Canadian Beauty

Kerastase Extentioniste Care for Longer Hair and Resistance Serum Therapiste

Posted on April 15, 2019 by Henna

Longer, thicker, and healthier hair is always my goal, because I love to wear my hair long. I always have, and it’s jut want feels the most like me.

I had to try Kerastase’s Extentioniste collection because it came with a scalp and hair serum to help protect the hair from root to tip. Paired with the shampoo and conditioner, and the salon treatment, the entire routine promises 99% less breakage, 78% fewer split ends, and up to 4 cm of growth in 3 months. Those sorts of numbers can be difficult to track, but I knew I could track the growth. The number of grey hairs I have makes it easy to see how fast my hair is growing.

So I’ve been using the shampoo, the conditioner, the mask, the serum – and I’ve been going for salon treatments too over the past few months, and there’s no doubt that all of that is working. My hair feels stronger – it always grew, but it would be so thin at the ends – but now the ends are thicker too.

But what I’m also loving is The Resistance Serum Therapiste which is a biphase serum/cream in one that protects your hair from heat styling but also makes it shiny and pretty after styling. I’ve been using it so much that here’s an empty of it. Yup, it was that good and now it’s done.

Now, I’ve seeing Trina at Jerome Salon to get my hair done, and if you’re interested in trying a Kerastase treatment for yourself, or even picking up this serum, check them out.

Kerastase treatments cost $38 and up… more about my Extentioniste treatments and routine coming soon.

Jerome Salon: 1305 11th St S.W. | CALGARY, ALBERTA | T2R 1G5. (403) 228-0018 .

Posted in Hair | Tagged Kerastase | Leave a comment

L’Oreal Unlimited Mascara Review

Posted on April 11, 2019 by Henna

I reviewed L’Oreal’s latest mascara in my most recent IGTV video – and I put it on bare lashes so that you could see how my lashes look with it on. Watch below!

http://www.instagram.com/tv/BwE3ar7hyqM/

Posted in Search for the Perfect Mascara | Tagged L'Oreal | Leave a comment

The Inkey List Vitamin C

Posted on April 9, 2019 by Henna

Vitamin C is one of my favourite skincare ingredients because it’s proven to brighten skin and really is an antioxidant which means that it protects skin from environmental aging.

Previously, a great Vitamin C serum or cream would cost tons of money and would probably be something that you could get at the doctor’s office or at a medical spa.

Now, thanks to the Inkey List, you can find affordable high-quality ingredient-focussed skincare products at the drugstore. This British brand is available at Shoppers Drug Mart here in Canada, and I’ve been slowly going through its product line trying to fill in what my skincare routine didn’t already have, and it was missing a Vitamin C component.

Now, the Inkey List’s Vitamin C is a 30% concentration which is more concentrated than other high end serums you can get out there. Even The Ordinary, which the Inkey List reminds me of, has a Vitamin C cream with just a 23% concentration. Most vitamin C products are a 5, 10, 15, or 20% concentration, which I’ve used in the past, and which have worked really well for me. I like the idea of a high concentration of Vitamin C, but a 30% is so high that it seriously made my skin tingle and feel uncomfortable. The tingling lasted for over 15 minutes, after which I was able to forget about the tingling so I guess it didn’t bother me that much anymore.

The best way to introduce this Vitamin C serum into your skincare regimen is to mix it with another cream to dilute it a little. That’s what I did, and the results have been great. The base of the cream is dimethicone so mix with a primer or something with some slip and you should be good. You don’t want to mix it with anything water-based because the water will help the vitamin C oxidize too fast making it lose its efficacy.

The Inkey List’s Vitamin C is available at Shoppers Drug Mart. It’s on sale right now for $9.99, and you can get it online.

You can also watch my original introduction to the Inkey List here.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged The Inkey List, Vitamin C | 2 Comments

The Ordinary’s New Squalane Cleanser

Posted on April 8, 2019 by Henna

The Ordinary is known for their affordable skincare products, but they hadn’t launched a cleanser, which is weird, because a crucial aspect of taking care of your skin is cleaning it thoroughly every night.

