The second round of our Best Friend Beauty Reviews occurred over the holidays, at a festive party filled with food, fun and, of course, a fabulous makeup giveaway! Once again, our EIC’s besties report back—with 100 per cent honesty—on their favourite beauty snags. Enjoy! —Noa Nichol
gissele’s pick: dr. hauschka soothing cleansing milk. This cleansing milk, from one of my favourite beauty brands, is gentle, non-greasy and, yup, definitely soothing! I’m pretty sure it would work well for all skin types, but seems especially suited to sensitive skin (it’s paraben and sulphate free)! dr.hauschka.com
erin’s pick: glamglow #glittermask. I hadn’t done a facial mask in a while, mostly because I remember them being cakey, gritty shellac that dried out my skin and left it feeling stiff. The idea of a sparkly mask seemed fun, but I assumed it was all a gimmick and didn’t expect much. The first thing that struck me when I opened the jar was how good it smelled. It includes a nice soft applicator brush, which kept my fingers clean and spread the mask in a nice even layer on my skin. I put on a generous layer (which I recommend for everyone) and, of course, took a few selfies because, well, SPARKLY FACE! The instructions recommend letting the product dry for 20 to 30 minutes, so I threw on a movie and painted my nails while the mask sat. After 30 minutes, I went to remove the mask. It peels off, and so this is where having that nice thick layer helps out, because you can peel it off in one easy step. If you put it on too thin, you may have to spend a lot more time peeling. The first thing I noticed is that my skin felt super smooth, soft and none of that tight, dried-out feeling I’ve had from other masks. No gritty residue, no messy removal. I’m impressed—sparkly fun and smooth skin! glamglow.com
sabina’s pick: nars laguna liquid bronzer. I’ve long considered NARS to be the creator of one of the best bronzers on the market, and the brand’s really taken it up a notch with this product. I used to swear by the Laguna bronzer powder, especially in the summer. It gave me that perfect sun-kissed glow. However, as my tan faded, it became difficult to wear the powdered bronzer without looking a bit orangey. And as is the case with most powdered products, it is hard to moderate how much is applied. Enter Laguna liquid bronzer—it’s very lightweight and feels airy on my skin. Six months ago I fell in love with DiorSkin Nude Air foundation, another lightweight and airy feeling product. I mix the two together and get the perfect glow and coverage on my skin, whether I have a tan or not. I also don’t get that “caked-on” foundation look that no woman wants. And the best part is that I can add as much or as little Laguna liquid bronzer as I like to the mix. This product is my new must have! narscosmetics.com
louise’s pick: cnd vinylux nail polish. This polish is fantastic. It went on smoothly, coated my nails evenly with just two coats (a small miracle for a nude colour, in particular) without streaks. The top coat is shiny and dried very hard. Expecting this to be very long lasting (will report back on that!). Nail salon-quality shellac polish (without the creepy UV light) at home, by moi? Priceless! cnd.com
melissa’s pick: l’occitane en provence immortelle divine cleansing balm. My first time using a face cleansing balm, and my dry winter skin is thankful! The essential oils used in this product are hydrating, calming and have a very lovely aroma. I usually prefer a squeeze tube over the scrape-a-jar application, however, I was able to overlook this as a little goes a long way and it easily removes makeup and leaves my face feeling smooth and glowing. ca.loccitane.com
kristie’s pick: sulwhasoo concentrated ginseng renewing cream ex. I’d heard the hype about ginseng and ancient Asian practices in skin products but didn’t really take much notice. Was excited, though, to try this face cream as the winter had left my skin really dry and flaky. I simply couldn’t believe it when, 10 minutes after my first application, I saw a marked improvement; a few weeks on, my skin is in the best condition it has ever been in. It’s a higher-end beauty buy, but absolutely worth the investment! sulwhasoo.com
amber’s pick: nars soft matte complete concealer. This is, hands down, one of the best concealers I’ve ever used. Without the mess of a wet concealer, it goes on matte, blends in beautifully and gives that shine-free flawless finish. The problem with tubes or pumps is that you always waste a bit of product and end up using it up too quickly. With the pot, you can use a brush (or even just your finger in a rush) and dab a small amount on those troubled blemished spots and under the eyes. Then, a swipe of mascara and you have the best minimal makeup look ever! narscosmetics.com
rosie’s pick: burt’s bees hydrating gel cream. Was, at first, a bit shocked by this product’s thick goopy consistency, but delighted to discover it’s actually very lightweight to the touch and applies with ease. This product is targeted for normal to combination skin, but I would highly recommend it to anyone with dry skin … in my case, it left my parched skin soft, supple and with a very soft glow. burtsbees.ca
karen’s pick: tiffany eau de parfum. From the beauty of the bottle and packaging to the wonderful fragrance (to me, it has almost earthy undertones while remaining very light and fresh-smelling), this is my new go-to perfume. I wear it almost every day! tiffany.ca
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