Okay, we get it, it’s hot out.
There’s nothing like spending time outside when it’s hotter than 30 degrees C. For those of us who don’t have a pool, the thought of dipping ourselves in water when it’s so hot that sweat is dripping down your back, is literally the most appealing thing (*cannonball!*). Because of that, I’ve started to carry around a bottle of facial mist for those days where the weather is just too hot and you need a little mid-day cool down.
Facial mists aren’t just for adding a little refresh in the day. A lot of them contain vitamins and minerals that help nourish your skin, and you can also use them as a makeup refresher or a setting spray.
I’ve gotten quite a collection growing here at home, so these are my top picks if you’re looking for a little pick me up..
Caudalie Grape Water
I’ve chatted about this product before, but this facial spray from French brand Caudalie (C$24) is a 100 per cent organic formula that is extracted directly from grapes in Bordeaux. This spray will help increase hydration and reduce sensitivity.
The formula contains polysaccharides for moisture, mineral salts, and potassium, so if you suffer from redness or sensitive skin, this will help ease any irritation you have. You can also use it as a toner after your cleanser or to set your makeup.
Lierac Hydragenist Morning Moisturizing Mist
Another French brand (the French really love their sprays apparently), this spray (C$45) helps to rehydrate and replump skin in the morning. Spray this on after your cleanser to smooth your skin, restore freshness, and wake you up.
This product is inspired by Asian mists and contains a memory visco-elastic polymer to instantly hydrate and replump. Also, let’s not forget the pleasant scent of rose, jasmine, and gardenia.
Avene Thermal Spring Water
This thermal water spray (C$21.95) is perfect for the heatwaves that the continent has been experiencing lately. Toss it in your purse or beach bag to hydrate and soothe the skin. Like Caudalie’s Grape Water spray, this one is also perfect for calming, soothing, and softening irritated and sensitive skin.
The formula contain a low mineral content, so it will not dry out your face. It also has an ideal calcium and magnesium ratio, which will help with texture. I love spraying this on a super hot day or after a workout. Also, the actual packaging on this product is awesome since it mists the product perfectly onto the face.
Caudalie Beauty Elixir
Another star Caudalie product, their Beauty Elixir (C$22 for the mini, C$59 for the full-size) is a cult-favourite mist that tightens pore, sets makeup, and provides radiance to the skin. Also, let’s not forget that it smells like a spa (*swoon*).
This spray is inspired by Queen Isabelle of Hungary’s elixir of youth, and contains grape extracts and clarifying ingredients to give your skin some major radiance. The formula also contains essential oils and plant extracts, so it’s perfect for both men and women (it’s great as an aftershave).
So what’s the difference between this one and their Grape Water? The Grape Water comes in an aerosol can, so it’s easier to carry around (this comes in a glass bottle). I also feel like this contains more minerals and is just a little more luxurious than their other spray (it also retails for way more money).
Garnier SkinActive Soothing Facial Mist for Rose Water
This affordable drugstore spray is made from 99 per cent naturally derived ingredients and is formulated with rose water extract. Like the other sprays I mentioned, it is also great for dry and sensitive skin thanks to its soothing formula that refreshes, hydrates, and leaves skin feeling smooth and nourished.
This can be used any time of the day. I love applying it after my moisturizer for an added touch of radiance. You can also use it as a setting spray as well.
You wouldn’t think that a moisturizing spray would so imperative in your skincare and makeup collection, but as you can see, these don’t just cool you down on a hot day. All of these sprays soothe irritated skin, provide radiance, and help with refreshing and setting makeup.
I will say that some of the bottles are better than others. In terms of the actual spraying of the product, both the Cadaulie sprays and the Avene spray is the best as they mist the formulas onto your skin. The Lierac and Garnier ones tend to shoot the product out, which isn’t as pleasant, so I would stick with having a makeup-free face for those ones.
What’s your favourite facial spray?
Please note, product sent by PR, all opinions are my own.
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If you’re a huge fan of L’Oreal Paris Voluminus Lash Paradise mascara like I am, then you’ll be thrilled to hear that the brand recently expanded the line.
I have previously reviewed this amazing mascara, but to sum up the reason why I love this product so much is because it’s pretty much an exact dupe for Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara, which is my all-time fave. I wasn’t the only one to love it and since it was so popular, in honour of it’s one-year anniversary, L’Oreal Paris has released an expanded range of makeup items to complement its all-star product.
Included in the Enchanted Paradise collection is an eyeshadow palette, a mascara primer, two eyeliners, and two blushes.
The Paradise Enchanted Scented Eyeshadow Palette is filled with 12 mattes and shimmers that include nudes, browns, and pink-toned hues. The palette also smells like peach candy, which is a total bonus for me since who doesn’t love Fuzzy Peaches, amiright?
This palette retails for C$22.99 and contains buttery shimmers and blendable mattes, letting you create an abundance of different looks. I think that this palette is very versatile and you cam get a ton of different uses from it. I’m also super impressed with the quality of the shadows, especially the shimmers, since that finish is often hit or miss. These go on opaque and actually give you a flush of shimmery colour, which is amazing considering the price on this (Too Faced and Tarte palettes usually retail in the $50 range and often their shimmers just contain a lot of fall out and not much else).
Other expansions in the eye range include two liquid eyeliners, one in black and the other in rose gold (C$12.99 each). The Voluminous Lash Paradise Liquid Eyeliner contains a flexible cone-shaped brush that allows you to create the perfect winged liner that stays on for 12 hours. Since this isn’t a pen liner, you may need to re-dip the product, but I find it gives you a deep black line that lasts on the eyes.
