Chapped Hand Therapy

Before this winter, I have never in my life experienced really dry skin. I've never had to apply moisturizers to keep my skin comfortable, and getting into this routine every day is tough for me. The worst part has been how dry my hands have become. I've taken to carrying 3 different lotions around in my purse.

My favorite out of these three is Crabtree and Evelyn's Gardeners Hand Therapy. It's thick and spreads really nicely, working into all the cracks, rought spots, and grooves in my hands. I usually don't enjoy lavender very much, but this stuff is balanced with fresh, green herbal smells so that the lavender isn't overpowering or cloying. It gets a little greasy on my palms, but I think it's worth it if my hands don't feel like paper anymore.

The downside of this stuff is that it runs for $14. That's quite a bit for what is essentially lavender scented shea butter. I was given this as a gift, and that's why I'm using it, but I probably wouldn't buy this of my own volition, since I'm about as cheap (and as poor!) as they come. If you need some moisture in your mitts, but don't have too much extra cash, pick up some Glysomed. It works about as well as Crabtree's lotion, but for less than 1/2 of the price. But, if you're in the market for something more luxe, give this stuff a try. If the lavender doesn't appeal to you, give the Rosewater hand therapy a go, it's light and lovely and not old-ladyish at all.

Skin: No new pimples, more moisturized around the eye area, old zits are going down. It's looking hopeful, but I'm not quite at the 'english rose' level yet.

Listening to: Handle Me- Robyn

I'm On A Mission...

Picture from Natalie Dee

I have had terrible skin for as long as I can remember. It's nothing unbearable, but I always have 3 or 4 big, red blighters on my face at any given time. I seriously thought that getting out of my teens would help clear things up, but nothing has worked. Every product - salicylic acid, tea tree oil, sulphur, retinol - has garnered poor results with me. Benzoyl peroxide is the only thing that keeps me marginally managable. I've decided that this song and dance is getting a little old.

So, I'm embarking on a skin clearing mission. I think my skin is oily, but gets even oilier when it is not properly moisturized, and this oiliness is what causes the main problems. I also think that my skin needs to be exfoliated often, because when I don't give it a good scrub every now and then I get terribly clogged pores. Yuck. And maybe it's a little sensitive too, since harsh gel cleansers made for acne prone skin always seem to break me out.

After careful consideration and extensive searching on Make Up Alley, I've settled on Pond's Cold Cream as a cleanser, Burt's Bees Garden Tomato as a toner, Kiss My Face Peaches and Creme Moisturizer as a alpha hydroxy, and Oxy Benzoyl treatment. It's a pretty intense regimen, so I would not recommend most of this stuff for super sensitive skin. I'm hoping it works out. I'll keep you updated, and feel free to add your two cents or products that have works for you in the comments area.

Listening to: Quicksand - B. Spears

Just Pretend That There Is Sand Between Your Toes...

Suffering from winter scalies? Feel like you need a tropical vacation?

I have a cure for you!

Alba's Kukui nut oil is light, smells like a beach house in Hawaii, and works wonders for parched winter skin. I throw some in the bath and slosh around (I believe this sloshing is very important in ensuring your body is covered in the oils evenly. And it's fun!).

Or, when you hop out of the shower, put a dot of oil on each limb and massage in. The mini massage you give yourself will work the oil into your skin and get your blood flowing, giving you a glowy, healthy look from inside and out!

To get your vacation, use the Kukui Nut oil in any way you choose, make yourself a Rum Punch, drag your lawn lounger out from storage, throw on a bikini, and turn on a lamp. Close your eyes and dream. See, instant vacation! Don't say I never did anything for you guys...

You can find Alba products at London Drugs, Save-On-Foods, Zellers, health food stores, etc. It used to be pretty limited in its distribution, but now it's everywhere...you just have to look.

Listening to: Gimme Gimme Gimme - ABBA

Pick Up One Of Them Red Dirt Shirts, Too!

When I was little, my family would make the trip from the prairies to Prince Edward Island on the East coast of Canada. My mom's family lives there, and we would spend a couple weeks at my grandparent's house. My cousins would come over and we would run around eating strawberries and concocting potions made from my grammie's garden. My grandparent's house is in a small community that consisted of a crossroads, a church right across from their house, about 4 homes, and a tiny soap shop. Not exactly a bustling area of the island. So, when we had nothing else to do, my cousins and I would go over to the shop and spend the afternoon sniffing the wares. My favorite was always the minty one.

