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Beauty and Sanitation during COVID-19 aka Coronavirus

March 13, 2020


At this time when hand sanitizers and disinfectant sprays are sold out on all store shelves, big industries and organizations are ‘closing-up shop’ and cities are under major quarantine, we thought it was fitting to discuss how The Beauty Team practices good hygiene and sanitation always when on all makeup and hair jobs! The Coronavirus has no doubt given us this idea to write about how us as makeup artists and hair stylists are germaphobes and obsess about good hygiene, always!

Our clean practices have always included cleaning our brushes in front of our clients, using disposable mascara wands, sharpening and cleaning eye pencils and lip pencils with 70% rubbing alcohol after we sharpen them. There is absolutely no cutting corners for our team in this department!

We have had clients compliment us on the fact that we take time to clean our brushes in between clients as it is so important. What you will often hear us saying at corporate events or beauty bar events is ‘please have a seat and talk to me about your beauty preferences as I sanitize my hands and clean my brushes’. This statement is always something our clients usually smile about and appreciate! Then, going home to spend time giving our hair tools or makeup brushes a good cleaning or shampooing is our life story!

Last, we don’t double dip! We scrape off lipsticks, glosses and concealers, for example, with a palette knife, put it on a stainless steel clean palette, and take product with a clean brush from the palette. 

Photo by: Jenn Kavanagh Photography

During this incredibly odd, scary, and extra cautious time with Coronavirus we wanted to share some of the precautions we take as artists to keep ourselves and our clients healthy. It’s something we pride ourselves in! So remember to wash your hands & even clothes often as the virus can live on your hands for 5-10 minutes, on your clothes for 6 to 12 hours & on a metal surface for 12 hours!

Stay safe, clean and sanitized! 😉

All makeup brushes cleaned!

~Love, The Beauty Team

Book The Beauty Team by emailing us at: info@thebeautyteam.ca or click here.

Beauty Celebrity Beauty Health and Lifestyle Product Reviews

Canadian Beauty & Wellness Brands to add to your routine

July 1, 2019


Canadian beauty brands that are killing it right now.

This Canada Day we want to spotlight some of the brands in beauty that were founded right here in our amazing country. If you’re looking to support Canadian companies and discover some homegrown products, check out our picks below!

Bite Beauty

bite red

This Canadian lip product brand was founded in 2011 and exclusively sold through Sephora and their own online storefront. The shade range and texture of all Bite lipsticks are to die for, as they’re made with food-grade ingredients and are infused with resveratrol. Resveratol is an antioxidant that can be found in the skin of grapes and red wine, which helps with fine lines and anti-aging. So not only are you getting a gorgeous smooth and pigmented application, it’s also helping to keep your lips looking their best! Bite also operates brick and mortar stores called “Lop Lab by Bite”, with one located in Downtown Toronto, where you can work with their team of technicians to get your own custom lippie made right in front of you! This would be such a fun and unique thing to do for a girls day or pre-bachelorette festivities with your wedding party! Overall, Bite Beauty is such an amazing brand and we’re so proud to claim them as our own!

Saje

saje

Who isn’t into diffusing these days?! Saje was founded by a Canadian husband and wife team when the husband had suffered from a serious car accident. When he was originally trying to find a more natural and effective pain relief solution for his recovery, paired with his wife’s retail business background, they were able to create a natural wellness brand. We love Liquid Sunshine diffuser blend to get us moving in the morning and can always use a little Tranquility face and body mist to relax and ease our minds the night before a big event. With their commitment to 100% natural formulations, and the majority of our products are manufactured locally, Saje is a Canadian brand we can fully support!

Sappho New Paradigm

sappho

A more recent addition to the Canadian beauty scene, Sappho New Paradigm was founded in November 2016 by Emmy nominated makeup artist JoAnn Fowler. Sappho New Paradigm is a natural and organic cosmetic brand, that focuses on developing a luxury products that are made from carcinogen-free ingredients. The brand was developed with experts in the field of green chemistry, and offers formulations created with the finest of certified organic ingredients and infused with phyto nutrients. This brand is great for those no-makeup makeup wearers that prefer a more natural look. Top products recommended by The Beauty Team:

  • Essential Foundation: This line is described as “Light to medium buildable coverage, this line is free of regular coconut oil, moisturizing and also a favourite for those with problematic breakouts. For those that like sheer coverage, it is easily thinned with moisturizer. The product smells amazing and feels feather light. With a base of certified organic aloe juice and certificated organic jojoba oil, we have added just a touch of shea for moisture and play… it’s lovely!”
  • Lip Glosses: Their line of organic lip glosses are sweetened with just a touch of stevia and a pinch of lemon grass and are described as “soft, silky, smooth, richly pigmented and yummy”. With just 4 shades offered in the range right now, we’re looking forward to more colour offerings to come!

