Summer Essentials: SPF Saviours

Banana Boat Ultra Plus Sunblock SPF50 90ml (I don't think they sell this any more, but similar is available)

Hawaiian Tropic Lipgloss SPF25 20g - £7.49

La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL 50ml -£16.85

Riemann P20 200ml - £24.99

SPF is undoubtedly the most important part of summer essentials, more so, holiday essentials.  Jetting off to hot climates is the one thing that keeps most people fighting through our dreary UK weather (winter and summer), but there's no point in going if you're not going to protect your skin!  UV rays work in two ways - as I always remember it UVA = Ageing, UVB = Burning.  Protect against neither?  You'll look old and sore.

I've used P20 since I was a baby; my parents trusted it enough then to protect my skin, and I still trust it now.  It's not cheap, but once a day application is right up my street, because I'm lazy when I'm on holiday!  You obviously need to remember that no matter what SPF you're wearing, you can still get too much sun.  So being smart and covering up when it's that little bit too hot will leave your skin thanking you.  I use the Banana Boat SPF 50 on my neck, shoulders and any other bit of me that's maybe had a bit too much sun and I can't cover up quite so easily if I'm out and about.  I also use it on my tattoo because UV rays fade the ink and I refuse to allow my money to be wasted like that!

For my face, La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL 50+ works like magic.  It doesn't clog my skin and cause me to break out, and despite its potent sun blocking qualities, I still got a tan on my face.  That's a Greek heatwave for ya.  With it being tinted, it's not for everyone, but for the more olive skinned girls Anthelios XL acts a little like a low coverage foundation, which I love.  Fair skins may find it a bit too orange though... Using other than P20 on the face does require re-application during the day - this most not be forgotten!  I also pop on some Hawaiian Tropic SPF25 lip gloss; practical and ensures I don't feel too grotty on the beach, along with my coloured in eyebrows and a lick of mascara...

Graduate Life

So this past week has seen me looking like this:

And this:

Since being a newly graduated ex-student, interviews are quite important affairs.  They're the hour or so when, if you do well, can help define the rest of your career, and stop you watching Supernanny US and Judge Judy (I pine for my first year when this was my morning's viewing).  I know on the interview attire photo I'm bleary eyed and stare-y, but this was the best of a bad bunch.  I don't photograph well, clearly.

However, I'd like to announce that due to my smart appearance, (bleary eyed-ness) and maybe better interviewing skills than I once thought, I'm now a graduate with a full time job for a company that I like very, very much.  So all in all, I'm very happy.  I've bought a new, very expensive handbag to remind me I shall not be another graduate joining the queue at the Job Centre for the foreseeable future.

Hip hooray!

xx

Summer Essentials: Skin Care Saviours

Eucerin AquaPurin Active Eye Cream 15ml - £13.27

Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel 125ml - £19.00 (sample pictured)

Oilatum Natural Repair Face Cream 50ml - £7.65

Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm 4g - £3.69

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish 30ml - £5.50

Bio-Oil 60ml - £8.99

Eucerin DermoPurifyer Hydrating Care 50ml - £9.18

It's no secret that I have crazy skin, nor is it a secret that I try my hardest to look after it, despite its continual attempts to rebel.  I've been told for years by doctors that 'being in the sun will make acne better', but this certainly isn't true for me.  It makes it much, much worse, which makes holiday skin care a nightmare, because there's nothing I can do apart from keep my face clean and hydrated.

My daily skin care routine whilst abroad consisted of SPF care (coming in another post), and repairing/rehydrating.  I used the Clarins Cleansing Gel to remove the traces of SPF and grime after a day at the beach, and the Liz Earle C&P (with a clean flannel) to cleanse every evening and morning.  The Eucerin Hydrating Care was applied in an early evening before make-up (since it's mattifying and hydrating), whilst the Oilatum and Eucerin Eye Cream were used at bedtime. The Bio-Oil was slathered over my shoulders and chest, since it seemed to calm and nourish the bits which caught the sun the most.  Unfortunately, too much time spent floating around at sea on a lilo turned my golden tan a little bit red-hued, but the Bio-Oil fixed this.  And of course, I coated my lips in lip balm continually, because sun, salt and sand leaves a withered mouth!

I can't pretend my skin was perfect whilst away, because my face hates the sun.  But with these bits and pieces I kept it clean and hydrated whilst away - so it was smooth and plump, even if it was spotty.  I can't win everything!

xx

Summer Essentials: Holiday Hair Saviours

Lee Stafford Growth Treatment 200ml - £7.99

Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo 300ml - £4.49

Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance Leave In Conditioner 250ml - £4.49

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor 250ml - £4.99

Charles Worthington Protector Spray 50ml - £1.99

My, oh my.  I've been a very lazy blogger these past few weeks - my apologies!  Life has most certainly taken over; I've also been to Greece for a week, so I guess I have an excuse for some of the time...  Holidays for me, typically, end up with me piling loads of stuff into the cases the day before, and arriving only to realise I've missed something I really needed - one year it was my glasses, and my sight is horrific, another it was pyjamas... So this year saw me using an excel spreadsheet to plan my whole luggage.  I forgot nothing!

My hair gets dry so quickly that I made sure I packed powerful products to keep it healthy, plus, hair hates humidity and damage - I had a Monica from Friends moment on day one, and spent the rest of the holiday with an up-do. :(  However, my saving grace was my pre-packed holiday hair saviours.

Aussie's Miracle Moist shampoo and 3 Minute Miracle conditioner provided a solid hair care base, since I needed to wash my hair every evening.  The combination of these two left my hair moisturised and soft, whilst washing away all the chlorine, salt and sand.  Every couple of days I'd also use the Lee Stafford Growth Treatment (blogged about here!), which replenishes vital nutrients in the hair.  This seriously helped keep it in good condition!

I'd also slather a load of Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance leave in conditioner all over before I left for the day, after I'd washed my barnet, and at any other point I could fit it in.  It's lightweight spray, so it ensured my hair was continually being invisibly moisturised, no matter what activity I was doing!  I also sprayed through Charles Worthington Heat Defence Spray as it contains UV filters - my hair colour certainly hasn't faded, so it must have worked well.  Lastly, don't forget to apply some sun block to your scalp.  I blob it on my parting and around my hairline, as burning these bits which never normally see the sun, hurts like hell.  And then it flakes off.  Nice!

My (rather easy) hair care routine meant that I've come back with hair that's healthier than I went with.  Typical!

xx

It's clear that I took as many miniatures away as I could, and for some reason, Boots.com doesn't show the mini versions online - sorry!