SPF: the post-holiday breakdown

After the recent City SPF video I had quite a few questions about what products I would use to actually sit on a beach/go on a sunny holiday, so just before we left for the airport, I fired off these pictures of our lineup.

A few notes on my experience/surroundings:

• We went to Greece for one week. Me, the Mr, Ava and Max. Four people of varying sizes and skin gradings on the Fitzpatrick scale. I would say Jim is a 3, Max is between a 3 and 4, Ava is a 4 and although I would identify as a 4, I tan like a 5 due to my background.

For your reference

• I reapplied at least every hour, on myself and Max. Ava took care of herself and reapplied more often as she was in water 90% of the time.
• The temperature was between 26 and 30 degrees daily (85 fahrenheit approx)

Left to right:

Vichy Ideal Soleil SPF 50 (spray) - this was Ava's favourite by far for the body. It was empty by around Day 4. Very good. She's extremely sporty and wanted a spray for ease. I supervised the first few applications to make sure she wasn't cutting corners and after that she was fine. She didn't burn on her body and I would definitely repurchase/recommend.
Available from FeelUnique.com and Boots.com

Sisley Super Soin Solaire Facial Sun Care SPF 30 - rather excruciatingly, this was Ava's favourite for face. In the spirit of fully disclosing, Sisley sent this to me for review, and although it is absolutely beautiful, I winced at the price tag. If you can afford it, it's lovely, if you can't, don't sweat it. (See what I did there?)
Absolutely no burn, no sting and great texture.

Available from Liberty and John Lewis

Clarins has been my choice of SPF for nearly 20 years. The smell of it alone reminds me of holidays and puts me in a good mood. I used the 50 spray on top of the 30 cream in some hard-to-reach areas and we all used the SPF50 (not pictured) for face for the first few days (we used it up) and then moved to the 30 around Day 4. The body products were similarly good, the spray being very handy for the kids and Jim and I both found it helpful for backs of legs, feet etc. The 50 spray was mainly used on Max, who had no complaints and did not burn at all.

Available from John Lewis and Nordstrom

Clinique make brilliant SPF products that are also fragrance-free. We had an issue with the packaging though. The lids on the larger body bottles kept popping open in transit. Luckily I am anal and pack SPF in ziplock bags so when we arrived to find one had opened and spilled out, it was just a case of cleaning the other bottles, not all our clothes. It did it again in our bags when we were out in the town, meaning we ended up only using it poolside because it couldn't be trusted.

Having said that, the SPF in the bottles is so good that I would still recommend. Jim would only use the 'little white one' on his face and we had three body, which all got used. Brilliant, brilliant SPF with packaging that you need to sellotape. :)

Available in the UK from Clinique.co.uk and then Clinique.com for other countries. The new mineral sunscreens that we used seem to be sold out in a lot of places - you may have to hunt around for them.

Hair-wise, I've used Phtyo Plage since I was first trained in it in SpaceNK twenty years ago. Some old habits die hard. :) I gave Ava the one on the left, I used the one for ultra dry hair. Sprayed on hair liberally, although I generally only reapplied once more during the day, usually after lunch.

Available from Sephora and lookfantastic.com

I found the next three in Greece. I've loved Hei Poa ever since I first found it in Paris years ago, but this was the first time I bought the SPF. I loved it. The smell, the texture, not too oily, absorbs nicely and is not extortionate. Available on Amazon so probably in most countries.

You can't talk about SPF without mentioning Lancaster. Lancaster has an almost iconic status in SPF land (certainly in Europe), but their distribution in the UK has never been organised very well and between pulling out of the country altogether years ago and then coming back far too quietly (I'd have been screaming it to the press), they have kind of slipped off the radar. Not in Europe however, every pharmacy in Paris carries pretty much the whole range and in super sizes (how rude).
The Dry Touch Gel SPF20 won 'Best Packaging' hands down on this trip. Soft touch tube, pump dispenser, no mess anywhere, and not runny. Excellent product, excellent packaging. The SPF15 Silky Milk Sublime Tan was used the last couple of days on holiday and although great as an SPF, it's incredibly runny and the opening at the top is too large for the texture of the formula, leading to a lot of (entertaining) incidents with Mr Hirons swearing and asking us if we needed anymore SPF as he had half the contents of his bottle in his hand. Great product, annoying packaging.

