She revolutionized the way we look for a partner. In 2012 Whitney Wolfe founded the dating app Tinder and in 2014 she launched the dating app Bumble. The concept of her newest baby is similar: you drag if you want to reject a suggested profile of a potential partner, you swipe to the left or you swipe to the right to like the profile. Just like in Tinder. The difference in Bumble is that it's the woman who has to initiate a chat (unlike Tinder, for which men have complained that there's too little interaction from women), and they even have a 24 hour timespan to act after the so called "match" is established, otherwise the match disappears. So, this app puts us women in a position of power, the text editor explained to me during our meeting in Munich. She believes that "it's no longer appropriate for our time for a woman to wait on a man to make the first move."

27 years young and wildly successful. According to Business Insider upon stepping down from Tinder, Wolfe received a settlement of over $1 million. Time.com has placed the value of Bumble at $500 million>>>. So, the next question is if you are an app founder from Texas who can afford haute couture, what is the style of your choice? When I met her at the hotel, she wore an Alhambra necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels over a cashmere pullover and flat Chanel boots. At dinner she wore her Alhambra dangly earrings without a necklace. Wolfe chooses to wear high quality, highly selective classic pieces that are not loud. Would she buy these pieces of jewellery again if they were to suddenly disappear? "Oh God, I don't even want to think about the possibility of that happening!"

What pieces would Wolfe buy again, if she suddenly had none of them? (needless to say, I also had to ask for the best tips for a smart dating profile of course, see bottom of the post)

Whitney Wolfe's fashion and beauty basics

1. The makeup

I usually don't wear makeup, I don't have time for that. But I do use a tinted moisturiser every day with SPF 40 (Perfect BB Cream by 3Lab). If I want to have a little hint of makeup, I use a brown mascara by Chanel. It brightens up my eyes without creating too strong an effect.

mascara by Chanel, color: "brun"

2. The pullover

I wear tight, thin cashmere pullovers most of the time, because they go with everything and can be dressed up or down. I would reorder three pieces from Crimson (Paris store): one in cream, one in black and one in dark green or marine blue.

founder and CEO at Bumble: Whitney Wolfe

3. The skincare

Cleansing gel and facial cream by Dr. Lancer and I also visit him for treatments (referring to celebrity dermatologist and Hollywood's secret skincare weapon – Kim Kardashian swears by him).

4. The shoes

A pair of flat leather boots in black by Chanel for cold nights in Texas or when on the go. Also a pair of black BB pumps by Manolo Blahnik, probably suede. These are a classic, last forever and bring me to the right height (as I'm quite small).

classic: „BB Pump" by Manolo Blahnik in black

5. The bag

I would buy another Kelly by Hermès, but in another colour this time. The one I have is too much of an American cliché (her current grey bag lies on the couch). Recently my fiancé didn't like it when he saw me with this bag "are you picking up the kids from football practice?" If I treat myself to another one, it will be black with silver hardware.

6. The sportswear

Light Up Nikes and leggings by Nike or Lululemon (I also wear these on the plane or at home), and a Bumble T-shirt – I can just take this from the office.

7. The jeans

I would rebuy a pair of jeans by Frame, because they fit me the best. To be honest, I live in these. When I work, I always wear jeans, and T-shirts or sweatshirts.

8. The dress

There are very few dresses that work well in front of the camera. But I would say I can rely on the cut of Victoria Beckham's dresses. I always take a black one with me when I travel for evening events or spontaneous business meetings.

9. The underwear

Briefs by Hanky Panky in different colours. These are great and super comfortable. Can you get them in Germany? (indeed, we can order online via Net-a-porter.com or Yoox.com – see gallery:)

10. The jacket

My reversible jacket by Loro Piana, which I use on cold days and business trips to NYC. This jacket is a saviour and makes a decent outfit in case of a wardrobe emergency.

reversible shearling-jacket by Loro Piana, via loropiana.com

Whitney's tips for the perfect dating profile

Question to Whitney Wolfe: Can you help me set up my Bumble profile?

