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Beauty Vixen

*This Post Features PR Samples
Drier weather is definitely here, and my skin is suffering. Despite the fact that every fall the humidity and warm weather leave Toronto, I am always shocked when my skin starts to suffer as a result. This year I am using Keri Original Lotion In Fragrance Free and Shower and Bath Oil to combat the effects of the fall and winter.
As soon as my pool closes on Labour Day I become a bath person once again, and Keri Shower & Bath Oil is right along with me. Whether it is being added to my bath to make it a hydrating and relaxing soak or if applied right after I get out of the tub, it is always a fantastic experience. It has an unmistakable Keri Oil scent, which is soft, powdery and floral all at once.
My skin feels silky and smooth, soft and touchable while not overly oily, but more dewy feeling. It's a great feeling and experience.
I recently started to use Keri's Original Fragrance Free Intense Hydration body lotion and it has also been a lifesaver. When my hands and arms start to get dry, a few pumps makes them feel a lot better. Pretty much anywhere either get dry, I use it. It's not sticky or watery, rather smooth and hydrating without a tacky feeling that absorbs quickly. I usually like scented lotion, but I have really been liking this fragrance free version, it smells like absolutely nothing and doesn't conflict with other scents I am wearing. 
Overall, these two products have been great additions to my body care routine. My skin is softer and less itchy. It is easy to see why both of these have been cult classics for so darn long. Keri was my grandmother's favourite brand and I have fond memories of using the bath oil as a kid. I am happy I've added them to my routine and am going to continue using them for a long time to come.

Have You Tried Any Keri Products? What Do You Think Of Them?

*Products were received as a PR for review purposes. All views and opinions are my own. Links are affiliate and I may receive a small commission if used. Thank you for supporting my blog.
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Finding the perfect Mother's Day gift isn't always easy, but with Yardley London it can be. Yardley London makes some fantastic bath and body products in some pretty amazing scents, but I know my mom would love their English Rose line, and that is why I am treating her to it this Mother's Day.

When I was a child I remember my mom having a vial of rose perfume and when I asked what it was for she dabbed a little bit behind my ears and said 'so boys will fall in love with you'. I never forgot that or that wonderful scent of rose. Yardley London captures that prefect scent of floral, light and sweet roses in this collection and it is just wonderful for spring and summer.

Moisturizing Body Wash
This clear and light wash foams up nice and rich while smelling like real roses. It also won't dry out your skin, which is always a plus.

Moisturizing Body Lotion
This lotion is light and not too heavy, but still moisturizing, plus it has a pump (always a plus). Layering this on after using the body wash is a great way to make the scent of roses last longer.

Fragranced Body Mist
I love Yardley's body mists, a lot really (read a review here), but the rose one has become my favourite these last few month. I can spritz it on in the morning and not feel it is too heavy and overwhelm others on my morning commute but still smell during the day. It is that light and not to heavy kind of scent that I love for the warmer weather.

Perfumed Talc
Talc is that little bit extra that I think a lot of mothers would really like. It isn't a thing that younger people tend to use too much but it is very luxurious and adds another layer of scent to you routine making it last longer. I always have enjoyed talc before bed because of how it made my skin felt and the scent it enrobes me with. There are also some other great uses for scented talc powder, like keeping in your drawers to scent your clothes or for vacuuming (I sprinkle some baking soda and some scented talc and my carpet comes out much cleaner).

Eau De Toilette
This is my favourite item in the whole collection, Eau De Toilette. It smells fantastic and looks amazing in the bottle. The scent lasts all day and it works perfectly with the other items.
Every product in this scent collection is wonderful on its own, but when they are layered together they work even better and the scent lasts even longer. I love how the English Rose scent makes me feel, it is light, summery, romantic and never overwhelming all in one.

I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day, I am not worried about my mother's gift this year because I know she will love it thanks to Yardley London.
*Products were sent to me for review from PR. All views and opinions are my own, and yes I am giving this to my mom this year.
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REVERSA SKIN SMOOTHING BODY LOTION (200 ml / $36.00 Cad)
Every year my skin gets incredibly dry and flaky. Chap, red, highly irritated, that is my fall and winter skin. As if that wasn't fun enough, I also suffer from Keratosis Pilaris, which is a bunch of super unpleasant bumps on my skin, making it look ugly and feel even worse. While my Keratosis Pilaris is really not a big deal, I hate how it leaves my skin feeling.

I recently discovered Reversa's Skin Smoothing Body Lotion, not only is it meant to combat the worst types of dry and rough skin, it also helps smooth bumpy skin like mine.

