Review: V&M Naturals Keep Safe Tinted Sunblock

TL;DR
+++ multiple +’s because the color blends well with many skin tones
+ very natural looking finish
+ good oil control
+ buildable coverage
+ long lasting
+ cheaper yet performs better than its foreign counterparts

You can check out the V&M website and BeautyMNL for more reviews.

Ingredients: aqua, C12-C15 alkyl benzoate, zinc oxide, triethoxycaprylylsilane, polyhydroxystearic acid, titanium dioxide (and) aluminum hydroxide (and) stearic acid (and) iron oxides, polyglyceryl-4-isostearate & cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 dimethicone & hexyl laurate, isononyl isononoate, cyclomethicone, cyclopentasiloxane, cetyl alcohol, sodium acrylate/sodium acryloyl dimethyl taurate copolymer, glyceryl stearate, caprilic/capric triglyceride, triacontanyl PVP, nylon 6/12. disteardimonium hectorite, propylene carbonate, peg-10 dimethicone, sodium lactate, sodium gluconate, isodecyl neopentanoate (and) diisopropyl sebacate (and) lauryl lactate, octyldodecyl oleate, emu oil, glycerin, lecithin, citrus paradisl (grapefruit) fruit extract, sodium ascorbate, tocopherol, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, ethylhexylglycerin, phenoxyethanol, argania spinosa (argan) kernel oil, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, lactic acid, fragrance, tetrasodium EDTA, xanthan gum, melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) leaf oil

(I love y’all so much I typed this down one by one)

Full Review

This sunscreen’s easily one of V&M’s top sellers and highest rated products. It’s so versatile and practically tailor made for Filipinos.

It’s got a great natural finish. It’s semi-matte and ever-so-slightly powdery – very close how skin normally looks, especially if you only put on a light layer. It blends into skin so well I sometimes can’t even see it. You might if you look very closely or opt for more coverage, but otherwise, this tinted sunblock really epitomizes the “my skin but better” look. My large pores and blackheads are genetic so it doesn’t completely cover those up, but it does make it look significantly less noticeable. It evens skin tone very well but it was never meant to be full coverage so serious redness and visible blemishes will still require a proper concealer.

It’s got surprisingly good oil control. It’s not advertised as such but it controls oil very well for my combination skin. It’s not foolproof, of course. It does fade over time though it usually fades very nicely. It honestly only looks really worn when I wear it with my shitty concealer (K-Palette in #3) or put on too thick a layer, but on its own I find that it keeps me looking fresh all day. The reviews on BeautyMNL differ, but in my case it lasts a good 8 hours (with fading) with a moderately tiring routine.

In terms of color, it blends very well with many different skin tones. It’s able to adapt to the user’s shade rather than altering it, which I’ve yet to find with any other BB cream or cushion. My skin has gotten around 4 to 5 shades darker and it has consistently been able to blend with my skin tone as I’ve gotten more and more tan this summer. I don’t know how it would fare on African American skin, but for East Asian skin, I’ve no doubt it will perform very well. If you notice from the photo above, the color is darker than most K-beauty shades, so for skin tones lighter than the shade V&M’s sunblock comes in, it can make you look a little more tan. Not noticeably so unless you really layer it on, but I also can’t speak for very, very light skin tones. In my experience, it’s not an unnatural or noticeable change unless you build the coverage. It enhances like it would on darker skin tone but won’t disappear into your natural shade the same way.

Comparison

I did a comparison on IG to Banila Co’s CC cream to give a good feel of it, but Dear Klairs’ Illuminating Blemish Cream is a much more suitable comparison.

Does V&M’s tinted sunblock still kick ass when compared to a well-loved and very similarly marketed BB cream?

Hell. Freaking. Yes.

It was actually very unexpected, because if you’ve used Klairs’, it a seriously great BB cream. It does blend into your natural skin tone better than BB creams and cushions usually do. Despite having tanner skin, it still worked surprisingly well. That is, until I compared the two side by side.

V&M slays where Klairs’ falls short. V&M still looks significantly more natural. The color blends better with a wider variety of skin tones, whereas Klairs’ only really looks natural with lighter skin. It has a bit of a grayish color that looks very flat and powdery in comparison. It’s lasting power is okay, though it doesn’t leave you with that fresh look at the end of the day.

A little does go a longer way with Klairs’, but it sticks to dry patches and accentuates the little hairs and whiteheads. V&M has much better oil control and is more moisturizing, plus, the look and feel of it simply can’t be beat.

If you have Klairs’, it’s a great BB cream but you’re limited to the skin tone it comes in. They’re both marketed as suitable for all skin tones and enhancing your “natural” skin, but V&M is honestly undefeated in that category. I didn’t notice it until I applied Klairs’ on one half of my face and V&M on the other, but once you do, the difference is clear on darker skin.

I mentioned that if your skin tone is lighter than the shade V&M comes in, it might alter your natural shade a little. In my experience, I’ve never found it to be that different from your neck and arms to look unnatural. It still blends quite well but if you have really white skin, it’s an important consideration that I can’t speak for.

Overall, this tinted sunblock performs better than even Pixi’s skintint (too powdery). It’s an unassuming gem that does so much more than it claims to do, which is what makes it such a pleasant surprise. I really like both Banila Co’s, Klairs’, and Pixi’s – don’t get me wrong. But V&M’s is overall just more inclusive and blends into skin more naturally. It’s a well-loved product for good reason, yet comes at pricetag much cheaper than its counterparts.

 

*The darker side of my tan line is actually much lighter than my overall tan. My skin has gotten noticeably darker since then and I tested this out on the tanner parts of my skin as well and ended up with the same result. So rest assured, it does still blend great with darker skin.

 

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Where to buy:
Philippine residents – V&M website, BeautyMNL
Non-Philippine residents – international shipping unavailable as of May 2017