paula’s choice defense essential glow moisturizer

The Empties | Fall 2022

Recently, I had a comment (which I love, don’t be afraid to reply to any of my posts) about my earlier curly-wavy hair product posts, asking if I was still doing them. I certainly am and even when I’m not actively posting about hair products, I’m compiling lists and thoughts. However, I wanted to get my reviews of the products I finished out of the way first (and the bag of clutter out of my life additionally); I find these posts particularly valuable as a consumer because it gives longer-term feedback about products that were valued enough to be finished. These certainly will invariably include a selection of hair products that I finished, many of which would be put in the favourites category:

Curlsmith Super Slip Pre-Biotic Primer ($37.99 CDN | 355 mL)

This was/is a slippery pre-shampoo detangler, rich in fermented rice water, some bond building ingredients — totally not advertised — and prebiotics to help with scalp flora and microbiome. By this, I mean that is protects against drying, tangling, friction-inducing effect of shampoo. This slippery product works well but is not crucial for me, because I can use a conditioner in its place to detangle and protect against shampooing. Luckily these days, my scalp health doesn’t necessitate using something with these microbiome-supporting ingredients.

Curlsmith Multi-Tasking Conditioner ($35.99 CDN | 237 mL)

This is a great lightweight conditioner in its own right but it’s my favourite leave in conditioner because of how light but moisturizing it is, the slip it provides and the bit of protein it contains (protein really boosts the uniformity of my waves and curls on my head). It serves as a great base for brush styling on my incredibly tangly hair, lending smoothness to the finished style without weight in combination with my hold products. It contains castor seed oil, babassu kernel oil, jojoba seed oil, murumuru seed butter and shea butter without any heaviness and pumpkin seed extract, hydrolyzed hemp sed and hydrolyzed rice protein for strength and structure. When I started using it last winter, I noticed it was particularly amazing in dry winter weather in the tangly fragile underlay of my hair that’s constantly being aggressed by scarves, coats and precipitation.

Curlsmith Post-Biotic Calming Conditioner ($37.99 CDN | 355 mL)

This was a nice lightweight conditioner without silicones or a lot of butters and oils (but it does contain shea butter and castor oil halfway down the ingredient list), enriched with menthyl lactate for that soothing cooling sensation, tea tree oil and peppermint oil and humectant plant extracts, The essential oils and menthol derivative weren’t irritating on my eczema prone scalp but I found the conditioner a little light for my hair needs. The slip was moderate, but I think I benefit from some more oils and butters. My favourite way to use this conditioner was probably as a co-wash, and I didn’t mind using it in any way. It’s not for me but it’s a great lightweight conditioner for those who struggle with build-up and are looking for something featherweight.

Ouidad Vitalcurl+ Tress Effects Styling Gel ($31-36 CDN | 250 mL)

This gel sits between medium to strong hold for me — but keep in mind I have high porosity hair that seems to absorb the hold of products so it might be stronger for some — that’s quite moisturizing without being heavy in the slightest but lacks a lot of humidity resistance. By this, I mean that in my humid climate, I find it frizzes and loses definition in muggy summer weather. It contains barely any protein, some film-forming humectants, film-forming polymers and a variety of plant oils. It performs much better in cooler weather on my finer high porosity hair and humid environment, not that I wouldn’t use again, but there are other Ouidad gels I prefer.

AG Haircare Curl Fresh Definer ($28 CDN | 178 mL)

This sleek tube houses a cream-gel that’s marketed more as a cream but offers light-medium hold on its own (and adds some hold when you put a gel on top), adding volume, grit and some curl enhancement. It has a rather strong scent of cake batter, combined with essential oils and is not uber moisturizing (thanks to the somewhat drying but pattern-enhancing magnesium sulfate), but regardless, it’s a potent but lightweight styler. I don’t find this to be the most clump-enhancing cream but it definitely tightens up some of my pattern, adding volume, texture, hold and control. I would definitely consider repurchasing after I use up some of the creams and curl enhancers currently in my stash.

Curlsmith Curl Defining Styling Souffle ($52-$55.99 CDN | 473 mL)

This gel gives me the closest thing to my soul hair that can be achieved through natural means (and if I play my cards right can even beat curling iron curls), which should not shock any regular readers because I’ve talked about this many times before in empties posts and favourites posts. It’s very moisturizing, — especially for being a gel — light to medium in weight but has flexible medium-strong hold; it gives me clumpy bouncy ringlets that lasts through sweaty workouts and humidity for days when styled correctly, without feeling or looking product-y in the hair. It contains lots of humectants, film-forming humectants and sealing oils. It contains irish moss and flaxseed extract to really enhance my 2c-ish waves and curls.

Curlsmith Bouncy Strength Volume Foam ($34.99 CDN | 222 mL)

Despite the fact that I love every other product in the Strength Recipe line, my first foray into mousse/foam in years has not been love at first use. Unfortunately, I find that when I use this in any amount on my wet hair, it destroys my curl clumps. My theory is that the grit it adds tends to do this in my unique hair. It can work for me, used in moderation in my roots, for some lift especially at the crown where my hair likes to fall limp when left to its own devices. It contains a few proteins in the first few ingredients on the list and a bunch of extracts that I normally love, but I think the gritty texture it adds tends to break apart ringlets in my wet hair, without adding any hold or curl enhancement. The good news is that it’s actually a great refreshing product on dry or damp hair after detangling on day 3-4 hair; it’s just not a day one all-over hair product for me. I do want to experiment with more products of this type, especially for refreshing and some help at the crown/back of my hair that is much looser than the front of my hair.

