Topping Up Sunscreen on the Go: Ilia Radiant Translucent Powder Review

Summer is here!  It is lovely to feel the warmth of sun and to wear shorts everyday.  However, for those that are into anti-aging skincare, the sun is your worse enemy.  Yes, I am one of those that wear a hat and loads of sunscreen when I go outside.  Well, except for my legs which remain pretty pale despite walking around a lot lately playing Pokemon Go.

I am pretty good at putting on sunscreen in the summertime, but reapplying is another thing. Apparently, you are supposed to reapply every 2 hours.  That is so hard to do!!!  I try to apply every 4 hours maybe, to be honest.  Here are some of my trusty sunscreen top up products:

Powder Sunscreen

The face is the hardest part of your body to top up your sunscreen especially if you have to apply over foundation.  I haven’t gotten into topping up with sunscreen cushions yet, but they seen like another good alternative.  Personally, I love using powder sunscreens that come in a tube with a brush.  You can quickly open them up and dust all over your face.  I honestly don’t know how much protection you can get from a powder, but I would like to think it does something.

Lately, I have enjoyed using the Ilia Radiant Translucent Powder in Moondance.  This is one of those powder sunscreens that don’t provide any extra coverage.  However, it is great for sunscreen top up, and also getting rid of the shine while giving you a bit of glow.

Obviously, I love it for the packaging as well because it is totally up my street.  It is white, minimal, and sleek.  The other great thing about the packaging is that brush is attached magnetically so you remove it to wash it.  What an ingenious idea!  One of the critiques of the packaging though is that it is hard to get the product out.  I guess it works like a shaker and it comes out as you use it.  I think it has its pros and cons, but sometimes it is nice that not tons of product is coming out and you can slowly add on more if you need it.

If you are looking for a powder sunscreen that comes out easily (you literally see powder flying around) and has higher SPF, I would recommend Peter Thomas Roth’s Instant Mineral SPF 45.

Stick Concealer

Over the rest of body, I usually use a typical cream sunscreen.  I am still loving the Badger Kids Sunscreen Cream SPF 30, mostly because it smells like creamsicles.  I ended up getting the accompanying stick concealer (SPF 35) a few weeks ago.  When I reapply with the stick sunscreen, I usually do the put it over the skin and then rub it in with any other body part except the palms of my hands (I hate sunscreen on my hands).  I find a stick concealer is also great at reapplying sunscreen on those areas you usually forgot like your toes and the back of your hands.

Badger is known for their natural ingredients.  This sunscreen does a good job of protecting me from the sun.  It contains 22.5% of zinc oxide as its main sunscreen agent.  However, I do notice that sunscreens with higher concentrations of this ingredients tend to be quite thick and leave a white cast.  In this regards, I find the stick is definitely easier to blend in and less tacky on the skin.

Lip Sunscreen

I find my lips get really dry during the summer.  I am thinking it must be from the increased exposure to the sun.  It has been difficult for me to find natural and organic lip balms with a high SPF.  I have been using Juice Beauty’s SPF 8 Lip Moisturizer.  It smells like berries and applies on smoothly without any shine.  However, it has such low SPF and wears off easily from eating, so it hard to remember to continually reapply it.  I would love it if you had any great recommendations for an SPF lip balm.

Thanks for reading!  🙂