The Body Shop

It might surprise you to know that I am not a morning person - I know - crazy right?!  I'm only sweet and adorable due to the inhaling of some sort of citrus scented product during my morning shower!  With this whole time change thing making it dark again in the mornings, it's extra important to get that burst of citrus to wake me up!  Here are a few that I have been loving lately:

LUSH Sexy Peel Soap - $5.95 - scented with grapefruit, lemon and lime, this is a citrus triple threat - if freakin' amazing had a smell, this would be it!  I also love that this is a very solid soaps which means it doesn't turn into a gooey mess in the soapdish!



LUSH Whoosh Shower Jelly - 100g - $10.95 - it's like washing with jello which of course is awesomely cool! Contains rosemary and geranium essential oils for a kick of energy as well as amix of lemon, lime and grapefruit juices to increase circulation while cleansing skin. Tear off a small piece of jelly and lather it in your hands or on a shower loofah. For an extra thrill, freeze the jelly to get a refreshing morning jolt.

Sudz by Kiss My Face C-Weed Shower Gel - 237ml - $8.15 - sweet orange & lemon with organic aloe & chamomile - great smell, great lather, just all around great - I would live in a vat of this if such a thing existed...


The Body Shop Satsuma Shower Gel - 750ml - $15 - of course I couldn't have a citrus post without including my longtime fave Satsuma - which in my books smells exactly like orange kool-aid - delish!

Stila Lip & Cheek Stain in Coconut Crush is from the Light Up The World 2011 Spring collection and The Body Shop Tailored Cheek Tint in 01 Hot Pink is from their Brush With Fashion 2011 Spring collection both are stains in a brush applicator format but that's pretty much were the similarity ends.
Please keep in mind that with all blush swatches - they don't photograph well unless you really pile the product on so this is not a normal representation of how I walk around everyday!  Stila is on the left, TBS on the right.
The Stila stain gives me a really natural looking pinky-bronze flush (especially when blended properly) - the only issue with it, as with all cheek stains, you have to blend it quickly before it sets or you end up with a telltale line! This is also what I am wearing on my lips and it looks a lot pinker there!
The Body Shop tint is very cool, it comes out clear and then adjusts itself according to your skin tone or body heat or whatever fancy way it decides to change colour.  It's also buildable, this is two coats here but normally I would just wear one, it gave me a healthy looking flush - this is a little too Tammy Faye Baker for my usual repertoire!

What I really like about a liquid blush is how light it feels on the skin and how transparent they are which is really nice for the natural look that is trending this spring.  I'm not sure how much I like built in brushes as they do tend to get a little gunky as the leftover product dries on them - best way to avoid this is to wipe the brush off as much as possible after each use.

More to come next week!  Fill us in on any great ones that you have tried lately!

I love a challenge so when a friend of mine was lamenting the fact that she had been invited to a Fragrance Shower (what a great idea!) and had to bring a fragrance gift that was $20 minimum not to exceed $25 - I was sure that I would be able to knock this one out easy!  It wasn't as easy as I would have thought as I gave myself some strict rules - keeping in the spirit of the guidelines it couldn't be from the $19.99 fragrance shelf at Shoppers, the regular price had to be under $25 and it couldn't be bath products, it had to be a fragrance!  What did I learn? Well, that there are a LOT of cheap, stinky fragrances out there but also that there are some real winners at very affordable prices!  Here are my favourites:

mark. White Vetiver Fragrance Mist - 50ml - $25 - with top notes of black plum and sparkling mandarin; heart notes of tuberose noir and white jasmine; and base notes of Haitian vetiver and patchouli - for the girl who loves to embrace what's different and daring.
 Available from your Avon rep 1-800-265-AVON or online at www.avon.ca

Playboy Fragrances - 30ml - $25 - for the girl who is a little saucy, adventurous and naughty...

Play It Lovely is a fresh, fruity floral with top notes of zesty citrus, ripe blackberry and juicy pear; a heart of cherry baby orchid, belle de nuit and tuberose; and a warm, sensual base of amber, patchouli and tonka bean.

Play It Sexy is a sexy oriental with top notes pink grapefruit, mandarin and a spicy hint of pink pepper; a heart of jasmine teas, osmanthus and liquorish; and a rich seductive base of vanilla, patchouli, sandalwood and tonka bean.

Play It Spicy is a sparkling floriental with top notes of pomegranate, bellini cocktail and pink berries; a heart of elegant tiger lily, passionflower and heliotrope; and a rich mellow base of amber, sandalwood and vanilla essence.

