It is no secret that I have a slight addiction to candles – I have them burning all the time in my home and have certain scents for certain times of the year. I’ve almost never bought the same candle twice because I love to test out new scents and frankly, find myself disappointed so often by how they burn or their scents that I don’t want to walk down that road twice.

Linnea’s Lights Black Vanilla Candle is the first one I’ve ever bought twice. In fact, it’s the only candle I’ve ever bought three times – I love it that much. I discovered it at Terrain at the beginning of winter and, when I returned to by my second one a couple of months later, the women who worked there and I were literally gushing over the scent & burn. “We’re not supposed to have favourites,” one said to me, “but we all agree this is our favourite”

While vanilla scents generally put me off (too sweet, candy shop, fake) this is the real deal. It is rich, cosy, warm. During the worst snow storms in years, I had this going and it made my large, cold rooms seem cosy, warm and beautiful. The burn is clean and perfect and the scent is amazing. I’ve also bought the Cashmere which is like Black Vanilla, just a little sweeter and Tuberose, which I am waiting for Spring before burning.

I think these candles are truly the best I’ve ever had and when you understand how they’re made, it’s easy to see why. It’s a family-run, environmentally, deeply caring for the arts/luxury company. From their site:  Linnea’s Lights candles combine natural soy wax, lead-free cotton candlewicks, pure essences and fine fragrances to create clean burning, perfectly scented and highly aromatic candles. Each candle is triple scented so the subtle fragrance keeps throughout the entire burn. All of Linnea’s Lights natural soy candles are meticulously hand-poured in small batches and tested for quality assurance. Every step of the process involves the use of human hands, and each candle is packaged and designed locally in Indiana with recycled or recyclable materials.

So while these candles may be a bit more than your average, they are worth every penny because of their scent, burn and the company you support. Trust me on this one – I just bought my fourth today.

BUY AT: Linnea’s Lights

It was a stressful time when I first moved to Los Angeles and it showed on my face; it was blotchy, red, terribly dry with not so nice pimples here and there. So I booked myself a spa package at the Ole Henriksen Spa for an afternoon of relaxation and pampering. I knew that a massage and scrub would help but had my suspicions about the facial since most facials always made my sensitive skin worse, not better.

But other spas did not have Maki.

In one hour she literally transformed my skin from blah to wow. Not only did she make my skin wonderful from the outside, but gave me so many tips about how to keep myself and skin healthy from the inside with vitamins and relaxation ideas. With her help, my skin has never looked better and that’s why I’ve been a devoted client for over three years.

So when she told me she was working on her own skincare line, Mambino Organics, I was thrilled; her passion for natural, organic, simple skincare was finally coming to fruition. And for me, it came at the perfect time.

Dry skin has always plagued me and, when I began to spend a lot of time in air conditioning, I couldn’t find anything that would help. Most body moisturizers were thick, goopy and greasy. They always seemed to have harsh, fake scents added that I just didn’t like. However, her Moisture Me After Shower Body Oil, with it’s amazing smell of orange and lavender, quickly absorbed into my skin leaving it super soft without being greasy or shiny looking. Just natural and hydrated.

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I love yoga but I have a tendency to hate yoga mats. Why? They’re either too flimsy, too skinny or made out of a whole bunch of garbage that is anything but eco-friendly. And if we’re going to be picky, the colours usually suck.

On a trip to Lulumon I discovered their eco-friendly pretty mats made out of Thermal Plastic Elastomer (a big set of words that just mean it’s made out of an environmentally green product). Basically this means no latex, PVC or toxic chemicals to inhale on your downward facing dogs!

What I also really love about this mat is that there are three alignment lines drawn on both sides which help you to keep your posture in your poses. And the thickness is perfect whether you’re doing pilates or yoga.
Lightweight, durable, and pretty, you’ll easily be able to tote this around town or just leave it out if your practice is just in your living room.

BUY AT: Lulumon

Two of my favourite places (France & Denmark) team to make one of my not favourite things (washing dishes) more pleasant. “This effective and nontoxic, detergent-free dish soap quickly removes it all from your dishes without harming your skin or the environment. Scented with essential oils, this special formula leaves your dishes smelling naturally clean” so says the web site and frankly, I couldn’t have said it better. What I love is the size, style and the fact that it has a pump dispenser. The scent is heavenly and really does help when you’re washing up caked on food that might not be so nice. Not that I let things cake on. Well. Maybe.

In any event, this product of Denmark with its French name and feel really works weather you’ve a sink full of nasty dishes or one delicate tea cup to rinse out. I love the fact that it’s eco-friendly with a short ingredient list so I don’t have to worry about leaving a chemical film on dishes that I eat off. And I confess I’m always a sucker for pretty packaging and a good story – especially when it all works together to form a great product like this.

BUY AT: Anthropologie in the US or at Isabella Smith for Europe

I’m always on the search for an everyday conditioner that is lightweight yet moisturizing for my fine, knotty, curly hair. It’s been hard. Conditioners are either too heavy, leave a film, don’t get the knots, smell funky, are a million dollars or simply don’t moisturize enough. I kept searching in hope that since I was a Goldilocks, that something would eventually be just right.

And I think that something is John Masters Organics Citrus & Neorli Detangler.

I’d heard the raves on message boards about this organic, parabean-free conditioner but I had resisted it for a long time. Why? It wasn’t the $14-16 price tag for 8oz (although that didn’t help) but I think it was because I had previously had bad experience with “Green” conditioners. The smells, the film, the strange hair that came out after. But I caved and glad I did.

