Beauty Fix: A foolproof way to try oxblood lipstick, the difference between antiperspirant and deodorant and should you change your eye makeup routine when wearing contacts?
Every week we take on your questions about makeup, skincare, hair and more and provide all the answers. This week, Beauty Fix is offering advice on what to do when you need to try something new. Trading in your glasses for a new pair of contacts will totally change how you look—but does it mean you have to change the products you use? Should you adjust your hair colour depending on the season? Read up for these answers and more! And in need of a beauty fix yourself? Email us at [email protected].
I just got contacts. Should I change the way I apply eye makeup or start using different products?
This is a very valid question that should be considered when transitioning to contact lenses. First and foremost, oils from our hands and other products (such as moisturizer) can be damaging to contact lenses, so be sure to wash your hands thoroughly and put your contacts in prior to applying eye makeup. While sensitivity to eye makeup varies on an individual basis for contact lens wearers, it’s generally best to be selective about the finish of certain products that are worn near the eye area. For example, chunkier glitter particles in eyeshadow or eyeliner can have a tendency to fall from the eyelid into the eyes, which can be extremely irritating and especially so when contacts are worn. Avoid excess makeup on the waterline of the eye (the inner rim of your upper and lower eyelids), as products applied here can easily migrate into the eye and transfer onto the contact—not helpful when you’re trying to see! Some contact lens wearers swear by waterproof mascara and eyeliner, but as stated above, sensitivity to eye makeup is subjective, so a bit of trial and error with different formulations should lead you to a fool-proof routine that will be agreeable with your contacts! If you’re looking for mascara that packs a punch without driving you to tears, turn to Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume Mascara ($23, clinique.com), which is ophthalmologist tested and safe for contact lens wearers.
Is there a difference between deodorant and antiperspirant, and if so, is one better to use than the other?
There most certainly is a difference between deodorant and antiperspirant! Deodorant is meant to cover up or disguise odor created by sweating, while antiperspirant contains ingredients to try to effectively minimize the bacteria reaction that makes you smell when you sweat. Regarding which is better to use, that depends on what you’re trying to achieve. If you don’t feel you sweat much and are more concerned with smelling fresh all day, reach for a deodorant. If you perspire heavily throughout the day, an antiperspirant is your best bet, offering more protection against wetness and odor. Another factor to consider is also the type of deodorant or antiperspirant you reach for: solid stick, gel, spray… there’s a slew of product formats out there, so examine your options! A quick-drying roll-on antiperspirant that contains witch hazel water and a fresh cotton flower scent: Yves Rocher Les Jardins du Monde Anti-Perspirant Indian Cotton Flower ($5, yvesrocher.ca).
I barely wear makeup and I am weary of the bold oxblood-red lip, but I want to try it. Is there a colour that will help me ease into the look?
It’s been a couple seasons now of oxblood everything, so it was only a matter of time until you wanted to at least try the look out for yourself! It is indeed a bold statement if worn in a full-force way, but that doesn’t mean you have to be as extreme in your interpretation of the beauty trend that has taken the fashion industry by storm. There are many renditions of the lip look, and you can alter them to suit your own comfort level. Start with a lipstick such as Lise Watier Rouge Gourmand in “Shiraz” ($20, lisewatier.com), which is a blackened red shade. From here, choose your own adventure: you can warm the lipstick up by rubbing it onto your fingertip and then push the product onto your lips to build colour up gradually (which is excellent if you’re concerned with going overboard), or you can work the colour into your lips with a lipbrush (which will give you more precision with the colour). If you want a more sheer wash of colour, wear a lip balm before applying the lipstick so that the lipstick pigment doesn’t cling to your lips as well. Tip: If your lipstick intimidates you, ease into it by incorporating a red lipliner into your look to lighten the overall shade of the lipstick. Lightly fill in your lips with the red lipliner and then apply the lipstick in your desired method.
I’m a new blonde and I love the colour–but should I adjust the colour of my hair for winter? I keep hearing about people going darker in colder months.
While it seems to be common practice for everything from our clothing to our nails to our hair colour to go darker in the winter, it’s actually not as favourable as we may think! Raphael Azran, master colourist at Colour Lab 12, weighs in on the matter: “Our skin gets lighter in the winter, so by having darker hair in contrast, we look even more pale. Get rid of any faded colour from the summer and adjust the vibrancy. Instead of going with the seasons, go with what bests accents your skin tone!” Logic definitely plays into this scenario, so get into a richer hair hue without going darker to avoid washing yourself out this winter. Makes sense, right?
My skin is pretty blemish-free, except for the back of my upper arms. Is there any way to prevent these bumps?
