Tag: DARK SKIN SUNSCREEN

Nivea Sun Moisture Lock SPF 50 Review

You guys know how I feel about sun protection! Each year I try to test out new sunscreens and review for you guys. I have a dedicated SPF section for dark skin, I have tested a lot of SPFs from K beauty ones to the drugstore and compiled a list for us. Check out the beauty menu and click on ‘Dark Skin Sunscreens’.

Today’s post will be a full review on the Nivea Sun Moisture Lock SPF 50. This is a very high broad-spectrum sunscreen with both UVA and UVB protection. It claims to b water-resistant with 4 stars UVA rating. It also promises moisture

Experience

This is a lotion spray SPF which means you cannot spray it directly onto the face because it doesn’t spray as a mist. It is lightweight lotion and has the usual sunscreen scent. This is a chemical sunscreen.

The SPF is a light weight lotion and spreads easily onto the skin. It looks like it would leave a cast on the skin but after massaging onto the skin, it is 100% invisible. The lotion does feel a little greasy on the skin and leaves the skin with a ‘dewy look’. I haven’t found it to clog pores or experienced any irritation with it. It doesn’t feel too heavy on the skin but you will feel it on the skin.

It layers well with other products and I have not had any issues with pilling. It works well under makeup and because it leaves a dewy finish this does translate under makeup too. My everyday makeup is a powder foundation and this helps give it a dewy fresh look instead of a matte finish.

Verdict

I do like this sunscreen, it has high factor protection and 100% invisible on dark skin. It provides enough moisture and there have been times I have slaughtered this on over serums over without the need for moisturiser. This does have a dewy finish so if you don’t not like that then you won’t like it. I would not recommend this for extremely oily skin or oily skin in general because it feels slightly heavy on of course, the dewy finish. This SPF can be used on both the face and body and comes in a huge 200 bottle. This has a 12month shelf life, I started using intermittently last summer so I will be throwing it away soon. I still have a lot to go because I have been using it for my face only.

Nivea Sun Moisture Lock SPF 50 is £6 at Boots

Check out my Dark Skins sunscreen for more reviews and options

 

Missha Sun Aqua Gel SPF 50 review

MISSHA – All Around Safe Block Aqua Sun Gel SPF50+ PA++++ promises to block both UVA & UVA rays whilst moisturising and reducing blemishes. It offers a refreshing feel and a non-sticky light weight texture. Missha is a very popular j beauty brand and this would be the second SPF I have tried from them.

Experience

My experience with this SPF has been positive. The texture feels refreshing and cooling on the skin and has been a pleasure to use in the heatwave we experienced last month. I have experienced no irritation from this.

It is a very lightweight texture, I wouldn’t call it a gel but more like a serum-gel/lotion hybrid. This one doesn’t have ethanol as a second ingredient which I also really like. It meant that even though it had a matte finish, it wasn’t as drying as some of the others I have used. It does still have ethanol but it is much further down the list.  Initial application seems like this would leave a white cast on dark skin however it doesn’t. After it absorbs, it dries down completely invisible and offers a matte finish. This SPF would be better suited for oily skin or normal skin in the summer. I know I stopped using it for a while before I did not like the matte finish however as the weather got warm I welcomed it.

My 2 cons I have for this product: 1. Again with the previous Missha SPF 45, this product also came half full. 2. If you are like me and love to slaughter on SPF this isn’t great for that. This SPF pills when you apply too much or when you don’t let our moisturiser sink in for a few moments before one. I have experienced horrible pilling in the morning when I have when layered this on top of my moisturiser and run out the door

Verdict

I do really like this SPF: it has a beautiful lightweight texture and feels light on the skin however it is something I would only use in the warmer months. I would definitely recommend for oilier skin types. This is 100% invisible on the skin. It pills so I would recommend layering smaller amounts or waiting for your moisturiser to completely sink in before layering this on top.

Now that I have finished testing the Asian SPFs I got back in March I will be working on my edit to summarise everything and give even more suggestions.

Missha Sun gel is £8.29 on YesStyle

Stay tuned!

Missha Essence Sun SPF 45 Review

Sunscreen. SPF. Sun protection! Dark skin needs it too! I have tested a lot of sunscreens, see my first sunscreen edit for dark skin here. I have turned my attention to Asian sunscreens since I discovered Yes style and I also heard they are invisible on the skin. I purchased 6 Asians SPF’s so far and this is the first full review I have up! (I have a mini review of the Etude House SPF 50 on my Instagram).