The right images

Whitney: "What's important is that the photos correspond to your lifestyle and show a broad range of it. So, in your case, a photo with red lipstick, one where you look natural, one with a sincere smile, a sporty one, another where your figure is visible, one with your family or friends etc."

The appropriate text

Whitney dictates and I write: "The Bumble girls made this bio for me. If you are lucky, I’ll give you a chance to tell me what you think of it ;-)"

With the profile that the "Bumble girls" created for me I instantly got a match – with a male model. "Oh, he is handsome," she yelled across the restaurant and swiped the match to the next step. She shared with me what she would write in the message: "I'm here together with the Bumble ladies and they are so happy that such a handsome guy like you is on Bumble." Christoph: "Thank you Bumble ladies… do you get together for tea and decide who makes it to the next round??? Glad to be added…" Me: "Thank you darling, you're welcome – from the Bumble girls!" At this point we had had a couple of glasses of wine already. Christoph: "Are you the only one of them who speaks German? Ok… when would you like to meet?"

Motto: „Keepin' it real!"

translation: Maria Delta

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For decades the most widely known commodity coming from the Amazon rainforest south from Colombia was … cocaine. Well now, the Amazon can finally boast another – healthier – booming addiction…to a protein-rich nut: Cacay.

Cacay: the new anti-aging wonder

Facial oils alone generate a $100 million revenue share within the skincare industry. Today the choice of plant-based facial oils in the market is enormous and one gets the feeling there’s a new “It” facial elixir every week, with even more benefits than the previous one. Fruits and nuts such as grape, almond, avocado and coconut are pressed to produce liquid oils with great skin benefits. Cacay (pronounced “kahk-ai”) is the latest anti-aging break-through discovery. In the Amazon alone the sales of the precious nut have increased in the last few months by 9000% (!).

5 facts about the new anti-aging wonder

1. Cacay oil is a 100% natural product.
2. The cacay nut can be found in regions of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. Before the cosmetic industry discovered cacay, the nut was picked from wild trees and used by indigenous people to treat wounds and scars but also served to feed livestock.
3. In the United States where there’s often an obsession when it comes to hip beauty and youth-preserving products, the cacay oil trend started slightly earlier than in Europe. In the States, cacay oil is already among the trendiest bestsellers and the price has skyrocketed to $200 for as little as 30 grams.

Why are we learning about cacay only now?

4. Apart from indigenous people, scientists have also known the beneficial qualities of cacay for several years now, but it was market researcher Alberto Jaramillo who first brought more attention to the nut’s properties. He visited trade fairs and saw a market for the revolutionary skin product. He founded the company Kahai SAS in Bogota for the industrialization of cacay oil and gave a presentation of a scientific study about the product’s benefits. The sensation in the beauty industry caused by celebrities using argan oil has recently paved the way for other plant-based facial oils to succeed in becoming a must product.

What does cacay oil contain?

5. Cacay oil contains contains 50% more vitamin E and twice the amount of Linoleic Acid than argan oil. Vitamin E is a vitamin that protects cells against harmful free radicals (caused by stress, smoking and sun) and has become a mainstream ingredient for the cosmetic industry. Linoleic acid is a powerhouse ingredient used in products for the treatment of acne, psoriasis and hyper-pigmentation; it reduces inflammation and aids the skin to produce new cells and strengthen its natural barrier. Last but not least, cacay oil contains a high concentration ofVitamin A(app. 1%), three times more than the amount in wild rose oil, for example.

Read more: The most important anti-aging substances in a nutshell

Not convinced by the promised benefits yet? Maybe this positive side-effect might do: cacay trees grow up to 40 meters high and used to be a lucrative business for loggers who would cut them down. The oil’s surging popularity has brought even more awareness about preserving the precious trees of the rainforest. Who knows, perhaps cacay oil will really become the first beauty product to actually earn the title “powerhouse” in every meaning of the word, both cosmetic and ecological and save the endangered Amazon jungle. At least a little part of it.

