Happy Thanksgiving! Holiday Time!

I just wanted to wish all my American friends Happy Thanksgiving!

Autumn and the start of winter is a wonderful time of year.  Cooling down of temps and wonderful smells in the home.  Cozy clothes, warm fires and Holidays with family.  I get all warm and fuzzy just thinking about it. The leaves changing, falling and Halloween is the start of it all.  We always have a big wind storm that within a week of the leaves changing colours so we don't get much time to enjoy the colours.

The middle to end of November is when I start to get out my Christmas stuff.  I start to melt my bakery and Christmas scented tarts.  Cranberries are a must as is cinnamon and clove scents.  The tree goes up this weekend and so does the lights and window decorations.  I can't wait!

Everyone have a great Thanksgiving and a safe Black Friday.  People get crazy when it comes to sales.

Ponds Cold Cream is the Best for Facial Skin

Do you ever wonder why some ladies have beautiful skin while you spend $$$ to get yours like theirs?  There is a reason why Ponds Cold cream is still around from our grandmother's days.  It is a tried and true skin care do-it-all!

I have spent a lot of money to figure out how to deal with my oily skin that has cystic acne.  I have tried Clinique, Bioderma, Biotherm, Clarins, Yves Rocher, Avene, Oil of Olay and so on.  Only to be left with oily skin that breaks out all too often.  Purchasing a makeup remover, cleanser, toner, night time moisturizer, daytime moisturizer becomes very expensive even with drugstore brands.  I have many half used creams, cleansers and even toners that broke my skin out or made it oilier.  I would use it for a month and have to give up.  The cystic acne flare-ups were very painful.

Earlier this year I found a bonus 2 pack of Ponds Cold Cream with the green lid on sale and decided I should give it a try, what's the worst it could do?  Give me oily skin?  I had read great things about it and how it can transform your skin.

So at night before I got in the shower I would apply a layer to my whole face and leave it on for 5 - 10 minutes.  I would use a wet crocheted wash cloth and wipe the cold cream off.  I would then rinse the cloth out and use it as an exfoliate and wipe my face with it wet a few more times.  Not only would the cold cream remove all the makeup but the dead skin cells as well.  No more flaky skin in places.  The mineral oil would leave a beautiful moisturizer layer on my skin where I didn't need moisturizer anymore. 

My skin has since cleared up and I don't get oilies.  I don't need rice paper at 10 in the morning either.  My skin isn't tight or flaky due to a moisture imbalance.  I tested this theory of the cold cream fixing my skin in 1 product when I ran out of my second jar and didn't have time to get any for a week or two.  My skin went back to oily, flaky and breaking out.

I highly recommend that you give Ponds Cold Cream a try for a month and see if you are a believer.

What are you waiting for in the mail? Christmas Orders

I have started to order Christmas gifts online.  Usually I order in October due to shipping delays closer to the end of November and early December  The internet has better deals than Canadian stores do.  I am currently waiting on various different orders.  Mostly for my my mom and friends and even a few for items for me.  We are all beauty junkies and its fun to get different things for them that aren't available in Canada.

On Tophatter I won:

Beautiful 6 in 1 Steampunk Glass Pendants Necklace.  My mom will just love these.

Gorgeous Vintage Style Cameo Cuff Bracelet:  

100 European Style Beads.  I have various Euro bracelets I have been making to give away as giftst.

Mystery Hoodoo Grab Bags Lot.  The auction was for 2 out of the 3 in the picture. 

BMGM Oshun Spirit Mystery Box.  My previous mystery box from this seller had the gorgeous salts in it along with bangles, red salt and delicious teas.

I have an order I put in from Sumer ScentSations on Etsy that includes gorgeous bars of lavender soap, solid perfumes and lotions.  These are for the ladies at work.  I know that box of goodies will smell wonderful.

I also have an order from Moonalisa from September I think that was mailed out last week.  Includes body powders and hair mists and a delicious scrub.  Another order that will smell awesome when it arrives.  

Most of these orders should be here this week.  I hope to wrap alot of gifts this weekend and get them done before we put the tree up Sunday.

What do you have coming in the mail?  

Hurricane Sandy in Toronto

As Hurricane Sandy makes landfall in New Jersey/New York, all of the East coast is being hit with terrorizing winds and heavy rains.  In Toronto we are preparing for a mega storm.  Wind gusts are expected to reach up to 100 / km today, tonight and tomorrow as the storms passes through the GTA.

