When I think Bondi Sands, I’ll be honest, I think self-tanner, not sunscreen. This sample sized Bondi Sands FACE SPF 50 + came to me in a subscription box and even though when it came in and I noted that it was sunscreen when I put it away I put it in the drawer with the self tanners instead of the sunscreens. So it was missed when I was trying out all of my sample sunscreens.
But now, (due to end of summer cleaning and reorganizing) it has returned to the light to be used.
the sunscreen
This sunscreen is 50+ which I really like. That is my preferred sunscreen level. Unlike most of the sunscreens I use, this is a water resistant lotion. At first I thought this wouldn’t make any difference because I wasn’t going to the beach or to the pool while using it. However, the water resistant came in handy during my walks.
Where I live, even when the heat dips below fry an egg on the sidewalk temperatures, the humidity is still high enough to cause anyone to sweat. I routinely come back from my walks drenched. During the summer I have had to start adjusting my skincare routine to accommodate my walks actually. In he morning I will wash my face, pat it dry, apply sunscreen and then after my morning walk, take a shower and continue with the rest of my skincare. There is simply no point to doing it before since it will all sweat off. And having moisturizer sweat into your eyes is no fun.
white fades as does the greasy look after about a minute or so
The water resistant nature of this Bondi Sands Sunscreen meant that I made it through my walk without sweating sunscreen into my eyes either. Which made it quite pleasant to ware, even though i wasn’t going to the beach.
The sunscreen itself is a white cream. A first pass with the hand may leave white streaks but they disappear almost instantly. Your skin will look greasy for about a minute to a minute and a half. Then the sunscreen absorbs in and you look less like you have just greased yourself up. When you touch your skin with your fingers, you can feel the sunscreen on the skin. It isn’t noticeable when you are wearing it but you can feel it when you touch the skin.
This version is the fragrance free version which means there is no fragrance added. There is a slight scent to it. It is very light but to me the sunscreen smells like old school rubber cement. I actually don’t mind the scent even if it makes me think of elementary school art classes, but even if you aren’t partial to it the scent fades pretty quickly. By the time you are looking less greasy the scent has faded.
Over all I really enjoyed this sunscreen. It was a small tube and alas, it has already been used up, but this Bondi Sands Face SPF 50+ is a sunscreen I would get again, if only for the fact that it stayed in place when I was sweating through my morning work out on the walking trail. I also like that it is reasonably priced ($10 for a full sized bottle) and is available at Target. As I tend to go through a lot of sunscreen since I use it routinely throughout the year, cost is actually an important factor. I don’t mind spending more on a good product, but it is nice to have a cost effective option around as well. The water resistant nature of it came in handy even if it did make me think of art classes from days gone by.
Recently I signed up for the Beekman 1802 Quarterly Subscription Box. (It is $65 per quarter and one of the most beautiful subscription boxes I have opened). while I really like the look of the box and the products, a subscription box is only worth the money if the products are ones you want to use. Since it is a brand specific subscription, all of the products coming from Beekman 1802, I am going to be working hard to try out all of the items before the next quarter. I want to get a feel for the products and how they perform before I commit to having more of them arriving every few months.
As I just finished my latest bottle of sunscreen (Volition Luminizing Shield, one of my all time favorites) I decided to start with the Milk Primer SPF 35 sunscreen primer. I know, Milk Primer doesn’t sound like sunscreen, but it is. According to the Beekman 1802 website…
one pump dispensed
Your one step for summer skincare is here! Beekman 1802’s Milk Primer is the only goat milk sunscreen to combine a weightless formula with SPF 35. Formulated with natural mineral Zinc Oxide, this 3-in-1 mineral sunscreen, moisturizer, and makeup primer acts like a physical shield against harmful UV rays and blue light while leaving skin brighter and more hydrated. It’s also pregnancy safe and completely oxybenzone-free and won’t damage coral reefs or irritate sensitive skin. Provides daily defense with SPF 35 broad-spectrum sun protection. Sheer application brightens skin and helps to blur the appearance of pores and blemishes. Perfects skin for makeup application or that flawless no-makeup look by minimizing the appearance of pores with a velvety, matte finish. Silky, oil-free formula feels weightless.