ESPA Soothing Bath Oil ($46.75 CDN | 100 mL)

My eczema usually does not get along with essential oils at all but I actually really enjoyed using this essential oil based bath oil. The scent was super calming and spa-like with sandalwood, myrrh and rose and the oil really helped to combat the transepidermal water loss from soaking in a tub full of water, leaving my skin with a little bit of moisture afterwards. I was lucky enough to snag this in a Fab Fit Fun sale and would probably repurchase at a discount again.

Aveeno Creamy Moisturizing Oil ($14.99 CDN | 354 mL)

Throughout the humid summer, I happily was using this as a body moisturizer daily after bathing. It was good for combatting my dry itchy legs when my eczema was not flared up — it’s an entirely different story now unfortunately –, and actually locking moisture into the skin. It’s described as an oil but in my experience, it’s more of a oil-based moisturizer (as the sesame seed oil, sweet almond oil and oat kernel oil is blended with glycerin, dimethicone and oat kernel flour) or a body oil-moisturizer hybrid. It has a subtle calming scent — that is synthetic and generally not irritating — and is lighter weight than a traditional cream. It wouldn’t be enough for me on it’s own for my eczema-affected areas but I’m tempted to pick it up again.

Drunk Elephant Slaai Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser ($45 CDN | 110g)

I love using cleansing balms in general because of how soothing and nourishing they are and the ease that they dissolve makeup and sunscreen with, and I really enjoyed using this essential oil free balm cleanser. It’s also fragrance-free, just smelling of the sweet almond oils and the other rich oils that the formula contains. In terms of balm cleansers, it’s very rich and dry-skin friendly. It really annihilates makeup, even of the waterproof or sweat-resistant variety, and emulsifies with water, leaving the skin with a nourishing film unless followed with another cleanser. It’s concentrated, but expensive, yet repurchase worthy.

Clinique Turnaround Revitalizing Lotion ($53 CDN | 200 mL)

Completely unbeknownst to me, Clinique has had this Asian-style essence-toner in their repertoire for years and I didn’t even know it was a thing, and it’s good. It has a water-light kind of jelly texture and features saccharomyces lysate extract, centella asiatica, caffeine, bifida ferment lysate, acetyl glucosamine, lactobacillus ferment, caffeine and sodium hyaluronate, to help soothe, brighten and hydrate the skin with a wide variety of humectants. It left me with plump skin that was calm and even and contains the probiotic ingredients that intrigue me. I tend to prefer richer toners and essences with more oil content but I enjoyed this.

Dr Ceuracle Vegan Kombucha Tea Essence ($42.90 CDN | 150 mL)

Speaking of milky essence-toners, this one is my absolute favourite. In the summer, I finished my second bottle and I miss it tremendously, especially as the weather is getting warmer and my skin is getting drier. I’ve been trying to hold off on repurchasing, making myself finish what I’ve currently got on rotation first but it’s a losing battle. Regardless, it’s a beautiful milky essence-toner, especially for dry sensitive skin, looking for some barrier support. It’s fragrance free, contains tea extract, saccharomyces ferment, green tea, sunflower oil, sodium hyaluronate and centella asiatica and absolutely nothing irritating. When I use this, my skin is calmer, dewy and plump and generally less angry.

Paula’s Choice Defense Essential Glow Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 ($33 US | 60 mL)

Paula’s Choice has definitely moved from being a fairly affordable brand, just a little more expensive than your traditional or quintessential ‘drugstore’ brands to more of a midrange or premium drugstore brand. However, there are still a good number of their products that I find to be a good value for money; their well formulated sunscreens are some of these products. This one is a mineral sunscreen that is moisturizing, luminizing and doesn’t accentuate dry patches and texture like most mineral sunscreens do. Basically, it overcomes many of the cosmetic shortcomings of mineral sunscreens and it’s great for dry, sensitive skin. It has a grey-tinge that translates to a slightly blurring finish without a white-tinge for those with fair to medium skin. The dewy and luminous finish is not ideal for those trying to achieve a matte look or those on the oilier side of things. I have and would buy again.

What products have you finished?

2020 Favourites | Skincare

Well, 2020 has been a year. It has definitely been a year of skincare for me. All of the mask-wearing and hand-washing played a definite toll of my skin barrier and my eczema. Also, the ritual of doing my skincare routine likely helped to keep me sane in this quite frankly weird time. Here are my absolute picks for skincare products I used to keep myself sane and/or to keep my face and body from flaking off:

Purlisse Blue Lotus 4-in-1 Cleansing Milk ($36 US | 150 mL)

This non-foaming cleansing milk both works as a gentle morning cleanser, second cleanse in the evening or to remove a lighter face of makeup and sunscreen. It contains some essential oils low on the ingredient list but actually remains gentle enough to remove makeup from my sensitive eyes without stinging. It contains gentle surfactants and soothing ingredients including oat, green tea and liquorice root. It goes on as a light milk that rinses completely clean when water is added, but leaves moisture in the skin after removal. This is both a gentle cleanser that never stings and a nice treat. I will acknowledge that this cleanser is rather expensive, especially for a brand that I haven’t heard much about, but it is so concentrated I’ve had it on the go for maybe nine months… And when my face was raw and sore this was one of the only cleansers that didn’t burn or sting. Did I mention it doesn’t burn or sting?

