High performance products at your fingertips
When we talk about lipsticks, blushers and skincare, we like to talk about performance and how we can get the best value for our hard-earned euros.
We also like knowing that it does what it claims to. This week I am telling you all about the hard-working heroes I have tried over the last number of months.
First, let’s talk about a great face mask. With muggy weather approaching, how we cleanse our skin is so important.
Image Skincare I Mask Purifying Probiotic Mask (€54) fortifies your skin and works with the skin's naturally occurring good bacteria to detoxify, decongest and smooth skins texture. Lines are minimised, skin is balanced and skin is hydrated to leave it soft, smooth and healthy.
It is not harsh and is suitable even for drier skin types that just want to deep cleanse.
Then onto a great value vitamin C product; Pure Vitamin C10 by La Roche Posay is the first vitamin C serum formulated at a physiological pH of 5.5 to allow the release of vitamin C in its active form. This offers the best tolerance for sensitive skin and helps to preserve the skin’s barrier function.
The pH also helps to maintain the stability of the vitamin C within the serum, which is housed within a UV filtered bright orange bottle to protect the active molecule from UV-induced degradation. This ensures long-term stability of the formula.
Suitable for all sensitive skin types including combination skin, the ultra-light serum texture allows for a quick absorbing action. At €38, it really is a steal if you want value and most importantly, results.
Vitamin A gives one of the biggest results of any skincare product. Neostrata Skin Active Retinol + NAG Complex (€69) is a vitamin A serum formulated to lift and firm the skin, diminish the appearance of age spots and smooth out lines and wrinkles. You need to build up the use of this one, from once a week to three times per week. It does help keep the skin clear and I would recommend only using it at night.
It is, of course, essential to wear an SPF by day. Because the sun can be our best friend but also our worst enemy, Clarins decided to concentrate all its expertise into sun products that offer high and very high levels of protection.
Ten new protective formulas with SPF30 and 50+, along with two after sun products, integrate the latest technological and botanical advances that Clarins Research has uncovered to help preserve the skin’s beauty and youthful qualities.
This new suncare range offers optimal protection against the harmful effects of UVA and UVB rays as well as free radicals in all circumstances. It also offers a wide array of textures for the face and body to meet our expectations.
My picks from these are the face compact in SPF 30 and suncare face cream in SPF50. Both are practical products that smell gorgeous and really work hard. All we need now is some sun!
Dry skin on heels and elbows can be detrimental to our summer bodies. Dovocare Intense Cream (€11.50) has been formulated to help reduce any discomfort of very dry, hard, thickened and scaly skin. This intense moisturising cream works by enhancing and protecting the barrier function of the skin. The active ingredient lactic acid acts as a mild exfoliation/peel to remove the scaly skin. I use it at night and pop on cotton socks and it just helps to keep the skin exfoliated. It will affect tan, though, so maybe give it a miss on the days you tan.