First of all, let’s take a look at the bottle. It is pretty. I love the frosted glass bottle and I really like that it is a pump product. And while it is aesthetically pleasing (all of their products are actually) I find it easier not to fiddle with extra caps when applying most skincare. I like that the bottle looks like skincare rather than just sunscreen. I can put it in my skincare line up and just use it as the last step in my skincare rather than something I have to remember to put on before I go outside. while I do keep a bottle of spray sunscreen stationed by the door for use just before I leave, I really like adding in sunscreen as part of my skincare. If it becomes a part of the skincare habit I forget less.
the slight white cast before it warms up, as you can tell it is already starting to warm up and lose the white.
I know that says more about me than anything else.
The glass bottle lets me see how much product it left, which I also like. It also makes it apparent that this sunscreen needs to be shaken up before use. which is easy enough. Pick it up, shake and then pump out what is needed. Easy peasy.
The scent of the sunscreen is light. It does have a slightly zinc-y scent to it, but it fades pretty quickly. In fact once it has been rubbed in the scent more or less disappears. I put the sunscreen in my hands, rub my hands together and then apply it to my face. I generally find that this helps the product warm up a little. As it warms to skin temperature it melts into the skin. Until it warms, it is white on the skin. There is very little rubbing needed, it is just the heat of the skin that makes it disappear. No harsh rubbing is needed.
I used this sunscreen after my moisturizer and had no issues with it absorbing in. I did need to wait until my skin absorbed the moisturizer, but that was it.
As for the Beekman 1802 Milk Primer working to blur pores and act like a primer… I can’t say I saw much use in that department. For me it didn’t really work as a makeup primer. It is however a sunscreen that sat well under my makeup products. After my skin absorbed it, it felt lightweight and non greasy, in fact it was easy to forget it was there. Primer and foundation (as well as the rest of my makeup) went over it as though it wasn’t there.
It didn’t have any effect on any of the makeup products I used over it. I have had some sunscreens that did cause foundation issues, this just simply isn’t one of them. And while I have a lot of primers I like to wear and very few sunscreens i enjoy using routinely, i am more pleased with this Milk Primer working as a sunscreen than I am with it not being a fabulous primer. Over all I was impressed with this sunscreen. It didn’t clog my pores, melted into the skin without leaving me feeling greasy, worked well with both my skincare and makeup and had little to no scent. This Milk Primer gives me great hopes for the rest of the Beekman 1802 products from the subscription box. Thus far this brand trial is off to a great start.
This was a strange week. I had plans, chose the full array of products, and then with the first use of the QMS Medicosmetics Active Glow Tinted Day Cream, those plans went out the window. I really liked using the QMS Active Glow, and the link will take you to my full review if you would like to check it out. However, it was very much a no make up makeup. Attempting to use a full eyeshadow palette or regular lipstick just sort of looked foolish with it. So I decided it was going to be a very minimalist week.
The Volition went on my face and the Polaar, which I found a little heavy on my face, went on to my neck and upper chest where my t-shirts often expose the skin to the full punishing rays of the sun. As sunscreen I like them both, but as I don’t really care for the Polaar on my face, I use it on my neck.
While I could just use the Volition on both my neck and face, I haven’t found any other sunscreen I like on my face so this lets me use other sunscreens and reserve the Volition strictly for my face. It makes it last a bit longer and this week I certainly had space for both tubes in my makeup bag.
Because the QMS is so luminous on the skin, I definitely needed my setting powder this month. Since I was using limited products on my face, I went with the Becca Pink Haze Setting powder. The QMS evened my skin tone and the Becca Pink Haze brought some color to the skin while still maintaining the no makeup look.
It was just a healthy glow to the skin more than anything else. Of the Becca Powders I’ve tried I think this may be one of my favorites. To keep it from looking powdery once I applied it I used my damp Huda Beauty Makeup sponge to kind of tap it down and take away the excess.