We didn't come back to visit the island for a few years, and by the next time we did, the soap shop had moved on to greener pastures, opening a little shop in Charlottetown.

So this Christmas, my aunt (who also lives on the island) sent me a little gift from Moonsnail Soapworks. I didn't think much of it at the time until today, when I was rooting around in my soap basket for a new bar. I found this bar wrapped in a green paper wrapper, and gave it a sniff.

It instantly took me back to my childhood. This was my minty favorite! Spearmint Swirl!

So I've decided, after a deliciously minty bath, to recommend that you guys head on over to Moonsnail's Website and place a little order. All of their products are made in-shop, and have wonderfully simple and natural ingredients. I'm not kidding. My Spearmint Swirl contains "Saponified olive, coconut & palm oils, distilled water, vitamin E and spinach powder" and spearmint essential oil. That's it. You could eat this (y'know, except for the lye part). This soap is a good Lush alternative, and it costs way less - $4.95 (CAN) per bar.

Or, if you happen to be on a vacay to the island soon, make sure to stop in Ch'town and visit Moonsnail at their new studio along the waterfront.

Listening to: Sunshowers - M.I.A (My cat thinks the bird noises are real...)

How To: Do Simple Makeup, Everyday!

People get intimidated by makeup very easily; it seems like they have to apply a lot to wind up looking not all that different from how they normally do. And for me, this is the point of makeup - highlight the good things and downplay the bad, while still looking like you. Makeup can be fun too, but for day to day, full contouring and primer-base-powder are a bit much. You don't need to apply war paint to go to work, the grocery store, or out for lunch. You need enough to make yourself feel good about you.

Step 1 - Wash your f'ing face! Always!Every morning and evening! If you have oily skin that you can do pretty much anything to, get a gentle everyday scrub, or if your skin is dry but not prone to breaking out, try some Pond's cold cream as a rinse off cleanser. This is a highly individual thing, so what works for one person may not work for you. So...I can't help you too much with this one. You need to play around with different kinds until you find a standby. Always use a new product for 2 weeks, beause sometimes it makes you temporarily break out, but then you get better, and sometimes you get better for a while, and then MUCH worse. And sometimes your eyes swell up and your face gets blotchy, and in this case you should not use this product at all and should probably get some Benadryl stat.

Step 2 - Apply morning treatments - like AHA's for acne, wrinkle creams, etc - and a moisturizer with at least SPF 20 right after washing to lock in moisture. This is the best way to get your skin looking dewy and fresh and keep it looking that way. Trust me, sun damage doesn't help you look dewy (and if you already have damage, getting more is not the answer!). Protect your skin so that you don't end up looking like that leathery tanned old lady...you know who I'm talking about. A word of warning - AHA's and retinoids will make your skin sensitive and a bit red for the first few uses, but as that gets better, so does your skin. These products super exfoliate, and that's the tingling and redness you feel. It's even more important that you use sunscreen if you use these treatments, since you're exposing all that new baby smooth skin that is extra prone to burning.

Step 3 - Take just a bit of foundation and dot it in the darkest corners under your eyes, under your nostrils, on your chin, and on your cheek bones. Blend this in. Don't put foundation anywhere you don't have discolouration, you just end up wearing a mask that way. Dot just a tiny bit of foundation over blemishes and 'blot' the excess off with your fnger until you get enough coverage.

Step 4 - Smile. See where your cheeks lift and get rounded? That's where you need to put blush. Swirl a big fluffy brush over the powder, blow on the tips to get extra powder off, and apply the blush over the rounded areas (the 'apples' of your cheeks). Then, sweep the brush very lightly over your apple and up the curve of your cheekbones. This blends the blush out a bit so you don't end up with doll cheeks, but you also don't end up with 80's dance cheeks. Blush makes everyone look more awake and alive, and is especially imporatant for women 40 and up. You start to lose pigment in your skin at this point, so avoid looking sallow by swiping on blush in the morning. And avoid shimmery blush, you are not a Twilight vampire. Get a matte blush that matches your flush from exercising (which means do 40 jumping jacks in the makeup aisle at the drugstore... No, not seriously...Just find a neutral pink or peach. Jeeze.).

