SKINCARE | A Look at Quinoa-Based Skincare with Zue Beauty

On this last day of Earth Month, I bring to you a crazy cool new company I was introduced to earlier this month called Zue Beauty! "Zue", a word meaning the "origin of life" to the indigenous tribes of South America, creates quinoa-based skincare that is vegan, gluten-free, GMO-free and cruelty-free all while creating jobs and partnering with the Paez indigenous tribes in Colombia. These quinoa farmers are given tools and training to more effectively harvest their quinoa crop so there is enough for commercial and personal use. Zue Beauty is also a Certified B Corporation which from what I have read, seems even harder than an EcoCertification! Not only must your products themselves do no harm to people and the environment, but the company's actions and conduct as well! There is green beauty and then there is GREEN beauty and this company caught my eye because of how committed they seemed to not just their products, but to the big socioeconomic picture!

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NAILS | Reliving my Childhood with Lisa Frank #ManiMonday

I am pretty sure that my penchant for leopard print started in the 90s with Lisa Frank. She also happens to be a REAL person and still spearheads the company now continuing to make rainbow school supplies and lunchboxes for elementary school kids. Today's ManiMonday is a tribute to all of my Lisa Frank paraphernalia from the 90s and has made me realize that I still love leopard print now as much as I did then! It's a hard pattern to wear without looking cheap, so I tend to keep the print to accessories, underwear and of course my nails!

SKINCARE | Probiotics in Your Skincare? First Impressions of Tula!

Back in February, I was introduced to a brand I had only heard about at Cosmoprof, but never tried since it was only available in the US through Neiman Marcus, Spack NK and Nordstrom, but never fear because now Tula is shipping to Canada! I received a discovery kit back in February to get to know the brand so these reviews will be somewhat more brief then my usual skincare Bible-length blog posts, but I will soon have full reviews coming over the next few months!

Tula, meaning "balance" in Sanskrit, is an interesting brand because of the addition of probiotics or healthy bacteria in their skincare formulations. We all know how important yogurt is with their bacterial cultures and probiotics in skincare works the same way. Just like having healthy gut bacteria or flora, our skin's surface also has something called a microbiome which is a unique collection of microbes that are perfectly balanced at keeping our skin happy. Adding probiotics has been shown to help with inflammation and aid in hydration. Likewise, if this balance is disturbed, the good bacteria can turn bad and cause skin conditions such as acne. Since this is a first impressions post, I will not delve too much into the the biology of probiotics, but I will when I review the full sized products!

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TEETH | Orally Fixated on My New Radius Source Toothbrush and Coconut Oil Toothpaste

When it comes to green beauty and oral hygiene, I am often torn because there are certain ingredients like fluoride that I really feel are necessary. Especially because the water in Vancouver does not have added fluoride in it, I do feel like it is necessary for me to get this mineral somewhere in my oral hygiene routine. Obviously too much fluoride is not great, but because I have weaker teeth, I feel very uncomfortable eliminating it completely from my routine. This doesn't mean I am not utterly fascinated by the green oral hygiene options out there because from what I have seen, there are many!

Through a recent blogger box, I finally got the chance to try green beauty oral hygiene brand Radius, which was founded on the Caribbean island of Tortola (NOT Tortuga, like in Pirates of the Caribbean!) and has an insane amazing commitment to reducing waste and being kind to the environment. I did not think I would be as impressed as I was with the products and was not planning on dedicating a whole post to the brand until I started to brush my teeth this magical toothbrush...

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EXPERIENCE | I Got a Yumi Lash Lift!

I paid full price for this service.

I did it. Other than getting my eyebrows microbladed (far more intense!), this is the first "cosmetic procedure" I have done in more than 2 years and after going through the pain and maintenance of eyelash extensions years ago, a Yumi Lash Lift was always something I had wanted to try as it seemed far less annoying to keep up with. The next question is: what is a Yumi Lash Lift? Essentially, this is a patented semi-permanent treatment that boosts and lifts your natural lashes making your eyes look more open and you more bright-eyed and bushy tailed! In some of the before and after photos, some people looked like they had falsies on once they had the procedure done and even after looking at the results of short Asian lashes, the procedure seemed pretty promising! Now, that I have had it done, I can't say I don't enjoy not having to curl my lashes as well as having extra length I never knew I had! 

