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Preview: Catrice, August 2014 - Lips

Here are a few Catrice lip products that will be joining the range in August.
These Ultimate Stay lipsticks are my favorite lip products out of these new ones. The design of the packaging looks great, and the shade selection is really wide. These products should have a matte finish, so you know I'll be picking up a few shades. What do you think?
I think these Velvet Matt Lip Creams might be the same texture as those Essence velvet lip products we all know and love so much. Yay for matt lip products!
So, what do you think of the upcoming lip products? Anything you're excited about?  If you want to know the price of any product, let me know in the comments; I didn't want to clutter the post with words. Don't forget to follow me, links are on the right side.


xoxo, Jelena


Preview: Catrice, August 2014 - Eyes

Catrice, my favorite brand, is kicking the summer off with some exciting new products that will be arriving in August. There are a lot of new stuff, so I've divided the photos into a few posts. I'm really excited about some of these products, and it seems the brand has been listening and are giving the customers what they've asked for.   


I love the packaging of these Absolute Eye Colour Mono Eyeshadows, the quality of these eyeshadows is amazing. I have nothing but positive experiences with them. Just look at the stunning shades they're releasing - the entire first row is breathtaking. I also love the dark purple. Sensational, right? I wish I could have them all...
Now, I love the concept of these eyeshadows - I am a sucker for anything matte. However, I am not a fan of round packaging, it's a weird quirk of mine (square packaging, please LOL). But that's not important. I wonder if this wine red shade is as gorgeous swatched as it is on the photo. I am so happy they're releasing so many matte products.
OMG Have they been paying attention?! I have been shamelessly saying how much I'd love the Nude eyeshadow palette - if only there were a matt version of it. And here it is!!! This will be the first thing I purchase. Catrice eyeshadows are a lot of fun and this will turn out to be amazing as well, I'm sure of it. Thank you Catrice for making my dream come true. I'm so excited about this palette! I love the shades they chose for it.
All these lashes look amazing - there's something for everyone, no matter what your style is. My favorites have to be the ones in the brown packaging, these will be great for opening my eyes up and making them stand out.
I'm not sure if these eyebrow products are for me, because lately I've mostly been using powder products to shape my eyebrows. I'll wait to see what other girls say, then I'll make a decision. Hm...I wonder if I might use these as eyeliners? Hm.....
This is interesting - lash growth serum. Having used this type of product in my life (but from a different brand), I can say that they do work, I have seen results. However, you have to be diligent and apply it every night. I will be testing this out for sure, we can all use thicker eyelashes, right?

Anyways, didn't want to write too much, I know everyone just wants to see the photos, right? Or is it just me? So, how are you liking these products? A few of them are on my to-buy list. I'm so happy we're getting yet another eyeshadow palette, and this time it's a matte one, I seriously couldn't be happier. If you want to know the price for any product, let me know in the comments; I didn't want to clutter the post with words, when there are such gorgeous pictures here. Don't forget to follow me, links are on the right side.


xoxo, Jelena

Why you too should unsubscribe from CTFxC

UPDATE, February 2015
Whoa! This post is about to be edited beyond recognition! Why? What happened? Where is your favorite gossip going? You might want to check my twitter to find out ;)

--- Updated text will be colored RED ---

--- Update, August 25th 2014
Here are some new things that have happened:


UPDATE, February 2015

------
YEAH, the new post is up, find it here: HERE
Also the 3rd and final post is up RIGHT HERE
OR just follow the ctfxc tag on my blog for future posts

1. This swam out: Charles Trippy (while he was married) posted a photo of his wife (Alli Speed) on their 2nd anniversary, and guess who liked that photo - THAT'S RIGHT - his current girlfriend! Take from that what you will. (photo of this is in one of the newer ctfxc posts)

2. Shay posted this IG photo (see the comment he wrote): 
After this, Alli Speed unfollowed him and his family on Instagram. It makes sense she would do this, considering his comment. Please consider, he has been friends with Charles for 7 years, but has also been friends with Alli Speed for 6 years. That should mean something.

A short time later, Shay tweeted this, (most probably) aimed at Alli (a comment on her unfollowing him):
I mean, come on Shay, what's she supposed to do? Alli Speed has every right to unfollow him.