Kate Somerville Goat Milk Moisturizing Cleanser ($50 CDN | 120 mL)

I didn’t actually realize this oil-rich cream cleanser was a favourite until I put this post together. It was included in the Caroline Hirons Summer Kit and wasn’t an instant favourite in the summer. It’s quite expensive but I do enjoy this ultra gentle cream cleanser. I could do without the fragrance, but fortunately it’s towards the end of the ingredient list and isn’t offensive. For a cream cleanser, this cleanser is both ridiculously gentle and rather good at removing makeup and sunscreen. It doesn’t burn my very sensitive eyes and actually does remove eye makeup well. This cleanser is formulated with super gentle cleansing agents, a number of plant oils, soothing milk proteins, honey and a teensy bit of lactic acid. This is a cleanser that I adore especially in the dry winter months alongside my prescription retinoid.

Pestle & Mortar NMF Lactic Acid Toner ($44 US | 200 mL)

This is the chemical exfoliant I have happily been reaching for most days in the latter half of the year. It contains lactic acid, gluconolactone, niacinamide and soothing black tea extract. It has been easy enough to tolerate in a routine with a prescription retinoid and leaves my skin radiant, even in tone and texture and with very few clogged pores. Using this toner, I find my skin looks resurfaced and bright.

Laneige Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer ($43 CDN | 150 mL)

This year, I discovered a new milky toner or rather moisturizer in liquid form. It’s fragrance free,has a short and benign ingredient list and really helps to soothe, hydrate and calm the skin. It’s a godsend at any point but was particularly useful when my skin barrier was compromised and my skin was red, raw and sore. It contains glycerin, meadow foam oil and the antioxidants, white tea extract and vitamin e.

Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence ($23.81 CDN | 100 mL)

Although it’s marketed as an essence, this was my favourite serum discovery of the year. It contains wound healing and reparative snail slime, sodium hyaluronate, soothing allantoin and barrier-repairing panthenol. It might feel a bit slimy but I enjoy the instant comfort it provides and the hefty dose of humectants it imparts into the skin. After using this, my skin was always plumped up, calmed and significantly more hydrated. This was a godsend, especially in a world where everyone was going overboard with the active ingredients. It resulted in generally less pissed off hydrated skin.

Neutrogena Bright Boost Gel Cream ($24.97 CDN | 50 mL)

To my chagrin, this gel-cream textured humectant — which I use as a kind of serum-moisturizer hybrid underneath my sunscreen during the day or underneath a heavier moisturizer at night — comes in a pot and is substantially cheaper on Amazon than anywhere else. It contains glycerin, mandelic acid, gluconolactone, acetyl glucosamine and squalane. The acids it contains are larger molecules and therefore are gentler on the skin and the polyhydroxy acid performs as a humectants while exfoliating. The acetyl glucosamine is an interesting skin brightening ingredient and squalane adds extra nourishment.

Paula’s Choice Omega+ Complex Moisturizer ($35 US | 50 mL)

This whipped comforting shea-butter-containing moisturizer really helped me to get through a really rough bout of flaky, red, sore and raw skin at the beginning of the year and I haven’t stopped buying since. Actually, I love this whipped cream so much that I was a bit panicked when my container was empty and the product was out of stock. It never burns or stings with it’s gentle fragrance-free formula and is soothing. It relies on shea butter, omega-rich plant oils, ceramides, fatty acids and replenishing ingredients including sodium hyaluronate.

Belif The True Cream Moisturizing Balm ($50 CDN |50 mL)

If I hadn’t tried this moisturizer in a sample, I don’t think I’d have ever tried it from the ingredients list alone. It’s packaged in a jar, contains a bunch of potentially irritating plant extracts, contains some fragrance and doesn’t contain many barrier reinforcing or reparative ingredients. It can sting a little on skin with a compromised barrier but I must say, I love the cushiony silicone-y feeling of this moisturizer that soothes the skin, immediately sinks in and imparts lasting hydration. It contains glycerin, silicones, macadamia oil, soothing fermented extracts, panthenol and oat kernel extract.

Paula’s Choice RESIST Super-Light Daily Wrinkle Defense SPF 30 ($33 US | 60 mL)

My favourite sunscreen discovery of the year was this tinted mineral sunscreen. The sunscreen, while marketed towards normal, oily and combination skin types, works well on my dry skin, especially throughout the hot and humid Summer we had. The finish of this sunscreen is semi matte and still flattering on drier skin but doesn’t lean shiny and the tint on it is a fairer subtler grey-beige. It doesn’t offer much for coverage but was enough for a base on its own for me a lot of the time, diffusing redness and evening out the skin. It’s a fragrance-free formula, enriched with a number of antioxidants and soothing ingredients and iron oxides for additional visible light protection. I love that it works for me on top of a serum or moisturizer and doesn’t cling to dry patches.

Avene Mineral Tinted Fluid SPF 50+ ($33 CDN | 40 mL)

This was another tinted mineral sunscreen that I happily discovered in 2020. It uses nano sized particles but still offers robust protection and includes even more iron oxides for added visible light protection. It has a beige tint and offers substantially more coverage, suiting light to medium skin tones best — I can get away with it, particularly when I have fake tanned or when I accidentally have gotten a bit of colour in the summer, on my fairer skin. It has a glowier, more moisturizing finish that can get kind of shiny, when sweating is involved. The formula contains numerous emollients and tocopherol and not much else. My favourite way to use this sunscreen was actually mixed with the aforementioned Paula’s Choice option to get my perfect colour and finish.

