Category Archives: hands and feet

31 days to a prettier 2017 : clean yourself up …

Posted on January 21, 2017 by stephanie

If you are like any other women in the world, it’s probably super rare that you get to have a really good shower and wash, yes? It’s not that you aren’t hygienic or don’t shower … you just don’t have the time to do things as properly as you would like to.

Well … it’s Saturday … and you’re going to give yourself just that.

Day 21 : January 21

Give your hair a good wash. Give your body a good scrub.

Most days of the week, if you’re lucky before work, you jump in the shower, throw around some body wash, massage through some a 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner and jump right back out before you can say “I need coffee”. You’re clean … but you don’t feel like you did anything. For me – the power of a shower is EVERYTHING. You step out of the real world for a moment. You think about nonsense. You think about deep stuff. Heck – some of my best decisions happen in the shower. SHOWERS are essential to a balanced life.

Today, take the time to shower and really clean up. Start by lathering up your hair for a good shampoo.While your hair sits with shampoo for a few moments, use a body scrub to exfoliate your body. Rinse away both your body scrub and rinse out your shampoo. Move on to a deep conditioning treatment. You can either use an actual deep conditioning product or hair mask if you wish, but in a pinch, leaving on your regular conditioner longer but also in a liberal amount can also do the trick. Apply your conditioner or mask from root to tip, focusing more on the ends of the hair twist up high on your head and secure with a jaw clip.

While you’re letting your products sit, move on to another task you normally rush through – hair removal! Whether you shave or epilate, now is the perfect time to do a thorough job leaving your skin super smooth. Once you’re done shaving, finish up with your soap or body wash. From there, go ahead and rinse out your hair mask or conditioner, using a wide-tooth comb to detangle and tame your hair.

Turn off the water. Grab a towel. Dry off.

Done. And well done. Hope you made some good decisions!

TIP : I’m guilty of having the hottest showers ever. But I know deep down, it’s not good for me, my scalp or my skin. If you must have a hot shower, do it in intervals. Perhaps just in the beginning for a minute or two, and then right before you step out. Switch between warm water and cooler temperatures in between.

HOMEWORK : No homework – it’s Saturday!

Posted in 31 days, beauty, beauty at 907, beautyat907, blushpretty team, cleaning, cleansing, hair, hands and feet, how-to, makeup, makeup artists in Toronto, skin, skincare, tips, Toronto, tricks | Comments Off

countdown to christmas : the body shop gift sets … for men!

Posted on December 17, 2015 by stephanie

You know who the hardest person to shop for is … men. Actually, perhaps not the men in your life like your dad, your husband, your brother … but men who are teachers. Specifically men who are teachers who also happen to be your child’s teacher and you need to purchase a gift for them … stat! Other men, who may fall in this category may include : their (as in your children) bus driver, their martial arts teacher, their basketball coach. No kids but still have men in your life? Well, what about your condo concierge whom always ensures your multiple online shopping packages are accepted and kept safe until you pick them up? Your “Uncle Bob” – dad’s bestie from way back who is always shows up on the holidays? Or what about that guy that you picked out for Secret Santa at the office? These are all examples of men in your life that deserve to be gifted during the holiday season, yet you might not know their favourite colour or their proper shirt size. Womp Womp.

So – men – officially as hard to shop for as women … until The Body Shop, that is. Plenty of their gift sets for their rich lotions and creams are just as suitable for men, if not tailor-made for them. I find there are several options in their hand creams that have pleasant, masculine-friendly scents, and also, masculine-friendly packaging (because sometimes – that does matter!)

This season, my picks would definitely be The Hemp Moisture High Gift Set (shown above). It’s inexpensive at just $15 plus HST, but is luxe in feel and appearance. It would be my choice for a Secret Santa gift or a teacher’s gift.

The Almond Hand and Nail Expert Gift (shown above) is my second choice, and I would gift this more to the male friend who appreciates a neat and well groomed appearance, a great-smelling lotion, and tidy nails. A male co-worker even, perhaps? Just $35 plus HST.

My bonus choice, hands down, is The Modern Man’s Grooming Kit which is just $15 plus HST, but filled with all the grooming tools a man would want, need and use … but never admit to loving (because you know men!). Large Metal Clippers, a nail grooming tool, nail scissors and a comb. All the things a gentleman should own to look proper and neat daily. This gift would not only be great for teachers – but I would also pick it up as a stocking stuffer for my dad and brothers – now doubt about it!

As you most likely know, The Body Shop is a Canadian staple and can be found at most major Malls across the country!

We’ve got 8 days left folks – how is the shopping going?

-s-

Posted in gift ideas, hands and feet, holiday, holiday gift guides, holiday season, moisturizer, nails, presents, stocking stuffers, The Body Shop | Comments Off

recos from regina : hail to the nails

Posted on January 6, 2015 by DJMC

As someone who likes to decide my nail polish colours based on the the mood that I’m in, I actually get excited when I have a variety of nail polish to choose from.

Mary Kay At Play came out with a limited-edition trio of mini nail polish colours called Hail to the Nails. The colours consists of Pink Hottie (a fun fuchsia shade), Silver Sparkle (a shimmering silver colour) and Inky Blue (a bold navy colour). The colours can be worn alone or mixed together to create a new look for your nails.

What impressed me with each of these colours was how quickly they dried. As a busy working mom of 3, nail polish that dries quickly is a big bonus for me. The mini size polishes fit nicely into any sized bag when you need a quick touch up to your nails and the colours are great for all skintones.

Mary Kay @Play: Hail To The Nails set can be found through your independent sales representative for $18.00 until February 14, 2015.

Disclosure: Press samples featured.

Posted in bp test drive, hands and feet, Mary Kay, nail polish, recos from regina | Comments Off

musings from morgan : mary kay winter wishes shimmerific

Posted on October 21, 2014 by DJMC

It’s that time of year again…gift sets and ideas are rolling out, and Mary Kay has lots of great options for those of you looking to fill out your lists.

Mary Kay has put out a really fun shower gel and body lotion gift set with their new limited edition holiday fragrance, the Winter Wishes Shimmeriffic Shower Gel and Shimmeriffic Body Lotion Set. The scent comes across as something more suitable for more mature women so think aunts, mothers, mother-in-laws, grandmother’s, etc. for this particular fragrance. It’s a powerful fruity scent with a hint of musk, and a powerful lady deserves to wear it!

The gift set comes in a festive tin (which can easily be topped with ribbon and a bow if you’re not into wrapping, and used after the fact for all kinds of things) containing a Shimmerific Shower Gel and Shimmerific Body Lotion. Both products definitely have shimmer going on, but don’t worry – it’s not overkill, making it a suitable way to turn things up a bit for holiday parties.

These products are really fun because the shimmer component adds a layer of excitement, especially if you know someone will be hitting the party circuit and can rock the extra sparkle with confidence. Everyone needs a little glitter in their lives over the holidays, and this is a great way to make a subtle statement.

The set is available through Mary Kay at $27.00 CAD and is only available over the holidays – visit their website for more info on how to purchase.