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How To Chose The Best Sunscreen For You
Summer is here, and applying sunscreen should be at the top of your list of daily self-care. But with so many to choose from, how do you know which is right for you? It all depends on the situation you find yourself in. If you need to use it under makeup, or at the beach, you might choose two different products. Likewise, if you need something quick and affordable for the kids splashing around in the pool, you won’t want to apply the $45 product you purchased for your face.
I’ve put together a list of four very different sunscreens that I have personally used. I usually have at least two of them on hand at all times.
La Roche Posay UV Correct Face Sunscreen SPF 70 with Niacinamide
La Roche Posay
La Roche Posay suncare products employ anthelios, a mineral-based sunscreen. This formula is lightweight, absorbs well, and can be worn under foundation or powder, a bonus for women who like to apply makeup regularly. I keep this one in my professional makeup kit too.
It also contains anti-aging ingredients to help minimize free radical damage from UV exposure. I used this sunscreen when traveling in sunny Rome after having skin cancer removed from my face, and it did the job. Bonus, it comes in a handy 1.7 fluid oz. package that is perfect for travel.
La Roche Posay UV Correct Face Sunscreen SPF 70 is good for everyday use. This is not a water-resistant formula so it is not the best choice for active outdoor days or water sports but it would be perfect for a day beachside with additional protection like a broadbrimmed hat.
Raw Elements
Raw Elements
If you are looking for a sunscreen that is reef-friendly, look no further than Raw Elements, the brand that founded World Reef Day. The active ingredient in the lotion and cream products is nano-free zinc oxide which provides broad-spectrum UVA / UVB protection.. It also comes in a convenient spray with SPF 50 for the face and body. Water-resistant for up to 80 minutes.
Kid-friendly, reef safe, no chemicals, organic ingredients, bio-packaging made from sugar cane, no nano particles, what’s not to like? Raw Elements was recommended when I was traveling in Santa Barbara and forgot my sunscreen. I bought the stick for a handy touch-up that I keep in my bag plus no TSA issues. If you prefer the lotion, Raw Elements Face and Body SPF 30 is exactly 3 oz. so it passes the TSA requirements. There’s even a tinted formula if you want a bit of color.
Avasol
Avasol Surfers Barrier Stick
If you’re planning to surf, snorkel, paddleboard, or spend a long day beachside, Avasol is the sunscreen surfers swear by. You won’t have to reapply it all day, though you can, and it comes in a range of tints for different skin tones. The Surfers Barrier Stick comes in no-waste packaging and is made of 100% natural ingredients. It also comes in an SPF 30 cream formula and is reef-safe, vegan, and gluten-free.
Neutrogena
Neutrogena Beach Defense Kids Sunscreen Spray Broad Spectrum SPF 70 with vitamins is perfect for a sun-filled family holiday. It’s dermatologist-approved for kids, and it comes in a convenient spray packaging that is quick and easy to apply. You also don’t have to worry about a lot of waste or product seeping out of a tube and into your luggage.
This is the only one I have not personally tried but the research seems solid.
Water-resistant for up to 80 minutes, suitable for all skin types with vitamins C & E popular antioxidant ingredients.
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Destination Wedding in Florida
These are behind the scenes photographs taken with my iPhone 5S at the Sawgrass Marriott Resort in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Working with a photographer and video crew we staged a wedding at the hotel to create new portfolio images.
The Sawgrass Marriott, located in Ponte Vedra Beach, is a lovely choice for a destination wedding. The trees dripping with Spanish moss created a romantic backdrop and filter for the early morning light.
In spite of the humidity I was able to create a romantic hairstyle that held up through a two hour photo shoot.
Need a hair and makeup artist for your destination wedding and photographs? I’m available to travel. Email me for details.
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Dark Circle Drama – The Beauty Bitch
Covering dark under eye circles has been and remains one of the top beauty questions I am asked.
Editor Susan Linney tackled the question for Meets Obsession, an online magazine for the beauty and culture obsessed.If you have a drawer full of concealers that don’t get the job done, then read on. Linney interviewed two of the top makeup artists in the biz, Yours Truly and Kevin James Bennet, to get the 411 on disappearing the luggage under your eyes, forever. Please notice we both said essentially the same thing!
Want to know what we said? Read it here.
