When beauty really shows its therapeutic side.
Stress often has its sneaky way of slowly tiptoeing into the mind on the best of days. Add a global pandemic to the mix, and I’m sure many are quick to agree that, right now, feelings of uneasiness and being overwhelmed are at an all-time high, leaving one’s emotional well-being battered.
For some, stressful times call for a few moments of yoga or meditation each day. For others (beauty lovers in particular), that means reaching for something to help spritz, soak or smell the worry away. For me specifically, an all-over spray of Céla by Celine Tadrissi Essential Face Mist ($28) — which currently lives at my bedside — never fails to provide me with a refreshing, glow-boosting pick-me-up while simultaneously kicking my anxiety down.
But don’t just take my word for it. Ahead, five other Canadian industry insiders share their favourite stress relieving beauty products for a much-needed source of calm.
Who: Liza Herz, beauty writer and founder of Oldish.ca
The product pick: The Body Shop Spa of the World French Grape Seed Body Scrub
“During these anxious times, showering is the one thing that instantly makes me feel better. And standing under the spray is the only place that I mercifully can’t check Twitter. My quarantine comfort go-to, The Body Shop’s Spa of the World French Grape Seed Body Scrub gently sloughs off dead skin with ground grape seeds and sugar while its brightly green, faintly herbal and floral fragrance is perfect for someone stuck indoors. A good scrub is as calming as a scalp massage, but you can administer it yourself and emerge from the shower smoother, smelling really good and dreaming of better days ahead.”
Price: $32
Where to get it: thebodyshop.com
Who: Tyler Franch, Fashion Director at Hudson’s Bay and The Room
The product pick: NuFACE Mini Facial Toning Device
“I love using beauty tools as part of my regime in the morning. The NuFACE mini is one of my new go-tos at the moment. I tend to get pretty puffy through the night (especially if I’ve had a lot of salt for dinner or in the winter months when the heat is on high), and this tool really helps de-puff my face and eyes – which always makes me feel a bit more energized to get my day started. With its microcurrent technology, this tool works great to push some of my favourite daily serums, like Les Essentiels by Hudson’s Bay and Dior’s Capture Youth Redness Soother Age-Delay Anti-Redness Serum, into the skin to really wake my face up and get it ready to glow. I tend to hold a lot of tension in my jaw, so if I’m working from home or happen to have the tool in my bag, it feels great to relieve some stress by rolling the tool along my jawline and forehead.”
Price: $238
Where to get it: thebay.com
Who: Alexandra Weston, Divisional Vice President of Brand & Creative Strategy at Holt Renfrew
The product pick: Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser
“I’ve been a super longtime fan of Tata Harper’s skincare. The brand ethos is admirable and her products are amazing. This cleanser is like a mini reset for my skin and mood not only because of its gentle exfoliation and scent, but because I’m most likely in my bathroom by myself, taking a moment for myself – which in my house is a luxury these days! You need to find those little moments of sanctuary.”
Price: $105
Where to get it: holtrenfrew.com
Who: Mishal Cazmi, beauty writer and founder of onehundredml.com
The product pick: MIFA Eucalyptus Mood Mist
“Lately, I’ve been reaching for MIFA and Co.’s Eucalyptus Mood Mist. It’s an incredibly calming blend of essential oils like eucalyptus, Bulgarian lavender water, witch hazel and tea tree. Given that my stress levels are higher these days, I’ve been using the mist more than usual. I’ll liberally spritz it whenever I hop in the shower, which is not only relaxing, but also immediately makes me feel like I’m in a spa. I’ll also spray it on my sheets before I climb into bed to read a book or to sleep.”
Price: $38
Where to get it: mifaandco.com
Who: Christopher Novak, Vice President of Beauty for Holt Renfrew
The product pick: Byredo chai candle
“I always have a candle burning; scents set the mood! As soon as I walk in the door, I go and light a candle. Spicy and woody, this is the ultimate cozy candle. [I’ve been a fan] for two years and it sits on my coffee table.”
