CLEAN REGIME: Jessica from Stark Skincare
Jessica Lafleur is a girl after my own heart. A self-confessed skincare rebel, she set out to create a brand that is
… obsessively natural, simple without being boring, luxurious without being over-the-top, loves to educate, and made specifically for the needs of a city-dweller’s skin (and aesthetic).
Stark Skincare ticks all the boxes: squeaky clean & hard working ingredients (loaded with antioxidants to combat city living) combined with iconic apothecary style packaging, to create products that both look good and do good. The cleansing balm, green tea detox mask and perfecting tonic have firmly established themselves as staples in my own clean regime (full reviews to come), so I am delighted to share with you Jessica’s clean regime:
AM
‘I keep things simple as a general rule of thumb for life in general, and my summertime self care routine follows suit. In fact, it may be the simplest it’s ever been, and I love it! First off, I do think that the most important part of any summertime health and beauty regime is drinking a TON of water. In fact, this is an any-season rule. My cleansing regime consists of Manuka honey that a friend of mine sends from New Zealand. I use it as straight-up cleanser on its own, or I mix it with Stark’s Green Tea Mask, with a drop of water. It’s fabulous, but also a man repellent (sticky mud!) I do that 2-3 times a week in hot weather which keeps me completely pimple-free. Next, I’ve been using Yes to Carrots Nourishing Shampoo for some time, and loved it up until recently. Just as I was taking these pictures, my hair was really acting up and my scalp was ITCHY, so clearly I needed to make some changes. That’s where the Savon D’Alep comes in…. but we’ll get to that! I also try to dry brush several times a week before showering, which leaves my skin soft, smooth and a healthy I swear I just exercisedpink. I brush towards my heart at all times to encourage good circulation.
PM
I use my Grapefruit Cleanse + Hydrate Balm by my company Stark morning and night, but ESPECIALLY at night, as it gently removes all manner of city gunk and grime and makeup off my face. Also, I like to add a little to my hair for the fresh scent, and a few extra dabs on any bits of skin that are quite dry. It’s multi-purpose but also just feels really indulgent, so I love that (that’s why I made it!). It also gives skin a nice glow.
The Savon D’Alep, which I am caught kissing in this picture (you guys do that too, right?) is a staple for me. I found this for a steal at a health food store, and it comes from Syria, via France. Alleppo soap is a Castille soap made of Olive and Laurel oil, and in this case Argan as well. I LOVE it. I had first used this type of soap in the Middle East, but in bar form, and loved how rustic it smells and feels. It leaves your skin feeling clean, a little goes a long way, and what’s best, my hair absolutely adores it. So yes, I use the same soap on my body (mostly feet and parts I want extra clean since I don’t feel I need soap all over my body….too drying!) AND my hair. It’s liquid, so it’s not too, you know, awkward or anything. I no longer use conditioner, which my fine wavy hair seems to agree with. That slimy slick feeling that most conditioners give my hair just seems to not do it any justice.
My coconut oil. My love! I use this same brand (but NOT the same jar!) for both cooking and for my body/hair. This is a local Quebecois brand, although I assume the coconuts are not from around here, called Maison d’Orphée, which smells, tastes and absorbs like a dream. This one is organic, unrefined and virgin, which is super important if you want to use your coconut oil for your body. Actually, this is important for cooking, too. The refined stuff is garbage, frankly. I use this as a night time hair conditioner, as my body oil, as a massage oil, as a mouth rinse (yup! Look it up!) and pretty much anything else that strikes my fancy.
EXTRAS
The fun stuff. On my face, before I head out into the world, I use 2 drops of Stark’s Cypress Purity + Defense Oil, which helps my skin defend itself against environmental damage. I also use Organic Wear tinted moisturizer and their mascara, which is the easiest clean makeup brand to find in Montreal. For the price, it’s good. I love love love love Vapour Organics. It’s what makeup should be, to a T. I use their blush called Torch, and it’s easy to apply and feels nice on skin. I can’t stand makeup that feels bad, and since I’m not used to wearing it (yes, almost 31… still not used to it!), I love that I can apply this easily and forget it’s there, and it makes me look fresh. Also, the ingredients are phenomenal. I also love my eyelash curler. This is a cheap one, but now that I know that I love them and how much of a difference curled eyelashes make, I will invest in a fancy one. I also use Hurraw’s Black Cherry Tinted Lip Balm, as it adds just a little gloss and enough colour to make me happy’.
