Update: Lush Aromaco

I feel compelled to retract my previous rave review of Lush’s aromaco. The product started to fail a few weeks ago. I noticed it appeared to develop condensation periodically and was getting quite dried out. I grated a later off of it as instructed, but it started to be less effective.

I’m currently testing out Jason Natural Tea Tree Deodorant Stick. The description provided by Jason is as follows:

“This natural deodorant combines age-old botanical secrets for long-lasting protection. JASON Tea Tree Deodorant Stick is formulated without Aluminum Chlorohydrate. Formulated with Certified Organic Tea Tree Oil, well known for its anti-bacterial and antiseptic properties, as well as Azulene, for its skin soothing properties. Enriched with Certified Organic Corn Starch, this deodorant delivers energizing freshness.”

Indeed it smells delicious, applies easily and does not appear to require re-application as frequently as Aromaco. I never really liked holding the Aromaco deodorant directly in my hand anyway, although I acknowlege the applicator creates waste. It hasn’t been workout-tested as of yet, so we’ll see how it holds up.

What I’m up to

I’m working on my personal fall look book, but in the meantime here is a link dump:

Summer’s End Folk Festival – I’m island bound with my artsy loves for the last weekend of the summer.

How to Deal with Salespeople – Being nice when you’re in a rush, frustrated your rear is large etc is actually really hard for the more self centered of us (ie. me).

Piewacket has an estate sale – “Porn” for the retro household effects lover. Too bad I’m not near Atlanta.

7 Tips for Creating a Cozy, Calming Bedroom – I’ve been workin’ on my love nest

Rock Version of Silent Film Classic ‘Metropolis’ to Hit Theatres This Fall – I keep flip-flopping as to how I feel about this. I love Fritz Lang and it will be interesting to see how this turns out.

New Chanel Le Vernis – My local authorized dealer just got in Peridot, Graphite and Quartz. I’m rocking the Quartz right now and the Peridot is gracing my vanity with its presence.

What the Water Gave Me – SO into this song right now. November is too far away. Listen here

Notable Quotable: “My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.” – NDP leader Jack Layton, from a letter released to the public after his death on August 22nd, 2011.

Review: Lush’s Aromaco

“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” -Margaret Atwood

I want to talk about my pits. No really, that’s not a cute play on words. I mean my armpits.

Several years ago I made the decision to decrease my use of synthetic beauty products, with great success. Besides a few makeup products, the only real trouble I have had with ditching the nasties is concerning antiperspirant.

Let me be frank: I sweat. I am an active person who has the extra joy of having difficulty regulating my body temperature. Recently this problem has worsened. It’s embarrassing and uncomfortable. Increasing the strength of my antiperspirant seemed to only marginally help the problem. While perusing a few message boards on health websites, I read MANY anecdotal accounts that longterm and frequent use of underarm antiperspirant can actually worsen sweating in other areas of the body. That was worth investigating.

There are other more serious problems with most antiperspirants. Aluminum has been established as a neurotoxin. We trust our government health authorities and the market to release products that are safe, but you’ll find that unless there are acute dangers inherent within a product, you’ll still find it on the store shelves. With the amount of toxins I’m unwillingly exposed to in my environment, I’d like to limit applying them directly to my body. Aluminum is also responsible for the nasty yellow sweat stains on clothing due to chemical reaction.

I’ve tried a number of deodorant products sans aluminum and I’ve never had great success. Recently I purchased Lush’s Aromaco deodorant bar. I gave it a good three weeks of testing and… TA-DA! We have a winner.

It’s a solid bar that you simply rub on. I understand that if it gets overly dry you just need to shave off a bit of the exterior, but so far so good. I expected it would at least mask odour. Although I find the patchouli smell a bit masculine for my liking, it works. Lush has a second scent, Aromarant, which boasts a citrus aroma.

My happy underarm

I was amazed to discover the patchouli has the added benefit of skin smoothing even before I read that would be the guess. You may have noticed those terrible Dove commercials designed to make us feel bad about underarm dryness. Screw that. I have patchouli power.

I expected to experience increased wetness without aluminum. Turns out the baking soda and witch hazel combo are superior. I’m willing to bet there’s a placebo factor here, but my overall excessive sweating issue seems to have completely disappeared. For other areas of the body, I’m thinking about giving the Greench deodorant powder a shot (don’t use near the face! It has talc!).

I would suggest reapplication every 8 hours or after activity, but that’s no different than other products I’ve used.

The best part is of course that this product is vegan. You’ll find many other deodorant/antiperspirants are tested on animals or contain animal ingredients, but not this baby.

