Canadian Beauty

Would You Pay $99 For This Moisturizer?

Posted on August 10, 2017 by Henna

Last year, I wrote about this moisturizer, which is supposed to have all the bells and whistles when it comes to making your skin healthier but it also has sunscreen in it, so that’s primarily what I’m using it for….

Now, I’ve finished two of these moisturizers and to be honest, I’m not sure it’s worth the $99. Sure, it has a ton of antioxidants in it, but I’m not sure I’ve seen much of a chance in my skin because of them. I think that a good vitamin C or retinol does more for my skin and I’d rather spend my money on those.

This is a great sunscreen – it has a thicker texture and I really like the dispenser, so if you were going to use it as a day cream, then it would be great.

Still available at Shoppers Drug Mart.

If it’s getting more chilly where you are, then it’s time to change up your moisturizing routine – namely by adding a better moisturizer to your skincare regimen, but without swapping out any of the sun protection you’ve been using.

I’m turning to Strivectin’s new Repair and Protect Moisturizer because it’s a super moisturizing base that even has SPF 30 in it. The SPF 30 is broad spectrum sunscreen which means that it can protect your skin from both UVA and UVB rays – some SPF’s don’t have that, and we need both – along with antioxidants – for adequate sun protection. This moisturizer definitely feels more hydrating and thicker than my regular serum (my skin doesn’t do well with moisturizer in hot and humid weather), but it’s also making my skin so nice and smooth which I love.

This moisturizer also has loads of antioxidants, and patented NIA-114TM which can replenish the skin’s moisture barrier and help fight the signs of aging.

You can find Strivectin at Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutiques and at The Hudson’s Bay Company.

$99.

Posted in Sunscreen | Tagged StriVectin | Leave a comment

Anew Vitale Day Lotion SPF 25

Posted on August 9, 2017 by Henna

The sunscreen that I’m using on my face right now is this Anew Vitale Day Lotion in SPF 25. It’s so smooth that the first time I used it on my kids, even they said they liked the cream because of how smooth it felt. It offers SPF 25 broad spectrum sun protection in a formula that’s hydrating and feels comforting on your skin. I like it so much that I can skip the moisturizer and just reach for this without worrying that it’s going to be drying on my skin .

You can get it through your Avon retailer or online, and I should tell you that although summer is not over, and you should be wearing sunscreen year round anyway, but this sunscreen is on sale right now.

Posted in Sunscreen | 1 Comment

New Givenchy for Summer 2017

Posted on July 26, 2017 by Henna

Givenchy’s Summer 2017 products are a mix of luxury and trendiness, with packaging that feature real leather casing, and formulas that are long-lasting and interesting.

Definitely the coolest product to come out of this collection is Le Rouge Sculpt ($45), a two-tone lipstick that creates the effect of duotone lips.

Here’s No. 1, which is a mix of sheer black and red. You can see the application directions right on the box.

Here’s a swatch on my arm. You can see how sheer the black and the red are, so that they’re wearable if you want a more trendy look. The other colours are actually more wearable because they’re mixes of reds in different shades.

Then there’s the Noir Interdit Mascara ($38) which has a curved wand that bends back and forth. The truth is that even if there’s a great wand, the formula needs to be buildable and long-lasting and in that this mascara definitely delivers.

The entire collection is available at Sephora, and the mascara launches August 3.

Posted in Summer 2017 | Tagged Givenchy | Leave a comment

L’Occitane Adds to its Peony Collection

Posted on July 25, 2017 by Henna

L’Occitane is known for its shea butter skincare products for the body, but it also has great face care products including their Peony line which smells amazing.

Now, the Peony collection includes the Peony Petal Cleansing Oil ($40), and their reformulated Peony Perfecting Mist ($20). Both, smells amazingly floral.

Lets start with the Perfecting Mist. It’s great under moisturizer and on top of makeup to help it look more dewy and not as matte.

The Cleansing Oil has actual Peony petals in it! A little bit goes a long way with this cleanser, and it does a fantastic job of melting makeup and then washing completely clean when you add a bit of water.

