President's Choice Greek Yogurt

Before I go to bed I wanted to share a product with you that I am absolutely in love with. When I say I'm in love, I mean, literally - I love this product so much that if it put a ring on my finger, I would have to say "YES"! It's so, so, so good. 

President's Choice Greek Yogurt.

Three syllables.

OH - EM - GEE!

As I mentioned, I started training a bit ago and my Trainer (who I refer to as Momma Joe) insists that I eat carbs during the day before I head to the gym for my hour long training session and a whole lot of protein after. Normally I eat chicken after I train but after a suggestion from Momma Joe I have discovered the beauty of Greek Yogurt.

I have tried a couple of different types but the President's Choice Greek Yogurt is by far my favourite. It's about $3.99 per tub and can be purchased at the Independent Grocer or (I'm sure) any other store that sells President's Choice products.

It's so thick and creamy and so delicious! Not overly sweet, bitter or thin like most yogurt's. Not only does it taste wonderful but 3/4 of a cup of the vanilla flavoured yogurt is packed full of 18 grams of protein (that is almost as much protein as a steak and a perfect after-training snack!!), only 160 calories, 23 carbs and ZERO fat. That's right! ZEEEEROOOO FAT!

The vanilla and honey flavours are my favourite and quite frankly, I don't think that I will ever eat another type of yogurt again.

You must try some! Guilt free!

xTx

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!

Contest - It's Nice to be Important but it's More Important to be Nice!

As you may be aware from reading my last blog post on Wednesday, my Tuesday of this week didn't start off on a good note but during lunch that day, my friend Katie dropped a gift off to me at my office, just because. After Katie gave me my gift of NARS Turkish Delight my day immediately started to pick up which made me happy because as a very firm believer in good karma, I know that with goodness comes goodness.

Throughout the remainder of the week I experienced so many positive things not only at work, but outside of work as well. For instance, two other people that I work with shared something with me that I thought was absolutely amazing about goals that they have. Such positive goals can only bring positive results!

Yesterday while I was shopping at Winners I was held up at the cash that I was checking out at because the cashier had to get assistance to make a ticket for an article that I was purchasing. She was so apologetic for taking up my time. I smiled and told her that I wasn't in a hurry and advised her that she could take all of the time that she needed. The "thank you" that she responded with was so sincere. It made me wonder if she regularly deals with a lot of rude and hostile people constantly in a hurry. I'm certain that that must be the case because I think that every single one of us can recall a time that we have witnessed the hostility of fellow shoppers.

As I was leaving Winners, an elderly couple who looked as if they were in their 80's were walking in front of me. They were of course walking extremely slow, the man helping his beautiful wife because she could hardly walk. They were so sweet. As we reached the outside doors of Winners I could have walked around them but I didn't. Because the parking lot is always so busy and the man was so engaged in trying to assist his wife, I stayed behind them to make sure that no one hit them as they crossed from the curb out to their car which was parked in the handicapped space near my truck. As we neared our vehicles, the man noticed that I was behind them and actually said "I am very sorry" because he thought that he and his wife were in my way. I stopped in my tracks, looked him right in his eyes and said "please, don't ever be sorry. Not ever". His wife beamed a beautiful smile at me, the man's eyes welled up with tears and he thanked me with the most amazing "thank you" I have ever heard in my life. I replied with a smile and "you're welcome". As I got to my truck I looked back over my shoulder and he and his wife were still standing at their car looking at me with smiles on their faces. I will never forget that little couple and the gratitude that they showed me for not rushing them along.

When I got into my truck, I sat for a minute thinking about the two "thank you's" that I had just received from the cashier and the elderly couple. Because I wasn't in a rush. Because I wasn't being hostile and pushy. Because I smiled. Because I was kind. It is so, so important to be kind. I didn't know my Grandma Olive, but I have been told that one of her favourite sayings was "It's nice to be important but it's more important to be nice"; which leads me to my favourite story of the week...

