Happy Tuesday everyone! I feel as though holiday beauty releases, gift sets and collections are starting to flood my e-mail inbox with daily notifications. I’m really excited about this year’s gift sets – they look better than ever and there seem to some that are well-priced. I will have to make my lists and sort through them carefully before making purchases. A few things on my beauty radar this week.
First, three sales/gift with purchase events you might want to take note of. Space NK is having their explore event, details one post down, but use code EXPLORE15 for $25 off purchases of $100 or more (online only, valid through 10/25). Shopbop is having 25% Off Friends and Family Sale with code INTHEFAM25 (good for 3 days, ends 10/15). Neiman Marcus is having their Incircle Event so many lines have gift with purchase options.
From the top left clockwise:
Le Metier de Beaute and Neiman Marcus have created a limited-edition Breast Cancer Awareness Stephanie Kaleidoscope. I will be picking mine up later this week since they have their Incircle Event. There is a gift with purchase available with any $300 purchase (in store and online). More details once I pick mine up.
Chanel has some gorgeous releases for late fall into holiday. First there is a new Rouge Allure Collection featuring some new Rouge Allure Lipsticks (Inspiree and Eblouissante), Rouge Allure Velvet Lipsticks, new Rouge Double Colors (I picked up Bright Rose), Rouge Allure Gloss (in Ideale and Expressive), two new Le Vernis Nail Polishes in Singuliere and Troublant. Review on my picks soon.
Diptyque Holiday looks absolutely amazing. There will be three limited-edition holiday candles that launch November. You can pre-order some from Neiman Marcus now. Also the Diptyque South Coast Plaza store will have an exclusive early preview event at their store October 15th. You can call them (714) 850-9995 for details. They will have a gift with purchase and small bites available.
RMS Beauty has launched nine Nail Polishes. There are several different finishes in creams and metallics. I’m particularly intrigued with how the Luminizer shade will look on the hands.
The Sephora Beauty Insider 250 Point Perk for October Bite Beauty’s Kir Royale has launched online!! Swatches of the lipstick and lipgloss in this post here. If you’ve been stalking Sephora for this bonus to arrive online, I just spotted it today.
Last but not least, some of Tom Ford Holiday has launched online for pre-order at Neiman Marcus. It’s all very smokey and dark. I have my eye on the Waterproof Mascara in Noir and Nail Lacquer in Black Out (it looks like it could be a dupe for Chanel Steel).
What’s on your beauty radar this week? Do you have anything on your wishlist or are you waiting to see more holiday launches before splurging?
I’m a neutral nude lipstick lover but I since I have pigmented lips I can’t always pull off nudes. Many tend to either look super pale and chalky like concealer or are too dark on me – I know everyone has a different definition of nude when it comes to makeup, but to me a true nude is a your lips but better kind of color that is light and close to your natural skintone. I adore shades like MAC Cherish, Blankety, Creme Cup etc but they are almost impossible for me to wear alone without looking like I’ve swiped concealer all over my lips. Lip pencils often make it possible for me to wear lighter nude colors with blending or by creating a good softly lined base. If you’ve tried ordering lip pencils online like me then you know how hard it is to tell what the color looks like based on online swatches. I thought I’d roundup 20+ of my favorite neutral lip pencils alongside cult classics (some of which do not work for me even though they are wildly popular). As you’ll see below many times you can’t tell what the color will really look like until you swatch it. Also like nude neutral lipsticks, lip pencils have a wide variety of different undertones: warm, cool, pink, beige, peach, plum and brown.
Above photo: Diptyque Room Spray in Baies, Chêne candle recycled (boutique exclusive), stacked Blushes from Chanel and Hourglass
A bit of background on what I look for in lip liners. I like ones that are soft and glide over the lips. I’m usually not a line and fill kind of girl when it comes to lip liners. I prefer to wear them around the outer edge and blend it slightly inwards to the center of lips to create an outlined base and then fill with a gloss or lipstick. Since many pencils are super pigmented and super saturated in color to help extend the wear of lipstick, I find lining and filling the entire lip leaves the lips looking really dry and emphasizes lines. This of course can be fixed with a good lip balm, lip primer or gloss.
I have 28 lip pencils to share swatches of, I’ll link previous lip swatches if I have them. I was debating whether or not to swatch all on my lips – but nudes tend to look so different on me compared to everyone else. I think the swatches on the arms will help show the differences.
