Here’s a product I found absolutely intriguing – powder sunscreen. I just am not sure what to make of it to be perfectly honest. The first one I’d tried is the Laneige Brightening Sun Powder, which is sun protection in the form of a powder compact.
I actually rather like the case. Its a two layered case, but the cover is holographic and at certain angles, like what I’ve just shown, takes on the light of the setting sun. I like how it was so perfect for the product! I used this off and on, trying hard to figure out what I really thought of it, but I still am a little unsure. It straddles the realm of both makeup and sunscreen (skincare) and I am, to be honest, a little confused.
When you open the cover, the powder is revealed to be a pink toned powder with a cream centre and covered with a clear plastic case. A sponge puff rests on top of it, but I never really used the puff to apply this product. I preferred to use a brush.
When you apply it on your skin, it actually does help brighten your visage. I attribute it to the pink tones – pink tones are known to brighten dull skin and it does work! It is however very subtle so you don’t have to worry about going around looking like you just got in from the sun.
My concern however is just how much I should use. We are told to be generous with our sunscreen for best protection. Some people say 1 tablespoon, some say 1 teaspoon, some say half a tea spoon, but either way you get the idea – you need good coverage for it to work. The other sunscreen tip we hear often is that you need to reapply for you to ensure you are getting proper sun protection.
Let’s face it, its practically impossible to reapply liquid sunscreen if you have a face full of makeup on right? Also, if you were to reapply without first removing the first layer, it will eventually get really icky and sticky. Which is where I found this Laneige Sun Brightening Powder to come in very handy.
I apply my sunscreen as normal so I don’t use this product as my primary sunscreen. What I use it for is for touch ups. I carry this compact with me, and I can use a dusting of it over my face in the day, over my makeup, by way of both a touch up for my makeup and a touch up for my sunscreen.
Let’s be honest, I don’t know if it works. But I could not stomach using this as my primary sun protection, because I didn’t know if it would do the trick well enough with just a light dusting on the skin.
Here’s what the powders look like swatched very heavily. When you swirl a brush over them you don’t see it show up this chalky or powdery. It isn’t actually. Its quite fine and isn’t dusty at all. I wasn’t sure how to handle the puff which is why I don’t use it. I felt it would apply it too heavily over cosmetics. With a brush, the effect is more subtle and it really is quite easy to handle. Although you can apply it a few times in a day, it doesn’t look cakey or thick on the skin, nor does it mess up makeup so that’s quite a boon! :)
Does it brighten the skin? Yes. As I’ve pointed out, its attributable to the pink powder. There is a little bit of shimmer but nothing too visible. I wouldn’t use it as primary sunscreen, but I think this is a good option for topping up sunscreen during the day, when we can’t otherwise remove and start our makeup over again. Its started to grow on me and I quite like this one :)
In a nutshell
A compact powder that works to both brighten the skin and offer SPF50 sun protection. The powder is quite fine and isn’t drying on the skin. It acts as a nice setting powder throughout the day, and is quite good for touch ups. The brightening effect is very subtle and if the sun protection works (immeasureable) then all the better!
Pros: Light and fine powder with brightening properties, Primary use for sun protection with SPF50 PA+++, Useful to use as a setting powder or to touch up throughout the day, and for topping up on sun protection which we are supposed to do every 2 hours
Cons: The puff included isn’t very useful
Here is the ingredient list for those interested:
I noticed there is zinc oxide in this formula but the primary blocker is titanium dioxide and I don’t break out from this powder. It might perhaps be due to the fact its a powder vs a liquid. I don’t know, and I’m not clever enough to work out the chemical combinations. I just know it seems to do a fair enough job. Again, I do not know if the sun protection factor works this way, so I’d use this as a top up sunscreen throughout the day and not as a primary sunscreen. Works fine enough this way :D
Have you tried the Laneige Brightening Sun Powder with SPF50+ PA+++ before? How about any other powder sunscreens? Do you know of others with the same sort of concept? I guess I like the idea of being able to touch up my sunscreen in the day – I used to wonder how best to do it before without washing my face every 2 hours!
Paris B
Laneige Sun Brightening Powder SPF50+ PA+++ Price: RM110 Availability: Laneige counters
Hello Paris! I do not think I can ever use just a powder sunblock either as I doubt it give you enough protection. Like you, I could never understand how people reapply sunblock especially to their face but I will look into getting this product as we need all the coverage we can get in such hot weather! :D
Hiya Sukie! In our sort of weather I don’t think just powder will do the trick either! However, this powder thing does really help with sunscreen re-application. Like I said, I’m not sure if it works but it sure takes care of the oilies! ;)
I’m skeptical. I might use it to top up my sunscreen if I head out in the middle of the day but like you, I’m unwilling to use it as my PRIMARY suncare.
