Girls whose skin doesn’t tolerate silicones, listen up! I’ve found the perfect sunscreen for you. :-D
(That is, unless you happen to be allergic to any of its other ingredients, in which case my heart really goes out to you in sympathy.)

I’d been searching for the perfect sunscreen for more than a year now, and I finally found it a few weeks ago.

My criteria for above mentioned sunscreen were as follows.
It should:

1. not contain silicones of any kind, nor any mineral ingredients, such as titanium-dioxide, zinc-oxide or silica,
2. provide a broad spectrum protection against sunrays of various wavelengths,
3. employ the most advanced form of protection using Tinosorb M and Tinosorb S molecules,
4. have an SPF of 50 and as high a PPD as possible,
5. not leave a white cast and make my skin very greasy,
6. be unscented.
7. I also would have preferred it to be a product from a reliable manufacturer of sun-protection products, such as Bioderma or Avene. (As much as I like natural brands, I don't trust them when it comes to sunscreens, as I highly doubt they can produce anything as reliable as brands found in pharmacies.)

I was ready to make some compromises of course, but I was adamant about it not containing any silicones, as they all make my skin break out in little zits that eventually turn into full-blown cystic acne. I was ready to put up with some whiteness unless it made me look like someone who had just seen a ghost, and since Tinosorb molecules are inherently oily ones, I didn’t mind some shine either as that can at least be taken care of with some mattifying powder.


Having tried and hated a ton of sunscreens from various brands (you’ll find a full list at the end of this post), I came across Bioderma Photoderm Sensitive and was ecstatic to see silicones missing entirely from its INCI list. Another thing that I noticed immediately was the lack of any added fragrance: the stuff only smells of its ingredients, and before you scrunch up your noses in distaste, let me tell you it's not unpleasant at all.
Items 1, 6 and 7: check.





All Bioderma sunscreens (including of course Sensitive) contain Tinosorb molecules as well as some chemical filters and Sensitive has an SPF of 50+ in Europe and an SPF of 100 everywhere else in the world. (In the EU manufacturers are not permitted to claim that the SPF of a product is higher than 50.) It’s PPD (the number indicating how strong a protection it gives against UVA rays) is the highest I’ve come across so far: 40. Additional chemical filters it contains are octocrylene and avobenzone which in each other’s presence remain stable and offer additional protection.
Items 2, 3, and 4: check.


About that white cast: it’s there, but it’s a lot less noticeable than what AKN or any other Bioderma sunscreens leave on my skin, and I certainly don’t mind a little in return for all the other benefits of the product. See the product in action (sort of...):




A word of warning though: because of its high Tinosorb content, it’s very heavy and greasy if you wear it on its own. Then again, given the choice between an oilier-than-average complexion and skin cancer, it is obvious which one I’d rather be willing to live with. There is a trick though, and that is to use some sort of mattifying powder over it, one you’ve already tried, tested, and that you feel works best for you. The best such powder for me is Silk Naturals’ Oil Control Primer: no other product has been so effective at keeping the oilies at bay for me as this one, and wearing this over Photoderm Sensitive makes all the difference in the world. I’ve been using the two together ever since the beginning, but for the sake of testing both products (and to see what the other girls were talking about when they bemoaned Sensitive’s greasiness) I omitted my Oil Control Primer one day, and by the time I arrived to Budapest after an hour long journey, my face was a complete oil-slick (it was a real scorcher though). It was really surprising to see how greasy this stuff can get without a proper mattifying product, so I strongly advise everyone with oily skin not to use this on its own, but to cover it with a really effective loose powder.
Try not to put anything underneath it though: it might interfere with the product’s sun protection capability by reducing it considerably. I use it as my daily moisturizer as it contains a significant amount of anti-oxidants and other beneficial ingredients.


So much about the drawbacks, but let me just tell you: I. Do. Not. Care. One. Bit. About. Them. I couldn’t be happier now that I have this really cool silicone-free sunscreen, and I’m not about to complain about things that can’t be helped.
Item 5: check.


