St. Tropez Tan Mousse - The Most Fabulous Tan Comes in a Bottle!

I have always been pale. As a teenager, friends nicknamed me "Spook" because I was so white. In summertime, I wore a jean jacket and pants because I was embarrassed of how ghost-like I looked.

Decades later, I am nowhere near as pale (thanks, global warming), but I'm not ready to bare my bod in a bathing suit anytime soon either. 

But I have found the ultimate cure in St. Tropez's Self Tan Bronzing Mousse.

You don't have to worry about being orange or streaking or any of the nightmares you've lived with self-tanners before. And because I'd tried St. Tropez before, I knew I was in good hands.

So I applied this awesomely light mousse (if St. Tropez made desserts, I'd be all in) to my legs. Now first thing's first - do not be weirded out by the colour of the mousse (dark brown/grey). It will not look like this once you rub it in.  Secondly, get yourself the wonderful Applicator Mitt. Not only does it ensure you get an even application, you won't have to worry about having brown hands for the next couple of days.

I am awful at applying anything - hair colour, makeup, tanning stuff. Really, you might as well just call me "Streaky." But with St. Tropez's Self Tan Bronzing Mousse, I have J. Lo-worthy limbs now. They are bronzed and seemingly more toned. I look healthier. I look different now that I'm tanned.

Because the mousse dries instantly (60 seconds, y'all), you don't have to lounge around the house all day before you can get dressed and because it doesn't reek like most self-tanners (their innovative Aromaguard fragrance technology "eliminates the tell-tale self tan aroma by a minimum of 70%"), you can breathe deeply as much as you want to.

The only problem with it is that it's not shorts weather where I live, so only a select few are going to see my deep tan. In the meantime, I feel fantastic knowing that underneath my sweaters, pants, socks, boots and puffy coat, I am ready to rush into the ocean in a teeny bikini at a moment's notice. 

Get yourself a whack of St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse. In fact, get a whole case.

Impart Fresh Flavours with Olive & Olives Organic Olive Oils

I have figured out the best and easiest way to cook well is to have a well-stocked pantry. This takes time as you'll want to find good ingredients, but this way, you will almost always produce great results.

This is why I am a big believer in a fantastic olive oil. It can take the most basic dish and make it revolutionary. And one of my new favourite discoveries is Olive & Olives.

This Canadian shop (with stores in Toronto and Montreal) was started by Claudia and Danièle and Claudia's obsession about Spanish olive oil, and has quickly grown into an industry. 

And you can see why. The quality is what makes the difference in a good oil. In fact, I just want to drink Olive & Olives Organic Estate Bottled Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a cup. This unctuous blend of arbequina and arbreblanque olives is fruity, fresh and has a kick of spice that whether you're dipping bread, marinating meat, dressing a salad with it or drizzling it over ice cream (try it - it's wicked).

Of course, this is just one of many available to choose from. And a good pantry will also always have a stellar vinegars and olives and other pantry items on hand, so whether you have 30 mins or 3 hours to make a meal, it will no doubt be a memorable one.

Stock the  pantry shelves with Olive & Olives now.

Delight in the Venetian Countryside with Bottega Veneta Parfum

 

January is a tough month to try and get through - it's cold, snowy and everything feels stale and flat.

That's all about to change now that you've got Bottega Veneta Parfum.

This intensely pleasing scent is like no other before it. Because Bottega Veneta is known for its extraordinary leather goods, don't be surprised if you take in some leathery notes.  

Tomas Maier, Creative Director of BV, imagined the scent as a dream of the Venetian countryside. Summer breezes, worn wood floors soaked in sunshine, leather-bound books and flowers comprise a picture that I want to get lost in every single day. And now I can, thanks to this luscious scent.

Bottega Veneta is comprised of sensual notes of bergamot, patchouli, jasmine sambac and oak moss, with effervescent pink peppercorns to keep it light and lively. The bottle is so exquisite, with its leather tie at the neck, that you'll feel like you're unwrapping a present each and every time you envelop yourself in this fragrance.

