There’s nothing like going through your whole makeup stash for a yearly beauty favourites post to discover some new favourites and inspire you! In January I was all over the map in terms of the colours I wore, and it was a very experimental month for me, makeup wise. Since I come from an artistic background (if you didn’t know, I went to art college), I approach my makeup like I would a painting or drawing — I’m just painting and drawing on my face! I’ve always loved beauty so much because it’s a way for me to combine my passions. Like fashion, it’s a form of self-expression for me. I was the little girl who was always playing around in my Mom’s makeup, and giving friends makeovers during my adolescence! My January 2016 Beauty Favourites are full of rich, warm shades, violets and rosy hues. I also discovered a very natural-looking, gradual self tanner that gives you a the perfect amount of colour for winter!
red lip
BEST IN BEAUTY | DECEMBER 2015
December was a blur! Between preparing for holidays and then holidays themselves, December always seems to fly by so fast. Last month I traveled all over Alberta visiting family and friends, and definitely noticed myself reaching for the same products consistently. It was pretty simple for me to choose my December beauty favourites — I just had to look inside my travel makeup bag!
Last month I discovered a genius product that lightens foundation to suit winter skintones, my to-go holiday lip, a blush that gives you that ‘just in from the cold’ look, some really unique eyeshadows and long-wearing, affordable eyeliners! Curl up, get cozy and let’s chat about winter beauty!
Are you in the holiday spirit yet?! This has been such a busy month for me, and the weather has been so nice that it’s hard to believe it’s almost that time of year! Today I’m sharing my favourite timeless pieces to wear during the holidays. For me, the holidays are all about spending time with friends and family, and winding down. While I love to get glammed up for holiday parties, today’s post is about those classic style staples that you can wear to casual get togethers and family dinners — occasions when you still want to look cute and festive, but be comfortable. I also chat about finding the perfect red lip to complete your holiday look!
Mountain Peak Faux Fur Headband | Sunglasses | Killah Striped Swing Coat (similar, similar, similar) | Contrast Cable Knit Sweater | Faux Fur Clutch (similar) | Cocktail Ring | Faux Leather Legging (similar) | Charles David Caterina Pointy Toe Pump (similar, similar, similar) | Bite Beauty Luminous Crème Lipstick in Holly (similar)
BITE BEAUTY BEST BITE REWIND SET REVIEW | HOLIDAY 2015
I swear that every year, limited edition holiday beauty sets start hitting the market earlier and earlier! Today I’m reviewing the Bite Beauty Best Bite Rewind Set, which is limited edition for Holiday 2015. Bite Beauty is one of my favourite brands, they get a lot of love here at JustineCelina — all products are made with natural, food grade ingredients, and they’re Canadian. Each holiday season (or… in October!) I look forward to picking up one of their limited edition holiday sets to try their new shades — and this set definitely does not disappoint! It contains four deluxe-size Mini Matte Crème Lip Crayons in the shades Café, Torte, Coulis and Aubergine (which are all exclusive to this set, except Aubergine) housed in a beautiful holiday tin. Currently, it’s IN STOCK online at sephora.com, and there are quite a few available in-store.
5 PLANT BASED PUMPKIN RECIPES TO TRY THIS FALL {Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free}
Who else is totally pumpkin obsessed? With the height of pumpkin season upon us, I’m excited to bring you a roundup of 5 Plant Based Pumpkin Recipes to Try This Fall! Each October here at JustineCelina, my pumpkin recipes begin trending — so I thought it was the perfect time to round them all up in one post for easy browsing reference (complete with a Pinterest friendly graphic!). This year our Country Garden produced a whopping 55 pumpkins of all shapes, sizes and varieties — and you can bet I’ve been cooking, baking and recipe making with the abundance. If you love pumpkin as much as I do and you’re looking for some fresh, delicious, plant based recipe ideas, you’ve come to the right place! Whether you’re making pumpkin purée from scratch (I have a post explaining exactly how I do it!), using a quality canned variety or roasting it up to use in savoury applications — I’ve got you covered!
