Sunscreens Review: Avene SPF 50+ Body

I'm at a point where I've tried so many sunscreens in my life that I in fact have a hard time recalling all the brands. Today I thought I would share a few European brands (French specifically I believe) that are fairly popular and which I generally enjoyed. Note that I used these predominantly on my body rather than my face as they were labeled for this.

The one downside of many European sunscreen names is that they are pricey. They can easily be multiple times an equivalent (and in my belief better formulated) Korean sunscreen brand. That said, the upside is that you can easily walk into your neighborhood drugstore to pick them up, and they do have a luxurious packaging and brand vibe. 

Vichy Capital Ideal Soleil SPF 60

The first product I'll review is the Vichy Capital Ideal Soleil. This is the lotion version, although I also tried the spray on version (which I bought while I was traveling through Europe and used in my time there). 

The lotion is quite smooth and easy to spread. All the Capital Soleil products have a very pleasant scent, which is true for their spray and lotion. 

Eau Thermale Avene SPF 50+ Body

The second product I tried is the Avene SPF 50+ body. This spray is fairly thick (as you can see from the shot below), almost like a very thin lotion that you can smoothly spread easily over your body. I enjoyed using it, although I think it's since been discontinued. 

Overall I enjoyed using both but think they're overpriced and in this day and age you can find much better sunscreen brands.

Guerlain: Lingerie de Peau Invisible Skin Fusion Foundation

Back in 2015 I purchased my bottle of Guerlain Lingerie de Peau, which is still to date the most I've ever spent for a foundation. While high-end foundations (and skincare in general) is no longer my thing as I've since realized there are many high quality and more budget friendly options from Korean and other international brands, I figured I would post up my impressions of this in case anyone was debating whether to buy this.

I posted up a video with me trying out the foundation live, so feel free to watch to get a better feel of the consistency.

To start with, the packaging is quite typical of high end brands, in a transparent and hefty glass bottle. The price is certainly not for the budget seeker, as a 1 oz bottle runs for $63. That said, what always drew me to this foundation is the incredibly smooth and natural coverage it gives my skin, without causing flakes and other issues (which I too commonly experience with other foundations due to my dry skin.)

The reason I haven't reached for it as much as hoped (I mean I've had this now for 5 years, but just can't bear parting with given how much I paid...) is because of the relative lack of skincare benefits and SPF vs the many Korean alternative BB creams I have, which also give good coverage. It feels unnecessary as well for me to wear such a high coverage cream in my day to day, as while I want to impress people, I'd rather do it while wearing something that's better for my skin.

I've included the ingredients snapshot below - indeed, a lot of stuff in there featuring chemicals (as I find to be true with most classic Western brands) and also SPF 20 is quite insufficient for daily use. As an aside, if your tinted moisturizer or foundation contains greater than SPF 30, you can usually use your FSA funds towards its purchase, as it qualifies for SPF benefits (at least for me that's been the case). Thus, it's always a shame when foundations shirk us with not only less protection but remove that option (and especially when they're as pricey as this one!)

That being said, the finish is undeniably beautiful. The consistency of the product is fairly runny, enabling an even application, and it never feels drying on my skin unless I've worn for the whole day (in which case, I do sometimes see some cracking). It's not the most moisturizing though, and I find my skin generally reacts better to hydrating BB creams and such. 

I keep this product sealed up in my fridge for now, which I hope will help it preserve its efficacy and strength. My recommendation for you? The landscape of face creams / foundations is so broad now, so venture out beyond the big names. It's a good foundation, but if I could go back in time I would not repurchase, as you could get 2-3 other great options for this price. 

 

A New Perfume Love: Jurlique Essence of Rose

I've never been a big fan of roller ball perfumes. First of all, I rarely spray perfumes directly onto my skin, as the primary ingredient is alcohol which tends to be very drying. I suffer from dry skin, and have always thought it rather skin-damaging to be putting alcohol on tender points such as the wrist and nape of neck on a regular basis.

Which is why I was immediately intrigued by the Jurlique perfume rollers. I overheard the sales associate telling one of her customers that this was alcohol-free, and that it features a rich shea butter base. I went to try it, and as rose is one of my favorite scents ever, had to smell it. Although it may be oil-based, the perfume doesn't feel all that different from a normal roller-ball. Certainly it's less drying, but it's not greasy and absorbs quickly, leaving a depth of scent in its wake. See below for the back of the package, including the product ingredients.



