Review : Sunplay Skin Aqua Super Moisture Essence Sunscreen

Two weeks ago I was doing solo backpacking in Thailand on my birthday! On this picture I was taking train on Death Railway in Kanchanaburi! 

One of my must bring product for my travel is sunscreen. I can't live without them.

Over the past few weeks I have met some girls that have really nice makeup and they told me they do not use sunscreen/sunblock. And when I asked why they said oh I'm just lazy. I was extremely shock when I heard this because looking at her makeup finishing definitely took her lots of effort. 

And no matter what the weather outside, be it rain or shine I apply my sunblock every single day without fail. I can go out without makeup and never without sunblock. The main benefit of sunscreen is that it acts as a protection against the harmful UV rays which penetrates your skin every time it is exposed to the sun. It also helps to protect your skin from developing signs of aging (yes UV rays can cause your skin to age!) and helps to prevent dark spots, dullness on your skin & uneven skin tone.

I believe one of the main reasons why people do not like to use sunscreen because it cause the skin feeling sticky, heavy, oily & uncomfortable. Hence I strongly suggest you to pick the right sunscreen for yourself and Japanese sunscreen has one of the best ones. I'm actually quite adventurous in trying out sunscreen and constantly trying out different brands after fav sunscreen from Hada Labo has been discontinued! 

One of my recent favourite sunscreen is from Sunplay Skin Aqua Super Moisture Essence which is also from Japan. This is a super moisturising sunscreen with high UV protection that is formulated with 4  highly moisturising ingredients such as Super Hyaluronic Acid, Nano Hyaluronic Acid, Amino Acid & Collagen to provide the skin with instant moisture and long hours of hydration. 

This is suitable for both face and body as this has strong sun protection of SPF50+ PA++++ which effectively prevents damage to the skin caused by UV rays. I like the fact that the product is gentle to the skin, allergy tested and free from colorant, fragrance and mineral oil. 

Here is the ingredients list 

In case you don't know the right amount of sunscreen to use is about 50 cent coins and you should apply as the last step of your skincare before your makeup. Re-applying is needed if you going to be under the sun for long hours. 

The refreshing watery light texture enables the product to spread easily and absorb quickly into the skin. And because of its lightweight feel, this sunscreen is suitable for daily application and even serves as a good makeup base.

I also like how the product feel non-existence after application and it does not make my skin feels oily after few hours under the sun. Rather my skin feel comfortable & soft  thanks to the moisturising ingredients. More importantly my skin don't feel burn under the sun. 

Sunplay Skin Aqua Super Moisture Essence is now available for sale at RM55.90/80g exclusively in Watsons nationwide

Have you tried this product or can you share with me your holygrail sunscreen, I might be interested to try once this finish :) 

Review : L'Occitane Reine Blanche Illuminating UV Shield SPF50

For the longest time, we all know having a fair and flawless complexion is the dream of every (Asian) girls because it symbolised beauty and femininity. Drawing on its extensive botanical research, L’Occitane has discovered a plant with the power to whiten and spectacularly illuminate the skin. Reine des Prés is a pure white flower illuminating its petals over time. Inspired by its immaculate beauty and unparalleled luminosity, L’Occitane has created the REINE BLANCHE Illuminating Program for a fair and translucent skin. Day after day, the skin recovers its natural translucency and inner light, glowing with immaculate radiance. 

L'Occitane Reine Blanche range comes with 4 products, Foaming Cleanser, Whitening Cream, Whitening Serum and Illuminating UV Shield. Out of these products, the serum and UV shield managed to won our local magazine editor's favourite products. 

Thanks to L'Occitane Malaysia, I got a bottle of Illuminating UV Shield to try out. Love the white glass bottle that comes in a pump, very minimalist yet elegant design. 

Reine des Prés is a pure white flower known for its lightening properties: the flower is illuminating its petals over time. It naturally contains salicylic acid - renowned for boosting luminosity and helping epidermal renewal. 

Inspired by its immaculate beauty and unparalleled luminosity, L’OCCITANE has created the Reine Blanche Illuminating Program for a fair and translucent skin. With its moisturizing formula, the Illuminating UV shield instantly offers comfort and a sensation of incredible smoothness, leaving skin feeling optimally protected, plumped and hydrated. 

The L'Occitane Illuminating UV Shield is a multiple action care that helps preserve luminous and even-toned skin. With continuous daily use, it promises to helps to

• Provide effective protection against UV rays (SPF50)
• Protect skin against external aggressions.
• Prevent uneven skin tone, caused by sun exposure
•  Improve translucency of the skin 
• Visibly revive the clarity of the skin 

Instruction how to use L'Occitane Reine Blanche Illuminating UV Shield SPF50

1) Take a quarter size of sunscreen/2 pumps and warm between your fingers.
2) Starting from your nose, apply outwards to your ears and your entire face, then apply on your forehead with alternate outward movements, finish on your neck and chest area.
3) Make sure that your skin is clean and dry, and apply after your daily moisturizer and before applying make up.

A you can see from the picture, the texture is milky lotion, it's quite thick compared to my usual sunblock. Surprisingly it's not sticky at all and it makes my skin feel smooth & hydrated after applying it. Although I was worried when I see a white cast on my face while I was applying the product but after a while it disappeared once it's set on my skin.

One thing I really like about this sunblock is that unlike usual sunscreen, L'Occitane Reine Blanche Illuminating UV Shield has this lovely floral scent which I find it therapeutic. It finds my skin feel hydrated and not oily even though I have been out in the sun all day long. The SPF 50 is great for my everyday use, keeping my skin safe from the harmful UV rays. Plus their lightening properties and SPF50 help my skin looks brighter and protected over time. 

