Carmanah perfume from Wild Coast Perfumery

Wild Coast Perfumery is located in Cowichan Bay and their products are comprised of all-natural fragrances distilled from locally-foraged plants. Carmanah is my favourite scent from the company’s line of six or so perfumes. It is musky yet bright with its strong cedar top notes and citrus and jasmine undertones. As someone who is sensitive to synthetic fragrances (and some naturally-derived ones), this is the only perfume I’m able to tolerate, so I love it.

Pit Potion from Pink House

After almost a year of experimenting with dozens of unscented or limited-ingredient deodorants and antiperspirants, I can confidently say Pit Potion is the only deodorant of its kind that both fights odour and is safe for sensitive skin. Both Mandarin and Lemongrass Lime are bright, refreshing scents that balance the pungent smell of sweat. As well, Pit Potion doesn’t contain baking soda which, speaking from experience, can cause some fun bubbling and peeling skin under the arms. For my vegan pals, Pink House also makes a vegan version in a Lemon Lime scent.

B-Hive Membership with Bitch Media

Bitch Media is a feminist, independent company who print quarterly issues as well as publish pieces online. They employ female, POC, disabled, and LGBTQ+ writers and staff, and make an effort to bolster the voices of all marginalized communities within their pages. They are not owned by any corporate media group and are therefore able to keep their content progressive and sometimes radical. The one catch to independent media is that they rely on financial support from readers’ memberships and small business sponsorships. They have a current goal of raising $85k by December 31, and it’d be really cool to see them reach it! Their membership packages begin at around $7, and some include perks like coffee mugs and tote bags. If you like independent media—note: you’re reading an independent publication right now—then please consider adding a B-Hive membership to your holiday wish list.

2018-2019 Moleskine 18-Month Softcover Weekly XL Notebook Diary/Planner

A repeat item from last year. I’ll never get over the incredible versatility of this planner and I suspect it will be on my must-have list for many years to come.

Sick: A Memoir by Porochista Khakpour

An award-winning book by Porochista Khakpour in which she recounts the effects of living with lyme disease, her journey through a broken medical system, and so on. A must-read for allies, friends, or family of chronically-ill people, or anyone living with chronic illness.

The Body is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love by Sonya Renee Taylor

The title nearly covers it all. In this book, activist and poet Sonya Renee Taylor walks the reader through using self-love as a tool to heal the wounds of oppression, while also considering it as a tool against oppression.

Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

This book is an absolute dream—no pun intended. Care Work is a collection of essays discussing radical love and celebration in activist communities. The book also carefully instructs the reader on ways to build strong, healthy communities.

Ursa Minor by Nana Grizol

This album moves through feelings of pain, rejection, helplessness, celebration, connection, and acceptance with absolute beauty. Every song is lyrical and bouncy, and engaging enough to not leave any listener behind by the end. Songs like “Photos from When We Were Young” capture loss of youthfulness like a gut punch, only to intensely reconnect with the listener with a spoonful of sympathy that acts like an aftercare cuddle by the end.

A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships by The 1975

Choppy synths blend with raw acoustics to create a juxtaposition of man versus machine in this angry yet soft, stressed-out yet optimistic masterpiece by The 1975. The album starts off with a new rendition of their title track—a tradition on every The 1975 album—that is jazzy and mellow with explosive vocalizations that signal the pop of electronic instrumentation to come over the rest of the album. Matty Healy’s lyrics are reminiscent of past loves and losses but with verbatim Donald Trump quotes and hip hop references, Healy also manages to document current events and scandals. Stay tuned for my PhD dissertation on this album coming soon.

Lunapads

Lunapads have expanded their product inventory to not only include washable, reusable pads. Their shop now contains period underwear, Diva Cups, and new variations on their original pads that do not require the use of liners. As someone with a bloody heavy flow who has used Lunapads for over a year, I can attest to their effectiveness and durability. My tips for anyone thinking to switch from single-use menstruation products will be published in the January issue of The Nav.