Grocery Store Beauty Products: All Natural Toners

A few months ago I made a wonderful discovery.  I had been struggling for a few months to find an affordable toner at the drugstore that still made my skin feel great. My oily-combination skin really needs something soothing and balancing - not too drying, and with anti-aging benefits too.

I had tried Burts Bee's Radiance Toner with Royal Jelly and I really liked it, but I found it hard to find and it was more than $20 a bottle, so I began searching for something cheaper.  I tried a few common drugstore brands but I found it nearly impossible to find anything that was paraben and sulphate free, as well as being alcohol free.  Any toner that contained alcohol (pretty much all of them) left my skin dry and patchy in some places and extra oily in my t-zone because my skin was overcompensating for the drying quality of the alcohol.

Then I discovered Rose Water and Orange Blossom water.  I have to give credit to Youtuber Lisa Pullano as it was watching her videos that inspired me to try using these products as toners.  I have kept these two items in my pantry for years as ingredients I used occasionally in recipes (try stirring a bit of rosewater and honey into some yogurt and drizzling over roasted figs, YUM!).  These two products smell so amazing and are less than $5 a bottle at the grocery store!! (check the international items aisle).  The only ingredients are rose petals/oranges and water.

I noticed a difference in my skin immediately.  Using orange blossom water in the morning and rose water in the evening, the dry patches on my face disappeared and the oiliness of my t-zone decreased dramatically.  I have since even learned that flower waters (aka hydrosols) have anti-aging benefits such as being packed with anti-oxidants that make them anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial as well as antiseptic. They also contains small amounts of hydrating essential oils. They are said to help with acne and redness and to prevent and even reduce the appearance of wrinkles.  They are gentle enough to use even around the delicate eye area.  Best of all, they smell amazing.  I find the rose water very soothing which makes it perfect for before bed.  The orange blossom water is the perfect natural, subtle and exotic perfume.  It is even said that the scent can reduce stress and anxiety, which makes it a perfect start to the day.  Since I began using these products, I have received so many compliments to the beauty of my skin and I believe these are the products that have made the difference.

A few other things you can do with these products:

• put a few drops into cake batter or frosting to give a subtle aroma
• Pour a few teaspoons into your bath water for a soothing soak
• Put it into a spray bottle to use as a makeup setting spray or hydrating spray throughout the day
• Pour a few teaspoons into a pot of simmering water to create a natural air freshener

June favourites!

Here are my favourite things from the month of June!

Beauty:

My number one favourite new product this month is my Loreal Majic Nude Foundation.  I had been putting off buying it because it is quite expensive ($19-$20 Canadian) for a drugstore foundation, and I just didn't need a new one.  When London Drugs had all Loreal foundations for $11.99 I took advantage and picked this up.  I loved it instantly.  It is a very thin consistency so it blends out really quickly and easily, but it also provides a really good medium coverage that looks really natural.  It tranforms into a powder finish when it sets so it gives a really beautiful finish to the skin.  It gives the coverage of a liquid with the lightweight feel and look of a powder.  Perfect for spring and summer!  I only wish it had SPF protection (that would make it worth the almost $20 price tag!)

My other beauty favourites have all been lipsticks, so watch for a post all about my most loved and hated lip products soon!

Parenting:

This month I have to write about something that has been one of my favourite parenting, beauty, and food products for quite a while, but I use it so often and in so many different ways that I always forget about it!  This miracle multi-purpose product is Cold-pressed Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.  I get mine in a huge tub from costco which stays in my kitchen.  Then I scoop some of it into containers that I keep in my own room and in P's room.  I use this stuff numerous times a day.  I'll stick to its parenting purposes for today, but it also has so many health benefits when used in cooking or as a beauty product.  Google it people!!

P sucks her thumb as she falls asleep, so she often gets sores on her lips and thumbs from this habit.  I apply coconut oil to her lips and thumbs a few times a day and the sores clear right up.  This stuff is perfect because it doesn't matter  if she ends up ingesting it .  For that reason I cant use polysporin or anything like that as it is being applied to spots that will inevitably end up in her mouth.

Once I started using coconut oil for that specific purpose and seeing how well it worked, I started trying it for other things as well.  Low and behold, it works great on cuts and scrapes before you put on a band-aid because of its anti-bacterial and anti-fingal properties. It is great for bug bites for the same reason, and it even soothes and heals diaper rash!  It is perfect as an all-over moisturizer for dry skin (which D suffers from terrribly).

I also use it a ton in baking and cooking because of its health benefits, but I'll write more about that in a future post.  If you don't already have some of this miracle oil in your house, you should consider getting some as soon as possible.  I just keep on discovering its wonderful qualities and uses!  