Cardea AuSet

cardea

A beautifully feminine beauty and wellness brand that creates products that are as natural as possible and that celebrate Canadian ingredients and suppliers. The brand was founded in the Southern Ontario Greenbelt, and use materials that are sourced from Canadian suppliers who are located close by and align with the company’s ethical considerations. Cardea AuSet uses pure essential oils, hydrosols, minerals, and plant-based ingredients that are GMO-free. We personally love theROSA Facial Mist, a hydrating rose water and aloe juice mist, and the SEA Mineral Soak, a detoxifying bath soak made from the salts from the Dead Sea and Himalayas plus dried rose petals. Fun fact: their Noire Charcoal Mask was recently featured in Kourtney Kardashian’s Poosh box to launch her new lifestyle website, along with a Saje diffuser and oils.

DECIEM: The Ordinary

ordinary

Last, but far from the least on our list, DECIEM: The Abnormal Beauty Company is an umbrella company of a few different beauty brands, including the super popular line The Ordinary. DECIEM was founded in Toronto in 2013 and has since expanded across the globe, with a growing portfolio of more than 50 products in more than 15 markets. All DECIEM products, across all brands including The Ordinary, are free of parabens, sulphates, mineral oil, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, animal oils, coal tar dyes, formaldehyde, mercury, oxybenzone. The Ordinary is a collection of products that focus on the core effective ingredients needed for skin concerns at reasonable price points that allow the brand to be more accessible by more consumers. We’ve had so many of our clients tell us about this brand and literally haven’t met one person who doesn’t rave about the entire line that doesn’t break the bank and is a game changer for your skin regime.

Those are just some of our favourite Canadian brands in the beauty industry, and we’d love to hear what other Canadian products or brands you’d recommend. Supporting local and homegrown brands is important to us and we’d love to learn about others. We hope you have a wonderful Canada Day long weekend!

Health and Lifestyle

Benefits of Dry Brushing

March 31, 2015


While we’re all hard at work getting our beach bodies ready for summer it’s important to give our skin a little TLC too. The Dry Brushing technique is a quick, easy and effective way to smooth and renew your skin with many added health benefits – why wouldn’t you take 5 minutes out of your morning routine to do this?

Dry brushing is exactly how it sounds; Brushing your skin with a dry brush in a specific pattern. By doing this your skin instantly becomes a lot smoother and softer. Dry brushing also helps reduce cellulite, unclog pores are re-congests skin while also stimulating your lymphatic system which removes unwanted toxins from the body.

While working out is great for the body and mind unfortunately it can also lead to clogged pores on our body. Dry brushing also assists in clearing out dirt and oil caused by sweat. The technique helps to remove dead skin cells leaving room for new cells to form for a brighter and renewed appearance.

The-Body-Shop-Cactus-Body-BrushDry brushing can be done at any time of day but we suggest doing it first thing in the morning to awaken your skin before you shower. Our current favourite is The Body Shop’s cactus brush which retails for CA$15.00.

How to use:

Start by brushing your feet and move in long circular motions towards your heart. Be sure to always brush inwards because lymphatic fluid flows through the body towards the heart.

Repeat this same process with your arms and then abdomen brushing each section in the circular motion about 10 times.  Your back is an exception to the rules: start at the neck and brush down.

#BEAUTYNOTE

For first time “Dry brushers”, start lightly and build resistance to the brush. You want to awaken skin, not harm it! If it still feels a bit too rough, apply a bit of coconut oil to your skin to ease up the pressure.

Have you ever tried Dry brushing? We’d love to hear about your experience!

