Holiday Gift Guide 2011: Best in Face and Body Skincare Sets

November 30, 2011 | 16 Responses

For stuffing stockings to show you care

Weleda Sea Buckthorn Hand Cream ($16) or Skin Food *($20). Winter is coming, and that usually means dry cracked skin. Weleda’s holiday offerings contain soft moisturizing gloves with your choice of hand moisturizer. Sea Buckthorn is naturally healing, while Skin Food’s rich texture eliminates dry patches overnight. These are great stocking stuffers for frequent hand washers, as well as eczema sufferers. Available at Weleda online, Whole Foods Market, natural independent health food stores, Planet Organic Market, Nature’s Fare, Noah’s Natural Foods and Rexall Pharma Plus stores.

Pure + simple Super-plump Lip Kit ($34.95). Stay away from the petroleum-based lip balms, which actually dry out your lips in the long run, and go natural. This kit contains soothing Lavender Lip Oil and the Collagen Elasin Eye + Lip Concentrate, which keep your lips plump and protected for all the smooching you’ll be doing this season, amirite? Available at Pure + simple spas in the Greater Toronto area and online.

For the one who is hard to please (Glitter Geek’s TOP PICK)

Thann Jasmine Blossom Set ($50). Is your mother-in-law hard to please? Yes? This set is perfect for anyone you want to spoil. This actually makes me want to get out of bed and hop in the shower in the morning. Oh, and my lazy self has been putting on the lotion everyday, too. This is the most beautiful green that smells like crushed up jasmine buds. Both the body milk and the shower cream moisturize the skin incredibly. I cannot recommend it enough! Available in the flagship Thann store (in Ottawa) and online.

For anyone, anytime

NUXE Huile Prodigieuse Multi-usage Dry Oil ($42 for 100ml). Although not technically a gift set, NUXE Huile Prodigieuse is a champ at multitasking and so luxurious that it makes a fabulous gift. It keeps skin and hair beautifully moisturized and also doubles as a fragrance. It’s a cult product for a reason. Available at Shoppers Drugmart and Beautyphica (get a bonus 50 ml Huile Prodigieuse OR for a limited time here!).

For the new mom or hard working gal who truly deserves a spa day

Pure + simple Super-hydrating Intensive Kit * ($99). It’s no secret that I’m a Pure + simple junkie, and my newest discovery is the Cellular Repair Face Cream in this set. I’ve been using this medium weight face cream both for day and night and it is a dream to put on. The Collagen Elastin Plus serum and Skin Restoration Cloth Mask are must haves for a home spa day. Tip: do the mask in the dark or risk scaring your significant others or pets. Available at Pure + simple spas in the Greater Toronto area and online.

For those who are nice… ‘kay maybe the naughty, too

The Body Shop Spiced Vanilla Bath and Body Products * (from $4 to $18 each). The Body Shop is one of my go-to shops for holiday shopping because of their holiday scents. My favourite is the Spiced Vanilla, which smells divine and is available in different bath and body products. If you must have just one for a stocking stuffer, the Body Butter is a no-brainer (and on sale for $10 right now!). Available at The Body Shop stores and online.

Philosophy Sweet Kisses and Merry Wishes Set ($47). If you have never tried Philosophy shower gels, you’ve been missing out. Philosophy makes the best shower gels in the scents of the season. This set contains four (FOUR!!!) shower gels and coordinating lip shines. Gift it to one special nice person, or break it up as separate stocking stuffers for the naughty ones. Available at Sephora stores and online.

Anything catch your eye?

What will you be gifting from these sets, and what will you be keeping for yourself?

Disclosure: Products marked with * were provided by the manufacturer for editorial consideration only. For more information, see my Editorial and Advertising Policy.

Are You a Smelly Monkey? Remedy That with Lady Speed Stick Stainguard 24H Antiperspirant.

April 20, 2011 | 17 Responses

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For many years, I have been loyal to Dove’s line of deodorants. It was for good reason, too. Those deodorants stopped unpleasant odours in their tracks. They worked so well that I thought I was one of those Asian people who sweat but do not smell.

As an experiment, I looked for a new deodorant a couple months ago and picked up Adidas Cotton Tech Absorbent Deodorant. I won’t lie; it was a total disaster. The deodorant barely made it through an 8-hour workday. By the time I got home, my armpits smelled like, well, smelly armpits. It was so bad that there was no way I’d go to Booty Camp without re-applying first. Back to the drawing board I went.

Lady Speed Stick Stainguard 24H Antiperspirant in Radiantly Fresh

On my second try, I bought Lady Speed Stick Stainguard 24H Antiperspirant in Radiantly Fresh (about $5 at Wal-mart). This particular line of deodorants gets great reviews on the web that garner ridiculous remarks like “I raise my arms to smell my deliciously scented armpits.” Seriously? What normal girl does that? Was Lady Speed Stick Antiperspirant too good to be true?

