La Roche-Posay anthelios anti-shine sun cream gel SPF50+
Buy now £13.50, Boots.com
Unlike the original anthelios fluid, this version is marketed as a “cream gel” – I would say that the term “gel” is a bit of a misnomer, but it certainly doesn’t have the slippery vibe of its sister formula. Instead it applies more like a mid-weight moisturiser, squirting out of its packaging in a blob that won’t immediately descend down the back of your hand.
This difference means that it does feel ever so slightly heavier on your skin than the fluid, but that goes part in parcel with the mattifying work it’s about to do. It glides on well and rubs in easily and evenly. At first you’ll get some diamond-like sparkles where it catches any fine facial hair, but this very quickly subsides and, on my caucasian skin at least, it appears to be colourless.
After 30 seconds or so I feel the mattifying effect is obvious. It gives my skin the same look as I get after applying a primer like Smashbox’s photo finish (£29.50, Smashbox.co.uk): this product is a completely different texture, but I reckon it provides the same matte look which also subtly blurs my largest pores.
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If you also have uneven, textured skin, boasting more than a few acne-based battle scars, I don’t want to suggest it covers or obscures these features in the way that make-up can. But for me, it does make a big enough change to how my skin looks that I feel more confident about leaving the house with a bare face. And the shine that normally descends on my face around 15 minutes after cleansing just doesn’t appear after using this product.
This confidence really comes into its own when exercising. When I’m going for a run or a bike ride, or even heading to the slopes while on a ski trip, the mattifying abilities of this SPF make me feel less naked, so I don’t feel the same need to apply concealer or foundation, which, let’s face it, is going to melt off anyway.
If you do want to wear make-up with it (which I do most days), then I’ve found that its texture is perfect for adding a splodge of foundation to. I mix the two products up on the back of my hand, to create my own version of a tinted SPF, and then apply with my fingertips. I find that this super speedy method evens out my skintone enough for a regular day, without flattening me out entirely.
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SPF wise? Well I’ve never got burned, that’s for sure, and like its anthelios sibling, the anti-shine cream gel meets EU standards for UVA and UVB protection.
The verdict: La Roche Posay anthelios anti-shine sun cream gel SPF50+For me, La Roche Posay’s anthelios anti-shine sun cream gel SPF50+ is the perfect product for my low-intervention daily routine (I cannot stress this enough: I’m incredibly lazy). I think it’s ideal for anyone who has oily skin and wants to keep shine under control, or for those who would get a confidence boost from its mattifying abilities. I particularly think it’s a game changer for anyone who can think of nothing worse than wearing make-up while exercising, but who also doesn’t have the skin confidence to greet the world bare-faced.
I don’t think I’ve ever stuck with a product as long as this one, and it’s a pleasure to be able to tell the world about it. Now – time to get outside.