October Yogi Surprise – the perfect birthday treat!

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October is the best month ever, not only is it Halloween and the leaves start to change colour, but also IT’S MY BIRTHDAY!! What better way to celebrate than with a Yogi Surprise box – one of the best joys to receive in the mail. Every time you open one of these little purple boxes, you are immediately met with a beautiful lavender scent. I swear they spray their boxes or something, because they smell amazing when they arrive 😛

I immediately see one of my favourtie things from the Yogi Surprise box, the flow card! LOVE these little cards of yogi knowledge! Flows are hard for me to come up with outside of the classroom, so I have been collecting these and take a look every now and then for some inspiration.

Next came a clear bottle from Buddha Teas called Matcha Now. This looked like regular water until I noticed there was a mechanism to release the matcha into the bottle. SO COOL!! I’m not crazy on matcha, but this looks so intriguing I am going to have to try it.

I am a big fan of skincare products and always like trying new things. The Yogi Surprise box always seems to have an assortment of creams or balms to use, so I can always expect some exciting goodies to try! For super dry skin there is the Good Medicine Lab balm – which I love applying to knees and elbows. The Revive lip balm from Eco Lips also looks like a clear essential product for the upcoming cold weather. It is 100% organic and it will be living in my bag this winter.

The manduka logo stood out to me next, and I absolutely love this brand and know they have amazing quality products, I was sure to love anything this was going to be! It was a yoga mat strap, which coincidentally I don’t have for my Manduka Pro yoga mat! HOW PERFECT WAS THAT?!?! It is a grey strap, and it looks so comfortable to wear, especially since my mat is super thick and I couldn’t figure out which strap would work best with it.

The Namaste Ninja by Happy Spritz is extraordinary – this product will clear your mind + clean your mat. It uses an aromatherapy blend of organic tea tree essential oil as one of the main ingredients which is known for its antimicrobial + anti-fungal properties, perfect for post workout. The design is really lovely too.

Best for last of course, the Pure Botanica bath Infusion Rose Retreat bath salts. The second I saw these in the box I knew it was going to be an amazing birthday. RosĂ© Retreat Botanic Bath Infusion combines organic bath salts with calming rose and geranium essential oils. I think this might have been what made this Yogi Surprise box especially smelly this month. But I’m not complaining!

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I always love receiving one of these boxes. If you don’t have any gift ideas for a great friend or you just want to treat yourself, these little purple boxes will be a gift no one can forget. Especially for the insane amount of valued products in an affordable little subscription box. Give it a try and use the code YOGILOVE for 15% off at Yogisurprise.com

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!

 

 

Goddess Provisions: May Box

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Wowowowow! This box has it all! Healthy snacks, fun skin care and the best part is the surprise rock that comes in the mail. I was lucky to receive a box from Goddess Provisions, they are all about taking time for yourself and enjoying the simple pleasures. I sure enjoyed this box. The best part is every item is VEGAN, so you can definitely indulge in every single item!

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You can see it came with a little card highlighting the items inside. In this box I received an amazing liquid eyeliner from Eye of Horus Cosmetics, coconut snackaroons from Laughing Giraffe Organics, a yummy rich vanilla, blonde tobacco, rosewood travel fragrance from Good Medicine Beauty Lab, an adorable card holder from Pixie Mood, and my favourite is the amethyst cluster!

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You can tell these are quality items, even from first glance – carefully picked for this months box. I was so happy to see the Pixie mood card holder because it is a Canadian brand and I love supporting local brands! I was so surprised to see it but it is just my style and I carry it everywhere I go!

The Eye of Horus liquid liner is AMAZING! I use liquid liner every day, switching from inexpensive Revlon brand to Kat Von D brand recently. I am enjoying this liner so much, it doesn’t much and isn’t shiny like a lot of brands you get out there. As someone who does winged tips and hates to mess up, this little felt tip is perfect! You get the perfect point every time.

I was so happy to see FOOD in this box. hahah. I am not a big fan of matcha but this bag convinced me. The flavour of matcha is very light and the coconut macaroon stands out a lot still.

The little bottle of perfume from Good Medicine Beauty Lab is perfect to keep in your travel bag, or at work! It is a sweet scent but it is not overpowering at all, which usually you find with vanilla scented things. I LOVE this fragrance of rich vanilla, blonde tobacco, rosewood, cinnamon and ginger. The combination of everything is really working well together in this little bottle, and I can only hope I don’t go through this too quickly! 😛

Now, my personal favourite in this whole box has to be the beautiful Amethyst rock I received. I don;t have anything like this, and have been dreaming of owning one for so long. I feel like this was destiny. Or is that too cheesy? haha

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Shiiiiinnnnyyyy.

If you haven;t already, you should definitely check out Goddess Provisions. I feel like they are on to something new with this all vegan box and that special, stone just makes this box extra unique! Also this box or any of the items in it make a great gift! 😉

 

 

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!!!!