Montlhy iHerb Haul | Health, Beauty, Vitamins, Superfoods, Essential Oil!

Happy Friday, everyone!

Welcome to another haul! This haul includes some health and beauty products. My favourite combo!

Some of this month's purchases are staples in my home and a few are new to me.

I'll link to each item in the name of each product incase you want to read more about any of the items.

Grocery

Madre Labs CocoCeps / $10.95
I use this organic dark chocolate, sugar-free cocoa powder in my daily protein shake. It's a great source of natural energy without the jitters. It has healthy immune boosting cordyceps & reishi mushrooms in it. I have an aversion to eating mushrooms but they are so healthy that I wish I could eat them, this cocoa powder allows me to get their benefits. The taste is delicious too and you don't taste any trace of mushrooms.

Now Foods Raw Almond Flour 10oz / $6.38
I try to eat healthy and low carb, so I don't bake with regular flour anymore. I use this healthy low-carb almond flour as a substitute in all my recipes. It's also gluten-free and a source of healthy fatty acids. It tastes great in all my recipes and makes them so much healthier. This also comes in a 22 oz bag. 

Supplements

Now Foods 5-HTP 50mg 90 caps / $11.46
This product is great for mood and sleep. I use it for sleep. I take one or two of these when I can't sleep and it usually works to put me to sleep. It's also supposed to help control weight by controlling cravings.

MD Formulas BioAstin Supreme Hawaiian Astaxanthin 60 caps / $20.99
This was the daily deal when I placed my order so I just had to get it. I've taken Astaxanthin before but not this brand. If I notice any difference once I start taking it, I'll do a review on it. BioAstin Astaxanthin is supposed to be the most powerful natural antioxidant known. It's said to help with joint & tendon health, skin health, eye & brain health, and recovery after exercise. It says that results are usually seen within 2-6 weeks of daily use. This product is gluten-free, non- GMO , and 100% Vegan.

Beauty

Real Techniques Powder Brush / $9.99
I've wanted to add this Real Techniques powder brush to my brush collection for quite some time. She's finally mine! I love Real Techniques, they make great products and they are cruelty-free! Review to come on this brush!

Now Foods 100% Pure Lavender Essential Oil 30ml / $7.94
I love to use this in skincare and for aromatherapy. I use it in my bath with some Epsom salts for a relaxing spa-like bath. I also add some to my diffuser, or put some on a cotton pad and put it beside my pillow before bed to help me unwind. I also make my own DIY spray using this oil. It can also be used in skincare with carrier oils.

Prices shown are current prices and could change.

I hope you enjoyed seeing what I purchased this month.

I've been shopping with iHerb for too many years to count. They have the best selection of natural health and beauty products at the best prices (they even sell ELF cosmetics). I paid a flat rate of $2.50 USD shipping for this whole order!

If you are vegan, gluten-free or only shop cruelty-free etc. you can actually type any of those terms into their search bar while shopping and it will only show you items that fit into that category. It's a very helpful tool.

You can get $5 off your first order by clicking HERE. (no minimum purchase required). If you do shop on iHerb don't forget to check the links at the top of the page for daily specials, trials, and other great deals!

Happy shopping!

#notsponsored , all products purchased by me, some links are referral links. Thank you for your support if you choose to use them. 

New! H & M Beauty | Infinite High Impact Eye Colour in Sahara Caravan + Candied Almond | Swatches & Review

H & M Eyeshadows: Sahara Caravan (left), Candied Almond (right)

I popped into H & M to have a quick look at their makeup and these 2 eyeshadows caught my eye right away; Sahara Caravan & Candied Almond, They are so similar to each other and without trying them on my eyes it was really hard to decide which one to get. They are both mid-tone matte brown shades and they swatched so beautifully!

I was so impressed by the feel of these eyeshadows when I swatched the testers, I wanted to buy them all! They had a great selection of mattes, shimmers, and metallics.

I have been trying to be good about not purchasing things I don't need, so I actually left the store and decided to see if I had dupes at home (I left the swatches on my hand).

