Shed Happens: Time to Ditch the Post-Summer Snake Skin with La Rosee, Tree Hut and Ecotools!

That perfect summer skin glow - lovely while it lasts, but eventually the flip-flops come off, the air gets drier and suddenly your skin is less “radiant goddess” and more “why do I appear to be shedding?!” 

 

Yep, it’s that time of year when summer’s glow starts giving way to patchiness, flakes and general scaly-snake behaviour. The skin on your body naturally sheds dead cells more slowly than the skin on your face, so unless you’re actively auditioning for a reptile documentary, a little manual exfoliation can go a long way. Here are a few of my favourite ways to get that smooth, soft skin back in the game:

 

La Rosée Nourishing Body Scrub - 200g - $40

 

This is exfoliation with a side of dessert. Made with sugar and organic plant oils, this 100% natural scrub buffs away dead skin cells and impurities while nourishing your skin at the same time. The thick sugar texture leaves skin feeling wonderfully soft, smooth and comfortable, while the warm coconut-vanilla scent makes the whole experience smell suspiciously like something I should be eating. 

 

It’s also formulated for all skin types, including sensitive skin and the biodegradable, vegan formula is refillable. The refill capsule saves 73% plastic compared with buying a whole new jar, so your skin gets pampered and Mother Earth gets to unclench a little. Win-win. Not to mention saving you a few bucks - the refill will only set you back $34 for 200g!

 

It’s part of the La Rosée Soft Skin Routine, which also includes the Cleansing Shower Oil - 400ml - $31 - which is refillable too, and the Nourishing Care Oil - 100ml - $46. I particularly love the oil because it can be used on your face, body and hair - basically one bottle doing the work of three while the rest of your bathroom products look on nervously...

 

Available at Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada and online at beauty.shoppersdrugmart.ca and larosee-cosmetiques.ca.

 

Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub in Raspberry Fizz - 510g - $17.59 

 

If you prefer your exfoliation to smell like a fruity cocktail rather than a skincare lab, Tree Hut has entered the chat. The Raspberry Fizz scent is a deliciously sweet mix of juicy raspberry, rose and a hint of amber, that lingers long enough to make you wonder why you bothered putting on perfume. 

 

Made with sugar, shea butter, raspberry seed oil and chia seed oil, it buffs away dull, dry skin while helping leave it feeling soft, smooth and nourished. It’s also vegan, paraben-free, sulfate-free and alcohol-free, with a no-slip formula -  because the only thing we want slipping in the shower is our dignity after attempting to shave one leg. 

 

The Raspberry Fizz is my fave but there are also tons of other scents to choose from - I’m also partial to Tangerine and Peach Sorbet - because you know, fruit - but there are some non-fruit ones too if you like that kind of thing. And if you want to turn your shower into a full-blown Tree Hut production, you can round out the routine with their Foaming Gel Body Wash - 532ml - $17.59 and Moisturizing Shave Oil - 227ml - $17.59. 

 

Available at select Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada and online at beauty.shoppers.ca, well.ca and amazon.ca.

 

EcoTools XL Body Buffer - $6.85 

 

Sometimes you don’t need a fancy jar of product and just need to get in there and scrub the hell out of things yourself. Enter the EcoTools XL Body Buffer. 

 

This oversized body sponge gently exfoliates and cleanses while being easy to hold thanks to its handy strap and it can also be used with your regular body wash, cleanser or body scrub. It’s also made with 57% recycled polyester, so it’s putting in a little environmental effort while you put in the elbow grease. 

 

And because apparently some parts of our bodies were designed specifically to be impossible to reach, EcoTools also makes a Bath Cloth - $4.99 - that expands up to three feet long - perfect for those “I have no idea how I’m supposed to wash that” situations. 

 

Prefer to exfoliate before you even get in the shower? Try their Dry Body Brush - $10.79 - to buff and smooth the skin before bathing. 

 

Available at select Real Canadian Superstores and No Frills stores across Canada and online at amazon.ca.