Cooking and Food:

Cooking: This month I have been inspired by a tall stack of cookbooks that I picked up at my local library.  I love food reading, and I am always interested in cookbooks written by celebrity chefs or cookbooks all about a certain country I am interested in at any given time.  My local library has a ton of cookbooks, and I bet yours does too.  For free!!  Check it out if you're a frugal food lover like me.

Food: This month I stopped drinking coffee to see if it would help me feel better, since I had been ill.  It didn't :( but I did find that I started sleeping better and those terrible headaches I'd been getting went away (the ones that used to start a few hours after I forgot to drink my coffee...).  So, I didn't start up again.  Instead I started making a cup of herbal tea in the morning, and my favourite is the Presidents Choice brand Chocolatey Chai herbal tea.  It smells so good, and with a little splash of milk it satisfies my craving for something hot in the morning.  Also satisfies my craving for something dessert-ish in the evening. Ok, the stuff is delicious any time of day. Its cheap too. Bonus!

Random Stuff:

I have, of course, been watching TV and reading books this month.  I have not, unfortunately, come across anything so wonderful that I feel the need to recommend it here today.  If I'm gonna call it a favourite, it has to be pretty great. 

Review: Cypress Hills Provincial Park, Saskatchewan

This past weekend I had the pleasure of travelling with my family (including my parents) to Cypress Hills Provincial Park.  We enjoyed ourselves so much that I just had to write a review and include some of the highlights!

We camped in the Warlodge campground and it was beautiful.  The bathrooms were clean and the shower facilities were immaculate and had plenty of warm water. It was wonderful to literally share the space with abundant wildlife.  We saw many deer and a few moose sightings as well, including a mother moose wandering through our campsite with her baby not far behind! The park was perfect because there were plenty of places to grab ice cream, a quick lunch, or any supplies you might need.

This mother moose had to literally step around our clothesline to walk through our campsite!

The beach was small but sandy and the water seemed to have a sandy bottom as well.  We didn't go in the water, having seen quite a lot of algae around the small lake.  We spent one morning at the pool which was perfect for children of any age.  There was a large splash pool that was perfect for P and D (two years old) as they could play safely while we watched from the pool chairs.  There was also a large pool with many different depths that would be fun and safe for any other age child.  We were lucky enough to have free swim days, and lifeguards were still present.

We also visited a few of the local attractions.  We all went to Fort Walsh for a morning tour and picnic lunch. The drive was quite long from the campground (1 hour) but very scenic, with breathtaking views and more chances for wildlife sightings. We all enjoyed the Fort, though we did not follow the guided tour.  Instead we followed the whim of our toddlers who were fascinated by all of the old buildings filled with furs, old tools and antique furniture.  They also loved checking out the old wagons and eating fresh baked cookies straight from the wood oven.  The fort was staffed by locals recreating characters typical of the period in which Fort Walsh was thriving.  They were helpful and passionate about the stories they told.  They were also extremely knowledgeable about the local environment and the local history.  We enjoyed our picnic in the Visitor Center cafeteria because it was raining, but despite the patchy weather, we enjoyed our visit very much.

The wagon at Fort Walsh

Suneil and I visited the Zip Line park in the park core.  We did the canopy tour for $75 which is advertised as a 2 hour tour, but only took one hour.  We suspect this is because we  were in a group of 4 rather than the 8 person maximum.  We prefered the smaller group and found the tour to be a good value nonetheless. We felt very safe and enjoyed the staff and the views, as well as the thrill!  It was a great activity for an afternoon and we got a little exercise as well (though it is by no means necessary to be extremely fit to participate).  We enjoyed it so much that we took P and D back later that day to check out the baby zip lines, which were lines low to the ground where they placed swings that the kids could ride along.  They loved it.

We had a fantastic weekend and would definitely recommend this park, as well as any of the sites and activities we visited while there.

Check out the pizza oven Suneil and Dad built!

A simple pre-cooked crust with sauce, grated cheese and fresh basil.  Yum!

Not so Frugal Friday?!? New Sephora in my City!

Today was an exciting and historic day in my city, Regina Saskatchewan, because we finally have a Sephora!!  It opened this morning and my sister-in-law and I were among the first to enter.  Now, it may come as a surprise for a makeup nerd like myself, but before this morning I had never been in a Sephora. I had ordered online, and my husband (saint that he is) would stop in to the Saskatoon location for me once in a while to pick up this or that if he was there for work.  Needless to day, it blew my mind.  I had been looking forward to this date with my sis-in-law ever since we found out Sephora was coming to Regina, and we had a blast.