Their Squalane oil is so well known and I love their retinol in squalane, so I was all over this new cleanser. Turns out that the Squalane Cleanser is a balm that turns into an oil as you mix it in your hands. You rub it all over your face, and it emulsifies makeup and melts it. You can wash it clean away with water, but I take a wet washcloth and wipe it all over. Then I follow up with a foaming cleanser (like this one from CeraVe), and wash that off with water. The final result is squeaky clean skin.

The Squalane Cleanser is easy to use and it really does work. My only wish is that it came in a larger tube – 50mL might last me a month because it’s something I would like to use every day. I’d like a 200mL or larger bottle that would last me months and months.

$7.90 and available online.

Posted in Cleansers | Tagged Cleanser, The Ordinary | Leave a comment

CeraVe Renewing SA Collection

Posted on April 7, 2019 by Henna

If you have KP on your arms, or rough bumpy skin on any part of your body, then you need to know about CeraVe’s SA line which actually works to exfoliate skin. I love skincare based on science, and there’s no question that if you want smoother skin, you need to exfoliate regularly – that goes for your face and for your body. That’s why I’m loving CeraVe’s Renewing SA line. The SA stands for Salicylic Acid, which is in every product in the line. 4% Salicylic Acid in the body cream and the body lotion makes it so that your skin is exfoliating itself without any tugging or rubbing – and also no messiness.

I love the Body Cream. It is thick without being too rich, and since I started using it, my skin has been noticeably smoother. I like that you can also use it on your face because Salicylic Acid is actually great for acne-prone skin too, and my skin just looks so much smoother when I use acids on it.

Although the Renewing SA line is new to me, it’s been around for a while, and CeraVe just added an SA cleanser to the line.

This foaming wash rinses clean, takes off makeup, and adds a hit of Salicylic Acid to your cleansing routine too. Follow up with the lotion or body cream, and you’re set. This cleanser can be used on the face and the body.

You can find the entire line in drugstores now.

Posted in For the Body | Tagged CeraVe, Moisturizer | Leave a comment

John Masters Organics Honey and Hibiscus Collection

Posted on April 5, 2019 by Henna

My dry and damaged hair doesn’t just need hydration in the winter – I actually need it all year round because of the dry climate where I live. I also work out regularly, and like to wash the sweat out of my hair, so I wash my already dry hair in a dry climate, more than I probably should, but definitely as much as I need to. Oh, and I colour my hair which can be drying… and I heat style at least once a week… So, my hair is dry and needs TLC.

I’ve been using John Masters Organics Honey and Hibiscus Collection to give my hair some TLC. The shampoo ($29) is sulfate-free which should be more gentle on my hair, and combined with the conditioner ($29) and mask ($39), my hair is conditioned but not weighed down. Perfect for curly hair because it will help your curls be defined not flat or greasy. Despite being silicone-free, the conditioner and mask have lots of slip to them – which is nice when you’re dealing with hair that has tangles.

My also really love the scent of these – herby, and fresh, it even gets me compliments so I’m a big fan.

Available at natural grocery stores and in salons.

Posted in Shampoo and Conditioner | Tagged John Masters Organics | Leave a comment

Bio-Oil Gel

Posted on March 26, 2019 by Henna

Guys, I know you’re supposed to bury the lead, but I’m just going to tell you that the new Bio-Oil Gel is pretty amazing. It’s superior in its moisturizing abilities to the regular Bio-Oil, and if your skin needs some serious TLC this winter, then you need to add it to your apres-shower regimen.

The gel is a pretty pink colour just like the oil and feels like thick oil in your hands. A little bit goes a long way but unlike the oil, you can apply it a little more thickly on damp skin and it actually seems to stick sealing all that moisture in.

Get it at the drugstore and try it out for yourself.

$22.99 for 200mL.

Posted in Moisturizers | Tagged Bio-Oil | Leave a comment

StriVectin Anti-Wrinkle Skin Reset

Posted on March 25, 2019 by Henna

So many of us are getting ready for the spring break, and one way to do that might be to focus on your skin and try StriVectin’s Anti-Wrinkle Skin Reset. Created to improve radiance, fine lines, skin texture, and firmness, the Anti-Wrinkle Skin Reset is a 4 week system that takes the skin through 4 different treatments to combat the appearance of the signs of aging.