Le Metier de Beaute Dualistic Lip Pencil in Nudite is a medium pinky brown creamy lip pencil, this one glides on the lips easily and is very pigmented, it has a smooth texture
H&M Lip Liner in Au Naturel is included in the roundup because it’s a new one and the perfect neutral nude color and at $5.99 I couldn’t resist ordering it, on bare lips it’s a disaster for me, you definitely need to prep the lips with a bit of lip balm or primer, this is borderline too pale, but it works
MAC Lip Pencil in Subculture is my perfect nude pink, it has reached holy grail status for me, I’ve gone through 4 of them in my life, it’s the best light pink nude that is still wearable
MAC Lip Pencil in Oak is a classic light flesh nude, it’s a classic for me because it has no orange undertone in it but doesn’t make me look dead, unfortunately I think it might be on the discontinue list – the only place I could find it was on Bloomingdale’s so I ordered 3 backups
MAC Lip Pencil in Stripdown is another good true flesh nude, it’s brown in undertone and slightly warmer than Oak, it’s a good one but I know many find it too brown/grey
MAC Lip Pencil in Boldly Bare comes second to my favorite Subculture, it’s what I wanted Spice to always be, Boldly Bare is the perfect pinky warm medium nude that works wonders with pale lip colors and glosses
MAC Lip Pencil in Spice is a cult classic that was so popular when I was in high school, every cool girl owned it, on me it was always so brown and pulled orangey on my lips even though it swatches more neutral, I still use and wear it to tweak lip colors, it’s just not my favorite
MAC Lip Pencil in Dervish isn’t really a nude, it’s more of a neutral medium rosy pink, but it falls into the neutral category for me, it’s a classic staple I think everyone should try
MAC Lip Pencil in Whirl is another really good nude, it pulls more mauvey nude rose which I adore, the cool tones prevents it from looking orange or brown on my lips, it has enough depth to really define the lips perfectly
MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil in Double-Time is a neutral medium warm brown-pink-nude, this lasts all day without budging
MAC Lip Pencil in Soar is a medium to dark pink, it’s a bit darker and deeper on me than the traditional neutral, if you have deeper skin or deeper lips, this will probably pull more neutral on you than it does on me
MAC Lip Pencil in Hover is another deeper neutral, it’s one of the deepest neutrals I own
MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil in Staunchly Stylish almost matches Subculture but it’s slightly deeper and has a more pigmented finish
Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Re-Size and Re-Shape Lip Liner in Iconic Nude is my perfect true nude in the sense that it’s a flesh-toned beige nude, this is a classic pigmented pencil that I think might be a universally flattering color
Chanel Precision Lip Definer in Natural is a classic light neutral pink nude beige, if you’re looking for the perfect beige pink nude, this is it, compared to other formulas Chanel can tug on the lips a little, but they aren’t drying
Chanel Precision Lip Definer in Beige Satin is one of the lightest colors I own, it’s borderline too pale for me, but I like mixing it with beige and nude lipsticks
Chanel Precision Lip Definer in Beige Innocent is another pale pearly lip pencil from Chanel, it’s almost identical to Beige Satin but slightly lighter
Chanel Precision Lip Definer in Nude is a cult classic that has been used on me for every single Chanel makeover I’ve had, it’s always seemed to be darker than what I envisioned a nude to be, but it’s almost magical – artists have used this with every lip color imaginable from red, pink, coral, beige, peach – this somehow transforms and defines lip colors in the most amazing way
Laura Mercier Lip Pencil in Naked is light baby pink neutral, it looks super light on me, but when I blend it out, it evens out the lip tone
Laura Mercier Lip Pencil in Chestnut is another cult classic that is super popular, it’s always recommended for the lipsticks I look at when shopping at the counter, it’s a mauvey warm neutral
Marc Jacobs Beauty (P)Outliner Lip Pencil in Honey(bun) is a super pigmented creamy twist up lip pencil, all three shades of the (P)Outliner are reviewed here, Honey(bun) is a neutral bright peachy color
Edward Bess Defining Lip Liner in Natural is in my top picks for lip pencil formula, it comes in a sleek twist up tube and mine have never dried out, I’ve gone through several pencils, it’s a great go-with-everything kind of neutral, texture is smooth and doesn’t tug the lips
Nudestix Lip & Cheek Pencil in Soul is one of the few chubby pencils I really really like. I own a number of chubby sticks from different brands but always find them a pain to sharpen (they always get so messy). Nudestix has a wide number of great nudes, Soul is my perfect warm peach nude (swatched on lips here)
One more view of all the pencils:
From the * clockwise, Le Metier de Beaute Nudite, H&M Au Naturel, MAC Cultured, MAC Subculture, MAC Oak, MAC Stripdown, MAC Boldly Bare, MAC Spice, MAC Dervish, MAC Whirl, MAC Double-Time, MAC Soar, MAC Hover, MAC Staunchly Stylish, Nudestix Soul, Edward Bess Natural, Marc Jacobs Beauty Nudite, Marc Jacobs Beauty Primrose, Marc Jacobs Beauty Honeybun, Laura Mercier Chestnut, Laura Mercier Naked, Chanel Nude, Chanel Beige Innocent, Chanel Beige Satin, Chanel Natural, Charlotte Tilbury Pink Venus, Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk, Charlotte Tilbury Iconic Nude
I hope you found this roundup of neutral lip pencils helpful! I think the swatches show how different many of them are even though they look really similar just based on the pencils themselves. If I were pressed to rank my top picks, my absolute favorites/staples are:
MAC Subculture
MAC Whirl
Edward Bess Natural
MAC Oak
Chanel Nude
Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk
Do you have a favorite neutral lip pencil? I’d love to hear about what your holy grail neutrals are!
