As a Mother of two little babes, looking after myself falls low on the priority list. I'm not sure why that happens but it just does. The last couple of weeks I have been trying to get better at practicing self-care and doing some things just for myself. Even just the simplest of things make the world of difference, like showering more often and trying to go to bed a decent time. 

One of my favourite ways to treat myself, is indulging in some good skin care products and taking the time to enjoy them. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, what better time to treat yourself to a few new goodies from Pura Botanicals? 

Teaching them young! Emery was so into testing out one of Pura Botanicals newest items, the Rose Quartz Face Roller. 

This new product I just can't get enough of! It's so soothing & relaxing. The Rose Quartz Face Roller helps to minimize fine lines & wrinkles, reduce puffiness (which hello this Mama could definitely use!) and increase circulation. I like to use it in the morning and evening, and I might even sneak away during the day during quiet time to use it. 

Another one of Pura's newest products is the Petal Restoration Steam. This product makes it feel like you have just stepped into a spa. Such a unique and fun ritual, and it only takes about ten minutes of your time. So listen up Mamas, you have time to treat yourself to a little self-care. Ten minutes to yourself can be done!  You simply place 1 tablespoon of it into a bowl of hot water, place a towel over your head and allow the beautiful steam to permeate your skin for about five minutes. Such a great thing to do right before bed.

The Muscle Melt Aromatherapy Massage Oil is another great product to use before bed. It helps to relax fatigued muscles, elevate joint pain, increases mental clarity and releases tension. Let me tell you, all of those things I definitely and before bed especially. The French Lavender smell is especially soothing. 

Now if you really want to treat yourself, I would use all three of these products before bed. I would also throw in the Overnight Garden Mask. I seriously can't get enough of that mask! It's so so so good!

It's that time of year again, where Fresh Beauty just kills it with their Holiday Gift Sets. They are one of my favourite gifts to give and receive. This Holiday Season the packaging is on point (as usual), and some of the boxes come with pencil crayons that you can use to color in the prints on the boxes (so fun!). 

The Best of Beauty Bundle is probably the best gift to give to someone who hasn't tried Fresh Beauty before. It includes their best & most popular products, including some of my favourites the Soy Face Cleanser and the Black Tea Age-Delay Eye Concentrate. 

Their smaller gift sets make the perfect stocking stuffers. The Facial On The Fly includes a cleanser, face mask and face cream. The Sugar Lip Beauty Box includes six of their delicious lip balms. You could also split up this tin between a few stockings. 

This BodyCare Besties gift set would be the perfect set to get for the Fresh Beauty Guru who only dabbles in their face products but hasn't ventured into the body care line yet. You can't go wrong with a refreshing grapefruit scent either. 

A set of Face Masks is always a winner. This Picture Perfect Mask Set includes three different masks., so depending on how your skin is acting any given day you can pick your face mask accordingly. I think my favourite might be the Black Tea Instant Perfecting Mask. It feels refreshing and tingly when you take it off. 

All of these amazing Gift Sets and more are available at Sephora. One week left to shop!

Do you have lots of shopping left to do? I have a tiny bit let, hoping to get it done today!

-Kassandra 

This is my first time testing out Garnier's Skincare products, and I am super impressed. I'm not surprised as I have been a fan of their hair products for many years. You can't go wrong with a sheet mask, ever! The Super Hydrating Sheet Mask was a super nice treat for my dehydrated skin. It was easy to throw on in the evening while I was nursing, which was a bonus (only took 15 mins). For extra added moisture, I applied the Moisture Bomb Dry Skin Gel Cream afterwards. It helps to moisturize skin for 48 hours, which as a busy Mom is so awesome. 

The product I was most amazed by was the Micellar Water. I have heard people going on about it for awhile now, and I totally get it! It's seriously so amazing. You just apply some to a cotton pad, and wipe off your make-up. It comes off so easy, feels amazing and doesn't sting your eyes like most eye make-up removers. 

