Berlin Millennial loves GHD & Alnatura for Exceptional Style & Creations

GHD

Everybody wants what they don’t have. While women with enviably straight hair often desire curls, curly heads since the 90s have longed for the sleek-look hairstyle that Jennifer Aniston popularized in the series “Friends”.

Thanks to my mother’s genes, I am blessed with an untameable mass of full hair that has successfully resisted all my styling attempts with round brushes, special hair drying techniques and countless care products. My old generic brand hair straightener was equally powerless to achieve the results I wanted. Even visits to the salon could hardly produce lasting results, until my hair stylist straightened my hair with a salon styler by GHD. Wind and rain could not destroy the GHD result and my hair stayed straight and silky until the next wash.

Since this eye-opening experience, I am a proud owner of a GHD styler that I knew from my salon visits and which my internet research confirmed to be the best product of its category.

GHD not only addressed the styling problems I’d always but also used a design for their products that was in line with my personal preference. I chose the elegant metallic rose gold styler set that comes with a stylish carry bag and a set of matching sectioning clips. In a way, the quality of the products did more to convince me than the marketing, but you might say that’s a good thing.

The smooth plates enable me to get my hair styling done in half the time I used to, with longer lasting results and less frizz.

GHD is certainly not in the lower price bracket, but has combined quality and design in a way that was appealing to me that paying a little more did not hurt at all. Hair is, after all, a delicate feature easily ruined, and being able to trust a brand and its products with my hair was a liberating experience. So much so that I am planning to purchase a GHD hairdryer which has been recommended to me by my hair stylist. My daily hair routine was substantially changed and every day feels like a salon visit now - a feeling that is definitely worth the price in my opinion.

Alnatura:

The area of Berlin in which I live is known for its high density of organic supermarkets and its abundance of LOHAS clientele - to a degree that has often drawn mockery and clichéd parody in the rest of the country, however, it’s not commonplace everywhere. Thankfully, Alnatura declared its company mission to provide Berlin, the rest of Germany and parts of Switzerland with a broad assortment of organic, fair trade and sustainable products ranging from regional produce, sweets, fresh baked bread to baby food and cosmetics without chemical additives.

The modern supermarkets are a far shot from the often odd little stores that started this movement in the 70s. A separate organic bakery, a well-stocked wine department and rather elegant interior design provide everything a modern urban clientèle desires.

The wide range of products features well-known brands as well as their own generic brand Alnatura, marketed via an excellent price-value ratio and attractive packaging. Despite being clearly well above discounter price levels, the products are still affordable.

As a vegetarian, I especially appreciate the great selection of tofu, soy and other meat alternative products. Even the chocolate assortment compares well to established brands: from Fair Trade chocolate to exceptional creations such as chilli or white mango chocolate, Alnatura has never let me down.

Their products have been household staples for me because for a long time, even before the many outlets opening and the on-line store, they were available at the largest national drug store chain, dm. The brand Alnatura has come a long way from simply producing organic food to becoming a large retailer, and it’s been personally rewarding to see their development. Their focus on sustainability, fair trade and a great experience for everyone along the value chain (including farmers, employees and suppliers) as well as for the customer has deservedly grown to over 90 national outlets and 2300 employees. It’s not often that I experience a sense of loyalty towards food brands or retailers, but in this case, Alnatura has really connected with me and I hope to see them grow more in the future.