exfoliant

It's cold enough outside now that I don't mind talking about the holidays - it sure is starting to feel like winter!  Which is good because a line I adore, La Mer has introduced their holiday offerings - love them !

The Lip Balm - $65 - goes glam for the holidays with a classy silver toned cap.  Fortified with a potent concentration of La Mer's original Miracle Broth, this balm will soften roughness on contact, relieve discomfort and help seriously dry lips.  Perfect for the lip balm addict on your shopping list!
The Essential Body Collection - $340 - La Mer's signature body treatments all together in one happy place:  The Body Refiner - 200ml, The Body Crème - 200ml, The Hand Treatment - 30ml, and The Lip Balm - 9g Anyone (including yourself) would be thrilled to receive this!
The Luxury Essentials - $505 - For someone you really like (like yourself), all the essentials of life in one place: Crème de la Mer - 30ml, The Eye Concentrate - 15ml and The Regenerating Serum - 9ml
The Hand Treatment - $100 - the perfect gift for those impossible to buy for people, who doesn't love an ultra luxe hand cream?!

Sets are available in limited quantities and you can find everything here at Holt Renfrew.

Does skincare really have to be complicated to be effective?  According to Dr. Lancer, a renowned Beverly Hills dermatologist to the stars, the answer to that is a resounding NO! It's for this reason that he developed a simple 3 step daily program with products that promise to bring medical grade improvements in fine lines, texture, discolouration and pore size in roughly a week.  Here is what the three step products are:

STEP 1: Polish - Natural Sea Minerals - 60g - $50 - collagen stimulating exfoliator enhanced with magnesium oxide crystals - the directions tell you to use daily or every other day but I found the scrub quite abrasive so that seems like too much to me, I wouldn't use it more then 1 or 2 times a week!  It did do a nice job and the scrub didn't have any sharp pieces, it was scrubby, but smooth scrubby!

STEP 2: Cleanse - Extremely Pure and Detoxifying - 118ml - $50 -this was my favourite product out of the three - it did an excellent job of cleansing my skin without stripping it and I love the botanical smell!  It did a great job of removing makeup (other then eye makeup) so it was suitable for both day and night.

STEP 3: Repair - AM/PM Nourishment - 60g - $100 - full of all kinds of anti-wrinkle and skin firming peptides as well as algae and green tea extracts, Vitamin A & E which combined are meant to increase skin firmness, diminish the appearance of lines and wrinkles and nourish skin.  This is quite a rich skin which can be used day and night but because I was using it during warm weather, I found it too heavy for day and just used it at night - during the winter though I think this would be a great day cream too.

If you are looking to pare down your skincare routine, this isn't a bad choice - I used the products for 2 months and I did notice that the texture of my skin was very nice and smooth, my fine lines were also improved (as they will be when you use any good quality cream) but I didn't notice any change to my pore size - to be fair, I'm not pore obsessed and don't find them particularly large to begin with!  Other then the scrub, I would totally recommend these products for daily use!

If you aren't looking to streamline your routine but would still like to try the LANCERx line, don't worry, there are lots of other products available to compliment these ones!  You can check out: www.lancerdermatology.com to view the whole line or purchase these products.

Kevin Murphy Maxi.Wash - 250ml - $25 - a detoxifying shampoo that removes unwanted product residue and excess oil that can build up in your hair.  It deep cleaning brightens your limp or dull hair as well as balances sebum production.  Contains a herbal blend of lime, mint and eucalyptus to remove excess oil and tropical fruit acids and anti pollution agents to deeply cleanse your hair, while sage extracts dissolve the fats and oils.  I was told that the first time I used this, not to expect it to lather and that I would probably need to use it a second time and then it would, once all of the buildup was out of my hair and that's exactly what happened - you would not believe how clean my hair felt after using this!  It's not an everyday shampoo, you just use it once or twice a week - I will be investing in a full size of this one!  You can find Kevin Murphy products at various salons across Canada - go here to find the one closest to you.

Soap & Glory Scrub Your Nose In it - 115ml - $12.99 - not only is it an exfoliator, it can also do double duty as a mask!  It contains: diatomaceous earth - a highly refined and purified earth "dirt" that gently lifts dead cells and debris while scrubbing the skin and stimulation circulation; montmorillite clay - a soft, white purified clay that absorbs excess oils; and super fruit acids - to dissolve the glue that makes dead cells stick to the surface of the skin. I'm pretty picky when it comes to face scrubs - don't like apricot ones or the like because they use ground up pieces of apricot or fruit seeds which can have sharp edges and I find that sugar and salt scrubs, although great for the body, too harsh for my face.  Dirt is obviously the perfect solution to this issue because I really like this scrub!  It has the perfect amount of "scrubbiness" without being harsh or irritating.  I also tried using it as a mask on one of my oily breakout days and it did a decent job of de-shining me and making my skin feel nice and smooth.  Soap & Glory is available at Shoppers Drug Mart.