I really like the flat section of this makeup sponge. I really didn’t think it would make that much of a difference, but it really has. I know other makeup sponges have that feature as well, but that combined with the texture of the Huda Beauty sponge make it one I reach for the most.
Over all the QMS Active Glow mixed with the Becca Pink Haze gave me a really healthy natural look all week. And it didn’t get rubbed off by my face mask which was nice.
While I steered away from both bronzer and highlighter this week, my blush was called into action. Actually I’ve called this blush into action quite a few times and it is starting to get a very distinct divot in the center. This week I used my Gold Rush Blush from Benefit as my eyeshadow.
It gave me a slight color to the lids to add definition without looking like it was really there. The slight gold shimmer to the blush made it look like I did something but wasn’t trying too hard. Which was kind of the look I was going for this week. It worked beautifully in this capacity.
These powders were set into place with my HA Spray from Timeless Skincare. It was sent to me for a trial and this was the second week I put it into use. I am still absolutely loving it. The cucumber scent is amazingly refreshing and I like it almost as much as I like the spray. It makes my day feel spa like (and yes it is mostly because I am very scent oriented.)
It kept the powders into place (which is what a setting spray is asked to do) and it has good for my skin ingredients. I was very happy to use it a second week.
With the powders in place and locked down for the day I reached for my Scandal Eyes Wow Wings Mascara from Rimmel. Rimmel is a long time favorite drug store brand of mine. Their powders and mascaras have always found a place in my world.
The wand on this particular mascara is shaped to give you maximum lash lift towards the outer corners of your eyes. I really enjoy this mascara. Alas it is reaching the end of its life. It has reached the six month mark and not only is it time to let it go, but after six months of use the little left remaining in the tube is beginning to get a little clumpy.
the mascara wand from Rimmel
As it was perfect for six months I’m okay with it going clumpy when it reaches it’s expiration date. If it didn’t I’d be tempted to keep it past it’s expiration date. The clumps force me to get rid of it. It is a mascara that I will be repurchasing again in the near future. It gave me very dramatic lashes and didn’t flake on me.
And finally we come to the lips.Even in a minimal make up week, I still ended up with three lip products. The first is the Bite beauty Agave Lip mask in Maple. Most days I wore this at least part of the day. Mostly around two ish when I was starting to think that snacking sounded like a good idea.
The maple scent makes me feel as though I have already enjoyed a treat and therefore don’t need a second one. Which helps curb a lot of my snacking cravings. It also keeps my lips nice and soft, which I’m sure is more the marketing plan for the product. At least I don’t think – Bite Beauty – Helps keep you from stuffing your face with potato chips mid afternoon – is their new campaign slogan.
While I used this tube a lot, it barely shows a dent because so very little is actually needed to cover the lips. It is one of those fantastic products that seems like you can use forever and never run out and then magically one day it is empty. Then you stare at the empty tube in shock wondering how it could be empty. At least that is my take, you need so little it always seems like there is enough for just one more use in it.
my two main lip products this week
The second lip product I didn’t like as much. It is the Alamar Cosmetics lip gloss in birthday suit. It looked good on and it smelled nice, but it was very sticky feeling on the lips. I know that most lip glosses have a somewhat sticky feel to them, but this seemed a little extra sticky. It does look nice though. I think this is one of those lip glosses that will end up in my purse so that if I have to apply it before giving a speech or taking a photo it can be applied, but it isn’t one I will be turning to often. Looks nice but doesn’t feel nice.
My third and final product looked nice, felt nice and smelled nice. I think it also did some nice things for my lips too. It is the Yensa Super 8 Lip oil in the shade pink shine. While it gives a nice gloss to the lips, it isn’t sticky (cause it’s a lip oil). It also isn’t greasy, which I was worried about.
