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

Even the most die hard nail fanatic can get a bit bored of the sheer number of new nail polishes launched on a monthly basis.

We’ve seen it all when it comes to trendy colours, quick dry, or crazy nail art, but it is rare to find something completely new in the world of nail polish. That’s why we got very excited when we discovered Nails Inc’s new magnetic nail polish. Coat your nail with the polish, which includes metallic particles, and then use the magnet embedded in the cap to create shapes and patterns.

And make sure to apply it a good distance away from your fridge! —Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

Nails Inc Magnetic Polish, $16 from Sephora, www.sephora.com

We may have put our bronzers away until next summer, but there is no reason not to play up our inner goddess during the holiday season.

Perhaps a little hair sparkle? Whether we’re going for a pretty chignon, a chic ponytail, a big blowout, or simply short and sweet, Tarina Tarantino’s Sparklicity Gold Shimmer Dust guarantees we’ll have the most brilliant mane. This microcrystalline shimmer dust comes in silver, gold, and bronze, all packaged in an irresistible vintage style perfume bottle. Just a little pouf, and we’re ready to twinkle away. —Anya Georgijevic

$51 at Sephora, www.sephora.com

Changing hairstyles is our prerogative but all that straightening, colouring and constant styling certainly takes a toll on our locks.

The deep-conditioning Flower of Tahiti Organic Hair Masque is the perfect way to revitalize dull and damaged hair. Made from Monoi Oil, a combination of coconut oil and Gardenia flowers (a long-time hair remedy from Tahiti), this tiny container packs a punch with aloe vera juice, pro vitamin B5, Vitamin E oil and wheat protein. Combine that with its deliciously beachy smell, reminiscent of a tropical getaway, and conditioning your hair has suddenly become a mini-vacation. I chose the 30 minute leave-in option (it can be used as a daily or leave-in conditioner) and found my normally wavy, "mind of its own" hair surprisingly soft, shiny and (finally) frizz-free.

Hair today, repaired tomorrow. —Kelsey Mulyk

$22 at BeautyMark, 1268 Pacific Blvd, Vancouver, 604-642-2294, www.beautymark.ca

An Ayurvedic experience in Whistler.

Ayurveda, meaning "the complete knowledge for long life," uses the system of doshas to determine one’s “type,” which then guides one’s lifestyle. I headed over to Whistler’s luxurious Nita Lake Lodge for "A Taste of Ayurveda", a one-day initiative, to discover mine. It began with a 90-minute Shirodhara treatment where, following a traditional Abhyangam massage, a continuous stream of warm oil flows over the forehead, or the “third eye,” leaving one in a state of complete relaxation. A healthy three-course meal follows at the acclaimed Aura restaurant, designed specifically for my dosha. Turns out my dosha, Pitta, has an exceptional culinary taste. —Anya Georgijevic

“A Taste of Ayurveda” ($345) until December 15, Ashram Spa, Nita Lake Lodge, 2131 Lake Placid Rd., Whistler, 1-888-755-6482, www.nitalakelodge.com