You know that I am as guilty as the next beauty blogger of jumping on the latest Instagram hype and Ultra Violette was no exception. Except that sunscreen is not really a hype, more of a life and skin saving necessity that should be worn every day – no exceptions. If you’ve read my sunscreen related posts you will know that I’m passionate about the subject so I will spare you my monologue. Before I get into the review of their sunscreen serum and lip balm I want to talk about the brand itself.
Firstly, can we talk about the packaging? Holy moly, look at that branding. It’s eye catching and it has a bit of an 80s vibe to it which I love. The entire brand is definitely making SPF much more attractive which I know is all part of the marketing strategy, but if it gets people wearing sunscreen then I am going to support it no matter what. Ultra Violette was created by Ava Matthews and Bec Jefferd who met at Mecca Cosmetica and worked on developing sunscreens for Mecca’s private label. This gave them experience with all aspects of sunscreen development, from the health side to the legislative side and approvals with TGA (Therapeutic Goods Authority). Making a sunscreen in Australia and having it certified is no easy feat, but these women have done it, and done it well.
Let’s talk about their hero product, Queen Screen SPF 50+ Lightweight Sun Serum. Much like a serum it is housed in a glass dropper bottle and it offers broad spectrum protection in a chemical formula. It is, as the name suggests, a lightweight product that blends quickly and easily into the skin with minimal effort. Ita comes out of the bottle white but it doesn’t leave a white cast and layering foundation on top of it is a dream. It doesn’t ball up or pill and it has an iridescent glow which surprised me at first because it wasn’t communicated that clearly. After querying the ingredients list with the UV team they were so friendly and shared the full listing with me, which confirmed that mica was the ingredient that made it a bit glowy.
I take 2-3 full pipettes to cover my neck, face, ears and chest and apply it after my skincare routine and before my makeup. It leaves a lovely glowy finish but I want to be really honest with you in saying that it doesn’t feel like a true serum. To me it feels like a watery sunscreen that still has a bit of a greasy feel at first, but thankfully it absorbs and dries down fairly quickly. The downside to the lightweight “serum” formula is that it is housed in a dropper bottle which is a bit fiddly, but at the end of the day how else do you dispense such a watery formula? There has to be a trade off. Despite this, it is still a really unique product which I enjoy using. I appreciate that it is made to Australian standards and that it’s reef friendly. When I use it up I will try one of their other products, either the Clean Screen SPF 30 Mattifying Mineral Skin Screen pr Supreme Screen SPF 50+ Hydrating Facial Sunscreen.
Next up is the Sheen Screen Moisturising SPF 30 Lip Balm which comes in two shades, Nude (which I have) and Peach. I have been looking for a lip balm with sunscreen for so long, but one that doesn’t feel or look chalky. This lip balm feels is a really luxe product and it’s fantastic lip hydrator as it contains lanolin, cacao and shea butters as a base. Some of my favourite lip balms have lanolin and I’ve really found it to be the most effective ingredient for chapped lips. The Sheen Screen Lip Balm is a bit thicker than other balms and it leaves a shine on the lips which lasts for a decent amount of time. It isn’t sticky and it doesn’t have a particular smell although I can sometimes taste it which is not particularly pleasant. In fairness I am probably overloading it because I’m a “more is more” kind of gal when it comes to sun protection. Nude is a very subtle shade, barely there to be honest and I’m kicking myself I didn’t get Peach but at the rate I’m using this I’ll be ready for a new tube soon!
Overall I think Ultra Violette have really created some waves with this launch and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next. I’m hoping that they come out with a body sunscreen or a tinted facial sunscreen. I’m sure that anything they put their minds to will do really well. Two very experienced women making sunscreen sexy. Their products are available on their website.
Will you be trying Ultra Violette sunscreens? Let me know by leaving a comment below or email me and connect with me on Instagram. To listen to the latest Fluke podcast, please visit iTunes.
Next week: My travel skincare and makeup bag