I spent more money than I intended, and I cant even claim to have gotten good deals, as all we received was a measly and somewhat useless makeup bag (I mean, what makeup nerd doesn't already have way more of those than we already need??).  Still, it was a deeply rewarding and satisfying shopping trip on which I was able to swatch a ton of stuff I had been very curious about, and purchase some things I had long been waiting to own.

Among my purchases were a bite lipstick pencil, a Sephora cream lip stain, another Sephora lipstick, a Nars creamy concealer, a sample of Josie Maran coconut watercolour cheek stain, a Formula X for Sephora nailpolish, and a Beauty Blender solid brush cleaner.

My instant favourite is the Sephora cream lip stain in colour 01 red, which I put on as soon as I got home, and it lasted through lunch, the afternoon, and snacks eaten on the go while out at some community events.  I have been searching for the perfect red lipstick, and I have definitely found it!

Stay tuned for more reviews in future monthly favourites posts!

Perfect Red Lipstick!

Best Easter Ever!

What a fun and wonderful day it has been for my family.  The Easter Bunny visited our home this year for the first time, and P and D were thrilled.  He had made a path of chocolate eggs from their rooms all the way down the stairs toward their Easter baskets and hidden eggs.  P kept exclaiming "What a mess! Me and Darshy clean it up." and then piling eggs into her basket happily.  They both had a blast searching for eggs and squealed in delight each time they found a new hiding spot.  Easter took on a whole new fun meaning for Suneil and I this year.
Even better was the fact that we had so much family spend the day with us.  With my parents away we thought it would be just us four this year, but at the last minute my two brothers and my sister-in-law managed to get the day off/travel here and spend the whole day with us.  We had an amazing family time eating great food, playing board games (a family tradition for us) and enjoying the great weather.

Here were a few of the highlights:

Natural Egg Dyes

I wasn't going to dye eggs this year as I thought P and D were a little young to really enjoy it, but when I saw the video about natural dyes on HGTV handmade youtube channel (natural egg dyes), I was inspired to try it myself.  Since I had all of the things I needed in my home already, I decided to give it a try.  To my surprise, P was very interested and the whole process turned out to be a great teachable moment (as we refer to them in my profession, haha) on colours.  Since the eggs need to sit in the dye for several hours, I spent a lot of time for the rest of the day lifting her up to check on them every fifteen minutes and nodding yes as she repeatedly exclaimed "we make the eggs colours so they be pretty!".  I made 4 dyes.  I followed the video instructions for the yellow dye (carrots and turneric), blue dye (red cabbage) and purple dye (blueberries).  Then I found some (embarrassingly quite nasty and inedible) radishes in my fridge and thought "Hey, I wonder if I could make a pink colour with these".  So I followed the basic recipe and process using the radishes and was delighted with the result.  You can't have Easter Eggs without pink!! The whole process of boiling the eggs and making the dyes took me about an hour, and then the eggs sat in the dyes for the rest of the day.  The following day we decorated very simply with stickers and bands from a decorating kit, and here is the end result.

   

Egg Salad Sandwiches

Since I had no intention of wasting 8 perfectly good Omega-3 eggs, we had egg salad sandwiches for lunch.
Suneil called them the most homemade Egg Salad sandwiches ever because I had to make homemade mayonnaise (I discovered I was all out when I went to the fridge) and I made homemade baguette bread to serve it on.
Check out the recipe for  No Knead Bread

Easter Dinner

We had a delicious meal of stuffed pork loin roast, lemon roast potatoes, and roast carrots and parsnips.  Dessert was abundant chocolate eggs and bunnies.  Check out the recipes!
Happy Easter!!!

March Favourites!!

Here are my favourite things from the month of March!

Beauty:

Lips: NYX butter gloss
These glosses are so creamy and comfortable and not at all sticky. They have just enough pigmentation to be worn on their own, and they look casual and easy with just enough colour.  Here are the colours I have:
Peach cobbler: a very wearable peachy orange, perfect for the springy orange lip trend
Vanilla Cream Pie: a rosy pink shade that is super feminine and perfect for a "no makeup" makeup day
Tiramisu: The perfect nude.  I love to wear this when I'm wearing a colourful eye look and want to keep the rest of my face neutral.
I get these from London Drugs because they so often have great sales on their NYX products.  Target also has some NYX products.

Nails: Essie nail lacquer  in chinchilly
I have been wearing this a ton on my fingernails.  It is the perfect grey shade, goes with everything.

