The best advice sometimes really does come from around the water cooler.

When a co-worker opened a packet of purple powder and slipped it into her water glass at 3 p.m. on a sluggish workday, I took note and went out to track down my own extra energy supply. My Vitality is a vitamin rich pick-me-up that helps to re-energize while reducing stress levels.  Caffeine-free (it relies on natural ingredients) and flavoured with juice concentrates, this mid-afternoon routine is worth scheduing in, especially if it steers us away from an afternoon snack served from a vending machine.

Drink in the energy boost. —Jaelyn Molyneux

$5.99 per three pack at www.drinkintuition.com

Junk food, we need to have a word with you.

We get it – you’re irresistible. You’re salty, you’re sweet and you’re always there for us when we crave you. But you see, we’re trying to stick to our eat-healthier-and-work-out-more resolutions so it’s time we parted ways. We’re going to opt for plant-based recipes designed for peak athletic performance (or at least the occasional jaunt on the treadmill) instead. While we may not be able to stick to the whole Thrive Foods diet, we love snacking on homemade energy bars instead of, you know, junk food.

So brush that potato chip off your shoulder. —Kelsey Dundon

Thrive Foods by Brendan Brazier ($20.36) www.amazon.ca

Coffee makes the world go round. Well, it does for a certain beauty editor with three cups a day and counting.

The joy of a caffeine buzz aside, my espresso habits have left my formerly pearly whites looking more like muddy whites. Well, thank heavens for electro-ionic technology! Wait, what? Rewind. Meet Tanda Pearl, the newest at-home teeth whitening tray system that uses gentle micro-currents to generate an electro-ionic reaction when combined with a whitening gel. Sounds scary, but the emphasis is on “micro” since one can’t really feel these tiny pulses.

Five days and, um, fifteen espressos later, these pearly whites are back in the game. —Anya Georgijevic

$195 at The Bay, 2nd Floor, 674 Granville St., Vancouver, 604-681-6211, www.thebay.com

If our winter wonderland has left your skin feeling a bit parched, there is no need to worry: you might just need a little oil tune-up.

Adding a bit of oil to your skin routine for the duration of the winter season will help to restore your skin’s lustre without adding unnecessary shine. Just a couple of drops is all you need.

Ren’s sweet-smelling Rose O¹² Moisture Defence Serum improves skin elasticity and provides a velvety base for your moisturizer. Rosehip seed oil contains essential fatty acids that help to repair skin. Bonus: it leaves your skin smelling like a fresh bouquet of roses — irresistible. $87 Kiss and Makeup, H5 - 925 Main St., West Vancouver, 604-922-6292, www.kissandmakeup.ca

This new Biodynamic Herbal Recovery Oil by Eminence contains age-defying clary sage, an ingredient that is also known for its calming properties in case you also need a little aromatherapy. It can be used on its own for those with really dry complexions, or mixed with your daily moisturizer for just a dab. $38 at Spa Boutique, 3630 W. Fourth Ave., Vancouver, 604-734-7114, www.spaboutique.ca

If you are looking for a little nighttime treat, look no further than Dermalogica’s Overnight Repair Serum. This new addition to their Age Smart line combines peptides with Argan oil to restore the skin’s lustre and works against those pesky fine lines. Use under your moisturizer only at night, and you’ll wake up with fresher looking skin. It literally smells like sleep: dreamy and warm. $88 at BeautyMark, 1268 Pacific Ave., Vancouver, 604-642-2294, www.beautymark.ca —Anya Georgijevic

Once in a while a product comes along that poses existential questions, like “what good are my hands for?”

Okay, let’s rewind. For almost three decades, twice a day, I’ve been using my hands to wash my face. They scrubbed and cleaned proudly, not knowing one day they would to be replaced. Then it came: the Clarisonic Mia, a shapely little micro-massaging brush with the ability to cleanse six times better than our good old hands. With skin so clean now, using one’s hands seems almost… barbaric.

Sorry old friends. — Anya Georgijevic

$119 at Spa Boutique, 3630 W. Fourth Ave., Vancouver, 604-734-7114, www.spaboutique.ca

We’ve got the resolve, we’ve got the gear, and we’ve got the year-long gym pass.

Now all we need is a handy-dandy case to carry it all in. Enter the GLO Bag (Gym Locker Organizer). With two built-in shelves and three compartments, it hangs upright in your locker and unzips completely for easy access to your neatly folded towels and yoga pants. It even comes with a vented shoe area.

