The Products Cirque du Soleil's Evan Tomlinson Weintraub Can't Tour Without
Currently touring the country in Cirque du Soleil's delightful holiday confection, "'Twas the Night Before...", circus professional Evan Tomlinson Weintraub shares the products he leans on while touring to keep his mind, body, and skin in the best shape possible.
"Being on stage really takes a toll on the body and on the skin. At Cirque du Soleil, in addition to the acrobatics we're performing on stage—which require hours of training and consistent warm-up and recovery—we're wearing heavy stage make up for a minimum of three hours a day, sometimes up to 12 if we have a three-show day. When I first started performing, it was really important for me to figure out what products would allow me to take care of my body and my skin.
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These products have been so useful in my journey as an acrobat, to be able to take care of my mind, body, and skin at an extreme level while on tour. And there have been hits and misses throughout the journey to find these products; these products may not work for everyone. But just like in acrobatics, or in any kind of art, you explore every possibility you can, and you take only what's the most useful to you and your process."
Braun Electric Shaver Series 9
"I feel very lucky to be able to grow a full beard and I'm usually sporting it when I'm not performing. But as I have to be clean shaven every day, it was important to be able to irritate my skin as little as possible. I was over dealing with shaving cream and blades chopping up my skin. I decided to take the plunge and splurge on a Braun electric shaver four years ago and have never looked back. It takes some time for the sensitive skin, especially on the neck, to get used to it, but I get as close of a shave as with a razor and I never worry about nicks." $380, Braun.
Shea Moisture 100% Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
"After the show, when it's time to take off my layers of make-up, instead of using a make-up remover, I find that coconut oil breaks everything down really well. I'll use copious amounts to really make sure I've lifted it off my skin and then I'll just wipe it away easily with a make-up remover towel." $14.99, Shea Moisture.
Aveeno Positively Radiant Brightening Scrub
"Now, after a full day of make-up and a heavy oil removal process, my face feels super clogged and still a bit dirty. A cleanser, like the Aveeno Positively Radiant Brightening Scrub, is gentle enough to use every day, but has a small amount of exfoliant which allows me to feel like I've removed all the grease from the day and resetting it to a more neutral state." $7.39, Target.
Gold Bond Healing Hydrating Cream w/ Aloe
"When I found Gold Bond's Hydrating lotion a few years ago, I will admit that it felt heavy and I was worried it would cause breakouts, making my make-up process daunting. But repeating this process of shaving, putting on make-up, using oil to remove it, and finishing with an exfoliant to cleanse the skin every day can be a bit chaotic, and my skin feels a bit beat up and I found that my skin craved the hydration. I continue to use this lotion because I feel like my skin has its layer of protection again and is ready to go another round on stage." $9.99, Target.
Q-Tips
"The branding on my box of Q-Tips declares that they are "the ultimate home and beauty tool," and I have to agree. I never travel without Q-tips because they're so versatile. They're fantastic for fixing mistakes in my make up before I go on stage and they're wonderful at helping me fish glitter out of my eyes, ears, and nose when I forget to strip the shiny bits off before I start removing my make up. They also help clean out my shaver and my coconut oil so I'm left with clean products to use tomorrow." $3.69, Target.
Aquaphor Mini Jar
"On my days off, I love to explore the cities where we're performing. I tend to walk everywhere, because I like to be able to orient myself while taking in the sights. In an effort to keep my skin feeling hydrated for the show coming up in the evening, I always carry around my Aquaphor for spot treatments: lips, hands...anything that comes into contact with the world around me that needs a pick me up. The size is perfect to slip into a pocket and carry around all day." $3.49, Target.
Hyperice Hypervolt Pro
"Now that I've taken care of my skin, the muscles I use to do my acrobatics need some attention. When we're performing three shows a day, it is vital that I get in a good warm up so that my body can work at its peak. I cannot sing the praises of a percussive massage gun enough because it activates the blood flow to and from the muscle, giving wherever I'm sore or tight the wakeup call it needs. I've used a few of these in my life, but the Hypervolt is the quietest and most efficient massage gun I've found. I've been using mine for three years and am still impressed with the quality to this day. The battery life has held up, the five different heads to target different muscles are extremely useful. I never go on any contract without my Hypervolt." $299, Hyperice.
TriggerPoint "Rush" Roller
"After I warm up the muscle using the Hypervolt, I need to have a good stretch to bring my muscle to a state where I can let them tighten up again as I flip around. There are a variety of massage tools out there, but the most effective I find is a foam roller with deep grooves like the Rush from TriggerPoint. The peaks can really dig into the muscle for a good massage while I roll out, but it's not so firm that I feel like I'm in pain. In conjunction with traditional stretching, I feel like I am ready to start loading my muscles with conditioning and stabilization exercises I need to be ready for the show." $47.99, Trigger Point.
Bose Sport Earbuds
"Finally, when I need to focus on myself for meditation or visualization for the upcoming show, I always have my Bluetooth headphones on hand. These headphones are great for any kind of sport as they stick in your ears even when you're flipping and going upside down. And the sound quality is incredible, as we've come to expect from Bose. They're not noise canceling, which as an acrobat is important because sometimes you get off course and you need to hear the people around you, but even in everyday life, the buds work well enough that I don't have to turn up the volume very high to be able to hear my music really well." $149, Bose.
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