Mist Opportunity: Spray Your Way to Great Skin with StriVectin, Mario Badescu, Grace & Stella & Blue Lizard!

Facial sprays are having a full-blown main character moment - and honestly, it’s about time! Gone are the days when your only option was that giant can of Evian mist that felt more like a light drizzle than actual skincare. Now? Everyone and their glowy cousin has a spray, each one promising to hydrate, soothe, refresh and possibly fix your life. So naturally, I volunteered as tribute and tested a few… for science of course. You’re welcome.  

 

StriVectin Barrier Restore+ Soothing Milky Mist - 50ml - $49 

If your skin has been acting a little dramatic lately (red, stressed and  generally over it), this is the calming friend you call. It’s a milky mist - which sounds fancy because it is - and it delivers that soft, cushioned hydration that makes your face feel instantly more expensive. Powered by their NIA-114 (basically niacinamide’s overachieving cousin), plus turmeric peptide, ceramides, hyaluronic acid - you know, the whole skincare Avengers lineup - it works to strengthen your barrier while cooling everything down. One spritz and your skin goes from “don’t talk to me” to “I’m thriving, actually!” 

 

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

 

Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Cucumber and Green Tea - 59ml - $9, 118ml - $15, 236ml - $24 

The OG. The icon. The one that’s probably been in at least one of all of our handbags at some point. This is your no-fuss, feel-good refresher that wakes up dull, tired skin like a tiny splash of iced cucumber water to the face. It’s light, it’s cooling, it smells like you have your life together, and it gives that dewy “I drink eight glasses of water a day” illusion - even if you absolutely do not!

 

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

 

Grace & Stella Spray All Day Rose Spray Hydrating Facial Spray - 30ml - $13.95, 240ml - $24.95 

If you like your skincare with a side of “stop and smell the roses,” this one’s for you. It’s giving soft, dewy, effortlessly pretty energy. Made with 100% rose water and hyaluronic acid, it hydrates, balances  and helps tone things down when your skin (or your mood) is feeling a bit puffy. Bonus points for being vegan and clean, and honestly? The fact that it can double as a setting spray and tame flyaways makes it the overachiever of the group - we love a multi-tasker!

 

Available online at amazon.ca. 

 

And while we’re out here misting like dewy queens, don’t forget the one spray that actually does the heavy lifting—SPF. But let’s be clear: we are not blindly spraying our faces like we’re seasoning a salad. Spray into your hands first, then apply like the responsible adult you are. 

 

Blue Lizard Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen Spray SPF 50 - 148ml - $22.99 

This one’s for the sensitive-skin crowd who wants protection without the drama. It’s mineral-based (hello zinc oxide), fragrance-free and actually rubs in without leaving you looking like a Victorian ghost. You get solid broad-spectrum protection, water resistance and a formula that feels lightweight instead of sticky and suffocating. Plus, it’s reef-friendly, which means your beach day isn’t ruining someone else’s.

 

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

 

Final verdict? Whether you’re hydrating, soothing, refreshing, or protecting, there is truly a mist for every mood - and every level of skin chaos. At this point, not carrying one feels like a missed opportunity… or at the very least, a very dry one!

 

- Lisamarie - 

Celebrate National Sunscreen Day with Isa Knox Anew, Belif and Blue Lizard!

As a beauty blogger I get asked a lot about what the best product is for anti-aging and I always answer: "that's easy, sunscreen!"And seeing as it's  National Sunscreen Day it seems like the perfect time to remind ourselves (and our future selves) that the best thing we can do for our skin is wear that sunscreen everyday - applied liberally and often! 

 

Here are a few I love:

 

Isa Knox Anew Solaire Active Face & Body Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Sunsreen - 80ml - $42 - offers advanced sun protection and luxury skin care in one easy water-light formula that blends quickly and evenly with no white cast that offers protection against harmful UVA and UVB rays, with hydrating panthenol, niacinamide and peony extracts help keep skin feeling hydrated, soft and smooth. If your not a regular sunscreen user but want to be this is an easy way to add it to your routine by replacing your usual moisturizer with it!

 

Available at avon.ca. 

Belif Aqua Bomb Broad Spectrum SPF 50 - 50ml - $50 - a dual-functioning sunscreen and moisturizer both protects and hydrates the skin year-round without leaving behind a white cast or greasy residue, making it the new perfect addition to every skincare routine. It contains enriching antioxidants and ingredients such as marigold extract to reduce UV-induced oxidative stress and woodbine to activate the cells from antioxidant effects, along with sun-blocking benefits to protect against harmful UVA/UVB rays. Free from phthalates, sulphates, mineral oil, synthetic fragrance, synthetic organic dyes and animal originated ingredients. 

 

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

Blue Lizard Sheer Mineral Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50+ - 89ml - $21.99 - a sheer mineral sunscreen that is easy to apply, leaving no visible residue. Created with zinc oxide and a blend of shea butter, antioxidants, and vitamin E to promote softer, healthier skin, it provides broad spectrum protection against aging UV rays and fights free radicals with cucumber and papaya extracts. It's water and sweat resistant for up to 80 minutes - and FYI, it also comes in a face formula!

