Category: Beauty routine

Spa-day any day: my top picks for a spa-day experience at home

Disclaimer:  This post was initially written in June.  Although spas in Ontario have opened, not all services are available in stage 2 of the reopening process.  However, these are great things to try when you want a spa day any day at home.  Enjoy!

On Mother’s Day, a few ladies and I were supposed to go to Niagara-on-the-Lake for a spa day.  We had booked it months in advance and were looking for some time away from our kids and husbands.   Then the pandamic rolled around and decided to cancel most activities for 2020.   Sadly, we did not go as planned as lockdown is still under effect, but I did not let it stop me from having a spa-day.   So I decided to bring the spa home.

I want to start off by disclaiming that I am not an esthetician or a skin expert, but these are some of my “must-haves” for a spa day in the comfort of your own home.

1.  Setting the mood

I think its really important to set the tone for your at-home spa day to feel completely relaxed.  You may even want to “schedule” a time of when to do it around your kids’ schedule.   I typically have my “spa nights” in the evening when my kids go to bed.   I start off with diffusing some lavender oil or Balance essential oils (from Doterra) into my diffuser.  I have the Petal Diffuser from Doterra which lights up.  Sometimes I’ll even put on relaxing music to set the mood along with a glass of water with lemon slices or a glass of wine!

Wine pairing: Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio or Gérard Bertrand Côte des Roses Rosé. 

I love face masks but prior to putting one on, I like to give my face a good cleanse with a facial brush.  There are tons of different facial brushes on the market at different price points but I like to keep it simple.  I use the Dual Action Facial Brush by Quo Beauty and its available at Shoppers Drug Mart for $12.00.   One side is for cleansing and the other side is for scrubbing, so I’ll start by cleansing my skin with a cleanser on the cleansing side and then scrub my pores on the other side.

composition of cosmetic bottle with pink rose petals and wooden plate
Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

3.  Mask up

Following my face scrub, I’ll proceed to placing on my facial mask.   There are tons of different facial masks available on the market for every skin type.  You can use the traditional face mask or a sheet mask, but this comes down to personal preference.  I have used both and had the same results.   I typically like a nourishing mask or a mask with hyaluronic acid.  While I wait for mask to set, I’ll take a warm a bath or relax on my bed with a heating pad on.

SEPHORA COLLECTION Face Mask
Coconut facial mask from Sephora

5.  Final steps

Following the face mask, I’ll place face serum and eye cream on my face and then use a rose quartz facial roller for lymphatic drainage.  Whether or not it works, I find it a very relaxing way to complete this skin-care regimen.  I then conclude my mini-facial with a good moisturizer.  For my eyes I use AluminEye eye cream and HydraCalm face moisturizer by AlumierMD Canada.  I just recently started using these products and I have already noticed a difference!

Herbivore Facial Roller

Natalie’s beauty insider for 2020

If there is anything I enjoy more in life is trying out new skin-care products and cosmetics.  I have always been a “girly girl” in the sense that I love a nice, sheer lip gloss and an even better moisturizer.  My signature look is simple:  clean, classy and polished.  I think self-care is so important; not only does it make you look good on the outside but it also makes you feel good on the inside!

I wanted to share with you some of my top picks for Winter 2020.   I like to try a range of products that are available from department stores to your local drug store.  Sometimes you can be surprised with the things you can find at places like Shoppers or Rexall.

I also wanted to reiterate that this is in no way an advertisement, nor was this blog post sponsored by anyone.  I am simply a girl sharing with you some of my favourite products and essentials from my make-up bag that I have been using this season.  Consider this tried, tested and true!

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From left to right:

  1. YES Studio Lip Balm “Uh Huh Honey” – I happened to find this at Indigo over the holidays and picked it up as some stocking stuffers for some friends.  I thought why not try it out myself?  It’s probably one of the best lip balms I have tried to date.  It feels like you are putting a serum on your lips and is very moisturizing and not too balmy.  Approximately $10.00 at Chapters/Indigo.
  2. Bobbi Brown Skin Long Wear Foundation – I thought nothing could top Lancôme’s Teint Idole Ultra Long Wear Foundation but then I happened to find it.  My brother gifted me Masterclass for Christmas this year and I chose Bobbi Brown’s make-up class.  What I have learned thus far from the class is that beauty comes from within and Bobbi’s take on cosmetics is to enhance your beauty; not to alter your beauty.  Well thats basically what this foundation does is enhances your skin and just gives it a nice finish.  You can find it at the Bay for about $58.00.
  3. NYX Precision Brow Pencil – sometimes I love a good drugstore find and this is definitely one of them!  I love the flat tip on the applicator and makes for a smooth and easy finish.  It also comes attached with a brow brush on the other end.  I would think this is somewhat comparable to other brow pencil’s I’ve tried in the past such as MAC and Anastasia.  For $12 bucks this product is great for your brows!  Available at most drug stores such as Shoppers.
  4. PUR 4-in-1 Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 20:  I do not like heavy coverage and some days all I want is a nice, clean, sheer finish.   I also suffer from seasonal allergies to the point where my skin does not tolerate products with heavy ingredients well.  The beautician at Shoppers Drug Mart suggested I try PUR.  I absolutely love this product and wear this on most days.  It’s light and easy and a little bit goes a long way.  Available at Shoppers Drug Mart.
  5. Christian Dior Lip Maximizer Hyaluronic Lip Plumper – nothing feels more luxurious than this!  This product really does deliver good results.  I am not much of a lipstick person, but I do love a good gloss and this one does not disappoint.  In addition, I find it does not get sticky and it also does give that plumping effect.  I picked this product up at Sephora.
  6. Vichy Mineral 89 Skin Fortifying Daily Booster – as stated in the previous paragraph, I have really sensitive skin, especially around the eye area and for years I have been using Vichy’s skin care line.  I love this product and it really does deliver and make your face nice and plumped.  One to two pumps of this product is all what you need followed by some rolling motions from my Hadaka Quartz Face Roller that I picked up at Angel’s Beauty Bar in downtown Hamilton.  I do this routine twice a day and I have noticed some pretty good results.
  7. The Colossal mascara by Maybelline – I also suffer from eye allergies so I have to clean all my brushes and change mascaras quite regularly.  It can get quite expensive.  One day I was in a rush and stopped at a nearby Rexall and came across this mascara which was on sale.  I thought I would give it a try.  I was quite pleased with the results.  I like that it is not a plastic brush.  When I applied the mascara to my eye lashes I truly thought they looked pretty real (the jingle “maybe its Maybelline” came to mind!). I also like that it is not clumpy. Maybelline is known for making pretty good mascaras, specifically Great Lash, but I personally think this one is better.
  8. Aveeno Absolutely Ageless Moisturizing Cleanser – I literally just started using this yesterday and I love it.  My skin felt nice and smooth and did not dry my face out like most cleansers do.  I found it to be quite gentle and it basically did the job.  Available in most drug and grocery stores but Walmart has the best price for this product online.

What are your favourite cosmetic and beauty essentials?  Share in the comments below!

Much love,

N.