Eva

Author: Eva

  • The Story of Carli Bybel and Her Old Friend, DJ Sam

    The Story of Carli Bybel and Her Old Friend, DJ Sam

    The rooftop

    Many many years ago, when I started watching Carli Bybel‘s videos, an interesting detail from one of her videos caught my attention. She was talking (and drawing) about a tough period in her life and one about the fact that night she was sitting on a rooftop with her friend, Sam, both unhappy and searching a way to fulfill their dreams. It was then, on the rooftop, when Carli decided to start a Youtube Channel and Sam decided to follow a career in DJing.

    Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd0TnRqRSI4

    The rooftop, the night, the decisions… I don’t know why I’ve always found this picture mysterious and interesting.

    Who is Sam?

    Source: https://www.instagram.com/sammimorales/

    Carli mentioned Sam in her first Youtube videos and she even featured her in a video.

    They knew each other since high school, but didn’t really talk back then. They started their friendship on October 2010 and six years later, in 2016, Carli stated in one of her videos that Sam is her current best friend.

    Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd0TnRqRSI4

    Sam’s real name is Samantha Morales. She is from New Jersey and went to the same high school as Carli did.

    Sam in Carli’s videos

    Here is a video in which Carli creates a Selena Gomez makeup on Sam. They seem to have fun.

    This is a video from 2012. Since then, Sam has been gradually disappearing from Carli’s stories and she has been replace with Carli’s old friend, Nicole.

    Sam, Nicole and Carli

    Source: https://www.instagram.com/glowbynicole/

    On Nicole’s Instagram I’ve found this amazing picture from 2012. Three friends at the beginning of their lives, having fun, going through their ups and downs, being together, growing apart…

    What is Sam doing now?

    Source: https://www.instagram.com/sammimorales/

    Sam did follow her career as a DJ, but if you search her on internet as “DJ Sam” you won’t find her because she signes herself as “DJ Sammi” or “DJ Samantha Morales”.

    You can follow her on Instagram.

    She also works a Licensed Real Estate Broker.

    Samantha lives and works in Jersey City.

    Is she still friends with Carli?

    As you can see from her Instagram, both Carli and Nicole follow her and they both still like Sammi’s photos.

    Maybe the continue to be in good terms, but I don’t think they are friends anymore.

    Conclusions

    I think it is very interesting to see how these three women (Carli, Sammi, Nicole) evolved over time. I am grateful to them because they’ve been sharing scrapes from their lives.

    I also think that their friendships could start again sometime. I think they have so much in common and that they could eventually overcome their disagreements. And even if their friendships wouldn’t be renewed, at least they did share a nice friendship and this is something that not everyone could say.

     

  • Benefits of Coconut Butter – How and When to Use It

    Benefits of Coconut Butter – How and When to Use It

    Healthy oils and butters

    Everyone is talking about the health benefits of different types of oils and butters.

    Over the years I used olive oil, avocado oil, shea butter, castor oil and so on. Some people say they are great for hair (and if you read the labels from the hair products, most of them contains some kind of oils and butters). The same is true with skin products.

    Well, for me none of these worked.

    Skin benefits of Coconut Butter

    Coconut butter at room temperature

    First of all, I must admit that in winter, nothing helps my dry skin, except the Bioderma hand cream. No natural product helped me and no other chemical products as well. Only this hand cream saves my skin during harsh winter.

    I tried to use coconut butter on my hands during winter, but except for making my hands greasy for one hour, nothing happened.

    I almost gave away the quest to find a natural solution for my skin but then summer came and something peculiar happened.

    I went to the beach several times and my skin, although very good hydrated, felt awkward. I can’t really say what was that that buzzed me about it, but I needed to apply some kind of lotion onto my skin. Maybe it was the sun / water damage, maybe something else.

    Melted coconut butter at summer room temperature

    Anyhow, I didn’t feel like applying a hydrating cream, because I already felt my skin well hydrated.

    So, I once more tried the coconut butter (which transformed itself into a coconut oil because of the high temperatures in summer). It was the right thing for my skin, exactly what it needed. My skin absorbed it fast and felt instantly better.

    My conclusion about these experiences

    So, is the coconut butter good for skin? I don’t think that the coconut butter is hydrating. I think it is nourishing. Probably during summer, when skin sweats, it loses important vitamins and minerals, which the coconut butter comes to replace.

    Does it work for hair as well?

