The most buttery cream ever

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I’m talking about handcrafted Parkdale Butter from Toronto! This stuff was a serious lifesaver on my last trip to Prague and Germany. I wrote a recent blog post about my MUST HAVE travel products, and I was right about Parkdale Butter being absolutely mandatory.

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My skin was so dry when I landed, I plopped a tiny bit of my absolute favourite Espresso Face Balm and it immediately absorbed into my skin in the most silky way. The Vitamin E in the soy butter helps to regenerate skin cells, and heal any visible abrasions. I had a few tired wrinkles and they immediately disappeared after hydrating with this delicious face balm. For real, I say delicious because the Espresso flavour really wakes you up in the best way possible! It just looks like a buttery coffee treat… but it’s not – don’t eat it 😉

LOOK HOW CREAAAAMYYY

This is my top recommendation for Parkdale Butter, if you are placing an order – MAKE SURE THIS IS IN YOUR CART!!!! I actually don’t think I can live without this stuff. I use it daily. Before I put on my makeup and sunscreen. After a shower. Before I got to sleep. The best part is that it’s so buttery you only need a tiny bit to moisturize your entire face. My skin is honestly glowing every time i apply this balm.

The CocoaNut body butter had it all! Moisture and SPF. This was so incredible to apply before heading out for long walks. The tan on my legs was brought out more by the thin shiny coat of chocolate and coconut. The best way to apply this was to put a small amount in the palm of my hand and let it melt a bit. It turns more into an oil this way and is much easier to smooth out. the coconut is a solid cream so it needs a bit of heat to let it go back to its oily state. You can apply it directly on to super dry skin and let it warm up there for more moisture.

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Sometimes I felt like my skin had a bit too much of a frying session outside and I needed something even more soothing like Aloe to help with the redness. The Mocha Tightening Lotion was super thick and did wonders for my tired skin after a long day. This stuff is good to apply a couple of hours before heading to bed. It’s a bit too thick to put on right before bed, you will definitely feel ALL the moisture. But absorbs fully in an hour or so. I put it mainly on my elbows and knees, and they become brighter overnight.

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Last was my cute little tin of organic Peppermint lip butter. ERMAGERD this stuff saved my lips on the flight!! I felt them getting dry about 2 hours into the flight and was so happy I packed this as one of my ‘easy reach’ plane items. It sat beside me the whole trip.

So far these have been my every day go to items.  Seriously, go check out Parkdale Butter.

And if there is one thing you must get, its the Espresso face Balm. FAN FOR LIFE!

Prague – Dresden – Vienna Travel Essentials

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I love travelling, but unfortunately I absolutely HATE flying! The one thing that helps me keep calm and carry on is making sure I pack properly so that i don’t leave anything behind. This trip was going to be different than the rest I have been on though, simply because I do yoga now so I really wanted to practice in new and amazing environments.

I was packing up all my things and I just had to snap a pic of these wonderful Euro trip must haves!

These are a few of my favourite things! When the dog barks, when the bee st… ok I’ll stop.

Laid out above on my mandala round from Yellow tree Company – you will see pictured my amazing Yoga Paws, TKEES flip flops, Way of Will essential oils, Parkdale Butter, Herban Essentials Towelettes, Ray-Bans, Le Specs, Tangle Teezer brush, Kiehls Sunscreen, NEUlotus, EOS, and jewellery from Miansai, Links of London and Kate Spade! Yeah, that’s quite a mouthful, but honestly these things all made it into my suitcase and carry-on and I am loving every second of having these things handy.

The Yoga Paws, were the most obvious to bring along. I knew I would be practicing outside so it was amazing to have a grippy mat stuck to my hands and feet at all times. I actually carry these everywhere with me in Toronto so I made sure to pack them first. I would have been devastated had I forgotten them. (OK, that’s a bit dramatic)

Herban Essentials Orange towelettes came in handy on the germ plane ride… before, during, after – all the time! I carried the Tangle Teezer in my carry on too, it came in handy as we were landing. I never usually carry a hair brush, I hate bringing them on trips because mine is a heavier bamboo one and it is just not fun to lug around. This brush is PERFECT!!! It untangles major knots instantly and it is so light to carry. I highly recommend it, go get one NOW. Another carry on essential was my NEUlotus which will make for a comfy butt pillow on the plane ride! It also will help keep circulation flowing much better than sitting directly on the uncomfortable plane seats. If you want one too make sure to use the discount code asanavanessana10 on your next order for 10% off NEUlotus!!!

I have to say, Way of Will is killing it. The Frankinscense + Borane Sensitive Skin oil is amazing. It absorbs into my skin right away and is perfect for day time. It is a soft silky finish and you don’t feel oily after applying it. It comes in a really cool bottle too. I also packed along my refreshing Blackspruce + Rosemary face spray for those hot, hot, hot Prague days.

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Way of Will

Sunglasses are a must of course! My Ray-Bans keep it casual while the Le Specs really pop! These are both really great brands for a budget too, especially the Le Specs which are relatively less expensive than most brands.

Kiehls SPF 50 face sunscreen for sensitive skin! This had to be packed along. The strong sun rays in Prague are super harmful and I did not want to get my face burned. I hate wearing face sunscreen, it usually gets so oily, but this face cream is incredible. It is light and absorbs super quickly into my skin. It is kind of more expensive than I would usually pay for sun screen, and such a small bottle – but I haven’t felt anything as light and protective as this, so quality over quantity is what I keep telling myself haha.

