Does natural deodorant really work?
Story by Diana Aldea.
Gonna be totally honest, I couldn't do 4-weeks of detoxing my pits. I really love the idea of getting rid of toxins - and I'm even O.K. with smelling bad for the cause - but when things get really bad in your personal life, it's just not the right time to sweat it all out.
I started using the Takesumi Detox from Kaia Naturals in late January and the results were exactly as I expected. It seemed to be working wonderfully during week 1 (minimal sweating and no odor) and during week 2, I smelled pretty horrific. This is common since your underarms are beginning to detox from built-up toxins, bacteria and other chemicals - they call this the "purge phase". During week 3, my life began to unravel at the seams. My dad had been diagnosed with lung cancer a few months prior and his health was on the decline. My mom and I were in-and-out of emergency rooms with him, we weren't sleeping much, and eating was sparse and generally pretty unhealthy. During the third week of your pit detox, you're supposed to be less smelly but sweating more. Considering I was a complete wreck, my pits were constantly damp and I smelled absolutely horrific. I caught a whiff of myself and felt like I was going to vomit, so I caved and started wearing my "normal" drugstore deodorant. I felt pretty terrible considering I'd made it so far, but honestly it just wasn't a good time for me. After using my old deodorant, I was hyper aware of how thick it felt, as if it was clogging my pit pores. I began to alternate between regular deodorant and the Takesumi Detox, which isn't ideal, but that's what I could manage. Week 4 is when you're supposed to see real results, but I'd messed up and would need to do it all again.
My dad passed away in mid-February and I started using my old deodorant exclusively. I did it out of habit and didn't want to run the risk of smelling terrible as I planned my dad's funeral and had to interact with family and friends. It's been a month and while I'm still pretty bummed out, I think I'm almost ready to start focusing on me again. This includes taking care of myself and trying to detox my pits (again). I think you've got to be in a good place mentally and physically to complete any detox successfully, and I'd highly recommend the Takesumi Detox under the right circumstances. My dad placed a huge focus on good health. He was always looking for ways to improve himself and Kaia's products are similar to those that he would use and approve of. I'm gonna try the Takesumi Detox again pretty soon, I'm sure my dad would be proud of me for smelling awful.
SHOP NATURAL DEODORANTS
Photography by Nathalie Martin
This post is in collaboration with Kaia. All photos original and opinions are honest and true.
Affiliate marketing links in this story are used as form of compensation.
THE SUSAN MILLER COLLAB ALL ASTROLOGY JUNKIES NEED
Horoscope junkies rejoice! Our favourite astrologist Susan Miller has collabed with the skincare giants at Fresh to bring us zodiac themed soaps. The limited edition soaps are come wrapped in beautiful artisanal papers and are available in four scents - Verbena (Aquarius, Libra, and Gemini), Sugar (Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn), Waterlily (Pisces, Scorpio, and Cancer) and Mangosteen (Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius).
These are fun for collecting if you're like me and can't start a new month until you read Susan's Astrology Zone. (I even have her daily app on my iPhone. LOL) The soaps also make an excellent hostess gift as your making your holiday/ NYE visits, just make sure you find out their sign first.
My only wish is that the soaps came with a 2017 horoscope overview wrapped inside. Is that too much to ask for?!
SHOP MY LOOK
I'm a sucker for anything personalized.
In collaboration with Fresh.
BODY BRONZERS | SPRAY VS. LOTION AND HOW TO APPLY THEM
Body bronzers are an easy, simple way to "tan up" quickly. There are 2 kinds that I'll be talking about here, the spray and lotion. Regardless of formula, you'll get similar outcomes from both although there is one product here that has become my new Holy Grail this summer. Keep reading to find out.
SPRAY ON BRONZERS
Not nearly as intimating or messy as it sounds, I surprisingly found spray on bronzers were easier to apply that I'd initially thought. The trick to making it natural looking and streak free is all in the application. The sales associate at Sephora recommended I use a mitt to buff it in, but reached for a big fluffy body brush instead. I found the brush had more coverage vs. the mitt and I liked how it applied overall but it took a bit more time.
I used Sephora's Perfection Mist Airbrush Bronzer for face and body. For $21, it's the cheapest product I'm featuring here with no odor and an excellent bronze colour that's neither too orange or too brown with a light shimmer. It's good for those looking to amp up their existing tan since the coverage is more on the sheer side so I wouldn't recommend this if you're pale AF. It's also pretty transfer resistant as long as you don't sit in a hot car with leather seats during 30 degree weather. (It happened to me.)
