In Toronto, finding a place that specializes in brows, waxing, and all (other) things beauty can be few and far between. We've been long time, card-carrying members of the Gee Beauty loyalty club (disclaimer: not real a thing). Whenever someone comes to town and is in need of an emergency Brazilian, or another salon's favorite esthetician inevitably effs up, it's the first place we recommend. We’re always quick to credit the girls at Gee for their handiwork. We've had a slightly, um, repetitive skincare routine for all too long, and so we turned to Gee for a little refresher.

“We’re all about smooth, hydrated and glowing skin –a well-prepped face makes for an easy application. Some of our skin favorites include Sunday Riley’s Ceramic Slip cleanser (to shrink the appearance of pores and control excess oil), SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF vitamin C serum (trust us, this is the best skin investment you can make!), a trusty eye cream to hide the puffiness and darkness like SkinCeuticals AOX+ Eye Gel and of course SPF (yes even in the winter! You’ll thank us later). If we’re getting techie, the Clarisonic electric facial brush is our go-to exfoliation staple. It gets rid of the day’s makeup, clogged pores and oil many times more than just hands alone. We love using either a clay mask or hydrating mask once a week – depending on your skin type (clay for oily or combination; hydrating for dry skin). Spraying a mist like Tata Harper’s Hydrating Floral Essence is a great way to prep the skin while its Witch Hazel and Rose calms any redness.”

For traveling:
Key with traveling is to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Having a masque like SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Masque is essential because you need something that will penetrate into the skin quickly, and nothing gives you the look of 10+ hours of rest like a hydrating masque. We also love the Tata Harper floral essence because of the ease of the mist, great as a toner after you cleanse or easy to apply directly onto the skin even on top of makeup for a dewy look. It has calming rose and witch hazel to soothe too. Eyes and lips tend to get very dehydrated too, so keeping a little sample size eye cream & lip balm is key. Don't be afraid to reapply every hour, if you can. The difference will be huge.

Products we (and you!) can’t live without:

Eve Lom Kiss Mix - Keeps lips soft, nourished and protected. Perfect under lipstick.

SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic or Phloretin CF vitamin C serums

Sunday Riley Good Genes Treatment – Brightens, refines, plumps, corrects!

Sunday Riley Juno Transformative Lipid Serum – We’re into oils! It’s rich with antioxidants, natural retinol and vitamin C – can be combined with your moisturizer or used on its own. Penetrates deep into the skin without feeling greasy.

SPF. Period. -  Really the most preventative thing you can incorporate into your regime. Sheer formulations feel great on the skin and won’t cause breakouts. 

vbeauté’s Eye Never Eye Cream – It’s key to looking fresh! The skin under our eyes doesn’t produce any oil so it’s the first spot to look dry or dehydrated. The rose extract helps hydrate and firm.