March 2014 Empties

Here we are again, at the end of another month and about to peak through my trash. The most exciting part about this empties, is that it's now Spring. Hello Spring! We still have some snow on the ground but, that's okay because it's been warming up. So.excited.ashfioashigfsh. Anyone else as excited as me?

*The Mystic Masala Kapha Spicebodhi Soap - review here - Loved using this daily. It lathered nicely and left me feeling super clean.
May repurchase at some point.

Earthpaste in Wintergreen - review here - I've gone through several tubes of this stuff, always alternating between wintergreen and peppermint. It cleaned my teeth really well and left my breath fresh but, I've decided to try something new. Living Libations new, to be exact :).

Coconut Oil - Loveeee coconut oil. I mostly bake with it but sometimes I use it as a hair mask or cuticle oil. Already repurchased.

*Shamanuti Activated Charcoal Cleanser - review here - I really enjoyed the scent of this cleanser and how well it removed makeup/cleansed my face. It helped clear up my bacne (when I had a breakout), however, I didn't find it did much for my face. In fact, I think it was a little drying. Perhaps it would have worked better for me during summer.

Corpa Flora Eclat Citrouille - review here - This oil is amaze-balls! It makes my face glow and evens out my complexion over night. When this bottle ran out, I debated on trying something new until I realized that if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Am I right?
Already repurchased.

*SBT Seabuckthorn Seed Oil - review here  and here - Sea buckthorn is one of my favourite oils. I liked using this as an all over facial oil, spot treatment for pimples, or mixed with tamanu. It really helped control any breakouts and brighten the skin. I prefer the SBT brand over others because they're Canadian, the bottle is much easier to travel with, and it comes in 3 sizes.
Will be repurchasing at some point.

*Nyl Gentle Sugar Body Polish - review here - What a lovely scrub this was. I mainly used it on my lips and hands, and not only did it leave my skin incredibly soft, it also left it smelling (and tasting) delicious! The minimal ingredients and fact that it didn't leave me feeling greasy made it my favourite body scrub to date. Will likely repurchase.

Batch Naturals Abyssinian Body Whip - review here - I really liked how quickly this absorbed and how light it was, perhaps a little too light for me during the brutal Winter.
May repurchase in a different scent, at some point.

Dr. Haushka Lavender Sandalwood Body Moisturizer (sample) - I'm not usually a fan of this brand but, this lightly scented body lotion was a delight to use. It left me nicely moisturized without any heavy fragrance. *SBT Eczema Dermatitis Salve - review here - Despite how well this worked for my hands, it's being tossed because the texture, scent, and colour has changed. Pretty sure it's gone bad.
La Bella Figura Barbary Fig Seed Oil (sample) - Clementine Fields was kind enough to send me a sample with an order that I made in January. I've heard amazing things about it but, didn't see any improvements with my skin while using it.  Aurelia Cell Revitalise Night Moisturiser (sample kindly sent to me by Sabrina from Call It Vanity) - This stuff smelled so good and was one of the richest night creams I've ever tried. It was actually a little too heavy for me to use all over my face, so I would just apply a tiny, tiny amount on any dry patches. Pure Anada Mascara in Black - review here - My favourite natural mascara! It's affordable and lasts all day. My only issue, which I'm letting slide, is that it contains phenoxyethanol.  Already repurchased. Pretty Rose Facial Tonic (not pictured) - review here - I'm not a fan of rose scents but I find this rose facial tonic works amazingly well for my skin.  Will repurchase at some point. Weleda Calendula Face Cream (not pictured) - review here - I can't say enough good things about this cream. I mainly use it on my hands and face, but don't hesitate to use it on my body as well.  Already repurchased. Happy Spring lovelies! *PR SAMPLES.

Brand Focus: The Mystic Masala

The Ayruvedic world is one I know very little about. From what I've read, the general idea behind it is self healing. Of course it goes far more in depth but, to avoid confusing myself I'll just leave it at that.

When I was approached about trying The Mystic Masala, the intriguing woman and concept behind the brand was hard to deny, including that they're based in Canada.

When you first come to experience the divine fragrances of The Mystic Masala, you may find yourself transported to the Malabar Spice Coast, or perhaps to a sangoma’s apothecary in the Southern reaches of Africa; you may even imagine yourself on a vibrant stroll through a bustling New York City marketplace. None of these sensations would be too strange as Glynnis Osher has drawn from all of these. 

Glynnis was born and raised in South Africa, immigrated to New York in her 20’s and has traveled through India and to both US coasts, gathering knowledge of Ayurvedic practices. 

In April of 1997, Glynnis was drawn to The Wise Earth School of Ayurveda in North Carolina and embraced the teachings of the School Director and Vedic monk, Maya Tiwari (Sri Swamini Mayatitananda), graduating in the ‘Food Sadhana’ program, later returning to the school to assist in two Food Sadhana programs and integrating this work into her personal life. 

The Pacific Northwest provided Glynnis with other avenues to broaden her knowledge. In Seattle, she taught Ayurvedic spice workshops and cooking classes, including a 3 month credit class to nutrition students at Bastyr University. In 2002, Glynnis graduated as an Ayurvedic practitioner from the AYU Academy at Bastyr. From there, she developed further hands-on workshops to create one’s own pharmacopoeia of home cosmetics using essential spice and herbal oils, ground grains, beans, seeds, nuts and spices. Glynnis’ interactive workshops of toasting, grinding, chanting, and melding continue to be strongly influenced by her diverse studies and the colors, rituals and practices of both India and her native South Africa. 

