I could make up another excuse as to why I haven’t put together any posts other than the occasional empties but I’m not going to. Instead, here are some of my favourite products as the weather has changed and fall has finally made an appearance. In the northeast, we had an unprecedented hot and humid summer and it was a long one, and here are the products I’ve been leaning on as the weather changes and my skin has been freaking out and my hair needs have changed.
Verb Curl Shampoo ($22-$27 CDN | 355 mLs)
I’ve mentioned before that doing yoga is essential to my well being and several times a week it gets sweaty and I only like to wash my hair twice a week — and that is dictated when my hair starts to feel gross and my scalp gets itchy — so I often rely on products that can lead to build up on my hair in order to last through these workouts with just minimal refreshing. This has been the happy medium between (and kind of both) a gentle-sulfate free shampoo and something with a little more grit to get my scalp happy and nice and clarified. It’s mildly sudsy while still being creamy and busts well through buildup, with ingredients to both remove hard water buildup, silicones, oils or humidity-resistant ingredients (and sweat). It does contain a water-soluble silicone and amodimethicone but that doesn’t pose as an issue for me because I’m a shampoo-er who does clarify, and it keeps it gentle and creamy. It also seems to be helping with warding off that dry itchy scalp I’m prone to as the weather gets cooler.
Briogeo Curl Charisma Rice Amino + Shea Curl Defining Conditioner ($38 CDN | 236 mLs)
I’ve been loving this conditioner to both give my hair the slip and moisture it needs while being lightweight enough to encourage my mixture of waves and curls to bounce up, despite being desperately in need of a haircut (it’s been booked!). The overall formulation is lightweight but it contains some great slip ingredient — tangling is the bane of my existence –, rice extract, shea butter, avocado oil and rice/keratin amino acids. I find the protein gives some structure and curl enhancement to my hair and the shea butter and other nourishing ingredients help with the juicy curl clumps. Another thing I love is that I don’t have to use a ton to get the results I want in my fine to medium but high density and high porosity hair.
Curlsmith Curl Defining Styling Souffle ($36 CDN | 237 mLs)
I feel weird including this product in a seasonal favourites post because I’ve listed it time and time again as an all-time favourite over the last two three years, but fall-time is when I’m reminded by how much I love it. It heavily relies on film forming humectants for its medium buildable hold which aren’t quite enough during the uber-humid (and long) summer we had and it’s great for forming bouncy curls that last and stay moisturized/protected. It contains a fair amount of oil, which means it will require some sort of shampooing to remove, but it helps to seal higher porosity hair, locking in moisture and curl clumps. There’s also something special that the irish moss and flaxseed does for creating juicy ringlets.
Bumble and Bumble Bond-Building Repair Oil Serum ($61 CDN | 48 mL)
As someone with high porosity hair that tends to transform in humidity, sealing with a hair oil is a priority for me and I’ve been loving this one, both after the hair is completely dry to help scrunch out whatever cast is left and on days after to smooth out my waves and curls, minimize frizz and maintain moisture. It’s silicone-free and is moisturizing but relatively lightweight, with an interesting milk texture and contains some interesting oils and bond-reinforcing ingredients and honey. It’s neither heavy nor is so lightweight that I find myself going through it overly quickly.
Paula’s Choice Skin Recovery Hydrating Treatment Mask ($29 US | 118 mL)
It’s not my first rodeo with this product, however, I forgot just how much moisturizing mask you get for your money and how great it is for raw irritated angry-skin-barrier eczema skin. It never burns, you get so much product and it really helps to heal barrier function. It’s thick but cosmetically elegant enough that it works underneath makeup when things are looking tight and flaky and contains some really nice plant oils, fatty acids and other barrier replenishing ingredients.
Charlotte Tilbury Rock n Kohl in Bedroom Black ($37 CDN)
While it’s true that I wear makeup less often that I’ve gotten older and my confidence (and skin) have gotten much better, there’s something about eyeliner that makes me feel a million times better. And this is the best one I’ve found so far for the waterline and my needs in general. I tend to do a bit of a wing with liquid but I find that the darkness in the upper waterline makes the biggest difference for making me look awake and just looking like my best self. This sharpen-able pencil has made it super easy for me as it transfers dark to my sensitive waterline with minimal pressure, doesn’t transfer to my bottom waterline, stays precise and doesn’t dry out. It also doesn’t irritate my sensitive eyes which has been divine; it also does not smudge noticeably on my oilier eyelids — how do I have oily eyelids with such dry skin still? — nor is it a complete menace to remove. It also makes me feel fully done up even when I barely have any makeup on.
Elf Putty Bronzer in Tan Lines ($7.99 CDN | 0.35 ounces)
Even when I’m not wearing a full face of makeup, I am definitely a cream bronzer kind of girl, and I’ve been enjoying this one. It’s a nice neutral brown that helps to sculpt the face and add subtle warmth and it’s light enough that I have to build it, even on my moderately fair skin tone, which means the blending is foolproof. It wears well and I like that it lasts without setting to a matte finish, which suits my dry thirsty skin. It’s remarkably non-orange and cool, which would be particularly good on those paler than me and with cooler undertones, but what I like is that it’s good on dry flaky skin with texture.
beautylit& ramblings 