I have been working on a new blog post for a review on Sephora's liquid foundation AND the Beauty Blender sponge...but my whole family was hit with an awful food poisoning case...from ordered pizza! That's what I get for taking the easy way out on the night of my daughter's dance recital.
It's been 36 hours, and though my oldest daughter and I are nearing the end of it, we are still pretty ill feeling and my husband has been bed ridden all day. I have 3 sick babies to care for now lol.
If all goes well, I may have it up and a YouTube video tonight, but more than likely it will be tomorrow.
Yours in ill health,
xo
Friday, December 13, 2013
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Current Skin Care Routine: 4 Natural Products for under $100!
If I kept track of how many skin cleansers, scrubs, toners and lotions I've tried and used over the years, I am sure I could have enough for a very 'clean' coffee-table-book publication. Anything on the skin care market from teenage skin clearing, to anti-aging and pore reducing, has been on my face.
Through my trials and tribulations, I have come to discover how much I HATE conventional hygiene products. They make my skin tight, dry, and even break out! I have paid hundreds of dollars for "natural organic" skin care lines...but then discovered that I could get comparable, if not better products from my local health shops and large chain grocery stores.
1. Face cleanser: Alba Botanica- natural hawaiian facial scrub (pore purifying pineapple enzymes)
This scrub leaves my skin so soft, supple, moisturized and nourished! I Love the smell and all of the benefits of this yummy facial treat.
"-Hypo-Allergenic
-Made with certified organic aloe vera, and a blend of awapuhi, papaya, and bromelain derived from pineapple, this enzyme scrub gently and effectively smoothes away surface cells and impurities while soothing and hydrating.
This toner is amazing at rebalancing my combination skin. I have been using it for about 6 months and just repurchased a 2nd bottle of this liquid gold. It has helped to reduce the hyperpigmentation in my skin as well. It is not harsh in astringents, rather nourishing and leaves the skin pristinely clean and clear...it smells great too!
3. Moisturizer: Aroma Crystal Morning Dew Moisturizer
This moisturizer has a delightful aromatic scent, and it feels like your skin drinks it up upon application. It is my favourite part of my skin care routine...it just feels so good when I put it on after cleansing and toning. It is not heavy at all and leaves no sticky/oily feeling on the skin. My primer glides on perfectly after this step!
How it works:
Next post: DIY microdermabrasion...for pennies!
Happy face washing!
xo
Through my trials and tribulations, I have come to discover how much I HATE conventional hygiene products. They make my skin tight, dry, and even break out! I have paid hundreds of dollars for "natural organic" skin care lines...but then discovered that I could get comparable, if not better products from my local health shops and large chain grocery stores.
1. Face cleanser: Alba Botanica- natural hawaiian facial scrub (pore purifying pineapple enzymes)
This scrub leaves my skin so soft, supple, moisturized and nourished! I Love the smell and all of the benefits of this yummy facial treat.
"-Hypo-Allergenic
-Made with certified organic aloe vera, and a blend of awapuhi, papaya, and bromelain derived from pineapple, this enzyme scrub gently and effectively smoothes away surface cells and impurities while soothing and hydrating.
-Pineapple enzymes, certified organic aloe vera and gentle exfoliating granules smooth away dull surface cells and impurities for a clear and radiant complexion.
-This gentle cleaner combines effective fruit enzymes and buffing granules for deep-cleansing without drying. Maintains your skin's delicate pH while infusing it with healing moisture.
-For all skin types."
2. Toner: Avalon Organics Vitamin C Renewal
This toner is amazing at rebalancing my combination skin. I have been using it for about 6 months and just repurchased a 2nd bottle of this liquid gold. It has helped to reduce the hyperpigmentation in my skin as well. It is not harsh in astringents, rather nourishing and leaves the skin pristinely clean and clear...it smells great too!
- New More Sustainable
- Antioxidant-Intensive
- Toner Balances, Restores Even Tone & Provides Photo-Aging Defense
- Contains 70% Organic Content
- Safe, Effective Certified Skincare, Natural Skincare
- Without Synthetic Fragrances, Phthalates, Harsh Sulfates or Parabens
To rebalance skin tone and moisture levels, the pure perfecting combination of Aloe, Cucumber and Papaya Extract purifies and hydrates while targeting areas of hyperpigmentation. Plant-derived Vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant and cell energizer, helps eliminate free radical damage caused by daily sun exposure to help fight the visible signs of photo-aging.
Free Of
Parabens, harsh preservatives, synthetic colors, fragrances, phthalates, sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate and animal testing.
This moisturizer has a delightful aromatic scent, and it feels like your skin drinks it up upon application. It is my favourite part of my skin care routine...it just feels so good when I put it on after cleansing and toning. It is not heavy at all and leaves no sticky/oily feeling on the skin. My primer glides on perfectly after this step!
