gimme mor: marshmallow body butter

It's no secret that foodie-themed beauty products are beloved around here at SugarShock. But sometimes those dessert-y flavors and concoctions can verge into tween territory and seem too sickeningly sweet, even for a sweet fiend like me. For the sophisticated gourmand, there's Marshmallow Body Butter by one of my new fave indie brands from Australia, Mor. Don't let the name deceive you - we're not talking StayPuft-Marshmallow-Man corn-syrupy sweetness here, dears. No, Mor Marshmallow is like sophisticated candy – a sugar-dipped mix of rose petals, white carnation and jasmine, along with hints of vanilla bean and cotton candy for good measure. The pink retro-ish packaging is delightfully girly, in a '50s minx kind of way, and the butter itself is super moisturizing and absorbs shockingly well (read: no grease-slick coating to speak of).

mistral soap: for the granny in you

I fondly remember visits to my grandmother's house as a child, and especially exploring her bathroom, with all its pretty, pastel-coloured, rose-scented guest soaps. Of course, they'd never be used (they were too pretty for that), and would just sit in their shell-shaped dish, collecting dust (my Nana didn't like dusting). There was just something so ladylike about those soaps, and it ingrained in me the desire to line my own powder room with gorgeously scented rose perfumes and lavender sachets. So because of my love of all things granny (and all things French), I was immediately drawn to Mistral, which makes triple-milled soaps based on age-old French traditions. These vegetable-based soaps are infused with organic shea butter, so they're intensely moisturizing, and they're all wrapped up in pretty, retro-ish, straight-from-Provence packaging. But the real joy for me are the scents: there's traditional "granny" scents like rose petal, lilac and lavender, but they've also got more unexpected ones such as melon-pear and cantaloupe-cucumber. And even if you choose not to unwrap them, and keep them for display purposes only, they'll emit that lovely fragrance throughout your bathroom.

this just in: body building with chaz dean

Here's a bit of news that's caused a bit of excitement over here at SugarShock Beauty headquarters: Chaz Dean, the celebrity hairstylist with the soap-opera-star name, and maker of our much beloved non-sudsing Wen Cleansing Conditioner, has launched into bodycare. WWD reports that Dean, an avid cook, came up with the bodycare formulas right in his own kitchen, and like his hair products, the WEN Lavender Body Cleansing Crème and WEN Lavender Nourishing Lotion are paraben- and sulfate-free (which means no lather for us non-chemists) and therefore won't strip away precious moisture. They're packed with good things like marine collagen, goji berry, Matrixyl 3000 and white tea leaf and chamomile extracts, and if they're even half as good as the Cleansing Conditioner, they'll surely be worth the $32 pricetag. It's available now at chazdeanstore.com and soon on QVC.

skin fix: mor cassis & viola sugar body polish

Remember that shampoo with the delightfully retro, endorsement-phrase-y name, "Gee, Your Hair Smells Terrific"? Well this heavenly body scrub from little-known Australian beauty brand Mor Cosmetics could similarly be called "Wow, I never knew my skin could be so smooth!" The Cassis & Viola Sugar Body Polish is your ticket to touchably soft, summer-ready skin. Made of natural sugar that's infused with nourishing olive, grapeseed and sunflower oils, it sloughs away all that dead skin while leaving it intensely moisturized (so much so, you almost don't need to use a lotion or cream afterwards). You're left subtly fragranced with an amazing, subtly floral, slightly fruity blackcurrant-y scent. I'm not sure why, but I have a hunch that blackcurrant will become the next big scent in bodycare. For a while, it was all about the pomegranate and fig, but blackcurrant is just a little unexpected and slightly retro and I'm loving it. And it doesn't hurt that Mor makes some of the most beautifully packaged products I think I've ever laid eyes on.

