Tag Archives: summer

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.

Sun’s out, legs out

Posted in Beauty by

Obviously I am in the sun out, legs out mode. There aren’t that many opportunities to catch the rays in London, so…. Not just that, this post is written mid-sunbathing in Victoria Park, wearing a bikini. Deal with it.

Back to legs. I’ve already talked about getting my pins ready for the summer and this works added oomph to it by giving me all I need for amazingly good looking legs.

Starting with the multi-award winning skin deep dry leg oil. I cracked open a few this blend of 19 essential oils, including lifting and toning rose,  circulation-stimulating tuberose oil, healing and soothing sandalwood and evening primrose a few weeks ago.

Brilliant to blitz the dry skin on the legs it retains and restores hydration. It is also fabulous for elbows and now comes in a handy 80ml size, making it holiday ready.

I have to say I really enjoy massaging it on my legs after the shower and because it smells great, it’s a true treat for the senses.

Now, anything that says shimmering is already in my good books. Add 24 carat gold and vitamin rich add and I just wanna put it all over my body. And face. But let’s calm down.

The skin deep golden elixir is a fabulous serum containing vitamin A, revitalising Clary sage, antioxidants rose and patchouli plus soothing aloe vera and camomile.

It has a very subtle shimmer from real gold, which reflects light and makes skin look smooth, bright and young. Love does not quite cover it.

Now, talking about shimmer, the perfect legs sculpt and shine is just the right thing for those day s legs are out out.

We all know the secret to legs out in photo shoots: contour and highlight, which is not something we will do just to pop to the supermarket, but a bit of shimmer alone goes a long way.

Its golden shimmer highlight comes from a mix of caramel and light diffusing mineral powders that catches the light and brings out the best bits on your pins, shaping and defining. I am a huge fan already.

Perfect for my rather naked-y festival attires coming up! And it is not just pretty, it also cares for the skin with hyaluronic acid and algae extract.

Finally, to round up the leg love, the perfect legs skin protector with an SPF 30, which comes as a handy spray and it is tinted using tinted caramel and mica, suitable to most skin shades as it is subtle and blends very well.

It delivers UVA and UVB protection and also superb care with hyaluronic acid, shea butter, vitamins E and C.

For me, it works like a primer, not too much delivering colour but working on texture and slightly softening imperfections.

They can be used in combination, but if I have to pick one to invest on first, it’d be the classic skin deep dry leg oil. I mean, I love oils, to start with. And after some time using it daily, you don’t even need to use anything else. It moisturises, nourishes and skin gets better at retaining the moisture and the dry patches become a thing of the past.

Now, guess how many this works products I have on my legs at any given time…

The this works skin deep range, including the dry leg oil (£39.50, 120ml and £25 for the new 80ml travel size) and the golden elixir (£45, 120ml) , as well as the perfect legs skin protector (£40, 100ml) and the sculpt and shine (£28, 60ml) are all available (together with all the other amazing this works products, legs or not) at the this works website.

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.

The London festival experience

Posted in food, Lifestyle, music by

GALA Brixton

As spring is firmly underway – or so we hope… c’mon, it’s still around 13°C most days here in London!– and daylight gets one extra minute each day, we get closer and closer to the wonderful stream of festivals that sweep across the UK. However, it seems like long gone are the weekends of mud, sweat and tears…

It seems that, as years have gone by, people are less interested in what some still love to call *the festival experience*. By that they mean camping for three/four days, often braving horrible weather conditions, large quantities of mud, bad toilet facilities, with little or no possibility of freshening up, let alone having a shower.

GALA Brixton

For someone who loves freshly washed hair (although I thank the Gods every day for dry shampoo!), clean and crisp clothing and the comfort of my own bed, this reads as my description of HELL.

I was never into this idea of ‘festival experience’, and I remember going to V Festival in 2006 and saying “oh my word, I cannot BELIEVE I’m home”. Don’t get me wrong, the festival was incredible! And it was even more so because in 55 minutes I was at my door, skipping happily to my warm shower.

I’m so glad to know that I’m not alone in this. The new festival experience involves VIP bracelets, a “sweat only if you want to” attitude, gourmet food trucks, drinks from independent producers and –the best of it all – a short tube/bus/Uber ride home.

LOVEBOX

It is no wonder that inner London festivals are becoming big players in the music scene. Field Day (Victoria Park), South West Four (Clapham Common), British Summer Time (Hyde Park), Wireless (Finsbury Park), Lovebox (Victoria Park) and GALA (Brixton) are some of the main festivals happening within London this spring and summer, taking advantage of the appeal of being at home after a long day (and sometimes night) of partying.

And let’s not forget that 2017 will be the first year where we’ll be able to use the night tube during summer! This is something I’m really looking forward to, in order to reduce my late night post-partying Uber addiction…

So, if you ever thought that you wanted to experience festivals but wouldn’t be happy applying your makeup in a muddy compact mirror, after cleansing your face with just a baby wipe for the third day straight… I HEAR YOU. Have a thorough look on all events happening within London and I’m sure you’ll find something that tickles your fancy – and with travelling time possibly shorter than your daily work commute!

written by Carol

Right, you know the drill… this is a bit of a PR post.

Summer essential: that magic mist

Posted in Beauty, Skincare by

Hands up if you’re guilty of, at some point in your life, not re-applying SPF as often as you should not to ruin your makeup? o/

Unfortunately, this is the reality: women fail to re-apply, or even apply in the first place (1 in 5 never do when in the UK), SPF because of its inconvenience. Stickiness, heaviness and interference with a flawless makeup are the main reasons.

