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 - 

Stick It to Your Beauty Routine with La Rosee, The Face Shop, Marcelle & Briogeo!

If you’ve ever wished your beauty routine could be approximately 97% easier, allow me to introduce you to the humble beauty stick. Because thankfully, we’ve finally reached the point where you can swipe, blend, smooth and go without needing an entire bathroom counter covered in bottles, jars and mysterious little pots. 

 

From skincare to makeup to hair, stick formulas are basically the lazy girl’s beauty dream: portable, practically mess-free and requiring about as much effort as applying deodorant. Here are a few that have been making my life considerably easier:

 

La Rosee 3 in 1 Regenerating Stick Mask - 75ml - $35

 

A clay mask that comes in a stick? Honestly, skincare has finally entered the crayon era and I am here for it. This innovative white clay mask regenerates, purifies and detoxifies skin in one wonderfully easy swipe, without requiring you to get half of it under your fingernails in the process. 

 

The soft, fresh, floral-scented formula is gentle enough for sensitive skin and contains 99% naturally derived ingredients. Purifying white clay helps draw out impurities and excess sebum without leaving skin feeling like the Sahara, while the repairing action helps smooth and refresh the complexion. 

 

It’s vegan, biodegradable and comes in a recycled and recyclable stick, so you can feel slightly virtuous while wandering around the house with your easily applied ghost-face. Use it twice a week for a cleaner, smoother, happier-looking complexion.

 

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

The Face Shop Multi Balm Brightening Care - 7g - $26.50

 

This little multitasker is basically the Swiss Army knife of beauty sticks. The vegan formula combines rice water extract, niacinamide and panthenol to brighten, hydrate and help improve the appearance of uneven skin tone and dark spots. 

 

Swipe it wherever your skin is feeling a little parched or could use some brightening - under the eyes, across the cheeks, forehead or any random dry patch that has decided to make an unscheduled appearance. Pat it in, carry on with your day and reapply whenever necessary.  

 

Available at London Drugs stores across Canada and online at londondrugs.com, matandmax.com and amazon.ca.

 

Marcelle Cheek Loving Cheek and Lip Multi-Stick - $19.95 - in 4 shades: Classically Rose, Lusciously Berry, Perfectly Nude and my fave - Gently Coral

 

If your makeup philosophy is basically I would like to look alive, but I don't want to work too hard for it, this one is for you. 

 

This creamy, lightweight stick glides onto cheeks and lips, melts into skin and delivers a buildable flush of colour with a lovely second-skin finish. Mango butter, vitamin E and meadowfoam seed oil keep things hydrated, while the formula promises up to 12 hours of glow without caking, creasing or clogging pores.

 

And because it’s a cheek and lip stick, you can swipe it on both and pretend you spent considerably more time coordinating your makeup than you actually did. Just swipe, blend and go. Honestly, my favourite kind of beauty instruction.

 

Available at drugstores across Canada and online at marcelle.com and amazon.ca.

 

And because apparently our hair also needed to get in on the stick revolution...

Briogeo Style + Treat Hair Styling Sleek Stick - 15g - $32

 

This portable little miracle worker smooths flyaways, tames frizz and gives hairstyles a polished finish without leaving hair stiff, crunchy or coated in mysterious goo. The formula is infused with antioxidant-rich yuzu and plum oils to nourish strands while providing flexible hold and natural-looking shine. 

 

It works on straight, wavy, curly and coily hair and is vegan, cruelty-free and free from sulfates, silicones, parabens, phthalates and artificial dyes. It’s also safe for colour-treated and chemically processed hair. 

 

Just glide it over dry hair wherever the flyaways are staging a rebellion, then smooth with your fingers or a comb. Toss it in your bag and you’ve got a tiny emergency response team for your hair whenever humidity, static or general hair-related nonsense strikes. 

 

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

 

If a beauty product can do the job with one quick swipe I'm here for it -  I see no reason to make things harder than they need to be. Less mess, less fuss, fewer products rolling around the bottom of my purse - and frankly, that sounds like beauty progress to me! 

 

- Lisamarie - 

Great Gifting - Skin Care Sets from La Rosee, Olay and Clarins!

Dare I say - I live for holiday skin care sets! They’re perfect for testing out new brands, dabbling in new products and mentally justifying splurges that would otherwise make my credit card quietly weep. Here are just a few of the ones that have caught my eye this season…

 

New brand (and yes, I was absolutely seduced by the packaging):

 

La Rosee Nourishing Face Routine Set - $67 - when the packaging is this pretty, resistance is futile. This perfectly paired duo brings together the Nourishing Stick Mask (50ml) and the Face Moisturizer with Organic Shea Butter (60ml) to comfort, soothe and deeply hydrate dry skin. Used daily, the rich yet comforting moisturizer keeps skin feeling soft, plump and happy, while the targeted mask swoops in to rescue extra-dry areas. The result? Skin that looks fresh, radiant, and very well taken care of!

New product - because somehow I have lived my life without trying this classic:

 

Olay Regenerist Duo Pack - $45.99 - I know, I know - everyone knows Olay. But I’ve never actually tried the legendary Micro-Sculpting Cream… until now that is. This duo pairs the Detoxifying Pore Scrub Cleanser (150ml) with the iconic Micro-Sculpting Cream (50ml) for a mini spa moment at home. The cleanser gently exfoliates and deep-cleans to prep the skin, while the cult-favourite cream swoops in with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and amino-peptide complex II to plump, smooth, and hydrate. Wrinkles look softer, skin looks brighter and honestly? I get the hype now! Especially with the (frigid) weather being the way it has, this cream has been instrumental in keeping my skin from looking like a cracked and flaking mess!

Super luxe, budget busting and unapologetically fabulous:  

 

Clarins Precious The Complete Ritual - $371 - This is not a gift set… this is a statement. Clarins’ most luxurious anti-aging ritual comes wrapped up in a four-step routine designed to prep, treat and transform the skin. You start with the hydrating Lotion-Essence (30ml), refresh the eye area with La Crème Yeux (4ml), firm and smooth with the silky Le Sérum (10ml) and finish with La Crème (15ml) - a peptide-powered masterpiece that helps restore density and youthful bounce. Is it extravagant? Yes. Is it glorious? Also yes. Consider this skin care for your most precious skin (and your most serious self-care moments).

 

And just remember, if it comes in a gift set, it doesn’t count as a splurge. That’s just festive math!

 

All sets are available at Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada and online at beauty.shoppersdrugmart.ca.

 

- Lisamarie -