Beauty: facial sunblocks

http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2014/may/17/facial-sunblocks-sali-hughes-beauty

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Iam asked about facial sunblocks so often, I believe they're most women's beauty bugbear. Inevitably, this reaches critical mass in spring, when it's time to up the ante from our usual SPF15 and seek out a sunblock that isn't a nuisance.

The fear seems to be of breakouts (chemical sunscreens irritate some), chalkiness (non-chemicals can turn you a sickly shade of Parma Violet), gunkiness (possibly not a word, but the dissatisfied will understand) and expense. And good facial sunscreens can be pricey.

Clinique (a specialist in suncare) is one of the few brands providing excellent makeup- and skin-friendly SPFs at a fair (if not cheap) price. City Block (£17) circumvents the usual pitfalls of high protection and invisibly gets on with the job. At £55, Zelens Daily Defence SPF30 is insane money, but it would be dishonest of me to ignore it, because it may just be the perfect sunblock: light, non-greasy, gentle. But you needn't go broke. I'm very impressed with La Roche-Posay's Anthelios XL range. With a broad spectrum SPF50, the Comfort Cream (£10.87) is softening on dry skins, while the Dry Touch Gel Cream (£12.37) agrees with oilier types.

Sali loves… gel-effect nail polish

Models Own HyperGel, £5, modelsownit.comThese ape the appearance (though not the longevity) of a salon gel manicure – plump, shiny and vibrant – only without having to file the surface of your nails first. Watermelon, a cheerful and vivid, pinky red, is my favourite shade.

Barry M Gelly Nail Paint, £3.99, barrym.comThe colour range here is characteristically fantastic: Blood Orange, Watermelon (green, not pink) and Plum are my favourites. And it gives a super-shiny (if not especially long-lasting) finish.

Binky London Gel Colours, £4.95, escentual.comI'm horrified to be recommending a product born from Made In Chelsea, but these are really good. Thanks to a wide brush, they go on extremely easily and give a high-shine gel effect. The colour range is limited but good.

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