Agadir Argan Oil Products Review

Geia sas girls!

Today's review is on Agadir Argan Oil Products.
I'll start with the conditioner.
But first let me give you an introduction to Argan oil;
made from the kernals of the Argan tree in Morocco, Argan oil is very rich in vitamin E, carotenes, a& other nutrients. It is also used for dipping bread, on salads, & couscous.

Here is what Agadir says their product does:

Agadir Argan Oil Daily Moisturizing Conditioner is sulfate and paraben free with anti color fade for long, lasting hair color. It detangles, smoothes, shines and corrects dry, frizzy hair.

Protects against heat and chemical damage
The featherweight formula with protective sunscreen helps reair and strengthen damaged hair.

My thoughts:

-i definitely noticed that it both detangled & made my hair dry faster

-my hair does feel light after using

-it has a nice smell, not my favorite, but nice

-a little bit seems to go a long way, which is nice for me having very long, thick hair
-on Amazon (where i bought it) a customer described the smell as a 'spicy clean' & i think that's the perfect description of the smell

I don't have the shampoo right now but i bet the results are only better using it. It's hard to explain but immediately after rinsing hair starts to feel lightweight & drier. I paid around $13.

Now onto the 2nd product Agadir's Argan Oil Spray Treatment.

Agadir says;

This spray treatment is ideal for applying to longer hair lengths for ease in coverage, enabling protection from heat appliances and a smoother comb through.

Agadir Argan Oil Spray Treatment instantly repairs and adds elasticity to dry, damaged, frizzy hair.

It hydrates, conditions, smooths and shines.

My thoughts:

-use 2 sprays after a shower on wet-damp hair

-like the conditioner it makes your hair dry faster, i'd say this more than the conditioner

-add a small amount of shine, not as much as i was hoping for though

-smell is very similar to the conditioner's

-not messy at all, your hair/ hands never feel greasy

I paid around $16. I like these products over-all & would re-purchase!

Film #136: Player Hating: A Love Story

The beginning of Maggie Hadleigh-West's newest documentary, Player Hating: A Love Story has Brooklyn's Crown Heights hip-hop sensation Half-A-Mill and his posse pressing the front doors of a local venue as bonafide guest listers. It's an in-line madhouse, and there's a crush of security at the threshold, and this is the heightened atmosphere Half-A-Mill desires. "I want my voice to be heard

Blue Egyptian Lotus

Geia sas everyone!

Since starting my new job i haven't had a lot of time for blogging & that makes me sad :( but i'm always happy when i can because it's something i really enjoy & my little creative outlet.

Onto today's post, the Blue Egyptian Lotus is a gorgeous flower, one i love for being so complex in it's beauty. It's the kind of flower that everyone has to stop & stare at because its so eye-catchingly unique.

(images from google)

In ancient Egypt the Blue Lotus (also called blue water-lilly) was a symbol for the Memphite god Nefertem.

He is show here with the lotus for a headdress as a symbol of fragrance and beauty.

It is also been used to make perfumes since ancient times.

It was very significant in ancient Egypt and was said to rise & fall with the sun.

Another interesting fact is that if eaten, the Blue Lotus acts as a mild sedative.

Such a stunning flower!

It is shown in this video for the song Louloudi Mou(my flower)

10 Scary Possibilities for Halloween

For Halloween, 2010, I offer clips (and, thus, suggestions) of the most mortifying cinematic offerings out there. Gird your loins, and here we go (and spoilers abound so BE WARNED): JIGOKU (Nobuo Nakagawa, 60). It's scarier without the subtitles, this unbelievable preview for a bloody tour through Hell. Watch it only if you're brave. QUATERMASS AND THE PIT/FIVE MILLION YEARS TO EARTH (Roy

