With just over a week of 2016 left, I thought I’d take a moment to look back at some of my favourite and most popular recipes from this year, just in case you missed ’em. Some of these are recipes with lots of comments, others have been visited tens of thousands of times, and others are ones that I’m really proud of and hope you’ll take another look at. Happy making, and happy holidays everybody!
Winter Solstice Face Cream
I've had a lot of requests for a straight-up face cream, but for some reason or another, I haven't really strayed into that territory too much until now. That's mostly because I adore oil-based serums; my skin loves their potency, and when a serum is 100% oil based...
Tinted Coal Lip Balm
I thought I'd mix things up a bit with this seasonal lip balm and bring my Lumps of Coal holiday theme to the realm of lip balms. And I love it. It definitely seemed a bit odd when I jotted down the idea a few weeks ago, with aims of avoiding creating something dark...
Gentle Hemp and Shea Soap
After a few weeks of some fancy-pants, layered-up, Christmas themed soaps, I fancied a bit of a rustic break. A simple to make, quick-to-assemble, low-fuss bar soap made with some lovely oils and butters, lots of creamy clay, and no timers or pomp and circumstance....
Whipped Pumpkin Spice Body Butter
This decadent Whipped Pumpkin Spice Body Butter is pure autumnal perfection. It's soft and creamy, and smells deliciously of cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, and cloves. It sinks into the skin shockingly quickly for how thick and luscious it is, and the texture is utterly...
Sea Buckthorn Mattifying Moisturizer
If you're looking for touchable, smooth, soft skin, this Sea Buckthorn Mattifying Moisturizer is right up your alley. It's a creamy, orange-hued moisturizer features a few scoops of silky smooth arrowroot starch to give your hydrated skin a beautiful dry touch. It was...
Moraine Lake Body Lotion
I love few things more than the scent of the forest floor in the sun in the Canadian Rockies. A few weeks ago we took a trip out to Moraine Lake—one of the most famous lakes in the world. You might not know it by name, but you know the view; it's incredibly famous....
Pumpkin Shimmer Lip Gloss
It's still two days until it's "technically" autumn, but Calgary clearly missed that memo—our trees have been turning since late August. Along with coarsely knit knee socks, my scarf collection, and this awesome jacket that I bought on sale in May and haven't had a...
Soothing Oat Bath and Body Oil
This soothing oat bath and body oil was born from a recipe request from Claudia, who loves Aveeno's Skin Relief Shower and Bath Oil. She said that it was fantastic for dry winter skin and even helped with her son's eczema. Taking a look at the ingredients, first first...
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Lotion
To me, macadamia nuts will forever evoke memories of Hawaii. I was last there with my family when I was seventeen, and I remember picking up a bag of some chocolate covered macadamia nuts in the airport on our way home. Those nuggets of chocolatey goodness were...
Mermaid Silk Shampoo Bars
Prepare to feel like you're sudsing up in a lagoon in Neverland with the mermaids; these seriously beautiful Mermaid Silk Shampoo Bars are just the sort of thing I imagine mermaids would use (do mermaids wash their hair? A question for another day, perhaps.). Super...
Luxury Facial Serum
The amount of money some shop-bought natural skincare products sell for never ceases to amaze me. You'd think I'd be used to seeing price tags north of $150 for a few tablespoons of something, but I'm not. I'm perpetually astonished to find a blend of oils or a simple...
Chocolate Lip Butter
Out of all the things I've made that I have to frequently remind myself not to eat, this Chocolate Lip Butter is pretty high up that list. It smells downright delicious, and leaves my lips oh-so wonderfully soft and hydrated. And did I mention that it smells exactly...
Olive and Jojoba Silk Conditioner
This recipe for Olive and Jojoba Silk Conditioner was inspired by a request from Nick, who says "Came across your website and it's great. Despite being the manliest of men I do like the finer things in life and the rubbish mass produced stuff from the high street just...
Lots & Lots of Clay Soap
I adore clay in my soap, so I thought I'd try a bar with lots of the stuff. The general rule of thumb I've been following is one tablespoon per 500g/pound of oils so I decided to take that up by about 10x and I'm loving the results. All that clay makes for an extra...
Rose Cardamom Body Lotion
This pretty pink rose cardamom body lotion is light as a feather but leaves skin unbelievably soft and hydrated. A blend of nourishing oils, fragrant rose wax, luxurious silk, and hydrating rose water comes together easily, leaving you with a decadent pot of...
Scottish Rose Salve
In honour of Robbie Burn's day, I'm sharing this recipe for a Scottish Rose Salve today ("O my Luve is like a red, red rose"). It was inspired by a recipe request from Jade, who wrote "I love this [rosebud] lip salve. I've been using it for 9 years and it's a staple....