Containing 10% Glycolic Acid,  an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), that helps penetrate the skin and exfoliate. Since Keratosis Pilaris is caused by a build up of dead skin cells, the glycolid acid really is the key to defeating it. 10% Glycolic acid also happens to be the highest concentration you can get without a prescription, making it a highly effective formula.
In the past I tried an over the counter lactic acid lotion to help try to smooth out my skin, sadly it left my skin incredibly sticky and frankly burned. It burned so much, but the stickiness is what really drove me nuts. Revera's Skin Smoothing Body Lotion doesn't do either of those things because it doesn't have lactic acid in it, and because it has a time release gyco-comfot system, which releases the formula over time, meaning there is no burning. As well this means the formula helps moisturize the skin a lot longer then a traditional moisturizer.
Other things that make me really like using this lotion daily is that it is perfume-free (which trust me matters for some), oil free, and non-comedogenic. Oh and because Reversa is Canadian, it is make right here in Canada, which is something I always look for when I can.

 Do you have Keratosis Pilaris? What is your secret weapon to keeping it at bay?

*product sample was sent for review purposes, all views and opinions are my own.
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Hairy legs seem to be almost every ladies summer concern. My hair is fairly light in colour and sparse, so shaving often slips my mind until one day I am putting on some sandals and see how my hair has grown so long I can't envision how I missed it for so long. This summer I have had a ton of cuts and scratches on my legs from dogs, cats, gardening and other mystery incidents I don't necessarily recall. Making shaving a bit more treacherous, the last thing I want is to nick my legs more. Lucky for me I happen to have a tube of Nair Nourish Crème for Legs & Body on hand to help me with the task of safely removing my leg hair.

This version is meant for legs and body, but I have only used it on my legs. It features ribbons of hydrating Grape Seed Oil as will as other antioxidant and hydrating ingredients. Plus it only takes 3 minutes to work, meaning I have no real excuses.
Now like most hair removers you cant put it on cuts or irritated skin, which honestly is just like a razor, but it is such a tick cream that I can easily avoid my cuts and scratches and only put it where I want it. 

I personally have never used a hair removal product before, I thought they would smell strong, dry out my skin and take 15 minutes to do their work. Boy was I surprised to find I was wrong about all of those things. The cream spread on eventually and only took 3 minutes or my most thick and hairy places (my knees to be honest), I just brushed my teeth and flossed and the time was gone. I just washed it off with a sponge in the shower and my legs were not only hairless but well moisturized. I found there was little to no smell too, which was amazing. My legs were soft and smooth.
I am completely in love with this product, how easy it is to use, the lack of smell and the effectiveness of it all. I am going to try it on my arm pits next and Mr. Fox's shoulder (we have a tends machine and it needs hairless skin for the pads to properly adhere and he has a shoulder injury)

Have you tried Nair Nourish Creme before? What do you think of hair removers?

*Product was sent for review purposes, all views and opinions are my own. No I have no clue how I get most of my cuts and bruises, they just show up, I am blaming dogs and general clumsiness.
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While I love a nice floral fragrance, I find they can get a little heavy and strong a little fast, especially in the summer time. This is why in the summer I look for body mists, they are light, refreshing, you can go to town spraying them and never feel like you're going to offend anyone. Plus they are great to spray on clothing or hair that might need a little refreshing in the scent department (post gym hair anyone?).

Yardley has an amazing line of floral scented body care products, and while the pefrumes are great, their body mists are what I am using every day right now.

English Rose:
ENGLISH ROSE is a refreshing, light floral fragrance with sparkling citrus and rose top notes and a heart subtly combining rosebud, magnolia, violet and cassis with warm woody notes, whilst patchouli and musk add velvety tones to the base. Exclusively available at Shoppers Drug Mart for $9.99

I remember loving to smell my mothers yellow roses in our garden as a kid, for some reason that flower brings me more joy then any other. While rose is a wonderful scent I adore any time of year, in the summer I like something with a bit more complexity then straight up rose. The citrus, magnolia, violet and cassis make it might lighter while the woody notes mixed with patchouli and musk add more depth and complexity. It definitely smells amazing and more my style then just plain old rose or rose water. It is a classic but with a slight twist and I love it for that reason.