Price: $120
Where to get it: holtrenfrew.com
,%20that%20means%20reaching%20for%20something%20to%20help%20spritz,%20soak%20or%20smell%20the%20worry%20away.%20For%20me%20specifically,%20an%20all-over%20spray%20of%20Céla%20by%20Celine%20Tadrissi%20Essential%20Face%20Mist%20(%2428)%20—%20which%20currently%20lives%20at%20my%20bedside%20—%20never%20fails%20to%20provide%20me%20with%20a%20refreshing,%20glow-boosting%20pick-me-up%20while%20simultaneously%20kicking%20my%20anxiety%20down.%0A%0A%5Bcaption%20id=%22attachment_398603%22%20align=%22alignnone%22%20width=%22280%22%5D%20Photo%20courtesy%20of%20Céla%20by%20Celine%20Tadrissi%5B/caption%5D%0A%0ABut%20don't%20just%20take%20my%20word%20for%20it.%20Ahead,%20five%20other%20Canadian%20industry%20insiders%20share%20their%20favourite%20stress%20relieving%20beauty%20products%20for%20a%20much-needed%20source%20of%20calm.%0AWho:%20Liza%20Herz,%20beauty%20writer%20and%20founder%20of%20Oldish.ca%0AThe%20product%20pick:%20The%20Body%20Shop%20Spa%20of%20the%20World%20French%20Grape%20Seed%20Body%20Scrub%0A%0A%5Bcaption%20id=%22attachment_398532%22%20align=%22alignnone%22%20width=%22280%22%5D%20Photo%20courtesy%20of%20The%20Body%20Shop%5B/caption%5D%0A%0A“During%20these%20anxious%20times,%20showering%20is%20the%20one%20thing%20that%20instantly%20makes%20me%20feel%20better.%20And%20standing%20under%20the%20spray%20is%20the%20only%20place%20that%20I%20mercifully%20can’t%20check%20Twitter.%20My%20quarantine%20comfort%20go-to,%20The%20Body%20Shop’s%20Spa%20of%20the%20World%20French%20Grape%20Seed%20Body%20Scrub%20gently%20sloughs%20off%20dead%20skin%20with%20ground%20grape%20seeds%20and%20sugar%20while%20its%20brightly%20green,%20faintly%20herbal%20and%20floral%20fragrance%20is%20perfect%20for%20someone%20stuck%20indoors.%20A%20good%20scrub%20is%20as%20calming%20as%20a%20scalp%20massage,%20but%20you%20can%20administer%20it%20yourself%20and%20emerge%20from%20the%20shower%20smoother,%20smelling%20really%20good%20and%20dreaming%20of%20better%20days%20ahead.”%0APrice:%20%2432%0AWhere%20to%20get%20it:%20thebodyshop.com%0AWho:%20Tyler%20Franch,%20Fashion%20Director%20at%20Hudson’s%20Bay%20and%20The%20Room%0AThe%20product%20pick:%20NuFACE%20Mini%20Facial%20Toning%20Device%0A%0A%5Bcaption%20id=%22attachment_398536%22%20align=%22alignnone%22%20width=%22280%22%5D%20Photo%20courtesy%20of%20Hudson's%20Bay%5B/caption%5D%0A%0A“I%20love%20using%20beauty%20tools%20as%20part%20of%20my%20regime%20in%20the%20morning.%20The%20NuFACE%20mini%20is%20one%20of%20my%20new%20go-tos%20at%20the%20moment.%20I%20tend%20to%20get%20pretty%20puffy%20through%20the%20night%20(especially%20if%20I’ve%20had%20a%20lot%20of%20salt%20for%20dinner%20or%20in%20the%20winter%20months%20when%20the%20heat%20is%20on%20high),%20and%20this%20tool%20really%20helps%20de-puff%20my%20face%20and%20eyes%20–%20which%20always%20makes%20me%20feel%20a%20bit%20more%20energized%20to%20get%20my%20day%20started.%20With%20its%20microcurrent%20technology,%20this%20tool%20works%20great%20to%20push%20some%20of%20my%20favourite%20daily%20serums,%20like%20Les%20Essentiels%20by%20Hudson’s%20Bay%20and%20Dior’s%20Capture%20Youth%20Redness%20Soother%20Age-Delay%20Anti-Redness%20Serum,%20into%20the%20skin%20to%20really%20wake%20my%20face%20up%20and%20get%20it%20ready%20to%20glow.