Beauty 101 Health and Lifestyle

Wake Up Radiant with Carly Woods Overnight Beauty Secrets

July 14, 2014


Carly Woods, writer for HSN online, believes that “we generally fall into two categories; those who have managed 8 hours of sleep a night and those who haven’t. For the ones who haven’t, they consequently have to do a darn good job faking it.” Sleep is key in everyone’s skincare routine, so pack in the proper amount of z’s for healthier skin!

She recommends 4 overnight beauty products that should be a part of your overnight regimen including a good facial serum, oil for hydration, a great moisturizer, and a wrinkle reducing eye cream. To read further about these overnight products, check out Carly’s article at HSN online here.

In the same spirit, we rounded some additional beauty fixes that will have you saying goodbye to tired looking skin, and hello to younger-looking luminous skin by morning. After all, it is called ‘beauty sleep’ for a reason!

1. Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate & Eye Cream

Kiehls, Kiehls Canada, Overnight Recovery Cream, Overnight Recovery Oil, Skincare, Overnight Routine, beauty sleep.

Apply a little bit of these products on the face and around the eyes every night. They have essential oils that help to improve the youthful appearance of skin around the eyes and also work to strengthen and replenish the skin. Making this a part of your beauty regimen has many beauty benefits, including diminishing the appearance of fine lines and reducing puffiness and dark under-eye circles.

2. Glo Therapeutics Brightening Polish & Conditioning Hydration Cream

GloMinerals, GloProfessional, Skincare, Brightening Polish, Overnight Routine

To brighten and hydrate your skin, use GloMinerals Brightening Polish & Hydration Cream together 2-3 times a week. Before hitting the hay, massage a small amount of the brightening polish onto clean skin. Remove the product after 5-10 minutes. It brightens and refreshes skin by removing dead skin cells. This product includes Turmeric Extract which contains curcuminoids, which are phytochemicals with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and healing effects.

3. Glo Therapeutics Conditioning Hydration Cream.

GloMinerals, GloProfessional, GloTherapeutics, Conditioning Hydration Cream, Skincare, Overnight Routine, Face Cream

After cleansing and toning, layer on this conditioning hydration cream to hydrate, strengthen, & rejuvenate skin overnight. Layer over one of the glo therapeutics serums for additional treatment benefits. This will infuse the skin with moisturizing ingredients that are rich in anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. You can use this daily as well.

Active Ingredients:

Alpha Lipoic Acid – potent antioxidant that defends against free radicals

Collagen – helps physically support skin and enhance elasticity

Soy Isoflavones – antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties that help protect against environmental stressors.

4. Peppermint Tea

Peppermint Tea, Skincare

Drinking peppermint tea before going to bed has many beauty benefits. This way, you are attacking your skin from the inside out! It has anti-inflammatory properties, in addition to lowering the secretion of oil, it helps with excess oil and reveals flawless skin overnight. (The menthol in the tea has a magical effect on oily and pimple-prone skin, it helps get rid of acne and skin blemishes). So drink up before bed, or even during the day!

#BeautyNote: Peppermint AKA mint tea is a great stimulator for your scalp and promotes hair growth. So , if you are worried about the health of your hair, consider treating it the peppermint way!

5. Re-position & Prop it up

Sleeping Position

Sleep flat on your back with your pillow slightly elevated, for the best beauty sleep results. It helps to drain fluids and keep your face (especially the eyes) from looking puffy the next morning. An extra pillow should do the trick. It works wonders!

6. Soften your skin from head to toe

Vaseline, Petroleum Jelly, Overnight Routine, Skincare, Multipurpose

While in “la la land” apply Vaseline to the soles of your feet and put on socks before you sleep. This overnight pampering trick will have you waking up to soft soles that are ready for a long day’s work in beautiful stilettos, pumps, & all the others that you love so much! Don’t hesitate to rub some Vaseline on your hands and your lips to hydrate those areas as well! This product is tried, trusted, and true. It has been around for a long time for a reason!

#BeautyNote: HSN has re-vamped their skincare page, and we must say that we love it! From skincare tips for choosing products for every skin type to facial treatments to cleansers and more, get all the information you need to put your ‘flawless’ face forward here.

What does your night time skin ritual involve? We would love to know!

Tweet us! @_thebeautyteam

 

xo

The Beauty Team