Showing posts with label sun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sun. Show all posts

Monday, 2 June 2014

Piz Buin Ultra Light Dry Touch Sun Fluid


Piz Buin has a new range of SPF out - and it's a corker.  The very aptly named Ultra Light Dry Touch Sun Fluid boasts a weightless texture, no residue, and the usual protection against UVA and UVB rays.


You can see how liquid the texture is - this is miles away from a traditional heavy sun cream.


When you rub it in, it vanishes into the skin, leaving no white cast, no residue, no stickiness, and no greasy sheen.  It's almost as if the skin is bare.  Both the face and body versions gives this ultra light protection, making it ideal for summer in the city, when you want protection without heaviness.  Or if you despise sand sticking to your limbs on holiday.  The face version is also perfect as a primer - I've been wearing it under my foundation for an extra SPF boost and it's a joy to wear thanks to that lightness.

My only complaint is that the lotion is rather heavily perfumed - once it's on the skin it fades within an hour or so, but it's very noticeable during application.  Surprisingly, it doesn't smell of sun lotion and holidays, rather having a slightly floral, powdery scent.

Anyway, you'll find it at Boots, where it's available in SPF15 and SPF30 for face, costing £12, and SPF15 and SPF30 for body, costing £17.

Disclosure: PR samples

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

Tuesday, 16 July 2013

Quick Pick: Clinique Super City Block SPF40


With this unseasonably warm, summer-like weather, I've been extra concious of wearing high SPF on my face beyond the SPF20 in my current moisturiser.  Clinique's Super City Block and Clarins' Day Screen have been my weapons of choice against the horribly strong sun.

Super City Block is a classic Clinique product, and with good reason. It provides a high SPF40 sunscreen, with a light, almost mousse like texture which doesn't leave the skin feeling greasy or weighed down.  It's also pretty damn good under foundation (not that I wear a lot of foundation in hot weather).  The formula is quite easily spreadable alongside being light, and I've been using a small blob every day.  My tube shows no sign of running down a month later.

Find it at the Clinique website, where a 40ml tube will cost you a reasonable £17.

Disclosure: PR sample

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating our copyright.

Sunday, 16 June 2013

BUY THIS NOW: Supergoop SPF50 Anti Oxidant Infused Sunscreen Mist


This stuff is bloody amazing.  Supergoop are a US brand who specialise in serious sun screen - whether it's part of a skincare product (including eyecream!) or a stand alone sunscreen product, like the one above.  I recently went on a week's holiday to Egypt - where it was around 40 degrees every day - and I absoutely loved using this.


The picture above shows my arm, freshly sprayed with Supergoop Sunscreen Mist.  Can't even really see it, can you?   I always wear high SPF - my fair skin burns easily - and one of the biggest downsides is that it can take ages to rub high SPF creams in.  Not so with this - it provides effective SPF50 protection and is an absolute doddle to apply.  Spray over the skin, rub in quickly, and you're done.

The only downside is that it does run out rather quickly - I managed around eight full body applications before it ran out.  At £18.50, it is expensive, particularly given that it doesn't go very far, but I would definitely invest in a couple of bottles for my next holiday.

Find it at Space NK now.

Disclosure: PR sample

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating our copyright.

Tuesday, 11 September 2012

Quick Pick: Clarins UV Plus HP Day Screen High Protection SPF40


Daily sunscreen is a must, particularly if the weather is as changeable as it is in the UK at the moment - cloudy and cool one moment, sunny and blue skies the next.  This Clarins daily sunscreen is a light, non-greasy lotion which applies easily on top of moisturiser and gives a high SPF40 PA+++ protection against the sun.  The PA+++ bit means it gives high UVB protection as well as protection against UVA rays.

This sort of facial sunscreen can be tough to get right, as anything high SPF can tend towards being thick, greasy, and can leave an unattractive white residue on the skin.  Luckily this one is the exact opposite: it's light and oil free, and a single drop is fluid enough to cover my whole face.  It also doesn't leave my face looking white and streaky.  At £30 for 30ml, it's not cheap - but sunscreen is one thing I'll never skimp on, and this one definitely cuts the mustard for the price.  Find it at Clarins counters and via their website.

Disclosure: PR sample

Wednesday, 27 July 2011

Review: Biotherm Lait Solaire SPF50

Being a pale and pasty person, I often find myself slathering myself with suncream in the summer.  I often find myself sticky, clammy, and feeling a bit coated, as my preferred sunburn prevention weapon is SPF50.  I recently broke out a sample of Biotherm sun cream I received quite some time ago - and I was pleasantly surprised by how light it is.

Lait Solaire is a sun milk, rather than a cream, and Biotherm go as far as to describe it as a "melting milk".  It really does melt into the skin - the light fluid spreads easily and sinks in within a minute, which is very impressive for something with such a high SPF.  It also leaves no residue whatsoever - I've experienced no dragging when getting dressed after application.

