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 😀
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
There is also a product similar to this from the odbo which is a brand under the face shop Korea. How innovative these Koreans are! I don’t think these products are similar to mineral powder. Firstly the odbo one is of like a creamlike consistency. I’m not sure about the laneige one but it seems to be like that too. And unlike mineral powder, these products don’t seem to offer coverage. I think these sun pacts as these beauty brands call them can be easily found in Korean skincare brands. When I went to Korea, I saw this sun pacts everywhere!