    Not for me. I used it a few times (applied on hair, leave it there for at least 10 hours), but I saw no difference whatsoever.

    Can you eat it?

    Maybe. I didn’t try, although I saw on a biscuit label that it contained coconut oil.

    Anyhow, you might want to eat it since it smells like the Bounty chocolat bar.

  • What happened with Carli Bybel and Nicole Gandino?

    What happened with Carli Bybel and Nicole Gandino?

    If you’re here because you were wondering about the current relation between Carli Bybel and Nicole Gandino, it means that you already know who the two are, thus I will skip the introductions.

    Sorry if I might be a little bit offtrack, but I need to go round a bit in order to understand what happened between them.

    Carli’s current videos and friends

    It’s been a long time since Carli posted a video with Nicole (Moo). She also doesn’t mention her anymore. Instead, Carli features in her videos her family (father, mother, sister, little cousin) and her boyfriend, Anthony Tango.

    She also did a work-out video with a girl that wasn’t featured before. I think she might be one of the “new” friends, but I don’t think it lasted. The girl was named “Coach Aly” and Carli said that they’ve been working-out together for a year.

    Carli also “donated” her old Youtube account to her sister, in order to give her the opportunity to become an Youtuber as well.

    So, no trace of Moo in Carli’s current videos.

    P.S. In Carli’s first Vlog, she mentioned she has a best friend, named “Sam”, who is a DJ and who basically lives with her.

    Youtube capture: Sam, Carli’s old friend

    She then featured her in a video, transforming her into “Selena Gomez” but the friendship between Carli and Sam didn’t last long.

    Carli Bybel and Nicole Gandino throughout the videos

    Carli’s last video featuring Moo was posted in Nov, 29th, 2018.

    They seemed annoyed, something was off in this video and I think things weren’t going pretty neat between them at this point.

    P.S. I absolutely LOVE about Carli that she never ever deleted her old videos. I hate when youtuber’s do that. It’s like a television show that deletes some episodes and you can never ever see them again. Respect Carli for keeping stuff up.

    In an old Vlog, Carli told that she has been friends with Nicole since Middle school. She even drew a heart around C & N.

    Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd0TnRqRSI4

    On Instagram, the last photo Carli has posted with Moo was on April, 2019.

    Source: Carli’s Instagram

    What is Nicole Gandino doing now?

    Nicole has been really quiet on her social media pages.

    Seven months ago, Nicole created her Youtube page. I was really excited because I like her, but unfortunately she posted only two videos and then stopped.

    Her last Instagram photo was this:

    Source: https://www.instagram.com/glowbynicole/

    Could the quarrel be boyfriend related?

    No, definitely not. Or at least not in the sense that Nicole would attempt at Anthony or Carli at Nicole’s boyfriend.

    Conclusions

    Nicole Gandino isn’t the first friend that just disappeares from Carli’s life. Same happened with DJ Sam.

    1. Sometimes people grow apart and the most sane thing to do is to cut the ropes.
    2. Other times people tend to envy their friends and start to try to bring them down, and then again the easiest (maybe not the best) thing you could do is cut the ropes.
    3. And then there is this situation when success makes you crazy and friends can’t keep up with your moods.

    We can’t really know what cause the “divorce” between Carli and Nicole. Maybe these three possibilities mix together, maybe there is just one, maybe there is something else.

    I personally think that friendships should be guarded, and even if things get bad, one should make the effort to keep the relationship up. Up at this point and no more. When the relationship becomes really toxic and you really can’t do anything more about it, then there is no other option. You have to press the “stand by” button. I didn’t say “stop” button, because people can change and, unlike a romantic relationship, you can have in the same time several friends. So, if the problems resolves itself, you can win your friend back, even if it is after 10 years.

  • REVIEW: Lifeology Gift Set Waterlily & Pink Pepper

    REVIEW: Lifeology Gift Set Waterlily & Pink Pepper

    I’ve got this Lifeology gift set from Marks & Spencer.

    Sorry for the bad photo and the messed up package. The package looks good actually, really cute.

    Here is my review:

    The Lifeology body wash & the bath foam

    It smells amazing. The smell persists on skin, but not in an annoying way.

    The smell also persists in the bathroom, which is nice.

    It doesn’t dry the skin. It’s a pretty normal body wash with a nice texture.

