Sunscreen Review: Cerave Face Lotion SPF 50

SO Cerave Face Lotion SPF 50 . . . Just another mediocre sunscreen in my opinion. I simply can't wait for the FDA to get with the times in the US. Hope you have a beautiful day! #SUNSCREENSUNDAY FIND ME ON INSTA! (art, antiques, not relly beauty stuff honestly!) genevieve_fields

Claims: Light weight, Oil free, water resistant up to 80 minutes, Ceramide to moisturise and niacinamide to lift discoloration. It also features Cerave trademarked, "invisible ZInc". 

Ratings: Broad Spectrum SPF 50

Cost/Value: $15 (2 fl oz) / Cheap to fair price. 

It is a 100% Physical Sunscreen. Its active ingredients are 3.67% Titanium Dioxide and 3.5% Zinc Oxide.

It DOES smell. It had a little bit of classic zinc odour.

It did NOT sting my eyes.

It DOES leave a white cast on my skin. It has a strong, patchy finish. You have to apply it perfectly evenly in the first place. But even when you do, it is one of the ugliest finishes I have ever seen in the sunscreen. Invisible zinc, it is the most outrageous claim.

It DOES gather in my wrinkles. 

It DOES dry down in 20 minutes or less. It dries down within 10 minutes but it never achieves a totally transfer proof dry finish. It stays soft throughout the day.

It did NOT wear well under make up. It is absolutely hideous under make-up. The texture and the white cast is outrageous.

It DOES last well throughout the day, if you are extremely careful not to touch it. Because it is soft and easy to transfer easily, it is too easy to wipe this off to your face in places just doing normal everyday things like scratching your nose and moving your hair out of your eye. This comes off way too easily in my opinion.

Texture: You have to shake it up a bit and after applying it in to even sunscreen film it leaves a white cast. After 20 minutes, the sunscreen looks more white. This one dries, cracked and flakes off.  It is not particularly drying or moisturizing, it sort of the same on everybody. 

I would not recommend it to anyone. If you are looking for a 100% mineral sunscreen that is attractive for daily wear, this is not it. It is the most obvious sunscreen I have ever worn. I understand it is widely available reasonably price sunscreen however, even extremely sensitive skin types (that can only tolerate physical sunscreens) can just do better than this.

Sunscreen Review: Avène Very High Protection Emulsion Sunscreen SPF 50+

Claims: 100% Photo stable ingredients, very water resistant, hypo allergenic, non-acne genic and dry touch

Ratings: SPF 50+ and features UVA seal

Cost/Value: $15-33 (50 ml) depending on where you buy it / reasonable price

It is 100% Chemical Sunscreen. Its active ingredients are Tinosorb M, Tinosorb S, Uvasorb HEB and Avobenzone.

It DOES smell. A little bit of floral fragrance.

It DOES sting in my eyes on my first application. It irritates them for about 5 minutes and after that, it disappeared and did not bother me for the rest of the day.

It DOES leaves a white cast on my skin. The finish of this sunscreen is white, patchy and dry.  It is impossible to correct after initial application without removing patches of product and disturbing the sunscreen film.

It DOES gather in my wrinkles. 

It DOES dry down in 20-25 minutes. 

It did NOT wear well under make-up. It is literally the ugliest I ever worn under make-up. It looks terrible immediately. 

It did NOT last throughout the day. This sunscreen dried up on me and started peeling and flaking off by itself, despite the fact that I was wearing make-up over it. I think because one of the ingredients in this is Potassium Cetyl Phospate, which is actually a cleansing agent, it will dry up and remove whatever is on your face.

This is marketed to works to combination to oily skin. My skin is dry to normal with an active T-Zone, that becomes oily over the course of the day. Perhaps on somebody with truly oily skin, this would have looked equally terrible upon initial application, but lasted better over the course of the day. I am not going to give it a pass though, because on my oiliest areas (like my nose) this was still peeling and cracking just a few hours in.