Yup! Not unless I want to look like Chinese Opera singer! :P
Hi Paris,
This looks tempting! Does it make the face oily fast or does it also serve the purpose of a blotting powder? I also wonder how it fares with the puff as I usually use that instead of a brush. Thanks!
Hi Jay, nope it doesn’t make my skin oily and in fact helps to keep skin looking nice and fresh and matte too – so what I do is blot skin, apply powder and tada! done! :) I tried the puff once but its a very flat sponge puff so I didn’t quite like it. You could test with that though – check it out at the Laneige counter and see :)
This is basically mineral makeup, which is an excellent source of physical sun protection. I’ve gotten a tip from an esthetician to use mineral powder to reapply sunscreen throughout the day on top of your primary sunscreen, exactly like you said. It works and with any brand of mineral powder makeup! :D
Oh thanks Peach! I was about to run out and buy this after reading Paris’ post. This has always been a dilemma for me as I do run about a bit during the day.
But I still might run out and buy one……..sigh :(
Thanks for sharing Peach! :D I used mineral makeup once before but never quite got the hang of it especially because it can be messy if its loose powder. Maybe I just feel a little more confident knowing there’s sun protection when it actually says so on the box hehe ;)
Confession – I ran out and bought 1 already. Just can’t resist sunscreen in powder form. Cheers!
Whoa… that’s quick, Honey! LOL! Paris, you’re a super enabler!
Wow! That was super quick – I hope you like it :)
Hmmm!!! Would definitely use this on top of my sun screen. My current sun screen makes my face look oily, and I usually will have to use compact powder to matte it down. So why not make it another sun screen? There’s fragrance listed as an ingredient, how does it smell like?
Erm.. there is a faint scent but nothing that bothers me which is why I totally forgot about it until you mentioned it! LOL I think the same way you do too and having a powder makes it so much easier to top up sunscreen during the day right? ;)
What an interesting product indeed! It MIGHT just make me use sunscreen again, because I’ll then touch it up heh heh heh.
Yup! That’s how I felt about it too! It encourages you to top up during the day – win! ;)
Doesn’t seem too bad if used to touch up sunscreen during the day. Actually, it’s the same if we use blotting powder with SPF to touch up right? :P Trying to save some pennies by finding alternatives ahahaha
I would think it serves the same purpose – I’m just not too familiar with pressed powders with high SPF :)
Hmm… intrigued, but not enough to pay full price for.
Other readers have suggested some alternatives, although I’m not sure if Laneige ever puts anything on sale?
See how it goes – good to know such a product exists, though. Thanks :)
Oh yay! I spotted a powdered sunscreen years ago and never saw one after! It seems like the lazy girl’s (aka me :D) way to sunscreen, haha. I’ll have to look out for this one, thanks for introducing. (Come to think of it I’ve actually never tried anything from Laneige!)
x Renee
I don’t have many things from Laneige too and I do think they are a little hit or miss but you can’t beat the Koreans for working out a way to incorporate sunscreen into makeup, can you? ;)
This looks like a cheaper version of the powder sunscreen from Chantecaille. I suppose if you really layer it on, it would be good for touchups!
Ah I didn’t know Chantecaille had one! I guess this is more common than I thought :)
Thanks for this post, Paris. Definitely an eye opener. Great for touch ups yes. Like you, I will still be wearing my regular ones under foundation first =)
Yup! Keep that first barrier of protection and then top up as we need it eh? Sure beats having to wash everything off and start over every 2 hours as recommended! LOL
I’ve been using the Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral Powder SPF45 for the past 2 years, gone through 3 tubes, as I do use it everyday for touch ups after lunch. It really helps mattifies my skin without leaving that powdery & cakey look and the SPF in it is just another plus. But I can’t really say for sure of its effectiveness towards sun protection. Like you said, how much should I use for an adequate sun protection? I might be giving the Laneige Sun Powder once I run out of PTR as it looks more travel friendly and the packaging is way way more eye-catching. I’ve never really dipped my hand into the Laneige pond, so this may be a good way to test their products. :)
There is such similar product from Bare Minerals too. But similarly I have not tried. Almost wanted to get the Peter Thomas Roth one. But was afraid of wasting it coz I have no discipline to do touch ups. :P
Oh wow! You’d already been using something similar! :D I suppose the powder does help a little to protect the skin but how much of it is being protected will be debatable since we can’t quite measure it. Maybe its psychological too! :P
remember the iS Clinical sunblock powder that i bought? reminds me of that! i have been reapplying it throughout the day, however, cnt say nor tell if it really works
Yup! I thought about that too! I guess some reapplication will be better than none :D
Reminds me of the Bare Escentuals SPF 30 Natural Sunscreen! The design for that is quite fun too, but not pretty.