These seeds of experience, exploration and a passionate love of Ayurveda, gracefully blossomed in mid-2003 when she launched The Mystic Masala. All this plus a background as an art director, designer and illustrator makes Glynnis a lively masala indeed! As one can readily see in the crafting of her product line, Glynnis’ love of aesthetics is strongly evident — as is her strong belief in social responsibility. And this is only the beginning. Now based in Vancouver, Canada, Glynnis and The Mystic Masala plan to continue introducing people to the beauty and wisdom of Ayurveda through their exquisite aromatherapy products.

 Read more about The Spice Mistress (love that title) and The Mystic Masala here.

Glynnis was kind enough to send me a box of goodies that included a *Kapha Spicebodhi Soap, *Spicebodhi Kapha Body Oil, *SpiceLove Perfume Oil, *Mixed Tealight Tower, and a few miniature *samples. I will be including the mini samples in a big-ish giveaway, keep your eyes peeled.

Kapha Spicebodhi Soap: We are excited to offer a beautiful therapeutic line of Ayurvedic herbal body and shampoo bars. Carefully created blends bring balance to the doshas, shimmering beauty to the body and refreshment to the spirit. The skin is nourished by consistent care and each blend is designed to work not only topically, but also to restore health on a subtle deep tissue level.
Ingredients: An invigorating blend of coconut, palm, sunflower and olive oils, honey, neem leaves, lemongrass and haritaki, essential oils of lemongrass, lemon and ginger.

Retails for $8 CDN for a 3.5 oz bar.

For starters, the box that this soap comes in is absolutely beautiful! Wouldn't you agree? The soap itself is also beautiful. It lathers really well and leaves my body feeling squeaky clean without drying it out. The strong smokey citrus scent has quickly grown on me and, although it doesn't linger for long, I look forward to filling my bathroom with its scent. Aside from being totally natural, it's also 100% biodegradable. Of all the products sent to me from The Mystic Masala, this is hands down my favourite.

Spicebodhi Kapha Body Oil: Our naturally exquisite Ayurvedic body oils are made at a womens’ fair trade cooperative in Nepal. The herbs are sustainably wildcrafted assuring the highest quality ingredients and care. The highest vibrational oils without any additives or preservatives. Beautifully gentle for daily massage of body and face. A routine of daily self-massage is an essential part of an Ayurvedic practice to restore and balance your unique skin type. Formulated to refresh and enliven.
Ingredients: An invigorating blend of olive, mustard, grapeseed, and vitamin E base oils, essential oils of lemongrass, ginger, black pepper, infused wildcrafted herbs of neem, haritaki, lemongrass.

Retails for $18 CDN for 50 ml.

I love me a good body oil and this one is great, except for the scent. It's very nourishing and absorbs quickly, leaving the skin soft, never greasy. Unlike the body bar, this oil has more of a spicy citrus scent that lingers all day long. Not my favourite scent, that's for sure. It's great as a daily body oil but excels as a massage oil. With it's ginger and black pepper essential oils, it quickly tingles/warms up to soothe sore muscles and joints. I've mainly been using it as that and can't get enough!

SpiceLove Perfume Oil: An exquisite and ridiculously sexy new love oil created from our just-arrived essential oils from France, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and India. Just wait until you sniff this gorgeous blend! The prana, light and beauty emanating from this little aromatic roll-on is so desirable, you will fall in love! This exquisite 100% pure essential oil blend boldly expresses the beauty and sensuality of the white lotus flower—nelumbo nusefera, known as ‘sacred lotus’—masterfully melding with French ylang ylang, Indian rosewood, African myrrh and a drop of Indonesian patchouli, all in a carrier blend of organic almond/sunflower oil. 
Retails for $20.95 CDN for 10 ml

I've come to learn that I don't enjoy floral scents and this one is no exception. I do, however, enjoy that it's small enough to pop in your makeup bag/purse and that it contains a rollerball applicator. The scent, of course, fades throughout the day but lasted a good 5+ hours (on me) before needing to be reapplied. I've passed it on to my grandma and she loves it, if that says anything.

Mixed Tealight Tower: Enlighten me. A pure Ayurvedic aromatherapy candle with 100% essential oils and lead-free cotton wicks. Hand poured in Canada.

VATA: 100% pure essential oils of basil, cardamom, sweet orange and vetiver

PITTA: 100% pure essential oils of peppermint, coriander, and fennel.

KAPHA: 100% pure essential oils of ginger, cinnamon, and lemon.

TRIDOSHIC: 100% pure essential oils of geranium, spikenard, and bergamot.

Retails for $25.95 CDN for 12 tealights.

I was initially going to pass these over to my boss, to test out for the spa, but ended up giving them a go myself first because Kapha and Pitta smelled too good to pass up. Again, Kapha in candle form smells different from the bar soap and body oil. It has a sweet citrus scent and I.just.love.it! Ready for it? They let off no scent once lit. Even with all three of the same dosha burning at the same time, in my small bathroom, I smelled nada. Such a shame. If anyone knows whether the larger versions let off more scent, kindly let me know.
All in all, I think that The Mystic Masala is great. Whether you understand Ayruvedic practices or not, you can still enjoy all of the healing/therapeutic benefits of each hand crafted product. If scents are an issue for you, keep in mind these products are all very fragrant. 
Have you ever heard of or tried any of these products? Do you know much about Ayruvedic practices or even which dosha you are?
*Products provided for review consideration. All opinions are my own.