Despite looking toxic-ly red in the tube it really only gave a delicate tint of color to the lips. And throughout the day it sort of absorbed into the lips making my lips feel smother and better than before I applied it, which is not something I usually get with lip products. The oils were quite nourishing. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that I like it as I have had good luck with this Yensa Line. The Primer has long been a favorite of mine and last week I tried out their foundation and really liked it. So for me anyway the Super 8 line from Yensa is super indeed. And to be honest, I kind of want to pick up the entire line of lip oils. Which as much as I love lip products is really rare for me to say about an entire line. But I really liked this lip oil.
lip swatches, Yensa on top and Alamar on bottom
So that my darlings was my minimal makeup bag this week. No primer, no bronzer or highlight. It was a simple quick and easy routine. With the exception of the sticky lip gloss and the realization that I had to say goodbye to a well loved mascara, it was a pretty good week.
Because the summer is ending, I am going to be going through my foundation and foundation like products and pulling the darker ones. These I want to use before my skin starts losing it’s tan. I can’t remember if I have any I haven’t tried yet that are in the darker range. If there are I will go with those first, but I think I might have gotten all of them. I now I have some new winter shades to test But that is still a little while off. O next week might be a primer review rather than a foundation one. Or maybe there will be something else that jumps out of my make up bag and decides it wants to be singled out. I’ll have to see what makes it into my make up bag before I can tell. Either way, that is the end of this week’s make up bag.
I know I talk a lot about different products, but I thought you might find it interesting to see the full regime as it stands now. First off, I ought to say that I have a staggered rotation system for skin care. I like to have an older product I’ve been using for a while roll into my trial for a new product so that I’m not changing out every item at the same time.
For example I am currently testing three Timeless Skin products (gifted to me by Timeless Skin for testing and review purposes for which I am extremely grateful). The Hyaluronic Acid Serum I have been using for two weeks now (Labor day started week three so I will be reviewing it on the 21st after 30 days of use), while the while the Squalane Oil from Timeless skin is just starting its second week of use and the HA Spray is on its first full week of use.
The same can also be said for my Purlisse Blue Lotus 4-in-1 Cleansing Milk. I used it for a month but will use it a little bit longer since I just started with the HA spray. I’ll use the same cleanser while I figure out how everything reacts and then I’ll start a new cleanser trial. I generally find that staggering new products keeps my skin from freaking out with the new so I get a more accurate opinion about how things work.
Now I do have one disclaimer, my skin care routine is slightly jumbled a bit because I am trying to get in several workouts and don’t want to just sweat off my products, so I’ll try to put those in here as well.
current cleanser
In the mornings, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I am trying to get in about twenty minutes of strength and flexibility training. This is mostly with youtube videos, wii fit and yoga. It is done in doors and because I have the tendency to talk myself out of it, I find it is easier to start with the workout before I’m fully awake. So on those mornings I splash water on my face to rinse off the remnants of my night cream, towel off and after dressing, do my planned work out.
After I turn on the coffee pot and cool down a bit, I start in on my morning skin care. I start by washing my face, currently with the Purlisse Blue Lotus 4-in-1 Cleansing milk.
Toner
I then use a toner. I just finished the Akar Balancing Toning Mist and am now trying the Pixi Skin Treats Clarity Tonic. Typically with Pixi I tend to go for their exfoliating toners so this was a new one for me. While early in my use thus far I have been liking it.
serum
After toning I use a serum on my face, neck and decollete. Currently, the serum I am trying out is the Timeless Hyaluronic Acid Serum. And I did remember to take before pictures this time so I will have before and after photos from 30 days of use.
I’ve actually noticed a positive change actually, but I will get into details with the full review. At the moment I can say that I really like this serum and am turning into a pretty big fan of Hyaluronic Acid in skincare.
After I apply the serum, I brush my teeth while it takes it’s time settling in. While this serum sinks in fast, I really like to give it a little extra time to settle in before I move on. You can probably see it in the background of the above photo but I am a big fan of the Aquafresh Extreme Clean toothpaste. It has been my go-to for years. I like the taste better than I like the regular aqua fresh. Although sometimes the foaming can be a bit much. But it is a good toothpaste.
eyecream
Then once I have wiped up all of the toothpaste fall out, I apply my eye cream. Currently I am using the Glossy box Skin Care Eye Boost Cream (I’ve almost finished my month of use so a review will be coming soon). With eye cream I not only use it around my eyes, but on the fine lines around my lips.