Photo credit: @tianna_tran

NAILS | Earth Day Swirl #ManiMonday

Today's ManiMonday is in celebration of yesterday's Earth Day and when initially I thought I would have no issues trying to think of things to do, but some seemed too complicated and others too simple. In the end, I had no idea what to do, but decided to try a dry water marble with the nail polish shades I would have used to draw Earth! A dry water marble is less messy than a regular watermarble because there is no water required and just involves swirling the polishes with a toothpick or dotting tool. I think my manicure turned out a bit odd looking, but I am one of those people that HATES redoing their nails so I just decided to roll with it.

BEAUTY TOOLS | Sephora JGoldcrown Bleeding Hearts Brush Set

I have slowly become a complete sucker for good brushes and there was a time when I could never imagine spending more than $10 on a makeup brush and that's not to say there aren't good brushes out there for that price, but when it comes to a good face or eyeshadow blending brush, I now definitely have my favourites! There's nothing more annoying than a brush that sheds more hair than I do or one that doesn't blend out my eyeshadow!

The Sephora Collection has had some serious game in the brush department in recent years with their PRO line being one of my favourites for the eyes and every season Sephora always glams up their most loved brushes and when I saw a sneak peek of their latest collaboration with artist and photographer, James Goldcrown, I became Ms. Grabbyhands!

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NAILS | Oribe Nail Lacquer in Green Envy

When I received the Spring Holt Renfrew catalogue and saw that they would soon be carrying Oribe makeup, skincare and nail polish I eagerly awaited for my girl Anna to text me that the items I wanted were in. That day came a few weeks ago and though I swore I wouldn't buy more nail polish until I got through a combination of press samples and self purchases, I could not resist the call of a single bottle of Oribe Nail Lacquer! Many of you might be fans of their dry shampoo and other hair products just like I am so I had very high expectations for this $38 bottle of polish which currently comes in nine sleek creme shades.

GIVEAWAY | Jayne's Live Clean Favourites!

It's all about being eco-friendly this month so in honor of Earth Day, Live Clean and I have partnered up to give one reader EIGHT of my favourite Live Clean products PLUS their new Mineral Clay Rebalancing Shampoo and Conditioner! Yayyyy! Live Clean is quite the staple in my household with their hand soaps, body wash and hair products filling my bathroom and I only hope I can help someone else do the same! Live Clean is one of my favourite green beauty brands and who would have thought that this vegan Canadian brand has been around for 10 years now? 

MAKEUP | New Givenchy Gloss Interdit Vinyl in Rose and Noir Revelateur

From Grade 9 to my first year of university, I pretty much had one lipstick look - a nude/blush coloured lipstick topped off with a clear sticky gloss. Preferably one that had sparkles in it and I am pretty sure it all started with that one Bonne Bell lipgloss I found in the beauty aisles of London Drugs. I have since graduated from my Bonne Bell days, but that habit of lipstick plus a glossy lip topper is still embedded in my beauty habits. Sometimes you really like the lipstick you have on, but you just want your lips to look extra kissable! Though the Gloss Interdit Vinyl lipglosses come in some seriously intense colours (I just ordered Gangsta Nude!), Givenchy released three made-to-measure colour boosting shades that can be worn alone or on top of lipstick to enhance the intensity and I have two of them to share with you today!  

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NAILS | "Garbage Bag" Nails aka "My First Attempt at Veil Nails"

I have finished my week of hell. Last week was an uncomfortably busy week at work for me and I am glad to have survived it! I was on the verge of tears twice last week just from sheer frustration and exhaustion, but today is my Friday and then I will get one day off to catch up on life. I hope I am not the only one out there who has a job that leaves them wondering where the days are going. I sometimes have to NAP at work in the basement because I'm just so tired. Someone told me this could be a sign of illness, but I don't really have this issue when I'm NOT working so I think it's just my job and how my body physically deals with it.

I did find some time on Saturday night to try out a trending nail technique that has been floating around YouTube and on Instagram called "Veil Nails". This is basically a water marbling technique that I suspect was borne out of a mistake and became the next nail art. Though this first attempt had its challenges, I think the second set of nails will be much better!

