New and improved Consonant Intensive Therapy Organic Hand Cream is here!

I'm a longtime fan of:

Consonant Intensive Therapy Organic Hand Cream - 125ml - $20 - with an intensive yet non-greasy formula, it's perfect for people who wash their hands a lot: doctors, nurses, gardeners, obsessive compulsives - whatever! Formulated with emollient and mineral-rich algae as well as natural source anti-oxidant Vitamin E, chamomile and ginseng extracts, what's great about it is that it penetrates into the skin to improve the condition of it rather than just covering up the symptoms.

Feel free to use it on any other dry bits you find as well - it's especially good on elbows and heels!

As much as I like this hand cream I've always felt it lacked scent but as Consonant avoids adding superfluous scents to their products I figured that was just one of those sad things in life I was going to have to learn to live with. Except I don't because now it contains a hint of rosemary extract which not only is a natural antibacterial, it also gives the cream a subtle aroma that smells great!

And of course there are no parabens, sulphates, petroleum ingredients, phthalates or silicone.

Available now at the Consonant store at 2479 Yonge Street in Toronto, selected boutiques across Canada and online at www.consonantskincare.com.

- Lisamarie -

This week I'm obsessed with... Cocoon Apothecary Ancient Mud Facial Mask!

Going organic never felt or smelled so good thanks to:

Cocoon Apothecary Ancient Mud Facial Mask - 100g - $24 - a 100% natural product that detoxifies, exfoliates and tightens with: Dead Sea mud - to re-mineralize the skin with essential nutrients and purify pores of toxins and pollutants; Canadian glacial marine clay from the coat of British Columbia - that absorbs deep into pores to pull out contaminants and excess oil; and orange blossom and rose essential oils that contain antioxidants to nourish skin deeply and also make the mask smell great!

My skin tends to be less flaky during the summer when it becomes a lot oiler and because earlier and extended daylight hours means I am wearing a lot more sunscreen, my skin feels really gunky by the end of the week - this mask is perfect for pulling all the yucky crap that has accumulated in my pores and leaving it feeling fresh and clean!

I like it's a Canadian home-grown line from Kitchener, Ontario and free of all those nasty petroleums and parabens that nobody wants in their products anymore! There's a whole range of skincare products - and of the ones that I have smelled, have a rose element to the scent which I'm not normally a big fan of because I don't like artificial floral scents but the Cocoon rose scent is very soft and natural smelling so I'm digging it!

Available at The Big Carrot in Toronto and other natural health retailers and online at www.cocoonapothecary.com, well.ca and amazon.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Vapour Organic Beauty South Beach Summer 2013 collection

This summer Vapour Organic has flirty new shades for the lips and nails inspired by the joyful, effortless beauty of a 1950's South Beach summer!

Siren Lipstick in Pin-Up - poppy coral - $22
Vernissage 5-Free Nail Lacquer in Amour - vivid warm pink or Kitten - warm bright coral - $16

And if you decide you can't live without all 3 pieces, there is a bonus gift of a Mini Replenish Organic Nail and Cuticle Oil in it for you!

Available now at www.vapourbeauty.com.

- Lisamarie -

Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition collection is now new and improved!

Dry and damaged hair will be happy to know that the Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition collection that we already know and love now has a new and improved formula - with 3 powerful oils: avocado, olive and almond that deeply penetrate into the hair for stronger, smoother and healthier hair in just one week!

Available in the pretty new yellow bottles are:

Triple Nutrition Fortifying Shampoo - 384ml - $5.29, 750ml - $7.99

Triple Nutrition Fortifying Conditioner - 384ml - $5.29

Triple Nutrition 3 Minute Dryness Reversal Treatment - 250ml - $5.79

Triple Nutrition Double Care Detangling Treatment - 250ml - $5.79

Triple Nutrition Miracle Dry Oil - 150ml - $5.79.

Available now at drugstores and mass retailers across Canada.

- Lisamarie -

Demure nails done 3 ways with L'Oréal - stickers, press-ons and polish - with swatches!

L'Oréal Colour Riche Nail Lingerie - $9.99 - in 6 styles: Elite Chic, Bling Addict, In With The New, Something About Her, Razzle Be Dazzle and Statement Place - contain 18 stickers with a 3D transparent-based design that can be worn on their own or over your favourite polish to give it a bit of pizazz and last up to 10 days!

I don't normally bother with stickers because the smallest size is always too big for my little fingers and I end up having to trim them so much that they turn into a mess - not a problem with these ones, there was a size perfect even for my littlest nail!

Gold and glistening with Elite Chic

L'Oréal Colour Riche Press-On Nails - $14.99 - in 8 styles: Midnight French, French Twist, Walk The Line, Cross The Line, Proposal In Paris, Earn Your Stripes, Moon About You and Perfect Opposites - with 24 nails in 12 sizes made of an ultra-fine and flexible resin that adapts perfectly to each nail shape. They stay on with a non-damaging, non-abrasive self-adhesive with no messy glues and last up to 7days and can be easily removed at your whim.

