When I first came to Oz, I could not understand why Aussies love their summer days~! So hot, like walking in an oven!! And as if that isn't hot enough, the harsh sun rays just zaps mercilessly on the skin until it hurts. My only comfort was the air con in my room... whee... as I typed incessantly on my laptop, surfing the web and chatting with my friends.
But then I came to realize that kinda life is pretty much anti-social in a summer loving aussie standard, so I kinda let my friends drag me out to the beach. Like today... it was a festering 41 degrees celsius in the city! But once I step out of my car to the beach, the breeze was amazing~! The water was so cooling~! Everything seems so awesome~! Except the waves... grrr... I just wanna dip in the water and be cool doing it, (got my sunnies and all that...). But then again, someone drag me to ride the wave~!
The first few waves were pretty mild, like a stranger luring you on with sweets and lollies. Then the big ones hit me and swallowed me, pushing me to the shore and then dragging me back on, water was entering everywhere, my eyes, my nose, my mouth, and my ears~! I was sure I was gonna finish where I left off some 20 years ago. (I almost drown when I was a kid, was saved by my mum and hospitalized for 3 days... bla bla bla...). Luckily for me, my hubby grabbed me and dragged me back up.
The first few waves were pretty mild, like a stranger luring you on with sweets and lollies. Then the big ones hit me and swallowed me, pushing me to the shore and then dragging me back on, water was entering everywhere, my eyes, my nose, my mouth, and my ears~! I was sure I was gonna finish where I left off some 20 years ago. (I almost drown when I was a kid, was saved by my mum and hospitalized for 3 days... bla bla bla...). Luckily for me, my hubby grabbed me and dragged me back up.
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| Casualty from riding the waves... |
And then I made some pitiful faces and showed off my wounds until I passed by another person who was nursing an open wound... Alrighty...
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| My serious face... I conquered a big wave today... :P |
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| Cottlesloe's restaurant and cafe |
But in truth, all my sob story was just to secure ice cream before we head back. You cannot believe how yummy ice cream tastes like after drinking really salty water~! I believe THAT should be one of the BIGGEST highlight of my visit to the beach.
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| Must have when you are on the beach... ICE CREAM~! |
So if ice cream is to beach is to summer, then I believe the other missing connection should be sunscreen! One of my laziest step in daily skincare routine is the sunscreen, especially when it comes to applying it to the rest of my body. In my defense, I have to apply a bigger surface area for my case~!
But as being ceaselessly highlighted in the skincare books I read, (which isn't many, if you care to ask. But to the point that I can refer to them as 'books' means hell of an effort on my side, I should comment. :P) sun is one of the main culprit in skin aging. So even if you are lazy to smother your face with serums, smooth it with scrub or moisturize it with emulsions and creams, sunscreen should still be in your skincare regime. And if you have seen what sun damaged skin looks on a young woman, you would be shocked and disgusted and decided to swim in sunscreen right this moment~! (At least I would, coz I am still super lazy to apply it with my hands). It is never too late to start, either... I just started actively applying sunscreen on my face last year~! And I really didn't know how to start, so I started with a humble tub of sunscreen in the supermarket and work my way through. But I didn't really like it, which makes the routine harder to stick and I figure this would be the same with others out there. So I decided to do reviews on sunscreens I've tried and tested and hope it helps you with selecting one that suits you~!
In order to choose one that is best for you, it is inherent that you compare reviews and experience of the skin type close to yours. For clarity sake, my skin type is dry to combination skin.
- Nivea Sun Light Feel Daily Face Veil
Sun Protection Factor : 30
Price : A$8
Content : 50 ml
Manufactured in : not sure
Description : This moisturising, ultra light-weight cream-gel formula ensures high protection against sun damage and premature skin ageing creating a protective veil against the sun. Instantly absorbed, it leaves a silky, light skin feeling making it perfect for everyday use.
Direction : Apply liberally 15-20 minutes before sun exposure
Experience :
Shine : ☺☺☺☺
Shine : ☺☺☺☺
Oiliness : ☺☺☺
Comment : This product did not mentioned anything about protection against UVA. As UVA is one of the biggest contributor to skin cancer, it may not provide all round protection. When I first applied it, I like the cream-gel texture which quickly dissolved. Though it is not so oily, it has a unsightly shine especially after a few minutes. So you go out feeling confident, until you excuse yourself to the bathroom after a few hours and go Gaaahhhh!!! The upside is it is really cheap and as the first facial sunscreen I tried, it is not that bad. It does not contain overpowering perfume and does not clog pores. The main downside is the shiny exterior and not having UVA blocker.