Yesterday morning at 9:15am my daughter's school had a themed assembly about "Acceptance". A guest speaker by the name of John Hastings, an Olympic kayaker was present to speak to the students about how important "acceptance" is and how important it is to be kind to one another. One of the stories that he told was about about how at the age of 16 he was training in Europe. One of his fellow athletes, by the name of Pierre was from Quebec and only spoke French, or so they all thought. John said that no one liked Pierre and everyone made fun of him, never having anything nice to say about him. One day John heard Pierre speaking to their coach in English which made him ill because clearly, Pierre spoke English and knew all of the terrible things that they had been saying about him. To make a long story short, John and Pierre are now the best of friends and John credits Pierre for helping him face his dreams and aspirations of becoming an Olympian. During the same assembly my babygirl was presented with a Student Recognition Award for "Acceptance" from her teacher and her principle. It's amazing that at the age of seven, she knows the importance of being kind to her fellow peers and accepting everyone regardless of their differences.

So, in the spirit of kindness and good karma, I want to challenge you!! And I want to hear about it!!
The challenge is simple. Do a good deed for someone or a bunch of someone's. Something thoughtful and kind to bring a smile to the face of another. A good deed can be anything from baking a batch of cookies and giving them to a friend or relative, buying someone a gift, writing someone a letter or sending someone a card. Volunteering, supporting, helping!! Be creative and show your appreciation to someone that you care about - or even a total stranger!!

This contest challenge involves a prize (prizes are always fun, right?) and there are only three rules!

Rule #1: Do something kind!! Once you have done your good deed, in the comment box below, please tell me what it was that you did!! You have to comment below to be entered into the draw. Only one entry per person will be entered into the draw, but don't let that stop you from doing more good deeds for people!

Rule #2: Share this contest and post with your friends and family. Below you can see that you can share it via Email, Blogger, Twitter or Facebook - or even word of mouth. I know that kindness and good karma are definately things that we want to spread the word on!

Rule #3: Subscribe or Follow my blog via Email Subscription or Google Friend Connect. You can sign up right over there ---> FYI: by signing up via Email Subscription, you will receive my blog posts straight to your email any time that I post something new. If you are already an email subscriber then you are good to go. Easy peasy!

One winner will be chosen randomly to receive the following prize which includes some of my favourite things:

One (1) 10 ounce bottle of Macadamia Natural Oil Rejuvenating Shampoo
One (1) 2 ounce bottle of Macadamia Natural Oil Curl Reviving Cream
One (1) 1 ounce packet of Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque
One (1) tube of Soap & Glory's Sexy Mother Pucker lip gloss
Two (2) Pairs of handmade (by moi!) Rose Earrings (Colour: Black - one for you and one to give to someone else as seen in the side picture)
One (1) knitted scarf handmade (by moi!) - Please note that I will determine the style, width, length and yarn used for the scarf but upon winning the contest the winner will be able to choose the colour.

The contest starts now, Saturday October 29th and will end on Saturday November 12th at 1:00pm EST. This contest is open worldwide.

Let's see the good karma, my friends!

xTx

Disclaimer:
This contest is not sponsored. This contest is open from Saturday October 29th, ending on Saturday November 12th at 1:00pm EST. This contest is open worldwide. The winner must be subscribed to Tawny. Just Tawny. via Email Subscription. One(1) winner will be chosen at random via www.random.org. The winner will be notified via email on Sunday November 13th. If they do not respond within 48 hours the prize will be forfeited and another winner will be chosen via www.random.org and will be notified via email. The prize will be shipped to the winner via mail depending on the best way to deliver to their particular country of residence.

30-Something Skin

I have to admit, I wasn't looking forward to turning 30 this past July. I felt the same turning 30 as I did when I turned 20 - I was not exactly thrilled! The only difference was that on my 30th milestone I didn't streak my hair bright pink, HA!

