When the heat rises, gel creams are quick to apply, light to wear and sometimes cooling on the skin. Despite being lightweight, the ones I recommend offer a good level of hydration with their added vitamins, ceramides and hyaluronic acid.
Five favourites that I’ve tried and love…
CLINIQUE MOISTURE SURGE 100H AUTO-REPLENISHING HYDRATOR. First launched in 1988, Clinique’s Moisture Surge (£26 for 30ml) is the gel moisturiser that spawned a thousand blush-pink copycats. Its recognisable colour and bouncy texture may have aesthetic appeal, but its non-clogging formula loaded with vitamins C, D and E, plus hyaluronic acid and calming aloe deliver on results. Buy it here*. There’s also an SPF 25 version (£34 for 50ml). Buy it here*.
BYOMA MOISTURIZING GEL CREAM. Formulated especially to boost the skin barrier, Byoma’sMoisturizing Gel Cream* (£12.99 for 50ml) infused with barrier-boosting ceramides, comforting niacinamide and green tea is an excellent, affordable gel moisturiser. It’s also refillable, and available in an SPF 30 version* (£14.99 for 50ml).
ANTIPODES BAPTISE H2O ULTRA-HYDRATING WATER GEL MOISTURISER. My favourite for hot summers, Antipodes’ plant-based, cooling water-gel moisturiser (£32 for 60ml) is lightly scented with rose and feels thirst quenching on the skin. But it here*.
BOY DE CHANEL FORTIFYING GEL MOISTURIZER. Impossibly chic and practically impossible to find in stores. And yet! It’s worth hunting out Chanel’s lightweight gel-cream from the Boy de Chanel line, (below, $80 for 50ml) for its ultra-light formula containing hyaluronic acid and green coffee to strengthen skin and protect against environmental stressors. A great post-shave men’s moisturiser or women’s pre-make-up prep. Sold out in the UK, but you can buy it here* in the U.S.
SKIN ROCKS THE LIGHT MOISTURISER. Finally, brand new and already taking pole position in my bathroom real estate, Caroline Hirons’ Skin Rocks The Light Moisturiser (£58 for 50ml) is a lighter, high-performance addition to the original The Moisturiser hero product. This uber-light summery version has the wobbly jelly texture that I love and its impeccable formula includes a little oil, ceramides and vitamin D to protect the skin barrier and keep hormonal spots in check. Choose from scented or unscented. Buy it here*.
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WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla IMAGES: Disneyrollergirl; Boy de Chanel/Disneyrollergirl NOTE: Most images are digitally enhanced. Some posts use affiliate links* and PR samples. Please read my privacy and cookies policy here
CLICK HEREto get Disneyrollergirl blog posts straight to your inbox once a week CLICK HERE to buy my book, The New Garconne: How to be a Modern Gentlewoman CLICK HERE to buy my beauty book, Face Values: The New Beauty Rituals and Skincare
I’ve not done a beauty round-up for a while, so here’s an update of the summer products and intel on my radar…
SARAH CREAL BEAUTY. Shout-out to my buddy Jane for this news drop. Sarah Creal, the joint founder of Victoria Beckham Beauty (who arguably made the products as fabulously formulated as they are) has created her own product line (below). According to Jane, Sarah Creal Beauty is aimed at mid-life women and is expectedly elevated and efficacious. Not available in the UK yet but U.S readers can shop here. Read more here.
THE FLAT LAY IS BACK. Glossy reports that the 2016-era flat lay is back as a lo-fi form of relatable Instagram content that’s performing well for brands. The twist is that the shot needs to be imperfect, so no to professional lighting and composition but yes to messy sink throwdowns and well-used products. Julia Rabinowitsch aka The Millennial Decorator (below) got the memo. “It’s a series. I’ll use the same setting, and I’ll conjure up what [an imaginary] girl’s bag looks like. Maybe it’s the sink series, and this is a sexy girl, so she has her laundry and her products and her red lipstick thrown in the sink. … There’s a story there,” she told Glossy. At the end of the day, ‘what’s in my handbag’/‘on my bathroom shelf’ content is the aspirational gift that keeps on (and on) giving for brands and IG nosy parkers (like myself).