Once I got home, I pulled out all my eyeshadows to see if I had any dupes. I only found one shadow that was similar to the colour Sahara Caravan (shared in this post), but as I went through my makeup, I was so impressed with the quality of the H & M shadows that they made most of my eyeshadows seem like junk in comparison!

I find it difficult to find good quality matte shadows and these were the best I have come across, so it only made sense to go back to the store and get both!

I'm not sure why one eyeshadow package says "Infinite Impact" and the other says "High Impact." I'm guessing one is older packaging.

Sahara Caravan (left), Candied Almond (right)

Sahara Caravan

Candied Almond

In-Store Swatches (this photo only)

In-Store Swatches: Candied Almond (top), Sahara Caravan (bottom)

Natural Daylight Swatches, No Primer

Candied Almond (top), Sahara Caravan (bottom)

Candied Almond (top), Sahara Caravan (bottom)

Closest Dupe

Above: H & M Sahara Caravan on top, Wet n Wild Vanity (middle, left shade) on bottom

Closest Dupe (in my collection): 
I only found one similar shade in my collection. The middle, left shade in Wet n Wild's Vanity palette was similar to Sahara Caravan by H & M. I found nothing close to Candied Almond. As you can see, Wet n Wild is lighter, warmer, and tanner in colour. H & M's Sahara Caravan is darker and has more red tones in it. I personally like the colour and the formula of the H & M shadow better.

Description from H & M's website:

"A silky eye colour that blends easily for a vivid, velvety finish that applies easily and stays put. Available in a vast range of curated colours and eye-catching effects. From soft mattes to rich shimmers to bold metallics, the possibilities are endless. 2 g. How to use: Apply on your eyelid, blending as desired. Wear on top of eye primer for even more intense and long-lasting results."

My Thoughts: 
The packaging is pretty but it's plastic and feels rather cheap and there is no mirror. It's not a deal breaker for me as the product is fantastic. Both are super smooth and creamy formulas with excellent pigmentation. A little powdery as are most mattes, make sure to tap off your brush before applying. They blend well and are not patchy at all!

I guess because many are dry, many matte eyeshadows accentuate the wrinkles on my eyes, these do not! These are excellent for aging eyes like mine.

I know I'll be getting a ton of use out of these as they will go with anything! They look great as a single shadow look, as contour colours for the crease, and as transition colours with other eyeshadows.

I can do a quick single shadow look with either one of these blended into the crease and it looks classy and put together as if I put some work into my look. I also love a no-makeup-makeup look and these are great for that. I also love wearing the two of these together, with the darker right in the crease and the lighter one in the upper part of my crease.

These colours make the perfect contour shades for the eyes which can help reduce the appearance of hooded eyes by using these colours in the crease and creating a shadow.

I found the wear time good with very minimal fading by the end of the day. I do wear an eye base underneath as I always do and I didn't have any creasing. I have oily eyelids, so I find that I do have to put an eyeshadow on my eyelids as well or I will get oily.

Although it's wonderful that H & M has testers, I don't like that their makeup is final sale. Swatching colours on your hand is not the same as trying something on your face.

I would love it if H & M would sell these eyeshadows just in the pan and sell some little magnetic palettes to put them in. For those of us with Z-palettes, we could just use those.

I highly recommend these eyeshadows. I'm so impressed that I really want to try more products from their makeup line now.

Have you tried anything from their beauty line that you love? Please let me know in the comments.

These retail for $7.99 CAD each for 2 grams

Week 23: My Health and Weight Loss Journey to Get Fit and Lose Weight!

Welcome to week 23 of my Health and Weight Loss Journey!

Unfortunately, I don't have a lot to report this week.

Last week (linked here) I lost 2.5 pounds which I think was from counting my grams of protein at each meal and making sure that I met the 40 grams of protein that my macros recommended. I calculated my macros very easily on Jen Heward's website (linked here).

This week I kind fell out of the habit of counting my grams of protein at each meal, and 40 grams for each meal was kind of tough for me as I very rarely eat meat and I cannot wont eat soy because of my thyroid. I have since recalculated my macros and will now strive for 35 grams of protein at each meal and see how I do.