Step 5 - Curl your eyelashes (optional, but gives you eye-opening flutterable lashes!)and swipe on a coat of mascara on your top lashes. I like to use brown mascara because I'm fair of skin and hair, but black works pretty universally. Brown just creates a bit of a softer, less 'made-up' look, so give it a try if you find black to be a bit harsh. Do your bottom lashes if you feel comfortable, but this is not necessary for ordinary makeup.

Step 6 - Wipe off any smudgies with your ring finger and dust on some powder or use some blotting sheets if you're a little too dewy looking. The blotting sheets are my favorite to avoid makeup buildup. Swipe on some lipstick (Black Honey, anyone?) or some balm (Burt's Bees) and you are good to go!

Listening to: Konichiwa Bitches - Robyn

The End Is Near!

For all my Canadian friends, Clinique's awsome gift - with - purchase promo ends Sunday. Yes, you need to get on down to the Bay and get this stuff. Spend $26.50 and get:

• Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion


• 7 Day Scrub - Rinse Off Formula


• Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara


• Clinique Blush with a brush (But the brush is probably crap)


• A lipstick


• And a purple and white makeup bag

I actually kind of like the Clinique lotion, and the blush looks like a pretty and neutral colour, but I'm excited by the lipstick they offer. You have the choice of Black Honey and Air Kiss Pink. I have both of these lip colours, and the Air Kiss is a sticky gloss type of thing that attracts my hair to it like fly paper. And it really isn't any kind of colour at all...unless sticky pale crap is a colour. But the Black Honey is a great sheer red that looks good on winter pale skin. It really does look almost black in the tube, but it wears very sheer and pumps up your natural lip colour nicely. If you're a little shy about going for a full fledged red, this is a good colour to break you in. Go get this 'bonus' kit just for the lipstick. To spend your $26.50, go for Clinique's Happy To Be perfume.

Listening To: Right Round - Flo Rida

The Straight and Narrow

I love using powder shadows as eyeliner. They wind up looking so much softer than stick liners, and look natural if you can get the pigments right down into your lash line. But eyeshadows don't usually come with applicators that work well for drawing fine lines... actually, they don't come with applicators that do much of anything at all. But I digress...

To use your shadows as a liner, you need to hunt down an angled eyeliner brush. This brush enables you to apply a quick swipe of liner across your lids, smudge a smokey eye, and draw on dramatic cat eyes. If you can apply stick liner, you can draw a decent line with a brush. Face the longer side of the brush in towards your nose, and lead your line with the shorter end of the bristles. Use 2 short strokes super close to your lash line to get the inner corners of your eye, then apply a flowing curve along the length of your lashes. Flick your wrist up at the very end of your eye and extend your line just a tidge. This gives you a very subtle cat eye.

I use L'Oreal's HIP in Brazen (the brown shadow, not the hot pink) to dry line my eyes on regular days, as this gives a natural look when you apply it close to the lashes. For special occasions, I'll do a smokey eye with Tapestry Taupe and Almay's Stay Smooth Eyeshadow in Sapphire (Which apparently they don't make anymore. But you can find it here). Then I use a slate blue powder eyeliner by Quo (Only found in Canada, and this liner really is discontinued. Damn.) to apply a cat eye line. You wet the liner with water and it works like a liquid eyeliner - but better, since the angled brush gives you so much more control than the flimsy brushes supplied with liquid liners. Powder or cake liners really are my favorite to use.

You can also try out some cream liners, but these smudge too much during the day for my liking. The kit from Smashbox comes in fun and pretty colours.

Go, find an angled liner brush, and give it a try! And...if you're still using the foam applicators that come with eyeshadows, pick up a decent shadow brush too...

Listening to: Soon We'll Be Found - Sia

Hit or Miss?

