This month always prompts a product switch-up for me. The colder months recede and May seems to usher in a reset. It can be as simple as replacing a few daily make-up bag staples with warmer tones and lighter textures that may have been lingering at the back of a drawer since last spring. Or you can go out and buy some new products to mark the countdown to summer. After all, most products don’t have a lifespan exceeding a couple of years before they expire, so it is definitely a good idea to rebuy products like SPF or serums if they’ve been lying around longer than that.
This week, for those of us who want to repurchase some beauty staples, I’ve gone on the hunt for great spring products under €20. Four of the five featured are under €14.
Every year when the weather starts to warm up, I buy Patchology Posh Peel Pedi Cure Intensive Foot Peel Treatment (€12.50, Brown Thomas). I take gleeful pride in having converted many friends to this exceptionally satisfying and effective – but thoroughly weird – product. You put the little foot bags on your feet for the recommended time, and for days nothing happens. Then, about 10 days’ later, an ecstasy of ick ensues. Your feet begin to painlessly peel like ears of corn. Lavish, papery fronds of dead skin will peel away, leaving baby-soft, sandal-ready feet behind. The process will horrify anyone who bears witness, but it’s most enjoyable when the peeling feet are your own.
Rather less exciting but even more of a daily staple, a lip balm is a year-round essential. I like something glossier and more light-reflective when the weather warms up. Biossance Squalane + Rose Vegan Lip Balm (€12, Space NK) is delectable – thick, long lasting, non-sticky and it really feeds thirsty lips rather than sitting inertly over them like a raincoat. It makes a great base for lipstick when applied a few minutes in advance.
Tan brand Bondi Sands recently launched a skincare range aimed at younger skin, and it has some lovely affordable offerings. If you’re building a skincare routine in your 20s, Bondi Babe Begin Again B3 Vitamin Serum (€14, mccauley.ie) is a smart buy with moisturising squalane and reinforcing niacinamide. You can use it morning or night and its light, wearable texture won’t interfere with make-up.
While a serum isn’t essential, SPF really is. It lasts two to three years, so if yours is older than that, it’s definitely worth replacing, not least because expired SPF, while much less effective, can also cause breakouts. Elave Sun SPF30 (€20, gardinerfamilyapothecary.com) is a great Irish option that is suitable on very sensitive skin, or skin prone to both dermatitis and eczema. It’s also oil-free, so it should work well if you struggle to find an SPF that won’t clog pores or cause a break-out.
Product of the Week
Glossier Lavender Balm Dot Com (€12, Glossier.com)
