Wipe away skin issues with Thursday Plantation, Korres and Yes To Cotton!

Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Face Wipes - 25 wipes - $12.99 - gently removes makeup, bacteria, excess oil and impurities from acne-prone skin with the combined power of 100% pure Australian tea tree oil with the calming properties of copaiba oil and aloe vera to cleanse and soothe without irritation.

Available now at ThursdayPlantation.ca.

Korres Greek Yoghurt Cleansing & Make-Up Removing Wipes - 25 wipes - $20 - non-irritating cloths that effectively remove stubborn face and eye makeup with a nourishing formula of softening  Greek yoghurt - for 2.5x more skin-nourishing proteins, vitamins and minerals - leaving skin refreshed, deeply nourished, revitalized, smooth and hydrated.

Available at Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada and beauty.shoppersdrugmart.ca.

Yes To Cotton Comforting Facial Wipes - 25 wipes - $9.99 - protects and minimizes irritation with comfy, soft textured wipes that gently cleanse ultra-sensitive and allergy-prone skin with a formula infused with cottonseed oil - to help soothe, hydrate and protect - to leave skin feeling clean and hydrated.

Available at drug and mass retailers across Canada.

- Lisamarie -

Essential oils you need in your life from Thursday Plantation, Lotus Aroma and The Body Shop!

Thursday Plantation Peppermint Essential Oil - 25ml - $14.99 - 100% pure and used in aromatherapy to help relieve joint and muscle pain associated with sprain, strain and rheumatoid arthritis, soothes cough and colds, settles an upset stomach - providing digestive discomfort relief, destressing and calming nerves, while alleviating headaches and has an initial cooling effect on the skin followed by warmth to aid in comforting muscle pains.

Use it topically, as an inhalant, in a bath or in a diffuser.

Available now online at abundancenaturally.com and well.ca.

Lotus Aroma Balsam Fir Essential Oil - 15ml - $14 - 100% pure and traditionally used as a respiratory antiseptic, cough suppressant, air antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, tonic and general stimulant in the perfect form for a diffuser to prepare your home for the upcoming indoor season.

Available now at select drug and health food stores across Canada.

Not actually an essential oil but I didn't think this post would be complete without adding in my favourite scent ever...

The Body Shop Satsuma Home Fragrance Oil - 10ml - $6 - a zesty home fragrance oil with essential oils and Community Fair Trade grown soya oil from Brazil that will fill your living space with the crisp, citrus aroma of satsuma for a fresh, scented atmosphere at home.

Available at The Body Shop stores across Canada and online at thebodyshop.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Acne help that is kind to your skin from Thursday Plantation, The Better Skin Co. and Neutrogena!

Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Essential Oil - 50ml - $19.99 - a natural acne treatment of 100% pure broad spectrum antiseptic naturally sourced and made in Australia. It's a simple to use acne treatment - just one drop on a q-tip and apply directly to the spot - you can also use it on cuts and scrapes!

My sister is picky about what she will put on her skin and swears by tea tree oil so that was enough for me to do some experimenting. The nice thing about it is not only can you use to straight from the bottle, but it's also great for mixing with other products to make your own acne products without the harsh ingredients. Add a drop to your cleanser for squeaky clean skin, to your toner to help clean out pores and to moisturizer for skin that feels fresh.

Or if you're not such a do-it-yourself-er there is a whole range of Thursday Plantation Tea Tree products including Tea Tree Face Wash Foam - 150ml - $14.99, Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Toner - 100ml - $12.99 and Tea Tree Face Cream - 65g - $15.99

Available mass, drug and grocery retailers across Canada including Walmart, Rexall and Loblaws as well as many health and natural stores and online at http://thursdayplantationcanada.ca.

Better Skin Zit No More - 7ml - $22 - a super strength, super-fast zit zapper in an easy to use rollerball. The formula contains salicylic acid along with three soothing essential oils: tea tree, rosehip and rosewood - so it dries out the zit, not the area around it - and is boosted with PhytoVie pollution defense to protect from environmental pollution - and is clear so it can be used day or night and layers seamlessly under makeup.