The same formulation that helps eye cream work on the delicate tissue around the eyes also helps it on the fine lines around the lips. It was one of my grandmother’s favorite tricks and one I use increasingly as I get older. In its own way that skin is just as delicate as the eyes and a little extra help in fighting those lines doesn’t hurt.
Squalane Oil
After the eye cream I use the oil. At the moment I am using the Timeless 100% Squalane oil. Oddly enough, I am finding that I can use it both morning and night unlike many other oils which I have only been able to use at night. I think it’s because squalane’s main purpose is to simply lock in moisture and it really is just one type of oil (it’s also a really affordable oil as these things go). I’ve just started using it so I’ll have to see how it works moving forward. Right now I am really enjoying it. I use three drops and apply it to my skin and then follow with my moisturizer. I like applying the oil first rather than blending it in with the moisturizer. No real reason, it is just what I prefer.
moisturizer
The moisturizer I am currently using is the Dior Dream Skin Capture Totale. It was sent to me by Influenster and comes in a refillable container. I can already tell you I am going to want to get a refill.
At the moment it is running about even in my moisturizer preferences with the Peter Thomas Roth Hungarian Thermal Water Mineral Rich Moisturizer and the Volition Celery Green Cream.
Those three may be my top three moisturizers of 2020 at this point. Still the year is not over.
sunscreen
Speaking of Volition, after I apply the moisturizer I top it off with my Volition Prismatic Luminizing shield with SPF 50. I keep trying other sunscreens and I keep going back to this one.
You will notice there is a second sunscreen in the picture however. This is the Polaar Fluide Solaire also with SPF 50. While it is a good sunscreen, I don’t like it on my face. It feels just a little too heavy. It is perfect for my neck and upper chest where v-neck t-shirts expose the skin and I have really been enjoying using it there to give my skin some extra protection.
lip masks, the maple day cream is in the tube and the night mask is in the jar.
I then add my Bite Beauty Agave Lip mask in the scent Maple to my lips. It really does smell like maple syrup. And it tasks kind of like it too. I generally find that not only does it keep my lips wonderfully soft but the scent makes me feel like I’ve already indulged in some delectable treat and thus makes it less likely that I will feel like snacking. I sort of feel Like I’ve already snacked.
And skin care done I sit at my desk and get a few hours of work done. I don’t put makeup on at this point as my meetings tend to be in the afternoon and I still have my daily walk to get through. All my skin care has a couple of hours to soak in though.
Then I take my walk. Before I leave the house I spray myself all over with a spray sunblock. I’m partial to one from Neutrogena. Even with the sunblock underneath, I like to be extra careful, especially after my bad burn earlier in the spring.
In general I sweat profusely during my walks. Which is fine. I like to think of the seat as encouraging my weight loss. However I am a mess when I return. While I often employ the Busy Beauty Showerless wipes to get me through until I can take my evening shower, and have various ways of dealing with my hair, my face is a different matter.
Busy Beauty features no-water-needed face and body cleansing wipes for every need!
If I don’t wash my face after my walk I am just going to feel gross the rest of the day. But I don’t want to strip my skin. So I tend to use a gentle cleanser that will just wash away the sweat (and sometimes pollen) residue from my walk in the park/walking trail.
Post work out cleanser
The cleanser I have consistently used for a while has been the Olay Cleanse Gentle Foaming Cleanser. It is an excellent oil free, no frills cleanser that just makes my skin feel less gunky after a good sweat.
To be honest I have been using this as my post workout cleanser since I started my weight loss journey. I have lost track of how many times I have used up and replaced this bottle. It is also the cleanser I grab when another cleanser is giving me problems because I know it is effective and reliable. So I use it after my walks.
post workout serum
Something new I am trying, because it came to me in an IPSY box, is the 111Skin Cryo ATP Sports Booster. It is a serum you are supposed to use after a workout. So because I wanted to see how it worked, I have started adding it to my skin after my quick wash with the Olay. Previously I just did the quick wash and then moved into my makeup.
