Celebrate Day 4 of National Sun Awareness Week with Neutrogena CoolDry Sport Sunscreen Lotion

It's National Sun Awareness Week and considering how militant I am about us all wearing our sun protection, I decided we should dedicate a post every day this week to fun sun facts and an awesome sunscreen pick - enjoy and you're welcome!

If you're the sporty type and don't like sunscreen because it's always running in your eyes then you'll want to feast them on:

Neutrogena CoolDry Sport Sunscreen SPF 60 - 147ml - $14.99 - a non-greatsy, quick absorbing and oil-free lotion built for the toughest conditions of summer, even intense activities, so it stays on strong while you sweat with 80-minute water and sweat resistance. It is specially formulated with micromesh technology to allow your skin to breathe while you sweat so your skin feels clean and dry. It won’t run into eyes and also contains helioplex technology to provide photostable UVA/UVB protection for your skin.

Also available in an SPF 30 lotion as well as SPF 60 and SPF 30 in a spray format.

Skin cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in Canadians… and it is also the most common cancer in the world, according to the Canadian Dermatology Association (CDA) which means that you can’t afford to not wear sunscreen!

By following the CDA’s four simple steps outlined below, you can help minimize your risk for the type of skin cancer with the fastest-rising diagnosis rate, melanoma:

1.       Limit sun exposure during peak sun hours, 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. and especially around midday when the sun’s radiation is the strongest.

2.       Seek shade as much as possible, especially when your shadow is shorter than you. That is a key sign that the sun is directly overhead and its rays are the strongest. Short shadow = seek shade!

3.       Wear protective hats and clothing. Though this doesn’t mean you still shouldn’t apply sunscreen, so it’s important to remember to always apply sunscreen to the parts of your skin that are exposed, like your face, lips, neck and ears.

4.       Always use a SPF 30 or higher broad-spectrum sunscreen and reapply at least every two hours, and even earlier after swimming or sweating.

- Lisamarie -

Clinique Pop Lip Colour + Primer - with swatches!

Clinique Pop Lip Colour + Primer - $21 - in 16 rich shades: Cola Pop, Punch Pop, Bare Pop, Melon Pop, Fab Pop, Passion Pop, Grape Pop, Nude Pop, Plum Pop, Poppy Pop, Wow Pop, Berry Pop, Sweet Pop, Beige Pop, Cherry Pop, Love Pop - that bring a pop of colour to your lips that lasts all day long thanks to the built in primer that smoothes, defines and nourishes lips so they are conditioned throughout the day. Along with flexible polymers that keep the colours vivid and vibrant so they stay true and don't fade over time.

Plum Pop

Poppy Pop

Available now at Clinique counters across Canada.

- Lisamarie -

Celebrate Day 3 of National Sun Awareness Week with Tarte Tarteguard 30 Moisturizing Sunscreen Lotion

It's National Sun Awareness Week and considering how militant I am about us all wearing our sun protection, I decided we should dedicate a post every day this week to fun sun facts and an awesome sunscreen pick - enjoy and you're welcome!

Don't like sunscreen because most sun protection products don't smell good or look pretty on your dressing table? - then check out:

Tarte Tarteguard 30 Moisturizing Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30 - 50ml - $38 - an all-mineral, non-chemical, lightweight, non-sticky liquid lotion sunscreen that helps to protect, moisturize, brighten, and re-invigorate skin for a youthful-looking appearance. The formula is also infused with maracuja, red algae, soybean, apple, and honeysuckle extracts to nourish, tone, and retain moisture while helping to combat signs of aging for a firmer, brighter, smoother appearance. The fresh, ocean’s lily scent allows for luxurious, spa-like daily applications, while the high-performance liquid emulsion seamlessly melts into skin, leaving it supremely soft and silky.

Available at Sephora and sephora.ca.

Ever wonder how tanning even became a fashionable thing to do? Some of the blame goes to Coco Chanel. It used to be that women's clothes covered so much that a body tan was impossible, and a tan on the face and hands signified what it still does in developing nations - that the tanned person is an outdoor laborer, most likely of low social status. Lily-white skin remained a sign of a lady even after industrialization, but legend has it that when Chanel was accidentally sunburned during a trip to the Riviera and developed a tan from the burn, her new hue took hold among the fashionable as a symbol of all she herself embodied: modernism, luxury and independence. 

If you don't want to get over your love of the tanned look, don't despair - self-tanners today are so good that you can still have all the glow without any of the risk!

- Lisamarie -

This week I'm obsessed with... Fresh Sake Bath!

Fresh Sake Bath - 200ml - $56, 400ml - $94 - a unique purifying soak inspired by the Japanese Geisha bathing ritual of perfuming baths with real peaches - so includes an infusion of exquisite fruit along with 38% real sake for an unparalleled sensorial experience that detoxifies, softens and evens skintone.

