Syrene skincare -  A refreshing new skincare range inspired by the sea

This new range arrived at a tense moment.

I was just pulling the plug on my surprise birthday weekend in Cornwall.

When I say surprise, it was the kind of surprise you organise for yourself to manage your own expectations.

The sort of surprise that my husband would feel good about organising (because he’d soon forget he hadn’t).

I have been totally, completely, absolutely missing the sea during lockdown.

Thanks (no thanks) to lockdown part two the seaside birthday weekend is off.

And the Syrene range looks to be the closest I’ll get for a long time.

First Jacinda Ardern. And now this. Another fabulous thing to come out of New Zealand.

It looks beautiful— serene and indulgent; has a light and breezy fragrance and the textures are watery and wonderful. Great for oilier skins, and a welcome break for people like me with super-thirsty, dry skin who know they should be using rich and creamy textures but who prefer the refreshing feel of serums and gels.

The Aquagel Oil to Foam Cleanser (£22 for 30ml, £46 for 120ml) does what all good cleansers should do, cleans without stripping, and has a pretty good go at removing eye make-up too – if not on the first cleanse then certainly on the second.

My skin drinks up the Aqualight Moisture Gel (£23 for 30ml, £58 for 100ml) and is keen for second helpings.

After using the Gel my skin certainly looks and feels fresher than it did before.

The hero in the range is an Aqua Hydrating Masque (£70 for 100ml) which is pretty, pretty, pretty and more intense moisturiser than mask.

It’s great for dull, lockdown skin and doesn’t show up on Zoom so you can hydrate while you work.

The range was inspired by ‘Gift from the Sea’ a book by Anne Morrow-Lindbergh – an aviator and wife of an even more famous aviator.

Her political views were dubious, but her words on what it means to be a woman strike a chord. She writes about getting the balance right between giving and being replenished.

Replenishing is a fitting adjective for this range. A seaside holiday for my skin if not for me.

Syrene is available from https://www.harveynichols.com/ and https://www.libertylondon.com where they’re currently offering 20% off and free delivery.