Word to the wise: read Lush’s ingredients. Some products *may* be vegan even if they aren’t labeled as such. I suspect their products that appear vegan are not labeled as such because of “perfume” or “fragrance”. Companies are not required to disclose the ingredients in their fragrances since this is considered a trade secret. This gives them carte blanche to include whatever they wish. There’s no guarantee as to what you’re getting, so it comes down to whether you mind that being the case. Lush also has a tendency to have ingredients like sulfates and parabens despite all their “natural” marketing.

Obligatory TL;DR New Year’s Resolution Post

Taken by Sabrina Jacques. Man, I really am a midget

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbours, and let each new year find you a better man.
- Benjamin Franklin

As I’ve mentioned before, 18 months ago I started having some pretty severe health problems as a result of stress and poor environment. Since then I’ve really learned to listen to my body and alter my habits accordingly. Sadly sometimes I… fall off the waggon? Actually no. The waggon mows me down and then backs over me again. Horses and all.

We all make resolutions to be better people, give up bad habits, etc. I think the foundation to all of these things is basic physical and mental wellness. Unless you are well, you cannot achieve your goals.

The first thing to go was my workout routine this fall. I started slacking on my weight training due to unrelated pains in my wrists and back. Instead of addressing those, I just avoided activities which aggravated the problem. My cardio routine even took a hit just because of the reduction in overall gym days & a busy schedule. FAIL.

Because the opportunity was there and I needed the extra money for the holidays, I worked a fair amount of extra hours. Since I had other obligations at this time as well, I was really short on free time. What was sacrificed? Well, sleep of course. DOUBLE FAIL.

Next, I did what most of us do in December. Despite this being my first vegan Christmas I found a way to pack in the sugar, fat and calories. Being so busy led to less cooking time. On top of that, my water intake went down and my alcohol intake up. TRIPLE FAIL.

I tied up this fail combo nicely by fully scheduling every minute of my vacation days with volunteer opportunities, lunch/coffee dates, errands, appointments and family events, leaving absolutely no time to re-group and think about things like rest.

THE RESULTS?

Well, at this moment all of my clothes are tight from weight gain, my skin is a disaster between general breakouts and allergy reactions, I’m dehydrated, exhausted, short tempered and experiencing the resurgence of a cold!

THE PLAN:

I present your ten holiday detox commandments:

1. FEED THYSELF: My fridge is going to be fully stocked with a variety of fresh veggies at all times, regardless of cost. In addition, I’m going to invade the work fridge with small containers of chopped veggies, almonds etc so I won’t be tempted to reach for that afternoon bagel (aka the multigrain temptress). If you have healthy foods at hand, you’ll survive even during busy times! In addition to cutting carbs, fat and salt, I’ll be cutting the boozin’. I was “that girl” on New Year’s Eve, hugging all her friends and neighbours just a little too tightly while slurring conversation. The stiletto pumps were off by 11:00.

2. WATER THYSELF: Step one: I’m buying a 1L water bottle. I find, at work in particular, the main factor in my low water intake is that I hate stopping what I’m doing to refill my water bottle. That said, I want to refill this puppy 2-3 times a day! Did you know that most of us are chronically dehydrated, leading to fatigue, weight gain, skin problems, respiratory problems and more?

3. BRAVE THEE YE RESOLUTIONERS: Last year, my gym time suffered. I fully support those trying to get in shape, but my gym makes me really upset by their recruiting techniques. At times last January I questioned if they were abiding by fire codes. The couch potatoes all go back to from whence they came after about six weeks, but until then… I am not above throwing elbows. Humans are not meant to be this lazy. You need to move. You need to move NOW. No excuses. If you start now and continue, I promise I won’t resent you like I do those with a fleeting zeal to get in shape. Need to shake up your routine? I might brave the chlorine and the embarrassment of a bathing cap to get back to the pool. This is a HUGE concession for me. If I can do it, so can you.

4. FILL THY RECIPE BOOK: My aunt gave me an amazing scrap book to record all my recipes. It’s easy to try new things in the summer because I’m inspired by seasonal ingredients, but in the winter I tend to slack. Leftovers are coming back into my life. The mission? One new dish or side per week until the spring! Can you do it?

5. EDIT THY SOCIAL LIFE: Mama needs sleep. I’m learning I can’t be everyone’s party planner, nor their therapist. I run out of energy faster than I run out of outfits. How many of us spend the holidays over extending ourselves until we burn out?

6. LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR: You may think this is contrary to #5, but not so. I have been slacking on 1 on 1 time with close friends in favour of bigger events. My cat is neglected. Heck, even my love life has suffered with all the chaos. I’m trapped in a cycle of feeling tired, fat and unattractive so I hide at my computer or in a book (which leads to more feeling tired, fat and unattractive). Splurge on an extra special date night or even a workout with a partner! Have a little more physical contact, even the platonic type. Please don’t sexually molest your friends and neighbours.