To which we say… our runners? Stink? Never. —Kelsey Dundon

GLO Bag $99 at www.theglobag.com

Some trends are slower to take off than others.

Like kettlebell weights. They were used by Russian weightlifters 100 years ago and now we’re seeing them more and more in Vancouver. The just-opened Body Function Studio offers muscle-torturing kettlebell classes for newbies like us ($17 drop-in). After a session filled with popping and thrusting and swinging what is essentially a cannonball with a handle, we were feeling it in muscles we didn’t even know we had.

But we didn’t sweat it—the studio offers indulgent massages too. —Kelsey Dundon

Body Function, 4335 Dunbar St., Vancouver, 604-565-6630, www.body-function.ca

Look up to the mountains and what do you see? Snow! Bundle up in this winter workout wear and get out there.

Atlas Snow Run Snowshoes $195 at Mountain Equipment Co-op
We really need to rename this sport because snowshoeing sounds so dorky, but is such a fun way to work up a sweat in the middle of winter. Snow running, anyone?

Anni jacket by Orb $300
While it might look like something you’d wear in the city, this longer-fitting jacket is made of nylon dobby, seam-sealed, and ready for riding.

Brisk Run Headband $22 at Lululemon
Cold ears are not happy ears. Warm ‘em up with this sweat-wicking headband.

Kamtow pants $189.99 at Westbeach
These slim-fitting pants are tricked-out in the technical specs department (think gaiter connection system, triple-stiched rise and a tricot-lined butt). 

Glory Daze Sunglasses by Arnette $150.95 at Sunglass Hut
Shaded glory. These sunny G’s are polarized so you’ll see well even on those glorious full-of-glare sunny days. —Kelsey Dundon

New year = new you. Detoxes, diets, 30-day yoga challenges… Clean living is a big project.

To help our skin do the same, Pangea Organics packaged their most popular products into three Skincare Discovery Kits, targeted for different skin types. Pangea is the cult favourite among the green-minded celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow and Christy Turlington and packed with exotically unconventional, but powerful, antioxidant ingredients like Adzuki Bean and Nigerian Ginger. Its Japanese Matcha Tea formulated Facial Mask with Acai and Goji Berry is a one-step skin wonder, leaving the face looking instantly refreshed.

Before we can twist into that perfect Scorpion pose (because we’re sure Gwyneth and Christy can), it’s all about baby steps, right? —Anya Georgijevic

$43 at www.pangeaorganicscanada.com

This time of year means a diet of canapés and cocktails, a wardrobe of stilettos and stockings, and an agenda of late nights and early mornings. My survival guide:  

No-Fail Nails
Who has an hour for a manicure? My Revlon nail buffer lives in my purse and comes out on cab rides. It gives natural nails a glowing luster, and even works to refresh an existing polish job with high shine.  Revlon Crazy Shine, $5.99 at London Drugs.

Waterline Wake-up
A make-up artist introduced me to the nude-coloured “Baby eyes” Paula Dorf eyeliner for the lower waterline of your eyes to make them pop for photos. It’s the easiest pick-me-up ever. $23 at BeautyMark, 1268 Pacific Ave., Vancouver, 604-642-2294, www.beautymark.ca

Instant Eye Lift
I am suspect of anything that claims to “lift and tighten” in a world ruled by the laws of gravity, but the firming eye treatments at Spruce worked in less than 5 minutes, and though done with a machine, were totally painless. Broad Band Light Therapy, from $139, Spruce Body Lab, 1128 Richards St., Vancouver, 604-683-3220, www.sprucebodylab.com

Raccoon Eye Eraser
Running out the door before my mascara has set is just a fact of life for me. These cotton swabs filled with eye-make-up remover are handy for fixing smudges or toning down a liquid liner mishap without starting all over again. Almay Oil-Free Eye Make-up remover swabs, $5.99 at London Drugs.

Quick Cleanup
Finally home, the last thing I want to do is pull out a plethora of cleansers. These bamboo cloths remove even waterproof mascara with essential oils and vitamins. Juicy Bamboo facial cleansing cloths, $22 at Kiss and Make-up, H5 - 925 Main St., West Vancouver, 604-922-6292, www.kissandmakeupstore.com

—Sarah Bancroft