Paula’s Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30 ($29 US | 60 mL)

This mineral-sunscreen-moisturizer-hybrid was one of the products that got me through early lockdown, when my was red, raw, sore and flaky. It has a moisturizing lotion kind of vehicle and contains antioxidants, skin-soothing ingredients like liquorice root, a peptide, fatty acids and barrier repairing ingredients. From what I’ve read and experienced, the particles are nano sized but this allows for the soothing mineral sunscreen to not cling to dry patches and apply evenly, with basically no cast. On my fairer skin, I basically do not experience a cast; instead, it has a slight grey-beige cast that diffuses redness without depositing any kind of colour. I will note that the finish it leaves is dewy and it does have a glowy kind of sheen to it but it never angers my skin, even in the phase where everything was angering my skin. It’s also a fantastic sunscreen choice when you’ve overdone it with the acids or retinoids.

Eucerin Eczema Relief Cream ($15.47 CDN | 226g)

2020 has been a year of eczema outbreaks for me on body, unfortunately, but I have become better at dealing with it as a result. This cream is one that I’ve repurchased multiple times and have used twice daily to decrease itchiness and irritation and help to repair my quite frankly damaged skin barrier. This fragrance-free cream contains 1% colloidal oatmeal to soothe the skin and act as a skin protectant, mineral oil and castor seed oil, soothing liquorice root extract and a barrier-repairing ceramide. It feels comforting on the skin and doesn’t sting on super irritated patches.

Polysporin Cracked Skin Healing Balm ($16.47 CDN | 312g)

This thick and kind of greasy balm has helped me tremendously throughout the year, allowing for some painfully itchy and sore eczema patches to heal. Applying it regularly on these patches allows them to heal, and keeps the dryness and itchiness at bay to a certain extent. If I’m feeling very broken out, I’ll use it all over areas but I usually just use it on patches of dry irritated skin. It contains glycerin, fatty alcohols, dimethicone and oat to seal moisture in and repair the skin. The formula is very bare bones and fragrance free but it works incredibly well to seal moisture in super dry and irritated areas.

Eucerin Aquaphor Healing Ointment ($8.54 CDN | 50g)

I originally fell in love with this petrolatum and mineral oil based ointment as a lip balm for my chronically dry, flaky and chapped lips. However, I came to rely on it to keep moisture in chapped patches of skin from mask wearing or random causes around my mouth, eyes and nose. It also contained panthenol, glycerin and bisbolol so it’s healing in the sense beyond being just a pure occlusive agent. It does contain lanolin as well, which can be an issue with some people prone to eczema.

What products got you through 2020?
Maggie, x.

Summer Essentials

I feel the daggers being spliced into my eyeballs any time I ever mention that I’m kind of over the heat and humidity of the summer and am looking forward to fall. Regardless, I’ve found some essential products in this season of heat, humidity, sweat and mask wearing. Can you tell I’ve had this post sitting in drafts for a while? Regardless, let’s get to my product staples that helped to keep me sane over the summer:

Pur-lisse Blue Lotus 4-in-1 Cleansing Milk ($36 US)

While this non-foaming cleansing milk does contain a bit of fragrance, it has become one of my favourite gentle cleansers, especially because it both removes makeup and gently cleanses the skin. It’s one of the few cleansers I can massage into my eyelids without stinging or irritation and it does remove makeup fairly well — but not quite as well as an oil or balm — and cleanses, leaving the skin hydrated and soothed. I use it as a first cleanse when I’m not wearing shedloads of makeup or as a second after I use a balm or oil. It contains soothing oat, antioxidant tea extract and liquorice root extract. It was a blessing, especially when dealing with an impaired skin barrier or generally angry skin.

Tarte Knockout Tingle Treatment Toner ($51 CDN)

Honestly, since the whole pandemic situation, I think I’ve been rather lucky on the mask-ne front. I dealt with some chin breakouts at the very beginning when I was dealing with the horrifically irritated skin. I accredit my skin staying clear to using this acid toner along with Differin a few nights a week. This contains a mixture of AHAs — but no glycolic acid –, salicylic acid, polyhydroxy acid and niacinamide. Vinegar is used as a stabilizer which you can definitely feel and smell on the skin but I find my skin brighter and resurfaced when I use this exfoliant 3-4 times a week. I would not describe it as a gentle entry-level kind of exfoliant, however. I’m still rolling my eyes at the stupid tingling marketing; the tingle is not indicative of the acids working, the tingle is indicative of the vinegar the formula uses to stabilize it.

Neutrogena Bright Boost Gel Cream ($34.99 CDN)

I’m not sure where to even categorize this gel-cream in terms of my routine but I’ve been enjoying using it as a humectant-slash-pre-spf-moisturizer. In the cooler months, I’ll sometimes use a full-on moisturizer underneath my spf-containing moisturizer but in this generally sweaty weather, I’ve been happily applying this cream to combat dehydration, draw moisture to the skin and add some general protection from the elements. Some of the ingredients would do better in different packaging but I do love the cream inside. It contains mandelic acid, polyhydroxy acid, glycerin, acetyl glucosamine and squalane. These ingredients almost all function as humectants, drawing moisture to the skin and a few work by imparting a brightening effect via surface exfoliation. I also like the brightening effect this gel-cream offers via its sheer pink tint it has.