Performance aside, it also smells of Calpol.  What's not to like?!

At £16.50 a bottle, this is definitely at the expensive end of the sun cream market.  I'm not sure I'd take it on holiday with me; I don't mind a bit of a residue if I'm going to be lying about in a swimsuit all day, and would rather go for something cheaper given how much cream I can get through on a holiday.  For day-to-day use in high summer, though, it's perfect, and I'd imagine that my bottle will easily last me through until autumn.

Biotherm Lait Solaire SPF50 is available online and instore at Boots, where a 200ml bottle will cost you £16.50.  What do you think?  What's your favourite sun cream?  Would the Calpol scent put you off?  Let us know in the comments!

Disclosure: PR sample

Tuesday, 26 April 2011

Summer Essentials: NARS Multi-Protect Primer SPF30


I really bloody hate the summer.  I know it's got good bits, like longer evenings, Pimms, ice cream, lazing around having the odd BBQ with friends, but my pale skin hates the sun, going immediately red and freckly within ten minutes of unprotected exposure.  That means that summer, for me, is a whirlwind of sunscreen, looking for shade, and looking delightfully shiny.

I've tried many a high-SPF facial primer, and have found a few which deliver effective SPF protection with minimal shiny finish.  When I received one of the new primers included in NARS' summer collection, though, all those primers were blown out of the water - this stuff is amazing.

It's sunscreen credentials are good: in addition to SPF30, which provides good protection from UVB rays, it also has been rated PA+++, which means that it gives high protection against UVA rays.  Unusually, though, it has a very light, spreadable texture, which sinks into the skin, leaving no white cast and not a scrap of shine.  Granted, it takes about five minutes for it to be fully absorbed, but after that time the skin feels much like skin should - satiny, not greasy, and perfectly prepped for foundation.  It's almost as if you've not applied SPF at all.

I'm absolutely sold on this, and will be using it daily this summer - and as light as it is, probably year round too.  At £24, it's not cheap - but it's so rare to find a high SPF primer which doesn't feel greasy or heavy, it's a price I'll definitely, happily pay again.  If you'd like to try this for yourself, you'll find it exclusively at SpaceNK.  What do you think?  Do you use an SPF primer in the summer?  Let us know in the comments!

Disclosure: PR sample

Wednesday, 2 June 2010

Review: Liz Earle Mineral Sun Cream SPF20

Disclosure: this was a PR sample.


Liz Earle's newest sun product is a mineral based sun cream which claims to be light and non-greasy, and works by reflecting UVA and UVB rays away from the skin.  So far, so standard, right? The unique selling point of this product that it contains titanium dioxide, which is the part of mineral makeup which makes it such an effective physical sunblock - this is the ingredient behind the cream's "mineral" moniker.  As with all of Liz Earle's products, you also get natural ingredients, and the inclusion of skincare ingredients such as shea butter to condition the skin.

Being a pale skinned person, I am no stranger to sun cream, and regularly slather myself with anything up to an SPF 50 during the summer.  Over the years I've been through a variety of brands, some of which manage to be very light despite high SPFs, and some of which have been thick and gloopy.  Unfortunately, the Liz Earle Mineral Sun Cream falls into the latter category.  Firstly - this is very thick cream.  As you can see, dispensing the product onto your hand results in a blob which holds its shape, indicating that this isn't the lightest and thinnest of creams.  It also has an unfortunate mushroom-y colour, which makes it look a bit unappealing to use.

I found that as I tried to rub it in, it didn't really sink in particularly quickly.  Instead, it felt more like I was just moving the cream around on top of my skin instead of spreading it evenly over (and into) the skin.  After a good five minutes of rubbing, I finally felt that it had absorbed into the skin enough for me to get dressed.

On the upside, I found that there was no white cast left behind where I had applied it.  On the downside, I felt sticky.  The sticky feeling did eventually dissipate, but it took far too long - a couple of hours, by which time you'd need to reapply.  I also tried it on my face, and found that the cream is far too heavy for facial use - it doesn't sink in properly, and the sticky feeling is still there, which doesn't exactly make for a good makeup application on top.

For me, this level of heaviness and stickiness is pretty much unacceptable in a cream with SPF 20 - I've used SPF 50 creams which are smoother and left my skin feeling uncoated.  For that reason, this is not something I'd be prepared to use again.  Perhaps if your skin is drier, or if you have a problem with conventional sun creams and need a more natural block thanks to the titanium dioxide, this will serve you better. For me, though, this gets a thumbs down.

If you'd like to try it for yourself, you can get it from Liz Earle's website, where it will cost you £18.50 for a 150ml tube - a smaller, handbag sized 30ml tube is also available for £6.50, which would be a great way of trying this product out.
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