THEFACESHOP never disappoints. They are always on top of the latest & coolest skincare trends. I love the Heaven Grade Ginseng line, it just feels so luscious on the skin and fancy.  The Ginseng is is aged for 6 years. I start with the YEHWADAM Heaven Grade Ginseng Regenerating Emulsion. It helps provide a strong protective film over the skin by moisturizing the skin from deep within. I follow it up with the YEHWADAM Heaven Grade Ginseng Regenerating Cream. I love how thick and moisturizing this cream feels. 

What are your favourite skincare products right now? Let me know!

<3 Kastles 

I was pretty excited to get these MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Liquid Matte Lipsticks to try out. I have always been curious about a certain someones other matte liquid lipstick but definitely did not want to pay that or dare I say support them, haha. 

I tried out a few colors from their range: Warm Beige, Rosewood (one of my all time favourite lip colors from MAKE UP FOR EVER), and Neutral Beige. 

This first color is Rosewood (Color 105). It's more of a pinky plum color. 

Can we talk about how Winter should have been over by now? Myself and my skin are so over it! Thankfully these wonderful skincare products are always saving my butt! Here is a little run down of my current skincare favourites. 

I love the wide range of products Rodial offers. I have been a fan of their Snake serums in the past, so I knew this Snake Moisturizer O2 would be right up my alley.
The syn-ake dipeptide and hyaluronic acid combo definitely makes my skin feel instantly tighter when I put it on. I like using it underneath my SPF (which I put on everyday, all about the sun protection).

You can never, ever go wrong by anything from Fresh Beauty. They are one of my all time favourite skincare lines. I am a huge tea fan so naturally the Black Tea line is right up my alley. I adore this Age-Delay Eye Concentrate and always put it on before bed. When I wake up underneath my eyes still feel super hydrated and smooth. If you've never tried anything from them before I would suggest this little kit, it's packed with some of their top products.

My skin has been extra dry this winter, so I love slathering this Belif The True-Cream Aqua Bomb on. It's a light gel cream that cools & refreshes the skin while adding extra hydration. I usually put it on early evening after I've taken off my make-up. It's also sulfate, paraben and phthalate free which is an awesome added bonus!

This Estee Lauder Advance Night Repair is seriously amazing. It's a repair serum that helps to fight all those lovely fine lines. I put it on after cleansing my face before bed. The nice thing is a little goes a long way with this bottle. If your skin is feeling dry or dull, this instantly makes it feel more radiant. It also pairs wickedly with the Revitalizing Supreme + Global Ant-Aging Cell Power Creme. 

As you know I am huge fan of AVEDA hair products as seen here, so I was so excited when I heard they came out with a skincare line. Naturally I fell in love with it right away. This Tulasara Radiant Oleation Oil is different from other skincare products I've used before. You are suppose to apply the oil in the morning as part of your morning ritual. It comes with a beautiful soft brush. You brush your face first then apply the oil. After you apply the oil you are suppose to relax, drink a cup of tea or something along those lines for about ten minutes. Then you wash your face. I absolutely love the smell of it and how my face feels after using the brush and oil. Realistically with a toddler in tow, I don't always have to time to do it. 

Last but not least, probably my favourite skin care product of all time: Pura Botanicals Overnight Watermelon Mask. Oh man, it is just so so good! If you haven't heard of Pura Botanicals before you need their products in your life. I wrote about them here before. Anyway this mask is amazing. It smells absolutely divine, like a delicious dessert. It is super thick, rich, creamy and so moisturizing. You are suppose to put it onto clean skin before bed and wash it off in the morning. I usually end up leaving it on the morning because my skin just feels so lovely. If you are looking for an everyday cream, I would suggest the Sweet Face Cream. 

What have been your favourite skincare products this winter? Share with me your picks please! I am always looking for new products to try!