I recently caved into buying some of the trendy mineral foundation that's out there. I went with Revlon ColorStay Mineral Foundation because it was kind of a mid-line value -- Didn't cost as much as stuff at Sephora, but wasn't cheap and crappy. I figured $16 isn't so much that I'll be out a whole bunch of money if the stuff works like garbage, but if it's good, then I have a reasonably priced new source for foundation. I've been using this foundation for about a month now, and I'm not sure if it's a hit or a miss. I think I'll do a pro and con list to help me decide.

Pro

• Comes in a shade light enough for my skin.


• Has a retractable brush built into the lid.


• Has SPF 10.


• Finely milled.


• Great staying power.


• Goes on sheer and doesn't make me look like I'm wearing much makeup.

Con

• Contains talc as a filler...not good!
  
• The brush loses bits of bristle and is kind of rough on my skin.


• Needs more than SPF 10 to earn bragging rights.


• Doesn't sop up my greasies and becomes visible in very oily areas.


• Has a weird smell...like a hospital.

All in all, not terrible, but not outstanding. It works fine and I would buy it again in a pinch, but for the $16 it cost me, I would have expected no talc. That part makes me mad. I think next time I'll just shell out the $30 for some good stuff that will control my oily areas better and not get all marbled looking when I get shiny. I think this stuff would not hold up to summer "glowing" (when I get shiny and sweaty and greasy as hell in the hot summer months. Yes, I'm already planning for summer, I need something to look forward to at this point in winter... even if it's just becoming the world's biggest oil supplier). Picking brush bits off my face is also a bit annoying...it throws off my groove in the morning.

Listening to: Blur - B. Spears

I Guess Their Key Demographic Is The Bar-Star Set?

So I was gadding about in Wal-Mart yesterday, and came across this:

I got pretty excited because this shampoo really plays to the elements that draw me in - pretty colour on the package, label touting colour care, and a herbal rosemary - juniper scent. By now, you guys have to know how much I love pretty smells. This is pretty much the biggest selling feature for me a lot of the time.


So...I popped open the lid, squeezed the tube a bit to catch a whiff...and just about gagged.


This stuff smells like gin.


I instantly had a vision of myself in the shower with a hangover, trying to wash my hair with this terrible gin smell. I got gaggy just thinking about it. This is the worst idea ever.

Listening to: Come Undone - Duran Duran

Another Burt's Bees Endorsement

If you aren't already using this:

...You ought to be...

Listening to: Shine It All Around - Robert Plant

Sunny D and Cereal are NOT Good Sources, Guys!

I'm a big fan of vitamins*. I eat lots of fresh fruit and veggies, and I take in enough meat to get my protein and iron, so I don't bother with multi-vitamins. Some vitamins, like vitamin c, are water soluble, and you can't really take 'too much' of these kinds. But, some other kinds are fat soluble, meaning they get stored in your fat deposits if you have too much of them in your diet. They get used up as your body needs them, if your intake ever drops below normal, the same way we store fat to use as a fuel source if we run short on food. Having these vitamins is a good thing, since they keep you running in top form. But having way too much of these fat soluble vitamins can lead to toxicity. That's why I don't take multi-vitamins -- if I can get it in my food, I don't need an artificial source that might cause more harm than good.

One mineral I don't take in enought of in my diet is calcium (read this, it's good!). Your body needs pretty huge amounts of calcium compared to other vitamins and minerals. You need calcium throughout your life; when you're young you need it to build up sturdy bones; when you're of child-bearing years you need it to supply your growing baby with building materials and to replace those in your own body that you've lost; and when you're older, you need it to slow bone density loss, and to prevent brittle bones. I think a lot of girls stop drinking milk when they get into their teens, and don't realize they are depriving their body of a main source of calcium. I don't use milk in anything but cooking, so I obviously don't take enough calcium in. So I take a big ol' horse pill of calcium every morning so that I can continue to wear high heels well into my twilight years, without fearing that I may break a hip.

Pay attention to what you're eating -and what you're not! - to see what you are getting healthy levels of vitamins from and what you might need to eat more of. Read nutritional information and look up the values for fruits and veggies on the internets. If you just can't fit any more foods into your diet, find a supplement that works for you. Be careful of how much you take though, and really pay attention to toxicity levels and toxicity symptoms. If you aren't sure what you need more of, go to your doctor or a nutritionist to get help figuring it out. Keep yourself healthy on the inside and you'll look and feel better on the outside. You'll feel good, your skin will glow, your hair and nails will grow in strong and healthy. See, vitamins ARE a beauty product! Look after your body - you've only got one, and it has to last you for a while.

