Brand Focus: Mont Echo (Nature Divine)

This Canadian brand has been featured on my blog before. I've reviewed their Cleansing Cream, which I really enjoyed, so when Mont Echo contacted me and asked if I wanted to try their new Nature Divine range, I couldn't say no. Nature Divine is, what I'd consider, their more luxurious range that contains even more sea buckthorn oil than their other products. I opted to try the *Creme Divine ($42.95 CAD/50 ml) and *Eau Divine ($38.95 CAD/100 ml).

Sea Buckthorn Skin and Hair care products are formulated with our 100% Canadian-grown Sea Buckthorn seed oil, fruit oil and floral waters to ensure that our customers receive all the benefits of this extraordinary plant. Our Sea Buckthorn skin and hair products are handcrafted with high quality, certified organic, biodynamically grown and wildcrafted essential oils and floral waters that are never bleached or processed, conserving all of their nourishing vitamins, minerals, enzymes, proteins and brilliant natural colours.

Read more about Mont Echo here.

*Creme Divine: Mont Echo’s signature anti-aging combination of Rosehips and Sea Buckthorn form the base for this rich and luxurious enriched moisture complex with therapeutic, regenerative & hydrating herbs. Particularly high in Vitamin C, this cream is formulated to benefit dry, mature and sensitive skin types. 

The small plastic pump bottle is great because of the fact that it's dark (preserving the product) and contains a pump (clean and easy to use). This cream boasts an impressive and beautiful list of ingredients like rose otto, shea butter, comfrey, and calendula, just to name a few. The smell is gorgeous and light, can't quite explain it but I do know that it reminds me of something that my mom used on her face when I was a kid. It's definitely not strong and doesn't linger. Unfortunately, when the temperatures dropped to -20 (and colder), my skin soaked this stuff up and begged for more. It just wasn't enough, even with an oil applied underneath or mixed in. Now that it's warmed up, it works much better and I love that it dries to a semi matte finish. It never feels heavy or looks greasy and creates a great base for makeup. I also love using it on my hands before bed! Although it's targeted for dry/mature/sensitive skin types, I think it would be great for normal and combo skin types as well.

*Eau Divine: Unique in the world, our Eau Divine Pure Sea Buckthorn floral water soothes and balances the skin while preserving and strengthening the protective acid mantle. Eau Divine is particularly effective in preparing the skin for the application of oils, serums and creams. It is extremely gentle and well tolerated by even the most sensitive skin.

Floral water is my jam, I love them! Given that I love sea buckthorn oil and I love floral waters, this selection only made sense. Sadly, it smells awful! My boyfriend, who has gotten used to herbal/natural type scents, was completely put off as well. Meaning..he was like, "wtf is that smell?". I then responded with, "my face". True story. AND if the scent alone isn't bad enough, the fact that it lingers makes it even worse. Of course, the scent has nothing to do with Mont Echo and is a personal preference. Since I can't stand using this on a daily basis because of the scent, I actually use it to mix up my clay masks. That way my skin still reaps the anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and other benefits of the floral water. If you have the opportunity to smell this first or don't care about scents (bad/good), then this would be a product to consider.

Get them here: Mont Echo and these retailers.

                                                             
*Products provided for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Creme Divine Ingredients: Rosa demascena (Rose Otto) Flower Distillate*, Fucus vesiculosis (Bladderwrack) Extract, Aqua / Water / Eau, Persea gratissima (Avocado) Oil*, Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Borago officinalis (Borage) Seed Oil*, Aloe barbadensis*, Butyrospermum parkii (Shea,) Butter, Althaea officinalis (Marshmallow) Root Extract*, Symphytum Officinale (Com­frey) Extract*, Calendula officinalis Flower Extract, Sambucus nigra (Elder) Flower extract*, Equisetum arvense (Horsetail) Leaf Ex­tract*, Avena Sativa (Oatstraw) Kernel Ex­tract*, Stellaria Media (Chickweed) Extract*, Camelia sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract*, Sorbitan Olivate*, Glycerin (Vegetable)*, Rosa demascena (Rose de Damas) Flower Oil, San­dalwood spicatum (Sandalwood Australian) Wood Oil, Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Oil, Citrus aurantium var.Amara (Bit­ter Orange) Leaf Oil, Hippophae rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Seed Extract**, Hippophae rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Fruit Extract**, Carthamus tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil*, Triticum vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil, Lecithin (Soy)*, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Daucus carota (Carrot) Seed Oil* **, Rosa canina (Rosehips) Fruit Extract* **, Boswellia carterii (Frankincense) Resin Oil* **, Salvia sclarea (Clary Sage) Flower Oil, Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) CO2 Herb Extract* **
* Biologique / Organic ** Concentrated CO2 Extracts

Eau Divine Ingredients: Hippophae rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn Floral Water)

Brand Focus: North Hill Soap Company

I love bar soap and find myself using it to wash my hands and, of course, my body, on a daily basis. It's important for me to support local soap makers that avoid the use of palm oil and any other questionable ingredients, and really put an emphasis on sustainability. When my friend Lisa, from Glam Goes Green, told me about North Hill Soap Company, I knew I had to try them out!

