Best of 2010 - Bath & Body

Good morning ladies! Here is the next instalment in my Best of 2010 posts! I tried to do one post for all my best of products but soon realized that wasn't going to happen! I like these posts because it gives me a chance to let you guys know about some of my favourite products that I often overlook and would never think to do a post about! I find most of these to be mundane, daily use products (deodorant and soap, lol) but forget how much I truly love and need them! So, here are my favourites from 2010 in bath and body!

(Not all of these are from 2010, they are just the products I used the most this year and often repurchased!)

These soaps are definitely first on my list for shower essentials! These are soaps made in Canmore, Alberta (only about 40 minutes from Calgary) where my boyfriend and I often go for day trips (they have the best brew pub in the world, The Grizzly Paw - if you are ever in Canmore you HAVE to stop!). Anyways, haha, these are a few of mine and my boyfriends favourite soaps from Rocky Mountain Soap Company. I never used to be a soap person, I always preferred body wash but after my boyfriend became obsessed with these, I did too! They are amazing, all natural soap bars available in a huge variety of very unique flavours. These are a few that we always have on hand, Alpine Air (I believe to be Rocky Mountain Soaps signature scent!), Citrus Soother and Summer Lemonade. They all smell amazing and we always have almost 5 extra on hand! They also come out with a lot of limited edition scents for the holidays and seasons! (there is also one called Mountain Man that is super minty and wakes you up like nothing else can!)

Next up is the shampoo and conditioner that I have repurchased probably three times this year! I'm a big fan of natural products, especially if they are going down the drain! (Yes, all my cleaning products are all natural too!) These are Live Clean's Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner. These two are supremely moisturizing and make my hair incredibly shiny! They also have a subtle, nutty smell that I love! I'm sure you have all heard the hype about argan oil (Moroccan Oil products use it) and how moisturizing it is. It really is moisturizing and adds great shine but it can be expensive. These are a great alternative to get that great Argan oil at a much less expensive price! (I got these at Wal-Mart for around $4 each - sometimes they have deals on them in two packs!) My only gripe with these is the Shampoo doesn't create much lather (as is usually the case with any product that doesn't contain SLS) so I find I have to use more product to get my hair thoroughly clean. 

Here is a staple in my shower and probably always will be! I'm sure you've heard a lot about Aussie's 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner. It is incredibly moisturizing and probably the only thing that can get the extensive tangles out of my hair! Oh and by the way, it smells so amazing and lingers on your hair forever! (which I love!) Not only is this is best deep conditioner I have used, it is also the cheapest! I got this at London Drugs for only $2! Thats a major bonus because I tend to need to use a lot of it on my long and very tangle prone hair so I don't feel bad about using large amounts of it at only $2 a bottle! If you haven't tried this, you need to!

Next is a bath product that is a must have in the winter! I am obsessed with Lush Bath Bombs (no photo) and use them almost every time I have a bath! The only problem is they can be really drying in the winter. So, whenever I take a bath no matter what I use (bubbles, bath bomb, bath melt) I add a splash of Alba Botanica Kukui Nut Organic Body Oil to the water to prevent dryness. This oil is super rich, organic and smells unreal! Like Hawaii in a bottle! If I'm feeling extra dry I will also add a few drops of this to body lotion or apply it to dry areas on my body by its self. It is incredibly hydrating and absorbs perfectly! A great item to have in the dry Canadian winters!

As you know, I do love my Rocky Mountain bar soaps but sometimes my skin can feel extra tight and dry. In that case I use Dove CreamOil Body Wash in Rosewood & Cocoa Butter. I only usually use this after I use regular soap because I don't feel this gets me as clean as I would like. I look at it more like an in-shower moisturizer. This smells divine and leaves your skin incredibly soft and hydrated without needing an extra moisturizer after your shower! If you have dry skin, this is an amazing body wash!

Alright, last but certainly not least is Dove's Ultimate Visibly Smooth Antiperspirant in Nature Fresh. Rarely would I rave about an antiperspirant but this one is a little more special. Not only does it do what an antiperspirant needs to do (control wetness, odour, etc) it also helps you be able to shave less! 

