7 Products To Help You Survive the Polar Vortex

This winter has been cold in Canada. Like, lose yourself in a snowbank, slip on the way to work because it's been freezing rain for 48 hours, cold. 

If you know me in real life, you know I could bake in the sun for days on end. So, needless to say, me and my body are NOT happy about this whole "polar vortex" thing we've been forced to endure.

Working in the beauty industry (mostly relating to hair and nail care), I thought that I had become fairly well versed in products. Turns out, I needed to completely switch up my routine when it came winter this year since the conditions have been SO severe. My skin was drier (understatement of the year...I could have EASILY been mistaken for a reptile my skin was so dry), my lips were cracked, my hands and elbows broke out in a rash, my cuticles were peeling, and my hair was breaking. I was in shambles.

In about a month, and with some fantastic advice and great product recommendations, I have completely turned my beauty regimen around and it's worked miracles for me. So much so, that I am writing a post because I feel everyone should be using the following to help them get through the next 31 days until Spring hits (and, let's be honest, have we EVER had an Easter here that hasn't had snow?).

1) Clinique/Moisture Surge Overnight Face Mask

When I woke up in the morning, my skin was so dry and tight it felt like I'd gone for Botox in my sleep. I knew I needed a hydrating mask that I could leave on overnight to lock in the moisture I was losing. After doing my research, I learned that Clinique was not only good for sensitive skin, but it doesn't test on animals: bonus. This product changed my life and I would 100% recommend. Use a dime sized amount, rub on face, see miracles in the morning. (Approx. $40, Clinique)

2) Caudalie/Thirst Quenching Moisture Serum

I put this on underneath of my moisturizer in the morning. It's oil free and hypoallergenic. Essentially, it balance moisture levels on the skin, helping you to not overproduce or underproduce natural oils. It gets everything back to normal. It doesn't replace a daily moisturizer. It's pricy, but worth it. ($48.00, Sephora)

3) Body Shop/Vitamin E Moisture Cream

A very basic daily moisturizer that hydrates the skin. I wanted something light, specifically because I was treating my face with the two intensive moisturizing products I mentioned above. This does the trick. ($17.00, Body Shop)

3) Bite/Agave Lip Mask

This was a game changer for me. Normally I can't wear lipstick in the winter because my lips are MUCH too dry and flaky. Put on a tiny bit of this product overnight, wake up and your lips are smooth as summer. Everyone should have this product! ($30.00, Sephora)

(Note - I also tried the Fresh lip treatment. Although not as intensive, I do love it and put it UNDER my lipstick every day, or wear it on it's own, to keep everything smooth).

4) Heavy Cream Intensive Hand Repair Balm/Cake

It contains 20% shea butter. I already knew that shea butter was an amazing product when it comes to dry hair, so I figured it would probably be great for the skin. Not only does it smell like cupcakes, but my dry elbows and hands disappeared after using it nightly after about a week. It is extremely thick, so a little goes a long way. It definitely would not replace a daily body moisturizer - only for dry patches! ($22.00, Murale)

5) CND/Solar Oil

My cuticles were peeling and my nails were falling apart. I'm a big fan of CND products (original creators of shellac), so I knew this would be a winner. It's a dry oil, so it absorbs instantly, and it has jojoba and vitamin e to relieve dryness. It will also absorb into the actual nail (even through polish!) to strengthen. ($11.90, Chatters)

6) AG/Reconstruct Anti-Breakage Mask

For extremely dry, damaged, and chemically processed hair.  Great, I (had) all of the above. AG is a more natural line that is certified cruelty free. It also is based out of Vancouver so it's Canadian! Obviously I have to support them. This mask is SO creamy and thick. AG products are also notorious for smelling amazing, this is no different. Leave on for 8-10 minutes one to two times a week. See your hair shine. ($35.00, Trade Secrets)

7) Macadamia/Healing Oil Treatment

Some people are afraid of putting oil in their hair. Please don't be one of those people. Serums, which were popular in the 90's, have made people afraid of making their hair look greasy. Fun fact: A hair serum sits on top of your hair, making it look shiny and greasy. An oil will absorb into your hair, treating it instantly while imparting shine. Use a very small amount daily, and see results in about a week! Macadamia oil is made from Macadamia seed oil and Argan oil, a lighter alternative to regular Moroccan oil to those of you that have finer hair like me. I use a pump and spread it throughout my hair. I have been doing this for 3 years now and rarely see any split ends. (Trade Secrets, $40.00)

This is me. We live in igloos up here in Canada. Seriously! (Just kidding. I don't live in there. But it DOES fit 10 adults comfortably and makes a super fun fort.)

There you have it. A fool-proof way to mask yourself (literally) against the harsh cold of the polar vortex. Honestly, some of the products I listed above are pricy. I do realize that: but I'm a big advocate of "you get what you pay for". Since they use less water and filler, they're more concentrated and will last longer! The ingredients are pure, the companies are ethical, and the truth is: they work. I can always justify the cost when I know that a product is going to work.

