little white truths

You may remember that I was super excited about this release last year because I've been searching for a 'top up' sunscreen that I can mist over makeup throughout the day - without the risk of disturbing my makeup or leaving myself with a slick finish.

When I saw that such a product had been created by Mecca, I was thrilled because Mecca usually gets its products right - especially its facial sunscreens - and I thought this new spray would be the answer to my prayers. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought that, just as I'm sure I'm not the only one who's been disappointed by this product in practice. More on all that in a sec.

• Mist and go with this weightless, transparent sunscreen for face and body
• The perfect solution for fuss-free sun protection on-the-go!
• Our completely clear, fast-absorbing, sunscreen spray 
• Acting like an invisible umbrella, the mist is perfect for on-the-go protection or a day at the beach
• The weightless, 4 hour water-resistant formula is suitable for sensitive skin and offers maximum broad spectrum protection against age-accelerating UVA and UVB rays
• NB: the recommended amount to apply per limb is a minimum of a teaspoon (or 5ml) of sun cream; in liquid form, this equates to 31 sprays of Sunbrella; larger areas (back) would require more
• RRP $42 AUD for 150ml

Verdict

While Mecca hit it out of the park with its 'To Save Face' cream sunscreens (see my review here), this one's gone down like a lead balloon - at least where I'm concerned.

It's a clear spray that's indeed invisible in colour, although it's not in finish because it's greasy and makes me look slick. As a dry-skinned lass I'm always up for some extra dew, but this makes me look oily and I don't like it.

On top of that, it reeks of alcohol and the scent lingers after application, plus the formula is too much for the skin on my face because it stings if I have any dry patches or sensitivity, and I wouldn't recommend getting it anywhere near your eye area and lips because it may burn them - it certainly does burn mine.

On that, you're not to meant to spray this directly on your face. If you do this, like the 99% of the population (including myself) who didn't read the product instructions prior to use and assumed this is something you can spritz everywhere throughout the day, it's basically like spraying yourself with capsicum spray. My eyes stung (yes, I did close them ; )), my lips burned and my skin really hated it. With the face, you're meant to apply it with your hands.

For me, that's an epic fail. I mean, it's a spray. So you can spray it where you need it, yeah?! Not with this. The product definitely needs a big label on the box telling users not to spray it directly on the face, because that's what most people will naturally do since it's not the kind of product that calls for scrutinising instructions prior to use. As I said, it's a spray. You spray it.

Also, while I'm glad that Mecca has now put up on the website just how many sprays equate to the 5ml of sunscreen you're meant to apply per area (the quantity wasn't there last time I checked but now is), my eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw that I would need to spray this 31 times per arm. 

So that's 93 sprays if I'm doing my arms and face/neck area, and god knows how many if I'm at the beach and want to do my whole body. Ridiculous. Kind of takes away the 'ease of use/fuss-free' idea of using a spray, yes? I'd have a bloody sore trigger finger if I needed to spray this 350-odd times every couple of hours to ensure my whole body was protected. Argh.

On that, I just went to do the 31 sprays per arm and my skin hit 'saturation' point by about 20 sprays so I couldn't rub in any more than this (and I'm tall so I have long arms). I'm mentioning this because I'd recommend doing 15 sprays, rubbing that in, and then going in again once the first round absorbs.

Oh! The last thing to note is that it lifts/dissolves makeup, no matter how carefully you pat it on with your hands. Of course it does. It's oily. So it's definitely not the 'top up' sunscreen product I've been searching for all these years.

Suffice to say that I don't think Mecca nailed the formula and I've given this a 'disappointing products' tag. I won't be surprised if Mecca reformulates this in the near future because it hasn't had a great reception and, to me, it's just not a good product.

Blurgh.