Beauty Fix: 5 ways to add a charitable component to your beauty routine this winter
Every week we take on your questions about makeup, skincare, hair and more and provide all the answers. This week, Beauty Fix is adding a charitable component to your search for the perfect eye shadow, lip gloss and fragrance. We’ll help you find the perfect shadow for this season’s smoky eye, a scent that’s not too strong and a lotion that does more than your average moisturizer. Even better, every answer this week includes a product that gives back. What more could you want? Seeking the answer to another beauty problem? Email us at [email protected].
I feel like perfume can sometimes overpower my senses, but I still want to wear a light scent. How can I achieve this?
I’m a firm believer in the notion that you’re not fully dressed unless you’re wearing fragrance, but even I have days when I don’t feel like spritzing on anything I own. In such a plot twist of life, turning to a lightly scented body lotion can be a welcomed reprieve from heavier or more concentrated perfumes. A light, floral option to grab for those days when you feel like giving your olfactory senses a break is Lush Charity Pot ($23, lush.ca). Not only is this lotion packed with fair trade organic cocoa butter, almond oil, geranium oil and ylang ylang oil (for that hint of scent), every penny (before tax) goes towards grassroots charities all over the world.
My skin feels practically damaged from high winds, and my limbs could use some serious care, but my skin doesn’t seem to be responsive to moisturizers that contain silicones. Any suggestions to repair my weathered skin?
This is a huge concern for a slew of people every single winter. Wind can almost sting when it hits us, even if we’re wearing substantial layers. Our legs can take a thrashing since outerwear doesn’t always have us covered. We need to moisturize, but you’re right, silicone is a tricky ingredient! While silicone (often showing up in a product’s ingredients list as dimethicone, a silicone polymer) is not necessarily bad for skin, it may not be sufficient. Dimethicone molecules are actually too large to penetrate the skin, so they sit on the surface and prevent moisture from further escaping (which, as previously stated, isn’t a bad thing). The problem is that you need to add moisturizing ingredients back into the skin to heal and repair.
Look for a product that contains lipids and antioxidants, such as Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter ($45, at Kiehl’s counters and stores). It contains squalane, a healing botanical lipid to restore and replenish moisture to skin, as well as beta-carotene, a naturally derived antioxidant. The body moisturizer is air-whipped so it glides on and absorbs quickly, leaving behind a warm scent that is sure to appeal to your senses on a cold winter’s day. This product is heavy on moisturization without silicones, so slather it on! The holiday limited edition packaging was designed by pop artist Kenny Scharf and 100% of Canadian proceeds of the product will go on to benefit the Canadian Association of Pediatric Oncology Camps, which has provided specialized oncology camps and support programs to over 5,500 children and their families–meaning your heart will feel as good as your skin when you use it.
I’m looking for a lipstick that I can swipe on without a mirror when I’m running around. Can you suggest a shade?
I think women are always on the hunt for or in need of a lip product that adds a bit of dimension to their overall look, going beyond the basic swipe of lip balm. This idyllic shade should be simple, understated and elegant, which is straightforward in theory, but a bit difficult to track down in practice. It’s a matter of knowing what you want in a sea of options, understanding that finish and texture factor in. In terms of lipstick finish, you’ll probably want to avoid matte products, as they’re less forgiving with dry lips, so unless you’re an absolute pro at keeping hydrated in moisture-zapping heat that’s pumped through your home, office and shopping destinations, steer clear. In regards to texture, you will want to look for something that’s more on the sheer side, which will allow you to apply it on the go without having to stop and seek out a mirror. A lipstick that is beloved because it is deemed universally flattering is M.A.C Viva Glam V lipstick ($18, maccosmetics.ca), which is a neutral pink with a hint of pearl shimmer. It doesn’t read as garish or bright and it really does suit a variety of skin tones since it has a very neutral undertone that is flattering to cool-toned and warm-toned ladies alike! Pick up a tube of this lipstick and know that every cent of the selling price of VIVA GLAM products is donated to the M.A.C AIDS Fund to support men, women, and children living with HIV and AIDS.
I’m not a bright lip person, but a smoky eye is always appealing. What can I do to make my go-to look it a bit more festive?
Sometimes, a smokier eye is just easier to pull off during the holiday season. We can stop being so focused on whether or not we may have just smudged our bright lipstick and actually eat, drink and be merry minus being self-conscious! It’s definitely a considerably less high-maintenance option for anyone who doesn’t feel like dealing with touch-ups after cocktails or meals are consumed. You can definitely amp up the festive nature of a smoky eye by opting for more seasonal colours without being too literal in your inspiration being drawn from the holidays. Explore Chantecaille’s Elephant Palette ($95, at select Holt Renfrew locations), which contains less traditional eye shadow shades, but that doesn’t make them any less wearable. This (refillable!) palette includes four colours: “Ivory” (a satin-finish creamy shade), “Grasslands” (a dark, shimmery green), “Iron Ore” (a matte charcoal base with sparkles) and “Red Earth” (a rusty, coppery shimmer).
As far as application goes, experiment with the colours! “Ivory” can be worn as a base colour all over the lid or a highlighting shade (for brow bone and inner corner), while “Grasslands” can be blended onto the middle of the lid. Try blending “Red Earth” through the crease for a bit of warmth and “Iron Ore” can be packed on and blended out to the outer corner and lower lid. You’d be surprised at how versatile these four shadows are if you play around with them! In addition to how functional this eyeshadow quad is, it also helps raise awareness and funds for baby, orphaned elephants in Kenya. Five percent of proceeds of this palette are donated to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, an organization that rescues, fosters and releases elephants orphaned by ivory poaching.
I’m looking for a pigmented, non-drying, non-sticky gloss in a bright shade as a gift for a gloss-loving friend. Can you recommend one?
A tall order you make, but there’s bound to be something that your friend will love wearing. Allow me to send you in the right direction! A formula that comes to mind is Laura Mercier Lip Glacé in “Rose Hope” ($26, sephora.ca). This gloss is a slightly subdued rendition of hot-pink.but a super-pigmented product that your friend will definitely reach for year-round. The formula is creamy, non-sticky, long-lasting (but not the type of long-lasting that requires your lips to come off with it!). It’s also moisturizing thanks to ingredients like jojoba oil and shea butter, which can’t help but make you feel this little tube is more appealing than your average gloss. Not only is it a super gloss, it’s been created in support of a super cause: profits from sales of Laura Mercier Lip Glacé in “Rose Hope” will be donated to the Laura Mercier Ovarian Cancer Fund. The mission is to raise awareness and fund research and educational efforts that will help diagnose, treat and support women with ovarian cancer.