Press samples featured include Marc Jacobs (P)Outliners x3, Marc Jacobs Enamored Hi-Shine Lip Lacquer in Moonglow, Nudestix Soul, Buxom True Nude Lip Foundation, Truffle Clarity Clutch
Chanel launched a new mini collection focusing on cheeks and complexion. There are two Joues Contraste Powder Blushes ($45 each for 6 g / 0.21 oz) in Golden Sun 280 and Vibration 270, a new Illuminating Powder called Infiniment Chanel ($65 for 12 g/0.42 oz) and a new angled 2-in-1 Foundation Brush for Liquid and Powder ($45). Other items in the feature include repromotes with a focus on the Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation, Hydrabeauty Microserum and Le Blanc de Chanel Makeup Base. I reviewed the new Chanel brush a couple weeks ago here. It’s a very good one that provides streak-free smooth application on foundation. Today I have a review on the 3 items for cheeks.
Swatched below with a heavy hand:
All three colors are new to me. It was pointed out to me that Golden Sun might be an older color that was discontinued but I don’t own the original so I’m not sure if it’s the same color repromoted or if it’s a new color with the same name. The current Golden Sun #280 blush is the most perfect shimmering beige nude with a hint of tan. It’s a gorgeous stunning neutral that adds a tiny bit of warmth and natural contour/depth to the face that’s ultra flattering. I’m head over heels in love with it.
A few comparison swatches below, all are discontinued except:
Vibration #270 is another unique color. To me it looks like a bright warm pink, but at the counter, one of my favorite reps described as more of a bright coral pink. I think it’s somewhere in between both – depending on how light or dark your skin is will determine how it looks on your skin. On me it’s a very pigmented vibrant color. A tiny dab adds such a pretty healthy glow but it is easy to layer. That being said it’s also easy to overdo because it’s so pigmented so I recommend applying with a light hand.
Last but not least is the new Infiniment Chanel Illuminating Powder. This launched in other countries earlier a few months ago and I was hoping it would be released in the US. I was thrilled to find that it did. It’s described as having a “shimmering peach-pink shade to brighten cheeks and a luminous beige tone to subtly highlight or enhance.” The peachy-pink tone is actually more peachy on my skin and it’s in an embossed double C pattern in the middle. The light beige color is a soft luminous beige that is very soft and pretty on the skin. I tried applying both shades individually – but unfortunately the Cs are right in the middle so no matter how much I tried, with any powder or blush brush I ended up mixing. The light powder would be so perfect if it were separated because I think it would be an amazing setting and finishing powder. The peachy center makes the color too dark for all over my face at my current skintone of Chanel Beige 30/40.
I love this swirled together on the cheeks alone for a very natural barely-there glow or over other blush to soften and illuminate colors. I don’t have any dupes or comparison swatches for this one. The mix of the light beige and peachy shimmer is really unique, I would say the light beige has a similar effect to if you mixed Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused and Dim Light, the peachy color isn’t like anything I own. Do note this powder is heavily scented – I was a bit blown away by how floral and strong it was when I opened the compact. The good news for me is that I didn’t find the scent lasted too long and it faded after a few minutes. Even though it has a slightly luminous shimmer, on my skin this looks more matte.
