FAKE IT, DON’T BAKE IT

Skip the sun’s harmful rays and get a golden glow from these self-tanners

We’re glad the summer sun is finally making appearances, but, as we know, harmful UV rays can cause wrinkles, age spots and cancer. If you’re still craving a bronze fix or just a slight sun-kissed glow, pick-up one of these easy-to-use products for an even finish sans health risks.

Don’t forget to exfoliate first, we like Rodial Brazilian Tan Scrub ($45, available at Murale.ca and The Bay, Rodial.co.uk).

St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Gel, $44, available at Sephora.ca, StTropezTan.com.

If you make a mistake or your hands and feet are soaking up too much of the self-tanner, try the St. Tropez Tan Optimiser Tan Remover ($25, available at Sephora.ca) before the stain sets in.

Victoria’s Secret Beach Sexy Tinted Self-Tan Body Spray $14, VictoriasSecret.com.

Rodial Brazilian Tan Face, $45, available at Murale.ca and The Bay, Rodial.co.uk.

SWEET SMELLS

Cover-up odors in your mane with this fragrance for your hair

Hair can absorb the smell of surrounding food or smoke and even sweat post-workout. To fight any unwanted scent in our hair in between washes, we like to reach for one of ManeTeeze’s sweet smelling hair perfumes ($34.99, per bottle or $99.99 for pack of three, available at select boutiques & salons), which contain a high concentration of fragrance, but in a formula gentler for hair than a traditional eau de toilette. We love the vanilla scented Social Butterfly, the aroma of chocolate and caramel in Haut Mess and the fragrance of amber in Black Widow.

FULL EFFECT

Somewhere between intricate nail art and plain ol’ polish is where our favourite effect achieving polishes lie

Demure pastels graced nails on spring runways, but for summer take your nail cues from the street. Bright, bold and brazen nail art can take too much time at the salon and we don’t always have the patience or the steady hand to do it ourselves, so we’ll be reaching for one of these polishes to achieve show stopping nails that only take an extra step from taking a regular mani to something spectacular.

Sally Hansen Special Effects Magnetic Nail Colour ($9.99, at select drug and mass retailers across Canada in June).

Maybelline Color Show Denim Line in Denim Dash and Styled Out ($3.99, available at drugstores and mass retailers).

Ciaté’s Caviar Manicure ($28, available exclusively at Sephora).

Nicole by OPI Texture Coat in Opal, Quartz, Amethyst, and Aquamarine ($10.99, available at Loblaws, Shoppers Drug Mart, and Walmart).

DIVE IN

H2O Plus re-opens its Eaton Centre location

H2O Plus, the first beauty brand to utilize marine science in its products, recently re-opened its Eaton Centre store (220 Yonge Street, 416.979.7648) and unveiled a complete brand makeover. Each collection is colour coded to clearly indicate what product belongs to what line. Our favourite products include the Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment ($48) for boosting moisture and plumping skin in an instant, and the Aquafirm Eye Lift Concentrate ($45), a light-weight formula that immediately brightens eyes with light-reflecting brighteners.

FROM THIN TO THICK

Getting our limp locks to be lush and substantial

Thicker, fuller hair, seen on the Spring 2012 Theyskens’ Theory, Versace and Anna Sui catwalks, is something many people want, but may not have been born with. Melissa Mckenzie, owner of the first hair extension bar in North America, Doll Bar Inc. (1099 Queen Street West, Toronto, dollbarinc.com), recommends hair extensions for creating volume, not just length.

Hair as short as a bob can benefit from added volume, but whether you use clip-ins or more permanent attachments, maintenance is key. Mckenzie warns of damage that may come from lack of care, such as sleeping with wet hair containing extensions (which causes the hair to knot), and she notes that slight damage is inevitable due to the additional weight put on the hair by the extensions, particularly when hair is wet.

For those of us not interested in extensions, here are some new products aimed at helping those in need of a little boost:

Pantene Pro-V Aqua Light Shampoo and Conditioner ($5.99 each, at mass retailers) has a lightweight formula to add body.

