Its Snowing! No Wait, That’s just my dry skin! Ugh!

When it comes to changing seasons, there’s nothing that bothers me more than dry skin and chapped burning lips. There is a myriad of other things, but these are the top 2 (P.S. I hate winter, I secretly think I was a tropical tree frog in my past life).
But I mean come on, its mid October and I went this long without a body scrub, time to de-flake and moisturize baby! So on a mission to find the best scrub, here is one that I have tried and tested and can be used all over the body, on the face etc. (for external use only..duh)

• ¼ cup olive oil or coconut oil if you’ve jumped on that band wagon (because you know if Dr. Oz said it you know it must be good for you right? Not! Ugh!)

• ½ cup of granulated sugar (here’s the thing, white sugar has more exfoliating power, brown sugar is a gentler ground so its not as abrasive, it also smells better) you be the judge! 

Optional : 1 tablespoon ground coffee, this is for those myth believers that have read coffee gets rid of cellulite (my thoughts: it cant hurt so why not!?)

Depending on how liberal you are with it, you can mix this up in a jar and use it approximately 2 times. -you can add scent, but it’s really not necessary as you are to scrub this on in the shower and then wash it off, I should hope you will use soap in the shower to!!  And anyway the scrub itself kind of smells like a baked good of some sort anyway.


 

Enjoy your silky new skin, don’t forget to moisturize after your shower! I love cocoa butter, it smells delish!

Product Push: Maybelline Color Whisper

I am a self proclaimed Gloss Girl. I am addicted to lip gloss. I wear it everywhere, even might I say, to the gym. I love the juicy look it gives my lips and if there is moisturizing benefits, all the better! I also love my glosses to have a tint of color. While most of us cannot always wear a bold lip on an everyday basis, I for one, cannot show up to the office with a coral matte hue painted on my pucker, so alas I am always drawn to tinted balms that not only give off sheen but at a kiss of color. My new obsession, and Im sure it will be yours, is Maybelline Color Whisper by Color Sensational. Advertised as a “gel” color, these delish lipstick like tubes offer an array of 20 colors from barely there pink to a berry stain that is perfect for the upcoming fall season. They are moisturizing which is a bonus for the cold months and have a refreshing minty taste, so it’s like putting on a chapstick, but with a hint of color. Note here, that you can build color with these lipsticks, at first swipe they are sheer, perfect for a day look, and a few more swishes and they can prove to be your go to lip color for a night out. I hope you give these a try, at $10 or less at your local drugstore, these are a lust and a must! Check them out here! http://www.maybelline.ca/Makeup-Products/Lip-Makeup/Lip-Color/Color-Whisper-by-Color-Sensational.aspx

So Sodalicious!

I’m the girl that washes her hair everyday….however with my new luscious auburn hair color, it was advised that I wash every other day. So alas, since I did fork out a pretty penny to get my hair this delish color, I will try to follow the directions of my colorist. I am also the girl that gets build up in her hair from excess product. So according to many kitchen beauticians, the remedy is this: Mix about 1 tsp of baking soda with your shampoo, and massage it into your scalp. This baking soda helps to break up the oils and build up leaving your scalp clear of icky stuff.  

Note: Baking soda is also a mild exfoliant so it also works when mixed into your fave face wash to scrub away dead skin! BONUS! Hope this works for you!

My Face, My Argan!

It has come to my realization that the more expensive a product is and the more advertising it contains, usually falls flat on the results.  Some creams, lotions and potions claim to lift and erase fine lines, eliminate pores, make your skin brighter (that one is my favorite, because of course we all know that a combination of water and oils will change your skin color...suuurree).  And if you're a label reading kind of person, you know that the main ingredient that is the common denominator of all these products is WATER.

Hey here's an idea: why not put regular water, from the tap, on your face, and then dry it off? Some people call that "Washing your face". Ingenious!
I come from the school of though that the more moisturizing it feels, the better it is for my skin.  Now this does not work for all skin types, so beware.  Sometimes if I have a break out, oily and heavy moisturizers are the last thing I want slathered all over my face, so here's another thought: Don't put anything on your face, it needs to breathe!

But after some research, and by that I mean my usual painstaking reading of beauty magazines in the line up at the grocery store, I decided to give pure Argan Oil a try.  Ok, I'll admit the first reason that I wanted to try it was because it sounded exotic and fancy, and I fell for the nice packaging.  It costs a bomb when purchased at a normal beauty/cosmetic store but I found a loophole while shopping for supplies at a local soap and candle store, a generic bottle of the pure Argan Oil that still sells for less that that fancy cream in the glass jar.  While some may know Argan oil is from Morocco (see how magical it sounds when it comes from a foreign land and not say from...Burnaby?) and is excellent for your hair in preventing breakage and promoting strengthening, it is also a miracle worker for skin.

Being that Argan Oil is rich in antioxidants, that in itself is beneficial to prevent and perhaps slow down aging of the skin.  There are certain unsaturated fatty acids and a compound called squalene, which is a gross word for an organic compound that has said to be cancer preventative but in the case of being used for cosmetics, it's just another anti aging ingredient.  Argan oil is also said to fix minor skin conditions, eliminate blemishes and acne scars.  I have been massaging this miracle oil in my face for a month now, every night...its not scented except for light nutty scent that is naturally occurring, its heavier that say baby oil, and a few drops is all you need, so a bottle of pure oil will last a while.

