Max and Me - Highly Vibrant Skin Care For Your Soul

I recently had the chance to learn about Max and Me, an award winning Austrian natural skincare line with a very different approach. Far from the mainstream, these products are working on an energetic level.

It's a family business owned by the inspiring Tanja & Max, who are dedicated to only using the very best, purest and most potent ingredients. They move beyond just organic ingredients and work with a team of health and plant specialists to ensure that every ingredient is the most potent and best quality possible. This Luxury skincare line that treats body & soul.

If you are into Crystals, Colour therapy or any forms of alternative energy healing or yoga, you might just love this holistic approach. If you are a science freak, simply enjoy the beautiful smell and textures of the products! And let the results convince you :)
I tried a few products and each one I loved. I am also into the cute & beautiful packaging with little elf illustrations and the use of lilac, which since pregnant I felt really drawn to.
(Can you tell, I am constantly wearing my purple/lavender Spell dress? )
But back to the topic:

The smells are divine and stem from only the purest natural ingredients, but they also fairly powerful. If you prefer neutral non-scented products, this line won't be for you, but if you appreciate wonderful well done all natural scents that uplift, you might get addicted really quickly.

The hero product which recently won the "Best In Show" Award at the Indie Beauty Expo in NYC is the "Enchanted" Face oil. That really says something, as pretty much every natural skincare brand has a face oil it's range, so there was certainly lots of competition. Enchanted is an oil that can be used day & night. Perfect for even sensitive skin it suits and nourishes all skin types and smells of Jasmine & Frangipani. But words can only tell you so much, if you are looking for an outstanding face oil this is it! Try for yourself. (vegan)

My personal favourite, possibly because it feels so protective and balancing is "Circle Of Protection" which is a body treatment. Using it on my belly right now and inhaling the magical scent makes me feel very good, grounded and happy.
Quite a winner for any pregnant lady. The blend of essential oils in “circle of protection” increases the resilience of your skin, protects and pampers you. With the particularly beautiful characteristics of magnolia, skin-enhancing manuka, Bourbon geranium, Qi-enhancing, repairing jasmine, litsea, protective and nurturing vetiver, rejuvenating and moisturizing rose and highly vibrant silver fir. (vegan)
(Having said all that there is a whole range of body oils which I haven't tried yet! Please share if you have tried any of the other blends, I would love to hear about it)

The range also contains two different balms to treat difficult skin conditions, which sound and feel amazing. Luckily pregnancy suits my skin very well and I don't have any issues to report, so I can't comment on how effective they are.
But I keep them safe and have a feeling they might help me once Winter comes and my hormones will once again change after birth. (not vegan, contains propolis)

What I can comment on though is the wonderful Serenity Mask & Wash. I already recently featured it in my Instagram stories. (A little heads up, though: This product does contain Manuka Honey and is therefore NOT vegan. If you are okay with that that you are in for a treat. Otherwise, it's good to know that the whole range is not tested on animals and most products are vegan.)
This product is amazing as a face mask, it lightly exfoliates, hydrates and balances all skin problems. My skin was radiant and refreshed afterwards without any redness. The mask feels soothing on and is not drying although it does contain clay. It can be used as an exfoliating face wash as well. If you want to remove makeup and/or eye makeup, it's best to use the Purity & Grace cleansing oil as a first step.

Before this post gets too long to read, I better wrap it up. There is so much to say about this line, but I hope I have stirred your curiosity and given you a little insight of my own experience.

My 2nd trimester Update! Favourite things & thoughts

The more my pregnancy progresses the better I feel! ( I am sure this won't remain true in the final weeks/days) but for now, I feel more energised and fitter every week. Soooo good after all the sickness of the first trimester.

My skin has been perfectly clear, glowing and supple, my nails are growing faster than I clip or file them. My favourite food has been Green Smoothies! I have one every day for breakfast. I also really loved avocados and mangoes! No weird cravings. Smell has gone back to normal.

The only thing seems to be that I am a little more clumsy than usual. is that a thing?

I keep dropping things and my dear husband has a lot of fun.

I have just been feeling very calm and happy most of the time, no crazy mood swings or anything.
I contribute this to eating very well (no junk, no sugar etc) as well as exercising and also keeping up with work. I have taken on slightly less work now in the third trimester as I have more midwife appointments and also don't want to overexert myself.

My exercise routine was easy to keep up and I added evening walks and swims to the schedule which has been amazing. We have had a very hot Summer over here so far and I am not going to lie, the heat is not really comfortable when pregnant, it does make me feel sluggish and slow.
I have been doing 5 workouts a week, plus normal walks and swims. It really helped my posture with the growing belly and weight of the growing boobs.

My favourite beauty products have been:

~ Coconut Oil! I use it on wet skin in the shower all over my body.
~ My Edible Beauty skin care range, it's just perfect, swooooon!
Over Summer I have been using the Serum mostly on it's own, which makes my skin glow and keep it hydrated. When I need extra protection or spend a lot of time outdoors I also use the tinted moisturiser. Of course, I cleanse twice daily and use the exfoliant 1-2 times a week.
~ Vanessa Megan Pregnancy Perfume
~ Wild Rose Body Wash by Weleda
~ Face Tan Water by Eco Tan ( I think I have to write a separate review about this!)
~ Liquid Minerals Foundation By Jane Iredale

Books:
Ina May's Guide To Breastfeeding
Simplicity Parenting
Heaven On Earth A Handbook for Parents Of Young Children
 all the beautiful baby & children books we received at our recent baby shower!

