Ever get to that age when those lines you’ve been palming off as ol’ laughter lines for the last 3 years, have now actually grown up, got life insurance and put a deposit down for a mortgage… on your face. And they’re not paying it off any day soon either, ‘cos those wrinkles are first time buyers don’tcha know. They’re not just there when you’re giggling away anymore. Oh no, they’re out in full force whether you’re rofling all over your floordrobe or weeping over Rio Ferdinand plaiting his daughter’s hair and using your floury tortilla wrap to shield your ugly crying face (it was all TOO much for some of us ok!?).
So listen, I’m all for characteristics – faces are meant to tell stories after all; narratives of both our happiest times and our most challenging, but once you’re the wrong side of 25, something happens to your skin. Something weird. It’s like a quarter midlife face. It doesn’t spring back after a night out dancing round your pile of handbags until 2am anymore, nah uh honey! It gives everything away. No biscuit binge or Netflix all-nighter goes unaccounted for. Hell, if you haven’t drank ya 8 glasses of water a day, your fine lines will be losing their sh*t. Your face takes no prisoners. It mirrors the lifestyle you lead, which means now is as good a time as any to start taking your skincare as seriously as you take your pizza toppings. Right? Right. Let’s take these beautiful pots of pepperoni by the balls shall we?
Thanks to my job, I’m lucky enough to dip my pores into all kinds of beauty products, which means I’m about as loyal to my skincare brands as I am to my gym membership. One could say I’m a bit of a skincare hussy (and proud). But every now and again I’ll stumble across a few hero products that make me stop and think about my slutty ways and consider… committing *gulp*. They are what Katy Perry was to Russell Brand, until he sent that text and broke her heart like the top beardy fellow that he is. If you haven’t watched her documentary on Netflix, it’s called Part of Me and you’re gonna need ice cream. And another thing – Bring. Your. Hairbrush.
Without further ado, here’s my faithful five spring skincare picks! May they make you glow like the human cherry blossom that you are (deletes 6039188198 pictures of pink flowering trees and blue skies).
Vichy Aqualia Thermal Dynamic Hydration Serum – £22.50 (30ml)
My skin is 80% normal 20% combo (shout out to my oily forehead, you sweaty mackerel you). It’s not overly dry but at times it can feel a bit lacklustre, which is why a refreshing serum first thing in the morning and last thing at night is my go-to quick fix for puffy peepers and any other skincare ailments for that matter. Packed with thermal spa water and hyaluronic acid, this lightweight formula is intensely hydrating and best of all it smells like holidays – which is always a Brucie bonus. I usually pat this on straight after I’ve cleansed and leave it to soak in for a minute or so before applying my moisturiser or night oil – are you picturing Kevin from Home Alone right now, ‘cos I totally am. I’m already dreading the day I finish this snazzy glass bottle, my skin’s been a lot happier downing this twice a day.
Aveda Tulasāra Wedding Masque – £48.00 (50ml)
I’ve been putting off opening this little pot of miracles for a while, partly because I knew I’d want to write about it on here and you know, gotta keep it fairly presentable for photos ha. Oh god I just heard myself.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past year, you’ll know turmeric is enjoying a bit of attention among foodies and beauty junkies. Marks & Spencer have introduced turmeric wraps and you can even drink to health (literally) and order yourself a lovely golden turmeric latte at 42 Juice these days (I’ve tried it and it’s dreamy). So it’s only right our skincare gets its very own slice of the T-ric action right? Enter Aveda’s Tulasāra Wedding Masque. Inspired by the Indian tradition where turmeric paste is applied to the bride and groom to give them glowing skin on their big day, this ultra rich cream not only smells heavenly but feels intensely nourishing every time you use it. I love the convenience of an overnight masque too – you can just leave it do its thing while you do all the hard work and dream of a house full of puppies, or whatever else you non-dog lovers dream of. Jam packed with organic goodies such as tomato, potato and red raspberry plant stem cells (587,000 to be exact) and apricot seed oil, it helps to smooth the appearance of fine lines and, overtime, fortifies the skin’s lipid barrier. Because wedding day skin should be an everyday thannng! What were we saying about commitment earlier? I believe I’ve found myself a very worthy husband. Dad, do you agree?