7. CREATE THEE A SANCTUARY: I told myself last year (and many times throughout the year) that I would stop making my bedroom a clutter zone. It’s really, really hard to relax, let alone get romantic, when I’m doing a mad scramble to throw my clothes into the closet and my junk into tote bags in order to hide the fact I am a messy person. Even my bedding is old and out of sorts. Take stock of your bedroom/den/office etc. Make a list of changes that need to be made and try to achieve them one at a time.

8. SCRUB THY DWELLING: I know what you’re thinking “Ew, how bad are your cleaning habits?” Actually, it’s not that bad. I just sometimes don’t take the care I probably should, either by letting simple things go or not doing a thorough enough job. Given the fact I suffer from so many allergies, I really can’t afford to do this. You might find you can’t either once you air out the cobwebs.

9. PUMP UP YE OLD VOLUME: My music collection needs a little freshening up. If I don’t have a good soundtrack to my life, I feel all wrong. I can’t play the songs of yesteryear and expect a fresh start. Check out your local entertainment listings for new artists. Pick up that hipster magazine and seek out independent music from around the globe. Hop on last.fm and find new artists that meet your tastes.

10. PAMPER THYSELF: I always tell myself that no matter what personal goals I failed to meet that day, I always deserve a bubble bath. You don’t need to run to an expensive spa to feel good. I know that this is obvious and something everyone knows but we still don’t DO. Particularly men! I give excellent backrubs and you’re darn right I know how to receive. Take a time out. Soak in the tub, have a cup of tea, slop on a ridiculous face mask. Pampering yourself may not even involve toiletries. Have you surveyed your underwear & sock drawer lately? The nativity is over: if you thought your holeys are holy, now might be time to chuck your skivvies and restock. La Senza didn’t know what hit them when I came through the doors last week.

Your Fall Fashion Fix #2: Denim

“Blue jeans are the most beautiful things since the gondola.”
- Diana Vreeland

Note: The only problem with blogging (and the Internet in general) is that it’s so easy and instantaneous that I find my grammar and diction suffer. I promise to try to proof more carefully to avoid these foibles. Also, this post took for flippin’ ever.

Onward…

I’m a denim collector. I came to terms with this when I inventoried my premium denim collection. I lost the list as it was on my old work hard drive (hey, rainy day noon hours get boring), but I think the number was somewhere around 16. That is not counting my pairs of AE, Levis, etc. To me that is utterly obscene especially given that usually only three pairs are in regular rotation at any given time and I only want more. I did consign or give away a few pairs since, luckily. I live in jeans through the cooler seasons unless I’m in a business environment, so I won’t feel too guilty.

Some people dread jean shopping because size and fit can be as challenging as a bra. I think having a positive attitude about your body (or the parts in question) goes a long way.

I love my butt (though I hope to never utter that sentence again), but my legs, on the other hand, are a denim nightmare. My genes (heh heh) destined me to be short and heavy-thighed. Given that I have proportionally small hips and a small waist, fit can be a bit of a challenge but I found my formula long ago. A bit of stretch helps, but too much and I am constantly hiking my pants up, causing many a torn belt loop. Trying to find the right size/fit for my odd body has resulted in some accidental muffin tops or saggy bums when ordering online, but generally I’m pretty on the money as a result of experience.

Sadly the skinny/cigarette jean trend does me no favours, so I stick with my boot cut (Paige Hidden Hills bootcut), wide (7FAM’s “Dojo”) and/or high-waist (J Brand’s “The Doll”). If like me you’re looking to lengthen, a mid to high waist and a fit that falls from your hip to the floor as much as possible is a good idea, as is a dark wash. Let your length fall long over heels. Frankly I feel like such styles are most flattering to most women. Call it the “keep it simple, stupid” formula for denim.

If you have a “boy shape” or an extremely thin frame, I don’t think the cigarette look is always the way to go. The skinny will be something you can absolutely pull off, but emphasizing any curves you may have definitely prevents the Karen Carpenter look. Light washes are your friend, but beware looking too casual in the wrong setting. You probably can’t go wrong with a straight leg, and distressed areas or embellishments will rarely overwhelm you.

If you’re long-legged, congratulations on your right to most leg styles & adorable ballet flats without looking like your butt is too close to the ground! A lower rise (if your belly allows) is a good move and prevents you from looking like this guy in my grade 6 class whose pants went to his armpits.

