‘This is my holy grail primer in the summer’
With the promise of a heatwave on the horizon, ahead of the summer, we need to be making sure our skin is well protected from harmful UV rays with a good quality, high SPF product. Especially when it comes to our faces, which are often more exposed to the sun year-round.
e.l.f. Cosmetics is a name synonymous with affordable makeup and skincare whose results rival more ‘premium’ brands, and its suncare is no different. Costing £15, the brand has a range of SPF products, with two new launches that not only protect our skin from the sun’s rays but also give it a moisture boost and act as a primer for makeup.
Although perhaps its most beloved sun product is the Suntouchable Whoa Glow SPF 30, also £15, which is a glowy facial sunscreen and makeup primer hybrid that comes slightly tinted for minimal coverage, making it perfect for those who want to go without foundation for their summer holiday.
Available in three shimmery, lightly tinted shades, sheer peach shimmer, a brand new sheer champagne shimmer, and new sheer bronze shimmer, the Suntouchable Whoa Glow SPF 30 offers, as its name suggests, broad-spectrum factor 30 protection.
Infused with aloe, hyaluronic acid, and squalane, it’s said to give the skin a glowy radiance that is ideal for wearing on its own or underneath your favourite foundation – especially as it’s said to boast a non-greasy formula.
The e.l.f. SKIN’s Suntouchable range
£15
e.l.f. Cosmetics
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The Suntouchable range from e.l.f. Cosmetics comprises an ‘invisible’ gel, a stick, a glowy lightly tinted SPF (pictured), setting spray and more.
The only downside to this product is that it only seems to come in SPF30, which may not suffice in more scorching temperatures. For this, a tinted moisturiser like the MERIT BEAUTY Uniform Tinted Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50, £34, or the La Roche-Posay Anthelios UVMune 400 Hydrating Suncream Tinted SPF50, now £18, may be better suited. Both come in a range of shades and offer broad-spectrum factor 50 protection against UVA, UVB and ultra-long UVA rays.
Although for those who prefer SPF30, the Suntouchable Whoa Glow SPF 30 has been a favourite amongst skincare buffs, with a 4.4 star rating from almost 200 reviews. One shopper was so impressed with the formula they dubbed the Whoa Glow as a ‘holy grail’ and said: “If you want the glowiest and dewiest skin, you should do your skin care and then apply this. This product is so underrated and it is my holy grail.”
Someone else remarked: “Love this SPF 30. Lightweight, no white cast, and gives my skin the most beautiful, healthy glow. Perfect under makeup or on its own – it’s become my everyday essential!”
One person shared how its sun protection really works, stating: “Amazing, this is my holy grail primer in the summer, or I mix it directly into my fuller coverage foundations to sheer them out and give them a beautiful glow and more of a skin tint blur effect! It also looks beautiful by itself, it makes skin look glowy, plump, and blurred.
“It’s not glittery or extremely metallic, it’s a beautiful soft radiance. I wore this at the beach on vacation in 102-degree (38 degrees C) direct sun weather, and I am as pale as it gets. Most companies don’t make foundation pale enough for me. I am a ghost! So I used this, and the elf sunblock setting spray and touched up throughout the day with my on-the-go Kopari sunblock stick. And zero sunburn or redness! Forever will purchase this for the summer time!”
Despite the love for the product and the luminosity it delivers, some people found they had a ‘glittery’ finish upon applying it, which wasn’t the desired effect. One three-star review read: “It’s really good and protects skin well; however, there is SO much glitter in it, and it’s very obvious when in the sun.”
That said, most people thought it gave a ‘gorgeous glow to skin’, with one beauty buff remarking: “I’m now addicted to this stuff (which is good because it protects my face from the UV nasties). I’ve never loved a facial SPF as much as I love this one. It adds such a beautiful glow and evens out my skin tone. It’s perfectly hydrating and definitely not greasy or oily (I have combination skin that reacts quickly with breakouts to anything over oily or greasy). My skin has had fewer breakouts since using this. And my makeup sits perfectly on top of this and gives a super boost to my made-up glow. If you haven’t tried it, then try it”
For those who aren’t too bothered by a skin tint – or who have experienced the glittery aftermath of the Whoa Glow – e.l.f. Cosmetics has launched two new ‘invisible’ sunscreen products that act as both a sun protection and make-up primer: its Suntouchable Invisible Sunscreen SPF 30 and the Suntouchable Invisi-Stick SPF 50, £15. Both are clear solutions with a similarly non-greasy feel.
While the former is more of a gel that is reportedly ‘velvet’ soft on skin and blurs skin that grips to makeup, the latter is an easy-to-apply sunscreen stick that has a high SPF rating – ideal for popping in a bag on the move.
Gliding onto the skin straight from the applicator, it offers sun protection without the dreaded white cast many suncreams leave after application. What’s more, both boast a non-comedogenic formula, which means they shouldn’t clog up the pores and can withstand up to 80 minutes in the water before needing reapplication. Perfect for summer holidays by the sea.
Similar to the Suntouchable Whoa Glow, the Suntouchable Invisi-Stick SPF 50 also has skincare properties and includes moisturising sunflower seed oil and soothing bisabolol in its formula. This stick isn’t just limited to the face either and can be used wherever there is a need for ample sun protection – such as the arms, neck and other sensitive spots.
View e.l.f. Cosmetics’ suncare here.