Houdini Anti Acne Creme
I've had a few requests for a lotion similar to LUSH's Vanishing Creme, so this is it. The idea is the creme will make your acne vanish, so with that in mind, I set out to make my very own Houdini Anti Acne Creme—something worthy of the great Houdini. I took some cues...
Cold Snap Cleansing Balm
I am utterly smitten with this Cold Snap Cleansing Balm. I've already emptied two tins of it. It's perfectly soft and smooth, and leaves my skin delightfully clean without drying it out. A wee bit of menthol gives it a perfect wee tingle that's perfect for first thing...
Let’s not forget the videos!
I’ve been sharing two videos a week on YouTube since June, and I’m loving watching my channel grow and having the opportunity to show you guys new techniques and fun experiments. All of these recipes have videos to go with them, so you can watch instead of read if that’s your jam!
Cream Silk Cleansing Balm
Today we're blending up a Cream Silk Cleansing Balm that I'm really quite proud of. It was vaguely inspired by a storebought cleansing balm that I recently tried + a need for a really effective waterproof makeup removing product. In regards to the storebought...
Passionfruit Coconut Matte Velvet Moisturizer
Today's Passionfruit Coconut Matte Velvet Moisturizer is a riff on something I first tried back in 2016, and it's lovely. Massage this soft, putty-like Passionfruit Coconut Matte Velvet Moisturizer into your skin and you'll feel it turn into a velvety, super-smooth...
Watermelon Mint Summer Body Oil
We're continuing our Watermelon Mint series today with a silky, fruity, easy-to-make Watermelon Mint Summer Body Oil. This lovely oil leaves your skin soft and glowing without feeling greasy or heavy. It's got a fresh, subtle scent, and can be made in mere minutes....
Oat & Shea Hand Lotion
If your hands are anything like mine, they're feeling the effects of multiple months of a whole lot of hand sanitizer use and intensive hand washing sessions. This lightweight hand lotion focusses on some great moisturizing and soothing ingredients to help breathe...
Rose & Honey Rich Cream Cleanser
This Rose & Honey Rich Cream Cleanser is quite the treat—it's rich and gentle, smells softly of roses, and leaves your skin feeling clean but not tight or dry. Made with sweet almond oil, fragrant rose hydrosol, and local raw honey, it has a positively decadent...
Passionfruit Coconut Vegan Body Butter
If you've been dreaming of enveloping yourself in tropical scented wonderfulness, this beautiful all-natural Passionfruit Coconut Vegan Body Butter is for you. A base of beachy coconut oil and passionfruit oil is thickened with a combination of stearic acid and...
French Green Clay Sulphate-Free Shampoo Bar
Today we're making a lovely French Green Clay Sulphate-Free Shampoo Bar. It features a beautiful, gentle surfactant blend, silky Abyssinian Oil, and creamy French green clay. It's easy to make, with no heat required—just a bunch of squishing and stirring. The...
Lavender Aloe Exfoliating Body Wash
Today we're adding another awesome product to our suite of Lavender Aloe skincare goodies—a lovely Lavender Aloe Exfoliating Body Wash, made with an all-natural sulphate-free surfactant blend, fragrant lavender hydrosol, and soothing aloe vera juice. You don't need to...
Super Simple Moisturizing Lotion
Today we're going back to the basics with a Super Simple Moisturizing Lotion. I pared down the ingredients as much as I could, so this lotion just features five (5!) inexpensive ingredients that can be easily modified to suit what you have, or what you prefer. If...
Marie, just wanted to say thank you for your blog and let you know I’m anxiously awaiting your book. I just placed an order with Amazon. I made a few of your formulas over the past few weeks as gifts for my Yoga pals and delivered them yesterday. The most desired product was the pumpkin spice body butter and I got tremendous ooos and ahs over that candy cane lotion. I was unable to layer that lotion so I did a swirl type thing in the bowl and it turned out beautifully. To my surprise, a few of the girls do make or try to create simple DIY products so I told them about your blog and book. My very favorite products you created are the 1914 Redwood beard balm, the Manitoba Forest balm (even though my son is the only beard guy) and the pumpkin spice butter.
Thank you for all you do
Lynne
Thank you so much, Lynne! I hope you love the book when it arrives 😀 It should be any day now! You’ve named a few of my favourite recipes as well—good choices 🙂
Marie,
Just wanted to say happy holidays to you and your family and thank you for all your work in creating these beautiful recipes for us. Really love the video’s too! Happy 2017 to you!
