Loving Lately - May 2015

May has been an absolute blur, very much a blink-and-miss-it month. I turned 28 this month and spent the long weekend celebrating, first with friends and then with family. I also took a quick jaunt to Vancouver, which is so lush and beautiful, it's sometimes hard to believe it's a part of Canada (I consider the vast majority of this country to be dull tundra). It's been a busy few weeks, but I feel like school has calmed down and I'm at peace. Maybe I've just watched the ending of Mad Men too many times. In any case, on to the standout products of May:

Deborah Lippmann Cuticle Lab

A particularly unsexy way to start this post, but I've been a bit caught up in my nails this month for all the wrong reasons. I can't even begin to harp on about the sahara state of my cuticles. I saw this on sephora.ca and marched over to the store to buy it. While this is $48 CAD, I must point out that Deborah Lippman's award-winning The Cure cuticle cream is $29 CAD in itself and a full size of that SKU is in this set, so it kind of sweetens the value a bit. I'm very into the cuticle pusher tool included and the Cuticle Remover works well (I suppose they all do, but believe it or not, I didn't actually *own* cuticle remover before this set!). The Cuticle Oil is a coconut dream, which is awesome because I find apricot oil-based cuticle treatments cloying. The Cure cuticle cream is honestly worth the hype. Its claim to fame is that it contains patented raspberry stem cells. Not sure if that's what I'm hooked on, or if it's all the other good stuff in here (red algae, shea butter, hyaluronate, vitamins A/C/E), or perhaps it's the floral smell... either way, it works fast, absorbs quickly and makes cuticles look picture perfect. Get into it.

Sunny Destination Travel Essentials

I was fortunate to escape the cold for 7 days this month to scurry off to Samaná in Dominican Republic with my boyfriend. Pretty sure the cold snap ended as soon as we left, but the tropical weather in Samaná was a welcomed reprieve after the unfathomably cold winter we just endured in Toronto.

As I mentioned in my last post, I planned on packing mostly sunscreens; I wound up only wearing makeup two nights of the entire trip. Here are the products I donned daily to protect against the sun during the day and rehydrate at night.

Supergoop! Sun-Defying Sunscreen Oil with Meadowfoam SPF 50

I like sunscreen oils, which were barely a category up until a couple years ago. Traditionally, oil + sun = human roast, but that's not the case anymore. Last summer, I wrote about L'Oreal's Sublime Sun SPF Oil and how much I adored it, and I think I actually might like this Supergoop! version more. It's a bittersweet discovery though, because I don't even know if it's possible to get it in Canada without paying an arm/leg + duties. Fun fact: I did some digging and can confirm that Supergoop! is reformulating and repackaging to meet the stringent rules we have in Canada regarding sun protection, but will be relaunching in due time this year. On with the review: I find the Supergoop! version dries down much faster than the L'Oreal oil and it just feels like moisturizer, no sunscreen residue or even oily residue at all, since the formula absorbs quickly. The formula is full of antioxidants to fight off free radical damage that sun exposure causes, and meadowfoam hydrates skin beautifully. The 1 oz size was included in last spring's Sephora Sun Safety kit, so it was perfect to take along and try out last week. I'll definitely be stocking up on my next trip to the states. Semi-related sidebar rave-rant: I love Supergoop!'s SPF wipes and curse the day they were discontinued.

Weekend Roadtrip Essentials

I headed up north to Muskoka this past weekend for the first time in nine years. Here's a handful of products I found indispensable during my stay! 

Gillette Venus Snap

How cute is this thing?! When I first saw it, I sort of thought, "How hard can it be to pack a razor and a handle instead of using this little thing?" But the case of this shaver has proven to be pretty practical when traveling this summer. This shaver is around $17, fits any Venus razor (it comes with one when you buy it) and the case is aerated, so your razor will dry properly even if you have to pack up immediately after using it. These types of things matter to me, as a razor that stays in a wet environment can harbour bacteria. Handy dandy hair removal!

La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5

This stuff is an all-around do-gooder. It's a product to keep on hand, because once you do, you'll find endless uses for it. It speeds up healing, thanks to vitamin B5, making it practical for cuts, scrapes, burns, dry patches, bug bites, irritated skin....anything that ails your skin will almost inevitably find solace from a dab of this thick cream. I'm on my third tube and it only launched just under a year ago -- testament to a product!

Bath & Body Works White Citrus Travel-size Products

Regardless of where I stay, I don't rely on the room toiletries to give my skin what it wants. Hotel soap is annoyingly drying; body washes definitely are better, but if I'm not into the scent, I'm less likely to use it. I threw these two minis in my bag and they've been in high use since I placed them in the bathroom as soon as we reached. The shower gel removes sunscreen effectively, leaving behind a bit of scent and the lotion builds on the same scent, but neither are cloying. Would pick these two up again in a heartbeat.