"Aroma Crystal Morning Dew Moisturizer is silky smooth and weightless! Aroma Crystal Morning Dew Moisturizer is the perfect facial moisturizer for all skin types, especially oily skin, acne prone skin and sensitive skin types. Combination, oily and acne prone skin types need just as much moisture as they do special treatment. Aroma Crystal Morning Dew Moisturizer is a light facial moisturizer that's perfect for use under make up or as a night care. Aroma Crystal Morning Dew Moisturizer is formulated with a strong combination of ingredients, including sweet orange.
Free of harmful and irritating ingredients like parabens and perfumes, Aroma Crystal Morning Dew Moisturizer is just as effective for sensitive skin and can be used all over the body. Aroma Crystal Morning Dew Moisturizer is best applied after Crystal Clear Face & Body Wash and continued use keeps skin looking radiant, refreshed and rejuvenated!
Active ingredients:
- Sweet orange - Improves complexion.
- Lavender - A skin cell regenerator; helps to reduce wrinkles and scar tissue.
- Geranium - Reduces inflammation, eczema and scarring; helps to prevent the look of aging.
- Palmarosa - A skin cell regenerator; balances oil production. Good for stress and nervous exhaustion.
- Carrot seed - A skin cell regenerator, stimulates circulation, enhances skin tone and elasticity, moisturizes, reduces appearance of wrinkles, soothes dermatitis, eczema and rashes.
- Jojoba - Lubricating and very compatible with the skin"
4. Serum/Primer: The Body Shop Vitamin C Boost
This has such a yummy scent, and a BEAUTIFUL radiant effect on the skin. My pores look refined, my skin perfect and it really brightens up my skin tone in a natural way. It is an ideal primer too...I have always loved "Benefit Porefessional" but this I like even better, it adds a touch of radiance under my makeup, and is actually doing good things for my skin, not just covering it up!
"BEST IF YOU WANT TO: Create instant smoothing radiance with a silky smooth finish. It's an ideal skin pick-me-up to enhance your glow and our favorite Vitamin C product!
BEST FOR: Dull skin
- Contains Amazonian camu camu berry, which is known to have one of the highest contents of vitamin C in nature. Antioxidant vitamin C brightens skin, encourages collagen production, improves elasticity, and works along with skin-softening vitamin E to protect skin from environmental aggressors.
- Community Trade Brazil nut oil moisturizes and softens skin."
Next post: DIY microdermabrasion...for pennies!
Happy face washing!
xo
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
The Body Shop Haul & Review
'Tis the season to go shopping...but as a busy mother of two, I can not stand shopping at the mall anymore. It's too busy, noisy, the kids want everything, and subsequently melt down over everything. My days of therapeutic trips to the mall are long gone...for now anyways. In light of this, I have now honed the joy of online shopping (especially during the holidays). I can shop in my pyjamas, with a glass of Shiraz in hand, and all of those pretty parcels get dropped right at my door step. Ahhhh.
My latest online shopping trip was to The Body Shop. As a former "body shop girl", I would easily donate a healthy portion of my pay-cheques back to the company on a bi-weekly basis. Their products are amazing on so many levels (fair trade, paraben free, natural, and scrumptious!).
I picked up a box full of goodies, on a site-wide 50% off sale. Some for christmas gifts, some to replenish my own bathroom and vanity stocks.
Satsuma Body Butter x2, Cranberry Joy Body Butter x2, Cranberry joy/pomegranate-raspberry/&satsuma fragrance oils, BB cream shade 02, Vitamin C Skin Boost, Shimmer cube palette 06, Shimmer Bauble, Ginger Sparkle Reed Diffuser, Chocomania Gift Cube, Cranberry Joy Gift Cube
Satsuma has always been my favourite scent...you could call it a signature scent for me. Friends smell it and they know I am not far away. When I worked at The Body Shop, I would dream of bathing in a tub of Satsuma Body Butter. It smells amazing and the shea and cocoa butters and other nourishing ingredients leave my skin heavenly soft and fragrant all day long. When the holidays come around, I LOVE getting my hands on Cranberry Joy...the scent makes my mouth water, so is it any wonder why I would buy it? I use the home fragrance oils on my pulse points since they discontinued their perfume oils. Just a drop and you will smell delicious all day and night.
I picked up the gift sets and diffuser as gifts.
The Vitamin C Boost serum...is a MUST have in my skincare and make-up routine. It has a divine scent to it, radiant shimmer, and nourishes and corrects your skin instantly for a smooth texture and radiant glow! I have dull skin, and larger pores, and I find that this product really works beautifully au natural after a good face wash AND under makeup as a primo primer. I use it daily.