100% natural ingredients: cacay oil by Ooh! – Oils of Heaven

I’m currently trying out the cacay oil by Ooh! (around 50 euro), which is unfortunately until now available only through the producing brand Oils of Heaven and natural skincare e-tailer LoveLula (with free international shipping). If you want to learn more about the product before purchasing it, stay tuned for my review. My first impression so far is a light nutty smell, fast absorption into the skin and beautiful moisture.

Translation by Maria Giannakopoulou

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How do you put flip flops on without smudging your nail polish? 6 Smart solutions to little everyday crises.

Damage control for your nail polish emergency

Even with a long lasting Shellac gel polish, you somehow manage to get a massive flaw on your manicure. The best option of course is to have it professionally removed. If, however, an appointment is not on the menu, there is a certain art to picking your gel polish off, according to nail artists: by picking the gel off horizontally instead of along the nail, you damage your nails less. If you’re going to pick, at least pick like a pro!

Remove those deodorant marks

Just out of the shower, you put your deodorant on, pull your favourite T-shirt over your head and there! – white deodorant marks all over it. Too familiar? Rubbing and water? I don’t think so. There is a perfect little solution called the “Deodorant Removal Sponge” (no joke, produced by the same company that discovered “Fashion Tape”), which you can use to rub the stains off. If you need an alternative, a makeup sponge will usually do the trick.

Gap-free laser hair removal

Do you laser your leg hair at home? Then, try sectioning your legs into different areas with a white kajal pencil for a job well done. Stay away from dark pencils though, as they can really worsen the outcome, make the laser less effective and even result in skin burns.

Flawless pedicure

The pedi colour hasn’t dried yet (what can I say, somehow it never does) and attempting to unscathingly maneuver your toes into your sandals or Birkenstocks seems like an acrobatic act. Not when you just shut your eyes and let your feet “lead the way”. Based on research your instinct works better than your eyes, so try first, thank me later.

Perfectly winged eyeliner

Does your pitch black eyeliner wing look like a sad little worm instead of a sharp sexy line? Your credit card can double as the perfect eyeliner stencil when placed at the end of your eyelid at the right angle. The perfect cat eye, oh-so-simple.

Take off that long lasting lipstick

Your favourite kiss-proof lipstick lasts for hours. Totally perfect, except when it’s time to take it off again. Classic makeup removers will hardly do the job – Vaseline on the other hand will, plus it will leave your lips baby soft. Just rub on and wipe off.

Translation by Maria Giannakopoulou

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Its trademark brown vial seems to adorn every other image on Instagram nowadays, as part of meticulously spontaneous arrangements of skincare bliss on beautiful marble tops. You find its XL soap dispenser next to the sink in many of London’s hip restaurants. I’m referring to Aesop of course, the skincare label founded in Australia in 1987 by hairstylist Dennis Paphitis, which in the meantime has expanded into more than 100 countries and selling points.

Time to find what the hype is really all about.

1. Is Aesop “bio” or “organic”?

No. The Aesop product range is neither exclusively organic nor natural, though truth be told, Aesop has never claimed to be. Their formulations contain a combination of botanical and synthetic ingredients.

According to the label: “While many of our formulas contain ingredients sourced from plants grown organically, they also commonly contain ingredients grown by farmers using non-organic techniques as well as substances developed by Aesop chemists in our Head Office laboratory. (…). We recognize the benefits that organic and biodynamic farming have for the land and for our health, but we are practical about how realistic it would be for us to use only organic ingredients. Sometimes they are not available, sometimes there is not enough of a particular ingredient, sometimes the air miles required to import it would generate an environmental concern of its own.“

A rather reasonable, comprehensible statement.

2. What is the packaging made of?

According to the label’s website, “Aesop uses recyclable glass, plastic and cardboard as much as possible, providing it does not compromise the stability or integrity of our products.“

Reading on, we find what “as much as possible” recyclable means:

“Due to reasons of hygiene and logistics we are unable to refill Aesop containers or to recycle them for you. We suggest that when your Aesop containers are empty, you find a use for them in your home.”

