I first heard about Alana and Maddie also known as “The Alper Sisters” through the Montreal beauty community. Our little city flourishes with creative and Boss Queens. At Beauties, we believe that the more beautiful you feel on the inside, the more it will shine through on the outside. This strongly resonates with Alana and Maddie’s mission. The Alpers curated their own line of natural beauty products to upgrade your self-care rituals and we are beyond proud to carry their brand Alper Oils at Beauties Lab. Their products are handcrafted in small batches and are 100% natural and free from additives and toxins. My personal favorite is Dream Beam, a balancing oil packed with vitamins that will nourish your skin and make your heart sing!
Their relation with beauty
Alana : My relationship with beauty has been a long journey. I discovered makeup at a very young age and fell madly in love. I loved playing with it and I loved the way I felt wearing it. It became a shield and a way to hide the insecurities I had with myself. Understanding and loving who I’ve grown to be as a woman I now view beauty as more than something that is just on the surface. It’s who you are on the inside and that will radiate beauty out of you.
Maddie : I think that Iʼve always viewed beauty as an abstract concept. Iʼve always been a creative person and Iʼve always found beauty in the things that people create.
Skincare routine
Alana : When it comes to skincare, I like to keep it simple, but use effective products! I use Bioderma solution to remove any eye makeup that I have on. My current face wash is the Indie Lee Rose Hip Cleanser. I recommend double cleansing with this if your removing a full face of makeup. I’m loving the Raspberry vinegar toner from Cocokind. At first, the smell was a little overpowering, but now I can’t live without it!
I’ll rotate between our Dream Beam and Midnight Boost oil depending on how my skin is feeling and looking (I also gua sha or jade roll for 5 minutes once my oil is on). I love when my face is drenched before bed, so I’ll over top it off with Egyptian Magic cream or the Ren Overnight Recovery Balm. For under eyes, I use the Matcha Stick from Cocokind and Aquaphor Healing Ointment for an overnight treatment. I mask and exfoliate at least once a week. To exfoliate, I’m using the Province Apothecary Regenerating + Stimulating Exfoliator and to mask a mix my own little concoction using clay and chlorella powder.
Maddie : I have a bit of PTSD after suffering from severe cystic acne for 5 years, so my skincare routine can seem a bit intense. My first step would be to cleanse my face, not once, not twice, but three times! I would usually be fine with a quick double cleanse, but on the heavy makeup days, I have to go for the triple! I usually start with a Neutrogena makeup wipes to get the bulk of makeup off my face. I then go in with a gentle foaming cleansing balm to get rid of any additional residue or eye makeup. Lastly, I go in with a foaming cleanser used with the Clarisonic to help really clean out my (unfortunately gigantic) pores and lightly exfoliate my skin. My all time favourite cleanser that I keep going back to is The Youth to the People Superfood Face Wash. Then I go in with my favourite balancing toner from Paulaʼs Choice, 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant. I know it seems like a lot on the skin, but trust me, I am MEGA sensitive and all of these products are super gentle and non irritating! Next I go in with my skincare. I start with under eye cream which for me is vital. I use the Eminence organics Wild Plum Eye Cream. A little goes a long way with this product so whatever excess I have I use on the dry areas of my face. I then go in with a serum. For this, I usually tailor which serum I use with how my skin is feeling that day, whether it be something with a little Vitamin C or a Retinol based product. Last but not least, I use Dream Beam balancing facial oil from our Alper Oils collection. This blend has always been my favorite. Itʼs amazing for sensitive acne prone skin and gives me the hydration I need without leaving my skin oily.
Daily makeup
Alana : My day to day look is all about looking fresh. I’m currently using Drunk elephant D-bronzi anti-pollution Sunshine Drops underneath the IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+Cream With SPF 50 as my base, Nudestix Nudies Matte Blush in sunkissed, Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel, Too faced Sun Sunny Bronzer, L’Oréal Butterfly Mascara and if I want more of a glow to the skin, Hollywood Flawless Filter by Charlotte Tilbury. For lips, I’ve been using Glossier Generation G Lipstick in Like or Dior Lip Glow in 001.
Maddie : My makeup really depends on my mood. Sometimes I want to beat my face to the gods and other times, I want a more natural look. Makeup always starts with a good base and for me it stars with our Dream Beam oil. It helps all the other products glide on seamlessly while giving it that “glow from within” look. The next product I use is a MUST : sunscreen. Everyday, even if you’re indoors, even if it’s overcast, even in winter.
