Aisling’s Picks: Korean-influenced essence, sun protection for hair

L’OrealColour Riche La Palette Nude Rose (€19.99)

Small, compact shadow palettes (there is also a Nude Beige version), each containing a mixture of ten matte, shimmer and iridescent shades designed to blend together and ensure that a subtle smoky eye can be simply achieved.

A perfect handbag size too.

Darphin Soleil Plaisir SPF30 and SPF50 (€40.99)

This is not just any old facial sunscreen; it smells and feels wonderful due to the ingredients it contains which hydrate (hyaluronic acid and plant oils) plus vitamin E.

Meanwhile the broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection protects against sun damage.

REN Moroccan Rose Gold Glow Perfect Dry Oil (€28)

A pure bit of indulgence here.

Use after showering to impart a gleam to your skin as not only do dry oils provide hydration, they are not greasy and mean you can get dressed straight away.

Spriz this oil through your hair too, it will refresh dry ends without weighing them down.

Garnier Summer Body Sun Kissed Look (€3.49)

Remember the days when we all went crazy for Johnson’s Holiday Skin and stripped the shelves of it like frenzied locusts in a total frenzy?

Well this body lotion works along the same lines, with the important difference being that it smells a lot nicer and ensures that getting a subtle glow is possible without resorting to the hassle/potential disaster of full-on at home fake tan application.

Bioderma Photoderm Bronz SPF50 (€22)

I love oil based sunscreen like this one. Not only does it provide high factor protection it is a cinch to rub in, leaves skin feeling moisturised and there is no chance of ghost face or body.

As an added bonus this spray is fine enough to use to protect your hair from the sun - which is particularly good if you are trying to protect your hair from colour fade, or for anyone with alopecia or bald patches, as your scalp will be protected too.

Aisling Loves . . . Kiehl's Iris Extract Activating Treatment Essence (€40)

Essence (a sort of watery serum/liquid toner hybrid) is considered the most important step in a Korean woman’s skincare regime and we are gradually seeing this influence creep into Western brands.

If you have noticed that your skin is not as smooth as it used to be, this Kiehl’s essence will very gently exfoliate and hydrate it. The testing for this product was carried out in Korea and they have given it a resounding thumbs up.

A word to the wise; use essence after cleansing and before serum.