And this is damaging our skin. I am often quite careful, and still, my analysis showed my skin is 4 years older than my actual age. Yikes!

So we get it: sunscreen is very important. Even in the city, and all year around.

As only it could be practical…. Fear not. With the sun coming out to play in London and all of us wanting to flock to the parks ray-seeking, Garnier gives us a godsend: the Ambre Solaire Sensitive Advanced Protecting and Hydrating Mist with SPF 50 that can go over makeup, no problems.

It is light and efficient. It dries instantly and not a hint of heaviness, greasiness or stickiness in sight. Its 75ml tube means that it’s perfect for the handbag.

Its cutting edge technology means, on top of the expected  UVA and UVB protection, it also has  long UVA and infrared protection, as well as anti-oxidants Baicaine and vitamin E, and hydrating vegetal glycerin.

Of course it is safe for your eyes (which should be closed when applying anyway), as well as your skin!

It also creates an anti-pollution barrier that can be reinforced throughout the day, effortlessly.

I became a huge fan instantly. It is a practical product that encourages us to use full sun protection day after day. It does not make it a burden, it is not restrictive and does not take time.

And for only £10, what is not to love? Plus, when it’s warmer, it’s a lovely breath of freshness on your face!

You can get the Garnier Ambre Solaire Sensitive Advanced Protecting and Hydrating Mist now (in time for tomorrow’s picnic) from Boots (in-store and online). No excuses

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.

Cool down, deliciously

Posted in Lifestyle by

img_7066Summer. The last couple of weeks have really felt there is a summer in the UK, albeit late I’ve been enjoying every bit I can.

And to help me keep cool, and have a deserved break during my working hours, I was sent me some delicious Magnum Double – Chocolate, Caramel and the new (my favourite), Peanut Butter.

img_7063Perfect for these days, The Magnum Double Peanut Butter is one of those indulgences that doesn’t cost a lot, under £2 per ice cream.

The sweetness of the chocolate and the ice cream are balanced by the saltiness of the peanut butter, making this the perfect ice cream for me.

img_7075Each Double has the normal velvety ice cream encased in chocolate, a layer of smooth sauce and another layers of chocolate. Biting into it is pure luxury for the senses: the taste, the textures, the sound of the crunch…

With the scorching sun, I took a break in my busy day to have lunch, clear my mind, enjoy the sun in Bloomsbury Square and treat myself to a delicious Magnum. Yum.

img_7067London certainly looked better that day! And there is still time to grab one to enjoy this warm bank holiday!

You can buy the Magnum Doubles in supermarkets nationwide. Multipacks are £3.35, for 3 and individual ice cream cost £1.90.

signature1

This post contains PR samples. This review, however, is based on my experience with the product and reflects my honest opinion on them.

 

Making shopping easier

Posted in Fashion, outfits, Style by

octer (4 of 11)Imagine finding everything you need to buy in one place – think shops, designers, fashion, home… From high street to high end.

Octer does just that. And a bit more. It actually compares different retailers so you can find the right colour, size and price.

And what’s more, you complete your transaction with the retailer itself, so you’re safe.

You can browse by category or store and you can see similar products to your selection – you never know when you’re gonna find a very similar item which is a bargain!

octer (5 of 11)

I was set on a wrap skirt for my holidays and after using the search to find them, I fell in love with this beautiful flowery one from New Look.

As I am already registered with New Look, the last part of my transaction was quick and smooth and I got it delivered at my local store, within the shop’s usual delivery conditions.

I teamed it up with this pretty peach frilly, off the should Forever 21 top, even though I bought the top to match the skirt too, and nude wedges I bought in Brazil a while ago.

While browsing, I was taken aback with the amount of products available; to make your life easier, you can browse by style once you’re in a category and styles are also split so you can browse bodycon dresses only!

A suggestion: maybe it would be nice to filter by brand too. But there is always the search box!

octer (10 of 11)You can then filter by price, store and choose to see sale items only!

But beware: the sheer volume of information in the site, which is amazing, can be a bit overwhelming at times.

I have to say, I was quite impressed to see Louboutins next to Linzi?! Octer does have something for everyone!

Go on and have a browse at Octer. Ah, you can also download the app!

signature1

This post contains PR samples. This review, however, is based on my experience with the product and reflects my honest opinion on them.

Sun kissed skin: HeShi Gold Foaming Mousse (review)

Posted in Beauty, Body by

HeShi Gold Foaming MousseHeShi is among one of the best self tanning products I’ve ever tried. I knew, from previous experience, that the HeShi Gold Foaming Mousse wouldn’t disappoint.

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Riemann P20 Once a Day sun protection review

Posted in Beauty, Skincare by

Riemann P20 sun protector FPS 15 and 20 spray and lotion

With the not yet fulfilled promise of warmer weathers, I’ve been banging on about suncream quite a bit lately.

For those who are a bit forgetful, Riemann P20 is a great option as it offer 10-hour sun protection.

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Magnum Pink and Black Regent Street takeover party

Posted in Fashion, Lifestyle by

magnum mollie king dani dutra

Magnum ice cream took over regent Street in London once again. This year the party was bigger and better – not only they painted the street pink and black, but they also lit up the London Eye in one of the ice-creams new flavours’ colours.

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