This is a brand new guest blog post in the Five Favourites series! My friend Sarah has graciously contributed to the guest blog feature with her five favourite products. We went to McMaster University together and stayed in touch through common musical interests and sharing new music with each other. She is a great photographer so take a look at her website, Sarah Janes Photography, for some great photographs that she has taken. Back to the products, I’ve personally only tried one of the following and was excited to hear all her opinions on the other products in case I was considering buying them in the future.
1) LUSH Fairly Traded Honey Shampoo
As most of my friends know, I am quite picky about the products I use on my hair, especially because of how oily my hair used to be. It was love at first site when I saw that Lush had a shampoo where the first ingredient was honey. I bought the smallest bottle size to take home for a trial run. Admittedly the scent is quite strong; the bottle actually says perfume is not necessary when using this shampoo. I love the new shine my hair has, the softness is amazing, and my hair doesn’t get oily between washes. After finishing the small bottle I plunged right in and bought the 500 mL bottle. Yes it’s a lot of money all at once, but it honestly lasts quite a while – this coming from someone with thick, wavy hair. I would definitely recommend this product, I was so happy to discover it and so pleased with the results it had on my hair. Nicole’s Edit: You can never go wrong with Lush products! The honey-infused and/or scented products are always powerful, but at the same time very calming and sweet. It’s refreshing to have a shampoo that can give that shiny and smooth result without getting oily very soon after. I’m waiting to get my hands on the Big shampoo as I’ve been leaning towards the more texturizing and volumizing hair products lately.
2) Organix Anti-Breakage Coconut Oil Hair Serum
I’m an advocate for the natural powers of coconut oil. One day while browsing Shoppers I saw this serum and decided to give it a try. My worry was that the serum would make my hair look oily. Was I ever relieved to be proven wrong! You can work the serum through your hair either when it’s wet or dry, personally I prefer to use it right after a shower and I’ve towel-dried my hair. It soaks in nicely, controls the inevitable frizziness that comes with thick hair, and adds a nice shine. The serum contains keratin proteins that promote longer hair and helps reduce every day damage, which is great during the summer when my hair is exposed to various weather elements on a regular basis.
3) Smith’s Minted Rose Lip Balm
A friend of mine bought this product a while back and whenever I’m with her she lets me use it. I have yet to have my own, but it’s on order! Mint has always been a favourite scent of mine, but it makes me so happy that I can put it on my lips and take it everywhere with me. The tin it comes in is well designed and the pink colouring of the balm is just enough to give my lips a color boost. It’s great that the company offers the product in both a tin and a tube – call me a germaphobe but I’m not a huge fan of applying something to my lips using my finger. Nicole’s Edit: This stuff is super moisturizing! I usually have one tin of this floating around somewhere at all times.
4) Nivea Visage Nourishing Day Care Cream
This product has been a part of my morning routine for a couple years now and I absolutely love it. After washing my face to wake myself up in the mornings I apply the moisturizer to keep my skin looking healthy. Your face doesn’t require a lot of the cream unless you’re reapplying it frequently throughout the day, but for the amount you’re getting it’s worth the cost because of how long it lasts. I’m not a fan of products that leave an oily residue on my skin, especially products like sun screen during the summer, but this product has SPF 15 already in the cream and doesn’t leave an oily look. Win-win. I also have the Night Care version of this cream which is a bit thicker in consistency and is a nice complimenting cream to the day care.
5) Cover Girl Natureluxe Liquid Silk Foundation
I’ve tried several brands of foundation in the past and some I found too oily, others didn’t match my skin tone well, or the consistency was too thick to blend, etc. I’m sure we’ve all been there. Then I found this brand which contains jojoba extract (meant for healing and conditioning), cucumber water, and SFP 10 sunscreen. It’s smooth going on and barely noticeable when I’m going about my day. Nicole’s Edit: I’ve only recently opted for lighter foundations, and it’s good to know there are some product ranges out there that go almost unnoticed, but still doing their job!
Don’t forget to send me an email if you’re interested in guest blogging about five of your favourite items. Don’t be shy as I’m sure everyone would love to hear your thoughts on your favourite products just as much as I would!
