Sun Protection

Right, back off my holiday and time to review the products I promised!

I'll go over the Sun Protection and Aftersun that I used whilst I was away

Calypso Once A Day SPF 20

This retails at around £10 but I got mine for £4- go to Home Bargains!

I've tried once a day sunscreens before and don't know why I don't stick with them! I always go back to the Garnier Ambre Solair Bronzing Oil... I like my tan to be there straight away and with tanning oils I always get fast results. Probably because it's baking my skin more than it's protecting it... but will we ever learn? 

The Calypso was great. You literally need to apply it once (some say once but after swimming you need to re-apply, this one if you dry off in the sun or just dab-dry you don't need to) and you're done for the whole day. No carrying it round with you or getting greasy hands from having to re-apply every hour or so. Also, it's always annoyed me how when you've re-applied your sun lotion/oil, you can't touch your hair without it getting greasy. Once a day sunscreens definitely solve these 'problems'. The first time you apply this you apply all over, leave it for 10 minutes then apply once more. Every day from then on you only need to put it on once. The formula is like water, very runny and sinks into the skin straight away. Score. The smell isn't great, the main ingredient is alcohol so you do get quite a strong wiff of it, but this evaporates after like, not even a minute. 

So the tan. Not quite as intense as I'd  usually get after a week in the sun I must admit, but I do usually only use an SPF of 10-15! Also I usually do a few trips to the sunbeds (bad, I know) before a holiday which I didn't do this time. Working where I work, I've realised I won't have young skin forever and for the sake of not getting a slightly darker tan, I'd rather look after my skin a bit more. My tan seems like it will last much longer too, but I'll update on that. All in all, once a day's are brilliant. Lasts ages too, both Tom & I used our bottle for the week and it's practically still full. Recommended! 

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But... Top of the range...

Instituit Esthederm, in my opinion, are top of their game in sun protection. The brand doesn't use any SPFs, as these put chemicals into suncreams, make-up and skincare. They believe that tanning is the best protection. Gaining a tan is the process of the Melanin in the skin rising to the surface to protect itself against burning, ageing and photo-sensitisation. Putting an SPF onto the skin does not do this, it only measures the risk of sunburn but not of the other two factors. That's where their advanced formulas come in. UV INCELLIUM technology helps trigger the skins natural ability to tan safely, and strengthens the skins own defences. With their suncreams, they recommend that you apply this as your daily moisturiser for a couple of weeks before your holiday to help get your skin ready to tan by bringing the melanin to the surface. Then on holiday, apply 20 minutes before exposure. These ones you do have to re-apply a few times a day, but it's not a bad thing as they leave the skin feeling amazing, better than some moisturisers I've used. The formulas aren't greasy either, which is always a plus. They are all UVA and UVB protective too which quite a lot of conventional sun screens aren't. Many of them just protect the skin from the UVB rays, where as it's the UVA rays that damage the skin on a much deeper level. You will not burn with these products! Pricey, but entirely worth it. 

I used their After Sun whilst in Egypt

Instituit Esthederm Tan Enhancing Lotion retails at £39

This is a bit of a double usage product. Use during holiday and afterwards to maintain and even enhance your tan. Not the first after sun to enhance a tan but this contains no fake tan at all, it just continues to increase the melanin levels of the skin, darkening the tan. It sinks in gorgeously, has a lovely smell (as do the sun creams) and you're not worrying about washing your hands quickly so they don't get an orange tinge! After spending the day in the sun, this will calm any redness, soothe any burn (which you won't have if you've used their sun creams!) and the cellular water they put into the product energises the skin so skin is preforming at it's best. Loved this, it really works and I'm still using it as an everyday moisturiser. Instituit Esthederm is a pricey brand, but worth every penny. 

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A Few Things...

So recently I've tried a few new things

When my sister was here for Christmas she had a mascara that I really liked- Loreal Voluminous Mascara

This one retails at £9-£10 but I did find it quite hard to get... I'll get to that though.

So, I tried Katie's for a few days (thanks Katie!) and I loved it! Generally, I'm not a massive fan of 'volumising' mascara. I think I'd much rather have a mascara that does everything all in one as opposed to just giving volume. Boring. Voluminous though, does do pretty much everything you want it to. On application it didn't take long to get that full, dark, long lashed look that I personally always prefer. It didn't flake during the day, and it wasn't massively difficult to remove either. For the price, this is really good. 

Right, so when It came to buying this for myself it was a bit of a nightmare. Boots didn't have it, Superdrug didn't either. And I literally had no mascara with me. So in the end I opened a drawer underneath the other Loreal mascaras and found 2 Voluminous ones! These were in purple packaging so I'm not actually sure it was the same one, but I bought it in desperation. When I got this home, I opened it up and low and behold. The whole wand was dry. To the point where I thought i'd bought a comb mascara (hate those) until all the little bristles started unsticking. I have no idea how old that product was but there was no using it, so that went back. So, as of now I don't have this!! Annoying, but it'll be added to my make-up bag soon.

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The Rodial! I'm still trying the Boob Job and Body Sculpture. So far I think I'm actually liking the Body Sculpture more. When applied this goes on like silk so you're not there forever massaging it in (because who has the time?) and also it feels like it's actually made a little bit of a difference. I've used it on the tops of my legs, stomach, obliques and the tops of my arms. Bear in mind I've used this in conjunction with running 3 times a week, but I do feel 'tighter' if that makes sense. My stomach has pretty much been constantly flat and that never, ever happens. I can only think it would have something to do with the Body Sculpture. Who knows with things like this but I think as long as you apply them as they say you'll probably see a difference in firmness at least.

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I'm also trying Enormous Lash, Pro:Voke Touch Silver Shine Shampoo, Oribe Curl Definition Cream, Oribe Anti-Humidity spray and Natures Sunshine Rosemary and Horsetail tablets (great for problem skins). 

I'm off to Egypt on Wednesday so I'll do a big blog update when I'm back, including my review of some sun creams. I've just bought the Calypso once a day SFP 20, Instituit Esthederm After Sun and the Nars SPF lip balm. Look forward to a huge product haul! 

Lots of love!