Both of these are available at L’Occitane boutiques now and online.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged l'Occitane | 2 Comments

Yes to Cotton

Posted on July 24, 2017 by Henna

The Yes To brand expands their skincare collection with a line of products specially designed to moisturized. My favourite item from everything out there is the Yes to Cotton Micellar Water.

Let me just say that I can’t get enough of Micellar Water. It literally melts makeup off your skin but without being greasy and heavy and that’s why I like it. I know you need to use cotton pads with it and that can seem like a waste, but I just put it on a washcloth and use that to wipe off the makeup.

Micellar water is great because it doesn’t strip your skin as it cleans the makeup off, but I do like to follow up with another cleanser so that I can be sure that I got everything off.

The Yes to Cotton Micellar Water isn’t made with mineral oil – in case that matters to you – but there is a cotton seed oil in it to help break down the makeup and wipe it off. The Yes to Cotton collection is formulated for sensitive skin types and includes a moisturizer, mask, and makeup remover wipes and pads.

The Yes to Cotton Comforting Micellar Cleansing Water is $8.99 and available at Shoppers Drug Mart.

Posted in Cleansers | Tagged Micellar Water, Yes to, Yes to Cotton | Leave a comment

Natural Shampoo Perfect for Camping!

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Henna

LOVEFRESH is a line of bath and body products made in Toronto. Not only is the packaging impossibly chic, but the products are natural but effective! Natural shampoos can some times get a bad rap: they don’t lather as well, can be greasy or they can strip hair of all moisture, leaving it dry and frizzy.

LOVEFRESH Lavender Tea Tree shampoo is none of these. It has a beautiful, gel-like, aloe vera type texture that feels slippery in your hands but lathers in your hair. It gets rid of product or build-up, rinses clean but doesn’t strip hair of anything. Truly, the smooth-feel of the shampoo is what keeps me using it and I follow up with my own conditioner.

The best part of this shampoo is that it’s going to fit your summer. Because it’s made with all natural ingredients, it’s not bad for the environment, so you can lather up wherever you are and not worry about the effect you might have on anything else.

You can get LOVEFRESH online or you can find a retailer near you. $32.

Posted in Shampoo and Conditioner | Tagged LoveFresh | Leave a comment

Skin Republic Bubble Purifying and Charcoal Mask

Posted on July 20, 2017 by Henna

Skin Republic is my favourite mask company because they make an amazing foot mask. It actually has tons of lactic acid in it so that it exfoliates all the dead skin off your feet. It looks gross as that happens – there’s really no other way to put it – but the final effect looks better than a pedicure, lasts longer, and is actually cheaper, considering the mask costs just $16 (you can order it here). I love it so much that I stock up on it if I’m ever at a Murale or Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutique and it really works.

Sorry for that digression, but I just had to remind you about that mask – although it’s better to use it in the winter when your feet have less of a chance to seeing the sun.

Now, Skin Republic has a new mask, and it’s the Bubble Purifying and Charcoal Mask. It’s a black sheet mask that has cleanser on it that foams up when it’s exposed to air. As you let the mask sit on your face, it foams more and more, providing a relaxing tingling feeling to the skin as the tiny bubbles in the foam gently pop.

When you wash the mask off, you’re left with really clean, gently relaxed skin. It’s a nice relaxing mask to do, and one that’s great if you like to have your skin left clean, because the foam is essentially like a cleanser when you wash it off with water. I love that residue left from the sheet mask washes off so easily and actually helps me clean my skin – although I did wash off all my makeup before using this mask.

You can get it online, or at Murale or Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutiques for $9.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged Skin Republic | Leave a comment

New Dior Lip Tattoo

Posted on July 19, 2017 by Henna

I love new technology in makeup, and the latest to come out of Dior labs is the new Dior Addict Lip Tattoo. These are actually lip stains that are gel based, and work well on lips and cheeks.

Because they’re lip stains, they are highly pigmented but slightly translucent so they work with the colour of your lips. This can be a good or bad thing: my lips are already quite pigmented so I don’t like that they work with the natural tone because I need to layer these to have them look even.

The four colours I have are:

Natural Pink, Natural Berry, Natural Rosewood, and Natural Cherry.

I really loved Natural Rosewood and Natural Berry. They are darker colours than what I’m used to, but they really look like stains on my lips – like my lipstick has worn off, or like I ate cherries and my lips are now stained. I love that look, and the Lip Tattoos make that easy to accomplish.