    The Lifeology body butter and the hand cream

    The ingredients are slightly different between the body butter and the hand cream, but both smell really nice (all products tend to have the same “waterlily and pink pepper” smell).

    What I really liked about them is that I had the tips of the fingers really dry and after just one use I got them back to normal.

    Also, they leave the skin very soft and perfumed.

    The set also contains a lip butter which I didn’t try because I am very very exclusive with my lip care, but I guess it is good.

    It also contains a cute little perfumed sponge.

    Conclusions

    I think that the Lifeology gift set from Marks & Spencer is a really nice gift. There are no strange products that one might not use, but you might want to be careful about the bath foam. It wouldn’t be nice to give this set as a gift to someone who doesn’t have a bath and who uses only the shower. Also, the products are not organic, so you should also take this into consideration.

  • REVIEW: Kerastase Extensioniste Shampoo

    REVIEW: Kerastase Extensioniste Shampoo

    Shampoo history

    I’ve been using the Kerastase Extensioniste Shampoo for several months.

    I always use it in conjecture with the Kerastase Extensioniste Hair Balm.

    Before this combo, I used the Moroccanoil Body Moisture & Shine Shampoo & Conditioner.

    Both products are really good for fine, long hair, prone to frizziness and breakage.

    I also tried several other Kerastase shampoos, but none worked for me as good as Extensioniste did.

    Why I like Kerastase Bain Extensioniste Shampoo

    From the very first use, it made my hair look better (even though I was using the Moroccanoil which already made my hair nice).

    Even after months of using only this shampoo, it didn’t create dandruff.

    It makes hair shinier and it tames it.

    What I don’t like about it

    It has many chemicals. I would like a BIO shampoo… Unfortunately, the BIO shampoos that I’ve tried are nowhere near the Kerastase one… Probably you really need chemicals to make hair look nice.

    Also, even though it is a shampoo suitable for long hair, I feel that long term use creates split ends. Maybe I will start to alternate it with a more hydrating shampoo.

    Did I use it without the conditioner?

    Almost never. But if I am really in a hurry, I won’t put conditioner. The hair still looks nice, but it definitely looks better with the conditioner.

    I also tried to use this shampoo with other conditioners or hair masks and the results were good as well.

    Will I repurchase?

    Yes, definitely.

    UPDATE

    After using this shampoo for a really long time (more than a year) I realized that my hair had become really thin, breakable, dry and full of split ends. The shampoo tends to dry the hair and even though I used a hair conditioner (the Extensioniste conditioner) the hair suffered. As soon as I changed the shampoo with a hydrating one, my hair started to show signs of resuscitation. So, no, I will not repurchase this shampoo because on short term it does make the hair look good, but on the long term it does the opposite it claims to do: you will eventually have to cut your long hair! So no, thank you.

  • REVIEW: Weider Nut Protein Choco Vegan Crunchy

    REVIEW: Weider Nut Protein Choco Vegan Crunchy

    Vegan or simple?

    When buying a few Weider products for my family, I decided to try the Weider Nut Protein Choco Vegan Crunchy. I oscillated between the vegan nut choco and the simple one (NUT PROTEIN CHOCO), but ultimately I chose the Vegan Nut Protein Choco because it contains 16% hazelnuts, whereas the simple one contains only 11% hazelnuts.

    Also, in comparison with the simple Choco and with other chocolate spreads, it doesn’t contain palm oil.

    It is also gluten free.

    How does it taste?

    Very good.

    I used to like Nutella, but I hate it because it has tons of sugar and it is unhealthy because of the chemicals in it. If there was a Nutella BIO I would totally love it. Nutella has this amazing smell, aroma. But when you actually taste it, it is not as agood as you would expect from the smell.

    In comparison, the Weider Nut Choco doesn’t smell so interesting as Nutella does, but its taste is really good, it doesn’t disappoint. I tried several hazelnut chocolate spreads, bio as well, and I truly can say that the Weider one is one of the best.

    The “crunchy” part

    I was incited by the crunchy aspect of this chocolate spread. In fact, it creates a really nice experience while eating it. I definitely like it and the crunchy hazelnuts don’t feel like concrete.

    Why a protein dessert?

    Amazingly, even though I eat meat almost every day, it is still pretty hard for me to get all the proteins I need. So, if I will eat a dessert, it better be useful for my health.

    How much do I eat per day?

    Firstly, I don’t eat it every single day.

    Secondly, when I eat it, I take a small spoon of the Protein Choco and spread it on a slice of bread.