Lily of the Valley:

LILY OF THE VALLEY is a light, feminine, white floral fragrance with fruity pear accords in the top note and a beautiful floral bouquet heart that blends lily of the valley and freesia, enhanced with a pretty, musk base. Fresh and vibrant. Exclusively available at Shoppers Drug Mart for $9.99.
Lily of the Valley is one of those flowers I always see but never knew what it was. The cute little bells that hang in the spring time make my garden area so fairy tale like. Lily of the Valley smells amazing on its own, but the blend in this fragrance mist takes makes it much more wearable for me everyday. Pear and the lily scent blend so well together you would never know it wasn't a natural combination. I really love this scent on days that I am feeling like I need a bit of a bright scent, while keeping it in the floral family.

Lavender:

ENGLISH LAVENDER is a beautifully fresh, light, elegant fragrance with top notes of bergamot and clary sage and a heart of calming English lavender subtly combining notes of eucalyptus, geranium, jasmine, chamomile and violet, enhanced with deeper, warm base notes of wood, vanilla and patchouli. Exclusively available at Shoppers Drug Mart for $9.99. 
Lavender to me is a favourite flower. I have a satchel of the flowers in my office hanging by a window to make it smell fresh. I also love a nice lavender shortbread cookie (or anything sweet with it). That being said, lavender is traditionally very heavy scent that is associated with night time. This fragrance has a blend of lots of my favourite scents (jasmine, chamomile, violet to say a few), that help lighten it up,  but they all are super calming scents. That being said this is my favourite night time scent, after a nice evening bath I love to spray this all over myself and then my linens to get me in the right mid set for bed. Would I wear this in the day time, of course, but I really love the association with it and my nighttime routine, and I kind of don't want to throw that off by wearing it during the day.

Overall these are great takes on classic floral scents while making them a little bit more complex and wearable. As I said, I love to mist myself, my clothes and hair with them for a light summer time appropriate level of fragrance that isn't going to be overwhelming during the warmer weather.

Do you have a favourite floral scent? What is your favourite flower?
*products were sent from pr for review purposes, all views and opinions are my own.
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Fresh's Oval Soaps have been pretty famous since they first launched in 1993. Wrapped in artisan paper and wire with a little gem stone, they are luxurious and feel quite decadent to just even hold. Well this year Fresh has launched a Limited Edition Zodiac Oval Soap Collection just in time for the holidays.
Just like Fresh's other Oval Soaps, these are wrapped in artisan paper and wire for a very high end look. The big difference is each sign gets its own decorative paper, has a drawing of the sign and a element related stone. Making it a really glamorous and large bar of soap. At 8.8 oz or 250 g it is absolutely huge compared to other bars that are out there. They are triple milled so they last a long time and are nice an heavy too. They are made without parabens, sulfates and phthalates.

The signs are divided into four scents based on their elements and each get their own colour scheme and little stone to represent them.
Air Signs: Gemini, Libra and Aquarius get Verbena as their scent. Bright and fresh with green citrus as its scent, while the soaps packaging is blue and grey with an aventurine stone.

Earth Signs: Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn get Sugar scented soap. Blended with sweet caramel and citrus it smells fantastic. Wrapped in olive and brown packaging with a quartz stone.
Water Signs: Cancer, Pisces, and Scorpio get Waterlily. With a sheer aquatic and floral blend it smells incredibly clean. All wrapped up in Turquoise and aqua packaging with a fluorite stone.

Fire Signs: Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius soap have Mangosteen. With Mangosteen and Nectarines it smells fruity and light. This soap comes wrapped in orange and red with a Tiger's Eye stone.
I happen to be a Virgo, so that means my soap is Sugar. I love the wrapping, it is so pretty and just feels decadent. Once I finally opened it (I really didn't want to, I wanted to keep it there forever) I could just smell how great it was and marvelled in its size. This is quite the soap and it will make a great gift for anyone. The back side (like all their oval soaps) says the name of its' scent, in this case Sugar.
I think these make such a great gift, I already ordered two for friends up coming holiday gifts. Not only is it a very pretty and luxurious bar of soap that I think makes a great gift, it is personalized just for that person. They know you really thought about buying it just for them. They also make for great stocking stuffer type gifts, making each person feel nice and special.
You can pick up Fresh's Zodiac Oval Soap Collection at Sephora.ca for a limited time only for $18.00 Cad.

Have you tried any of the Fresh Oval Soaps before? What do you think of the astrology theme?