It has light texture and after applying it, it leaves a white uneven cast. After 20 minutes, it was very dry and matte.

Sunscreen Review: Paula's Choice RESIST Youth Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50

Happy #SUNSCREENSUNDAY ! Today I cover the Paula's Choice Resist Youth Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50. LAWD that is a long name for a sunscreen! So there's a LOT of hype about Paula's Choice products; I use some of them and believe I've read eery single article on her website AND beautypedia.

Ingredients (Good): Glycerine, Vitamin E, Oat Bran Extract, Chamomile Flower Extract, Grapeseed Extract,  Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Black Elderberry Fruit Extract, Pomegranate Extract and Goji Berry Extract.

Claims: Water Light Oil Free and Hydrating, minimizes pores and stimulates collagen renewal.

Ratings: Broad Spectrum SPF 50 and it's been awarded the Skin Cancer Foundation seal for daily use.

Cost/Value: $33 (2 fl oz) / Fair value

It is 100% Chemical Sunscreen. Its active ingredients are 2% Avobenzone, 7.5% Octinoxate, 5% Octisalate and 2% Octocrylene.

It DOES smell. It has that classic chemical sunscreen smell.

It DOES sting my eyes. The irritation and tearing started immediately after application and lasted on and off for 7 hours.

It did NOT leave a white cast in my skin. It becomes completely sheer after a few minutes after application.

It did NOT gather in my wrinkles.

It did NOT dry down in 20 minutes or less. It does sink into skin somewhat and maintains a soft , slightly oily consistency throughout the day.

It DOES look great under make-up. 

It DOES last throughout the day. However with the 100% chemical sunscreen like this, reapplication every 2-3 hours (particularly if you are spending the day in direct sunlight) is really necessary.

It is best suited for normal, combination and oily skin.However, if you are choosing this because it's advertised for oily skin there's probably a better choice out there for you- this is not mattifying or drying. Also, avobenzone is so problematic for so many people, if you ever had any reactions to sunscreen in the past, I would skip this sunscreen. 

I would not recommend nor repurchase this sunscreen. The irritation was really bad for me. All of those plant extracts, don't make up for that. If you are going to buy a sunscreen with these 100% chemical relatively cheap active ingredients, rather than buying a mid-range expensive sunscreen with lots of plant extracts like this, I would buy a super cheap sunscreen with around the same formula and invest the difference into a decent bargain price Vitamin C serum. That would provide you all the power of anti-oxidants that all of those plant extracts are supposed to provide. 

Sunscreen Review: Holika Holika Moisture Sun Gel SPF 50+ PA++++

Hello Field Bunnies! This week I try to keep it together to review the Holika Holika Moisture Sun Gel. On some websites it's called the Dazzling Sun Gel. Maybe their eyes were reacting so badly they were seeing things? Hope you enjoy! Have a beautiful day! Find me on insta!

Claims: Holika Holika Trademark Patent Signature Fruit UV Shield (a combination of 6 fruit extracts - tomato, watermelon, grapefruit, orange, apricot and papaya), Vitamin E and Hyaluronic Acid.

Ratings: SPF 50+ PA++++

Cost/Value: $9-$12 (50 ml) depending on where you buy it / Cheap

It is a Combination Sunscreen that leans heavenly to chemical side. Its active ingredients are Octinoxate, Homosalate, Octisalate, Uvinul A Plus and Titanium Dioxide. When I said heavily leaning to chemical side, I mean that Titanium Dioxide is one of the last ingredients by weight,  similar to the amount used in a foundation with no SPF at all.

It DOES sting my eyes. This is the most painful sunscreen I have ever tried. It caused reddening, tearing and swelling. I have to washed it off within an hour of putting it on. The combination of Octosalate, Homosalate and alcohol being the second ingredient by weight in this sunscreen plus unnecessary fruit extracts and additional fragrance was literally a poisonous combination for me.

It did NOT gather in my under eye wrinkles.