Over the past couple of years I have noticed a change in my skin. In your thirties your skin begins to lose it's elasticity, it requires extra nourishment and a skin regime that you should stay devoted to, especially if you want to reduce the signs of ageing (how many times have you heard that before?). Keeping your skin hydrated can be a feat if you live in Canada like myself. It is so important at this time of year to be extra friendly to your skin with the dry air of Autumn and Winter. Of course this  means drinking lots of water, cleansing and moisturizing. Keep reading...

Numero Un: As I mentioned above, drink lots of water. Eight glasses a day. Bla bla bla. I'll be honest; I hate water and I hardly drink enough of it. During the day while I am at work I tend to grab more coffee and tea than I do water which isn't something that I am proud of. I also have an addiction to Ginger Ale. This water ordeal is such a huge downfall of mine so I have to practice what I preach! I won't say anything more than the fact that it is important to drink. Water hydrates. Spritz some lemon into that glass and drink your merry little heart out. Your skin will thank you.

Numero Deux: Don't scrub your face into an oblivion, cleanse it gently! If your face hurts after you cleanse you're clearly not doing something right - Just sayin'. Find a gentle cleanser that is best suited for your skin type and be sure to clean your face every night before bed. When I shower in the morning I splash water on my face but I don't cleanse it like I do before I go to sleep at night. There are a ton of cleansers on the market that are cheap and simple - You don't have to cleanse with anything expensive. I love L'Oreal 360 Clean cleansers. Not only does this line of cleansers come with an amazing "scrublet" that is a little piece of wonderful, but I find that they are simple. Although I don't have sensitive skin, I use the blue cleanser because it is unscented and light. It is soap-free so my skin doesn't dry out with use and honestly, the scrublet (which you can see in the picture on the right - it pops in and out of the front of the bottle) is a must-have. I wish that I could find these little scrublet's for sale somewhere because the one that I have is amazing.

If you want to try a simple DIY facial cleanser that will only cost you a few cents and seconds to make; try mixing 1.5 teaspoons of melted honey with 1 tablespoon of milk. Mix together and cleanse your face and neck. Rinse with warm water to remove. It is gentle, natural and will leave your skin feeling so lovely.

Numero trois: Exfoliate. I recently started using pür minerals Pur Polish Multi-Use Exfoliator which is amazing. For $23 CDN you receive 8fl oz. of product in a pump jar that can be used all over your body including your face. Exfoliating a couple times a week is important to keep your skin healthy and looking fresh and young. Only exfoliate at night so that your skin has time to settle before you expose it to the elements. Love, love, love this product!

As you can see, my gorgeous cousin Kelsey gives the Pur Polish a thumbs-up too ;)



Numero Quatre: Once you have cleansed or exfoliated at night, moisturize your face with a moisturizer that is right for you. I was using Elizabeth Grant's Caviar Night Creme (which is AMAZING!) but I have recently switched over to 100% pure Argan Oil from the ZINN Beauty Collection. After I cleanse, I blot dry and then allow my face to continue air drying for a couple of minutes. I apply the oil to my face and massage it in gently. It is not a heavy oil and it soaks in quickly, leaving my face feeling silky smooth, hydrated and healthy. Not only can Argan Oil be used on your face but it can be used on your entire body including your hair.
What is Argan Oil you ask? It is extracted from the kernal of the Argan tree which is native to Morocco. It's extremely rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids and is safe and effective for all skin types, proving to protect against issues like premature aging, acne, rosacea and sun damage. It does NOT have Parabens, Sulfates, Synthetic Fragrances, Synthetic Dyes, Petrochemicals, Phthalates, GMO's and Triclosan.