I would even venture to say this is one of the loveliest rose tones I've sniffed yet. Many I've encountered over the years are either too sickly sweet (e.g., The Body Shop's Moroccan Rose) or almost too fresh (Jo Malone's Red Roses, which I still do love). For reference, I'm a big fan of the Chloe Roses perfume. Jurlique's is I feel a nice balance, with a richness and complexity that makes it smell more like a true bouquet of roses rather than a cheap imitation.

If any of you are looking to try a new perfume out, I highly recommend this. Jurlique was running a sale when I went, so I managed to snag this bottle for 40% off. A nice little addition to my perfume collection.

Tarte: Skinny smolderEYES Liner Review

This summer, I was on a quest to find the perfect eyeliner. One that had natural ingredients (important since it sits on such a delicate area of skin), applied easily without tugging, easy to remove, and wouldn't smudge. Unfortunately, this product from Tarte, which was a recommendation from a Sephora staff member, only met my first two criteria.

This liner comes with a smudging sponge on one end. It's a pencil liner, and I got it in the traditional black color Onyx.

 

In terms of ingredients, I was fairly pleased that it was made free of parabens, mineral oil, and phthalates. I also liked that it glided on easily, making for smooth application, and you could also smoke it out with the sponge.



My main issue was with the difficulty in removing this product. I get that Amazonian clay is branded as a long-lasting product, but honestly I felt like I was almost tugging my eyelids off every time I tried to remove it at the end of the day. Even with designated makeup remover and multiple face washes (including my trusty Kiehl's calendula cleanser) I would be left with smudges of black under and around my eye. Maybe something like Bioderma would have been better, but I never tried it, and frankly I doubt even that would have been enough.

Worse yet, since it's a pencil liner it would smudge by the end of the day, making it impossible to get that perfect smooth line to stay. At a price of almost $20 each, I didn't feel like it was justified. I have since returned it to Sephora.

If any of you have suggestions on good eyeliners, please let me know and I look forward to finding a better product to fit my needs.

Ciate Serendipity: Holiday Manicure

Serendipity is a limited edition color that came out in last year's mini mani set. This is actually the first time I've tried it, as I've been waiting for the holidays to come back around before breaking it out. It's a pink glitter polish with surprising staying power, though it took me about 3 coats to get it to the above opaque level.

While I'm not usually a huge fan of glitter (a bit ostentatious for most daily wear) I'm really liking this, which feels festive without being overbearing. This is probably because it's a darker shade of pink, which glitters subtly in most lighting. I've caught myself staring at my nails multiple times even when I'm just typing. 

What are some of your favorite holiday polishes?

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm

Back in February, I ordered a bottle of the very-hyped Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm from feelunique.com. The product has me mixed, and the shipping was honestly horrible - it took over a month for this to get to me, and for some reason my box didn't come with a muslin cloth. Not sure if this is some cheaper packaging or whatever, but disappointing.

I've been using the product regularly, and while there are some aspects I find very pleasant about it, there's other qualities I don't like, and overall I don't think I'll be repurchasing considering the high price tag and difficult accessibility.



The aspects I do like are the scent, which is a nice and light herbal, the all-natural ingredients, and the nourishing, non-drying nature of the balm. This is far, far better than the only other cleansing balm I've tried, The Body Shop Camomile one. It leaves my skin feeling moisturized and gently cleansed.

However, what I don't like is that it's frankly horrible at removing make-up, leaving obvious patches of foundation and smears of eyeliner on if you use this alone. I've also decided that I'm not a fan of the cleansing balm texture. Personally, I find it potentially damaging in the long-term to have to massage and pull at your face so much when you wash it, which is unfortunately necessary with this product. You have to work it in, and similarly have to go at it to get it off. My philosophy is that such repeated aggressive action will destroy elasticity and loosen up the skin, which is definitely not what I want.

For now, I'll be sticking with my Kiehl's Calendula face wash.

Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom & Honey Cologne Review

This was very much a splurge for me, and one I had wanted for literally years. Even with a 10% discount from Neiman Marcus this was still $54 for a one-ounce bottle, which is pretty excessive considering I'd previously never spent more than about $15 for a perfume. Jo Malone is just one of those brands that everyone touts, and I had sampled it in-store a couple times.

Unfortunately, I can't say I would repurchase this, as for some reason this scent doesn't smell nearly as good as I remembered it being when I first tried it. I recall it being heavenly sweet and fruity, but when I spray mine, there's this weird "fresh" undertone that I don't remember being there before, not to mention it isn't nearly as sweet as I recall. I do find it wearable, but I'm not in love with it, and part of me regrets not picking up the Red Roses scent instead.