After the 111Skin has had a few minutes to settle in, I apply my makeup for the day. While I usually end with a setting spray, the HA Spray with Matrixyl 3000 sent to me by Timeless claims to be able to be used as a setting spray as well as being skin care, so this week I started using it to set my makeup. There will be more on that later this week. But I will tell you now that is it wonderfully refreshing and smells like cucumbers.
skin care based setting spray
And then I go about my day.
At the end of the day I use a cleansing balm or oil to remove my makeup and then I use a cleanser like the Purlisse. I just finished the Province Apothecary Moisturizing Cleansing oil and tonight I will start using the Kahina Giving Beauty Oil Cleanser. It too came in a Petit Vour Box and I am looking forward to testing it out.
upcoming cleansing oil/makeup remover
Often times I will remove my makeup after dinner and then use a mask of some sort while reading or watching television or you tube. With my mask I will apply the Bite Beauty Agave Nighttime lip therapy mask to my lips. It is more intense than the maple one I use in the mornings, although with less of a scent.
It also keeps me from snacking while watching television. I know it is technically supposed to be left on over night, and sometimes I will re apply it just before I lay down but I find when I am watching movies or television with my babydoll in the evenings I am tempted to snack. This really keeps me from snacking, even after the face mask is removed.
Eventually, I will migrate to the bedroom. I do my night time skin care before I start to read in bed. Once or twice a week I will use an exfoliator. At the moment I am using the Avant Gentle Rose Beautifying Face Exfoliant. It is an extremely gentle physical exfoliate but I don’t like to use them too often lest it damage the skin.
exfoliation
After the exfoliate is rinsed off (on the nights I use it) I go back in with my toner, followed by serum, teeth brushing, eye cream, oil and moisturizer. Depending on the moisturizer I am using I will either use the same one I use during the day or a night cream. The Dior is good for both day and night, but on a few days where I have been outside a bit longer, I replace my moisturizer with a night cream. Currently I am trying out the Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Sleeping mask. I only use it a couple of times a week.
Then I read in bed for an hour or two and go to sleep.
night cream
I know, that’s a lot of different steps to my skin care. Personally, I enjoy the ritual of it and I really like taking the time to work on my skin. At the moment, my skin is doing really well. Most of my acne has faded. I still have a few clogged pores where my mask presses into my face, but really that is a combination of mask and sweat. Some combination of elements in the last week has really been doing my skin well.
This is another reason I like rotating products. I can check in with my skin and see what I was using when things start to get better and I can monitor it as I stop using certain products and see where things change. I helps me to figure out what is actually working and what is not. It is also why I am not opposed to taking extra time in my routine. To be honest, written out it looks like it takes a lot longer than it actually does. It only really takes me about twenty minutes in the morning and then another twenty at night (not counting the mask) so it isn’t really as onerous as it looks on paper.
But there you have it. Even though some of the products rotate out, the sequence and system remains more or less the same. There are always changes based on products though. Sometimes the oil I’m testing is one I only want to wear at night and so I skip it in the morning. Sometimes I will try two different serums, one at night and one in the day because one reacts poorly to the sun. Sometimes my skin needs more or less exfoliation. But in general, this is my daily skin care regime.
Volition Prismatic Luminizing Shield SPF 50: This product was sent to me for reviewing purposes, the opinions however are all mine.
I have always had a love hate relationship with sunscreen. As a kid I remember being lathered up before being sent out for summer play. While I never minded my arms and legs being coated and I loved that my parents let me play outside longer if I was wearing it, I hated when the sunscreen was applied to my face. Invariably it would either get washed onto my lips where it would taste nasty or it would get washed into my eyes making them sting and burn for the rest of the day.
As I grew up, sunscreen got better and while most of it doesn’t taste any better than it did when I was a child, most of it stays in place. Still I hate putting sunscreen on my face. I know that is the one place I really need to put it, but I have to admit, I usually don’t. I spray my whole body down with sunscreen, more vigilantly now that I had that painful early spring burn, but I still avoid my face.
