Our Shopping Tips For Must-Have Beauty Products Will Save You From Going Broke

As we descend into the bowels of winter, our skin and hair shrivel under the weight of Arctic blasts and indoor heating, and we need to moisturize more than ever. While all that is going on, we’re feeling the pinch in our budgets when it comes to updating our fave beauty products. So how do we reconcile our needs with our budgetary reality? By picking products a la carte, that address the specific area(s) that need moisture, rather than purchasing the whole set. Our beauty contributor Meena Khan shares her best ways to prime and moisturize your scalp, face, and lips with key products you need to stash in your beauty fridge – while keeping the focus on what you need to get the job done. Trust us, there’s no reason to go broke in the name of beauty.

A GREAT SCALP SOLUTION

When we think of moisturising the body, the eyes, face, lips come to mind … but we should also remember that the scalp is composed of skin, and like other parts of the body can become dry and irritated.  Each year, as the season transitions from autumn to winter, I was always disturbed by the increased presence of dandruff on my hairbrush.  When I take a closer look at my scalp always I always find flakes, even though I washed and conditioned my hair using products designed to moisturise my hair. I didn’t know how to treat my scalp, because I never found a product that was specifically designed to address scalp dryness. And then I met Aveda Scalp Solutions Overnight Scalp Renewal Serum.

This amber coloured, softly scented serum (think fresh alpine herbs) housed in an opaque, sage coloured bottle with a stopper cap is composed of ingredients Lactobacillus Ferment and Ectoin, plus Hyaluronic Acid, Adaptogenic Centella Asiatica and Andrographis, which are designed to strengthen the scalp and to keep it hydrated.

Every night I fill the stopper with serum, and drag it along a part of the scalp; I repeat this application process 4 more times.  I then use the pads of my fingers to massage the product using gentle circular motions, and then brush my hair using the Aveda Wooden Paddle Brush. I use this brush because its bristles have ball tips, which enhances the massage experience and helps to spread the serum across the scalp.  After 3 weeks, I confirm that a) my dandruff is negligible; b) hair fall has decreased; and c) none of my pillow covers have been stained. These two products are a great investment if you have a dry scalp.

EYEBROW WOW

Unfortunately, over the past few years, I noticed that my eyebrows have become less full and striking. I don’t overpluck but what were once carefully shaped obsidian frames for my face, have been fading to dark brown, and one eyebrow is thinner than the other. Ugh. So I decided to try the Benefit Hubba Brow, a clear gel serum that claims to, “Improve the appearance of brow volume in just 4 weeks.”

I used it nightly for 3 weeks, and I saw results! Specifically, I noticed that a) more hairs were growing on the thinner brow; b) the base of the left brow has hairs that grow upwards, and I now need to trim them twice weekly rather than once weekly; and c) my eyebrows look glossy and striking. I have put away my brown coloured eyebrow gel, and switched to a colourless version because my eyebrows look fuller and youthful.

CLEANSING, NOT STRIPPING, THE FACE

One source of dryness for the skin are the actual cleansers, and the popular double cleanse can strip the skin. Regarding the latter, the trick is to switch to lighter products that have gentle ingredients. I recommend using a cleansing oil such as Laura Mercier Conditioning Cleansing Oil as the first step to melt away make-up. I only need to one pump of this oil to massage across the planes of my face and to gently tap on my eyelashes, to disintegrate the make-up. I am always impressed by how soft my skin feels after I rinse my face.

After the oil cleanse, I use a tiny dot of the Clé de peau Softening Cleansing Foam to remove all remnants of make-up and dirt from my face and neck. I also like to use the Cleansing Foam in the morning, as a quick cleanse, and again, a tiny droplet suffices – this tube will last for several months. The softness and efficacy of each product permits me to cleanse my face and neck with minimal rubbing and tugging.