3. So this swam out: Alli Wes (the 3rd Alli) commented on Charles's Instagram photo back IN FEBRUARY, and he responded right back with a heart. Alli was in Japan with her brother and her friend Youki at the time, and in those videos you can see her talking about ''what it takes to make a marriage work'', so I doubt they were separated at that point in time.
Then this girl tweeted it to the 3rd Alli:
And of course, she responded back, she said it was ''just a comment''. Didn't they claim they only met after the marriage was over? Did he not get the wedding date tattooed on him in February? I'm just trying to put the pieces together.

4. Charles HAS ONCE AGAIN TRASHED ALLI SPEED in the Youtube comments, this time implying she did not take care of him (it's so sad he would even go there) and that she's a drunk (mind you, it's the ''new Allie'' who has a DUI):
After this, people got mad at him (rightly so), and this was his response: that he was only supporting the last part of the comment (not a very good excuse IMO):


This 3rd Allie has liked a photo of Charles congratulating the wedding anniversary to his wife. She has been liking his Instagram pics while he was still married. And now she's dating him?!? Let me know in the comment section, do you think that's creepy? 

Thanks for reading, hugs to all. ;)

-------------------------------


If you plan on leaving a comment, please make sure that you take care of the spelling of the Ally/i/ies. If you are not sure how to spell the names of any of Charles' 3 Allis, in that case just write 'new Alli' or something like that. It just gets too confusing. So let's go through this ONE more time: Ally is the one he was engaged to and they were together when Youtube first started. Alli is his former wife and the one who started the vlogs together with him (Alli Speed), and Allie is the one that's with him now (started dating before he was divorced).
---------------


The title of this post could also be ''Internet man-child separates from wife, gets new girlfriend within days''. You know, everyone has some show that they watch, some like Game of Thrones, some like the Kardashians, some like The Big Bang Theory, and 'Internet killed Television', or 'CTFxC' was my 'show'. And I've kept quiet about this for a while, but being so frustrated by the horrible way this guy is treating his (now ex) wife, I decided to write a post about it. In life, when you see injustice, you should speak up. And that's what I'm doing. If you follow me for the nails/make up, feel free to skip right over this long-ass post.

So, a little intro for those of you who have no idea what the hell I'm talking about. There is a youtube channel, called 'CTFxC', where a guy called Charles Trippy and his wife Alli Speed would post daily videos of their life. Now, Charles has been active on social media before, on myspace, etc, and he has posted random videos on youtube, as well as other sites. When they started the daily vlogs, it wasn't just him, he and his girlfriend Alli started doing this together - the daily shows were called 'Internet Killed Television'. The channel has come to about 1,49 million subscribers. We got to watch their relationship, the proposal, the wedding. Charles was diagnosed with brain cancer and had surgery, Alli was there for him through all of that. And then one day, out of the blue, Charles made a short video (by himself, his wife was not in it), saying that he and his wife are separating. Within the next few days, he removed his wife from this channel, his social networks and video description/introduction. His wife took time off, went to see her best friend, and stayed off camera for a while. What did he do? He started dating a new woman WITHIN DAYS OF THE SEPARATION ANNOUNCEMENT (or sooner, but we have no definitive proof that it was sooner, so I have to write that it was days after the separation). The same girl whose photos he's liked on his facebook back in 2013. And now she's featured in the daily videos of the show that he and his wife started. Oh yeah, did I mention SHE HAS THE SAME NAME AS HIS WIFE? That and many other strange things will be featured in this blog post. It's sort of a vent-out for me, but also, wanted to have all the facts and rumours in one place - since a lot of people have no clue what the hell happened. So let's begin.


Do you know this is his third 'Alli' ?
That's right. This is the third girl that he's been with, back-to-back, that has the same name. All the names are pronounced the same, but are spelled differently. There was Ally, then Alli (Allison), and now there's Allie.
Now, here is some of his dating history (mind you, this guy broke off one engagement, got married, got a divorce, and in the past, more than 7 years he has been single for a few days, if even that much).

