#145 Turkish Delights (and frights)

The things getting me through a 40 degree holiday this year - which has been more tiring and physically draining experience than I've ever known, thanks to the toddler's newfound running feet - are:

- Liz Earle Botanical Aftersun Gel - soothing, immediately cooling, nicely non-tacky on dry-down. Good smell too.

- My Bobbi Brown Oil-Free Tinted Moisturiser is holding up really well out here. On my oiliest spots (chin, nose, forehead), I've been moisturising with ESPA Cellular Hydration Complex (yep, the one before they discontinued it), then their Tea Tree Gel. My foundation then goes on really smoothly and stayed remarkably un-slicky looking for the majority of the day.

- Japonesque Tweezers. These have proven their worth, snagging even the least cooperative straggler, and seem to have sped up my plucking sessions by half.

And Kalms. Lots of Kalms. The only way I seem to be able to switch off after the buzziest of beach-to-bed days.

What's not floated my boat this summer:

- Clinique Targeted Protection Stick SPF35 . Just far too greasy. Melted down into my eyes on my last day at the beach. Not pleasant.

- REN Moroccon Rose Body Cream. Do not ask me why - for I am neither a biochemist nor a dermatologist - but for some reason, this cream has not done my skin any favours. I have bumpy backs of arms (something that ordinarily clears up within 48 hours of me entering the sea), and I've been left with tacky limbs almost all week long. Not happy.

#98 Burney's Night

All-round gorgeous ELLE girl, Ellen Burney, left a well-worth-reading comment on my last post, so thought I'd reproduce, with an extra shot of skin wisdom.... enjoy:

" I've discovered – never mind rediscovered – Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Oil. I've tried all sorts of shaving gels and always find that for the money they run out so fast and so, with a plethora of hair conditioners sitting at the side of the bath (I only really use intensive conditioner on my hair which leaves all the others useless beside them) I've often used conditioner instead. Good, but not always top marks. I also went through a phase of a bar of Dove being the shaving option of choice but for the last few weeks I've been using J&J Baby Oil and it's the smoothest for longest and softest my legs have ever been. What else? Parissa Home Bikini Hot Wax - amazing... and fun - oh god and Nivea. Just a slab of Nivea Cream over freshly washed skin. On the luxe side of things though I am dousing my 60p cotton wool balls from Tesco with Pure Rosewater from Chantecaille. Everything in moderation.

And, why have I ventured back to Nivea & J&J? Because I have to abstain from all the harmful anti-ageing style products during pregnancy... and so many other things that I found myself wrapped in a towel for hours in the early days panicking as to what I could and couldn't put on my skin. But then I found that REN – already one of my skin creams of choice – was in fact entirely pregnant-woman-friendly (one of the founder's partners was pregnant and having the same skin scares as me) ... add to this Frederic Fekkai's sulphate-free range of shampoos and conditioners etc, Weleda's hair care range and, well, Nivea and J&J Baby Oil and I'm very happy. Plus I get to slip them into my boyfriend's shopping basket with a murmur of 'for the baby'... "

To follow Ellen's entertaining escapades, read her blog here: http://vagabondiana.blogspot.com/

#75 By my skinny skin skin...

Ok, so I've spent three weeks trialling two different body creams - one faired well, initially, then faded into uselessness, and the other, well, the other has already been restocked and is a new favourite...


1) Garnier Bodysensitive Anti-Dryness Restorative Moisturiser - at first it feels lovely and promisingly thick. Then it is absorbed and skin feels soothed - though no more than when I've used any other creamy concoction. The problem comes after a few days - legs were still scaly, arms still bumpy. It just wasn't good enough to shift winter's leftovers or make me feel confident about returning to my short shorts and minis. In fact, even after using it for two weeks, I needed to top up my legs with body oil before going out as they weren't soft, shiny or smooth enough for my liking. It's fragrance free though, which I prefer in my body creams.

2) Yes To Carrots Body Butter for Dry Skin - seriously dodgy brand name, but seriously effective formula. After just two days the thighs were silky and arms looking better. After a week, there had been real improvement. The scent will not suit everyone - it's a mix of cocoa butter, Johnsons Baby Wipes and nappy cream - it smells clean, a bit like a just-bathed baby and slightly sweet. I love it. Best of all, it manages to be very thick and nourishing without being sticky or unctuous. Skin absorbs it well too, so you don't get that skiddy sensation that makes you feel you'll slide off your seat on the tube, which you can get with body oil...

3) On another note, prior to trialling the duo above, I was using REN's Moroccan Rose Otto Body Oil. Lovely. Great smell. But what a tiny bottle. If, like me, you moisturise twice, sometimes three, times a day, this will only last you a fortnight. Shame.

