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Avène

Newsflash: You might have rosacea and not even know it! Could your skin benefit from a kinder, gentler approach?

April 3rd, 2012, 4:45 pm | 21 comments

by Michelle

Cameron Diaz - Tag Hueur 2012

One “opportunity” that working in this industry frequently offers is the chance to have your very own hair/skin/nails/other body parts judged by whichever so-called beauty expert happens to be in town presenting to the media. I’m a masochist, so I always go for it and ask them what they think. (Then spend the next few months of my life ruminating over what they said and how to fix it.) Hair is usually the easiest to take—and I think mine must be getting better, because Gisele’s colourist Harry Josh told me I was on the right track (although a bit fadey) when I met him a few months ago.

Skin feedback, however, is pretty traumatizing. Which brings me to the topic of the day. Remember when I met Dr. Obagi—of the famous cult favourite Obagi skincare line? Yeah, well, among other things—like how I’ve got sucky thin skin, thanks—he told me I had rosacea. UM WHAT?!? I’ve always categorized my skin as sensitive… and yes, it does tend to flush and go red quite easily. But rosacea?

So I’m thinking, if I have it, YOU might have it, too. In fact, some derms say that many—even most—sufferers aren’t aware they have the condition. Since it’s national rosacea month and all, we should probably talk about this. Could YOUR skin benefit from a more gentle approach? Keep reading »

It’s September! 10 changes to move your beauty routine into fall

September 1st, 2010, 12:58 pm | 21 comments

by Michelle

Gianfranco Ferre fall 2010 beauty

For me, September 1st is probably the most depressing day of the year.

I looooove summer, you see. Can’t get enough of it. Want to marry it. (And yes, it makes no sense that I live in Canada.) And today, it’s sort of the beginning of the end. In my mind, the only good things about what’s to come (i.e. the days getting shorter and cooler) are:
a) new fall boots and
b) the chance to fool around with some new beauty stuff.

YES, beauty—because what works in 30-degree weather simply won’t fly the rest of the year. So while you’re contemplating what pieces to add to your wardrobe for fall (and I know that you are), don’t forget about making these little changes to your beauty routine: Keep reading »

5 really great acne treatments

August 19th, 2009, 5:00 am | 8 comments

by Michelle

clear skin

Nothing ruins your day faster than an emerging sp0t, smack dab in the middle of your chin. As if that weren’t enough, try being a beauty editor: the pressure to have flawless skin (along with perfectly blown-out hair and manicured nails) is intense. As a result, I’ve tried more than my fair share of blemish-busting treatments (I won’t even get into the diet side of things—those are stories for another day). Here, a few of my favourite topical treatments:

Avène Diacnéal Skincare Lotion

If you’ve got sensitive skin, start slowly with this cult-favourite acne cream (yes, it’s that powerful). Available at most drugstores, it dries up zits almost overnight, thanks to a combination of glycolic acid and retinaldehyde (which is in the retinoid family and speeds up exfoliation). It’s also paraben-free and non-comedogenic . Since it’s extremely drying, I save this one for emergencies only.

Dermalogica Concealing Spot Treatment


I often wonder if what people use to camouflage their zits isn’t actually causing the problem. The solution? This new treatment, which simultaneously covers and treats blemishes. Dab it on spots before applying foundation and they might just be gone by the end of the day, thanks to ingredients like zinc oxide, salicylic acid and sulfur. I wasn’t sure I’d like the texture at first since it seems quite watery, but if you let it sit a minute it dries down nicely and covers well.

UPDATE: I’ve decided I don’t like this product all that much. It seems to dry down to this crusty finish… not appealing.

ilike Organic Skin Care Herbal Clay Spot Treatment

This is like a clay mask in wand form, which works surprisingly well to dry up blemishes without causing the dreaded flakiness that plagues those of us with sensitive skin. I love that there are only three ingredients on the label: herbal clay, zinc oxide and clove oil. It also doubles as a concealer, although I haven’t tried it for that purpose yet.

Laboratoire Remède Intensive Double Serum

This is a new and improved version of one of my favourite acne treatments, the Double Oxygenating Booster. And hear this: nothing—I repeat, nothing—could dissolve a blemish faster than that stuff. (You could actually feel the product tingling, which was très satisfying.) The new version adds 10 percent vitamin C to the oxygenating active formula and can be used either all over the face under moisturizer, or as a spot treatment.

Clear Clinical Acne Treatment Cream

Formulated by Toronto dermatologist Dr. Lisa Kellett of DLK on Avenue, this 5 percent benzoyl peroxide cream is gentle enough to use all over your face, but still fight blemishes. The secret? Moisturizing rosehip oil.