fixation: bella pella vanilla & bergamot sugar scrub

I have a thing for Earl Grey tea. But not just any Earl Grey will do: it's got to be deep-flavored and heady with citrusy bergamot, because it really is all about that lovely aroma. So anything with a hint of bergamot just makes me happy, which is why I'm loving this Vanilla & Bergamot Sugar Scrub by Bella Pella, a made-in-Canada line of handmade beauty products featuring yummy, foodie-ish ingredients. I don't think I've tried a scrub that softens as well as Bella Pella does - even my winter-ravaged feet felt smooth after using it. While it took some maneuvering to release the scrub out its container (my tub was a bit solid, so I had to chip away at it a bit to get it out), the work was worth it: this mix of white sugar blended with coconut oil and cocoa butter is super-moisturizing, and I love how the subtle natural vanilla and zesty bergamot scent softly lingers on my skin. Love the chic yet minimalist packaging too.

gift-worthy: la compagnie de provence liquid marseille

Luxe soap can make handwashing a true pleasure. Case in point: Liquid Marseille Soap by La Compagnie de Provence. I don't know any hostess who wouldn't enjoy receiving this famed liquid gold in the bold yet minimal glass bottle as a gift. Renowned for lining the vanities of bathrooms featured in Domino and Dwell magazines, Liquid Marseille Soap is a lovely, non-drying soap made with palm, olive, coprah and coconut oils. My favorite scent is the Fresh Verbena, a sparkling, slightly citrusy scent. The Fig of Provence is also a tried-and-true winner.

Pair it with these super-cute mini duck soaps made with the same traditional process as the liquid soap. They come in colorful little boxes and leave your skin gently cleansed and subtly fragranced with scents of fig, grapefruit and my fave, wild rose. For the bath lover, these are the perfect stocking stuffer.

cold comfort: origins plantidote body cream

Though it's not even yet winter, it's getting mighty cold up here in Canadaland lovelies, and I can feel the indoor heating slowly leaving my skin high and dry. Aside from swathing myself in the softness cashmere to protect against the chill, I have another equally luxe weapon of defense: Origins Plantidote Mega-Mushroom Body Cream. It's like a warm down parka for your skin. A host of emollient butters, including Murumuru, Shea, Cocoa and Cupuacu, as well as essence of mushroom, create an invisible seal on my skin, protecting against pollution and harsh weather. I love the soft botanical smell of this stuff, which wraps my skin in lovely herbal extracts of ginger and holy basil. Plus, a little goes a long way - you only need a little dollop here and there to feel uber-moisturized. Wrap yourself in cashmere post-slathering session; I guarantee you will be in heaven.

indulgences: bath time!

Lovelies, ever feel like you need a vacation, but for whatever reason, just can't get away? My answer is to take a mini-vacation by indulging in one of my personal favorite me-time pleasures: the bubble bath. Nothing makes me feel more relaxed than when I can sit and soak in a warm, sudsy, fragrant tub of bubbles. So herewith, some of my picks for achieving the perfect bath-time experience.
First, the bubbles! I like a lot of bubbles and the more fragrant, the better. A lovely, relaxing, florally bubble bath I'm loving is The Body Shop's new Neroli Jasmine Bubble Bath. It gives good bubble without drying out my skin and I love the jasmine scent tinged with a bit of vanilla and sandalwood. A little bit of bubble heaven!
If you've got a sweet tooth like me, you'll want to try Open Sundaes' White Cake Frothing Bath Mix. This stuff looks and smells exactly like cake mix and conjures up a mountain of sweet-smelling and skin-softening bubbles. Kind of like bathing in cake mix, but not as messy!
If you're in need of some serious destressing, try adding into your brew some lovely lavender scented oil. I like Lather's Lavender Therapeutic Bath Tonic, which combines lavender, bergamot and orange oils for an ultra-calming experience. Pure relaxation.