View of Barcelona from Parc Güell & Other Sites

I can hardly believe that it's been over ten years since I lived in Barcelona. Back in 2000, I stayed there for six months while conducting research for my doctorate. I worked mostly in the the Biblioteca de Catalunya and the Archivo de la Corona de Aragón. At the time, I shared a rented apartment with a colleague and friend, which was only 10 minutes away from Parc Güell. I used go up there regularly in the mornings to enjoy the view with an espresso and croissant, before I headed to the archive. That was definitely a good grad school experience!  Nothing penitential about it!  Perhaps this was the point in my life when I began to lose interest in traveling back in time to experience life in the cloister...  Looking back, I think that this cleavage had something to do with my being confronted by the imaginative splendour of Antoni Gaudi's architecture, and the raw energy and frantic street-life of Barcelona. This is why I was so glad that Gerry and Tim thought Parc Güell to be a perfect place to begin our exploration of the city, and of the central importance of Gaudi's work within it. The park has many wonderful perches that offer unique viewpoints of the city and the beautiful Mediterranean Sea that lies beyond. 

On our first full day in Barcelona, we met at the Gaudi museum, "La Pedrera", which was just a metro ride away from our apartment downtown, and a close walk for the students from their hostel on the Passeig de Gracia.

Several floors of the Pedrera are actually inaccessible because they contain suites that are privately owned. But the building, on the whole, offers a splendid example of Gaudi's architectural style -- curvy halls, doors, & windows in place of straight lines and right angles.  Although the building doesn't look tall from the outside, the inner spiral staircase leading up to the top floor winds around, and around, and around, and around... quite dizzying!  From the rooftop are Gaudi's famous sculptures that must have been a source of inspiration for the creators of Star Wars ...

From the roof of the Pedrera, we also had a panoramic view of the city, and could see in the distance another of Gaudi's famous works, the "Sagrada Familia":

While the students explored the Sagrada Familia from the inside, Dr. Honigsblum (Gerry) and I sat at a cafe across the road, and discussed the compelling scene of the crucifixion on the back facade of the church (see below). For me, the angular shape of the human figures seemed reminiscent of socialist monuments and sculptures of the early 20th century. Gerry pointed out the unusual depiction of the triumphant, fist-clenched Jesus on the cross.  I think that a few of the students did not appreciate our analysis ... are they "against interpretation" ?  Well, who knows... whatever the case, I would like to read their thoughts about this Gaudi creation (their assignment for Gerry's art history class).  

Later that day, I took Kerstin, Melanie & Lauren, on a tour of the old Gothic quarter (Barri Gotic).  I wanted to show them, in particular, the central market, the cathedral, the Jewish quarter ("Call") -- old synagogue and Intepretative Center -- and the neighbourhood known as "Santa Maria del Mar", which has wonderful artisan shops (Melanie did not want to see anymore kitschy gifts!) as well as one of my favourite gothic churches. Unfortunately, bad memory and a crummy map got me lost on the way to Santa Maria del Mar ...  My map looked something like this:

"Ladies, ladies, please take out your maps and help me find the place!  You will be rewarded!"  And so, they did ... indeed, once they got oriented, they found Santa Maria del Mar within minutes!  To celebrate, I bought them a refreshment ... (don't think Lauren enjoyed this, but the others did):

   
The quarter of Santa Maria del Mar was mostly settled in the Middle Ages by merchants, who used their money to fund the construction of a beautiful Gothic church. This connection is still apparent:  near the altar, a ship stands prominently in front of a sculpture of Virgin & Child (while the cross is off to the side and rather diminutive in size).  As the centerpiece suggests, the merchants worshiped Mary as their intercessor and protector -- she was viewed especially as the protector of merchant-seamen and sailors (Barcelona was an important port-city at this time and, together with Valencia to the south, the center of an expanding Aragonese Mediterranean "empire"):

That night, we met the rest of the group in the Plaça Reial, had dinner, and then were treated by Tim and Gerry to a Flamenco show at "Tarantos".  It was definitely one of the highlights of my trip to Barcelona. While Flamenco isn't a typical form of Catalan dance, it is, more generally for us, a powerful expression of what we associate with Spanish culture ... and it IS powerful!  I think Gerry summed up my feelings best when he said, after the show, "now, all is right in the world."  It must take a unique blending of peoples and cultures to create such an art form ... if only I could watch Flamenco dance every night!

