I’ve just returned from a month-long vacation *she sobs*, most of which was spent in the beautiful Costa Blanca town of Denia - you may have read one or two posts I wrote while I was there? Popping over to Denia has become a bit of an annual August ritual, though this year we were ‘blessed’ with rather variable weather.
Amid glorious sunny days, we witnessed two terrific thunderstorms, one of which was accompanied by a rather impressive tornado out at sea - sorry no camera to hand for pics :(.
The week before we left, I gathered together a small collection of beauty products that were true heroes of mine this year. I photographed them in the garden in beautiful sunshine (ah, sweet memories!). Here they are and why they made my list:
Aveda Dry Remedy Daily Moisturising Oil
My hair dries out something rotten in the Spanish sun - I don’t always like using a UV filter spray as that can leave hair so greasy that it needs washing daily! But a few drops (be sparing) of this Aveda oil brings dry hair back to its nourished, glossy self. Reviewed here.
Caudalie Divine Legs
I had a self-tanning disaster 5 days into my hols - this saved me! Now, as much as I love my St Tropez Gradual Tan In-Shower, overdoing the application on my legs combined with drier skin than usual (sun again) caused it to ball and flake unevenly. There was only one way out: remove the whole lot (see TanOrganic mitt below) and start again. This instant tint was the perfect stop-gap while I waited a few days for the self-tan to develop to the depth of shade I was after. Reviewed here.
Clarins Radiance-Plus Golden Glow Booster
I tried to buy this in duty free last year but it had sold out (you only save around 3 quid anyway, so it’s hardly worth the bother!). I’ve always shied from using a self-tan for the face for fear of a streaky outcome. But just three drops of this into your regular moisturiser is fool proof (as much as anything can be) and leaves the complexion with a natural golden glow. Love it! Buy it here (£19 for 15ml).
TanOrganic Tan Erase Exfoliator Mitt
I bought this from Boots last minute at the airport. Boy, am I glad I did! You know that fake tan disaster I mentioned? Well, together with Divine Legs this got me back on track in super quick time. It exfoliates more efficiently than other self-tan removers I’ve used (loofas and the like). While it won’t erase whole mistakes in one go, it pretty much does within two or three (and do go carefully as this is a mean machine). A little pricey at £9.99 but worth it. Buy here.
Vichy SPF 30 UVA/UVB Ideal Soleil Hydrating Milk (Face and Body)
Aside from the broad spectrum 30SPF coverage, it’s the texture and fragrance of this that won me over. It’s more of a cream than a milk (despite what it says on the tube), and is not the slightest bit oily. It’s incredibly hydrating (it contains hyaluronic acid), and has a delightful, delicate floral fragrance, rather than one that screams ‘sunscreen’ at me! £16.50 for 300ml here.
Wallaroo Napa 50 UPF, 100% Raffia Hat
Batiste Dry Shampoo, Floral & Fruity Blush 50ml
Frequently applied sun lotion to the face equals a greasy fringe (even if recently washed). The easy solution? Dry shampoo, and this one from Batiste is dinky sized for travel, is pleasantly fragranced, is cheap to buy and, above all, does the job. What's not to love? Buy for £1.50 here.
