Sarah & Patrick | Carleton Place, ON

Monday, December 12, 2016

There's something pretty special about two high school sweethearts getting married. What's even more special is when the bride is your one of your very first friends, and the groom one of your friends from middle school. The day is full of mutual friends, close families, and generally a whole lot of laughter.

I feel so incredibly lucky to have been asked to shoot their wedding, which took place at Stonefields.

It was the most perfect day for the most deserving couple.






-J






HAUL & REVIEW | Indie Apothecary Launch Party

Friday, October 07, 2016






Last week, I had the pleasure of attending Indie Apothecary's launch party hosted at Vincent. I met so many new and lovely people, and had an amazing time! The company's founder, Amanda, was such a wealth of knowledge when it came to natural beauty and skincare products. (Plus she's a total sweetheart, and sent me home with a giftbag full of goodies I'm going to give you a quick review of!)


1. Under Carriage Coconut Lime Deoderant Cream I personally already use a cream deodorant, so this one wasn't as unusual for me as some might be thinking. Cream deodorants are amazing! They're super moisturizing, while still being free of all the not-so-great things you'll find in conventional deodorants and antiperspirants. This one worked really well, and it smelled amazing!

2. CAMP Coconut Beach Face Scrub This scrub has already made its way into my shower essentials! It was really effective, but wasn't too harsh for my sensitive skin. I mix the scrub in with my face wash when I'm in a hurry, or with water to make a masque that I leave on for the duration of my shower!

3. Evy Jo & Co Coconut Milk Soap Made with coconut milk and an essential oil blend with geranium, this soap is super moisturizing and luxurious. Plus it's handmade in Montreal!


4. Kis-met Coco Rinse Although I'm pretty familiar with oil-pulling, I thought the idea of a coconut oil pulling kit was genius! I've suggested the technique to so many of my friends, but it's hard to make the act of swishing coconut oil around in your mouth for 20 minutes sound appealing. The sachets look so chic, and I love that they were cool mint flavoured!



(I accidentally left the lip balm at my office, and I didn't have the willpower to refrain from using the masque the night I got home with it! Both were AMAZING!)

If you're interested in trying any of these Canadian, small-batch products, be sure to head on over to the Indie Apothecary Website and show them some love! 



-J



Company Feature | Malachite + Elephant

Thursday, June 23, 2016




Hello, Lovelies!

A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon Malachite + Elephant's instagram feed and I was instantly in love. So naturally, when Derly (the lovely founder of the Company) contacted me, I was more than excited pick up a few products! 

M + E is an online ethical health and wellness shop, based right here in local Ottawa! (The site has free shipping + delivery to the Ottawa/Gatineau region)

I picked up three products that I have absolutely fallen for - A scrub, a toner, and a blemish spot treatment. Read on to find out a little bit more about the products I picked up, and stick around until the end of the blog post for a 10% off Discount Code, just for Bytown & Bloor readers! 

I very quickly fell in love with this scrub. It smells so natural (in a good way! I have sensitivities and this didn't smell like harsh artificial fragrances- just pure, simple ingredients) Sea salt, activated charcoal, raw cacao, sunflower oil, coconut oil, apricot oil, and vitamin E make up this powerhouse scrub that will leave your skin feeling so smooth! I especially love the activated charcoal, as it works to remove impurities in the skin. 






On the note of activated charcoal, I also decided to pick up this activated charcoal spot treatment, and was so impressed by how my skin looked in the morning after leaving it on overnight! I was again impressed with the simple ingredients - Witch hazel, distilled water, activated charcoal, and a blend of essential oils. Plus, this new staple in my routine retails on M + E's website for only $8! 





As much as I absolutely LOVE my other two purchases, I definitely saved the best for last. I am so happy I picked up this product, as I think it has quickly become my all time favourite toner! First off- the smell alone is incredible, and the toner is the most beautiful shade of - you guessed it - lilac. (Side note- this beauty hue is attained by infusing the toner with Blue Pea Flowers- no artificial colours at all!) It leaves my skin feeling so hydrated, and a little goes a long way. I'm calling it early and saying this toner has achieved holy grail status in just 2 short days! 