Sunday Riley Luna Night Oil – £85.00 (30ml)
I’d heard a few people championing the Sunday Riley range, so naturally I had to see what all the hype was about. I’ve been a sucker for a face oil ever since I started using the Neom Organics face, hair and body – there’s just something really therapeutic about dabbing a few drops on your face and pulse points before bed. This one’s a funky blue Avatar colour, which makes the nightly skincare slightly more entertaining. At £85 it’s the price of a house rabbit complete with live-in hutch, BUT it’s also one that’s rich in Retinol, the posh name for Vitamin A and a key player in tackling the ageing process. Crows feet – you better be scared. This sleeping oil helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by replenishing collagen-depleted skin with cold-pressed avocado, chia and grape seed. The blue colour comes from the essential botanical oil Blue Tansy, known for its calming, anti-inflammatory properties, so if you suffer from redness or everyday exposure to pollutants (cheers London life), then a good companion this lil blue bombshell shall make. Catching up on your beauty sleep just got easier!
Origins Ginzing Refreshing Eye Cream – £20.00 (15ml)
Until recently I just couldn’t deal with eye cream. Surely I can just slap some of my moisturiser on my under eye and be done with it? Oh ho ho, LC’s got a lot to learn. The delicate skin under our eyes is one of the first areas to show visible signs of ageing. I mean, think about it, all that blinking we do all day, not to mention the eye rolls, they’ve gotta take their toll somehow. So yeah, use your eye cream kids. I love this one from Origins. It’s formulated with coffee beans (you can see why I was sold), Ginseng, Magnolia and natural optic brighteners, instantly refreshing tired eyes and restoring some much needed radiance after a Netflix binge.
My peepers are sensitive af and anything that’s heavily perfumed (especially SPF) makes my eyes look like I’ve been sat watching Titanic on loop for 84 years, but this one has no such effect, thankfully! I don’t normally suffer too badly from dark circles… puffy eyes on the other hand, they’re like Ashanti -always on time, around 6.40am to be exact. To give me a hope in hell of looking less like a human puffer fish before I leave the flat for work, I dab this little bad boy around the eye socket using my ring finger (or as I like to call it, the finger with no ring just false hope, commonly found next to the pinkie ha. I’m kidding, diamonds are overrated, I really do much prefer Haribo). If you like your skincare natural, brightening and hydrating then this is bound to be your cup of Joe.
Garnier Ambre Solaire Sun Protection Dry Mist Factor 50 – £8.00 (200ml)
If someone had asked me if I wear SPF every day a few months back, I would have said yes and then proceeded to grow a 20 inch Pinocchio nose. By the time I’ve cleansed, plopped on my serum, dabbed on my eye cream and slapped on my moisturiser, I feel like I’ve pretty much done my day’s worth of cardio so adding in another step for SPF just wasn’t gonna happen. Also, all the other SPFs I’ve used on my face cause real bad problems for those leaky eyes I mentioned earlier, so they’re usually best avoided. However, of all the innovative facials I’ve tried at work, the dermatologists have yet to disagree on one thing – SPF is always a good idea and sadly, it’s commonly overlooked as our best defence against ageing. And another thing – SPF isn’t just for the beach, it’s fo’ life and if you think wearing a foundation with an SPF should cover you, you’re wrong. You’d need to apply multiple layers of it to reap the benefits.
I recently had a skin analysis with Garnier for the new launch of their sensitive advance sun protection mist and it was pretttty revealing / petrifying. The reading determined my true skin age, based on UV damage, wrinkles, sun spots and texture. The reading you receive is based on UK averages from women the same age as you. For UV damage, I scored 87% higher than the UK average, which is good enough right? Well, for someone who’s as pale as Edward Cullen, it could be better, particularly seeing as my wrinkles didn’t rack up such a healthy score. Pass me the SPF already!
This mist is an absolute god send. It instantly dries on the skin so there’s none of that greasy aftermath to deal with and the light spray formula just makes it all too easy to incorporate into my every day skincare routine. Even if I cba first thing in the morning, I can whack it in my handbag and top myself up throughout the day, even on the commute. It’s pretty odourless and completely undetectable on the skin – I know some people hate on SPF because it ruins their makeup game, well – your contour is well and truly safe with this one gals. I’m all out of excuses here so I’m officially a sun protection convert and I’m gonna be spritzing away at every chance I get. Just you try and stop me boss. Love you bye!
PS: I’ve just swallowed what looks like a flake of floaty placenta in my Ribena and it’s not making me feel too springy right about now. Sorry, you probs didn’t want to know that *vom*