I’m beyond thrilled with all three additions. Golden Sun is one of the prettiest nude shimmer blushes I’ve tried. It seems fairly basic in the compact but has such a stunning mix of shimmers it gives the face depth and dimension. Vibration is something that also appears standard in the pan but it’s such a striking bright warm pink that isn’t too warm. I thought it would be really similar to other Chanel blushes I have but am happy to find it’s darker and more pigmented than the others I own. If you’ve found Chanel blushes too light in color for your skin, this is a good one that fills the gap of darker shades. I have a huge love for the Infiniment Chanel Illuminating Powder but given how subtle it is, I suspect it might be hit or miss for many of you. I like the way it adds a very natural hint of color and glow on the skin, but the effect is very very natural – it’s more of like a soft finishing powder with a tint rather than an illuminating powder. The peach makes this one too dark to wear this all over my face. I adore it but think it would have been better if the colors were more distinctly separated so I could wear the beige all over and add the peach as a darker contour.
You can find all three items at Chanel counters now. If you’re looking for a good angled foundation brush, the new one in this collection is worth looking at too. Online at Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Chanel.com and all other Chanel retailers.
My friends and I often chat about beauty and since I’m a beauty blogger that tests quite a few things, I’m often asked “what do you think is the best _________?” Foundation brushes were the topic of discussion last month. My top three favorite tools are the Beautyblender Sponges (the pink one, the white and black ones are not as good even though they’re supposed to be the same), Tom Ford Cream Foundation Brush and the Tom Ford Foundation Brush. As soon as I said “Tom Ford” ooohs and aaahhs followed by the question, “ok, but how much do they cost?” At $72 each, neither of my friends were willing to splurge. They asked what made the brushes so good and I told them they were the only brushes I’ve tried that applies foundation streak-free and it requires no extra work to blend into the skin. Even though I had tried quite a few, I was tasked with a project to find a cheaper alternative that performed just as well. Suggested brands included Marc Jacobs Beauty, Urban Decay, Chanel and MAC. I have already tried and tested the Chanel #6 and MAC #190, both of which are good, but still give me streaks, luckily both brands have new ones out so I was able to test those. Given the fact that I am super picky about brushes that leave any kind of streaks, I was skeptical I would find anything as good as Tom Ford.
For quick reference, here are the brush tips/tops shown for size reference and shape, same order as what’s shown above:
Foundations I tested the foundation brushes with: Tom Ford Traceless Foundation Stick (review), NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation (review here), Marc Jacobs Genius Gel (review), Tom Ford Traceless Perfecting Foundation (review + swatches), Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet Foundation (review)
I went into my local Sephora store to look at the Marc Jacobs Beauty brushes. I have had a really good experience using the Shape and Contour Brush for pressed powders, contouring powders and also foundation. It’s super dense though so it’s better suited for contouring. One of the makeup artists at Sephora recommended the Sephora Pro Full Coverage Airbrush #53 for flawless coverage. She said it’s the best brush she’s ever used – the shape allows you to get in the corners of the nose and blend easily and the wide flat shape allows for full coverage with just a few strokes. There’s also the Mini Size #53.5 and Large Size #53XL for the body/decollete. I liked the look and price of the mini, but the regular size comes with a flip open cap that comes in super handy for storage/travel. It keeps the bristles in tact without coming in contact with other tools so it won’t get kinked or smashed.
In the interest of wanting to see which one was better, I bought both. The artist was right. The regular size #53 is indeed better. It’s larger and fluffier and allows for easier application with a few strokes on the face. The mini is still good but the size requires more brushing back and forth to cover the entire face. I was worried the regular size would be too large or that it would soak up a lot of product, but it actually is the perfect size and doesn’t absorb too much foundation. These are made with Naturon fibers that are made from a synthetic PBT, it feature waves and pointed tips to emulate natural fibers.
I’m truly impressed with how good my foundation looked with these. These give flawless coverage that is completely streak free. I liked these best with liquid foundation (versus stick/creams). Huge huge thumbs up.
