Sunscreens to Stock Up On

Here are my top three sunscreens, in case you’re heading to the drugstore to stock up!

Friends, if you want good skin, there’s one thing you absolutely must do: wear sunscreen every day, on your face and on your body.  You may think that you’re not outside and baking in the sun, however there’s a lot of sun exposure from just sitting in your car or even on short walks outside and that’s what leads to freckles and other incremental sun damage.

The weather’s great now: maybe you’re playing outside with your kids, or taking time for walks, or opting to sit on a patio rather than inside.  These are the activities that are really going to add up.  One day you’ll notice that your skin is dark enough that you need to change your shade of foundation, and that means that you have incurred some sun damage.

The best way to ensure that you’re wearing sunscreen daily is to use one that you like.  Apply liberally on your face, neck, and then continue to apply on your arms and any other areas that are going to be exposed to the sun.  You’ll find that if you have a good formula (with no white residue) that you won’t mind applying the product and it will even help your makeup apply better and stay on longer.

Sun Protection

Here are some that I love:

1. Neutrogena Clear Face Sun Lotion.  I love this because it comes in a big tube and isn’t too watery so it doesn’t go all over the place.  It’s also not whitish and has kind of a dry light-weight feel after application so it doesn’t get too oily on your face.  Apparently it’s proven not to cause break-outs, but stick with something formulated for the face, and you’ll be fine.  Works well under makeup.  This comes in SPF 30 and 60… but why even bother with the 30 when there’s SPF 60 available?  $12.49 at drug stores and mass merchandisers.

2. New Ombrelle Ultra-Light Advanced. This is new this year to the Ombrelle line of sunscreens and contains Mexoryl which helps keeps the sunscreen stable as well as providing protection against UVA and UVB rays.  Available in a formula for face and a more watery one for the body, this sunscreen is more fluid and feels weightless to the touch.  It’s truly a light formula and I find that the body one is light enough even for use on the face, which is great because it means I can stash it around the house and just worry about applying one thing before I head out on to the patio or to the backyard!  $19.99 also at drugstores and mass merchandisers.

There’s also a kids version of this sunscreen which is 100% mineral.  It’s gentle for the kiddies but it does have a white cast because it’s mineral-based.

3. L’Oreal Sublime Sun Silky Sheer Face Lotion.  This is one of the watery formulas that is available on the market, but it’s maybe my favourite one to apply before makeup because it makes your skin look so smooth that you can definitely apply less foundation afterwards. The SPF 50 broad spectrum formula means that you’ll definitely have adequate sun protection and the vitamin E in it means that your skin will also get a dose of moisture.  It’s also available in a tinted formula but I prefer to skip that because I tend to get it on my clothes if I’m applying sunscreen on my neck or hands.  $17.99.

Those are my favourites that live on my vanity and I apply one of them every single morning.  You can’t go wrong with any of them and they will get you through the summer.  More sunscreen reviews coming if I discover something new!

 

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Bliss’s Multi-Faceted Mask

Bliss Multi-faceted MaskTo tell you the truth, I haven’t been making time for masks and the like lately… but then an off day inspired me to give myself an at-home facial and out came this almost-black mask.

Formulated with 10% glycolic acid, exfoliating quartz crystals, and Kaolin clay, and Jojoba oil, this mask is meant to exfoliate your skin making lines and discolourations go away, but it also absorbs excess oil and moisturizes. 

The mask is super thick, and to tell you the truth, I couldn’t feel the 10% glycolic acid on my skin – there was no tingling but rather a bit of a cooling sensation because there’s a minty-ness in the mask.  The mask is super thick and a little bit goes a long way. 

The best way to use this is to apply a very thin layer before you get in the shower.  Let it dry and then jump in the shower.  Wet your hands and start rubbing the mask with them to get the full exfoliating action of the quartz crystals that are in the mask.  Add more water and keep rubbing, repeating this step until the mask is wet and can be easily rinsed off. 

After the mask is off, your skin will feel so smooth and look much clearer.  It’s worth using on the regular. 

