UV Lip Colour Splash

Shiseido unveils its UV Lip Colour Splash SPF 30

For anyone who has searched for a really good lip balm with strong UV protection, you know that many of the formulas are heavy, thick and uncomfortable. I remember testing a couple on a Caribbean cruise a few years ago and one had a terrible chemical taste. It wasn’t easy to find a good UV lip balm that felt comfortable on my lips.

Shiseido surveyed a number of women in Japan about this very fact and they agreed that they wanted a product that protected against UV damage, kept their lips looking beautiful and gave them a hint of colour for warm summer days. The result is UV Lip Colour Splash SPF 30 and it is seriously good. It’s a moisturizing wash of fresh, transparent colour with generous UV protection. What makes this product special is Clear Defence Technology that holds the sunscreen agents in a clear, comfortable lip formula. You won’t find any chalky, ghostly white residue on your lips or skin.

The formula itself is a high SPF blend rich in safflower oil and other emollients to seal in moisture. It protects against chapped lips due to wind burn or bright sun. To make application quick and easy, the applicator is specially designed to be compatible with all lip shapes and sizes. It’s so cutting-edge, there are patents pending in the U.S., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Korea, China, Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan.

Clear Defence Technology is something you’ll see Shiseido incorporate into products in the coming months and years. After considering nearly 300 different raw materials, the brand’s scientists discovered a previously impossible combination. Clear oil and safflower oil is mixed with a Fit Powder and added to a UV protective ingredient + colour material. The result is a Clear Defence Gel Complex that protects against UVA and UVB rays. When the texture is too light and fresh, adhesion to the lips is weak. If the fit is stronger, the texture becomes too sticky. With this new product, Shiseido struck the ideal proportions. There is one added benefit to the product: it covers unevenness including vertical wrinkles and lip lines. You just see a wash of glossy colour.

Here are the four colour shades:

Miami Pink 

The hot, vibrant tone of a Miami Beach party.

Uluru Red

A fiery colour inspired by the light on the earth of Ayres Rock.

Tahiti Blue

Crystalline turquoise, like the clearest water on earth.

Nairobi Orange

Like a brilliant sunset over the Kenyan savannah.

To apply, touch the tube to your lips, and squeeze gently, applying from corner to corner. It can be worn on its own or under or over another lipstick.

Shiseido is available in Canada at Hudson’s Bay stores and thebay.com