Have your emergency kit prepared and up-to-date, warm clothes, a fully charged phone and being prepared for power outages.

My Use It Up List for September 2012 with Product Reviews

For the month of September, I plan to keep a log of what products I use up and include reviews after finishing each item.

The Body Shop Pumpkin Nectarine HFO
Dove Go Fresh Cool Moisture Body Wash with NutrimuesMoisture - Sample
Ponds Cold cream with the green lid - Full size (6 oz)
Jaqua Passion Fruit Cocktail Hydrating Shower Syrup (8 oz)
Nivea Smooth Sensation Lotion sample
Lasting Scent Candles Tart in Voodoo Doll
BBW Simply Divine Cherry Pie HFO
Jaqua Pink Champagne Shower Syrup (4oz)
BBW Pumpkin Pie Scrub
Trapp Rain Candle
C.O. Bigelow Lemon Body Cream - Sample

Reviews:


TBS Pumpkin Nectarine HFO is a nice refreshing Fall and even as a Winter scent.  It has a good balance between the pumpkin and nectarine scents.  I would use it during Spring as it is a refreshing fragrance.  I would purchase this HFO again.

Dove Go Fresh Cool Moisture Body Wash with Nutrimmoisture is an ok product.  It smells refreshing but with the lotion included in the body wash it doesn't lather at all.  I prefer my soap and body washes to lather. My skin was somewhat softer when I got out of the shower.  The last thing I do in the shower is wash my body.  I prefer to put lotion on after I dry off.  I don't see myself using this product int he future.  If you don't care if a body wash lathers and you need moisture for dry skin then this product would be great for you.

Ponds Cold Cream with the green lid is a fantastic product!  When I purchased this one I also got a bonus of a second container of it.  This stuff is awesome.  I have oily skin and wondered if using an oil base cleanser would help stay hydrated and be less oily.  It worked!  My skin looks plump and hydrated and I have very little oily days.

Jaqua Passion Fruit Cocktail Hydrating Shower Syrup smells so good.  I would definitely purchase this scent again!  It is a thick body wash that lathers well and is moisturizing.  My dry skin soaks up the moisturizers that are in this body wash.  The scent alone is worth the price you pay for a bottle of this pure heaven in a bottle.  It has a true passion fruit scent.

Nivea Smooth Sensation Lotion sample feels nice on the skin.  I would consider purchasing this lotion in the future.  It is absorbed quickly into the skin.  It has a gentle scent and nice texture.  I wish the sample was more than a few ml in a packet.  It would of been better to give it a better try in a small tube or container.  I keep a list of lotions that I like for after I use up my stash of lotions and creams.  I have severe dry skin, esp on my hands, elbows and legs.  When applied to my hands at bedtime I instantly felt them softer and moisturized.  When I woke up in the morning my hands were still soft and moisturized.  This is a huge deal to me.  I want to be able to feel the softness the next morning.

Lasting Scent Candles Tart in Voodoo is a good sized tart in a circular dixie cup with a lid.  Sometimes the lids come off or the fragrance oil leaks out of the tart.  LSC tarts are very strong in scent and have an awesome throw.  You need less than a quarter of a tart in a tart warmer to scent a small room like a bathroom.  As this was my first LSC tart I was impressed by the throw and strength of scent.  However, I did not like this spicy kind of scent.  I have other LSC tarts and look forward to melting them.

BBW Simply Divine Cherry Pie HFO is awesome!  I am not big on cherry scents but this scent is simply divine.  It smells exactly like cheery pie.  You can smell the pie crust scent in this HFO.  The lingering note is the baked cherry.  It smells tart and sweetened by the pie crust scent.  I wish I was able to buy this HFO still but BBW hasn't carried this scent in years.  I got it at the bi-annual sale five years ago.  I didn't think I would like it so I only purchased one bottle. It did not give me a headache.  When I purchased this HFO I also purchased HFO in Pumpkin Pie Paradise, I got 5 or 6 of them as the body products in this scent was awesome but unfortunately the Pumpkin Pie Paradise HFO gives me an awful headache.  I now wish I had purchased 1 of those and 5 or 6 in the Simply Divine Cherry Pie scent.

Jaqua Pink Champagne Shower Syrup (4oz)

BBW Pumpkin Pie Scrub

Trapp Rain Candle

C.O. Bigelow Lemon Body Cream - Sample smells absolutely delicious.  I love citrus scents and this cream fits that bill.  It is thick and luxurious.   