THANN Aromatherapy Salt Scrub - 450g - $49.50 - it comes in several different scents including Aromatic Wood which I tried.  It's a kind of masculine smell, which I didn't mind and if you were looking for a scrub for your guy but he complained that they all smell too girly, you should turn him on to this one.  The scrub contains moisturizing rice bran oil, exfoliating sea salt and plant essential oils: orange oil containing natural AHA clarifies and moisturizes the skin while nutmeg oil stimulates circulation.

If you are one of my hometown girls from Ottawa then you are lucky to have the flagship store right there at 312 Richmond Road - 613-216-2390 - everyone else can find it online at www.thann.ca

Vichy Podexine Kerato-Reducing Scrub - 75ml - $17.95 - the alumina micro-crystals in this scrub are 150x harder than the particles found in traditional scrubs to take care of irregularities, roughness or calluses.  This is a heavy duty scrub suitable for people with super serious foot issues so I figured that it would find my slightly flaky feet a breeze!  The scrub is abrasive but in the good way that you expect from a foot scrub - I wouldn't want to use this on my legs like they do when I have a pedicure at the spa though - it would tear them up!  The only thing I wish it had was the nice minty smell that I like in a foot product, but it really has no smell at all.

Nip + Fab is the new skincare line created by Maria Hatzistefanis - the founder of Rodial, and I'm pleased to tell you, Nib + Fab is a lot more affordable then Rodial is!

It's a clinically tested range for the face and body that delivers 11 targeted treatments and are crammed with breakthrough natural and technologically advanced skin smoothing, boosting and firming ingredients.  Here's what's in the lineup:


Clean Fix Facial Cleansing Oil - 120ml - $11.95 - a multi-purpose 2-in-1 cleanser and make-up remover that gently removes daily dirt, grime and all traces of make-up, even stubborn mascara.  Enriched with skin caring essential oils including neroli oil to soften and rejuvenate the skin and calming mandarin for it's purifying, decongesting properties - it cleanses without disrupting the skin's natural balance.
Scrub Fix Facial Polish - 50ml - $13.95 - a triple action facial micro-exfoliant that exfoliates, stimulates and gives your skin a natural glow.  Contains bamboo micro-particles to refine, polish and maintain moisture levels, salicylic acid to resurface and brighten the complexion and plant-based polysaccharides to renew and decongest.
Moisture Fix Facial Daily Moisturiser - 50ml - $19.95 - specially formulated with hyaluronic acid filling spheres which bind up to 1000 times their weight in water to visibly fill and plump the skin, noticeably smoothing fine lines and wrinkles.  Contains grape seed oil for its mild astringent qualities to help tighten, tone and improve the sin's elasticity, meadowfoam seed oil to help fight the signs of aging and protect against everyday environmental stresses as well as jojoba seed oil, evening primrose oil, rose hip oil, glycerin, lanolin and mica.
Lip + Nip Fix Healing Multi-Purpose Balm - 15ml - $9.95 - a rich, soothing, healing balm that is perfect for use on the lips, nipples and any other dry damaged area of your skin.  Contains pure lanolin, renowned for its ability to prevent moisture loss, repair the skin's natural barrier, protect against environmental aggressors, soothe irritation and it has hypoallergenic/bacteriostatic properties.
Eye Fix Brightening Concealer - 2ml - $11.95 - 2-in-1 eye cream and concealer in a twist pen form that is enriched with hydrating, plumping hyaluronic acid, softening glycerin and cucumber extract to reduce the appearance of puffiness.  Also contains light reflecting particles to hide imperfections and dark circles.
Shower Fix Cleansing Shower Oil - 200ml - $15.95 - enriched with gentle oils which cleanse, nourish and protect the skin's natural moisture balance and toning as well as mandarin renowned for its ability to activate circulation and refine fine lines.
Multi-Fix Oil Skin Healing Oil - 100ml - $14.95 - contains bio lipids to target scars and stretch marks, borage oil to nourish and moisturise, safflower oil to replenish and soften and blackcurrant seed oil renowned for its brightening and lightening properties.
Cellulite Fix Body Sculpting Gel - 150ml - $19.95 - contains CellActive - SHAPE - a complex enriched with a powerful combination of Indian forskolin, natural caffeine and the Essential Cell Boost-Factor to activate fat breakdown, promote the removal of waste substances and improve tissue firmness.
Bust Fix Plumping Treatment - 100ml - $17.95 - a high performance bust serum to visibly plump, smooth and firm the skin around the bust and decollete - perfect for skin which has lost its elasticity.  Contains CellActive - FORM - a plant-based complex of active ingredients which support the natural process of lipid deposition, lending fullness to the bust, it will reshape the contours of the cleavage area to optimally accentuate.
Dry Leg Fix Instant Leg Smoother - 100ml - $12.95 - an intensive balm to immediately smooth dry, flaky skin and nourish with a moisturising and restructuring hydra concept called Aquaxyl - which boasts scientifically substantiated benefits to improve the water reserves in the skin, limit water loss and visually improve the surface of the skin.
Tummy Fix Daily Ab Toner - 100ml - $19.95 - to help tone, smooth, tighten and slim the tummy area. Created with a revolutionary formula AmaraShape - a highly effective combination of fat burning actives to refine body contours such as waist, thighs, buttocks and hips.  With active substances of caffeine and synephrine - which both activate the breakdown of lipids in fat cells of the body fat tissue.