SKIN ROCKS SUPERSIZE CLEANSER. Now available: Caroline Hirons’ Skin Rocks has just supersized its excellent The Cream Cleanser to a 250ml tube*. My current go-to end-of-the-day cleanser, it’s ultra-creamy, ultra-indulgent, yet a little goes a long way. Buy it here.*
THE SMELL OF SUMMER. What a treat to hear perfume entrepreneur Christopher Yu (who helped introduce Diptyque to the UK) discussing all things fragrance on the Just a Fashion Minute podcast. One interesting takeaway: we’re all craving comforting, nostalgic smells in an increasingly chaotic world, so gourmand fragrances, like vanilla and almond (instant Playdoh memories unlocked!) are performing well. I can slightly confirm this although my nose is leaning less gourmand and more South of France beach breeze. In the new Dover Street Market Paris store a couple of weeks ago, I was seduced by Comme des Garcons’ 2021 Marseille eau de toilette* (below), which is inspired by the famous Savon de Marseille bar soap, but to me gives salty seaside vibes with a musk and neroli dry down. It’s super light and cooling, so ideal for muggy summer days and nights.
AN IDEAL MAGNIFYING MIRROR. If you’re in the market for a new shaving/make-up mirror, the Just Look Plus from Décor Walther is fantastic. I discovered it while staying at the Hôtel des Horlogers in Le Brassus and its integrated LED light plus x 7 magnification make it easy for everything from everyday grooming to precision eyeliner application.
HAUTE FLUSH. Blusher is apparently big business at the moment with sales in the prestige market up 60% in 2023, so brace yourself for an influx of ridiculously priced cheek colours. NARS Afterglow liquid blush* (£33) is on my radar and I’ve also heard good reports of Merit’s Flush Balm* but it’s online-only and I’m a try-before-I-buy girl. (At £33 I want to be sure I’ll keep it.) Instead, I’ve just bought & Other Stories Cheek & Lip Tint palette in Florentine Coral* (£17). I’ll report back…
WHAT THE BEAUTY EXPERTS *REALLY* USE. If you don’t follow Jalil Johnson’s Substack, get yourself subscribed. This recent beauty gossip with industry experts weighing in on his WhatsApp group chat was informative and authentic (hint: raves for Cosrx’s pimple patches and Dr Dennis Gross LED mask) with some great holistic, non-product advice from Lesse (below) founder Neada Deters. Read it here.
CHANEL TRAVEL TAKEAWAYS. Chanel just dropped its Chanel Make-up Takeaways, featuring two guest edits from make-up artists Cécile Paravina and Valentina Li. Each exclusive “to go” travel set contains four well-loved Chanel products reimagined in limited-edition shades. I love the ‘City Break’ set (£160, below) with its green ‘sandwich’ bag containing a liquid eyeshadow, two mirror shine lipsticks and a nail polish in Flesh, a vivid high-shine orange-red. Buy it here*.
OMOROVICZA QUEEN FACIAL. If you’re in need of a complexion-reviving facial for a summer event, I can recommend Omorovicza’s Queen Facial at the Mayfair Institute in South Audley Street. The 80-minute treatment incorporates Omorovicza’s new actives-packed Queen Serum, plus Hungarian massage techniques to sculpt and lift. Rest assured, it’s gentler than it sounds. Ask for Xhesilda and pick up a skin-plumping Queen Essence* while you’re there.
DON’T FORGET THE SUNSCREEN.It’s been a bummer of an early summer so far, but the sun has finally emerged so don’t forget your sun protection when out and about. I’m using Byoma Moisturising Gel-cream with SPF 30* along with Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 30*. For the ‘clean beauty’ option, the new Antipodes Supernatural SPF50+ Facial Sunscreen (£34) is plastic-free, certified vegan and packed with ceramides. (As it’s a ‘physical’ mineral-based sunscreen, remember you’ll need to spend time rubbing it in to avoid the white zinc cast.) Buy it here* or here.
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WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla IMAGES: Ina Levy for Vogue Polska; Sarah Creal Beauty; The Millennial Decorator; Comme des Garcons Marseille; Lesse; Chanel NOTE: Most images are digitally enhanced. Some posts use affiliate links* and PR samples. Please read my privacy and cookies policy here
CLICK HERE to get Disneyrollergirl blog posts straight to your inbox once a week CLICK HERE to buy my book, The New Garconne: How to be a Modern Gentlewoman CLICK HERE to buy my beauty book, Face Values: The New Beauty Rituals and Skincare
2023 hasn’t been a massive beauty product year for me. Since trialling Renude’s skincare advisory a while ago, I’ve stuck to a few regular trusted skincare products. Plus, I don’t get sent nearly as much PR stuff to try these days, which is something of a relief. But here’s an end-of-year rundown of new-ish products I’ve been enjoying and old ones that still deliver. (more…)