Paula’s Choice Resist Super-Light Wrinkle Defense SPF 30 ($33 US)

A reoccurring theme this summer has been sweating and complaining about humidity and thus, I’ve enjoyed a tinted sunscreen with a lighter texture and more of a semi-matte finish. It’s a fairly pale greyish tint that has sheer to light coverage and matches my relatively fair skin — but I get my best match when I add a bit of the Avene Tinted Mineral Fluid to add some warmth, match my body and add back a bit of glow. It’s super lightweight and is somewhat mattifying but does not dry out my already dry skin when I use a moisturizer underneath. I’ve been enjoying using this as my daily sheerer base with added sun and antioxidant protection.

Paula’s Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30 ($29 US)

On days that I’m leaning drier or am going to wear more of a traditional foundation, I reach for this mineral SPF-moisturizer hybrid. With a serum underneath, I enjoy that I don’t reach for a separate moisturizer — unless I’m feeling extra — and am left with my redness diffused, my skin brightened and more luminous skin overall. There’s a very very very faint greyish cast that fades quickly but you are left with a glowy kind of sheen that isn’t for anyone wanting to look anything close to matte. The vehicle is a lightweight but hydrating lotion with soothing liquorice, kiwi, ascorbyl glucoside, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate and niacinamide as antioxidants, along with a peptide and fatty acids. It’s great for dry sensitized skin along with anyone else looking for a glow and a robust formula.

Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Bronzer in Butta Biscuit ($42 CDN)

An everyday staple in my makeup routine has been this cream bronzer. The formula is creamy, easy to blend and lasts all day. The colour is actually a nice warm caramel that’s light-medium in tone and adds shape to the face while helping my face match my darker body. The colour is buildable — but builds quickly — and melts nicely even into dry skin. It actually wears well over sore, dry and flaky skin, which was a godsend.

Viseart Spritz Edit Eyeshadow Palette ($55 CDN)

This palette is more of a recent addition but it’s the perfect everyday eyeshadow palette for me. It’s a warm neutral palette — how shocking — with a mixture of mattes and shimmers and leans a bit peachy-crimson in the overall tone selection. These shades are really flattering on my blue eyes and slightly warm-toned fairish skin and blend like a dream, have the most minimal fallout and have a nice buildable formula that lasts. The shimmers are creamy and the mattes are on the drier end of the spectrum but are my favourites to work with, as per usual. I love how compact the palette is while having a mirror and twelve sizeable shades.

Have you tried any of these products? Do you have any favourites to share?
Maggie, x.

The Essential |Paula’s Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30

Especially with the current horrific state of the Canadian dollar, Paula’s Choice products aren’t as affordable as they once were. However, I have no problem shelling over my funds for their fantastic sunscreen formulas. There’s this weird thing with sunscreen where it only works if you find yourself wanting to apply it. The Paula’s Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30 retails for $29 USD for 2 ounces or 60 mLs, but they offer a nice smaller size to try and run really great sales often. At first I thought this sunscreen was a really nice moisturizer-sunscreen-hybrid that had an impressively minimal white cast — as in seemingly non existent on my fairer skin. However, I would now say that it has a slight beige glow tint to it that may not show up on the skin but is enough to diffuse redness and add a glow. It reminds me of a glowy makeup primer but it’s a sunscreen and a solid protection mineral one at that.

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The vehicle of this product is moisturizing enough to be used in the place of moisturizer, but it’s not heavy or greasy. It’s a lightweight and nourishing lotion that features soothing liquorice root, kiwi extract, argan oil, linoleic acid, reservatrol, ascorbyl glucoside and niacinamide. There aren’t visible shimmer particles in the lotion but it leaves a glow behind on the skin. I think a variety of different skin types would enjoy this formula but anyone trying to look matte would likely hate it. When my skin is very dry and in the cooler months, I tend to use this on top of a separate moisturizer but in the hotter months, I get good results using this as my moisturizer.

As someone prone to dry patches and uneven texture on the face, I often find that mineral sunscreens tend to cling to these drier patches in an unflattering way, even if they aren’t drying in formula. This is not the case with this zinc oxide and titanium dioxide containing formula. The cast is minimal and the formula is cosmetically elegant, even over dry patches, but the particles are nano-sized. The slight tint it offers is a result of the ingredients it contains, not the addition of iron oxides, which can offer additional protection from hyperpigmentation. It contains a variety of soothing and brightening ingredients that actually work. I’m kind of over this blue light and pollution protection nonsense but it does offer ample protection and antioxidants.

Paula’s Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30 contains 5.25% titanium dioxide and 6.12% zinc oxide, offering robust protection from all wavelengths of UV light. I note that it does not make claims about water-resistance or sweat-resistance. It’s really comfortable to apply on skin with a compromised barrier and is a joy to wear on its own and underneath makeup. However, I will note that it’s not necessarily a SPF moisturizer I would wear underneath super heavy makeup as it can exacerbate shininess; it does wear fantastically underneath more lightweight sheerer bases. My best guess is also the sheerness of the tint on this sunscreen will make it work on a broad range of skintones, from the fairer end of the spectrum to maybe the deeper end of medium-tan.

What’s your current sunscreen fave?
Maggie, x.

The Favourites | Late Spring

There are times when beauty products and your self care ritual really matter; these lasts few months have been one of those times. In hindsight, it probably was not a great idea to reintroduce a prescription retinoid into my routine at the same time that the weather was changing, I was dealing from irritation from wearing a mask during the pandemic and was dealing with a bit of a seasonal transition skin freakout. The act of self-care was something I really got back into when dealing with this quite frankly super weird and anxiety-inducing time. I discovered and rediscovered a bunch of essential products and here they are:

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Laneige Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer ($43 CAD | 150 mL): This is a soothing milky toner with a minimal ingredients list that is incredibly sensitive or sensitized-skin friendly. It’s fragrance-free and has a short but substantial ingredient list featuring glycerin, meadow foam oil and green tea.  This is one of the products that helped me get through the period where I reacclimatized to using a prescription retinoid and was starting to deal with the irritation of wearing a mask. It’s incredibly soothing.

