Glam Nail Studio by Amber-Elizabeth Stores | Book Review and Nautical Nail Art!

Today I bring you all a bit of a first for me and that is a BOOK REVIEW about nails! Glam Nail Studio ($28.00 CDN) is by celebrity manicurist Amber-Elizabeth Stores (aka “The Queen of Shellac”) who is known for manicures and pedicures with some MAJOR style. She uses rhinestones, airbrush effects, intricate nail art and acrylic treatments to create nail art that even Nicki Minaj approves of! (Seriously, Nicki Minaj is one of her clients!) Stores is also manicurist to Ashley Green and Florence Welch.

Glam Nail Studio is all about teaching any one of us the ABCs of bringing a salon manicure right into our own homes with step by step guides and 200 colour photos. Of the 50 nail art designs featured, I forced myself to choose just one to share with you all as there are quite a number that would be fun to try and wear. Say hello to “Nautical Themed!”

*Earth Day* Smith Farms | Hair and Body Oil

Today I have a product that I really enjoy using in the warmer summer months as I like to keep my moisturizing and hair care routines as simple and let’s face it, lazy as possible! What am I talking about? I’m talking about the Smith Farms Hair and Body Oil ($19.99) made by a wonderful Canadian family-run and owned company in Quebec. I have spoken highly of this company in the past with most recently reviews of their Vitamin Rich Hand Cream and Marshmallow Face Cream. On top of being organic, natural and just plain good for you, Smith Farms also has wonderful customer service!

One third each jojoba, sweet almond and sunflower oil this light and fast absorbing oil is as good for your hair as it is for your skin. Enriched with vitamin E and honeysuckle essential oil, this multipurpose oil is as decadent as it is hardworking.

This is like an all-purpose oil as in addition to the hair and body, it can be added to bathwater as well for one of the most fragrant baths ever! You can see from the ingredients that there is not one scary ingredient in this oil with 98% of the ingredients being truly organic. The scent of this oil is sweet like sweet almond, but lightly floral because of the honeysuckle flower extract. It actually smells quite similar to Lise Watier’s Sensationelle Dry Oil.

Final Verdict: This oil is hydrating and yet so incredibly light on the skin and hair. I do not use this on my skin in the winter as it is not quite enough for me, but this is wonderful on my hair as a moisture treatment or for some extra shine. It smells so wonderful that I feel like I have to hoard it, but I really should just learn to be liberal and enjoy it!

Some other favourites from Smith Farms include their Beer Soap and Moisture Lotion!

*Earth Day* Crawford Street Skincare | Lemon Deodorant Cream

I first discovered Crawford Street Skincare thorough the Seasonsbox subscription service and was pleased to find out that 1) this company is based right in Toronto, Ontario and 2) all products are free of petrochemical derivatives, such as mineral oil and petroleum, parabens, sodium laurel sulphate, artificial dyes and fragrances. One of my favourite products from Crawford Street Skincare is one of their top sellers and is the Lemon Deodorant Cream ($12.00).

This citrus scented cream deodorant is completely natural and it works! It includes over ten essential oils that are deodorizing, antibacterial and antifungal. No aluminum, no parabens, no yellow shirt stains!

Trind | Red Shimmer Nail Lacquer with Bow Water Decals

Today I have another Trind nail lacquer to share with you in the form of a super shiny red called Red Shimmer ($13.00). The moment I applied Red Shimmer I knew that I had found the perfect festive red for Christmas. It has a beautiful shine and is wonderfully opaque in two easy coats. The colour literally glows when it’s on your nails!

Beauty Box 5 | January 2014

This is the first of the last three of my Beauty Box 5 boxes. I was subscribed to BB5 for almost 2 years and even though they are one of my favourite boxes both for product selection and price, I have decided not to renew my subscription for now. I have a lot of product to go through and although I’m sure I will miss whatever shows up in these boxes, I REALLY need to get through what I have!

I have no product card in this box for some reason and I really don’t feel like hunting each of these products down so I will just show pictures and share my excitement or lack thereof for each product!

The Body Shop | Color Crush Eyeshadow in Grape Expectations and Lipstick in #320 Berry in Love Review and FOTD

The last time I wore makeup from The Body Shop was a blush back in 2002. I don’t really know why I never went back for more, but I really should have as there have been a number of cult classics that we have The Body Shop to thank – *ahem* Shimmer Cubes! The new Color Crush Makeup line is the newest in makeup at The Body Shop and is filled with happy brights to usher in the Spring season.