Five ★ Sunday - Malibu C Scalp Wellness Shampoo and Conditioner

When I think of Malibu, California I let my mind take me away with thoughts of crystal blue water, rolling white waves, warm sand between my toes, the smell of salty sweet air with hints of coconut tanning oil, pineapple rum drinks with little pink umbrellas and my hair blowing on a warm beachy breeze. Although I have never been to Malibu I have had the opportunity to travel to California quite a few times in my life and I must admit, I absolutely love it there. Cali sounds so dreamy right now given the crisp white snow and slick ice that I can see from my office window. Cheers to our Canadian winters - *sigh*.

With our Canadian winters comes dry, itchy skin that requires a lot of attention. Keeping my skin fresh and hydrated is something that I ensure to do all year long. Not only do I care for my hands, arms, legs and feet but I also care about my scalp. Fortunately I don't suffer from a scalp condition but it's really important to me that I keep my scalp healthy for the growth and life of my hair. For this, from Malibu, California comes the Malibu C Scalp Wellness System Kit of Shampoo and Conditioner.

To start with, this shampoo is absolutely divine. Like most people (I'm sure?) I always wash my hair two times when I am in the shower. The first time is what I like to refer to as the surface clean. The second wash is the deep clean. If you're like me, you will find that no matter what shampoo you use, the lather during the surface clean is never as thick and foamy as you like. Shampoo's always seem to lather thicker during the second wash once you have cleaned the surface of your hair and scalp. That's definitely not the case with this shampoo. The Scalp Wellness Shampoo is so thick and creamy, even during the surface clean. The deep clean is a whole other story! The super clean feeling that my scalp and hair is left with immediately after washing is simply out of this world.

Now, the conditioner - So, so cashmere creamy. It doesn't weigh my hair down and all I am left with is silky soft and smooth, shiny, shiny (did I mention shiny?) locks from root to tip! After I use this conditioner, I can literally run my fingers through my hair to comb it out while it is still wet, which is not something that I am usually able to do unless I deep condition.

Not only does the Scalp Wellness shampoo and conditioner define all things good for my scalp and hair but it smells like spearmint gum which I love!

The Malibu C Scalp Wellness shampoo and conditioner are not only specially designed to control and prevent many scalp issues but they are 100% vegan. They aren't 99.9% vegan, they are 100% vegan.

They are sulfate-free and full of vitamin E, plant based proteins, aloe and many other delicious ingredients that our scalp and hair require for health and longevity. 

If that isn't enough, my two other favourite perks about the Scalp Wellness system is that it's so gentle it is perfect to use on babies (assisting with cradle cap) and the shampoo can also double as a body wash to help prevent dry skin. 

Having said that the shampoo can be used as a body wash, I will confess that I used the conditioner to shave my legs. When I got out of the shower, my legs were so soft that I didn't bother putting cream on them. I love that!

So, if you're craving a trip to Malibu but aren't able to make it there, I suggest that you take your hair on a minty trip to Malibu instead. Lounge back in the warm sun, watch the waves, sip on your umbrella drink and feel your pretty hair blow in the salty sweet breeze. But don't forget to pack your Malibu C Scalp Wellness shampoo and conditioner!

xTx

A special thanks to Malibu C for taking such great care of my hair! Not only are the products amazing but the very dedicated people behind the products are too!

Five ★ Sunday (On a Saturday Night) - Candles

Every year, come September and October's crisp Autumn weather I always make sure that our house is full of the things that make my family and I feel warm and cozy. Like my Mom, I have a serious obsession with candles all year long but I especially love to burn them through the Autumn and Winter months when the smells of freshly cut grass, flower gardens, BBQ's and pool water are no longer. When I was younger we used to attend many functions at the CNE in Toronto and I would always look for a booth selling Kokimo Candles so that I could buy a Candy Candle for my Mom. Back then my favourite Candy scent was grape but now I tend to stick with scents that are warm and that remind me of my childhood. If my Mom wasn't burning candles she would burn a homemade contraption on our stove or over tea light burners so that our home always smelled like cinnamon. Scents with cinnamon are always very comforting to me because of this.

