Break Your Bad Beauty Habits

Break Your Bad Beauty Habits


Part ways with your beauty sins

They may seem harmless, but your bad beauty habits aren’t so beautiful. In fact, they can even be dangerous to your health. Here’s how to stop them in their tracks:

Stop biting your nails

It may seem like an innocent way to unleash your stress, but when you chew on your nails, you run the risk of ingesting the nasty bacteria that linger underneath. (Not to mention the cracked, split nails and painful hangnails you’ll pick up along the way.) Kick the habit by treating yourself to a manicure. If your nails are pristine and polished, you’ll have a harder time taking out your stress on them. Not the polish type of girl? Tuck a travel-size nail file in your purse for on-the-go weak moments.

Don’t leave home without sunscreen

Sunscreen and summertime always go hand in hand but the winter months pose similar sun threats. Any sun exposure without adequate protection is a direct cause of premature aging, including increased wrinkles and age spots. Extensive sun damage also increases your chances of developing various skin cancers. To break this unhealthy pattern, make sunscreen a part of your morning routine by using a daily facial moisturizer with an SPF already built in (I like Dove’s Deep Moisture Day Lotion with SPF 15).

Don’t pick at pimples

It may be the most satisfying part of your beauty routine, but popping and prodding your pimples will do you no good. Indulging in this nasty habit can leave you with permanent scars, infection, and in a lot of cases, squeezing a pimple will actually push the bacteria and oil even deeper into the glands. Break the habit by using this DIY spot treatment: crush an ibuprofen and create a thick paste with some water. Apply directly to the pimple, let dry, then wash off for reduced swelling and redness.

Not taking your eye makeup off before bed

You just got home from a night out and the first (and only) thing you want to do is head to bed. But leaving your eye makeup on overnight can cause major eye irritation and inflammation while blocking your skin’s natural ability to repair itself. Other awful side effects include clogged glands, dry skin and eyelashes more prone to falling out. If time is your biggest issue, skip the cleanser and invest in some moist makeup remover wipes, which will take off the day’s grime in seconds.

Touching your face constantly

Touching our face is a beauty crime we’re all guilty of doing. The trouble is that you transfer excess oil and dirt from your fingers to your pores, which can cause breakouts and even worse, infection. This habit is especially hazardous during the cold and flu season, when bacteria and viruses are widespread and likely to be on your hands. It may be tricky to break the pattern, so carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer in your purse to disinfect your hands before you primp.

Summerize Your Skin

Summerize Your Skin

Transition your skin care routine to suit the changing temps


While the climate changes from sub-zero to sunshine, you need to adjust your skin care regimen to suit the change of seasons (and the dynamic needs of the skin).

Cleanse and exfoliate

In the summer, you're subjected to more dirt, oil and impurities on the skin (since we tend to perspire more and wear heavier sunscreens and makeup that can readily clog pores). That said, skin will need a more thorough cleanse. Try one of the new facial cleansing brushes help to give a deeper clean compared to washing with your hands or a face cloth. We like Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Brusher Gel-Cleanser.

Exfoliate once a week to remove dead skin cells that clog pores (since clogged pores can actually make pores appear larger). Remove the dead skin cells and voilà -- a radiant complexion.

Moisturize

Now that we have said goodbye to winter, you should also bid adieu to the body butters and oil-based creams since they can feel heavy on the skin. Because we sweat much more in the summer heat, go for a light-weight water based moisturizer or lotion. The oil free moisturizer will not feel heavy or sticky on your skin.

Apply sunscreen

Of course this is an important rule all year round, but sunscreen is paramount in summer since the days are longer and we spend far more time outside.

Sunscreen is important for all skin tones to protect from damage caused by ultra violet (UVA & UVB) rays. If you've avoided using sun block until now because you detest the white pasty look and feel, there is a variety of non-greasy, light sprays and gels from which you can choose. You'll want a sunscreen with broad-spectrum or multi-spectrum protection for both UVB and UVA.

Ingredients with broad-spectrum protection include ingredients like benzophenones (oxybenzone), titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. If you've always wandered what the SPF number stands for like 15 or 45, it means the amount of time that should elapse before you re-apply. A teaspoon size should be applied to the face and remember often neglected areas like the ears, neck and back of the hands.

Remember that last year's left over stock should be discarded since sunscreen ingredients are often volatile and can be degraded.