With Canadian Thanksgiving and Halloween just around the corner, this versatile gourd abounds at every patch, local grocer and farmers market as we eagerly bring them into our homes. If you’ve got some extra pumpkin to use up or are simply in search of healthy, easy and nourishing recipes, this roundup is for you! Inside, you’ll find all sorts of pumpkin-laden goodness in the form of Pumpkin Spice Steel Cut Oat Breakfast Bowls, Plant Based Pumpkin Pie Energy Bites, Gluten Free Pumpkin Turmeric Muffins, Gluten Free Mapled Pumpkin Chai Bread and a Spicy Pumpkin Persimmon Smoothie. Of course, I’m always working on something new (I may or may not have 12 pumpkin recipes currently in development!) — so this post will be updated periodically as new content publishes. As always, each recipe featured is free of dairy, gluten and refined sugar for those of us with allergies and intolerances (along with ingredient substitution suggestions if you don’t have these dietary requirements). I invite you to slip into a cozy sweater, preheat your oven and join me for some quintessentially October pumpkin recipe inspiration!
MY HAIRCARE ROUTINE FOR LONG, THICK, COLOUR TREATED HAIR
Can you believe it’s been 6 years since I’ve published a Haircare Routine?! While a lot has changed, my passion for maintaining healthy hair at home with a simple but effective routine (and thoughtfully formulated products) remains. Today, in partnership with Canadian retailer BeautySense.ca, I’m elated to bring you my updated Haircare Routine for Long, Thick Colour Treated Hair — featuring my all-time-favourite Moroccanoil products and how I use them.
My hair is one of the things I’m complimented on (and asked about!) most — and it’s something I take great pride in. Despite my wild haircolour and style past, over the course of my 7 year blogging career here at JustineCelina, both have remained fairly consistent (with a couple rounds of bangs thrown in for good measure!). While I truly enjoyed my natural haircolour for as long as possible, as I’ve ventured into my 30’s, I’ve begun colouring my hair once again (this time to disguise those pesky greys!) and adjusted my routine accordingly. At present day I’m pleased to say that my hair has never been stronger, longer or healthier — and today I’m sharing my best kept hair secrets!
CINNAMON RAISIN ZUCCHINI BREAD {Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free}
Friends, I’m absolutely thrilled to bring you my first recipe incorporating produce from our very own Country Garden today! While I took a hiatus from publishing new recipes here at JustineCelina, you better believe I continued my testing and development process offline — and I’m returning to these pages more inspired than ever. You see, back in 2020 my amazing Mom and I embarked on the journey of planting our first (pandemic) garden — something we’d always wanted to do, but seemingly never had time for. Fast forward to summer 2022 and we’ve been fortunate to experience 3 successful gardening seasons full of getting our hands dirty, growing food from seed, enjoying abundant harvests, cooking, baking and recipe making! It brings me great joy to to begin sharing scenes and snippets from our idillic Alberta garden — along with a plethora of fresh, thoroughly tested, plant based, garden-to-table recipes!
Naturally, I wanted my introductory garden-inspired recipe to be a cherished family favourite that I’ve completely revamped to be free of dairy, gluten and refined sugar for those of us with allergies and intolerances — Cinnamon Raisin Zucchini Bread! Deceptively decadent and ultra moist, this comforting, veggie-centric, gently spiced loaf incorporates 2 full cups of zucchini — my absolute favourite way to put overgrown garden goodies to good use. Elevated pantry staples of gluten free flour, golden cane sugar, free range eggs, extra virgin olive oil, oat milk and pure vanilla extract combine with shredded (fresh or frozen) zucchini, sultana raisins, a kiss of cinnamon and a dash of cloves to create a rich, caramelly loaf with a streuselly top. Enjoy a slice with your morning coffee for a nourishing breakfast, or as a satiating afternoon snack alongside herbal tea to fuel your day with plant powered energy!