最近愛用產品

FANCL 洗顏粉, 大概很多人都用過.

小巧瓶子加上粉狀質地, 出差時用很方便.

泡沫很細, 聞起來像麵粉...很復古的感覺...

我的美麗日記面膜, 最喜歡 蘋果多酚奈米面膜 和 薰衣草奈米面膜.

用完後皮膚立刻變得亮白細緻, 比很多貴價牌子的都要好.

PHYTO Phytolactum + Intelligent Shampoo

用在油性頭皮上感覺好舒服, 質地不濃稠不像洗髮精.

但洗得真的很乾淨, 所以一定要用護髮素.

還有Phytodefrisant Botanical Hair Relaxing Balm
頭髮毛燥或髮尾開叉時擦, 不過流蘇通常用來作styling gel, 清爽不黏膩.

SKII Facial Treatment Clear Lotion 及 Whitening Source Derm Definition.

後者聽說是明星產品, 得了很多獎.

有沒有神奇效果有待觀察, 但用後皮膚真的較乾淨, 也沒有不良反應.

其實流蘇的要求很低的.


Photos from http://www.skii.com/ http://www.sephora.com/

To the Hell and Back

(From here)

I had a terrible horrible day yesterday.

After spending a rather relaxing weekend in Shanghai, Mr.B and I were on the way back to our city. When we checked out the hotel at ten,  the sky clouded over. Not a good sign. We had lunch at 新天地鼎泰豐 Xin-Tian-Di Ding-Tai-Feng.  Great meal.  However when we headed to the train station after lunch, it started to rain and so did my nightmare.

The train station was a chaos. Full of people and messy as always. It is not intolerable when the weather is moderate and dry. However on a rainy day, the place turns into a wet, smelly and dirty hell. I struggled through the people across the dark, puddled hall, minded my valuables and tried not to trip on my new, platform sandals. I sighed for relief after I got on the train.  Without words, I cleaned the food crumbs somebody left on my seat, turned on my I-pod and tried to be optimistic about the situation.

Finally the train arrived. Here comes the worst part. Outside the train station, Mr.B and I waited in the rain for 45 minutes for a stupid taxi. It was cold and windy. My jeans and shoes were wet. We stood close together to avoid being poked in the eyes by occasional careless umbrellas and the madness of people trying to file through us from every direction. While I was in the middle of a nervous breakdown, Mr.B seemed to be calm and even whistled an unnamed tune. When we were finally at the door of our hotel, when the familiar doorboy called "Ms.B!" and came out to help me with my luggage, I almost cried.

I had a fever last night. My new sandals ruined.

I know this might not be a big deal for some people. My intolerance might sound childish and unnecessary. However, everyone has a weak spot. And mine happens to be exactly what I had to endure yesterday: anything, anywhere wet and filthy.

Please take my advise. Never ever get yourself stuck at a train station in China on a rainy day.

Voice Dropped Jaws

Watch this video Susan Boyle Sings on Britain's Got Talent 2009 Episode 1

Don't we like surprise like that?

Beijing

I went to Beijing last weekend. Didn't do much sightseeing because my husband was sick and the air pollution was intolerable at this time of the year. Might revisit in fall when the sky (hopefully) clears up. In spite of the hazy sky and dusty air, Beijing is still one of my favorite cities. No matter how many times I have been to the Forbidden City, everytime I go, I feel deeply touched by the magnificence of the place and by being so close to the long forgotten history.

Signora da Vinci by Robin Maxwell

這是流蘇前陣子看的一本小說,

Signora da Vinci by Robin Maxwell
故事圍繞中世紀末期歐洲文藝復興時期, 本人最喜歡的題材.

主角是文藝復興時期大師達文西 Leonardo da Vinci 的母親.
很罕見的題材, 因為有關的歷史記載很少.
隨手在網上找到的資料,
達文西出生於義大利城鎮 Vinci,
生父Messer Piero Fruosino di Antonio da Vinci是一名notary (即公證人).
達文西是他跟一位名叫Caterina女子所生的私生子.
出生後幾個月就被帶回父親家族中撫養.
Caterina據說是當地一名村女,
也有學者認為是達文西父親友人家中一名來自中東地區的女奴.

恰巧在達文西那些傳世筆記中,
也有提及過一名叫 Caterina 的老婦人, 晚年跟達文西共住過差不多一年.
這位婦人去世後, 達文西很詳細地記下葬禮的瑣事、費用等.
她是筆記裡唯一提及過的female household member,
故後世推測她可能就是他的生母.

在Signora da Vinci 書中, Caterina跟其父在Vinci經營一所Apothecary’s shop,
售賣醫學治療或日常用的香料、藥, 有點像今日的藥劑師.
暗地裡卻是虔誠的煉金術者、哲學研究者.
煉金術是中世紀的一種化學哲學的思想, 是當代化學的雛形.
煉金術和跟違反天主教義的哲學理論 , 如Platonic and Hermetic philosophy.
是當時天主教主宰的歐洲社會所不容許的.
在作者筆下, 母親Caterina 和祖父是達文喜無窮創造力和超世思想的啟發.

少年達文西到著名畫家 Verrocchio 的畫廊當學徒,
思念兒子的Caterina 竟然女扮男裝遠赴Florence.
機緣巧合下跟當代一班文藝界重要人物結為好友.
也跟最大影響力的Medici家族領袖Lorenzo de Medici發展一段秘密、感人的愛情故事.

流蘇覺得最有趣的地方, 是書中出現了很多文藝復興時期舉足輕重的人物.
如達文西、Lorenzo de Medici、Andrea del Verrocchio、Sandro Botticelli、Michelangelo等.
他們活靈活現地穿插於故事中, 跟主角一同生活, 笑談古今,
彷彿從遙遠的歷史幻化成活生生的人出現在我們跟前.
另外故事中提及到不少有名的歷史事跡, 如the Shroud of Turin, Bonfire of the Vanities...
有關這些事件的歷史流蘇看過不少,
但像此書以第一人親身目睹的描述卻是首次,
衷心佩服作者過人的想像力.

在古代男尊女卑的社會中, Catarina 就像神奇女俠一樣.
一個女子, 憑個人的知識頭腦和脫俗思想, 游刃於最頂尖的知識分子之間, 把臂為朋, 並肩抵抗強權的壓迫, 勇敢追求科學和真理.
渡過精采無憾的後半生, 雖然她無可奈何始終要以男裝以謊話來保護自己.

書的前1/3節奏稍嫌緩慢, 但是越看越精采, 流蘇非常推薦這本書.

PS: 另外一本跟Bonfire of the Vanities有關的小說The Rule of Four,
也是流蘇非常喜歡的, 有空再介紹.