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A Simple Beauty Makeover
This was a really fun and easy photo/makeover. A photographer (friend) asked me to help him with a class project. The goal was to show extreme contrast in one subject. He asked me to create a a simple hair and makeup style, and then to pump up the pretty factor, and he would adjust his lighting.
To create the “after” look, I simply added more eyeliner, false eyelashes, and lip gloss. For her hair, which is long and straight, I changed the part to an extreme side part, then swept it across her forehead and pinned the hair up in the back. Simple, glamorous and easy.
What do you think?
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The Business of Beauty
It’s not every day I get to work with beautiful models and top editorial hairdressers. Believe it or not, most of the time, putting makeup on people for camera means making it look like they don’t have on much makeup at all. Putting makeup on these lovelies was just the creative change I needed.
I was excited and happy to be asked to work once again, with Beth Minardi, an icon in the haircolor industry, and her team of top notch hair stylists. The event was a presentation of Mindari haircolor, sort of a mini runway show.
I asked them what sort of look they wanted, and the only direction I was given was “pretty makeup with emphasis on the eyes.” And that’s exactly what I gave them. This is why I became a makeup artist to begin with. Great team, beautiful models. And who do you think the blonde looks like?
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Traveling with One Carry-On
I”m often asked how many bags I take with me when I go to Italy for two or three weeks. My answer, one carry-on and one personal bag. This seems to be a challenge for most women. When I tell them I only take two pair of shoes they go into defense mode. More shoes is more, right?
Summer fabrics make packing light easy as they take up less space in your luggage. The key is choosing colors and patterns that can be layered and matched with every other piece.
Here’s an example: If your accent color is a strong, vibrant, turquoise blue, but you have a favorite jacket that is a pastel pink, well that’s not really going to work, is it? What do you wear the pink jacket with?
White pants you say. Yes, but the idea is that each piece can be interchanged.
Conclusion: you must leave the pink jacket at home, or change your accent color.To illustrate this concept I got together with professional model and friend, Rhonda Sargent Chambers. Rhonda supplied her classic travel wardrobe, which she tells me she wears year-after-year, and I supplied the makeup, photographs, and a bottle of prosecco.
Head over to my travel blog Adventures of a Carry-On to see more photos and read the rest of the story.
Here are a few more photos from the shoot, Summer Travel Style.
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This and That
Since my last post, things have continued to move full speed ahead. I find that the type of work I do seems to go in cycles. Sometimes I work on commercials and sometimes it’s more television news and satellite broadcasts. Recently, I’ve worked on shows for the Food Channel, HGTV and the Speed Channel.
Working outside in Texas is challenging, especially in the spring and summer. Either it’s too hot, too humid or too windy. The past couple of shows, I worked with female hosts, and we were constantly battling the heat, humidity and winds gusting up to 40 miles per hour. Keeping the hair from blowing is simply impossible. I’ve posted a couple of photos from these shoots, taken in a more controlled environment.The key to long wearing makeup even in the Texas elements, apply it properly in the beginning! Prep the skin with sunscreen and moisturizer if needed. Apply a silicon based primer to help the makeup go on more smoothly and give it staying power. I also use a liquid or gel eyeliner because it’s more water proof than pencil and doesn’t smear. Finish with powder. As the day goes by, I usually only have to touch up under the eyes and the lips.
I also had the opportunity to teach for Last Looks Makeup Academy. I taught three classes: bridal makeup, eye makeup only, and airbrush makeup. The classes were small, so the students got lots of one-on-one attention and extra tips and tricks I use on set. Everyone had a great time and learned a lot. If you are interested in classes in Dallas, let me know or contact Heather at Last Looks Academy in Los Angeles. If there’s enough demand she’ll bring the school to Dallas.
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Sometimes You Just Have No Control
For these bridals I did hair and makeup at my location in Dallas then, the bride flew to San Antonio where these photos were taken. I gave her a few tips on how to keep her makeup fresh and how to touch up for photos since I wasn’t going along for the ride. She kindly sent me these after the session with a note, “I think they turned out great.”
I thought so too considering everything that had transpired between the time she left my place and arrived at the location in San Antonio.
Since photographs are forever I worry about all the details. I want perfection. The note and the photos told me the day had been in a success. Sometimes you have to let go.
Penny Sadler Makeup artist > Makeup