I remembered a while ago, a friend told me she does not use sunblock ( yes there are still people that ignore the importance of sunblock) because she feel it's oily on her skin plus she works in the office. I told her the right sunblock would not make her face oily but comfortable all year long. Not sure how many times I have been mentioning this, harmful UV ways it's the number 1 reason that cause skin aging and pigmentation. And UV rays can reflect off windows, concrete roads and penetrate through glass windows, so even you work indoor you are still expose to UV rays.

L'Occitane Reine Blanche Illuminating UV Shield SPF50 is selling in all L'Occitane store at RM178/30ml or via their website. I do realised it's more expensive than my usual sunblock but I guess this offers more than just sunblock as it contains lightening properties (plus it smell so nice too!)

For more info, visit http://my.loccitane.com/

Review : NEW Clarins UV Plus Anti-Pollution with SPF 50/PA ++++ , find out the reasons why I like them!

Ohai, I just came back from Taiwan! It was very sunny over there (lucky no rain or it will ruin our holiday!). 

Knowing I will be under the sun all the time, I was well prepared and brought along my trusted sunblock to protect my skin from harmful UV rays! Most of us know UV rays is the main cause of premature ageing and hyperpigmentation, but do you know pollution also play a big part too? These two factors will cause overproduction of free radicals in the dermis and epidermis which accelerated skin ageing, damages skin texture and alter skin color.

Unfortunately air pollution which has increased dramatically everywhere in the world and more so in Asia is something we cannot run away from. This has affected not only our health but also our skin. Free radicals attack skin cells and both air and water pollution can strip skin from moisture, causing discolouration,, fine lines and wrinkles. 

Clarins created its first atmospheric anti-pollution complex to prevent premature ageing and loss of radiance related to pollution. In 2005, Clarins launched its first UV Protective Day Screen against UV and anti-pollution. And I first tried them back in 2011 and wrote a review here.

As a pioneer, Clarins has now gone even further by introducing the new and improved UV Plus Anti-Pollution with SPF 50/PA ++++. This daily plant-powered multi-protection UV Plus Anti-Pollution SPF50/PA++++ has 3 key actions - 

Anti-UV, 

Anti-Pollution,

Anti-Ageing. 

This is suitable for daily use and contains fine, smooth and oil-free texture which fights against the UV rays and heavy pollution designed for all Asian women.

Thanks to the Clarins Research team, a new and exclusive plant was discovered. Organic Alpine Sanicle extract which has an active anti-oxidant protection on the skin surface and deep down. It marks a major advance in the protection of skin against the dual aggressions of UV and pollution. In addition, the skin surface is protected from dehydration by hyaluronic acid as well as the exclusive anti-pollution complex added in to fights the visible signs of premature skin ageing and loss of radiance.

Alphine Sanicle Extract: Rich in the antioxidant rosmarinic acid, the extract helps fight the damaging effects of free radicals. It protects the skin by reinforcing its natural defenses against the harmful effects of pollution and UV rays, to recreate the ideal ecosystem and thus preserve the skin’s health and beauty.

Beside this new ingredient, it also has the existing ingredients of Cantaloupe Melon Extract (protects cells from oxidizing stress caused by UV radiation and pollution) and Blackcurrant Extract (the soothing ability to help reduce inflammation & redness). 

Clarins UV Plus Anti-Pollution with SPF 50/PA ++++ comes in 3 shades to suit different skin needs.

Neutral 

Imperceptible on the skin, this invisible shade melts into skin, with a transparent finish. It does not leave any white traces or oily feel.

Baby pink 

For a bright, luminous complexion delicately highlighted with a subtle, transparent pink glow. This shade gives the skin a very natural, fresh look and restores luminosity to dull complexions.

Baby blue

For a flawless complexion, this blue shade is perfect for instantly minimizing the look of redness, dark spots and small imperfections. It leaves the complexion looking even, fair, luminous and flawless.

Back in 2011, I reviewed the previous formula with SPF40 PA+++ and mentioned that it's one the best sunblock I have used. After 4 years I can tell you still that this is still one of my favourite sunblock because the scent, texture and now with higher SPF of 50 and extra + ( the previous formula has three +)  , it's the perfect combination. I realized that the texture has improved a little bit, it was lighter compared to the previous one. The scent is still as lovely as ever, very floral.

In Taiwan National Palace Museum

And if I have extra money to spend, this is the sunblock I want to splurge because not only it protects my skin nicely (ah remembered I didn't get tan while I was in Taiwan!) but it make me feel confident and comfortable going under the sun. 

I have been using Clarins UV Plus Anti-Pollution with SPF 50/PA ++++ (translucent shade) with or without makeup on, so far my experience is no greasy or oily feeling after whole day of using it. In fact I feel my face is smooth and hydrated all day along. Ah now you know why I like them.... and I think this worth the investment because the UV rays & pollution are something we are facing everyday and they are detrimental to our skin! 

To complete your daily routine with whitening needs, you can use it together with Clarins White Plus series for better result. 

This new & improve formula Clarins UV Plus Anti-Pollution with SPF 50/PA ++++ is now selling at RM158 in Malaysia and with 6% GST (Goods & Service Tax) it's now RM 167.50.  

Available in all Clarins counters and Clarins Skin Spa. 

For more info, visit www.clarins.com.my