Fun Fact about Argan Oil: Way, way back in the day, day, long before you and I were here, the Berber people (the indigenous peoples that inhabited North Africa, west of the Nile River) used to pick the Argan pits from the waste of their goats (the goats used to climb the Argan trees to eat the fruit). The pits were then ground and pressed to make the amazing oil that we now know today. Fortunately in today's time the pits are no longer pulled from goat waste :)

Numero Cinq: Moisturize. I highly suggest moisturizing with a moisturizer that has an SPF15 in it to help protect your skin from the sun during the day. No matter what time of year it is, you want to protect your skin from ultra violet rays. It is no secret that too much sun exposure causes pre-mature wrinkles which we all would like to avoid. Since I have been using the Aragan Oil at night I have found that I have not required a moisturizer in the morning - I just rinse, blot dry, prime and apply my make-up.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
I will be back to talk about moisturizers in another blog post - They deserve their own :)
Quick Tip: Never use the same hand towel that you use to dry your hands to dry your face. Keep a roll of paper towel in your bathroom to use on your face. This way you use the paper towel once and can throw it away, completely avoid the possibility of germs getting onto your face.

Skin care may seem complicated but it's really not once you are in a steady routine. Educate yourself and love your skin.
xTx

Macadamia Natural Oil - Reviving Curl Cream

My Babygirl has some serious hair. Hair that extends all the way down her back and hair that is loaded with curls. I'm talking serious curls. Serious ringletty curls that take on a mind of their own. They are full of attitude and are completely untamable if they aren't cared for. A couple of years ago her ringlettes would spring into place with ease but since her hair has gotten so long and thick, the weight of it now pulls the rings down. Each night I comb and braid Babygirl's hair so that we are able to fix it up with a 15 minute ease each morning before school. Normally, I simply take the braid out, comb it through with my fingers, spray it with water and then brush it through with a wide toothed comb. To finish, I twist each curl around my finger to try to keep them as defined as possible with the spritz of a frizz tamer. Of course, when she comes home, even with a tamer, her hair is a frizzy, hot mess from her busy day at school.

Again, as we all know, I (alphabetically - LMNOP) love Macadamia Natural Oil products and have had the opportunity to try the Reviving Curl Cream on Babygirl's hair. Because these products are healing and not harmful, I have no concerns using them on my daughter's hair at all. After I spritz-spray her hair with water in the morning I run about a quarter sized amount Curl Reviving Cream through, focusing on the lower half to start; ending off at her roots. I haven't been twisting her ringlettes at all but I have been gently scrunching them into place and they turn out beautiful. I have found that this product is best used on damp to wet hair so I wouldn't suggest applying it to hair that is dry. It definately has a holding agent in it but it's certainly not a strong gel-like hold; just a nice soft hold. Babygirl's curls stay soft, defined, frizzless and shiney all day long, regardless of the amount of running (which she does a lot of) and playing (which she does even more of) that she has done at school that day. It is so nice to see her come home with the same pretty hair that she went to school with.

I can't say enough about this line of hair care and style products. To be honest, the only thing left to say is; if you haven't tried Macadamia Natural Oil, there is no question that you should. It's a simple as that.

xTx

Full Disclaimer: The product I have spoken of was provided to me by Macadamia Natural Oil. 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, Macadamia Natural Oil for providing my daughter and I with the BEST hair care products possible.

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!

Macadamia Natural Oil

This I must share with you because if you know me, you know how I baby and love my hair...

For the last month I have been using a line of products on my hair called Macadamia Natural Oil. I was in desperate need to find a new product that would bring my hair back to life after a mishap that I had with a drugstore hair dye.

Rarely do I dye my hair, I mean rarely. My hair is about 3/4 of the way down my back, so it's pretty long. Ever since I had my daughter I no longer have curls, my hair is almost bone straight and it has thinned out a lot. I pamper my hair and have literally done everything that I can to care for it the past 7 years since my pregnancy. This is why I do not dye it.

I don't know what the hell I was thinking but about 4 or 5 months ago I had a sudden urge to dye my hair black. It's naturally a blackish-brown colour, but I wanted to go really dark. So off I went to Shopper's Drugmart to see what kind of black dye I could score. I purchased two (because like I said, my hair is pretty long) boxes of black dye and went to town on my head.

Immediately after rinsing the dye out my hair turned really dry and brittle. The dye that I used completely ruined my hair. So much so that I was terrified to brush it out, not only because I could hardly get a brush through it but because every time I did my hair would break off.