Skincare:  Tarte's marajuca C-brightener eye cream
This is a total splurge for me, but so worth it.  I got a sample in a gift set I received for Christmas and it just ran out.  I could not help ordering a full sized one from the Tarte website.  Since I started using this stuff about 2 months ago, I have noticed a huge difference in my undereye area.  My fine lines have been noticeably reduced and I use far less concealer because this stuff has actually helped fade away my dark circles.  It is pricey but you barely have to use any (my 0.08 ounce sample lasted two months, even using it daily) This stuff is literally so amazing.  If you sign up on their website for their email notifications, you will get a coupon code for 20% off.  Free shipping in Canada after $75 and watch for deals too, cuz I got a free lipstick as a promotion with my order.  

Parenting:

Stickers :  P and D are really into stickers right now, and I have been using them a ton this month to keep them entertained with a quick and creative activity.  My smartest moment was when I threw a few sheets of stickers into my bag on our way out for a restaurant dinner one evening.  While just plain crayons would have kept them busy for a mere ten minutes before they started trying to eat them, the stickers added that extra interest! They stuck them all over their paper place mats, then moved them around and stuck them on themselves and on me and Suneil.  This entertained them the entire time we were waiting for our food (25 minutes or so).
Tip: To ensure this play activity is 100% independent, remove the part of the sheet that frames all of the actual stickers. This makes it much easier for toddlers to get at the stickers on their own without help.

Summer Infant video baby monitor:  We have had this monitor since the twins were born and have always found it had great value to us.  We could check on the kids at any time of night through the camera, and sooth an upset child from the comfort of our own bed simply by speaking to them through the monitor and watching to make sure they were soothed and falling back asleep.  Never has it given us more peace of mind though, as it has this month when we changed P and D's cribs into toddler beds.  We went into D's room one afternoon to find that during his "nap" he had made a pile on his new bed of all of the items from his entire closet and everything out of all of the drawers of his dresser (including the top ones ... how did he get up that high?? ... moment of panic!!).  We immediately moved the camera from P's room into D's room so that we could watch him and be sure he was safe and not performing impossible feats of baby climbing. We were also able to intervene a few times with what Suneil refers to as "the voice of God" (really just one of us, lol) saying "No Darshan, get back in bed".  He stopped with his reorganizing antics after a few days.  What a relief! 

Tresemme Split Remedy leave-in conditioning spray:  This stuff has transformed stresssful evening battles into relaxed evening routine.  P's hair is getting so long and it is so difficult to comb through after her bath.  She also wakes up every morning with a tangled rat's nest on the back of her head from moving around on her pillow.  I use a few sprays of this stuff on her wet hair after her bath and the comb just runs through her hair without problem.  I also use it on her dry hair in the mornings.  I spray a few sprays directly onto the problem (rat's nest!) area, and it makes brushing it our much less painful for both of us.  
I use this stuff in my own hair too and it really helps with frizz without making my hair greasy.  LOVE!

Cooking:

I have been loving my new cookbook, Jamie Oliver's Save with Jamie.  It is packed with recipes that use super cheap ingredients, but they are so delicious, and still simple enough to make quickly on a weeknight.  My favourite thing about this book is that it has a ton of vegetarian recipes, and so far my family has loved everything we've tried.  I love Jamie Oliver and this cookbook is another hit for me.

I have also been trying quite a few recipes from some of my favourite foodie youtubers, the guys at Sorted Food.  All four of them are so cute and their videos are hilarious!! I also love their recipes because they are adventurous and interesting, but still use simple ingredients and techniques that I can do at home.  Check them out on their youtube channel or on their website, sortedfood.com

Random Stuff:

Television: I am so sad that the season is over, but my absolute favourite TV show in March was AMC's The Walking Dead.  Zombies are not usually my style, but I am so addicted to all of the characters in this show.  I cant get enough.  I even found all of the comics and read them all!  I am also really loving ABC's Modern Family.  When Suneil and I watch this, we literally end up laughing the entire time!  All of the characters are so funny and endearing and I find the hilarious situations they end up in extremely relate-able.  

People:   I cant seem to stop watching the adorable family vlogs on youtube from Its Judy's life (youtube channel).  They just had twin girls and watching them just reminds me of super happy times when P and D were newborns.  They have another adorable daughter too.  Benji is so funny and Judy is just a real everyday mom.  I enjoy them all so much.

Books: A few weeks ago when I was teaching a grade 8 class I discovered the book Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer.  I began reading it aloud to the students and I got so into it that when I got home I just had to download it for my Kobo.  It is a four book series.  I am on the second book. Each book follows a different character but they all take place at the same time, during a world crisis ... Great page turners, check them out!

