Let’s Just Get to the Point:
Reapplying sun protection throughout the day is the skin-saving rule most people aren’t following. Sunforgettable Total Protection Brush-on Shield SPF 50 ($69) is a mineral powder that makes it both easy and enjoyable.
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As a fair Irish lass, sunscreen was never an option for me—it was mandatory. Heading outside footloose and SPF-free was a recipe for scalded-skin disaster. Because of this life-long dependence on all things UV-defending, I consider myself a veritable connoisseur of sun protection. Name a sunscreen and I guarantee you I’ve slathered it on my skin at least once in my 34 years of life.
But, even though I am hyper-aware, that doesn’t mean I don’t slip up here and there. I sometimes don’t do my chest because I don’t want to risk getting white goop on my shirt or tarnishing my necklaces. I always forget the back of my hands. And, the biggie: I’m terrible at reapplying.
The main reason behind this aversion is that it’s just not practical. If you are wearing makeup–which I invariably am—there’s really no good or effective way to reapply without ruining your look. If you aren’t near a restroom, you’re stuck with hands that are somehow both greasy and sticky. And then you’ve got the aforementioned “sunscreen on the clothes and jewelry” thing to contend with.
Which is why I’m such a huge, almost aggressively obsessive fan of Colorescience Sunforgettable Brush-On Sunscreen. It’s a sheer powder SPF—available in fair, medium, tan, and deep shades—with a handy self-dispensing brush that allows you to re-up your UV defense as easily as you would dust on some translucent finishing powder. I keep a tube (sometimes two) in every single purse I own so that whenever I need to reapply, I’ve got it handy.
So, you can imagine my despair when the brand uttered the one word that strikes fear in the heart of any product super-fan: reformulated. I felt betrayed, wondering why Colorescience would do something so dastardly. I began hoarding my OG Sunforgettable in anticipation of Reformulageddon. But, after some not-so-gentle prompting, I grudgingly agreed to give the new formula a shot.
The updated version, called Sunforgettable Total Protection Brush-On Shield SPF 50 (it’s a mouthful) claims to protect skin from the twin troublemakers of sun and premature aging. It does so with the addition of a moisturizing hyaluronic acid powder and free radical–fighting antioxidants. Despite that news, I stubbornly kept my expectations low as I swiped it on my skin. And then I immediately berated myself for being a petulant child because the product is indeed both new and improved. The formula looks less chalky on my skin, the bristles feel softer, and it didn’t disappear when my face started to sweat whilst attending an outdoor wedding in the bruising Arizona heat.
In addition to the new ingredients, the brand has also dropped in some other bonuses, including a complex that also protects skin from pollution, blue light (like those from electronic screens) and infrared radiation (heat from the sun), plus antimicrobial bristles to keep your brush bacteria-free.
Now, while we’ve established this is, in actuality, improved, I will give you one big caveat: This product is great in tandem with another broad-spectrum SPF product—I don’t suggest using it as your sole method of sun protection. There’s no real substitute for putting a full liquid layer of sunscreen on—it’s foolproof and easy to ensure you really do get every last inch of skin. Instead, I recommend putting your usual sunscreen on in the morning—I like to use a moisturizer infused with a chemical SPF 30, which absorbs better so my face isn’t too greasy, and then use this as your reapplication product throughout the day. That way you are refreshing but aren’t relying solely on the powder to deflect those rays.
Two different sunscreens might seem like overkill, but from the moment you first dust this powder on, you’ll get why it’s both genius and an absolute godsend. And there’s really no such thing as too much protection when it comes to your complexion.
