Kootenay Soap & Body Polish

 I discovered the Kootenay Soap Company while I was living in Castlegar, BC. Every weekend my husband and I would take the short drive to Nelson, and wander Baker Street. For those of you who haven't experienced the beauty of this area, just watch the movie Roxanne, which was filmed in this gorgeous town. The Kootenay Craft Connection quickly became our favourite store. Featuring products and art from local artisans, this shop is an absolute gem, and our family members came to expect getting fabulously unique gifts from the Craft Connection.

The products made by Kootenay Soap are wholesome, all-natural and of incredible quality. I first bought their Lavender Fields body polish because I suffer from psoriasis. Lavender is a well known, holistic treatment for this condition, and the polish contains essential oils, and salt to act as a gentle exfoliant. It left my skin fragrant, moisturized and most importantly, soothed. I keep a pot of this scrub on-hand for when my skins needs a real dose of moisture or if it is particularly bothersome. My mum's favourite scent is the Thai ginger, and we both also love the Citrus Sunrise. My only disclaimer for this product is to be sure and wash out your tub or shower after you use it. The essential oils can make the floor very slippery, and you don't want to slip and fall!

Kootenay Soap of course, also makes soap. I purchased their variety pack because they have so many wonderful scents, I just couldn't choose. The pack includes some of the same scents as the polish comes in, plus mint, chai, and Emperor's Bath, which is an amazing combination of lime, sage and lemongrass. 

Their website is humble, inviting and simple to navigate. The products are listed by category, and they provide a full list of all their natural ingredients. Even though I no longer live in the Kootenays, I have continued to shop with them online, and buy gifts for friends, family, and of course myself!

Bliss

I live in the far north, where the winters are long, cold and dry. So dry that you turn into a lizard if you don't slather on some sort of moisturizer at least once a day. It was this dilemma, and a marathon shopping trip to Sephora, that had me stumble across Bliss Body Butter. What first attracted me to Bliss was the Vanilla Bergamot scented Butter, in its beautiful Tiffany blue packaging. This is hands-down my favourite scent - sweet and feminine and downright yummy. It is long lasting and it's nice to hear your husband tell you, at the end of the day, how good you smell. My other favourite scent is the Blood Orange and White Pepper. It is deliciously unexpected, and tickles the nose in the best possible way. 

I've also tried the Bliss Naked Body Butter which is their unscented lotion. What I really appreciate about this brand is that while it goes on thick and smooth, it isn't oily. In a pinch when I've been too lazy to put on my regular face cream (Live Clean Fresh Face) I've used the Naked Body Butter. My skin is fairly sensitive and using the Body butter on my face didn't cause me to break out. It could also be because this brand is full of natural ingredients like coconut oil and vitamin E, and they avoid putting nasty chemicals like parabens and phthalates in their formulation.

I purchased my Bliss' from Sephora, where the large bottles (6.7 oz) run you about $35. While it may seem a bit steep to pay that much for lotion, keep in mind that it will last you a long time, since a little goes a long way and it is so long lasting. If you have a Winners store nearby, check them out for this line as well. While their selection isn't as good as Sephora, you can find the lotions at a discounted price. Wherever you find it, treat yourself - you won't be disappointed!

Sephora: GlamGlow SuperMud and YouthMud

GlamGlow - SuperMud Clearing Treatment.

The package says to use it as mask or spot treatment. I used it as a mask simply because I just had a sample size and there wasn't enough to keep for a second application. The SuperMud goes on a beautiful dark blue and it's smooth with a slight bit of grit, due to the charcoal found within. The scent to me was of black liquorice with eucalyptus and floral undertones. This product really delivers as a mask. It gave me those satisfying pore 'dots' - on the package it is described as pore extraction, and it got nice and tight on my face before washing off. It had a nice tingle, due to the combination of 6 different acids. It washed off easily, which is an important quality in a mask, and left my skin feeling very clean but not stripped. I used it after taking off my Halloween makeup and my skin sure thanked me. 