The Urban Decay Good Karma Optical Blurring Brush is something I’ve actually had sitting in my drawer for a while. It was gifted to me earlier this year. I’ve tried some other Urban Decay brushes before including the ones that come in the Naked Palettes. I’m usually not a huge fan of synthetic brushes although I’m slowly trying more and finding some really good ones these days. I put this one to the test. It has an ultra soft feel with a rounded tip. Urban Decay describes this as a vegan brush. The description of this one: “The brush’s handle is made of recycled aluminum, and its synthetic, cruelty-free brush hairs are more hygienic than real hair (but never get that stinky wet-hair smell).” I found it ultra soft and also does an amazing job at blending foundation flawlessly. For the price it’s a really good option, but I can’t call it a favorite for two reasons. The first is there was a bit of shedding before I washed it. The first washing resulted in a tiny bit more shedding but after that it was done. The second hesitation I have in giving this a glowing review is the brush head is a bit small. It’s not bad – it’s still easy to use, but after testing other brushes, I find others easier and better to get full coverage with less strokes and less blending. Still – if you’re looking for something relatively inexpensive and that will blend liquids without any streaks, this is a good option. It blends foundation sticks on the face really nicely too and is super gentle on the skin.
Two of the Marc Jacobs Beauty foundation brushes have been on my wishlist for a long time, but since I was already 100% happy with the Tom Ford Brushes, I decided to pass, but in the end caved to test them. If you’re like me you probably wonder if glowing reviews are often due to hype. In the case of Marc Jacobs Beauty brushes – the hype is real.
The newest brush The Face III Buffing Foundation Brush is on the expensive side but it’s worth every penny. It’s an ultra plush brush with a super dense head and rounded domed tip. It’s dense but still very soft so it allows for easy blending and buffing in a circular motion. It works well with sheer and full coverage foundation. The material helps the foundation meld into the skin in the most amazing way – you get flawless coverage and is 100% streak free and it applies foundation evenly on the skin.
The Face II Sculpting Foundation brush isn’t a new one but it’s new for me. It has a beveled/angled tip that is perfect for sculpting the face. It’s good for all over foundation – the angled tip glides along the sides of your face, temples and cheeks smoothly. Since the tip is slightly angled, it’s skinny along the top and allows for perfect blending along the sides and corners of the nose. It’s perfect for cream bronzer.
Between the two, I can’t pick a favorite – they are both really phenomenal. They both blend liquids and creams flawlessly. I tried them both with liquid and cream foundations. The Buffing Brush is better to blend out stick/solid cream foundations on the face. The Sculpting is also versatile for liquid products and blending out cream bronzers or contouring products.
Side views at different angles to show the tapered shape of the Sculpting Brush:
Last but not least include two of the newest slanted flat top brushes from MAC and Chanel. The MAC Slanted Flat Top Brush #196 was really hard for me to locate – it was sold out almost everywhere I looked but I did find one counter that had one left. I was told that it’s not limited-edition and will be permanent in stores but I’m not 100% sure. This was my ideal pick because it has a large brush head which I prefer for foundation – it allows for less blending. Unfortunately it did leave some streaks – it was easy to blend out but didn’t give a streak-free finish like the others I tested. That being said this brush was designed for the MAC Studio Waterweight Foundation which reminds me of the Armani Maestro Fusion Foundation – both of which are very fluid and thin in texture. I prefer thicker more traditional foundations that are still liquid but not super thin. Perhaps it works better on thin texture foundations.
Chanel just launched a 2-in-1 Fluid and Powder Foundation Brush #8. I’ve tested this for about a week now and think it’s amazing. It’s still on the pricey side but relative to Tom Ford, it’s pretty reasonable. This one glides on the skin perfectly and gives streak-free application. It has a smaller tip compared to the other brushes which means I had to dab and blend 3x as much to cover my entire face. It does seem to soak up a tiny bit more product compared to the other tools but I’m willing to deal with it since the application is so good. I haven’t tested it with powders but for liquids I’m impressed.
Below you can see the MAC has shorter bristles while the Chanel has longer ones:
Side view, you can see the difference in size. I prefer the size of the MAC, but the performance of the Chanel is better.
I’m really impressed with a number of these brushes I tested. I wonder what took me so long to try out the Sephora Pro Full Coverage Airbrush #53 brush (it’s better than the mini version). It’s amazing and at $38 the price is right. Marc Jacobs Beauty of course never ceases to impress me. Both the Face II Sculpting and Face III Buffing Brushes are more expensive and quite a splurge – but they are really well made with sturdy handles and they have a well constructed design. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with either and I don’t think owning both is redundant.