Welcome to North Hill Soap Company! We have been manufacturing hand-crafted, artisan soap since 2008. Our emphasis is on natural, sustainable ingredients, and 100% post-consumer recycled packaging. 

My name is Kelly Martin, and I am the soaper-in-chief at North Hill Soap Company, directing my family of four children and web-savvy husband in all their bubbly endeavours. 

Our family journey in soapmaking began with an innocent conversation. A family friend who owns a small-town art shop was lamenting her inability to find a soapmaker. I have always suffered from OCD- Obsessive Crafting Disorder. I have to try whatever craft is going by, and I thought, “I’m sure I can make soap!” 

I could never list all of the crafts I have dabbled in and moved on from, but soapmaking stuck. I fell in bubbly love almost immediately, and I haven’t looked back since. Not only do I enjoy the process, but once you start using handmade soap, you really can’t go back to store-bought. The difference in your skin is so obvious, you would never want to feel dry, itchy and rough again. Not to mention the confidence in knowing what you and your family are putting onto (and hence into) your body. 

Read more about NHSC here.

The packaging is absolutely awesome! I love the colours and design of each one, as well as the fact that they come in post consumer recycled packaging. Seriously, just look at those boxes! After reaching out to Kelly, she was kind enough to allow me to select a few bars of soap. I chose *Sea Goddess, *Happy Hippie, *Blackbeard's Booty, *Sex On The Beach, and *Earth Goddess.

*Sea Goddess: The Mediterranean Sea provides us with so many Gifts of beauty– it’s no wonder Aphrodite is pictured as being Born from the waves! Sea salt will polish your skin to glowing freshness, and Spirulina Algae is a tremendous source of Antioxidants. 

In theory, this soap sounds amazing and I was really excited for it. Sadly, it fell short. The scent and texture reminds me of soap that my grandma used, in Portugal, to wash her clothes. I'm talking the old school way of washing clothes; a bar of soap and bucket. I find that it can either be harsh or feel like you're dragging a dry soap bar on dry skin regardless of how wet both are. This is definitely my least favourite.

*Happy Hippie: Tempt your inner peace child with the earthy scent of patchouli, and enjoy the moisturizing benefits of hemp butter in our grooviest soap bar. Made with Organic Canadian Hemp Milk & Calendula Petals, you may have to find your love beads and flower crown after this far-out shower experience!

This is my favourite of all the bars. It smells in-freakin-credible, is ever so gently exfoliating, nourishing, creamy, and just lovely to use. I can't get over the scent and love that it fragrances my bathroom with a light hint of patchouli. I'm such a hippie eh?

*Blackbeard's Booty: When Blackbeard took his yearly bath, we’re sure this is the soap he favoured. Sail your pirate armada in your bath, while you enjoy the spicy sweet scent of bay rum essential oil straight from the Dominican Republic. Poppy Seeds add a gentle exfoliation.

How cute is the name and little pirate skull on the bar of soap?! This is my second favourite of them all. I love the (truly) spicy sweet scent of the bay rum, which is very unisex leaning towards masculine, and how lovely the poppy seeds feel on the skin. It leaves my skin exfoliated, nourished, and baby soft.

*Sex On The Beach: The fruit acids in our blend of tropical fruits encourage cell turnover, and help to dissolve the glue holding together the top layer of cells. Immerse yourself in memories of a Caribbean vacation. Notes of citrus will whisk you off to an island paradise, fruity drink in hand.

I'm sure you can all guess that what attracted me to this soap was the fact that it's supposed to be like a chemical exfoliant for the body, however, I'm not convinced it actually does much in that department. Usually with chemical exfoliants, your skin will tingle. This soap doesn't tingle whatsoever, not even on breakouts. I mean, obviously it's not meant to be an intense, all over body peel. Just thought it would be worth mentioning, in case that's the reason you decide to choose this particular bar. If you're looking for a soap bar that smells fruity, feels great on the skin, and leaves it feeling soft, this is the one for you! Out of the 5 bars, this one is in my top 3.