Available on Amazon

After Sun:
Mixed results and reactions with these. The Clarins Creams were more popular than the Gel, and the Clinique Rescue Balm was easiest the nicest one to use. Calming, soothing and hydrating. The Clarins Facial After Sun stung at the end of the day so we switched to La Roche Posay Toleraine which I had luckily thrown into the case at the last minute.
The Toleraine was pretty much the perfect after sun. Used in the evenings before bed, the skin was left hydrated and nourished with no spots the next day. Also obviously a brilliant moisturiser for dry skins...

Clarins After Suns are available from John Lewis and Nordstrom
La Roche Posay Toleraine Ultra Nuit is available from Look Fantastic









*For those of you already asking - it all went in Max's suitcase. He's small, he only packs shorts and vests and even WITH the sun creams his case was 8kg. :))



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Vichy Aqualia Thermal Serum

What is it?

A hydrating serum.

Who is it for?

A serum for 'women with sensitive skin looking for deep and lasting hydration'.

(Dear Vichy, Seems a tad sexist no? What about the boys?)

What’s in it?

AQUA • GLYCERIN •DIMETHICONE • PEG/PPG/POLYBUTYLENE GLYCOL-8/5/3 GLYCERIN • PEG-60 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL • DIMETHICONOL • SODIUM HYALURONATE • PHENOXYETHANOL • CHONDRUS CRISPUS (CARRAGEENAN) • AMMONIUM POLYACRYLDIMETHYLTAURAMIDE • POLOXAMER 338 • DISODIUM EDTA • CAPRYLYL GLYCOL • CITRIC ACID • BIOSACCHARIDE GUM-1 • ACRYLATES/C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER • PARFUM /FRAGRANCE

Ingredients listed on website?

Not one of the retailers that sell this in the UK lists the ingredients. Not Boots, Feel Unique, Look Fantastic, Escentual or Vichy's own website. They are not even listed on L'Oreal's fancy new Derma Center store, it just says 'main ingredients'. What a wasted opportunity. 

I had to track them down via the USA.

Were it not a much-requested review I seriously would not have bothered. 

Personally, I don't think I'm being over the top to ask a retailer to take responsibility and LIST THE INGREDIENTS. We want to give you our money, we would like to know what is in the bloody thing.

Possibly acne/allergy/troubling for some ingredients?

glycols

silicone

fragrance

Natural? Organic? Man made? Vegan?

man-made

Tested on animals during production/sells in markets that require animal testing i.e. China?

No/Yes

What's not in it?

parabens

mineral oil

How do you use it?

Apply onto dry fingertips, spread onto fingertips of the other hand, apply directly to skin.

Where to use in your routine?

Serum, post-toning, pre-moisturiser.

What’s good about it?

This gives immediate relief for a dry, dehydrated skin, It's 'wet', which sounds strange but basically means it's a water formula, whereas Hydraluron for example, is a gel texture. I would still use this the same way, under a moisturiser, and I would still avoid a heavy silicone-led moisturiser/product and go for wet moisturisers on top of this. 

It will make sense if you've been reading the blog for a long time but:

Clinique Moisture Surge is wet.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair is silicone.

It won't be enough if you're dry, you'd still have to use a good oil-based moisturiser on top, but if dehydration is your main concern, and with the price point, I would definitely recommend that you check this out.

Sali Hughes is obsessed and synonymous with it.

What’s not so good about it?

This serum should not work. But it does.

It contains glycols, silicones and fragrance. I don't mind them, but it's the kind of product that would give Beautypedia a hernia. 

Therein lies the mantra of one size most definitely does not fit all. If you don't like those ingredients, avoid. If you're dehydrated, and of the thinking 'whatever works', go for it.

Similar products?

Hydraluron

Hyalamide

Hydraquench - Clarins 

(are we seeing a pattern here) :)

Exchange rate – does it punish the UK?

Not really. We're close enough to France. I imagine the Americans and the Australians are screwed though.

Vichy's Aqualia Thermal Serum is available in a lot of retailers in the UK priced anything from £17.00 - £22.00. 

However, none of them list their ingredients so they can jog on for a link.

Step forward vichyusa.com. 

