My Skin Is Soft & Safe With Vichy Sunscreen

Sunscreen on- check.

Having just enjoyed a glorious sunny & warm Victoria Day Weekend on the dock here in Canada, I was also able to use it to test drive this season's new sunscreens. And, by new sunscreen, I mean that sunscreen expires, and that key ingredients become ineffective over time. I learned this the hard way and from now on, May is the month to get the sunscreen for the season. 

Vichy skincare has been blowing my mind lately, so I was keen to try their sun care line, Capital Soleil. The Vichy SPF 30 Luxurious Protective Oil has got to be one of the loveliest sunscreens I have ever used. Protect yourself from the sun while improving the look and condition of your skin? And, smell absolutely wonderful while doing it? Sign me up! 

The amazingly light and sheer SPF 60 Soft Sheer Lotion is perfect for your face, chest- anywhere that may be sensitive to oily lotions, as it doesn't have a greasy look or feel. It is absorbed quickly, leaving no greasy feel and is fragrance free, making it perfect for children or sensitive skin. Both of these products have Vitamin E and white grape polyphenol which neutralize almost all types of free radicals for enhanced cellular protection. Next on the list to try is the Vichy SPF 50 Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid which sounds like it would perfect to use on the face. Add a wide brimmed straw hat and I'm ready to face the summer sun!

Come on boys, the car is loaded up! Lets go to the beach!

Vichy Capital Soleil products are available wherever Vichy is sold, at most drugstores in the US and Canada.

Safe in The Sun With Baby Lips

On holiday with my family I realized I did not have a lip balm with SPF with me (first world problems....I know...) so I borrowed one of my daughters. Both girls got Maybelline Baby Lips tinted lip balms in their Christmas stocking and I was happy to discover they had brought them along. They are precious little lip balms- kitschy, bright packaging reminiscent of the 80s- with lovely noticeable tints and SPF 20. They also offer 8 hour moisture and "lip renewal". Lip renewal to me implies some kind of exfoliant and perhaps hyaluronic action as well. So smoother lips as well!

From top: Grape Vine, Pink Punch & Cherry Me (my fave)

At any rate, they are brilliant little lip balms. They do indeed offer beautiful moisture- lips feel plump and soft with regular use. The colour is not a stain, per say, but it does seem to linger and does not build up in a weird way with continued beach or poolside applications. The website says after 4 weeks of use one will see visible improvement in their lip condition, and this doesn't seem far fetched to me. There is a mild scent that matches the name but it is gone in no time flat, and I could not discern a taste of any kind.

I hate photographing my lips but here I am poolside in Cherry Me!

The younger one, Biddy (@kittybiddy), got Cherry Me, a bright cherry popsicle shade that leaves the lips a soft but bright pink, and the older one, Em (half of @BSDropouts, The Beauty School Dropouts), got Grape Vine, more of a deeper colour. Grape Vine actually reminds me of the old standby, Clinique Black Honey. If you loved Black Honey, get this Baby Lips shade asap. Once we arrived I realized I needed my very own. So I got Cherry Me as well and Em got herself Pink Punch which is more of a bright light pink- perfect for Florida as it's very Lilly Pulitzer! They also have a peachy one, called Peach Kiss, and two clear ones with different "flavours". I am totally getting a clear one as well.

Playing with my iPhone - this is my poolside view...ahhhh...

I've been using my Baby Lips non-stop for over a week and have to say, I love it. The name is a bit funny and the packaging and advertising seem to be aimed at the under 25 (under 16 even?) demographic but I think they are missing a huge market by not marketing to grown ups as well. These are lovely tinted lip balms that feel wonderful, makes your lips soft, and protect them from the sun. Oh yes, and they are under $5 where Maybelline is sold. What's not to love? 

Notes on the Beautiful Shu Uemura Under Base Mousse

There has been a formula change in my favourite skin primer and I am quite happy about it. Shu Uemura Under Base is a mousse formula skin primer that is the sheerest beige ever- almost invisible on skin but it does give enough of a glow to make it better than bare skin. It also works as a primer which means it makes a nice surface for other make up like powder, blush and bronzer.  I imagine you could layer foundation over it if you were so inclined but I find adding powder adds all the coverage I need. Under Base has witch hazel for minimizing pores and some kind of magic potion that makes skin glow without shining. Sort of what I wanted MAC Strobe cream to be without making me look like I was going to a rave or had at least been sweating at one all night. Yikes.

The original Under Base formula offered an SPF 10 (on the left in pic) which was always a nice thing. Not too much but perhaps an issue for me as I like to keep as few layers of stuff on my face as possible. My skin is oily and sensitive and prone to breakouts, and sunscreen can be problematic. So when I noticed that Under Base had been reformulated (on right in pic above) and now had an SPF 30 I was of two minds. It could have gone either way. Well I busted out the new one today and am happy to report I LOVE IT. At first there is a bit of a white look to it which initially terrified me- but, of course that is the sunscreen. Not to worry, it blends and dissipates leaving only a dewy yet matte surface. If anything I like it more than the SPF 10 version. This one has slightly more of a “presence” on the skin and stays matte longer. It has a neat “sticky” consistency when first applied which I swear just grabs the make up you apply and holds onto it for dear life, making it last even longer. Love it.

Shu Uemura has gone into very limited distribution in North America but we are lucky that Holt Renfrew in Canada carries the line and indeed this product. It sells out quickly and I usually buy 2 cans at a time. But they do last me 4-6 months, keeping in mind I am an “under applier” and go easy on my make up application. There is a reason this stuff is a cult fave. Have you tried it? Thoughts?

UPDATE: Well I must share the ingredient update re Michelle's comment below. A valid concern for sure. Shu Uemura Under Base contains propane as a propellant. You can read about it on BeautyGeeks and a little more about cosmetic use of propane here. All of that said, I have never had any negative skin reactions to this product and am not really concerned- if its a mousse, it has propellant. I adore Under Base and have yet to find anything that rivals its oil controlling ability.