My lesson learned here is that unfortunately few products are able to withstand personal expectations, even when you've tried them on a couple times. Maybe this bottle got shaken around too much, and I'll have to compare next time I'm in the store, but I think I'd rather just stock up on Victoria's Secret body mists for a fraction of the price.

Goldfaden MD Sun Visor SPF 30: Review

As mentioned, I'm normally a drugstore sunblock fan due to the much more attractive price point, but I decided to splurge on the Goldfaden MD Sun Visor after watching a tutorial that purportedly showed how easy it was to spray and go with this product. To be honest, even after months of use, I have no idea how that particular person was able to use it so easily. It beats regular sunblock, but it still is far from an effort-free product, and brings other concerns that keep me at bay.

My first major concern with this product is its use of microionized titanium dioxide, which has been cited as a potential risk upon inhalation. Spraying it directly on the face not only heightens the risk of directly breathing it in, but in my experience also often led to some of the product going into the eye (even with your eyes closed). I had white particles accumulate around my eye shortly after I used this.

However, it isn't gloopy like most sunscreens. This is good and bad, because good news is it spreads easily - I usually spray a bit into my hand and then massage it into my face. I do find it doesn't seem to stay as well on my skin, as it starts running off immediately when I spray a bit of water on. I also don't think it's as effective as my traditional formula sunscreens.

I purchased from the SkinStore, and got the below samples with my order. I think the price was about $35/bottle with discount, so still a fairly pricey bottle. At this point I won't be repurchasing, because I think there's better alternatives.

Kiehl's Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash

I've mentioned before that I've been on the hunt for a one-stop makeup remover that will easily and quickly get off all my makeup at night. Unfortunately, my Emma Hardie balm just hasn't been cutting it (requires far too much rubbing to remove eye makeup), so I swung into Kiehl's after seeing the signs for their new face wash.

Although I have dry skin, the sales associate assured me that this product would work. I like that it's simple to use, you literally just pump out some of the clear fluid and lather it up on your face. 

The product itself is clear and with a very light herbal fragrance, and works up into a light lather that isn't drying (though you will need to moisturize well afterwards). I've been using it now all summer, and I will say it's by far the most effective product I've tried yet. Unfortunately, it still requires a bit of work to remove eyeliner, but for non-waterproof mascara and eyeshadow it does wonders - a few smears and it comes off.

Overall I'm very pleased with the product, and as a bonus the Kiehl's associate was super sweet and threw in samples for their creamy avocado eye cream and midnight recovery oil. I recommend this if you're also on the hunt for an effective, all-in-one makeup remover.

My Drugstore Sunscreen Picks

I've certainly splurged on very pricey sunscreens before (I'll be posting a review of one of them shortly), but to be honest have rarely found them to be worth it. In fact, branded, expensive sunscreens are just as likely to contain the "Avoid" ingredients as drugstore ones and the performance gap just isn't enough to warrant the high price tag. 

Here are three of my drugstore sunscreen picks that you can get for under $10. You can zoom in on the ingredients list in the photo below and see that all three pass the "Avoid" test.  

Aveeno Natural Protection: This one leaves the most obvious white cast, so for that reason it's my least favorite of the bunch. It's fine for the body, but I would keep it far away from the face and neck - I once put it on and despite blending it as best as possible, I had people commenting on what the white stuff on my face was. Yikes. However, the texture is quite smooth and less goopy than some of the others, making it easier to spread out than a couple of the others.

I will warn you to watch out against the other products in the Aveeno sunscreen line. They have a Protect and Hydrate SPF 70 version with very similar packaging, but that's a chemical sunscreen with Oxybenzone. Stick to this Natural Protection version if you're doing this brand.

Banana Boat Kids (Yellow Tube): This is my favorite. It's also conveniently the cheapest of the three, costly less for 8oz than the others for only 3 or 4oz. You'll note that I have two kids choices up here, because it seems manufacturers are at least becoming aware of the importance of keeping harmful chemicals off kids skins. But don't be deterred, because these work perfectly fine for adults too!

This one is a nice medium between the other two. It's fairly easy to spread and does not leave a white cast when blended out. I use it on my face and body.