How to get the BEST and CHEAPEST Shave

How to get the best shave for the cheapest amount of money. After many many years of shaving my legs I have finally come up with the best shave for my busk. I have dry skin and if I shave too often my legs get itchy and scaly. It's hard to fight this problem when you want to wear shorts everyday in the summer. I am very light skinned and have dark leg hair. So I show a shadow after 12 hours.

What I have found that works for an awesome and long lasting cheap shave is:

1.  Exfoliate with a good scrub infused with moisturizing oils and ground up apricot seed - I was given a tub of Orgins' scrub as a gift and been using it up (it's not cheap) but I will return to my regular homemade salt or sugar scrub.

2.  Use a 3 blade razor - I only purchase Schick Xtreme 3 for Women Sensitive. It has 3 blades, so enough for a close shave but not so many to irritate the skin.  The razor has a strip with Aloe, Vitamin E and Shea Butter to give you a comfortable shave. I buy the all pink Schick Xtreme3 razor in the plastic bag with pink writing that are cheaper. They are the same razor but without the plush handle. You get more razors for less.

3.  I quit using shaving cream - Instead I use a moisturizing hair conditioner. I have been buying Tresseme for $3.99 for a huge bottle. I put a layer on my leg and let it sit for 30 - 60 seconds for it to condition my hair and skin then I start to shave.

4.  After I shave I pat dry and apply a layer of Degree Body Responsive Deodorant in Fresh Oxygen - The deodorant keeps the skin from drying, becoming itchy and moisturizes.

I have found this to be the best shave that doesn't irritate my skin.

How to Build a Chicken Coop

Have you ever wondered how to build a chicken coop?  My friend moved up to the country and it came with chickens and a few other farm animals.  The chicken coop was almost falling down after so many terrible storms the area recently had experienced.  My friend had never built a chicken coop and wanted to build one that would withstand the storms in her area.  While browsing the internet for helpful ideas we came across this great book:  Building a Chicken Coop  This book even tells you how to keep your chickens happy and their home in perfect shape.  There is yearly maintenance necessary that new owners to chickens might not know about.  Many different coop styles are includes in the book for all sizes.


My friend purchased this book and she has a well made chicken coop and lots of other chicken oriented information.  Her chickens are safe from storms and warm in the winter.  She knows how to take care of them properly.  This book includes all the information needed.

You can have a chicken run attached to the coop or just leave the door open and let them roam your yard.  A warm coop and open area to rn around keep the chickens happy and egg laying.

Forest Apprentices Arthritis Anti-Inflammatory and Golden Salves Order Review

I made a purchase from Forest Apprentices, From the Forest they also are called, a couple of weeks ago. TAT was fast and I got my items from the US to Canada in about 10 days. That is a record for Canada Post these days. My husband has problems with his back and the doctor told him it was arthritis. I did a quick search and found this fabulous store and made a purchase of 1 each of the Arthritis Anti-Inflammatory Salve and Golden Salve. My entire order came to $14.20 including shipping to Canada.

Product Info and Reviews:

Arthritis Anti-Inflammatory Salve

Arthritis Anti-Inflammatory Salve 1oz plastic jar $ 5.00

(Populus balsamifera & Capsicum sp.). For topical use on arthritic and stiff joints. Do not use on broken skin. Due to the Cayenne used in the salve, this product burns when it comes into contact with mucus membranes. Due to it's capsaicin, Cayenne help to relieve the pain of arthritis and other forms of joint inflammation when gently massaged onto the affected area. Cottonwood reduces pain and eases inflammations due to rheumatism and arthritis.

Review:

After rubbing this salve on my husband's entire back the first night he was able to sleep more than 3 hours all night. Closer to 4 hours. Usually he only sleep off and on for three hours and ends up getting up because he is in so much pain. After three nights of rubbing it into his entire back he is able to sleep closer to 5-6 hours. This is a huge change for him. I will continue to purchase this salve for him. It is a good price and arrives quickly.

Golden Salve 1oz plastic jar $ 5.50

Golden Salve

(Curcuma longa & Abies balsamea). This golden colored salve is excellent for reducing scarring, preventing infection in open sores and as a follow-up after using an escharotic product. This product has a tropical ingredient, Tumeric (Curcuma longa).

Review:

I was bit a few times in the garage by a spider and the bites became itchy. That night after my shower I rubbed this Golden Salve on the 5 different bites. They instantly became non itchy. The bites are healing quickly and it has now been four days and they are still not itchy after only two application of this salve. My one issue with this salve is that it turns your skin yellow for a week and that is with daily washing in the shower. It works but it makes you yellow.