Seeing how excited I was about this stuff, one of my friends was awesome enough to give me a sample that lasted more than a week and that made me realize that Bioderma’s Photoderm Sensitive and I were meant to be. Besides the diet I’m on and the medication I take to treat my Insulin Resistance, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and thus my acne as well, I still had some zits on my face that cleared up during the week I used Sensitive. Now that I have my own tube courtesy of another two lovely ladies I know, I can safely say that I’ll never ever be without it again. At least I’ll try not to be, as yet again it is not available in Hungary and has to be ordered and shipped from abroad. Yay… But hey: at least it exists!


For more information, please visit Bioderma International, and check out their product specification page.


Ingredients:

WATER (AQUA), DICAPRYLYL CARBONATE, OCTOCRYLENE, BUTYLOCTYL SALICYLATE, METHYLENE BIS-BENZOTRIAZOLYL TETRAMETHYLBUTYLPHENOL, BUTYL METHOXYDIBENZOYLMETHANE, BIS-ETHYLHEXYLOXYPHENOL METHOXYPHEBYL TRIAZINE, C20-22 ALKYL PHOSPHATE, DIPROPYLENE GLYCOL, GLYCERYL STEARATE, PEG 100 STEARATE, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, MANNITOL, XYLITOL, RHAMNOSE, FRUCTOOLIGOSACCHARIDES, LAMINARIA OCHROLEUCA EXTRACT, CREATINE, GLYCYRRHETINIC ACID, NIACINAMIDE, HYDROLYZED SOY PROTEIN, HYDROLYZED WHEAT PROTEIN, TOCOTRIENOLS, TOCOPHEROL, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, ORYZA SATIVA (RICE) BRAN OIL, EPIGALLOCATECHIN GALLATE, C20-22 ALCOHOLS, DECYL GLUCOSIDE, XANTHAN GUM, HYDROXYETHYL ACRYLATE/SODIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE COPOLYMER, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, CITRIC ACID, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, SODIUM, HYDROXYDE, DISODIUM EDTA, PHENOXYETHANOL, CHLORPHENISIN.


Stuff I’ve tried so far that didn’t work from the Bioderma Photoderm line (in extremely unempirical terms):

• AKN: white as hell, heavily scented, and despite being a specifically anti-acne product it managed to cause me some more zits.
  
  
• Spot: stung like crazy…
  
  
• Max Fluid: Not bad, pretty matte for a while, but it was still too white and broke me out.
  
  
• Max Cream: Well, whaddaya know! It was even more matte than the Fluid version. Still, broke me out, made me look like a ghost, yadda, yadda…
  
  
• AR: Why the hell did I even try this? It's not like it's even meant for my skin type... Oh, yeah, it’s Mums. Whatever… Tinted, but of course it’s beige (and I’m olive-skinned, yippee), too oily, and all in all it just didn’t feel right.
  
  
• Anti-Age: not bad, the mattest of them all (sure, it only has an SPF of 30 so it contains the smallest amount of Tinosorb), and for once Bioderma didn’t overdo on the silicones, but still not good enough.

Kanebo Allie PSF 50: incredibly matte, skin absorbed it instantly, scores relatively low on the whiteness factor, but as it turns out its PPD is laughably low. Also, it’s full of silicones, and the worst kind for me (dimethicone) is high up on the list. Toss...

Avene: Why bother? They all have some sort of silicone somewhere in their ingredients list…  

We should do this more often. Instead of dwelling on the disheartening things in ours lives, why don't we sit down every once in a while and go over all the things, big or small, that cheer us up and help us stay sane?

As this is first and foremost a beauty blog, I'll try to keep future posts such as this on topic, but I'm sure that venturing into other areas once or twice will only do us good.