Starting tomorrow, I will start counting my grams of protein at each meal again and see if it helps with next weeks weigh in.

Here are the results for this week...

Here are my workouts for the week:

Day 1- 

Day 2- Tone Trouble Zones DVD: 10 min Butt and Thigh + 10 min Total Body

Day 3- 34 minute walk + 20 push ups+ 40 squats

Day 4-

Day 5- 

Day 6- 

Day 7- 

Weigh in :

Weight: Gained 2.5 lbs

Fat: Down 1%

Have a great weekend!

Pay It Forward

Hey, everyone! Happy Friday!

As you can tell from the title of this post, it's something a little different. I got to thinking about paying it forward, and decided that I wanted to do a blog post as a reminder to us all.

I recently saw an opportunity to help someone out. This person was a complete stranger but I saw them on social media. They needed something that I had. I knew this because of a comment they had made online, so I reached out to that person and sent them the item that I had that they needed. It wasn't a big deal to send the item, but I felt good that I helped them out and they were very appreciative and I think it made their day too.

There was a time when a total stranger did something like this for me and ever since then if I see an opportunity where I can help someone out, I try to take that opportunity. It doesn't have to be an act of grandeur or cost a lot of money to pay it forward, it could be something small that you do for someone to brighten their day. There are a lot of things that we don't have control of in life, but luckily, this is one thing we do have control of. It's all up to us.

Everyone has some kind of struggle in this life and life is not easy these days. I just want this post to remind everyone to try and make someone's day. Maybe we can bring back the "Pay It Forward" trend that started way back when. It shouldn't be a trend, I use that word loosely. I just want to keep it going. So, I challenge you to make someone's day and let's keep this going.

Have a great weekend! xo

Ps. My weekly fitness update should be posted tomorrow.

Save or Splurge | Benefit Gimme Brow vs. Essence Make Me Brow 01 - Dupe!?

H & M Eyeshadows: Sahara Caravan (left), Candied Almond (right)

I popped into H & M to have a quick look at their makeup and these 2 eyeshadows caught my eye right away; Sahara Caravan & Candied Almond, They are so similar to each other and without trying them on my eyes it was really hard to decide which one to get. They are both mid-tone matte brown shades and they swatched so beautifully!

I was so impressed by the feel of these eyeshadows when I swatched the testers, I wanted to buy them all! They had a great selection of mattes, shimmers, and metallics.

I have been trying to be good about not purchasing things I don't need, so I actually left the store and decided to see if I had dupes at home (I left the swatches on my hand).

Once I got home, I pulled out all my eyeshadows to see if I had any dupes. I only found one shadow that was similar to the colour Sahara Caravan (shared in this post), but as I went through my makeup, I was so impressed with the quality of the H & M shadows that they made most of my eyeshadows seem like junk in comparison!

I find it difficult to find good quality matte shadows and these were the best I have come across, so it only made sense to go back to the store and get both!

I'm not sure why one eyeshadow package says "Infinite Impact" and the other says "High Impact." I'm guessing one is older packaging.

Sahara Caravan (left), Candied Almond (right)

Sahara Caravan

Candied Almond

In-Store Swatches (this photo only)

In-Store Swatches: Candied Almond (top), Sahara Caravan (bottom)

Natural Daylight Swatches, No Primer

Candied Almond (top), Sahara Caravan (bottom)

Candied Almond (top), Sahara Caravan (bottom)

Closest Dupe

Above: H & M Sahara Caravan on top, Wet n Wild Vanity (middle, left shade) on bottom

Closest Dupe (in my collection): 
I only found one similar shade in my collection. The middle, left shade in Wet n Wild's Vanity palette was similar to Sahara Caravan by H & M. I found nothing close to Candied Almond. As you can see, Wet n Wild is lighter, warmer, and tanner in colour. H & M's Sahara Caravan is darker and has more red tones in it. I personally like the colour and the formula of the H & M shadow better.

