Travel-Worthy Skincare and Alterna My Hair My Canvas Haircare

Posted on August 8, 2022 by Henna

Things I packed for 3 weeks…

Textno less than 3 retinoid serums because I didn’t want to run out and all of these were open.

I’ve been using the Trinny London Overnight Clarity niacinamide and retinol serum because I really like how moisturizing it is and I like that it has niaciniamide in it. However! It has an intense golden hue that gets on clothes and bedsheets, especially if you’re like me and like to put it on your body too.

I’ve been finding that my prescription retin-A micro is just right because it’s very drying and it really does help make my skin more regulated. The dry formula also seems to keep my skin more on the matte side which is something that I like. Works well for the summer when my skin is so oily. I’ve even worked up to using this almost every day, but I know that will change when I’m back to dry weather.

I’ve also taken the new Neutrogena 0.5% Retinol Pro+ because I wanted to tested it out some more. I do like it but my skin is acting up a little so it’s not strong enough.

Boscia vitamin C is my favourite right now. It’s 10% ethyl ascorbic acid which is stable and in a pump bottle. I like that. It’s colorless, odorless, and watery so it absorbs into your skin quickly. I use it every day.

Not shown: three tubes of sunscreen which ended up being just enough. I like to ballpark one tube a week.

I took 1 tube of hair cream which was just enough.

And my own Alterna Everyday Shampoo and Conditioner and this size was the best. Look at the dent I’ve made in the conditioner. I go through a lot of conditioner. I love this conditioner so much.  It gave me the softest smoothest hair, and it made it super shiny.  Of course, I wasn’t going to take these pump bottles back home with me, but my sister asked me specifically leave them behind because she loved this formula so much.

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Guy LaRoche Fidji Parfum

Posted on August 8, 2022 by Henna

I am an island.

Perfume created for a Place – tell me yours.

Wearing Fidji parfum today. Classic perfumery, with aldehydes, fresh florals, soapiness, and an woodsy ambery base. So powerful that I could smell 1 spray on my skin even after a shower, so this really does stick to your skin.

Fidji came out in 1966 but it’s got an overconfidence that could come from the 80’s. Feminine, beautiful, but also complicated on a way that’s interesting. It’s more of a cool floral than a warm one that I would imagine when I think of tropical islands, and I like that it has a creamy drydown thanks to the sandalwood, but I can smell the florals in this throughout the time that I wear it. Ylang ylang, carnation, jasmine, and rose are al blended to seamlessly in Fidji. Instead of an approximation of what Fiji the place smells like, this is maybe what I would wear on my way to Fiji. It’s cool and fresh, and very feminine and classy. The lady who wears this perfume carries a hat box as carry-on.

It’s hilarious to think of a perfume brand imagining an island far away and creating a perfume for those who want the “Exotic”, but then yesterday I smelled Magnificently Dubai from Zara and it’s a stereotypical and generic rose-oud number, and Luca Turin hates on Zoologist Camel for smelling stereotypically like a souk. There are so many perfumes created for ideas of places but actually most good perfume is transportive, if not to a physical destination then to a state of mine. Olfactory escapism will never actually go away (thank goodness) and I’ll always volunteer to get on a ride via perfume bottle, regardless of whether the destination is real or imagined.

What’s your favourite perfume created for a place?

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Chanel Cuir de Russie Perfume Review

Posted on August 5, 2022 by Henna

TextChanel Cuir de Russie, and Luca Turin’s review of it from the first edition of Perfumes, the Guide. I’ve seen people write this perfume off as being too soapy or not enough, but for me, it does just what it’s supposed to do. It’s the classic Chanel blend of florals, toned down a bit, and a barnyardy castoreum, and leathery birch tar. You literally get the feeling of washing your saddle in the barn with the most luxurious soap, and yes, that’s what I want to smell like some days. This isn’t a hard leather… it’s buttery soft, worn in, touchable, velvety.

The perfume needs to be worn to be experienced, and not smelled on paper. On paper, it’s ok, and the barnyard aspect can be off-putting. On skin, it’s a compliment-getter, and even more so on hair. The cool blend of florals is made more interesting by the addition of the dirtier notes, the smokiness, a sweetness in the drydown that comes out when I wear this on my skin.