*Product was sent for review, all opinions are my own. And yes, I did go buy two for gifts for my friends who love astrology with my own money.
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All Natural Coffee Scrub with Premium Robusta Coffee, Organic Cold Pressed Coconut Oil, Raw Brown Sugar, Sea Salt, Vitamin E and Minerals. Tough enough to improve your skin’s imperfections yet leaving your skin feeling sexy & smooth after every use.
  • My coffee grounds stimulate blood flow which help reduce the appearance of cellulite, eczema, stretch marks, age spots, varicose veins, psoriasis & acne
  • My brown sugar & sea salt exfoliate and rejuvenate your skin
  • My cold pressed organic coconut oil hydrates & moisturizes your skin
  • My vitamin E & minerals protect and repair your skin -jealousbody.com

 
I was recently send a nice big pouch of Jealous Body Scrub to try out and review. It is a coffee and coconut based body scrub that is supposed to scuff off all my dead skin and leave it soft and moisturized. I being a massive coffee fan was super excited to give it a try.  

What I was expecting is a coffee ground scrub, what I wasn't expecting was to fall in love. Why did I fall in love? Let's first look at the ingredients.
Coffee, coconut oil, raw brown sugar, sea salt and vitamin E.
It's a simple mix but it works really really well at 1) scuffing off the dead skin 2) getting a nice blood circulation going to the skin 3) moisturizing the skin.
scrub in a bowl
It's the 3 that really won me over. I like scrubs to leave me covered in a moisture, so much so that when I rinse the scrub off the water beads.  That's what I like and that's exactly what Jealous did.
back of packaging
So here's how I used it.
  1. I wet my body. 
  2. I scrubbed it all over.
  3. I waited 5-10 minutes. (tip. put a hair mask on while you do this and kill two birds with one stone).
  4. I rinsed it off.
  5. I had a soft and smooth body with already moisturized skin.
legs in scrub
Pros:
  • Natural ingredients
  • Canadian Company
  • Simple ingredients
  • Smells like coffee and coconuts
  • Gives a really good exfoliation (that isn't too harsh)
  • Moisturizes the skin too
  • You can use it on the face too
  • Free shipping in Canada and the USA
  • It is a big bag and a little goes a long long way
  • Zipper pouch so you can keep it in the shower
Cons:
  • A little bit messy in the tub, but I think all scrubs are.
Overall:
This is a big pouch filled with so many good ingredients that it will last you a long long time, making it a great value.

I'm really enjoying this product. It is nice to use in my morning showers, it gets my skin exfoliated, soft and moisturized and the coffee scent helps wake me up (like the smell of  a fresh pot of coffee).

 I'm loving using it on my hands, they are so dry and flaky from work I'm constantly getting a build up of dead skin between the fingers and it is gentle enough not to irritate the dry parts but also get the dead skin off effectively.

I love the hydration it gives my skin, the water just beads when I rinse the scrub. I just pat my body dry and get on my way, I get to skip moisturizer.

I really cannot attest to any of its claims regarding increasing blood flow and reducing the appearance of problem like cellulite and stretch marks. While I have these issues, I haven't been using it long enough to notice a difference and my stretch marks are not new, they are about 15 years old and already pretty faded (but still there). What I can say is that it really does in crease the blood flow to the skin, (because it gets all flush and tingly when I scrub,) and it has been shown that increased blood flow helps with the appearance of these issues.

I also like that this scrub just doesn't devolve away in my shower like many other ones. It also isn't too wrought like a few strictly salt scrubs I've tried in the past, and it isn't too wussy  a few others out there (The Body Shop Honeymania I'm looking at you, why are your granules so fringing tiny and melt right way in water?). Yep, I'm like Goldilocks that way, I want my scrubs just right.

Did I mention it smells like coffee and coconuts? I love my coffee.
my legs with scrub on them.
OK, so now you know I love this scrub and why? What types of body scrubs do you like? What do you look for in a good scrub.

You can find Jealous Body Scrub at JealousBody.com

*Product was sent for consideration, but does not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
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I love Trader Joe's. I really really do. I cannot lie, I am crazy about this store. I wish they would come to Canada and make all my retail dreams come true, until that day I have to go across the boarder and haul like a maniac. 
On my trip to Boston in 2013 I picked up Trader Joe's Lavender Salt Scrub and honestly fell head over heels in love.
If you like lavender you will most likely want to get this next time you are in a Trader Joe's, it isn't overwhelmingly lavender, but it is pretty darn lavender scented (as it should be, I mean lavender is in its name).
The package is definitely one of my favourite things about this product, It is plastic and features a flip lid (their body butters are the same way). Why is this a good thing? I've dropped my share of scrubs in the shower, if they are glass they can break or ruin your tub. If they come in a tub they get water inside, and if you drop them product gets everywhere. This handy dandy flip lid is ingenious, flip open, scoop out, flip shut, no messing around.
On to the actual scrub, it is a salt scrub in a bunch of skin friendly oils (including lavender and sweet almond). I like to wash in the shower then scrub away with it, rinse off and pat dry. You'll be left with a nice oily feel to your skin, but nothing heavy. I don't feel the need for a moisturizer after I use it, which is also fantastic.
Pros:
Works really well
Leaves you moisturized
Scrubs really well
Nice lavender scent
Lots of skin loving oils
You can read all the ingredients easily
Flip lid is a fantastic idea
Cheap ($6 for  a big tub)

Cons:
Only available at Trader Joe's (which we don't have in Canada)

Overall:
This is a cheap, cheap, cheap body scrub in a great container loaded with great ingredients and does a really good job of exfoliating your body and moisturizing it.


