Over the past few years I’ve become a sunscreen connoisseur of sorts. I love to try new SPF products and learn more about the technology that goes into it.
I wear SPF on my face 365 days of the year and during the summer months I wear it on my neck, décolleté and arms to go to work (UVA & UVB rays DO come through car / plane windows and daily walks to your local coffee shop during mid-day do put you at risk for sun damage if you aren’t protected). I also go as far as wearing a hat pretty much everyday…I’m serious when I’m saying I don’t want any sun on my face area 😉
All this to say that I’m serious about skin protection, but it’s also fascinating to me. This summer I’ve become really invested in learning the difference between chemical and mineral sunscreens and I’ve found the best resource with Supergoop!
I like the above article because it breaks down the differences in a very simple way. They also have an amazing blog where they breakdown a bunch of SPF myths, and provide really helpful sunscreen information.
Unfortunately, they don’t sell Supergoop! sunscreen in Canada yet, but I have been using the SunBum Mineral SPF 30 Sunscreen Spray for my body and I’m enjoying it so far 🙂
I’ll also link below a few other sunscreens that have worked well for me in the past.
Over the past few months Tatcha has become one of my favourite skincare brands to test out and explore. To be honest, initially it was the packaging that caught my eye; the pastel hues of lavender and baby blue mixed in with gold detailing was really calling to me. Then the more I researched and learned about the company, the ingredients in its products and the woman behind the brand, the more I just had to try it out. And that’s what I’m here to share with you today! 🙂
Inspired by a modern-day geisha, Tatcha founder Victoria Tsai’s main focus was to create a brand that took a more holistic approach to beauty. For Tatcha, that meant using time-tested ingredients from classical Japanese beauty practices that have been passed down for generations, and really focusing on healing the skin to make it more hydrated, supple and radiant.
“The foundation is Hadasei-3™, a trinity of anti-aging superfoods born from the Japanese diet, and the basis for the original geisha beauty rituals: green tea, rice and algae. Every ingredient is carefully selected and minimally manipulated to be gentle and safe with maximum effectiveness.” – Tatcha.com
While I don’t have any major skin issues, I do suffer from dry skin in the winter and a little bit of rosacea on my cheeks (thanks mom & dad :/ ). Tatcha’s beauty philosophy and dedication to creating clean products with natural ingredients really resonated with me. I eat a mostly vegan diet and I’m hyperaware of what I put in my body, so why wouldn’t I have the same approach to what I put on my skin?
Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist
What is it:
It’s a liquid moisturizer that soothes and moisturizes the skin and leaves you with a luminous glow. It’s packed with botanical oils, hyaluronic acid and Tatcha’s unique blend of Japanese anti-aging superfoods.
How I use it:
On their website they say that you can use it under or over makeup anytime for dewy glowing skin, and I do both. I don’t wear foundation on a regular basis, so after I tone my skin I’ll spray on 2-3 pumps of this and then let it absorb before applying my serum. If I do wear foundation, I’ll set my face with this because I like a dewy, glowy look and this really helps to achieve that. If you use any type of powder on your face and you feel that it looks too powdery, the dewy mist will help bring back that luminosity.
Why I love it:
I love it because it gives my skin a great base of hydration right after I tone and it also leaves me with a really nice glow!
Tatcha The Pearl Tinted Eye Illuminating Treatment
What is it:
This product is basically a 2-in-1 concealer and treatment for the delicate skin under your eyes. It contains special Akoya Pearl extracts that help to improve eye darkness, thinning skin, blue undertones and pigmentation by supporting natural collagen production in that area. So not only does this product give you really nice luminosity without using concealer, but over time it could help alleviate the above-mentioned symptoms.
Pro Tip: Although The Pearl offers me enough coverage for daily use, this might not be the case for everyone. But don’t worry! It also creates an awesome illuminating base for any makeup concealer that you might want to apply on top 🙂
How I use it:
I don’t personally like using concealer on a daily basis so this little discovery is a true gem. I like to take about a rice grain amount on my ring finger and lightly glide it under my eye, I then very lightly pat the product into my skin.
