Instant Fresh Face with Vichy LiftActiv Serum 10 & SkinceuticalsPhysical Fusion SPF15

See? Glowing.

In this part of the world it has been very hot this summer. So taking my make up look from day to night without hosing down first can be a challenge. I am always improvising and trying shortcuts (so you don't have to!) that can refresh and freshen my look easily and effectively. And I love Off Label uses of proudcts that perhaps no one else has thought of. Before I share my secrets, I will share one more. I reviewed a scrub I am loving lately here. FYI- nothing will look good sitting on top of dry dead skin. It looks crepey and papery and never smooth or glowing. So before you try what I recommend and complain you still look blah, please remember to do your weekly exfoliation. Now, we are ready.

Magic trifecta for fresh glowing beauty...

Rather than applying more concealer and powder on top of a face that's been melting all day, I try to keep it fresh. First, I apply a gentle mist of rosewater all over my face. After it soaks in, I dab several drops of my Vichy LiftActiv Serum 10 where there may be dullness and where make up may have melted or settled. Usually under and around the eye area, the neck, and around the mouth and nasal labial folds. Let the serum sink in - you will notice a lovely glow feel your skin hydrate right before your eyes. You are already looking refreshed.

I hate adding make up to more make up, as I wear so little to begin with. It doesn't take much for me to feel, well,  spackled. So I was digging around my make up drawer, looking for something to mattify, even tone slightly, and add a bit of radiance. Seems like a tall order. Even though it was 7pm and I was heading out for dinner, my bottle of Skinceuticals Physical Fusion SPF15 caught my eye. I like to experiment and thought "what the heck". If you read this review of the Physical Fusion you know that it has a tone to it. Super sheer, but still a tone. Nowhere near a foundation, and not even as thick as a tinted moisturizer. But I know it matttefies and that the texture is light as a feather so I grabbed it. I dabbed it under my eyes, on my eyelids, on the inner corners of my eyes, on the tops of my cheeks, and around my nasal area. Right away I noticed an immediate brightening effect, sort of a more wide awake  effect. It also has a mattefying effect, and acts somewhat like a primer in that whatever make up you apply on top sticks to it. So I added a light dusting of translucent powder, a little bronzer, lipstain, gloss and mascara and TA-DA! I looked refreshed and polished without looking like I had layers of make up on. It actually didn't even look like I tried. And, it lasted all through dinner and drinks on a patio, on a  hot summer night. 

Mission accomplished.

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.