight tingling or itching on your skin and almost feel how this mask pulls every single toxin and gunk out of your skin. When your skin isn't overly sensitive, you can leave it on up to 10 minutes, but when it is, 5 minutes should be fine. Like with every skincare item you should really listen your own skin and see what works best for you.

Not so good part is washing it off. It might get really dirty and your sink will be in need of a good clean afterwards. You also need to take some time to concentrate on your face and get everything off. I also use a cotton pad with a splash of toner on it to remove even slightest traces of mask afterwards. Once you get used to this mask you will master the whole process and washing it off part won't be so bad anymore. Key is to be as close to the skin as possible and really use your hands to clean your face. Even better if you can do this mask right before getting into shower and all your problems regarding dirty sink will be gone! This is what I do and I enjoy this little ritual so much. 

After you have gotten everything off, you will be absolutely amazed! Yes, there are great mud masks and even better clay masks that deep cleanse your skin perfectly, but with this mask it is whole another story. I can't even describe it without sounding like a lunatic. It feels like your skin is finally breathing and so thankful you just can't keep your hands away from your face. Your pores look smaller, cleaner, skin comfortable in general and the more regularly you use this mask, the more you see the effect. Whatever the product is, you choose to apply afterwards: serum, moisturiser or both, they go on amazingly and work so much better with your clean skin. 

Vestige Verdant ships worldwide and even though the price is little bit pricy it is nothing compared to the results I have with it. This jar is completely full of the mask and mine lasted about 5 months and I still have some of it left as you can see from the picture. In fear of running out of it, I already had to get the new one!