The Shimmer Bauble is something new to me. It comes packaged in a "bauble" filled with little pearls of delightful radiance. Dust your favourite highlighting brush over the pearls and highlight your face as you would anyother highlighter. It gives a beautiful glow and hint of gold to the face. Great for any season as there are many coloured pearls, so they will enhance any skintone, season or makeup look! Do be careful with it though, because of the ball shape, the pearls will roll out it it is disturbed...trust me, it is a pain to clean up!( Limited Edition )
The All-In-One BB Cream is also a new product for me. It is colour adapting so if you choose one of the 4 shades in your skin tone category you should be ok. That being said, do not apply too soon after exfoliating. I noticed that when I don't wait long enough for the redness to subside, this product will pull more "pinky" on my olive skin. I use it on top of my Vitamin C Boost, but also alone when I am in a rush with the children. It glides on like butter, has a light rose petal scent, and leaves a dewy finish...beautiful! I will definitely be buying this again.
The Shimmer Cubes palette #06 is my go-to eyeshadow, and has been since I worked at The Body Shop a few years ago. The colours are beautifully iridescent, but build perfectly for a more dramatic look. They blend flawlwssly, add perfect dimension and will make any novice look like a pro with application. They last forever too! You get a sugar cube worth of each, not just served in a shallow pan. I can't stress enough how much I LOVE these shades!
Here is a simple date night makeup look that I created using all of the above products.
I am working on two more review based blog posts for this week, if you are looking for more reading than reviews, check out my other blog @ naturallybymamavand.blogspot.ca , or click the links in my Social Media section for updates on Instagram and Twitter.
Until then, Happy Holidays, and Merry Christmas to you and yours!
xo
My latest online shopping trip was to The Body Shop. As a former "body shop girl", I would easily donate a healthy portion of my pay-cheques back to the company on a bi-weekly basis. Their products are amazing on so many levels (fair trade, paraben free, natural, and scrumptious!).
I picked up a box full of goodies, on a site-wide 50% off sale. Some for christmas gifts, some to replenish my own bathroom and vanity stocks.
The Body Shop Online Haul & Review:
Satsuma has always been my favourite scent...you could call it a signature scent for me. Friends smell it and they know I am not far away. When I worked at The Body Shop, I would dream of bathing in a tub of Satsuma Body Butter. It smells amazing and the shea and cocoa butters and other nourishing ingredients leave my skin heavenly soft and fragrant all day long. When the holidays come around, I LOVE getting my hands on Cranberry Joy...the scent makes my mouth water, so is it any wonder why I would buy it? I use the home fragrance oils on my pulse points since they discontinued their perfume oils. Just a drop and you will smell delicious all day and night.
I picked up the gift sets and diffuser as gifts.
The Vitamin C Boost serum...is a MUST have in my skincare and make-up routine. It has a divine scent to it, radiant shimmer, and nourishes and corrects your skin instantly for a smooth texture and radiant glow! I have dull skin, and larger pores, and I find that this product really works beautifully au natural after a good face wash AND under makeup as a primo primer. I use it daily.
The Shimmer Bauble is something new to me. It comes packaged in a "bauble" filled with little pearls of delightful radiance. Dust your favourite highlighting brush over the pearls and highlight your face as you would anyother highlighter. It gives a beautiful glow and hint of gold to the face. Great for any season as there are many coloured pearls, so they will enhance any skintone, season or makeup look! Do be careful with it though, because of the ball shape, the pearls will roll out it it is disturbed...trust me, it is a pain to clean up!( Limited Edition )
The All-In-One BB Cream is also a new product for me. It is colour adapting so if you choose one of the 4 shades in your skin tone category you should be ok. That being said, do not apply too soon after exfoliating. I noticed that when I don't wait long enough for the redness to subside, this product will pull more "pinky" on my olive skin. I use it on top of my Vitamin C Boost, but also alone when I am in a rush with the children. It glides on like butter, has a light rose petal scent, and leaves a dewy finish...beautiful! I will definitely be buying this again.
The Shimmer Cubes palette #06 is my go-to eyeshadow, and has been since I worked at The Body Shop a few years ago. The colours are beautifully iridescent, but build perfectly for a more dramatic look. They blend flawlwssly, add perfect dimension and will make any novice look like a pro with application. They last forever too! You get a sugar cube worth of each, not just served in a shallow pan. I can't stress enough how much I LOVE these shades! 
Here is a simple date night makeup look that I created using all of the above products.
I am working on two more review based blog posts for this week, if you are looking for more reading than reviews, check out my other blog @ naturallybymamavand.blogspot.ca , or click the links in my Social Media section for updates on Instagram and Twitter.
Until then, Happy Holidays, and Merry Christmas to you and yours!
xo
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