*Earth Goddess: Kaolin is the most gentle of all the clays, drawing impurities from your skin without stripping your natural oils. Kaolin clay is suitable for all skin types, and exfoliates gently enough to be used even on your face! This beautiful bar also includes Himalayan Pink Salt, which will draw out impurities while providing necessary minerals to your skin.
Lastly, we have Earth Goddess! This one is really nice and leaves my skin soft, just like the others, but it didn't live up to my expectations. I expected it to help with breakouts, because of its clarifying properities (pink and green clay). It doesn't. I also don't find it fragranced enough considering it contains patchouli and lavender, two dominant essential oils. Still really nice, just not one I'd repurchase.
All in all, I'm thrilled to have had the opportunity to try out this amazing Canadian brand. Their soaps really are beautiful and reasonable priced considering the quality. I will 100% be purchasing Happy Hippie and Blackbeard's Booty once I run out and highly recommend.
Retails for: $5.99/bar and is available in 16 different scents (4 of which are unscented).
Get it here: North Hill Soap Company and these retailers. *Products provided for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Glam Goes Green in Bolton

Hello lovelies! Today I am super excited to share with you my visit to Glam Goes Green in Bolton, Ontario (Canada). Some of you may already know Lisa, she's pretty active on social media and a serious advocate for natural products. With 9 women in her life being diagnosed with breast cancer, she knew it was time to change her diet and overall lifestyle. She opened up a green spa, Serenity on the Humber, a couple of years ago but realized that her passion was educating. Educating people on the Obscene 13, how it impacts their body and skin, and providing natural alternatives to replace their beauty and lifestyle products. She quickly put the spa on hold when the opportunity to open up a store presented itself, and I could not be happier for her. Lisa's store is small, cozy, product packed, and absolutely beautiful. She carries a variety of products from hair care to skin care, tea to chocolate, and first aid remedies. With brands like Corpa Flora, Pure Anada, Honeybee Gardens, Real Techniques, Red Apple Lipstick, Chocosol, 100% Pure, and many more, you're bound to find something for you.

Flowers, entrance, beautiful!

TEA! COFFEE! CLEARANCE!

UMMM..HEAVEN? To the left we got body moisturizers, shampoos, conditioners, deodorants and more. To the right we there's skin care, toothpaste, sunscreen, etc.

Okay but who else loves that damn little table? It is so cute! 

Chocolate and makeup, how can you go wrong? You can't!

Drool.

Is there such a thing as too much lipstick? Nope.

Action of the grand opening. Celine, from Corpa Flora doing demos (left), Lisa educating customers (middle), people shopping (middle), and more makeup (right)!

Lisa, owner of Glam Goes Green, and Celine, Founder and Creator of Corpa Flora.

Celine, Lisa, and moi! Excuse my entire self, I had been up since 7, went to work at the spa, then helped out (kinda) at GGG, and this was taken late at night.

Cute shop eh? If you can't make it to the shop, although I highly suggest you try if you're in the GTA or going to be near it, you can also shop online. Might I suggest the sale section?  Since the grand opening, Lisa has moved stuff within the shop around. She's also brought in Acure, which isn't available anywhere else in Canada, and it's selling like hot cakes! Keep your eyes peeled for a giveaway happening soon, on here, with Glam Goes Green. In the meantime, check out the website and let me know what you're dying to try most.  

Goodness Me! Online Grand Opening!

                      
Goodness Me! has been working hard on their online store and want to celebrate its official launch with you. From November 26th to December 1st, 2014, you can:

• Enter to win $100 gift card to the online store by signing up for their newsletter

• Sign up for a FREE Webinar with Janet Jacks (Founder of GM) to learn about "The Hidden Signs of Stress & What to do About Them". This Webinar is only offered on November 26th from 7-8 p.m. EST. You can sign up here.

• Enter to win a swag bag worth over $100 by using the hashtag #GMonlinestore on Twitter. Swag bag contains a box of Stash Tea, Theo chocolate bar, shaker cup, Imagine Organic tomato basil soup, Manitoba Harvest hemp hearts, St. Francis butter ghee, Deep Immune and Mineral Matrix, plus a copy of Discover the Power of Food by Janet Jacks.

You can read more about the grand opening, as well as all of the fun stuff they will have going on by heading over to their blog.

Shop at Goodnessme.ca. 

