Cappuccino is out! Hello Chai Tea!!

You might wonder what chai tea has to do with this blog? Well, fabulousness (yes, I love to add -ness to all sorts of words. . .even if it turns them into tongue twisters *grin*) does also come from inside. . .even mostly if I’m honest. . .so, do not only take care of the surface my sweethearts!!

Of course I still enjoy my occasional cappuccino but its nr 1 spot on my list of fav hot drinks has been taken over by chai tea latte! Especially now that it’s getting colder and darker. . .

Whether chai tea is healthy or not may be discussed but in India many people drink it on daily base and are convinced about its positive influence on body/health . . .fact is that if you consume the high quality version (take care when ordering chai tea latte as some coffee shops sell you steamed milk with spice syrup instead of real tea) the following aspects should be considered:

The World Famous Antioxidants:

- Chai tea has several antioxidants, who fight back free radicals. Some scientists say that tea in general has 10 times more antioxidants than fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants help our body to lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

Help For Our Digestion:

- Ginger, one of the main spices of chai tea, helps digesting. It also helps in case of stomach ache and morning sickness. (Ginger is also said to help in case you have a cold. . .well actually I can confirm that this is true. . .)

Less Caffeine:

- 1 cup of chai tea has less caffeine than one cup of average coffee. One can also choose decaffeinated chai tea same as one can choose soy milk instead of cow milk in case of chai tea latte).

Easy Peasy Baby:

- Take a break from your stressful life by enjoying a cup of hot chai tea. The spices in a chai tea, especially the warming cinnamon, help to relax the body and spirit.

Unfortunately I had to consider, after coming back to Luxembourg, that in my area you don’t get decent chai tea. . .what a misery. . .so again it’s time for some „do it yourself“!

And here’s the receipt:

To make this tea using a traditional recipe, gather fresh spices from an Asian or Indian market. Take cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, whole black or white pepper corns, a cardamom pod, and grind them together into a powder. With chopped ginger root, add this mixture to a liquid of two parts half-and-half to three parts water. Use a strong, black tea from Asia such as Darjeeling, Ceylon, or Assam blends, instead of a green tea. Black tea has been oxidized, and has more tannins and a higher pungency. This mixture brews over a low, simmering heat for up to an hour, unlike steeped tea that takes more minutes. Strain out the spices and stir in a teaspoon of sugar/honey to bring out the spiciness without overly sweetening. Your cup of chai is ready to ease your nerves and warm your soul.
Source: www.wisegeek.com/ehow.com

My hints:

-Many indian markets/stores sell the spice mixture in powder form ready to use)

-In case you prefer chai tea latte; well it’s the same tea mixed with steamed milk. . .one actually gets little steamers for domestic use. . .you don’t have to buy one of those sophisticated coffee machines. . .in case the delicious milk foam is not so important to you just mix some warm milk shortly before serving. . .


Enjoy!!

XO Tanja

It's all in your eyes babies!

Your eyes can say more than thousands words, which is why they should be nicely "framed"!!

No, I’m not suggesting some extravagant and complicated eye make up involving 10 different shades, 3 different pencils, 7 different brushes plus hours and hours of practice until you manage it!

It’s really not that hard to look fabulous. . . actually you only need a liquid eyeliner (I use for ex. "Luminelle" by Yves Rocher) and mascara (some technics also require an eye pencil but it also works without)! So what am I talking about?! Well well. . .the famous „cat eye“ or „winged eye“!! It makes such a difference compared to other ways of applying eyeliner and it can be worn with or without shades.

This eye make up has become my fav and I use it almost everyday, just adore the effect is has on my look! Drama Baby!!
As I use it so often and don’t want my look to become boring I combine it with different shades according to the occasion or I simply use it without any other colour.

On youtube you find so many great tutorials how to create this style and so, instead of adding another one to this endless list, I add a link which is quite good:

Tutorial

When it comes to mascara I prefer to use two different ones. . .a volumizing one (ex. „Intense Volumizing Mascara“ by Lavera) and a waterproof one (ex. „Lash Plumping Mascara Waterproof“ by Yves Rocher). Why am I doing so?? Well, so far I didn’t really make many good experiences with those „all in one“ products, I prefer to use several products I made good experiences with and I’m happy with the results I get! I also think that waterproof mascara is essential as you never know what might happen during the day/night and I for myself don’t want to end up looking like a panda bear due to rain, tears or whatever. . .(panda bears are cute yes. . .but still. . .)

And now sth for the notorious day after!!
I so hate to have puffy eyes in the morning due to a lack of sleep. . .makes you look like a zombie and no make up can really cover it up!! In the September issue of the US „Glamour“ magazine I read a „do it yourself“ mask that I was tempted to try. . .and it acutally works:

- put 2 to 3 bags of green tea in a glass of hot water, wait until the water has cooled down and remove the bags. Add a tea-spoon of honey and a tablespoon of apple juice. Dunk 2 cotton pads in the glass, wring them out and place them right under your eye. You can lay some plastic wrap over it all but it’s not necessary (tried with and without but didn’t remark any difference). Leave the pads on for about 15 min., rinse, pat dry and there you go!! Depuffed eyes!! Hooray!!

Little hint by myself: in case your skin is very sensitive replace one green tea bag by a camomile tea bag and reduce the amount of apple juice to a teaspoon!

I hope you liked this post and find it helpful!!

Read you soon again!!

xo T.

*meow*