With winter in high-gear, we’re getting out a lot to slip, slide and play in the snow. Friends and family are joining us on the slopes, where we’re sharing some of our favorite new products.

S’No Queen Baselayers

S’No Queen is not new to this space, but after cross-country skiing this weekend, I must give another shout to these ultra-thin, yet sufficiently warm baselayers.

S’No Queen thermals are made of a blend of 80% micro modal, 15% silk and 5% lycra. This blend is super soft and never itchy. I’ve worn them all day around the house (why turn up the thermostat, am I right?) and barely noticed them — except for being nicely warm.

The baselayers are absolutely fantastic for vigorous outdoor fun, like cross-country skiing and running, when you want some, but not too much, insulation.

They also make a perfect first layer for alpine skiing on warmer days and a fantastic second layer on the coldest days (when you’re doubling up on long underwear).

The designs are totally girly, which I find fun. I’ve got tops and bottoms from the über-blingy Queen Collection as well as a Zip Polo from the Diamonds and Pearls Collection.

My favorite Diamonds and Pearls detail?

The rhinestone zipper, which adds sparkle and style. After years of wearing basic black and dressing like a guy when I ski, I’m more than happy to embrace feminine touches.

S’No Queen ships internationally from the U.K. or you can find them at Stefan Kaelin in Aspen.

Block Island Sunscreen

I’m an unabashed sunscreen fanatic and with good reason: 2 rounds of skin cancer. While I’ll wear most anything with zinc oxide in it, I prefer moisturizing lotions that rub in completely.

So does my family.

In fact, they’re super picky and if they don’t like the way a sunscreen feels (or if it leaves a noticeable white residue), they’ll opt for sunburn. This does not make me happy, which is why we are excited about Block Island Organics Natural SPF 30 Face Moisturizer.

This zinc-based sunscreen rubs in totally clear and feels smooth, not sticky. The bottle has a long list of botanical and organic ingredients, leading off with Aloe Vera gel and promises no parabens, sulfates, petrochemicals, phthalates, dyes or artificial fragrances. It also tells me that the sunscreen is vegan (I don’t even want to contemplate what non-vegan ingredients might be in other bottles).

The upshot? We like this sunscreen a lot.

And come summer, we’ll be coating ourselves in Block Island Organics SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen when we join the family for a reunion on (wouldn’t you know?) Block Island.

The world is always ridiculously small…even when we’re talking about sunscreen.

Available online, with free shipping over $50.

Speet Wax

My son and his friends demoed this ski wax product for me one evening when they were tuning skis.

Speet Wax is a thin layer of ski/snowboard wax affixed to a paper sheet.

To use it, cut the sheet to fit your skis or board, place the wax side down and iron over the paper. Peel the paper back as you iron and leave the wax on the board. The wax left behind is thin and doesn’t need to be scraped.

Here’s what my garage ski-tech son had to say.

“Speet Wax is a useful way to wax skis without scraping. I recommend it because it’s so easy.”

His friend, who used the freshly waxed skis the following day, had no complaints.

While you still have to clean and scrape skis before applying the wax, the only post-wax clean up is throwing away the paper.

Each tube of Speet Wax is enough for one snowboard or one pair of skis.

Quick, easy and clever. Those are the words we’ve got for Speet Wax.

Speet Wax ships from Orem, Utah. You can buy single wax tubes for $10 each or invest in 6 waxes for just $40.00.

Enjoy!

More Gear Notes and Reviews:

• Gear Notes: Best Maps Ever, Better Goggle Vision and a Couple Quick Hits, March 11, 2015.
• Gear Notes: Xperio UV Lenses, Ski Dana and Munk Pack, January 30, 2015.
• Gear Notes: Get Some Soul, Save Your Knees and Read Up on the Luxe Ski Life, October 22, 2014.

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