#55 O is for Organic

Lordy lordy lordy. Organic, schmorganic. It's everywhere. I'm getting about 20 new emails a week, proclaiming the benefits of this new preservative potion, talc-free make-up, puritanical product. I'm tired. My eyes hurt. The BRANDwagon is at buckling point. Yes, the marketeers have caught on to the fact that green is good, green is big and boy oh boy, green is where the green is. Ker-ching. Which pretty much explains the stuffed inbox. So what have I been trying? As mentioned in my last entry - Origins Organics and Jurlique. Jurlique are not new - but they have ditched the white and blue glass packaging in favour of a cleaner, fresher, self-explantory mode of packaging and product. I've used the Balancing Day Care Cream. It gets the thumbs up. It didn't do anything miraculous - but it did soothe and hydrate well. A small amount satisfied the entire face - it sunk in cleanly and didn't produce an exceptionally oily mid-afternoon result (just a bit of shine, which given that my skin lives in an artificially ventilated environment, is to be expected). The Daily Exfoliating Cream is the range's big hitter. The thing that the PRs say that they themselves couldn't live without. It's rather like the Dr Hausckha one - grainy, wholemealy, porridgey. You don't rub it in, but rather press it over skin, creating a popping suction with fingertips which is meant to draw out impurities, without scouring the skin. Hmmmmm. I've always had a thing for homemade exfoliators - things that look and feel as though you could've whipped them up in the kitchen - but experience has taught me that nothing beats a finely milled powder or an exfoliating mask such as REN's Glycolactic Skin Renewal Peel. I'm not sold on this one. My skin still had a few flakes left around the chin, which I had to buff away with a warm muslin cloth. Then there's Origins Organics. A big, new, simply packaged line that promises to be straightforward. In an interesting twist, it's printed it's organic percentages right on the front of the packaging - and it ranges from 73% in the Foaming Face Wash up to 98% in the Conditioning Hair Oil. There's no reason that organics will be any better for sensitive skin - in fact, a lot of sensitive skins flare up at first contact with essential oils - which are so often the staple of organic lines. I'm seriously prone to eczema on my body and have been using the Cleansing Body Bar for several weeks (it lasts a satisfyingly long time) and haven't seen a peep from my usual patches. It feels great whilst it's on the skin, but leaves a slightly too super-squeaky-clean feel afterwards - great though for those who hate it when their body washes leave an oily residue behind. I've yet to try the skincare - I've promised my skin a break from persistent testing - but have been using the Silky Spray Body Spritz and Conditioning Hair Oil. The former is tricky. Essential oils of clove, lavender, patchouli and thyme means that it has a very distinctive, enduring scent. Some days I love the scent - taking me back to student sex sessions in a jostick haze, but other days it makes me feel more like I've found myself in a trunk in the back of my local Oxfam. Mood dictates. It does feel mighty good though - not greasy in the slightest - and the milky texture sinks in nice n deep in seconds. The hair oil is ostensibly nothing special. It mixes sunflower, sesame and olive oil with a smattering of essential oils - peppermint is the one that stands out - and yes, it does make hair lovely and soft and shiny. But then, so would a cup of olive oil. Another thing - I'm not sure about the packaging. It's self-consciously plain. As though it's parading it's openness - at the press day I asked the PR when they'd replace the prototypes with final packaging. She told me this was it. Well, it ain't pretty, but Isuppose it ain't ugly either. And for a company that has always prided itself on clever names and cute packaging, it's very possibly a step in the right direction.

#25 Trip Up

There have been several short travels of late – yep, I know, can’t complain – that have helped me hone the art of packing. Current affairs shy as I am, I was unaware that you’re still not allowed to fly with liquids over 100ml, unless they’re in a clear, sealable plastic bag. It’s a tough choice – check the suitcase (along with the washbag) or compromise on the washbag, shift all it’s contents to an unattractive ‘freezer’ bag and carry on – which allows you to skip the frustrating baggage reclaim wait at the other end. This time, I was determined to do the latter, so I spent a week rifling through the best minis out there and because this is high-season in beauty journalism, there are legions to choose from. What did I like most?

Trilogy Everything Balm. It’s not a unique concept – there are lots of balms out there that are popular for the same reason e.g. Nuxe Reve de Miel Family Balm; Eight Hour Cream; The Sanctuary Skin Comforting Balm; Liz Earle Superbalm – but this one comes in a humungous 95ml pot that really allows you to scoop it up and rub it all over the body, without running out just two days into the holiday. It also smells good, is 100% natural and botanical and there are no mineral nasties anywhere is sight.

The REN Travel Set. As far as carrying on is concerned the slick black pouch is useless. Nice though. Products – some of which I’d never used before – were good too. It’s a handy, hassle-omitting selection – face cream, wash, serum, nourisher and body wash and cream.

Korres Little Natural Products (from London Flagship Store). I was lucky enough to get a batch of these for free and fell hard for the Citrus Body Milk. You know the sort of thing – it’s sunny, you’ve had a pedicure, you take a fresh, invigorating shower and then you coat yourself in a layer of light, but very hydrating, silky cream that leaves you smelling like fresh lemonade. Smile.

Clinique Moisture Surge Extra Thirsty Skin Relief. I had cabin-face (pruney, patchy, overly sensitive) – but I’m prone to oiliness too (just for fun). So, this baby is my little saviour. It’s oil-free and packs water into the skin instead, which after a few hours of recycled tumbleweed waftage, is a very welcome tonic.