It did NOT leave a white cast in my skin. It is completely sheer.

It DOES dry down in 20 minutes or less. It sets with sticky texture.

It DOES wear well under make up. This has a beautiful texture that doesn't affect my make-up.

As I said, I washed off my upper face after in less than an hour of application. I did leave the rest on my face. My face felt warm, even though it wasn't painful as my eyes were. There is something in it that really irritated my skin all throughout the day. And it felt so sticky.

I would not recommend this to anyone. 

Sunscreen Review: Tom Ford Face Protect Broad Spectrum SPF 50

Happy Sunscreen Sunday! So today I cover the Tom Ford Face Protect SPF 50. I was surprised to find this sunscreen has different ingredients from Estee Lauder's DayWear, but unfortunately unsurprised that I liked it about as much. I did just see Nocturnal Animals though, and thought that was excellent!

Claims: Face Primer with high sun protection factor, includes powerful anti-oxidants and anti-irritants, light-weight, fast absorbing and illuminating

Ingredients: Algae Extract, Kukui Seed Oil, Round Seaweed Extract, Chinese Skullcap, Caffeine, Hyaluronic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Vitamin E and Vitami C. It also has a bit of Mica in it.

Ratings: Broad Spectrum SPF 50

Cost/Value: $75 (1 fl oz) / the most expensive sunscreen I have ever worn.

It is a 100 % Chemical Sunscreen. Its active ingredients are 3% Avobenzone, 5% Homosalate, 5% Octisalate, 2.8% Octocrylene and 3% Oxybenzone.

It DOES sting my eyes. This migrated in to my eyes within 40 minutes of application. It is quite irritating for between an hour or an hour and half. After that, it seems to settle down a little bit and did not bother me as much throughout the day.  

It DOES smell. It has a strong sunscreen smell but it also a very strong perfume smell on top of that. If you are sensitive to smell, I would skip this as it has a very strong scent.

It did NOT leave a white cast in my skin. This is completely sheer.

It did NOT gather in my wrinkles. 

It did NOT dry down in 20 minutes or less. This has a thick and oily consistency on skin. While it does sink into skin somewhat throughout the day, it does not dry down or set. Even hours later, it looks like you just applied baby oil on your face and easily transferred.

It did NOT wear well under make-up. And it shocked me as it is marketed as a primer. 
I tried this with a flat paddle shape foundation brush and my fingers and found that worked in some areas. But in other areas that require a little bit more agitation, for example the hairline or around the nose, this peeled up under my foundation terribly. Because it is so thick and oily, it made my foundations' thinner and more sticky than they typically are.

You cannot couple it with a dewey foundation or BB cream, as it is already way too oily. The last thing about this sunscreen under make up, is that it has so much mica in it. It looks like you just applied a layer of baby oil to your face, it is that shiny. And also because it is mica, it doesn't have a golden or pink reflect. It actually has a blue white reflect. That strong blue white reflect does show through foundations. If you have a dry, lifeless, super matte, super thick, theatrical foundation that you are trying to give a little life to, this sunscreen will do that. The mica will shine through that foundation. 

It DOES stick around throughout the day. However, with 100% chemical sunscreens like these it is recommended that you reapply every 2 or 3 hours. 

Because it has a very particular finish in the face, it looks the same one everyone. I would not recommend this if you typically react poorly to chemical sunscreens. Avobenzone is the main sunscreen filter in this sunscreen, and it is the most frequent cause of allergic reactions to sunscreens.

I would not recommend this sunscreen. It is just a poor value that irritated my eyes.