Dior says that these can last up to 10 hours, but I’d say that they last until you eat something very greasy. If that’s your breakfast, then you’re done, but if that happens to be lunch, then these are going to last until you eat that. They definitely last through a few cups of coffee without coming off.

And because these are gel formulas, they’re weightless on the lips once they dry. The colour is inky, watery, with a slightly luminous finish, and in more colours than typical lip stains. The formula is a mix of water and oil – after you apply, the water evaporates leaving behind just a bit of oil and pigment on the skin. This means that these are a bit more moisturizing than your typical lip stain, but not overly so. Dry lips can wear these, they’re more forgiving than a matte lipstick, but they won’t be able to really moisturize the lips.

My favourite colour is the Natural Rosewood which is actually very natural looking as a beige pink. Even though it’s the lightest colour in the collection, it’s still dark enough to show up on my lips and works well with a dark, smoky eye.

The best way to apply these is with the applicator, starting in the centre of your lips and moving outwards. After one coat, dap with your finger tips to set the colour, or press your lips together. At that point you can apply another layer, or leave as is. I prefer not to layer more product on top because it makes it more difficult to control the finish. If you want to use these as cheek tints, which works well as a coordinating blush, just use the applicator to dap a bit on to the cheek, and then tap quickly to blend. If you blend with a swiping motion, you might get a streaky finish. Top with powder to have them last all day.

These are on Dior counters now for $36.

Posted in Summer 2017 | Tagged Dior, Lip Stains | Leave a comment

Robin McGraw Revelation Skincare

Posted on July 18, 2017 by Henna

Did you know that Robin McGraw, Dr. Phil’s wife, has her own skincare line? It’s got cute packaging and active ingredients and targeted to someone who wants something different than what’s out there.

I think if you’re navigating what to get, it can get confusing to see what products go together and what would help you get results. That’s why I like the Luxury Sets – they’re put together based on the results that you want to achieve. I got the Be The Brightest One in the Room set, which includes a face scrub, a brightening serum, and a brightening cream.

Now, I have to say that the Twinkle Twinkle You’re a Star! scrub ($28 USD) was a little too harsh on my skin because of the little bits of pumice in it. They’re actually quite sharp on your skin, and better suited to the feet or the rest of your body. Still, the brand gets some credit for using scrub ingredients that aren’t plastic beads, which so many brands are still doing.

The Let There Be Bright serum ($66) and Starlight, Face Bright cream ($50) both have some vitamin C in them as an antioxidant. They are super moisturizing, which can help skin look brighter, along with regular exfoliation.

The set costs $115 and can be purchased online.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged Revelation, Robin McGraw | 5 Comments

Rocky Mountain Soap Company Soap Fest

Posted on July 17, 2017 by Henna

Every other year, Rocky Mountain Soap Company, out of Canmore, Alberta, has Soap Fest, a celebration of where they came from. The brand started as a store that sold soap, and so that’s what they celebrate – hand-made, specially crafted, soap.

Soap Fest this year will run from July 25 to September 3, and will celebrate the Canadian ingredients in soap. They created three new soaps, all of which feature a unique Canadian ingredient.

The three new soap bars are Floral Abyssinian, Omega Bar, and Carrot Bar. The soaps are natural and each smells amazing.

The Floral Abyssinian bar contains Abyssinian oil from PEI to help hydrate and protect skin during the cleansing process.

The Omega Bar has camelina oil out of Saskatchewan which has Vitamin E and fatty acids that help nourish skin.

Finally the Carrot Bar has carrot oil in it which Rocky Mountain Soap Company makes in house, using carrots from Coaldale, Alberta.

Like I said, all the soap smells amazing, and my favourite might just be the Carrot Bar, which actually smells nothing like carrots. It smells fresh and clean, and a little herbal. Natural soaps feel so much nicer on the skin than other soaps – they’re immediately more moisturizing and much more gentle than anything else.

You can pick these up at Rocky Mountain Soap Company boutiques, or on the Rocky Mountain Soap Company website. $5.50 per bar.

Posted in For the Body | Tagged Rocky Mountain Soap Company, Soap | Leave a comment