One of my favourite candles to burn in the Autumn is called "Leaves" by Slatkin & Co. which can be purchased at Bath & Body Works.  "Leaves" to me is the true scent of Autumn with high notes of golden nectar, mandarin and red delicious apples paired with undertones of cinnamon, mulled cider spices and fresh red berries. Not only is it a beautiful scent but one 3 wick candle smells my entire house for hours at a time, has a life span of 40-65 hours, comes in a pretty re-sealable jar and burns completely clean with no wasted wax. These candles are really pricey and sell at $25 a jar. The only time I buy them is when they are on sale, 2 for $25. Even though I adore the scent, I refuse to pay $25 for one candle.

My all time favourite candles are Sparta Candles. Like Kokimo Candles, Sparta Candles are Canadian made and can only be purchased online or in the Anything Used and Sparta Country Candles store in Sparta, Ontario. The scent pay off of these candles is phenomenal. What is even more phenomenal is that the 12 oz candles burn for at least 80 hours and are only $9.99!! Even better, once your 12 oz candle has burned out you can purchase a refill candle to go right back in the reusable jar for only $7.99. BUT, if you purchase 5 or more refill candles, they are only $5.99 each. That's $30.00 (plus applicable taxes) for 5 candles equalling 400 hours of burn time. Love it!! My favourite scents are Wildthing, Cinnamon Hearts, Peach Passion and Twisted Raspberry. Oh, and Blueberry Mountain and French Vanilla and Sunburst and Santa's Bake Shop. You know, I could list them all. These candles are beautiful and well worth the price. You will receive free shipping on all orders over $25.00. I believe that a standard shipping charge of $20.00 is added to all orders under $25.00. Honestly, you can't go wrong ordering online (if your order is over $25) and you certainly will not be sorry that you did so.

What candles do you love to burn?

xTx

Photo's courtesy of Bath and Body Works and Sparta Country Candles

Five ★ Sunday - Hello Autumn, I Have Missed You xo

Five ★ Sunday is dedicated to Autumn this week. Truthfully, I will more than likely drive you crazy with my love for this season but since it's my favourite time of the year I can't help but talk about it. Below are a few things that make me Autumn-happy.

www.beso.com

So, remember back in the day, like, prior to a few months ago when I was terrified of eBay because my identity was stolen? Well, I'm not so terrified of shopping online anymore. Actually, I think that I am now borderline addicted. Maybe acrossline addicted. Maybe just completely addicted. I am loving me some eBay and online shopping. I suppose that my identity crisis caused me to be a bit more leery but I love searching the online aisles for super cheap deals on things. When I'm bidding on eBay, I don't make big purchases at all. I always refine my searches to free shipping and start with the lowest prices listed. I have bid on and won some super cool things for less than $2.00. I love chunky cocktail rings and have scored quite a few for only $1.00. Scarves, makeup, bracelets and beret's are all in the running under $2.00 too. Deals are ridiculously exciting - which leads me to my first fav of the week.
Through my stumbling for good deals I have discovered Beso - Every online shoppers dream! Beso is an easy navigation site that links to hundreds of stores and brands which makes your shopping super fun and super easy. No matter what you are looking for, type it in the search box at the top left side of the page and a listing of the item that you are looking for will come up for purchase available from all online stores. I love that once your search results come up, there are tabs that you can click on which provide all of the deals and free shipping related to the specific item you are looking to purchase. You will also find tabs along the top of the page linking to various items on sale from 20-80% off, a brand and store directory, the Beso Blog, and quick link categories for women, men, home, kids, jewelery and beauty. Obviously this isn't one of my Autumn-ism's but I think that you should check it out!