The range of sizes is great, they apply easily but be prepared to have to trim them, they are really long (or at least they are for me)!

Lovely and lacy with Proposal In Paris

L'Oréal Nail Color - $6.99 - in 9 new shades: I Pink I'm In Love, Smell The Roses, Charmed I Am Sure, Greyt Expectations, He Red My Mind, Rendez Vous, Paparazzi Pleaser, Breaking Curfew and After Hours.

Pretty in pink with I Pink I'm In Love

- Lisamarie -

Mascara Monday - CoverGirl Clump Crusher Extensions Mascara

I'm a big fan of the original CoverGirl Clump Crusher Mascara but wished that it lengthened more then volumized - wish granted thanks to:

CoverGirl Clump Crusher Extensions Mascara - $10.99 -with a buildable fiber-stretch formula that offers 200% more volume and length to your lashes. And an innovative curved brush that helps sweep away clumps while building volume and length so lashes appear volumized, longer and separated. 

It's less dramatic a look then the original but I like a more natural look for an everyday mascara.

And once again all was achieved with no lash comb!

I am all-around happy with this new addition to the Clump Crusher line!

- Lisamarie -

Avalon Organics offers healthy choices for your bath and body diet!

Looking to add more natural products to your life? Then you'll want to check out Avalon Organics - a line of gentle yet effective bath & body and hair care products that contain at least 70% organic content and the therapeutic benefits of pure essential oils formulated without parabens, harsh preservatives, synthetic fragrances, artificial colours, phthalates or harmful sulfates and are made with 100% vegetarian ingredients and never tested on animals.

Available in the collection:

Shampoo & Conditioner - 325ml - $9.99 - gentle shampoos and moisturizing conditioners that cleanse without stripping and hydrate without adding excess weight, formulated for specific hair care needs to provide vibrant, healthy-looking hair without harsh preservatives and hair-stripping cleansers - Nourishing Lavender Shampoo & Conditioner; Clarifying Lemon Shampoo & Conditioner; Strengthening Peppermint Shampoo & Conditioner; Volumizing Rosemary Shampoo & Conditioner and Fragrance Free Moisturizing Olive & Grape Seed Shampoo & Conditioner.

Hand & Body Lotion - 355ml - $12.99 - moisturizes and provides vital hydration and nourishment to comfort and return skin to healthy-looking radiance - Lavender Hand & Body Lotion; Lemon Hand & Body Lotion; Peppermint Hand & Body Lotion; Rosemary Hand & Body Lotion and Fragrance Free Olive & Grape Seed Hand & Body Lotion.

Bath & Shower Gel - 355ml - $10.99 - a gentle way to cleanse the skin while awakening the senses with bubbling lathers of botanical extracts and fragrant essential oils - Lavender Bath & Shower Gel; Lemon Bath & Shower Gel; Peppermint Bath & Shower Gel and Rosemary Bath & Shower Gel.

Hand Soap - 355ml - $7.99 - designed to nourish skin without causing dryness or irritation with frequent washings - enriched with glycerin, they provide deep hydrating moisture while enveloping your senses in the infusing fragrances of organic essential oils - Lavender Glycerin Hand Soap; Lemon Glycerin Hand Soap; Peppermint Glycerin Hand Soap and Rosemary Glycerin Hand Soap.

My favourite thing about the line is the fragrance and I am especially enamored of  the lavender scent - which smells very natural and not overpowering or fake like many lavender products tend to smell!

Available at Whole Foods, Metro, Loblaws, Fortinos, Real Canadian Super Store, Target, Pharma Plus, Rexall and other selected stores across Canada as well as online at amazon.ca and well.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Base your manicure on Sally Hansen, Avon and Sephora!

A good base coat is your manicures' best friend! Not only will it help the polish last longer, it will also ensure it goes on smoothly and if you pick your base coat right, you'll be getting lots of vitamins and minerals to do your nails good and make them stronger! Here are a few I like:



Sally Hansen Salon Manicure Smooth & Strong Base Coat - $7.99 - infused with pro-vitamin B which is derived from oysters to help promote nail growth and strength as well as spirulina - a blue-green algae that is rich in proteins, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to nourish and strengthen nails.

Avon Gel Strength Base Coat - $6.99 - increases nail strength by 92% with a protein and keratin-infused formula that creates a hard finish with a gel-like shine, making it pretty enough to even wear on it's own!

Available from your Avon rep - 1-800-265-AVON or online at www.avon.ca.

Sephora 3 in 1 Perfecting Base Coat - $7 - a multitasking base coat that combines three nail care essentials in one formula: protection, smoothing, and strengthening. The fast-drying coat eliminates chipping and maximizes color, longer. The inclusion of bamboo extract, rich in silica, smoothes the nail surface, while zinc, magnesium, and manganese derivatives provide the nails with extra strength.

Available at Sephora and sephora.ca.

- Lisamarie -