GlamGlow - YouthMud

I can't say enough about how amazing this mask smells. It contains green tea and smells so good you want to eat it. Well at least I do... This mask goes on differently than the SuperMud. This is more 'muddy' due to the sea clay. It has volcanic rock as an exfoliant so it has a grittier texture and chunks of the tea leaf. All of its claims I found true; it left my skin smooth and soft, and with a nice glow. I have been using this mask weekly and my skin has felt smoother and more hydrated than normal. I will definitely continue to use this throughout the winter months when my skin gets really dry and flaky. 

Epic Blend Lip Balm

Can you guess what my favourite lip balm is? By far, Epic Blend is the best balm I've tried. You can probably tell - I keep one in the bathroom, one by the bed, one in my exercise bag, one in my purse.... You probably get the idea! 

Their hemp balm is extremely moisturizing and has great flavour. I've used other hemp balms before and have found them dry and clinical tasting. Their non-hemp blends are made with ingredients like coconut oil which give them a great texture as well. Regardless of the type of balm, Epic Blend is smooth and long lasting.

The flavours are all delicious and they have a wide variety to choose from. My first Epic Blend was the coconut hemp, and is my favourite. It tastes like a day on a tropical beach. The other flavours are amazing as well, and not at all artificial. The vanilla tastes like real vanilla beans, the citrus kick is a delicious mixture of orange and grapefruit. The mint tastes like pure spearmint and the apple and grape flavours are equally as realistic. Of course there are other flavours too - I quickly used up my Berry flavoured vegan balm, which had a drier texture but was super long lasting. My husbands favourite is the unflavoured 'more moisture,' and he has gone through at least 3 tubes so far. As a construction worker, he needs something that will withstand the elements, and he keeps asking me to buy more tubes for him, so that must mean something.

I love that this is a locally and Canadian made product. The company is based out of Kelowna, BC, and so I feel great supporting a company in my own backyard. Buying online is easy at their website, epicblend.com, or find it at your local health food store. Since discovering this brand I haven't bought another brand, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes good quality, all natural products that you feel good about using.

Shiseido Lipstick

For my first post I thought I'd really start off with a bang - my ultimate lipstick, 'Shimmering Rouge' by Shiseido. My first tube was a gift. Definitely not something I would think to buy for myself, having never bought it before and not being a typical lipstick wearer. From The Bay, this lipstick runs around $30 per tube. But after my first tube (and using it up) I had to buy another.
I'm sure many people could find reasons not to spend this much on lipstick. A total splurge, I will admit, but it is every bit worth the money you spend. It is moisturizing enough not to need a separate base of balm, which I find is true for a lot of other brands. It goes on smoothly and is creamy and gives great colour and shine without being too dramatic. The case is sleek, attractive and solid - no loose lids or ones that fall off while being bumped around in your purse.
I've read other reviews and some claim that this is a plumping lipstick, but I've never noticed it to tingle or to have that sort of effect on me. I have fairly thin lips and have tried plumping balms before but never liked the sensation of them. But what I do like and appreciate about this lipstick is that you do get a nice shimmer but it doesn't make your lips look thin, which shiny colours tend to do.
Normally I am a gloss girl, but I will definitely be keeping a tube of Shimmering Rouge in my makeup arsenal!

Welcome

I'm a teacher. A high school science teacher at that. So you can probably all guess what my day to day style is like.... Finished laughing yet? But over the past year or so I've really become interested in changing things up and learning about how to take care of my skin and play with my look. I'm 30 something now and while I've never abused my skin, I've started noticing 'the change' happening. With a recent daring move to go platinum, and a wicked pixie cut to go along with it all, I decided to up my game and really start having fun. Why not?
This blog will be dedicated to some of my favourite products. Thanks in part to a subscription to topbox.ca, I've got lots of great items I'd like to share with you. Some 'hots & nots' and hopefully pics and video tutorials to come. Thanks for joining me!!
#beauty #style #canadiangirl #teacherstyle