Sunscreen Review: Canmake Tokyo Mermaid Skin Gel UV SPF 50+ PA++++

Bilberries . . . artichoke leaf extract . . . arginine . . . but how does this Canmake Mermaid Skin UV Gel perform?? Personally, I really enjoyed trying this sunscreen! SPF 50+ PA++++ as usual . . . hope you enjoy! Have a beautiful day! #SUNSCREENSUNDAY

Claims: Water-light gel formula

Ingredients (Good): Moisturising alcohol, Ceramide, Arginine, Hyaluronic Acid, Jojoba Ester and Silver Oxide. It also includes a lot of plant extracts, intending to serve as anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant agents. The extracts are Yoshino Cherry Leaf, Saxifraga Sarmentosa, Job’s Tears Seed, White Mulberry Root, Evening  Primrose Seed, Meadow Seed  and Artichoke Leaf. 

Ratings: SPF 50+ PA++++

Cost/Value: $10-$22 (40 grams) depending on where you buy it / not a great value however it is a great sunscreen and worth buying.

It is a Combination Sunscreen: Its active ingredients are Octinoxate, Uvinul A Plus, Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide and Tinosorb-S.

It did NOT smell.

It did NOT sting my eyes.

It did NOT gather in my wrinkles.

It did NOT leave a white cast in my skin. This is one of the most sheer sunscreens I have ever tried upon initial application. 

It did NOT dry down in 20minutes or less. It sinks into skin in 40-50 minutes. This has a very soft and lightweight texture that doesn't set but it is not sticky or greasy. Because of its texture, it continues to be absorbed by skin throughout the day. 

Because of its lightweight and soft texture, I personally worry a bit about wearing it under makeup. I worry that it will be completely absorbed by my skin in a couple of hours, or move around too easily while I am applying my foundation and give me uneven protection. When I overapply to compensate, it does look good under makeup. It doesn't affect the consistency or colour of foundation. And because of slight smoothing and priming effect, it helps out a bit with any texture issues.

It does NOT wear well throughout the day. This is soft and very light-weight texture. When I am wearing it alone, I like to reapply it at least once or twice depending on if I am out all day. 

This is best suited for dry to normal skin, and not advisable to oily skin or oily combination skin.

 I really like this sunscreen. I have to sort through all of my sunscreen and rank them, however I believe this is in the top 10. It is clearly not the sort of thing you can wear it outside, hiking or running. But in terms of an everyday , winter, going to work sunscreen, this is really beautiful. I would highly recommend it.

Suncreen Review: Rohto SUNPLAY Super Block with SolarPlex-3, SPF 130 PA++++

Hello Field Bunnies! So I have never tried one of these ultra-high SPF labelled sunscreens before and I wanted to see what the hype was all about. I thought Rohto's SunPlay Super Block SPF 130 PA++++ would be a good place to start because I am familiar with other sunscreens in their SunPlay line and wanted to see how the ingredients, finish and endurance compared.

Claims: Alcohol Free, Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin E, MAP, Rohto's Patented Solar-Plex 3 Encapsulation Technology, Mentholatum (but you cannot feel or smell it).

What is MAP: Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, a stable water soluble derivative of Vitamin C, when worn in combination with sunscreen, can multiply the sun protection factor or SPF by between 3 and 5 times

What is Rohtos Patented Solar Lex 3 Encapsulation Technology: proprietary ingredients  coat the “sunscreen filters” to create a smooth even film over skin, rather than sinking into the pores.

RATING: SPF 130 PA++++

COST & VALUE: $15-16 (35 grams) depending on where you buy it / Fairly priced

IT'S A COMBO SUNSCREEN: Its active ingredients are Octinoxate, Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide and Uvinul A Plus.

SMELL: It did NOT smell.

STING: It did NOT sting my eyes.

WHITE CAST: YES, it DOES leaves a strong white cast, it also catches any texture or peach fuzz. I found that letting it set for 25-30 minutes before going in with very light downward blending strokes, I was able to get a more sheer look without ruining the sunscreen film or removing too much of it. However, that was a delicate, time consuming process. 

WRINKLES: YES, It DOES gather in my wrinkles. 

DRY DOWN: It did NOT dry down in 20 minutes or less. Since there is no alcohol in it, there is really nothing to help it dry down. It sets a bit in 30-40 minutes, but it remains very fluid, easy to accidentally wipe away or sweat off. It doesn't stick to the skin very well.

