Tag: Beauty

A Year in SPF

On By andrewdhutch

As mentioned in my last post, I was recently on the quest for a new daily SPF. Well guess what, I’m still on that journey. I am always on the search for what’s next in my skincare regimen. I thought it would be interesting to review all the SPFs I used in 2020, so here we go.

Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus Line Smoothing Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 15 – Combination to Oily

  • When I bought it – This list truly runs 365 days of daily SPF because I purchased this on January 1, 2020 after having New Year’s Day brunch (RIP brunch)
  • Why I bought it – I bought this because I wanted a nice “skincare” SPF, and found some of the ingredients interesting. The marketing for this boasts plumping fine lines and wrinkles, boosting a youthful look over time. Sign me up. Also, one thing you’ll find with the products I talk about, is that I am often trying and then 5 years later retrying. Clinique is no exception, I had originally used the non-spf version of this product in 2013 (when I was truly young and wrinkle free).
  • What I thought – It had that nice skincare scent, and I liked the texture. I felt fancy applying an SPF from a jar. It gave my skin a nice glow, but was overall not amazing. It was good, not great. On to the next.
  • Would I repurchase – Not no

Olay Total Effects SPF 15, Fragrance Free

  • When I bought it – February 1, before a trip to Mexico (RIP traveling)
  • Why I bought it – For sunbathing days in the Caribbean sun, of course. If I am sunbathing (GUILTY) I apply spf to my face AND body every 40 minutes, no exceptions. This is an SPF that I have used regularly for over 5 years. It has a nice texture that sinks in easily with very little white cast.
  • What I thought – I first fell in love with this product because of the ingredients for the price. Niacinamide is near the top, an ingredient that has all around benefits from helping pores, dullness, skin barrier strength, etc. I have long felt it helps keep my skin blemish free, or at least reduces the redness in my skin tone. We love that. I will say, it feels like they may have reformulated this product, as it has started to smell like sunscreen, in a bad way. But, my skin still likes it, so that’s most important.
  • Would I repurchase – Yes, and I have since

Elta MD UV Replenish SPF 44

  • When I bought it – Since I used so much of the Olay sunbathing, I was nearly ready for a new SPF. After brunch (RIP brunch, part 2), I walked to the local skin spa (shout out to Shoshi at Spa Derma) to buy this Elta MD that I had been researching.
  • Why I bought it – Kourtney Kardashian told me to
  • What I thought – VERY thick and white, takes a LONG time to rub in. I am pale, so a white cast is sometimes okay, but there is a danger zone – it cannot be so thick and white that it tints my beard hair, which this did. And that’s a no from me, dawg. Aside from that, the texture, was almost pore filling, providing a very smoothing effect, so I did enjoy that.
  • Would I repurchase – No

EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46

  • When I bought it – April 2020, and purchased it on monthly subscription from Dermstore until like October 2020
  • Why I bought it – Since I had mixed feelings on the previous Elta MD product, I wanted to try another from the brand. Again, love the ingredients. Niacinamide!
  • What I thought – Love the texture, thin and runny, no white cast for me at all. I love the scent! My bfffffff Lily (who has her own blog, The Lately Blog) describes it as an almond scent, and that’s accurate.
  • Would I repurchase – Yes

Cerave AM SPF

  • When I bought it – November 2020
  • Why I bought it – I was done with the EltaMD UV clear, but not sure what I wanted next. I had used this one like 4 years ago and thought, let me try it again. It feels like one of those products that is a staple, very safe, and works for everyone (TBD on that one). The ingredients are good, ceramide forward, hydrating, all those good things.
  • What I thought – First and foremost, I think my skin loves it, so that’s important. It has a slight white cast at first, and takes a little time to sink in, but for me dries very smooth. My skin feels less shiny throughout the day.
  • Would I repurchase – Sure

What’s next? Here are the SPFs on my short list…

  • Fenty Skin Hydra Vizor SPF 30 (#rihannanavy)
  • Jack Black Double Duty Moisturizer SPF 20

Vitamin C and Cleansing

On By andrewdhutch

As someone who spends a lot more time that other people my age looking after, or thinking about looking after my skin, it makes sense that my first post be about some skincare that I currently love. My favorite product to use right now is the Andalou Naturals Meyer Lemon + C Creamy Cleanser. The name is kind of a mouthful, but it actually smells delicious so I *would* eat it. The first ingredient is aloe juice, so I mean, it’s probably edible? One Friday recently I was working from home (remember, I said I had an office job in downtown Chicago? Well, I do have some perks.), and decided that I need a break. I took myself to Whole Foods, where I found this gem. It was almost as if I was being rewarded for NOT working, right? I was looking for something reminiscent of Tata Harper – think good ingredients, plant-based, healthy. But I wasn’t looking to spend that much green. #imamillenial #helpmeImpoor. In true scrutinizing millennial fashion, I’m a label reader * gasp * and this cleanser’s first ingredient is ALOE (Barbadensis Leaf Juice). Pro-tip, this is a huge deal when it comes to a $13 cleanser, and a huge contrast to water, the highest concentration ingredient many cleansers (and products in general) contain. Below is the full list of the ingredients, in order of concentration, many of which catch my eye:

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice*, Purified Water (Aqua), Sodium Olefin Sulfonate, Sorbitol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Vegetable Glycerin, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C), Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Stearic Acid, Panthenol, Manuka Honey, Citrus Medica Limonum (Meyer Lemon) Fruit Juice*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Fruit Oil*, Fruit Stem Cells (Malus Domestica, Solar Vitis) and BioActive Berry Complex*, Allantoin, Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Leaf Extract*†, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract*†, Tocopherol, Phenethyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Vanilla Isolates, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil*, Cananga Odorata (Ylang Ylang) Flower Oil*

I was looking for a cleanser specifically with Vitamin C, as it has brightening abilities for the skin. So I stood there in Whole Foods pretending I didn’t have a job and read through the ingredients. I mentally added Vitamin C, Manuka Honey, and Fruit Juice to the pro side of the product. Also, I used to have an expensive face oil that I loved with sea buckthorn as the main ingredient, so I concluded that this product was bound to be a hit. *Adds to basket and saunters to the wine aisle*

Now for the real test – taking the product for…a test drive? Anyway, this was to be a second cleanser for me (shout out to @Caroline Hirons), meaning, I first cleansed my face with something to take off the dirt and sweat of the grueling day – you know, the one where I stopped working to go shopping for face wash? Anyway, I patted my face dry from part one of my fairly rigid regime, and was ready. I pumped the Meyer Lemon + C cleanser in my hand and started massaging it into my clean, but dry skin. Wow. Yes. The scent was like a juicy orange, and I was into it. The cleanser had a great liquid-y lotion consistency and did NOT foam (FOAM IS BAD!). I loved the way it allowed me to really work it into my face before I removed it with a hot washcloth. It felt nice, and any excess rinsed off easily. I felt refreshed, hydrated, and clean. After finishing my skincare regime, I moved on to something equally important – opening the wine.

Originally I wrote this article in November 2017, and waited until now to get to posting it. I’ve been using this cleanser as my morning cleanser and second night cleanse in rotation for the last year and a half! I’ve been thoroughly enjoying it.