Lakme Sun Expert Ultra Matte Compact Review

I was intrigued by the launch of this new Lakme Sun Expert Ultra Matte Compact. Sunscreen in a compact form. Why not! This isn’t a new concept. There are a few compacts in the market that come with minimum spf. But this one has a good SPF of 40 with PA+++. Launching it as an exclusive sunscreen compact kindled my attraction to this product more. Let’s see how this product fared for me.

Product Description:

Lakme Sun Expert Ultra Matte Compact brings to you the protection of a sunscreen now in a compact. The long wear SPF 40 matte powder evenly spreads on skin, forming a high coverage layer that blocks sun’s harmful rays.

• SPF 40 shields from UVB rays that causes sunburns.
• PA+++ shields from UVA rays that cause dark spots, premature ageing and skin darkening.
• Step out with matte & non sticky sun protection everyday.
• Available in universal shade designed for all skin tones.
• Dermatologically Tested.
• Suitable for all skin types.

Ingredients:

As common for a Lakme product, the ingredient list is not mentioned on the packaging or anywhere else.

Price: Rs.210 for 7g. Often available on discounts.

My take on Lakme Sun Expert Ultra Matte Compact:

Quickly onto the packaging of the Lakme Sun Expert Ultra Matte Compact. I am loving the quirky yellow colored packaging. It’s bright and makes me go grab this product among other products in my stash. Although it doesn’t feel super sturdy to hold, it does not feel cheap at all. The compact comes inside a similar color card box, both of which were wrapped in a thin plastic cover (which could have been skipped, why unnecessary plastic wrappers!). Except for the ingredient list, all other details including product claims, price and manufacturing & expiry dates are mentioned on it. The compact comes with an in built mirror and a sponge applicator. The presence of both makes makeup touch ups easy on the go.

Coming to the shade, the product is available in a single shade and claims to universally suit all skin types. The shade has enough yellow undertones and would make a great choice for most warm fair, medium and wheatish skin tones. Since the compact powder is not a coverage giving product, it could be used by deeper skin types with light application. Layering up can leave a white cast due to high SPF in it.

Moving onto the texture and finish. The compact powder is finely milled, extremely soft and powdery. It blends easily and gives a smooth finish. The powder is extremely lightweight on the skin. When used with a powder brush, it has a lots of fall-outs due to its soft texture. But works extremely well with the given applicator. The compact powder mattifies the skin. It has great oil absorbing abilities and keeps skin shine free oil free for 4 hours atleast. As it is known, compacts are not a dry skin thing, it will accentuate dry patches and feel drying on those skin types. I loved this product for my oily skin. This product does not cover blemishes or spots (it doesn’t claim to as well), rather gives a nice polished brightened skin. Added to that, it barely has a fragrance. It has a very faint floral fragrance when sniffed hardly from the compact tub.

Moving on. I’m not very much convinced that a compact powder can provide adequate sun protection (despite containing spf 40), because as a general rule, we need to apply ¼ teaspoon of sunscreen in lotion or cream form. This being powder, I’m sure we won’t be applying that much. But what I love most about this product? A majority of the sunscreens have a greasy feeling and this would add up as a great mattifying product while giving additional sun protection. Also while wearing makeup, we often tend to skip the sunscreen re-application part. In that case, applying this sunscreen compact on top of makeup will be such an ease.

The pricing is also great and wouldn’t make a hole in your pocket. I think this is a great product for all the oily skin ladies. This will be good for the upcoming summers too. This product surely didn’t let my expectations down. This is a great product, overall.

Pros:

• Attractive packaging.
• Good pricing.
• Comes with in-built mirror.
• Soft texture.
• Oil free, shine free matte finish.
• SPF 40 PA+++.
• Imparts a fresh bright look.
• Controls oil very well.
• Great for touch ups and over makeup.

Cons:

• No ingredient list.
• Single shade.
• This alone isn’t sufficient for sun protection.
• Not suitable for very dry skin.
• Can leave white cast if layered upon.

Rating: 4/5

Would I recommend? Yes. I love Lakme Sun Expert Ultra Matte Compact for mattifying my other gel cream moisturizing sunscreens. This one is reasonably priced and has yellow undertones to suit my skin tone. So yes I will recommend this to all yellow toned oily skin ladies, since it accounts to additional sun protection. Instead of getting a normal compact, I would very well get this again.

Safiya

Safiya is the editor and founder of TheBeautyInsideOut. With 7 years of experience in the beauty industry, she has been contributing content since its inception in 2016. She’s keen on trying out skincare from various verticals – be it Western skincare, Korean beauty, or Indian Ayurveda and sharing their unbiased opinions on them.