Beauty

No matter what age, what gender, what ethnicity you are, let’s face it (no pun intended), we all have skin concerns! For as long as I can remember, my skin concerns have always been 1) combination skin (extremely oily T-zone) 2) occasional acne outbreak and 3) sun exposure. Since my teenage years, I’ve been on the hunt for skin care products to help me address those exact issues. Sometimes, I would luck out and find the perfect product. However, as seasons change and unfortunately, with age, my skin tends to require different products to treat or prevent the same set of challenges. Therefore, I’m never really done when it comes to keeping a lookout for great items to add to my skincare routine – it’s an ongoing and evolving journey!

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to stay at the beautiful Langdon Hall for the Garnier #SkinActiveRetreat where I was able to learn first hand about the skincare innovative and technology that SkinActive has to offer. I also received advice from Garnier’s Skin Expert, Dr. Noah Wieder and a personalized skincare prescription to aid me in battling my skincare troubles.

If you can relate to some of my concerns, read further to see my personalized skincare prescription!

Every start of a new season, I love trying some new beauty products to suit the needs of the change in temperature and mood. Spring is such an exciting time, it’s when we finally all come out of hiding and start to introduce bright colours and fruity scents to our daily routine. I came across a few new beauty items that I’m so excited to use on the daily, and most of all share them all with you

Have you added any new beauty finds to your vanity this Spring?

I want to share a very personal story today. It’s not one that I’ve talked about openly. And though many close friends and family know that I’ve battled with episodes of Alopecia Areata (spot baldness) for almost a decade, I’m still quite emotionally sensitive to it. However, since the last onset of my condition, I’ve learned to cope with it and found a personal way to recover from it.

I have Alopecia Areata, there is no preventative measure, no treatment, and no prediction of when it may occur, and when it may decide to stop.

I feel inclined to share my journey (and a very special thanks to Aveda Canada for encouraging me to do so and pampering me with my first hair treatment since). For those of you who suffer from alopecia, it’s important to know that though there is no cure, there are steps you can take to recover, emotionally. Like all other diseases, treating from inside out, is the best remedy!

Keep reading my personal journey.

Girl talk time! Soon after we tied the knot, I thought it was about time to get off the pill. And so I did. As expected, after coming off birth control, the changes in estrogen levels also caused some visible changes for me. Firstly, I experienced a repeat episode of Alopecia (look that up, if you’re unfamiliar) and I also noticed an outbreak of acne on my face, generally around the time of ovulation. Finally, after a few months of observation, I decided it was time to introduce some new skincare products to fight these changes or at least until my body stabilizes.

Read further to see how three products from SkinCeuticals targeted to treat acne and discoloration helped me through these changing times!

A start of a new year for me typically involves new routines and fresh starts. I spent the last couple of days clearing junk and clutter from my closet, office, and bathroom shelves so that I can tackle 2016 with a brand new canvas.

The last couple of months of the year is always so hectic, the week following Christmas is more calm and a great time to study the bathroom shelves and discard products that are long past their expiry date. Did you know each beauty product has its own unique shelf life? Using products beyond their expiration dates may cause irritation, rashes, blemishes and various skin and eye infections. For skin care products such as cleansers and exfoliants, they are typically good for 1 year, whereas products such as toners, facial/body moisturizers and serums lasts between 6 months to one-year after opening.

After tossing out half of my cabinet, I made room for some new products that I’m thrilled to start the New Year with. Read further to see my review of mereadesso face + neck cleanser, mereadesso mereadesso tinted moisturizer and non-tinted all-in-one moisturizer and the Philips PureRadiance facial cleansing system.

Want to beautify your hair before the start of 2016?! I’ve got just the treat for you! I was recently introduced to the Kérastase Résistance Collection dedicated to treating weak and damaged hair. Kérastase Résistance rebuilds the internal substance of hair often affected by chemical or mechanical substances to restore its strength and health. Force architect products is dedicated for damaged hair (erosion level 1-2) while Therapiste products (erosion level 3-4) is designed for very damaged and over processed hair. After use of these products, hair is restored and quality of the fiber is like new.

I recently started incorporating the Kérastase Résistance into my daily hair routine, including the use of BAIN FORCE ARCHITECTE shampoo, CIMENT ANTI-USURE as a treatment and SÉRUM FIBRE ARCHITECTE as a texturizer – the perfect simple 3 step process. If the Kérastase Résistance is not suitable for you, there is a wide range of other Kérastase collections that addresses any hair concern.

I’m excited to partner with Kérastase to offer one lucky winner the chance to win a variety hair prize pack loaded with amazing hair products valued at over $300!

Hello! I’m finally settling back in after returning from our wonderful honeymoon! We had such an incredible time touring parts of Europe but my most favourite were definitely the Greek Islands. Can I say, WOW?! I’ll be sure to share some photos with you once I’ve had a chance to go through them!

Packing for a two week vacation can be quite daunting, especially when multiple destinations and temperatures are involved. Regardless, when it comes to beauty essentials, I’ve always got an it-list, good for any travel plan. I’ve curated a number of beauty products that I’ve personally tried and tested, and I guarantee you’ll absolutely love them too!

Check out my Beauty Travel Essentials to learn more about my most favourited items to pack in the suitcase!

Age is a funny thing. When I was in my late teens and early 20s, I spent much of my time trying to appear ‘older’ and more ‘mature’. I wanted to look more like a woman and less like a girl. As I entered my late 20s, I wanted to preserve my youthfulness, I started to increase the budget on my beauty purchases and paid much more attention to specialty skincare products.

Now, in my early 30s, I’m challenged with not only changes in physical appearance but also the emotional aspect of aging. All the beauty advice that my mom used to give yet I chose to ignore begin to make so much sense. “Moisturize daily”, “Remember your sunscreen!”, and “Make sure you remove your make up and exfoliate”, are now all a part of my daily routine but admittedly was not introduced until the past recent years.

Though I have some physical aging concerns and problematic areas I’d like to address as I step further into my 30s, one very positive thing I have embodied is confidence. Confidence means understanding what you want to improve on, tackling it head on and feeling comfortable with yourself!

With Back-to-School just around the corner, whether you’re literally headed back to class, a busy mom trying to get your kiddies organized for their new school year, or perhaps like me, simply resetting your goals for the remainder of the year (I’m coining this ‘Back-to-Work’ season), I want to reward one lucky reader with a Back-to-School #BeautyUnited goodie pack c/o of P&G and Walmart Canada! As a Beauty United Ambassador, I receive the latest news and products to try and test, and of course, introduce them to you lovely people!

Tell me what you’re doing to get ready for the School/Work season! Personally, I picked up a brand spanking new Hp 23″ Pavilion LED Monitor and did a bit of a refresh in the home office, I’m loving the new set up!

Read further for expert tips for Back-to-School Beauty and how to enter this giveaway!

Beautiful, plump cheeks and well defined jawlines are important among women, including myself. I’ve been blessed with chubby cheeks, but certainly not well defined facial contours. I’m sure many of you have tried contouring using various makeup kits that are now available on the market. And some of you have likely perfected the mastery of contouring, but I’m sure many of you, just like me,  don’t have time in the morning to spend minutes painting contouring lines of different shades, and highlighting with different powders or just simply haven’t mastered this skill yet.

Good news though. I’m happy to be sharing two new products from Estee Lauder that may aid you with more defined looking facial contours – New Dimension Shape + Sculpt Face Kit and New Dimension Shape + Fill Expert Serum.