The first thing you’ll notice is the scent – it really is citrus and neroli. It’s fresh when you put it on but it doesn’t linger in your hair after. The next thing you’ll notice is that a little bit will go a long way. I have very long hair and I just use a small amount and this product leaves my hair virtually tangle free without being weighed down. My hair is almost downright bouncy.

And the last thing you’ll notice is that you’ll want to buy it again and again because it works. And it’s organic. And parabean free. And makes you pretty. So don’t hesitate like I did – just get it and do some good for your hair and the environment. Everyone gets pretty that way. Win win!

BUY AT: & Whole Foods.

When I saw these shoes I was instantly smitten and anyone who knows me that’s rare (I’m a boot girl). But the colour (I actually bought them in black), design and shape looked amazing so I had to give them a try. And I was even more surprised to discover not only did they look great, but they felt great too. This Spanish company believes in more than just pretty footwear; with a green conscious they create beautifully designed, eco friendly shoes that give support to your feet and the environment.

Listen to this: “The upper is made from Stream Leather; tanned with vegetable extracts, ground tree bark and churned for weeks in a special cylinder. It is treated by hand with animal fat, olive and sunflower oil. This naturally protects the shoes from water, dirt and everyday wear. Insoles are a recycled carbon compound that give added support and breathability. The exclusive Frog Shock System is a specially cushioned insole that absorbs the harsh impacts to the heel. The Comfort Last is anatomically angled. The outline adapts to the natural shape of your foot. The Recycled Rubber Outsole is environmentally conscience.”

The thick soles keep your feed high and dry plus keep you from slipping on wet surfaces. The design prevents your foot from slipping out whilst giving you amazing support. And the comfort? Well, let’s just say I hiked in them in the Big Woods on the West Coast and my feet felt better after than those of my sneaker wearing counter parts (plus I got a lot more compliments!)

Never before have I seen a shoe that had style, comfort and a mission. I know this won’t be my last pair of El Naturalista’s!

BUY AT: Nordstrom and El Naturalista

BUY AT: Amazon

There are numerous books on green living (and I think I went through 4.56 bazillion million of them) as there are on housekeeping. Do not buy any of them. Not even Martha. Because I promise you, this is the only book you’ll need.

I’m not going to go mix oils and say a prayer to clense my space. Nor am I going to make a shelving unit for 32 kinds of bleach to clean my clothes so that I can iron them all perfectly. I’m one who likes a clean home, without chemicles but I confess to being a little bit lazy and a cringer at anything “new agey.”

This book is just a very simple, really well explained book on how to keep a home. From how to keep your plumbing going, to keeping floors (hard wood and carpet) clean, to bugs and how a dishwasher works and clothing care and well, everything.

It’s all so simply explained but what I really love is that it’s such a unisex book. It’s all just matter of fact but written in a very interesting way so that you don’t feel intimidated or that it’s a “girl” chore or a “boy” chore. It provides information on why bleach is bad and alternatives. It explains how things work and what to do about it. It’s honestly the only home book I keep now and has answered so many questions (and ones I didn’t even know I had!)

It’s a must for anyone who has a home or flat and has a little interest in cleanliness. So that should hopefully mean you!

BUY AT: Rishi-Tea or Whole Foods

I love tea. No wait. I adore tea. I also adore fair trade products. However, I often find it really hard to find really great tasting tea that is fair trade. That is why I’m adoring Rishi-Tea’s new Fair Trade Masala Chai in their pretty little silver (and stackable) tins.

Chai is being thrown around so much that it’s almost become sysnonymous with sweet and Starbucks. But it’s actually a black tea that’s had lots of spices added to it and has a rich, flavour made creamy by all the hot milk you add. And this is the perfect loose chai tea; you can actually see and smell the spices in the tin.

Whilst brewing, the smell is divine and it continues when you pour it into a cup. It’s my morning pick me up not just because of the caffine but because the warm, rich flavours feel so cosy on a cold morning. Besides, this tea does something good for my belly and something good for those who participate in Free Trade. Now that’s something worth drinking to.

BUY AT: Apple

I’m not a huge gadget girl and have resisted buy an Ipod for the longest time. It hasn’t been something I could justify buying because I don’t have musical needs. But, with some more travel coming up and my walking area not being so interesting anymore, I’ve thought more and more about buying one.

It was the Red Nano, however, that has made me go ahead. I love when you combine great products with great ideas and the idea behind “Buying Red” is that “$10 from every iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED sold goes directly to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa. Which means your iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED sounds good and does good at the same time.”

That’s music to my ears.

BUY AT: Under the Nile or Select Whole Foods

I am what one might call a bedding snob. I believe if you’re going to spend more than half your life someplace, it might as well be as divine as possible, no? For me that means bedding that not only feels amazing, but is amazing with no dyes, chemicals, fumes, etc. etc.

It is hard to find eco-friendly bedding that is also luxurious – trust me. But I just don’t want sheets that have been sprayed with a fire retardent or chemicals so it doesn’t wrinkle. Who wants to be inhaling all that junk whilst sleeping? Not me – I need all the help with beauty sleep that I can get!

So when I first petted the Eqyptian Cotton Blanket I was in-love. Indrecibly soft it just feels amazing. With a night light weight perfect for summer nights or as an added layer over a duvet, this blanket delivers light warmth, comfort and cosiness without bleach, dyes or perfumes. And the best part? Machine washable!

The next time your tucking yourself in at night, ask yourself if you’re giving yourself the best possible sleep. And if not, perhaps look into this blanket. Or four.