I’m really impressed with the black formula since it gives you a deep, dark colour. The rose gold was a miss from me since I wouldn’t wear rose gold by itself and I did find the shade to be very subtle, so I wouldn’t bother picking this up if you are fair-toned like me. It just didn’t really show up at all. If you have a darker skin tone, then I think this would look so beautiful on the skin.
Finally, to round out the eyes, they introduced a mascara primer to make those lashes even more amazing. The Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara Primer (C$13.99) helps to thicken lashes with volume, as well as enhance mascara wear. It is also infused with rose oil so it helps to protect and nourish the lashes.
L’Oreal says this is pink-toned, however, it definitely looks white to me, which is what mascara primers are often coloured. I have been using this with the Lash Paradise mascara and like the effect it gives you. It’s definitely not needed, but if you are a huge fan of the mascara like I am, then I think it’s worth a shot to try out.
Finally, for the face, L’Oreal has come out with two peach-scented blushes to give you the perfect peachy glow. The Paradise Enchanted Fruit-Scented Blush (C$18.99 each) consists of two peach-toned warm blushes; one that’s more nude (Bashful) and the other more orange (Fantastical). Although I do find these to be pricey, the pans are quite large, so these will last you awhile. Aside from the amazing scent, these go on smoothly and blend out nicely. There’s no harsh lines and they wear very well throughout the day.
So what items should you pick up? Well, obviously the mascara. I really love the eyeshadow palette although there isn’t really anything that special about it. It’s a great nude, everyday palette that applies wonderfully and smells awesome. I also really love the primer and the Bashful blush. The eyeliners are good, but with eyeliners, I do find it easy to find good eyeliners, so they aren’t really anything that truly blows me away. The wear on them is good and I found that the didn’t transfer or run.
Overall, I really love what L’Oreal Paris did with this collection. The whole scented thing is still in with so many brands introducing products that smell like peaches (or chocolate for that matter). With it being summer, this collection couldn’t have come out at a better time and honestly, anything that has the Lash Paradise name on it, I know I’ll love.
Are you going to pick up anything from the L’Oreal Paris Paradise Enchanted collection?
Please note, I received this product from PR. All opinions are my own.
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Okay, we get it, it’s hot out.
I don’t know about you, but working in an office all day usually makes me want to get outside during the lunch hour to take in the weather and get a little sun (I’m awful at tanning). Since I invest a lot of time into a thorough skincare routine morning and night, I am very conscious of my face getting too much sun since I would hate to have wrinkles and sun damage early on in life, especially now that i’ve hit 30.
Whether it’s using a moisturizer with a SPF in it, a facial sunscreen, or a foundation with an SPF included, it’s super important that you up your skincare game this season since it’ll help your skin out in the long run.
Here are my top three picks for facial sunscreens this summer.
Arbonne RE9 Advanced Presswork Soft Focus Veil Broad Spectrum SPF30 Sunscreen
Apply this facial sunscreen by itself or as a foundation primer to create a photo-filtered, soft-focus effect that blurs the look of pores and baby lines. The breathable, lightweight formula gives you a natural-looking tint and contain 100 per cent mineral-based sunscreen so it’s good for you as well. Since the formula adapts to your skin tone, it’s universal and can be worn by pretty much anyone, regardless of your shade of skin (so your friends can wear it as well).
Throw it in your beach bag or apply it prior to heading to the office for coverage that lasts all day.
Indeed Laboratories InDefense 30 Sunscreen
This sunscreen from Canadian brand Indeed Laboratories is brand new and perfect to throw in your beach bag this summer. The tube is quite small, so you may want to concentrate the product to just your face, but I’m sure you can use it elsewhere as well.
The formula includes antioxidants in it which help to prevent environmental damage and the zinc oxide prevents sun damage. Since the zinc oxide typically leaves a white cast on your face, layer this underneath your foundation and no one will know the wiser.
You can find it online via their site, where they ship to Canada and the United States. I’m also told they sell this at Shoppers Drug Mart as well.
Olay Regenerist Luminous Moisturizing and Protecting with Sunscreen
Okay, so truth be told, I’m not exactly sure if Olay is still making this product, but this double-whammy moisturizer from the brand has been a favourite of mine for years.
Full of antioxidants vitamin E and green tea, this day cream helps you get a flawless complexion, even skin tone, and has an SPF of 20 in it. This is always my go-to for mornings where I know I’m heading to the pool later since it’s so easy to slather on and I need to apply a moisturizer anyways.
Unfortunately I can’t find much about this online, but I believe that the brand recently replaced it with their Whips formula (which I have tried and loved). It sounds the same except has a light-as-air finish and it’s also made with Active Rush Technology to transform the cream to liquid on the skin for a nice little refresher and instant absorption.
The brand has a few different formulas of their Whips, but I’m glad they kept this one since this moisturizer is seriously perfect for summertime (and any other time of the year since you should be wearing a facial sunscreen, regardless of the weather).
Whether it’s a moisturizer with a sunscreen, a OG sunblock, or a foundation that contains SPF, with the weather being so hot, you should definitely be slathering on something that will protect your skin from the sun. I would love to know what you guys use for the summertime as I’m always on the lookout for new products as well.
Have your favourite facial sunscreen?
Please note, products provided by PR. All opinions are my own.
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