LOTION BRONZERS
Easier to apply than spray, lotion bronzers are my personal fave. They're easy to mix with SPF, foundation or tinted moisturizer or they're perfect used on their own. They can applied with a mitt, but I prefer using my hands as I would lotion since it's super easy and practically fail proof.
First up with Benefit's Hoola Zero Tanlines. Let me start by saying I LOVE Benefit. I really do. The original Hoola is my favourite all time bronzer and contour powder. With that being said, I do not love this new product. While it's buildable in colour (yay!) and easy to apply (double yay), I find that the colour is a bit more on the orange side which gets more pronounced as it's layered. For reference, I have medium skin with olive undertones but my legs are a bit paler than the rest of me. (What you see on IG is all fake tanning and meticulous use of bronzer.) Like the Sephora mist, this one is probably best to accentuate already tanned skin, but then again I haven't seen how to colour looks on fair skin tones. Anyone?
Next up: Benefit's Dew The Hoola face bronzer, another new one from Benefit. Sure it's not a body bronzer but it feels right to talk about it here. Unlike Zero Tanlines, I really love this product! It looks natural and dewy on it's own or mixed with your existing makeup. I like to apply it with my fingers in place of foundation for a sheer bronzed glow. Then I just apply my concealer overtop in the areas I need and finally set it with powder. Instant Tan!
The last product is my new holy grail - Vita Liberata's Body Blur. This one is pricey at $50 + tax (!!!) and I probably wouldn't have bought it had it not been sent to me BUT, after trying it, I would definitely repurchase. Straight up, this product is more like makeup for your body but I freakin' love it!!!! I have small scars on my legs I could do without and Body Blur makes them all magically disappear. It's probably due to the micro light reflecting shimmer which helps skin appear flawless. I find the colour to be spot on and screams "I just got back from Ibiza".
Diana, (my BFF/ contributing beauty writer for WoahStyle) was reluctant to try this product but she did and also fell in love.
Michael (my blogger bestie) always comments when I wear it "you look so tanned!" and then I disclose it's fake and he screams "Oh really?!" in disbelief.
Even my bare legged pictures on Instagram look better and more tanned when I wear this bronzer. I just loooooooove it!
So downsides? The formula is similar to makeup, which I personally like, but other people might not. It also transfers. Not a lot, but enough so beware when wearing white or light colours. To my dismay, a bit transfered on my Stella McCartney denim tote and on my leather car seat when I was driving on a particularly hot day. With that being said, I still love this product and I reach for it every time I go barelegged. #addicted
THE GRADUAL SELF TANNER
It's day 2 of Faux Tanning Week and today I want to talk about gradual self tanners. I like to use these in the start of the season when I'm prepping my pasty white legs to see the light of day after being covered up all winter long. I'm going to be taking about two products here, Bioderma's Photoderm Autobronzant, which technically isn't a gradual self tanner but it should be because it's very subtle and buildable. The second is Jergens Natural Glow. I've been a fan of Jergens for years now and in the past I've used it for a few weeks until I'm ready to go barelegged.
The beauty of gradual self tanners is that they're much more forgiving to apply than the average self tanner since they are, well, gradual. I like how the colour of both Jergens the Bioderma are pretty natural looking. I say "pretty natural" though because I learned through trail and error that it's important to take a break from self tanning otherwise you run the risk of looking orange. So ideally, once you achieve your desired colour, three days off and 1 day on in terms of product application. I disregarded the instructions on the labels and started using it daily in hopes of getting more bronzed but I just got more orange. What can I say, follow the instructions people!
WHO IT'S FOR
Gradual self tanners are great if you're low maintenance since they're easy to apply and hard to fuck up.
SCENT
I noticed the Jergens scent more as the day went on and it did start to annoy me, but not enough to stop using it. Bioderma claims to be scent free but I swear I smell something.
COLOUR
Both give a natural subtle tan when used as directed. (Don't over apply like I did or you will look orange.)
BIODERMA VS. JERGENS
Bioderma is easier to apply since it's a fine mist spray. With that being said, I used up my can in no time and at $20 a bottle, that can get expensive fast. On the other hand, the fine mist means it's easy to get hard to reach areas like the back. Even if the can is held upside down, the nozzle sprays seamlessly from every angle. The downside of this is that it will get everywhere - the floor, shower curtain, bath mat so be careful.