If you’re way sick of my denim proselytizing, you’re in luck! Here are my denim favs for the season!
J Brand Lightweight Love Story in Ink

Love Story comes back season after season. I regret I don’t have this style in this wash, nor in the lightweight, or I’d certainly wear them more often. 179$ US @ J Brand Jeans. I had to nick this image from Google and cannot locate its origins as J Brand’s image does NOT reflect the wash listed. A wild guess would say the image is for Neiman or Bergdorf.

Seven For All Mankind Petite Lexie “A” Pocket in Rinse

These are a less imposing wide style than most, and they come in Petite! Gotta love the classic 74AM A-Pocket. 165$ US @ Cusp

Paige Premium Denim Hidden Hills Bootcut Stretch in McKinley

I love the wide waistband, high back, and double button in the Hidden Hills styles. These features are a great solution to my boot-tay issues. 205$ CAD @ Nordstrom. If the distressed hip is not for you, check out the dusk wash. (the Dusk is on my wishlist)

Citizens of Humanity Morrison Slim in Tempted

I am NUTS over the slim but straight cut of these jeans. The wash is probably my favourite indigo of the season. These will be mine. 163$ USD Neiman Marcus

Hudson Distressed Skinny in Cumbria

I love a good rocker-chic skinny, but I don’t like paying for holes in my pants. To me this is just enough distress. 205$ @ Neiman Marcus

Seven For All Mankind The Skinny Twill in Bark

Wear these with caution. I highly doubt the fit nor the fabric is forgiving, but I couldn’t ignore the grey wash trend and the cuffing is to die for. 149$ @ Neiman Marcus

Your Fall Fashion Fix #1: Outerwear

“There is a harmony
In autumn, and a lustre in its sky,
Which through the summer is not heard or seen,
As if it could not be, as if it had not been!”
- Percy Bysshe Shelley

Over the coming weeks I plan to bring you my fall/winter fashion favourites, one item at a time!

I’m not a winter person. There are few things I like about cold weather seasons, however I LOVE new outerwear. Wool coats, cardigans, and jackets are my life. There’s something about being cozy in a lovely jacket and knowing you look fabulous. I love the memories my coats and sweaters give me: warming of hands, apple picking, stolen kisses, holidays, coffee dates, snowball fights. Endless possibilities.

My favourite outerwear is usually wool for lower temperatures and cotton blends for earlier in the season. Things I love: Big buttons, military style, pockets, high collars, slim silhouettes.

Window shopping is a little like porn to me. I tried on several coats and jackets around town tonight, a couple of which I am featuring in this post. It’s hard for me to imagine wearing any of these things given my local heatwave, but I thought lets kick off my fall/winter fashion favourites series with OUTERWEAR:

These are a few of my favourite things:

Fitted Oxford Jacket – Marc By Marc Jacobs 398$ U.S @ NeimanMarcus

Fanny Wrap Sweater Cardigan – Marc By Marc Jacobs 288$ U.S @ NeimanMarcus LOVE IT

Skylar Twill Military Jacket – Juicy Couture 298$ U.S @ NeimanMarcus

Winter Sun Wool Coat – French Connection 298$ CAD @ French Connection online

Tesoro Mio Jacket – Nanette Lepore 488$ CAD @ Nordstrom IT HAS AN ADORABLE HOOD!

Romy Short Wool Jacket – Soia & Kyo 300$ CAD @ Soia & Kyo online

I wanted to feature a BB Dakota in this post as a value item, but their website’s server is so unbelievably slow that I gave up.

Bubbles and basins

“Rubber Ducky, you’re so fine
And I’m lucky that you’re mine
Rubber ducky, I’m awfully fond of you” – Ernie

Last night I said to my roommate, “I’m going to take a bath then blog about it”.

I’m think baths are severely underrated. If I’m not washing my hair (something I do not do daily in order to preserve my locks), I’m usually not shower bound. The comment I usually receive when I tell people I take baths more often than showers are comments about bathing in one’s own filth. The reality is, most of us bathe more than enough and are consequently pretty clean. If you’re really that hung up about it, rinse well either before or after you fill the tub. I tend to give scrub and rinse before a soak, myself because I like to thoroughly exfoliate.

Baths not only save water, but they are an excellent relaxation technique. Everyday stress, strain, and muscle aches and pains suck. I love melting it all away in a nice bath before bed, or before an evening out. But I must arm myself. My bathing routine usually includes two to three different natural beauty bars, sometimes a body wash, and a foam bath. If we’re talking hair, you can bet I’m armed with a detergent and paraben free, gentle shampoo and conditioner. Someday I’ll expand upon my natural hair care routine in a separate post.