Whether you're looking to get a new fragrance for yourself or for someone else (Valentine's Day is getting closer...), you really ought to get Bottega Veneta Parfum. It's the one I can't stop reaching for, can't stop wearing.

Bottega Veneta Parfum is available at select Holt Renfrew and select Bay Stores across Canada.

Step It Up This Valentine's Day with Taza Chocolate!

Although it seems like Christmas was just a few weeks ago (it kinda was), it's time to start thinking about Valentine's Day.

Now you could do what you always do and go to the mall, get a cheezy card because that's all they have and then stuff a gift card in it because you don't really know what get.

Let me help. Get some Taza Chocolate and watch the sparks fly.

Taza Chocolate is far beyond your usual chocolates. First of all, it's stone ground, organic, sustainable and direct trade certified, so you're getting a responsibly-made product that you can feel good in buying and supporting.

Secondly, it's made in a traditional fashion. It all evolved from a trip that cofounder Alex Whitmore took to Oaxaca back in 2005, which is how the company's dedication to "crafting artisan, Mexican-style chocolate in the United States" came to be.

Made in small batches by hand, you can actually see how your batch was made! You can't do that with those red and black boxes you no doubt used to pick up at the drugstore. 

And of course, all of this tender care and attention translates to a divine treat that is unlike any other chocolate you've ever had. Salted Almond Chocolate Mexicano Discs, for example, has an amazingly unique texture and texture. Made only with organic, single-origin Hispaniola cacao beans, organic cane sugar, whole organic raw, then roasted California almonds and kosher salt, this sweet and salty indulgence can also be used to make Mexican hot chocolate (I'm using mine to make Chicken Mole and to add spice and smoothness to my chilis as well - get the whole collection, pictured above).

If you want straight-up chocolate, this 87% Stone Ground Dark Chocolate Bar will satiate your craving, whether it's something you want to nibble on or use to bake your loved one a delectable dessert this Valentine's Day.

Once you've had Taza, it's hard to go back to anything else.

Be sure to check out the entire Taza Chocolate store - there is so much to see and discover!

Philosophy's Purity One-Step Facial Cleanser Removes Even the Most Stubborn Makeup

I won't even buy makeup anymore that doesn't come off with just water. 

Because despite their bold claims, many cleansers don't work off that waterproof mascara that you just doled out $20 for or that liquid eyeliner that is supposed to last until next Tuesday. And then you're stuck with a face of smudged makeup that still won't come off, so now you look like the cast of a George Romero film. 

Great.

And if you do happen to stumble across a cleanser that removes your makeup, it no doubt acts like paint remover and your skin is left a dry, brittle, gross mess.

Sigh.

But your days of having to live with your makeup on for more than 24 hours are over, thanks to the wonderful miracle of Philosophy's Purity Made Simple One-Step Cleanser!

It multitasks just like you do! Ridding you of all your workday/night-on-the-town makeup without hurting your very sensitive peepers, it also gives your pores a what's-what and then goes on to tone and moisturize your skin with natural oils such as rosewood, sandalwood, carrot seed and sage.

So go ahead and buy that eyeshadow that will stay put all weekend, that lip liner that is practically a tattoo and that foundation that just won't budge.

You can have your cake and eat it too, thanks to Philosophy's Purity Made Simple One-Step Cleanser.

Hallejuah!

Bring the Garden Indoors with Alighiero Campostrini's Bath Collection

Things tend to get a little stale in winter - the windows are sealed shut, air circulates at a snail's pace and everything seems to smell a little bit like roast squash.

That's why you're going to want to get yourself Alighiero Campostrini's Bath Collection.  

See, these soaps don't aspire to be or seem European - they actually are. For more than a century in fact. This artisan soap uses a secret family formula from 1894 and "ancient Tuscan soap-making techniques," that delivers a product that is so superior to the soap that you're used to, that you will abandon those drugstore bars immediately.

With every bar, you get a handmade creation. Vegetable oils, beeswax and glycerinare poured by hand into antique bronze molds. Then, Florentine botanical fragrances are added. These scents will completely captivate you, as will the packaging, with illustrations by Italian artist Giorgio Mattioli.