MAKEUP: Because it so fluid, I am not entirely comfortable wearing it under make up. I feel like inevitably with even a delicate application of make-up, this sunscreen will move around and your face will be unprotected. 

ENDURANCE: Because it is so fluid, it doesn't wear well throughout the day. It's also absorbed by skin over the course of the day. It is advisable to reapply it every 4 or 5 hours.

SKIN TYPE: It suited for dry and sensitive skin. Because it moisturizes skin throughout the day and because there is no alcohol in it, it is appropriate for sensitive skin and broken skin. If you suffer from acne, eczema, psoriasis or even sunburn this will not create an additional inflammation in your skin. if you have combination or oily skin, this would not be practical sunscreen for you due to its oily finish, and how the sunscreen tends to move and slide around. 

You have to shake it before using, it has runny texture. As it dries down, it really doesn't sheer out. It lasts on skin for 3-5 hours before totally absorbing. It has strong white cast and it catches on any little hair and pores that you have.

Sunscreen Review: Australian Gold Botanical SPF 50 Lotion

Claims: Eco-conscious, Hypo-Allergenic, Anti-Oxidant Rich, Water-resistant (80 minutes) and UVA/UVB Protection

Ingredients: Shea Butter, Eucalyprus Leaf Extract, Red Algae Extract, Kakadu Plum Extract, Vitamin E and Squalene

Ratings: SPF 50

Cost/Value: $15 or $16 (5 oz) / Cheap price for a high quality mineral sunscreen

It is 100% Physical Sunscreen. Its active ingredients are 4% Titanium Dioxide and 4% Zinc Oxide.

It DOES smell like Cocoa butter. It advertised having a "Citrus Oasis Fragrance", which did not smell like any citrus fruits to me! It does have an artificial perfumey type smell. Fragrance is halfway down the ingredients list, which is rather high. If you are sensitive to fragrance, that could be a cause for concern.

It did NOT sting my eyes.

It did NOT settle under my eye wrinkles. It actually looks really beautiful all around the eyes.

It DOES leaves an extremely strong white cast on my skin. Despite having a strong white cast, this is possibly the smoothest, most even, least greasy finish I have encountered. It is not patchy at all, and gives you enough time to blend it and smooth it out perfectly evenly. This does what a lot of texture correcting primers should do, as long as you don't mind  a strong white cast. 

It DOES dry down within 20 minutes. It dries down into a firm, smooth finish that doesn't peel or flake when lightly agitated. It is difficult to disturb and I love that about it.

It DOES sit well under make up. I love this undermake up for 2 reasons:

1. The firm barrier that I just mentioned. The way it sets gives me enough confidence to use foundation brushes. The finish of this sunscreen is thick enough and stiff enough that it can accept very light circular buffing motions. 

2. The impenetrable barrier between your skin and the outside world helps makeup last longer. It actually has a little bit of mattifying effect on foundation without drying it out, as natural oils are sort of contained throughout the day. Wearing this sunscreen can prolong the wear time of some of my foundations by as much as four or five hours before they require a little powder touch up.

It DOES wear well throughout the day. This is even appropriate for exercising outdoors because it so water-resistant, and because it forms such a strong barrier. The downside of being so enduring is that it takes a bit of elbow grease and an oil cleanser to remove. A traditional cleanser, even if you wash your face twice, is not going to take care of this.

This is best suited for normal to oily skin types. Because it forms thats barrier, prevents those oils coming through and can really be of help to somebody with combination or oily skin. It would work fine on dry skin, I just think it is a bit heavy on skin that is dry, fragile and sensitive or inflamed. 

Because of its thick texture, even though the main UV filters are mineral, you really dont have to shake it up. It is a thick opaque cream. When you spread it into a nice even sunscreen film, there is a strong white cast. After 20 minutes, it is matte with a strong white cast.