Comment : This product did not mentioned anything about protection against UVA. As UVA is one of the biggest contributor to skin cancer, it may not provide all round protection. When I first applied it, I like the cream-gel texture which quickly dissolved. Though it is not so oily, it has a unsightly shine especially after a few minutes. So you go out feeling confident, until you excuse yourself to the bathroom after a few hours and go Gaaahhhh!!! The upside is it is really cheap and as the first facial sunscreen I tried, it is not that bad. It does not contain overpowering perfume and does not clog pores. The main downside is the shiny exterior and not having UVA blocker.
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| Nivea Sun Light Feel Daily Face Veil's texture : Just like blend of gel and cream texture |
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| This is how it looks like... |
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| After blending it in... |
- L'oreal UV Perfect 12H Longlasting UV Protector
Sun Protection Factor : 50, UVB, UVA, PA+++
Price : A$18 at Sasa.com (anti-dullness) and RM33 at Guardian Malaysia (even complexion)
Content : 30 ml
Manufactured in : Phillipines
Description : Perfectly hydrates and protects your skin against UV rays, brown spots, skin darkening, and premature ageing. UV PERFECT contains an optimized UVA/UVB protection filtering system tailor made for asian phototypes. Enriched with a powerful Anti-Oxidant Complex and Activa-Cell, to reinforce protection against free-radicals and better shield cells, elastin and collagen fibers.
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| L'oreal UV Perfect 12H Longlasting UV Protector |
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| L'oreal UV Perfect 12H Longlasting UV Protector's texture : Smooth liquid. On the left: Anti-dullness and on the right: even complexion |
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| L'oreal UV Perfect 12H Longlasting UV Protector's texture: Easily blended in |
Experience :
Shine : ☺☺
Shine : ☺☺
Oiliness : ☺☺☺
Comment : I have heard so much about this product as I was web surfing. Apparently, this product was highly raved by Beauty magazine in Taiwan or something, so naturally I was inclined to fall head over heels in love with it. The texture was smooth and easy to blend in, and it comes in two range, either anti-dullness or even complexion which is a bit like a tinted moisturizer. I really like the even complexion function as it can double up as make up base on my lazy days. The best thing was the fact that it has UVA and UVB blockers and SPF50, wth?? But here is the bad side... though it didn't give off that awful shine, it gets oily after a few hours (which I come to accept, maybe due to the temperature and what not, right?) but the worst part was the black heads~! Blackheads are natural, but this product acted like blackhead fertilizer on my nose~! This means it inevitably clogged up my pores.
Comment : I have heard so much about this product as I was web surfing. Apparently, this product was highly raved by Beauty magazine in Taiwan or something, so naturally I was inclined to fall head over heels in love with it. The texture was smooth and easy to blend in, and it comes in two range, either anti-dullness or even complexion which is a bit like a tinted moisturizer. I really like the even complexion function as it can double up as make up base on my lazy days. The best thing was the fact that it has UVA and UVB blockers and SPF50, wth?? But here is the bad side... though it didn't give off that awful shine, it gets oily after a few hours (which I come to accept, maybe due to the temperature and what not, right?) but the worst part was the black heads~! Blackheads are natural, but this product acted like blackhead fertilizer on my nose~! This means it inevitably clogged up my pores.
- Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery mousse Water base
Sun Protection Factor : 50+, PA+++
Price : Rm32.90 at Sasa shop
Content : 33g
Manufactured in : Japan
Description : Say goodbye to ordinary heavy, sticky sun protection and experience this mousse-touch UV cream! With Biore first-ever technology, UV cut ingredient is locked inside of Aqua Micro Capsules, giving you SPF 50+/PA+++ yet surprising ultra-light & refreshed skin feeling. Cool 'water-like' sensation, for face, ideal as makeup base, Non sticky & Non greasy, Hyaluronic acid & mix citrus essence, keeps skin fresh, moist & protected.
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| Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Mousse Water base |
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| Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Mousse Water Base's texture: looks like a blend of mousse and liquid |
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| Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery mousse Water base texture : blends to a smooth powdery texture |
Experience :
Shine : ☺
Shine : ☺
Oiliness : ☺
Comment : So far, I really like this one. The texture is really nice, sorta like powder once you apply it on. The upside is no shine, no oiliness, and no clogged pores~! I really like that it provides overall protection while not sacrificing my lazy habits. No wonder it is Japan's best selling sunscreen. The downside? I guess the down side can be the price of it as compared to the others I have tried. But I learnt through experience, that convenience comes with a price. Damn~!
Hence, before you head out today, don't forget to apply sunscreen if you have some, and if you don't, grab some while you're out~!
Happy summer day~!
Note : The products that I reviewed above are purchased and are not sponsored.
