# Winter sun : my beauty essentials ..

Hey everyone!
Good news, Easter break is just around the corner, and many of you will be jetting off for a few days skiing, hiking, riding, chilling in your yard or to the beach, somewhere hot ! Either way, you will need to pack up your luggage with sunblock & cie.. So I got you covered with this beauty selection of the best products I have tried and tested during my last sunny trips.

1/ Protect your skin

Now, I don’t know about you, but my can’t-live-without item that I take with me on every single trip is without a doubt my sun cream.. It is actually one of my beauty essentials that I am never without, weither Im going to the mountain or to a sunny island. I always bring several different kinds in my luggages : a factor 50 for my face, and for my body also a factor 50 for the first few days, and then, depending on the destination, a factor 30 for the rest of the holiday. In Africa or in the Maldives for example, I used only factor 50 the whole time because the sun was litteraly burning! We simply don’t say it enough but it is really important to protect our skin from the UV rays. Beach or sun lovers should not neglet the combo sunblock from head to toe, hat and sunglasses. And for mountain, desert or trekking addicts, do not forget sun cream for the face, lips, hands, or any piece of skin exposed to the sun (and the ears too)..

So that being said, here is a little recap on some of my favorite creams:

Body :

Biotherm Spray solaire lacté spf 50 //During my shootings on the beach in Tùlum or in the Caribbean on the yacht, I used this Biotherm spray the first couples of days to prevent my skin from burning : the texture is really nice, pleasant, fluid and smells excellent. I applied it several times during the day on my body and it worked a treat, not a single glimpse of sunburn, bearing in mind that my skin was particularly white on my return from New York.
La Bioesthétique invisible spray spf 30 // I only just discovered la Bioesthétique sun cares, and it has been a really pleasant surprise because the products are really good, effective and easy to apply. As soon as I had built up a little tan, I then began to use this invisible spray in spf 30. I just love it ! It is completely translucent and the water like texture does not leave any marks. It is also water resistant, really easy to apply even on you back, and last but not least, it naturally accelerates our tan… So noo drawbacks of this product ! And the guys will actually prefer this one I think as it’s easy to apply to hairy legs or torso 🙂

Face :

La Bioesthétique spf 50+ : I started using this very high spf cream to protect my face which is ultra reactive to the sun, especially because of my melasma. So I need to be really careful about my sun exposure, and to avoid any hyper-pigmentation, I am very selective for my choice of sun creams. This care is really good because unlike other high protection creams, it is nor greasy nor gross, it is waterproof, spreads evenly and leaves a rather matte finish. Of course it does leave a slightly white tinge to the skin but as I apply a tinted factor 50 on top , it really doesn’t bother me, and you can’t tell..
Sisheido sport BB spf 50 : Sisheido is my little crush at the moment in terms of sun makeup, and I actually use these products all year round, whether I am in the city or at the beach. This ultra waterproof and protective BB cream is really good as the texture is both light and has good natural coverage at the same time, and it is non comedogenic (thanks god !).. This excellent BB cream is also waterproof and useful for all sports or outdoor activities, and to sum up, it protects the skin really well, while also giving it a nice matte finish. Of course when my skin is exposed to a stronger sun, I put a bit more on than I would usually in Paris, especially on the area where the melasma has a tendency to appear ; above the lip for example. I apply it in the morning and it stays on all day. I absolutely love it and the small little bottle is so so cute!
Sisheido UV compact foundation spf 30 : You can use this as an alternative to the BB cream, or in addition to it. This compact is also waterproof and non comedogenic, has even and long lasting coverage and a matte finish whilst remaining very natural at the same time. I always buy it in two different shades: a light one (medium beige), and a darker one : (dark ivory or dark beige). When I am in the sun, I apply the dark ivory on top of the BB cream mainly on my cheekbones, the hollow of my cheeks like a sun kissed bronzer look. And when I am in town I apply the lighter version as a normal foundation cream, on all of my face, and I use a terracotta powder for the healthy glow effect. Excellent!! It is one of my must haves at the minute and has been for years because I love the matte finish and the even coverage, which protects and suits my skin really well, without causing any breakthroughs or anything..
Sun zapper zink stick spf 50 : Made in Australia, this small stick is particularly adapted for sport, surfing, mountain climbing or any outdoor activities etc, or if you need to protect a zone in particular, like a scar or melasma or etc… For example if I am going on a boat, skiing etc I apply this to my cheeks like Indian makeup lines, in order to protect the zones which are particularly prone to hyper pigmentation. This stick exists in several different tints but I chose the natural skin version. You need to let dry a little and then it resists everything, and it is 4 hours water resistant.

2/ Moisturize & pamper :

After sun exposure, it is really important to hydrate and nourish our skin. It is even more important when we return from our vacation, if we want to keep a nice even tan, and to avoid dry flaky skin, or skin that is prone to peeling and fading quickly after our vacation!

La Bioesthétique after sun émulsion : A soft and soothing balm to repair and calm the skin after exposure.. I have just returned from Mexico and I apply it regularly to hydrate my skin.. I love it..and the smell reminds me of my holidays;)
Nuxe, l’huile prodigieuse/ face body & hair : This one needs no introduction, it is a real must have in terms of dry oil ;it leaves the skin and hair moisturized and soft, and it smells amazing : you just need to smell it and you are instantly transported back to the beach, the cristal clear water, and the palm trees…
Bastide dry mist / face body hair/: Even though I am a Nuxe-aholic, I had a huge crush on this oil mist which smells like orange blossom.. Made in south of France and with 98 % of natural ingredients, it nourishes, repairs and calms the skin and and our split ends, it’s absolutely divine !!! So now I alternate between the two different oils, because my heart is torn between this one and Nuxe!!

3/Clean & repair:

Pure Altitude Micellaire mousse aux fleurs : It is good to wear sunscreen and all but it is also important in the evening to remove everything and clean the skin carefully to avoid blocking pores and having dramatic breakthroughs appear overnight.. For that reason I use cotton wool and coconut oil (or any vegetal & organic oil) to remove the majority of the sunscreen, and I finish by using fresh water and this micellaire mousse by Pure Attitude.. This organic mousse made with Edelweiss, birch sap and calendula from the mountains is ideal for cleaning smoothly and rids the skin of impurities.. I will actually be talking to you again about this brand so keep an eye out 😉
La Bioesthétique hydrating capsules : To avoid transporting 10000 different serums in my suitcase I had taken these mini moisturizing capsules to try and they were wonderful!! These small capsules with hyaluronique acid are basically a concentrated hydration. The texture is just brilliant to apply and it leave your skin all soft, velvety, deeply moisturized and perfumed.. I apply 1 every evening to nourish and regenerate my skin and I can tell the difference after a few days of use ! I became completely addicted to it !
8 hour cream lip balm: Here is another one of my travelling companions: the 8 hour cream lip balm which I use in case of parched lips with the cold or from the sun, I even apply it to my cuticles. And this winter, Elizabeth Arden has just released a super cute limited addition version with a scrub/ lip balm duo, and a customized 8 hour version. We can still find the limited version online here, or you have the regular version in Sephora or Elisabeth Arden website.

So there you have my little recap for my sun cream addition, I hope it has helped you organise and pack your bags for you vacation!! And just so you know, I usually buy my Sisheido products on the duty free shop in the airport or in Sephora.

Huge kisses