It was a wild year (see my last two posts!) with an abundance of the months spent at home with far too much time to contemplate things I've enjoyed this year. I mostly draft these thoughts while nursing, which is a good chunk of my day, so I've had time to ponder what I've actually been enjoying lately...here it comes. Another basic favourites post as if it's still 2010!
I'm generally a scrub fan (OUAI's Scalp and Body Scrub is a staple in my million-step process of my weekly hair wash), but I've dabbled in exfoliating bar soap before from Tatcha. It had very gentle grit, barely noticeable in its impact and always left my skin feeling a little tight. After using this bar a few times, I understood why I liked its semi-aggressive grit. The biodegradable bamboo powder offers a solid level of abrasion on the skin that salt- or sugar-based scrubs don't because the salt or sugar crystals tend to melt and dissolve almost immediately in water. The bamboo powder seems to hold up when running the bar along damp limbs and the solid bar format hasn't melted away from residual water exposure. It is possible to overdo it when it comes to applying pressure while scrubbing with this bar, so go easy on yourself. The scent is the same as all other Body Hero products, with the bar offering major fragrance throw in your shower. You better love the Body Hero scent if you're committing to this product. It has left my usually scaly skin quite even and soft. I do follow up with a body moisturizer because it's winter and I live in Ontario. Enough said. I'd repurchase to use on heels alone since it's subbing in well between pedicures (thank you, lockdown #2). Did you know Glossier is on Rakuten now? Get that cash back, honey.
Deodorant is a funny thing. I previously wrote about going green with my deodorant choices during pregnancy. I was reading the label of my Drunk Elephant deodorant and noted that mandelic acid was to credit for the formula's odor-fighting ability. Instead of sticking to the almond-scented formula, I started googling to learn more about the cult of people using acids as deodorant...and then I started doing it myself to discover it really works. I still use the Drunk Elephant deodorant if I'm topping up midday, but ultimately start with this serum on clean, dry skin after showering. Bonus: no ingrown hairs and my underarms are smooth and hydrated. Worth giving it a whirl if you're tired of trying endless natural deodorants that don't really work well, especially given how reasonably priced this serum is verus many of the alternatives out there. Note: I'm still contending with hormones as I'm a few months postpartum, so it takes a lot to battle body odour these days and this serum does the trick.
I dug this up to use on our baby girl after noticing a few dry patches on her arms. We aren't dealing with anything overly scaly or concerning, but rough to the touch compared to her surrounding baby-soft skin, so I figured her current bath products may not be hydrating enough for her skin (I've always found castile soap very drying; that's what we were using before). Fortunately, her skin has responded very well to this range (we use the wash and body lotion), which is approved for use with babies as young as two weeks of age. The shea butter definitely helps soothe her skin and keep it hydrated. I don't think La Roche Posay is on the radar for new parents, but I've always had a positive experience with everything I've tried over the years (and I'm counting down the days until I can recommit to my all-time favourite retinol)...all in all, the Lipikar range has worked well for us! Check it out if dry skin is really plaguing you.
A friend gifted this unassuming lip balm to me when she was expecting, about a year before I was on my own pregnancy journey. When someone claims a lip balm is the best, I think I have a healthy level of skepticism because superlatives are so subjective. That being said, I bow down to this lip balm. I stocked up at a local shop that focuses on greener brands (the by-product of living in a hippie town) and adore how clean the ingredients are (sunflower seed oil, coconut oil, olive oil, shea butter... you get the picture) and how smooth and nourishing the formula is without feeling greasy. It wears well under lip colours (not that I've been wearing lip colours much, let's be honest) and has basically kicked the ass of all other balms in my life, and it's reasonably priced versus many other balms I've tried in my day (I think I paid $11 CAD for my last stick). I now have one in my bathroom and in my purse, which I can't say I've ever bothered doing with any other lip balm before (buying multiples for different areas of my life). Get into it.
Honourable mention for makeup in these unprecedented times:
I had been stalking this gel lip tint for a while in its original shade, Bisou, but always figured it would appear a little too dark on my already-pigmented lips. It wasn't something I was willing to take the gamble on (not a big buy-and-return person in these times when that would mean sorting out return shipping, etc.). When this shade dropped, I felt even more compelled to try it since it has a pinkier undertone and is a bit more rosy than its redder/burgundy counterpart. It was love at first swipe, offering a my-lips-but-better colour with a bit more flexibility in terms of building up the shade. I also love that it's a gel stain, so it wore well under masks without transferring like crazy. It's not drying, it doesn't fade in a weird way, it's not sticky (I wear the aforementioned balm lightly dabbed on before applying this)...it doesn't transfer to my kid's face when I kiss her. Big fan!
