It Cosmetics Hello Sunshine Review and HaleDerma

August 15
I’ve had an accident that doesn’t allow me to wear much makeup these days (read on if you want to know about it) but before that, I did have a chance to try this It Cosmetics Hello Sunshine Invisible Hydrating Serum Lotion which was sent to me. I was intrigued because it was partly marketed as a primer/sunscreen duo. I was expecting a matte, oil-absorbing formula, which is what I’d want under makeup, but this is actually a moisturizing sunscreen but it does work remarkably well with makeup. Makeup glides on to your skin when you wear this sunscreen and melts into it. The final finish is glowy and healthy-looking. Don’t bother trying to mattify this because it won’t work, just rock your glossy skin as if you wanted it to look that way. Makeup will look flawless. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

 

But I’m not using this anymore – last week I got badly splashed with hot oil, suffering burns all over my arm and face. It’s a miracle the oil didn’t get my eye because it did get around my eye and the rest of my face. Incidentally, a couple of days later I had an appointment with Xthetics in Calgary about something unrelated, and the kind people there cleaned the burn on my face and sent me home with the Halederma hypochlorous acid spray – I’ve read about hypoclorous acid all over the place to treat eczema and other skin conditions, but it’s great for aiding would healing and I did have a pretty bad wound on my face. I’m spraying it on and patting gently to clean my burns. The burns on my face are healing quicker than I expected them to. I also reached for Biafine that I had picked up in Paris years ago, and you can see that it’s on its last legs. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

 

Other than that, I’m staying away from makeup and using mineral sunscreen until all this heals. I know there are some clever, helpful people following me – doctors, aestheticians, formulators – if you have any advice for me as my burns heal, please share it in the comments or via dm. Yes, I’ve seen a doctor and a nurse, so I’m doing the things they’ve told me to do.

 

As people have pointed out, if anyone knows about taking care of your skin, it’s me.

 

 

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Charlotte Tilbury Island Glow Lip and Cheek Tint

Every summer, Charlotte Tilbury comes out with a lip and cheek tint.  In past years, it’s been more neutral and muted colours, but this year, the year of blush, the colours are bright but they are so wearable.  Each shade blends so beautifully and looks glowy.  Because it’s so pigmented, a little goes a long way and the lasting power is amazing.

Finally! A lip and cheek product in bright colours and tons of pigment! I love all of these although the last one, Beach Peach Glow, is my favorite for everyday. Most of these are a bit light for my lips but I can pull off the Pinched Cheek Glow as a lip tint.

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Matte Eyeshadows That Don’t Crease

Matte cream eyeshadows! I love these! They stay put and give a subtle wash of colour although you can see that my preference is for a shade that’s a bit smoky. These Watier cosmetics eye creams are available now.

Posted in Make-Up | Tagged , | Leave a comment

New Vegamour Gro+ Scalp Serum and Microneedling

July 4
There’s now a derma roller for your scalp, thanks to Vegamour. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Vegamour, the brand that has made hair growth serum aesthetically pleasing and worthy of adding to your bathroom counter, has now come out with an advanced system that includes a derma roller that you use on your scalp before applying the serum. This system is meant for people who are experiencing severe shedding while the original Gro line was meant for people who had thinning hair. In a study done over 120 days, people who used the system saw an improvement in the growth of their hair. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

The derma roller has a removable head so that you can clean and replace it, and it comes with a case so that you can keep it out of sight and away from prying hands or from getting dinged on your counter. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Again, the aesthetics of the whole system are insta-worthy, and the system can be used in conjunction with other treatments you may be seeking for hair loss. As always, if you are experiencing shedding (not just thinning) of your hair, you should seek support from a doctor to get to the root cause. Also know that hair thinning is related to age and … how do I say this… we are ALL going to experience the effects of our age. I know a lot of people have dm’d me to talk about their hair thinning and not being what it used to be. You are not alone in this! Some is normal, too much might warrant further investigation and treatment. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Posted in Hair | Tagged , | Leave a comment

How to Choose the Right Sunscreen

July 4
If you’re confused by the sunscreen options available, know that I always just choose the “sport” version over any other because it sticks to skin a bit better and is water resistant for longer. In the case of these Vichy sunscreens, the formula of the Sport sunscreen is light and gel-like, while the Ultra-Hydrating UV Lotion is thicker and richer. It takes longer to rub in and feels like a heavy cream, so impatient people might be better off with the Ultra-Light Refreshing Lotion. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

