Something cool I picked up at my local Watson’s: Sunkiller Perfect Water Essence SPF 50. I was on the lookout for a new everyday sunblock. My old sunblock was from Neutrogena. I love how the product didn’t break me out. The finish was dewy and it’s not as sticky as other sunblocks I’ve tried.
But as much as I love the finish and texture, Neutrogena’s Face sunblock is only 30 ml. It’s a small volume for an SPF especially if you use it every day. I just thought it wasn’t practical to keep re-purchasing (I’m on my third bottle) when I only get so little. Most foundations come in 30 ml bottles and that’s okay because you only need small dots to cover the face. But 30 ml for a sunblock is really not enough.
Anyway, I came across the Sunkiller Perfect Water Essence sunblock while I was out picking stuff for my cat (weird, I know!) I was just about to head to the counters when I saw the product display. I grabbed it, asked a beauty rep about it and was mystified.
For one thing, this sunblock is made in Japan. If you are Asian, you know it’s all about the Japanese and the South Koreans when it comes to beauty products. Let’s be real ladies, Asian beauty products are the shit! I snatched the Sunkiller Perfect Water Essence because I was curious about it being an “essence.”
Living in the tropics, makeup melts fast! That’s why we can’t get away with just liquid foundie for a dewy look. We always have to top our foundation with powder unless we spend all day in an air-conditioned room. Otherwise, things will look gnarly by the four- hour mark. Did I mention summer just started in PH? Yeah, we’re fucked, hahaha!
I tried the Sunkiller sunblock on the back of my hand first and gurl, the texture is everything. It’s a gel and feels cool upon application. It’s not the usual emollient, typical sunblock texture at all! The liquid isn’t white. It has a slight mint-ish tone.
I don’t know what sorcery the Japanese pulled on this one, but lawrd, it smells citrusy. A citrusy sunblock. No chemical smell at all! Applied on the skin, it literally feels like nothing, and I mean nothing. So describing this as an essence is pretty accurate.
An essence is a watery lotion Koreans and Japanese use before moisturizing. It’s sort of a toner but a richer, more hydrating variety. The gel is absorbed very fast, I have extremely dry skin. No tacky after-feel. It doubles as a primer, it says on the label.
This would’ve been perfect if not for the queer finish. Once the product sinks in, my skin takes on a weird shine. And even if you layer it with BB cream or a light coverage foundation, the shine remains.
At first, I didn’t like the result. My skin wasn’t as smooth as I hoped. Partly because of bad lighting. Also, I’ve been using a peeling soap. When I saw myself in natural light, my skin looked better. My skin does look glowy because of the shine but to be honest, I can do without it.
Overall, I love this new sunblock. The texture is amazing, it’s priced just right (PhP445) and it’s SPF50. If you’re serious about sunblocks, this is a great product to try.
