Product Review: Sol De Janeiro, Posto Cool Coconut Water Cooling and Hydrating Mist (£17.00, 150ml)

Sol de Janeiro - straight from the Copacabana

I went to Notting Hill Carnival yesterday. For those who've not had the pleasure, Carnival is a street festival held in west London every August, which celebrates the best of Afro-Caribbean culture and tradition. It gets pretty wild. And yesterday, to top it all off, it was also sunny and HOT.

It therefore could not have been more perfect as the venue to try out my latest product - Brazilian brand Sol de Janeiro's Cool Coconut Water Cooling and Hydrating Mist!

At CARNIVAL

I've never used a cooling mist before, but I won't deny having taken a shine to this before I'd even removed the cap. The Copacabana vibe and predominantly Portuguese branding mean this product just looks like fun. And using it was pretty fun too.

To be clear at the outset, this is not a sun screen, and has no sun protection factor. So make sure you still slap on that lotion before heading outside! What it is designed to do is rehydrate and refresh your skin when it's feeling overheated and irritated from the sun. 

Sol de Janeiro have chosen coconut as their fragrance of choice. For those long days by the pool, on the beach or sipping cocktails in the rooftop bar, the light smell of coconut is instantly atmospheric (please take me to the pool now...). The ingredients are simple and do their job without leaving the skin feeling particularly sticky or shiny after spritz-ing. You're not going to get a perfectly matte finish, but I'm not sure I'd expect that from a product used in this sweaty context.

In terms of application, I was giving myself three to five sprays at a time from around 10cm away. Make sure you spray the product downwind, otherwise you will lose it in the breeze (or spray the person next to you by mistake. It happened).

My only beef is, I'm not sure I would want to pay £17.00 for it. It does feel a little expensive given the content. It sure is fun though!

Sol de Janeiro products are available online from Niven & Joshua if you'd like to check them out for yourself.