Lavanila Laboratories

Want to try a scrumptious new scent? Lavanila has become my favourite brand of perfume, for so many reasons. For one, it is long lasting, but never overpowering. It is all natural, styled beautifully, and the scent is feminine and I love how it works with my own body chemistry. Know how some perfumes just don't smell the same for everyone? I've never had anything but compliments. Working as a teacher, you need to be careful about being in a public environment where some people may have allergies. Almost every week I will get some sort of compliment (often unintended but gladly accepted) on the scent. One of the cutest examples that comes to mind is the day I was doing a cool chemistry demonstration for my students. One of the boys said "those chemicals smell like vanilla!" When I told him it wasn't the chemicals, and that it was most likely me, he says "well then you smell really good!" On more than one occasion I've been told that I smell like "frosting and cupcakes." Seriously, how awesome of a compliment is that?! 

The dilemma you will face when you go to buy a perfume from Lavanila Laboratories is how to choose? Every scent is delectable. I started out with a 5ml roller-ball set, which gave me 4 travel sized scents to try out - Vanilla Lavender, Vanilla Grapefruit, Vanilla Coconut and Pure Vanilla. While all of them were beautiful, my favourite quickly became the Vanilla Grapefruit, and I quickly went through another 10ml rollerball and now am on to the 50 ml spray. 

All of my purchases so far have been from Sephora, but I was disappointed to hear that (at least the Kelowna store) is no longer carrying it. That shopping trip turned into me waiting patiently while two of the employees went and raided the back room for me for any bottles that remained. I will be good for a while but I will be ready to shop online from Lavanila.com for my next fix. 

Pixie Cut Products

Since cutting my hair, I've learned a lot about different hair products and what works best for my hair type and style. When I first cut my hair I will fully admit I was completely clueless. My first venture into a pixie cut was not by choice. A new hairstylist hacked my hair into a mullet, and another stylist had to practically scalp me in order to fix it. It was fortuitous however because just a few days later my husband proposed to me, and who wants pictures of one of the most important days of your life with you sporting a mullet? 

Years later I rediscovered the pixie by choice, and I haven't looked back. But learning how to play with my hair, and not be afraid of product and playing with it didn't come naturally to me. So wherever you are in your hair adventure, here are some of my favourite products...

Spray Wax - I use ISO (isohair.com) - it was a great purchase to introduce me to the wonders of spray wax. I love the flexibility and hold of it but my next purchase will be for one that has more grit. It may sound strange but I love my hair to feel gritty and 'dirty.' Without of course, actually being dirty. I have learned that 'first day hair' is unmanageable and no fun at all to style, and a good spray wax will help you with that. 

Beach Spray - J Beverly Hills - something else to help give you that gritty feel. I love that this has salt in it, and it does just what it claims to - makes you feel like you just spent a day at the seaside! 

Volumizer/Thickening Spray - Ojon - another wonderful Topbox product. This spray works amazingly at giving body to my hair. My hair is very fine, but I have tons of it, and it can get pretty limp and lifeless. A couple spritzes and a blow dry and I've got some great volume. The bonus - this product smells divine!!

Thermal Smoother - Joico and Wella - I purchased the Joico Thermal spray when I had long hair and used a flatiron almost every day. The Wella Thermal Spray came to me in another Topbox. Both work well, and I find different purposes for each. The Joico spray I find to be heavier and better for use with a curling or flat iron. The Wella smells great and is lighter texture which works perfectly for me since I just blow dry my hair to style it. 

Moulding Putty - I will admit, I don't have any real brand loyalty when it comes to pomades or styling cremes, but I do really like this Salon Selectives putty for my hair when it is cut really short. It works into my hair easily, gives great hold without being heavy, and isn't sticky like a lot of other products. it doesn't dry crispy or hard like other products can, and because I don't wash my hair everyday, all it takes to do a quick second day restyle is reactiviating it with little spritz of water. 

Hairspray - again, something that I have no brand loyalty to. I usually buy what is on sale, and my last purchase was Garnier Fructis Crystal Resist. I would buy it again - It gives great hold without the 'shellac' effect and smells nice, which I find with all Fructis products.

Messing Creme - KMS California Hair Play. Unfortunately I am all out of this product and I seriously need to find some more fast! This Creme did the work of a moulding putty and spray wax rolled into one. It combined the hold and grit I wanted and is definitely at the top of my next shopping trip. 

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!