It contains a small amount of depilatory agent (Pro-Epil Complex) to make your underarms feel smoother longer, and I must say - it has made a very large difference! It is still super gentle and doesn't sting to put on after you shave, if you hate shaving your underarms as much as I do, give this a try to extend the effects! :)

So, that was a long post but those are my favourites and go-to products for Bath & Body in 2010. If you noticed, there is no body lotion - I'm not a fan and rarely need it if I use my bath oil and CreamOil body wash as I'm not very prone to dry skin - just tight, itchy skin. But if I do use a body lotion it is definitely Yes To Carrots Rich Body Butter (click to see my review). There are more "Best of" posts to come so be sure to check back for makeup, skin care and extras! :)

Yes To Carrots! Super Rich Body Butter

Hi Ladies! Hope you are all having a great night! I thought I would share with you one of my new favourite finds! The people at Yes To Carrots were nice enough to send me this to try out in my cold Canadian weather!

First, a little background on my (body) skin - which yes, varies wildly from my face skin! I actually rarely use body lotion or moisturizer, but lately my skin has been incrdibly itchy and tight feeling so I've been reaching for moisturizers to soothe it! I generally don't get flakey skin, or skin that looks dry - just an overall tight/itch feeling!

As you can see, this is a super rich butter! I was nervous at first because I personally don't like the feeling of thick, greasy lotion on my skin (the main reason why I don't use it!). This is why I'm not a fan of The Body Shop body butters, much too thick and I swear I can feel them on my skin for HOURS! That being said, I still want great hydration and moisturizing properties, just no residue left on my skin!

I love the consistency of this body butter! It stays so thick until you rub it in, it just melts into the skin! It also absorbs so fast and leaves your skin feeling really soft and supple but with no residue or tacky feeling! I'm in love! It relieves my tight and itchy feeling skin instantly and keeps my skin hydrated for hours! I have gotten into the habit of applying this at night, when I shower, when I bath, when I get up lol ANYTIME really! I literally carry it around my house, its kind of sad! My boyfriend also likes this! It is a totally unisex product because the scent is just like a classic lotion (not like carrots hehe) and the packaging isn't girly so this is a great buy for everyone! This would also be great for kids because it is totally natural and gentle! 

As with all Yes To Carrots products, it is super natural and contains great ingredients like Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Carrot Oil and Sweet Almond, Jojoba & Olive oils. All of these are super nourishing and great for your skin! I love being able to use natural products, especially when applying them ALL over my body! Thats a lot of product that is going to be absorbed! Overall, this is fantastic and I want it again so badly! I'm already panicking about where I'm going to get my next tub because I'm not sure if I can get this in Canada! I feel like this is turing into an addiction... lol

Do you guys have some favourite body moisturizer? Have you tried this one? 

Let me know! XOXO

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Lush Haul!

Hey everyone! Long time no Blog! Well here I am to make up for it with a nice big haul! I went to Lush today to return a shaving cream that I had bought for my boyfriend (he hated it!) and ended up walking out with a bag of goodies! So heres what I picked up today!

Avobomb

 First off I got one of my favorites, AVOBOMB! This bath bomb is actually a favourite of my boyfriends too because of its universal scent! It's super citrus-y with lemongrass and bergamot oils, along with avocado and olive oil to nourish the skin. Whenever I use this one I feel awake and refreshed and my skin is super soft and nicely scented.

Mask of Magnaminty

 Next up is Mask of Magnaminty. I actually have yet to try this mask but I usually use their other facial masks. What drew me to this one is the fact that it doesn't need to be refrigerated (which seriously makes me forget I have them because they get pushed to the back of the fridge) and it has a much longer shelf life which is awesome because I have a bunch of masks that I alternate between depending on my skin. I will let you know how I end up liking this one but it looks good and has great ingredients for oily skin!

Too Drunk...

 I love this one haha its so funny to look at! This is one of Lush's Emotibombs which are meant to be used in the shower instead of the bath! This one is called Too Drunk... and is supposed to wake you up and revive you after a long night of partying! It smells like peppermint, fennel, lemon and orange and really does have a great aroma therapy effect! All you do with these is put them in the bottom of your shower and let the water run over them for a aromatherapy/sauna effect!