Last worth mentioning is my incredible Parkdale Butter set. The Espresso face Balm is OMG so incredibly creamy and delicious (don’t eat it though). It is like actually applying butter to your face, but with the benefits of not applying actual butter to your face! I also brought along my CocoaNut Body butter and Peppermint Lip Balm. I know my skin gets super dry after a long sunny day and I need something that will replenish and hydrate my skin overnight. This stuff is just that. I put it on after my shower and feel super soft all night and wake up with glowing skin. I need to write a separate review on these because there is more to talk about – maybe with an update on how my skin does in Europe with these yummy creams from a familiar place, my hometown, Toronto!

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I laid these all out on this amazing mandala roundie from Yellow Tree Company. It will come super handy for picnics and yoga in the parks! Can’t wait to try it out! The pattern and colours are so beautiful too.

Hope you like my travel essentials!

 

 

Behind your favourite song is 66 Audio

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Was that headline too cheesy? Oh well! I love my new 66 Audio BTS Sport WIRELESS headphones. I took them for a spin around the city and my absolute favourite thing was not having to worry about anything flying off your head, or earbud cords being caught on something.

I tried to photograph the box but my cat was alllll over it! I pulled them out of the package and was so happy to see how well they travel! They fold up so nice and small and come with a little travel pouch, the packaging for these headphones is incredible. The first thing I did was take them out for a longboard ride. Listening to my favourite music while I longboard was surreal, I usually don’t wear anything because the feeling of cords is annoying. These completley withstood the longboard test! My boyfriend gave them a try on the way back because he really wanted to listen to some music for once too!

We made it to our destination, a really cool skatepark in Toronto that you can find under the main highway that runs through. The best part about this skatepark is the insane graffiti all over the place from the coolest artists. This was the perfect setting to do some yoga and see if these headphones would fall off my head or not.

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This is harder than it looks.

After spending over an hour at this park, I actually forgot the headphones were on my head! I was just walking around listening freely to music and enjoying every minute. The sound quality is great too, I had to turn them down so I can hear around me!

I never thought I would enjoy the way these headphones are built too. The band goes around the back of your head which is amazing because it doesn’t even touch you and create sweaty, uncomfortable marks… or ruin your hair, ladies, right?!

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After a long hour balancing on everything at the skatepark, we decided to longboard home! We were pooped, but the headphones made it through the trip! These are amazing headphones for an active lifestyle, you don’t have to worry about cords, anything flying off, or uncomfortable sizing. These headphones fit every head size! Not to mention the sound is poppin!

Don’t forget to check out 66 Audio BTS Sport WIRELESS headphones! They make a great plane travel companion too! 🙂

March Yogi Surprise Box!

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I am SO happy to announce that I am now a Yogi Surprise Ambassador. I love their unique selection of quality items and coincidentally enough, a wonderful fact about me is when I first opened my Instagram account, they were one of the first accounts I followed.

I was thrilled to receive my first box which was the March Yogi Surprise Lifestyle and jewelry box. Yeah, you heard that right, they have two options for boxes with amazing selections and surprises inside, but you should probably get both because it is so exciting and such a spirit lifter seeing that little purple Yogi Surprise Box in the mail from Portland.

Actually let’s talk about the box. IT IS SO CUTE!!! *insert a billion emoticons here ;)* The design of the box is so simple and distinctive. The Jewelry box is slightly smaller and white instead of purple, you can see below how amazing the packaging is and also what i got in my March Yogi Surprise jewelry box.

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Tasty Buddha Vegan Quinoa Crunch Chocolate, Feather Rose Quartz Point Pendant Necklace & Pearl/Amazonite Buddha Bracelet.

Side Crow transition into Fallen Angel with my Yogi Surprise Boxes!

Opening these boxes was so much fun and the necklace and bracelet are GORGEOUS! And that Buddha Qunioa Chocolate is SO good. It is a darker chocolate taste with a light taste of quinoa, even though this thing looks like quinoa bark! So Yummy!

Next up was the lifestyle box. It was like opening my birthday presents in March: filled with an array of healthy treats, skin care items, and a wonderful book. My partner was so excited to see the wonderful items we got this month too, so I’m positive this is going to be a real treat for us every month! below is the Lifestyle box, and as you can see there is someone else who is also super excited about Yogi Surprise! My lovely Yogi kitty, ARLO! He seriously senses when I want to do yoga and immediately joins me, so of course he would love this box too.

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How amazing is that Flow card at the front of the photo above. I always get a little lost i flow so it was so nice to see that, I can’t wait for next months flow sequence! The lentil Chips were soo delicious. They taste like puffs of pure joy, and the micro dermabrasion cleanser by derma-E. Also this Book called the Little Red Book of Yoga Wisdom is so beautiful! As a newbie to yoga I don’t have any books yet so it was such a joy receiving my first! So far it is filled with words of wisdom, yoga poses, tips, facts, history and EVERYTHING I COULD DREAM of knowing in a little red book. It is a very light read and not at all heavy, just enough for a beginner or bedtime read, or to read a motivating quote before your practice and meditation.

Also included was a pack of Pranayums – a special blend of turmeric, black pepper, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, licorice root and other spices. A Yoga Mat Cleaner from Rosey and a Stain a Oder removing spray for yoga bags and shoes!

I also got these amazing spirulina tabs which I have been hearing great things about. And an oil pulling Herbal rinse from Taylors Naturals

I had such an awesome time opening and using all of these products. My friend were excited to see some of them too! Check out Yogi Surprise and sign up for a box! I swear, you won’t regret it. you can even use the code YOGILOVE for a generous 15% off any box!!!!