fundamentals...moisturizers.

Let's visit another one of the fundamentals shall we? Moisturizers. A good moisturizer is going to set the stage for make-up magic. Your skin will be ready for whatever you want to slather on it, as long as it's healthy, after it has been properly fed. Remember, you want to look dead, not actually be dead. Moisturizers come in so many forms it can be absolutely daunting trying to find one that you like which works best with your skin type. I can't possibly speak on them all, so I'll just go through some of what I've tried for my specific needs as I test them.

I have oily to combination skin that can become sensitive if fooled with too much, especially around my nose, and unfortunate occasional blemishes. Pretty standard I suppose. I am fair with more neutral undertones. I abhor the sun. I realize this is a goth cliche, but if I could somehow develop albinism or vitiligo and live out the remainder of my life by moonlight, I would do so gladly. So you can expect that I value a day moisturizer which includes good sun protection! A good one helps you protect your pale without all the nasties like:

• 4-Methyl-Benzylidencamphor (4-MBC)
• Oxybenzone Benzophenone-3
• Octyl-methoyl-cinnamates (OMC)
• Octyl-Dimethyl-Para-Amino-Benzoic Acid (OD-PABA)
• Homosalate(HMS)

Josie Maran Protect Daily Sun Protection SPF 40+

• Price: $14 for .5 oz or $34 for 2oz
• Can be found at Sephora.com and JosieMarancosmetics.com
• First impressions: I love the glass bottle! 
• Cons: Is somewhat thick, you need to really rub this in to avoid a coated in zinc oxide look.
• Pros: High SPF. No discernible fragrance that I could detect.

Redundant name aside, I found this product to be fine. It was thick and took some work to get it all absorbed, but it helped my powder stick nicely. I would continue to use this in a pinch, as it has a high level of spf and is reasonably healthful when compared to other facial sunscreens. I am fairly light, so it's possible "chalkiness" doesn't bother me, in fact I find it to be a plus when making myself up to go out.

 Josie Maran Argan Sun Protection for Body Spf 30+

• Price: $24 for 4 oz.
• Can be found at Sephora.com and JosieMarancosmetics.com
• First impressions: Alright, it's for the body, but lets try it on my face.
• Cons: Only spf 30.
• Pros: More product for the $.

 On my continued quest for the perfect combination of high spf, non greasiness, and value I came across another Josie Maran product. The formulation is designed for the body, but I figured I would give it a try since it's a much better value than the other from her line. I found it to be slightly too greasy for my face and so back to the spf 40...


Super by Dr. Nicholas Perricone Daylight Savings Spf 25 Moisturizer

• Price: $38 for 1 oz.
• Found at Sephora.com
• First impressions: Smells like lemonade!!!
• Cons: Ingredients could be a little better.
• Pros: Very sheer texture. 

I wanted this one to work out so badly! I loved almost everything about it! It was perfectly light on the skin, no greasiness or chalkiness, and it smelled of lemonade. I could certainly deal with the slight lack of spf for all these other benefits...Then I did more research on cosmetic ingredients and the magic was ruined. Oh the curse of knowledge! I discovered new beasties like phenoxyethanol, ethoxylated compounds, and dimethyl MEA. All of which were in what I thought was the perfect daytime moisturizer.