Instead I layer products like I’m creating the great wall of SPF. “Oh this has SPF 10, I’ll put it on and then add this product that has SPF 30.” It’s a construction project. I know I need to get over it, but I’ve had a hard time finding a product I like.
However, Volition Skincare sent over three products for me to try and the first item I pulled out of the box was the Volition Prismatic Luminizing Shield SPF50. I had to laugh because right on the top of the box it says “Sunscreen for the Sunscreen Haters.”
It’s like they knew.
Or I’m not the only one to hate sunscreen.
I prefer the term skin care psychics, but that is just me. I should point out they don’t claim to be psychic an any way shape or form. But Volition is a really interesting company even without the tarot card possibility.
If you go to their main page there is a section where you can submit an idea for a product. It doesn’t matter who you are, you can submit an idea for a product you would like to see available for purchase. The idea then gets submitted to a vote by their beauty community. If it gets enough votes then their team goes to work creating the product. All of their products are certified clean and cruelty free with no animal testing and no parabens or sulfates. Incidentally, the links posted are for volitionbeauty.com which only ships to the US and Canada. If you are outside the US or Canada then @cultbeauty ships Volition Beauty worldwide, and @meccamaxima / @meccacosmetica ship to Australia and New Zealand.
There is a whole section where you can shop the winners and I have to say, I really like going onto the site to see who came up with what. You can also take a skincare quiz to determine which of their products might be right for your particular concerns so you don’t spend a boat load of time staring at a product and trying to guess.
But back to the sunscreen for the sunscreen haters.
The box clearly looked like it was aimed at me. I opened it and the first thing I saw was a little card telling me that this innovative product was created by a woman named Aja. It had a picture of her and a little bit about her on the back. I thought that was really neat. It’s rare that you actually get a name to go with a product.
But Aja made this, or at least came up with the idea while a team of highly skilled professionals brought her idea to life. But what do they have to say about what they created?
Bare face
The Prismatic Luminizing Shield SPF50 (retail $35) is…
The anti-sunscreen for the sunscreen haters. It’s never greasy, smelly or thick. It’s daily protection you’ll actually want to wear. It is a weightless, breatheable formula with broad-spectrum sun protection, luminous, pearl-like finish and a light, neutral scent. It addresses skin protection, dry skin, and dull skin and is good for all skin types.
Shake well. Apply over entire face 30 minutes before sun exposure. Reapply at least every 2 hours or as needed. Can be worn alone or under makeup. Use a water-resistant sunscreen if sweating or swimming.
Not too shabby. And I like that it is SPF 50. In my attempt to layer to build a wall of SPF on my face without actually using sunblock, I try to get as close to 50 as I can get.
Before rubbing the sunscreen in, there is a white cast that disappears quickly
So knowing who made it and what it is supposed to do, I took the product out of the box. I know appearances aren’t everything and that I shouldn’t focus on the shallow packaging, but this is a good looking bottle of sunscreen.
I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting that.
I think because sunscreen is such a utilitarian item that just gets tossed in a bag and kicked around at the beach or pool side that it always looks like a basic plastic squeeze bottle with maybe a pretty or fun decal on the front. This may be a tube you can squeeze, but everything about it says skin care. It looks like it belongs in the bathroom next to your serums and moisturizer and not something you’d chuck in a kid’s pool bag with the goggles.
Don’t get me wrong, those items have their place. I have quite a few of them stationed around the house. They are an essential part of my summer. But I needed something to put in the bathroom with my skin care. Because like skin care, I needed to make it part of my routine. I knew that was the only way I was going to get into the habit of putting it on. So I took the bottle from the box, moved it into the bathroom and began using it.
For the past two weeks, this anti-sunscreen has been part of my morning routine. I put it on after I finish my skin care, but before I put on makeup. There is no real scent to the product so anyone out there who is sensitive to scents should have no problem.
The consistency of the product is like a thin primer or a water cream moisturizer. It has some body to it, but it leans towards the liquidy side. To apply, I dispensed a pea sized amount into my palm and rubbed my hands together then applied it to my face. It sort of spread out as it hit my hand anyway so I just let it follow it’s natural inclinations. Easy peasy.