Listening to: Lay All Your Love On Me - Mamma Mia! OST.

*By saying vitamins, I'm refering to the supplement that contains both vitamins and minerals. I use 'vitamins' to cover both dietary necessities interchangeably.

Brass Tacks

This is an important public service announcement: If you don't want your hair to look like this, go buy some purple shampoo! This is important for bleached blondes, highlighters, and natural blondies - to keep your hair from getting brassy from water, sun, colouring, etc, buy a purple or blue shampoo. Scrub it in once or twice a week and I promise everything will be better. Try Biosilk Silver Lights (by the same people who make CHI products), or even the drugstore brands Light Blue Shade or Pantene Silver Expressions.

Oh yeah, and Happy Valentines!

Listening to: Love You Madly - Cake

An Affair To Remember

I bought Burt's Bees Garden Tomato Toner last night. And I already love it. I'll admit that I have serial love affairs with toners and astringents, but I rarely find one that I could turn into a long-term relationship. I think this might be 'the one'!



I guess I'd better justify how I fell so hard so fast...I like the way it smells - like tomato leaves that have been crushed. It's pleasant and herbal. And, unlike a lot of other toners that leave my face feeling dry or tight, this one made me feel clean and exfoliated without reddening my cheeks, and left me suprisingly soft feeling. Almost like I'd put on a light day lotion. And it cleaned up my greasies, and dried up a zit that was brewing on my chin. It really seems like it might be the real thing.

Oh, and the really amazing thing...this stuff is a cheap date. I'm not sure what it retails for normally, probably in the $10-$15 range if you find it at a health food store (like Nutters), or a drug or grocery store (try London Drugs or Whole Foods if you live in the States). I found it at Save-On-Foods for under $5. If you live in Alberta, get there quick. I doubt you'll find any date that affordable, and if you actually have a sweetheart for this Saturday, you only have a couple days left to refine your gorgeousness!

Listening to: Be Mine - Robyn

How to: Make Miniature Art On Your Toe Nails.

I love crazy stuff on my toe nails. My fingers will be neutral colours, or even bare, but my toes are always done. Sometimes I opt for a simple, bright colour and leave it at that. But most of the time, I do some pretty insane things whilst pedicuring. One time I did tiger stripes with blingy jewel adhesives. That was ghetto-licious! I always get compliments, or at the very least comments, on my toe-art. People wonder if it's hard to do - and I answer no. Because it really isn't. So, I'm going to teach you how to do my personal favorite - The Tropical Sunset! It's winter, everyone needs a mini-vacay to perk up. Turn on your favorite program (I watch America's Best Dance Crew) and get painting.

You need: normal pedicure supplies (foot lotion, pumice stone, nail clippers, nail file, polish remover), a clear coat, yellow, bright orange, hot pink, grape purple, black with a thin, fine brush (or a toothpick), and optional sparkly polish.

1.) Do your pedicure. Clip your nails to a length you like, lotion your heels, run some nail polish remover over your nails to make sure all traces of old polish get removed and oils from the lotion are gone.Then, buff the tops of your toe nails with the nail file. Give them a quick clear coat to keep your nails from getting yellowed from the colours you'll be putting on.

2.) Make a yellow half circle in the middle of your big toe, pushed right up against the cuticle.

3.)Add a wash of bright orange around the yellow.

4.)Add a coat of hot pink above the orange.

5.)Add the purple over the pink in the last 1/4 of your nail.

6.) Now take the black, and and load enough polish to make a fluid line, but not so much that you'll get a blob of colour when you place the brush (or toothpick used as a brush) onto your nail. Practice the movements below on a piece of paper if you are unsure of your artistic ability.

Draw a straight line from left to right up against your cuticle (yes, over the colours!). This will be the shore. Then make a curving vertical line from the 'shore' to about halfway through the pink. This will be the tree trunk. The 'trunk' should be situated on the furthest left side on your left toe nail, and on the right toe nail, it should be on the furthest right side.

