Beauty fix: How to curb shine once and for all, a miracle brush for thin hair and more

Every week our Beauty Fix columnist takes on your questions about makeup, skincare, hair and more. Have a beauty question we haven’t answered? Email us at beautyfix@fashionmagazine.com or ask away in the comments below.

How can I curb shine without powdering repeatedly throughout the day?
There’s obviously an argument in favour of luminous skin in summer, but that usually means being in control of the areas that are radiant and glowing. If your rendition of “radiant and glowing” veers more towards “shiny mess,” then you probably should enlist the help of a product to reduce shine. Powdering your face is a bit high maintenance, and it’s also bound to lead to product build-up if you’re touching up throughout the day. Avoid that heavy look by misting your face with Face Atelier Ultra Matte ($40, faceatelier.com) instead. It can be used before or after makeup to minimize shine. The formula contains silicones that are heat-, moisture-, and sebum-resistant, which eliminates shine while giving skin an optical blur effect that softens the appearance of fine lines and pores. This stuff is a must-have for brides!

How can I wake up my skin after a long day of travel?
Stay hydrated while traveling by drinking plenty of water (caffeine and alcohol will only dehydrate your skin), and pack a mask to use when you reach your destination. Even if you’re only carrying on, a sheet mask like Sephora Collection Pomegranate Mask ($8, sephora.ca) will always be easy enough to throw into your luggage. The mask is steeped in a fluid that’s loaded with pomegranate extract, which is energizing for skin, as well as broccoli extract to help boost skin’s radiance. The one-time use element makes this mask travel-friendly and convenient to use anytime your fatigued skin needs a boost.

Should I be deep-cleansing my skin?
During the summer, it’s important to remove the sunscreen, sweat and debris that accumulate on skin throughout the day, making deep cleansing advisable at least once or twice a week. Try a powerhouse product like Glamglow Powermud™ Dualcleanse Treatment ($76, sephora.ca) after removing makeup with your usual cleanser. The mud-to-oil formula contains a blend of prickly pear, pine, frankincense and myrrh oils to oil-cleanse skin (attracting bad oils to the surface to be washed away without stripping skin of good oils) while Brazilian white clay purifies skin. All it takes is 5 to 10 minutes for skin that’s clean, refreshed and detoxified.

I’ve discovered I have a nail fungal infection on my toes. How can I treat it?
Nail fungal infections (fungal infection of the nail plate or nail bed) are surprisingly common, with over 2 million Canadians living with the condition. There are many factors that lead to contracting an infection, such as genetics (if your parents have had this condition, there’s a higher probability that you will at some point in your life) and environmental factors (occlusive footwear, shared bathing facilities), among others. While prescription medication can be taken, the course of medication is lengthy and usually involves side effects. A topical treatment, such as Emtrix ($35, at drugstores), is a bit of a time commitment, but results will start to show after daily use for 2 weeks. The formula contains a blend of propylene glycol, lactic acid and urea to eradicate the fungal infection. Simply apply a thin layer to affected nails daily for 12 to 24 weeks for full treatment of the infection. Tip: no nail polish (including UV- or LED-cured gels) should be worn when using Emtrix, as the solution must penetrate the nail plate and nail bed.

I’ve always heard to try detangling hair with conditioner, but my fine hair just gets weighed down when I try to do so. What else can I do to detangle my hair after washing it?
Fine hair is finicky in that it tends to get tangled the most, but it’s not the best candidate for the usual detangle-with-conditioner trick. Most leave-in conditioners are also bound to weigh your hair down, even if you try concocting your own mix by combining a minimal amount of conditioner with water. If you’re trying to avoid loading up your hair with product, try a detangling hairbrush, like Drybar Lemon Drop Daily Detangler ($15, sephora.ca). The bristles are actually flexible, compared to the firm bristles of a standard hairbrush, making the brush ideal for detangling fine hair without damage or breakage, whether it’s used on dry or wet hair. As usual, start at the bottom of the length of your hair and work your way up for painless detangling with this gentle brush.

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