3. Does Aesop use animal testing?

Aesop is 100% animal testing-free and product irritancy testing is conducted on human volunteers.

 4. Are Aesop products palm oil-free?

No. Palm oil accounts for a significant source of vegetable oil worldwide and is contained in almost every other product of your local supermarket (chocolate, detergent) and in Aesop products as well. For palm oil production, rainforest surfaces equivalent to football fields are cut down every hour. I don’t need to go into details about what this means for the population and animal species like the dwarf elephant. Therefore, in nutritional products palm oil can no longer hide behind innocent “plant-based fat” classifications but this is not the case for cosmetic products.

Before I create panic and a possible court case against me, let me clarify: Aesop gives back money to suppliers to support sustainably produced palm oil, where certified sustainability is really an option.

“We appreciate the concerns regarding the use of Palm Oil and Palm Oil-derived substances. Aesop currently uses Sodium Palmate and Sodium Palm Kernelate in our Body Cleansing Slab and Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides in our Sage & Zinc Facial Hydrating Cream. These ingredients are derived from palm oil that is sourced from certified RSPO suppliers (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil). RSPO is an internationally recognized, not-for-profit organization formed in 2004 to promote the growth and use of sustainable Palm Oil products by creating and monitoring global standards.”

According to the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), it is “impossible” to fully substitute the oil with other substances. It is possible however, in skincare, as in the products by Dr.Hauschka.

5. Do Aesop products contain parabens?
No.

6. Do Aesop products contain sulfates and what are these really?

Yes, in body washes and shampoos.

Sulfates are cleansing agents that are contained in almost all cleansing cosmetic products, such as washing gels, shampoos, toothpaste etc. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is one of the most commonly used sulfates and is considered aggressive and harmful, which means that it can cause skin irritation and dehydrated skin. Aesop uses the milder tenside sodium laureth sulfate (SleS).

Both substances are suspicious for causing cancer, although to this day there is no specific scientific evidence and the lack thereof is what cosmetic manufacturers often use as an argument to win their case.

If one would wish to play it really safe, it would mean avoiding all products containing SLS, SLES and their common alternative PEG (polyethylene glycol), a pretty ambitious as much as impossible mission, as that would leave us with … baby shampoo.

If you seek some peace of mind, it wouldn’t harm to check the ingredients in your cosmetics on Code Check.

So, why do we think of Aesop as a natural cosmetic brand?
Well, Aesop products are packaged in pharmaceutical-looking brown glass vials, minimal and no-nonsense, as if out of the lab. They are stored in simple, green wooden racks and instead of wild beauty claims, what Aesop staff has to offer is informative consultations and product testing. The pristine, minimalistic setting suggests honesty and validity and affirms our desire for authenticity. So much so, that we find ourselves ordering “hot water with peppermint leaves” instead of “tea”. It would otherwise make as much sense as steeping apple in hot water, but we can’t help it, as it smells so beautifully natural as Aesop itself, even though most of it is an illusion.

But I have pointed the finger quite enough. My own consuming behavior is far from exemplary and often erratic even, though at least I am aware of it. An indisputable aspect of Aesop products is that none of them contain colourants, mineral oils, silicones, parabens and almost no synthetic fragrance compounds (the only exceptions are the Marrakech Intense Eau de Toilette and Parfum, and Rejuvenate Intensive Body Balm). Most importantly, Aesop is one of the few companies that is transparent about their ingredients and honest to their consumers. This is just fabulous.

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Translation by Maria Giannakopoulou

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What does Olaplex really do?

It is the latest hair care hype from California, brand new and nearly sold out. Olaplex promises to make hair damage and breakage from salon procedures a thing of the past. It is a treatment that can be used as part of chemical procedures like colouring, straightening, bleaching but also afterward, to maintain optimal results. The numerous before/after pictures flooding social media give the impression that you can go from dark brown to platinum blond in one session and still maintain healthy, strong and luminous hair. Is this even possible?

