Mother Earth Essentials is a store that sells bath and skincare products, as well as candles and…read moreteas. Their products are their own brand, and are made in Canada. They are an indigenous-owned business. I received their Cedar Balsam candle as a gift from my sister-in-law and it smells divine! It's a natural woody scent that makes me feel close to nature. It's made of soy wax, is non-GMO and the wick is made of unbleached cotton. The candle was part of a personally curated gift box that contained my sister-in-law's "Favourite Things." Well, guess what? Mother Earth Essentials' Cedar Balsam candle is now one of MY favourite things too, lol.

I'm constantly looking for new options to reduce the amount of chemicals in my personal care…read moreproducts (soaps, shampoo, creams/lotions, etc.) So this store was a fantastic find! You can drive by & easily miss it. Next time, pull in the parking lot (free parking) and take a look. It's a 100% Aboriginal owned & operated small business using locally sourced ingredients and essence from sacred plants. They have a really unique and important mission statement which sets them apart from other similar businesses. As for their products, I loved pretty much everything in their store. You can view their entire collection online. I particularly love their soaps. They have a wide range that appeals to many people. I love the Wild Mint & Sage. They also sell a line of healing teas, but I looked mostly at the skin products. And all their prices are completely competitive (if not a bit cheaper) than other companies selling similar products. And as far as I could see, they really are 100% natural. Companies like LUSH still use chemicals like Sodium-Laureth-Sulfate which are known to disrupt hormones & possibly cause cancer. Everything I looked at here at Mother Earth Essentials looked completely natural. ...exactly what I was looking for!

Everything you could possibly want! This country store is…read morebig city elegant. There are literally thousands of items for sale that would rival Homesense and all your other favorite home decor and gift shops. Many of the vendors are local. They supply the knitted and crochet goods, soaps, jams, pickles, eggs, meats and cheeses. The seasonal decor is awesome. They are full on Autumn! I can't wait to see their Christmas display. At the back there is a cafe. Barista on duty. Muffins and baked yummies for sale. Small seating area. The deck out front has some nice seating. We probably could have sat outside on a sunny day like today. The yard is nicely decorated as well. Pumpkins and scarecrows.... There is plenty of parking. You can visit on your way home from the West end corn maze.

I usually enjoy shopping at Bath & Body Works, but I had a disappointing experience at the South…read moreEdmonton Common location. When I purchased five hand soaps and six mini hand sanitizers, my cashier (Cale, who was very kind) packed my items in a black COOP fabric bag. I thought it was a nice gesture, but later I brought the bag back to the store thinking it could be recycled. When I spoke with a woman I believed to be the manager, she told me Bath & Body Works doesn't recycle bags and only uses branded bags. The way she said it made me feel doubted and dismissed, as though I had done something wrong. It wasn't until I mentioned Cale's name that my concern was even acknowledged -- yet she still didn't apologize or say she would follow up with him. A simple acknowledgment like "Thanks for bringing it back, and sorry for the confusion" would have made me feel respected. Instead, I left embarrassed and questioning why I was treated this way. I hope Bath & Body Works ensures more consistent, respectful customer service in the future.

I am ecstatic that BBW is now in Canada! I grew up shopping at BBW in the states and later worked…read morethere in university. My husband used to dread vacations back home to the U.S. because we would need an extra suitcase to bring home all the BBW stuff! And on more than one occasion we (because I stuffed his and my suitcases with heavy candles, shower and body products) would have to sit on the floor at the airport while trying to rearrange suitcases to meet the weight requirements without an additional fee - Yikes! Anyhoo, today we visited the South Edmonton Common location and they are in the process of their yearly "Yellow Sale!" Stocked up on goodies at 50-75% off! And to boot... On my receipt, I received a store survey coupon for $10 off my next $30 purchase (and it never expires!). Sweet... That means I can torture my hubby and drag him there again during the sale that runs through July! The nice thing about this location is that Future Shop is right across the street... Send your hubbies or boyfriends there and you can shop for an hour without listening to him complain that BBW is the only place you go to where you can't drink but still come out smelling like a tiki bar!

First it was just Body Shop, then Fruits & Passion and all those drug store-quality fragrant body…read morelotions appeared on the scene. Now everyone and their dog likes nice-smelling things - candles, lotions, aromatherapy oils, soaps, lip balms, body scrubs, lip polishes - It's outta control! Every time I've walked by Bath & Body Works it looks like it's Boxing Day. This place is a mega warehouse for everything that smells, softens and soothes. It's pure sensory overload! The bottle of creams are stack on shelves, in cubbies, on tables and in glass cases like fine jewelry or clothing. It's almost comic that so many people are milling through the aisles trying to find the body cream that defines them. Is it key lime verbena or pina colada passion? Don't get me wrong. I love this stuff. But the quality of product here is a bit watered down. It's not as good as Body Shop or spa-quality products. But that isn't stopping people from shopping here in droves. They're going to give Body Shop a run for their money.

It looks like The Body Shop's got some stiff competition! If you're a fan of this popular lotions…read moreand potions brand, then you've probably already gone to see this new location. If you haven't, where have you been?? This store is usually jam-packed with people, but lately it seems it's even more so, if that's possible. BBW now has their new Christmas fragrances out, and prepackaged gift sets as well, so shoppers are probably racing to get their hands on those. The scent is quite heavy when you walk into the store. My boyfriend, who doesn't quite like fragrances, said it smelled like overdone curry. But don't worry, he thinks Chanel No. 5 is some classified document to protect the country from invasion or something. They have their classic scents like Lime Verbena and Warm Vanilla Sugar, as well as new ones like Twisted Peppermint and Black Amethyst. The bath and body products are at the front of the store, while makeup, skincare, haircare and home fragrances are located in back. The cash register is also all the way in back, which is a clever ploy to get you to walk through the whole store. They have some pretty good deals on right now too, like 3 antibacterial hand soaps for $12. I saw many empty shelves though; things go pretty quick here! And I'm not exaggerating when I say it was mayhem when I went. You would've thought it was already Christmas! I needed to fight my way through the crowds. Just remember to be cautious while having fun here. Lots of people use the spray testers liberally, so be careful you don't get accidentally sprayed!