The Best Sunscreens from Boots

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hihi all, I hope all is well. Spring is fully here and we are finally getting some sun in the UK! I know for a lot of people, the spring summer season is when their SPF is finally out so I’m here with a post with my tried and test sunscreens from Boots to help you out.

We should be wearing SPF every day of the year even in the winter and reapplying especially when the sun is out and we are out and about. I think the key to ensuring you wear your SPF as frequently as possible is to find one you like. I have tried a lot of SPFs and here are some of my tips to finding one you will like

  • Find a white cast FREE/ invisible option
  • A lightweight sunscreen that layers well with your other beauty products
  • Suitable for your budget
  • Suits your skintype
  • Easily accessible

If you are able to tick all 5 boxes, then I am confident you will find something you will like that wont be a chore to use. If you are looking for a starting point, my sunscreen recs are below. I have tried each of them and have video links either here or on my Insta darkskin highlight, instagram- sarahfynn. These sunscreens, can be purchased from Boots, Superdrug, LookFantasic or even ASOS so they are very easy to find.

Facial Sunscreens

Garnier Ambre Solaire SPF 50+ Sensitive Advanced Face & Body Serum £15– I have tried many of Garnier’s sunscreens, but I keep coming back to this one. It is hydrating and leaves a dewy finish but it doesnt feel greasy or heavy on the skin. This one can also be used on the body and comes in a massive 125ml tube. Its suitable for all skintypes but if you have really oily skin, you will prefer the Garnier UV Anti Dark Spots & Anti Pollution Face Fluid SPF50+ £13 which is a dupe of the La Roche Posay Shaka fluid

Boots No7 SPF 50

No 7 Future Renew Damage Protection Defence Shield Spf50 £24.95 – this is the latest one I tried. I got this for holiday and let me tell you it was love at first use! The lightweight watery lotion sinks into the skin very easily, It feels hydrating & lightweight with 0 cast. It layers so well on top of each other, I layered this many many times in the day whilst on holiday and it did not pill, not once! It works so well under makeup too. I have to admit I went looking for another SPF to buy but the sales lady said it was £10 off and I was able to test it, it also helped that it was a black lady who said the SPF was also invisible on her. I purchased it and the rest is history

Bondi Sands Face SPF50 £7.99 – Bondi Sands is an Aussie brand where SPF is taken very very serious so I tend to trust them. Bondi Sands is a fav. of mine. I have used both the ‘face’ and ‘body’ sunscreens on my face and I love them both however the body SPF on the face feels slightly heavy. This is a very dewy finish SPF so if that is not your cup of tea, please stay away from these lol

La Roche Posay Shaka Fluid SPF50 £20– one of the OG SPFs out there, shaka fluid is a semi matte finish with great SPF filters. La Roche Posay is an amazing French pharmacy skincare brand, well known for their sensitive skin products

For body SPF, there is only 1 for me and that is the Nivea Dry Protection SPF 50 mist, £12. Its a cooling SPF so it feels so great when applying in the heat its really cold tho lol. The finish of this is very dewy so if thats not your thing, you can use the Garnier or the Bondi sands mentioned above for your body.

How to remove SPF effectively

After a day of multiple SPF reapplications( btw I will do another post of easy SPF reapplication products!), I like to triple cleanse to ensure every last bit of SPF, dirt, oils is off. I use whatever balm cleanser I’m using at the time( post on this soon) twice, emulsifying well & removing with my wash cloth then finishing off with my gel cleanser. This can dry out the skin a bit depending on the cleansers I am using but I always go in well hydrating products in my pm routine so I dont have any issues after.

I hope this post is helpful if you are looking for a new SPF to try. Please check out my insta for video reviews on the SPFs mentioned. Catch you later

Why I decided to get a Texture Release

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hihi everyone I hope all is well. After many months of researching about texture releases, I finally got mine done at Maison Style by Andree! Like a few days ago lool

So why did I decide to get a texture release? This year, I really want to unlock my hair’s potential. I’ve been natural for the last 13 years and in the last 2-3 years my hair has taken a back (backkk) seat, I did more braids than usual and wore wigs more often, treating my hair once in a while. At the end of last year, I realized the state of my hair wasn’t great, so I made a decision to put in more effort this year. Lots of previous posts on this. Start here

I decided to wear my own hair out more this year so I could learn more about it and treat it more frequently and this is where TRs comes in. I prefer to wear my hair in a stretched state and I would also like to use heat more on my hair and a texture release (TR) will help with me with manageability. In the last 13 years, I haven’t tried anything new with my hair, not even a silk press girl, so a TR will be a new thing to try.

What is a Texture Release?

According to Avlon, the manufacturers of the system, it is a heat activated Smoothing System that features Amino Acids and Conditioning Agents that crosslink deep into the hair fibers to enable styling versatility. There are no at home kits in the UK, it can only be done professionally.

  • It is not a relaxer
  • It is not a keratin treatment
  • It is not permanent
  • It is not synonymous with heat damage but can lead to it if not done properly
  • It is smoothing treatment activated by heat
  • The ‘active ingredients’ are amino acids and glyoxylic acid
  • It is semi permanent- it will wash out between 10 to 12 washes but a lot of people say it lasts much longer

My Experience

I got mine done at Maison Style by Andree. I chose her because I felt like she had the most knowledge on the system based on all her videos I have watched and I learnt a lot from her Q&As too. I felt comfortable with my decision to go there. I decided to get the TR done back in December however because the state of my hair wasn’t great, I gave myself enough time to improve my hair’s state so April/May was the D-day! To prep my hair for this, I focused on my moisture/protein balance, got a trim and stuck to a good hair routine. It paid off because my hair felt great before the TR and afterwards too. Whilst shampooing my hair, the lady commented on how hydrated my hair felt! I felt so proud, she said my hair was in good condition. My TR came with a trim and Andree also commented that I didn’t actually have a lot of split ends, I just needed a quick dusting. I am so happy that all the hard work and extra effort I put into my hair over the last few months has paid off and it encourages me to keep going. My length is back to where I cut it last March and I’m still pushing for waist length hair!

Im working on a full review on the salon and I will write more about my texture release experience- stay tuned!

Follow up

I plan to write a few aftercare TR blog posts because I found it difficult to see a lot of videos on this. I watched a few 1st wash days after TR but nothing after that. I will do a 3 & 6 monthly post TR check in as well as ongoing stuff I notice about the change- I really hope you find this helpful. I also didnt see a lot of videos on fine 4c hair with a TR so Im hoping this is also helpful to someone!

That’s all for now. Are you planning any big hair changes? Let me know in the comments below!