L'Oreal Sublime Sun Invisible Protection Oil SPF 50

This is the US version of the Sublime Sun SPF oil that launched here in Canada this year, but I'm pretty sure they're effectively the same product in different packaging with diff SPF levels. I absolutely love this stuff. I bought it on a whim last summer and haven't looked back. The idea of a protective sunscreen oil may seem so counterintuitive after years of people essentially roasting themselves with baby oil (I'm cringing as I type this and thinking of Kramer roasting himself with butter in that ep of Seinfeld), but it actually works very well. This oil is water-resistant, hydrating, non-sticky, absorbs quickly and smells fantastic. The whole Sublime Sun range is, well, sublime (I've been using the BB facial sunscreen and SPF mousse plenty  this summer as well), so be sure to give it a gander next time you're in the drugstore.

The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Hand Cleanse Gel

This was actually included in a rather thoughtful welcome kit (primarily full of snacks) that each family received as they arrived at the resort this weekend. It was a practical idea. They gave us food, and sanitizing is logical beforehand. Also: weddings mean introductions and handshakes anytime anyone new comes into the picture. Also: I'm Indian. We eat with our hands a lot. Need I say more? I always prefer washing my hands properly with soap and water, but when that's not an option at any given moment, this'll do, and I really like the citrusy slap this hand sanitizer gives me.

Also pictured: prescription sunglasses with polarized lenses, because boating/driving can do a number on the eyes. Don't forget to wear shades for UV protection!

I can't believe how quickly the summer is going, as it's already mid-July. I hope everyone is enjoying it as much as possible! Wear lots of sunscreen and have fun, y'all!

Travel Bits

I recently escaped the cold for a brief jaunt to sunny Arizona. Here are some products I used on the daily (if not multiple times a day) while traveling! 

Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré

This product alternative title is apparently "24-hour Miracle Cream", and I'm thinking that's a substantial claim, but not one that I'm really going to argue with. I first started using this when I heard about it in a Pixiwoo video and then stumbled upon it at Ricky's NYC. I'm pretty into the texture and hydrating properties (shea butter, beeswax, aloe vera, soy protein), though I'm not wild about the packaging. The metal tube is pretty beat up, as it's my go-to travel moisturizer. I figured it'd be a great contender for any airplane dryness I'd face (boo HISS @ connecting flights), and it was.

SkinCeuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50

It's a daily staple, not just a travel necessity, and frankly, sunscreen ought to be a daily staple for all y'all! This is an incredibly lightweight titanium dioxide/zinx oxide formula that absorbs quickly with no greasy residue at all. If you're at all averse to sunscreen greasiness of yesteryear, try this formula to have any and all of your sunscreen apprehension dramatically shift to complete and utter love. This one won't leave any whitish cast on your skin, so it's great for any and all skin tones. It's a needed product in your daily routine. Also: this sunscreen wears beautifully under makeup!

Nivea Sun Lip Care SPF 30

As I've mentioned, I have unusually pigmented lips, and time in the sun makes the edges of my mouth much darker. My go-to tinted balms that contain SPF usually melt in no time in heat (sorry,  Fresh Sugar Lip Tint), so I avoided carrying them in my bag for touch-ups or taking them with me when traveling. For sunscreen protection without a tint, I packed this Nivea stick, which is comfortable to wear thanks to vitamin E and sunflower extracts.

Benefit The Big Easy

A newcomer to the Benefit range and a totally welcomed addition to my warm weather face routine, this lightweight foundation formula adjusts to match your skintone (though there are multiple shades in the range to begin with), goes from a creamy liquid to a matte, powder-like finish and contains SPF 35. What's not to like about this?

Chloé Eau de Parfum (mini)

Nabbed a mini of this perfectly summery EDP as a Sephora VIB Rouge deluxe sample and have thoroughly enjoyed both wearing it and admiring the adorable nature of the teensy bottle. The pink peony, rose and amber notes are unusually appealing to me, a not-so-floral fragrance lover. Reminder: I like mini beauty things.

Jo Malone Vitamin E Nourishing Hand Treatment

I can't say I love decanting products too much for travel purposes. I seem to buy endless amounts of travel-size containers for this exact purpose and they all seem to collectively suck because they all end up being the containers that leak endless inside my Ziploc bag. No bueno. Every hand cream I had in my arsenal seemed to be 2+ ounces, so I was amped when this sample surfaced in a drawer. I've had a number of these over the years, and the smell now reminds me of air travel (in a good way - and yes, I do think that's a thing!), and it really does an excellent job of hydrating, softening and soothing hands. Well worth the full size purchase!