When a perfume you know is more comforting than one you don’t… turning from a sea of samples today I picked Shalimar.
This is the edp, maybe not my favourite version but it has grown on me. It’s more leathery up front, but settles into the familiar vanilla and powder, a touch of incense. Old school, maybe, but nobody I know has ever smelled this good.
The skincare routine now includes a device.
This is the second at-home facial device I’ll be posting about this year, so maybe this is a new trend in skincare. It’s the Amiro R1 Pro. Unlike some other devices that are out there, this one offers micro-current and red-light therapy in one device. You just change the settings to access each treatment, and there’s a timer that tells you when it’s time to move to a another part of your face, which is handy.
In order to see a difference using a microcurrent device, you need to use it daily over a period of months to train the muscles to stay contracted in the spot that you’re zapping them. Microcurrent also doesn’t work without water – you need something to conduct electricity – so you have to apply a water-based gel on your face before using the device. I got the gel that Amiro makes – it’s skincare and conductive in one because it has peptides in it, but I also found that almost any gel-based moisturizer will work.
So I’m using the Humanrace Mystifying Gel Moisturizer because it’s water-based, and I put the Charlotte Tilbury mist on top. It’s an extra kind of routine but my skin loves it so much. I use the micro-current device and as the gel starts to try, I just mist it again.
Yes, it’s another recommendation for the Humanrace products – this is Pharell’s skincare line and it’s thoughtfully formulated. The packaging is accessible – large bottles that are easy to open and close, with braille on them, refillable so you buy the outer packaging just once.
Here are some fall picks that need to be within easy reach
Prada Candy. Sweet, but not too sweet, still relevant as we learned recently. Caramel might never be out of style.
Jo Malone Dark Amber and Ginger Lily. This one has been relaunched, reaffirming my love for it. It’s a gingery, slightly floral amber. Maybe it’s time for me to upgrade to a larger bottle.
Belle Ame by Les Abstraits. Like being in a cozy cocoa cloud. The image that keeps coming to me is pale cocoa feathers buoying and enveloping me at once.
Burberry Goddess. Lavender vanilla, easy to wear, super long-lasting, very sweet but hey, cool days can take it.
Dior Homme Intense. Purple iris, cardamom, woody, musky all at once.
Just a handful this time.
I had seen ads for Vegamour last year, but it wasn’t available in Canada yet. But now the wait is over. Vegamour Gro Hair Serum is here, and is backed by science to actually make a difference in your hair growth.
The Vegamour brand has shampoo, conditioner, and other products, but the Gro Serum is probably where you want to focus if you’re watching your pennies. The serum uses caffeine, turmeric, biotin, and mung bean extract to stimulate hair growth. You apply it to your scalp daily, massage it in, and wait for it to do its job. Studies have found that 4 minutes of daily scalp massage increases hair growth, and after about 3 months of using this serum and massaging it in, you should see an improvement in your hair growth.
The serum is vegan and oil free, so it doesn’t leave your hair greasy, and it can be used morning or night. I prefer to use it after I’ve washed and dried my hair, and kind of use it as part of my hair stying routine because that’s when I’m getting out the hair products.
I’ve only had this for a few weeks and am using it daily so I’ll report back, but if you’ve had good luck with this, or any other serum for hair growth, leave a comment.
Keeping things simple with Prada Candy. Caramel and musks, benzoin disguised as a kids’ perfume, Prada doing what Prada does best which is giving us kitsch and whimsy and then making us like it. Prada seems to be not as revered as other designer brands – why is that?
I’m in the mood to cleanse everything away, and here are three cleansers I’ve got on hand. La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermo-Cleanser, Cerave Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser, and Avene Makeup Removing Micellar Gel. These are all creamy and not very drying so they’re perfect for cooler weather or if you just have sensitive skin. The Toleriane is most creamy, and the Cerave is obviously foaming so it’s the most likely to clean without leaving residue. Best new product award goes to the Avene Makeup Removing Micellar Gel because instead of a water, it’s a gel but still gentle enough to remove eye makeup without irritating your eyes. I use it on a cotton pad in the morning and wipe my whole face with it but at night, I hold it on my closed eyes to melt mascara.
Other skincare I’m using: prescription tretinoin, a new Vivier HQ cream especially for hyperpigmentation (it’s working!), and I finished another Charlotte Tilbury Magic Body Cream.
So these are three good things, and I’m off to make soup and grilled cheese for dinner.
What’s impressive is that Vivier Skin has not one but two sunscreens that are mineral and clear. I was going to write that they’re sheer but that’s not even accurate – there’s no grey tint or white cast to them, and the tinted version has a glow instead of being orange. It should be surprising but given the lack of great mineral sunscreens on the market, it’s refreshing to find something impressive.
Anyway – the newest launch from is the Enzymatic Peel, a product that’s meant to give an instant glow. It’s for people who find a traditional acid product too harsh or drying. If you’re new to skincare or haven’t used acids ever (a glycolic or a lactic acid) then maybe the enzymatic peel is for you. Combining low levels of glycolic and lactic acids with a vitamin c, the promise is brighter skin with regular but careful use. You can use this one a couple of times a week and stick to more gentle skincare the rest of the time.
I mean, I’ve been using harsh acid toners on my face since I was a teenager, so I like to think that my skin is like leather and can take anything, but the truth is that it’s often sensitive because of retinoid use. I might trade out my acid toner for this more moisturizing formula and see how my skin likes it.
Anyway, not a full review because I’ve not spent enough time with the product yet, but yes, I’ve got the Vivier treatment plan with a nice strong retinol, some products for pigmentation, and this new peel. I’ll report back.
They took Prada Candy and put it into a Shalimar bottle, stuck the Millesime sticker on it, and did a limited edition run. Oh, and called it Millesime Iris because everyone (including me) is into Iris right now. The Iris is there, really close to the skin, but the caramel definitely overtakes the composition. The good news is that if you don’t like Shalimar, you might like this. The bad news is that if you get this expecting a new version of Shalimar, it’s not really that. But it sold out before it even launched so Guerlain is laughing all the way to the bank.
If you’ve smelled this, what did you think of it?
It’s been a few days of fog and mist, really perfectly mirroring the meditative mood of Vapeur Blanche from Zara. Olivia Giacobetti is the perfumer behind 4 perfumes for the brand, and the zen blend of eucalyptus, cucumber and steamy musk called out to me.
Have you smelled any of these?
I almost didn’t feel like myself putting on this 80’s style chypre. It’s been a while since I’ve worn Sisley Eau de 2 because I’ve been leaning into my cozier perfumes more, and really wearing my samples a lot. This is pointy, sharp, mossy, and with an unseasonably warm fall day, it was now or never. Of course, a few hours in, this lost its crisp edges and becomes woodier, friendlier, like a villain on Dallas who wears shoulder pads to hide a soft heart, who became understandable once you heard the back story. A perfume from different times.
