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Sol de Janeiro SPFs have become staples in my holiday bag – here’s why
The scent alone is enough to make you reach for these skincare saviours
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Sol de Janeiro is the brand behind the tongue-in-cheek Brazilian bum bum cream (£21, Lookfantastic.com) and a scent range that’s a more up-market answer to the 2000s obsession with Revlon’s Charlie. Even if you’re unfamiliar with the brand name, chances are you’re familiar with the signature ochre-yellow packaging or the salted caramel scent (£24, Lookfantastic.com), especially given that the latter is worn by a hefty proportion of 11 to 16-year-olds at the time of writing (just take a browse on TikTok).
Now, nine years since the brand’s launch, Sol de Janeiro has dropped a trio of SPF heroes, for which anticipation was so high that the products’ April release prompted customers to be waitlisted. To add fuel to the fire, Sol presented woman-of-the-moment Sofia Richie as the face of the collection, thus nudging young adults and 20-somethings alike (including us) to try the new SPFs for themselves.
With three months having passed since the SPF 50 trio went to market, I’ve been getting to know the Rio radiance body spray, lotion and oil (£28.80, £32 and £30.40, respectively, Lookfantastic.com). Although the current UK climate doesn’t lend itself to the ultimate sun test, as every skincare fanatic knows, sunscreen isn’t just for blazing hot days. Indeed, even the cloudiest of beach days can prompt a nasty skin peel, so, keep reading to find out how I got on with Sol’s SPFs.
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How I tested Sol de Janeiro Rio radiance SPF
Applying the products at home before heading out to work, I paid attention to the consistency of the SPFs, applying the lotion to my right thigh, the spray to my left and the oil across my arms. I wanted to establish whether any of the formulas felt sticky under clothing and noted how easy the products were to apply and distribute. I clocked how long the scents lasted on my skin and, with regard to packaging, how the three different applicators – a precise and tapered squeeze tube, a pump spray and a mist spray – assisted the products’ ease of use.
Sol de Janeiro Rio radiance SPF 50 body spray
- Best: SPF body spray
- Size: 200ml
- Key ingredients: Niacinamide, antioxidant pongamia seed, inflammatory pitanga extract and coconut water
- Type: Chemical sunscreen
- Why we love it
- Distributes beautifully
- Leaves a satin-like glow on the skin
- Doesn’t mist into the air like a traditional aerosol
With unique ‘non-aerosol technology’ Sol’s body spray SPF distributes more like a mist than a vapour, with the product more concentrated towards the area of skin you’re targeting. In terms of applying in public while at the beach or park, this means you’re less likely to accidentally inundate bypassers with your excess SPF, while also helping to minimise waste.
The scent across all three Rio radiance SPFs is the brand’s cheirosa 87 (£24, Lookfantastic.com), which boasts notes of coconut milk, florals, vanilla and amber. For me, the coconut is the leading scent but isn’t overpowering.
With regards to the finish of the product on the skin, it was light yet moisturising and left a flattering sheen. I’d recommend it for reapplication during sweaty days, as, being a chemical sunscreen, it’s less likely to cause problems with trapped body moisture – heaven knows we’ve all been victim to the dreaded holiday heat rash.
Sol de Janeiro Rio radiance SPF 50 body oil
- Best: SPF oil
- Size: 90ml
- Key ingredients: Pongamia seed, nourishing pataua oil and maleated soybean oil glyceryl
- Type: Chemical sunscreen
- Why we love it
- It actually rubs into the skin, rather than leaving you feeling like the inside of a deep-fat fryer
- Leaves skin looking velvety smooth
- Take note
- It doesn’t smell as nice as the other two in the trio and has a subtle chemical-y smell
A perfect balance between a dry oil and thicker baby-oil-type products, Sol de Janeiro’s body oil SPF is weightless, silky smooth and doesn’t leave you looking slick with product.
The bottle is slightly smaller than its spray and lotion counterparts, which was ever so slightly disappointing, given the similar price point. Then again, I can understand that this is a more luxury product for your arms and décolletage. Again, the cheirosa 87 scent is underlying but this formula does have a detectable chemical overlay – it’s neither pleasant nor putrid but worth noting nonetheless.
Sol de Janeiro Rio radiance SPF 50 body lotion
- Best: SPF lotion
- Size: 200ml
- Key ingredients: Niacinamide, pongamia seed extract and hydrating cupuaçu butter
- Type: Mineral sunscreen
- Why we love it
- Has the most potent smell of the trio
- Provides a thick, physical barrier between you and the sun
- Take note
- Feels quite heavy on the skin
The thickest of the three SPFs, this sun lotion requires a great quantity of product to effectively protect your full expanse of skin. It is also a bit more of a slog to apply, with a less slippy/stretchy formula. However, from a practicality point of view, as you can’t stretch a small amount across a large area of skin, you’re more likely to apply it properly, for maximum shielding.
I found the scent to be the strongest of the trio and, though I wouldn’t want to be reapplying this every hour, I did enjoy the smell after use. Plus, the packaging is very aesthetic for all your sunbed #hotdogsorlegs moments.
The verdict: Sol de Janeiro Rio radiance SPF body spray, oil and lotion
The scent? Impeccable. The packaging? Practical and aesthetic. The formulas? Varied. Overall, this trio will most certainly become a mainstay in my toiletry bag. However, I’d be most likely to apply lotion in the morning and take my body spray out and about with me for reapplication. The latter is definitely my favourite.
As for the body oil, I think this is best suited to sunset drinks or more occasion-worthy use. That said, it is sub-100ml, making it ideal for travel or even just a fragrance-cum-skin-shine top-up. No wonder Sofia Richie’s a fan.
Want more inspiration? Sol de Janeiro’s latest perfume is set to be the scent of the summer