This delicately foaming, therapeutic soak increases circulation and body temperature, inducing a purifying sweat to eliminate toxins. Sake also contains enzymes that hydrate and smooth the skin's appearance. It is further enriched with pine extract, which promotes easy breathing and pure ginger to render muscles pliable and relaxed.

The smell is so amazing you can't help but feel luxurious when using, my only complaint, it barely bubbles - when they say delicately foaming they aren't kidding! I like a lot of bubbles in my bath so I've been adding a unscented bubble bath to the same water so it doesn't mess with the scent but gives me the bubbly goodness that I require in a bath!

Available at Sephora and sephora.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Celebrate Day 2 of National Sun Awareness Week with La Roche-Posay Anthelios Mist SPF 50

It's National Sun Awareness Week and considering how militant I am about us all wearing our sun protection, I decided we should dedicate a post every day this week to fun sun facts and an awesome sunscreen pick - enjoy and you're welcome!

If you find spray protection convenient to use but hate the downside of not being able to see where you've already sprayed then this new solution from La Roche-Posay will please you:

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Mist SPF 50 - 155g - $32 - sprays a continuous,water resistant, non-greasy, ultra-light, microfine diffusion at any angle that goes on white to ensure even protection which dries invisible with a dry touch.

Available now at drug stores across Canada.

La Roche-Posay has launched a sun platform to build awareness and engage Canadians on the need for sun protection with a campaign set to raise awareness on the Save Your Skin Foundation and encourage people to share their sensitive skin stories.

The campaign commemorates Melanoma Awareness Month. Since 2000, the incidence of melanoma has increased 75 per cent in Canada, compared to only 31% for all types of cancer. And this year, one out of every three cancers diagnosed in Canada will be skin cancer. It’s an alarmingly high number, especially considering Canadians get far fewer mole checks than the rest of the world. 

For every story submitted to the laroche-posay.ca/sun La Roche-Posay will donate $1 to the Save Your Skin Foundation (up to a total of $10,000). #YourSkinStory

- Lisamarie -

Sally Hansen Velvet Texture Collection - with swatches!

Sally Hansen Velvet Texture - $7.95 - in 8 shades: Velveteen, Crushed, Lush, Velour, Regal, Plush, Lavish, Deluxe - with a lush, velvet-like finish achieved without the usual messy, loose powder!

Velveteen

Lavish

It really does dry to an interesting velvet like texture - my only complaint, the formula is heavy and doesn't easily spread which made it hard for me to get an even layer and harder still to get clean edges - which you can pretty much see for yourself in my sad little swatch pics!

Available now at drug and mass retailers across Canada.

- Lisamarie -

Celebrate Day 1 of National Sun Awareness Week with Ombrelle Ultra Light Advanced Weightless Body Lotion SPF 50+

It's National Sun Awareness Week and considering how militant I am about us all wearing our sun protection, I decided we should dedicate a post every day this week to fun sun facts and an awesome sunscreen pick - enjoy and you're welcome!

If you loved the Ombrelle Ultra-Fluid Lotion for Face then you will be thrilled with the introduction of:

Ombrelle Ultra Light Advanced Weightless Body Lotion SPF 50+ - 120ml - $19.99 - an easy to apply light, quick absorbing, broad-spectrum UVA-UVB protection lotion that is hypoallergenic and free of any fragrance or dyes.

Available now at drug and mass market retailers across Canada.

And here's something I didn't know - according to Consulting Dermatologist to Ombrelle Dr. Khanna, the SPF # on a product is only related to the UVB protection. Which is not so helpful since UVA rays (which are the ones responsible for accelerated skin aging, furrowed brows, deep wrinkles, skin rashes, skin yellowing and cancer) represent 95% of the rays reaching the skin's surface and are 100 times more abundant and penetrate the skin more deeply than UVB rays.

Which makes me wonder how the hell we're supposed to pick a sunscreen if we don't even know how much of the SPF is protecting us against the UVA rays...

Problem solved! Luckily there's a new UVA logo approved by Health Canada that will solve this annoying dilemma - incidentally, until recently, products could claim they protected against UVA without identifying the percentage of ingredients targeting these rays. To be able to use this new label, 30% of ingredients must be dedicated to UVA protection - something few brands can claim so keep an eye out for the distinctive circle around the UVA when you're shopping so you know what you're getting!

- Lisamarie -

Mascara Monday - Xtreme Lashes by Jo Mousselli Length and Volume Mascara

Xtreme Lashes by Jo Mousselli Length and Volume Mascara - $29 - with a long-lasting, water-based, lash conditioning formula that is Vitamin B enriched and ideal for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers.

It features a large, lash-maximizing brush that thickens each lash from base to tip for extreme length and volume.

Its colour-rich formula creates high-impact definition, volume and separation without any clumps, flakes or smudges.

The formula was actually developed for eyelash extensions and so won't disrupt them - but the gentle formula and easy removal makes them great for natural lashes too!

Available at Caryl Baker Visage stores across Canada - check out www.carylbakervisage.com to find the location closest to you.

- Lisamarie -