Ever since I had my first experience at Pure + Simple I’ve been kind of obsessed with learning more about their philosophy and the products. I found out one of the co-founders Kristen Ma wrote a book also called “Beauty: Pure + Simple A Holistic Guide To Natural Beauty” and I was so happy when I was contacted and asked to do a book review.
Kristen has been an esthetician for over 10 years and in that time she saw two sides of the beauty industry. The first, the one I hope most of us strive for: to be healthy, have glowing skin and radiate our inner beauty on the outside. The other side, is the “ugly side of beauty”, the one that has nothing to do with health but one that puts an unrealistic picture of what is beautiful in our heads. Larger breasts, tanned or whiter skin, bigger eyes…etc. Kristen and her mother Jean Eng decided to start Pure + Simple, a chain of holistic spas with the goal to promote a more healthy and natural way to attain beauty.
Kristen even became an Ayurvedic practitioner and she uses the philosophies of Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine to look at beauty from an alternative and non conventional point of view.
I love that in this book Kristen promotes going natural with your beauty regime but she is also not judgemental and she does not use “fear tactics” to promote the natural lifestyle. She even talks about some of the positive results of photo facials and the reality of face lifts without criticising those who choose these methods.
I found this book really refreshing. I’m not sure about you but I’ve been bombarded with products that are “natural” and free of this and that and I’ve even been to one presentation where I was basically told that everything I touched was going to give me cancer. Reading this book was unlike my previous negative experiences. I learned so much about what my skin was telling me and how to treat it with kindness.
I always thought that I had oily skin and so I would try and dry out my acne and mattify as much as possible. After reading this book I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t have oily skin, but I have “Oily Dehydrated” skin. As well, my acne issues may have been caused by dehydration and not too much oil as I had always thought!
There is another chapter of the book that I found really interesting. What our bodies are telling us and how many of our beauty woes are signs of something out of balance with a specific organ.
Kristen also has a great blog Holistic Vanity which I always learn new things from.
If you have a chance to pick up this book I HIGHLY recommend it. It’s actually an excellent time to purchase it from Pure + Simple as it is on sale for $17.95 (regular $29.95) for the month of December!
If you live in Canada or the US here is your chance to win a copy! The generous people at Pure + Simple are giving away one copy of Kristen’s book to a lucky reader. AND because I love this book so much I picked up another copy so there will be two winners!
Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
<a href=”http://rafl.es/enable-js”>You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway</a>.
I definitely need tips and I love the idea of having a pure/simple life. I’d appreciate all the info I can get!
I just discovered it myself in the Summer and I was born and raised in the GTA LOL! Definitely check it out if you have a chance, they have great monthly specials!
Fixed! Thanks Andrea
I would like to win this book because I am interested in skin care and think that this is a great resource.
I have been wanting to go to this spa since moving to Toronto 6 months ago. I definitely want to read this book
Thanks for hosting this giveaway! This book sounds like a nice change of pace where it promotes the positive rather than focusing on negative effects of everything else.
Love this Spa. I use their skin care almost exclusively!
And as for why I want to win this book, I love Pure + Simple! And after reading your review, I feel like I would love this book too. Plus I’m going on vacation soon, think it could be a good vacation read
Another great giveaway. Thanks Elaine!
P.S. Don’t know if you can change it, but when you open the “Like Pure + Simple on Facebook” rafflecopter entry, there’s a minor type-o
I’d love this book! I have really congested skin and I’m trying to look into more natural ways of healing & concealing.
I’ve been having a lot of trouble with my skin lately and feel like it’s necessary to cover it up. I hope this book will give me tips on how to treat it naturally.
This would be a great gift for my sister! It’d be great to learn how to go all natural with our skincare routines
I want to win this book because I’m really trying to go all natural with my skin care routine. I’ve actually picked up this book a couple times at chapters but in the end didn’t buy it! Wish I had!
Of course I must get this book. I’m always looking to educate myself in the beauty field.
Great post and the book sound really interesting =)
I’d like to win it because I’m interested and open to the whole natural and organic world of beauty.