The Vichy sunscreens also have Mexoryl which keeps sunscreen stable longer. This is what keeps the Americans stocking up on sunscreen when they visit Canada – the formulas are elegant even though the actual sun-protection ingredients are the same. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

And yes, these are broad spectrum which means that they protect your skin against UVB and UVA rays but it seems that most sunscreens do offer broad spectrum protection these days anyway. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

The complaint I hear most: I use sunscreen and I still got a burn or tan. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Honestly, the best BEST thing to do is to stay out of the sun.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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

Cerave Skin Renewing Collection

July 4
I have the most oily skin and this is not me complaining, just sharing a fact of life. Because it’s even more… glowy in the summer, my hot tip is that it’s also the best time for me to use all the retinoids I can handle because it just seems to work without me experiencing the excessive dryness that I normally would in the wintertime. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Cerave Skin Renewing products entered at the perfect time, and I’m alternating between the Nightly Exfoliating Treatment and the Retinol Serum. The Exfoliating Treatment has glycolic and lactic acid to leave your skin texture smoother, whereas the retinol serum exfoliates deeper. The Skin Renewing Night Cream has no retinoid it and can be used on top of either the retinol serum or the exfoliating treatment. Shea butter gives it a rich, creamy feel, and a thick texture.

Beware: they do get rid of freckles because of how well they work, especially when used consistently. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Skin Foundation Stick Review

July 4
I’ve worn this new Charlotte Tilbury skin tint enough to figure it out. This is a sheer, extremely creamy skin tint that really is meant to be quick and easy. It’s best for parched skin and can be blended in with your fingertips. The finish is glowy – no amount of powder or setting spray will be able to take this one. Trust me, I already tried. I wouldn’t wear this to work, but I don’t mind throwing it on when running to the neighbourhood coffee shop and want to look more pulled together. It doesn’t set, so if you’re someone who touches their face a lot, be prepared to get it on to your clothes. This tint is best used lightly, maybe with some concealer to help with coverage in areas that need it. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

It comes in a range of colours, but they’re all medium-toned. Because it’s so sheer, you might find that more than one shade works for you. I found 6M to be too peachy, and 7m to be warm enough but too dark, enough that it looked a bit muddy. I could blend them, but there’s not enough yellow to really be a match so I’d rather wear my concealer mixed with moisturizer, or just another product completely. Still, I’ll throw this into my purse just in case. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Have you tried it? What did you think?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Posted in Make-Up | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Watier Official Body Sprays

July 4
We have reached peak body mist era, and scented body mists are not just for the kids at Bath and Bodyworks. Lise Watier now has body mists scented like their perfumes. Don’t be fooled. These are not lighter versions of their scents, instead they are moisturizing formulas that have a decent amount of scent to them. What’s interesting is that everything you read about kids being into skincare and fragrance says that they’re trying to be more like the adults around them, but now we have a brand that’s more marketed to the moms in the world out with a body mist version of their perfumes. These are perfect to layer with or to use after the shower in place of perfume. A scented body mist is usually going to have a lower concentration of fragrance than even and eau de cologne (usually the lowest concentration available) and so you can mist on a bit more generously than you would your regular perfume. I did find that these are very heavily scented and a handful of sprays was more than enough for me. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Sunset Vent du Sud is a fruity floral. It’s sweeter and more fun than the others in the line.

Desirable is a floral that’s more serious. The freesia in the blend is almost shampoo-like and if you like the scent of Pantene, then you would like this one. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Vent du Sud has jasmine, rose, and vanilla. I like it better for cooler days. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Vent du Sud Azure is the aquatic one of the line and it’s the one that’s my favourite. It had kind of a clean musk that the base that reminded me of Light Blue so if that’s a scent that you love, you might like this body mist as well. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Practically speaking, these would work great thrown into a camping bag or backpack for the summer, and they’ll get used. Plus, misting oneself to keep cool is a summer ritual that’s highly underrated. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Affordable Tubing Mascara

Mascara is the longest part of my getting ready routine every day, but I sped this up x5 to save you the time. Yes, that’s how many coats it takes to get the most major lashes. I’m using the Lottie London Super Fake Mascara and it is smudge proof. The wand is tiny but it does a great job at separating every lash. I might never use another mascara again.

Posted in Search for the Perfect Mascara | Leave a comment

Violet Ida by Miller Harris

For the days that you want to be enveloped in a cozy fluffy powder, there Violet Ida by Miller Harris.  Now discontinued, if you like vanilla powder perfumes, make sure you snap this up.

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged , | Leave a comment