No bath would be complete without some pretty scented candles. My fave of the moment is the Plume Vanilla-Infused Sake Candle by Joya. This candle is pure luxury and the fragrance is just wonderful – sweet but not overpowering, an undertone of musk, vanilla bean and sake envelops you in a smooth, romantic scent. Plus, it burns for up to 100 hours, so you'll have plenty of bathside enjoyment!

fixation: Pangea Organics

Lovelies, not only am I a fan of all things beauty, but I'm also a fan of all things green. And this is no passing fancy: my fondness for the environment inspired me to create an initiative at my office called the Green Team, where a few of us banded together to do our bit to conserve paper, recycle and green-ify the office environment. (We also climbed the stairs of one of the world's tallest buildings, the CN Tower, to raise money for the World Wildlife Fund).
So, I'm always looking for ways to help the environment in whatever way I can (even something as small as using reusable cloth shopping bags instead of landfill-clogging plastic). This also comes down to the products I choose and when I find a winning beauty product, all the better! My most recent green beauty product find is Pangea Organics' glorious Shower Gel. My fave is the Italian White Sage with Geranium and Yarrow (yes, it's a mouthful!). It's got an invigorating fresh scent that's not overpowering but helps wake me right up in the fog of morning. And it's 100% plant-based – no chemicals were used in this stuff – it's all high quality herbs and essential oils. But if you think organic means no lather, think again! This shower gel lathers into a nice froth and gets me feeling squeaky clean without drying me out. I'm also loving the Bar Soap in the super-stimulating scent Malagasy Cinnamon Cassia with Cloves. Pangea packaging is also sleek and pretty. And best of all? You can plant the bar soap packaging! Its infused with seeds, so you just plant it and watch it grow. How cool is that?

summer prep: skin revivers

Prep School Pt. 2: Lovelies, I'm sure many of you can relate to the need to spring clean at this time of year. As for me, I have the urge to work up a whirlwind of cleaning - to wipe down, sweep up and/or scrub all the nooks and crannies in my house to ready it for all the sweet spring air I'll let in from outside. Likewise, I have this spring cleaning mindset for myself - to undo all the damage that winter has wrought on my skin and reveal the fresh, shiny me underneath. So, herewith, I give you my all-over body remedy to prep your skin for summer, so you can wear all the pretty little shoulder-skimming tops and short shorts your little hearts desire.
#1: Scrubdown. There's nothing like a good scrub to help get your glow on, especially if you're prepping for self-tanner. Slather on some Bliss Sweet Orange & Spearmint Sugar Scrub. The citrusy, minty smell is totally invigorating and the scrub particles are fine but not too fine, to help you banish dry, flaky skin in a flash. Get ready for smooth, red carpet-ready skin.

#2: A close shave.You could use cheap conditioner to shave your legs, but why not make it an enjoyable experience instead? I recently discovered a super-indulgent shave cream called Whish Shave Crave. With this stuff, shaving is no longer scary and is actually a fun bit of pampering. It comes in delicious scents like pomegranate, almond and lemongrass and makes your legs seriously silky. Follow it up with some of their Shave Savour, a soothing, almond-scented ladies' aftershave.
#3: Butter up.Post-shave or not, your cold-weathered outer layer may need further moisturizing, so slather on some rich body cream. One I'm loving right now is Not Soap, Radio's Whipped Body Souffle, enriched with shea and cocoa butters and sweet cocoa (from their Spa Chocolat collection, it also comes with a body scrub and face mask). This stuff smells like a heaping bowl of brownie batter, and you might be tempted to eat it, but don't! You don't want to deprive your skin of this delectable treatment.

This is the second post in a three-part series called Prep School, which looks at prepping for summer from head to toe. Still to come: at-home mani-pedi.

loving cake beauty

I discovered Cake Beauty a few years ago, and have always loved their products, not only for their cute packaging and deliciously scented creams (especially the maple and vanilla-y Creme de la Creme Supreme Body Mousse!), but also because creator Heather Reier is from my hometown of Kitchener, Ontario.

Since I recently tried their Creme de la Creme Supremely Rich Bath and Shower Froth, I have a newfound love for their yummy concoctions. It's infused with Virgin Oil de Coco Creme, hence the Supremely Rich moniker. I use it with the Supreme Body Mousse, and my skin is silky smooth, sweetly scented and glows with a moisturized sheen.