"On the Road Again"

I love Willy Nelson, but I sure didn't enjoy this long drive to Barcelona!  Mark, my colleague, drove the whole way there, as well as back, while I navigated.  It was a bit tricky trying to find our rented apartment in the city, which was essentially located in the old medieval area ("Barri Gotic"), right off the "La Rambla" (main drag full of cars and strolling tourists) and near a major tourist spot called "Plaça Reial". Maneuvering the big 7-seat Mazda wagon along very narrow medieval backstreets was no easy feat... but we eventually found a nearby parking spot and later the apartment itself. More thoughts on our 4-day stay in Barcelona to follow soon...

Cluny in the South -- the Abbey of Fontfroide

Drank too much at the fountain??!  (Ed & Tim pictured here)

After our visit to Carcassonne, we went to an old monastery called "Fontfroide" (or "cold spring") which was not too far away.  Like most medieval monasteries, hospices, and hospitals, this was built on the site of a fresh water source. The monks of Frontfroide belonged to the reformed Benedictine ("Cluniac") order, c. 11thc.  The community was very wealthy and owned much of the land in the vicinity. The place is stunningly beautiful, both the natural setting and architecture of the monastic complex. Oh, to be a Cluniac monk in the Middle Ages!  Not!!! Maybe at one time I would have romanticized about doing some time travel and living in a cloister... but not now, not any more. If there is one thing I've learned about myself, it is that I do not like monastic or penitential-style living conditions ... been there, done that ... it's called the grad school experience!  On the other hand, if I had been a Cluniac "choir monk," I would have been served by a number of lesser monks, called "conversos" -- lay brothers who lived on the premises, but were segregated from the choir monks, and did all the hard labour, serving in the refectory, infirmary, doing work outside, etc. 
    

 

"Converso" dormitory.

Carcassonne!

"Carcassonne." (Oct. 6th)  For me, this town has always been connected with persecution, brutal oppression, and the loss of so many lives, all for the cause of faith. In the early thirteenth century, Cathars took refuge behind its great walls, largely in vein, however, because the crusading army from the north lay siege to the city and claimed victory after only a few weeks.  Most students of history, or those interested in medieval or French history, are familiar with this story. Yet, what is also true about Carcassonne is that it continued to be a site of religious dissent in later years, and, consequently, remained a place of persecution.  Following the Albigensian Crusades, and after the town had been incorporated into the Kingdom of France, common lay people, popularly called "Beguins," both men and women who chose to live their lives humbly, in poverty, often practicing charity among the real poor, were likewise suspected in their faith, and many were burned in Carcassonne for the crime of "heretical depravity."  Mass burnings were often held during the Holy Week. The Beguins were followers of a branch of the Franciscan Order known as the "Spirituals", and many observed the "Third Rule of St. Francis". 

Front gates of Carcassonne

When Carcassonne was taken over by the crusading army from the north, the old Romanesque church within its walls was dismantled and rebuilt in the "Gothic" style - an architectural style that originated in the north (see right & below). Certainly, this reconstruction was intended to deliver a message to the people. However, only the apse was reconstructed because the northerners ran out of money! (Such interesting details come from Eric Crema guided tour of the church).  Usually, last wills and testaments  earmark pious legacies for such massive projects; in this way, the project can be sustained over many years. Clearly, in this case, the people did not contribute!

Church at Carcassonne

My Movie Poster Collection: D

DAD, CAN I BORROW THE CAR? (Ward Kimball, 70). Folded, VGI couldn't believe my freakin' luck in finding this one. I had waited years to even SEE this movie again (you can see it here). I'd caught this SHORT film (this is my only one-sheet for a short) on the Wonderful World of Disney back in the mid 1970s, and had always been fascinated by it; it's so incredibly odd. So's the fact that this

My Movie Poster Collection: E

I gotta give it up for Will Pfiefer and his film column for the Rockford Register Star. Not only is the man supremely knowledgeable, he's been trolling the net deeply enough to stumble upon and later compose kind words about My Movie Poster Collection. Thanks, Will, and all readers! And, as always, click on the image you wanna see larger.E.T. THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL (Steven Spielberg, 82).

What's In My School Bag?

Geia sas chicas!

Today is the debut of my 1st official YouTube video on my channel (for my blog).

Excuse the fact that the lighting is bad for the 1st half & that it's short.

Enjoy!