1) Ally Rhodes - They've been together and uploaded videos together before the youtube era. They were engaged, and he proposed to her on camera, but engagement was ended (allegedly) days before the wedding took place.
---UPDATE: Her name is actually Allison (Ally) Rhodes (so, the exact same name as the second Alli).
CLICK HERE to see the video of him proposing to her. Yes, the guy with the emo hair is really Charles.
---UPDATE: Charles Trippy has found out about the video posted above of him PROPOSING to the 1st Ally, and has requested for it to be taken down. However, you can still see the video HERE, go to 15:00 minutes in. This is what you can see on the old video:

2) Alli Speed - Now, this is the Alli that you know, the one who started the ''Internet Killed TV'' channel with him. They had their first date a few days after breaking off the engagement with Ally Rhodes (or so that's how the dates available to us add up). But in fact, they were supposed to have a date even before that, but Charles stood her up (they discussed this in a vlog once). So, just to sum up - he ended an engagement, went right into the next relationship in a very short time frame.
CLICK HERE to see their proposal video.
I'd actually put a link to the wedding video, but Charles has taken the video down. Apparently, you can still see the wedding video, but only if you have the direct link to it.

3) Allie Marie Wesenberg - So this is the latest one, or as everyone calls her, the '3rd Alli'. We do not know for a fact when this relationship started. We do know that he's been liking her facebook photos sometime in November 2013 (so, months before the marriage ended - keep in mind, you can see Charles and Alli kissing in videos up to a few days before the separation/divorce announcement). Keep in mind also that Charles tattooed his wedding date on his arm sometime in February 2014. Anyways, within days of Charles saying that he and wife were 'separating', Charles and the '3rd Alli' were out on a double date with his friends, and a few short weeks later he took her to England with him. Please take time to think about this, and think about how quickly this latest relationship is progressing. Charles claims there was no cheating involved. I personally choose not to believe that. You are free to believe whatever you want. I mean, his marriage ends, and he conveniently starts a new relationship within days?! How many of you would start dating a guy a few days after he has been (so publicly) separated from his wife (and a few months before he's actually divorced)? Also note that when this '3rd Alli' met Charles, she must have known what he does for a living, and she must have seen his wife on his Instagram, twittter, facebook, and also all over his youtube channel. I personally believe that Charles was unfaithful, you just do not start a new relationship that quickly after separation if nothing has happened before. However, since I have no proof of this, it has to remain only my opinion.
On a side note, Charles has spoken multiple times on facebook, twitter, and in youtube comments that Alli Speed has not been unfaithful to him and that she did not cheat on him. However, Alli Speed has never flat out said that Charles was faithful to her, so take note of that. However, she did say something: when Charles was photographed by fans with this '3rd Alli', his arm around her waist, the photo spread through the internet (this was the first definite proof that he was in fact in a relationship with someone new - CLICK HERE to see it), Alli Speed took to her twitter and wrote: ''The truth!''. The tweet is still there. So, take it as you may, however I think that says it all.
Now, this '3rd Alli' has a DUI. For those of you who do not know, this means ''driving under the influence'' - from what I could gather, in the late 2013, she was caught driving drunk. I'm not going to talk about how driving drunk is irresponsible, how you're putting innocent people and animals at risk, etc. I think all normal people know how bad this is. Shame on her.

I do not like this '3rd Alli', that much is obvious. I just don't see how she can feel that it's ok to just take over someone else's work (Alli Speed made CTFxC as much as Charles did, it's her work as well). And to see her wearing CTFxC T-shirts and her Instagram photos... I mean, this dude just got separated. He's not even divorced when you're dating him. What sort of a person does this? Love or no love, she should wait until his marriage is truly over.

Timeline of the relationship with '3rd Allie':
'Alli is pregnant' joke - April 1st
Announcement of separation (it was actually a divorce) - April 8th
Taking the new girlfriend mini golfing - April 21st
Confesses on facebook he has a girlfriend - May 21st
Takes the newest 'Alli' on a trip to England with his band - May 23rd


Things Charles Trippy has done that I think suck:

1. Approves of talking badly of Alli, his (ex)wife, on facebook:
2. Attacking Alli on Instagram because she does 'Drunk Gaming' series, when his own newest girlfriend has a DUI. So, he's trashing his (ex)wife, who was drinking at home, surrounded by friends; but thinks it's OK when his girlfriend gets in a car drunk, and puts innocent people in danger?!   

Charles claims he has apologized (he claimed this on twitter). However, he has not apologized to Alli publicly, and has apologized to 'the viewers'. What the hell - how does that make it better?! Even the '3rd Alli' got in the middle of this, saying on her Instagram that this whole thing was ''taken out of context'' (no, it wasn't, obviously).