Protecting your skin from UV rays might be the best skincare advice I can give. Iʼm currently using the Drunk Elephant Umbra Sheer Sunscreen. The product is all natural and doesnʼt feel heavy on the face. Not a lot of people believe in primers, but as a girl with oily/combo skin and massive pores, itʼs a must for me. I love using a gripping primer — to help my makeup last the whole day — and then a pore filling primer on top — just trying to catfish the world into thinking my face is poreless! I tend to go really light on my face in the summer since my face is melting throughout the day so i just go in with concealers or a very light cushion foundation. I am loving the La Neige Pore Control BB Cushion. It looks incredibly natural and has light to medium coverage and gives a very skin like finish. On my “just concealer days”, I use the Too Faced Born This Way Multi-Use Sculpting Concealer. It has insane coverage but is extremely lightweight. I love using this because it can cover up any redness or scarring I have, but can also be sheared out so my freckles shine through. My flicked eyeliner has become my daily uniform (Iʼve been wearing it almost everyday for the past 13 years). My go to at the moment is the Kat Von D Everlasting Lip Liner (yes, lip liner) in the colour Crucifix. It has amazing staying power and is vegan so it is safe for use around the eyes.
Hair care
Alana : I love the Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! mask treatment as well as oils to keep my hair feeling nourished and healthy. I try to wash my hair at most once a week which is why it’s usually tied up!
Maddie : I’ve had, and still have, a tumultuous relationship with my hair. Believe it or not I have incredibly curly hair and have spent most of my childhood fighting it. I straightened it for years and wore extensions all throughout high school until something clicked and I just decided to cut it all off (by myself, probably not the best idea). I’ve since used and abused it, so masking and hydrating for me is a must. I currently using the Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! conditioning mask and it truly have done wonders for my hair. It’s conditioning enough to leave your hair feeling healthy and shiny but light enough to not weigh it down. I then top it off with some Verb Ghost oil to lock in the moisture and protect it from any further heat I will be using.
Body care
Alana : I try to exfoliate once a week with an exfoliating glove and soap. I’m currently using Dr Bronners Pure castile soap in Eucalyptus and an exfoliating glove that I picked up from the pharmacy. I suffer from keratosis pilaris so this makes a huge difference! love using oils to moisturize (shocker) as well as using oils in my bath.
Maddie : Body is definitely something I put on the back burner for a long time. I’ve suffered from Eczema since I was young and always thought that I would just live out the rest of my life dry and itchy! As I got older and took interest in skincare I decided that I needed to care for the skin that wasn’t just on my face! I do a scrub once or twice a week ( depending on my dry factor ) and use Eucerine Eczema from the pharmacy (locks in moisture for days!) If I feel the need for some heavy extra moisture, I mix it with a few drops of our Dream Beam blend which is amazing for Eczema.
Health
Alana : I work out with a trainer 3x a week and this really helps with my stress and anxiety. I’m also a big fan of adaptogens and I take the Ashwagandha tablet from Mykind Organics along with b12 Vitamins. I always keep oregano oil or an immune boosting tablet at home as well.
Maddie : Health is definitely something Iʼve been dealing with the past few years. I have a lot of gut issues which has caused me to develop many intolerances in my 20ʼs (garlic, coconut, kale). Iʼm currently trying out the Keto diet which Iʼve heard has helped a lot of people whoʼve had similar issues. I tend to stay away from supplements since I have such a sensitive stomach but one thing I do consistently for myself is getting massotherapy pressure point massages. When I say massage, Iʼm really just throwing that term out lightly because it is pretty much a consistent hour of pain. Iʼve been having back pain for the past five years and this is truly the only thing that has helped! Would highly recommend!
About Fragrances
Alana : My current fragrance is How You Love by Jazmin Saraï. If im not using that, I’ll mix an oil combo into a roll on and carry that with me throughout the day.
Maddie: I’ve always been a fragrance gal but have never stuck to just one particular scent. I tend to veer towards fresh unisex smells that are not overly musky or sweet. I’m currently using Aerin Mediterranean Honeysuckle which makes me smell (and feel) that I am on vacation at all times! Highly recommend for those who are not fans of wearing overpowering scents.
The Alper Oils family is extending. They recently launched a Beard Oil for our masculine comparse. A soon to come divine Bath Oil Line and more! Follow them on Instagram @alperoils.
