April's beauty best bets: A rock-royalty collab and a princess' sleep serum
Spring has sprung, and with it comes a plethora of new beauty products, from drugstore finds, to salon must-haves, and department store and boutique brand launches. With so many items to choose from – including Redken's new No Blow Dry Cream series (the one for thinner hair is pretty perfect!), as well as NYX's 3-in-1 Brow Pencil (which comes in 10 shades and retails for $16) – it was hard not to feature every launch on our list! But we narrowed it down to the true must-buys for the season.
Fit for a Princess
Said to be part of Kate Middleton's skincare regimen (and we all lust after her complexion, let's be honest!), Beuti Skincare just brought their Beauty Sleep Elixir across the pond, launching in Canada and the US this month. Consisting of 14 plant oils, this serum is rich in antioxidants, as well as anti-inflammatory ingredients (thanks in part to Caribbean coral, believed to be the world's most powerful anti-inflammatory oil), and it is also multi-functional. So far I've only tested it as a serum before bed (and it's giving my favourite Vintner's Daughter serum a run for it's money), but the brand also suggests it be used as a blemish spot treatment to control redness, and as a makeup primer (just use one to two drops instead of the two to four recommended at night) to create a velvety canvas for your makeup application.
Beuti Beauty Sleep Elixir, $75, vossity.com
Perfect and protect
Most CC and BB creams offer a little bit of SPF (anywhere between SPF 15 and 30), but Ombrelle's latest sun protection lotion comes in at 60, while also offering a hint of tint. Oil-free and water resistant, you can use this to replace your current tinted moisturizer, but I prefer to use it as a makeup primer, content in knowing that I have an SPF 60 as my base protection this spring and summer.
Ombrelle Ultra Light Advanced 100% Mineral Tinted Face Lotion with SPF 60, $17.99, drugstores and mass market retailers
Fancy face
If you're at all interested in French-girl beauty or have a thing for rock 'n' roll chic, the Charlotte Gainsbourg for NARS Summer 2017 collection will be the yin to your yang. As soon as I opened the khaki packaging, I knew it was special. And after I played around a bit, I replaced my blush with the sheer flush of the Multiple Tint in Alice (a poppy red), Jo (a pale pink) and Jeanette (a berry hue). Other standouts from this collection for me were the Velvet Duo Eyeshadow in Old Church Street and Kohliner in Zinc, the perfect slate grey that I can't stop smudging along my lash line.
Charlotte Gainsbourg for NARS Multiple Tint, $49, Velvet Duo Eyeshadow, $43, and Kohliner, $31, available May 1st, 2017 at Sephora, Hudson's Bay, Nordstrom, Murale and BeautyBoutique by Shoppers Drug Mart
Healthy hair
Pantene's latest hair innovation took 15 years to perfect, but it was worth the wait. Touted as the biggest shampoo breakthrough in 30 years, Daily Moisture Renewal works to strengthen and moisturize the hair from the inside out, by infusing active lipids and antioxidants that go deep into the core of each strand. With a rich lather, it detangles and provides all hair types, especially coarse or damaged hair, with much needed shine.
Pantene Pro-V Daily Moisture Renewal Dream Care Shampoo, $8.99, and Conditioner, $8.99, available at drugstores and mass market retailers
Bye, bye, bye
Bare leg weather is here (depending on the day!), so be ready with the new cheap and easy eos Tropical Shave Cream. The highly hydrating formula lets you shave wet or dry and it smells divine. See, easy peasy.
eos Tropical Shave Cream, $3.99, Walmart
H2-Oh!
I just moved into my dream home replete with soaker tub (I know, lucky!) and now nothing makes me happier, or more relaxed, than a warm bath before bed. So naturally I love a good bath product. Enter Mellow's Celestial Bath + Body Soak, now available at Health Hut. Made with detoxifying dead sea salt, this mixture also moisturizes skin thanks to coconut milk and organic oats. The addition of lavender and bergamot essential oils helps to take my tub time to the next level.
Mellow Celestial Bath + Body Soak, $22, healthhutboutique.com
Tha bomb dot com
After using Belif's True Cream Moisturizing Bomb at night for one month, I was curious to test out their new Aqua Bomb masque. And it did not disappoint. After using a chemical peel masque, I popped the packaging to allow the wonder mixture to soak the sheet masque and then applied to my face. Fifteen minutes later I had a pretty dewy complexion that even the husband noticed. #happy
Belif Aqua Bomb Sheet Masque, $11, thefaceshop.ca, Fruits & Passion and Nature Collection stores