I discovered Nature Republic around last year when I was acting like a lost child going up and down the escalators of 313 Mall before meeting up with my best friend. We were having coffee at the Coffee Bean when he suddenly noticed something.
M: “ Hey hey, Rain!”
Me: “ Its okay I got an umbrella.”
M: “ No. Look over there. Nature Republic, Rain’s the ambassador…”
Lame but being the closeted fanboy I am, I went into the little quaint shop and purchased Nature Republic Sun Balm. I couldn’t help it, the shiny compact with the magic words SPF 50, PA+++. The slick mirror compact balm comes in two shades green and violet (the salesgirl told me the green is for sensitive skin and the violet is normal. However, I discovered the true difference between the two balms. Read on folks) and it’s formulated with Nature Republic’s MD (medicinal) water.
The balm goes on quite thick but disappears upon contact with the skin. Hmm, something is definitely different with my skin tone (which has red undertones). I moved into the light and found that the green tone had some how functioned as a colour corrector, toning down the red undertones of my skin to give it a more normalized beige. Applying BB cream after this is like a breeze and considering I tend to be an oil slick by midday, the balm somehow stay dewy. Oh did I mention, I wore this during an outdoor event around 2 pm and I did not even turn red.
Pros: good makeup base/ colour corrector. If the green tones down red, I assume the violet could be for illuminating dull skin. Blocks the sun and minimizes the harm I suppose.
Cons: the balm tends to attract hairs and dust. Not that I’m hairy or anything but…(guilty conscience)
Verdict: Great for the bashful, the shy and the red faced. This balm does prevent one from turning into a leathery handbag under the sun’s loving caress.
Signing Off
The Grooming Editor