3. The offensive T-shirt (a cheap shot)
As you know, Alli has been traveling lately. She went to stay at a friends house when the separation was first announced. Then she did some charity work in Africa. She went on a cruise and to Fiji - which is what she does now, she's a travel vlogger. Anyways, Charles put this photo up on his Instagram, judge for yourselves, a photo says a thousand words (please note that Alli has kept her mouth shut and has not spoken badly of Charles):
(it reads: MY LIFE VS. YOUR VACATION)

4. Naming his girlfriend ''Squiggles'' (probably because he did not wish to confess she has the same name as his past two girlfriends, at least I think so)
You see, though he has been with this new girl days after the separation was announced, way before the actual divorce, he has not introduced her in the videos. To be honest, I do not think he has done so until this day - she's in the videos, but he has not said 'this is my girlfriend'. So you may still find some people commenting ''They are just friends'', or ''Where is Alli?''. So the first video where the '3rd Alli' was featured, when Charles turned the camera to her, he did not want to show her face, so he edited the video to make it look as if the camera broke or whatever (lines appeared on the screen). So he named her ''Squiggles'' - as the squiggles on the screen. In my personal opinion, this was not a funny spontaneous thing. He gave her a fun nickname so that people wouldn't ask what her name was. So while some of the gullible people are like ''Squiggles is such a fun nickname'', they should be like ''what a lame way to hide the fact that you're again with someone with the same name''. A lot of people were upset when he did this because they thought it was a very childish move.

5. Sharing photos of his '3rd Alli' on his social media, but keeping her out of his videos.
I don't see the point of this - he kept her face out of the videos, but everyone knew what she looked like already.

6. He told his viewers that he and his wife were ''separating'', and that nothing has been filed.
This led people to believe they might get back together. Which would be fine, if it was the truth. That same day, when the video came out, ShayCarl (another youtuber), called Charles, and spoke of this in his own video. He said that Charles had told him they were divorcing. So he told the viewers that it was a separation, when in fact, he knew at the time it was a divorce, because he told his friends it was a divorce. Why use the two different expressions? Keep in mind, Charles likes to say he's being ''completely honest'' with his viewers.

7. He made the video announcing the separation/divorce without Alli.
A lot of people thought Alli had made a decision to not be in the video, that she had something to hide, etc. Well, actually, Alli has made her own video (after she took some time to reflect, I mean, her marriage just fell apart), and in the video she said that Charles made the video himself because he chose to. She also says that ''he has made some other choices''. Take it as you will, I feel that this should have been done together. Oh well, check out Alli's video HERE. Please notice that she does not deceive the viewers with a 'separation', but talks about a divorce.

8. Pretends like he ''made/created'' the channel himself.
Alli Speed is as much deserving of the success of that channel as Charles, if not more than him. Out of all their subscribers, most of them came to watch a young couple, not some random guy. Alli should be credited for the success the show has had, not be kicked out as if she had nothing to do with it. Charles is now just bringing his new 'Alli' in, and continuing the channel as if Alli Speed was just a supporting character that can be that easily replaced. She was not a character, she was The Show. She was not his shadow, she was a partner. I do not feel I need to elaborate more. Especially the fact that his '3rd Alli' is wearing CTFxC hoodies. AAAArgh! #Frustration

9. He deleted/removed their wedding video.
I mean, if you're going to do that, then just delete every single video Alli's in. The only reason I noticed this was that a lot of the viewers wanted to see it, and they were so upset they commented about it on his other videos. I don't know what their relationship is like at the time, but at least he should honor what they once had - she stood by him through some rough, dark times.

10. He lied to his viewers where he is, to hide the fact he was out with the '3rd Alli'
Here I am referring to the saga of him saying that ''he went to bed early'', when you can see him in the video of one of his bandmates mini-golfing with the '3rd Alli'.


Now, if you were to say something bad about Charles in a comment, you may encounter some of the following attacks from the pre-teen viewers. Let me clarify a few things here.