I personally wasn’t a huge fan of the Urban Decay Good Karma Optical Blurring Brush or MAC Slanted Flat Top Brush #196. Both are good brushes for the price. The Urban Decay is a bit too small for my taste although it’s super soft and blends liquids beautifully. The MAC leaves visible streaks and although they are minimal and easy to blend out, I’d rather have something that gives me a flawless finish to save time. The short tip also makes it a bit hard to wash out – the liquids get up into the middle and it took extra work to get completely clean.
The new Chanel #8 Foundation Brush gives a flawless finish and I would say it’s definitely superior to the original #6 Foundation Brush. I don’t gravitate towards small angled brushes because I think they are better suited for detail application. For foundation I want something that will apply product in larger sweeping motions. The #8 is very good though – if you’re in the market for an angled brush this is a good one to look at that won’t break the bank.
In summary, I have found brushes that perform just as well as my beloved Tom Ford brushes at a cheaper price. My top two picks include the Sephora Pro Full Coverage Airbrush #53 (found exclusively at Sephora) and the Marc Jacobs Face III Buffing Brush (found at Sephora and Marc Jacobs Beauty).
I hope you found this roundup helpful! Do you have a favorite foundation brush?
Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you’ve had a great weekend. A few things on my beauty radar right now (from top left, clockwise):
Chanel has a new mini launch with some new products. There are two new Joues Contraste Powder Blushes in Golden Sun and Vibration along with a new highlighter called Infiniment Chanel Illuminating Powder. I bought one blush and the highlighter – they are almost too pretty to touch. I hope to start testing soon.
For holiday Hourglass has launched their Ambient Lighting Edit palette. It comes with three Ambient Lighting Powders, two Ambient Lighting Blushes and one Ambient Light Bronzer. It looks phenomenal – however since I already own five of the six colors individually and in other palettes, I think this will probably be redundant to own. I use the powders I have regularly and have yet to hit pan in any of them (they last forever!).
Tatcha has a new Soothing Indigo Mini Set. It has travel sizes of the Rice Enzyme Powder, Recovery Cream, Silk Hand Cream and Body Butter. The Indigo line is really good for sensitive skin that is prone to irritation. Anytime my skin is dry, itchy or irritated, this line works wonders to soothe the skin and calms down redness. (There’s a promo code CLEAN20 to receive a complimentary travel-size Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil on any order over $20. Offer expires 9/30/2015)
Truffle has some new products for fall. They’ve launched a new Privacy Wristlet in black and cabernet. The cabernet color also comes in their document cases, clarity clutches and privacy clutch (it’s gorgeous!).
Lipstick Queen has a new full pigment lipgloss called Seven Deadly Sins. There are six colors available online from Space NK. In a season filled with new lip products, formulas and colors, I do not need another lipstick or lipgloss – but somehow I’m still intrigued by these. Lust looks like the perfect berry red based on online swatches.
Drybar products just launched at Nordstrom.com! Both my husband and I swear by The Chaser Shine Cream. Other favorites of mine include the Mai Tai Spritzer and Hold Me Hair Clips. I’ve loved everything I’ve tried from the line.
YSL has launched four new Matte La Lacque Couture Nail Lacquers. I’m not a fan of the matte nail look, but I might make an exception for the YSL formula (the glossy ones are really really good).
I’ve been testing a number of sunscreens all summer long to see which ones hold up to heat, humidity and also are suitable for my ultra sensitive skin. I know a sunscreen roundup would have been more appropriate earlier in the summer – but it’s recommended you wear sunscreen all year round, not just in warm sunny weather. Here in Southern California we have sunny weather 90% of the year. I used to think sunscreen wasn’t necessary for everyday – especially for those who work indoors for the vast majority of the day. However, in a good portion of work places there are windows where your skin can still be exposed to sunlight. These days I’ve put extra effort on applying sunscreen regularly. I am not the most disciplined at re-applying but am trying to be better. I’ve split my testing into three categories: Face, Body and Men’s.
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Face Sunscreens – Many of my moisturizers or foundations already have SPF in them so I used to not pay much attention to applying sunscreen as an additional step. These days I prefer moisturizers and foundations that don’t have SPF – it’s not something I actively look for, it’s just a coincidence that most of the foundations I really like do not have any SPF. The highest SPF foundation I own is the Chanel CC Cream (all shades swatched here) which comes with an SPF 50. For days where I don’t wear this I do layer on sunscreen over moisturizer.