 

Summer may be over, but there is absolutely no reason your skin has to look like it spent the season living in the Sahara. A little scrubbing, a little moisture and suddenly we’re back to smooth, soft skin instead of leaving a trail of flakes behind us like a very glamorous human breadcrumb.

 

- Lisamarie - 

Shoppers Beauty+ Event - New Beauty, New Obsessions & A Whole Lotta Optimum Points!

Some people consider Christmas or sending their kids back to school the happiest time of the year. Me? The Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty+ Event - from September 12th to October 9th. New brands! New products! Samples! And, most importantly, sooooo many bonus Optimum Points! Honestly, this is my Olympics!

 

I wait for this event every year to stock up on the things I’m actually out of - like my beloved Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Serum - and to grab the things I absolutely do not need but suddenly become convinced I cannot live without, like the Too Faced Peach Mist Setting Spray. Priorities, people. 

 

Here are the products I’ll be haunting my local Shoppers for. While I normally do like the online ordering option, the foundation and fragrance require an actual in-person field trip because I need to match the colour and, obviously, smell the fragrance. Buying either of those blind would be beauty roulette, and I’m not here to gamble with my face or my perfume wardrobe! 

 

Clarins Double Serum Foundation - 30ml - $74 - this next-generation hybrid serum foundation is basically what happens when your makeup decides it wants a skincare career too. It combines makeup and skincare to deliver customizable medium-to-full coverage with a luminous, satin, non-oily finish and comes in 30 shades for all skin types and tones. 

 

The adjustable dial lets you customize the coverage, while its [COLOUR + HYDRIC] system is inspired by Clarins’ Double Serum technology. The [COLOUR] phase uses A.U.R.A. (Advanced Ultra Radiance Amplifier) technology with light-boosting ingredients and illuminating microcrystals to give skin an immediate glow, while the [HYDRIC] phase uses stabilized papain to help renew radiance and create a smoother, skin-like-new effect. 

 

And because apparently it wasn’t already doing enough, it contains 14 active ingredients, including five pairings of pure active molecules and plant extracts designed to help revive the skin’s five vital functions.

 

To top it off it comes with 10,000 bonus Optimum Points which makes it sound even better! 

Quo Beauty Bouncy Cloud For Lips and Cheek in Just Blushing - $14 - I have a weakness for things that are pink and for a beauty product that can multitask so this one has everything I love in one little pot!

 

The feather-light, bouncy mousse formula melts onto skin for a smooth, cloud-soft finish and can be dabbed onto cheeks or blended onto lips for a delicate, buildable flush of colour with a natural satin-matte finish. The finger-friendly formula makes application ridiculously easy, and you can layer it from a soft tint to a more dramatic pop of colour. 

 

It has a cushiony mousse-cloud texture, works on both lips and cheeks and gives you that airy, effortless flush without requiring a degree in makeup application. 

 

And since there are 5,000 bonus Optimum Points in it for you when you spend $25 on participating products which gives me the perfect excuse to also pick one up in Sun Set - a pretty coral/pink shade that I am positive is also calling my name! 

Klorane Quinine Length Thickening and Strengthening Serum - 100ml - $49.99 - longer, stronger hair? Yes please. Especially if it can happen without making my fine hair look like I’ve dunked my head in a vat of cooking oil. 

 

Formulated with medicinal Quinine and Adenosine to help promote hair length, strengthen hair and improve density. It also contains a naturally derived keratin-like ingredient designed to repair and strengthen hair, while the non-sticky, non-greasy formula absorbs quickly without weighing hair down.  

 

I am hoping that unlike some intensive hair products, this one won’t leave fine hair looking limp, greasy or like it needs its own intervention! 

 

As an added bonus it comes with 5,000 bonus Optimum Points! 

Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Pink Glaze - 50ml EDP - $135, 90ml - $190 - brings some serious main-character energy to the iconic Black Opium family, with a floral gourmand scent that puts a vibey twist on the signature black coffee and sensual jasmine notes with a sultry strawberry accord. 