1. ''Why do you care? What's it to you? Leave him alone.''
Well, like I said, everyone has a show that they like to watch. This was my show. Since Alli has been gone, I've come to realize that she was the reason I watched. Charles by himself is very boring, and he acts immaturely. I've been watching the show because I wanted to watch a young couple who loved and respected each other. And, look, people get divorced all the time, that's not the reason for this post. It's just, you don't move on within days of ending a 6 year relationship with a woman who stood by you during your brain surgery, cancer, and all the bullshit. Especially if the woman who stood by you is such a lovable lady as Alli Speed. If you do not care, then good for you. But I am just so saddened by the way Charles has been behaving, and I wanted to speak up. This is not my life, but they made a show, I watched it, and am entitled to my opinion.

2. ''You are a troll/hater. You are not a true CTFxC-er.''
OMG I don't know if I should laugh or cry whenever I read this. Just because someone doesn't approve of something shitty you're doing, that doesn't make them a troll or a hater. I just think Charles has been treating his ex-wife in the most appalling way. And just because I say it, that doesn't make me a hater. When you say ''hater'', or ''troll'', that term is usually used to describe people who are being mean to someone for no good reason. Well, I have very good reasons to think poorly of Charles, and am not ''attacking'' him, or am I trying to hurt him. If you think I'm a troll, than that's your right to feel that way.
Now, let's talk about this stupid ''CTFxC Family'' thing. Some pre-teens who watch the channel think that just because you watch the show, you are supposed to approve and agree to everything he says and does, and that you're a part of some ''family''. People, there is no family here. I mean, I've been watching the show for years, and no one ever told me I was supposed to be joining some crazy cult. What exists is only an illusion of a community, when in fact, it's just a few people with a camera, and you, on the other side - watching. There is no interaction, only the illusion of it. Just because you enjoy the show, doesn't mean you have to agree with everything he does. Well, that should be a normal way of thinking, but the comment section of the videos is full of kids saying ''you are not a true CTFxCer, go away'' - kids, it's just a show. Just like people watch the Game of Thrones, but they're not a family, this is the same thing. The ''community'' exists so that you would buy their merchandise. Get over yourselves. Just because you think Charles is not acting nice, it doesn't mean you are ''going against your family''. Grow a brain.

3. ''You are abusing them, Charles never asked for this.''
First of all, for the past 5+ years, these two people have made a choice to record their lives and put them on the internet for all to see. Nobody forced them to do this. Now, if you put yourself out there, you will get opinions. That's sort of how it works. If Charles wants to stop this, he can only upload videos, disable the comments and remove all his social media. Or better yet, he can turn off the camera. But he chooses to do this anyways, so I guess that means that if we're allowed to watch, we're allowed to form opinions. He kept the camera on during brain surgery, and, I mean, his marriage fell apart and he did not even take 1 day off. Nothing. Alli took time off, and went off camera (as a normal person would do, or at least I would do this). He kept recording. If he puts the videos out, he then accepts that people will form opinions on what they see. People are allowed to express their opinions, right?


Most common excuses people use to justify Charles' (not so nice) behavior:

1. ''But he has cancer.''
Yes, having cancer sucks. But is having cancer a it's-ok-card for treating people poorly? Think about it - if you were mugged, would you think it was ok because the robber ''has cancer''? Many people have many things: cancer, OCD, vitiligo, dermatitis, etc. But none of these things are an excuse to justify treating people badly. Just because you've been ill it doesn't mean that it's ok to walk all over people and not show any respect. At least I feel that way.

2. ''But why should he wait to move on?''
So, many people are saying that it's ok that he got over his divorce so soon. I mean, strangers on the internet mourned this divorce longer than he did, or so it seemed. This is a matter of personal opinion: many people feel very differently on how long you should 'wait' until you move on after a divorce. But moving on within days is not cool, anyway you see it. I know some of you kids out there think this is acceptable, but they're in their late 20s, and this wasn't a 3 week relationship - this was a marriage - a different set of rules is applied. ;) Even if you feel that it's ok to get into a new relationship quickly (and I personally feel he should have taken some time to be single, and think things over - I mean, he proposed to 2 different people who have the same name, now he's dating yet another 'Alli'), even if you feel that way - what makes this behaviour 'shitty' is the fact that he's being so public about it. He's kissing this '3rd Alli' all over his Instagram, twitter, in the videos he's all over her....but it's not the physical things that bother me - it's what he says: he's making it seem as if he's never been this happy, etc.... Do you think it's ok to do that to Alli? They had a very public relationship, and him flaunting this new relationship seems to be pointed towards her - 'look at me, look at me'. I mean, you have to remember, she stood by him through a very difficult time. At least, if you 'have to' start seeing someone straight away, out of respect he should have kept it hidden. Or maybe should have been a little bit more respectful. I don't know, I just feel like he's pretending like he's so happy with only one purpose - to hurt Alli. Why, I do not know. Because, she is one classy lady - she has not said one bad thing about him. And she could, I mean, look how fast he's moved on. I just feel like he's treating Alli like shit, and there is absolutely no reason for that whatsoever.