Four I’ve tested over the summer:
Clarins UV Plus Anti-Pollution Multi-Protection Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Sunscreen ($42 for 50 ml/1.7 fl oz) is a new formula that replaced the original UV Plus HP. I prefer the original version because it had a thinner formula and even though the liquid was white, it didn’t leave a noticeable white cast on the skin. The new one has a higher SPF of 50 versus 40. It’s also slightly thicker and more creamy – it does the job at covering the face and protecting it – I found it too heavy for my skin. It does have a lightweight feel but the formula covered so much of my skin it felt like it couldn’t breathe underneath. If you have dry skin this one will probably be ok for your skin type.
Tatcha Pore Perfecting Sunscreen ($68 for 60 ml/2 fl oz) was launched in August. I had been waiting for this one for months ever since a reader e-mailed me with news that she saw a preview of this. This one comes with SPF 35 and is the one facial sunscreen to rule them all (at least all the ones I’ve tried). It’s a pore perfecting formula which really does smooth and blur out imperfections without making the face look matte or white. Many blurring products have a white or pink cast which makes my olive skin look ashy, powdery or flat. The Tatcha sunscreen is white but it blends out to an invisible finish. It makes the perfect primer for foundation too. It is on the pricey side, they have a Travel Size option for $13 to try. It helps control oil, it doesn’t break out my face, it covers the skin completely but allows the skin to breathe. It doesn’t clog pores and it doesn’t feel greasy. (PS, there is a promo with code CLEAN20 to receive a complimentary travel-size Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil ($12 value) on any order over $20, offer expires 9/30/2015.)
Chanel UV Essentiel Anti-Pollution Broad Spectrum SPF 50 ($55 for 1 fl oz/30 ml) has been a go-to for years. It used to come in a more rectangular bottle with a different formula. I loved the original and love the new one. It’s an ultra lightweight formula that is a white liquid but disappears on the skin. What I love about this one is that it doesn’t break me out and also layers beautifully over moisturizer and under foundation (I’ve tried it with Chanel, Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, By Terry, NARS, Laura Mercier to name a few). Many sunscreens have a heavy greasy feel and don’t work well with foundations, this is the one I’ve repurchased a number of times. My husband likes to use it for day. For working out or running though it’s not sweat proof. It runs into both of our eyes and stings. This one works for my sensitive skin but one of my friends found it created tiny little bumps on her cheeks.
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Pure Mineral Sunscreen Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 40 ($30 for 2 oz) is one of the few moisturizer + sunscreen products that I like. It has a creamy texture and white color but doesn’t leave a white cast on the skin. This one is free of skin-irritating chemicals and has a soothing feel. It dries to a semi-matte finish and works really well alone or under makeup. For my ultra sensitive skin this is one of the most gentle sunscreens I’ve tried. I gave one tube to a friend (same one who broke out from Chanel) and she is completely obsessed with the First Aid Beauty sunscreen. It’s lightweight and has a silky finish.
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Body Sunscreens are something I test with dread. I get irritation and red blotches from so many it’s really quite ridiculous. My husband can use any body sunscreen without any issues. His main concern is about texture. If it feels greasy or oily and doesn’t dry down then he doesn’t like it. Four we’ve tested over the summer below that passed my sensitivity test.
Supergoop! Sun Defying Sunscreen Oil with Meadowfoam SPF 50 ($34 for 5 oz) is something I’ve been obsessed with all summer long. I bought in the mini size and brought with me to Europe in June. It’s an oil that absorbs quickly into the skin and makes the body glow but doesn’t feel greasy. If you’re not a fan of thick cream sunscreens this is a great alternative. It does a good job at preventing burns and when I use this I don’t get much of a tan. This is for face and body but I wasn’t brave enough to try it on my face.
Supergoop! Everyday SPF 50 with Cellular Response Technology is something I received from Birchbox ($32 for 7.5 oz). I didn’t think I would like it because it has a white cream lotion texture. This one is even better than the oil and even though I have sensitive skin and both work for me, I think this has a more gentle feel. I tried this on the face and it stayed put, didn’t sting my eyes with sweat and didn’t get oily. This is hands down one of the best body sunscreens I’ve tried. It’s easy to apply and absorbs quickly into the skin. It has a lightweight non-sunscreen scent that fades after a few minutes. One of my biggest gripes about body sunscreen is the sunscreen smell. This one doesn’t smell like the usual.
