Sunscreen is one of those things I can never have enough of. And it’s one of the most common skincare items that break me out. Because of those two reasons, I test a lot of sunscreens each and every summer. My two sunscreen winners last summer were the La Roche Posay Anthelios Ultra-Fluid Lotion SPF60 and the Elizabeth Arden Prevage City Smart Lotion SPF50 (read their reviews here), but I was dying to see if there was any emerging winners this year. Now, I’ve tried a multitude of Paula’s Choice products over the years but I’ve not once tried a Paula’s Choice sunscreen before. And I gotta say, my expectations were hella high. If anyone could make a damn good sunscreen, I was willing to bet it would be Paula’s Choice.
Paula’s Choice sent me three sun products to protect my pale skin (and prevent me from ever not looking like a ghost). The first is the Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF50 ($33USD). It’s a super watery, light fluid texture that doubles as a moisturizer. I hate the feeling of applying both a moisturizer and a sunscreen on super hot days when I know I’m going to be sweating all day so it’s super nice to find a two-in-one hydrating sunscreen. This sunscreen is so much more than your average sun protection as it contains antioxidants and plant extracts to soothe, firm and tone the skin.
But if we’re really talking about a not-your-average-sunscreen, we really gotta talk about the Paula’s Choice Smoothing Primer Serum SPF30 ($30USD). I am rarely amazed by sunscreens but lemme tell ya, I was blown away by this one. Ever since I received this primer sunscreen in the mail, I’ve been picking my brain on if I’ve ever seen a clear sunscreen before, especially one with a texture like this. I don’t think I have. This Primer Serum has the texture of a silicone primer (similar to something like the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer), super silky and smooth and yet it’s SPF30!! And because of this texture, it’s able to fill in all of my pores and lines, making my skin super smooth. It’s also quite a bit more mattifying than a regular sunscreen as well. Helping your makeup stay on all day AND protecting your face from the sun? It’s definitely a clear winner in my books.
The last sun protection item from Paula’s Choice is something I definitely should have taken with me last summer when I went to Mexico. It’s a lip sunscreen, otherwise known as the Lipscreen ($10USD). A lip balm with a high SPF is so hard to find (my only other favorite sunscreen lip balms are the Clarins Sun Control Stick ($28USD) with SPF 30 and the Jack Black Black Tea & Blackberry Lip Balm ($8USD) with SPF 25). I think this might be the only SPF50 lip balm I have ever tried. Something that I was super worried about when I saw this lip balm is if it would have that yucky sunscreen taste. I absolutely hate the taste of sunscreen. It makes me feel nauseous and hot and it’s just not a good feeling. But I am so happy to report that this lip balm is almost flavourless (and scentless). And in addition to being a stellar sunscreen for your lips, it also does a great job at moisturizing them. It’s the perfect texture. It melts onto my lips but doesn’t absorb too quickly, leaving a moisturizing, non-sticky coating on my lips for hours. Just the way I like it.
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*ftc disclaimer: Products were sent free of charge for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make When I’m Older possible!