Revlon ColorBurst™ Lipstick

I don't wear a lot of lipstick. Actually, I only own one lipstick (M.A.C. Spirit) which I rarely wear but absolutely love. I know that may sound crazy given my obsession with makeup but I've never really worn a lot of lipstick. I am a lip gloss junkie (you will find various lippies all over my house, vehicle, purses, drawers and office. I am literally the Hansel & Gretel of lippies - I leave them where ever I go) but I just don't wear lipstick.
I have full lips and I love the voluptuous look of them but I don't like to enhance them with colourful lipstick (lip gloss, yes, lipstick, no). I definitely don't wear lip liner (I don't even own one) because it adds so much definition to lips. Collaborate a bright coloured lipstick with those lined lips and you have my nightmare.
I think that this is a psychological thing. When I was 10 years old and in grade 4 I knew this girl that used to occasionally wear pink lipstick to school. When she wore it she always applied it over top of her philtrum (the area between your upper lip and your nose that has those two little vertical lines). I always thought she looked silly when she did this and one day I asked her why she wore it above her lip. Her response was: "because it is a part of my lip and I want to make my lips look big and pretty". I wasn't allowed to wear makeup until I was 16 so at 10 the thought of "big pretty lips" was nonsense to me and I thought she looked like a clown. Anyway,  I think that this may be the main reason that I don't wear a lot of lipstick.
A couple of weeks ago while I was at Shopper's Drugmart browsing the makeup section, I came across the Revlon ColorBurst line of lipstick's. I am a huge sucker for matte packaging (odd, I know) and I loved the grid pattern of the lipstick shell (odd again). Clearly I only purchased the lipstick because I liked the package (obviously my sudden urge to make a purchase based solely on the packaging is every marketer's dream) but I was actually surprised when I got home and tried the lipstick on. I paid about $13CDN (tax included) for my #70 Soft Nude purchase. It has a very smooth and creamy consistency which I like and the colour doesn't bleed onto my philtrum which means that I don't have to wear a lip liner with it (bonus). The top of the lid is the colour of the lipstick so I imagine that this would come in extra handy if you had a plethora of lip stick's in your collection and wanted to find a colour quickly. I find this lipstick has a very similar feel to the one M.A.C. lippy that I own and it is rather moisturizing. The colour that I chose is neutral and also perfect for Autumn. I give the Colorburst 5 ★'s because it has made me want to try other lipstick's. What is your favourite lipstick brand? Do share so that I can try them out!

Calgon Refreshing Body Mist - Marshmallow Scent

Another thing that I love is body spray. I have plenty of perfumes but I like that body sprays are soft and don't linger everywhere that you go for 15 minutes - because a scent that you enjoy may not be a scent that other people enjoy. For example, I am not a fan of patchouli and I can smell it from a mile away. It has to be the muskiest smell in the world, it lingers FOREVER and it kicks all of my senses in the face. Just thinking about it as I type this is making my nose hurt! So, again, my point is that what you think may smell lovely may not be so wonderful to someone else - which is why during the day I only wear body spray. My signature scent is Victoria's Secret - Vanilla Lace which I wear all of the time but I have many Calgon spray's as well. My favourite from Calgon is the Marshmallow scent. Although it doesn't really smell like roasted marshmallow's to me, it is soft and sweet scent that has notes of brown sugar, vanilla and sandalwood. Very pretty and also nice for Autumn.

Kings & Queens - Queen Isabella, Cinnamon Orange Body Milk

It is the time of year that you want to start preparing your skin for Winter weather. All skin varies, but if you are like me, I don't have to use a lot of lotion during the summer because the weather is moist with humidity but come Winter when the air is crisp and dry, my skin requires a lot of TLC. Last year around this same time, I purchased a bottle of Queen Isabella's Cinnamon Orange Body Milk by Kings & Queens - I couldn't get enough this Body Milk. It smells amazing; very spicy and warm - something you want to put on after a hot bath to cuddle up next to a fireplace sans comfy clothes and a good book. Because it is a body milk, it will not leave your skin feeling heavy; it's light, goes on smooth and soaks in quickly. Made in Greece, all Kings and Queens products are free from mineral oil and parabens and are beautifully enriched with pomegranate (which we all know is amazing), blue Egyptian lotus (which was used by Ancient Egyptians as a natural aphrodisiac) and malachite extracts (which is a strong detoxifier and antioxidant). You can conveniently purchase these lovely products (with equally lovely packaging) at Shopper's Drugmart for $10-$20CDN. Additionally, each product comes bearing a story about Royal's and Noblemen during Ancient and Medieval times who each played a part in bringing herbs and spices to the New World.

