I may moonlight as a beauty blogger, but during the day I am a magazine editor.  One of the magazines I edit is a hairstyling magazine, where among other perks, I get to attend hair shows.  At one hair show I attended a couple of years ago, the Simon Cowell of the hairstyling world, Tabatha Coffey was the keynote and she said something that I’ll never forget.  She was talking about upselling merchandise to clients as it’s not the water at the salon that makes clients’ hair look and feel nice, it’s the products they use.  Even now, years later, that has stuck with me. My hair always looks and feels amazing whenever I leave the salon, but essentially it’s all the same water regardless of where my hair is washed, it’s the products that make it feel incredible.

I don’t know what the weather might be like for you, but in Winnipeg right now (right smack dab in the centre of North America and Canada), it’s been freezing cold and we just can’t seem to shake it.  Not only are my cuticles dried out, but my hair has taken a toll as well.

Aside from the weather, with all the damage I subject it to on a regular basis (hair dye, heat styling), proper maintenance is a must.  I like to think of every Thursday as masque night, whether it’s a face masque (GlamGlow is my fave) or a hair masque (I skip the conditioner and use this instead), I like incorporating some sort of deep-moisturizing product into my routine.  Not only is it good for your hair, but it leaves your locks feeling so much better.

I have collected my fair share of hair masques throughout the year (both salon and drugstore), here are my top picks.

L’Oreal Professional Mythic Oil Nourishing Masque

Perfect for normal or thick hair (like me!), this masque’s rich and creamy texture enriches hair and leaves it with a radiant glow.

For those unfamiliar with the Mythic Oil line, Mythic Oil is a multipurpose oil that balances the natural oils found in hair, leaving you with shiny, silky hair and no frizz.  This stuff is seriously bomb.  From the expensive gold packaging to the smell, to even the way it leaves your ends feeling, if you are feeling like a decadent masque for your locks, pick this stuff up.  Yes, it’s pricy at C$30 a pop, but considering that you only use a small handful of the stuff once a week (I would use it twice a week if your hair is really damaged), it will last you a long time.

L’Oreal Professional Serie Expert Pro-Keratin Refill Masque

Did you know that one in every two women struggle with very dry, sensitized or damaged hair?  L’Oreal Professional’s Pro-Keratin Refill masque (as part of their shampoo and conditioner line) corrects the hair fibre by compensating for loss of substance and creating a defines shield around the hair fibre to protect against daily aggressors.

Herbal Essences Honey, I’m Strong Rinse-Off Treatment

Herbal Essences’ Honey I’m Strong line can leave you with 10-times stronger hair after one wash.   The formula coats hair to repair the outer layer while providing strength against future damage.  I don’t reach for this masque as often as the others, but it does the trick: it leaves your hair feeling smooth and it’s incredibly affordable.

Garnier Fructis Damage Eraser Strength Reconstructing Butter

I actually got this in an Influenster VoxBox, where they sent lab samples of the products first and we had to guess the brand (all we knew was that it was a L’Oreal brand).  The Damage Eraser is line is fab, but when I read “butter” in the name of this product, I was sold.

The product is formulated for distressed, damaged hair and it intensely reconstruct’s hair strength for strong, rejuvenated and shiny-looking hair.  The formula contains Phyto-Keratin Complex with plant-based proteins, and fruit concentrate and Cupuaçu Butter, with natural lipids. A bunch of fancy-named stuff for a product that really works.  And, like the Herbal Essences masque, because it’s drugstore, it’s pretty affordable.  I have to say that this one is one of my faves.

Pantene Pro-V Damage Detox Weekly Rehab Creme

As part of Pantene’s brand-new Damage Detox line (which rids your hair of dullness and build up), this once-a-week creme seals damaged cuticles to renew hair.  To make this product even more fab, it’s enriched with Mosa Mint oil and antioxidants.

Pantene Expert Collection Advanced Keratin Repair 60 Second Therapy Ampoules

This one is a bit pricey for drugstore, but it really packs a punch.  You get five of these little packs to coat your hair, mimicking hair’s natural protective layer to leave it smooth and shiny. Most masques require anywhere from two to five minutes to penetrate the hair, but this one works in a minute. With that being said, I usually keep it on longer, but if you are in a rush, these are perfect.

I really swear by hair masques as they really do leave your hair feeling and looking fab.  I highly recommend them for weekly treatments and especially if you have stressed-out hair (too much heat styling, hair colouring, etc.). There are a ton of them out there and you don’t really need to get all fancy and buy the most expensive one, I find that the majority all do the same thing when it comes down to it, they leave your hair feeling silky smooth.

What’s your favourite hair masque?

Please note, this post contains products sent by PR. All opinions are my own.

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French brand Make Up For Ever (MUFE) has been killing it recently with their new product releases.

First there was their Pro Finish powder, then their Artisan Brush line, then the HD Pressed Powder, and now, their new HD Blushes.