The Body Shop Midnight Bakula - 50ml - $25 - a white floral with notes of juicy nectarine, delicate rose and patchouli and contains Community Trade alcohol made from organically-grown sugarcane from Ecuador.
For the girl who is a little mysterious, exotic and loves adventure.
Adidas Free Emotion - 50ml - $21.99 - a floral oriental with top notes of lemon, Canadian apples (what makes a Canadian apple different from other apples? just wondering...), black currant and raspberry;  heart notes of freesia, delicate rose petals and subtle aromas of fresh lily, hibiscus, banana and African green melon; and base notes of cedar, cotton and musk. For the girl who is sporty, fun and energetic.

Who am I missing - can anyone suggest any other great fragrances for under $25?

This limited edition collection has built-in brushes to make you feel like an artist, Community Fair Trade ingredients to make you feel good about making a difference and packaging that was created in collaboration with the London College of Fashion to make your dressing table look awesome!
Limited Collection for Eyes - $24 - Limited Edition -  01 Boho Beauty - with four complementary eye colours, a mini eye definer, a mini eye shadow brush and an integrated mirror.  This set offers wearable matte shades in nude, apricot and browns. Contains skin-caring Community Fair Trade marula oil.

Limited Collection For Eyes - $24 - Limited Edition - 02 A La Mode - with four complementary eye colours, a mini eye definer, a mini eye shadow brush and an integrated mirror.  This set is a blend of pearlized white, pink ans silver, complemented by an intense matte black to add dramatic definition.  Contains skin-caring Community Fair Trade marula oil.
Hi-Shine Lip Treatment - $10 - Limited Edition - in 01 Pink Cream or 11 Juicy Peach - two of their best selling colours in new packaging with an integrated brush.  You just squeeze the gloss through the brush and apply.  Contains Community fair Trade marula oil and avocado oil for intense moisturization.
Tailored Cheek Tint - $15.50 - Limited Edition - in 01 Hot Pink - a clear gel that transforms into a rosy glow on contact with skin.  The brush squeezes through the brush to be applied sparingly in sweeping motions across the apples of your cheeks, blending well.  Contains moisturizing Community Fair Trade marula oil, Brazil nut oil and apricot oil. - keep an eye out for my swatch of this coming next week!
Illuminating Face Base - $14 - Limited Edition - in 01 Apricot Glow - adds warmth and radiance to your complexion when used before foundation.  Just twist to push the product through the brush.  Contains moisturizing Fair Trade marula oil plus apricot pigments, light diffusing pearls and mica to create a soft focus effect.

Also available in the collection is Lightening Touch - $14 - a click pen that has light-diffusing particles that minimize fine line and dark shadows.  Contains moisturizing Community Fair Trade marula oil, skin-conditioning organic beeswax and vitamin E to help soften, condition and protect the skin. and a Mini Brush Kit - $18.50 - Limited Edition - with four mini brushes - blusher, eyeshadow blender, slanted and lipstick/concealer brush - presented in a chic bag printed with the London College of Fashion design.


There are some products that I really like a built in brush for and others not so much so it will be interesting to try out this line - what do you think?

Available now at The Body Shop or online at www.thebodyshop.ca

Sick of the cold yet?  I am - especially for what it's doing to my hair!  Calling it straw-like would be an insult to straw, so let's just go with craptastic!  The only thing that makes it looks halfway decent these days is a liberal dose of deep conditioning a couple times a week and here's what I've been loving lately:

AG Hair Cosmetics Conditioner Deep - 178ml -  $19 - reconstructing treatment for hair intensely damaged by over-processing and go-deep down to restore protein, moisture strength and shine.  Contains high concentrations of protein, amino acids and humectants to bring life back into dry, coarse or damaged hair.

Massage into clean, damp hair for 3-5 minutes, comb through and rinse.  This one has my favourite smell - fresh and kind of fruity - I also prefer the packaging, it's much easier to squeeze product out of a tube when you are in the shower then unscrew are jar and scoop it out!







The Body Shop Rainforest Moisture Hair Butter For Dry Hair - 200ml - $14 - luxuriously rich and intensive conditioning treatment for soft, smooth, glossy and tangle-free hair.  Contains pracaxi oil which is sourced from the seeds of the pracaxi tree which is grown organically in the Amazonian rainforest as well as Community Trade ingredients: organic olive oil from Italy, brazil nut oil from Peru and honey from Ethiopia.  What it doesn't contain is silicones, colourants, parabens or sulphates.