Check out your local Shoppers Drug Mart to get your Nip + Fab fix!

Biotherm Celluli Laser S.Code - 200ml - $55 - we all know that the stomach is the hardest place to lose weight, particularly difficult because fat cells on the stomach store fat much more quickly than other parts of the body and are less responsive to exercise. Celluli Laser S. Code is a smoothing and firming treatment designed to specifically target cellulite-prone areas and the loss of firmness of the skin on the stomach-waist area. Adiposvelty to the rescue! - a patented compound containing caffeine, pomegranate see oil and lotus extract, activates one of the identified processes of physical effort in stubborn abdominal fat cells, therefore mimicking the act of moderate physical exercise.  Studies showed up to 9cm loss on the side and front and a 22% increase in firmness.
You all know how obsessed I am with slimming creams so keep an eye out for my review of this.
Pür Minerals Work It Off Exfoliating Serum - 30ml - $32 - has an exfoliating action (vitamin A and salicylic acid) which gently lifts away surface impurities and naturally moisturizes the skin thanks to its natural hydrating and antioxidants (vitamins C & E) enriched multivitamin formula.
Halle Berry Reveal - 30ml - $35 - top notes of juicy peach, honey dew melon, Mimosa flower and red berries; heart notes of Plumeria flower, Iris Blossom and Neroli petals; and base notes of Vetyver, cashmere woods and skin musk - you might not be able to look at good as Halle, but at least you can smell as good!
TRESemme Climate Control line - helps create a barrier between your hair and the weather, maintaining shiny, soft and halthy-looking hair without worrying about frizz. - Shampoo or Conditioner - 400ml - $6.49 - formulated with olive oil and keratin which improves shine and softness, conditions and strengthens hair; Extra Hold Mousse - 350ml - $5.99 - polymers help hold styles in high humidity and keeps hair glossy and smooth; Extra Hold Finishing Spray - 350ml - $5.99 - with keratin, olive oil and UV blockers to keep hair vibrant and shiny without leaving hair sticky or stiff.
Annabelle 4SHOW Eyeshadows - $9.95 - in four collections: Vivid-Eye, Black-Eye, Tiger-Eye, Pop-Eye - highly pigmented colours that can be used wet or dry.
Volumelip Lip Plumping Gloss - $8.50 - in four new shades: Coralicious, So Sanguine, Plum(p)tastic, Au Currant - plumping without the painful tingle while it stimulates collagen production and provides maximum hydration as well, it reduces lip furrows and improves overall lip texture.  Over a few weeks of daily use, it softens lips and provides a plumping effect for more luscious and fuller lips.  In addition, vitamin E gives the gloss softening and antioxidant properties.

Clarins Skin Illusion Foundation SPF10 - 30ml - $42 - in six shades: 103 Ivory, 105 Nude, 107 Beige, 109 Wheat, 110 Honey, 112 Amber - has a Light-Optimizing+ Complex to capture, diffuse and intensify light immediately.  Fine lines and wrinkles are smoothed away for an even, radiant complexion. Contains a Silicium mineral extract to hydrate a nd tone the skin and deliver a feeling of suppleness and comfort as well as a plant-based micro-patch that acts like a reservoir providing time-release hydration to keep skin supple, replenished and comfortable all day long.
Soap & Glory Mist You Madly range - not new, but new to me - they arrived last month but got shoved  in with the other products so it wasn't until I took a close look that I realized they were new products! Available in the range are: Mist You Madly Body Spray - 250ml - $11.99, Clean, Girls Body Wash - 500ml - $9.99, The Daily Smooth Body Butter - with rosehip seed oil and cocoa butter - 250ml - $14.99 and Scrub 'Em and Leave 'Em Body Buff - with babassu oil and sea salt - 300ml - $14.99 - the Mist You Madly scent they all have is lovely with top notes of citrus, bergamot, mandarin, jasmine and freesia on a mix of musks, sandalwood, vanilla and amber.
Rimmel London Match Perfection Foundation - $11.49 - blends seamlessly for undetectable coverage that goes on smooth and lasts all day.  Available in eight shades: Ivory, True Ivory, Warm Ivory, Soft Beige, Classic Beige, Sand, Nude, Warm Sand
Concealer - $8.99- 2-in-1 concealer and highlighter that adapts to your skin tone - in three shades: Ivory, Classic Beige, Soft Beige
Marc Jacobs LOLA Purse Spray - 20ml - $69 - refillable EDP comes in the most adorable casing and if you don't have a purse already, it comes with one of those too!