Waterproof Makeup: the swimming lesson test

A few weeks ago, P and D began their yearly spring swimming lessons.  Normally, I would not make a point of wearing makeup to a toddler swimming lesson, but on this particular Wednesday afternoon I did want to wear makeup, and I didn't want to have to take it off before the lesson.  To avoid ending up looking like I was in a horror movie, I took that into consideration when I put my makeup on, thinking it would be a great test of some makeup that claims to be waterproof and/or long wearing. Since the twins are just two, we still actually have to get into the pool with them.  I do try to keep my head out of the water because I don't like to get my hair wet, but I do participate in some very spirited games of Chop, Chop, Timber which result in quite a lot of splashing on my face. I retested a few items the following week, and here's what I found...

What I wore and what I thought:

Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation: thumbs up
This foundation claims "lasting power of primer, coverage of a concealer, and blendability of a foundation in one. Shine free" (that is straight off the bottle).  I used this all over my face to even out my skin tone and I also used it as a concealer by building it up on spots where I need a little more coverage, like under my eyes and on blemishes.
I like this foundation a lot, but I do have to use it sparingly or it will get pretty cakey.  I love that it works (for me) as a concealer as well, and it does last a long time.  After I got out of the pool, my skin tone still looked evened out, but the foundation had definitely worn down on the spots I had build up as concealer.  It did still have a matte finish once I patted my face dry.  Pretty amazing.  I highly recommend it, especially since it also has SPF 20 so its great for being by the outdoor pool or on the beach. 

NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder: thumbs up 

This product's catch phrase is: "for those movie star brows" (again, straight from the package).  This is my go-to eyebrow product.  I wear it literally every day and I love it.  I am brunette, but I use the colour 06 Blonde.  I had put it on as I always do, not really expecting anything to remain after getting out of the pool, as it doesn't even advertise being waterproof.  However, my brows looked exactly as they had before the lesson.  What a fantastic product!

The Balm Instain Blush: thumbs up

This blush claims to be "long wearing staining powder blush". This is another product that I use often, and already really liked.  I have the colour Lace.  It is extremely pigmented so I use it sparingly.  When I got out of the pool, it was still firmly in place on my cheeks. Score!

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Stain: thumbs up

I wear this stuff all the time and love it because I can just apply it in the morning and then add clear lip balm as the day goes on and the colour remains on my lips. I usually only have to reapply after 4-5 hours, even if I eat (unless it's something super messy).  No surprise, this stuff didn't budge in the pool.  I wore the colour Honey, but I also have Smitten and Adore.  All gorgeous girls!

Maybelline Colour Tatoo by Eyestudio Eyeshadows: thumbs up

This cream eyeshadow claims to last 24 hours.  Another of my favourite products, this stuff lasts all day and NEVER creases.  I used Bad to the Bronze on my lid, and blended a little into my crease, then I used Barely Branded (from the Metal collection) on my brow bone and inner corner of my eye.  These are quite a bit too shimmery for me on their own, but I applied some ivory matte eyeshadow into my crease and up to my brow bone, and that worked for me.  My eyeshadow looked exactly the same when I got out of the pool, it even held onto the powder shadow I applied as liner.  I don't know about 24 hours, but this stuff survived swimming lessons for sure!

Maybelline The Rocket Volume Express Mascara, Waterproof formula: thumbs up
This is a really great mascara.  It gives me volume and length and it doesn't clump, even if I apply numerous coats.  It didn't budge at swimming lessons, and when I wore it on vacation in January it did really well both in the ocean and in the pool with the kids.  My only complaint is that it is very difficult to remove, but I use coconut oil and it comes off with a little gentle rubbing.  

Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Eyeliner: Mixed Review

I use this eyeliner on my waterline or when I want a smudged look. I don't love it because if I'm wearing it on my upper lash line, it transfers a little to my lower lash line.  If I apply it to my waterline, it is gone in a few hours.  It is fairly long wearing, but after a long day it doesn't look that great.  For swimming lessons, I wore 001 Black on my upper lash line, smudged out.  The results were no different than any other day.  I could see it on my lower lash line when I got out of the pool.  Not a terrible result, but not a great one either.

Before swimming lesson

Before swimming lesson

After swimming lesson

Lots of this makeup would be great for a vacation if you plan on spending a lot of time on the beach or in the pool.  It think it would also be perfect for working out (not that I EVER do that, lol).  Hope this was helpful! Let me know if there's anything else Saskatchemom can review for you!