I’ve been on my Skincare Mission for a month now and have had great success.  I was looking for a good skincare line that used natural, organic ingredients, was environmentally friendly and Canadian made.  My first choice was Toronto-based Pure + simple Spas, who created their own holistic, natural skincare line.  I emailed Pure + simple and was put in touch with Kristen Ma who and Ayurvedic Practicioner and Esthetician who co-founded the company with her mother Jean Eng.  Kristen suggested we meet in person for a consultation and we made an appointment at their King St W location on January 21.

Me & Kristen Ma

Morning of, I washed my face with my latest routine: Lush Coalface soap, Tea Tree Water & Imperialis moisturizer and went barefaced to the spa.  Kristen was waiting at the front to greet me and after showing me around we sat down to talk about me.  She asked questions about my diet, my lifestyle, work and eating habits and diagnosed me with sensitive & dehydrated skin.  I always thought that I had combination skin and I was really surprised to hear this.  We talked about Ayurvedic and holistic practices and she explained that you have to treat more than just the surface skin if you have skin ailments.  I learned that my acne is most likely caused by stress and dehydration, and because I get it on my jawline it could be related to hormonal imbalances (insert joke here).  To treat it I need to de-stress and hydrate myself with water and externally with an oil moisturizer.

Pure + simple Products

Kristen recommended I try products from the Pure + simple line; Sensitive Cleansing Milk, Organic Camomile Hydrosol (toner), Soothing Mimosa Emulsion (serum), and Sensitive Pitta Face Oil (moisturizer) and she demonstrated the routine on my hand.  I was skeptical of using an oil on face, but I tried it and it was so soothing and did fully absorb into my skin.  All the advice and knowledge she gave me made a lot of sense and I was really interested in learning more about holistic beauty and Ayurveda.  It just so happens that Kristen has written a book, Beauty Pure + simple, and it’s a guide to natural and holistic beauty, which she gave me to take home, along with the products she recommended.  Thank you very much!

My bible & new skincare

I couldn’t wait to get home and try out my new products and I started the routine that evening.  The next morning when I woke up I noticed my skin felt different.  I’m usually very dry in the morning and my didn’t feel as tight.  After using it for 3 days Chad commented that my skin looked nicer and within a week my skin was noticeably brighter and clearer.  I did get the usual getting used to new products pimple, but after the week was up they were gone.

Barefaced again Jan 25/10

She also recommended that I come in to the spa and get an Urban Renewal Facial, which I really want to do but haven’t had a chance to yet.

It’s been a month today since I visited Pure + simple and the change in my skin has been amazing.  My complexion has cleared up and my skin is clear and hydrated.  I have had a couple of blemishes, but they were most likely self induced from not washing my face before going to bed.

I highly recommend trying out Pure + simple’s skincare line if you are looking for a natural, organic skincare line that works.  Thank you to Kristen Ma and Pure + simple for changing the way I think and take care of my skin.

UPDATE: If anyone wants more info please email me at carly@kaponetwo.com

You may remember I went out last Tuesday night with my brother and made some new friends.  Matt Collins was one of the guys and he is a stylist at Brennen Demelo salon.  My brother got me my hair done for my birthday so he hooked me up with Matt this week.

I haven’t been to a real salon in a while, going to an at home salon and then up to see my cousin for my hair adventures.  I’m always a little skeptical going to a new salon, they always seem to be so pretentious and snooty, but as soon as I walked in the doors I knew this place was different.  The front of the shop houses the SD+R Clothing line and the back is the salon.  The receptionist at the desk (I forgot her name) was absolutely gorgeous and really friendly and she made a great first impression of the place.  The laid back, rock & roll atmosphere made me feel right at home.

Matt came in and sat me in the chair and explained what he was going to do to my hair and why.  I loved that he had a plan in mind already.  He took me back to the sink to wash my hair and gave me the best head massage.

When he was done cutting he showed me some tricks to style my hair, like making sure my roots are wet before blow drying.  He showed me a new way to blow dry my hair to get rid of my cowlick and how to get more volume, without taking a lot of time.  I’m such a wash & go kind of girl and I hate spending time styling my hair, these tips have helped make my getting reading routine shorter.

I will definitely be coming back to see Matt for my hair.  I highly recommend Brennen Demelo Salon  if you’re looking for a great place to get your hair done.

Thanks Matt!

I’m on a mission to fix my skin.  I have combination skin and get pimples on my chin, and sometimes my forehead, and my cheeks are generally normal to dry.  I don’t want to use products that are not environmentally friendly, nor do I want any harsh chemicals.  I want a natural or organic line and it would be great if it was Canadian made..

Over the years I’ve tried many different products and brands and none have been as successful as I hoped.  I’m sure that there is a good solution out there.  I know that blemishes are something that everyone has to deal with, but they should be few and far between in my opinion.  I must admit that my eating and drinking habits over the holidays did not do anything to help me out, but since I’ve been back to work I’m back to my normal, healthier self.

I’ve tried the following:

• Lush: Black Coal Soap, Tea Tree Mist, Imperialis Moisturizer – it seemed to work well in the summer but the past few months have been pretty unpleasant
• ProActiv: dried out my skin and made me break out even more
• Garnier Nutritioniste Nutri-Pure: too drying
• Body Shop: Vitamin E Starter Kit – didn’t cleanse as well as I needed
• Body Shop Tea Tree Starter Kit – too strong and drying
• Aveeno Positively Radiant Cleanser & Toner – made me breakout
• Garnier Pure A Skin Perfection – too strong
• Clinique – too long ago to remember which formulation, but it was very drying
• Burt’s Bees – a sample pack from a few Christmases ago.  Too drying.

I would love any advice or info on products you have used or would recommend, and if any brands want to send me some products to try I’m definitely interested.

I’ve done some research and these are the products I’m thinking about trying:

• Pure + simple: This line is my top choice and want to try it out.  If anyone has tried their products I want to know!
• Boscia Normal to Oily Starter Kit: 30 day trial size kit, which is perfect for seeing how my skin reacts
• Exuberance First Love Facial Discovery Set: You get a chance to try out all of Exuberance Facial Skincare products to find the best for you.  I would probably only use a couple of products and could share the others.

Please share your secrets, tips or info with me.  Let the Skincare search begin!

My stockpile of leftover products

My hair that is.

I’m changing my look completely it seems, and with pink hair I needed a really good haircut. I decided to make the trek up to Oshawa to Aquilibrium Salon to see my cousin Jeri, who is an amazing hairdresser.  It is definitely worth the drive to Oshawa to see her.   She always has the best hair and I knew she would be the perfect person to reinvent mine.

I had a feeling we would go shorter and this is the shortest my hair has ever been.  I haven’t dyed it since the first time and it was fading, so she used a conditioner for red hair and it brightened my colour up.  I hadn’t thought of doing that before, but it’s a pretty good idea.  It looks like I have pink and blonde highlights.

It’s weird not to have any hair touching the back of your neck.  Jeri shaved above my right ear down to the back of my neck.  It’s almost like an undercut, which I secretly wanted when I was in high school.  I was never brave enough to do it.

I am so happy with new hair!  Thanks so much Jeri!  I love it!