March brought our first taste of spring in the UK. The flowers started to bloom and we moved one step closer to reopening. I also managed to make a hair appointment for later this month (woohoo!). The parks have been more crowded than ever and all I want to do is have a picnic with friends. This jab can’t come soon enough.
When it comes to the beauty products I finished up last month, it was all about hydration from head to toe. While winter wasn’t very cold here, the dry air indoors combined with adjusting to the water in London left me searching for moisture wherever I could find it.
Here’s how March’s beauty empties ranked:
Repurchase:
René Furterer KARITÉ NUTRI Intense Nourishing Mask — The winner this month has to be this gorgeous hair mask, recommended to me by the staff at Bliss Pharmacy. The hard water in London seriously zapped my hair, and it only got worse by staying indoors with the heat blasting for much of the past five months. Using this mask once or twice a week has changed everything. Shea and quince extracts along with wheat microproteins help strengthen and repair damaged hair quickly. One use and I was sold. It has the color and texture of butter, very French indeed.
BABOR Beauty Rescue — A couple of weeks ago, my skin sent me a message it needed a break. My chin was congested and breaking out and overall my skin felt a bit sensitive. My skin is very resilient and not really reactive, so this was out of the ordinary. I decided to give my daytime acne treatment with salicylic acid a break and instead turned to these ampoules with Epocyl. In just a week, my skin felt calmer, looked clearer and brighter and my breakouts were healing. I think I will always have them on hand now, especially once I start flying again.
AG Reconstruct — Clearly my hair was in need of repair. When my hairstylist back in NYC recommended this treatment after my last dye job, it sounded more like a face mask than a hair mask. The key ingredients are vitamin C, squalene, shea butter and vegetable protein to help strengthen and hydrate the hair. It smells like vanilla icing, which is a bit much for me, but it really does help repair damaged hair. I usually slather it on once a week before I shave so it has 5-10 minutes to soak in.
On the Fence:
Josh Rosebrook Nutrient Day Cream Tinted SPF 30 — A sunscreen that actually moisturizes is a hard find, but this one delivers thanks to aloe vera leaf juice and a slew of oils. This rich cream provides broad spectrum-protection from UVA and UVB rays while evening out the skin tone. It’s pretty much the only “color” I’ve worn on my face for months. The smell took some getting used to, which makes me hesitant to pick it up again, but the glow it gave my skin was lovely.
Saint Jane Luxury Body Serum — Packed with 28 botanical oils (including hemp seed) this body oil has a luscious texture. Picked up at my favorite NYC pharmacy, it also includes fruit acids to gently exfoliate. It made my skin feel very soft and smooth, even if the scent was a bit more herbaceous than I typically go for. Sadly, it isn’t available in the U.K., but the reason I’m unsure I would repurchase anyway was the packaging. While it looks beautiful, it leaked and made for a messy experience.
Pass:
Caudalie Instant Foaming Cleanser — I really like Caudalie products. The strong floral scent doesn’t bother me and I douse my face in Beauty Elixir multiple times a day. However, my oily, acne-prone skin needs a cleanser with a bit more oomph at nighttime. This one is very gentle and makes my skin super soft, but sage extract is just not enough to keep my skin clear.
LA FAON Vitalizing Shaping Cream (kindly gifted) — This moisturizer from Taiwanese brand LA FAON doesn’t have a strong smell and definitely ticks the hydrating box. I ended up using it mainly on my body and very much enjoyed it (no breakouts). Unfortunately, it made my face too shiny for my liking. I couldn’t find a credible link for it, so I’m honestly not sure if it’s still available outside of Asia. Sorry for the lack of details on exact ingredients.
See what else I’ve used up here.
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