1. ♥ My brand new Bioderma Photoderm Sensitive 50+ sunscreen: I’ve finally found a sunscreen with an impressively high UVA and UVB protection factor that, at the same time, is silicone-free and doesn’t make me break out. What’s more, it’s full of antioxidants and even has an ingredient that is meant to treat acne. Also, it only gives my complexion a very slight, almost unnoticeable, white tint and the shine is easy to keep at bay with Silk Naturals’ Oil Control Primer. I highly suggest that all people whose skin is acne-prone or haven’t been able to tolerate sunscreens up until now to give Bioderma’s Photoderm Sensitive a try. I have a fairly good hunch you won’t be disappointed with this one.
   (I’ll elaborate on this product in a future post.)
   
   
2. ♥ Coastal Scents 'Chisel Detail Mini Brush': As the name suggests, it’s originally an eyeshadow brush, but it’s too flimsy and bendy for me to use it for that purpose. For a while I ignored it and kept using my other CS brushes; recently, however, inspiration struck and I realized that it would serve very nicely as a lip brush. Then I thought it over and remembered that using a brush to apply lip products of any kind has never been (and never will be) a part of my makeup routine. At the same time, I was in search of the HG creamy concealer and thought I would also need to find a handy little brush to apply it with. From here on I suppose you can guess where my thought process led me. It’s the perfect concealer brush: nice and soft, allows for precise application, and it’s no bigger than a slightly oversized toothpick.
   
   
3. ♥ Alverde Anti-Age Lipstick in ‘Primrose’: I was a bit hesitant to buy this one because I already own another Alverde lippie and don’t much use it since it possesses every feature that made me hate lipsticks from the start: it’s thick, drying, accentuates every little line on my lips and is absolutely impossible to wear without some lipbalm underneath or lipgloss on top. Now this one is from a different line and is much creamier and more sheer, not to mention that the color goes wonderfully with my light olive skintone. It might just stop me from ordering yet another Silk Naturals lippie I’ve been craving: ‘Infatuation’. ;-)
   
   
4. ♥ A really cool discovery: according to which if I mix my two least often worn Silk Naturals lippies ‘Nectar’ and ‘Berry Nice’ (the former too brown, the latter too purple, and both too dark), then blot it a bit and apply a smidgen of clear lipbalm, I get a really-really lovely “my-lips-but-better” shade. Because I mixed a warm and a cool toned lippie, I got a go-to neutral shade, something that’s always welcome in my repertoire of makeup items. I will probably try to simplify this tedious process in the near future by actually melting and mixing the glosses used, then adding a drop of peppermint essential oil to the mix and finally pouring it into an empty lipbalm tube. I’ll let you know how it went.
   
   
5. ♥ Silk Naturals Oil Control Primer: Don’t you dare use this is you want shiny complexion that looks like an oil-slick. Otherwise, feel free to indulge in a pot. Just know that there are no miracles when it comes to controlling shine: no product will keep your face silky and matte for an entire day (that’s about 16 hours for me), but there are some that can significantly increase the number of oil-free hours you experience each day. :-D (More on this primer very soon. And by the way, I ordered the refill bag, so what you can see in the picture is the SN primer in an old Everyday Minerals pot. Thought you'd want to know. :)
   
   
6. ♥ Essence Simply Clean Anti-bacterial Hand Gel: It’s nothing special really, but since I’ve been traveling a lot lately, I can really appreciate a quick, hassle-free means to get rid of germs even in the absence of water. I don’t have many classes nowadays and have temporarily set up residence in our summer cottage while I patiently wait for fall to come, and with it lots of new projects and classes. One drawback of this is that because of ridiculous ferry schedules and multiple transfers, it takes almost 3 hours to reach Budapest, and vice versa. Also, the farther we move from the capitol, the less civilized our surroundings become, which in lay-man terms means that washing hands before a quick bite in the bus-stop is pretty much out of the question. No need to worry though: this gel is only 50 ml and easy to carry around in my bag, so I can make bacteria and other germs on my hands give a short little scream of panic and then promptly expire whenever I want.
   On a sidenote: any other such gel will do as they all contain alcohol in massive amounts, an ingredient which almost exclusively accounts for their antibacterial properties.
   
