Most of these are also available in the UK at a slightly higher price, and they’re all worth the effort. If you are travelling to the US make sure you have some space in your bag to bring them back….
Neutrogena Compact Foundation SPF 55 Through the summer months wherever you are this is an invaluable addition to your makeup collection and the only foundation I’ve found that gives this much protection – not only that but it offers very good coverage as well. You can find it at Amazon in the UK. It’s much less expensive if you visit one of the many major pharmacies in the US such as CVS or Walgreens.This is perfect if you like to wear a little foundation and don’t want the shiny or white complexion that a high factor can give you. Having said that, I would never use this as sunscreen if you’re seriously tempted to go sunbathing. But for every day out and about it’s excellent.
Another Neutrogena find is their new Shine Control Powder. Again you’ll find this at any major drugstore/pharmacy and it’s well worth buying, as it’s so much less expensive than the major brand versions. It does what it says on the tin and keeps shine at bay. Use it for touch ups on the go as well. You can also buy it via Amazon in the UK if you’re not travelling soon.
Cle de Peau Beaute Concealer. This high end brand doesn’t seem to have made it to the UK yet which is surprising as it’s so popular here in the US. The concealer is one of the best I’ve found (and I’ve tried many). It’s also luxuriously packaged and small enough to take with you anywhere. You can find it in Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus stores – and online – in the US and also order from Cosmetics Now for delivery to the UK.
Physicians Formula is one of those brands you don’t know you’ve missed until you discover it,
then you won’t want to be without it. A particular case in point is their glow boosting bronzer. This you’ll find in Light/Medium and Medium/Dark and it has an SPF of 20 as well, although I wouldn’t expect it to give you serious sun protection so don’t just rely on this. However, for a sun kissed glow you’ll be hard put to find a better bronzer. Again available in most big drugstores in the US and reasonably priced as well at iHerb.
My absolute favourite body wash/shower gel is by a brand called Thymes, and is very hard to find in the UK. Thymes Kimono Rose has a gorgeous subtle rose scent. I always bring this one back with me. You can order it from Amazon.com to be shipped internationally or pick it up at one of their many stockists when you’re over here. Other delicious fragrances – which come in hand wash and body lotions as well – are Rosewood Citron and Lavender.Fortnum and Mason stock Thymes in one fragrance only for the moment, Goldleaf, with a subtle floral scent. Hopefully they’ll be offering more soon. You can also find the Thymes range at The Beauty Bar who will ship to the UK.
Burts Bees Fragrance Free Body Lotion rivals so many of the more expensive brands for texture and effectiveness at a much lower price. I like most of their products but this is my all time favourite. Thankfully you’ll not only find it everywhere in the US but also on the Look Fantastic website.
As a brand Burts Bees is growing like topsy, with excellent face wipes, the famous lip balm and hand and foot care. Browse the full range at Look Fantastic here.
Olay Regenerist Cleansing Microexfoliating Wipes are the best I’ve found anywhere, and I have tried
many other brands, but no others cleanse your face as well nor leaves it feeling so fresh. The annoying thing here is that you can buy them in the UK for a hugely inflated price but not with the Regenerist range in general. So order yours from Amazon.com. The price is not that more than the UK and you can buy them three packs at a time. You may think there are so many good face wipes on the market but give these a try and you won’t look back. Available in all major US drugstores/pharmacys as well as Target.
Bath and Body Works hasn’t yet made it to the UK side of the pond which is a pity. You’ll find a Bath and Body Works store in every single US shopping mall offering a huge range of well priced products with delicious fragrances. Two of my favourites are their Spa Foot Scrub which has a lovely soft fragrance and is extremely effective (and you can have it shipped to you via Amazon.com. If you’re in the US visit one of their stores and pick up a couple of tubes of their sugar body scrub. Japanese Cherry Blossom is the all time favourite. If you’re in the UK you’ll find a huge range of Bath and Body Works products at reasonable prices at Ebay. Make sure before you order that the price is no more than you would pay in the US and if possible that shipping is free. There are lots of products to be found there. May they arrive in the UK soon, please.
Finally on to the all important sunscreen. Coola Suncare is a US brand I discovered on a trip to California last year. Beautifully textured, some are softly scented with the range including tinted face sunscreen, baby care and after sun - just the packaging alone makes you want to invest…. You’ll find it at Sephora in the US (but be warned they won’t ship to the UK), at Nordstrom online and thankfully at Birchbox in the UK.Selfridges carried it last year but only have the SPF 30 body cream at the moment.
