Monthly Favourites: October

1. NeoStrata's Smoothing Cleansing Mask. You should think of exfoliation like how you think of taking out the trash: do it every week. Those dead skin cells need to go or you risk having dull, flakey, unhealthy skin. I use this mask regularly because it doesn't have those harsh beads that you have to physically scrub into your skin, it has 10% glycolic acid, so it works like a mini facial peel that you can do at home. Dermalogica's Gentle Cream Exfoliant leaves your skin feeling amazing as well and it goes for about $30 at Sephora. This one is similarly priced and you can pick it up at Shoppers Drug Mart or Murale.

2. Carmex. When you need a minty lip soother/chapstick, this is the one you should turn to. Never fails. Carmex has a camphor sort of scent, so it's not the most pleasant of smells (I don't really mind. I I think of it like Gold Bond cream - smells medicinal but it works like a charm). If you're looking for a glossy chapstick, this will do as well. Avoid overusing it if you have sensitive skin. Grab it at Shoppers for $3.

3. Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Rose. Burt's Bees is the bomb. I was looking for something that would moisturize and also add a hint of colour to my lips for those days that I don't want to put any makeup on (wakens your entire face if your lips are a little rosy). Doesn't feel minty, just moisturizing. Grab it at Shoppers for $5.

4. Burt's Bees Lip Balm with Pomegranate. Out of the three chapsticks listed here, I'm putting this one on the most. Smells like fruity bubble tea and I don't feel like I have to reapply very often at all. Love it! Grab it at Shoppers for $5.

5. Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in Tutti Fruitti. Again, one of those products that can add a hint of colour to my face and is a nice shade of coral/peach. Grab it at Shoppers for $8.

6. Bioderma Miceller Lotion. The short story is that it is a makeup remover that has no scent, is wonderful on my sensitive skin and gets everything off. Can't say I've tried other brands' miceller lotion (looks like every derma brand is jumping on the bandwagon now), but I don't think I'd hesitate to just stick with this one. I got mine at Shoppers for $20.

7. Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain in Romance. I am struggling to find a drugstore lipstick in red that works with my skintone and doesn't overpower my face. This is a softer option that I'm enjoying because it has a minty sensation to it, doesn't dry out my lips and is very pigmented. Grab it at Shoppers for $8.

1. Teasing brush. I used to use a comb and my hair always fell flat. I have relatively thick hair and it goes in between long to medium length. I find that if your hair is kind of heavy and thick, the brush works wonders when compared to a comb. I disowned my teasing comb afterwards...I got mine at Sally's Beauty Supply for $8.

2. Kerastase Cristalliste Bain Cristal (Shampoo). I went to Europe and finally found a bottle of this stuff. Technically you can order it online to try it out, but I liked that I was able to see the product before I purchased it. It smells like salon quality products, so not fruity or flowery if you're into that. I've been using it for a couple of weeks now and it has left my hair soft, shiny and clean. It stays clean-feeling for at least two days, so that's a major plus if you're a busy girl or you just don't want to wash your hair that often. It's on the pricier side, but I definitely trust Kerastase products now. You can purchase this online for around $40.

3. Kerastase Cristalliste Bain Cristal (Conditioner). No more tangles. My long hair was such a nuisance because there would be this clump of tangled hair at the back of my neck, but no more! I can actually de-tangle before my hair dries and it typically doesn't get knotted up throughout the day either, so I feel like my mane is taking a lot less damage now. Again, you can purchase this online for around $40.

4. Hair dryer diffuser. If you have naturally wavy hair, I strongly recommend using one of these. I used to blow-dry my hair regularly and it came out straight, but I have been craving a tool/product that allowed me to just apply heat and have it scrunch up into a big, wavy (good-looking) mess. Didn't take me any longer to diffuse it (than a regular blow-dry), but I've heard it takes some people longer than usual. Beats having to curl your hair and then comb it out, or sleep on braids. Think, beach-hair.

Review: Dove Fresh + Care Invigorating Dry Shampoo

Dry shampoo usually comes in a powder format or aerosol can and is made to absorb oil between regular washes so that your hair looks and feels refreshed.  There have been many mornings where I was in a rush and just could not manage to wash and dry my hair before my next appointment, or just times when my hair needed a refresher before a spontaneous outing.  Props to the beauty community for developing a product to tackle these exact issues.

You probably will not see a huge selection of brands with an extension of their own right now, but there are a few forward-thinking drugstore brands that have put some dry shampoos on the shelves already.  Some of them include Suave, TRESemmé, and Dove.  Of course, you can also try the more expensive brands like Bumble and Bumble, but I look to dry shampoo as a convenient alternative to hair washing, which means an affordable price.

I have previously tried the TRESemmé dry shampoo and I can't say that it's my favourite, but it does give my hair a refreshing scent.  In all honesty, my hair feels pretty gross by the end of the day and I seriously consider never using it again.

I started hearing really good things about the Dove version, so I decided to give it a try.  If I were to rate this product based on size, price, and performance (both look and feel), I would give it a 9.  It has a really nice, feminine smell, makes your hair feel lighter and its regular price is only $6.  I got it on sale for around $3.  You can't go wrong with $3.

Or so I thought.  I used this baby a total of two times before the can was empty.  At first, I thought that the can was damaged, but then I did some research and discovered that many other people have had this problem.  Here are some YouTube comments from warmvanillasugar0823's channel.

i bought this dry shampoo... and i like it, the smell, volume is ok, but it doest leave a sticky residue in your hair... downfall, is it me or does it seem like after 1-2 uses, the can seems close to empty? i threw one can away thinking it was a defect, bought my 2nd one yesterday, used it, used it again this morning and i swear the can feels 75% lighter! like i had been using it for 3-4 wks! i dont get that with my psst dry shampoo. it only costs $5, but still!

jjjennq

the nozzle gets stopped up and the product won't come out-it happened to me on two cans-I posted on the website-there were about 20 complaints all about the same issue-they have all been deleted now

elenah

I agree I think im going to try one more bottle and then ditch it if it happens again because my bf used it try it out, and It felt full then I checked it the next day it was empty, and i had only tried a bit on one strand on myself I blamed him, and he sweared it wasnt him. I loved the bottle, the smell, and the way my hair felt.. such a waste of a good product =(

FishnetLullaby

I do not appreciate having to wonder where my product went after only two uses.  This shouldn't even be a concern unless it's a tester.  And for that reason, I give this product a 0 on a scale of 1-10.  Hopefully, Dove takes this highly important concern into consideration and fixes the problem.  Until then, I might as well stick with simple baby powder.

My Chignon

Hello readers!

Been trying to master the chignon for a while now.  Since my hair is so long (and relatively thick) I have a hard time wrapping it into a shape that actually holds for more than just a few hours.  Normally, my chignon falls down throughout the day (gradually, but down nonetheless).

Alas, I can finally say that I think I've gotten it down to a science and that it lasts longer than it normally does.  Still trying to find a way to hold it up without using a handful of bobby pins.  I've also tried Goody's Spin Pins, which work rather well.  Definitely a good investment if your hair is long and you like to wear it up and fancy sometimes.