curlsmith hold me softly style balm

The Late Winter Empties | Haircare

Somehow, the empties bag always creeps up on me, going from “almost empty” to overflowing and overwhelming me to even think about, let alone writing about in a logical way. However, I am proud that I’m getting so much better at finishing up what I have, rather than continuously purchasing without finishing products of the same variety first. I will say that there’s a lot of hair products but there’s also a lot in general. I live in a climate that’s pretty humid most of the year so the drier winter weather really plays a toll on my dry sensitive skin and drier hair and scalp. Okay so I had to split into hair and other but let’s go:

1. Curlsmith Wash & Scrub Detox Shampoo ($37 CDN | 237 mLs)

This has been my favourite clarifying shampoo for years at this point, and I didn’t even notice that they re-named it from the Detox Pro-Biotic to the much more sensible Detox Shampoo. Regardless, I haven’t noticed any formula changes (and spoiler alert, I repurchased as I’m using a new tube now), and it remains my favourite shampoo to remove buildup, cut down on itchiness and maintain good scalp health, without drying out the hair. It’s gentle but an efficient enough clarifier with the slightly gritty perlite powder to exfoliate the scalp without harsh scrub particles, several effective cleansing agents that are great at removing build-up while remaining fairly gentle and is soothing on the scalp with lactobacillus ferment and apple cider vinegar. I occasionally experiment with other things but it’s a great gentle clarifier, and it does not require me to deep condition afterwards for defined waves and curls.

2. Ouai Cleansing Scalp & Body Sugar Scrub ($54 CDN | 250g)

This had the signature Ouai scent, deliciously warm floral, and managed to both be a great somewhat-gentle scrub on the body and a scalp scrub. It both worked up a mild lather when massaged onto the scalp, functioning as a shampoo, while helping to gently exfoliate the scalp and to help with some buildup. I enjoyed that it was oil-rich and not overly clarifying but helped with a dry itchy scalp and cleansed sufficiently enough. My favourite way to use it was prior to a traditional shampoo for a spa-experience and gentle but thorough cleanse. It was lovely on the body as well. I would consider repurchasing again, especially if on sale.

3. Ouai Detox Shampoo ($43.50 CDN | 300 mL)

I promise that I’m not usually a huge scent person — especially as sometimes they can trigger headaches or allergies — but the warm floral Melrose Place scent this has is divine. It’s a great clarifying shampoo in its own right and is often more heavy duty of a clarifier than I need on a regular basis, although it’s sulfate free and not super drying. It removes silicones fantastically, buildup, even chlorine and hard-water buildup and is great at cutting through sweat and warm-weather gunk. It’s very concentrated so I’ve had the bottle on the go for over a year and I got good results using it. It kept my hair clean and and as bouncy as if I’d just gotten my hair done for ages, but I found I liked to deep condition afterwards for the best results. I wouldn’t be opposed to purchasing on sale, but it’s more of an occasional clarifying shampoo for me.

4. Curlsmith Essential Moisture Cleanser ($34 CDN | 355 mL)

I decided to try Curlsmith’s ‘newer’ more moisturizing shampoo last spring/summer and into the fall, which in hindsight was not super intuitive of me. I quite like the shampoo but during the summer months, I need more cleansing than other times in the year, as I do quite a bit of sweaty yoga and need to use a lot of hair product to combat the humidity during the weather. In other words, this is a great shampoo but it’s gentler than other ones even in the Curlsmith line, creating a mild lather, but containing oils too. I wouldn’t mind using again, but there’s definitely others that I’d try first. It would be great as a gentle shampoo for winter months or dry hair that doesn’t need a deep cleanse.

5. Curlsmith Curl Quenching Conditioning Wash ($34 CDN | 355 mL)

This is my favourite co-wash of all time and one of the few that I’ve tried that work for me. It’s my favourite in the winter or when I’m restyling my hair after some sort of fail, or my scalp has just started to get itchy but my hair doesn’t feel overly greasy or product-y. It’s glorious because it actually contains a cleansing agent that helps to clean and remove buildup and foams up a little, helping to cleanse the scalp with mechanical action of the fingertips. It’s very moisturizing, has amazing slip and gives me great curl clumps and definition afterwards. I don’t actually need to use a separate conditioner afterwards, and if I do, it’s just a little through the ends to help form curl clumps again. I’ve repurchased; it’s a cold weather staple for sure.