As for Jergens, I just think you get more bang for your buck. Like I said, I've been using it for years and one tube will last me all summer long and it's well priced at $13. Jergens applies like a lotion and blends easily so overall, the application is seamless. Downside, orange skin when overused and that darned subtle self tanner smell.
APPLICATION TIPS & TRICKS
Exfoliate! It's the best thing you can do to give your self tanner a smooth base to glide over and as a result, the colour will look more natural and even overall.
Moisturize your feet, knees and elbows before and after applying self tanner to make the colour appear more natural since these areas seem to absorb colour more.
Use an SPF when you head out doors. Just because your skin looks tanned it doesn't mean the sun's rays won't harm your skin. I like the Ombrelle line from Garnier. They make ones for the body and face so they literally have you covered.
For an even healthier glow, I like using a body oil on my arms and legs like the one from Sahajan. It smells amazing and the brand is all natural and based in Toronto.
FAUX TANNING WEEK: THE TRIED, TESTED & TRUE
Faux Tanning Week is finally here and I'm super excited to dive into this series! I've been working on this story for the last month, testing every single product that you guys see here. There's a mix of items that were sent to me alongside some items that I purchased myself so that I could talk to many different products on the market right now because I really wanted to be as diverse as possible for you guys!
Throughout the week I'll be giving you tips on the best application, how to prep the skin properly to get an even tan as well as which products look most natural and are least scented. For those who are reluctant to commit to using a self tanner, fear not because I'll also be talking about how to use bronzers in order to achieve that bronzed goddess glow that you can rinse off in the shower at the end of the day.
Check back daily because there's 5 days worth of content starting tomorrow!
xo, Nathalie
Colour Me Tan with Jergens® Natural Glow®
Confession time: I used to love tanning. As a kid, I'd spend summers in Miami and I would spend hours baking in the sun, sometimes without sunscreen. I'm lucky because I have olive skin that doesn't burn, but I cringe when I think of all the permanent damage under the surface. Ugh.
That's probably why I'm so obsessed with skincare now. I make sure to take care of my outer layer from head to toe. But I can't lie - I still love the look of a tan, but I'm not willing to do anymore damage to my skin. Over the years, I've tried dozens of self-tanners and I've always been disappointed. Sometimes they're sticky, or they smell weird, or worse - they leave you orange! Not sexy.
When Jergens® asked me to be part of their Natural Glow® influencer program and participate in their #GlowAndShow campaign, I was super excited. I grew up with the brand, and I still use a lot of their products regularly (love you Soothing Aloe Moisturizer). I've heard great things about their Natural Glow® line and was eager to try it out. Well, I've been using it for a few weeks and you can see the results for yourself. Pretty awesome, huh?
BEFORE
AFTER
Application was seamless and the smell is none offensive, which was a huge relief because the self-tanners I've tried in the past have always been iffy in this area. And it's subtle but noticeable, like I spent 4 straight days chilling at that Mandarin Oriental pool in Las Vegas drinking margaritas as they play Calvin Harris all day long. A girl can dream.
A plus that came out of this that I didn't expect is that my clothes look more vibrant. Now that it's spring, I find myself wearing a lot of stark white outfits and lighter colours. Now that my skin is a little tanned, my clothes just pop. I also look healthier, which hi, everyone wants.
I've tried "high end" self-tanners in the past, and I can't say any of them have justified the price point. Jergens® Natural Glow® usually retails for under $15 and lasts for quite some time, so it's definitely worth picking up. I'd argue that it's even better than some of the self-tanners that I've tried that cost two, even three times more.
You can pick up entire the Jergens® product line up at Well.ca (who I've been shopping with for years - one of my fave online retailers).
Make sure to check out my posts on Instagram and make sure to check out @JergensCA for new products and amazing offers.
xo, Nathalie
[This blog post was sponsored by Jergens® but all the opinions are my own]
How To Relax At The End Of The Day
Is there anything better and more relaxing than what's in these pictures? Seriously, after an incredibly long day at work this is exactly what I need to come home to. Thank you kindly to Crown Flora and Gold Apothecary for brightening up my day! xo
Crown Flora's floral arrangement and Lavender + Sage soy based candle (in my new favourite candle scent). They also burn clean which is so amazing!
Gold Apothecary Sweet Bergamot natural bath salts and facial steam packs are handmade in Toronto and can be found online and at special stockists, including Crown Flora. I have to tell you that even my mail box smelled heavenly when these arrived!