Budget Week - Day 3

Bit of a hotch-potch today, contains good and disappointing ones...

Bio-Essence Miracle Bio Water - £16.00 - weird one this. I personally found it wasn't great for waterproof mascara - but my friends tell me otherwise, however, it was perfectly acceptable for lips/other..
It is lovely and cooling on the skin though, and I imagine a sensitised skin would appreciate it.

The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleaning Butter - £12.00 - I've spoken about this many a time, In essence, a great affordable balm cleanser that annihilates makeup and leaves the skin soft and refreshed with no sticky residue or tight feeling.

Merumaya Exfoliating Toner - sample - I don't know what I can say about this as I have no information on it! This is literally a lab sample and part of the brand's testing so I don't know what's in it or how much it will be.. what I can say is that it is totally non-stinging (is that even a phrase?), exfoliates gently and softly and leaves the skin comfortable. As for everything else, watch this space!

Caudalie Grape Water - £6-£10 - leftovers from the grape harvest, sprays in a fine mist, softer that normal water and feels like it absorbs more efficiently.

Vichy Liftactiv Serum 10 Eyes & Lashes - £24.50 for 15ml - see yesterday's post 

Merumaya Iconic Youth Serum - £35.50 for 30ml - this is over my intended limit of £25 - £30 for serums but I thought it was worth mentioning as I am always asked about appropriate ones for oily/acne skins. Whilst this is not particularly aimed at those skin types, it's certainly one worth checking out if you are a woman of a certain age with adult acne (I feel your pain, been there), if you're just a person with problematic skin or if you want a product that contains a lot of the same ingredients as serums that are 5 times the price...

Superfacialist Rose Peaceful Skin Night Cream - £16.00 for 50ml - a frankly bargainous £16.00, this is great for all skin types including combination. It contains shea butter, but it's not heavy/cloying at all. The only thing I would say, is try and check the smell before you purchase. To me, this is proper, old lady rose. It doesn't linger, and you do wake up looking refreshed with a glow, but it is strong on application.

Budget Week - Day 2

Ooh, I'm a couple of days behind so you'll have to excuse me. Busy with work and I'm skin prepping behind the scenes for London Fashion Week as well so will be playing catch up for a few days. :)

The above routine is actually my favourite of this week so far (I'm a few ahead as I write this obviously). This was an A.M. routine.

The Ultimelt Deep Purifying Hot Cloth Cleanser - £10.00 for 100ml - Soap & Glory's foray into the 'Hot Cloth' domain is easily one of my favourites. I'm obsessed with the packaging, which is akin to a large toothpaste tube and the product inside doesn't disappoint. Although it says it is 'deep purifying' and it contains clary sage, I don't find it too strong at all. It does not leave my skin red and instead leaves it subtly refreshed, ready for the day. I would also use this as a second cleanse in the evenings.

Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion - £16.50 for 200ml - this caused some shocked reactions when it went up this week. This Clinique MCL is used as an exfoliating acid and it's a brilliant one - especially if you can't/don't want to use glycolic. It contains 0.5% salicylic acid and has a ph of 2.9 - making it one of the stronger exfoliating acids on the market. It's also, for those of you that were horrified, alcohol-free. Dive in my friends, it's lush.

Vichy Liftactiv Serum 10 Eyes & Lashes - £24.50 for 15ml - not particularly 'budget' this one, but one I am asked about a lot, I think because these french pharmacy brands can always be found on offer or used with Boots points for example (in the UK!). As it is designed to increase the strength/length of the lashes - you would obviously need to use this up to the end to see the results, but for texture and usage purposes, it has a great slip/feel to it and is incredibly soothing and hydrating....

Vichy Aqualia Thermal Dynamic Serum - £17.00 - well Hughes is right. This is a great hydrating serum, that instantly imparts moisture without greasiness and a feeling of relief without stickiness. At £17.00 it's also considerably more affordable than others in its genre, including Hydraluron.. If you are dry/dehydrated and haven't already, try this out. You'll probably love it.

Twas a good face day!

(Note: I am trialling some embargoed moisturisers that can't be photographed yet. I did use a moisturiser after this serum, as brilliant as it is, it wouldn't have been enough for me on its own)

Budget Week - Day 1 - and an extension...