6. Curlsmith Multi-Tasking Conditioner ($37 CDN | 237 mL)

Despite containing castor seed oil, babassu seed oil and murumuru seed butter, I found this conditioner a little too lightweight for my high porosity hair to be ideal as a rinse-out (most of the time), and much too lightweight to be used as a deep conditioner or masque. However, it’s a dreamboat of a leave in for me, when I am reaching for one; I actually am a curl cream kind of girl for the clumping and control they provide so I’m often not using a leave in at all. I find as a conditioner, it’s a little light for me and it’s expensive from the amount of product I need to use on my pretty dense (but fine to medium in texture) head of hair. This would be great for hair that is easily over moisturized and looking for a balance of hydration, moisture and protein. It contains pumpkin seed extracts, some bonding ingredients and hydrolyzed proteins further down on the ingredient list along with some sealing ingredients but I tend to prefer a slightly heavier conditioner to really seal in juicier curl clumps. I would repurchase to use as a leave in because it definitely helps with dryness towards the back and underneath layer of my hair, tangling and all that jazz without interfering with a gel’s ability to form a cast and provide hold.

7. Garnier Whole Blends 5-in-1 Curl Conditioner ($11.99 CDN | 355 mL)

I would have linked this but it appears to be out of stock just about everywhere and I’ve heard it’s on its way out. It’s a shame because I thought it was a good widely available conditioner that was often on sale. It contains dimethicone (fair warning) and can be a bit producty but it’s moisturizing and medium weight, with glorious slip. It always gave me good curl definition after being rinsed out too and nice curl clumps, which is a must for me. It contains coconut extract, hibiscus extract and some nice oils, but it also had some isopropyl alcohol (likely to improve its texture). All in all, I enjoyed using it, but it appears to be discontinued.

8. Briogeo Rice Amino + Avocado Hydrating & Defining Hair Mask ($53 CDN | 236 mL)

This is one of my favourite hair masks but I don’t think it’s as much of an all-time favourite as the Briogeo Don’t Despair Repair option — it’s close though — and I’ve been lucky enough to snag it on sale a few times and would do so again. I find it odd that its marketed as being protein free, as there are rice amino acids high on the ingredients list, keratin amino acids and hydrolyzed quinoa itself further down, but I’m not complaining; I actually like the balance of moisture and protein for some curl enhancement and bounce. It’s fairly lightweight but moisturizing and hydrating, formulated with the amino acids previously mentioned (that aren’t going to give you that protein feeling some people are prone to) and avocado oil, castor seed oil, sweet almond oil and shea butter to help seal everything in. I’ve repurchased and would do again. Oh, and it adds great definition and sip. How did I forget that part?

9. Curlsmith Essential Moisture Conditioner ($34 CDN | 355 mL)

This is one of my favourite conditioners I’ve tried and is definitely my favourite from the brand so far (and I adore the Curlsmith brand). It’s fantastic especially in winter as it’s on the lighter end of medium weight but super moisturizing and concentrated. It offers great slip, too, even on uber-tangly hair with minimal product and leaves my hair with great curl clumps as well. It contains shea butter, coconut oil, avocado oil, sunflower oil and aloe so it’s great for sealing in moisture and adding slip. It helps to give great curl definition too. It’s a definite repurchase for me, especially during the winter. A little bit goes a long way, too.

10. Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Hair Mask ($14.96 CDN | 326g)

This is a great hair mask in its own right but is even more impressive as an affordable one. I will admit that I left mine open for too long and the texture kind of thickened and got weird but it still worked great; the more natural ingredients and not a ton of preservatives does mean that it shouldn’t be left out in the sun and open for too long, however. It’s a more concentrated, thicker mask that still lends a lot of slip, while having that richer texture. It’s definitely a heavier mask with coconut oil, shea butter, mango seed butter, mafura seed butter and baobab seed oil, so it’s great for thirsty high-porosity hair, and it also contains hydrolyzed rice protein towards the middle of the list for a balance of moisture and protein. It also contains honey which I noticed my hair likes and maybe it helps with having great curl clumps afterwards. My only complaint is that sometimes after rinsing out, my hair is so moisturized that I don’t get as much of a cast with my stylers. I will note that I have a wavier texture and this is intended for tighter and drier textures, but it’s still fantastic, for anyone who tolerates heavier weight products. I’ve already repurchased before.

11. Curlsmith Hold Me Softly Style Balm ($16 CDN | 59 mL)

With as enamoured with Curlsmith’s products as I am, it’s kind of amazing that this was the first travel-sized product that I’ve bought from them. Having so many products available in the travel size is actually a great idea for trialing products, especially for product hoarders and product junkies like myself. This small tube of their original curl cream actually lasted me months, and made it into my 2023 favourites because of how much I like it. It’s concentrated as it’s so moisturizing and is great for forming and cementing curl clumps with its medium weight. I’ve already since repurchased the full-size as it’s great, especially in the winter and paired with products containing more protein, as it’s protein-free and adds definition and control. If I didn’t mention before, it’s protein-free and pretty rich, with coconut oil, andiron seed oil, avocado oil and more.

12. Briogeo Curl Charisma Coil Custard ($43 CDN | 177 mL)

I love using this custard as a curl cream underneath a harder hold gel, even though it’s designed for textures much tighter than mine — I’m a wavy with some ringlets thrown in — and drier than mine, because with minimal product it really helps to form clumpy curl clumps and hold them together without weighing them down, while adding a bit of hold. It contains castor seed oil, shea butter, rice extract, rice amino acids and hydrolyzed quinoa. Please excuse my yellowed product packaging, as it lasted me quite a while and I left it in my bathroom exposed to sunlight for a long time. One thing I will say is that it’s a product that has one of those thick textures that will change over time if you haven’t used it up in a year or so if you aren’t careful. I will repurchase once I’m through some of the other creams in my stash, as I don’t go through them as quickly as gels.

13. Pattern Beauty Styling Custard ($38 CDN | 443.6 mL)

I really enjoy this super-slippery custard styler as a curl enhancer, paired with a harder hold gel on top, but it doesn’t have enough hold or humidity-resistance on its own for me and my porous hair. However, it gives me super juicy curls, great curl clumps and definitely enhances ringlets, while adding lightweight moisture and definition. I repurchased, but not to use on its own. It contains some polyquaternium-based polymers, linseed oil, irish moss, chamomile and agave so its rich in film-forming humectants and has some structure from the polymers but doesn’t contain anything truly heavy-duty in the hold department. With its lightweight slippery texture, it’s great as a refresher too. You also get a lot of product for the money so it’s not a bad deal.

14. Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Gel Stronger Hold ($29.99 CDN | 250 mL)

This was, I believe, my second bottle of this liquid-y slippery but humidity-resistant gel and it prompted the purchase of the larger size container for better value, I liked it so much. Its hold is very much in the medium-firm category depending on how much product you use — it’s very buildable — but it’s awesome for multi-day hair even in very humid east coast weather in the heat of summer. It forms somewhat of a cast but its hold/longevity can be even better than the cast would suggest when used in ideal conditions. This gel is very lightweight so it tends to give some curl-enhancement, bounce and great volume, while having ingredients that provide stronger hold, humidity resistance and moisture. It contains glycerin, shea butter glycerides, wheat amino acids, hydrolyzed wheat protein and multiple forms of the humidity-resistant polymer, polyquaternium. What this means is that it has moisture to seal my high porosity hair but also has the protein that tends structure and also gives some grit which is great for achieving volume at the roots and root curl. It’s great even on its own and plays well with other gels and refreshes super nicely, even when just glazing over dry curls. I do find you have to watch how much cream you are using with this gel or it will cut the hold drastically; however, it’s great.

