Did *That* Sol de Janeiro Rio Radiance Spf Body Spray Live up to the Hype?
Having just returned from a family holiday to Spain, we’re feeling refreshed, rested and sun-kissed. But rest assured. No skin was harmed during the enjoyment of this holiday! My vigilance when it comes to wearing SPF has been hammered into me since becoming a beauty editor, particularly when it comes to my kids.
So how did Sol De Janeiro Rio Radiance SPF 50 Body Spray (£36 on the Boots UK website/$40 on the Cult Beauty US website) fare when it came to protecting mine and my family’s skin during 8 days of non-stop 35-degree heat?
Keep scrolling to find out.
The product details
Housed in a 200ml spray can (non-aerosol) with a twist-lock nozzle, this SPF 50 body spray has been given Sol De Janeiro’s iconic Cheirosa 87 scent – more on that later – and could be described as pretty much everything you can think of. Hydrating body spray, broad spectrum SPF, skin refresher, fragrance, and radiance giver.
You can buy it separately in the 200ml can or, in the US, there’s the Rio Radiance Trio which costs $104 and also includes the SPF 50 Body Oil and SPF 50 Body Lotion.
First impressions
Ok, so an SPF for the body is an SPF for the body, right? At least, that’s what I’ve always thought. I wasn’t exactly over-excited about testing this one out – most smell good, most hydrate the skin, and they all protect from the sun (or should do anyway). Bog standard review. Or so I thought.
On our first day of holiday, I twisted the nozzle to unlock it and misted the spray all down my legs. And wow, that smell! IMO, “It smells like holiday in a can” is a beauty editor’s most overused sentence. But guess what? It smells like holiday in a can. Sorry, not sorry.
It is so fresh and beautifully tropical. And so reminiscent of our holiday that I’ve even taken to spritzing my top-up bottle every so often since being home in England, just for the memories. Fragrance – check!
Also, did I mention how it made my skin look? Hello shiny, radiant pins. They looked *chef’s kiss*. Radiance giver – check!
The other thing I noticed straight away was that it sprayed really evenly. I could see every inch of where I had sprayed it was wet, so I was confident that I had even protection.
It feels like a cooling water on first contact with the skin (skin refresher – check!) but when you rub it in, it feels thicker than that – more like a hydrating lotion – and my skin felt really smooth and supple. Hydrating body spray – check!
It took five minutes to mist my whole body with it and I instantly felt confident from the feel and look of my skin that I would be fully protected in that heat. And, most importantly, this gave me the trust I needed to cover my kids in it too (just call me the family guinea pig).
Image – Courtesy of writer
Our impressive results
Eight days in Spain and not a single burn – thanks to Sol De Janeiro Broad spectrum SPF – check! The only thing I regretted was not packing two bottles as we did start to run out towards the end of our holiday but with four people to cover, and frequently too, this was no surprise.
We bought a Nivea SPF 30 for all the family while we were out there as I couldn’t find Sol De Janeiro in any of the Spanish supermarkets (but I quickly topped up on another bottle of it at the airport when we got home!)
My lasting impression of this SPF, apart from the lack of sunburn, is that it left all of our skin feeling so hydrated, smooth and smelling great, always. And its ease of use was top notch. My kids hate having cream being rubbed in as it takes ages, whereas this mist was the perfect solution (despite regular screams of “it’s cold!”).
My favourite part though is the skin radiance. The sun bounced off our skin whilst walking around – we couldn’t avoid it – but our skin had a gorgeous sheen, with a gradual, natural tan building and zero damage.
I know exactly what I will be packing for our holiday next year.
Image – Courtesy of writer
Overall value for money
For a family of four, this 200ml can lasted around five or six days so I’m pretty happy with its price tag, particularly considering sunscreen is quite expensive anyway. And you really can’t put a price on fully protected skin.
What other users are saying
Pretty much every review I’ve read compliments the fragrance. “Name something better than smelling like a Sol babe. I will wait :)” says Debrah B (soldejaneiro.com).
Adriann H says, “Works well! Didn’t burn once on a two-week beach vacation. Leaves the skin feeling moisturised and smells great.” Lindsay B says, “love this! So easy to use, spray on and go!” whilst Bridget S writes, “I love this body spray! Works great as a sunscreen and my skin is shimmery!”
Of course you can’t please everyone, but most negative reviews came with some positives. “The only thing is you do have to give it time to dry on the skin because the initial spray will leave you kinda sticky (temporarily) but it did leave a nice subtle glow. Other than that, I recommend it,” writes amber.njoh.
In my experience, it felt sticky for around 30 seconds – then you forget about it. My advice here would be to spray in spouts. So, spray quickly, rub it in, spray quickly, rub it in etc. That way you may not notice the temporary stickiness so much.
The takeaway
This is officially my new favourite SPF brand (and did you see my review on their Glow Oil? This, with the SPF worn over the top was the stuff of glowy skin dreams).
I urge you to take it with you on your next trip. And don’t bother packing a fragrance or body lotion either.
Get Glowing!