About $60 at Sephora and will last for a long time because of the small amount needed each time you apply this.  

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Here it Comes: Elizabeth and James Nirvana Dry Shampoos!

This comes straight from the Elizabeth and James Instagram page… the brand is launching Dry Shampoos in their amazing Nirvana Black and Nirvana White scents.  I’m so excited because I love those perfumes, and the idea of a scented dry shampoo is on point!

Nirvana Dry Shampoo

The Olson twins are known for their slightly disheveled beachy waves and dry shampoo is a big part of achieving that look.  I’m hoping that these will provide some moisture and will not be overly dry.  These days I’m sticking with my Pureology Dry Conditioner and it’s been amazing at maintaining my style and helping tame frizzies on day 2 or 3 of a blow-out.

Would you get a scented dry shampoo?

 

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New Rimmel Scandaleyes XX-treme Mascara

Rimmel Scandaleyes XX-treme mascaraIt’s kind of been forever since I found a new mascara I really liked – the main problem is that a lot of mascaras just smear across my eyelid really easily and I can’t have that happening mid-way throughout the day!

So I’m happy to report that Rimmel’s Scandaleyes XX-Treme Volumizing mascara hits the mark.  The formula is different from the original Scandaleyes mascara which did smear on me.

Because this is a volumizing formula, it’s meant to be built up and then stay put on your lashes.  The wand is dual-sided with one side being more like a traditional mascara wand, and the other side being more like a comb.  The idea is that you can apply as much as mascara as you need, but still be able to comb out any clumps that might have formed.  The flat side of the brush is also great for applying mascara to the bottom lashes – something that I can’t live without now that I’ve added it to my routine.

$7.99 at drugstores and mass department stores.

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Detox with Green Tea from The Body Shop

Fuji Green Tea
I’m paying more attention to exfoliating my skin, which means that it must be almost-summer!  Because it’s still jacket weather at times, I’m skipping the self-tanner right now and instead I’m just going for smoother healthier skin.  I’ve got moisturizer covered, but for really smoothing out my skin, I’m going for The Body Shop’s Fuji Green Tea Exfoliating Soap ($6) and Fuji Green Tea Body Scrub ($22).  Both of them are light and refreshing because they’re not filled with greasy oils or butters.  I use the soap on areas that need lather, and I use the body scrub on areas that are prone to drying out.

If you like the scent, then of course, splurge for the body butter ($20), body lotion ($13), and body sorbet ($18) too.  They all smell fresh and clean and offer different levels of moisturizing.  There’s also an actual Fuji Green Tea bath ($20) and tea diffuser ($5) just so that you can take a Fuji Green Tea infused bath.

Available at Body Shop Stores.

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Not so New Favourite Lip Balm from Eos

Eos Visibly Soft LIp BalmSo I would have totally written about this lip balm in the dead of winter, but as luck would have it, I misplaced mine and promptly forgot about it until this week, when almost everyone I know pulls it out of their pocket of back.

It’s the Eos Visibly Soft Lip Balm, available in Coconut Milk and Vanilla Mint.  These make your lips so soft and I’m keeping an eye on mine so that I don’t lose it again – and of course that’s easy to do thanks to the eye-catching swirl design on the packaging.

These lip balms have Hyaluronic acid to help improve texture, Vitamin C, oils, shea butter and vitamin E.  They are 99% natural and are also petrolatum, paraben, and gluten-free!

For only $3.99, it’s maybe the best lip balm out there.

Available at Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaws, Walmart, London Drugs, Target, Rexall, Pharmaprix, Giant tiger, and Evolutionofsmooth.com, (and I’ve also seen them at Chapters).

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My Favourite Live Clean Hand Soap and Moisturizer Now in Coconut!

Live Clean CoconutIt’s the soap in the bathroom that everyone loves to use, and now it’s available in Coconut!

Live Clean, the Canadian brand that’s known for natural and gentle skincare products, now has coconut-containing body products – hand soap, body moisturizer, and body wash.