The Best Cream Blushes

The Best Cream Blushes

Three steps to making cream blush work for you

Don’t call it a trend any longer: thanks to the need for aesthetic diversity, cream blush has become the cosmetic go-to for those who’ve grown tired of the basic powder and blush formula. But because it can be an adjustment to switch from tradition to “new and improved”, we’ve come up with ways to make cream blush work for your skin tone and type, which should make the embracement of crèmes over powders that much easier.

Step #1: What finish do you prefer?
Like you would when determining eye shadow tone, lipstick shade or even bronzer, before opting for your choice of cream blush, make sure you’re aware of what look you’re going for. Meaning? Are you opting for the flushed, summery vibe du jour, or are you hankering to give a dramatic edge to your daily routine? If you’re not entirely sure, you may want to stick to a shade like NARS’ Constantinople, which can easily transition from one look to the other depending on how much you’re willing to apply. But if you’re ready to embrace the drama, consider a fuchsia shade (like Montenegro) to amp up bright lips worn alongside black cigarette pants.

Step #2: Consider Skin Type
It goes without saying that our skin types vary, so because of the vast differences between one complexion and another, it’s important to look into products that offer moisturizers, SPFs, or components that won’t make you break out. Lancome’s answer to cream blushes boast high levels of jojoba wax which makes for a light and airy finish (if you’re worried about caking on more product), while The Body Shop’s brand contains Community Trade marula oil to keep your cheeks moisturized as you apply.

Step #3: Application
While the application of powder and even gel blushes seem relatively straightforward, there’s a level of variety that accompanies cream products that range from the minimal to a little more extensive. Any of MAC’s shades can be applied by both brush and by sponge (depending on what effect you’re vying for), but a more detailed application calls for the use of fingers. The same rule applies to Benefit: contained in a lipgloss-esque tube, you need only to squeeze a small amount out and rub into your cheeks. No muss, no fuss, and more importantly, no unnecessary cosmetic brushes.

Detox Your Skin

Detox Your Skin

Remedy post-holiday skin with these complexion savers

Much like hitting the gym is a New Year ritual to counteract holiday excess, our skin also needs some TLC to detox from an over-indulgence of alcohol, rich foods and late nights during the holiday season – all of which leave skin dull, puffy, dehydrated and prone to breakouts. Here are some solutions:

Maximize moisture

Drinking a lot of booze during the holidays can zap moisture from the skin, making fine lines more apparent and skin less radiant. The biggest offender is red wine, especially to those people who are prone to redness and rosacea. It can cause inflammation in the blood vessels, resulting in flushed, irritated skin. To boost your skin’s moisture levels and combat redness add a hydrating, fragrance-free face mask to your nighttime moisturizing routine. Wear the mask for at least 15 minutes to allow the benefits to reach the skin. Follow it with a hydrating serum and rich moisturizer to lock in softness.

Try: Dermalogica Multi Vitamin Power Recovery Masque.

Boost radiance

Skin can look dull after piling on a full-face of makeup night after night (and admit it, most of us get a little lazy about removing it before bed). To revitalize skin and make sure pores don’t get clogged, try an at-home chemical peel that has lactic acid or glycolic acid. These ingredients accelerate the skin’s natural exfoliation process to clear pores and reveal fresher, smoother and more radiant skin underneath. For optimal and long-lasting results, incorporate a peel into your skincare routine about twice a week for one month.

Try: MD Skincare Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel or Neostrata Peeling Solution.

Eye spy

Lack of sleep due to late-night holiday parties takes a toll on your eyes. To combat puffy eyes and dark circles use a moisturizing eye cream both morning and night that contains anti-oxidants like vitamin E and C. A good trick to reduce puffiness and darkness is to actually store your eye cream in the refrigerator. The cooling action will help to constrict blood vessels and minimize any obvious circles or puffiness.

Try: Lancôme Génifique Eye Youth Activating Eye Concentrate

Sun damage RX

If you’re like many sun-starved Canadians who escape to tropical destinations over the holidays, chances are your skin needs to detox from UV rays. UV rays cause free radical damage to the skin, resulting in discoloration and premature wrinkling. Load up on antioxidants in your moisturizer, like vitamins A, C, E and green tea. If you have experienced a severe sunburn, your skin needs time to repair and heal so stay away from microdermabrasion and glycolic peel treatments. These could potentially further damage tender skin. Instead, soothe skin with fragrance-free lotions or a simple aloe vera gel.

Try: Consonant Organic Body Lotion.