Up You Gets

 This is another one of Lush's Emotibombs and its called Up You Gets. Most of the Emotibombs are meant to invigorate and refresh you in contrast to the bath bombs that are made for relaxation. This one is fantastic and smells like intense lemon, lime, grapefruit and orange!  A surefire way to wake up in the morning! With both of the Emotibombs, I cut them up into small pieces (my shower is small) so they last longer and aren't quite as intense!

Tea Tree Water

 This is another new find for me, the Tea Tree Water toner. I regularly use their toner tabs which I make a toner out of afterwards and store in the fridge but this is a great alternative and will last longer! (If you use the water from the toner tabs you are only supposed to keep it as a toner for a week). I love the feeling it gives (tried it in the store), it tightens, absorbs oil and keeps your skin feeling fresh. I also love that it comes with a spray top so you can carry it in your purse and use it throughout the day even over makeup. This contains tea tree oil and grapefruit extracts to fight oiliness and breakouts!

Big Blue

 My boyfriends all time favourite bath bomb that I'm sure he would use four at a time of! This is Big Blue and it has lemon and lavender oil that smell SO amazing! The best part about this bath bomb is that it actually makes your bath look like the ocean! It turns the water bright blue, has sea salt on top and pieces of sea weed through out! Its an amazing experience and one of my favourites too! (By the way, seaweed is great for your skin for softening and nutrients!)

Creamy Candy

 I love bubbles in my bath so bubble bars are one of my favourite things from Lush! This one is called Creamy Candy and smells just like that! It has vanilla, cocoa butter and almond oil to make an amazing scent and super rich and hydrating bubbles! (which is rare because usually bubble baths are kind of drying on my skin) I love these because they last a super long time you just crumble a little bit into the bath and you get a huge amount of bubbles! Highly recommend any of the bubble bars!

Dark Angels

 I really enjoy Lush's face washes because they are so different and effective! This one is new for me but I love Coalface and this one also has coal in it. If you are familiar with Lush this is a combination of Angels on Bare Skin and Coal face so it provides the scrubby effect of Angels as well as the poor tightening, oil zapping effects of Coal! I notice an insane difference in my skin after using the Coal face my pores honestly almost disappear and my skin stays matte for hours! I have never had that effect with any other cleanser (or cream or treatment or ANYTHING!) If your an oily skin girl, try this or Coal Face out!

Butter Ball

 Butterball! I got two of these because they are my favourite! They honestly provide as much hydration as body lotion without having to use anything after your bath! Once you plop this in you can actually see the oils forming on the surface from the cocoa butter chunks throughout the bomb! It also has a great light scent that isn't overpowering (vanilla and musk) and makes it good for male use too! (Another one of my boyfriends faves!)

Cinder

 LIMITED EDITION! Lush's holiday collection is already out which is awesome because it has some of my favorites! This one is Cinder and has pop rocks in it to provide the real effect of a crackling fire (hence the name Cinder!) This bomb is spicy and cinnamon-y to give you that real holiday warmth! I haven't used one of these yet but it also has almond oil in it to hydrate so I'm really looking forward to it!

Twilight

 I'm not sure if this one is limited edition or not but I really hope it isn't because it is probably the best smelling bath bomb Lush has by far! This one is called Twilight (I'm assuming for the movie or because it makes you go to sleep!) and is scented with lavender and Tonka bean! Tonka bean is sort of sweet and vanilla like. This bomb relaxes and soothes and is a fantastic one to use right before bed after a long day!

Last but not least I picked up a Honey I washed the Kids soap! This is one of their best sellers because it has a completely unisex scent and is super gentle so the whole family can use it! It hydrates and doesn't leave my skin feeling tight like most soaps can and lasts a long time if you keep it out of the water flow or in one of Lush's metal containers (if it fits)! 

Thats it! (actually I got another Limited Edition Bath Bomb but the picture didn't load, its So White and looks like Butter Ball but is scented with apple (very yummy!)) Let me know what you love from Lush, I'm obviously an addict! Enjoy!