Tips & Tricks | How to chose the PERFECT Sunscreen

Choosing the right sunscreen can be an overwhelming task -- or at least I know I used to feel overwhelmed when I had to choose a sunscreen. There are so many brands, so many different types, so many different options that I've ended up wasting money on sunscreens that were truly awful. 

I've done some light research on how sunscreen works, and what is best for my skin and I've decided to share that with you. Please feel free to correct me if you find anything wrong on this post -- I'm not in anyway professionally qualified to be making this suggestions but I have a background in science and I have some understanding in how these things work.

SPF is not the only thing that matters!

A good sunscreen should protect you from UVB radiation -- the one that gives you sunburns -- as well as from UVA radiation -- the one that goes deep into your skin causing photo-ageing, hyper-pigmentation, wrinkles, degradation of collagen and also skin cancer. 

However, when we look at a sunscreen we usually only the SPF factor. And when you see SPF 30, the 30 basically only refers to the UVB protection factor. There's usually no information about UVA. Here in Europe, the regulations say that UVA protection should be at lest one third of the the UVB protection. This means that a SPF 30 sunscreen is at least a 10 on UVA protection. But if you take a look at any sunscreen bottle, you won't find this information on it because most brands don't descoser it. You know that it has to be at least one third of the SPF and that is it. 

Also, when you apply a SPF 30, you know, the SPF starts to go away after a while -- that's why you need to reapply it. And of course the higher the SPF, the slower the decay rate, the better the protection! HOWEVER, there's no need to by sunscreen with extremely high SPF. 

Sunscreen with an SPF higher than 70 is generally only slightly better than SPF 50-70. Picking a sunscreen with a SPF 80 or 90 may just cause you to spend extra money for a product that is really no better. As the SPF numbers increase beyond 50, the amount they protect only increases very slightly. For instance, a SPF 50 blocks 98% of UV-B rays, while a SPF 100 blocks 99% of UV-B rays.

Water Resistant is also a bullshit label that brands put on their products to trigger you into buying a more expensive product. As soon as you go into the water, the sunscreen on your skin will loose its strength. You always need to reapply your sunscreen after taking a swim. Always!

Oh and btw, do you know how much product you should apply? We should apply 30 ml of product on your skin and reapply that exact same amount every two hours. 30ml corresponds to one shot-glass. No one really applies that much sunscreen, which means the actual SPF we have on our bodies is lower than advertised. Also, if we applied 30ml every two hours that bottle of sunscreen that usually lasts you the whole summer, would be only enough only for one day.

Different products for different parts of your body.

You should at least have one sunscreen specific for your face and one for your body. And both should be appropriate for your skin type. You can find all kinds of sunscreen, including sunscreen specific for you face even with anti-aging agentes.

Regarding of whatever type of product you chose, I recommend that you chose one with 50+ SPF for your face and at least 30 SPF for your body.

Also, if you have a scar or a skin wound that is recovering, you should always consider applying a hypoallergenic sunscreen right over that patch of skin to help protecting it a little more. New skin is forming, new cells are growing. The skin is trying to heal, and is much more sensitive. So it's much more likely to get sunburned! You can get post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation, which can cause the scar to go from pink to brown AND you can also increase your risk of skin cancer! 

It should a product that you enjoy using!

Don't go buying a fancy-schmancy, expensive sunscreen that you can't stand because it has a very intense smell, or because it's hard to apply and leaves you all sticky. You should spend your money on something that you are going to enjoy wearing! It should make your skin feel light and nurtured and protected! 

My recommendations. Personally, I really enjoy Vichy's Sunscreen. They are not the cheapest but I think that they are really good, they feel really light on my skin and don't make me all sticky. My favorite line is the Ideal Soleil Bronze, that not only protects you skin but also helps you get tanned faster. Regarding Drugstore brands -- I'm really impressed with the new Garnier Solaire Sensitive Advanced line!

REVIEW | NARS Orgasm Blush

If I asked you to think of a blush, I bet that the first one that will come to your mind is this one -- NARS Orgasm Blush! This blush is so popular that an entire collection has been built around it. And even being a kind of an old product -- I think it first came out in 1999, so 20 years ago! -- this blush continues to attracting a legion of fans, including me! 

NARS products are known from being very high quality, very pigmented and with very awesome names. I mean, they are bold enough to have a blush called Orgasm and another called Deep Throat! I mean, it's not the typical cute name you would expect! However, these edgy names go really well with the overall look of the product. I absolutely love the packaging! The compact is thin and lightweight and has a little mirror. It feels really solid, high quality, and it is made of matte rubberized material that makes it look super edgy and cool!

Orgasm is a peached pink blush that is perfect for a everyday use. The thing about this blush is that is looks good on every skin ton e due to it being the perfect hybrid between pink and peach with some gold shimmer for some added glow. The pink undertone naturally looks great on lighter complexion, while the peachy undertone and gold shimmer gives some additional warmth. On darker skin, the peachy gives a pop of brightness while the gold makes the skin glow!

When lightly applied, this beautiful blush gives you a very natural rosy look and a subtil shimmer. It's just pink enough to give you a real 'blush', giving you just a healthy, cheeky glow! It's not too prominent or overpowering. It's texture is very lightweight, very easy to apply. It's just perfect in every sense.