Why I love it:
The Pearl creates the most natural looking coverage I’ve ever tried and this is why it’s on my top shelf favourites. There is no creasing or patchiness with this product and I absolutely live for the fact that it’s created with beautiful and healthy skin ingredients that are safe and free of parabens, synthetic fragrances, mineral oils, sulfates, phthalates, urea, DEA or TEA.
I hope you love these two Tatcha products as much as I do, and don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions about them that I didn’t cover here! 🙂
If you’re into the “no make-up”, make-up look like me then you will love this product!
I had been hearing so much hype over the Summer about cushion foundations and I was intrigued, but not enough to purchase a product labeled as FOUNDATION as I rarely wear it.
One day, while I was aimlessly walking around Sephora I stumbled upon this awesome product by La Neige, the BB Cushion Hydra Radiance SPF 50. Honestly, it looked like it was calling my name so I had to grab it.
I’ve been testing it out for over 6 months now, and I can happily say that it continues to stay on my top shelf. I apply it after my serum and moisturizer in the morning and it creates this beautiful light coverage with a dewy glow…exactly what I was hoping for in this product!
The puff applicator is surprisingly great and allows me to apply a thin layer of product and blends with the skin perfectly. If I feel like I need more coverage on certain days, the product layers really well. Overall it’s very simple to use, the application is ultra quick and the finished sheer and dewy look is exactly what I look for in a BB cream product.
#BONUS this BB Cushion comes with a full size refill and additional puff applicator! I purchased the BB Cushion in June and only recently swapped in my refill, so for $49 I’d say this cushion is well worth it’s price 🙂
I don’t talk a whole lot about fitness usually on my blog (other than surfing), but it’s definitely always been part of my life. Recently, I’ve been getting more and more questions from you guys about what exactly I do for exercise and I thought I’d finally share it here 🙂
For the past two years now I’ve been training with Kyle den Bak, also known as The Plant Based Trainer. Kyle trains clients at The Health Club in the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa and also offers training services online.
I started working with Kyle because I wanted to improve my surfing performance and also for general health and continued learning. I felt like my body couldn’t keep up as much as I wanted it to in the water. My arms gave out after about 30 minutes of surfing and I wanted to change that. I also felt like I needed some more motivation at the gym and I wanted someone to help guide and teach me new exercises and techniques.
So, I reached out to Kyle and started training with him with under his Plant-Fit Kickstart program. We did an initial fitness assessment and goal setting session which consisted of testing where I was at with mobility, strength and endurance and I explaining that I wanted to ultimately improve my surfing. Kyle is super patient, and takes the time to explain why the movements he has you practice are important. He is rich in knowledge and I particularly appreciate how he breaks down the exercises step by step to really get you to understand.
What I love about working with Kyle is how simple all the workouts he creates are. We usually focus on mobility exercises for the first 10-15 minutes, then move into our strength building movements. The below elements are an example of what my workouts consist of:
Turkish Get-Ups 2-3x on each side
Ketllebell Swings 5 sets of 10
Goblet Squats 3 sets of 10
Military Press 2-3 sets of 5
Hard Style Plank 2-3 sets hold for 10 seconds
Kyle really believes in training folks for everyday life. He always say’s that the movements we do shouldn’t drain us of our energy, in fact just the opposite, they should energize us. Since beginning to train with Kyle, I’ve definitely shifted my strength training mentality to this and it’s helped me enjoy going to the gym more.
To give you an idea of what my week looks like fitness wise, I’d hit the gym at least 2 times per week, swim 1 to 2 times per week and go to 1 Flow Yoga class and 1 Yoga Mobility class.
Obviously if I’m near the ocean, I mainly focus on just surfing everyday, but when I’m back in the city this is the type of routine I try to work with.
It’s been two years since I’ve been training with Kyle now and I honestly feel so much stronger both in and out of the water. I can actually last through long surf sessions and my performance in yoga, swimming and tennis has significantly improved.
If ever you’d like to like to try personal training and live in the Ottawa area, I’d 100% recommend Kyle. Let me know if you give it a go, and I’m happy to answer any other questions you might have on this topic 🙂