A note on Perfumes, The Guide. I got this book in 2008, and you know, I was already a couple of years into my perfume journey. When I read this book, it made me feel like I was missing out on a lot, and I just didn’t get all the descriptions. I put it away because I knew that to begin to sample everything would cost me time and money that I didn’t have. Energy that I wasn’t willing to spend at the time. When I was culling 10 years ago, I decided what would stay based on some of the reviews in this book – that was a terrible idea. Always trust your own taste, I had some good memories with some of the perfumes I gave away!!!

I looked through the book again recently. Now I’ve smelled a lot more of the perfumes, and thought about them in different ways… I’ve also grown up a lot, of course, so that maybe makes a difference, but the book, the reviews, make more sense. Smelling perfume ingredients in isolation has helped me understand more of what I’m smelling and pick apart perfume as I smell it, help me appreciate what stands out to me.

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Prada Infusion d’Iris

Posted on August 4, 2022 by Henna

TextI’ve had this perfume in my collection since its launch in 2007 and I think it’s having a bit of a revival. You can find this at discounters, but also at almost any department store.

I always think of powder when I think of iris perfumes, but this one is not very powdery at all. It’s actually got a beautiful neroli top note that is addictive and makes me want to keep spraying this perfume to get more of that top note. It brings to mind the perfect summer day, sitting in the sunshine and drinking a cold orange San Pelligrino where the fizz tickles the tip of your nose. That’s what these top notes make me think of, so you can see why I love this perfume for cooler days.

The perfume is grounded by incense and benzoin. If you’ve smelled Prada Candy’s benzoin base, then you’ll recognize the same facets in this perfume but because it’s not as sweet because of everything else that’s going on.

Perfect for spring or cooler summer days, and maybe some of the nicest minimalistic packaging there is. A hefty bottle of this is definitely worth it because it seems to wear lightly and a few sprays are needed to create that scent bubble.

 

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Iris Poudre by Frederic Malle

Posted on August 3, 2022 by Henna

Wearing Iris Poudre by Frederic Malle today, and this is an intense floral if there ever was one. It also smells very feminine and not so powdery.

In my head, this is “Iris Poupre” because I think of this as a very proper, buttoned up floral. It’s got zing that feels like a sneeze stuck in my nose, and in an hour there’s the cool metal of dunking a glass into a bucket of water to rinse off soap. That part is so addictive to smell.

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Serge Lutens Datura Noir Perfume Review

Posted on August 2, 2022 by Henna

Serge Lutens Datura Noir. A summer perfume that’s not ONLY for the summer. It’s a bit tropical, easy to wear at all times of the year.

Official notes: Datura, coconut, almond. Have you tried this or others in the genre?

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Neutrogena 0.5% Retinol Pro+ Serum

Posted on July 29, 2022 by Henna

What do percentages on skincare even mean?

TextI ask because Neutrogena finally has a retinoid percentage on the label. TBH, I always found their retinol to be gentle. Now, even though their latest retinoid has 0.5% written on it, the truth is that it’s still a gentle product, and isn’t potent as something like Retinal (short for retin-aldehyde) which is also over-the-counter. But, that’s only if we’re comparing apples to apples… for example, a product with 0.5% retinol is compared to a 0.5% retinal. I don’t have a 0.5% retinal in my collection of skincare right now, but you can see how comparing skincare can be difficult.

I do have a 0.3% adapalene (prescription only in Canada) but OTC in the USA.

I also have a 0.1% Tretinoin which is super potent and prescription-only no matter where you go. Even though 0.1% is a smaller percentage than 0.5%, because tretinoin is so strong (even in this micro version), I only use it once a week because it makes my skin peel off so much.

Does it matter if the new Neutrogena retinol is 0.5%? Personally, I still like to know the percentage and the type of retinoid, and no, bakuchiol is not a retinoid, so that doesn’t count.

Anyway, this new 0.5% retinol Pro+ Serum goes on like an oil but it’s actually not an oil but a silicone product. It feels like it’s comforting the skin, but it’s actually no moisturizing or hydrating at all, so I like to use it after my other serums in my skincare routine. I’ve tried using it on its own, and it just made my skin feel so dry. Paired with a good moisturizer, I think this is a great retinoid for beginners to try. I use it on nights that I’m not using my prescription retinoid. The last slide is a picture of the box and the ingredients. You can see that retinol is listed right there on the box, and that actually the list of ingredients is quite short.

