skin

Safe, effective, highly-rated, and affordable sunscreens you need for summer

Bottle of sunscreen on the beach
| kristencastillo

Summertime is here, and the summer sun can be intense. Choosing a sunscreen can be overwhelming. So let the experts do the work for you.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has a list of top-rated sunscreens that meet strict criteria, so you know you’re getting a good product. In their annual guide to sunscreens, they feature seven EWG-verified sunscreens. Look for the EWG verified mark on the products. When you see the EWG seal, you’ll know the sunscreen meets strict transparency and efficacy guidelines, doesn’t contain toxic or unacceptable ingredients, and has been reviewed by scientists. 

Also, note that EWG verified sunscreens can’t include aerosol or powder sunscreens because they’re an inhalation risk. Plus, verified sunscreens will always be between SPF 15 and SPF 50 because sunscreens higher than SPF 50 can give you a false sense of SPF security.

The top seven EWG verified sunscreens are below, and not only are they great sun protectors, they’re affordable too. At the time of this writing, they’re under $20. Many are available at retail stores, and all are online at Amazon.

ATTITUDE Sunly Mineral Sunscreen Stick, Unscented, SPF 30

Babo Botanicals Sheer Zinc Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30

Happy Ocean Water Sport Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30

Mustela Mineral Sunscreen Stick, Face and Body, SPF 50

Solara Suncare Go! Mineral Defense Sport Superfruit Body Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50

Stream2Sea EcoStick Sport Sunscreen Stick, SPF 35+

Thinksport Clear Zinc Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50

Wear sunscreen daily and reapply often. While sunscreen is a great first step, the EWG also advises wearing protective hats, clothing, and sunglasses with UV protection. Stay out of the sun during peak hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and stay in the shade whenever possible.

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Fashion Forward for Fall Makeup

| kristencastillo

Fall is here and I’m ready to celebrate with autumn’s colors. I am excited to check out Jane Iredale’s Fashion Forward collection, featuring eye shadows, retractable brow pencils and lipstick. The company sent samples for me to try and I’m impressed.

jane-makeup

First I tried two Smooth Affair® eye shadows. One called Naked is sheer nude color; the other, Iced Brown, is a sheer golden brown. I liked how light and smooth they were to apply and it’s cool that they double as either eye shadow or as a primer for more shadows. They’re smudge proof too! There are four other colors in the line including a sheer pink called Petal; a matte yellow named Lemon; a champagne color called Canvas; and a shade of Gold.

jane-nakedjane-iced-brown

Next up, I tried the retractable brow pencils in two colors: brunette and dark brunette. (There’s a blonde color too that I didn’t try.) The pencils do a nice job of filling in brows. And I totally love the built-in “spoolie” on the end of each pencil, perfect for brow shaping.

jane-makeup2

The finishing touch? The Cindy Puremoist® lipstick, a sexy shade of red! As the name suggests, it’s named after supermodel Cindy Crawford. I love the lipstick’s scent – a light, fruity mix of pomegranate and backberry extracts. Plus I love how the color complements my fair skin.

jane-lipstick

Sampling these products has been lots of fun – I’m looking forward to wearing them throughout the fall.

Feeling #SunStoppable!

| kristencastillo

I have fair skin and wear SPF 30 or higher every day. It’s something I’ve done for a long time. I want to protect my skin and prevent it from getting burned. Let’s face it: sun burns hurt, peel and cause blemishes.

My Colorscience makeover by celebrity makeup artist Julianne Kaye
My makeover with Colorescience products by celebrity makeup artist Julianne Kaye.

I’m always interested in learning more about and trying new sunscreen products. That’s why I had such a great time at Colorescience’s “Sunforgettable Summer” event at Tower23 Hotel in San Diego yesterday.

Celebrity makeup artist Julianne Kaye gave me a makeover, using Colorescience’s skincare and mineral makeup products including face primer (SPF 30), loose mineral sunscreen (SPF 50) and lip shine (SPF 35).

“Jules,” as Julianne asked me to call her, has done makeup and styling for celebrities including Nicole Richie, Kate Hudson and Scarlett Johansson. In about 30 minutes, she transformed my look from everyday to “wow.” I received compliments all day, especially on my eyes.

Colorescience is based in Carlsbad, CA and the company’s COO Josie Juncal, who is from San Diego, loves living in the sunny region. She knows firsthand the importance of wearing adequate sunscreen. Juncal says while most women apply sunscreen in the morning, many don’t want to reapply SPF later in the day, fearing the touchup will ruin their makeup. The loose sunscreen powder is a great way to touch up your makeup later in the day.

Celebrity makeup artist Julianne Kaye applying Colorscience makeup
Celebrity makeup artist Julianne Kaye doing makeovers at Colorescience’s #Sunstoppable event at Tower23 Hotel in San Diego.

The Colorescience products, sold online and in dermatologists’ offices, don’t skimp on sun protection. They have higher SPFs (as mentioned above) than most store-bought sunscreens, plus they’re water resistant. For example, the lip shine is water resistant for 40 minutes and the loose mineral sunscreen provides 80 minutes of water resistance.

Colorscience event at Tower 23 in San Diego
Colorescience’s “Sunforgettable Summer” event at Tower23 Hotel in San Diego.

Colorescience gave me some skincare and makeup goodies. I’m going to use them as part of my daily commitment to great skin and using sunscreen. #SunStoppable