Then make 5 short, quick strokes around the 'trunk'. This will turn into a palm tree.

7.) Add 2 "m"'s for birds in the opposite corner from the palm tree. If you want, add gold or irridecent sparkles around the yellow to make the sun shimmer, and purple sparkles in the purple section of the sky.This blurs the lines in between the sections of sky. Finish everything off with a good clear coat. Now be careful with your toes for about 2 hours until the polish is fully dry. Paint the other 4 toes on each foot pink, purple, or orange (pick just one, the big toe is busy enough as it is!) and add a coat of sparkles and a top coat.

Enjoy your own personal sunset whenever you look down!

Listening to: We Walk - The Ting Tings

Using Math To Justify Expensive Shampoo In These Trying Economic Times

For the last year or so, I've been splurging out on salon shampoo. I have long hair that I'm trying to grow out, and the cost of drug store shampoo was getting outrageous. I was going through two or three bottles of Herbal Essences a month, and my thick hair never seemed to soak any moisture up from that crap. It was about $4 a pop for conditioner, so $12 a month for stuff that didn't make any difference. Not much, but it still adds up...just stay with me now.

Bed Head by TIGI is a more "affordable" line in salons. No, really. They usually have sales on at the mall hair shops, and you can get the big duo for $25. There are 2 elements with this one-time expense of $25 that persuaded me that it wouldn't be a bad idea to just go for it; 1.) these shampoos come with pumps, and therefore you use less. You don't eyeball out a quarter sized amount from the bottle, then it doesn't lather, so you add another, and another... You take two pumps. If you need another, take one more. That's it. Soon you have a set amount that you take every time. 2.)They also lather better, and seem to make a bit of a difference to your hair. No kidding, I didn't use conditioner for the first couple of weeks after I bought a bottle of Dumb Blonde, that's now nice my hair was. So, let's recap: less shampoo and conditioner used, actually worked, and (drumroll please) I actually SAVED money. Yeah. It took me 6 months to finish up the bottle of Dumb Blonde. Let's have a little math lesson - 25/6= $4.17 a month for BOTH salon shampoo and conditoner.
Now, drugstore- 4 x 3 = $12(for 3 bottles that I used a month.)
12 x 2= $24(for a month of both shampoo and conditioner)
24 x 6 = $144 (for six months of crap shampoo)
I rest my case.

Actually, what I wanted to talk about was a Bed Head shampoo that you shouldn't buy. But, hey, if you would never have bought this stuff in the first place, my warning would be useless. So, anyway, don't waste your money on the Self Absorbed Shampoo. The conditioner is fine, and works great (smells great, too!), but the only thing the shampoo has going for it is the pretty candy-orange smell. It doesn't lather, doesn't clean, and I actually have to mix it with another shampoo to get my hair decent. And when I have to buy a totally separate bottle of shampoo because one doesn't work, my brilliant math is thrown off. If you'd like to try out some sneaky-thrifty Bed Head products, go for Dumb Blonde if you have colour treated or damaged hair. It says blonde, but it works as a colour preserver and a reconstructor for all haircolours. If you are a natural dark beauty, try Brunette Goddess, or if you let your hair air-dry but want some frizz control, try Control Freak. There are a ton of different kinds for all types of hair, so ch-ch-check it all out. Or, if you don't mind spending a bit more, go consult with your hairdresser. He or she will know what your hair needs most, can make a recommendation, and you still probably won't go over $40 for a duo. Just make sure it has a pump, and don't buy any of the Pureology stuff. I'm sure it works great, but the prices are nuts. I don't guarantee that the economic advantage will carry over with this stuff. But you would probably have great hair...

Listening to: Beating Heart Baby - Head Automatica

Make Eyes At Me

For my little sister's 14th birthday, I bought her some cosmetic type stuff. Including the simple, super cheap, and versatile Tapestry Taupe eyeshadow from CG. This is a light silvery-brown that works on all skin tones and colourations. I'm blonde with dark brown eyes, and this makes my eyes look darker and deeper; one of my Asian friends used to wear this, and it complemented her skin; and my sister's blue eyes popped and looked extra blue with this done in a subtle smokey eye.