<3 Kastles 

If you are still looking for a few gift ideas for Him or Her, I have a few last minute ideas that will be a winner for sure.

This adorable gift set from THE FACESHOP is not only darling but practical too. Each little kitten comes filled with hand cream. Perfect for throwing in your purse, and the unique container makes them easy to find.

You can never go wrong giving anyone a gift set from Fresh Beauty. Their line of skincare/beauty products is luxurious, effective and swoon worthy. Their Black Tea line is one of my favourites, especially the firming overnight mask. They have a variety of gift sets ranging in price and size at Sephora.

Beauty Gift Sets are always one of my favourite gifts to give and receive. This Smashbox gift set is a crazy good deal, and the packaging is so fun! SmashBox collaborated with neon artist Meryl Pataky to bring you these super cool neon packaging that glows from within. It comes with a eyeshadow, lip and contour palette which makes for a great starter kit. The Photo Op Eyeshadow palette features pigmented, rich bendable colour. The Contour palette has the perfect colors for bronzing and highlighting, and the Lipstick palette lipsticks are super moisturizing and feature a good range of colors. You can find them at Sephora or at Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutiques. 

Burts Bees is such a classic and well known brand. They have 100's of products that are 100% natural, which is a bonus to their already awesome products. I like how this gift set has a good range of the different products they offer. Their lip balm is such a classic product and a favourite in our household. You can pick up their products at several different stores which is great for any last minute shoppers. 

I first discovered MIYU Beauty at Anthropologie and fell in love. Their beauty mists are so divine, and I have been using their De-Stress Mi Beauty Essence a lot during this stressful and busy season. I simply adore this gift set that features their Hydrate Mi Beauty Essence and is accompanied by a matching tea. Such a brilliant gift for any tea lover in your life! Also these darling little party favors would be so fun to have at a New Years Party! Here is a list of where you can pick up their products. 

Ok first of all the packaging on this gift set from Rocky Mountain Soap Co. so stinking cute! Even my husband commented on how cute it was! Vanilla paired with Candy Cane is just the perfect match, it smells divine! This gift set features several of their best selling products which is a great way to give them a taste of the brand if they haven't tried Rocky Mountain Soap Co. before. You can also build your own gift set which is super fun! Here is a list of where you can find their products.

If you have been reading my blog for awhile then you know what a huge fan I am of Make Up Forever. I am constantly being impressed with all the new products they keep coming out with. Any beauty guru in your life would be so thrilled to receive this brush set from them. It features a good variety of  their cult favourite brushes in travel size. They come in a cute little tin which is perfect for throwing in your bag or suitcase. You can find this gift set and other fun ones from Make Up Forever from Sephora. 

Why are men so darn hard to shop for? Maybe it's just me, but shopping for the men in my life is a constant challenge. I've rounded up a few classic gifts along with some fun ones that I think any dude in your life would appreciate. 

This letter board from Letter Folk Co. has got to be one of my favourite gifts to give this year. It is so fun, creative and unique. It comes with a couple packs of letters so you can get creative and write any sort of message on it. I think a bachelor, brother or attached dude would love to receive this as a gift. It's a little late to order one now but their site does offer gift cards, so I highly recommend picking one up. 

Two tired and true gifts. If your husband is anything like mine he could always use new socks, seriously where do all the socks go? Haha! Old Navy has a great variety of casual and dress socks right now. 

Also baseball caps are always useful and super trendy right now. If your a Canadian like me, you can't go wrong with Toronto Blue Jays cap. I personally like the Snapback style as it's a little more fashion forward. I picked this one up at Lids in Southgate Centre. I'm sure any Sports store would have a great selection of baseball caps. 

Ok this gift is pretty darn awesome! I've been a fan of Lomography's products for many years and so I was thrilled when they came out with an Instant Camera. This Instant camera comes with three different lenses so you can play around and have fun. It's not only a fun toy but you can create fun memories with it. You can find them at your local Urban Outfitters.