Tag Archives: garnier ambre solaire

The one skincare step that reduced my melasma

Posted in Beauty, Skincare by

Ok, sounds like a clickbait headline, but it is true: there is one consistent action that pretty much vanished melasma from my face.

For the record, mine was never that bad. Low level, it was always there, on the edges of my eyebrows, patches on forehead and around the bottom of the eyes.

During the warmer months or a nice holiday, the pigmentation would become very visible, and harder to hide with usual make up.

They’d fade in the colder months but always be there. For my already acne scarred face, that was yet another reminder of my terrible skin and I wasn’t quite sure why.

If my make up had SPF and I was wearing 30+ on holidays, with frequent application, why was it still there???

Once I read that the light from laptops and electronic devices also cause ageing and all made sense.

I started wearing “real” SPF 30+ and not make up or skincare with added SPF, which usually are low 10-15, even on the days I wasn’t leaving the house, my hormonal pigmentation vanished, and never returned.

It became a fixed step in my morning routine, regardless of the exposure I was expecting for that day, or time of the year.

While I appreciate some cases are more severe than mine, this was life changing in my skincare routine.

I’m constantly trialling different ones as sunscreen can cause even more havoc to my acneic, sensitive skin.

So far I’ve been very impressed with Skinceauticals Sheer Mineral UV Defense SPF50, Bioderma Photoderm Max SPF50 (also available with a light tint), Image Skincare Prevention+ SPF32+, (surprisingly) Nivea Cellular Luminous anti dark spot day fluid SPF50, Sunsense daily face invisible tint finish SPF 50+, Garnier Ambre Solaire Over makeup Super UV SPF50, La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL tinted fluid SPF50+, Piz Buin Mountain Suncream SPF50+ (great for the winter) and a few more gems I encountered since I adopted the new habit.

Next on my list to try? SOS Serum SPF 30 and 50 and the Bioderma Photoderm Anti Melasma tinted SPF50+ both great value for money at under £20. What’s not to love?

written by Dani

You know the drill, but I’ll say anyway: this post contains some mentions to PR samples as products were sent to me free of charge, with no obligation to post, but the majority were purchased with my own money. Opinions are honest and my own.

Handy and affordable sunscreens to take anywhere

Posted in Beauty, Skincare by

SPF is very important in our lives. Regardless of being gloomy in London or scorching in the Caribbean, winter or summer, we know sun protection should always be in our minds – and most importantly, in our skins!

It is great to find sunscreens that take little space and you can take away with you on a daily basis, for all those important and often neglected top ups.

As the sun is gracing my balcony today, I felt inspired to put together a small selection of sun creams I have been wearing that offer a great protection and can be carried around for all day long wear. And they are pretty affordable too!

I fell in love with the Bioderma Photoderm Max Aquafluide SPF 50+ during my last holiday. What a delight to apply; its fluid water-like texture is great. It dries quickly and matte, is water resistant and behaves very well under makeup.

Plus, apart from high UVA/UVB protection, it has the patented Cellular Bioprotection which activates the skin’s natural defences at cellular levels, protecting our cells and combating premature skin ageing.

And probably the best thing? Extremely well priced at around £13 for 40ml.

Moving on to one from my favourite sunscreen brands, very affordable and easy to find, the Nivea Sun Caring Roll-on SPF 30 is super easy to apply, it is water resistant, protects agains UVA and UVB rays and offers long lasting moisturisation too.

The formula is great, dries quickly and is non-sticky, the smell so familiar and lovely, and the price is also extremely friendly at around £7 for 50ml.

I raved soooo much about the Garnier Ambre Solaire Sensitive Advanced Protecting and Hydrating Face Mist SPF 50 when it launched and after almost using it all since, I will maintain my review: it is the most practical SPF around and perfect for us city folks as it can be applied on top of makeup.

For me, that is priceless but you can get it for an affordable £10. And I just found for £6 at Boots. Going to stock up.

Finally, a  little gem from Eucerin, the Tinted Sun Creme SPF 50+. Ideal for those who wear little or no makeup but want a natural flash of colour, it is oil-free, non-comedogenic with UVA and UVB protection. It costs £16 for 50ml.

These are the little heroes keeping me safe all year round!

What are you favourite “portable and affordable” SPF?

written by Dani

You know the drill, but I’ll say anyway: this post contains PR samples. This review, however, is based on my experience with the product and reflects my honest opinion on them.

Ready, steady, summer?

Posted in Beauty by

Here we are again at that time of the year when I can no longer look at my coats, when all I want is to ditch them and the 85 layers (including the fat ones amassed over the winter) and see the sun shining in the sky.

It’s officially spring and even though the sun keeps teasing us, it is only making brief appearances and bringing a super cold wind. All I can say is that my head is already in the feeling of the fairer seasons.

While the wait might not quite be over, I am already preparing for the time my pins will be out. Basically, fake it till you make it!

The Wilkinson Sword has repackaged and changed the colours on their razors and the Intuition Sensitive 3-in-1 razor now comes in pretty pastel green.

The Intuition razor basically has a slab of soap below the blade which will lather at the same time it shaves, so no need to apply soap or shaving cream before. All you need to do is to add water. Super handy to take on holidays!

It has four blades and pivoting head for a close shave that follows the contours of the body. It also contains pro-vitamin B5, aloe and vitamin E.

As everyday gradual tanning moisturisers go, the Dove DermaSpa Summer Revived is fabulous: good colour, easy application and decent smell. And now they are launching a fabulous Shimmer version. Drool!

It creates a natural looking tan gradually, has intensive skincare moisturising property and deliver a fabulous shimmery glow.

In its formula, intensive skincare delivered by Cell-Moisturisers tech and glycerin. And the smell is pretty awesome (for a self-tanning product, that is, let’s face it).

What’s not to love?

Top it off with the Aveeno daily moisturising after shower mist for a quick but effective moisturisation an voilá: smooth, tanned pins to go!

It contains colloidal oatmeal, it’s quick absorbing, easy to apply, non-greasy and offers up to 48 hours moisture!

Legs aside, all-over-the-body suncream is a skincare necessity, all year round, but in the summer, we amp up the SPF numbers to make sure we are not damaging out skin.

This Garnier Ambre Solaire SPF50 Sensitive advanced/expert + for face is just the thing to wear this summer. Perfect for oily and acne prone skins, it has anti-shine and anti-imperfection action, salycilic acid and ginger root.

With strong protection, great gel texture that absorbs quickly and fragrance free, it offers protection against UVB, UVA and long UVA (who knew!).

Of course, the Garnier Ambre Solaire range is super extensive and can cater for all your sun protection needs! Don’t forget arms, neck, décoletté and legs when out and about!

Happy summer!

You know the drill, but I’ll say anyway: this post contains PR samples. This review, however, is based on my experience with the product and reflects my honest opinion on them.