A great product to keep at the office for a quick refresh, particularly for the holiday season, is the Laura Mercier Purifying Micellar Water. This clear, odourless product mercilessly disintegrates the mightiest of mascaras, and effortlessly lifts way errant particles of eyeliner and eyeshadow and accomplishes the whole using gentle ingredients such as French Spring Water, Rose Water and Starflower Oil.  As someone who has previously opted for pharmacy micellar waters, and paid the price with itchy eyes and irritated lash line, I was less than keen on this product category. However, Laura Mercier’s version is gentle, and if you want efficacy and convenience, this one is a great office mainstay.

MOISTURISING THE SKIN, DAY AND NIGHT

Indoor heating is a wonder of modern technology, but as someone who applies her beauty products in her bedroom, the walk between the bathroom and bedroom inevitably results in a drier face. Products need a moistened facial skin to penetrate properly; think of how a dry sponge does not absorb spilled water, but once the sponge gets wet it soaks up the water. For this reason, I start my skincare routine with an essence lotion such as Estée Lauder Radiant Essence Lotion, a colourless product that moistens the skin, leaving it looking instantly refreshed. The essence’s ingredients such as sweet kelp, coconut water ferment and red algae, help to fight oiliness, reduce redness, and nourish the skin.  If you start with the right skin step, you will lessen the amount of  serums and creams  that you apply afterwards.

During winter, I remain diligent about sunscreen because even if the sun’s rays do not warm my skin, its rays bounce off the ice and snow and damage it. I am loving the Live Tinted Hue Guard, because it is a mineral sunscreen (SPF 30), moisturiser and primer, which means that it’s convenience and efficacy packaged in a lovely marigold coloured pump bottle – and I do not have to buy separate products for the sun protection and make-up. When I think of mineral sunscreen, I am concerned about having an ashen cast.  This colour of this product is that of a badam ka barfi, a soft butter yellow, that immediately melds into the skin, leaving no ashen cast. I make sure to apply 2 teaspoons of product to my face and neck, and my skin is instantly softened.  I have applied stick and liquid foundations and skin tint and confirm that my make-up did not pill. As we grind away through winter, this product makes mornings easier and encourages the discipline of sun care. Brilliant.

At night, I like to apply a richer moisturising product because the infamous indoor heating zaps the skin of moisture, and annoyingly, a fine line on my forehead which I have nicknamed Humphrey, became particularly prominent in the morning.  Fortunately, since I have started to use the Biossance Squalane + Ectoin Overnight Rescue as the final step in my routine, I wake up with plump skin, and Humphrey is notably less prominent.  The immediate impact is due to Ectoin (mentioned earlier), which has been described as follows, “… it makes for an incredible anti-aging ingredient for the way it “reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improves skin texture, increases skin elasticity and promotes skin barrier repair.”  My skin is combination, but this cream is not heavy, and melds into my skin easily.

If your skin is extremely oily, I suggest using a supercharged lightweight lotion such as Estée Lauder Nutritious Airy Lotion, which like the essence contains wet kelp, coconut water ferment and red algae, and boosts moisturization without clogging the pores or leaving the skin feeling heavy.  The lotion’s lightweight texture belies its effectiveness on cold, dry nights.

Remember if your skin is oily, it does not mean that it is immune from the stripping effects of indoor heating. If your typically oil skin does feel dry in the mornings even after applying moisturiser at night, I recommend sealing in the moisturiser with a lightweight oil such as Guerlain Abeille Royale Advanced Youth Watery Oil. This oil is composed of several types of honeys and Guerlain’s Royal Jelly, and the result is a product that did not clog the oilier areas of my face such as my nose and forehead. I carefully followed the application technique suggested by Guerlain (click on link above), and I loved how my skin felt revitalised.

I have always seen winter as an opportunity to engage in beauty repair under the cover of scarves and coats, so that I will look great come spring. I have developed tech neck and I have been on the lookout for a neck cream that will soften the lines and provide firmness, so that come spring, I will wear necklaces and open tops with confidence. I am thrilled with Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Lifting Face + Neck Cream, because this thick, white, odourless cream sinks into the skin with minimal rubbing. I have observed over the past 3 weeks that my neck feels smoother and that the rings of tech neck are less pronounced. I am pleased with what I have seen thus far and am committed to using this nightly … spring necklines here I come!

