Laneige Sun Block Aqua+ SPF 35 PA++

The last of this lot of Laneige items which I got is the Laneige Sun Block Aqua+ SPF 35 PA++. This is a milk sun block for sensitive skin. The common worry about sun block is that it gets really greasy and sticky. Personally I really hate wearing sun block. It's a necessary evil I guess and I always have hope that there would be one that isn't gross. 

I waited for a day when I would go out without makeup... my beloved Saturday. Coz if I wore it under makeup, I would not be able to tell what it truly felt like. It was pretty sunny on Saturday, but not too strong and I wasn't going under direct sun. [FYI: Ultraviolet rays (UV) contains UVA and UVB. UVA causes wrinkles and aging, UVB causes skin cancer] SPF 35 sounds little but it actually isn't, it blocks nearly 97% of the UVB radiation. PA++ provides moderate UVA protection for normal skin exposed to medium UV radiation.

I squeezed out just a little bit, the consistency was very liquid so you don't need much to cover your face. I used about half of what I squeezed out in the picture, applied it all over my face and went on my way. There was nothing else on my face, no toner, no moisturiser, nothing except the sun block. It looked slightly greasy which was not ideal... like my skin was shiney not matte, but I don't expect otherwise from sun block. A few minutes later, I touched my face to check if it was sticky. To my surprise, it wasn't. I could feel like I had a light layer of moisturiser on my face, but it was not too uncomfortable. It smells really nice as well, slightly floral slightly citrusy, and fresh.

It didn't cause any itching or discomfort, nor did I get any pimples from it. Normally I feel that sun block clogs my pores and causes me to break out. I did try during the day to wash my face with water only, to see if it would come off and it didn't. This one washed off with facial cleanser well and didn't cause any pimples. 

I would recommend Laneige Sun Block Aqua+ for a daily use but not to go to the beach or pool under too strong sun. It's light enough to wear under makeup. You can get Laneige Sun Block Aqua+ SPF 35 PA++ at Sephora online for SGD$34 here!

Sunplay SPF 130 PA++++

'Tis another time for a short holiday to rest and recharge. It's been a hectic few months at work and I think everyone can relate to that. Although you take leave and stay home, it's some how different when you go away. It's totally worth the hassle. If I stay home, I'm bound to end up doing something or other, or going to out meet my friends... at the end of the break, I find that I'm just as tired. So off I go to my favourite place Langkawi! It's my top choice of some place nearby to get some sun and totally unwind, in a way forcing myself to do nothing except read, sun tan and watch movies at night. Since I didn't have check in luggage, I decided to buy it in the airport departure lounge, that way I won't risk not having any sunblock on arrival.

Since I've basically become beyond fair, borderline transparent, being in the office all day, I badly need a tan. But transparent people burn easily and to my despair, after all the sunburn pain and unsightly peeling...end product is still... TRANSPARENT. So my new strategy is to use sunblock so that I can stay in the sun for a much longer duration. That's when I discovered this fantastic sunblock.

Now coz I'm old school... I'm used to the cream sunblock that you paste on, makes you sticky, white, streaky, cannot reach my back... all sorts of challenges, and you feel really yucky too. When I saw this I knew I had to try it... SUNPLAY SPF 130 PA++++. It promises to be Water/Sweat Resistant, provide UVA & UVB Protection, and be Non-Greasy.

First, let's get down to the basics of sunblock. We know Sun Protection Factor (SPF) protects you from the harmful ultra violet (UV) rays. SPF refers to blocking UVB rays, SPF 100 blocks up to 99% of UVB, however does nothing to block UVA rays. Broad spectrum sunblock protects from both UVA and UVB rays. UVA causes wrinkles and skin aging, UVB causes sunburn, both cause skin cancer. PA++++ is designed to avoid pigment darkening. Sounds counter productive to my getting dark purposes but I also have freckles all across my shoulders and chest, so maybe this isn't a bad idea. Currently, 4+ is the most you an get on the market. 

Now that we understand what all that coding on that sunblock bottle shows, let's talk about SUNPLAY SPF 130 PA++++ specifically. I very excitedly sprayed on like... a lot. Take care not to spray directly on your face. You should spray it on your hand and apply to your face. This ensures you don't get any into your eyes. I also hold my breath when spraying on coz I don't want to inhale any of this. I was in the pool and by the pool for about 3.5 hours yesterday. I think at the worst time too, 3pm onwards. I think least harmful sun is in the morning before 10am. But who's awake then?!?!?! In between I did spray on once more lightly to top up. Sunblock always needs topping up. Especially if you rub the towel on your skin to dry off instead of dabbing. [Then I went to the gym and did my cardio for about an hour] Now time for shower... guess what?!?! The sunblock was still intact! I scrubbed a little to get it all off. So it is in fact, water and sweat resistant.

Verdict: I AM IMPRESSED! 

I think this is my new "go to" sunblock. Especially due to the fact that it stayed on despite the sweat and swimming.... and I am not burnt! The ease of application is also tops! I can now say KTHXBYE to traditional cream sunblocks for good. For S$21.90, SUNPLAY SPF 130 PA++++ is well worth every cent. You can get it easily from Watson's or Guardian Pharmacy... probably Mustafa (coz they have everything) so it's convenient to get. Try it!

Benefit Dream Screen

The reports have come out and everyone's on about sunscreen.  To be perfectly honest, when I go out on the weekends, I don't even use moisturiser.  Doesn't help that I enjoy going to the pool or to the beach.  Now that I'm older, I should at least pretend to be a little bit wiser.  I've decided that I will wear sunscreen when I go out, regardless of the weather or activity.

When I use make up, the sunscreen that I use is You Rebel Lite, my previous post was about that.  That has worked out pretty well thus far.  I did realise that my beauty box lacked sunscreen for when I'm not wearing makeup.  Therefore... I purchased Dream Screen from Benefit.  It has SPF 45 which is pretty good coverage.  But that was not the selling point for me.  What got me to click "Buy Me!' was that it claimed to have an invisible silky-matte finish.

If you're like me and have sensitive skin/ oily skin/ problem skin... the list goes on, you would have tried almost every item out there.  Anything that says matte or oil control, just buy!  I've become apprehensive about the matte finish but my main focus was the SPF. 

When I tipped the bottle to use it, I was slightly taken aback because it came out like looking like milk, consistency (not the smell).  Smell was like sunscreen, nothing special.  I don't know why but I had expected it to be more creamy instead of liquid.  Never mind that... I slap it on anyways.  To my delight, when it dried, it WAS silky-matte.  Just like it said.  It didn't feel oily like how sunscreen usually feels.  It was comfortable for the rest of the day that I was out so I would totally recommend it.

Dream Screen by Benefit for US$32 online, I'd say it's one of my new favourite essentials in my beauty box.

For the benefit of those who haven't seen it, this video shows you what happens to your skin when you use sunscreen.  It's amazing how glorious the sun is and yet can do so much damage. Watch the video here

There's even a song about sunscreen, I've included this for your listening pleasure. Watch the video of the sunscreen song here