Always read the label!

I recently spent what felt like an age picking out a new moisturiser with sunscreen. I'm currently using a serum that contains glycolic acid and it's important to combine this with good sun protection. I finished my Caudalie Vinoperfect moisturiser last week and I particularly wanted to find a replacement with an SPF of more than 15. I was also looking for something that didn't contain active ingredient and therefore potentially clash with the serum, this is actually harder than you might think!

London Makeup girl's post about sunscreens was very well timed and I spent a good deal of time absorbing all of the details about physical and chemical sunscreen ingredients. What I really wanted to do was blow caution to the wind and buy the Chantecaille but I decided to be sensible and try some of the cheaper options first. I dithered over the Trilogy as I'd found Daily Defense too heavy before and was pretty set on the Super Daylight Savings moisturiser. I also wondered about getting the Murad Oil-Free Sunblock that I tried a sample of last year and liked but discounted it on the basis that I wanted a moisturiser rather than a sunscreen and have to find a separate inert moisturiser. Oh how you will laugh!

At the very last moment I decided to buy This Works Perfect Skin Defense SPF 30. I ordered it yesterday from Zuneta and it arrived this morning. I opened it up, immediately pumped some out to apply and was met with this....

"Oh" I thought, "it's tinted, oh well". I proceeded to start rubbing it on my face and quickly met with resistance. It was at this point it started to dawn on me that this wasn't a moisturiser at all. I picked the bottle back up and actually read it properly. Then I spotted the word sunscreen and cursed myself!

So, after all that careful research, I'd picked up the wrong thing after all. Note to self: always, always read the description properly and never assume!

I will persist with using this in the interests of research. I will need to find another moisturiser though which is a nuisance (moisturiser + sunscreen = should have bought the Chantecaille anyway). My first impressions tell me that it won't be a rave. Forget cake batter, this is custard powder mixed with water to create a solid state. You don't get more than a couple of seconds to spread this across the skin and I had to use a few pumps to ensure that I had covered all of my face. It mattifies my skin which seems to accentuate my lines and it feels drying but claggy at the same time. I'm hoping the sensation will feel less odd with moisturiser underneath. The tint is one of the best aspects as it negates any white cast and the colour blends in well.

I will report back on how I get on. I can't help but think I would have been better off getting one of the first things I considered. Have you ever made a blooper with a purchase? I'd love to hear your stories so that I don't feel so bad!

UPDATE: I applied this over a moisturiser this morning and it feels a lot better. It still has that slightly tacky feel but it was much easier to smooth on. Phew!