I understand that it's quite difficult to find cruelty free/vegan sun protection, in this day and age you'd think that more companies would tap into the massive market of people who refuse to use anything which contains any animal derived ingredients or anything which has been tested on animals... I won't get into it because that's a whole different blog post but I am pleased to say that Lush have now finally found a way to make cruelty free & vegan sun protection products.
I will start by saying that these are not a conventional sun care products. I expect sun cream to have a certain smell; often something coconutty or fresh but the Sesame Suntan Lotion* (£8.00 for 100ml) literally smells like sesame seeds... even borderline peanut butter which is a bit odd to say the least and The Sunblock (£8.95) is applied by washing it onto your skin which obviously isn't a 'normal' method of sun protection application but I remain open minded!
I have only actually tried the Sesame Suntan Lotion so that is what I'll be focusing on as I can't say too much about The Sunblock having not tried it but one thing I can say is that the Sesame lotion is a low protection (SPF 10) whereas The Sunblock provides a higher protection (SPF 30). I would personally only use this for in the UK because I don't think such a low SPF would be appropriate for use abroad where the sun is usually more intense... I'm sure there are people who will say 'what is the point in SPF 10?' and for use in intense sun I would agree but I think this would be fine for days in sunny England when the sun isn't out at full force.
The formula is quite an oily one, I did find that it took a while to soak in to my skin and I would even say it bordered on sticky... not what I'm used to as I usually go for invisible sprays etc. but it does mean that a little goes a long way. Like I said, this is by no means a conventional sun protection product but it's worth a look even if you just went in store to smell it. I'm sure the scent will attract as many people as it puts off; it's just very weird and although it does fade the smell is there for some time. I would like to try The Sunblock just to compare and see if it suited me better but for now I think I will be sticking to my coconut stuff!
Roger & Gallet was founded many years ago in 1892. Their roots lie in a Parisian perfume apothecary and this is so apparent in the design of their branding and bottles. They pride themselves on using rare natural ingredients to create traditional and luxurious fine fragrance.
Gingembre Rouge was inspired by a trip to Zanzibar; this is a spicy fragrance with notes of ginger (obviously), pomegranate and mandarin. For me, this is a mature take on a fruity fragrance. The bottle is really simple and it seems that they have tried to stick to tradition with a modern twist. Roger & Gallet are actually stocked in various places both on the high street and online; if you want to try some of their products in person then Marks & Spencer is the place to be. Their 30ml bottles are very reasonably priced at £16.00 and you can also buy soap and body care products in each of the fragrances. Roger & Gallet definitely seem to aim their products at a more mature audience so if you're looking for something a bit different for a family then Roger & Gallet might be a good place to start!
The sun has been out for a couple of days and it's officially 'mafting' (as we say where I live!), we moan when it's too cold and we often moan when it's too hot but Nivea have some products which make the sun & heat just a little easier to deal with!
Nivea Powder Touch Antiperspirant* RRP £2.29 - Nivea is one of my go-to brands for deodorant/antiperspirant because it's long lasting, it doesn't irritate my skin (even when I'm freshly shaved!) and both the powder touch and the pearl beauty sprays smell really lovely.
Nivea Sensitive Cleansing Wipes* RRP £3.05 - I must take off and re-apply my makeup at least twice on a hot day just because my face feels so hot and sticky. A sweaty, shiny face is not a good look and it's definitely not a nice feeling so these wipes are perfect for sweeping across your face to give you a fresh base for makeup. They'd also be great if you wear very minimal makeup and you want to cool your face down.
Nivea Raspberry Rose Lip Butter* RRP £1.99 - My lips suffer in the sun if I don't keep them properly nourished so I have an SPF lip balm to hand to protect them and I also have a butter like this to keep them from feeling dry and dehydrated. The fresh fruity smell and the soft buttery texture makes this a handbag essential this summer!
Nivea Protect & Refresh Invisible Cooling Mist SPF 30* RRP £16.00 - Sun protection application is both easy and pleasurable with this handy spray; with it's continuous spray action is releases fine droplets of product which offer a refreshing, cooling mist and sun protection all in one. Waterproof protection with no stickiness or white marks... what's not to love!?
Nivea Protect & Bronze Face Lotion* £8.99 - Some foundations will have an SPF in them but sometimes it's not enough, especially in the heat of the midday sun so this protection lotion is specially formulated for your face so it shouldn't be too heavy. It also contains a natural plant extract which helps the tanning process along so not only are you protected, you're also achieving a healthy glow sensibly.
Some of these Nivea products are actually on offer in Boots at the moment so grab them while you can if you fancy trying any of them!
Boring hand washes have been a thing of the past for quite some time now; there's so much on the market to tempt you into keeping yourself clean but the Carex Complete Fun Edition products have really caught my eye. The first thing I tried from the new ranges from Carex was the Chocolate Orange hand wash which is part of the 'Family Favourite Fragrance' collection and it was love at first sniff - it smells just like a Terry's chocolate orange! So naturally when I was sent some 'Fun Edition' products I was excited to try them!
Carex Strawberry Laces Hand Gel £1.45 Superdrug*
Hand gel is a handbag must have for me, you never know when you might need to wash your hands when you don't have access to soap and water so it's perfect for just shoving in your bag and squirting onto your hands quickly when you need it. However, most hand gels are pretty bog-standard... boring packaging with the overwhelming smell of alcohol but Carex has changed this! As you would expect, it smells just like strawberry laces and the scent stays on your hands for a good while after application; when I first used it I had lots of people asking what that 'sweet smell' was. It kills 99.9% of bacteria and absorbs pretty much instantly into the skin.
For me, anything bubblegum is hard to resist. This hand wash smells amazing, and I just love the colour of it too! Even my grandad commented on how nice it smelt, so it just shows that you're never too old to enjoy a bit of bubblegum. It makes hand washing a little less of a chore for people of all ages; it kills germs and leaves your hands feeling and smelling amazing! I could quite easily have a full collection of these Carex products because they're just so novel!