Coola Sport Continuous Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 in Tropical Coconut ($30 for the small 3 oz size) smells so amazing. I couldn’t find this one instores (my local stores had the unscented versions). It does have alcohol in it and you can smell it when you spray it on the skin, but the scent disappears and you’re left with the coconut scent. It’s lightweight and gives an even spritz of mist in a continuous spray. I like this one because it’s easy to apply all over – you can sunscreen your back easily and reapply quickly. It’s non-drying and non-irritating. I love that it’s not messy like creams or oils can be.
Korres Sunscreen Face and Body with SPF 50 is made with Greek Yogurt. You can’t find this one in the US unfortunately – we bought this in Athens and loved it. It’s a liquid spray but applies like a lotion. It’s creamy and soothing and completely covered the skin. There were a couple times we saw a dramatic difference on our skin on spots we missed. Areas covered with this sunscreen didn’t get dark or tan.
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Last but not least, three men’s sunscreens my husband has liked enough to repurchase. He’s been a long-time Jack Black user. The one facial moisturizer he uses regularly is the Double Duty Face Moisturizer with SPF 20. He uses this almost daily – if he’s going to be indoors at his office most of the day he will use this alone. He likes the lightweight texture and it keeps his skin soft and prevents it from getting oily. On days he think he will be on the road or outdoors, he will layer on the Jack Black Sun Guard Very Water Resistant SPF 45 on top. This one is light enough that it doesn’t feel heavy. With sweat or water it doesn’t sting his eyes. He likes this for the body as well – it prevents burns when he’s been at the beach. Another one he likes is the Kiehl’s Facial Fuel UV Guard Sunscreen with SPF 50. This is his preference for high SPF – it’s lightweight and doesn’t leave a white cast on the skin. It’s similar to the Chanel UV Essentiel in terms of texture, but this one works better for his skin. It doesn’t bead up when he sweats.
I hope you found this roundup helpful. My top picks: Tatcha and First Aid Beauty for the face, Supergoop! Everyday Sunscreen (white tube) and Korres for the body. What are your favorite sunscreens? I’m always open to recommendations – I often learn about awesome skincare items from my readers.
Press samples include items from Clarins, Tatcha, First Aid Beauty and Supergoop! Everyday SPF50. All others purchased by me.
For fall Chanel has four new lipsticks in their Collection Les Automnales release. I picked up two of the Rouge Coco Shines ($36 each) in Mélancolie and Téméraire along with one Rouge Allure ($36) in Pensive. I’m usually super excited about the new lip releases from Chanel. Their lipstick formulas usually perform really well for me and I love the colors. This fall, the items fall a bit short of my expectations.
The three colors I picked out at the counter:
Rouge Coco Shine in Mélancolie is a sheer glossy warm brownish nude with shimmer, this goes on beautifully if swatched on the hands, on my pigmented lips it looks very nude and natural, it almost disappears because of the way it matches my lip tone, it’s so so pretty in the tube, on me it’s almost invisible, I suspect if you have less pigment in your lips it will show up better
Rouge Coco Shine in Téméraire is a pigmented deeper red with shimmer, this one has phenomenal coverage and pigment, if you’re like me, most reddish lip colors can turn orange or fuchsia on the lips no matter what the base color is, this one surprisingly does not turn fuchsia and stays true to what you see in the tube
Rouge Allure in Pensive is a sheer nude that is applies unevenly and blotchy, it’s almost identical in color to the Reveuse Rouge Coco Shine, but the Rouge Coco Shine has a much better formula and coverage, it photographs well, but in real life it looks really uneven, I’ve tried desperately to make it work because it swatches so pretty on the arm and looks like nude perfection in the tubes, but it’s really not worth the price given the sheerness
Swatches below:
Some swatched comparisons:
One last shot:
Overall beautiful in the tubes, but they aren’t must-haves for me. I do like the way Téméraire looks and how pigmented it is although it has a lot more color in it than I’m used to. It’s definitely not an everyday kind of lip color unless you are used to wearing reds. Mélancolie is such a stunning shade in the tube and on my hand, on my me it seems to have decent coverage but it disappears on my pigmented lips. Pensive is something I would say skip – there are much better nudes out there from other lines that have better pigment, coverage and texture. If you’re in the market for new lipsticks to splurge on I would say save for Louboutin, Tom Ford or the Burberry Kisses. Or wait for Chanel Holiday.
Did you check out the fall selection for lips? What did you think?
All the new lip colors in the fall collection are listed as permanent. They are available at counters now. Online at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Chanel.com and all other Chanel retailers.