*I am a Goodness Me! Brand Ambassador, however, I do not receive any sort of monetary compensation. I may received free product(s) from time to time. I'm sharing this post not because I am a BA, but because it's a great opportunity for you to receive discounts, win free stuff, and learn more about GM. I shopped at Goodness Me! stores before being asked to be a Brand Ambassador.

Cleanse Your Skin With Grains, Pretty Cleansing Grains

Cleansing grains seem to be the new thing, or one of the many new things really. Their simple ingredients list and ability to gently exfoliate the delicate skin, daily, make it a must have for many green beauties. I've been playing with a couple from Pretty and have fallen completely in love.

I won't lie, I've tried Pretty's cleansing grains before and haven't been too impressed. To be fair, I never gave them a real chance because it seemed like an inconvenient and messy way of cleansing. Boy was I wrong! Cleansing grains are incredible. They gently exfoliate while allowing your skin to benefit from the added ingredients like clay, essential oils, herbs, and flowers. I purchase Black Tea & Raw Cocoa and Rose Petal & Oatmeal. It's important to note that the ratio of grains to water is all preference and that it takes a bit of time to get used to. Stick with it though, you'll be hooked once you figure it out.

Black Tea & Raw Cocoa: Pure raw cocoa and black tea powder deeply cleanse by lifting dead skin cells and environmental pollutants. Organic oatmeal and kaolin clay draws toxins out of pores and keeps skin blemish free. Steam-distilled essential oils of orange and spearmint tone and invigorate the skin. Leaves your skin clean, clear and radiant. Ingredients below.

With essential oils like spearmint and orange, this is one antiseptic cleanser that's fantastic for oily/combination skin. At first, my sensitive skin wasn't a fan, but with continued use it really began to embrace and welcome the tingle. The spearmint and orange make it very refreshing and uplifting in the morning, and I enjoyed using it in the shower on my face, shoulders, chest, and upper back as a pick-me-up. Are you surprised? I use most acne fighting cleansers on those areas.

Rose Petal & Oatmeal: Crushed rose petals and organic oatmeal remove impurities while improving skin circulation. This gentle scrub is soft enough for even the most dry or sensitive skin. It replenishes moisture and lifts away dead skin cells and environmental pollutants. Steam-distilled essential oils of magnolia and rose geranium gently balance and brighten skin. Leaves your skin soft and radiant. Ingredients below.

This one is my favourite, mainly because it's best suited for my skin year round. The combination of different oils, such as palmarosa, rose geranium, lavender, and magnolia, really help to soften, nourish, brighten, and treat the skin.

Both cleansing grains exfoliate with ground oatmeal and draw out impurities with kaolin clay, but it's the added ingredients that set them apart and make them more/less ideal for certain skin types and conditions. Both make for a fantastic morning cleanse, smoothing the canvas for better absorption of oils, serums, and creams, and allowing for better application of makeup. They smell beautiful and not at all overwhelming, perfect for even those most sensitive of noses. I'm a convert!

You can purchase these through Pretty or click here to find a retailer closest to you. Pretty has just completely revamped their website and even if you don't purchase products, you should check it out because it's g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s!

Have you ever tried cleansing grains? Do you have any favourites (brands or homemade recipes)?

This was a bit more runny than I prefer. I like a nice paste.

Black Tea & Raw Cocoa Ingredients: Organic oats, kaolin clay, orange oil, spearmint oil, organic raw cocoa powder, tiger lily flowers, black tea powder.

Rose Petal & Oatmeal Ingredients: Organic oats, kaolin clay, magnolia oil, lavender oil, rose geranium oil, palmarosa oil, wild rose petals.

Kelly's Bake Shoppe - Vegan & Gluten Free

I'm beyond excited about today's post! While I'm predominately a beauty blogger, my love for food runs deep. So deep, that my Instagram has more food (and dog) pictures than anything else. So when I saw that Kelly's Bake Shoppe was looking for bloggers, I quickly emailed them. I've been going to Kelly's for about a year now. I love their beautifully decorated and clean space, friendly staff, variety of offerings, and the fact that they're vegan, gluten and nut free. Does it get any better than that?? It does.

The outside of Kelly's. Beautiful right?
Picture courtesy of Kelly's.