Shop Review:

I will be purchasing from this shop again. I know that the Arthritis Anti-Inflammatory Salve will get used up as they only come in 1oz jars. I will see if the shop owner will make a larger batch for me. She has other great items that I want to try.

I have found that this store sells on various sites, including the big auction site.

Burt's Bee's Sensitive Skin Cleanser and Daily Moisturizing Cream

As a part of BzzAgent, I was given the ability to sign up for the Burt's Bees Sensitive Solutions Campaign. I was very excited by this as I have sensitive skin that is very red all the time. When my Buzz Kit arrived I was pleasantly surprised by the full size products they sent for me to try. In the package I received:

A full-size Natural Skin Solutions for Sensitive Skin Daily Moisturizer

A full-size Natural Skin Solutions for Sensitive Skin Facial Cleanser

Samples and coupons to pass along!

Skin Daily Moisturizer: This moisturizer is clinically proven to moisturize sensitive skin all day without causing redness or irritation. This day cream is formulated with Cotton Extract to minimize the effects of irritants and to replenish the outer layer of skin to keep it supple. Rice Extract moisturizes and Aloe soothes your skin. This daily moisturizer is perfect for daily usage.

I have been using this for awhile now and it has cut back my bright red face I get throughout the day. I also have dry patches on my forehead yet oily patches on my cheeks and nose. In addition I get cystic acne on my chin with oil. This cream has brought all those problems into check in about a week of daily morning usage. IT seems to me that no matter what skin problems you have this cream will work for you. It is very creamy and goes on smooth and absorbs quickly. You do not need much for your face. I use half of what I use of my gel moisturizer.

Natural Skin Solutions for Sensitive Skin Facial Cleanser: This is a soap-free cleaner that is clinically proven to moisturize skin while cleaning away dirt, oil and makeup without over drying or causing redness or irritation. It is formulated with softening Cotton Extract to minimize the effects of irritants and to replenish the outer layer of skin to keep it supple. Rice Extract moisturizes and Aloe soothes your skin. This cleanser is gentle enough for daily usage on the most sensitive skin.

I used this a few times and felt that this cleanser would not wash off my face and did not get it clean. As it was specifically formulated for sensitive skin that is dry, my skin does not fit the bill. I imagine if you do not have oily skin this cleanser would do wonders for you. I really wanted to like it as it is very gentle.

My over all thoughts on this product line: I will continue to use the cream until it becomes to hot out and need to go back to my light weight gel moisturizer in the next couple of months. I will repurchase the cream in October when it becomes chilly and windy out again. The cleanser is not for me but I have oilies so that does not mean it is a bad product. You need to find what works for your skin and its needs. The night cream would be great for dry skin and needs a deep moisturizing at night.

Sweet Pine Soaps Order Review

I finally got around to purchasing Cold Pressed (CP) soap off Etsy.  I ordered from Sweet Pine Soaps.  TAT was very fast.  I was searching Etsy for unscented organic soap and came across this nice store.  I ordered 3 soaps to try homemade soaps before making a bigger order in case I didn't like them.

It's official!  I will no longer buy store bought soaps, other than the Dove Sensitive Skin soap bars for my husband.  The lather and fragrance is amazing!  I got unscented, Triple Lemon and Orange Grapefruit Clove.  These are all cold pressed.  She also included a small slice of Primrose Orange soap.

The Triple Lemon has three different lemon essential oils in it.  I cut the bar into thirds.  I used it in the shower and it has fantastic lather.  It smells fantastic.  I also used part of the bar as hand soap.

First sniff of Orange Grapefruit Clove is very strong of citrus and spice.

I cut the unscented bar into thirds as well and used it also in the shower on my sensitive skin on my upper arms.  It moisturized my skin greatly and has a very organic scent to it.

Unscented soap ingredients: saponified oils of olive, *coconut, *palm, (sustainably harvested) & *castor; filtered water.
*denotes organic ingredient

Note: 'saponified' is a term to indicate sodium hydroxide (lye) has been used to turn the oils into soap, none left in the finished bar. 

For the triple lemon, the base ingredients are the same, organic turmeric to color it and scent it with lemon, lemongrass & litsea cubeba essential oils.

For the pink grapefruit, the base ingredients are the same, rose clay to color it and scent it with orange, pink grapefruit and clove essential oils.

What soap brands do you prefer? What scents do you like? Leave your answers in the comment section below.