So here's the thing. I fully understand that the word 'budget' is different for everyone. I do. What's budget to some, may be unattainable to others. What's 'affordable' to XX may be absolutely extortionate to YY.
I knew budget week would be popular, what I didn't expect is people arguing amongst themselves about what actually constitutes the word 'budget' across all forms of my social media. There is no need to argue! It's all good. There are plenty of products out there in all price brackets, and as the idea of a 'week' was so popular, I've decided to just extend it and include much more 'budget' (there goes that word again) finds across all of my channels forever more.

I'll still be a fussy cow, still expect great results no matter the price and include plenty of high-end gear as per usual, but expect to see more affordable/budget/bargain finds as the year goes on.

In the meantime, I thought it would be helpful to do some 'flash reviews' of the products I'm using on a daily basis (while I can keep it up!), otherwise my 'to review' pile will never subside and nothing will get done!

So....

Vichy Purite Thermale Eye Makeup Remover - £8.07 - this is good, but I had residue this morning - even after I thought I had gotten all of it off last night. Not as good as Clarins, Lancome or Tilbury.

La Roche Posay Physiological Cleansing Gel - £12.00 - this did a surprisingly good job of removing my makeup and my skin didn't feel too tight afterwards. I wouldn't be able to use it every day, it would be far too drying long-term, but it should be fine if you are particular oily - or for summer's hot and sweaty months..

Pixi Glow Tonic - £18.00 - done and dusted, kippers and custard. (I.e. - reviewed and mentioned 400 times on this blog - search here)

Organic Surge Orange Flower Toner - £7.50 - light and refreshing, it's suited to an oilier skin than mine. Nice and fresh though..it's a second tone, not an acid one...

Organic Surge Hydrating Eye Cream - £18.00 - either I've got dog-eared dry eyes or this is again, more suited for 'normal' skins, even thought it is aimed at a dryer/more mature skin. Lovely cream - maybe for someone younger, but I need more oomph.

Nuxe Detox - £47.00 (clearly not budget) - I found this for £29 yesterday on a french to english website - and now it's disappeared. Sorry!
Aside from the price, this is a great nighttime product if your skin is dull or a little drained. It would probably be worth checking out if you suffer from continuous blemishes/hormonal lumps etc. It's available in M&S too, so you can more than likely find it in your high street in the UK.

I hope this reassures those of you on tight budgets that I am trying to cater to everyone, including you. And please don't argue amongst yourselves. After last week, I'm enjoying the calm. :)

Vichy Normaderm Night Detox - review

Following on from the last post, I also gave my female tester in her late 20's the Vichy Normaderm Night Detox to trial.

What is it?

The blurb: 

'Those with oily, blemish prone skin suffer from an over production of sebum during the night. By morning, the skin can feel dirty and dull with additional blemishes. New Normaderm Night Detox targets the skin overnight by helping to control the production of sebum while purifying the skin.

Upon awakening:

• Sebum production is controlled
• Imperfections appear reduced
• Pores tightened
• Radiant complexion
• Even skin texture
• Skin feels clean & fresh

Powerful formula yet kind to the skin. The texture is light and non greasy leaving the skin with a clean fresh sensation.'

The reality:

A night cream aimed at those with a lot of spots/acne.

What's in it? (Kudos to Boots.com for actually bothering to list the ingredients)

AQUA • GLYCERIN • ALCOHOL DENAT. • HYDROXYETHYLPIPERAZINEETHANE SULFONICACID •ISONONYLISONONANOATE • ISOPROPYL LAUROYL SARCOSINATE • PENTAERYTHRITYLTETRAETHYLHEXANOATE • PEG-20 STEARATE • DIMETHICONE • CETYLALCOHOL • SILICA • ZEAMAYS STARCH • CI 19140 • CI 42090 • GLYCERYLSTEARATE • TRIETHANOLAMINE • SALICYLICACID • SODIUMPOLYACRYLATE • PERLITE • POLOXAMER 338 • TOCOPHERYLACETATE • AMMONIUMPOLYACRYLDIMETHYLTAURAMIDE • CAPRYLOYLSALICYLICACID • TETRASODIUMEDTA • EPERUAFALCATABARKEXTRACT • XANTHANGUM • DEXTRIN • PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRA-DI-T-BUTYLHYDROXYHYDROCINNAMATE • ACRYLATES/C1 0 - 30ALKYLACRYLATECROSSPOLYMER • ACRYLATES COPOLYMER • PARFUM

What's good about it?
From my tester: 'The Vichy Night Detox is amazing! My skin is almost clear. I've been doing your routine and just using this at bedtime and I can't believe the results.'
It's also a great price point. 

