Outfit Inspo: Bring On The Warmth

Bring On The Warmth by elbonner featuring beach wall art

Had a decently warm day today, though it felt like it was way too windy for my tastes. It seems as though the weather has turned the corner and is getting to where it should be instead of 34 and raining all the time. In celebration of breaking into the low 70's, I made a little outfit to celebrate. Really simple, with some fun embellishments that scream "simply summer". I'm just hoping it gets a lot warmer by my birthday! Have a good weekend, everyone!

T-Shirt: Rag & Bone
Shorts: One Teaspoon
Earrings: Free People
Necklace: Free People
Perfume: Saffron James
Nail Polish: Essie
Sunscreen: Shiseido
Lip Balm: Clinique
Clutch: Samudra
Shoes: Vans

Suncare Basics: Sunscreens Explained!

Suncare Basics by elbonner featuring l'oréal paris

The sun has finally made its entrance and it's hot as balls outside right now! It's reminding me how important it is to keep my face protected during the sunniest parts of the day when I can't escape to some shade. Now, there are different products for different times of the day, and I think a reason why people shy away from wearing a designated sunscreen during the day is because they're using the wrong kind. If you don't like wearing sunscreens during the day because of the texture or feel, this little post might help you out to see if maybe you're over doing it or if you just need to try something new!

Everyday Basics: what one would wear to work, to run errands, to sit outside and have lunch; anything that doesn't involve strenuous activity that could sweat off your sunscreen.

1: Milky& Light
 Skinceuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense Sunscreen SPF 50- This is what I use daily in the summer time on work days and days where I won't be sweating or swimming. This sunscreen is light, non-greasy, mattifying, and broad spectrum. It is not water resistant, so not something you bring to the pool, but great for every day use.

 La Roche Posay Anthelios 50 Mineral sunscreen- Very similar to the Skinceuticals, but a bit cheaper and available at CVS! This sunscreen says that it is water resistant, but I tend to not use super light formulas when swimming because I feel like it comes off easier and I have to reapply more often. On the other hand, it is perfect for everyday use where you're not getting gross and sweaty!

2: Protective Moisture 
Origins "A Perfect World" Spf 25- A light, but powerful moisturizer, full of antioxidants that help keep your skin looking young for many years to come! They new make this moisturizer with an spf, so an extra sunscreen is not needed for non-water related activities. Good for people with dry skin.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer spf 30- Like the moisturizer above, this one has no scent and is gentle for sensitive skin. Because it has no scent, it's great for men and women and doesn't have an overly girly bottle. $20 and a high spf, you can't go wrong! This moisturizer in not formulated for use in the water.

Active Days: For days at the beach, long-haul outdoor runs, canoe trips, backpacking, hot beach volleyball matches, swimming, and all those fun activities you do during your time off that help you get your sweat on.

3: Moisturizing Outdoor
Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream spf 50- This is what I wear to the beach when my face is being especially dry, so it's good for mature and dry skin, but not so much oily or acne prone. It's mineral based so it doesn't irritate your face and stays on without running into eyes after water activities or sweating.

Sun Bum Pro Spf 50- My all-time favorite active, facial sunscreen. This is a little less moisturizing than the Shiseido (and cheaper) , but not totally drying. Also mineral-based, so it doesn't irritate your skin. Made for people who work and play outside, so great for the beach or cutting the grass on a hot day!

4: Mattifying Outdoor

Coola Face Matte Organic Cucumber Spf 30- Smells like juicy cucumbers and keeps the shine away so you're not blinding fellow beach-goers with your shiny-ass forehead! This formula was made especially for oily skinned people who want the protection of a rich sunscreen without the glare. A lot of mineral sunscreens are oily and this was one of the first to develop an effective matte formula. Plus the tube is super cute!

L'Oreal Sublime Sun Sunscreen for Face spf 50- A great drugstore buy that is similar to La Roche Posay in formula, but better at staying on during water activities. This stuff is like nine bucks and is great for oily or acne prone faces.


I hope this post helped to clear up any confusion about what to wear and when. There are so many different formulas out now and not all sunscreens are made to be water resistant, so be vigilant in your label-reading! If you have any questions, feel free to comment and I'll do my best to answer them!

Instagram @e_bythesea

Check It Out!

If I'm preachy about one thing, it's taking care of your skin in the sun. May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month and it's a good time to just get all this information out there. Now, there has been a lot of back and forth about sunscreen, vitamin D, and general hubbub about the suns effects on your skin. The fact of the matter is, excessive and repeated exposure to UVA/UVB radiation mutates your genes resulting in skin cancer. It's NO JOKE. Cancers like melanoma don't even have to manifest itself in place that regularly see the sun (bottoms of feet, scalp, nether regions). Your dermatologist doesn't just exist to give you Botox or give you Accutane; you need to see them yearly to check everything (I mean everything) for signs of skin cancer. I know my generation was and still is obsessed with being tan and I remember going with my mom to the local tanning salon to get brown for prom and going to the beach four days a week all summer without a lick of sunscreen. I WAS STUPID, but that doesn't mean that I can't do something about it now. I am now an avid fake-tanner, sunscreen slatherer, hat wearer, umbrella toting good-girl when in the sun. There are so many ways to protect yourself from the sun; it never hurts to ask your dermatologist what are the best ways to protect yourself. My sun care routine involves the following:

What's Normal and What Isn't

The ABCD's of detection: 

Asymmetry: does it look like a circle, or is it wonky?

