Sample Selection Saturday | Lush Mask of Magnaminty

Another week, another sample selection!

What is it?:

This week's selection is a two-in-one product. Lush's Mask of Magniminty is a pretty generous product. It can be used as a mask and a cleanser.

In brief: the good and the ugly

The good:

It's a two-in-one product (cleanser and a mask).

I like the minty and slightly earthy smell.

As a cleanser – YOU CAN USE THIS ANYWHERE. This is kind of too strong to use as daily face wash. I'd suggest using this as a treatment mask. Definitely once or twice weekly, tops.

As a mask – YOU CAN USE THIS ANYWHERE. It left my face soft and minimized some swelling and some redness from my spots.

The ugly:

For the occasional user, it costs a lot ($12.95CDN for 125g; $24.95CDN for 315g).

It can be far too much product if you're going to use this primarily as a (face) mask, even if you're going to be using this as a face cleanser. Most of the Lush products I own can be used on the face and body, so this isn't really a problem.

It has a shelf-life of only four months.

The perils of buying products with ingredients I can pronounce. /sarcasm

Would I purchase?

Yes

Summer spotlight | SPF

Sunscreen. It's a topic I can't really get enough of, especially now that the weather is getting so good.

How should it be used

Sunscreen should be used daily. Slathering it on during the summer or just when you're about to leave the house should not be the only times you use it. Winter calls for sunscreen, especially if you're heading out to the slopes. Higher altitude increases UV exposure and snow reflects the sun's rays.

Stay vigilant about sun protection in all seasons to stave off wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and other nasty stuff! Sunscreen might need some time to kick in and protect you from the sun's rays.

If it's a chemical sunscreen, aim to apply it a half hour before heading outside. If it's a mineral (physical) sunblock, you are protected as soon as you slather it on. Mineral sunscreen is made up of titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. Each type of sun protection has its advantages and disadvantages. Some mineral sunblocks can break out skin and leave a whitish cast on skin. Chemical sunscreens can irritate skin. Experiment with both and see which one your skin prefers.

How much should you use

Apply about a shot's worth of sunscreen. That should cover an average adult body. Apply everywhere, even where skin is covered and often. Two hours at a time and more often if you're sweating or swimming. If your skin feels red or itchy, seek shade and reapply more often.

Kick it to the curb

Open bottles really should be tossed within a year. Don't keep used bottles for next summer, as tempting as that is. Chances are the filters will deteriorate and your sunscreen won't be as effective.

Keep it cool

Like time, high heat is sunscreen's mortal enemy. Too hot temperatures can degrade a sunscreen's efficacy.

Pro tip: Hide your sunscreen at the beach by burying it under the sand and covering it with your towel or beach read.

SPF is not enough!

Practice safe sun. Carry a parasol or seek shade under a tree, beach umbrella or a canopy/tent if you want to be really fancy about it. If you do overdo it, aloe is your best friend!

Sample Selection Saturday | Weleda Wild Rose Pampering Body Lotion

Sample Selection Saturday is a new column where, every week, I will review a sample that has somehow landed on my lap.

Wild Rose body lotion was a bonus that I got when I purchased Weleda's Skinfood.

My body was definitely not pampered by this lotion. I applied it after my shower first thing in the morning and I used it all up in one go. Several hours later and my nose is still recovering from the fake rose smell.

In brief: The good and The ugly

The good:

It's a pretty good-sized sample (20ml).

It comes in a pretty tube, easy to tote around in a purse and use as hand lotion.

The ingredient list. With the exception of fragrance, because I never know exactly what that entails, I only had to look up one ingredient. Glyceryl Stearate SE is an emulsifier (stabilizer) derived from vegetables. It can be found in cleansers, shampoos, conditioners, creams and lotions.

The ugly:

The smell. I'm not one who loves scented products as it is, but I think this might even offend people who do like scents. You'd think with "wild rose" in the name it would smell like roses, but it does not. The scent is so unbelievably artificial and its a poor imitation of a floral. It is way too overpowering.

Makes sense, though. Fragrance is the seventh ingredient on the list.

I don't normally like lotions. I find them to be a bit watery in consistency and don't moisturize my skin as well as a cream or an oil. This Wild Rose body lotion was not an exception.

This is a very light moisturizer, probably better suited for summertime use.

(For reference, it's summer now and it still doesn't make the cut with me.)

Would I purchase?

No.

Review | Missha all-around safe block SPF25 (kids)

“Kids. For kids,” said the saleswoman in broken English.

“Yes, I know,” I replied in Korean.

“금!” she said pointing to the bear on the box. Presumably emphasizing the kids' aspect of this sunblock.

“Yes, I know,” I replied again in Korean.

“금!” she jabbed at the bear one last time before venturing to find another customer, hopefully with enough sense not to buy products designed for children.

I was looking for a portable sunblock for sensitive skin. This bear and his sunblock checked off all the boxes.

Empties | June

Another month, another empties post!

This month, I finished a couple of items I've already reviewed and am in the process of replacing and repurchasing.

1. Thayer's Witch Hazel with Aloe toner: This has two of my favourite products to calm and moisturize my skin: witch hazel and aloe. This toner is great at toning my face and picking up leftover makeup and dirt that cleansing leaves behind. It's also great at prepping my skin for my serum and regular moisturizer and can be used as a spritzer to refresh skin throughout the day.

Thayer's toners can be found at Whole Foods, natural health stores and online.

2. Aromatica Rose Absolute First Serum: This is more of a two-in-one product because it feels like a toner and a serum. And, if you're so inclined, you can even use it as a moisturizer for the warmer months. I like almost everything about this product – it calms my skin, is gentle, has natural ingredients, chic packaging, multiple uses and it lasted a long time. What I don't like about it now is its cost and accessibility.

Outside of Korea, it can only be bought online at a small number of retailers.

3. Coconut oil: I love coconut oil! I've forgotten which brand this used to be – the label got rubbed away by the oil – but it doesn't really matter. What does matter is that the oil has to be cold-pressed and organic. I've used this as an allover moisturizer, face cleanser, hair treatment, eye makeup remover and to keep my teeth super white (oil pulling). I could go on, but I love coconut oil's many uses so much it deserves its own post.

Can be found at most grocery stores.

4. Nature Republic pearl de caviar cleanser: I talked about this cleanser before. It was a pretty good cleanser and had good value. This is a deluxe sample size (50 ml) and it lasted an insane amount of time. Several months, with twice daily usage. I didn't need to use a lot of product because it foamed up really well. And I really loved the scent. It didn't smell so much to be overpowering; it was just enough to leave a subtle scent which washed away pretty quickly.

Pearl de Caviar cleanser is sold in 150ml bottles at Nature Republic stores and online.

5. Skinfood 40 percent shea butter body cream: This really helped to soothe and moisturize my dry skin last winter. I mostly used it on my hands and took it everywhere with me. The tube, which is so convenient, lived almost exclusively in my purse. It's a nice, rich cream that left my skin moisturized even hours later.

Skinfood can be purchased online.

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Summer skin care swaps

Summer is just around the corner (Saturday, woot!) and I've been preparing for its imminent arrival. Last weekend I put most of my sweaters away – three out of five of them! I tucked a good chunk of my scarves into storage, too (way more than just five, if you're curious). But summer preparations aren't just limited to my wardrobe. Nope! I've swapped my skincare routine too.