bath and body works

Blogmas Day 13: The Pamper Gift Guide

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Welcome to the first day of a week-long gifting guide! It’s crunch time for holiday shopping with only two weeks and one full weekend left to get it all done. But if you’re having trouble shopping for your friends and loved ones, than stick with me. Every day from today to next Saturday I’ll be sharing a different gift guide with you, culminating in my wish list for this holiday season (head’s up those who still have to shop for me!). So to kick it all off on a cozy Sunday I’ll give you my idea for a pamper gift guide; perfect gifts for those who love to relax and enjoy a little bit of time for themselves!

When it comes to pamper shopping I believe you can get it all done with just two shops: Sephora and Bath and Body Works. These are my favourite spots to pick up a few pampering items for myself. They always have some amazing deals on gift items and are flush with the pamper types.

First stop, Sephora. My favourite parts of ‘pamper Sunday’s’ are the face masks. Sephora has a great selection of course, from almost any brand in their arsenal. I love the cheap $8 Sephora sheet masks that come in about 8 different kinds (16 if you include the eye sheet masks too). I always pick up a few of these in preparation for a girls weekend. My other face mask loves from Sephora are the Peter Thomas Roth Mini Mask Trio Pumpkin Enzymes Mask, Cucumber De-Tox Mask, and Rose Stem Cell Bio-Repair Gel Mask. As a Sephora exclusive for only $25, you can get these three mini sample sizes of Peter Thomas Roth’s most popular masks! At about $50 each for the full size it’s a great buy! And you get to try three different, relaxing, calming, exfoliating masks.

Second stop, Bath and Body Works. You can always find great gifts in here. Whether it’s candles, soaps, lotions and creams, or some of their fun bath products, Bath and Body Works ALWAYS has an amazing selection and great deals. My favourite picks here are from the Aromatherapy line. I LOVE the Stress Relief Eucalyptus and Spearmint Candle, as well as the Stress Relief Eucalyptus and Tea Body Lotion. But my favourite is the Sleep Lavender and Chamomile Pillow Spray. A MUST on those stressful long days.

Hopefully that helps in a few gifting ideas. Gift a day of pamper at home! Don’t like the pamper ideas? Stay tuned for 7 more days of gift guides coming your way!

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Recent Non-Beauty Favourites

DSC_0147 The Winter season is always the busiest at work. Long days, early mornings, and little time for makeup and pamper. The little moments that I’ve been able to put aside for myself have been filled with relaxation and some alone-time; truthfully I just couldn’t be bothered to worry about makeup. So over the past weeks a few items have stood out and become my go-to relaxation me-time items and surprisingly they’re all non-beauty related!

My favourite of them all was a Christmas present to myself: the Sony ExtraBass Headphones that I got on sale in Staten Island. Nothing relaxes me after a long day then plugging them in and blasting my music. And to go along with the blasting music, I’ve become obsessed with an iPhone game: Hay Day. Can you say nerd much?

Along with the Bath and Body Works Mason Jar Candles I’ve become quite attached to my Vera Bradley Notepad for keeping me organized, as well as my bright orange Joe Fresh Ideas notebook that I’ve turned into my own weight-loss journal. I’ve been keeping track of food, exercise and I’ve filled it full of motivation and goals. I’m hoping to show it to you guys soon, and hoping that my vigilance of tracking pays off.

And finally I’ve been reading a lot again lately and I’ve realized I’ve really missed it! I’m currently reading Ken Follett’s Winter of the World, which is the second book of the Century Trilogy. I love Ken Follett’s books! He’s a historian primarily and is an amazing fiction author. Combined, he creates amazing fictional stories that are incredibly historically accurate, just my kinda book! I highly recommend it!

So there you have it, my current non-beauty favs. Do you have any recent favourites?

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My “Finally Home” Pamper Routine

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“I’m finally home!” has been my sigh of relief once every two weeks for the past six months. I’m finally home! Even if only for a few days. And with finally being able to sleep in my own bed and cuddle my cat, there comes a coveted pamper routine that has become tradition. Staying in hotels and having to pack within weight restrictions puts a damper on pamper while on the road. So once I’m home the traditional routine commences.

Now the routine is not as intense as people may assume. I’m not really one for at home facial peels or foot scrubs. It’s simply things I’m unable to do while travelling. I always start by lighting a candle and taking a bath. I like to use very relaxing scents,  such as the Bath and Body Works French Lavender candle, as well as relaxing soaks in the bath, such as epsom salts and oils like The Body Shop’s Coconut Beautifying Oil. I also apply a deeply nourishing hair mask and a face mask while I’m in the tub, the perfect amount of time for each to work it’s magic. I’ve been loving the L’Oreal Power Moisture Rush Mask (leave in hair for 5-8 minutes then rinse out) for some much needed moisture, as well as the Origin’s Clear Improvements Charcoal Mask to do some down and dirty deep cleaning of my sure-to-be clogged pores. After a long soak, often accompanied with a cup of tea or wine, I dry myself off, slather on The Body Shop’s Satsuma Body Butter and have a go at my hair. With very curly hair I brush only about once every two weeks or else I’ll damage the natural curls. So I give it a good spritz of It’s a 10 Miracle Leave in with Keratin and go at it with my hot pink Tangle Teezer. 

Now the only thing left to do is put on my onesie, refill the wine, and cuddle on the couch with some Netflix! There is nothing more relaxing than my ‘finally home’ pamper routine and I look forward to it on every journey home!

What do you look forward to after being away?

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