 

And then there’s the bottle: a bold, dark pink lacquered beauty that looks like it belongs in the hands of someone who has their life completely together - even if they’re actually just wandering around Shoppers looking for bonus points. 

 

It’s described as the ultimate confidence-boosting accessory, and honestly, if strawberry is involved, I’m already emotionally invested.

 

Best of all it comes with 20,000 bonus Optimum Points!

 

So there you have it—my Beauty+ wish list, otherwise known as the reason my Shoppers cart is about to need its own postal code. I’ve got skincare to replenish, makeup to play with, hair products to test and a strawberry-scented fragrance that has already managed to bypass my usual “Do I really need this?” filter. 

 

And really, the beauty haul is only half the fun. The other half is watching those bonus Optimum Points pile up, because nothing makes me feel better about buying beauty products quite like being rewarded with points that will inevitably be used to buy… more beauty products. It’s called a system, people!

 

See you at Shoppers before October 9th. I’ll be the one happily scanning my Optimum card and pretending this was all very carefully planned.

 

- Lisamarie - 

Summer May Be Leaving, But I'm Not Ready to Smell Like a Pumpkin - and don't have to thanks to Fenty Skin Allover Body Mist!

Summer may be on its way out, but that doesn't mean your body mist has to pack its little suitcase and disappear until next June. 

 

While I do tend to swap my EDPs and EDTs for something lighter and mistier during hot weather, these are not a seasonal fling. Oh no. These are something I'll happily be reaching for all year round...

 

Fenty Skin Body Allover Body Mist - 175ml - $53 - these light, sheer body mists come in irresistible scents designed to linger and match whatever mood you're in - or whatever vibe you're desperately trying to create that day. 

 

Available in four deliciously tempting scents:  

 

Vanilla Flowers - warm, sultry and rich, with notes of bergamot from Italy and apple blossom, vanilla orchid, pink freesia and lily of the valley, all wrapped up in Tahitian vanilla, sugared woods and fluffy musk. Basically, if you enjoy smelling like a fancy dessert who has her life together, this one is calling your name!

 

Hey, Bouquet - a bold fruity floral with orange zest, strawberry and pink peppercorn, followed by rose, jasmine and orris butter, with sandalwood, vanilla, cashmere and patchouli hanging around at the end. Floral? Yes. Fruity? Also yes. And somehow it manages to do both without smelling like your grandmother's powder room. A miracle, really! 

 

Tropic Trip - tropical fruity floral goodness with blood orange, pineapple and leafy greens, orange blossom, tuberose and peach, finishing with coconut, sandalwood and amber. This one is basically a tropical vacation in a bottle - and frankly, considering summer seems determined to leave us eventually, I'm keeping the vacation going! 

 

And my particular fave:

 

Green Raspberry - bright, ripe and reckless, with raspberry nectar, blackberry delight and crème de cassis, white tea and sugared rose, and a base of peach wood. As someone who is obsessed with beauty products that smell like food - preferably fruit - it's not hard to understand why it's my go-to. Raspberry, blackberry and peach? Say less. I'm already there!

 

And because apparently Fenty Skin understands the joy of smelling like the same delicious thing from head to toe, there is also a body wash and bubble bath available in Vanilla Flowers and Hey, Bouquet. Perfect if you're into getting all matchy-matchy with your body products and want to commit fully to your chosen scent situation. 

 

Of course, you can also layer these mists with whatever fragrance you like. They're light and sheer enough that they make excellent layering partners, which means you can get a little experimental and play fragrance scientist without accidentally creating a scent catastrophe that follows you around for eight hours. 

 

Available online at fentybeauty.com. You can also find the Vanilla Flowers Body Wash and Starter Set at sephora.ca, although they don't appear to carry the full-size body mists - because apparently making things easy for us would be too much to ask. You can get a small body mist in the Starter Set, though. Either way, they're worth ordering, and Fenty Beauty does ship to Canada! 

 

Just because summer is ending doesn't mean we have to start smelling like a pumpkin immediately (or ever). Let's not get carried away!

 

- Lisamarie -