The bumps you’re likely referring to are a common and harmless skin condition known as keratosis pilaris. No major cause for alarm, as you have already noticed that the biggest symptom of this condition is its ability to make the back of your arms look like chicken skin. Unsightly, yes, but not the end of the world! What causes these small white or reddish bumps on the back of the upper arms, upper thigh or glute areas are hair follicles clogged with excess oil, sweat or dried skin. Thankfully, keratosis pilaris can be controlled in fairly simple ways. Use mild soap on the area affected and moisturize a couple times a day with a product that contains lactic acid to gradually unclog the follicles, such as Philosophy Hope In A Jar For Body Advanced Skin Smoothing Body Lotion ($25, sephora.com). Tip: do not try to scrub or scrape these bumps away, as this will just aggravate the skin!
 can be damaging to contact lenses, so be sure to wash your hands thoroughly and put your contacts in prior to applying eye makeup. While sensitivity to eye makeup varies on an individual basis for contact lens wearers, it’s generally best to be selective about the finish of certain products that are worn near the eye area. For example, chunkier glitter particles in eyeshadow or eyeliner can have a tendency to fall from the eyelid into the eyes, which can be extremely irritating and especially so when contacts are worn. Avoid excess makeup on the waterline of the eye (the inner rim of your upper and lower eyelids), as products applied here can easily migrate into the eye and transfer onto the contact—not helpful when you’re trying to see! Some contact lens wearers swear by waterproof mascara and eyeliner, but as stated above, sensitivity to eye makeup is subjective, so a bit of trial and error with different formulations should lead you to a fool-proof routine that will be agreeable with your contacts! If you’re looking for mascara that packs a punch without driving you to tears, turn to Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume Mascara ($23, clinique.com), which is ophthalmologist tested and safe for contact lens wearers.
Is there a difference between deodorant and antiperspirant, and if so, is one better to use than the other?
There most certainly is a difference between deodorant and antiperspirant! Deodorant is meant to cover up or disguise odor created by sweating, while antiperspirant contains ingredients to try to effectively minimize the bacteria reaction that makes you smell when you sweat. Regarding which is better to use, that depends on what you’re trying to achieve. If you don’t feel you sweat much and are more concerned with smelling fresh all day, reach for a deodorant. If you perspire heavily throughout the day, an antiperspirant is your best bet, offering more protection against wetness and odor. Another factor to consider is also the type of deodorant or antiperspirant you reach for: solid stick, gel, spray... there’s a slew of product formats out there, so examine your options! A quick-drying roll-on antiperspirant that contains witch hazel water and a fresh cotton flower scent: Yves Rocher Les Jardins du Monde Anti-Perspirant Indian Cotton Flower ($5, yvesrocher.ca).
I barely wear makeup and I am weary of the bold oxblood-red lip, but I want to try it. Is there a colour that will help me ease into the look?
It’s been a couple seasons now of oxblood everything, so it was only a matter of time until you wanted to at least try the look out for yourself! It is indeed a bold statement if worn in a full-force way, but that doesn’t mean you have to be as extreme in your interpretation of the beauty trend that has taken the fashion industry by storm. There are many renditions of the lip look, and you can alter them to suit your own comfort level. Start with a lipstick such as Lise Watier Rouge Gourmand in “Shiraz” ($20, lisewatier.com), which is a blackened red shade. From here, choose your own adventure: you can warm the lipstick up by rubbing it onto your fingertip and then push the product onto your lips to build colour up gradually (which is excellent if you’re concerned with going overboard), or you can work the colour into your lips with a lipbrush (which will give you more precision with the colour). If you want a more sheer wash of colour, wear a lip balm before applying the lipstick so that the lipstick pigment doesn’t cling to your lips as well. Tip: If your lipstick intimidates you, ease into it by incorporating a red lipliner into your look to lighten the overall shade of the lipstick. Lightly fill in your lips with the red lipliner and then apply the lipstick in your desired method.
I’m a new blonde and I love the colour--but should I adjust the colour of my hair for winter? I keep hearing about people going darker in colder months.
While it seems to be common practice for everything from our clothing to our nails to our hair colour to go darker in the winter, it’s actually not as favourable as we may think! Raphael Azran, master colourist at Colour Lab 12, weighs in on the matter: “Our skin gets lighter in the winter, so by having darker hair in contrast, we look even more pale. Get rid of any faded colour from the summer and adjust the vibrancy. Instead of going with the seasons, go with what bests accents your skin tone!” Logic definitely plays into this scenario, so get into a richer hair hue without going darker to avoid washing yourself out this winter. Makes sense, right?
My skin is pretty blemish-free, except for the back of my upper arms. Is there any way to prevent these bumps?
The bumps you’re likely referring to are a common and harmless skin condition known as keratosis pilaris. No major cause for alarm, as you have already noticed that the biggest symptom of this condition is its ability to make the back of your arms look like chicken skin. Unsightly, yes, but not the end of the world! What causes these small white or reddish bumps on the back of the upper arms, upper thigh or glute areas are hair follicles clogged with excess oil, sweat or dried skin. Thankfully, keratosis pilaris can be controlled in fairly simple ways. Use mild soap on the area affected and moisturize a couple times a day with a product that contains lactic acid to gradually unclog the follicles, such as Philosophy Hope In A Jar For Body Advanced Skin Smoothing Body Lotion ($25, sephora.com). Tip: do not try to scrub or scrape these bumps away, as this will just aggravate the skin!
){kind=link}