15. Curlsmith Curl Defining Styling Souffle ($59 CDN | 473 mL)

You can tell that an empties post is long overdue because there’s two of the big buys of this favourite gel of mine, which is roughly what I use in a year — I do seriously love the stuff. Before I’ve described the hold as more of a medium firm but I say unless you heavily layer it, it’s more of a medium for me but it’s a medium that forms a definite cast. It’s wonderful in most seasons, even on its own without a curl cream underneath, except summer, when I 100% need more humidity resistance in my high porosity waves and looser curls. It’s rich in film-forming humectants, like irish moss, flax seed extract and aloe and oils like andiroba seed oil, avocado oil and shea butter, so it’s great at drawing moisture to the hair and sealing it all in; you can see this in the way that it gives incredible ringlets, general curl enhancement and definition. It also plays well with other products and I’ll happily repurchase again. It’s a custard with the hold of a gel, which I adore. If I didn’t already mention, it encourages curl clumps.

16. Curlsmith In-Shower Style Fixer ($37 CDN | 237 mL)

This was the first of the uber-hard-hold gels I tried with the super thick sticky-texture and texturized feel (grit) it leaves on the hair afterwards and while I did really enjoy using it, it’s not my favourite gel in this category — in fact, I prefer the Pattern Beauty Strong Hold Gel. . However, it has incredible hold that lasts through days through humidity and sweaty workouts and the thick texture gives that grit at the roots that really helps to maintain curl and lift at the roots on my finer hair texture. The product is super-concentrated and lasted a while and I got some great results but I found it could get heavy and could elongate my curl pattern. All in all, it’s a good gel and I achieved great results with it but I’m experimenting with some lighter weight options. I will say it does give great curl clumps, however.

17. AG Liquid Effects Extra Firm Styling Lotion ($22 CDN | 237 mL)

This is another one of those uber-watery slippery gels. It’s super lightweight (even though it contains a water-soluble silicone!) and is both slippery and enriched with rice extract, keratin amino acids, silk amino acids and hydrolyzed keratin to add some structure and elasticity to your texture, along with some humidity-resistant ingredients. It works on its own as a styler, but is more of a buildable medium-hold gel , is fantastic to add a bit of extra hold before diffusing in combination with other gels and its amazing for refreshes as its so lightweight and can add some definition and hold. It helps to tighten up looser parts of my texture with the protein it contains, adding both structure and bounce. It’s available at a myriad of places and is often on sale so it’s a great buy for a more affordable versatile gel. I repurchased it again, on a ridiculous sale, if I remember correctly. It’s fairly similar to the Ouidad gel but has slightly less hold and less of a cast and is even lighter in texture and more water-y and slippery.

18. Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Touch-Up Gel Cream ($26.99 CDN | 100 mL)

On days where I want to refresh a few singular curls/waves and just bring back some definition without adding in more gel, this is the perfect lightweight product. It has enough slip to re-smooth out the curl clumps and to help with tangling and adds control back but doesn’t add any sort of weight. I also suspect that the hydrolyzed proteins help to give limper curls more structure and a boost back. It works both without water as intended and dampened slightly to refresh larger sections of hair. It’s a favourite.

19. Living Proof No Frizz Vanishing Oil ($45 CDN | 50 mL)

This was an awesome silicone-free weightless oil. It was so lightweight, that I found I went through quite a lot of it so I wouldn’t necessarily repurchase unless it was on sale. It worked well for sealing my style on wash day and adding some polish back (and volume when fluffing the roots) on subsequent days. It contains an interesting mix of oils but remains almost weightless. It’s easily one of the lightest weight silicone-free oils that I’ve ever tried and would be great for fine easily-weighed-down hair.

20. As I Am Olive Oil & Tea Tree Salicylic Acid Dandruff Oil Treatment ($19.99 CDN | 120 mL)

This oil was the absolute best when used as a pre-shampoo oil treatment, as it contains enough salicylic acid to gently exfoliate the scalp and help with dry itchy scalp while detangling, prior to shampooing, and it helps to mitigate the dryness associated with shampooing. I don’t have dandruff but it was great for just your typical dry itchy scalp, which is what I experience. It contains castor seed oil, coconut oil, olive oil, tea tree, piroctone, peppermint oil and a ceramide to nourish the scalp and provide relief in addition to just moisturizing. It came with a lot of product and was affordable with an ingredient list designed to combat dry scalp issues, so I would re-purchase when I have less oils in the future.

