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Category Archives: body
31 days to a prettier 2017 : eat better for your skin …
It’s FRIYAY! You’ve made it almost a week following this plan. Give yourself a pat on the back homies!
Today, I want to talk about something non-makeup, but also something everyone hates to talk about : dietary plans and restrictions. Boo to me, huh? But wait – please please please don’t click away. Please?!?!
Day 6 : January 6
A great way to be prettier in 2017 is to start taking care of the inside as much as you do the outside. Makeup, lash extensions and a great brow job is the easiest way to always be pretty in a moment’s notice, but imagine looking a little bit prettier from the moment you wake up, or the second you wash away your contour and highlight. It can be done …
Just by incorporating a few dietary habits … such as :
- Drink more water. This has been proclaimed time after time, but much easier said than done. Regardless, make a conscious effort to drink more H2O throughout your day.Smiply try upping your intake by one extra glass.
- Limit sugar. I’m a KitKat chick and I need my break from time to time, so I’m not going to sit here and tell you to cut out all sugar. Again, like your water intake, why not reduce the amount of sugar you take in. Perhaps it is as simple as eating two sticks from a Kit Kat bar rather than all four; or having a soft drink or pop with just one meal a day and not all three.
- Find a superfood that tastes good to you and indulge in it. I hate Kale and am not able to replace kale chips for real chips – that’s just dumb. But I do like blueberries and raspberries – both of which contain great antioxidants for the skin and body. I’ll drizzle a handful over a breakfast parfait or on a waffle – no problem.
- Cut out some sodium. Go for the green capped (low sodium) bottle of soy sauce instead of the red capped (full blown soy sauce) when indulging in sushi. Pick lightly salted Lays instead of your favourite salted and seasoned bag. Season your chicken or fish with other tasty herbs and spices before adding salt.
There are plenty plenty more, but I’m stopping here before you stick me with a shiv. Google and take notes and make small changes one by one. Your skin will improve within weeks of making some beneficial dietary changes.
Happy noshing …
TIP : Don’t cut out everything all at once. That is totally setting you up to fail. Choose one or two manageable changes and stick with it for at least 1 week before adding another.
HOMEWORK : Read more about getting your skin in shape by following this 15 day guide to better skin from our sister company, fresh.beautiful : the skin studio.
31 days to a prettier 2017 : don’t neglect your hands and feet …
Being pretty isn’t just about your face … well, it has a lot to do with your face because that’s usually the first thing people see … but pretty is also about how you feel from head to toe.
Anyway, I’m going to take it easy on you today. You’ve already cleaned out your makeup bag, found your perfect lipstick, and are on your way to see a brow specialist sooner if not later. Well done! You deserve a break and today’s task is easy as pie. SUPER easy.
Day 4 : January 4
Start the habit of moisturizing your hands and feet daily. Both pairs work hard for you every day … without them you wouldn’t be able to get around or manage with the ease that you … and so, they deserve a little pampering. Every night, add the ritual of massaging in lotion or coconut oil into your hands and feet before bed. Not only will it do wonders for your skin itself, but the massaging action – especially for the feet – will soothe and reduce the inflammation and swelling that they go through over the course of a long day. In addition, the act of taking the time to massage and decompress will mentally prepare your mind that it’s time to get some shut eye.
See – super easy, yes?
TIP : While massaging the hands and feet, apply pressure. Not cutting of your circulation type of pressure, but a gently pressure that soothes pressure points. Here’s a guide to pinpointing the pressure points located in your hands and feet.
HOMEWORK : If you can, take a moment to schedule in a manicure and pedicure in the near future … or at least make a point to treat yourself to one as soon as you can!
Posted in 31 days, beauty, beauty at 907, body, inspiration, skin, skincare, tips
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get a skin fix with skinfix …
Without a doubt, us Torontonians suffered a very long and cold winter. While I am normally a fanatic about skincare, it didn’t matter what my routine was I was experiencing dry skin all throughout the season. Couple already dry skin with heavy layers of wool and anything else that could keep me warm and my skin was really suffering. Insert sad face emoticon right here.
When the weather started to come around, I turned my attention and focus to correcting, healing, and nourishing my skin. My arms were dry and itchy. My legs were scaly looking (ew!), and overall, my skin was just blah. And then I received the opportunity to try Skinfix. *applause*
I have actually seen Skinfix around at my local Superstore, but never took the time to research it since there was always a body lotion or balm waiting to be reviewed and tested in the bp vault. So when I was contacted by the brand to try a few things, I happily accepted.
For the past four weeks, I have been using Skinfix’s Cleansing Oil Wash and Daily Lotion – both of which are formulated to treat dry, eczema prone skin using natural ingredients without hydrocortisone, steroids, parabens or phthalates.
My repair plan was to use the skin cleansing oil all over the body in the shower in place of my regular body washes and soaps, followed by a full dose of the daily lotion from head to toe. After the first day, my arms weren’t as itchy as they had been – my skin was still a little ashy white (dry) but I didn’t feel the need to scratch and apply more lotion throughout the day.
