Canadian Gift Guide

Organic vs. local. Local vs. organic. That’s one of the huge dilemmas that often crops up when it comes to ethical purchasing decisions. You pick up a product, see that it’s organic, only to discover it’s made in the far-flung corners of the world – meaning the transportation costs might actually outweigh the health benefits. On the flip side, you don’t always know what you get when you’re buying local, other than a wistful image of a simple Canadian country farm.

Believe it or not, the same debate can also apply to your beauty buys. We already looked at organic earlier this week, and today I’m looking at local. What I love about this is it’s Canadians helping Canadians. Montreal-based Fruits & Passion has launched a new line of nourishing products infused with antioxidant-rich blueberries. The cool part? These blueberries are grown, picked, and processed in Quebec, through a plant that prides itself on sustainable farming standards. Cutting down on transportation costs and sustaining the economy? I’m sold already.

Of course, I would never send you down the garden trail without promising the products are actually awesome. Every product in the Blueberry line tells you exactly what percentage is made up of berry goodness, which promises to make the skin both smooth and firm…restoring that youthful glow, which is an especially strong feature if you’re thinking down the line for Mother’s Day.

Want to give mumsy, your mate, or your maid of honour an at-home spa weekend? The Blueberry collection features everything you need to get buffed from head to toe. Start off with the body scrub ($24) above to exfoliate dead skin – and get your pals prepped for sunless tanning season! As soon as you step out of the shower, lavish your skin with nourishing butter (available in two formats at $12.50 and $22) and quite possibly, the best hand cream I’ve ever smelt / used ($10). The exfoliating scrub should only be used once a week, but keep up the blueberry benefits with their super smooth body cream the rest of the week. Presto, I promise, your gift recipient will be thanking you for this luscious gift harvest for many months to come.