Work through damp hair and leave on for at least five minutes.  Massage with warm water then rinse out thoroughly.  I love how incredibly soft this leaves my hair so much that I am willing to overlook the smell which is a little to perfumey for my taste.
Nexxus Humectress Hydrating Treatment Deep Conditioner - 156g - $14.99 - helps to strengthen dry hair with ultimate deep hydration and moisture-repair technology.  Formulated with avocado and honey extracts it replenishes vital moisture and leaves hair 10 times stronger in one use. It also reduces breakage and reduces frizz.

Apply to damp hair and comb through evenly from root to tip.  Leave in for 3-5 minutes and rinse out.  Can be used once a week in place of your regular conditioner or more often as needed.  A little goes a long way with this one, I find if I use to much that it's much harder to get it all out and it feels like there is a film on my hair!

Even with all this cold weather one of the most frequent complaints I still hear from people is how shiny their skin always looks - so here's a roundup of products to help you combat the shine:

Neutrogena Deep Clean Shine Control Cleanser/Mask - 175ml - $8.99 - use as a cleanser or on your super-oily days, as a 3 minute mask or Daily Scrub - 124ml - $8.99 The Shine Control products have an oil-absorbing Rice Protein Technology that removes skin impurities and absorbs oil on the surface of the skin.  Even after rinsing, rice protein is deposited onto the skin to visibly control shine hour after hour as it repels water but grabs excess facial oil like a magnet throughout the day.  Both products are oil free and non-comedogenic.
Lise Watier Mineral Compact Powder - 10g - $35 - in 6 shades: neutre, natureal, beige pur, beige beige, bronze or caramel.  A fragrance, talc & paraben free powder that mattifies, corrects and evens out the skin.  Contains tourmaline, vitamin A & E and chamomile.  A clever plastic holder inside the compact holds 30 blotting papers giving you 2 different ways to be shine free!
Murale Fresh Faced Blotting Papers and Compact -  50 Sheets - $10 - if you are looking for pretty way to carry around your papers then you will love this compact from Murale!
The Body Shop Nature's Minerals Blotting Tissues - 65 Sheets - $10 - mineral-infused blotting papers that absorb excess oil and reduce shine.
Boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens - 100 Sheets - $10 - they come in peppermint too if you are lucky enough to be able to get your hands on them!  Available at Sephora.

Whether you are looking for a gift or for something for yourself to help your holiday party look, The Body Shop holiday collection has some really cute and affordable items to make it happen!
Sparkler in Boudoir Pink - 10g - $18 - this is my favourite item from the collection, if you have been lusting after the Tarina Tarantino sparkler but haven't been able to justify the price, this is the exact same deal at a much more affordable price point! The atomizer gives you a much less messy way to add some holiday sparkle all over or to one specific area - don't be confused by the bottle though, it's a totally dry spray and not a liquid sparkle!
Eye Palette in 01 Twilight - violet sky, lilac mist, pink champagne and damson velvet eye shadows with a highlighter in pearl  and 02 Midnight - silver moon, bronze blaze, pink light and starry night eye shadows with a highlighter in lunar. I love that they have added the cream highlighter to the palette which also looks great on your cheekbones!
Sparkle Eye Liner in 04 Starlight - $13.50 - subtle silver glitter effect
Stardust Glitter Pot in 01 Pink and 02 Gold Light - $10 - can be used for face or body
Love Lip Gloss in 19 Twinkling Pink - $12 -contains passion fruit oil plus a blend of Community Fair Trade organic virgin coconut oil, marula oil, cocoa butter and beeswax that you apply with the heart-shaped applicator to deliver the perfect amount of gloss.

Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 Cranberry - 15ml - $10.00 - If you like a nice thick balm with some staying power, you will want to try this one - and if you love the smell of cranberry as much as I do, you should run, not walk to pick this one up! It also comes in Pear, Mint, Vanilla, Mango and Coconut. Available at Kiehl's Boutiques and selected Holt Renfrew stores.

Body Shop Cranberry Joy Body Butter - 200ml - $20, 50ml - $8 - nothing quite says Christmas like when The Body Shop brings back their cranberry offerings! They're packaged a little different this year but are still just as wonderful!  Also available in the collection: Bath & Shower Gel - $13, Soap - $5, Shimmer Body Lotion - $18, Body Scrub - $20, Lip Balm - $8, Reed Diffuser - $19.50, Home Fragrance - $7.50

Fruits & Passion Cranberry Love Set - $38 - includes a 200ml Shower Gel, 250ml Quenching Butter for the body, 40ml Hand Cream and a Fruits & Passion key chain all in a pretty reusable box.  If you haven't checked out F&P yet this year, be sure to check out the adorable holiday packaging they are using!  This cranberry is less sharp then others can be so if you have been avoiding cranberry scents because of  that, give this one a sniff!