First, the bad news: I have a problem with sweating, so I’ve learned to live with the fact that this and other women’s antiperspirants just can’t stop the wetness completely.

Lady Speed Stick Stainguard 24H Antiperspirant in Radiantly Fresh

Ingredients: cyclomethicone, c12-15 alkyl benzoate, aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex GLY, synthetic wax, PEG-8 distearate, hydrogenated soybean oil, parfum, BHT, citric acid, aqua, pentaerythrityl tetra-di-t-butyl hydroxyhdryocinnamate

However!

Everything else about this deodorant is awesome. The smell is so fresh that yes, I do catch myself taking a whiff of it throughout the day. It lasts me an entire day, even through sweaty hours of boot camp. It goes on completely clear, so it leaves no embarrassing white residue that I’ve experience previously with Dove. What more could I ask for?

Lady Speed Stick Stainguard 24H Antiperspirant has made me feel like a non-stinky Asian girl again, and for that I’m very thankful.

What’s In Your Deodorant Drawer?

What do you use to keep your underarms fresh? Any good antiperspirants? I am dying to try Origins Totally Pure Deodorant but I am a little hesitant to spend $20 on a deodorant.

Because You Absolutely Must Wash Yo’ Face, You Might As Well Do It Naturally with Weleda’s Facial Cleansing Line.

March 19, 2011 | 9 Responses

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Before I started beauty blogging, I didn’t know there were so many different ways to cleanse one’s face. Now facial cleansers come in many different formulations: cream, gel, mousse, no-rinse, and even oil! How am I ever going to choose the right kind for me?

While I can’t usually make a generalization on what will work for you, it’s safe to say that a gentle cleanser is probably the way to go. You already know that I am in the process of switching to natural skincare, and so I was very excited to try Weleda’s new cleansing line. It’s a two-step combo that includes a Gentle Cleansing Milk ($24) and a Refining Toner ($22).

Weleda Gentle Cleansing Milk and Refining Toner

How to Use

Before I dive into the actual review, here’s a little bit on how to use the two. Trust me, you need me to tell you this part.

Massage a quarter-size of the Gentle Cleansing Milk on your dry face. The instructions instruct you to avoid the eye area, and because I am too awesome to follow instructions, I thought “hey, why the hell not? What’s the worst that could happen?” I’ll tell you what: burning eyeballs of death. Don’t do it. (‘kay, I might be exaggerating here, but they really did burn.) Wash off with warm water.

Then, apply the Refining Toner on a cotton pad and run it all over your face, again avoiding the eye area.

Gentle Cleansing Milk

$24 for 100ml

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Alcohol, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Lysolecithin, Fragrance (Parfum)*, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Distillate, Iris Germanica Root Extract, Xanthan Gum, Limonene*, Linalool*, Citronellol*, Geraniol*, Citral*. * from natural essential oils

Good for all skin types, just a quarter size dollop of the cleansing milk takes care of all my face gunk. It contains Biodynamic iris root extract, which helps retain moisture in and regulate the skin. One of the main ingredients is witch hazel, which is a light natural astringent. Its consistency is like a very runny lotion and the smell is nice and citrusy. Don’t expect any foaming action during cleansing, because there’ll be none of that. After washing it off, my face not only feels comfortable (not tight), but also slightly moisturized due to the organic jojoba seed oil.

Refining Toner

$22 for 100ml

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Alcohol, Rosa Moschata (Rosehip) Leaf Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Distillate, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Juice, Fragrance (Parfum)*, Limonene*, Linalool*, Geraniol*, Citral*. * From natural essential oils

I like the gentle cleansing milk, but I worship the refining toner even more. As a former toner snob, I was skeptical that I actually needed to tone my face after cleansing. Now, here I am doing a total 180. This toner is very refreshing, again with a citrusy scent from lemon juice and other essential oils. It balances my skin beautifully, removing any excess dirt and oil that your cleanser didn’t catch. It doesn’t sting despite the fact that it contains alcohol. Instead, it just leaves my skin so soft, touchable and perfectly prepped for moisturizer. LOVE this one.

What’s Not to Love?

Since my skin absolutely loves natural skincare, the verdict is simple and very evident: I love these. The combination of the cleanser and the toner leaves my skin unstripped of its all natural oils and soft. Very soft in fact, that I ran out of the bathroom and uttered the following words to my boyfriend: “Feel my face. Seriously, touch it. Soft, right? I’m not even wearing moisturizer!”

I wish they made the cleanser to be eye friendly as well, because I’m a lazy girl! I can’t be bothered to reach for an extra cleanser to take care of my eye makeup. They do have an Almond Soothing Facial Oil, which I haven’t tried, for this purpose.

These and other Weleda products are sold at www.weleda.ca, Whole Foods Market, natural independent health food stores, Planet Organic Market, Nature’s Fare, Noah’s Natural Foods and Rexall Pharma Plus stores.

Disclosure: These products were sent by PR for editorial consideration only.