MUFE’s HD Blushes are a cream texture, which gives you a natural look and finish.  They are formulated with oils, waxes, and powders, and give that “second skin” appearance.  Because they are HD, the formula blends into the skin, leaving you with no visible texture and a natural-looking flush of colour.  They are available in 16 shades and retail for C$31 each.

I received the colour 215, which is called Flamingo Pink and is a pink-coral shade.  I find that a lot of brands have come out cream blushes recently, such as Maybelline and Rimmel London.  I do like cream blushes, but there’s always the question of “how do I apply it?”  Do I use my finger?  A blush brush?  A stippling brush?  Make Up For Ever recommends applying their HD blushes with either your fingers, an HD sponge, or one of their Artisan brushes (like the 158 Double-Ended Sculpting Brush).  What I ended up using was Sephora x Pantone’s angled blush brush from their new Radiant Orchid brush set, which I thought would be too soft, but ended up working perfectly.

You definitely do not need a lot of product to get a nice finish with these.  I dabbed my brush into the compact and then worked it on my cheeks for a gorgeous flush of colour that was noticeable, but still natural.  These may be a lot more than the cream blush drugstore counterparts at $31 a pop ($26 USD), but you can definitely see the difference in quality.  The colour blends perfectly and best of all, there are no streaks.  I like wearing colour that is sheer, but still noticeable, and with these, you can definitely build it up; however, a little does go a long way.

Also, because of the formulation, these do last quite a while.  I applied the product at around 8 a.m. and then took it off at around 10 p.m., after a full day of work and two fitness classes.  Yes, there wasn’t much colour left, but I still noticed it.

If you are on the fence about cream blushes, when it comes to these, don’t be.  I absolutely love this blush and with summer coming up, this will be perfect for those super hot days where all you want to wear is something light (a BB cream and a MUFE HD Cream blush would be perfect).  And, with 16 shades to choose from, it won’t be hard to find the perfect blush that will get you blushing ;).

Are you excited to try Make Up For Ever’s new HD Cream Blushes?  Tried one already?  What were your thoughts?

Please note, this post contains product that were sent by PR. All opinions are my own.

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• Sparkle & Shine! A holiday look featuring Make Up For Ever
• Up the high-def! Make Up For Ever releases HD Pressed Powder
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• The lash diaries: Make Up For Ever releases Smoky Extravagant mascara

If there is one makeup remover that gets a lot of hype, it’s the Bioderma Micelle Solution.  I have tried Bioderma and think it’s a great product, it gets rid of makeup in a breeze, but the downside is it’s so expensive.  I don’t think it’s readily available in the United States, but here in Canada it retails for C$22 at Shoppers Drug Mart.  It does go on sale occasionally, but even the sale price is $16 or so, which is still expensive for a makeup remover.

L’Oreal Paris has been on the ball lately releasing drugstore versions of all my favourite products (cleansing oils, primers – we will get to that in another post), and yes, even cleansing water.  For those unfamiliar with micelle solutions, it’s a water-like texture that removes makeup in a flash, while still leaving the skin’s moisture barrier intact.  No rinsing is involved and it’s great for sensitive skin.  Essentially, when it comes down to it, it’s just a fancy word for a makeup remover (at least to me, there is a science behind it – special molecules).  I typically only use these for makeup removing, but technically you don’t have to use a cleanser afterwards as it acts as a makeup remover and cleanser.

L’Oreal Paris released their own version of micellar solution, called the Sublime Soft Gentle Micellar Solution, and because I like Bioderma so much, I just had to have it and compare it.  Well, my friends, this stuff does not disappoint.  This product has gotten a ton of hype in the beauty blogger community and for good reason, it’s basically a perfect dupe for Bioderma (yes, I went there).

I wanted to see how well it compared to it’s expensive French counterpart, so I took off my makeup on one eye using Bioderma and the other with the L’Oreal version and it was essentially the same result.  I put some on a cotton pad, put it on my closed eyelid and then wiped away the makeup.  No residue was left and it took off all my mascara.   The best part is, and this is common to micelle solutions, there is no greasy residue.  It’s like a non-oil makeup remover, but better.

Honestly, when it comes down to it, I wouldn’t even bother repurchasing Bioderma because this stuff does the trick exactly the same.  You do get a wee bit less than Bioderma (200 ml compared to 250 ml), but the price difference more than makes up for the size difference.  At C$11.99 a pop (I’ve seen people post it cheaper, under the $10 range), you can two bottles of the L’Oreal version for one bottle of the Bioderma.

The only thing I can think of that I didn’t like about this product – and it’s such a minor thing – is when you pour it on the cotton pad, I tend to saturate it a bit more than I would like.  If they made this stuff with a pump top that would be perfect, but honestly, I’m not that picky.

Have you tried L’Oreal Paris’ Sublime Soft Gentle Micellar Solution?  What were your thoughts?

Please note, I received this product from PR. All opinions are my own.

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