POWER PUNCHES

During busy times, such as the holiday season, we need a power infusion of skincare ingredients to look radiant and refreshed. For this need, I have rounded up 4 products that deliver quick results, so you do not need to run to the spa.

If your skin is oily, gently exfoliating the skin once ot twice a week ensures that the pores remain unclogged, thus allowing treatments to penetrate. I have always enjoyed Vasanti BrightenUp! Exfoliator, because this classic scrub employs the power of papaya enzymes to remove dead skin cells. I use gentle, circular motions when applying the product, making sure to go over oilier areas such as my nose and forehead to remove the debris.  I leave the product on for a few minutes and the splash my face with tepid water.  My skin feels softer and smoother.

On days when I am tired, my undereye circles are prominent and they look hollow. An eye cream will not infuse this area with vitality, and this is where eye patches with their concentration of soothing ingredients literally lift my eyes and create the illusion that I have enjoyed quality sleep. I recommend the Live Tinted Rays Copper Peptide Eye Masks, not only because they look like the sun’s rays and add joy to the beauty routine, but also because they contain gentle, effective ingredients such as bakuchiol to treat fine lines, copper peptides to boost collagen production and banana extract to depuff.  I enjoy my 15 minutes of treatment  because at the end I know that I will look rested and refreshed.

There are days when the cold and hot air blasts just leave me looking dull and lifeless. On such days, I reach for the Teaology Black Tea Vitamin C Mask, and the results are breathtaking. This biodegradable sheet mask treats hyperpigmentation because it contains fruit and black tea extracts that brighten the skin. I love that it has built in hooks that you can slip around the ears, so that the mask stays in place and delivers treatment to the face and neck. The mask is not slimy, so when you place it in your face there is no uncomfortable (and annoying) spillage of excess product. After 15 minutes, I removed the sheet mask, and I looked so good!  I was excited to take on my next event with my rejuvenated complexion.

I am a devotee to skincare routines but there are days when I simply cannot be bothered to follow it.  It is okay to have an “off day”, and remember that beauty routines are supposed to help relax you, not stress you. On these low energy days, I just want to wash, treat and sleep, and on such a day, after washing my face, I apply a dollop of the lightweight, odourless, impactful Shiseido Ultimune Future Power Shot.  This shot contains Reishi Mushroom, Iris Root, Fermeted Roselle Extract and Tsubaki Seed Extract to protect against environmental damage and to strengthen the skin.  On days when I do not fully pamper my skin, this shot injects quick TLC, and my skin feels smooth and looks radiant.

LIP LOVE

The lips are covered by a thin skin and they are ravaged by the hot and cold air, and require regular care. A general lip balm simply doesn’t cut the raita in the midst of a Canadian winter, we need a soft, silky, protective balm that plumps the lips.  Guerlain’s KissKiss Bee Glow Colour Reviving Lip Balm has kept my lips in shape, while adding a sheer sheen of colour. This product contains honey, propolis, beeswax, hyaluronic acid and shea butter to nourish, smooth and plump the lips.  I wake up with a bit of a pout, and when I apply my lipstick, I am impressed by how it easily glides on.  If you want an effective lip treatment that adds a hint of colour this product is a great one to try.

KEEP IT BEAUTIFULLY SIMPLE

It is easy to be influenced and seduced into buying a plethora of beauty products but nowadays it is an expensive proposition. Beauty should be fun and effective, and it is both when you identify your exact need and then pick a quality product that delivers on its claims. Remember that you will not need every product listed in this blog but when you decide to open your wallet and spend your hard earned money, buy a product that does not compromise on performance. In the medium-to-long term, you will not regret this purchase because you will see results, and this success will propel you to use every last drop of your product – which is the sign of a money that was thoughtfully spent.

Main Image Photo Credit: Unsplash