The KIT's Chantel shares some beauty tips and products that are focused on women who are going through chemotherapy.

Chantel Simmons – www.thekit.ca

Makeup by Elise Tremblay – www.facebook.com/makeupbyelise

 

 

 

Shampoo: After chemotherapy, you will likely lose your hair, and when it’s growing back in your scalp can be extra sensitive. You also want to be gentle on the root, so that you stimulate the hair to grow back and not add unnecessary chemicals which can clog the root and damage the follicle. Schwarzkopf ESSENSITY is 100% free from artificial fragrances and colourants, silicones, PEGs (polyethylene glycols), paraffin oils, mineral oils and parabens. 

 

Products info: Schwarzkopf ESSENSITY Color shampoo, $16.25, Color Conditioner, $17.25 

 

Moisturizer: When you're going through treatment your skin can be extremely really dry and sensitive so you need a really soothing moisturizer without any additives or perfumes.  Many women don’t want to put chemicals on their skin, so be sure that the cream you’re looking to use is free of parabens, which are common. I love skinlove Instant Moisturizer. It has light-reflecting pigments so it gives skin an instant glow, helps prevent signs of aging and it’s free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates, GMOs and Triclosan.  

 

Product info: skinlove day crème, $30
 


Cosmetics: After treatment you will probably still want to wear a bit of makeup, even just some foundation to even out your skin tone occasionally. But you don’t want to use anything that’s irritating on the skin, and especially after going through treatment and beating breast cancer, many women don’t want to have any chemicals on their skin. The Body Shop Extra Virgin Minerals Make-up is non-irritating, fragrance free and paraben free. It comes in 12 shades and three formats – cream compact foundation, liquid foundation and loose powder foundation. 

 

Product info: The Body Shop Extra Virgin Minerals Make-up, $25

 

 

Eyelashes: Fake it til you make it! After chemo, you may lose your eyelashes, or they will become weak and sparse. Eyelashes are great because they actually attach to to the top of your lid, not your lashes, so you don’t have to worry about them pulling out any of the hairs you do have while they’re growing back. M·A·C Lashes are handmade and you can choose from a range of very natural looking lashes that you can wear during the day to more dramatic ones at night. I like #31, which is a natural length and perfect for every day. They’re brown, which is most people’s actual lash shade, so they look very natural. 

 

Product info: M.A.C Lashes #31, $18.

 

Mascara: There are so many fantastic mascaras on the market now that actually help lengthen and thicken your lashes, and one I love is Rimmel Lash Accelerator Serum with Grow-Lash Complex. It actually helps accelerate hair growth and you can apply it to your lashes and your brows. Another great product, also from Rimmel is a Volume Accelerator in Black. It makes your lashes appear thicker instantly, but over 30 days it will help the lashes grow more quickly so they become fuller. 

 

Product info: Rimmel volume accelerator, $9.99

 

Brow pen: As your brows are growing back in, a really good brow pencil will make you feel like you have brows -- and good brows make you look so much better, even if you're not wearing any makeup.  I love Anastasia brow pen because it actually looks like hairs when you apply it. Sometimes brow fillers and powders just make you look like you’ve played colouring book on your own face, whereas the Anastasia pen is a liquid pen, so you actually draw the hairs in between your own hairs. It comes in two shades – a light blonde/brown and a darker brown, so you can match your natural brow colour. 

 

Product info: Anastasia Brow Pen, $21

 

Nails: When you're going through chemo your nails get really dry and brittle - you actually have to put your hands in ice so that the chemo doesn't go to your hands. So a really great nail strengthener/hardener will help repair your nails. I love Sally Hansen Diamond Strength. It gives a great shine to the nails and locks in moisture so that nails can become stronger. 

 

Product info: Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Instant Nail Hardener, $7.29

 

 

Revlon: Each year Revlon creates a product to raise awareness for breast cancer research. This year they’ve come up with the gorgeous 2011 Revlon “Expressionists” Fall Collection by Gucci Westman. Influenced by the abstract expressionism movement, Revlon’s Global Artistic Director Gucci Westman created this palette of fall’s best shades—bordeaux, violet, pinks for lips and blues, purples and khakis for eyes. The limited edition lip gloss palette, Bordeaux in the Snow has four gorgeous glosses and a lipstick with lipstick brush in a case. 

 

Product info: Revlon Bordeaux in the Snow Lip Gloss Palette, $12.95

 

Curly Hair Solutions: This is an amazing line of curly-hair products (my mother in law uses it and she has never had better curls since she started!). It’s really fantastic because 34% of cancer survivors find their straight hair grows back curly post-chemo treatments so you have to switch hair products. I love these starter kits that they offer – in Loose, Medium or Tight Curls, so you can get a sampling of the products for your hair type and try them out. For month of October $1 from every Curl Keeper product will go to fight breast cancer. 

 

Product info: Curly Hair Solutions Curl Kit, $32

 

Nails: OPI Pink Shatter gives proceeds to Rethink Breast Cancer. OPI has been donating $5,000 to Rethink Breast Cancer each year for the past five years for a total of $25,000 to date.   The shatter effect is so popular right now and I think this pink shade is so fun and really nice over any shade. 

 

Product info: OPI Pink Shatter, $12.
 

The audience giveaway - some of the products seen here thanks to thekit.ca