I like the pink!! Nice way you found to use powder sunscreens. I always though powder sunscreens are useless cos powder is just too little for protection.
I have to agree with you. We’d probably have to put on powder an inch thick before it actually protects our skin! But for touch ups, I think less is fine – that’s what I was told anyway by a doctor :)
I am really intrigued by korean powder sunscreens. its a nifty idea, no one can really re apply liquid sunscreen with a face full of makeup, so why not use a powder to touch up? I have yet to actually buy one though. I really like the look of the HERA powder but this laneige one looks nice. I don’t think i’ll ever buy one though cos I’m not sure i’d actually use it. A little too much effort, and the climate I’m in ia dull enough I’m not sure I need to be so vigilant about sun care XD
Aww where are you based? Some dull climates lull us into a false sense of security but I must agree that if we don’t see the sun, we are much less likely to want to slap on sunscreen, much less top it up! :D
You surely haven’t check out Palgantong’s powder then ;) It’s loose powder with SPF30, which was the 1st powder sunscreen I came across…
It’s around in Sasa locally for some time… Could be a cheaper find?
http://www.sasa.com/SasaWeb/eng/product/viewProductDetail.jspa?itemno=103684901005
Nope I haven’t! :) I had a Palgantong powder once but I didn’t like it so I never really looked at the brand again.Thanks for sharing though – its useful info.
Oh, it’s a powder. I’ve seen Korean “BB pacts” in adverts and thought they were the creamy type in compacts. This sun care powder is totally new to me but I often use just moisturizer with an SPF, so I could (in theory) pat this Laneige on as a finishing powder.
Only thing is, how do I prevent the powder from looking cake-y?
It’s fun finding out about these new makeup “inventions/innovations”! :)
This particular powder doesn’t look cakey on the skin – at least not if I use a brush to apply it on because it goes on quite evenly. I sometimes wonder at how Korean skincare is labelled. Sometimes, I don’t even know what its supposed to be! :D
I know that there is a similar product, a powder sunscreen by Etude House too, I guess most Koreans use the pact to solve the problem of needing to reapply sun protection without the need to wash off their current face of makeup. I guess it makes a lot of sense to invest in such a product as a safety net =p
Definitely! I think the Koreans got it right on this one – I used to wonder how to top up sunscreen over the day and they just solved the problem for us! :D
As many people above have already mentioned, I think this is like a mineral foundation with SPF. Heliocare – not sure if this brand is available in M’sia – has a sunblock in compact form too (which also comes with a sponge on top). And brands like Colorscience have powdered sunblock that comes in a tube form with a brush attached already, so you just have to twist the brush out (like twisting lipstick) and as you brush your face the powder will ‘fall out’ to cover your face. I’ve always thought this is a convenient (and lazy!) way to touch up sunblock (especially on a made-up face), but I’ve never managed to convince myself to buy it cos it’s not cheap. May I know how much did you pay for this Laneige product, Paris?
Also, some of these powdered and compact sunblocks can go up to SPF 50, so actually, I’m thinking that even if only a little powder or a thin layer ends up on your face, you are getting at least SPF15-20 protection?? which for a ‘top-up’ is good enough? :-)
Thanks for sharing the different brands out there. I’ve come across one in a tube too with a brush – IS Clinical and its very practical but very pricey too! The price of the Laneige one, is as per the info at the end of the post – RM110. Not crazy expensive but still a little pricey and infinitely easier to find! :) As for the coverage, I was told by a doctor that a light dusting of powder is enough. I suppose it will work the same. Some people tell us we only need SPF15-20 max so SPF50 is not possible to achieve. I however prefer to use a SPF50 base sunscreen then for top up, even if its just SPF15-20 its fine because you’re topping up every couple of hours anyway :) I’m also mostly based in the office but if someone is out and about a lot, then more regular top ups would be necessary.
I use the Peter Thomas Roth powder sunscreen recced by Lisa Eldridge. It’s so easy to use ( basically in a swivel brush type of packaging) and works well to touch up oily bits in addition to sun protection. I normally buy this via strawberry net
You have me intrigued and now that you say its on Strawberrynet (my beauty shopping Mecca!) I’m all over it! LOL!