   
7. ♥ Essence Mobile Charm Mirror: It fits the bill and comes in handy when I want to touch up on my makeup and the mirror in the office bathroom is too far away. ;-)
   
   

Now guess where I've been spending my time lately:












 

Should I repeat myself?

Oh well, why not…?

I’m a lipgloss/lipbalm/lipstick addict.

Basically if a product is advertised as having been made for lips, I’m immediately sold. Whenever I find a new online cosmetics store, I always click on the button that has the magic word “lip” on it somewhere. Whenever the products behind it seem appealing, I immediately start planning the contents of my shopping cart, or at the very least jump to bookmark the site.


Sometimes I’m a bit ashamed at owning so many and think of all the “useful” things I could have bought with that money, but more often than not I can be seen pondering the next item I could add to my relatively impressive collection. (I know that said collection is nothing compared to those of some notable beauty-bloggers out there, but do allow me to be proud of mine nonetheless.)


Naturally, these lippies just scream to be reviewed, especially the Silk Naturals ones. My time and energy, however, are limited nowadays and I just can’t put together reviews of dozens of products at a time with heaps of pictures and swatches. Thus, I’ve decided to share only two at a time, preferably two that couldn’t be more different from each other, in the hopes that you, Dear Readers, will always find among them at least one that you like.


This time, my choice fell upon two Silk Naturals glosses that I absolutely adore: Precious and Damsel. One glimpse at these and I wouldn’t have thought that I’d end up wearing them just as much as I adore them. Precious has been my favorite SN lippie ever since I got it a month or two ago: with its cool pink base and the contrasting heaps of golden shimmer it makes it difficult not to fall victim to its charms. It looks suspiciously pearly upon first glance, and if there’s one thing that can keep me away from lippies of any kind is that pathetic remnant from the eighties that makes every woman who was not born a beauty queen look washed out and cheap.




However, this lippie was made by Karen Stark, which practically guarantees that it’ll turn out wearable, and it does: it is possible to apply it in a way that it leaves a lovely pinkish-golden sheen on one’s lips that is just perfect for the summer.





Some of you may remember having read words suspiciously similar to these a couple of reviews ago, and you will not be mistaken: I did say the same thing about Gold Blush, another SN lippie with similar features. Had I known what Precious is like then though, I would probably have expressed a little less enthusiasm for Gold Blush and a lot more for Precious. You see, Precious is Gold Blush, only it has more of everything GB has: more pink, more gold (lots and lots!), more charm, more character, and more of that extremely elusive quality that’s often difficult to put into words and that we usually just call “ooomph” (give or take a few ‘o’s).


Damsel is completely different in that it lacks the warmth and shimmeriness of Precious, but easily makes up for it with its sheerness and gorgeous, bright strawberry tint. I first saw it when one of my Hungarian friends (sharing a name with the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom and war ;-)) showed it to me and what flashed through my head were just three words: “I WANT THIS!”. No wonder though: it’s a real eye-candy.




When it arrived about a week later and rolled out of the parcel, it turned out to be everything I wished for it to be: it’s a stunningly beautiful vibrant pink that’s still wearable and looks great on olive skin. (I’m not sure it’d show up on lips darker than mine, but on an averagely tinted pair of lips it looks great.) It’s an almost radiant neon pink, but because it’s sheer and has no opacity at all, the only thing it does is brighten up my lips and lends my complexion a fresh, youthful look.




These are the two Silk Naturals lippies I use most often, but I do like to wear others, for example Nude Beach and Very Berry (I do prefer NB though), that I’m planning to write about next time.


By the way, I mentioned in this post how I’m not really head over heels with the small diameter of SN lippies and how tedious it makes it for me to paint my lips with them. I’ve changed my mind since then: exactly because of their thinness they allow for much more precise application.


Stay tuned for more Silk Naturals lippie reviews!