For 365 days we spritzed, squeezed, rubbed, massaged, swiped, drew, fluffed, sprayed and indulged in more products than displayed on your favourite drugstore, beauty outlet and department store’s shelves. And we don’t regret one minute of it.
Here are five of our top favourite fragrance, face, body, hair and makeup finds from 2021.
FRAGRANCE: Nina Ricci, Nina Rose Garden EDT
Why we love it: Fresh, sunny and intimate, this eau is all-day-all-night wearable. Its blend of bright, delicate, sweet and soothing notes of grass, pear, orange blossom, neroli, musk and vanilla are simultaneously youthful and light, timeless and elegant. Most of all, spritzing a little on made us feel joyful and charmed. After 2021’s months of solitude, Nina Rose Garden gave us the happy solace we so deeply craved.
* Nina Ricci Nina Rose Garden EDT, $85 for 50 ml, available online at www.thebay.com and in Hudson’s Bay stores.
FACE: Quo Banana Cleansing Balm
Why we love it: Thick, creamy and with just a dash of banana yellow, we love how easily this balm melts onto our skin, removing dirt, oil, grime and makeup in seconds. Packed with do-good, look-great ingredients, such as fruit oils, glycerin and banana extract, our skin is not only thoroughly cleansed it is also left looking and feeling soft and glowing once we’re done. Plus, it ever so slightly smells like tropical bananas, which, if we close our eyes and inhale, can make us feel like we’re on vacation.
* Quo Banana Cleansing Balm, $20, available at Shoppers Drug Mart stores.
BODY: Weleda Aroma Essentials Creamy Body Wash in “Relax”
Why we love it: It makes shower time feel like a spa day, every day. Mix-mastered with lavender, bergamot and vetiver essential oils, the creamy cleanser soothes our mind and hydrates and cleanses our body. Without dehydrating it or making our skin feel tight or itchy. The formula’s silky texture actually leaves our skin so soft we don’t have to apply a moisturizer unless we want to, making it a time saver on busy mornings.
* Weleda Aroma Essentials Creamy Body Wash in “Relax,” $12.99, available online at www.well.ca.
HAIR: Shu Uemura Art of Hair Yubi Blonde Anti-brass Purple Shampoo
Why we love it: It helps our blonde highlights last longer, something we’re super grateful for since getting an appointment at the hair salon felt like winning the lottery this year. The purple formula is enriched with Japanese cool pigment and infused with white peony to nourish and protect highlights, washing away and cancel out the chemicals in our water, bleach from the sun’s UV rays and chlorine from the swimming pool we do laps in. Plus, it leaves our hair soft, smooth and in toss-worthy condition.
* Shu Uemura Yubi Blonde Anti-brass Purple Shampoo, $54 for 300 ml, available online at www.shuuemura.ca.
MAKEUP: YSL Touche Éclat Le Teint Foundation
Why we love it: The lightweight foundation transforms our face into covetous, natural-looking, gorgeous and seemingly flawless skin. Seriously. And with the same type of hybrid formulation as the iconic Touche Éclat all-over brightening pen. Crafted from marigold, mallow extracts and vitamin E, the foundation evens out our skin tone, highlights our cheekbones, brightens dark under eye circles, diffuses redness and adds a luminous all-over glow. Now who wouldn’t want that?
* YSL Touche Éclat Le Teint Foundation, $74,available online at www.yslbeauty.ca.