The Results: Minus the fact that I go to bed with an extremely shiny face which promotes weird looks from my fiance, I concur that this oil is the real deal.  My skin is smooth and soft, I wake up and the oil slick look is gone, its probably all on my pillow, but never the less, it looks great!  I have dry skin areas around my chin, those are now gone! I had some blemish marks on my cheek, also, fairly faint now! Im so excited I found a natural product that I can afford! So take my advice, head to your local soap/candle making store, trust me, those are more common that you think, and ask for Pure Argan Oil, and maybe you'll end up feeling just as glam as a Moroccan prince/princess!

You want how much!? For that!?

Planning my wedding has made me come to the realisation that I am extremely thrifty.  Its not that I don’t want to spend the money, but I do find that the wedding industry in general is a giant rip off!

For example, when looking at dresses my first search was bridal dresses:

TIP #1: When you put the word “bridal” in front of it, expect to add more zeros behind the price ie. Bridal dress, bridal shoes….the list goes on.  If you’re a bride, it is so easy to get caught up in the mindset to Google items that have the word bridal in front of them. 

TIP #2: Try searching for the actual item you need.  If you want crystal chandelier earrings for you big day try searching, crystal earrings instead of bridal earrings.  Or if you want white shoes for you big day without the hefty price tag, refine your search to say white shoes, strappy, heels (or any other descriptors you may have).

One of the major expenses in a wedding is flowers.  They can help set the tone of your wedding, help to bring out your wedding colors, and if applicable represent the season that your wedding is being held in, and they also cost a bomb!   Luckily with my simple ceremony, I don’t need gigantic flower arrangements, so I haven’t fretted in pricing them, but for those that are in need of fresh blooms:

TIP #3: In season blooms are more affordable, usually will be fresher and last longer due to their ability to thrive in the current climate, they will also be readily available in bulk which saves money.  My bridal bouquet is one of my major DIY projects as it is going to be a brooch bouquet.  I have gathered old and new brooches, and am going to attempt to make the bouquet with additions of silk flowers for fillers.  Although the brooches can cost a pretty penny, at least it won’t be thrown at my guests at the end of the wedding, or cut up into potpourri, it will be my keepsake forever!

Being a bride with a lot of South Asian influence in my wedding, shopping in the Indian market for the necessities requires a gal to either a)be able to speak their dialect, which I don’t so I have braced myself to get royally ripped off or b) be able to barter and stick to your guns or c) bring a reliable ally to translate or d) all of the above and be prepared for a stand off over the jewellery counter if you are not getting the price you want.  If yorue good, you will be able catch onto the language and interpret the multitude of head bobs and hand gestures, just remember that all shop owners want your business so don’t feel bad for trying to get what you want for the price you want!

To all my fellow DIYers, making it yourself is not always the easier/cost efficient way to get the things you want.  I have learned the hard way and have decided to buy items that I initially wanted to make (I literally though I was talented enough to make my own crystal head wrap…seriously). 

So alas, whether you’re a spender or a saver my best advice is that for your big day, try to find a balance between your lusts and musts.  While its easy to say “Im only getting married once, this is my day and its going to be perfect, I deserve everything!” reel it in and remember that while it is your special day, try not to get overwhelmed by everything shiny and new, because your day can be special without breaking the bank.  Im happy to say I have prioritized my lusts and musts so I have just the right amount of things that I want just for me, without feeling like a giant bridezilla!

Happy shopping fellow brides, because its what we do best!

Here Comes the Bride!

So I have been on a hiatus from blogging for a while, and I apologize for that, but a girl can get pretty busy while planning her wedding.

Let me catch you up to speed.  I am getting married! Well duh, if you read the first sentence you would have figured that out.  Im marrying my dream guy!  And while the thought of that is super exciting I am almost even more excited to plan my wedding.

My next set of blogs will walk you through the things that I am doing to get ready for the big day in the way of beauty regimes, healthy eating, crafty creations and a whole realm of other wedding-y things that I come across on the way to the altar.

For a girl like me where my idea of a wild Saturday night is a nifty craft project and my idea of shopping is getting lost in the craft store (50% off coupon in hand), you can imagine that my wedding will be sprinkled with many DIY projects. 

First thing people have asked me is “Who is doing your hair and makeup” and I immediately knew that I would do my own makeup.  And while I like to think of myself as quite dextrous, I don’t think that I should try to bend my arms into a pretzel trying to do my own bridal  hair, thus that will be left up to the professionals. 

So that being said, I am on a mission to trial out a bunch of different makeup looks before my big day.  I know for sure I want lashes, lashes, lashes! But after that I hit a wall and am not sure if im the “smokey eye bride” or the “natural bride” or the “demure bride (well I know Im not that one)…you get the idea.  When you are deciding to pull a Princess Kate move and do your own bridal makeup, a word to the wise PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE! You do not want to have your big day come around only to realize that cute shade of peach eye shadow makes you resemble New York’s finest drag queen.  Whenever you’re going out try a different look, try out if you are Kim Kardashian contouring worthy or if that look makes you look like a clown.  Take pictures (with and without a flash) does your foundation look to white? Eyeliner crooked?

So far, my makeup look has been on the top of my to-do list.  And if you’re a bride to be that’s planning on doing your own makeup, a few tips for you:

1) Do the legwork and browse the makeup counters of the makeup you choose to use, ask for samples or if they are offering complimentary makeovers take them up on it

2) Every time you are going out on the town or for date night, do a makeup trial. Use all the steps that you would use for the big day that way you know which products last, and which ones slide off your face by the end of the night

3) Once you have figured out your colors and products, write the down lest you forget what they are on the morning of your big day

4) If you are doing false lashes, practice putting them on, if you’re doing strip lashes, cut them to the correct size, remember, you can reuse false lashes a few times

5) On the day of, make sure you have your makeup kit fully stalked with all the things you will be needing (see tip #3), that way , you can lay it all out and just follow the steps you have already established!