After three days, the white dry flaky appearance to my skin disappeared. The scaliness on my legs started to fade too, and my skin felt softer. After seven days, the appearance of my entire body looked healthier, smoother, and definitely softer. I needed less product to hydrate my skin with each following use, and I could see that my body was on its way to repair.
My skin feels great now (about one month of consistent use) and I’m a big fan!
Skinfix definitely assisted me with my dry winter skin, but what I couldn’t assess was how it would treat eczema-prone skin. Since I was really happy with the results, I decided to bring in bp’s littlest test monkey to figure our how well it would work on eczema type rashes and skin. Enter Harlowe “bp junior” Daga.
To be clear, my little girl has not been diagnosed with severe eczema, nor have I ever had a script for a steroid cream to treat any of her skin issues, however, bp junior had two scaly, bumpy, slightly red patches over the front of her thighs throughout the entire winter. The patches were long from the top of the thigh to just above the knee. It was rough, dry, and not smooth like the rest of her skin.
I wanted her to have her baby smooth skin back, so I went to my local Superstore and picked up Skinfix’s Gentle Eczema Balm and Daily Lotion for Infants and Toddlers and put it to the test.
For the first use, I washed her with her regular baby wash and then applied the Skinfix Daily Lotion. Once absorbed, I applied a thin layer of the Eczema Balm directly to both patches. The funny thing is, I planned to check on it the following morning for any progress, but it was my son whom piped up later that same first day “hey ma … harlowe’s patches aren’t red anymore”. Thumbs up!
The next day, I reapplied another layer of balm and by the end of the day, the bumps while still visible, were smoother and less noticeable. By the end of seven days, all signs of redness and dry skin had disappeared and the bumps were next to non-existent. Three weeks out, bp junior shows off her gams in diapers and a onesie like nobody’s business.
I have since stopped applying the eczema balm on her since it’s no longer needed but I am still using the Daily Lotion for both myself and my children. I highly suggest incorporating the Cleansing Oil Wash if you can (bonus : I apply and rinse before and after shaving the legs for a smooth shave!) since I believe in tandem it works best.
Skinfix is available at your local pharmacy and Superstore. Get started on your Spring skin!
-stephanie-
Posted in body, product reviews, Skinfix
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musings from morgan : i love… body butter
Winter often comes with some negatives when it comes to skincare – the cold, harsh weather can take a toll on everything from our cheeks to our arms to our legs, and many of us are often reaching for the moisturizer more and more as the temperature drops.
A mainstay in my arsenal of winter weapons? Body butter. Heavier than a typical moisturizer, body butter is perfect for legs and arms when you’re experiencing extra dryness. I recently tried European brand i love… body butter offering in Raspberry & Blackberry, which includes coconut oil and shea butter to help you achieve soft nourished skin.
My first impression of the product was “oh my god is it ever scented.” It actually smells like candy. For me, this was a bit of a turn-off since I often opt for fragrance-free products or one with softer scents like vanilla. The raspberry/blackberry combo comes through quite strong, so if you’re into that sort of thing this would be perfect for you.
When it came to the product itself, it definitely did a good job of moisturizing without feeling greasy or heavy on the skin, but for a body butter I expected a bit more in terms of thickness – it felt more like a regular body lotion instead of a butter.
I think this product would work well if you don’t require heavy-duty hydration and you like fruity products that really deliver on scent. At $9.99 it’s a decent buy and you can get it online at Farleyco.ca.
Disclosure: Press samples featured.
Posted in body, bp test drive, drugstore finds, musings from morgan
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musings from morgan : soft hands, warm kisses shea
Shea is an ingredient I was always gravitate towards. Having discovered The Body Shop’s Shea body butter years ago, any time I’ve seen the African tree’s extract included in a body care product I’ve immediately been intrigued. It’s incredibly moisturizing and gentle, and works its magic whether on its own as natural shea butter or in products such as The Body Shop’s entire line of shea products.
Enter a perfect little gift to have on your radar – Soft Hands, Warm Kisses Shea from (you guessed it) The Body Shop. A hand cream and lip butter in one package, it’s a perfect little gift to hang on the tree (it’s packaged so it can do just that!) or fit neatly in a stocking.
The hand cream itself is lightweight yet moisturizing, with a sweet scent that’s not too overwhelming. The lip butter is actually a product I’ve had for some time now, and it’s a creamy, hydrating product that can tackle dry, chapped lips during these cold months. It’s a perfect duo for anyone who needs a boost in the moisturizing department and could use products that travel well – these are right at home in any handbag.
The gift retails for just $12.00 (a $16.00 value) and get this – it also supports The Body Shop’s partner charity for the season, War Child. Each purchase of the gift will put approximately 7 cents to the charity which goes towards funding a class for a child. It’s a gift that will not only make its recipient happy, but a child as well.
Happy holiday shopping!
Posted in body, bp test drive, holiday, lip balm, musings from morgan, product reviews, The Body Shop
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