Beauty & The City: Barcelona
What are your beauty must-haves if you live in a fast-paced capital of Catalonia?
Foreword
We are starting new series on this platform called "Beauty & The City" and I am beyond excited to welcome and introduce you all to our first guest-writer and my friend Pablo Parra - a mega talented illustrator, graphic designer, blogger and most of all an inspiring, kind human being. I met Pablo through the Hey Fungi blog and quickly fell in love with his unique take on all things related to career, art, beauty and lifestyle in Barcelona. In today's post we have a unique opportunity to look at all of the essentials you might need when living in this beautiful Spanish city.
Curious? Then please keep on scrolling
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Blog, Portfolio: www.heyfungi.com 👨🏻🎨
Instagram: @heyfungi 🎨
Illustrations, collages, photography, words by Pablo Parra
Intro: Life in Barcelona
Living in Barcelona is a mixture of many things that I treasured during a lifetime: being able to walk around the city (those croissant calories need to get burned), having a chance to connect with foreign cultures and enjoying the weather that is much friendlier compared to other main European cities.
I am currently working as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer with an ever changing schedule, which is something that I really value about this stage of my life. However, I must admit that as my own boss, I sometimes can be strict with myself (working on that at the moment). So, the perfect way to start and end my day is to have a skincare routine that I can delight in, alongside other enjoyable things like: lighting a candle (I adore scented candles), applying hand moisturizers or adding new beauty products to my endless wish list during a coffee break (coffee hour is sacred here).
My routine is not perfect and it is not my intention to reach perfection, but I have a few essential items in my cabinet that make my life easier. The goal? To find the most comfortable products for my skin.
It was difficult to find a shaving cream that would not cause irritation, while still serving its main function. Running a blade across your face every three days is a bit aggressive, so having a product that could pamper the skin after shaving was my priority. Luckily, Prince ticks all the boxes and thanks to fair trade Cocoa Butter used here, this cream also does a good job at moisturizing and softening your skin.
An advantage of living in Barcelona is having an easy access to all of the pharmacy skincare products from Spain and France for a good price. If I could pick just one pharmacy product? It would be The Thermal Water. Perfect for cooling off during hot months (Mediterranean summers are a challenge), perfect for after shave and perfect for waking up tired skin.
Mediterranean water is quite harsh and has a lot of limescale in it, so finding a good shampoo to thoroughly cleanse my hair was crucial yet tricky. After discovering Detox Shampoo, I now use it every two weeks and it leaves my hair almost virgin-like, clean and silky. It’s like pressing a button and resetting my head to zero.
Malin + Goetz Eucalyptus Deodorant
I must confess: it took me some time to switch from a conventional deodorant to a clean one. I thought it would not protect me enough from the bad smell; plus the price scared me. Last year I dared to try this option from Malin & Goetz (if I'm honest, the graphic design convinced me - as a designer the packaging catches my attention every time) and I couldn't be happier with my discovery. Smooth to the touch and with a subtle scent that passed the Litmus test: no bad odor after running errands around Barcelona.
The Body Shop Green Tea Tree Oil
This little pot is the most useful thing I have found at The Body Shop. A blemish caused by eating too much chocolate? Use a bit of this oil. Dandruff? Use a bit of this oil. Clean those dirty pores? Use a bit of this oil. In Spanish we say “Good, nice looking and cheap” and this oil applies well to all three categories.
Youth To The People Kombucha +11% AHA Exfoliation Power Toner
One extra. I'm discovering the power of chemical exfoliators and this Youth To The People toner works like a magic potion that makes pores look so much cleaner. Lately I am trying to add more clean beauty products to my routine, especially those that contribute “with a grain of sand” to the World (are vegan, not tested on animals, etc.).
Lastly, I wanted to mention my favorite fragrance. I love this one because it reminds me of my first days in Spain. This perfume teleports me to a sunny day under a fig tree and gives me a feeling, almost an illusion of moving to a new place over and over again.
Many thanks to Pablo for sharing his Barcelonian beauty must-haves with us
❤️
Do you spot any favorites? Let's chat some more in the comments!
Website: www.heyfungi.com
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Purchased products; full disclaimer here