Hello MIYU beauties!
 
We have some exciting news for those living in the Toronto area. Starting September 14th, MIYU’s skincare + teas will be available at Pure + Simple natural + wellness skincare spas + boutiques in the GTA and Waterloo – including their newest location in Mississauga. Also, Pure + Simple will be serving MIYU teas exclusively at all of their spa locations!
 

 
We’re really excited about this partnership with Pure + Simple. Their holistic approach to beauty aligns closely with MIYU’s philosophy of maintaining good health and taking care of your skin from the inside out. We’re proud to join Pure + Simple’s highly curated selection of clean, non-toxic beauty brands and we love that their clients will be sipping our teas while enjoying services at Pure + Simple spas.
 
MIYU products will be available at Pure + Simple just in time for their highly anticipated annual PURE MADNESS sales event on September 14th. If you’re going to be in the Yorkville area, Connie will be there from 10am-2pm. Drop by for a tea tasting and score some exclusive in-store discounts from MIYU, as well as discounts from the other store’s brands. MIYU samples and gift with purchases will be offered at all locations, but only while quantities last.
 
We hope to see you there!
 

 
Hello MIYU Beauties!
 
Connie and I are truly excited to introduce our NEW travel-size and purse-friendly beauty essence serum mists. Ultra cute, and super convenient to carry with you, these multi-taskers will keep you fresh-faced + glowing where ever you go.
 

 
Along with the gorgeous new design + packaging you’ll notice we have a beautiful new sprayer too! We spent quite a bit of time (and effort) trying to find, and test, the perfect sprayer – not only because it had to be gorgeous, but it had to perform well with our mists as well.
 
MIYU’s plant-powered formulas are richer than your average facial mist, therefore more difficult to dispense through most sprayers. You’ll find some of the richer, heavier essences housed in a pour bottle, however we strongly felt the experience of spritzing an essence onto your face was just so much more refreshing – and relaxing.
 
The new sprayer dispenses a fine, all-over mist that will take you to your happy place, whenever you need a moment.
 

 

If you’re not familiar with beauty essences, here’s a little Beauty Essence 101: For years essences have been used in Asia, as an added step to your beauty routine, to treat, smooth and hydrate skin. Usually applied at the toner stage, the essence goes on after cleansing and before your serum and moisturizer.
 
If you’re thinking, who who has time for another skincare step? We’re with you. MIYU beauty essences simplify skincare, allowing you to skip steps instead. Use our essence to replace your toner and even your serum or moisturizer (in summer months). The leave-on step treatment infuses hydration deep into the skin, and because it’s so lightweight it can be applied generously (and layered) to help boost the effectiveness of any treatments that follow.
 

hydrate mi beauty essence: instantly hydrates, protects skin against age-accelerating free radicals, and revitalizes dull complexions.
 
de-stress mi beauty essence: calms inflammation + redness, fights stress induced free radicals, and rebuilds the skin barrier to reveal healthier, more resilient skin.
 

As part of our ongoing green initiative, our new beauty essence bottles are eco-friendly and recyclable, with all paper packaging printed on Forest Stewardship Certified (FSC) paper.
 

 
Tell us what you think of our new travel serum mists. Or better yet, post a photo of your essence on social media + hashtag #miyubeauty for your chance to be included in our Instagram Gallery!
 

 
Happy National Iced Tea Day!
 
Any guesses to how we’ll be celebrating? You guessed it, with our age-defying iced beauty teas, of course! Each refreshing sip delivers skin-loving antioxidants for glowing complexions that start from within.
 


 
hydrate mi beauty tea: Green rooibos contains nine different types of skin-aging fighting flavonoids and essential electrolytes to hydrate from within. Goji berries are rich in Vitamin C, necessary for collagen production.
 
de-stress mi beauty tea: Peppermint uplifts and rejuvenates the mind. Chinese liquorice and chamomile blossoms provide anti-inflammatory properties to soothe and purify from within.
 

 
Here’s an updated version of our beloved iced tea recipe featuring our skin-boosting premium loose-leaf tea blends.

Serves 1
Ingredients:

● 1-2 tablespoons of MIYU’s premium loose-leaf hydrate mi tea or de-stress mi tea

● 6 oz. of filtered water

● 1 tsp of agave or honey (optional)

● 1 cup of ice

● mint, strawberries or raspberries (optional)
 

Instructions:

1. Boil 6 oz of filtered water, then steep 1-2 tablespoons of tea in the boiled water for 10-12 minutes (the longer the better).

2. To sweeten, add 1 tsp of agave nectar or honey. Stir until the agave/honey is completely dissolved.

3. Top with 1 cup of ice.

4. Garnish with mint (de-stress mi), or strawberries and/or raspberries (hydrate-mi).

5. Stir and enjoy!
 

 

 
Cheers to beauty teas with skin benefits + National Iced Tea day for letting us enjoy them!