%20I%20tend%20to%20hold%20a%20lot%20of%20tension%20in%20my%20jaw,%20so%20if%20I’m%20working%20from%20home%20or%20happen%20to%20have%20the%20tool%20in%20my%20bag,%20it%20feels%20great%20to%20relieve%20some%20stress%20by%20rolling%20the%20tool%20along%20my%20jawline%20and%20forehead.”%0APrice:%20%24238%0AWhere%20to%20get%20it:%20thebay.com%0AWho:%20Alexandra%20Weston,%20Divisional%20Vice%20President%20of%20Brand%20&%20Creative%20Strategy%20at%20Holt%20Renfrew%0AThe%20product%20pick:%20Tata%20Harper%20Regenerating%20Cleanser%0A%0A%5Bcaption%20id=%22attachment_398537%22%20align=%22alignnone%22%20width=%22280%22%5D%20Photo%20courtesy%20of%20Holt%20Renfrew%5B/caption%5D%0A%0A“I’ve%20been%20a%20super%20longtime%20fan%20of%20Tata%20Harper’s%20skincare.%20The%20brand%20ethos%20is%20admirable%20and%20her%20products%20are%20amazing.%20This%20cleanser%20is%20like%20a%20mini%20reset%20for%20my%20skin%20and%20mood%20not%20only%20because%20of%20its%20gentle%20exfoliation%20and%20scent,%20but%20because%20I’m%20most%20likely%20in%20my%20bathroom%20by%20myself,%20taking%20a%20moment%20for%20myself%20–%20which%20in%20my%20house%20is%20a%20luxury%20these%20days!%20You%20need%20to%20find%20those%20little%20moments%20of%20sanctuary.”%0APrice:%20%24105%0AWhere%20to%20get%20it:%20holtrenfrew.com%0AWho:%20Mishal%20Cazmi,%20beauty%20writer%20and%20founder%20of%20onehundredml.com%0AThe%20product%20pick:%20MIFA%20Eucalyptus%20Mood%20Mist%0A%0A%5Bcaption%20id=%22attachment_398538%22%20align=%22alignnone%22%20width=%22280%22%5D%20Photo%20courtesy%20of%20MIFA%20and%20Co.%5B/caption%5D%0A%0A“Lately,%20I've%20been%20reaching%20for%20MIFA%20and%20Co.'s%20Eucalyptus%20Mood%20Mist.%20It's%20an%20incredibly%20calming%20blend%20of%20essential%20oils%20like%20eucalyptus,%20Bulgarian%20lavender%20water,%20witch%20hazel%20and%20tea%20tree.%20Given%20that%20my%20stress%20levels%20are%20higher%20these%20days,%20I've%20been%20using%20the%20mist%20more%20than%20usual.%20I'll%20liberally%20spritz%20it%20whenever%20I%20hop%20in%20the%20shower,%20which%20is%20not%20only%20relaxing,%20but%20also%20immediately%20makes%20me%20feel%20like%20I'm%20in%20a%20spa.%20I'll%20also%20spray%20it%20on%20my%20sheets%20before%20I%20climb%20into%20bed%20to%20read%20a%20book%20or%20to%20sleep.”%0APrice:%20%2438%0AWhere%20to%20get%20it:%20mifaandco.com%0AWho:%20Christopher%20Novak,%20Vice%20President%20of%20Beauty%20for%20Holt%20Renfrew%0AThe%20product%20pick:%20Byredo%20chai%20candle%0A%0A%5Bcaption%20id=%22attachment_398540%22%20align=%22alignnone%22%20width=%22280%22%5D%20Photo%20courtesy%20of%20Holt%20Renfrew%5B/caption%5D%0A%0A“I%20always%20have%20a%20candle%20burning;%20scents%20set%20the%20mood!%20As%20soon%20as%20I%20walk%20in%20the%20door,%20I%20go%20and%20light%20a%20candle.%20Spicy%20and%20woody,%20this%20is%20the%20ultimate%20cozy%20candle.%20%5BI’ve%20been%20a%20fan%5D%20for%20two%20years%20and%20it%20sits%20on%20my%20coffee%20table.”%0APrice:%20%24120%0AWhere%20to%20get%20it:%20holtrenfrew.com){kind=link}