I also had various papers & pens in there but i spared you the boredom lol. I also keep my purse in the back zipper of the bag. Though lately i've been looking for like a wristlet to use since the purse is a pain in the butt.

I also plan to do an updated version either next semester or when a new class starts in November; we'll see. Because the class starting in November is an Advanced CNA class that's 3 weeks long & it's also an hour away from my house, so i'll be living with my cousin for that time, coming home on weekends so what i carry will probably adjust.  

Mini Scrapbook from My Texas/Oklahoma Trip

All the above are Comanche Nation

The following are Apache graves from the Apache cemetery.

The grave of the famous Geronimo.



& brother!

 

Celebrating Francis of Assisi and Brazilian Natural Wonders

On the fête de Saint François d'Assise (Oct. 4th), the community of Third Order Franciscan friars at Notre-Dame de la Drèche invited us to attend a special mass, followed by a reception, a tour of their museum, church and bell tower, topped off by a delicious several-course lunch! 

Interior of the church

At reception (left to right): Rebecca, Gabe, Melanie, Kerstin, Debbie

Tim Perkins (Exec Dir of SFU France) a.k.a. Crocodile Dundee!

The museum was very interesting -- a cabinet of curiosities containing exotic creatures collected by Franciscan friars who had gone on mission into Brazil's rain forest in the 19th-20th centuries. Apparently, these exotic animals were presented to the friars as presents.  Imagine trying to bring such specimens back on an airplane these days?

Ed & the wild cats!

An etymologist's dream...my nightmare! 

More exotic creatures in the museum

Looking great on a shoestring budget

The holiday spending season is getting closer and you need to save every dime you can for those "Black Friday" sales, right? In that case, here are some money saving tips so you can stay beautiful while prepping for the season of spending!
Add a little water to your shampoo. Most formulas are packed with intense ingredients to clean your tresses so if you dilute them with a little water you will

Looking great on a shoestring budget

The holiday spending season is getting closer and you need to save every dime you can for those "Black Friday" sales, right? In that case, here are some money saving tips so you can stay beautiful while prepping for the season of spending!
Add a little water to your shampoo. Most formulas are packed with intense ingredients to clean your tresses so if you dilute them with a little water you will

Film #135: Greenberg

I know, it's a generational thing--obviously a by-product of getting older. But I never thought it would happen this way. I never thought no one under 25 would know of or give a flying flip about the things I grew up with. (And here I turn into this silly curmudgeon, dammit.) When I was growing up, I totally knew about all the things my parents loved. I watched The Andy Griffith Show, Father

Friday Night Lights

Geia sas everyone,
i've been so busy lately my blog has been lonely but i promise to never leave it too long!

My interview today was stressful but i hope i get the job. Andd i have to get all these immunizations for school...boo. I also found out my state registry test for CNA will be November 5th, i'm so nervous!!

So anyway my current favorite show is Friday Night Lights
& i've been watching the older seasons on TV lately so i found the 1st & 2nd seasons on ebay & bought them.

Here is the description: Football is one of the most popular sports in America, but in Texas it's closer to religion. The first season of this award-winning show uses the game as focal point for each episode's structure, but the gridiron often takes the backseat to the more pressing issues of life in Middle America. The real star of the show is the fictional town of Dillon, a place that represents the struggle of hard-working-yet-flawed human beings getting through another year of life in a small community. The town's team, the Panthers, may be headed for the top, but can their coach and the players keep it together as the pressure of their personal lives threatens to knock them down?

Its such a good show set in the heart of Texas (you know how i love Texas!) with a football team called the Dillon Panthers. It follows the lives of its players & coach. My favorite of the cast is Taylor Kitsch who plays Tim Riggins.

But poor Tim; he always ends up screwed in just about everything he does. He gets accused of things he doesn't do & gets in more than normal amounts of trouble for the things he actually does.

All the characters make it a great show though.

I can't wait to get the other two seasons!

The love story between Tim & Lyla (below) is so cute but sad at the same time. So it definitely keeps you watching.

Sadly i think there is only one more new season left :(

Some of the original cast is not still on the new episodes but they've still managed to keep it a really good show. Oh & don't worry Tim is still on the show :)

Lol have a nice rest of the week!