Unlike most coconut products, these don’t smell like sunscreen.  Instead, they are lightly scented and just a little sweet so that a while after applying them, you forget that they’re even there. All the products contain moisturizers from coconut so that they don’t strip the skin as you use them.  The hand wash is super moisturizer and creamy, while the moisturizer is light and absorbs easily making it a great choice for a nice summer-time moisturizer.

The body wash and moisturizer are $6.99, the hand soap is $4.99.  Available at drugstores and mass retailers now.

 

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Glowy Summer Skin

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Instant Tone CorrectorOk, I’m going to be upfront and let you all know that there’s no way I’m ditching my foundation this summer.  No-makeup makeup is for other people, but for me, I need my skin to look perfect at all times.

However….

There are definitely days when makeup is not going to be appropriate – a day at the pool or on the beach is not a time when anyone needs perfect foundation, and on those days I’ll be wearing just Neutrogena’s Healthy Skin Instant Tone Corrector SPF 15.  Shimmery but not glittery, this light-weight sunscreen/moisturizer gives skin just the right amount of optical blurring so that it looks a little more hydrated and toned on its own.

I wish this was SPF 100 so that I could get away with wearing it on a long day out and about, but it’s not bad for those days that I’m going to be mostly in the shade, and I do layer it on top of my regular sunscreen.

It’s also great worn under foundation and works a little like a colour correcting primer when you use it that way.

Pick it up at drugstores for about $17.

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New Urban Decay Afterglow Blush

afterglowThis summer, Urban Decay launched the Afterglow Blush.  With a lasting power of 8 hours, these blushes are actually a surprise from Urban Decay.  Normally, the brand is known for their super-pigmented fun-coloured eyeshadows, and products that offer a twist on the usual in innovative formulas.  The blushes, on the other hand, are not overly-pigmented and are pretty basic as far as blush goes.

Fetish and RaptureThere are lots of colours offered: my favourite being Fetish (a natural pink) and Rapture (shimmery mauve).  The colours are soft and easy to blend which makes them look super natural.  You can build up the colour, but it takes some work, but that means that these blushes are essentially fool-proof.  You literally can’t overdo them because the colours are so blendable, silky, and smooth.

The blushes use the same technology as Urban Decay’s Naked powder foundation, which is also exceptionally airy and silky.  The foundation and the blushes go on as powders but are virtually undetectable on the skin letting them provide coverage while still look natural.

The more bright colours are more pigmented and offer more coverage, and they do so without sacrificing on the silkiness of the formula, which means that you can still use them without worrying about not being able to blend the pigmented into your skin.

The blushes have a bit of luminosity to them, and even the shimmery colours are not actually shimmery – they just offer a bit of sheen.

I think one of the ways that these fit into the Urban Decay lineup is that you really don’t need a lot of colour on your eyelids and your cheeks, and these blushes offer you one way to tone it down a notch.  They are perfect for those people who are scared of wearing blush because it might look fake or unnatural.  You can make these look so natural because they are so blendable.

Pick them up at Sephora stores for $26.

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Skinfix for All

imageSkinfix is a company that makes gentle products that work well for all age groups and skin conditions.

As the mom of a toddler (who is as girly as they come), I would often find myself hiding lotions that I
don’t want my little one to get into – these are often highly scented, or contain ingredients that could be
harmful to delicate skin.
But Skinfix makes creams and balms that are just as good on kids’ skin as they are on adult skin. They’re
free from fragrance, parabens, and contain natural ingredients.

My favourite Skinfix product is the Daily Lotion. It is light but super emollient and hydrating to the skin.
Because it’s fragrance, steroid, and paraben free, it’s suitable for use on eczema-prone skin, or on baby
skin! The lotion is made up of grape, jojoba, and sunflower oils and yet absorbs into the skin easily. It
doesn’t feel greasy but skin is hydrated and soft to the touch. It also contains aloe leaf juice which helps
calm the skin and helps reduce irritation.

Skinfix products are available in Canada – you can get them at mass retailers, and drug stores around
the country. The Skinfix Daily Lotion is about $23 for 370ml.

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