Sunscreen: The Dailies

Here in the Boston area, it felt like we skipped spring and jumped straight into summer with 80 degree + days. I'm not complaining though. After record breaking snow falls (boo!!) I'm just so happy that the sun is shining and I'm not sinking into a 7 foot snow drift. But all that glorious sunshine leads to a major issue: sunscreen. 

It ain't just for the beach these days.

Tarte TarteGuard SPF 30 oil-free moisturizer // Jergens Natural Glow Protect Daily Moisturizer SPF 20

You guys, the beauty industry answered my prayers for a gradual tanning body lotion with SPF included. More specifically, Jergens came through for me. Luckily, I've already been an avid applier of the gradual sunless tanning body lotions (and yes, even though I'm super pale the medium to tan skintones is the one I use and it still looks subtle and natural) so to have it also contain a sunscreen is a BIG bonus. Now as the photo indicates, these are my everyday lotions with sunscreen. If I'm at the beach or outside a lot, that's a whole different sunscreen. 

The TarteGuard facial moisturizer is not only oil-free and super lightweight, but it also contains a physical SPF 30! It goes on a little white, but once it's fully rubbed in the whiteness disappears. It also wears perfectly under makeup. 

Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral SPF 45 // Supergoop Setting Mist with Rosemary SPF 50 

Ruby is obsessed with being outside, and we all know reapplying sunscreen is where it's at, but who wants to mess up their flawless makeup application? Um, no one. And Supergoop totally understands that and that's why they created an SPF 50 (chemical sunscreen) makeup setting spray. That's right, not only will it mattify that oily, sweaty complexion, it will keep the makeup in place and provide you with some extra sun protection. Win win! Supergoop made this bad boy in two sizes, the one pictured above is the small travel one, perfect for keeping in my purse.

I know I've professed my love of the Peter Thomas Roth SPF 45 powder mineral sunscreen before, but it goes without saying that this is essential for my hairline and part. The last thing my thin hair needs is a gloppy sunscreen weighing it down more than gravity already does. And even though this powder is a little yellow, once I rub it in it's not noticeable and it even absorbs oil. This is another one I keep in my purse at all times.


So, what are the sunscreens you use everyday?

the doctah is in

I know, I had just posted my love for the Peter Thomas Roth CC cream, but then Dr. Perricone came out with his No Makeup Makeup line and I'm pretty much obsessed with it.

First of all, there are a ton of anti-aging ingredient's built into each and every product (no surprise there since he is the anti-aging guru) and a physical SPF 15- 30 in almost all the products (not in the mascara though, obviously). My favorite so far is the No Foundation Foundation Serum.

There are four reasons why I'm in love with this product: 

1. The super lightweight texture is almost watery and runny- it's very thin and meant to feel like you have absolutely no makeup on. 

2. Neuropeptides, Vitamin C Ester, Alpha Lipoic Acid and a mineral SPF 30- this ingredient list reads like a powerful resurfacing/anti-aging treatment, not like a makeup. 

3. It's mixable. What I mean by mixable is you could add this to your existing foundation to boost the anti-aging and SPF factor, or you can add it to your moisturizer to create your very own tinted moisturizer (my only issue with the No Foundation Serum is that it comes in one color: medium. Being a fair-skinned girl, I can't wear this on it's own, so I have to mix it with my moisturizer in order for it to match my skin. I don't mind though. It saves me another step!). 

4. The lightweight texture will provide a light coverage, and it's buildable to a medium coverage without sacrificing that nothingness feel. Because that's the whole point of this makeup line: to make your skin look fantastic, while providing amazing anti-aging benefits, protecting it and making it look like your own skin, and not makeup!

A few other products I'm crazy about are the No Blush Blush and the No Lipstick Lipstick:

I'm not normally a liquid/creamy blush kinda girl, but this is (again) a thin, watery texture and the color is a beautiful peachy pink. I've seen it look different on so many skin tones and it's really gorgeous. Just apply a few dots on the apples of the cheeks and blend out with your fingers. You can add more if you want, and even add a few dots to your lips to give them some more color. And there's that physical SPF 30 again, with also some skin firming DMAE as a bonus!

As we age, we lose pigment in our lips and this is evident within my family- my mom and one of my sisters have barely any color in their lips, so they're always looking for a good lip product. The No Lipstick Lipstick looks like your natural lip color, just enhanced one or two shades. And since it contains Sodium Hyaluronate (plumps and hydrates), Vitamin E, Neuropeptides and the physical SPF 30, it's a perfect lip balm to wear everyday, or as your primer before your favorite lipstick is applied. 

Have you tried any of the products from this line yet?

* Dr. Perricone has no idea who I am (wish he did!) so there was no compensation or reimbursement for this post, I'm just a big fan. 

BB vs. CC... what's with all the letter creams? How to figure out which one is for you.

Tinted Moisturizers are a thing of the past, or so it seems. They’ve pretty much been replaced with either a BB or CC cream (I say pretty much because you can still find some tinted moisturizers, but they’re harder to find!).

For lack of a better term, I’m going to refer to them as “letter creams”. These letter creams are amped-up tinted moisturizers. The letter creams still contain the tint + moisture but now they add a sunscreen and some extra skincare benefits. Depending on the cream, it could consist of anti-aging peptides or antioxidants or blemish reducing formulations.

BB creams (aka Beauty Balms or even Blemish Balms) originated in Asia where they were meant to be one product that does-it-all; treats, moisturizes, protects and covers. America caught on to this and companies ran with the idea. It’s become a free-for-all between brands re-defining what they think a letter cream is or does. Then CC cream was invented and is becoming just as popular as the BB. CC creams, aka Color Correcting Cream, are supposed to have more treatment benefits to correct pigmentation issues (think dark spots due to sun damage or acne staining) and they typically have more coverage than a BB cream- in some cases feeling more like a foundation.

This is where it gets tricky: every brand has their own interpretation of what a BB or CC cream is so they can often be dramatically different. For example, the Urban Decay Naked Skin BB is more of a treatment primer- so it goes on over a moisturizer and under a foundation. Basically this is the new marketing ploy and every company is getting in on the letter trend (even hair brands are getting in on it).

For the most part, you would apply these letter creams as you would your tinted moisturizer, maybe with your fingers or a foundation brush, and then continue with the rest of your routine. Ideally these are supposed to eliminate you from too many steps and make your life easier. But here are the cold, hard facts: There is no such thing as a miracle in a bottle. If you're not happy with your skin, chances are, you're going to need more than 1 product to fix that. So, if you've got acne, you still need an acne spot treatment, acne-fighting cleanser, oil-free moisturizer, gentle exfoliator, deep cleansing mask and an oil-free BB cream. And that doesn't even include makeup! Same goes for dry skin- you will still need to apply a moisturizer underneath the letter cream because it may not be hydrating enough on its own, especially in the winter months.
(more after the jump)