NAKED SUNDAYS LANDS IN THE UK

 

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It's no secret that I'm very partial to an Aussie sunscreen. With some of the strictest regulations and most rigorous testing in the world, you can really trust their formulas to hold up against SPF and water-resistance claims. With that has come a lot of innovation in making high-protection sunscreens very cosmetically-elegant. I'd seen Naked Sundays on Instagram so much thanks to the Australian beauty creators I follow, so did a little dance when I saw they now ship to the UK and are available at Beauty Bay. So, how did I get on with the products...?

Check out my demo Reel of all 4 sunscreens here.

Let's start with the super-popular Collagen Glow 100% Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+* | £34. Mineral sunscreen formulas can be a little gentler for sensitive skin and around the eyes, but they can feel thick, heavy and cause a white cast on the skin. This is formulated to have a lotion texture and contains hyaluronic acid to draw water into the skin and hydrating vegan collagen and watermelon extract. It's fragrance-free and alongside your broad spectrum zinc oxide, you have iron oxides which give you that visible light protection. At SPF 50+ (meaning it's been tested at a minimum of SPF 60) you're getting the maximum level of protection and this has 80 minutes water resistance, meaning you can rely on it not to run off your face if you're out in the heat or exercising. In terms of how this feels on my skin and applies; mineral sunscreens are tricky to formulate, but I find this spreads really nicely across my skin without clumping up or feeling dry. I can apply my makeup over the top of this sunscreen without it pilling and I actually feel as though the cast isn't really noticeable on me. In all of my demos, I wait 10-15 minutes to let a mineral sunscreen settle before showing the final result and this one blends in nicely. I think it could leave a cast if you have a deeper skin tone than me, but if you're lighter: definitely check this out. It's one of the easiest mineral sunscreens I've tried to apply, totally avoiding that thick, heavy, difficult-to-work-with quality I associate with them. However, no mineral sunscreen (unless it comes in a wide range of tints that give minimal coverage) is going to be suitable for every skin tone, and that's my only caveat.

I also have the Clear Glow Radiant Sun Serum SPF 50* | £36 | which is a chemical formula, though it contains more of the traditional sorts of filters than the next-generation ingredients often seen in Australian formulas. That being said, I haven't noticed that this irritates my eyes, which is my main issue with something like a US-formulated chemical sunscreen. This is a clear gel so obviously, you don't have to worry about white cast at all with this. It's a dimethicone-based formula so has a non-shiny, smooth, primer-like finish. Think Supergoop's Unseen Sunscreen with a much higher SPF rating or that Smashbox primer everyone has an opinion on. Some people don't like that kind of texture, I personally think it works really well as a base for makeup, but it's a preference thing. In terms of added ingredients, we have squalane to moisturise the skin and support its barrier function and kakadu plum, which is rich in antioxidants to help protect your skin against free radical damage. There's also some visible light protection in here to go alongside the broad spectrum UVA / UVB protection for added well-ageing benefits. I really like this product, I really like how my makeup goes over the top of it, but if I had one negative it would be that although 50ml is fine for a sunscreen, even just using this under makeup on days I'm wearing it: I'm getting through the bottle really quickly! It's not strictly necessary but as a product I primarily use under makeup, this works nicely when applied with the Naked Sunday SPF BFF Brush* | £8 | to really buff it in.

I love an SPF mist to re-apply over makeup and so I was really looking forward to giving the Naked Sundays Hydrating Glow Mist SPF 50+* | £34 | a go. This is definitely more of a pump-action spray than a light mist but it is totally transparent. Obviously you're getting a high level of broad spectrum protection but the nature of a mist means you'll struggle to get the coverage you need evenly across the skin, which is why I use them to top up, rather than for initial application and I like that the brand market it in this way too. We have antioxidant extracts like kakadu plum and watermelon in here as well as hyaluronic acid to draw water into the skin. This is a little heavier than I was expecting and it definitely brings the glow but doesn't disturb my makeup. My one gripe is that I feel that even on my dry skin, within two top-ups it looks like a lot, it's a bit shiny! I personally prefer the products from Ultrasun and Kate Somerville that I spoke about in this post as they're lighter and less traceable on the skin.

Lastly we have the Naked Sundays Glow Body Mist SPF 50+* | £36. This is formulated with your kakadu plum again but also watermelon oil for that extra nourishment for your body skin. This is again totally transparent and it's actually a decent handbag size; whilst you're getting 150ml of product, the packaging is really compact, making it perfect to throw in your beach bag for those quick top-ups. Obviously, if you're dipping in and out of the sea, you should do a full reapplication but if you're wandering through the streets of a Mediterranean country or hiking up an exposed hill, I find mists to be the perfect quick-and-easy way of topping up the protection on any exposed body parts. This formula is the perfect balance of being moisturising and giving your skin that luminosity when it catches the light but not being super oily and greasy on the skin. 

My top recommendation from the brand is probably their mineral formula because it does have that SPF 50+ whilst leaving less of a cast than supposedly-'invisible' SPF 30 formulas I've tried, and I did really enjoy the serum too, I just feel like I'm going to get through it really quickly given the price, and if you're applying enough: you probably will too! The body mist is lovely too and will get a lot of use from me this summer and the only product I wouldn't recommend is the mist, just because it's a bit too noticeable on my skin, and if I feel like something feels a bit heavy and greasy, I'm not going to top up as much as I should do.

Have you tried Naked Sundays?

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