What have you finished lately?

Top 23 Products of 2023

One would think that selecting your favourite products over the last year would be easy and not lead to overthinking and borderline existential doubt, but that was not the case for me. I tried to focus on new (to me) products I’ve tried in 2023 but I also included products that I included last year that I’ve still been loving and using and products from before that I’ve re-solidified my love for. For context, I have fine to medium, high density, high porosity wavy to curly hair and drier eczema-prone skin.

1. Verb Curl Shampoo ($22-27 CDN | 355 mLs)

This shampoo has been great as an addition to my routine, as it can remove silicone, oils, product build-up without drying out the hair afterwards and impacting curl definition when used without deep conditioning afterwards. I would describe it as a regular shampoo but it has the ability to remove buildup quite successfully and helps to keep on top of a dry itchy scalp that tends to flake. It serves me well as someone whose hair require a lot of product and who does fairly sweaty yoga throughout the week without washing in between. It does contain both a water-soluble silicone and amodimethicone (not water-soluble but doesn’t build up on itself), which I suspect are helping to add moisture back into the hair, along with sunflower seed extract and other humectants after thoroughly cleansing the scalp.

2. Curlsmith Core Strength Shampoo ($36 CDN | 355 mLs)

This was a newfound discovery and favourite last year when it was easily my most used shampoo by a wide margin — I think I used it most times I washed my hair — and while I experimented with other lines, I immediately repurchased to use when I finished those up. It’s a lightweight but very gentle shampoo that contains some protein and has the ability to remove buildup (and silicones and general funk) out of the hair, while being just cleansing enough. The formula is quite concentrated so it lasts me like a year with regular use, which is divine. It’s pretty slippery as well and hydrating which minimized the amount of tangling that occurred during the washing process.

3. Briogeo Curl Charisma Rice Amino + Shea Curl-Defining Conditioner ($38 CDN | 237 mLs)

2023 was the year of finding great rinse-out conditioners for me. This one is concentrated — which is super important because I have a lot of hair that drinks up a lot of conditioner and this is expensive — and both has the right amount of protein to help add bounce and life to the lazier waves and loose curls I have and add some curl-enhancement, while having enough moisture to encourage juicy curl clumps. It has great slip, really seals the moisture into the hair while being light to medium in weight but offering pretty substantial moisture. It contains shea butter, avocado oil, sunflower seed oil, rice amino acids, keratin amino acids and hydrolyzed quinoa for an ideal balance of moisture and protein, especially during the humid part of the year.

4. Curlsmith Essential Moisture Conditioner ($34 CDN | 355 mLs)

This is my absolute favourite moisturizing conditioner that I think I’ve ever tried and I was lucky enough to grab two backups at 50% off on the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale. It’s my absolute favourite conditioner in dry winter weather — keep in mind that I live on the east coast so the rest of my year is rather humid — and it’s a great moisturizing conditioner year round. In weight, it’s light to medium but the moisture is rich and the best part is the slip is great and it’s concentrated enough that a single bottle lasts me months. Also, I find the moisture lasts until my next wash day, thanks to the sealing ingredients, and contributes to great curl clumps. It contains your usual emollients, slip agents, shea butter, coconut oil, avocado oil, sunflower seed oil, aloe and numerous plant extracts; I find it to be so moisturizing that it compares to many deep conditioners on the market without being too heavy. My only complaint is that it can make the hair so moisturized that it can be difficult to achieve any sort of grit in the hair afterwards with certain styling products.