BeaverTails

I love the Byward Market in Ottawa because there are so many great shops and restaurants to be had. One of my favourite things to do on a Sunday afternoon in the Autumn is to stop by the BeaverTails shop at the corner of George St. & William St. in the Byward Market. 

BeaverTails' are a thin pastry made in the shape of a, you guessed it, beaver tail. They are each made fresh at purchase, can be ordered with various toppings and are so yummy on a cool day. Babygirl and I always order the Cinnamon & Sugar flavour - delish!

What are some of your favourite things to use or do in the Autumn?

xTx

Banana's for Pravana

As I previously mentioned, this post will be the kick off to my Five ★ Sunday series. Each Sunday I will publish a post highlighting some of the things that I am currently using and consider to be super wonderful. If it has made it to Five ★ Sunday, it is because I want to share my excitement with you :)

Canadian summers (as all Canadian's know) are extremely hot and humid so I don't generally style my hair until autumn arrives. The arrival of autumn means that the humidity disappears and pretty hair styles are able to return. To me, this means curls. I adore long bouncy curls. Curls that keep their shape but are fexible. There is nothing worse than the feeling of rigid hair that won't move! Autumn hasn't quite arrived yet, but in preparation for it I have been curling my hair and trying out some new products that are amazing.

The first is Pravana's Elevate Botanical Root Boost. This booster is alcohol-free and happily fortified with natural ingredients like horsetail, sunflower and jojoba extracts and Panthenol Pro-Vitamin B5. After washing my hair and towel drying the wetness out, I simply apply the foam to my roots and work it out to the ends. I comb through, blow dry (with my head upside down) and curl with my flat iron. I love that the hair on top of my head stays awake even with the added weight of my curls. I never walk away from my bathroom mirror looking like Snookie but I do walk away with hair that stays moisturized, has volume, shine and bouncy curls that move when I move - and it smells like fresh pomegranate's too :)

My curls don't generally keep their shape for very long  (without help) in the summer. Pravana's Super Shape Hair Spray is phenomenal. It is highly concrentrated so only a small amount of product is required to tend to your hair's style and to provide a very flexible but firm hold. If you are working on a style that requires a heavy hold, just spray longer until desired. Brushing through your curls with a round brush after you have applied your hair spray will again leave them bouncy, full of life and smelling lovely. Last night I was in Quebec for an evening out - After applying my Root Boost, I curled my hair and spritzed it with Super Shape. Even though it was hot and humid, my frizzless curls didn't want the evening to end - They stayed in place all night long. Most importantly, when I use this hair spray it doesn't make my scalp itchy (which hair spray often does) nor does my hair feel like a dried out train wreck at the end of the day.

In ancient Sanskrit, Pravana means "the source of all things". Out of Woodland Hills California, Pravana's hair care and style collection (everything from shampoo and conditioner to hair paste) was created by professional stylists and all products are sulfate-free, cruelty-free, paraben-free and eco-conscious. Their fabulous products can be purchased in fine salon's and spas throughout America. An added benefit to purchasing Pravana products is that they have a Technical Hotline for any questions that you may have pertaining to their hair products. That is serious service!

Below are a couple of pictures that I took last night. I apologize for the terrible quality. Next time I will bust out my Canon.

Happy boosting and spritzing, my lovelies ;)

xTx

Product photo's courtesy of http://www.pravana.com/

Three photo's of Tawny, © Copyright Tawny Gelinas, 2011

Full Disclaimer: The products I have spoken of were provided to me by Pravana. No further compensation was received and no guarantee of a positive review was promised nor expected. All opinions expressed are my own - we all know I have one! Thank you, Pravana for assisting with my curls, I am ready for autumn to arrive!