At the end of the day, I would definitely recommend this sunscreen. 

Sunscreen Review: Rohto HADA LABO Koi Gokujyun Perfect UV Gel SPF 50+ PA++++

Claims: Moisturising sunscreen, has 3 different types of Hyaluronic Acid, Rhoto's Proprietary Encapsulation Technology (where some of the sunscreen filter ingredients are coated in order that they are not penetrate the skin and better form an even seal of a sunscreen film on your face).

Ratings: SPF50+ PA++++

Cost/Value: $11-$18 (50 grams) depending on where you buy it / fair deal

It is a Combination Sunscreen leaning heavily on the chemical side. Its active ingredients are Octinoxate, Parsok SLX, Tinosob S, Uvinul A Plus and Titanium Dioxide.

It DOES sting my eyes, sometimes. My eyes felt a bit sensitive, but it honestly did not bother me at all.

It did NOT gather in my wrinkles.

It did NOT leave a white cast in my skin. This is the most magic sheer sunscreen I have ever used. Even with a large amount of this sunscreen, it dries down completely sheer. Even if you overapply, don't blend at all, have patches all over your face . . . in 20 minutes, it will be sheer. If a white cast is your biggest fear, get this sunscreen. It will never have a white cast at all. It has magical finish that sinks into skin and really moisturises it. This sunscreen makes skin look smooth, healthy and glowy to your skin. 

It DOES dry down in 20 minutes, with a slightly sticky finish.

It DOES wear well under make up. This sunscreen is not formulated to be water or sweat resistant. If I want to wear make up over it, I make sure to overapply. That said, once you have make up over a large amount of this sunscreen, it looks totally beautiful and doesn't affect the make up at all. 

It DOES stay throughout the day, but like most chemical heavy sunscreens, should be reapplied. This is not a resilient sunscreen. If you are wearing make up and powder over it, I would highly recommend reapplying it during the day. 

This is best suited for dry to normal skin. Not because it would be bad on oily skin in any way, but because there are several mattifying options for somebody with combination to oily skin. This is a stunning sunscreen and definitely in my top 10 for everyone, but particularly great for dry and normal-to-dry skin.

 I would recommend this sunscreen to anybody who is looking for a super elegant sunscreen who is not trying to wear it to exercise or be outside all day long. If you are looking for everyday super natural, incredibly sheer, very elegant sunscreen, this is so good. 

Sunscreen Review: Rohto SUNPLAY Super Cool Sunscreen Milk SPF 50+ PA++++

Claims: Alcohol free, Hyaluronic Acid to keep your skin moisturised and water resistant.

Ratings: SPF 50+ PA++++

Cost/Value: $5-$13 (27 ml) depending on where you buy it / Good value.

It is a Combination Sunscreen with active ingredients of Octinoxate, Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide and Uvinul A Plus.

It did NOT sting my eyes.

It DOES smell. It features a bit of Mentholatum. Some people find it to be irritating and it has a very minty smell. It has a strange cooling effect on the skin. It cools your face as it dries down, like vicks vaporub.

It DOES leave a white cast on skin. As it dries down, it tends to be mostly sheer but leaves little white patches in areas where you inadvertently overapplied.

It DOES gather a little bit in my under eye wrinkles. It is easy to pat out and it won't re-occur.

It dries down in 25-40 minutes, depending on how much you apply. When it dried down, it dried to a sticky texture.

I do NOT have any problems putting it under make up. You do have to be very careful not to remove it or move it around. If you are wearing foundation over this, it would be best to apply a liquid foundation gingerly with a flat paddle shaped foundation brush.

It DOES lasts throughout the day.

It is NOT suitable for sensitive skin or broken skin because of Mentholatum. It's not advisable to apply it over acne, psoriasis or skin problems. And because it does highlight dry patches a bit, this is not good if you have really dry skin.

Because of its oily texture, you have to shake it before using. 

I would definitely repurchase this sunscreen and recommend it highly, especially if you're on a budget!