And, as it always is, the voice of the people. In the two photos below, I have combined some of the most important comments from the youtube videos (most of them are on Charles's videos since Alli left, a few are from Alli's own channel). Since there have been some rumors Charles has been deleting comments, I thought I might save my favorite ones. Here you can not only see how people feel, but also can learn a lot about how Charles has been behaving. If you are still subscribed to the channel, if you are still thinking about purchasing his merchandise, these two photos are the most important thing you should see. I know this is a long ass post, so if you do not feel like reading it all, just open these photos in a new window, and go through them. That should help you learn what has been going on in the CTFxC world:
Follow these two link to see the photos below: LINK and THIS LINK.



As a sort of 'karma' for his behavior, Charles has been losing subscribers ever since he got the new girlfriend so soon after the separation. When the divorce was announced, the channel had about 1,490,000 subscribers (so almost 1,5 million), and now it's down to 1,472,352 (correction, it's about 1,465,452). He lost a shit load of subscribers after attacking Alli so publicly on his Instagram.


Anyways guys, feel free to contact me if I've written something wrong, or left out some information, so we can correct it. Let me know how you feel, do you think Charles is behaviny poorly? Leave your comments below, I will not be censoring, but do try to stay polite, and thanks for reading my rant. I would love to hear your opinions, no matter how different they are from mine. However, do restrain from name calling, this isn't pre-school.


Until the next post, lots of love, Jelena.
PS: sorry for the grammar mistakes, there is a shit load of text here, I can't possible correct every mistake ;)





****Please note that all the things stated in this post are my personal opinion, and feature information from the internet that may or may not be true. Please take this with caution, and use your brain wisely. This post was written so I can express my opinion on what has happened in this youtube show. Please regard it as my opinion only, not as actual fact. Also, you may do some investigating yourself. This post was not written with the purpose of bashing Charles, but for me to get some things off my chest that have made me incredibly sad. Obviously I do not own any of the photos featured in this post. I have not personally met any of the people mentioned in this post.Just stay positive and enjoy your day. 

Brilliant Royal Poinciana -Flamboyant


If you have ever visited the USVI during the summer, you would have undoubtedly noticed bold, striking splashes of orange-red standing out from the otherwise green hills. These glorious bursts of color are the mark of the Royal Poinciana. In the USVI it is called Flamboyant, and if you have ever seen this tree in bloom you would know the reason right away.





Many consider the Flamboyant among the most beautiful trees in the world. It requires a tropical or near-tropical climate and can tolerate drought and salty conditions. It is well established throughout the Caribbean where it is adored for its beauty. In Puerto Rico, for example, many paintings feature the Flamboyant. It is the national flower of St. Kitts and Nevis. It is on postage stamps from Dominica, Anguilla and Montserrat. Though strongly associated with the Caribbean this spectacular tree is native to Madagascar.


While admired for its beauty home owners in the USVI do keep a watchful eye on where Flamboyant trees grow. The dense shade and root system prevent the growth of other species under it and its wide-spreading roots can be a threat to building foundations and sidewalks.


In the wild on its native Madagascar the Flamboyant is endangered. It is however widely grown and cultivated in other parts of world including Hong Kong, the Canary Islands, Taiwan and southern China. In the United States, it grows in South and Southwest Florida, the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, low deserts of Southern Arizona, Southern California and Hawaii. It is also found in Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.


The scientific name for this tree is Delonix regia; it is a species of flowering plant from the Fabaceae family. All Fabaceae have pods and on the Flamboyant the brown pods that develop can grow up to 18 inches long and two inches wide! The long brown pods become particularly conspicuous during the dry season when the tree sheds its leaves and is bare with the exception of the pods. (In areas that do not have a dry season the tree retains its foliage year round.) The seed pods are used in the Caribbean, including the USVI, as a percussion instrument known as a ‘shack-shack’.