Kelly's Bake Shoppe is located in Downtown Burlington, Ontario (Canada) and is run by a Mother and Daughter team with a passion for clean eating. Kelly Childs, Mother, and Erinn Weatherbie, Daughter, are health warriors. They believe in living a healthy lifestyle, full of whole foods that are chock full of nutrition for your body. That doesn't mean you have to skip dessert, you can have your cake and eat it too! Their Bake Shoppe goodies contain absolutely "No HONEY (we use Maple Syrup or Agave), no butter, no peanuts, no eggs, no milk, no cheese, NO gluten, no casein, no GMO’s, no artificial flavours and colours, no preservatives, no white flour, absolutely no junk or generally cheap refined ingredients (the things that are bad for you)". There are also many items that are soy free. Instead, they use the best of the best natural, organic ingredients (like pure vanilla beans and cacao) to bring you decadent desserts that even the pickiest eaters won't realize are good for them. If you're not sold yet, perhaps the fact that they've been awarded Best Cupcakes, Best Desserts, and Best Bakery in Burlington for both 2013 and 2014 will sway you. On top of all that, they also give back to the community. Every month, they provide a financial donation and host a Cupcake Day for the women and children of the Halton Women's Place. Halton Women's place is a safe haven for women, and their children, who have been abused. I love a business who gives back, don't you?

The beautiful Erinn (left) & Kelly (right) at Kelly's Bake Shoppe.
Picture courtesy of Kelly's.

 Disclaimer: This post may cause drooling, a sudden urge for sweets, a trip to Kelly's Bake Shoppe, and/or jealousy. You've been warned.

This is the part I think you're all most excited about, seeing what I had the opportunity to sample. Before that, I want to show you how the goods arrived. They arrived in a white paper bag with the Kelly's logo, and some leopard print tissue paper. Inside was a four pack of cupcakes, their signature pink box, and their daily menu. I friggen love how they have daily regular cupcakes, like chocolate and vanilla, and then they have fancy ones on certain days of the week. For example, on Tuesday they have a Mexican Chocolate cupcake, Wednesday they have a Cookies & Cream cupcake, Thursday a Lemon Raspberry cupcake, and so on.

In their beautiful, signature pink box were three cookies; World Peace Cookie, Snickerdoodle, and Chocolate Chip. One of my favourite things to get at Kelly's is their World Peace Cookie Sandwhich; two World Peace Cookies sandwiched between a faux (but delicious) vanilla buttercream frosting. Oh-my-goodness, if you ain't drooling then don't worry because I'm drooling enough for the both of us. Just keepin' it real...

The World Peace Cookie isn't that big but it's incredibly hearty and I guarantee you'll be completely satisfied after eating just one. If you plan on trying the sandwich, and eating it all at once, wear stretchy pants because it's a meal in itself. I've never really tried a Snickerdoodle anything before and wasn't sure what it's supposed to be like. It tasted like a cinnamon sugar cookie! Nom nom nom! The Chocolate Chip Cookie was honestly incredible! It has got to be one of the best chocolate chip cookies that I have ever had. It wasn't too sweet or overdone with chocolate chips, just perfection. All three were so soft, moist, and fresh.

Also in the box, was a Mile High Brownie. Keep scrolling to read more. Refrain from trying to reach through your computer screen.

Let's take a moment to admire that Mile High Brownie....*drool* Okay, it was insanely delicious!! As someone who's not a big fan of brownies, chocolate cake, or anything overly chocolatey, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this brownie. It was moist and rich, but the faux whipped cream cut the richness a bit, and the date caramel sauce gave it that extra oomph. Incredible and a must try for all. The Coconut Cupcake was delicious! I actually have a sick obsession with their Chocolate Coconut Cupcake, it's a problem. This one comes in at a close second. I believe it's a vanilla cupcake topped with buttercream and covered in coconut. The combination is to die for. Then there was Cookies & Cream. Ugh, I honestly wish I hadn't of shared half with my mom. It tasted exactly as I imagined, heaven. The Chocolate Cupcake and Red Velvet Cupcake weren't my favourites. Red Velvet was coloured using beets, which also contributed to its very unique flavour.   Kelly's Bake Shoppe proves that healthy doesn't have to be bland or boring, instead you can indulge without the guilt. Their stuff isn't overly sweet, just enough to satisfy that craving without feeling like you're missing out. I highly recommend visiting them and trying out some of my personal favourites; Chocolate Coconut Cupcake, Chocolate Chip Cookie, World Peace Cookie Sandwich, and the Mile High Brownie. Have you ever been to Kelly's Bake Shoppe? Let me know what some of your favourite menu items are or what you'd like to try most. *All items pictured in this post were provided for sampling. All opinions are entirely my own. As already mentioned, I've been visiting Kelly's Bake Shoppe for about a year and have paid for all the other goodies (not pictured here) myself.