Missha Essence Sun SPF 45 PA +++ is water & sweat resistant and protects against UVA &UVB. It has 6 essences: Aloe, Cucumber, Mulberry Root, Liquorice, Portulaca Oleracea, and Witch Hazel extracts to nourish and hydrate the skin

Experience

This sunscreen is a lightweight white lotion with a light fresh scent. The lotion blends into the skin easily and leaves it feeling smooth and hydrated. I have not experienced any irritation from using it. I have been using it for the month of April and I have now finished the tube so I can do a full review on it. I used it every morning on my face and sometimes on my body. For some reason, I thought essence meant the texture of the product would be very watery but I didn’t realise it was because it was formulated with 6 difference essences.  This sunscreen applies better when I pat it onto the skin instead of rubbing it in (its more matte when it’s rubbed into the skin). I realise the demo picture is not great but on the left is where the SPF is pat on, on the right is when it’s been rubbed into the skin. You can see a slight difference in the finish

Is it invisible on black skin? YES! It does look a bit scary on but I let it sit for a few seconds and it becomes invisible. No ash, no grey, no cast! This works very well under makeup too- no flashback! It has a semi dewy finish- not too shiny or matte. It is a high factor sunscreen and the PA rating is the protection grade of UVA (this is what causes the skin to brown)

Verdict

I LOVE this sunscreen. It didn’t start well tbh, I was rubbing it into the skin which made my skin feel very dry and matte. I fell in love with it after I started patting it onto the skin instead. This product is completely invisible on the black skin and it’s very affordable too! Its works well under makeup or alone. My only con is that the tube wasn’t full when it arrived, I took the picture before I started using the product and it looks like it’s only half filled( the box was sealed when it arrived) I think the packaging works very well with the product. I would repurchase (I have 4 more SPFs to go through)

For more details on the PA rating system, check out this article by Paula’s Choice

YesStyle no longer stock MISSHA products but it’s available on Amazon for £3.39 for 50ml

I will be doing an Asian sunscreen edit for dark skin once I finish testing about 4 more products. I am going to get more soon.

The Inkey list Zinc Moisturiser review

The Inkey List is a budget-friendly brand following the same low budget, effective skincare mantra TO started. I haven’t been drawn to the brand as much as I thought I would be but the Zinc Moisturiser caught my eye. The Zinc Moisturiser is actually an SPF 50 sunscreen that promises to be invisible and with no piling. It caught my eye because it’s only £8.99 for SPF 50

Experience

The Zinc moisturiser is a thick creamy formula but doesn’t feel heavy on the skin. I use this as the last step in my AM routine, layered on top of 1 serum and a moisturiser. I experienced no irritation with this product. Unfortunately, I did not get on well with this SPF

The SPF goes on with a slight white cast but after massaging, it disappears. But this takes some ‘work’ to make it disappear whilst it is invisible I feel it leaves my skin looking a bit dull ( just a teeny tiny bit). It doesn’t add any more moisture and I find it leaves my skin slightly matte and feeling dry. This is a cream texture which I am not used to when it comes to sunscreens: I prefer a fluid lightweight lotion because I tend to use a lot of sunscreen and something that hydrates the skin. (I look super tired in the pictures, I was actually recovering from a cold and it was early in the morning lol)

I am also not 100% confident of the amount of protection I was getting because of the amount of SPF they recommend to use. They recommend a pea-sized amount however we know the amount of SPF you use affects the amount of protection you actually get so I was not confident I was getting the full SPF 50 protection. I did use a bit more than recommended but I honestly didn’t like doing that because of the texture. Another con for me was, although this doesn’t pill when initially applied, it pills after it’s dried down and I would get those white tiny balls whenever I touched my face

I took a break from using this product because of the piling I experienced but I decided to try it again as I have now changed my moisturiser. I am now using the Philosophy Purity Ultra-light Moisturiser which is a much lighter texture than my previous DHC collagen all in one gel. What I have found with this texture change is that the Zinc moisturiser doesn’t pill anymore but it still feels very drying on the skin.

Verdict: a very bittersweet experience. On one hand: it is very affordable and it’s a mineral based sunscreen that doesn’t look ashy on my dark skin. On the other hand, depending on what you pair this with it may pill when it has dried down. Some skintypes they may find this drying as I did and I have normal to combination oily skintype. Depending on what texture of sunscreen you prefer, this one is a thick white cream. I would have excused the texture if it wasn’t drying on my skin but I also don’t know if the texture has something to do with this.

Another thing I didn’t like was the recommended amount: pea size amount vs the amount of protection that would provide. The amount of SPF we use has an impact on the amount of protection we get hence a pea-sized amount is not sufficient. This is why reapplication is recommended because it is highly unlikely we are using the right amount for the full protection as labelled. When I tried to use a bit more, it sort of just sat on my face and of course, my face felt drier. Since I don’t wear makeup to work this wasn’t sufficient enough protection and hydration for me so I was actually using my YourGood skin SPF 30 at midday.

At its low price, it won’t hurt to pick it up to test if it would work for you but I have also come across a lot of Asian SPF’s (chemical based) around the same price I prefer. See my insta for all of it but also my YesStyle Haul

If you have used this let me know how it went for you. I am very interested to find out how other people got on with it. I am giving this to a friend who has super oily skin to see if she likes it, I may update this post after she’s tested it for a while

My post on Asian sunscreens is on my Instagram page but a more detailed post will be coming to the blog soon

Catch you later