I started researching hair products that would help to nurture my hair and bring it back to life all while trying all sorts of different types of shampoo's and conditioners. Nothing at all was working and my hair was getting worse - possibly because I had gone wild spinning a product wheel trying to find something decent to use on my hair. I was losing my mind and was terrified that amidst losing my mind I would lose all of my hair as well. After a couple more weeks of late night researching on youtube and reading up on any hair article I could find, I discovered a product called Macadamia Natural Oil. I knew that macadamia nut oil was excellent for hair but this was the only product that I could find that used it as a main ingredient. Not only did it house Macadamia nut oil but argan seed oil as well. Argan seed oil is another of Mother Nature's beautiful gems.

The only store in Ottawa that I found to sell Macadamia Natural Oil was Trade Secrets - they carry the entire line! I purchased the Healing Oil Treatment, Rejuvenating Shampoo, Moisturizing Rinse, and the Deep Repair Masque for less than $100. As a side note, I received a free nail polish for spending over $50 - Fun!

I drove home like a crazy person so that I could jump into the shower to try my new products out.  

I washed my hair two times using only a small amount of shampoo - literally about the size of a quarter each time. Normally I use a whole handful, clearly I am an over-doer! Once I was done thoroughly washing my hair two times over and because it was my first time using the products I decided to try the masque; rather than the rinse (conditioner). Note that before I applied the masque I was already feeling a difference. I applied the masque - about the size of a loonie - and starting at the roots ran it through my hair really well. I gathered a bit more of the masque from the jar and applied more of it, focusing strictly on my ends. I got out of the shower and wrapped my head for 30 minutes. You can leave this masque on your hair over night if you'd like but all of the intensity is in the first 30 minutes - there is really nothing more to the product after that.

All joking aside, this is when I began to cry...

I got back into the shower to rinse my hair. It was literally like silk. Literally. It was almost scary how soft my hair was. Once I was out of the shower I towel dried my hair and applied a quarter size amount of Healing Oil to the lower half of my hair before attempting to comb it out. This, my friends, was going to be the real test. If I was able to comb my hair without squeezing my eyes shut and scrunching my face I would be happy. Well, my comb didn't comb through my hair, my comb slid through my hair. No face scrunchies at all!

I dried my hair with a blow dryer and straightened it with my flat iron (after spritzing on my favourite heat protectant) and the final product was brilliant. My hair was beautiful, silky smooth and ultra shiney. It has never been so gorgeous!

These products do not weight my hair down at all and leave it feeling wonderful. It no longer breaks off, I have no split ends, my hair feels like silk and it glows with health. 

Over the past month I have suggested these products to every single woman that I speak to and every one that has taken my advice to purchase the line is forever thankful that they did. I will be bringing the entire line to my Mom when I go to visit her next weekend as well. My poor Mom has hair that she claims to be like "straw" but I'm coming to the rescue with my little bottles of lovely! I can't wait to use it on Lina's hair as well! LOL Hair is seriously way too exciting.

Simply Heaven. Trust me, you will not be sorry - You will love it!

xTx

Photo courtesy of macadamiahair.com

Snappity, Snap, Snap

I hope that everyone is having a fantatic summer! I haven't had much time to blog this summer but my cousin Kelsey inspired my to start writing again. Kelsey likes to nose around through my blog entries to see what I am up to and note the things that I am randomly loving. I generally try to live by the "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" rule, so you won't really find me writing about things that I dislike. The world has enough haters - I'd rather not waste my time being one of them.

Being an Artist, I love photography. A lot. I love how a camera can bring the beauty out of anything that it captures; if captured in just the right light, on just the right angle, with just the right lense, by just the right photographer. I've never been good behind a camera for some reason but photography is something that I adore.

Kelsey, my little flame of inspiration, is a beautiful photographer. Everytime she posts a new set of pictures I get so excited to see them - She manages to capture shots that amaze me and I adore her work; maybe because of the simplicity. I like simplicity.