Avene Mineral Tinted Fluid SPF 50+ ($33 CAD | 40 mL): I realized that I had in previous months been slacking on the sun protection front, when I got better at applying it every single morning and my skin was looking so much better. I was enjoying using this tinted mineral sunscreen with iron oxides (that help protect further against visible light). The tint is actually a bit dark on me but I can make it work. It’s a golden kind of shade that would be ideal for light to medium skin tones. It has a super lightweight and thin vehicle that is hydrating and doesn’t include drying alcohols or anything of that sort. It was ideal for when I was using fake tan during the past few months, but can also get away with without. It was great on my sensitized skin and didn’t even highlight dry patches. Plus it offers enough coverage to actually cover redness and the like and I’ve been using it as my face product on more minimal makeup days.

Bioderma Photoderm SPF 50+ High Protection Milk ($25.90 CAD | 100 mL): Another sunscreen discovery was this one by Bioderma that I enjoy wearing (even on my face), despite being a chemical sunscreen. I’ve been happily using it daily on my neck, chest, shoulders and arms. It doesn’t contain any drying alcohol and has a comfortable lotion vehicle but most impressively, it features the less irritating filters Tinosorb S and Tinosorb M for far superior UVA protection and photostability. It leaves my skin feeling moisturized but not sticky or greasy.

Paula’s Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30 ($29 US | 60 mL): I’m on a SPF favourites roll, it appears. I didn’t realize how much I loved this moisturizer-sunscreen hybrid until I accidentally threw my tube out (an unfortunate accident) and instantly found myself repurchasing. It was a great daily pick on my sensitive flaking skin, with mineral actives but no real white cast on my fairer skin. The ingredients in this lightweight lotion gives a greyish beige cast to the product that adds some glow to the skin and diffuses redness slightly, without adding any sort of colour to the face. It was a gentle sunscreen option that was moisturizing without being greasy or thick. It contains soothing liquorice, kiwi extract, niacinamide and a vitamin c derivative.

Paula’s Choice Omega + Complex Moisturizer ($35 US | 50 mL): I’m a bit of a Paula’s Choice skincare fiend but it’s been years since I’ve loved one of her standard moisturizers — I’m a major fan of her sunscreen-containing moisturizers, however. In the last couple of months I bought this one and have loved it, especially during that stage when my face was flaking, burning and generally hurt. With its fragrance free, shea butter, plant oil, fatty acid and ceramide laden formula, I experienced minimal stinging and an immediate calming effect. It has a fluffy consistency that is rich without being overly heavy that I think anyone experiencing dryness would enjoy, especially if dealing with sensitivity.

Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Bronzer in 02 Butta Biscuit ($42 CDN | 0.22 oz): There’s something just so easy about cream products and I often find myself reaching for them the most often, even when I’m not doing an elaborate whole face of makeup. This is an easy to use balmy cream bronzer that blends like a dream and offers buildable colour. I really like the warm caramel colour it offers without veering into orange territory and the natural glow it gives to my fairer skin.

L’Oreal Matte Signature Liquid Dip Eyeliner in 700 Black ($14.99 CDN): Even though I’ve been into a more minimal makeup look, black eyeliner is still always in the equation. I’ve been really liking this precise brush tip liner because of how black it is and how precise and thin of a line it allows you to draw. It wears well, only smudging slightly if I nap on my side right on the wing and removes easily. I will note it requires a steady hand, as its not a pen style liner.

L’Oreal Bambi Eye Mascara in Blackest Black ($14.49 CDN):I may have rolled my eyes at the marketing of this mascara when I saw it but it’s a good one and does achieve that wide eyed effect. It achieves loads of volume and separation, achieving drama without feeling heavy on the lashes. It has a large somewhat football-shaped synthetic wand that isn’t difficult to use. It doesn’t flake or anything on me and isn’t a hassle to remove. It’s a good one.

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Eau de Parfum ($123 CDN | 50 mL): I invested in this spendier perfume around Christmastime and I’ve been loving wearing it, even just for myself, even moreso now that late Spring is in bloom. It’s a gorgeous warm orangey citrus with some rose and jasmine and some warm patchouli. It’s a warm floral that I love that’s surprisingly fresh and lingers. There’s a reason why everyone wears this one.

What have you been loving?
Maggie, x.

Skincare Sunday | Pamper Time

It’s a weird time to be alive and a time when skincare and the whole ritual that surrounds it has become extra important. With social distancing at the forefront of our consciousness (hopefully) towards the second month of the global pandemic, I think lots of us are experiencing traumatized skin — either from wearing masks, the change in weather or from the added stress of uncertainty. Participating in a bit of an extravagant skincare ritual helps to bring some normalcy for me and I thought I’d blog about it to be extra therapeutic. For reference, my skin is dehydrated, dry, a bit congested, dull and needs a bit of barrier TLC at the moment. I’ve been getting reacclimatized to using a prescription retinoid in my routine and may have gone a little overboard with it…

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Paula’s Choice The Unscrub ($29 US | 118 mL): Even though I have skin that is very sensitive and reactive to any sort of manual abrasion, I do enjoy gentle physical exfoliation maybe once or twice a week. As someone who is prone to dry patches of texture and is currently using acid exfoliants and a prescription retinoid, I appreciate an uber gentle product like this one. It uses jojoba esters for exfoliation rather than jagged beads, only uses gentle cleansing agents and features antioxidants and soothing ingredients. It never strips my skin and gently sloughs away at any little bits of flaking or textural irregularities.