Two appointments and some Olaplex later, hairstylist Paige Hamel achieved this stunningly healthy icy platinum on her client. Great work! #Repost @paigehamel with @repostapp.

Ein von @olaplex gepostetes Foto am 22. Apr 2015 um 10:18 Uhr

Are these picture-perfect results simply due to good professional blow-drying and styling work or have platinum blondes found a new wonder weapon with continuous benefits after they wash their hair at home? To learn more about Olaplex, I asked hairdresser Stefan M. Pauli, who has been testing the product in his salon long before it was marketed in Germany.

Stefan M. Pauli: “The product goes definitely beyond just what we see after professional blow-drying and styling. Hair feels totally different, with a lot more resilience.”

Find an Olaplex Salon in your area >>>

Pauli’s client business consultant Niklas (Niki) Epstein discovered Olaplex at a trade fair in California. The Olaplex stand had a very long line, as all hairdressers wanted to get the product for their salon. Epstein wanted to learn more about its distribution in Germany and eventually brought it to the Munich-based hairdresser one day to test its efficiency at improving hair quality after a straightening procedure. Epstein had previously brought the popular Tangle Teezer detangling brush to the German market as well as the Invisibobble, the traceless hair ring that looks like old-fashioned telephone cord. In the meantime, Invisibobble has become the “it” accessory on every ponytail from Berlin Mitte to Munich Schwabing.

Pauli tested the product and, like his US colleagues, was astounded by the improved hair quality he noticed, even after the harshest bleaching procedures. “What’s interesting about Olaplex is that it contains a completely new substance that reconnects broken disulfide sulfur bonds in the hair, the bonds that give hair its elasticity and strength. Procedures like washing, brushing, styling, colouring, straightening and exposure to sun damage those bonds in the long-term making hair weak and dull.”

The series of three products is designed for professional use only though No. 3 is sold at hair salons to clients for use at home (currently at around 50 euro). In California the series was launched a year ago (No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3) and was originally developed for improving hair quality after a chemical perm procedure. During a perm, disulfide bonds are broken and reconnected, which achieves the perm wave form in the hair. Olaplex helps reduce the number of damaged bonds during such procedure, and by using all three products, these bonds are gradually rebuilt again.

The method is effective for all types of chemical and styling hair damage, but bear in mind that it is not designed for hair that is naturally weak! In Hollywood, where celebrities and actors constantly undergo all kinds of colouring and styling procedures and use numerous products to secure a good look that will last throughout the entire evening, it is not surprising that the product was so well received.

Pauli has noticed that “during a highlighting procedure the scalp is much less sensitized. Olaplex No. 3, for home use is already sold out in Germany again.” And although he just received a new delivery, he knows this will soon be gone too, as the waiting list of interested clients is much longer than the stock he received.

Pauli breaks down how Olaplex is used:

No.1 is a runny fluid that we mix with the highlighting or colouring product, which restores hair strength and structure.

No.2 contains substances that aid to smooth the surface of the hair (as in the image below). It is applied following a chemical procedure for 10 minutes and then rinsed.

No.3 is a product the customer can take and use at home as a mask once or twice a week. The frequency also depends on how often the hair is washed.

The series can also be used as a treatment to damaged hair, without necessarily following a chemical procedure, in which case

No.1 is applied in combination with water on dry hair and left on the hair for 5 minutes. Without rinsing, you apply Olaplex No. 2 and leave on for an additional 10 minutes.

This treatment is great for strengthening damaged hair.

For a salon treatment, cost can vary anywhere from 12 euro (No.2 mask) to 60 euro for an intensive hair restoring treatment. (You can buy Olaplex No. 3 online here).

Of course the photos below don’t show the reconnected disulfide bonds – too scientific an analysis for our liking – but the dramatically improved surface of the hair, which makes a lot more sense for the consumer to understand how this product really works. Quite impressive.

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Translation by Maria Giannakopoulou

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