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A little while back I was sent some goodies from the natural brand Surya Brasil.  With the World Cup on and all the worlds eyes on Brazil I thought what better time then now to talk about it.
 Founded in 1995, this brand stands natural beauty in the best way possible, and they are not afraid to back it up with third party certifications (and man they have a lot of them, PETA, ECOCERT, Vegan.org, transfairusa.org, and many more).
Below is a list of all the things you won't find in their products:
  • NO sulfates
  • NO parabens
  • NO BHT
  • NO EDTA
  • NO synthetic fragrance
  • NO mineral oil
  • NO GMOs
  • NO phthalates
  • NO alcohol
  • NO silicon
Sapien Women is their latest collection which all features the same scent which is slightly fruity and slightly nutty.
Sapien Women Body Moisturizer - This is a light and creamy moisturizer that is fantastic for me in the warmer weather. With Capuaçu and murmur butters in it your skin feels nourished but not heavy. No greasy or heaviness to it at all. Just a light refreshing moisturizer, perfect for those who love lotions and not creams.
Sapien Women Shower Gel - This shower gel is sulphate free and contains aloe vera and vitamin E. It lathers extremely well and cleans just as well. My skin feels soft and clean, not stripped and dry after using it.
Sapien Women Body Scrub - Filled with natural exfoliants from coconut bark and organic buriti. It is a creamy exfoliant that works well at making my skin feel fresh and smooth without being wrought. I personally like applying to my dry skin before getting into the shower for a better scuffing experience.
Sapien Women Facial Scrub - This scrub is made with the same coconut bark and organic buriti to help remove dry skin and impurities, yet it is soft and gentle enough for your face.
Shave Gel - This is a gel that is fantastic for shaving just about anywhere a woman needs to! With no alcohol or sulphates it makes a fantastic foam substitute. Aloe vera and vegetable glycerin helps keep your skin moisturized and stops the gel from drying on your legs/arms/bikini area while you shave.

Now I was also sent some hair, face and body products from their other lines.
Amazônia Perciosa Revitalizing Hair Mask - This mask is meant for normal and straight hair and is loaded with goodies like cupuaću butter and lots of vitamins. What is doesn't have is silicones. It is thick and fellss fantastic going on the hair. I guess I am just so used to silicones in my hair masks that this just feels not too great when I am done. I've tried it several times and while I am not blown away with it, I do like to add it to other hair masks to boost them and give them more effect…and when I do that I love the results. On its own….not so much.
Color Fixation Conditioner - This conditioner is intended for colour treated hair, hey I have colour treated hair. Made with moisturizing botanical ingredients to restore brilliance and vitality to damaged and colored hair. So what did I think? meh. Once again silicones are definitely what makes conditioners make your hair feel smooth and silky, without them I just don't feel that same level of satisfaction when conditioning. I guess I am just not truly a natural girl when it comes to hair care.
Amazônia Perciosa Hand And Body Lotion - This lotion is slightly thinner than the Sapien Women line but smells fantastic. Made with macadamia seed oil, uccuba nut butter and cupuacu butter it is intense in what it does deliver and how well it does it.
Lip Balms - If you're a strict vegan you probably find it hard to find a good lip balm that is really vegan (no bees wax) and maybe you want no parabens and no paraffin wax…well this might just be the lip balm for you. I personally love the cinnamon version and the mint chocolate (I'm a mint chocolate fiend).
Oveall I really like Surya Brasil, they are eco conscious, fair trade, and animal friendly, plus they back them selves up. While their hair care didn't wow me I am sure those who are looking for silicone free products actually will.

Can can pick up Suray Brasil at Whole Foods, Well.ca and many other great health food stores across Canada. They have a store locator on their site (link here)

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About Me

Jill Oliver-Fox is a Toronto based beauty blogger with a love for beauty, food, and pets. She began the blog in 2009 and hasn't stopped since. To read more about Jill and the Blog, click here.

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