L’Oreal Energizing & Brightening Pure Clay Mask ($14.99 CDN | 50 mL): Despite having a drier skin type, I do enjoy a gentle mud mask on occasion, particularly when I’m dealing with some congestion. The most important thing is that they have a gentle formulation like this one, which contains glycerin, a mixture of three types of clay and charcoal powder. This one is good because it’s gentle, doesn’t break the bank and can be removed easily (as long as you don’t let it dry excessively). I do find my skin is less dull after use, as well. I will note that I only apply the mask to the areas that I need it, which is essentially my t-zone where my skin can be more normal and less dry.
Olay Regenerist Luminous Overnight Mask Gel Moisturizer: I like applying a moisture mask in the areas that I skipped out on with the clay mask, which is primarily the cheeks, the area around my eyes and the area around my mouth. I wont dwell too much on the formula because it looks like this product has been replaced by the Olay Brightening Overnight Gel Mask, which is fairly similar. Both contain glycerin, niacinamide and the vitamin c derivative sodium ascorbyl phosphate.

Paula’s Choice Resist Advanced Replenishing Toner ($24 US | 118 mL): When I want to pamper my skin, there’s no way I’m patting anything into my skin after cleansing other than this milky toner. It’s loaded with fatty acids, barrier-repairing ingredients and antioxidants. It’s soothing and deeply hydrating.
Laneige Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer ($43 CDN | 150 mL): This is totally unnecessary, with the milky toner in the rotation but when I’m feeling indulgent, I like to layer both. It’s a pretty simple formula but it’s soothing and very hydrating with glycerin, meadow foam seed oil and green tea.
Paula’s Choice Resist Advanced Soothing Treatment 10% AHA ($37 US | 30 mL): This isn’t my everyday acid exfoliant but I do love using this exfoliant-serum hybrid once or twice a week when I want an extra treat. It’s gentle and contains glycolic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid and salicylic acid. It also contains glycerin, peptides, ceramides, liquorice root extract, green tea, oat extract and a number of other soothing and antioxidant ingredients. It’s really gentle (but effective) and definitely binds water to the skin and contains a bunch of ingredients that repair the skin barrier and combat any sort of disruption to the barrier.
Laneige Bright Renew Original Serum ($59 CDN | 40 mL): This serum has a pleasant milky texture especially when pressed into the skin as an addition layer of hydration — can you tell I’m rather dehydrated at the moment? It contains squalane, niacinamide, milk thistle, green tea and liquorice root extract. It’s a nice option for an antioxidant serum that also helps with barrier function and luminosity. Also, it’s a good option for when you are using enough actives that a pure vitamin c serum would not be prudent.
Paula’s Choice Omega + Complex Moisturizer ($35 US | 50 mL): This is a fragrance-free, soothing moisturizer that has a rich yet lightweight fluffy texture. It’s hydrating and soothing with shea butter, glycerin, a myriad of antioxidant-rich plant oils, fatty acids and ceramides.
Eucerin Aquaphor Multipurpose Healing Ointment ($10.99 CDN | 50g): As someone with dry sensitive and flaky lips, it’s rare I find a lip balm that works without causing irritation. This old school ointment has been one that has actually made a difference and holds moisture in my lips, leaving them smooth for hours on end.
Paula’s Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30 ($29 US | 60 mL): I know traditional SPFs aren’t the most indulgent products but it’s important to wear one daily and this is one that I genuinely enjoy applying. It’s a mineral filter that contains ingredients that give it a slight sheer greyish beige tint, offsetting any sort of white cast it might otherwise have, on my skin at least. It has a lightweight lotion texture and leaves a nice luminosity without being heavy. It uses liquorice root and loads of antioxidants as well. It leaves my skin looking luminous and slightly evened out on makeup-free days.

What products are you reaching for?
Maggie, x.

Current Skincare Saviours

As much as I like obsessively researching skincare product and adding to the stash, I must say that I’ve been enjoying and reaping the benefits of relative consistency in my routine. Note, I do say relative simplicity… And with everyone spending much more time holed up in their homes and hopefully practicing social distancing, I think we’ve been reaching for a little bit more skincare self-care. I figure it’s a fitting moment to share some of these favourite products of mine. This could also double as a 2019 skincare favourites post which I now realize I didn’t write… Oops.

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Paula’s Choice Defense Gel-to-Cream Cleanser ($18 US): As someone with drier and more reactive skin, I’m not sure why I even  tried this gel cleanser but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by it. It’s a soothing gel cleanser that emulsifies into a slightly foamy (but not stripping) cream. It’s soap-free but contains a few gentler detergent agents that provide the slight foaming effect. It’s the gentlest and most soothing gel cleanser I’ve ever tried and removes makeup much better than most skin cleansers — but not as well as a balm or cleansing oil. However, it will remove a full face of makeup with a warm microfibre cloth and I have the kind of skin makeup likes to cling to for dear life. It contains a bunch of soothing agents like oat amino acids, aloe, green tea, liquorice root and sodium PCA. I attribute the cleanser’s soothing quality to the inclusion of these antioxidants, anti-irritants and skin replenishing ingredients.