Garnier XXL Body Thickening Mousse ($5.49, at mass retailers), promises to thicken and lift strands.

Nioxin DiaMax with HTX is a thickening treatment for daily use ($59.99), that aims to increase the thickness of each hair strand by up to 4.5 percent, while it strengthens the cuticle.

SYMPHONIC SIPS

The Society and The People’s Wine collaborate on The Urban Symphony

Stepping out from the traditional concert hall, Toronto’s The Society brought members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra to Airship 37, a contemporary event space in the city, for The Society and The People’s Wine Present: The Urban Symphony. A tasting of pinot noir and pinot gris from New Zealand’s The People’s Wine was accompanied by Peter Seminovs (violin), Sergei Nikonov (violin), Eric Nowlin (TSO associate principal viola), and Igor Gefter (cello) who played Mozart’s Divertimento No.1, Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet No. 1, second movement, Andante Cantabile to attendees.

Notable guests included designer Kirk Pickersgill from Greta Constantine, Ela Kowalewski of Ela handbags, Jessica Mulroney, Vanessa Mulroney and Ainsley Kerr.

SWEET 16

Philosophy celebrates 16 years with a limited-edition line

Philosophy’s birthday, which happens to be on the first day of spring, marks the brand’s sweet 16. To commemorate this milestone, Philosophy released a limited-edition Sweet 16 cinnamon buns shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath ($21, available at sephora.ca, select The Bay and Shoppers Drug Mart stores for a limited time only). The multi-use formula leaves a delicious lingering scent that we wanted to eat. Almost.

POLISH YOUR PEARLY WHITES

Keep teeth white & breath fresh for oral health care month

April is oral health care month and we’ve been brushing and gargling with these products to take care of our teeth, gums and maintain fresh breath throughout the day.

Oral-B ProfessionalCare SmartSeries 5000 with SmartGuide ($184.99) combines cleaning and gum care for one of the most technologically advanced toothbrushes on the market.

Scope Dual-Blast mouthwash ($4.03, 750 mL; $5.69, 1250 mL, available at mass retail, drug and grocery stores across Canada) eliminates 98 percent of bad breath bacteria and is available in Fresh Mint Blast and Ice Mint Blast flavours.

Crest 3D White Whitestrips 2 Hour Express delivers noticeably whiter teeth after one two-hour treatment and lasts up to three months ($59.99, available at mass retail, drug and grocery stores across Canada).

For a natural alternative, turn to Tom’s of Maine products ($6.49 to $7.99), like the Tom’s of Maine Simply white toothpaste or Tom’s of Maine Cleansing Mouthwash. Vegans can reach for Lush’s Dirty Toothy Tabs ($3.95), where in lieu of paste the solid tabs just need to be crunched in your mouth and brushed with a wet toothbrush for three minutes.

EARTH DAY BEAUTY

Celebrate Earth Day with a few of our favourite beauty lines

With Earth Day this Sunday, here are a few beauty products to help you do your part for the environment.

For salon quality products that have a positive environmental impact we adore Live Clean Professional’s Damage Therapy and Live Clean Professional Healthy Balance Lines. Our hero product is the Live Clean Professional Damage Therapy Split End Cream ($8.99, available at mass retailers).

Kiehl’s Limited Edition Label Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque ($26), with a limited edition label created by Studio Number One, gives 100 percent of net proceeds to benefit Evergreen, a not-for-profit organization that connects people and nature to develop a sustainable long-term impact on Canadian cities.

The Lush Karma Komba Solid Shampoo Bar ($10.95) is vegan and one of the most environmentally friendly product Lush offers. Each bar is the equivalent of three 8.4 oz bottles of shampoo, working out to approximately 50-80 washes on average.

Kiss My Face’s Peace Soap (small $9.99, large $14.99, kissmyface.com) is biodegradable and can be used to wash fruits and veg and your own body. The Castile Peace Soap also donates 10 percent of profits to support Seeds of Peace, aim at bringing teens from countries of conflict together, fostering a new generation of leaders.

Other environmentally friendly brands we love: Korres, Aesop and Kevin Murphy.