Hello lovelies!

Now that it’s spring, we are super excited to incorporate a wide variety of fresh fruits into our diet again, and what better way to do so than through a gorgeous smoothie bowl? Today’s Beauty Eats post features a quick way to drink in your antioxidants, plus get some added probiotics! Here are their beauty benefits…



Strawberries: Providing one of the best sources of Vitamin C, strawberries are at the top of our beauty foods chart. This little berry has soothing capabilities as well – all the more reason to add them to your smoothie!

Kiwis: Did you know that kiwis contain 5x more Vitamin C and 8x more Vitamin E, than an equivalent amount of orange? Vitamin C provides super antioxidant power and vitamin E aids in cellular repair.

Dragon Fruit: Rich in vitamin C, B1, B2 and B3, and minerals such as iron, calcium, and phosphorus, this super fruit also helps reduce bad cholesterol. The fresh watery sweetness of this fruit is also perfect for spring and summer months!

Probiotic Greek Yogurt: If you suffer from skin sensitivities, recent studies have shown consuming probiotics can strengthen the skin barrier, resulting in skin that’s more resilient against potential irritants. The Chinese believe nurturing gut health is the best way to ensure healthy complexions.

Soy Milk: Soy milk contains all nine essential amino acids, which your body needs to assemble new proteins, necessary for immune function and cell energy. It is also rich in B-vitamins, a requirement for healthy, youthful skin.

hydrate mi beauty tea: Green rooibos contains nine different types of skin-aging fighting flavonoids and essential electrolytes to hydrate from within. Goji berries are rich in Vitamin C, necessary for collagen production.

Bananas: Bananas are loaded with potassium, which regulates the water content in skin cells. If your skin feels particularly parched, it may be due to insufficient potassium levels. The best thing to do is reach for a banana!

Dragon Fruit Strawberry Smoothie Bowl
 
Servings: 3 – 4
Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
● 2 cups frozen strawberries
● 1/2 cup cubed kiwi
● 1/2 cup cubed dragon fruit
● 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
● 1 cup soy milk
● 1/2 cup hydrate mi beauty tea
● 2 ripe bananas
● 1/2 cup ice

Directions:
1. Steep 1 tsp of MIYU’s hydrate mi beauty tea in 1/2 cup of hot water for 5 minutes.
2. Add all ingredients, including the steeped tea, into the blender, and blend until smooth.
3. Garnish with fresh fruits and/or granola. Enjoy!



Be sure to let us know how your smoothie bowl turns out in the comments section below!

Happy Holidays from our family to yours. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah + a fabulous New Year.

 
Hello lovelies!
 
Welcome back from your summer break.
 
It’s often said, the day after labour day marks the unofficial end to summer. Back to school, work, and reality.
 
While we’re sad to say goodbye to backyard tea parties and summer soirées, we can’t help but love this transitional period. It’s the perfect time for a beauty refresh or even a new look, even for us.
 
As Connie mentioned in her last post, we’ve been challenging ourselves in the last while, to create new tea packaging that is both beautiful, yet mindful of our ecological footprint. With that said, we are delightfully proud to introduce our new premium loose leaf teas + eco-friendly packaging.
 

 
MIYU’s signature teas are now housed in 100% recyclable tins and foiled pouches, including the labels – now printed on Forest Stewardship Certified (FSC) paper. Each tea blend is available in two varieties. The deluxe edition: a gift-worthy tin, for those who love pretty packaging and the everyday edition: an adorable, resealable foiled pouch, for everyday use and/or refilling the tin.
 

 

The new tin canisters and pouches are available online at miyubeauty.com and at select retailers across Canada and the U.S.
 
We hope you love the revamp and the new look, and we encourage you to also be mindful of your impact to our planet, as we work together towards a beautiful future!
 

Hello MIYU-ettes!

I can’t believe how time flies – as I am writing this, I am only 5 days away from my due date – eek! That’s right, we’re expecting another little one any time now. These past couple years between building MIYU and raising our first born – Emelia (aka Miss E), have been some of the most rewarding years of my life. The challenges are new, and scary at times, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.



As I am in full nesting mode, trying to tie up everything home and MIYU-related before the big day, I just wanted to take a moment of pause to reflect how much my family has meant to me through all of this. I literally could not go through all the trials and tribulations without the support of my amazing husband. I am also truly blessed to have a pretty well-behaved toddler.





Miss E has really become my inspiration – she ignites a new desire in me – to make this world a better place for her future. Wouldn’t you want to do everything in your power, to witness this infectious smile?