Flamboyant trees can typically reach 15 feet in height but can grow as tall as 40 feet. It has a wide-spreading umbrella like canopy and can take up to 10 years to mature. The leaves of the tree are fine, lacy, soft and delicate leaflets.

In the late 1940’s Ariel Melchior, Sr., who was the owner of the newspaper on St. Thomas, is said to have paid local children to collect as many Flamboyant seeds as they could find. Melchior with the help of his friend and pilot Jack Monsanto then headed to the skies and dispersed the seeds over the islands. The wide popularity of the Flamboyant all over hills and valleys in the USVI is attributed to their actions.


While the pods are popular and leaflets delicate it is the brilliant flowers that demands attention. The individual flowers can be up to four inches across and have five petals in each flower; one is marked with lighter white and yellow stripes. The flowers range from deep red to orange-red. There is also a rare, naturally occurring, yellow variety (var. Flavida). The flowers grow from the ends of each branch and the tree typically remains in bloom for 2 to 4 months. In the Virgin Islands the tree flowers between May to September. If you visit the islands during those months, scan the hillsides for the brilliant Flamboyant you are bound to see many!


Flamboyant Flower Game: Children in the USVI and other islands of the Caribbean play a game with Flamboyant Flowers, or rather the not as yet bloomed flowers. The mature green flower pod is picked and carefully opened. The petals are pulled away exposing the stamen. The game is played with two people, each armed with a stamen. Stamens are hooked at the anthers and then each player gives a soft yank. The goal is to pull the opponents anther off without breaking your own. Play until all the stamens are finished. The person with the most points wins.














What’s In A Name: The Royal Poinciana was allegedly named “Poinciana” by the English on St. Kitts in honor of the French governor, Phillipe de Longviliers de Poincy. Some credit de Poincy with introducing the plant to the Americas; this would date the tree’s presence in the Caribbean to the 17th century.


Avon Products Reviews, May 2014

Hey guys! In this post I'll talk about a few random Avon purchases. I've been trying these products out for a while and am done testing them, so here you can find out how I feel about them. If you're an Avon addict like me, jump on in!

Avon naturals, Hair Care, Conditioning Balm, Almond & Avocado

When I ordered this product, I thought I was getting a hair mask that you leave in for a few minutes, then rinse it off. But that's not it. This product should be applied to damp or towel dried hair. You do not rinse it off. Even though it's not what I expected, I do like this product. It smells great and it helps me fight the frizz. It makes my hair smooth and soft. I'll buy it again. This product gives you similar results as the Balea leave-in mango conditioner (the orange one). Price: 15 kn

Avon naturals, Conditioning Hand Cream, Cacao & Lotus Flower
Overall, my opinion on Avon hand creams is not very good. Though all the creams I've tried have been fast-absorbing, they don't provide much care. And the same goes for this one. This is a nice light cream for the summer, but not for the weather or if you have dry hands. This product absorbs quickly, but leaves a layer on your skin that feels as if you have dry hands. Yeah, I'm not impressed. It is removed completely when you wash your hands. The smell is divine, but that's the only thing I like. If I'd use only this cream for a few days, I'd have very dry hands (yes, even now, during the summer). Price: 23 kn

Avon, Face cleaning rubber brush
This is a little rubbery face brush that's supposed to help clean your face, as well as give you a light massage. Ebelin by Dm has a very similar (almost identical) product, but it's only available in Austria and Germany. So when I saw this baby in the catalogue I had to have it. It's not a miracle worker, but it does a better job than your fingers (that's what she said LOL). It's not aggressive at all, it just rubs the products in. It gives you a light massage and makes sure your peeling and gel do their job and get in all your pores. I like it, and it's easy to wash and maintain. I'd like it better if the little 'spikes' were a few millimeters longer, but it's ok. I also use this product when I'm cleaning my eye brushes, I rub the brush across the spikes and they clean much easier. A must-have, and it's so cheap: only 13 kn. The one from Dm is pink (I love the shade) so that one would be my favorite (check out a review of that product on Taya's blog HERE). When I'm in Austria, I'll pick up the Dm version for sure.

