May Birchbox 2013: COOLA Classic Face SPF 30

I’m getting kind of tired of sunscreens. I know, I know. They’re wonderful and necessary. But I feel like that’s all I’ve been hearing from Birchbox for a while. And I’ve gotten so many sunscreen samples that I’m feeling a little burned out. Summer in the South or no, it’s getting a little tiresome.

So when I saw this in my Birchbox, I wasn’t necessarily thrilled. Another sunscreen? Yippee. End sarcasm.

However, this product is pretty nice. Yes, I said it. Even me, sunscreen burn out, likes it.

It smells really yummy. Like fresh, fruity bubblegum. A little on the sweet side, but summery and refreshing.

The formula is thin. Not runny, but not goopy. A nice change from most sunscreens. It spreads out evenly and soaks in uniformly. There is no greasy residue or oily sheen after application. Just supple skin protected from the elements.

In fact, I could see myself using this as a straight up moisturizer. SPF, refreshing, light, and moisturizing? I think yes.

As far as sun protection goes, I’m going to err on the side of caution and go with the FDA. If it says SPF 30, then SPF 30 it is. I would just recommend reapplication relatively often. Your face is the most vulnerable spot for sun damage and is where most of that long term damage will show up in the form of lines, wrinkles, and sun spots.

So apply this product (or something like it) often. Me? I’m going to go ahead and invest in this product. It doesn’t make me break out and does all that it’s supposed to. I can’t be unhappy about that!

Thanks for reading!

A to Z: U and V are for...UV!

Cheating? Maybe. Creative? Oh, I think yes.

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Today's post is all about something near and dear to my heart: Sunlight.

I'll be the first to tell you that I spent a good portion of my senior year of college tanning. Yes, me. The pale-skinned, easy-to-sunburn redhead. I would slather on a thin layer of low SPF and lay out in the sun for at least an hour, sometimes more, taking a few chances to jump into the pool to cool off. 

Although my skin got slightly darker, I did start to notice a few side effects. First off, my skin started getting really oily. Whether it was from the sunscreen or the sunlight, I don't know. But it got to the point where I would have to use oil blotting sheets several times a day. Normally, my skin isn't that oily. In fact, it's a little on the dry side.

I also started getting serious heat problems. I would be in my air conditioned apartment and suddenly feel like I was back out in the sun again. Frying. I would have to shower off to deal with it. 

Then came the acne, the hair turning from red to blonde.

Sure, the skin color was nice. I don't like looking like the underside of a trout. But then my dad came home with skin cancer. And that was the day I called it quits. I stopped hanging out poolside unless I was actually hanging out. 

And from then on, I wore nothing less than 30 SPF. I still won't.

I've had a history with bad sunburn. Once, it was so awful, it ruined an entire vacation with my then boyfriend/now husband's family. I spent the rest of that week trapped inside the beach house, miserable. 

Now that I'm a little older and have all of that knowledge to pull from, I'm super careful about sun exposure. I still like sitting out in the sun, soaking up the vitamins, reading, listening to music. But I don't do it purely to tan now. I don't want to be 40 or 50 and look like I'm 80, y'know?

As if reading my mind, Birchbox has been putting out all sorts of videos about sunscreen and SPF lately. And I really like them. I'm slowly wrapping my mind around the fact that it's something I have to do to keep my skin healthy. Limit sun exposure and always wear some form of SPF.

My general routine? My moisturizer has SPF 15. As does my foundation powder. My chapstick, also, is a great protector. And if I know I'm going to be in the sun for a while, I always don my Neutrogena Ultra Sheer that I mentioned earlier. Usually, 30 SPF. 70 if I know I'm going to be out for a while.

Seriously, guys. I know that it's super popular to look tan and glowing and golden. But be safe. There's no reason that something as fleeting as a good tan should ruin your skin later. 

Thanks for reading!

A to Z: N is f or Neutrogena Ultra Sheer

Today is another sunblock review. This time for one that I completely fell in love with about a year ago. 

This sunscreen is one that I received in a bag of beauty samples from Target. And let me tell you, it's one of the most luxurious feeling sunscreens I've every used. 

Right out of the tube, this sunscreen isn't like others. It smells floral, not like usual sunscreen. There is still that summer time classic, but it is mixed in with something soft and summery. 

Once applied, it begins....well, melting is the only way I can describe it. Like when you use coconut oil and your body heat makes it transparent. 

As the sunscreen is rubbed in, it dries. Not greasy. Not tacky. Just smooth, soft, protected skin. It doesn't feel heavy, like some sunscreens tend to feel. It's light and moisturizing. It's practically a miracle in a bottle! 

Even when wet, this sunblock remains dry and weightless and steadfast. Because the last thing you want is to reapply and have to wait ten or fifteen minutes for your sunscreen to absorb just so you can go out and enjoy the beach again. 

Above and beyond, this is one of the best sunscreens I've ever used. And for around $7 for the full size, you can't really go wrong. 

Give it a try, I promise you'll be impressed. 

A to Z: G is for Goop!

SuperGoop, that is!

This is one of the samples that I got in my Birchbox but didn't necessarily feel the need to review on this blog. I mean...it's sunscreen. I go through the stuff like it's my day job.

But I needed something for G, and I figured someone out there in the ether might be interested in hearing about this brand.

This is a very fancy packet of sunscreen. The large, industrial bottle clocks in at about $50, which is way more than what I would traditionally pay for sunscreen.

To be fair, though, this is a really nice product. 

It's smooth and creamy, not greasy, but it still has that delightful sunscreen smell that everyone associates with the beach. 

The coverage seems to be pretty even, although I haven't gone out in the sun yet to test it. There are no application issues whatsoever, which is nice, since that can be a problem with a lot of "all natural" sunscreens.  I'll just be blunt here: I've gotten a lot of streaky, nasty sunburns because an "all natural, non greasy" sunscreen wasn't good enough. 

The good news? This product is good for your face! I always hate putting sunscreen on my face because it makes my skin tingle and burn unpleasantly, then it leaves me greasy and oily, and the next day I'm covered in acne from the oils. This product doesn't seem to have that effect, though. 

I don't know if that's because it's super good for you, with no parabens or oils, or if they just put more effort into Supergoop! than other brands put into their sunscreen.

Whatever the reason, if you would like to have a nice, high quality sunscreen that's good all over, this is a wonderful product. Unfortunately, I go through way too much sunscreen to spend so much money on it. I'll just stick with a normal one and a gentle one for my face. Unless I get rich, in which case, this stuff will become a household staple.

Thanks for reading!