Sunscreen Rotation Summer 2016

I have spent a ton of time this summer testing out various sunscreens and items with sun protection in them. Now that I am in my 30's, I know one of the things that ages skin the most is the sun, so I always wear sunscreen (totally different from the massive amount of time I spent as a teenager in Florida tanning myself with Banana Boat SPF 4 tanning oil or, worse, baby oil).  For this post, I am rounding up a few sunscreens that have worked really well for me on various parts of my face.

Personally, my eyes have been a really overlooked area of sun protection. That is mostly because sunscreens tend to burn my skin when placed anywhere in the orbital area. Supergoop has resolved that issue for me by making an eye cream that is made with sun protection in it. I like that the SPF level in the cream is higher at SPF 37, as I am now using retinol on a regular basis to try to mitigate the fine lines in the area and need an SPF of at least 30. I find that this does not cause any type of stinging sensation, absorbs really well, is hydrating, and makeup layers over it nicely.

The Tatcha Silken Pore Perfecting Sunscreen contains an SPF 35 and is also meant to act like a blurring primer for makeup. It actually does do a nice job of minimizing pores for me and I like that it leaves the skin with a silky feel. One thing I do note is that if you do not let the product absorb fully, it can sometimes pill a bit. I usually let it set for about 3-5 minutes and that seems to do the trick. Once it sets, the finish is pretty flawless. I also like that this does not leave any type of white cast to my skin, even though it is an opaque cream color.

The Neutrogena Ultra Sheer liquid is something that I have repurchased a few times for various vacations. It has a runny consistency and you have to make sure you shake the product very well before applying. I use this mostly when I know I will be in the sun for outdoor activities. I have noted that this does tend to make makeup break down faster, so it is usually best when used on its own. I am also a fan of the Neutrogena breakout free sunscreens for days at the beach/pool.

The it Cosmetics CC cream is something that I have seen a lot of great reviews about. I do like that it is a sunscreen/color combo product that contains a high SPF of 50, but think that it is better suited for people with normal to dry skin. I can only use this on days when my skin is more dry. On days that I am leaning more oily, it is too moisturizing. If you have an oily skin type, this will be too much for you. It is nice to have a higher SPF rolled into a color product for days when I am not in the sun very much and this fits the bill for me.

Laura Mercier makes my favorite foundation primers and I currently rotate 3 of them - Original, Radiance, and Protect. Protect is great because it functions exactly like the original primer does, but has the added bonus of SPF 30.  The primer does a nice job of hydrating the drier areas of my face, but does not make me turn oily at all. I find that the Protect primer helps to make my foundation last much longer without any type of breakdown in my t-zone.

I reviewed the Supergoop Setting Mist more in depth here when I was discussing some of my favorite setting sprays. I will say that it is still the best option I have found for an SPF product that can be applied over makeup as a touch up. If you have a better one, please let me know in the comments, as it is not a perfect option.

Lips are also an area that I have overlooked as far as sun protection. I love the Fresh Sugar lipbalms and have several of them. They have a fun selection of colors and there is an SPF of 15. I love the lemon/sugary scent and find them to be nicely hydrating. I should look into some other lip products with a higher SPF, but these are working well for me right now.

I hope that this roundup has been helpful to you. I have recently ordered a few more sunscreens to test, especially as we move toward cooler weather. What are some of your favorite sunscreens?

Bright Pink Lips - Laura Mercier French Kiss Lipstick

A little random fact about me - I am a magazine hoarder. I have tons of them; some saved for over a decade. I read them to remember things I used to like, or to get inspiration. I was looking through an old magazine the other day and saw this great feature about Debbie Harry. In several of the photos, she was wearing bright pink lips. I bought a sampler set from Sephora months ago that contained a very bright pink lipstick and it sat in my drawer collecting dust, until I saw this article and tried it out.

The sampler set I bought is no longer available (the Sephora Favorites Paint it Pink  set, in case you bought it), but the lipstick is sold separately and it is the Laura Mercier Velour Lovers Lip Colour in French Kiss, which is described as a bubblegum pink. The description of the product states that it is a matte lipstick that stays all day without drying or making lips feel chapped. I have to say that I am not in agreement with that. I do tend to have drier lips as a result of living in a dry climate, but this is definitely more drying than say the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution formula.  The staying power is pretty good though it does not last all day. I tested the formula on its own and got a 4 hour wear time. I have been putting a Make Up Forever Artist Plexi-Gloss in shade 202, which was also in the set, on top to achieve the shinier look in the photo. It also helps with some of the lip hydration issues I have with the formula, but obviously adding gloss makes wear time go down a bit.

Both colors swatched on the lips (Plexi-Gloss layered over the French Kiss lipstick):

This is definitely not an everyday look for me, but I did use this combo recently on a girls' night out and it was a nice change from my usual, more conservative lip looks. I kept the rest of my face more neutral so that the lips were the highlight of  the look. It is fun to sometimes switch things up and deviate from the norm. Have you tried any bold lip looks lately?

Natasha Denona All Over Glow Face and Body Shimmer Powder in Light

I have heard so many good things about the Natasha Denona line and decided to try something out for myself. I chose the All Over Glow Face and Body Shimmer Powder in the shade 01 Light. The powder comes in a gold metal case that is a decent size for a highlighter. My case did come with a small imperfection on the front that you can see above, but since I will probably scratch it anyway, I decided it was not a big deal for me.

A couple things that I always look for in a highlighter are that I can wear it to work and that it looks natural in the day. I love a good highlight, but many are so shimmery that it looks unprofessional or, in my opinion, a little much for daytime (as pretty as they are, I find the Becca highlighters to be too much most of the time). The Natasha Denona is one of the prettiest, subtle highlighters I have seen and I really love the finish. Will it replace the Hourglass Ambient Lighting powders as my holy grail highlighter? Most likely not, but it is a really close second and I do love that it is the most understated highlighter that I have next to Hourglass. The powder lasted all day for me with no migration. I find that it is not frosty and does not overemphasize pores (for me all highlighters emphasize them slightly because I tend to have larger pores).

Here is an extreme close up so you can see all of the different shimmer colors:

I pulled a few other highlighters out to see how the Natasha Denona compares. Below clockwise from left: Natasha Denona in Light, Benefit Watt's Up, Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops in Moonlight, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light, and the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette.

Below are some comparison swatches so you can see the difference. The most subtle are the Hourglass powders, the Natasha Denona is more in the middle, and the Benefit and Cover FX have a higher shimmer. The swatches are all in the order of the first photo.

Outdoors:




Direct Sun:




Indoors (no flash):




Below is a list of ingredients:

Talc, Mica, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Isopropyl Lanolate, Cetyl Acetate, Caprylyl Glycol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Acetylated Lanolin Alcohol, Dimethicone, Lauroyl Lysine, Parfum [Fragrance] (+/-) May Contain: CI 77491 [Iron Oxides], CI 77891 [Titanium Dioxide], CI 77492 [Iron Oxides], CI 77499 [Iron Oxides]

I have to say I am really happy with this purchase and am glad that I decided to get into the Natasha Denona line. I also bought an eyeshadow palette to be reviewed soon. This is one of the prettiest highlighters I own and I am most likely going to get the Medium shade to possibly use as a blush or bronzer. The ND blushes look beautiful as well. I purchased the powder from Beautylish and it retails for $38 for 10g/0.35 oz. Have you tried anything from Natasha Denona? Any recommendations for other products/colors from her line?