Description from H & M's website:

"A silky eye colour that blends easily for a vivid, velvety finish that applies easily and stays put. Available in a vast range of curated colours and eye-catching effects. From soft mattes to rich shimmers to bold metallics, the possibilities are endless. 2 g. How to use: Apply on your eyelid, blending as desired. Wear on top of eye primer for even more intense and long-lasting results."

My Thoughts: 
The packaging is pretty but it's plastic and feels rather cheap and there is no mirror. It's not a deal breaker for me as the product is fantastic. Both are super smooth and creamy formulas with excellent pigmentation. A little powdery as are most mattes, make sure to tap off your brush before applying. They blend well and are not patchy at all!

I guess because many are dry, many matte eyeshadows accentuate the wrinkles on my eyes, these do not! These are excellent for aging eyes like mine.

I know I'll be getting a ton of use out of these as they will go with anything! They look great as a single shadow look, as contour colours for the crease, and as transition colours with other eyeshadows.

I can do a quick single shadow look with either one of these blended into the crease and it looks classy and put together as if I put some work into my look. I also love a no-makeup-makeup look and these are great for that. I also love wearing the two of these together, with the darker right in the crease and the lighter one in the upper part of my crease.

These colours make the perfect contour shades for the eyes which can help reduce the appearance of hooded eyes by using these colours in the crease and creating a shadow.

I found the wear time good with very minimal fading by the end of the day. I do wear an eye base underneath as I always do and I didn't have any creasing. I have oily eyelids, so I find that I do have to put an eyeshadow on my eyelids as well or I will get oily.

Although it's wonderful that H & M has testers, I don't like that their makeup is final sale. Swatching colours on your hand is not the same as trying something on your face.

I would love it if H & M would sell these eyeshadows just in the pan and sell some little magnetic palettes to put them in. For those of us with Z-palettes, we could just use those.

I highly recommend these eyeshadows. I'm so impressed that I really want to try more products from their makeup line now.

Have you tried anything from their beauty line that you love? Please let me know in the comments.

These retail for $7.99 CAD each for 2 grams

Week 22: My Health and Weight Loss Journey to Get Fit and Lose Weight!

Welcome to week 22 of my Health and Weight Loss Journey! Here is a link to last weeks post if you'd like to check it out.

I have interesting results again this week.

I only managed to workout one day this week (I know, bad!) and it was just a short walk but I lost a few pounds.... Go figure. Everytime I workout all week, I gain weight but I don't lose any fat, and on the weeks that I hardly workout at all, I lose weight and my fat stays the same as well.

Come to think of it, I have been trying to eat more protein but I've been having trouble getting in the amount of protein that I should be eating. I'm trying to get in 40 grams per meal, but it's next to impossible for me as I'm not much of a meat eater at all and I cannot eat soy. I have not been counting carbs or calories, just been trying to reach my 40 grams of protein per meal.

If you want a great resource where you can get your macros calculated for you, check out this website https://jenheward.com/macro-calculator/. It's really easy to use and get your everything calculated based on your input. You just put in your info and it will tell you how many carbs, protein and fat you should have per day/per meal and how many calories you should be having as well. This is also based on your goal, whether it's to lose weight, gain muscle, or maintain. I really recommend that you check out this site. It's easy to use and it could be the reason that I've lost 2.5 pounds this week when I only went for a walk one day!

As I mentioned, I've just been trying to increase my protein at each meal and haven't changed anything else yet. I like to take baby steps. I have never counted calories before, nor do I want to. This is why I have only been trying to count the amount of protein that I'm having at each meal so far. I'll continue this way and see if I continue to lose. If not, I will attempt to count carbs etc.

I really want to join a gym. Not for the cardio machines, I can do that at home. I want to use the weight equipment and see some big changes. There are a few new gyms around me that are only $10 per month. But, I am hesitant as I know that there is a good possibility that I will stop going, as many people do who join gyms. I've belonged to gyms in the past and gone for a while and then stopped, so I'm trying to be realistic with myself.

Here are my workouts for the week:

Day 1- 

Day 2- 32 minute walk

Day 3-

Day 4-

Day 5- 

Day 6- 

Day 7- 

Weigh in :

Weight: Lost 2.5 pounds! :D

Fat: no change

Note: Last week I worked out 6 out of 7 days and I gained 2 pounds and had no change in body fat!