5. Curlsmith Hold Me Softly Style Balm ($37 CDN | 237 mLs)

Despite being a fairly devout Curlsmith user for years now, I had never tried their original curl cream until 2023 and I found it to be really good. It’s really moisturizing and on the heavier side of medium in weight but when a small amount is used, it really imparts control to the hair and gets super juicy curl clumps. I really like that glycerin is up so high in the ingredient list as it tends to give me hydrated juicy ringlets, that it contains starch to form great clumpy curls and contains a cocktail of sealing oils, coconut oil, andiroba oil, avocado oil and olive oil. It’s rich and protein free but adds great control to the hair and is especially good in drier conditions. Paired with a gel, it gives great curl definition, and it’s great int he winter.

6. Curlsmith Frizz Rescue Curl Retainer ($37 CDN | 237 mLs)

When I saw the highlighted ingredients for the new Anti-Frizz Recipe Line and then heard that the styler did not have hard hold, I was not interested. Boy was I wrong about both of the stylers in Curlsmith’s new line. This jelly is kind of a cream gel or custard that works for me either on its own (with a little bit of harder hold gel glazed over the top to up the hold), as a curl-enhancer underneath a harder hold gel and as a refreshing product a few days in. It contains sunflower seed extract for a little bit of non-penetrating protein, starch to help form great curl clumps and watermelon seed oil, coconut seed butter, squalane and argan oil to seal everything in. It gives really great juicy curl clumps with hold that’s on the lighter end of the medium scale. It’s surprisingly versatile and I’m really enjoying adding it to my routine, but I will say the ingredients suggest to me that this won’t be great as a main styler in the humid summer months, as they offer more limited humidity resistance. However, it is super moisturizing and has great sealing ingredients.

7. Curlsmith Curl Defining Styling Souffle ($37 CDN | 227g)

While this is easily my favourite gel of all time — and I’m a girl who loves gel and has tried out many — I did fall back in love with this kind of custard-gel hybrid this year. It does well year round, but in the summer humidity, other gels provide more humidity resistance — as in, it can get fluffy and require some extra refreshing when it’s that humid. The rest of the time, it’s perfect, with buildable medium-strong hold, curl-enhancing and moisturizing without being too heavy. It relies on regular humectants, film-forming humectants like irish moss and flax seed extract and plant oils so it really gives enhanced bouncy waves and curls that do not feel product-y but last days.

8. Pattern Beauty Strong Hold Gel ($38 CDN | 425g)

If I remember correctly, I included this in last year’s favourite post as a new buy towards the end of the year. In 2023, I actually re-purchased it in full-size and really enjoyed using it, so it’s another repeater. It has a super thick and sticky gel texture but it’s less heavy than some other gels in this category. It’s great for keeping moisture in the hair and keeping the hair from drying out, and it’s amazing for humidity resistance but still gives me great grit and texture, especially in the roots. It has strong hold but is more flexible than some gels and it really can set curl clumps in place for long lasting hair. It contains PVP, polyquaternium and VA/VP copolymer for hold, and has glycerin followed by film-forming humectants and a number of plant oils. A little bit goes a long way so in the long run it’s surprisingly affordable, even on my dense high-porosity hair. 

9. Curlsmith Frizz Rescue Finishing Serum ($38 CDN | 74 mL)

Curlsmith’s new Anti-Frizz Recipe line was a surprising hit for me, despite there not being a strong-hold styler, or a curl cream, and even though I ordered this during the Black Friday sale as an after thought in order to qualify into a specific threshold, I’ve been borderline obsessed. It’s defined as a serum but it’s silicone-free, so it instead relies on oils, conditioning agents and polymers. A little goes a little long way which is great and it adds a bit of control to the hair when it’s applied and has a touch of hold, while removing any sort of cast and adding some definition. I use it in the place of a hair oil, often in the morning, especially when I’m not doing a refresh. A little bit goes a super long way and it can feel heavy if you overdo it, it does help with frizz and the packaging is super user-friendly and neither annoying to use or breakable, which I really appreciate.