These vegetable soaps not only go a long way to giving you softer, smoother skin this season, they will fill your bathroom, chest of drawers, bedroom and kitchen with fresh, garden-inspired scents. 

 

The big brick of Primitivo brings Italy into your home. Rich with pure olive oil and a warm, earthy scent, this gorgeous soap will make you feel like you're staying in a rustic villa surrounded by flowers and gardens. They should just call soap "Vacation," which is why it also makes a wonderful gift. I mean, we can't all afford to be traipsing off the Italy every few months, but there's no reason we shouldn't be able to

It's also available in Frutatto, Verdone and Gentile.

Exclusively available at C.O. Bigelow, think of these fabulous soaps as not just rich skin moisturizers or cleansing bars - think of them as home fragrances that are also a fabulous gift that requires no gift wrapping.

Shop Alighiero Campostrini now.

Estée Lauder's New Pure Colour Gloss in Citron Kiss is Poppin'!

There is a wonderfully fun song by L'il Mama called "Lipgloss."

She raves about various lipglosses that she's coveting. 

If I could do one, I'd do it about Citron Kiss, the new golden gloss from the Pure Colour Spring 2012 Collection by Tom Pecheux, Creative Makeup Director, Estée Lauder. 

Tom says:

"My inspiration behind the collection was vacationing in Arizona, enjoying the warm sun, the amazing desert colours and the shadows that play on the sand and rocks. I was thinking of a gorgeously healthy-looking woman that had an element of fantasy in her personality. I wanted to convey that with a palette of strong yet soft colours."

Mmm, doesn't that sound just perfect for this time of year, when we all need warming up and a little extra glow?

And that's why Citron Kiss is such a perfect addition to your makeup collection right now. This limited edition gloss gives you that sun-kissed effect without making you look like you're a Vegas showgirl. In fact, it's quite sheer and just lightly sprinkles sunshiney warmth to your lips.

What seals this amazing gloss as an absolute beauty essential is that it can be worn on its own or over another lip product as a way to enhance and warm it up. 

And if you're like me and tend to shy away from golds (I'm so pink that it often looks weird on me), don't be afraid of this one. It's not only long-lasting, it works with your skin like no other precious metal before it. In fact, it may just suit you better than what you've been using up until now.

That's the power of Estée Lauder - you will covet this so much that when the limited edition run is over, you will spend the rest of your days trying to replicate its look and feel.

So go run and get yourself the Pure Colour Topaz Spring 2012 Collection now before its too late.

Say Hello to Softer, Smoother Skin with Olivella's Hand & Body Creams

My skin needs a lot of extra attention in winter.

Since I don't drive, I walk or take transit everywhere. Which often means my skin's right out in the elements - snowstorms, rain pelting down, whatever mother nature brings. So it gets mighty rough and raw. Especially after all the cleaning, cooking and washing I do.

So I need the "good stuff," products that will sink in and make a difference quickly. Hand cream that will hold up to me working with paper all day (how drying is that?) to outside in the cold to elbow deep in hot water doing dishes.

Yeah, I'm asking a hell of a lot, but Olivella is up to the task.

Olivella Hand Cream uses 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which if you've ever got any on your hands, you'll know it softens you skin as soon as you rub it in and doesn't leave behind a greasy feel at all. So you can imagine my delight in finding something to get my hands silky again. This light green (from the olives, of course) luxury-in-a-bottle absorbs quickly and has a wonderfully fresh scent.

And let's not forget the body. Even though I'm not out and about without a stitch of clothing on, my legs and arms do dry up during these snowy months. So I'm keeping everything supple thanks to Olivella's Body Cream. It feels so good to apply this lightly-scented green cream that you might just want to put it on once in the morning and once before bed. But you won't need to. Put it on the once and just see how plump and soft your skin becomes.

You can see why I adore Olivella's products. Check out their Daily Facial Cleansing Tissues, Face & Body Soap and their Bar Soaps too. In fact, just shop the entire store. At these prices, you can't afford not to!