I fully get the irony: I am about to request audience participation (something that is extremely high on my list of things I don’t do). However this blog has reached a readership that goes far beyond my family members and friends – therefore I’m curious to know who you are and how you found Kassandra Komplex. I am not 100% sure this is absolutely necessary for the existence of any non-commercial blog, but I guess I’m just genuinely interested in who’s reading my rants! 

Because I am an awkward feedback-giver myself, especially online, I fully appreciate if you wish to keep your thoughts to yourself. If you have the extra minute and would like to give any kind of feedback, please do not hesitate. Do it below in the comments or send me an email kassandra@kassandrakomplex.com if you wish remain more anonymous. 

Herewith what I would like to know

1. How did you find this blog? 

2. Kassandra Komplex went live in September 2017 – how long have you been reading the blog?

3. In which country do you live?

4. Which type of Kassandra Komplex posts do you enjoy reading most? Is there anything you would like to see more/less?

5. Anything else you would like to share?

There. I guess a bit of reciprocity is in order, so herewith something about me. 

My current cosmetics favourites are pictured together with some of my favourite reading. I probably like The Bean -mask by ​Mahalo Skin Care a bit more than is strictly speaking necessary, but it is hands down the best purifying mask I’ve come across in a very long time. I have what is politically correct to refer to as mature skin, which flares up to mildish bouts of rosacea every now and then, while also being dehydrated and  often congested. Cleansing my face can be a pain, literally, because my skin is extremely sensitive to abrasive scrubs and such. Then I found The Bean and the rest is history. 

​Vintner’s Daughter serum is another superstar, which has helped me knock back on the number of products I layer on my skin daily. The brand only do this one product, and it is fantastic. I don’t care so much what people say about it online, but it has actually helped with any facial discolourations and has healed minor scars in record time. The smell is very botanical – like spreading golden kale smoothie on your face.  I am currently preparing to sell my kidney in order to be able to purchase the larger holiday-edition bottle. 

I never thought I’d be the person who ends up having a signature scent, but I’ve used Santal 33 by Le Labo for almost three years now. I usually lose interest in most things after everybody and my second cousin start using them, but this is yet to happen with Santal 33 (I secretly also really like ​The Portrait of a Lady by ​Frédéric Malle, which is another crowd-pleaser smash hit, but slightly less available than Le Labo these days).

I wanted to pile some of my favourite books in the picture as well. I’ve written about most of them earlier, but repetition never hurt nobody:

Featured favourite authors: ​Nora Ephron, Joan Didion, Virginia Woolf, Joyce Carol Oates.

In a league of her own: ​Diana Athill.

Spiritual animal & life guru: Fran Lebowitz.

Feminist classic, but not the obvious one: ​The Woman Destroyed by ​Simone de Beauvoir

Contemporary feminist essays: Misogynation by ​Laura Bates.

Bible of single living, set in New York in the 1930s: ​The Extra Woman by Joanna Scutts.

In addition I feel extremely strongly about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the oldest sitting US Supreme Court Justice. She’s 85 years old and had an accident last week, which resulted in her being hospitalised. Just as I was getting ready to panic that she’d be out of the game for some crucial weeks (as predicted by doctors: she had fractured 3 bones and the regular recovery time is some 6 weeks). But she is not your regular justice and returned to work the next day. ​”On the Basis of Sex” is a movie about her life and it will be released this Christmas. 

There you are. I also drink lots of tea, and am excessively fussy about it. I started drinking the occasional coffee just to avoid getting into horrible situations in restaurants where tepid water served with a paper-bag filled with dust are considered “tea“. My favourite teacup comes from Astier de Villatte in Paris.