10. Bumble & Bumble Bond-Building Repair Oil Serum ($61 CDN | 48 mL)

I really enjoy this “oil serum”, but I find it to be more of a milk-oil more than anything else and I use it on dry hair, which is likely not the way it’s designed to be used. I use it to either scrunch out the crunch and seal or on subsequent days to tame the mane. I enjoy the durable packaging — it really can make a difference on these products — and I like that it’s lightweight but hydrating and moisturizing, contains bonding ingredients with research a decent way up on the ingredient list and definitely helps with moisture retention. It contains honey, hydrogenated castor oil, apple seed oil, bond building ingredients and glycerin.

11. Ouidad Featherlight Touch-Up Gel Cream ($25.39 CDN | 101 mL)

The wavy/curly hair refresh — my hair sits somewhere between the two — is something that has taken me years to master and yet again this year, I loved and repurchased this product. It’s my favourite for when you aren’t quite at the point of needing much product or a full on wet but need to either spot fix some curls or just smooth things out overall. I either use it as is or dilute with a bit of water to refresh specific curl clumps and it always adds some bounce, reforms curls and minimizes frizz without adding weight and reactivating some of the product already in the hair. Protein is in the first couple of ingredients which both works to re-form the film and adds some structure back and it has humectants and wonderful slip which really helps bring back ringlets. I recently purchased my third tube if that says anything.

12. Curlfriend Collective Emerald Dreams Silk Hair Scarf ($79.95 US)

I never thought I would be the type to rave about high quality hair accessories but here I am. Most of the time, I sleep with the top layer of my hair in a silk scrunchie with this silk hair scarf on top. It’s super silky (great high quality silk) and is actually large enough to stay on my large head while covering the majority (or all) of my hair’s surface. I also love the jewel tones in this one and find that it looks nice enough to wear out and about, especially when twisted into a headband to hide crown frizz. It really helps to reduce tangling in my super-tangly hair and makes it easy for me to get to day 4-day 5 hair.

13. Curlfriend Collective Silk Scrunchie ($24 US)

The second part of my overnight wave preservation relies on this silk scrunchie usually. It’s mulberry silk, doesn’t make me overheat, and preserves volume when I use it to pile the top layer of my hair on the top of my head overnight underneath the hair scarf (or bonnet). I will also use it to pull up my hair throughout the week but I love it for preserving my waves and curls. It’s also great for keeping my roots from flattening overnight.

14. RNW Der. Concentrate Ceramide Plus Serum ($24.79 CDN | 30 mL)

This was a delightful milky humectant serum that I actually really noticed a difference after I stopped using. It’s fragrance free from what I can see and contains glycerin, niacinamide, oat, numerous forms of ceramides towards the top of the ingredients lists and peptides. I found using to really help lock in moisture and give me soothed, plumped and hydrated skin. I surmise that this was great in terms of barrier health and it’s affordable!

15. Paula’s Choice Triple Active Total Repair Serum ($48 US | 30 mL)

It’s becoming quite clear to me that milky serums are my favourite serum texture, as this is another one of them, but it’s more of a state-of-the-art serums targeting smoothness, brightness and barrier function, the latter being what actually tempted me to purchase. It contains 5% niacinamide for barrier function amongst other things, along with other antioxidants, a retinoid and a skin tone evening antioxidant, along with her usual beneficial ingredients. As a regular tretinoin user, I can’t really speak to the results yet but I am enjoying using thus far, and it’s not a product I’ve heard much talk about.

16. Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Cream Moisturizer ($54 CDN | 50 mL)

This moisturizer proved itself to be a real favourite for me, despite not having an ingredient list full of all of the bells and whistles and it coming in jar packaging and being quite fragranced. It contains glycerin, squalane, lactobacillus, panthenol, hyaluronic acid and a ceramide, but in use, it’s quite plumping, nourishing and soothing. It’s a great moisturizer that does exactly that nicely and is not overly pricy of a moisturizer. Makeup also sits very nicely on top of it.

17. Paula’s Choice Skin Recovery Hydrating Treatment Mask ($29 US | 118 mL)

Years and years ago, I remember using this moisturizing mask and liking it but now I adore it. It’s reasonably priced and you get a whole bunch of product for that price and it’s perfect for using with irritating actives, or on skin that’s flaking or dealing with any sort of dermatitis. It’s definitely a thick cream but it sinks into the skin and contains replenishing borage oil, a couple of other plant oils, fatty acids and antioxidants. It also burns minimally on super irritated skin and makes things better overnight.