This is a great shadow for everyday, with just a light wash over your top lid, or with more dramatic layered looks for special occasions or a night on the town. I wear it with brown mascara on a day to day basis because of my fair skin and hair, but it creates a really intense look when combined with black liner along the waterline and lots of black mascara. If you need something with a bit more warmth, try CG's Mink shadow. This is a similar colour, but has gold flecks instead of silver. Try it with green or brown eyes and medium skin tones. For me it doesn't work; it makes my skin look sallow and my eyes sunken. But lots of people swear by it, so give it a go. If you don't know which one to try, just go buy both! They retail under $4 at most major drugstores. But be quick - these two are Cover Girl's most popular shadows (with reason), and they sell out like hot cakes.

Listening to: Toxic - Britney Spears

Studies Find: Naughty Double Entendres Lead To Gorgeous Skin.

I LOVE Lush. A perfect day for me is one where I can go to IKEA and then Lush. I sometimes try to persuade my boyfriend that this combination would make the perfect date. He hasn't fallen for that one yet.

One thing I always buy there is the Soft Coeur massage bar. This is a truly hardworking, multi-tasking type of product. Soft Coeur is billed as a "deliciously romantic concoction of honey, cocoa and natural melty butters". They got the sweet honey smell down pat, but it also has a "custard" type of smell. Maybe that doesn't sound as good as it really is, but like the Brazil Nut Butter, this is a light and pretty scent that won't overpower you or the people around you. And, like the butter, this stuff is magic too.

This is great on elbows, knees, feet (before bed only, or you will slip and fall!) and any other dry and scaly areas that need a little more TLC. I also used it as an after-sun product when we went on vacation in the Dominican.

Soft Coeur is the queen of shiny, pretty shoulders too. I love me some pretty shoulders in a slinky silk dress. Just be sure to PUT THIS ON AFTER you put on said slinky dress. Or you will have a grease spot that will make you cry. And then your mascara will run. And your face will get all blotchy and red and your nose will run and you'll have to go have a lay down to recover. And then your evening will be ruined. So...just don't.

I haven't even mentioned the obvious use for this product yet, but it's billed as a massage bar named Soft Coeur, so you do the math. I actually don't know why my man-friend doesn't want to go to Lush more often when I put it this way. This is a whole lot of melty, kneady, knot-busting goodness that I'm sure you guys can fanangle into something...uh...more... if you get my drift.

A Word of warning: this stuff will melt. So don't leave it, say, in your black leather purse in the car on a July afternoon. Just take my word for it. Don't. Store this puppy in a cool, dry place to get many, varied uses out of your bar. Actually, all of Lush's massage bars are great for the above uses, just be careful not to buy this one for anything but sore muscles. And steer clear of anything with too much patchouli in it. You don't need to smell like that lady who sells healing crystals at the local farmer's market. I'm just saying.

Listening to: Florence and the Machine - Dog Days

Buttah Me Up, Baby

Ok. Let's talk about The Body Shop's Brazil Nut Body Butter. I'm sick of hearing about their Cranberry butter, or Satsuma, or any of those other fruity concoctions they have. The Cranberry gives me a migrane, and the Satsuma is lovely...when you apply it in small quantities. Otherwise you smell a.) Like you rolled in orange peels and b.) Like a pre-adolescent girl who got into her mother's cosmetics and put WAY too much on. I feel like any girl - next - door over the age of 14 probably wants something with a little more ... subtlety.

Enter Brazil Nut Body Butter. When you look at it in its brown tin, it doesn't look all that appealing. It smells like nothing special, and it's a non-descript off-white colour. But just smooth a little on here and there and experience the magic. It smells like heaven. It heats up on your skin and just gives you a ~warm~ smell all over. That's the only way to describe it. You smell like hot skin on the beach and sunshine - in a very good way.

Apply it on dry spots to get silky, or along your shins, shoulders, and collarbone for a super pretty shine. It's irresistable. I'm practically in ecstasies right now.

You can buy this magic at The Body Shop for $20 (Can.$). Don't bother with the Whip Body Lotion in the squirt bottle. It may be cheaper ($16), but it's not the same. You wind up smelling like a very strong cookie. And while I love cookies, I have no wish to smell like one.

Listening to: Wolfmother (MSTRKRFT remix) - Woman