Hydration Obsession

When I first heard of face oils I cringed {is that not the exact opposite of what you want on your face?} and vowed never to use them. However, this winter desperation hit after suffering of an endless cold marathon that unfortunately claimed the skin around my nose as a victim. Not even the fanciest aloe-infused Kleenex were able to prevent that gross dry skin area around my nose so I caved and decided to give face oils a try {as you can see by the tiny bottle in the photo above, I was still not convinced so I opted for the safe test-size}. After exfoliating and cleansing, I applied this oil on my face and neck and although I looked like an oily mess for a few minutes, my parched skin quickly sucked it all up and my nose was back to its normal self! I now use it on a daily basis to fight the terribly dry winter skin and will soon have to go get the real-sized bottle.

I was told by a woman at Sephora that she actually uses the oil to hydrate her hair and hands as well. I have not given this a try but I am curious to know if you have and what you thought about it.

 

Baby, it’s cold outside!

Having grown up in the beautifully warm Mexico, I distinctly remember the time that snow and I had our very first encounter. I was about eight years old when my family and I went on a long road trip from the north of Mexico all the way to Montreal to visit some family over the holidays. I spent the majority of the long drive with my face plastered against the chilly window as I anxiously awaited for some sparkly flakes to envelop our Suburban {I was a patient kid} but apparently it was not a snowy winter in the States that year.

It was late at night when we drove into Canada and I have never been a good watch-man so I snoozed right through the snowy landscapes; it was not until I woke up the next day, all cozy in bed, that I had the opportunity to see snow. With the energy and excitement of a child on Christmas morning, my sister and I piled on as many layers as we could find {note for a child that grew up in the warmth of Mexico this meant socks, jeans and a pull-over hoodie} before running outside and literally tossing ourselves against a white fluffy mountain of snow. If you are at all familiar with snow, then you will know that it didn’t take very long for us to start feeling the burn of the cold, cold snow {if, however, you are not familiar with the pretty white flurries let me save you the disappointment and let you know that they burn like fire!}. Needless to say, I was deeply sadden by the reality of a sparkly white winter so winter and I, well, we’ve have had a rocky relationship since.

Having lived in Toronto now for the majority of my life, I have truly tried to make amends and have been looking for the little joys of winter. A warm cup of tea, a cozy wool blanket and a book are my favourite companions on a frigid morning or during a drawn out snow storm. I am currently in the midst of finishing Mindy Kahling’s book and I am loving every second of it {a light and hilarious read}. As winter hits us head on, though, I look forward to curling along with The Luminaires by Eleanor Catton. If you are looking for a phenomenal and gripping novel to take you through the winter, give this a try and if you will be venturing out on this blistering cold day, learn from my youthful mistakes and bundle up!

(Photo from source unknown)

Friday Favourites

{Crate & Barrel’s Christmas decorations made me giggle with Joy}

I kicked off this week with a terrible stomach flu that kept me bedridden all Monday and feeling weak the rest of the week. The silly bug was a huge set back my on-going 60-day challenge at Barreworks but I was determined to still make the best of this week. I spent most of my evenings drinking ridiculous amounts of tea and watching Suits. The Santa Claus parade is happening this weekend so I have given myself full permission to kick-off the Christmas season as of today! Hope Mike is ready for the Christmas music 😉 This weekend will be spent watching movies, drinking this hot chocolate and checking out Erica Domesek’s P.S I Made This event at Holt Renfrew. I hope that you have a wonderful one!

{on continuos repeat from now until January}

{the smell of roasted pears & vanilla on a chilly Saturday morning}

{Falling in love with this incredible recipe}

{Excited to meet the DIY queen}

{Sporting my favourite headband – Winter is coming!}

{The poses that this lady does inspire my creativity! Rose from Titanic anyone?}