Maria Velve
by appointment only M6P 2S8 Toronto, ON, Canada

Maybe this year more than ever we must stay focused on what’s most important in life. Health. Wellbeing. Loved ones. ... If we have those things, we are truly blessed . May this holiday season be a time to reflect on what you’re grateful for, and to be blessed with overflowing peace, love, joy, and only good things for this coming year. Love, Maria See more

Wishing you and your families a season filled with love, good health and happiness. We all need a bit extra of all these things this year. Thank you for supporting my small business . Thank you for choosing to support our Canadian product makers!Thank you from the bottom of my heart. ... Happy Holidays and to all of you and Merry Christmas! photo credit: @pictonatphoto See more

This week's green beauty tips! -

May your holidays be merry and bright - https://mailchi.mp/gr/may-your-holidays-be-merry-and-bright

I want to share with you my "BIG" plans for the next two weeks. 1) Do quiet activities that I don't usually make time for like reading and journaling 2) Take time with my boys doing the stuff they want to do 3) Spend time in nature ... In yesterday's post, I gave you some suggestions on how to reduce stress and give your skin a break over the holiday. However, your skin still needs a little T.L.C. Although it feels great to sit in front of the wood stove, fireplace, etc, the dryness of the air indoors will make your skin crave some moisture So while you're spending some quiet time at home, here are a couple of simple ways to make your skin feels good: 1) Moisturize every day If you had to choose 1 product, moisturizer should be it! You see how I didn't say cleanser? Obviously, remove makeup before bed otherwise a quick swipe with a cotton pad and flower water will do. Then give your skin some moisture. 2) Treat your skin to a mask A soothing mask made of oatmeal, coconut milk and turmeric like the one from Schmear pictured above nourishes and soothes the skin Don't have a mask on hand? You can always mix half an avocado with some plain yogurt and slather on! Taking some quiet time at home for YOU is the perfect time to give your skin a break and to pamper it too! Tell me, what is your ideal quiet time at home?

3 more sleeps! Is your shopping all done? I don't know about you, but I'm really looking forward to some down time or what I call "do-nothing-at-all" time! Sure, we've been home more days than other years, but I wouldn't call it "down time" - there's still too much to take care of daily! It's been busy here behind the scenes delivering and packing your orders, writing holiday cards and restocking your favourite items. I am grateful for i...t all If you're still stuck for ideas or need a last minute gift, DM me and let me know. I offer porch pick up and delivery in the City of Toronto until December 23rd. Orders are processed immediately, so you still have a few days to take care of those last minute gifts Happy Monday and remember....your much-needed downtime is almost here. xox What will you do first??? See more

NEW Two new Gift Sets are now up in the store! The Revive and Relax gift sets were curated by me personally One both is to energize your senses and the other to prep you for a good night’s sleep or to help you take a deep breath during a stressful day. Watch the video for a closer peek into what each box includes. ... https://greenbeautyexpertstore.ca/collectio/gifts-under-100 #greenbeauty #giftbox #supportlocal

Let’s talk about seasonal colour trends! Every year, Pantone both creates and predicts what the coming years’ colour trends will be. This prediction influences fashion designers and fast-fashion brands to create entirely new styles of clothing, making what’s in your closet seem outdated and embarrassing. The same is true in the makeup industry. All of this leads to a mass amount of overconsumption, and unnecessary amounts of greenho...use gasses in creating more and more stuff that people don’t actually need. Instead of blindly following what fashion dictates to be the best colours and styles, let’s choose to wear the best colours that make us FEEL our best. What makes you feel beautiful is most important. Did you know 2020’s colour of the year was Neon Mint? Yeah...I’m pretty sure that colour looks good on NO ONE Let me know in the comments: what colour makes YOU feel your best? See more

This week's green beauty tips! -

How to take care of your child’s skin under the mask Maskne or mask acne has been hot topic lately. But wearing the mask can affect our skin in other ways as well. Let’s chat about some simple tips for taking care of your little ones’ skin this winter under the mask. #maskne #healthyskin #TIPTUESDAY

Pure Anada Lip and Cheek Rouge Gift Set. You won't regret it.