Let me know what you're doing to stay in shape in the comments.

See you next week!

Rhoziva | The Benefits of Rhodiola

Rhoziva

Most people that know me or my blog know that I'm really into health products. I follow Canadian makers of the health supplement Rhoziva on Twitter. They are some generous folks, I'll tell you. I wound up being "fan of the month" for June, and they sent me a beautiful box full of health and beauty goodies. Included in my package was their Rhoziva supplement that contains the adaptogenic herb, Rhodiola, as well as other beneficial vitamins and minerals.

I have been a strong believer and user of the herb Rhodiola (rhodiola rosea), the main ingredient in their Rhoziva supplement, for years now. Rhodiola is an adaptogen. Adaptogens help our bodies deal with (adapt) to stressors.

Dr. Axe on Rhodiola:
"Rhodiola rosea contains a phytochemical known as salisdroside. This component helps relieve anxiety and combat aging. Rhodiola suppresses the production of cortisol and increases levels of stress-resistant proteins."

Rhoziva Blister Packs

I like that Rhoziva comes in blister packs so they are perfect to take with you on-the-go or for travel.

What is Rhoziva: 
" Rhoziva is a proprietary herbal blend utilizing the powerful Rhodiola Rosea root that has been proven to fight fatigue, promote mental focus and clarity, enhance memory, increase physical endurance during periods of physical exertion and help support physical and mental stamina during times of increased stress."

You can find much more info on Rhodiola on Rhoziva's website (linked here) or on the web.

Reported Benefits:

• Energy
• Reduces stress and anxiety
• Prevents fatigue
• Increases stamina
• Boosts physical energy
• Improves mood and well-being
• Increases memory and focus
• Improves athletic performance
• Promotes physical recovery
• Cortisol reduction
• Normalizes stress hormones

These are just some of the benefits of this wonder herb.

Ingredients: 
Per capsule:
100 mg Rhodiola Rosea root (extract) (3% Total Rosavins)
Other Active ingredients include: Salidroside, Tyrosol, Rosiridin, Kaempferol, Gallic acid and Cinnamic acid.
3.6 AT [8IU] Vitamin E (dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate)
5 mcg [200IU] Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol)
12.5 mg Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)
2.5 mg Pyridoxine (Pyridoxine hydrochloride)
2.5 mcg Vitamin B12 (Methylcobalamin)
7.5 mg Zinc (Zinc oxide)
37.5 mg Magnesium (Magnesium glycinate)
100 mcg Folic Acid (Folate)

100% Vegetarian, gluten free, and no artificial flavours or colours.

Suggested Usage: Adults (age 18+): take one capsule in the morning and one in the early afternoon, OR take two capsules in the morning. For best results, take 20 to 30 minutes before breakfast or lunch. If you take it past the first half of your day, you find yourself too over-energized before bedtime. Store in a cool, dry place.

Warnings: Consult a healthcare practitioner prior to use. Do not use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. For periodic use only. Consult a health care practitioner regarding use beyond 4 consecutive months. Store away from children.

My Experience:
The main benefits that I have noticed from my use of Rhodiola are stress reduction, regulation of  my menstrual cycle, and help with insomnia (specifically, preventing early morning awakenings).

I think this supplement can benefit most people, and it's good for so many ailments. Even those just needing some extra stamina in this world that seems to be on constant hyper-speed could benefit.

If you are interested in trying Rhoziva, it retails for $34.99 for 60 capsules. You can purchase it on their website linked here or at many health food retailers.

Rhoziva is formulated in Canada by Nanton Nutraceuticals, and their products go through stringent testing before going to market.

Thank you again to the super-generous folks at Rhoziva/ Nanton Nutraceuticals. If you're not following them on Twitter, you should consider it... You could become their next fan of the month!

You can find more information on Rhoziva's website.

Note: Remember to always check with your Doctor before beginning any new supplements.

No affiliate links. Product was a free prize from Rhoziva for being their fan of the month on Twitter.