What's not good about it?
This isn't the 'cleanest' product on the market if you are someone who wants natural/organic etc. However, in my experience, once someone has suffered from sustained, incredibly annoying breakouts/spots/acne, you stop caring what's in it (for the most part) and just want something that works. Still, at least on this occasion you can actually look at the ingredients and make the choice for yourself. Also: using the word 'Detox' in your product name is at best risky, at worst an untruth - but that's not for me to concern myself with...

Vichy Night Detox is priced around £15.00 (but always on offer somewhere) and available from Boots.com.

French Giveaway in association with Escentual.com - GIVEAWAY CLOSED!!!!!!!!!!!

The first place I head to when I get off the Eurostar is my favourite pharmacy in Paris. I've even blogged about it. You always find something new that you didn't know existed/you needed.

So when the lovely chaps at Escentual.com offered to give five lucky readers my Top 10 choices from their current French pharmacy selection I jumped at the chance.

Yes - five of you will win my TOP TEN products as listed below in no particular order:

Avene - Anti-Rougeours Calm

Avene - Thermale Spray

Avene - Cicalfate Cream

La Roche-Posay - Cicaplast Skin Recovery Accelerator

Nuxe - Clarifying Cream Mask with Rose Petals

Nuxe - Huile Prodigeuse

Vichy - Aqualia Thermal Light

Vichy - Purete Thermale Hydra Perfecting Toner

Vichy - Purete Thermale Spa Water Spray 

A-Derma - Epitheliale A.H Repairing Cream

I'm nothing if not predictable - all of the above are designed in some way to help maintain the acid mantle, hydrate, repair and basically give you a clear, calm skin.

To win simply be a follower of the blog via email or over on GFC ---->

and leave a comment below with your contact details (twitter id or email).

CLOSED THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR ENTRIES!!!!

That's it.

And while you're at it - have a look for yourself at Escentual's site - all of their French pharmacy brands are currently available for 1/3 off. Bargainous.

Many thanks to Escentual for their generosity!

T & C's:

Open internationally.

One entry per person.

Giveaway ends at 23.59pm on Thursday 6th September.

Winners will be chosen by Random.org and notified via this blog and twitter. 

If winners do not come forward within 24 hours, new winners will be chosen.

Escentual.com reserve the right to send a similar product should the listed product be unavailable for any reason.

My Small Print.

No affiliate links - just being helpful.

Not a Sponsored Post. Just thought you'd like to try!

Gotta love the French....Vichy's Home Run

If you're a regular reader of The Mouth you'll know of my love for all things French. Especially skincare. There's hardly a brand emanating out of France that I won't use/don't love or rate in some way. And I'm not just talking about high-end.

I'm talking about pharmacy-led brands: Avene, La Roche Posay, Bioderma, Lierac, Nuxe, Biotherm and Vichy to name a few. All of those brands have 'hero' products that you will find on a lot of dressing tables and in most makeup bags in France.

I've used Vichy on and off for a number of years depending on the season and my skin and their latest release has caught my attention.

LiftActiv Derm Source claims to target the papillary dermis (the sandwich between the epidermis and the dermis) which is essentially the home of the collagen fibres - or as I like to call that area - the scaffolding of the face.
It uses an ingredient called rhamnouse which is sugar derived from the uncaria plant species and when applied topically plumps the skin and restores elasticity to an older skin. Hence this is recommended for 35 upwards.

I use the word claim because I haven't been trying it long enough to verify it for you based on MY skin but first impressions are good. Lovely, actually.

It goes on smooth, absorbs nicely - but not too quickly, and does have a fairly immediate effect with regard to glow, plumpness and smoothness. And it smells like nice sun cream - random but true.

My first thought is a recommendation - but if you're a Vichy fan you'll probably love it from the off.

It officially launches in April but you don't have to wait that long. Escentual.com are expecting stock tomorrow and are offering a 15% discount if you fancy getting in there early.

Enjoy. I am.