    What are my concerns regarding it?

    I have two major concerns. Firstly, I would like to know the origin of the hazelnuts and I would prefer them to be organic.

    Secondly, I don’t trust the sweetener they use (Sucralose). I would have loved it if instead of Sucralose they would have used organic honey.

    Will I buy again?

    Yes… I like eating dessert and feeling that in the same time I add something good to my diet, although I would never eat too much of such a bunch of sweets.

     

  • A Radio That Is Perfect for Summer

    A Radio That Is Perfect for Summer

    I’ve been searching for a long time a radio that I could listen in summer, something that would be kind of chill, yet dinamic, like a good house music, without the annoying rythmes, something that would also have a voice in the background.

    I found this radio at the local swimming pool.

    Since first day at this swimming pool I thought that they have really nice music but I didn’t realize it was a radio station. Next days I payed attention and I catched the phrase “Vanilla Radio”.

    I also realized that the hosts spoke in Greek, so yeah, it is radio station from Greece.

    They have several radio “flavors”: deep house, smooth or fresh. If you get the Premium account, you’ll access even more flavors. 🙂

    Here it is, enjoy!

    Listen Vanilla Radio Deep House Flavors

  • Something interesting: music by Laid Back, video by Lars von Trier

    Something interesting: music by Laid Back, video by Lars von Trier

    In 1990, the band Laid Back released “Bakerman” song.

     

    It is a very chill song and it sounds really good. The lyrics are about a man who is baking bread and about the fact that we must chill. If you think it as a metaphor, you can easily guess who the Baker Man really is 🙂

    But what’s more interesting and really funny about this song is its official video, which is directed by Lars von Trier.

    You should watch it:

    You may be confused about the video, which appears to have nothing to do with the idea of a baker man.

    BUT, if you think it through, and remember which metaphor we were talking about, then it all makes sense. I am talking about… you know, going with an airplane up in the sky, having fun… you get it.

    I guess that they had a great load of fun doing this video.

    I’ve seen lots of Lars von Trier movies, but although I appreciate the aesthetic of these films, I don’t like them.

    Seeing this video made me see another side of Lars von Trier. A very funny and witted spirit. Nice.

     

     

  • Sigmund Freud’s favorite music album

    Sigmund Freud’s favorite music album

    I was re-listening the other day a very good music album and I suddenly realized that the greatest psychoanalyst of all time, Sigmund Freud, would have loved it.

    • The album starts with a song that seems to be a twisted, gloomy children story.

    • Then it follows a song about a man who shouts instructions and orders.
    • Then there is a song about the sun / son – you never really know which one, but Freud would say it is about a lost son. Also, this song was released with a video in which a fairy tale princess beats the poor dwarfs.

    • This is followed by a song in which a very demanding person just says the “He/she wants“
    • Well, and then there is this song called… you know already: “Mother”.

    Freud would say that the whole album is about a very strict and demanding loony-tunes mother, who also reminds me of Madame Pinder Schloss from Addams Family.

    So, if Freud would have had a favourite album, it would have been Mutter by Rammstein 🙂

  • REVIEW: Palmer’s Coconut Oil Lip Balm SPF 15

    REVIEW: Palmer’s Coconut Oil Lip Balm SPF 15

    A lip balm is never missing from my purse. I always use some type of lip balm, but during summer and winter I need something special. In winter, it is too cold for normal lip balms, so I use the Cattier Lip Care or The Bioderma lip balm or something else that is really hydrating.

    My summer lip balm

    During summer I need a lip balm that has SPF. I tried using a normal lip balm at the beach, but in the evening I felt my lips a little bit burned. Since then, I always use this Palmer’s Coconut Oil Lip Balm SPF 15.

    How many times do I apply it?

    In a day at the beach, I apply it several times to make sure that my lips are always protected. It is really hydrating and I suppose you could apply it only one time, before going outside, but if you eat or drink something, it will go away and your lips won’t be protected anymore.

    How does it smell?

    Obviously it smells like a coconut cake. I usually don’t use lip balms that taste / smell, but this one is actually funny. I wouldn’t use it all year round, but when I feel this taste on my lips I know that the summer fun begins.

    What do I like most about it?

    I like the fact that it isn’t extremely oily and it doesn’t melt under the sun, at the beach.

    I also like the fact that it has SPF 15. This is perfect for me.