Border: like asymmetry, is the border even or varied?

Color: one shade, OK. Two shades, get it looked at.

Diameter: Bigger than a pencil eraser= get it looked at

Sorry for the gross picture, but a visual guide is always a good thing to have. Again, self-diagnosis won't do anything but make you crazy. Go to your dermatologist if you have ANY concerns!

What can you do to keep the sun off

1. Sunscreen! Mineral, chemincal, I figure as long as you wear it you're better off. The difference between the two is a mineral or physical sunblock immediately blocks you from the sun because the sun protection comes form micro milled minerals covering your skin like a barrier. That's why they tend to look really white when you put them on. I always use a mineral sunscreen on my face because it's non-irritating. Here are some of my favorites:

Skinceuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense (for face)

Coola Mineral Sport SPF 35 (body)

Shiseido Extra Smooth Sun Protection Lotion (for face and body)

Chemical sunscreens contain ingredients that have a chemical reaction with your skin (takes 15 minutes), that scatters UVA/UVB radiation instead of reflecting it like the mineral ones. This is the most widely available kind because the synthetic chemicals are cheaper to make than mining for minerals (not a Starcraft reference). I like to use mineral sunscreens, but chemical ones are easier for me to find and not so hard on my debit card. Here are some of my favorites:

Sun Bum SPF50 Moisturizing Sunscreen

 

 

Australian Gold SPF 30 Spray Gel with Bronzer

There are sooo many ways to keep yourself safe in the sun. This will be a sort of ongoing series for the month since I've already created what might be my longest post. The important thing is that you can still have fun outside, you just need to be safe about it!I spend as much time as I can at the beach, but I suncreen up before I go and use other measures to make sure I don't end up a wrinkly old hag in 10 years. I've seen some of the girls I went to high school with who tanned religiously and they look so old! I want to be forever young!

Saving Face: Favorite Facial Sunscreens

It was a beautiful weekend weather-wise and guess whose ass got sunburned? ME! I was out of town and forgot my usual facial sunscreen and was quickly reminded how important it is to protect your face! I'm "blessed" with the thinnest and most easily burnt facial skin on the planet. It gets dry and itchy if I get too much sun so sunscreen is my saving face (huh huh!) in the spring, summer and early fall. Here are a few of my favorites that I use interchangeably depending on the day and activity:

(photo: skinceuticals.com)

1. Skinceuticals Sheer Physical UV Defense SPF 50: This stuff is the BUSINESS. I love it; I've bought it a million times and I've never been burned when I've used it. It's great for normal-to-oily skin and has never made me break out. I use this sunscreen in conjunction with a vitamin CE Ferulic acid serum (super antioxidant!) to give my skin some serious protection while also reversing my past sun damage. This stuff is recommended by lots of dermatologists because it is gentle and gross-chemical free which makes this a good bet for everyone.

(photo: Coola.com)

2. Coola face SPF 30 Cucumber Matte Finish Sunscreen: If you tend to get shiny and greasy from other mineral sunscreens, this stuff will make your life a whole lot easier. Coola is a great company that focuses on keeping your skin protected naturally with mineral sunscreens and it's fancy "Plant UV" technology. They come in scented, tinted, and unscented varieties, but I like this cucumber one because it's very refreshing in hot weather! Great for sensitive and oily skin; it won't run in your eyes and stays put!

(photo: SunBum)

3. Sun Bum PRO spf 50 Premium Endurance Sunscreen: This stuff is what I use for strenuous outdoor activities that require the sun to be on my face for a long-ass time. I use this when I go backpacking, surfing, boat trips, long runs; anything where I'm going to be out and doing something sweaty. This won't get into your eyes which is a HUGE source of uncontrollable anger for me. Nothing makes me want to punch a stranger more than having my sunscreen burn my eyes like a thousand fiery volcanoes. It's a mineral and chemical sunscreen, but oxybenzone free, which is something I like to keep off of myself since it can irritate my face.

(photo: Sephora)

4. Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream SPF 50+: If my skin is being dry and finnicky, this is the stuff I go for. Asia is in love with sunscreen and, in my humble opinion, Shiseido has the best of the bunch. They come in very high spf's, they have stick sunscreen, high spf foundations, and even high spf eye creams; these people love their friggin' sunscreen. This stuff stays on really well and doesn't leave me with any post-sun exposure dryness that some mattifying mineral sunscreens can. 

Just For Fun

(photo: Zinka)

*Zinka Colored Nosecoat: Now, I use this stuff in the flesh/tan color to cover up my tattoos to keep them from fading in the sun, but if I wasn't constantly aware of people's judgmental stares,I would wear this in a fun color like hot pink or neon green. If you have giant, inconcealable balls and want to protect your skin beneath layers of neon sunscreen then go for it! I promise I won't make fun of you!

