As editor of a lifestyle website and mag, I receive a lot of beauty samples … and many of them are very, very good. But, like most humans, I’m also a creature of habit, and there are certain go-to products I’ve been using, on the daily, for years. These live in my bathroom and at my bedside—I travel with them, too. Without further adieu, here are the five skin, hand and hair potions my life just wouldn’t be complete without (oh, and I’d love to know what your tried-and-true essentials are, in the comments below, too). —Noa Nichol
my cleanser. While this one is relatively new in my arsenal (and only hitting stores in September; I received an early press sample), Erno Laszlo‘s Pore Refining Detox Double Cleanse ($55) has changed my face. I use it morning and night, and love its tropical-smoothie scent (that’s thanks to a blend of superfruits, which refine and detox the skin). Other ingredients: black charcoal (a current obsession) and a special kale protein blend that combines mega-nutrients to restore and nourish skin at and below the surface. It works!
my cream. I started using Nivea when I was a tween (before tween was a word) and never stopped. The brand has since (since 1991, that is) upped its offerings ante, and now sells a range of skin-care products that goes well beyond the original blue tin. I’m currently loving the Q10 Plus Anti-Wrinkle Day Cream with SPF 30 ($21)—it’s light, not sticky or greasy (on my skin, at least) and provides some welcome protection against the sun (and, I swear, that coenzyme Q10, or some other ingredient, really does reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles for a smoother, younger-looking skin).
my hand lotion. This one I’ve been using for years—OK, decades. It sits on my nightstand along with the stack of YA novels I’m currently rotate-reading and my dog, Wally’s, ashes (TMI?) and I slather it on every single evening before bed. Glysomed Hand Cream (I buy the "frequent user" tube for $11 at Shoppers Drug Mart) quite simply does the trick when it comes to dry hands … and does it very, very well. Truth be told, for my purse, I prefer something a little more luxe (read: Chanel La Crème Main) but, on a nightly basis, this is my go-to hand cream, for sure.
my deodorant. I started using this deodorant after receiving a sample during its launch a few years ago and simply can’t stop. Forget the scent (delicate and divine)—Dr. Hauschka Rose Deodorant ($28 at Shoppers Drug Mart) contains a carefully formulated combination of gentle, deodorising and nourishing ingredients like alchemilla essence to regulate perspiration (well) and essential rose oil to provide a bit of care for your oft-neglected underarms.
my hair product. I’m always a bit reluctant to reveal this, because it’s such a relic of my youth (and my hairdresser would kill me). However, wet or dry, when my hair is a total wreck and I don’t know what to do with it, a dollop of göt2b Smooth Operator Smoothing Lustre Lotion ($6 at London Drugs) fixes the mess every single time. I don’t know how it works, or why, but it’s an "old reliable" that’s been a constant by my bathroom sink for years—and this list wouldn’t be complete (or honest) without it!
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