18. Cerave Acne Foaming Cleanser ($20.97 CDN | 150 mL)

Despite this being a creamy gel cleanser targeted for the face, I bought it entirely for use on the body and I’ve really enjoyed using it to minimize armpit odour (TMI sorry but I’m a stress sweat-er) and to minimize breakouts on the body. It did not flare up my eczema, unless used under the arms excessively, and actually had a creamy non-drying texture which my drier skin enjoyed. It helped to mitigate the effects of sweat in terms of exacerbating body breakouts which was entirely delightful, and I’m sure it would work in the same way on the face, whilst being mild. It contains benzoyl peroxide in a low concentration to reduce the burden of bacteria and reduce the formation of breakouts.

19. Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Natural Sun Cream SPF 50+ ($32.85 CDN | 50 mL)

I find that this mineral sunscreen leaves more of a white cast than I’d like when used on my face, without makeup or sunscreen over the top. However, it was my favourite sunscreen for my neck, chest, back and shoulders in the warmer months. It contains niacinamide and a bit of sodium hyaluronate but the real reason why I enjoyed it was that it was irritant free and it was cosmetically elegant, leaving just a sheer white cast that would go away on its own and a nice moisturized feel that was neither greasy or had that tight velvety feel that I’m not in love with. It did well in sunscreen testing and I found it to deliver really great protection. Any sort of actual tan or burning I developed while using this was 100% user error.

20. Aveeno Creamy Oil Moisturizer ($13.99 CDN | 354 mL)

Back in the warmer weather, I picked up this oil-lotion hybrid product and was pleasantly surprised. In the summer, it alone kept my eczema fairly in check, without using much else, when applied right after bathing. Now, in the winter, it would not be enough on this own consistently — I’m currently trying to be good and work through other products so I can’t test — but I found myself enjoying the gentle non-irritating fragrance and the lightweight but rich consistency the oils provided. As my comments suggested, there are numerous oils in the top of the ingredients lists, along with dimethicone and their signature soothing oat, and because of this it’s light but the moisture lasts without that tight, itchy feeling seeping back in for a good while.

21. Charlotte Tilbury Rock n Kohl in Bedroom Black ($37 CDN)

Strangely enough, both my most used makeup item of the year and my favourite makeup item of the year was this black eyeliner. The formula is impeccable, transferring easily to the upper waterline with full pigment, without transferring to the lower waterline and sets in place, without being impossible to remove and it does not irritate my sensitive eyes whatsoever. I have larger eyes and I find that using eyeliner inside the upper waterline really makes a difference in how complete my liquid liner looks and this one is great. I also enjoy that it’s a normal pencil so it can easily be sharpened for easy application and all that jazz. I also once spent many hours looking for this eyeliner when in reality it just was hidden under my bathroom rug.

22. Natasha Denona My Dream Eyeshadow Palette ($89 CDN)

This is a repeater from last year but I pretty much haven’t reached for anything else eyeshadow wise, since I tried it in late 2020. I love the warm-tinged neutrals that leans kind of plummy and taupe-y, as they stay in that neutral family but are interesting and the kind of shades that I enjoy and suit me (as they are warm). The shadows are easy to work with and last really well for me, and I enjoy the selection in the palette of shimmering lid shades of a variety of depths, options for the crease as well as smokier shades. I’ve been particularly fond of the taupe this year and when I’m in the mood, I really enjoy the plums. It’s versatile.

23. Dior Lip Glow Oil in Rosewood ($54 CDN)

In the past few years, I’ve really gotten out of the habit of wearing any sort of lip makeup. However, this year I’ve been enjoying using this expensive non-sticky balm-gloss hybrid. It’s legitimately moisturizing and imparts just enough colour, adding a kind of my-lips-but-better warm rosy shade. It’s super low maintenance and suits easily chapped sensitive lips and is visible on its own, or looks great paired with lip liner.

What were your favourite products of the year?