Banana Boat Kids Natural Reflect (Green Tube): To be honest I'm not sure what the major difference between this and the yellow tube are, especially as this costs over twice as much per oz. It is a significantly thicker texture though, so maybe it has a higher coverage (I noted the Titanium Dixoide is 3.6% versus 3.1% for the yellow tube)? Anyways, as much as I like this product, I really don't like the thick formulation. This one is literally impossible to rub in - you have to aggressively pat it onto the skin because it's so thick.

However, unlike the Aveeno one, once you pat this in it all but disappears, leaving a flattering glow to the skin. In fact, that's what I kind of like about mineral sunscreens - they make the skin appear luminous after. Just make sure to powder, or else your face will be too shiny.

As always, make sure to apply sunscreen often, and keep protected!

All About Sun Protection - Why It's important, What Ingredients to Avoid, and Application Advice

With summer now well underway, here's a summary of my knowledge on sun protection. I'm not a professional, but I have read up extensively on the topic.

Why use sunscreen?

Most people don't realize that the sun is associated with as much as 90% of wrinkles and skin aging. Even worse, the effects of sun damage may not show up for 20 years, so what may seem like harmless tanning or Vitamin D-getting now can wreck havoc on your skin later on. 

Additionally, UV penetrates the clouds year-round, so whether you live in gray Seattle or the sunny equator, be sure to apply any time you'll be outside, rain or shine!

General: There are two types of sunscreens:

·        Physical: Use minerals Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide to physically block sun. May leave a white cast on the face with flash photography, but generally safer to use.

·        Chemical: Uses chemicals that absorb UV rays (e.g. Oxybenzone).

Avoid:

·    Oxybenzone: Active ingredient in most chemical sunscreens, a hormone disrupter that may be absorbed into the skin

·    Retinyl Palmitate: A form of Vitamin A that can increase risk of skin cancer when the used on sun-exposed skin

·    SPFs over 50: Generally not shown to be effective, and may even cause more exposure to UV radiation

·    Parabens: Preservatives included under inactive ingredients

Make sure to:

• Reapply at least every 2 hours because the sun breaks down the sunscreen
• Find a “broad spectrum” sunblock that covers UVA and UVB. UVA causes wrinkles, UVB causes burns. Some sunscreens only protect against UVB so make sure to be aware of this.
• For spray sunscreens, make sure to not inhale while spraying (or spray on hand and then rub onto face). Also make sure to spray a couple times to ensure even coverage.
• Apply if you're sitting in front of a window or driving in a sunny car! Glass only blocks UVB, but not UVA rays, so keep your skin shielded.
• Wear wide-brimmed hats whenever possible - they're not only a fashion statement, but also offer valuable protection. Try to get a hat with tightly weaved straw so that the sun isn't able to get through. For the winter, look for stylish black wool options.
• Pat, don't rub, sunscreens into your face. You don't want to tug mercilessly on your face and cause wrinkles!

Stay tuned for a list of the specific sunscreens I use!

Links to read more:

http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/16/health/sunscreen-report/

http://foodbabe.com/2013/05/05/what-you-need-to-know-before-you-ever-buy-sunscreen-again/

Check the list of the safest sunscreens here: http://www.ewg.org/2013sunscreen/about-the-sunscreens/

Bite Beauty: Agave Lip Mask and Rhubarb Lip Crayon

Update: I have to say the packaging for this brand is HORRIBLE. This is after about six months of use and throwing the items in my purse, but the gray paint on both the metal tube and the lid of the lip gloss are peeling like crazy - they leave little gray bits around everywhere. The metal tube is also proving to be very difficult to squeeze now that it's no longer completely full. Products themselves are good, but when every application leaves you with gray clingy stuff all over your hands / lips it makes it far less appealing.

Forget the Bath and Body Works lip balms I reviewed earlier. Bite's Agave Lip Mask is about 1000000x better, and is literally a miracle treatment for my constantly chapped lips. I cannot go without this stuff anymore, it's that amazing.

The lip mask is made with Lanolin and smells mildly like vanilla. It's a pale yellow cream with a very sticky texture, but goes on smoothly like a balm. 

Most people probably use it as what it's intended to be, a mask, but for me I treat it like a daily chapstick and reapply multiple times a day, whenever I feel my lips starting to tighten. While other balms leave my lips feeling peelly and horrible less than an hour later, this will last for several hours if I don't eat or drink. 

Moving on, I've also tried one of their matte creme lip crayons in Rhubarb. I was afraid the color would be too dark, but it applies so lightly and is surprisingly flattering. 