HAIR | Love Beauty and Planet Murumuru Butter and Rose Collection #EarthMonth

When I was selected by Chickadvisor to try out the brand Love Beauty and Planet, I thought they were just going to be like any other hair and body products, but I was delightfully surprised! Since this month is also about celebrating Earth Day, I realized that I NEED to tell you guys about this affordable, drugstore and earth-friendly brand! All Love Beauty and Planet products are vegan, cruelty-free, sulfate-free and housed in 100% recycled plastic bottles. This company's commitment to the planet doesn't stop there as their goal is to reduce their carbon footprint by 20% by 2020! They even contribute $40/carbon ton to a Carbon Tax Fund which supports programs that reduce carbon emissions and landfill waste. I mean, that's pretty cool right?!

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SKINCARE | Exfoliating the Crap Away with Pixi Peel & Polish

This month's CBB brand of the month is none other than cult favourite British brand, Pixi Beauty! I have been all about Pixi's Skintreats over the last year or so and one of my most regularly used and loved products is the dual exfoliator Peel & Polish*! This is a "radiance revealing" enzyme peel that uses fruit enzymes to exfoliate and polish the skin while having a 6% lactic acid concentration! I so rarely see the actual percentages of AHA shown on the packaging and lemme tell ya, 6% is generous! This is legit chemical exfoliation!

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NAILS | Fishtail Braids #CBBxManiMonday

It has been awhile since I have done a manicure that took a whackload of patience and...tweezers. Fishtail or braid nail art can be done without striping tape and just with careful strokes of the polish brush, but I though it might be "fun" to put myself through a tiny bit of hell and create my braid through taping! We are also showing some local love to one of my favourite nail polish brands - Prim + Proper available exclusively at London Drugs!

BODY | Mary Kay Satin Body White Tea and Citrus Collection

With Mother's Day coming up, I am always on the prowl for things my mom would enjoy and growing up, she was always a big fan of body lotions, potions and floral smelling things. I remember getting her a rose Lush bath bomb as a kid and I am pretty sure she never used it, but kept it unused like a sack of potpourri. The new Mary Kay Satin Body Collection is definitely one that made me think of my mom because not only does it quench your thirst for floral, but it perks up the senses too!

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MAKEUP | Dior Glow Addict Spring 2018 5 Couleurs Edition

I just went on the Dior website to get some information on these Glow Addict Spring 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palettes figuring that by clicking "NEW" I would get these. Well, of course not! Why? Because it's time for summer! The summer collection is already up and I'm just starting to talk about Spring. 2018 is starting to kick my ass and this coming week is one that I am just dreading, but let's look at pretty things and forget about what's coming shall we? 

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EXPERIENCE | The La Prairie White Caviar Facial Treatment

I greatly treasure my time off and when I had three precious days all to myself this past long weekend I was careful to make sure I didn't fill them up with too many things to do. My husband and I don't share many days off together so it was really a treat to see him for three consecutive days. I am a total homebody and generally prefer to stay home and blog, clean and cuddle up with my furbabies, but I made an exception last Saturday when I trekked out (hubby came too!) to Holt Renfrew in downtown Vancouver for a La Prairie White Caviar Facial Treatment!

Treatment was complimentary and provided by La Prairie and Holt Renfrew. All opinions are my own.

NAILS | Hoppy Easter Monday! #ManiMonday

Those of you who had today off, I am incredibly jealous! I so rarely get holidays off because of my job, but I lucked out the last three days. I won't lie that it was REALLY agonizing getting up and at 'em and sure enough within the first hour of work, I was getting yelled at by a 45 year old woman who sounded more like she was 5 when it came to her reasoning skills. Needless to say, my Monday did not get off to the greatest start, but at least my nails made a few kids smile. My nails and probably finishing a newspaper anagram puzzle were probably the highlight of my work day so I have been looking forward to coming home and blogging. 

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BODY | Paula's Choice RESIST Skin Revealing Body Lotion with 10% AHA

I love starting a new month. I love setting up my calendar layout for my bullet journal and filling in appointments and events that are coming up. It's like getting the opportunity to see into the future! I know it is April 1st, but I have never been one for April Fools Day or posting joke cosmetics on the blog so we are just going to talk about exfoliation instead!

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