Think I'm missing something from my list? Message me and let me know!

weekly (un)wind: goodbye, summer

(a beautiful august wedding)

I know I sound like someone that should be quoted on shit girls say, but this summer has gone by so quickly.

Summer has always been my favorite season. My worst nightmare is bulky clothing and itchy sweaters. I should really move somewhere that's hot year round. I was hoping for an Indian summer that lasted until late September, but the weather lately has been the complete opposite!

I'll always remember this summer as a season that stretched me to my limits, work-wise. Even though I can place a lot of pressure and be very hard on myself, I love to see my personal growth. 
                  

(date nights w/ jeff, boat rides & a brand new book from my favorite bloggers) 

 

Outside of work, I am so happy I had the opportunity this summer to take a getaway to Toronto, see a couple amazing concerts, spend the day at a cottage with some of my closest friends, and have endless valencia oranges at Starbucks with Jeff.

 

(beach reads)

A perfect summer wedding, decorating my place in bright pops of colour, eating my weight (and maybe more..) in sushi, reading a few great (and not-so-great) books, "blurred lines", and my new tattoo will always remind me of summer 2013.

Jeff loves fall, and I have to say that I'm excited to have nice hair again - ugh, humidity. Ever since I've been out of school, I still see the start of September as a time for getting back to routine.

                        (project life - my new scrapbook! having fun remembering the details from the last few months.)

One of my best friends was talking about her personal goals now that she's finished university. I place a lot of focus on my work, and I would like to find a better work/life balance and achieve some of my personal goals. Some are silly, and some are things that have been on my list for a long time. Maybe one day I'll share them here!

Coming from someone that has never been able to keep a personal agenda for more then a month, I really want a way to keep myself motivated. This seems easy enough - make a concrete list, cross it off when something gets done. We'll see how I do!

What's on your list of "goals" this fall? 

Sam

(let's talk): Books to Read in 2013

I'm grateful to have grown up in a household where I was always surrounded by books. Every night before bed we would read instead of watch TV. When I hit middle school, my best friend and I would have sleepovers that would completely revolve around books. We would take old books and trade them in for new ones at our local bookstore, try to collect full series (hello, babysitters club!), and when we got older, subscribed to "Teen People" and all those other pop magazines (hey, reading is reading right?).

Now that I can appreciate a good story (not to put down Ann M. Martin, of course), I love to read all types of novels. As I've mentioned in previous posts, my mom and aunt are book fanatics. They collect, trade, blog, review and talk books all day long. I am so lucky to have endless stacks of novels to choose from, not to mention, have someone else weed out all the not-so-great ones! So much to read, so little time.

So, I thought when I had finished reading an extremely stellar book, or one that I thought someone else may relate to, I would post a little blurb on here as a new feature, (let's talk): Books to Read in 2013.

Dominique Browning was the editor and chief of House and Garden magazine. Recently I've read two of her novels: "Around the House and In the Garden: A Memoir of Heartbreak, Healing and Home Improvement" and "Slow Love: How I Lost my Job, Put on My Pajamas, and Found Happiness".

I always tend to dramatize and imagine an editors life to be glamorous: full of parties, meetings, and deadlines. What I soon learned, is that even the most glamourous of lives from the outside sometimes don't feel so good on the inside. I started with Around the House and in the Garden, which came about 10 years prior to Slow Love. It was a perfect novel for me at the time, seeing as I was moving into a new home, feeling a bit unsure and stepping into new waters. Reading the book gave me reassurance, and taught me to let my life design my house; how to infuse my home with a real sense of self, and make it something that felt warm and comforting to me, not just something that looked pretty for visitors. 

I praise Dominique for having no shame in putting her bathtub right by her window so she could peer outside at her big tree as the seasons changed, and putting her comfiest couch in the kitchen instead of the living room.

Slow Love came years later when the magazine folded and Dominique found herself without a job, and a whole lot of (unwelcomed) free time on her hands. I felt like the universe conspired to give me this book at this specific time in my life (not only because of the tagline, "How I Lost my Job, Put on my Pajamas, and Found Happiness", which is amazing in itself), but more so as it deals with taking a deep breath and living life more slowly.

It reminds you to take the time to figure out who you are apart from all of the life noise. Quite often, I find all my days meshing together: meeting to social gathering, dinner date, coffee date, sleep, work and do it all over again. Slow Love reminded me to take some me time and how important it is to get to know and love yourself first. 

"Someone once explained to me the difference between an introvert and an extrovert: both can enjoy going to a party, but the extrovert is engergized by society, whereas the introvert has to recover from it. My batteries get drained easily these days, and need recharging in silence. Alone, I am willingly, cheerfully, thrown upon myself"

Slow Love/Dominique Browning

I love the consistency in her writing. In both novels, each chapter becomes it's own short story with it's own simple life lesson. For me, it was enough to just pick it up and take even just ten minutes out of the day to read one of her silly, elegantly written anecdotes. 

If you think we may have similar tastes in books, check out my Goodreads page and add me as a friend here!