Just the sunscreen on my face
On first contact there is a little bit of a white cast. (see the above picture) The first time I applied it I started to get concerned that I was going to spend the day looking like a mime, however I rubbed it in a little bit and the white disappeared almost instantly.
While I don’t want to walk around with the white sunscreen face all day, I do like that at first touch it is a little white. This lets me see where I’ve put it to ensure full coverage before I rub it in.
True to their claims, it feels weightless on the skin and is not greasy. It is however quite luminizing. Just like the really pretty bottle, I wasn’t really expecting that. And yes I know it says it in the title, it is just brighter than I expected.
I tend to go for matte primers and foundations. For me the matte balanced it out well. With the matte foundation on top of it, I had no problems, it was actually quite nice paired with it and gave the matte product a little depth. I could not use a luminizing primer or foundation with it as it was too luminizing for me.
Makeup over the sunscreen, I used the Purlisse BB Cream over it with no primer for this photo
I should also say that the day I tried a luminizing foundation, no one had issues with the extra luminosity but me. I even got a compliment on my glow, so I think that is really just my personal preference. If you like luminosity then you are good, if you aren’t a fan, use a matte product over it.
No matter what product I used, the sunscreen sat well underneath the makeup. I had no problems with reactions between the sunscreen and my foundation. They played well together and I didn’t break out in a welter of clogged pores. There were, in fact, no extra break outs. (The stress related ones I had spent the night with some Peace Out dots, but no new ones appeared.)
In the description it is recommended that if you are going to sweat or go in the water you should look into a waterproof product. While I didn’t go swimming while trying this (because that isn’t what it is meant for and at this time the pools near me are still closed) it is June in Tennessee and you can’t step outside without sweating. If the heat lets you go then the humidity will insure the sweat rises to your brow, among other places. As my neighbor likes to say, this is the season where you get the air you can wear, the unavoidable fashion accessory.
So there was sweat.
You know what there wasn’t?
Stinging eyes.
Well, the sweat stung a little because it’s salty, but it didn’t burn like acid. There were a couple of days where it was hot enough to melt your skin off of your bones and I was standing outside with a mask on. I know some of it dripped into my eyes. There is no doubt about that. The product not dripping would be an impossibility. I think I sweated out water I drank three years ago on those days, so there was no defense for anything topical.
But there were no burning, pain filled eyes, so I am taking that as a win.
And no I am not going to squirt it directly into my eyes to double check.
Although I have to confess, I did put a little on my lips to taste since the mask kept my lips safe and secure, along with my lungs and the rest of me. It didn’t really taste of anything. I’m not going to go putting it on an ice cream sundae or anything, but the accidentally tasting wasn’t horrific.
To be honest, this sunscreen passed all of my tests with flying colors. No gag worthy taste, no burning eyeballs and it was easy to remember to apply because it sat with my skin care and became part of my daily routine. Applying it became a habit, one I hope to maintain.
The Volition Prismatic Luminizing Shield didn’t make me break out. It didn’t make me feel greasy. It felt weightless on my skin and it provided me with SPF 50 level protection for my face without having to do a construction game with other products.
Don’t get me wrong, I still favor a lot of products with built in SPF, especially in the summer time, but I really like not having to rely on them. I really like having the good sunscreen underneath so that anything layered on top is just extra, not vital.
And oh yeah, no sun burn even though I spent loads of time outside in the hot, hot sun.
Seriously, this made sunscreen part of my skin care regimen instead of something I hated and tended to forget. I honestly didn’t think that was going to happen. I suppose the only question that remains is whether or not I’m allowed to send Aja a thank you note.
Because this was a very good idea.
Remember the links in this post are for volitionbeauty.com which only ships to the US and Canada. Mostly because I am located in the US. Even if you aren’t in the US it is well worth poking around on their site. If you are outside the US or Canada then @cultbeauty ships Volition Beauty worldwide, and @meccamaxima / @meccacosmetica ship to Australia and New Zealand. I love that this sunscreen is available worldwide.
Ms. Mimsy Reviews 