It’s crazy how quickly April came and went. This month we saw some very exciting product launches at IRC, including BYNACHT and Jillian Dempsey. Here are my top picks for the past month. 

1. Christophe Robin Colour Shield Shampoo and Conditioner

 The pandemic provided me with the opportunity to experience my natural hair colour for the first time in a decade. Or at least this is the positive spin I tried to apply to the situation. As part of my Spring glow-up, I finally returned to the salon to brighten things up, and it made me feel like myself again. 

I’ve tried just about every hair product in Christophe Robin’s arsenal of colour-friendly range, except for a more recent addition: the Colour Shield Shampoo and Conditioner. This duo helps to preserve the saturation and tone of coloured hair without damaging it. Purple shampoo is great and all, but using it too often can actually strip your hair and dry it out further. The Colour Shield collection smells divine, and it helps keep my hair looking bouncy, fresh, and bright on days when I’m not reaching for my Shade Variation Care Mask in Baby Blonde. 

2. Every Single Piecework Puzzle 

We received a huge shipment of new puzzles from Piecework, and this month, I finally got into it. These puzzles have always been a group activity in my family, and I happily took the backseat— I preferred to casually oversee a puzzle’s completion rather than actively participating in its progress. 

 This month, I took a few puzzles home to my apartment and finally discovered the joy of solo puzzling. I have a puzzle going on my desk at all times (working from home now requires me to sit on the sofa), and it’s become my favourite way to start my mornings. Instead of waking up and scrolling my phone right away, I make my morning beverage— usually Whimsy matcha— and work silently on my puzzle for 15-20 minutes before starting my day. 

There’s something about this activity that is deeply meditative. It takes my mind off whatever is bothering me and forces me to focus on the task at hand quietly. The whole experience is so relaxing and addictive. Sometimes I play a podcast or catch up on TV, but lately, I sit there in glorious, peaceful silence. 

3. MARA Beauty Enzyme Oil Cleanser

This oil-based face cleanser feels like silk on the skin and removes makeup and sunscreen with ease. I like to use it as the first step in my cleansing routine— I honestly look forward to it every day. It is packed full of skin-loving ingredients like enzymes (for super gentle exfoliation), antioxidants, fatty acids, and superfoods. 

As we transition to warmer weather, double cleansing is so important to make sure that we are properly removing physical sunblock. Taking a little extra time in your skincare routine each evening to ensure that you’ve fully removed all the sweat and grime that has accumulated on your skin is the easiest thing you can do to set yourself up for success in your skincare routine. 

4. Jillian Dempsey Hydrating Eye Masks 

Thanks to years of rashy eczema breakouts around my eyes and sleeping face down on my pillow, my eye area is my biggest insecurity. However, applying too much eye cream to attempt to plump up the area often results in puffiness. Jillian Dempsey’s eye patches are amazing. First of all, they come in a box often, which I love because I don’t feel like I need to ration them. I like to keep mine in the fridge, so they’re nice and cool when I apply them to my eyes in the morning. They pair perfectly with Jillian Dempsey’s vibrating Gold Bar— a facial massage tool that lifts and firms via sonic vibrations— but 10-15 minutes of wearing these masks on their own works wonders for firming and smoothing the under-eye area.

5. BYNACHT Iconic Reborn Radiant Serum

I am obsessed with this gorgeous nighttime serum. Everything about it, from the texture to the smell, is insane. But what’s most important is that it delivers results. This serum is one of those products where you wake up the next morning and think to yourself, “….Wait a minute. What is different?”

This serum brightens, lifts and firms the skin. I wear this serum with my retinol every single night, and I’m not going to stop any time soon. This is going to be a product I buy again, and again, and again.