Let’s talk summer beauty! I’ve been introduced to a bunch of new beauty products recently so we’re breaking things up into two parts. First up: skincare and hair!
SKINCARE
With the anticipation of summer and all the light and airiness that it brings I’ve made an effort over the past few months to refresh my beauty routine, beginning with my base. To be honest, this has been on my mind for a couple years now. I’ve been taking slight steps to better care for my skin and become more acquainted with it as it changes (hello mid-20s!) so that I can eventually feel more comfortable wearing less makeup on the daily. And what a drastic little bit it has been.
I’ll save a full discussion of makeup for another day, but I will say that I’ll always love wearing makeup. However, I’m just beginning to appreciate more simple looks. The few freckles that have popped up on my face have really been the kick in the butt I needed to be OK with letting parts of my natural skin show through. Apart from the days I want to pack on all the products I’m really loving playing with my skin for what it is right now. I’m no longer afraid of letting some of my acne scars or a little redness show through. In fact, I kind of love it. It’s been a small thing (and has totally caught me by surprise) but I almost feel more confident in doing so. This transition to loving my skin (something as a teenager I never thought I could do unless it was perfect and pimple-free) has been easier than I imagined; for me it’s been a matter of just taking a step back, a deep breath in and saying “screw it”. When I did that my shoulders fell and I was more relaxed. This is not to say I won’t have days where my skin will frustrate me, but I realized so much of how I perceived my skin to be was all in my head; and so, I’m putting less effort into caring about “perfection”. A random pimple here and there doesn’t bum me out these days. And all of this goes back to skincare. The more I appreciate my skin by setting up a good makeup removal routine at night or remembering to moisturize it well, the better it feels and so, the better I feel.
Think of your skin as a person: the nicer you are to it, the nicer it is to you! Pretty simple, though it does take some work. But once you get it down on the daily, it’ll be hard to stop caring for your skin. With all that said, I’ve compiled a list of some products that have stood out to me recently. They’ve kept me feeling fresh! I snuck a few hair products in as well because if you know how high-maintenance mine can be then you know that hair is always on my mind!
Starting with Lush I have been loving their Angels On Bare Skin face and body cleanser, and the Rosy Cheeks face mask. Using them together has been a dream. First I start by taking a little nub of Angels On Bare Skin in my hand and adding a couple drops of water to form a thick paste. This is a little more work than I’d like when cleansing my face but I can get past it because I love that it’s a gentle enough scrub for everyday. The ground almonds and lavender really make for a soothing team. An exfoliation step like this before a mask is something I’ve found to give better results when pampering your skin. It leaves a smoother finish and it may even help the other products in your routine sink in better! If I’m going to do a mask that day (the goal is at least once weekly, but I’m bad at this), then I’ve been following up with a thick layer of Rosy Cheeks. Because it’s a fresh mask (it’s perishable) I’ve been keeping it in my fridge so it won’t spoil quickly. This does double duty because putting it on straight from the fridge is like nothing else. The cooling floral combo is so lovely. And despite it being a clay mask I don’t find it to be drying at all; it leaves me feeling toned, cleansed and calm. Plus, it decreases a lot of the texture I have on my skin, helping my makeup apply and sit much smoother.
Next is a brand that is completely new to me, and I’m so excited to talk about it after using their products for just over a month now. Back in May I was invited for an intimate lunch with Thursday Plantation where other Vancouver bloggers and I got to learn more about the brand. They’re all about natural oils and are famous in particular for their tea tree oil. We’ve all heard how amazing it can be for acne, but I never really gave it a try…that is, until now. We were kindly sent home with their whole range of skincare and some essential oils (I’ll definitely be talking more about these in the future) and I’ve been using their products non-stop. I always imagined tea tree oil to be overly-drying but this is not the case; all of their products have been great on my skin so far! My 3 favourites from the skincare range have been the Tea Tree Face Wash Foam, the Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Toner and the Tea Tree Medicated Gel For Acne.
I use the face wash both day and night; at night I make sure to remove my makeup first. Then I go in with a cotton pad soaked with the toner and use upward swiping motions to get rid of any remaining gunk that may be hiding in my pores. I use this mainly at night, but also sometimes before applying makeup if I want an extra clean base. I also use the acne gel at night, or during the day if I’m at home. When I first received this I used it almost daily, but now that I have noticed a difference in both the tone and texture of my skin with this range I only use the gel when I need it. After my first use I noticed just a bit of dryness, but none after that day. My skin has been loving the straightforwardness of all the products. There aren’t any synthetic parabens or several other harsh chemicals. Plus, they don’t do animal testing!
I also use the Tea Tree Face Cream, but less often as I find that I get all the tea tree benefits from the other products. I enjoy other hydrating moisturizers but it’s been nice to have this on hand. I just use a little bit on my face once in a while in the evening.
My skin has been so much better than it was before I started using Thursday Plantation but just the other day a couple of pimples popped up around my jawline; likely hormonal acne. I noticed their Tea Tree Essential Oil (which, unlike many others, is 100% pure by the way!) can be used for pimples. I’ve been dabbing a little on each spot these past couple days and they’ve pretty much all dried out. It’s definitely a faster solution than the acne gel, but I’d be sure to keep the area moisturized and only do this if you really need to.
Let’s go back to the freckles I was talking about earlier. I sure do love ’em but they’re a reminder to stay protected from the sun. I recently re-purchased the Lise Watier Sunsmart UV Shield SPF 30. I don’t know if the formula has changed since the one I tried previously but I still love it because it’s not heavy or oily; nor does it leave a white cast on me personally. It’s still like the other one I had in that it has a similar texture to some pore-filling primers that apply like a dream and leave a comfortable almost-matte finish. Having skin that gets oily as the day wears on, this is a saviour under makeup.
Lastly for skincare is the Mario Badescu Rosewater Facial Spray. I got my hands on this cult-favourite after finally making my way down to Ulta. I use it more as a primer and setting spray for makeup but I also find myself spritzing my face with this throughout the day. When I’m home and not wearing any makeup I’ll reach for it to give myself a midday moisture boost. Because it has rosewater it likely acts as a bit of a toner to help even out the skin. It’s safe to say I’ve made a reasonable dent in the bottle.
HAIR CARE
If you’re still with me we’ve finally made our way to hair!
You may remember me blabbing on about the Aveda Smooth Infusion Style-Prep Smoother. Well, guess what? It stuck around as a favourite! It’s lasted me all this time (I only use it once after each wash before styling), but I’m about to run out so it may be time for another visit to TRiM Hair Salon!
I’m big on dry shampoo but I’m not loyal to one brand or type. However, I have been loving both Batiste and Co Lab. This one is currently in my bathroom. It freshens me up between washes, and gives me volume without that visible white residue.
I sure love texture in my hair, which is a huge reason for my obsession with dry shampoo. Alternatively, this Sea Spray by Lush has been giving me that messy look I’m always after. I don’t know how they do it but it actually makes me feel like I came back from the beach. It gives my hair an “I’ve been in the ocean and later frolicked in the wind” effect, which is different to anything I’ve achieved with a dry shampoo. Plus, it actually smells green. Like something freshly cut from a garden. Must be the neroli.
Well, that’s it for my skincare and hair favourites. Watch this space for Part Two of ‘Summer Beauty’ later this month, hopefully. Hint: it’s all about makeup! Until then, let me know below what’s been in your beauty routine during these sunny months. I’d love to hear!