Beauty Fix: Organic lip gloss for less than $5, glitter polish you can wear to work and more answers to your beauty questions
Every week our Beauty Fix columnist takes on your questions about makeup, skincare, hair and more. Have a beauty question we haven’t answered? Email us at [email protected].
What can I use on my dry ends that won’t weigh my fine hair down?
Because there are so many hair oils on the market, each with its own special consistency and blend, it can be a bit of a task to find what works best with your hair, especially if it’s fine. It’s also important to use hair oil sparingly, starting with a small amount and adding more only if necessary. Drybar 100 Proof Treatment Oil ($35, sephora.ca) provides dry ends with a dose of omega fatty acids thanks to Kalahari melon seed oil in a lightweight texture that absorbs quickly. The pump of this hair oil dispenses a small amount with each press, allowing you total control over how much you use—which is handy since a little goes a very long way.
I work in a pretty conservative office. Is it possible to still wear glitter on my nails?
There’s definitely a scale of gaudiness when it comes to glitter. However, when given a bit of thought, glitter can absolutely be more formal than the chunkier stuff you may have gravitated towards when you were younger. Keep the size and colour of glitter in mind when choosing your polish. The size should be quite small, resulting in a smoother texture on your nails with virtually no gritty feeling at all. The colour should be more or less monochromatic to be taken a bit more seriously. One to seek out is Butter London Nail Lacquer in “Lushington” ($18, butterlondon.ca), a sheer gold fine glitter in a clear base, making it a delightfully shiny accent to your existing manicure. Try a stripe down the side of your nails for a subtle glint of gold.
I’ve started to feel pretty strongly about using organic beauty products. Any lip balm recommendations?
People opt for organic lip balm for various reasons, but ultimately, the idea of potentially ingesting what’s applied to lips (or absorbing it into your bloodstream) is reason enough to stop and read the label. Try a certified organic formulation like Live Clean Lovely Lips Soothing Lip Balm ($5, well.ca). It’s enriched with natural oils that are hyper-hydrating. Equally important is what this formula doesn’t contain, which is petroleum, mineral oil, parabens, phthalates, phosphates, preservatives, dyes and colours. Bonus: it’s a vegetarian-friendly formula and is cruelty-free. Fantastic value!
What’s the best BB cream to use for anti-aging concerns?
BB creams took the beauty world by storm with an offering from just about every brand under the sun. Their domination market is for good reason: BB creams provide light coverage and a whole slew of skincare benefits, all in one application. If you’re interested in rewinding the clock with a BB cream, try RoC Retin-Ox Correxion 5-in-1 Skin Perfector ($39, at drugstores). It has the standard kind-to-skin ingredients like vitamin C (brightening!), olive fruit extract (moisturizing!) and sun protection (SPF 25 – not too shabby!), as well as the anti-aging wonder, retinol. Retinol fights the look of fine lines and wrinkles, reduces the appearance of dark spots and smoothes uneven texture, making it a product you’ll want to commit to.
I like using mousse, but hate the dehydration that follows. Any suggestions for what I can use that won’t dry out my hair while still giving volume?
Mousse is an ally to anyone who likes big hair, but it is definitely dehydrating, usually due to high alcohol content. Look for a formula that has extra nourishing ingredients to counteract the alcohol, such as Infusium 23 Miracle Therapy Foaming Mousse ($9, at drugstores). This mousse contains the very hydrating moringa oil, which is derived from the most nutrient dense plant in existence. If that sounds intense, that’s because it is! Moringa oil is full of vitamins A, E, C, K and B complex. The formula will help decrease hair breakage, increase shine and reduce split ends with continued use.
 provides dry ends with a dose of omega fatty acids thanks to Kalahari melon seed oil in a lightweight texture that absorbs quickly. The pump of this hair oil dispenses a small amount with each press, allowing you total control over how much you use—which is handy since a little goes a very long way.
I work in a pretty conservative office. Is it possible to still wear glitter on my nails?
There’s definitely a scale of gaudiness when it comes to glitter. However, when given a bit of thought, glitter can absolutely be more formal than the chunkier stuff you may have gravitated towards when you were younger. Keep the size and colour of glitter in mind when choosing your polish. The size should be quite small, resulting in a smoother texture on your nails with virtually no gritty feeling at all. The colour should be more or less monochromatic to be taken a bit more seriously. One to seek out is Butter London Nail Lacquer in “Lushington” ($18, butterlondon.ca), a sheer gold fine glitter in a clear base, making it a delightfully shiny accent to your existing manicure. Try a stripe down the side of your nails for a subtle glint of gold.
I’ve started to feel pretty strongly about using organic beauty products. Any lip balm recommendations?
People opt for organic lip balm for various reasons, but ultimately, the idea of potentially ingesting what’s applied to lips (or absorbing it into your bloodstream) is reason enough to stop and read the label. Try a certified organic formulation like Live Clean Lovely Lips Soothing Lip Balm ($5, well.ca). It's enriched with natural oils that are hyper-hydrating. Equally important is what this formula doesn't contain, which is petroleum, mineral oil, parabens, phthalates, phosphates, preservatives, dyes and colours. Bonus: it's a vegetarian-friendly formula and is cruelty-free. Fantastic value!
What’s the best BB cream to use for anti-aging concerns?
BB creams took the beauty world by storm with an offering from just about every brand under the sun. Their domination market is for good reason: BB creams provide light coverage and a whole slew of skincare benefits, all in one application. If you’re interested in rewinding the clock with a BB cream, try RoC Retin-Ox Correxion 5-in-1 Skin Perfector ($39, at drugstores). It has the standard kind-to-skin ingredients like vitamin C (brightening!), olive fruit extract (moisturizing!) and sun protection (SPF 25 – not too shabby!), as well as the anti-aging wonder, retinol. Retinol fights the look of fine lines and wrinkles, reduces the appearance of dark spots and smoothes uneven texture, making it a product you’ll want to commit to.
I like using mousse, but hate the dehydration that follows. Any suggestions for what I can use that won’t dry out my hair while still giving volume?
Mousse is an ally to anyone who likes big hair, but it is definitely dehydrating, usually due to high alcohol content. Look for a formula that has extra nourishing ingredients to counteract the alcohol, such as Infusium 23 Miracle Therapy Foaming Mousse ($9, at drugstores). This mousse contains the very hydrating moringa oil, which is derived from the most nutrient dense plant in existence. If that sounds intense, that’s because it is! Moringa oil is full of vitamins A, E, C, K and B complex. The formula will help decrease hair breakage, increase shine and reduce split ends with continued use.
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