Have you tried this? Are you one of the few people who doesn’t use a retinol?

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Charlotte Tilbury’s Summer Sale

Posted on July 28, 2022 by Henna

I don’t normally post about deals and sales (well sometimes I do), but I’ve been enjoying a few Charlotte Tilbury products and some of them are a really great deal right now.

For examples, you could get the Iconic Matte Lip Kit, which has a matte lipstick and a lipliner.  You can choose the lipliner and the lipstick to match.  I would get a neutral lipstick with a deeper shade of liner.  If you’re in doubt, the Pillow Talk colours area always beautiful.  The shades below are from the Queen’s Jubilee collection.  They are: Gracefully Pink, The Queen, and Runway Royalty.  If you like a bright lip, you have to try The Queen, it is my favourite.

I really like the summer lip kit, if for no other reason that the Hyaluronic Happikiss is a dupe for the Tarte lippie that everyone is wearing on Tiktok. At $83, you get a lipstick, a gloss, and a stain.  Choose the deeper colours of the stain so that you can see it on your lips. I have the Blushed Rose stain and it doesn’t shop up on my lips at all.

Enjoy the sale, and if you get anything, let me know!

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Oribe Gold Lust Repair & Restore Shampoo

Posted on July 28, 2022 by Henna

TextI’m really into nice-smelling hair products, and so many of you recommended that I try something from Oribe, a brand that designed their packaging to emulate expensive perfume bottles, and whose product scent has become iconic.

I now get why.

I’ve tried that Côte d’Azur perfume that’s in all the products, and I can confirm that the Gold Lust shampoo and conditioner both smell like it. Even better, the products are scented, and the scent sticks to your hair and you can smell it for at least a couple of hours. I’m not even using any of the Oribe styling products afterwards, but my hair was still wafting a bit of Côte d’Azur for a while, and I love it.

Côte d’Azur is a citrus scent, with a blend of lemon and bergamot. It’s fresh and really reminds me of Light Blue, so if you’ve smelled that, then you know what to expect. I mean, Light Blue is a crowd-pleaser, so it’s no surprise that the smell of these products is so well-loved.

Ok, I guess I better update on the Gold Lust line – the shampoo and conditioner are super moisturizing and best for people who have very dry hair. The conditioner actually leaves your hair really slippery, and if you’re prone to greasiness or feeling like your hair gets easily weighed down, then maybe this one isn’t for you. It’s great for reducing frizz and really coating the hair shaft. The products are colour and keratin safe too.

 

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Empties: Bumble and Bumble, Fresh Beauty, Strivectin, Vichy, Paula’s Choice, Dior, Alterna Hair Care

Posted on July 27, 2022 by Henna

TextEmpties from the past couple of weeks… as I’m writing this and looking at the picture, it looks like I’ve gone through so much stuff, but I’ve had some of these on the go for a while.

Like that Bumble and Bumble Nourishing dry shampoo. That lived at work for a while in case I had plans after work and needed to jhuj up my hair before I left. So, I used it here and there for a year?

The Fresh Black Tea Kombucha essence did not last me long – I think I went through this bottle in a couple of weeks, so that was pricy.

Strivectin Super-B oil – loved how it smelled and got it back in September. I really loved this oil it just sealed in moisture and I feel like I woke up to happier skin in the morning.

Vichy Liftactiv B3 serum was AMAZING. I got it in PR and I would repurchase. Loved it, because it had so many active ingredients in one serum. I got it in September, so it lasted me a while! I was very consistent with using it.

Paula’s Choice Azelaic Acid. Definitely try this if you are dealing with pigmentation on your skin. I liked it and I think it did help.

Dior Collagen Activ Gloss – I loved it. I’ve had it for years.

I also finished the Alterna hair serum, and ugh, I didn’t get a good picture of it. I will say that it smelled lovely. I am finding that a hair cream works better for me than just a serum. Lamellar Water + Serum + Hair Cream = perfect hair for me.

Have you tried any of these?

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