If you want to try out any of these or any other products on the Malachite + Elephant website, the lovely folks at M + E have set my readers up with their very own 10% off Discount Code. (So sweet!) Enter BYTOWN10 at checkout to receive 10% off your ENTIRE purchase. 




-J

FAVOURITES | May 2016

Sunday, May 29, 2016



Another month has come and gone, and I still cant believe we're almost halfway through 2016! This month's favourites were super difficult to narrow down- I've been trying (and loving!) so many new products, but here are the ones that made the May Favourites cut.


1.) Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Roll-On Perfume
This perfume has been my all time favourite for years now, but I especially love wearing it when the weather gets warmer. The roll-on is super convenient for popping in your handbag or taking with you on vacation! The scent is an all natural blend of sweet orange, mandarin, and berry - Every time i wear this, people flag me down to ask what perfume it is! But my favourite part? Bragging about this perfumes credentials. 100% vegan, cruelty free, gluten free, all natural essential oils (no phthalates), and environmentally conscious...What more could you ask for! (oh yeah, and it retails for under $15!)

2.) Milk Shop Stay Gold, Motherfucker Pencils
I was fortunate enough to win a giveaway over on The Brash Brunette's blog, where she partnered with Milk Shop Ottawa to give away a couple sets of these cheeky pencils, and a set of sunglasses that rarely leave my head! The pencils have been put to particularly good use in the past few weeks, as I was just promoted at work and have quickly learned that using pen in my day planner looks awful if your day tends to change as easily as mine!

3. Lemon Aide Surface Cleaner
This stuff has been my go-to kitchen cleaner ever since I was introduced to it at a trade show in Toronto last fall. It's all natural, smells like freshly squeezed lemons, and uses essential oils instead of harsh chemicals. Plus they're a Canadian company based out of Toronto!

4. Jenna Hipp Essential Nail & Hand Cream
This favourite is also thanks to the lovely Megan of Brash Brunette! Megan had posted a photo on her Instagram of this product, and after asking her about it, we popped into a nearby Winners and found the last tube in the whole store! (I have terribly dry hands, so i'm always looking for new products to try in hopes i'll find my hand cream soulmate.) This one is pretty impressive so far! No artificial fragrances, and it makes my hands feel noticeably softer. The cream comes out really thick, but doesn't leave your hands feeling oily or greasy like most thick hand creams I've tried.

5. Vintage Silver Locket
Sorry lovelies- as much as I want you all to be able to pick up a locket just like this one,  it's all mine! This locket was my Nanny's before she passed away. I used to wear it on occasion when I was younger, but I was so into big, bold statement necklaces that this one tended to sit in the back of my jewellery box unworn. Nowadays, it's rare that I ever take it off. It has such sentimental value to me, and I also just love the way it looks. It's so simple, but I get compliments on it all the time and I find that it just makes my outfit. My favourite part is that the photos inside are ones that my Nanny actually put in it of her and my Poppy. Now that both of them have passed, I love knowing that I still have a piece of them with me wherever I go.

6. Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts
A little bit different from the rest of my favourites this month, but a favourite just the same! I have been adding these hemp hearts to everything under the sun! Salads, soups, protein balls - you name it, they're in there. Hemp hearts are a great source of complete, plant based protein and omegas. (10g of each for every 30g serving!) AND they taste great! You can find them at your local health food store in large bags, travel sizes, and even pre-made bars or bites. (Manitoba Harvest also makes Cinnamon Hemp Heart Bites that are to die for!)

7. Scrub Inspired Coco Kisses Lip Scrub
I have used my fair share of lip scrubs in the past, but I think this one has officially become my all time favourite! (even beating out my Mint Julips from Lush!) Scrub Inspired is an Ottawa-based company that I first began to follow on social media earlier this year. Then I picked up their Coco Kisses lip scrub at the Cheerfully Made Market this spring, and have been loving it ever since! The almond flavour is so lovely, and the scrub makes your lips super soft. I also love how this scrub is so simple and cleanly made - just brown sugar, coconut oil, almond extract and vanilla extract make up this amazing product!


Thanks for taking the time to read through my May Favourites! If you try anything out from the list or want to share any of your own favourites for this month, send me a photo at bytownandbloor@gmail.com or tag me on Insta using @bytownandbloor!



-J

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