bringing sexy back...to your skin

Prep School Pt 1.: Lovelies, I don't think I'm alone in saying that my winter-ravaged skin is a bit of a fright right now. Ok, so the winter here in Toronto wasn't that bad, but my face is still feeling the effects of cold winds and moisture-sucking indoor heating. Let's just say it's lacking that certain glow. So I wanted to share with you some of my recent skincare finds that have helped dewinterize my tired skin.

First up: the cleanse. I'm pretty diligent with cleansing morning and night (usually Philosophy's Purity Made Simple), but sometimes you need a little something extra to shake up your routine. That's why I love Juice Organics's Brightening Cleanser. As the name suggests, it's totally organic and contains apple and lemon juices (which naturally have hydroxy acid) and raw cane sugar (which contains glycolic acid) to help brighten the skin. Now that might sound scary to some, but believe me, this stuff is gentle, yet effective.

Next up: the moisturizer. Before, I didn't really think that a daily moisturizer could change the look and feel of your skin, until I tried skyn ICELAND The ANTIDOTE Quenching Daily Lotion, that is. This lotion is like a breath of fresh air for your skin. When I put it on, I could feel a cooling sensation working immmediately to help heal, and it definitely brought some of my glow back.


The big guns: the mask. Though I have oily skin, I'm not as diligent with facials as I should be. In fact, I can't remember the last time I put on at-home mask treatment. So I was overjoyed to try Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask – and it didn't disappoint. Bliss calls it the "takeaway" version of it famous spa facial – the triple oxygen treatment – but this is five minutes at home and you're done. I have to say I loved it - from the invigorating, citrusy smell to its cool frothing action, to the way it made my skin look supple and moisturized, this stuff is the bomb.

This is the first post in a three-part series called Prep School, which looks at prepping for summer from head to toe. Still to come: glow getters for your body and at-home manicure-pedicure.