Tarte Knockout Tingle Treatment Toner ($51 CDN): I was resistant to trying this acid toner but I love it. I hate that it’s marketed as if tingling is a sign of a product working and don’t completely understand the inclusion of a few weird potentially irritating plant extracts (onion bulb, horseradish, myrrh and a few others) and am kind of ambivalent about the acetic acid it contains. However, this is the acid I use most nights and love the smoothing results, radiance, even texture, hydration and overall clarity it brings to my skin. I’m fairly convinced that the liquid toner texture that includes a penetration enhancer makes it a particularly potent acid exfoliant that my temporamental skin likes. It contains niacinamide as the second ingredient and uses both BHA and AHAs to exfoliate the skin. It uses the gentler gluconolactone, lactic acid, citric acid, malic acid, phytic acid and salicylic acid. I love it but this might not be the most gentle acid exfoliant to start with. I notice results quickly using this toner without any sort of tingling.

Paula’s Choice Resist Advanced Replenishing Toner ($24 US): I’ve waxed poetically about my love of this soothing milky toner so I’ll keep it brief. It contains fatty acids, cell communicating ingredients like epigallocatechin gallate, antioxidants, hyaluronic acid and plant oils that really help to restore and maintain the skin barrier and add lightweight hydration  and plumpness that isn’t fleeting. It’s also a necessity for whenever I’ve pissed off my skin.

Paula’s Choice Resist Advanced Smoothing Treatment 10% AHA ($37 US): A few times a week, I will skip the acid toner and use this serum instead. I don’t find it has quite as much resurfacing oomph as the toner but I love it’s hydrating serum texture, combination of glycolic acid, lactic acid, malic acid and tartaric acid and the inclusion of pore-penetrating salicylic acid at a 0.5% concentration. It’s a brilliant potent water-binding exfoliant that’s loaded with peptides, glycerin, ceramides, skin soothing ingredients and antioxidants. As a result, it’s an excellent serum and exfoliant that gets you the benefits of a 10% AHA that’s easy to tolerate.

Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium Emulsion ($28.92 CDN): This emulsion is essentially a humectant based product that could act as a moisturizer that I apply before my moisturizer or sunscreen. It’s fragrance free, doesn’t have anything irritating in it and features five kinds of hyaluronic acid, urea, allantoin and mineral oil. The bottle lasted me nearly a year and I noticed my skin holding onto moisture much better without adding any real producty feel to the skin.

The Ordinary “B” Oil ($9.20 CDN): This rich fragrance free plant oil blend is economical and just so close to Sunday Riley’s Juno in my experience. It’s super anti-inflammatory and soothing with squalane, a variety of antioxidant-rich plant oils and some novel extracts, sourced from algae that research suggests are also anti-inflammatory in their own right.

Paula’s Choice Resist Skin Restoring Moisturizer SPF 50 ($33 US): This is actually the only synthetic or chemical sunscreen product that my reactive skin has been able to tolerate and I credit that to the gentle formula, loaded with antioxidants and anti-irritants. It has a comfortable cream-lotion texture that never feels oily, thick or greasy, while providing my drier skin all it needs in a moisturizer. It contains shea butter, allantoin, niacinamide, liquorice root and oat kernel extract. It uses a combination of broad spectrum filters but I wouldn’t use it for a day in direct sunlight for hours as these filters have stability issues over time. This moisturizer is one I happily reach for often; makeup applies wonderfully over it and it doesn’t seem to migrate into my sensitive eyes.

Paula’s Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30 ($29 US): I’m more of a daily mineral sunscreen girl at heart and this is likely the best one I’ve tried. It offers great broad spectrum stable protection and the cast is offset by the slight beige tint the ingredients have. I don’t think relatively fair to medium skin tones would really experience a cast because of the slight tint the ingredients naturally have. The formula also leaves a luminosity to the skin without visible shimmer particles or anything of the sort. It’s an emollient moisturizer that doesn’t feel overly thick or heavy, whilst adding a substantial dose of hydration. The formula contains glycerin, liquorice root extract, kiwi extract, argan oil, some fatty acids and peptides, a couple of different vitamin c derivatives along with other antioxidants. It’s really soothing on dry or parched skin as well.

L’Oreal Revitalift Cicacream ($27.99 CDN): This more affordable moisturizer has been a solid favourite in the last year or so that I’ve had it. It’s recognized for skin health by the Canadian Dermatology Association for being fragrance free and ideal for weakened skin. It contains glycerin, sesame seed oil, shea butter, cacao butter and a notable amount of centella asiatica. It feels comforting on the skin and definitely helps to protect and rebuild the skin barrier and fights inflammation. The centella also supposedly increases collagen production significantly.

REN Evercalm Ultra Comforting Rescue Mask ($62 CDN): This is a thick occlusive cream that does wonders for pissed off skin and/or an impaired barrier. It’s an excellent product for when I’ve overdone Differin and the acids or when my skin gets crazy dry and angry when I get sick or the weather changes. It contains lactobacillus ferment, which is an non-living probiotic with demonstrated ability to enforce the skin barrier and soothe and hydrate the skin, along with algae extract, a potent water-binding antioxidant, a few other probiotic ingredients and arnica flower extract. It’s not a cosmetically elegant cream to slather all over the skin and leave on overnight — although I do do this on occasion. However, it nips irritation of any sort and a problematic barrier in the bud without stinging on the skin in the slightest.

Any thoughts?
Maggie, x.