Avon naturals, Honey, Essential balm with beeswax
I like this lip balm. I only use it as a lip balm, even though it's supposed to be a universal balm (for all dry skin). The smell is pleasant and refreshing (a little sweet), not at all intense. The downside is the inconvenient packaging - it's difficult to scoop out the product, best to take it out with a tiny spatula. But, it does the job it's supposed to do and my lips are smooth and soft. The product is not tinted, and it comes in two more flavors. When I don't feel like sensing the tingling sensation I get from Carmex, I reach for this product. Price: 15kn

Avon Clearskin, Blemish Clearing, Daily astringent
This is classified as a facial tonic. However, it's purple, and a lot of their other purple products from this line are meant to be used on the body (if you have acne on your back or on the cleavage). I'd say this is not a face product. It's very aggressive, and it might be ideal if you have body acne. When I use it on the face, the next day my skin gets very dry, a white layer of dry skin appears and it's peeling off. Too aggressive for sure, maybe only apply it if you have acne, and use a cotton swab to apply it to a small part of the face. I think I bought the wrong product, I thought it would be a nice, light tonic for the face, but it's a very strong cleaning product. It contains Salicylic Acid, that should tell you enough. In the past, when I'd use Salicylic Acid, I'd have to wear gloves because it would dry out my fingertips- this product does not do that. If Salicylic Acid is a part of your routine, but it's too aggressive for you, this product is similar, but more gentle than the Salicylic Acid you buy at the pharmacy. If you do not have pimples or acne (just larger pores and blackheads like me), this product is not for you, stay away. Price: 20kn

Avon, Peeling and brittleness solver, nail polish - base coat
I've mentioned this product a few times already. Well, I'm not happy with it. You see, I used it as a base coat, and while it did prolong the wear time of my manicure, once I took off the polish, I'd find my nails are in a much worse state than before I started using this product. My nails would be very dry, and they'd peel a lot more than before. If I'd wear this polish by itself, it would quickly peel off the tips, leaving the nails unprotected. Overall, I do not recommend it, since it made my nails peel like crazy. I'm super disappointed. Let me know if this product has worked great for you, because it did not give me any positive results. Price: 29 kn

Avon, Matte Top Coat, 'Destination Peach'
This is a matte top coat. I'm happy with this product. However, it's not a transparent matte. It has a pearl-like shimmer to it, I guess that's how it works, so you will get a matte look, but it's more of a blurry matte, if you know what I mean. I'll post a look with this polish soon, however I do not recommend it for stamping because it will mess up the design. The name of this polish is ''Destination Peach'', the bad part is, the name is only written on the box, and not on the actual polish bottle, so this makes it difficult to keep track of your polishes. Wear time is very good, at least 5 days. Price: 29 kn

Avon, Love EDT
This is my favorite perfume by Avon. It's light and breezy, a very romantic lovely scent. It's pleasant to wear and it makes me feel like I'm in love. If you cry on commercials and love stories, this is for you. Makes me feel heavenly. A very girly scent, and a must have for any girl in love. Not much to say, I just adore this one - a great purchase for me. Price: 80 kn

Avon, Summer White Sunrise EDT
I am not in love with this perfume. At first I wasn't going to get it, but a friend of mine sprayed it on me, and I wore it and it grew on me. However, I find this product too intense for my taste (it gives me a headache). This perfume lasts all day long, so if I get tired of it, I just can't rinse it off. Not my cup of tea, I like lighter perfumes with softer scents. I should have known better, because it smells the same as in the catalogue, it was a poor judgement on my side when I got this one. I'll give this one away to a friend. Price: 60 kn

Avon, Foot scrub
I love this foot scrub, and it's so important to have it around, now that sumer is here. Not much to say: it gets the job done, but afterwards hydration is very important, so that your skin is not dry. A good purchase. Price: 13 kn.

Avon, Cell phone mask
This product was available as part of the breast-cancer awareness campaign. Since I'm not an iPhone girl, cell phone covers are tricky to find. I ordered this, and in the catalogue it said that the width was 8,5 cm, when actually it's 8,3 cm, and there are stitches on both sides, so the actual width is even less than that. So my phone can barely cram up in there, and it's impossible to take it out. Oh well, something to consider. The quality is otherwise good. Price: 30 kn



Well, that's it for today. So far I'd say my Avon experience has been good. I've had a few misses, but I've also found products that have become a part of my regular routine. Are you a fan of Avon? Thanks for stopping by,


love, Jelena



 
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