Nivea Sun Protect Plus UV Waterproof UV Milk SPF50+ PA++++

Update Monday January 8, 2018.

I was going to post a separate review for this 40mL bottle of Nivea Sun Protect Plus Waterproof UV Milk SPF50+ PA++++ (2016 packaging), only to realize that there wasn't any changes in the 2015 version reviewed below and this 2016, save for the packaging. So I thought I'd post a quick update instead. It took me months just to get through about half of this bottle! I've been avoiding waterproof formulas in fear it would irritate my little one's facial skin. He likes to bonk his face with mine a lot ^.^"

From left to right: Creamy UV Essence (reformulated in 2016), this Waterproof UV Milk (repackaged in 2016), and a new Water Milk Mild which I haven't gotten to yet. Will review later.

At the time of this writing, the 2016 packaging of this Waterproof UV Milk is still available and, as far I as know, has no further changes in formula or packaging. Not yet at least, though changes might happen this year, who knows. They like to keep us guessing over there.

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Update Saturday July 15, 2017.

I finished using candidate #2 Anessa Perfect Essence Sunscreen to mix with the current bottle of Nivea Sun Protect Plus UV Waterproof UV Milk. Moving on to candidate #5 Allie Extra UV Gel Mineral Moist N, the old version with SPF50+ PA+++ that was discontinued in 2015.

I started out with 5 loops of Allie (left) and 30 drops of Nivea (right). This yielded a gel-cream texture akin to Allie but was way too thick and took forever and a half to set on my skin. Even then, it left a sheen and although a subsequent dusting of sunscreen powder did help, it felt as if I was wearing a kabuki mask the whole time. Bad combination. Will not try again. Moving on to a different candidate. Will update later.

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Original post Friday May 5, 2017.

Finished up my backup bottle of Allie Extra UV Protector Perfect Alpha S and moved on to something new, though technically something old because it's a 40mL bottle of Nivea Sun Protect Plus UV Waterproof UV Milk, a 2015 formulation that has since been discontinued. There was also a Creamy UV Essence in the 50g white tube, also a discontinued 2015 formulation which I'd already reviewed.

Returning home, hubby and I found ourselves facing a freakishly warm and dry winter. Temperature remained in the 60-70 through November when it should have been below 0F by Halloween. We could count on one hand how many times it snowed over the holidays. Spring came in early February, and whatever forecast snowstorms became short bouts of rain before fizzling out. It was sunny in the high 70F as soon as March. Climate change, anyone?

All of this has affected our skin. Hubby now applies moisturizers twice a day, at night after the shower and in the morning before the daily sunscreen. Even my trusty Allie sunscreen became too dry for me and I had to mix it with Sunkiller Perfect Strong Moisture. Woah.

That's to say I have to do some cocktail mixing with this Nivea UV Milk also. It's runny, much runnier than Allie. It does set quickly and leaves a nice matte finish, but it's also slightly drying on its own. Totally expected. Now I just have to pick something to mix with it, preferably something thicker to counter the runny texture, add some moisture but not too much, and doesn't totally mess up the nice finish. I prefer matte but will be happy with soft and dewy matte. Anything shinier than that is no can do.

My candidates list included:

1. Sunkiller Perfect Strong Moisture with about 1/3 bottle left. Nope. Bad idea, because this milk is already runny to begin with.

2. Anessa Perfect Essence Sunscreen with less than 1/5 tube left. 

3. Hada-Labo Koi-Gokujyun Perfect UV Gel with about 1/3 tube left.

4. Mentholatum Skin Aqua SaraFit UV Sara Sara Essence PSF50+ PA++++ with about 1/2 tube left after hubby rejected it in favor of Nivea Sun Protect Plus Creamy UV Essence above. I do realize I haven't reviewed this Mentholatum Skin Aqua SaraFit UV Sara Sara Essence. I'd only tried it a few times and didn't like it by itself, but I haven't had a chance to play cocktail-mixing with it yet. I did use and really enjoyed the Milk version though.

5. Allie Extra UV Gel Mineral Moist N with 3/4 tube left. This is the old version with SPF50+ PA+++ that was discontinued in 2015. I'd given it to my mum to try but she didn't like it and gave it back to me. Mum's a stinker.

6. Anessa Whitening Essence Facial UV Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++, with more than 1/2 tube left. J. had bought this for herself but she ended up hating it and gave it to me (this is how I became collector of half-used sunscreens =.="). It's been discontinued as of this year but I will review it anyway once I've had a chance to play with it. 

I went with candidate #2 Anessa Perfect Essence Sunscreen, though only because there's so little of it left and I want to shrink this half-used collection asap. Once I'm finished with this, I'll move on to candidate #5 Allie UV Gel, because it's just too old and it's been opened. I store my cosmetics well so it's in no danger of spoiling, but still, once a product is opened the clock's ticking.

Anyway, I started out with 20 drops of this Nivea UV Milk and 10 loops of Anessa Perfect Essence, which yielded a light cream that was too thick. Nope. Upped Nivea UV Milk to 30 drops and reduced Anessa Perfect Essence to 5 loops, which yielded the exact consistency of the Allie milk. Strangely enough, when I applied this mixture there wasn't enough to cover my whole face liberally. Upped Nivea UV Milk again to 35 drops and kept Anessa Perfect Essence at 5 loops, which finally yielded enough for adequate coverage. 

This 35 drops + 5 loops mixture takes about 5 minutes to absorb, after which it leaves me with a lovely dewy matte finish. I've been setting it with Beauty Protector Finishing Powder, having transferred about 1/3 the powder to a recently-emptied last backup jar of Higasunne UV Cut Face Powder (also discontinued as of 2016!). Boy oh boy the combination makes my skin look flawless! I'm sure the hormones play a part in this somehow, but either way me likey very much xD After I'm done with this Nivea UV Milk, I'll go straight to the newer 2016 formulation just to compare and contrast.