THE BEAUTY EDIT

The Kit’s beauty director, Katherine Lalancette, sees a slew of new products every day. Here she shares her latest obsessions

The eye cream that doubles as a brightening primer

I usually try a skin care product for a full month before delivering a verdict, but with this one I couldn’t wait. In clinical trials, 97 per cent of people found their eyes looked well rested after four weeks. I noted the same result the first time I used it. Granted, that’s partly thanks to its pearlescent natural light-reflectors that provide an “I sleep eight hours every night” effect. Even better, the cream is the same peachy tone makeup artists tell you to use as a colour corrector for dark circles. This nifty feature, plus the quick-absorbing texture, makes it a dream under concealer.

Summer Fridays Light Aura vitamin C + peptide eye cream, $55, sephora.ca

The serum that makes your hair baby soft

Serum in a jar? That’s thick and creamy? Look, if Jonathan Van Ness says it’s a serum, it’s a serum, honey! The “Queer Eye” star and human equivalent of sunshine recently launched his own hair line, and it’s all kinds of wonderful. The star ingredient is hemi-squalane, a super-fine squalane molecule derived from sugar cane that penetrates deep into the hair. My hair type is best described as thin and scraggly, so I usually avoid anything thick that might weigh it down. But this leave-in is so light (like whipped meringue), there’s no risk of that.

JVN complete instant recovery leave-in serum, $36, sephora.ca

The cleansing balm that makes makeup removal a dream

You know when you’re watching a show and your eyelids start getting heavy and you know you should go wash your face before bed, but it’s the last thing you want to do? Well, lately a certain yellow jar has been making that process a bit less painful. It’s a cleansing balm, but the sensorial pleasure of its utter butteriness makes it a balm for winter-weary souls. It starts out thick and unctuous, but as it glides over your face, it melts with the most satisfying slip. All makeup dissolves on contact with no rubbing, even water-resistant sunscreen.

Youth to the People Superberry cleansing balm, $45, sephora.ca

The body wash that’s kinder to the planet

Canadian-grown Everist is changing the beauty game. Its premise is simple: Just add water! Traditional shampoo and conditioner bottles are filled with about 70 per cent water, so why not replace it with the water you’re already using in your shower? Like its predecessors, the body wash formula is completely waterless, and plant-based, with aloe vera and vegetable glycerin to soothe and hydrate, and citrus and herbal essential oils. Use the tube key to squeeze out a pea-sized amount and suds away with a clearer conscience.

Everist waterless body wash concentrate, $28, helloeverist.com

Look, if Jonathan Van Ness says it’s a serum, it’s a serum, honey! The ‘Queer Eye’ star and human equivalent of sunshine recently launched his own hair line, and it’s all kinds of wonderful