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Wednesday, September 16, 2015

ColoreScience Sunforgettable Mineral Sunscreen Powder SPF50

Earlier in the beginning of the year, while search for SIL's favorite mineral sunscreen powder (bareMinerals SPF30 Natural Sunscreen), instead I found a bunch of other Japanese and Korean sun protection powders, starting with the colorless UVLab Mineral Powder. But SIL wanted to stick with the brand she knows and likes, and looking at bareMinerals online I stumbled onto ColoreScience, a similar brand that offers mineral-based powders and foundations. One of ColoreScience's bestselling products is this Sunforgettable Mineral Sunscreen Powder SPF50.

Now, you would think I rejoiced to have found a new American cosmetics brand that's slightly more progressive, catching up with the times and realizes the U.S. market is in desperate need of some serious sunscreen. Yes, yes, I do realize there are SPF100+ sunscreens out there, like the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch, Banana Boat Sport Performance, Copperstone Sport, blah blah blah. But have you actually tried applying the required amount of 1/4 teaspoon of that stuff onto your face? Cheesus crispers I might as well paint on a kabuki mask! And they are already much, much better than they were ten years ago! Urgh. So you would think I rejoiced to have found ColoreScience with their SPF50 mineral sunscreen powder.

All pictures taken in natural light without flash.

Nope.

I did not rejoice. In fact, I wasn't at all happy. Because a mere 6g of this powder packaged in a tube with a brush-head goes for a whopping $64 on ColoreScience's online shop. $64, folks! They think they can slap "luxury" all over their website and I'll excuse this obscenity. But as a consumer, I know better (and you should too!). I want to test out how truly "luxurious" this stuff is and I know a way around that absurdly "luxurious" price tag too.

First of all, that tube-packaging is plastic and I don't need it. Secondly, that brush-head is most definitely shitty and I don't need it either. So I went for a refill tube instead, available via Amazon for $30+. Still pricey, yes, and that's where the Amazon points came in handy xD All the current reports says Amazon is the new Walmart, and so I'll save purchase-hacks like this for them as Amazon and ColoreScience are a match made in heaven (depends on who you ask, I guess...). 

Of the 4 color choices available, Fair Matte, Medium Matte, Tan Matte, and Deep Matte, I picked Fair Matte. This is not because I'm particularly fair but because the ColoreScience website says these powders are sheer, plus the other 3 options look too dark and yellow. I already have enough of a yellow undertone, I really don't need anymore.

As you can see from the photo above, 6g is really not much at all and the refill tube itself is tiny. I have plenty of empty loose powder jars sitting around waiting to be refilled, like the jar that once held Paseo UV Cut Powder Cool. I washed it up, sanitized it some more with alcohol, washed the puff with Daiso's nifty Puff & Sponge Detergent, and I got myself a perfectly functional container.

You're probably thinking, woah, how can that powder be fair? It looks so yellow and dark! Well, that's precisely my problem with this ColoreScience powder: in the tube it was quite fair indeed, but once out it immediately oxidizes to a shade or so darker and becomes much yellower. And there's no way to avoid this. Were I to purchase the tube with the brush-head, the powder would have oxidizes just as well upon dispensing.

And I really should learn by now that when they say sheer, they meant opaque with coverage. This powder is anything but sheer! See the swatches for yourself. I do like that the mineral powder is finely milled and is smooth. It holds up okay in the Japanese heat and humidity, only creasing under the eyes and at the laugh lines after half a day, which is decent. But it's quite thick, a shade darker, and too yellow on me :(

According to the website it's water-resistant up to 80 minutes, and its active ingredients are 24.1% zinc oxide and 23.9% titanium dioxide. This means about 48% of it is physical mineral sunblock, and the other half, well, unknown. The website doesn't list the rest of the ingredients. I already applied Allie underneath and this powder is just an extra layer of protection on top, so I guess this is okay?

This is how I apply all of my sunscreen powders:
- Cover the sift with puff.
- Flip jar upside down and pat jar bottom once or twice.
- Press puff on face to deposit powder: once on each cheek right beneath eye area, and once on the forehead, tip of nose, and chin.
- Buff with dense brush. 

The result with this particular powder is that I look like I've applied mineral powder foundation, which is exactly what this is. Not a sheer sunscreen powder by any means. Will not repurchase.

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