Available at Murale and select Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutique stores across Canada and online at beautyboutique.ca.

Or if you want to avoid putting anything on your skin you can go the light therapy route:

Neutrogena Light Therapy Acne Spot Treatment - $37.99 - harnesses the power of red and blue light therapy to target and treat mild to moderate acne breakouts, reducing the appearance of breakouts without flaking, and the light is UV-free so no burning.

To use, just treat for two minutes, three times a day - it's small and portable so can easily travel with you for treatments on the go!

Available at drug and mass retailers across Canada.

- Lisamarie -

This week I'm obsessed with... making my own mask with Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Oil!

Thursday Plantation 100% Pure Tea Tree Oil - 50ml - $23.99 - a 100% pure, naturally sourced broad spectrum antiseptic distilled from specially selected Melaleuca alternifolia leaves, a plant native to the coastal regions of northern New South Wales and south eastern Queensland, Australia.

The wonderful thing about tea tree oil is how many things you can use it for including making a kickass sheet mask at home! It's super easy do: just mix together 1/4 cup of distilled water with 1 teaspoon of raw honey and then add 4-5 drops of tea tree oil; submerge a reusable muslin cotton sheet mask (you can buy them at health food stores or make your own out of muslin from the craft store) into the bowl, allowing it to soak up the solution; apply mask to your face and leave on for 10-15 minutes; remove rinse and enjoy your smooth, clean skin - then just hand wash the mask and it's ready to use again. 

Acne prone, oily and combination skin will especially appreciate the purifying effects of the mask - I like to follow it with Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Face Cream for the full tea tree effect!

Available now at Walmart, Rexall, Whole Foods, Goodness Me, Nature's Emporium, The Big Carrot, Loblaws and lots of independent health food stores across Canada and online at well.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Enjoying the calm before the storm at the TIFF Essentials Lounge 7 2016!

EGPR and brand partners were back again this year for the seventh season with the TIFF Essentials Lounge at The Richmond in Toronto with a one-day event that welcomes invited members of the media to experience pampering in preparation for all the craziness of  TIFF!

This is the week that there are a bunch of lounges but I must admit, I always look forward to and enjoy Essentials Lounge the most - the products and services are always new, interesting and most needed - and this year was no exception1

New to me was ,en's and women's activewear label Colmar - known for their specially designed pieces for activities including golf and skiing as well as innovative and stylish all-round wear, the brand is loved for its carefully engineered and ultra wearable designs with Italian flair. With warm winter-ready quilted designs, sleek moto-inspired jackets and essential windbreakers made from premium natural and technical fabrics.

You get a really good feel for the reflective qualities of the jacket's technology when you take a flash pic!

I fell in love with the Colmar Woman's Empire Research Down Jacket - $770 - super light and water repellent with technical fabric padded in down - to keep you warm while looking great! Available at www.LiveOutThere.com.

The experts stylists from KMS California were on hand to perk up humidity stricken hair - they had products for every hair type and issue you can think of including one that is my new fave:

KMS Free Shape 2 in 1 Styling + Finishing Spray - 174g - $24.95 - a heat activated shaping and finishing spray with a unique technology that creates smooth shaping with hot tools while at the same time holds like a hairspray to help create perfect curls or smooth straightened hair. Available at salons across Canada - check out www.KMSCalifornia.com to find one near you.

Saucony known for their high-performance running shoes was showing off their lifestyle line - aka cute stylish shoes meant for everyday life that are hella comfortable!

Perfect for me because I believe one should only run if something is chasing you! I fell in love with these ultra-adorable Life On The Run Jazz Original shoes - $95 - with a nylon/suede upper and a padded collar and tongue for ultra-comfort and a footbed that provides superior shock absorption, fit and extra comfort - and did I mention how cute they are?!?

And it was nice to see some old favourites too including Thursday Plantation natural oils with my already beloved Tea Tree Oil.

