Tree Huggin'

The time has come to drag myself away from the beautiful Pacific Northwest and head back to the concrete jungle. Here's what I'll be bringing home with me to conjure up the great outdoors back in my little studio...

Happy Holidays!

A heartfelt thank you to all the readers of my fledgling blog!  Wishing you       all the good breaks this Holiday season and in the New Year~

xo Shana

Everyone needs to rock a tiara once and
a while...especially if you're a
hippie princess!

Ayurveda and skincare

Previously I posted about the three Ayurvedic doshas, and I thought I'd round out the topic by featuring a great natural brand like Pratima that is based on Ayurvedic principles. 

Here are some of my picks from the line:

Sandalwood Rose Mask - I'm a big fan of Sandalwood (see more here) and it's a staple in the Ayurvedic community. I'm dying to get my hands on this mask not only for the sandalwood, but also as I love turmeric for its healing properties and for the inclusion of rose and ocean mud.

Ingredients: SANDALWOOD MUD, TURMERIC, OCEAN MUD, MANJISTHA, PURE DISTILLED ROSE WATER EXTRACT.  Rose Oil - I looove me some body oil and this is a totally exotic and decadent blend. Plus it looks cool. Ingredients: SWEET ALMOND OIL, ORGANIC ESSENTIAL OILS OF LAVENDER, CINNAMON, ROSE PETALS, CARDAMOM, CLOVE, VANILLA AND PRATIMA’S LOVE Rose Neem Face Sunscreen - a non-chemical sunscreen that includes Neem, which is great for preventing breakouts, soothing licorice and lovely rose. Ingredients: IONIZED WATER, NON-NANO MICRONIZED ZINC OXIDE 18.6%, ORGANIC EXTRACTS OF NEEM, BRAHMI, SHATAVARI, LICORICE, VITAMIN E, LECITHIN, ORGANIC ESSENTIAL OIL OF ROSE, XANTHAN GUM.

Ayurveda Skin Dosha ABCs

A few people have asked me what I think their dosha is, and while I'm certainly no Ayurvedic expert, I thought I'd do some research and include a quick rundown for my lovely readers here! There are 3 main doshas which really relate to your whole self and body (digestion, overall health, personality and wellbeing, etc.) but I'm going to focus on skincare for this post.

~ Vatta (Air and Ether) 

~ Pitta (Fire and Water)

~ Kapha (Earth and Water)

• Vatta - typically characterized by dry/flaky and thinner skin, this skin type is more prone to lines/wrinkles but on the plus side, less so for acne. Hydration and antioxidants for the skin are essential. In addition to a good oil (oils higher in oleic acid are better for Vatta like avocado, almond and argan) or serum, pick yourself up a hydrosol (recommendations here and here) to keep your skin extra happy throughout the day.
• Pitta - pitta, c'est moi. Prone to inflammation, irritation, redness, etc., pitta skin is easily sunburned and often suffers from rosacea. Pitta peeps often have moles and freckles and skin in general is on the high maintenance side. Pitta skin needs to be calmed and cooled and is the opposite of Vatta. Seabuckthorn, rosehip and maracuja oils are my pick for this dosha.
• Kapha - generally oily and break-out prone. Skin is usually thicker and has larger pores. Key for Kapha is using anti-bacterial essential oils that are skin friendly (tea tree and rosemary are good ones) and moisturizing with sesame and Neem oil. Oil is not your enemy! But harsh cleansers and products that strip your skin are. The good news is, typically Kapha types are slower to show signs of aging, hurrah!

You can also be a combination of doshas, so if you want a more in-depth look, Google "ayurveda dosha quiz" and you'll find a few online that will guide you through what your individual type is. 

Next up, I'll discuss an Ayurvedic skin care line that I like. Stay tuned!

Holiday Treats

I can't believe Christmas is next week and 2014 is almost over, although I must admit, I'm beyond ready to put this year to bed!

Still, I'm trying to soak in as much holiday spirit as possible and I was thrilled to come across these adorable little gingerbread cookies the other day. That, and the discovery that my favorite coffee company Porto Rico Coffee Roasters had Pumpkin Spice on sale, practically made my week!

And, while I usually tryyyyy to avoid processed foods/sugar as much as possible, I gave in to curiosity and sampled the new croissant donut (aka "cronut") from Dunkin' Donuts. Hey, we all deserve our guilty pleasures and I mean, who has the energy to wake up with the pigeons (and tourists) and stand in line at Dominique Ansel??  I feel compelled to tell you guys that it was gooood.  Really good.  This may just be my new thing. It came in its own cute little box, and part of me wondered if it was to make it appear more special, or if it was because it sat on a shelf for a week...either way, it was yumm-o!

Happy Friday everyone!

Lip Lovin'

Sometimes I forget that in the winter our lips need a little extra lovin', so I've done a quick round up of some good natural options (your kisser can thank me later).

• Marble & Milkweed Rosy lip tint - coconut and sesame oil base, with rose clay and precious rose otto
• Fig & Yarrow Rose and Vanilla Lipblush - this cute little tin is full of great antioxidants and moisturizers like avocado oil, shea butter, rosehip seed oil, plum seed oil and cocoa seed butter
• Aster & Bay Lip stain Beetroot and Hibiscus- looks beautiful on with a natural beetroot tint, but is also super hydrating thanks to rosehip seed oil, coconut oil and mango seed butter
• Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask in Champagne - heavy in Resveratrol, an antioxidant from grapes, along with jojoba, shea and agave make this a lightly tinted and powerful lip treatment

Don't forget to exfoliate once and a while with an easy homemade sugar scrub. Just combine honey and/or coconut oil and sugar. Gently rub, follow afterward with a moisturizer and you'll be mistletoe ready!

Monday Mood Board

"Hi, I'm Shana and I'm into crystals." There. I said it and it's out in the open now.

I have to say, if I could turn my apartment into Planet Krypton (*editors note: extreme nerd reference - this is the planet Superman is from and it's full of crystals) I would. And to avoid it looking like the Fortress of Solitude (sorry people, another extremely nerdy Superman reference) I'd maybe throw in a plant or two...except I don't have a green thumb and giant crystals aren't that cheap.

So, to infuse some more crystal power into my life (literally), I turn to some interesting small brands like Aquarian Soul & Earth that are incorporating crystals into their products.

I must admit, they had me at "desert shaman" when they described their Cactus Flower and Quartz spray as being created with "The wanderer who roams the desert drawing on the energies of the earth to journey to another place" in mind.

 They also do some interesting crystal infused massage oils, and I very much liked their disclaimer: "All gemstones used in our massage oils were cleansed by the light of the full moon  & are energized with healing reiki energy. This means they have a very high vibrational energy that can be used to heal, raise and transform your vibrational alignment." Now we're talking!

Are you into crystals? Share below!

It never hurts to get your crystal
with a side of rum..