It's also very moisturizing, although it's definitely no where near the level of the lip mask. I usually put the lip mask on first, then apply a layer of this. I like that there's not much need to sheer it out, unlike with the Rimmel lip glosses. 

On the lips the color is much more subtle than in the swatch above. My only issue with it is that the color rubs off very easily and thus doesn't last long. But the creamy formulation makes it very easy to apply.

Overall, I'm very impressed with Bite, and believe their products are worth the hype. The items are a bit pricey though, with the lip mask retailing at $26 and the crayon at $24. However, they are supposedly handcrafted and contain all sorts of good-for-you ingredients like Manuka honey and resveratrol, so that at least makes me feel less bad about the splurge.

Rimmel: Show Off Lip Laquers

These were quite the hit online a few months ago, and I admit to getting suckered in to the hype. My verdict? Definitely not the best lip glosses I've ever tried given the thick, hard-to-spread formulation, but at least the color payoff is solid.

Left to right: Aurora, Celestial, Luna

My main problem with the product is the formulation. It is ridiculously thick and difficult to smooth onto the lips. When you first apply it with the wand, the product just sits in a sticky clump. I have yet to figure out how you can spread it out with the wand, because it quickly turns into a big mess that leaves way too much pigment on your lips (seriously, you'll look like a clown if you don't sheer this out, especially with Luna).

Colors when blended out - Aurora, Celestial, Luna

Instead what I do is rub it with my fingers or with a clean wand to spread it out. The image above is after I rubbed over the initial color spots with my fingers. Still far too pigmented for my liking, and generally it takes quite a bit of work to even it out. What's worse is if you're not careful, the color will easily smear outside of your lips. This is NOT a blindly-apply type of gloss - you better be glued to the mirror when you're putting this on, or risk splotchy, bright orange lips (a lesson I learned the hard way).

The wand is designed with a hole on one side, I guess to drop off more color. I have no idea who in the world would want that much on one application - that's just asking for colored teeth and messy smears in random places. What I end up doing is dabbing a single spot in the center of my bottom lip, then blending out with my finger to the rest of my lip. Good news is this will last forever.

The three colors I purchased are Aurora, a nice, reddish pink, Celestial, a baby-doll pink, and Luna, which becomes a lovely nude once sheered out. This product is not a stain, so even though it'll be quite pigmented when you first put it on, I find the color quickly goes away upon eating / drinking. The smell and taste is a bit tangy and sweet, which I personally quite like.

I got these for half off the retail price, so about $2.80 each from Walgreens during their 50% off Rimmel sale. I wouldn't recommend paying anymore than that, because I think there's far better formulations out there. Unless you like the look of super sticky, scary-bright lips, I'd recommend staying away from this.

Victoria's Secret Body Mists

I went a little overboard during the buy 3 for $25 special at VS, and picked up three of their body mists, in Pure Seduction Bloom, Lemon Escape, and Mango Temptation. To be honest I've never used VS body mists before, but I was hooked after smelling the Pure Seduction Bloom. As you might be able to tell, I'm a big fan of sweet, fruity scents.

Pure Seduction Bloom

This is the one that instigated the whole purchase. From an aesthetics standpoint, I love the design of the bottle with the golden flower as well as the corally shade of the liquid inside. So gorgeous. It's a very sweet, blend of floral and fruity scent. Perfect for spring/summer. My only problem with it is that the lasting power is very weak - I can't smell it more than a couple hours after I spray.

Lemon Escape

Confession - I returned this after the first use. This was sweet to the point of almost sickening. Pro is it lasted absolute hours. It smells like coconut lemon candy cake, and literally the whole morning after I sprayed it I thought someone was cooking sweets. It's ok, but for me it was too distracting.

Mango Temptation

This one lasts longer than the Pure Seduction, and has a very nice mango scent that isn't too sweet. It's probably my most go-to scent of the ones I picked up, because it lasts long enough to matter and the mango is quite pleasant.

Citrus Dream

I ended up exchanging the Lemon for this, which is a much more tangy, citrusy scent. The lasting power is probably the worst of them all though. It's about what it sounds like - citrus with floral notes, not too sweet despite the description.

Note that VS has done $5 fragrance mist specials (as they did after I picked these up sadly), so keep your eyes peeled and wait for a good deal. I personally am not sure I'd repurchase, because the scents really don't last long enough to make it a good investment. But they are pleasant and fairly affordable, and supposedly contain aloe / other skin ingredients although I usually just spray it on my clothes.