For Beloved One Melasleep Brightening Bio-Cellulose Mask - with a new formula developed to fight pigmentation in the skin and help skin look brighter.

And something my face never goes outside without - SkinCeuticals Physical Matte UV Defense SPF 50!

Smashbox was showing off their latest and greatest - Always On Matte Liquid Lipstick - $28 - in 20 shades that offer eight-hour wear with a featherweight, comfortable formula that stays put and keeps color looking as fresh and flawless as the first swipe. I tried out a bright red-orange shade - Thrill Seeker - that looked fab!

Who wouldn't be hungry after all that? Luckily Fully Loaded T.O. was on hand with a food truck full of nibbley goodness and although I was really curious to know how one would stuff a chicken wing full of mac 'n' cheese, I went with the buttermilk chicken tenders with thai sauce - delicious!

- Lisamarie -

This week I'm obsessed with... Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Oil!

Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Oil - 10ml - $7.99, 25ml - $13.99, 50ml - $23.99 - a 100% pure, naturally sourced broad spectrum antiseptic distilled from specially selected Melaleuca alternifolia leaves, a plant native to the coastal regions of northern New South Wales and south eastern Queensland, Australia..

The wonderful thing about tea tree oil is how many things you can use it for - it's a first aid kit in a bottle as it can be applied to minor cuts, burns, sunburn, abrasions, bites and stings; cures fungal infections like athlete's foot; prevents tooth decay and my sister swears by it for acne. Run out of lysol? It can even be used as cleaner and kills 99.9% of household germs!

It's been taking care of a stinkier problem for me though, it's hot, my feet spend all day in sweaty shoes, by the time I get home they do not smell like roses let me tell you! But 2 drops of tea tree oil in a foot bath of tepid water for 10 minutes and they are no longer an offense to decent people - to top it off, a couple drops of the oil in a spray bottle of water and I can take care of the stinky shoes themselves too - genius!

Available now at Walmart, Rexall, Whole Foods, Goodness Me, Nature's Emporium, The Big Carrot, Loblaws and lots of independent health food stores across Canada and online at well.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Cold sore solutions from Polysporin and Thursday Plantation!

You can never truly appreciate just how horrible cold sores are unless you are one of the unlucky ones who get them! I do - so I am always on the lookout for new ways to deal and how excited was I to hear about this new product - Polysporin Cold Sore Healing Patch - 15 patches - $18.99 - not only does it help the cold sore heal, it masks it! This means you can wear makeup over it for even more concealment!

Other benefits of the patch are it helps prevent scabbing, relieves pain, deduces tingling, itching and burning, reduces redness and swelling and protects sore from contamination but really, I'm still stuck on being able to wear lipstick on top to hide the stupid thing!

I won't go so far as to say that I'm hoping for a cold sore to come on so I can test them out but at least when I do get one it will be slightly less horrible to deal with now!

Available at food, drug and mass merchandisers and if you want a $5 off coupon you can go here to score one: http://polysporin.ca/en/coupon.asp

I have the usual prescription medication for cold sores which is good for healing but doesn't do a damn thing for the itching and burning aspect so I've always done a layering thing with products and used something on top of it that offers a cooling benefit. The one I loved most was Mentholatum Natural Ice Healer but them they stopped selling it in Cananda and now it seems they've stopped making the product altogether so I had to find an alternative which I have found in:


Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Cold Sore Cream - 10g - $6 - using the powerful antibacterial and antiviral properties of 100% pure tea tree oil it provides soothing relief to cold sore, sun blisters and chapped lips naturally while helping to prevent and heal cold sores.

This one feels great on thanks to the camphor in it that cools the lips but if you are looking for more of a straight moisturizer and don't need the cold sore or chapped lip relief, you might prefer their regular lip balm which has tea tree oil with shea butter.

Available at Shoppers Drug Mart, Rexall/Pharmaplus, Whole Foods, Loblaws and select health food stores across Canada or online at www.abundancenaturally.com.

- Lisamarie -