Empty Video: Pantene Miracle Moisture Boost Shampoo and Conditioner

This Pantene collection is sulfate-free, and makes me appreciate how far Sulfate-free shampoos have come in the last few years! They used to not lather, and sometimes didn’t even really clean your hair, but now they make your hair clean, but are so gentle.

The Pantene Miracle Moisture Boost Shampoo and Conditioner has rose water in it and has a gentle floral scent. It is super gentle on your hair, so it’s perfect for those of us who wash our hair frequently.

Watch the video for the rest of the review.

 

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Colab Dry Shampoo

I’ll be the last person to say that you can use just this shampoo, because the truth is that most dry shampoos have the same ingredients – a starch or a combination of starches that absorb oil in your hair so that it doesn’t look as greasy.  This Colab dry shampoo has aluminum starch as its main ingredient, so it goes on a bit light, but then you just rub it through and it disappears.  It smells like roses and actually scented my whole room when I sprayed it.  You definitely want to use it in an area that’s well-ventilated.  Best of all it’s just $7.99 at the drugstore.

Spoiler alert: it’s not totally free of the white residue but it does blend into my black hair super easily and it smells like nice perfume not hair product, which is perfect because at least a little part of a dry shampoo’s job is to make your smell better and not let everyone know that you didn’t wash your hair that day.

The main ingredient in Colab’s shampoo is aluminium starch which is sometimes in skincare too.  The effect of the starch is to absorb oil, which it does really well, and give a matte effect but feel silky on skin.  It’s often in matte sunscreens. It’s also clear so it really is an awesome ingredient. And it works well in this dry shampoo, because although the initial little puff you might spray will be a touch on the white side, you can rub it in easily to dissipate the residue.  I like to spray this in places where I’m not parting my hair so it doesn’t show but still absorbs some of the oiliness.

Pick it up at drugstores.

 

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Essence Bye Bye Panda Eyes Mascara

I have oily eyelids in the winter so I’m really always looking for a mascara that can last without smudging.  Essence Bye By Panda Eyes Mascara is made especially for that, and I put it to the test.

Turns out that even when I have tons of sunscreen on my face, this mascara does not smudge. It holds up and looks pretty all day, because it’s a “tubing” formula so it washes off easily with just warm water, that’s why it doesn’t smudge with oil.

Vegan and cruelty-free.  Available at Shoppers Drug Mart for $4.99.

 

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New Coppertone Clearly Sheer Sunscreen

Coppertone has a line of sunscreens called Clearly Sheer and if you’re picky about your sunscreens and done with the goopy and hard-to-use formulas, then you’re going to want to pick these ones up.  

coppertone clearly sheerThe sunscreen comes in a continuous spray formula, a body lotion, and a face lotion – all in SPF 30 or SPF 50.  I’m avoiding the spray formula because my kids are usually around and I don’t want them to inhale any of it, but I love the lotions.

The lotions for the body and face are identical and use a mix of sunscreen ingredients as well as dimethicone and aluminum starch to give a silky smooth feel after the sunscreen is rubbed in.  The face lotion comes in a hand pump bottle which makes it easy to dispense an appropriate amount of sunscreen for your face, but if you’re traveling out and about, you can just take the body lotion with you and be secure in knowing that it has the same weightless feel as the face lotion so you can use it on your face if need be.  The starch gives the lotion a silky powdery feel, and the dimethicone makes it look matte but also helps it absorb oil as the day goes on.

What’s great about this lotion is that it’s clear almost as soon as you start to apply it on your skin and you can use lots without any whiteness of the lotion on your skin. It leaves a matte feeling on the skin and makeup goes on top quite easily. 

This is definitely one of the best new sunscreens I’ve tried this year.  You can find it at drugstores and mass retailers.  I found it at Canadian Tire this year!

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Vichy Liftactiv Specialist Peptide-C Ampoules

My skin loves vitamin C and it is proven to be a powerful antioxidant and helps in boosting collagen in your skin. If you’re over 30 and find that your skin isn’t as bouncy as it used to be, you might want to consider adding this to your skincare regimen. It’s great for use in the morning for sure, and sometimes I also use it in the evening if I’m not using a retinol in my skincare routine.

I just got Vichy’s Liftactiv Specialist Peptide-C Ampoules which are filled with a light serum of peptides and 10% vitamin C.  Vitamin C in this concentration is a powerful collagen-boosting ingredient and also helps protect skin against environmental damage. The serum is packaged in ampoules because vitamin C is a highly reactive ingredient that doesn’t stay stable after it’s exposed to light and air.  Packaging such as the ampoules keep the vitamin C more stable because you only open one ampoule at a time, and each one has enough serum for 2 uses.  There will be enough vitamin C for your face, your neck and your chest, for morning and evening, in each ampoule.

