Summer SPF: Avène and La Roche Posay

Despite England's summer being highly unpredictable this year, it's still had its hot moments. For many, temperatures in the low-to-mid twenties aren't anything to be too concerned about, but for fair-skinned gals this is when we need to crack out the serious sun-protection. 

Back in April, on a short trip to Spain, I found myself burning in seventeen degree weather. Firstly, I think that's tremendously unfair, because the friend I was travelling with only got more bronzed and beautiful each day. However, I was pretty grateful to spot Avène's range of SPF in practically every pharmacy, as their skincare is always a fantastic choice for sensitive or reactive skin.

I opted for Avène's Eau Thermale Very High Protection SPF 50 (£16.00), a facial SPF with a handy pump dispenser and a creamy texture. It's not the most lightweight facial SPF and, as you can see below, it is quite white and can leave a slight white cast to the skin. If you like to go foundation-free during the summer (which I do) then its good to use in place of your morning moisturiser, as I find that it offers enough moisturisation and leaves my skin proteteced from the sun. When I do wear this under makeup I can find that it sits a little heavily on my skin, and throughout the day my t-zone gets a little bit more oily than usual. However, if you have dry skin then this would probably be a great choice for you.

On days when my I want the same high protection but also need a little help with coverage, that's when I reach for La Roche Posay's Anthelios BB Ultra Comfort Cream with SPF 50* (£16.50). I really like the formulation, it's thicker than the Avene SPF with a more creamy consistency which makes it really easy to apply and blend the colour for a seamless finish. The only real downside is the colour; as you can see from the photo above, the colour of the BB cream isn't that fair. Against my skin it's only really suitable in the absolute height of summer when I've caught a bit of a tan, and even then I have to really blend this into my skin. It's worth the extra hard work though as it lasts really well thoughout the day - I still have to powder my nose and forehead but I'd have to do that with any base. 

For me, these two SPFs have gotten me through the summer. The only thing that I think is missing from my line-up is a very lightweight SPF that I could wear under a foundation. So if you have any recommendations then I'd love to hear them in the comments.

This post contains a PR sample - marked with an asterix (*)