The first step of the system targets hydration. It gets the skin rejuvenated and healthy-feeling.

The second week focuses on elasticity and fine lines.

Then, radiance.

Finally, resiliency and deeper wrinkles.

Because the treatments are in a light serum consistency, you apply them before your regular moisturizer or oils. I used them in tandem with my retinol at night and found that gave me great results. I used it on top of lighter serums in the morning (I was using niacinamide) and that worked great too. I could incorporate all the serums seamlessly into my routine and found that mostly, my skin was happy with the little extra dose of moisture and peptides it was getting. The silicone and glycerine in the formulas made makeup go on well and actually stick to the skin.

All of StriVectin’s formulas are made with NIA-114 peptides which help strengthen the skin.

After 4 weeks of use, you’re done with the system and have skin that has benefitted from consistent use of peptides which are proven to help with skin elasticity and collagen production.

Available online or at Shoppers Drug Mart for $114.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged StriVectin | Leave a comment

Vivier Sheer Broad Spectrum SPF 45

Posted on March 24, 2019 by Henna

I’ve been wearing sunscreen daily for a year now, and the change in my skin is noticeable. Combined with retinol and vitamin C and other skin treatments, the difference is that my skin actually stays clear instead of clearing up and getting pigmented.

Finding sunscreens that I like has been key. If you find one that you like, and can afford to keep buying it, then you’ll be more likely to wear it daily. Vivier Sunscreen Lotion with SPF 45 has been what I’m reaching for these days. Formulated to be broad spectrum, this sunscreen has a bit of a white cast, but it’s super light and it dries more clear than it goes on. Really, I’m applying this on my neck too so it really blends all the way down.

Vivier’s sunscreen is formulated specially to be worn under any conditions. It’s made with silica which sets to a soft touch, and it spreads evenly on your skin. It also doesn’t pill when you put makeup on top and it doesn’t have a white cast. I’ve been using it with powder foundation which I just pat on and it works like a charm.

What I love the most is that this sunscreen is SPF 45 and almost 10% Zinc Oxide, but it’s not white at all. I apply 2 pumps and spread it on my face and neck. It seems to be slightly white at first, but then it really does set and look absolutely normal on your skin. The key is to blend it out before it dries and to apply it everywhere, even on your neck, so that everything looks normal.

Vivier is available at spas and dermatologists’ offices.

Posted in Sunscreen | Tagged Sunscreen, Vivier, Zinc Oxide | Leave a comment

Aveda Sensory Journey

Posted on March 19, 2019 by Henna

Back in 2007, I went into an Aveda store and started smelling everything – and you know how amazing their products smell. And a sales associate thought I might like to create my own perfume since I liked the vibe of their scents and so I went on the Aveda Sensory Journey. The journey is really simple and it’s made to help you find your favourite scent without you using any of your usual biases towards scents or scent families. Here’s my perfume from back then. It’s pretty strong with one spray being more than enough. And it’s something that I can still smell on myself when the day’s done and that’s pretty rare. I also like that the notes of the scent are maintained from beginning to end. This doesn’t warm up on me and stays nice and fresh, which is something that I like in a perfume.

The Sensory Journey starts with a questionnaire asking you what your skin type is and what your other tendencies are (ex. are you hot a lot, does your skin burn easily, do you follow routines, etc.).

So, you fill out their questionnaire, and then they figure out what “nature” you are. Then they ask you to sit in a chair, close your eyes, and smell a few different scents. To each one, you say “yes”, “no”, or “not today”.

That is the part that can be slightly confusing, because most of Aveda’s scents smell really good. Good to the point that you could keep smelling them and not get tired because they’re so organic and fresh smelling. It really was difficult for me to pick one I liked the best, and there were only a couple that I didn’t really like – and even for those I was unsure.

At the end, I went for the scent that I had smelled first: Water #6 which is also the scent of their Shampure shampoo. I love it. The notes are ylang ylang and coriander among other things and I was suprised that I didn’t go for the one that was sandalwood and jasmine since that is what I’m usually drawn to in a perfume.

Overall I think the survey is not needed and if you were going through this journey, I suggest that you just sit there and smell everything they have with your eyes closed. Find the one you like.

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged Aveda, Perfumes | Leave a comment