Serious Skin Detailer - $59.95 - a complete, age-defying facial that identifies and finely details-out all aspects of visually aging skin.  It layers three specialized formulations to systematically: micro-peel and evacuate pores with skin brightening acids; flood the skin with effective antioxidants and nurturing skin hydrators and soothers; and draw-in and close-tight squeaky-clean pores for a tightened and unbelievably smooth appearance. After just one use, your skin will look and feel noticeably different.  Perfect to use before a special event and/or as part of your weekly beauty regime.

When I saw this set came with a little dish and brush, I knew right away that I would love it - skincare that comes with little dishes or brushes or that I have to mix together myself is my kryptonite - it makes me feel like a skin scientist or something - I know, I'm so easy to please!  Despite all of the different products, it's very easy to use - all you do is add a dropper and a half of the step 1 bottle into the dish and then brush it all over your face and jaw line.  Wash out the dish and brush while you wait 3 minutes then add a dropper and a half of the step 2 bottle into the dish and brush that right over the first layer.  Wait another 3 minutes and wash it all off with a damp washcloth.  Immediately after removing steps 1 and 2, apply a mask of step 3 all over and let it set for 3-5 minutes - remove with a damp washcloth and splash clean with cool water. Then prepare yourself for super soft skin - it will be hard to resist constantly touching your face!

The product name really makes me laugh, and when I use it, I can't help but think of myself as a car being detailed.  I haven't quite decided what kind of car though, am I a flashy sportscar? An import?  Anything but a minivan!

Now I don't have sensitive skin or anything but I did notice that the area around my nose where I tend to be slightly sensitive tingled when using this product so I would recommend doing a patch test first if you are concerned.  Also keep in mind that this product may make your skin more sensitive to the sun so be certain you wear sunscreen if you are going out afterwards.  I probably wouldn't use this right before a special event as suggested because my skin was slightly red for about an hour after using, also when my skin feels that clean, I hate to put makeup on it!

You can find the Serious Skin line at The Shopping Channel - www.theshoppingchannel.com

Kibio Soft Scrubbing Cream - 50ml - $22 - a creamy foam with a sweet almond fragrance that gently scrubs and refines the skin's texture.  Contains apricot kernel powder to gently refine the skin's surface, verbena floral water to soften and soothe and bitter almond essential oil for fragrance.  It's 98.7% natural and 89.2% organic and what makes it really environmentally friendly is the jar it comes in which is made from 100% recycled glass.

I wasn't sure that I was going to like it as I'm used to using gels but it's such a  light cream and feels so soft that I couldn't help but love it - the smell is really nice - fresh and sweet - too!

Available at selected Shoppers Drug Mart stores.


Lise Watier Skin Radiance Smoothing Exfoliating Gel - 75ml - $27 - for normal/combo skin - with grapefruit and jojoba, it smells good and feels great! It's scruby without being harsh and rinses off really easily.  If you have dry skin and prefer a cream exfoliant - they have one of those too!
Olay Total Effects 7-in1 Anti-Aging Cleanser Refreshing Citrus Scrub - 192ml - $14.99 -more than just a scrub it also: thoroughly cleanses, minimizes the appearance of pores, brightens skin's appearance, gently exfoliates, smooths skin's texture and minimizes the appearance of lines.  The scrub itself is super mild so if you like to scrub every day, this would be a great choice - what I love most about it... the smell!  It's super citrusy!
Biotherm Biosource Clarifying Exfoliating Gel - 75ml - $30 - for normal/combo skin - enriched with mineral salts and essential trace elements, it provides two-way exfoliation in order to cleanse the face deep down for a more radiant complexion - it has a nice clean scent, a light texture and just the right amount of scrub to it.  There's a cream version as well for dry skin.

With all the scrubbing I do it's a wonder that there's any skin left on my face!  Have a favourite scrub that I need to try - do tell!