Foods: Green Smoothies! Every Morning!
Fresh Baby Spinach Salads with Avocado (!) chickpeas & tofu
Mangoes!!! And Melons!

Clothes: Spell dresses, forever and ever, so comfy in the heat. And so much room for the belly! But I can also continue to wear them next summer without a big belly!

We have also started our nesting! That little nursery is complete by now and we have almost all things ticked off our list. Only a last few bits and pieces, which makes me feel really calm and good. I think it helped both of us to really get our head around that our baby girl will be living with us real soon!

I really enjoy being pregnant and am excited about the third trimester.

Bump Update: Favourite Books & Prenatal Excercise

This second trimester is so much fun. I am feeling great and my energy is back.
 While I am still working my normal and pretty busy schedule, every free minute is spent with baby/pregnancy related things.

I am making smoothies every morning, eating heaps of fresh organic fruits & veggies and I am back to my lively self.

We will probably only do this once, so I am enjoying taking it all in and making the most out of this special time. Every week this little bump is growing...it all seems to happen so fast.

I have been reading a great deal about pregnancy, birth and parenting. My favourites so far are:

Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful by Gurmukh
Simplicity Parenting
You Are Your Child's First Teacher
Ina May's Guide To Childbirth
Gentle Birth , Gentle Mothering

It's all so exciting and I am so hungry for Information right now.

And while have been doing my Kundalini Yoga Meditations (many great ones are also in Gurmukhs Book above) I was craving a little more Aerobic exercise than just my usual yoga to replace my running.

I have never been to a gym in my life and I am not usually into funky workouts but I really started enjoying my "Expecting More" prenatal home videos by Sarah Hayley. There are dance style cardio workouts, strength & sculpt classes and combined workouts. They all have a great intensity and really make me sweat, yet they are gentle and safe enough for pregnancy. I have been following the suggested schedule of 5 workouts a week and two days off.I replace her "Salutations" with actual prenatal Yoga but stick to the other workouts. It has given me so much energy and really perked me up.
The real downside is the music in those videos, but after I learned all the moves I can now play my own music with it and just keep the video on silent.

I also went for my first swim of the season this week and hope to get to the beach a lot in the coming months, the cool water felt amazing!

If you are pregnant, planning to be or have a friend that is, I hope this was somewhat helpful.

I am by no means an expert and the above are just my personal opinions and experiences.

A date with the bathtub- Weleda Time Machine

The nights are still pretty chilly over here and having worked some late nights lately as well as doing quite some intense yoga sessions, my muscles were in need of a soak and massage.

I haven't even used our bath tub since we moved into our apartment almost a year ago. When I lived in Berlin years ago the bathtub was the place to find me on days off and cold winter nights. I almost forgot how good it feels to have a bath! While the bathtub brings back memories I stepped even further down memory lane by using a beautiful Weleda bath milk. Weleda is one of the brands my hippie parents used when I was little and that I have adored all my life. It's the go to green beauty brand for everyday essentials. We lived in Germany and my Mum who is a Naturopath has always been into organic and green beauty products. Weleda has just brought out a new Arnica Muscle Soak, that called my name. It actually smells of an Swedish Sauna to me, which must be due to the birch, rosemary and lavender used. Where I grew up in Northern Europe saunas are very popular and are part of our culture. By the way: Did you know we recently visited Northern Germany, Denmark & Sweden? If you are interested in Scandinavia and our adventures check out our personal blog here. It's our personal project about happiness, photography and travel but mostly all the small things that make life so wonderful.

But back to my wonderful bath experience: I feel bathtime is one of these special pampering times that are so important for self care, just like meditation or exercise. I think I will continue to have baths until Spring arrives! I soaked for a little while in the warm water before bed and had my bed already warmed up with hot water bottles. I can't even remember a thing, I passed out as soon as I snuggled up. Highly recommended!

"Skin Food" is another hero product by Weleda a healing intensely moisturizing balm, soooooo good for feet, elbows or dry hands! It's one of these cult beauty products that has had no reason to change formula since 1926. It has a huge celebrity following as well and is a staple in many professional makeup kits, including my own, especially during the Winter months. Free from parabens, artificial preservatives, colours and fragrances. Skin Food is not tested on animals and is suitable for vegetarians. (this one is not vegan it does contain lanolin)

Weleda is one of the brands that takes green beauty to the next level, they grow most their ingredients in their own biodynamic organic gardens. Exotic ingredients they usually buy from sustainable fair trade projects, ensuring there are no sprays or pesticides used. This way they ensure that they are able to use only the highest quality ingredients while making sure they are sourced in a way that is ethically, socially and environmentally responsible. Extra green smoothie points from me there ;)