Thank you so much, Michelle! 🙂
Marie,
Happy holidays and thank you so much for all your work on this blog. I finally learned how to make soap this year thanks to you. I can vouch that your Mermaid Silk Shampoo bars included above are amazing. Although I quickly discovered how much better homemade soap is and am now a convert, I was nervous to try the whole soap bar shampoo thing. I’ve been using this for about a month now (with just a basic vinegar rinse, thanks to your instructions). I actually got a compliment on my hair last week! And I am the type to *never* get compliments on my hair since I hate to spend any time styling, cutting, or otherwise messing with it. A co-worker was eyeing me one day and finally asked, did you do something different with your hair? It looks shinier – in a good way. 😉 I told her the only thing I was doing differently was using a shampoo bar and then raved on about your blog. Thank you!
Thanks, Becky! I’m thrilled I’ve helped get you into homemade soap and hair care—and YAY for getting hair compliments, that’s awesome 😀 Wahoo!
Hummmm…. what was I excited about from what I made this past year? Everything! I think what excited me the most in the past month is the lotion made with rose wax and the Scottish Rose Balm. I thought I hated the scent of roses, but I actually really love it! Cocoa body butter is something that has saved me this year from all that other inappropriate itching during the winter. And I think my Dead Seat Mud Salt Scrub has me wicked excited too.
My favourite new discoveries have been pine pollen and moringa powder (and about a bagillion more but those two get used almost daily so they win). Another awesome discovery I’ve made this past year has been wheat germ oil in my lotions, its wicked high in vitamin e and my skin feels awesome with it. And to top everything off, being able to source all these in China from reputable sellers, takes the cake!
And of course my top favourites of the past year from your most lovely blog; Winter Wonderland Lip Gloss, Chocolate Lip Butter, Pumpkin Spice Lip Gloss, Scottish Rose Salve (I’ve made a lot of lip stuff this year I just realised).
And then I just got yelled at to add, the top few posts that my friends are most happy about me making from your blog; your ravioli recipe, any recipe I’ve made from your blog with cocoa absolute or cocoa butter. And, your artisan bread recipe.
I’d also like to take a moment to say thank you for all you have done for me and those around me. I know everyone I know thanks you as they all received soaps, lotions, various lippys for Christmas presents and a lot of them were based on your words. It’s a lot of hard work and a very expensive habit we have when it comes experimenting. My young students after Saturday’s lunches know your blog as when they walk in, you’re always in the screen. They are keen to know what is being created this week. I’m beginning to loose my patience with the post companies as I want your book here now so I can begin to learn colours!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Begin the mail box watch on Wednesday (Earlier if Canada Post stopped complaining about being busy).
You are entirely too lovely 🙂 I think you may have made more recipes from HB&M this year than anyone other than me haha! I cannot wit to play with pine pollen—what do you do with it? I’m so intrigued! I’m pretty stoked that I’ve helped get you into lip colour and roses a bit—both are pretty awesome when you’re not at the mercy of industry and artificial rose fragrance (ugh). Thank you so much for your incredible gift, it’s amazing! 😀
Oh. I forgot to tell you about pine pollen!
I have no idea. There is very little information about it in English, and my translators just say it is very good. It’s been used in China for ages as a tonic/cure for many issues. But other than that basic little bit, I don’t know much about it. There are some body building sites that talk about it as a miracle testorone booster and good for topical application for women and good for women too- but I’ve not been able to find much about it in English. I’ve made soap with it and I added it to my toner, my skin seems to like it! And the soap I made with it the old couple across the way really like it as they say it has helped with their achey knuckles. It was one of those impulse purchases where I thought it’s only 500g! But be warned! It gets everywhere!
My toner recipe is simple, size: 100mL. 2tbsp appple cider vinegar with the mother, 1tsp witch hazel (winter) 1tbsp witch hazel (summer), 1 dash of ground rose bee pollen, 1/2tsp honey, 1tad of sea salt, 1tad of pine pollen fill with water and add essential oils. I’ve also added hydrosols to my toners if I remember. But this is my recipe and I find the pine pollen makes most of my problems stop before they begin. I still get the occasional chin issue the week before my period, but only one or two pimples rather than the beard of pimples of years past.
As for making stuff, it’s calorie free baking that is much more fun to share! And so much cheaper than baking in China! And much more adventurous too! I think I can honestly say since last June, I have made probably 90ish% of all your recipes posted during the same time. I figure if you’ve gone through the work of writing out the recipe for us all, then it must be made and enjoyed!
Delivery man just arrived with more cocoa butter. The company I had over Christmas were fun house guests, but when they left, my carefully guarded stock pile of lotions, butters, scrubs and soaps went the way of the dodo.
Ok! Now I am very eager to play with it 😀 I am bummed that it seems to be China specific, though, because that means I can’t really share any recipes using it on the blog as only you and I will be able to make them! Hmm. I’ll have to keep an eye out for it elsewhere. Enjoy that cocoa butter, and I shall keep you posted on any pine experiments!
Think of it as…. payback! For the years and years I had to wait for ingredients to finally show up in China or travel to another country and hope to find them.
Nah.
Let me know how it goes!
Ok, but I like your style of payback