In fact, because of her, we have started to be more mindful of our packaging – challenging ourselves to create more eco-friendly packaging that minimizes our impact on the environment. It truly is our corporate responsibility to care for our planet, so that our children and grandchildren can continue to thrive. Of course at MIYU, creating packaging that is both beautiful and performance-driven has always been our core. Adding the eco-friendly aspect has its challenges, but what we have found through this journey is that all it takes is a little creativity, to design something both breathtaking and eco-conscious. Our new tea packaging is the first evolution of that – and we cannot wait to share more.



So let me take this time to thank all of you – our family, friends and cheerleaders. Thank you for your continuous support throughout this journey. Thank you for believing in us and celebrating our milestones. We cannot wait to share with you what is next to come…





P.S. Our gorgeous photos were done by our friends at Oink and Coo – if you have not checked out this talented couple yet, please do! You will not be disappointed!

Let’s face it. Life can be stressful and it’s ageing your skin – fast! Whether it’s hectic deadlines, daily family responsibilities or the expectation to be hyper-connected through social media (yes, Instagram, Snapchat, we’re talking about you!) – life has a way of bringing out the worst in your complexion.

Continued research shows stress compromises skin barriers, fast tracks skin ageing, irritates and inflames skin, and/or even causes breakouts.  The good news: the way lifestyle affects your skin is entirely within your control.

At MIYU, we believe “beauty is a lifestyle,” and emotional well-being and taking care of your physical health are essential to achieving glowing, beautiful skin.

In honour of Stress Awareness Month, here are 5 things you can do to combat stress and maintain healthy, glowing skin.

1. Work out. Exercise to decrease tension, boost your circulation and keep inflammation in check. Exercising releases endorphins, which trigger positive thoughts.
2. Enjoy a cup of tea. The act of drinking tea naturally encourages relaxation, and eases the mind from moments of tension. Try our de-stress mi beauty tea, loaded with soothing peppermint, chamomile + liquorice to calm complexions from within.
3. Spritz a facial mist/serum. Keeping a facial essence/mist at your desk, or nearby, can be a lifesaver on days when you ‘just need a moment.’ Not only will it help you instantly de-stress, your dewy complexion will be a bonus.
4. Just breathe. “Take a deep breath” may seem a bit cliché, but it actually does help when it comes to stress. Shallow breathing is known to cause stress, while deep breathing provides oxygen to the blood, and in turn, helps clear your mind.
5. Call a friend. At MIYU, we’re fortunate to be good friends and colleagues, so when things just aren’t going according to plan (like all the time) – having someone to talk to, laugh with, cry or express your anger, can be a healthy way to relieve stress.

Stress will always be a part of life, but how you deal with it, and how you let it affect you (and your skin), is essentially up to you.

In support of Stress Awareness Month, we’re donating $1 for every de-stress mi beauty product sold in April to CAMH – Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

We’d love to know how you de-stress. If you have any tips on relieving stress, feel free to comment below.

Hello lovelies!

We’re very pleased to share with you our new MIYU Beauty Lookbook – a compilation of our most gorgeous + stunning photographs, to convey our brand story. Inside you’ll discover the inspiration behind MIYU Beauty, our philosophy, and our creation process. We hope you love it, just as much as we do!

Happy New Year lovelies! We hope you had a wonderful and well-rested holiday!

To kick off 2016, we’re proud to announce MIYU Beauty is now available in all Anthropologie stores in North America, including Canada, the U.S., Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

Anthropologie New York City

We had the pleasure of finding out the incredible news while Connie and her family were back in Edmonton, Canada for the holidays. Note: that’s where I (Linda) am too :).

Check out Miss E’s adorable little cheeks as she watches the descent into Edmonton’s snowy city.

Since Connie was in town for the holidays we decided to visit the local Anthropologie store together. We happened to know Anthropologie would be carrying our beauty essence minis at all their North American locations soon, but we didn’t know exactly when… so… as you can imagine.. it was pretty exciting for us when we spotted our beauty essence minis on store shelves.

Anthropologie Edmonton

From the start, Connie has always dreamed of having her products carried at Anthropologie. With their gorgeously curated beauty collection – we think it’s definitely a perfect fit for MIYU.

Anthropologie Calgary

What a wonderful experience for Connie, her husband (he’s the guy who does all our MIYU photography), and myself, to share as a team. Of course, we couldn’t help but admire our beauty essence minis a half a dozen times more before we finally left the store.

Our de-stress mi and hydrate mi beauty essence minis can be found in over 200 Anthropologie stores across North America as part of Anthropologie’s beauty “smalls” collection. Full size beauty essences and teas can be purchased on anthropologie.com or as always on miyubeauty.com.

Cheers to a fabulous start to the New Year and may 2016 bring many more amazing MIYU milestones!