The serum is light, non-greasy, and absorbs into your skin within 30 seconds.  It’s a great delivery system and really preps your skin for whatever moisturizer or sunscreen you’re using next.

Here’s how it opens.

Each package comes with 10 ampoules, which is 20 doses of vitamin C peptide serum for your face.

Available at drugstores and online.  $39.95.

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Best Beauty Products of June 2020

http://www.instagram.com/tv/CCJg-n4pg7m/

Here’s what I loved this month:

  1. MAC Prep + Prime Natural Radiance Primer.  $49.  I know that I usually say that I don’t like primer, and I still don’t use it daily, but I do concede that primer is a great problem-solver and this one is great for making skin smooth and making dry spots less noticeable before you apply foundation. This primer does help add a dose of hydration to your skin, makes foundation apply nicely, and has a light gel-like texture.  It would be great for special occasions.

2. Neostrata Correct Night Moisturizer.  This is 8% PHA which is a large molecule acid that exfoliates the upper layers of your skin making your skin really smooth.  It actually works.

3. Neutrogena Bright Boost Sunscreen.  $30.  This has some shimmer in it but just enough to make your skin look like it’s glowing.  Some have said that it’s hard to find right now, but you can get it here.

4. Aveeno Sensitive Mineral Light Sunscreen.  This does have a slightly white cast to it but it has a nice texture.  $12.99.

5. Armani Luminous Silk Concealer.  $49.  Worth investing in, because how nice it looks.  I’m wearing this daily with just my sunscreen and I love it.

 

What do you think? Are these products you’ve tried?

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Avene Tinted Mineral Fluid Video Review

I’m going through sunscreens and showing you all your options in real life.  When you see how this goes on my skin… you’ll see that the beige tint is a little whitish even on my light-medium skin tone.  I’m the lightest I’ve ever going to be thanks to being inside all the time, and this was still to light for me, and without the right undertones.  I added bronzer to this after I finished with the video which just barely salvaged my look for the day.

What do you guys think?  Do you use mineral sunscreen?  Tinted sunscreen?

http://www.instagram.com/tv/B_WIGzfpoPJ/

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Neutrogena’s Cleansing Gel that Won’t Dry Your Skin

Foaming cleansers from years ago used to strip your skin and leave it super dry, but they were the only way for people with oily skin to really get their skin clean and fresh.  Now, the latest gel cleansers foam up but don’t leave your skin dry and tight.  Neutrogena adds a cleanser to its Hydro Boost line and so it’s meant to leave skin soft instead of dry and tight.

The cleanser comes in a pump and lathers when you add water to it.  It washes away clean and doesn’t leave a residue on your skin, but it does take makeup with it.  There’s hyaluronic acid in the formula, but that too washes off when you wash off the foam, so it’s not something that I would count on for really moisturizing.  Instead, turn to the rest of the Hydro Boost line to add and keep moisture in your skin.

I use this as the second product in my double cleansing routine at the end of the day, and also first thing in the morning, and it has become a favourite.

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Fresh Black Tea Instant Perfecting Mask

fresh black tea instant perfecting maskObviously, it’s easy not to roll your eyes when you read “instant” on something, but then you have a day when you are so tired, and you know you don’t look your best, and it’s the “instant” catches your eye, and so you think “what the heck, it can’t hurt”.

And then you apply this goo (a really fluffy, slightly cooling, gel kind of goo) on your face, chill for 10 minutes of “me time” and then wipe it off with a wet cloth.

And you know what?

It wasn’t “instant” but it was “perfecting” and so you’re kind of sold on the powers of Black Tea extract, Sake, and a $102 price tag. Firms, brightens, and just makes you look like you had about 8 hours of sleep, lots of water, salad, chia seeds, and anything else that’s supposed to be amazing for you but that you just never got around to getting, because hey, that’s life sometimes.

This is now discontinued and so sold out everywhere, but I’m using up a limited edition travel size of it now.

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Aveeno Sensitive Skin Ultra Light Mineral Face Sunscreen spf 50 Review

This is my favourite mineral suncreen – maybe the only mineral sunscreen I’ve ever loved.  It’s light and not greasy which makes it perfect for using on your face.  It’s also pretty sheet – not completely sheer – but pretty sheer.  I think it works great under makeup and on my kids but I don’t know if I’d go out with just it on.  And if you’re darker than me, then you’ll want to make sure that you have it on your neck and chest too just to make sure that everything is blended.

Unlike most mineral sunscreens that are mostly zinc oxide, this is a mix of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. If you’re in the market for a mineral sunscreen, give this one a try.

$13 at drugstores and online.

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