Beauty Fix: 5 simple solutions for your most common hair and skincare woes
Every week our Beauty Fix columnist takes on your questions about makeup, skincare, hair and more. Have a beauty question we haven’t answered? Email us at [email protected] or ask away in the comments below. or ask away in the comments below.
How should I deal with lipstick when I have cuts or sores to deal with on my lips?
It’s important to steer clear of lip colour that will further exacerbate your lip woes (looking at you, matte lipstick or any long-wearing formula ever). If your lips are inflamed in any way due to colder temperatures or dry, harsh winds, then try using an intensive product on a regular basis, such as Polysporin Visible Lip Health Daily Hydration Therapy ($8, well.ca). This emollient balm contains beeswax, glycerin, sesame seed oil and cocoa butter to lock moisture into lips while healing existing ailments like cuts or sores. Given the emollient nature of this balm, consider embracing shine instead of matte lips for the time being. Tip: if you opt for a gloss, dispense the product on your hand and apply to lips with a brush or finger in order to avoid contaminating your cosmetics.
What can I use to soothe really tired eyes?
Whether it’s studying too much or staring at your smartphone for too long (who isn’t guilty of this?!), eyes that are overworked can ache from exhaustion. Soothe the surrounding areas with a calming product like Ole Henriksen Ultimate Lift Eye Gel ($52, sephora.ca). This new gel has recently been reformulated and repackaged for higher efficacy and easier use. It contains a laundry list of beneficial components such as: hyaluronic acid, aloe, calendula extract, glycerin and cucumber extract, among others. All this translates to eyes that are comforted by hydrating and soothing ingredients that will actually make eyes look well-rested by morning. As always, stash it in the fridge for added soothing effect and note that a little dab goes a very long way, meaning this jar will last you a while.
I know cocktailing products is popular, but is there anything I can use that will address all my skincare concerns in one go?
If you feel your skin has multiple concerns to tend to, it can be quite challenging—and costly—to address each issue individually with different products or treatments. If you’re confused by the endless options out there, streamlining your skincare routine is an option to consider and there’s a new do-it-all wonder product for you. Philosophy No Reason To Hide Multi-Imperfection Transforming Serum ($85, sephora.ca) contains ingredients like concentrated niacinamide, vitamin C, daisy and licorice extracts, salicylic acid and bisabolol that work simultaneously to brighten skintone, correct uneven pigmentation, smooth any rough texture and reduce redness and inflammation, which effectively makes this the lazy girl’s loophole to awesome skin.
My hair is rough and hard to manage when I heat-style it. What can I use to make the whole process run a little smoother?
Hair can become hard to manage from excess heat styling, colour processing or harsh environmental conditions (sun exposure is particularly frying), so these factors should definitely influence how much you deep-condition your hair. In addition to upping your deep conditioning frequency, try using Kérastase’s latest hair-taming marvel, Discipline Spray Fluidissime ($54, kerastase.ca) when you heat-style your hair. It can be used on dry or damp hair, and it reduces the amount of friction that occurs when you’re combing or brushing your hair thanks to a smoothing polymer that forms a film over the surface of the hair fibres, resulting in a smoother finish with a lot less struggle.
I’m going to be traveling a lot for business and pleasure, so what can I pack to address the different makeup looks I’ll need to achieve?
There’s no shortage of eyeshadow palettes out there, so grab any one with the word “nude” in the name, and you’re set. Pack one neutral lipstick for day and a bright or vampy shade for evening. When it comes to cheeks, you cannot go wrong with the new Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette ($67, sephora.ca), which houses three versatile, soft-focus blush shades (pink, peach and plum) in one sleek case that will coordinate with your look, regardless of which direction you go in. The blushes are a blend of coloured pigments and photoluminescent finishing powders for an effect that isn’t heavy or overstated, just soft and lit from within.
. If your lips are inflamed in any way due to colder temperatures or dry, harsh winds, then try using an intensive product on a regular basis, such as Polysporin Visible Lip Health Daily Hydration Therapy ($8, well.ca). This emollient balm contains beeswax, glycerin, sesame seed oil and cocoa butter to lock moisture into lips while healing existing ailments like cuts or sores. Given the emollient nature of this balm, consider embracing shine instead of matte lips for the time being. Tip: if you opt for a gloss, dispense the product on your hand and apply to lips with a brush or finger in order to avoid contaminating your cosmetics.
What can I use to soothe really tired eyes?
Whether it’s studying too much or staring at your smartphone for too long (who isn’t guilty of this?!), eyes that are overworked can ache from exhaustion. Soothe the surrounding areas with a calming product like Ole Henriksen Ultimate Lift Eye Gel ($52, sephora.ca). This new gel has recently been reformulated and repackaged for higher efficacy and easier use. It contains a laundry list of beneficial components such as: hyaluronic acid, aloe, calendula extract, glycerin and cucumber extract, among others. All this translates to eyes that are comforted by hydrating and soothing ingredients that will actually make eyes look well-rested by morning. As always, stash it in the fridge for added soothing effect and note that a little dab goes a very long way, meaning this jar will last you a while.
I know cocktailing products is popular, but is there anything I can use that will address all my skincare concerns in one go?
If you feel your skin has multiple concerns to tend to, it can be quite challenging---and costly---to address each issue individually with different products or treatments. If you’re confused by the endless options out there, streamlining your skincare routine is an option to consider and there’s a new do-it-all wonder product for you. Philosophy No Reason To Hide Multi-Imperfection Transforming Serum ($85, sephora.ca) contains ingredients like concentrated niacinamide, vitamin C, daisy and licorice extracts, salicylic acid and bisabolol that work simultaneously to brighten skintone, correct uneven pigmentation, smooth any rough texture and reduce redness and inflammation, which effectively makes this the lazy girl’s loophole to awesome skin.
My hair is rough and hard to manage when I heat-style it. What can I use to make the whole process run a little smoother?
Hair can become hard to manage from excess heat styling, colour processing or harsh environmental conditions (sun exposure is particularly frying), so these factors should definitely influence how much you deep-condition your hair. In addition to upping your deep conditioning frequency, try using Kérastase’s latest hair-taming marvel, Discipline Spray Fluidissime ($54, kerastase.ca) when you heat-style your hair. It can be used on dry or damp hair, and it reduces the amount of friction that occurs when you’re combing or brushing your hair thanks to a smoothing polymer that forms a film over the surface of the hair fibres, resulting in a smoother finish with a lot less struggle.
I’m going to be traveling a lot for business and pleasure, so what can I pack to address the different makeup looks I’ll need to achieve?
There’s no shortage of eyeshadow palettes out there, so grab any one with the word “nude” in the name, and you’re set. Pack one neutral lipstick for day and a bright or vampy shade for evening. When it comes to cheeks, you cannot go wrong with the new Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette ($67, sephora.ca), which houses three versatile, soft-focus blush shades (pink, peach and plum) in one sleek case that will coordinate with your look, regardless of which direction you go in. The blushes are a blend of coloured pigments and photoluminescent finishing powders for an effect that isn’t heavy or overstated, just soft and lit from within.){kind=link}