The Future Called: It Wants It's Sunscreen Back

I love having my mind blown by amahzing skincare and beauty products. Remember Vichy proEVEN? Still loving it, still can't imagine life without it. So, now that Vichy proEVEN has made our skin tone gorgeous, we need to protect it. We knew that already but after a winter of living indoors like trolls under a bridge, the light is coming in through the cracks & as we tear off our layers, we can't forget our sunscreen. Just like the song says.

Skinceuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF50 is the latest product to impress me. I am a lover of warm weather and being outside in the sun, but I'm no fool. I keep myself covered in sunscreen at all times to enjoy the rays without cooking and turning into a piece of brown leather. We all know that look- besides being dangerous, it ages us and looks, well, awful. Please don't make me post another photo of Magda from There's Something About Mary. You know who I mean.  Enter Skinceuticals and their lastest sunscreen offering. From their website:

"A groundbreaking, weightless sunscreen featuring color-infused sunscreen technology that provides a universal tint and boosts daily radiance. PHYSICAL FUSION UV DEFENSE SPF 50 offers the photoprotection of trusted broad-spectrum, physical filters, zinc oxide (Z-COTE®) and titanium dioxide, and is enhanced by artemia salina, a plankton extract, to increase the skin’s defenses and resistance to UV and heat stress."

Indirect light - below is sunscreen, almost dripping away, above it is rubbed in.

The formula is a light as water, so even though I know there is a silicone in there, the chemical make up of it is so fine & light that it doesn't bother my sensitive skin. The zinc is also healing and so helpful with oily skin. Sunscreen on the face is a tricky endeavor. The wrong kind causes brutal breakouts, a white cast or turns into a grease slick. My favourite to date has been Shu Uemura Under Base Mousse SPF30. I still love it and likely always will, as it is a genius primer, and keeps shine at bay for hours. But spending a long day in the sun sometimes calls for stronger than SPF30. But the Skinceuticals is as incredible as the Shu with more protection. I've never used a product with this sheer, light as a feather formulation. Super sheer universally flattering shade that enhances skin, ability to hold make up in place, low/no shine and no breakouts. The formula is interesting in that it needs to be shaken before using. It sounds like it has a ball in the bottle like nail polish to help it mix.

The safest spot on the beach...

This is a key part of my summer skin protection arsenal. I plan to get one for my fair skinned/freckle-y daughter, and my oily skinned daughter who is using anti acne products that make her skin extra sensitive to the sun. It's perfect for all of us.

Skinceuticals are available in the US, check here for availability near you. Canadians check here.

Wake Up Beautiful with Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate

From the Kiehl’s website:

“This lightweight, readily absorbed elixir effectively restores skin's healthy appearance overnight, resulting in smoother, more radiant complexion by morning. Enriched with Squalane, a botanical lipid similar in molecular structure to natural skin lipids, Evening Primrose Oil, rich in Omega-6 Fatty Acids and Essential Oils including Lavender, our formula provides a boost of intensive moisture to depleted skin. These natural oils instantly penetrate the skin surface to help replenish it. Our recovery concentrate works at night when skin is most receptive to repairing itself from daily aggressors. With skin hydrated, supple and soft, rest assured you can say goodnight to tired-looking skin.”

This elixir is an oil and is to be applied at bedtime. It contains 99.8% naturally-derived and paraben-free botanical ingredients. I’ve been meaning to review this for awhile because I LOVE IT. I have always been intrigued by the idea of using oils on my skin. Although I have oily skin, in the past I have flirted with facial oils with success. Shu Uemura cleansing oils are amazing- I keep meaning to buy some but perhaps I didn’t love them enough? Not sure why they haven't found a permanent home with me *makes mental note to revisit*. Dr. Haushka Normalizng Day Oil is another product I’ve loved and often use it in the winter with my moisturizer for some extra protection.  The neat thing about a good quality facial oil treatment is that is doesn’t make you skin oilier, and can actually help with oil production. I was very curious about the Midnight Recovery Concentrate and so when I was at Kiehl’s buying some Crème de Corps the sales associate gave me a couple samples. Rant: Attention cosmetic companies- it has been proven that consumers that try samples of products are more likely to purchase them- note the perfume companies have figured this out, as has Sephora. Kiehl’s is unsurpassed for the generous size of their samples and for the sales associate’s willingness to fork them over. End of rant. Back to my inner glow in a bottle...

All it took was a week of using MRC for me to see a visible change in my skin. My pores became less visible, clogged pores were purged and I noticed a dewy glow to my skin in the morning. This became all the more noticeable when I stopped using MRC to try other products I was asked to review. Almost 3 weeks of not using it and my skin broke out, pores became congested and noticeable again- I was not happy. I am back on my routine and happy to be so. My skin is calming down- smooth, slightly plumped and with a glow. I know, sounds gushy and improbable but if there was one skincare product I had to live with Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate would be the one.

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.