 

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

 

- Lisamarie -

Get your skin's glow on with Vitamin C from Trinny London, Bliss and Honest Beauty - and protect with Blue Lizard!

Trinny London Boost Up 30% Vitamin C Serum - 30ml - $115 - targets dullness, uneven skin tone and dark spots with: Vitamin C - to brighten; plankton extract - to fade dark spots; and lemon peel ferment - to even skin tone - for visibly brighter, glowing skin. 

 

Now I love a Vitamin C product but I have to admit, most of them smell gross. My C of choice up to now has been the SkinCeuticals one which smells like hotdog water and is not necessarily the greatest thing to smell on your face... On the other hand, his Trinny one however smells slightly fresh but not really like anything at all. In a perfect world, Vitamin C would smell like citrus but in a choice between hotdogs and nothing, I choose nothing! The texture is also a bit thicker then your usual serum so my combination skin doesn't need anything else on top during these hotter months (other then sunscreen of course - more on that later)!

 

Something else to love - Trinny London products are refillable! Help save the planet and your wallet - a 30ml refill will set you back just $92!

Available online at trinnylondon.com/ca.

Bliss Bright Idea Vitamin C + Tri-Peptide Collagen Protecting and Brightening Moisturizer - 50ml - $34.99 - a vegan, high-tech moisturizer that contains 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid - the most effective, non-irritating form of vitamin C and a patented tri-peptide to boost skin's natural elasticity to brighten, plump and proect collagen while defending from future free radical damage.

 

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

Honest Beauty Vitamin C Radiance Serum - 30ml - $39.99 - a brightening serum with Vitamin C, Diglucosyl Gallic Acid and Artichoke + Clover extracts - to help skintone appear more even and radiant; light reflecting pearl - brings instant illumination; while hyaluronic acid boosts hydration for plumper-looking skin.

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

And of course don't forget your sunscreen - these days I am rocking:

Blue Lizard Sheer Lotion Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF50 - 48ml - $21.99 - rubs in smooth and dries clear for sheer mineral sun protection with 80 minutes of water and sweat resistance. The protection part comes from zinc oxide with plant extracts while a super blend of hydrating hyaluronic acid, antioxidants, vitamin E and shea butter moisturizes skin. It’s also paraben free and fragrance free making it ideal for sensitive skin. Blue Lizard’s We Love the Reef sunscreens are Oxybenzone free and Octinoxate free for a beach sunscreen that has delicate coral reefs in mind.

 

Available at Shoppers Drug Mart and London Drugs stores across Canada and online at well.ca and amazon.ca.

 

- Lisamarie -

Enjoy the sun and a great read this long weekend with Blue Lizard, Physiogel and Behind The Read Door by Louise Claire Johnson!

The last long weekend of the summer is the best time to soak up the last of the summer sun and relax with a good book (and a cocktail)!

Enjoy the sunshine but don't forget to protect yourself from it with:

 

Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen SPF50 - 89ml - $14.99 - offers head-to-toe sun protection with a zinc oxide based mineral formula that provides broad spectrum protection from 97% of the sun’s burning rays. Great for sensitive skin as it contains no skin-irritating chemical sunscreen ingredients, no parabens and no fragrances and is made without oxybenzone or octinoxate to help protect fragile reef ecosystems and is water resistant up to 80 minutes. The bottle also acts as a great reminder to reapply - the cap turns blue in harmful UV light! It also comes in a Baby formula that I love - it's even gentler!

Available online at well.ca and amazon.ca.

When your sun worship is over be sure to moisturize - your skin will thank you - and using a regular moisturizer for sensitive skin is way more effective then the typical after-sun lotions - I particularly like:

 

Physiogel Calming Relief A.I. Lotion - 200ml - $59 - offers triple, long-lasting relief from dryness, itchiness and irritation for all sensitive skin (even babies) with an advanced hypoallergenic formula containing skin-soothing essential lipids and B that is free from fragrances, preservatives and colourants - to soothe and protect dry, irritated skin.

Can be used on face or body and also comes in a cream formula if you prefer a thicker texture - Physiogel Calming A.I. Cream - 100ml - $59.

 

Available from your Avon rep - 1-800-265-AVON or online at www.avon.ca. 

 

The perfect book to go along with a weekend of horizontal activity:

 

Behind The Red Door - How Elizabeth Arden's Legacy Inspired My Comping-of-Age Story in the Beauty Industry - Louse Claire Johnson - $38 - there aren't a lot of books that I sit down to read and can't put down until it's done, but this is one of them! A unique blend of biography and memoir, it's about two women a hundred years apart, and follows both women as they turn themselves into the success stories they once dreamed of becoming. Historical and modern all at the same time with lots of behind the scenes looks at the beauty industry - this was right up my alley. It's a great weekend read and see if it doesn't leave you satisfied and inspired!

 

Available at bookstores across Canada and online at indigo.chapters.ca.

 

- Lisamarie -