I hope this helps keep your face protected and fresh as a baby's. With the proliferation of bronzers and awesome facial sunless tanners, loading up on the sunscreen is inexcusable. You can make a lighter face match a bit of a darker body (that's usually my case). Try out some of these sunscreens and be forever young!

The Best Under The Sun (According To Me)

Sun Safe Sun care products by elbonner featuring philosophy skincare

As nice as it is to be outside being tickled by warm sunshine,the sun can seriously mess you up. There is a lot of give and take when talking about the sun: it gives us warmth, happiness, an overall sense of "it's so nice out, maybe I won't drive off the bridge on the way to work". The sun can also increase signs of aging, dry out your skin, cause hyper pigmentation, burns and worst of all: the cancer. Being the paleface that I am, I have made it my mission to find the best ways to save my skin from looking like a cheap leather bag. 

I protect my face with Shieseido's Ultimate Sun Protection Cream spf55. It's a mineral sunblock which is good for sensitive skin that is not happy with chemical sunscreens. The Japanese are masters at keeping themselves out of the sun and protecting their skin, so my first choice for outdoor sun protection was a Japanese product. On days where I'm not going to be sweating as much or I'm going to be at work all day I'll use a product like Skinceuticals Sheer Physical UV Defense spf50. It's not waterproof, but it's completely non-greasy and doesn't make you look like corpse. 

For my body I like to use a variety of things, but I have narrowed it down to my two favorites. Sun Bum is a great sun care line, especially their slogan "protect your lazy ass". Their products range from spf 15 to 70 and come in sticks, lotions and sprays. They smell like bananas and coconut, they moisturize, aren't greasy and have the best packaging. I personally love their spf 50 lotion: I can use it at the beach on a 95 degree day and not come home looking like I feel into a vat of ketchup.

Hei Poa is another great body spf brand from France. It's difficult to find in stores in the US, but it's readily available online. I like that a lot of their sunscreens are sprays as I find them much easier to apply and less greasy and they also have spf oils which make you look "eff off Gisele I'm fabulous". They're a Tahitian flavored brand that uses monoi oil (a blend of Tahitian tiare flowers and coconut oil to keep skin moisturized and shriveled like a snake skin). They also smell friggin' amazing.

For lips I like to use a balm, as lip glosses or shiny things can actually reflect the sun and give you a not-so-nice carcinogenic surprise on your mouth (ew!). I love Fresh's Sugar lip treatments, their rose tint and coral are great for the beach since they give you a bit of color and are also spf 15. Sun Bum also makes a great lip balm with an spf of30. Protect your lips because ain't nobody wanna kiss your ashy-ass lips!

I am the queen of sunless tanners. I think they are wonderful and allow me to look just as tan as my friends who lay out for days, but significantly increase my chances of getting carded forever (no lines here bitch). One of my favorites is St. Tropez's sunless tanning mousse. This starts off as a brown/olive color foam and turns your skin about 2-3 shades darker than itis originally so you don't look like a freak. It'snot orange, the smell isn't overpowering and the color guide helps you see what you may have missed. Caution: always used gloves ora tanning mitt when using this or you could end up with beautiful chocolate brown palms that make you look as though you've strangled a Hershey bar. I use this after a deep exfoliation before I go to bed and I wake up with color that would take me weeks to get. 

Your hair can also get ravaged by the sun like a romance novel character so using an after-sun mask isn't a bad idea. This one by Fekkai soothes your hair an scalp and keeps you from getting the vapors (it probably doesn't :( ).

Sun protection doesn't have to end with sunscreens. Topical use of vitamin C has been proven to help reduce sun damage in the form of L-Ascorbic Acid. The problem is, vitamin C in liquid form is very unstable and doesn't last very long, so having a powdered form of vitamin C gives you a better effect. Philosophy has made a powdered version of L-Ascorbic Acid called Turbo Power C-Booster Powder that can be mixed with you daily serum or moisturizer to give you maximum benefits. Vitamin C has been shown to reduce wrinkles, keep skin even , and help prevent dark spot from showing up. Using an antioxidant enriched serum also helps your spf out a little by reducing inflammation caused by sun exposure. 

If you absolutely hate sunscreens over your moisturizer or have really oily skin, there is still hope for you. Peter Thomas Roth makes a powdered mineral sunscreen that can go over your moisturizer/foundation/clown paint or whatever you already have on your face. I don't know if this would be great for dry skin since powders tend to suck up any excess moisture on your face, but oily/sweaty/combination faces could all benefit from an spf powder. Just be aware that this type of spf is for light day wear. If you're going to the beach, find something that is going to stay on like the Shiseido lotion. La Roche Posay makes a line of sun milks, and though I have not had the chance to try them, the amount of rave reviews I've seen speak for themselves.

Sorry for such a long post, but I'm passionate about sunscreen! Nobody wants to look haggard at thirty and everyone I went to high school with who lived in tanning beds at 17 now look closer to 36 than 26. With all the sunless tanning options available today, there's no reason to fry yourself to look like the color of your iced coffee. Protect what you have or have it biopsied off in the future and in the words of Captain Planet "The Power Is Yours!".