July 31, 2024

Eye Love Wednesday - Sahajan Golden Glow Eye Balm

The skin around the eyes is more fragile, delicate and up to 5 times thinner than the rest of the skin, as well as being more prone to dryness and quicker to show the signs of fatigue, stress and environmental factors - so you really need to treat it with special care - like with a super-hero ingredient - enter Ghee, Ayurveda’s liquid gold, rich in fatty acids and antioxidants and revered for its ability to soften dark circles and help soothe the under eyes - it's no Deadpool but still pretty good...
 
Sahajan Golden Glow Eye Balm - 15ml - $70 - with a thick, masque-like texture that has harnessed the power of ghee - to hydrate, soften and smooth to minimize dark circles; eyebright - helps reduce signs of fatigue and aging; rose oil - improves redness and promotes skin elasticity and firmness; and gotu kola - to help visibly reduce the signs of fatigue and diminish the dark circles. 
 
I love the texture and I especially love the brightening boost it adds to my under eye area. I have been using a Smashbox under eye brightener - it's almost empty and it's discontinued so I was already looking for something to replace it - this balm is actually better because I can get my glow and moisture all in one product - the less steps the better as far as I'm concerned!

Available at sahajan.com and thedetoxmarket.ca.
 
- Lisamarie -

July 17, 2024

This week I'm obsessed with... Trinny London The Elevator Neck & Decollete Concentrate!

Get all the botox and fillers you want but nothing gives away your age faster then your neck! Hardly surprising as the skin on the neck is thinner, drier and has less collagen than the face meaning it needs some special attention to keep it smooth, firm and visibly lifted - like the attention it would get from...
 
Trinny London The Elevator Neck & Decollete Concentrate - 50ml - $122, 50ml refill - $104, 14.5ml mini - $50 - a rich and balmy cream that targets and helps prevent the factors that lead to accelerated aging with an innovative formula that contains: cohesion technology that draws its power from the isodonis japonicus plant and  works to strengthen the ‘glue’ holding the skin layers together, helping to lift sagging skin; supercharged decapeptides that focus on organizing loosened dermal fibres, filling in any gaps and giving skin its structure back; oligo + nonapeptides rebuild the skin's scaffolding and boost collagen production to restore lost volume; and encapsulated alpha arbutin slows the production of melanin, preventing age spots from forming and darkening.
 
I've been using it for about 5 weeks now - and while I am fortunate that I don't have a lot of sagging I didn't realize how rough the texture was until the cream smoothed it out and I could visibly see how much better it looks - as well the skin on my decollete was starting to look slightly crepey (which it no longer does) and as an added bonus I smooth the excess cream onto the backs of my hands and they are looking smoother too! The takeaway for me is how even something subtle can make a big overall difference - I never use skincare expecting dramatic results - it's cream, not magic - but even small improvements make for a better overall appearance - and it sure beats plastic surgery! I usually like to try things for at least a couple of months so I am expecting a few more weeks to smooth things out even more but I didn't want to wait any longer to give you the heads up on this one!

Available online now at https://trinnylondon.com/ca/.
And just in time for summer holidays - all your Trinny London faves including The Elevator come in travel sizes that are portable, stackable and versatile so you can forget overflowing makeup bags - easily take your skincare with you wherever you go! Find your own Mini Skincare Stack Builder here!


- Lisamarie -

July 10, 2024

Hot weather and/or gym essentials from Origins, Flexitol, Rare Beauty and Tanologist!

It may be summer but there is no reason to get all hot and bothered about your skincare - a few tweaks will have over-heated skin ready for the rise in temperature! FYI - these are also the same products I use for gym visits in all seasons...
 
Origins Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins Mega-Mushroom Fortifying Emulsion - 100ml - $58 - a skin-quenching, fortifying lightweight gel moisturizer that supports all skin types against the visible effects of free-radical damage, dryness, redness and loss of firmness and elasticity with a vegan formula containing: mushroom complex - soothes skin and reduces the look of irritation; naturally derived hyaluronic acid - hydrates skin; naturally derived squalane and certified organic olive oil - supports skin’s moisture barrier to help prevent moisture loss; planti-oxidant sea buckthorn -  discourages production of blue-light-induced free radicals;  and reishi and fermented chaga - reduces visible redness. 
 
Lightweight enough that it doesn't feel like your pores are all clogged up when you sweat but at the same time you don't feel like it is so light that you have sweated it all off - and as it offers 48 hours of moisture, your skin won't feel dried out even hours later!

Available at Sephora stores across Canada and online at sephora.ca and origins.ca

Flexitol Lip Balm Ultra-Moisturizing - 10g - $6.49 - good for even severely dry lips it contains 2.5% urea enriched with cacao butter, lanolin, menthol and clove oil to effectively condition and relieve severely chapped lips - with results in just one day.
 
Available at Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada and online at shoppersdrugmart.ca, well.ca and amazon.ca.
 

Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Always an Optimist 4-in-1 Mist
- 85ml - $37  - an ultrafine, glow-boosting mist that hydrates, primes, sets and refreshes skin. The big-phase formula contains: niacinamide - helps improve the appearance of skin; sodium hyaluronate - helps to keep the complexion looking hydrated and plump; botanical blend of lotus, gardenia and white waterlily - soothes, calms, and nourishes the skin. Layer this all-in-one mist under or over makeup for a refreshed complexion.
 
It smells great but it is a natural kind of great as the vegan formula contains only 1% of synthetic fragrances. You can layer it over or under makeup for a refreshed complexion but my little tip - store it in the fridge and it will feel amazing when you spray it on - even better, tuck the cold bottle into your gym bag for a refreshing spritz during your workout!
 
Available at Sephora stores across Canada and online at sephora.ca.
Tanologist Daily Glow Hydrating Gradual Self Tan Lotion - 250ml - $15.99 - in Fair to Medium Skin Tones and Medium to Dark Skin Tones - a daily moisturizer with hyaluronic acid, squalane and beta glucan to deeply nourish skin while delivering a gradual, sun-kissed glow with advanced tanning technology.  Use as daily body lotion to gradually build and maintain a flawless, natural-looking glow - I try to remember to at least use this on my lower legs and feet so I don't feel so conspicuous in yoga where I can't hide my pasty white legs and feet under socks!

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

- Lisamarie -