Beauty Fix: Hydration help for damaged hair, sunscreen that will mattify oily skin 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.

What can I use on my hair to make it feel as though it’s never been coloured or heat-styled?
Hair that hasn’t felt the wrath of a flat iron, blow dryer or dye is usually a distant, fond memory, but that doesn’t always have to be the case. Hair in its natural state—that is, unprocessed—has a lipid layer that exists shaft. This layer is comprised of 21 carbon molecules, which, when we begin heat-styling or colouring our hair, become heavily eroded. The result is hair that has less lipid protection than before, making it prone to damage, dryness and breakage. Certain hydrating hair products are useful in balancing our lipid layer molecule count, which drastically improves the texture of hair. Try a new hyper-hydrator for thirsty hair like Schwarzkopf Professional BC Moisture Kick Beauty Balm ($18, at salons). It contains hyaluronic acid, which has the same effect in hair as it does for skin: drawing moisture from the environment into hair to help replenish and hydrate.

I’m heading to a warmer climate and know my skin colour may deepen a bit. Should I pack a second, darker foundation for this trip?
Any time you’re exploring foundation options mid-season or when you’re on your way to a warmer climate (lucky you!), be sure to consider both the shade and finish of the foundation you decide to take along. A warmer climate ultimately means you’ll probably want to opt for a more matte formulation for longevity. A clever way of facing the anomaly of what shade you’ll be from one day to the next is to stick to a self-adjusting foundation, like Benefit Cosmetics The Big Easy Liquid To Powder SPF 35 Foundation ($46, sephora.ca). This liquid-to-powder formula adjusts to your skin tone, which takes the guesswork out of packing for a sunny destination or buying a foundation now that you can still wear into summer. Bonus: the formula contains SPF and sets to a matte finish, helping it stay put in warm weather.

My oily skin is so much more difficult to deal with when I try to wear sunscreen. What should I do?
Oily skin can indeed be a challenge when trying to incorporate sunscreen into a skincare routine. That being said, we should all be wearing sunscreen every single day (even if it’s overcast), regardless of whether your skin is oily, dry or a combination of the two. It’s key to find a formula that works with your skin type, so allow me to take a bit of trial and error out of your routine and recommend you try one one that has mattifying properties, like Murad Oil-Control Mattifier SPF 15 PA++ ($40, sephora.ca). Willow bark extract and argan extract will ward off breakouts and smooth skin’s texture with continued use, in addition to providing UVA/UVB sun protection.

I love monochromatic palettes, especially ones that I can use on my face, lips and cheeks. Any new products out there that I should try?
You’ve come to the right place! A bit of variety in the pan may be considered straying from the idea of a totally monochromatic look, but the trio of shades in Chanel’s Les Beige Healthy Glow Multicolour Powder in “01” ($64, at Chanel counters) provide stunning, subtle colour shifts on the face. Take the lightest of the three shades and apply it all over your lids, following with the middle shade in your crease. Then contour your cheeks with the middle shade, blending it through the hollows of your cheeks. Apply the last shade on the apples of cheeks, blending upwards on the cheekbones. Finally, apply lip balm to lips and then press the pink shade onto your lips for a matte lip colour. The finished look is soft, subtle and sunkissed.

This endless winter has given me a pretty bleak complexion. What can I do to get some of my glow back?
Summer brings about some pretty solid product innovations each year, and one that ought to catch your attention this season’s is Dior Diorskin Nude Tan Prime & Bronze ($42, at Dior counters). If you’re in the market for a hint of colour that will deepen gradually each day you apply this bronze gel formula, this is your best bet. Not only does this lightweight gel create a light bronze veil on the skin upon application, it also does double-duty as makeup primer, so it can be worn under makeup to help the rest of your face stay put. Bonus: there’s absolutely no self-tanner smell with this formulation. Huge success!

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