I absolutely love it and this NARS blush is now part of my everyday make up routine! And I think it's going to say there for a long time!

If I asked you to think of a blush, I bet that the first one that will come to your mind is this one -- NARS Orgasm Blush! This blush is popular that an entire collection has been built around it. And even being a kind of an old product -- I think it first came out in 1999, so 20 years ago! -- this blush continues to attracting a legion of fans, including me! 

NARS products are known from being very high quality, very pigmented and with very awesome names. I mean, they are bold enough to have a blush called Orgasm and another called Deep Throat! I mean, it's not the typical cute name you would expect! However, these edgy names go really well with the overall look of the product. I absolutely love the packaging! The compact is thin and lightweight and has a little mirror. It feels really solid, high quality, and it is made of matte rubberized material that makes it look super edgy and cool!

Orgasm is a peached pink blush that is perfect for a everyday use. The thing about this blush is that is looks good on every skin ton e due to it being the perfect hybrid between pink and peach with some gold shimmer for some added glow. The pink undertone naturally looks great on lighter complexion, while the peachy undertone and gold shimmer gives some additional warmth. On darker skin, the peachy gives a pop of brightness while the gold makes the skin glow!

When lightly applied, this beautiful blush gives you a very natural rosy look and a subtil shimmer. It's just pink enough to give you a real 'blush', giving you just a healthy, cheeky glow! It's not too prominent or overpowering. It's texture is very lightweight, very easy to apply. It's just perfect in every sense.

I absolutely love it and this NARS blush is now part of my everyday make up routine! And I think it's going to say there for a long time!

REVIEW [YOUZZ] | MYLABEL Q10 Day Face Cream

Not all products work for every skin type. And unfortunately, this time I got to try a product that did not work for me. When I got my hands on this product, I was super excited and eager to start using it!

This is the MyLabel Q10 Day Face Cream -- Q10 CREME DE ROSTO DIA -- with hyaluronic acid, vitamine E end the famous co-enzime Q10, It's targeted for skins over 30 years old and it's ready to help you prevent those inevitable fine lines that start to appear. 

I'm not 30 yet, but I am almost there, and I do include in my routine some anti-aging. This day-cream is supposed to keep you face all moisturized and nurtured, helping with elasticity and even helping in preventing sunspots.

It's beautiful and it feels so luxurious! It's pastel yellow, and it has a very light and smooth texture! It has a very intense sweet smell that, to be honest, I'm not very fond of, but that's just personal preference.

So what happen? Well, I don't know. But this product did not work for me. I feel like this product is TOO rich, and my skin usually doesn't do well to very rich products. It made me all oily and it made me break out like crazy. I never had acne, or a skin very pron to pimples. But I used this face-cream three days in a row and I was feeling super greasy all day long and I have break-outs on my chin and on my forehead. I was so greasy, that whenever I would just my fingers trough my forehead and I could fell all the grease in my fingers. As soon as I stopped using it, and went back to my regular routine, most of that yuckiness went away.

I'm so sad. I really wanted to love this product! 

But just because this din't work for me, it doesn't mean that it won't work for you! We are all different, our skins have different need and different responses to products and maybe this product is exactly what you skin needs!

It costs 2.99€ and you can find it at you local Continente -- if you are in Portugal, obviously.

#Youzz #YouzzPortugal #MyLabel #LoveMeMyLabel

REVIEW | GARNIER Ambre Solaire Sensitive Advanced Protecting and Hydrating Mist

SPF is very important in our lives. Regardless of being commuting to work in sunny Lisbon or sunbathing in the Caribbean, winter or summer, we know that sun protection should always be in our minds – and most importantly, in our skins!

But we all fail to re-apply, or even apply in the first place SPF because of its inconveniences: stickiness, heaviness and some times interference with your make up. I'm definitely guilty of that! I often don't apply sunscreen in the morning simply because it's an extra step and I don't want to get my hands all greasy.

So I have been on the hunt for the perfect sunscreen. One that takes little space, is easy to apply and that you can take away with you on a daily basis! And I think I've honestly found the most practical SPF around and perfect for us city folks that are always on the run -- and that can also be applied on top of makeup!

Garnier recently launched here in Portugal the Ambre Solaire Sensitive Advanced Face Protecting and Hydrating Mist with SPF 50 (what a mouthful!). A super light sunscreen that can actually go over makeup! 

It's truly amazing: super light and supper efficient. It dries instantly without a hint of heaviness, greasiness or stickiness in sight. And it comes in a tiny tube perfect for caring it around on you hand bag!

You just shake it well, close your eyes and mist away. It's a very fine mist that lightly covers you face, it does not leave a white cast on the skin, and it does not affect the makeup that you may have applied!

The product is defined for sensitive skins, and it has a very very VERY light floral fragrance that just goes away almost instantaneously. Also, because it's a mist, its application make you fell all refreshed! It feels really good when you are out in the sun and you apply this fresh product that not only cools you down but is also protecting your skin!

I've became a huge fan instantly. A handbag sized SPF50 spray that you can use to top up your sun protection is just perfect! It's super practical even if you have kids or you play a lot of outdoor sports! 

I would also recommend this product for man that have a bald-spot and don't want to apply regular sunscreen on their head -- because you know, hairs and all. Guys going bald usually have big issues with getting sun burned on the top of their head and I think this product would be just perfect for them!