Every day, new beauty products land on my desk and it’s my job to dive in and figure out what’s worth your time, energy and dollars. So every month, check this space for my roundup of the ones that *really* blow me away. Read on for the best new skin care, hair products, makeup and more.
I get the appeal of cream blushes, I do. A flush that blends seamlessly with skin, never looking chalky or cake-y. And so that’s why I wear them—tints that I dot on and blend, cream compacts that I swirl a brush over, emollient sticks that I swipe on. They look great as I zip my makeup bag closed, but by lunch, every formula seems to inevitably fade away, and I just don’t have it in me to toy with setting powders in my already-rushed morning routine.
Turns out, Selena Gomez has the answer. The latest from her brand Rare Beauty is a powder blush that takes inspiration from both her widely loved liquid blush (it has over 7,000 five-star reviews on Sephora) and powder highlighter. The criss-cross means silky smooth pigment loaded with pearly radiance. Though it’s a powder, when I brush it on, it gives me the impression that it’s blending into my skin rather than sitting on top of it. It serves up tons of colour on first swipe, but blends easily then magically stays in place all day. Of the six Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Luminous Powder Blush shades, I’ve been loving the peachy-pink Joy because it reminds me of the iconic Nars Orgasm—maybe a sign of impending legend status?
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The shot of java for undereye circles—made from upcycled coffee
There once was a time where I skipped coffee in the morning. But then I had a kid. Similarly, I used to be meh on eye cream, but… kid. Now, I sip caffeine daily—and slather it under my eyes morning and night via Three Ships’s new First Light eye cream.
Caffeine is known for boosting circulation and constricting blood vessels, which makes it a go-to for tackling dark circles and puffiness. And—true to one of the things I love most about Toronto-born Three Ships—the caffeine in First Light is upcycled. It comes from the coffee seed oil that’s left over in the grounds after brewing. It’s paired with more gentle yet effective natural ingredients: vitamin C from cherry for brightening and to help fight free radicals (love this for boosting the hard work my SPF does to protect my skin), and squalane, grape seed oil and shea butter for moisture. It absorbs quickly, does seem to make me look more alive, and doesn’t mess with my follow-up concealer. And while I love the idea of keeping my eye cream in the fridge for a cool application, any time I’ve tried that, the skincare has become lost and forgotten among the stray cloves of garlic and near-empty condiments. No need here: the ceramic tip feels refreshing, so much so that I find myself spending extra precious time with it before my toddler takes over my morning.
Good news for all sides: there’s a new hand wash that checks every box. From Auckland, New Zealand (and the same founder behind hot-selling Monday Haircare), Osana Naturals just launched in North America, offering clean shampoos, conditioners, body care and—my fave—hand wash. A focus across the line is functional fragrance, with scent compounds that are believed to help boost mood and banish stress. The Peppermint + Cucumber smells straight out of a spa, while the Vanilla + Coconut, with notes of cotton and milk too, seems to be the crowd pleaser that friends have commented on most when they’re over. It leaves my hands feeling clean but not dried out, thanks to glycerin and botanical extracts. The bottles themselves (made with 20 per cent recycled plastic and fully recyclable, including the pump, which is less common) look expensive in crisp black with expert typography. But unlike a certain $55 Australian dark-bottled hand soap, this one rings in at just $5. Can’t roll your eyes at that, husband.
You know how the Paris filter on Instagram stories makes everything a little brighter, a little smoother, but not in an overhaul-of-reality kind of way? This liquid luminizer from Dior is the closest I’ve found for bottling up that effect IRL.
I like to take about 1.5 pumps from the glass bottle (I wear shade 2 from the range of 10) and massage into my face—just like how I apply moisturizer—as my first makeup step. It leaves a radiant look that’s neither shiny nor shimmery. Plus, it has floral extracts from iris, pansy and hibiscus to give help with hydration. I then finish my base with concealer on my spots and circles, but find I need less because the luminosity lends a little blur, too. Makeup legend Peter Philips, who is Dior Makeup’s creative and image director, says you can also use it as a last-step highlighter on your cheekbones and bridge of nose, or mix it directly into your liquid foundation before applying—lots of options, lots of glow.
Hyperpigmentation is one of those things that sneaks up on you. Partially because there’s a delay before sun damage shows up on your skin, partially because hormonal changes, like those during pregnancy, bring all kinds of in-your-face symptoms before you notice the on-your-face melasma. And you get so focused on a pimple that there’s little forethought for the dark mark that will follow. Dark spots creep up then suddenly wham, they’re everywhere.
That trio got the best of my already-freckly skin, and because discolouration is notoriously tricky to tackle, it’s now at the point where probably only a carefully wielded laser can get rid of the large spots. But I’ve discovered my next best thing to hold me over until I’m ready to go to the derm for in-office treatments. Dermalogica’s Powerbright Dark Spot Peel hits exactly the balance I need in a topical hyperpigmentation product: powerful ingredients that won’t send my sensitive skin into a fit. Plus, it’s suitable for all six Fitzpatrick skin types. It has a 12-per cent blend of AHAs and PHAs (acids like mandelic that exfoliate and help cell turnover) along with buzzy and research-backed brighteners niacinamide and tranexamic acid. Importantly, it also has omega-3s to support your skin barrier, because harsh exfoliation can cause skin to inflame and restart the whole hyperpigmentation cycle. I’m sure one reason I’ve been able to use these hardworking ingredients without a flareup is that it’s a wash-off product. You apply it for 15 to 20 minutes for five days in a row, then switch to maintenance mode of a couple times per week. I’m happy to report that after my five days, I could already see some of my bigger spots breaking up and slightly fading, so I’ve stuck with it in my routine. I still plan to submit to a laser, but know it’ll be expensive and painful, so this is tiding me over till that day comes.
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