I wear sunscreen every single day, so I have strong opinions about it. A good one feels weightless on the skin and sits well under makeup. If it pills, makes my eyes water, or leaves a cast behind, it gets tossed that very day. Living in Madrid, I test every formula under real sun, not just in a bathroom mirror.
This is where I review all of it: chemical, mineral, tinted, boosted, imported, affordable, or outrageous.
Wondering why Europe does it differently? Read European sunscreens vs. American.
Want something lightweight for every day? Start with the Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun formulas.
For as long as I’ve been obsessed with skincare, I’ve picked up a few things at European pharmacies during international travels. It was not always sunscreen, though. Believe it or not, I never expected such a vast difference between formulas…
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This is the sunburn relief post I revive once a year, and this time I’m doing it as a warning rather than a confession. That’s my back up there, from a trip I’d rather not relive. The burn was real.…
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When I first saw the Fresh Kombucha Multi-Defense Sheer UV SPF 50 PA++++ online, I thought I was hallucinating. In hindsight, I should not have been surprised. My interest in Fresh waned ever so slightly over the last decade. But…
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At first glance, everything about Beauty of Joseon is textbook K-beauty. The name. The aesthetic. The formulas. And by now you have probably heard the one about how the brand is not actually that popular in Korea. Or wasn’t, until…
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Moving to Spain did a lot of things to my skincare routine, but the biggest shift was sunscreen. Not in a “I learned to reapply more” way, but in a “why does everything suddenly feel better than what I was…
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Moving to Madrid was full of self-care revelations. Since European pharmacies turned from exotic to everyday, I’ve embraced more SPF formulas than I can count. I also found my ride or die sunscreen in La Roche-Posay UVAir SPF 50. Then…
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Luxury feel, pharmacy price. If La Roche-Posay released this sunscreen under a prestige brand name, gave it a minimalist logo, and priced it at 120 euro, I wouldn’t blink. This is the best daily SPF I’ve found since moving to…
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A richer take on the Hyalu B5 line, now with SPF 30 and a plush texture best suited for cooler temps and dry skin days. A few years ago, I fell for the La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Aquagel SPF 30.…
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