Sunday views north of Toronto Taking it all in! Happy Sunday, everyone .... . . . . . . . #sundaymornings #fall2020 #weekendgetaways See more

Today’s ingredient focus ---> MICA Mica is a naturally occurring mineral used in different makeup products to created a luminous glow or sparkle Traditionally-sourced mica uses child labour and can also contain traces of lead, arsenic and mercury It’s very important to know where your ingredients come from and how the companies you support get their ingredients! ... Pure Anada uses ethically-sourced mica from privately-owned mines in India, which help fund local schoolsand day care centers and ensure that the quality of life of their employees is fair. I highly recommend you ask your favourite makeup brand where they get their mica from. I love Pure Anada’s makeup for their clean ingredients and their stunning range of colours! Products available in my shop! (Link is in the bio) What’s your go-to eye shadow colour? Let me know in the comments! - @pureanada . . . . . . . . . . #makeupingredients #ethicallysourcedmakeup #ethicallysourcedmica #wellnesswednesdays #skinwellness #wednesdayinspiration #selfcare #canadianbrands #greenbeautyinfluencer #greenbeautyrevolution #greenbeautyexperttoronto #greenmakeupartist #torontomakeupartists #muatoronto #skincaretipsandtricks #mombeauty #simplebeauty #lessismore #beautyover40 #greenbeautystore #torontosmallbusiness #femaleowned #womensupportingwomen #discoverunder5k See more

Today's blog post topic -- Protect your little one's skin under the mask - https://mailchi.mp//protect-your-little-ones-skin-under-th

Did you know that we stock an unscented moisturizer that’s perfect for sensitive skin? . . This Canadian-made, maple-water infused ceramide face + eye cream won’t irritate your skin under your mask #fragrancefree #dyefree Store link in bio ... . . How wonderful is that? Graydon Skincare See more

How are you taking care of your skin these days? Are the effects of the mask starting to show? Some weeks ago, I did a video and wrote a blog on how to take care of your skin when it starts to show the negative effects of mask wearing. Link in bio. But you, know what? Those tips apply to adults, teens and perhaps tweens, but what about our little guys? How do we take care of their skin??? My boys are in school and have the mask o...n most of the day. Two quick tips for you (and if you want to know more, check out my latest IGTV video ) 1) CLEANSE their skin with a warm, soft face cloth as soon as they get home and remove the mask. If your LO is extra grimy, you can add a couple of drops of a mild, dye free, fragrance-free soap to the face cloth and gently wipe their face down. 2) PROTECT their skin with rich cream. Personally we use Shea butter. You want to soothe their skin after the cleanse BUT you also want to apply the cream as a protective layer before they put the mask on for the day. For more tips and details on what I like to use, catch my latest IGTV video and let me know if you have any questions Stay healthy, everyone! See more

I'm bringing #tiptuesday back! I'll be live at 2pm to give you some simple tips about how to keep your littles ones skin clean and protected under their face mask! Here's a recent article I did on mask acne aka "#maskne" if you have a kid at home suffering from that.... https://www.greenbeautyexpert.ca/fighting-mask-acne-in-3-s/ #masklife #healthyskin

Happy Monday,everyone! This is me as mother nature made me. . . No makeup. No filters. Nothing on but my skincare Because let’s face it. Unless I’m working, this is what I look like daily . .... . Second shot? That’s also me...with a face full of makeup. We see a lot of beautifully made up faces on IG, but not so many naked faces smiling back at us . . Working in the beauty industry, whether conventional or green , is an interesting business. . . Skincare and makeup models are airbrushed and photoshopped, chosen for their good looks, young age, and porcelain skin. The rest of us are left trying to compete with these unrealistic good looks . . . There truth is, there’s only one you One unique, beautiful - with or without makeup - you. Celebrate that today and every day . . Tag a beauty who needs this today See more

September may be here, but there are still flowers that need to be smelled and sunny days to be enjoyed. Pack a picnic and head to the park. Take in the scenery before all the leaves fall. Be mindful of your surroundings What do you have planned this weekend? ... @pictonatbrandingcreative @stonewell_farms See more

This says it perfectly! . . What a gorgeous day! Forest walk ... coffee date with myself shopping for weekend bday celebrations . . . What’s your Friday thing? Do you have a Friday thing??? See more

Ingredient focus - Tremella Mushroom - https://mailchi.mp/greenbe/ingredient-focus-beauty-mushroom

How gorgeous is this texture? This is the Tremella Fuciformis - a beauty mushroom used in Traditional Chinese Medicine as a longevity tonic herb. In ancient times, the Tremella mushroom was revered for its medicinal properties and reserved only for royalty . Reliv Organics uses this beautiful mushroom and its unique polysaccharide compounds in their Tremella Mushroom serum to...... deeply hydrate improve elasticity help skin retain moisture brighten and soften replace the use of synthetically produced hyaluronic acid Get a FREE sample of this beautiful serum with every order until the end of the month. Find it under SERUMS in the shop. Link bio! Have you heard of this beauty mushroom? Product @trinaphoto

