With Summer and beach season just around the corner I wanted to put together a post featuring some of my vegan and cruelty free skincare picks. I have to admit that during the colder months, and when I tend to cover up more, I probably don't take as good care of my skin as I should. But as soon as the warmer weather approaches, and it's time to get my arms and legs out again, it's always a reminder that it's time to start improving my routine.
I always find that a Summer holiday to look forward to is added motivation to work on getting my skin looking healthy and, with my trip to Santorini coming up in a couple of weeks, I have started to get ready some of the products I want to take away with me and use in the lead up to going away.
Tropic
Tropic have bought out a few new products for Summer 2017 including their Mineral Sun Protection collection which also includes a seperate Facial Sun Protection sunscreen.
We have been fortunate enough to have enjoyed some really warm sunny days over the past couple of weeks so I was able to give these products a trial run before my holiday and I have to say I was really impressed by both, especially the Facial Sun Protection. This facial sunscreen is also slightly tinted meaning that it gives you a really light coverage on your skin. This is perfect for when you don't feel as though your skin is looking or feeling great and it helps to give you that extra confidence to go bare faced in the sun.
One of my biggest annoyances when it comes to sunscreens is when they leave you feeling sticky or oily after using. Thankfully that wasn't the case with any of these products! I found them to be really easy to apply, super moisturising and my skin felt dry to touch after use.
In the lead up to Summer I always like to start to exfoliate and moisturise my skin more often as I find that this helps to keep my skin looking healthy and it also helps to maintain a tan for longer with less peeling. I also like to use a moisturiser which is focused on firming as this helps me to feel more confident in my skin during the warmer weather. Over the past couple of months I have been using Tropics Body Love Firming Buttercream which has been fantastic at both softening and tightening my skin. It's a really lovely thick and creamy consistency which does take some rubbing in but I think the effects of this extra effort on my wobbly areas has started to pay off.
Skinny Tan
A new product that I have tried out recently is this Express Tanning Mousse by Skinny Tan who, if you didn't already know, are available to buy at Superdrug. I have never really been massively keen on self tanning at home as I always fear i'll end up looking like an orange mess! But there's no denying that as soon as the weather is more sunny the desire is there to have less pale skin, especially if you're planning on some sunbathing abroad.
As a complete novice I was really impressed by how easy and straightforward this mousse was to apply. Prior to testing it out I exfoliated and moisturised my skin and then I simply squirted a couple of pumps onto the wonderfully soft application mitt and gently rubbed the product into my skin. The mitt made this process really easy and meant I wasn't left with any tan on my hands. I really couldn't believe how quickly it went on and dried. To touch my skin afterwards you would have never known that I just applied a self tanner and the smell was also considerably less noticeable than I imagined it would be.
You have the option to leave this tan on for an hour, a few hours or overnight before washing it off to reveal the true colour. As my skin is already lightly tanned I felt it would be more noticeable to leave the product on for a good few hours and I was really so impressed with the results. There was absolutely no streaking or blotchy patches and I was left with a really even and natural looking tan.
Thanks to Skinny Tan I am no longer afraid to self tan at home and this is a product I will definitely be using before my upcoming holiday and for any future special occasions.
The Body Shop
Until recently I had never really used a tinted moisturiser or BB cream as I have always felt the need for a full face of foundation. Over the past few weeks, and since feeling more sun kissed, I have found myself reaching for The Body Shop's All In One BB Cream more and more and have actually favoured using it over foundation (which is something I never thought I would say!).
I honestly can't rave about this product enough! It's a multi function cream which cleverly adapts to match your skin tone whilst moisturising and providing hydration. It also, and importantly, offers a light to medium coverage which I have to say is way more effective than I thought it would be. It really does feel like a dream to apply such a highly moisturising product like this opposed to my usual foundation. It's so lightweight and non greasy, it doesn't feel like I am wearing anything! My skin looks so much more dewy and illuminated when I wear this and it's feels like the perfect product for Summer. I'll actually be leaving my foundation at home when I go on holiday as this will be all I need.
If you want even more of a glow i'd also recommend the InstaGlow CC Cream which you can use as a primer on your skin before applying makeup. Again this is another really lovely moisturising product with the added benefit of SPF 20 to protect you on those sunny days.
Superdrug
Since shopping cruelty free products only, Superdrug have been my 'go to' shop for so many of my every day toiletries and so it's worth mentioning that they also have a really comprehensive affordable sun care collection too. I have always really loved the Solait range, and especially this After Sun Lotion.
I've never really been a fan of after sun gels or sprays so instead I always go for this lotion. It's really easy to apply and I really like the fact that it moisturises as well as cooling and soothing my skin after being out in the sun. It also doesn't leave my skin feeling sticky after using which I have experienced with other after suns in the past. I like to pop it in the fridge when i'm not using it so it's even more cooling when it comes to applying it. It's also handy that it contains insect repellant as it means I don't have to buy any additional products for this.
The Konjac Sponge Company
The Konjac Facial Puff Sponge is a product I have used and loved time and time again and I especially find it great to use during the Summer or when I have been exposed to the sun a lot. The sponge that I use contains pink French clay which works well at exfoliating and softening any rough skin. It's very easy to use in that you just apply water to it and massage onto your face. It's hard to put into words just how great this sponge feels to use on your skin, it's almost like a mini facial every time I use it! It even feels great just to hold in the palm of your hand! I always feel so much more fresh and revived after using my Konjac.
So even though it's raining today as I type this (typical England!), it really has got me in the mood for Summer and my upcoming trip away. It feels like we have had so many cold city breaks recently I actually can't wait to just lay in the sun now!
I'd love to know if you're already a fan of any of these products and if you have any other cruelty free and vegan recommendations for Summer skincare products that other readers may be interested in. Just comment below and let us all know!
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