Below are a few of my Kelsey favourites! Enjoy!

 

© Copyright, Kelsey L., 2011

© Copyright, Kelsey L., 2011

© Copyright, Kelsey L., 2011

© Copyright, Kelsey L., 2011

And my #1 favourite of all time...

© Copyright, Kelsey L., 2011

It's Righteous, Oh So Righteous

The Righteous Butter is the distant (something like, 5th or 6th) cousin of the infamous Sexy Mother Pucker. Both are made by Soap & Glory and can be purchased at any Shoppers Drugmart across Canada.

I really only have two things to say about this lavish body butter...

1. The price of $14.99 is well worth it for this pink jar of wonderful.

2. It's a must-try - Your skin will adore you when it's all said and done.

M*A*C Cosmetics - Mineralize Skin Finish

Absolutely perfect for Summer and made by M*A*C, this beautiful highlight is a satiny smoothe powder that is sold (on M*A*C's website) in two colours; Gold Deposit and Soft and Gentle. I have both, and could Rave about them for hours.

It is made to softly highlight your cheek bones and other areas of your face that the sun naturally touches, like the bridge of your nose, your chin, temples and even your hairline. The gorgeous metallic finish will catch the suns rays and brighten your face on even the darkest of days.

The nice thing about it is that it comes in compacts of 10 grams which is quite a lot given that you only need a tiny bit to highlight with so it will last you quite some time.

Both of these particular shades can also be used alone as an eyeshadow or a highlight on your brow line when applying darker shadow colours.

When applying the Mineralize Skin Finish you will want to be sure that you have the correct application tool, so you will require a stipple brush - for example, M*A*C's 187 and 188 Duo Fibre Brushes.

I guarantee that you will love it as much as I do. If you have a chance to try it out, let me know what you think!!

Remember, Ladies - Less is truly more with this product.

x T x

Photo courtesy of maccosmetics.com

Elizabeth Grant Skincare - Caviar Night Crème

I was shopping at Winners a few months ago and found Elizabeth Grant's Caviar Night Crème on a shelf near the checkout. At the time I thought that I had seen caviar cream on the MTV reality show Rich Girls with Tommy Hilfigers' daughter (which is why I bought it), but now I think that I am completely wrong. Either way, I bought the cream because the caviar made it sound luxurious and it came in a really pretty gold and black package.

For some reason I had envisioned night creams as really bad pore cloggers so I never used them but I was really excited to try my new little jar of fish eggs...

I used it religiously for one week and the results were actually shocking. I don't have acne but I do get small blemishes under my cheek bones sometimes. The cream made the colour of my face completely uniform and literally cleared up anything unpretty. I thought that it was a fluke, so I stopped using the cream for a couple weeks. As soon a new blemish formed, I started the cream again...and then they were gone.

Before bed, I cleanse my face with a toner and apply the cream. It seems a bit wet and oily when it is first applied but it soaks in quickly, leaving your skin feeling soft and silky. The difference that you will see and feel after using this product is truly remarkable. I can't say enough good things about it.

I tried to find the exact product on Elizabeth Grant's website but I was unable to - which is possibly why it was being sold at Winners; however, I did find it on Ebay selling for $44. Or you can try to find it at Winners for $8.99 like I did.

If you are able to get your hands on a jar of this cream, I highly suggest that you give it a try!!

I la-la-love it!!

x T x

Makeup By Alyssia

My baby sister, Alyssia is one of the many Makeup Artists that I know. Clearly, the love of makeup runs through our genetic genes.

With affordable rates to fit any budget, if you're looking for a hip Artist to deck out your face from forehead to chin, she's the girl for you.

Ready to conquer all of your upcoming events, for more information, Alyssia can be reached as follows:

Website: http://makeupbyalyssia.webs.com

Email: makeupbyalyssia@hotmail.com

Facebook Search: Makeup By Alyssia 

Happy Contouring, Ladies!!

x T x