Mist your way through the week! Half way there Face Food Mineral Mist packs everything you want in a mist! silver and magnesium to reduce redness/ inflammation ... copper to stimulate collagen production zinc to regulate oil and fight bacteria malachite to protect your skin from environmental pollution Misting your skin is not just for hot weather. It alleviates dry skin, soothes and protects year-round ! It also makes a fantastic lazy day morning cleanser What’s your favourite way to use your mist ? See more

Today we celebrate our love 10 years since we tied the knot on the island of Santorini surrounded by a small group of friends and family . Tom and I met in South Korea in 2004 (a long time ago ) while teaching English in the same satellite city of Seoul. A close mutual friend introduced us and the rest is history. ... Tom and I came back to Canada in 2007 via the Trans-Siberian railway , China, Mongolia, Germany, France, and finally Greece where Tom fell in love with Santorini. We’ve had a beautiful adventure together but nothing like the last 10 years after we got married, became homeowners, suitcase owners (no more backpacks ) and also parents . I’m not sure where the next 10 years will take us, but I’m ready I love you @tom.mannsfeldt. Thank you for being the rock of our family @nathanwyattphotography @poemaweddingevents #firstdayoffall #weddinganniversary #10years #dreamwedding #santorini #weddingphotography #weddingdress #weddinghair #loveforever #lovestory #santoriniwedding #10yearweddinganniversary #torontocouple #discoverunder5k See more

Don’t look back. You’re not going that way. Today is the start to a new week. Embrace it because your Monday thoughts set the tone for the rest of the week

H A P P Y W E E K E N D! Take some time for you and sleep in or lounge in bed with a good book @bowlofcherries7 by yours truly

Isn't it hard picking just one?

The ultimate skin hydration!

We’ve always been about clean, Canadian beauty! We’re not jumping on the bandwagon now that support local is in the news . Since the opening of the store almost two years ago, we vowed to support Canadian product makers and brands and it was definitely the right decision . All our skincare and makeup brands are Canadian... Many of the products are made in Canada and in many cases right here in the GTA Many ingredients used in the products are grown , wild crafted and distilled right here in Canada whenever possible All products are tested and tried on friends and family so that we’ll only carry what really works Let’s help our Canadian entrepreneurs and benefit our economy my supporting Canadian businesses. They need you right now What’s your favourite Canadian business? Please tag them below See more

Have you ever used a face cleansing powder before? This one was my first @schmearnaturals . . I was so curious about this Matcha + Kelp Gentle Cleansing Powder, so I took it on the road last month. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it removes all makeup , gives a beautiful glow and leaves my skin soft and smooth. .... . Here’s how it does that: matcha tea: packed with antioxidants and chlorophyll to detox skin from pollutants and free radicals . sea kelp: derived from dried Atlantic sea kelp penetrates deeply to decongest and retain moisture; rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants . . colloidal oats: soothe, cleanse and moisturize the skin with natural starches and fibres . . apple cider vinegar: balances due to its pH properties; AHA help tone and cleanse the skin . . This beautiful cleansing powder comes in two sizes. Add the travel size to your next order and enjoy fuss-free face cleansing! . . Have you ever tried a cleansing powder? I’d love to know your experience!

Hello there! I’m Maria. Makeup artist, green beauty expert, educator, and mom of two . There are a few new faces here, so I wanted to take a moment today to say Hello and tell you a bit about myself and how I came to do what I do. 21 years ago I decided to put my university studies on hold to enter a theatrical and special effects makeup program at a prestigious school in Vancouver @blancheworld... Although my parents didn’t approve, I pushed forward because I felt very strongly about wanting to do something artistic with my hands. And so I enrolled in the makeup program, finished it at the top of my class and also went back to university and got my B.A. and then later an M.A. This combination of skills and experience has taken me through an interesting adventure to... South Korea where I taught English but also face painting and special effects makeup to middle school students short film sets with zombies , villains and other fun characters spa management for a prestigious hotel in downtown Toronto my own green beauty business where I’ve been helping to people switch to clean, Canadian products through my own online store and services for the past 3 years. Take a closer look at my offerings in bio. It was a winding road to get here, but I wouldn’t change a thing . Have you ever felt strongly about a path you wanted to pursue and although others did not agree, you just knew you had to? I’d love to hear about it See more

Water is essential for our skin! One of the habits I established during the lockdown was to wake up and reach for a glass of water instead of my phone . Drinking water immediately after waking up helps rehydrate the body after its long rest state and get rid of toxins. The same can be accomplished for our skin . Your skin loses water while you sleep ! Your morning ritual should focus on waking up the skin (a splash of cool water will do it) and applying a hyaluronic se...rum followed by your moisturizer . @helenalaneskincare hyaluronic serums are back in stock in the store. Choose from Calming Chamomile & Rose Geranium, Nourishing Rose & Frankincense and Balancing Geranium & Lemon Verbena Store link bio