ByKat Hours Updated
Comments 116 Comments

Coffee Break: Sunscreen Kit

This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Dermstore's sunscreen kit, a $208 value for $75

Alas, Sephora's sunscreen kit is sold out — but I actually think this one from Dermstore is better.

First, this one has almost every reader favorite sunscreen that you can legally buy in America — Elta MD, Supergoop, and Roche Posay — as well as a sunscreen spray, mineral sunscreen, and while I don't know much about the Paula's Choice one, I trust the brand and like that they describe it as “brightens, moisturizes, and leaves a radiant, soft glow.”

I also like that there are a variety of sizes here — some super mini “deluxe samples” to throw into your bag, as well as some bigger sizes, and many TSA-approved sizes.

The kit is a $208 value for $75 (at least for now, full price is $100).

(Oops – link added.)

Psst: have you heard that some Korean and Japanese brands are reformulating their sunscreens to be sold in the US? Here's a link to Fifty Shades of Snail discussing it on her FB page.

Sales of note for 6/26:

116 Comments

  1. Any under-the-radar continental US cities that would be good for a long weekend for a 40-something couple who loves to eat? I remember a thread here once where someone recommended Knoxville, TN and that’s the sort of level of touristy I’m looking for – not the famous places like Charleston, Asheville, NOLA, etc. This is a first world problem, but Dh and I feel like we’ve been to all the major touristy cities in the lower 48, many of them more than once, and we don’t really feel a pull to go back to any of the big names right now. We probably only have 3 nights so ideally it would be close to an airport we can reach with a direct flight from Chicago.

    1. I will say this with a major caveat that I am not a foodie, but I keep hearing from friends in Birmingham, Alabama that the restaurant scene is great. Apparently a lot of chefs came to Birmingham after Hurricane Katrina and stayed. The downtown is walkable and there are some nice coffee shops but there are hardly any stores and several empty buildings. It’s not really a cute walk around and look a shops vibe. There is a civil rights museum, a free (somewhat small) art museum, and some civil rights history locations.

      1. +1. My best friend lives there and I visit often. There’s a cute downtown for walking around and shopping in nearby Mountain Brook

      2. Huntsville Alabama too. At least, I was impressed with my two dinners and one brunch there when I drive my kid to Space Camp.

    3. Milwaukee, unless you’ve btdt, Kansas City, Minneapolis. All are interesting and have good food. I like St. Louis and Indianapolis, though I don’t know as much about the food scene. Clearly I’m midwest focused.

      1. St. Louis is wonderful for food! And to walk it off, the museums and zoo are free.

    4. Kansas City (for bbq). Detroit. Milwaukee. Pittsburgh. Baltimore. El Paso. Providence.

    5. Memphis bbq?
      FL keys fish and vibes (you might be able to fly nonstop to Key West)?
      Oregon coast?

      1. memphis is a great food city! also all the kelly english and andrew michael restaurants (I especially like Second Line and Hog and Hominy). Makeda’s butter cookies are also iconic.

    7. Annapolis MD is a half hour from BWI. If you like seafood – especially crab – this might be a nice visit.

    8. Does Louisville count as under-the-radar? We spent a weekend there and had a blast. Also Williamsburg, VA depending on flights.

    9. Biased since I live here, but Memphis. Yes, we have great BBQ, but we have a whole host of other wonderful restaurants. You can also see the National Civil Rights Museum, Sun Studio, Stax, Graceland (It is worth seeing once, IMO).

      Only downside is if you come during the summer, the heat and humidity are gross.

    10. I don’t know if I was the one who recommended Knoxville on that thread but I would recommend both it and Chattanooga, TN for a weekend. Both are halfway between my best friend and me and we’ve done several weekend trips to both and had a great time. Some of these have already been recommended by commenters, but Louisville and Lexington, KY; Birmingham, AL; Wilmington, NC; Jacksonville, FL; Columbus, OH; Astoria, OR, Richmond, VA.

      1. We live near Minneapolis and liked all the Asian food in Toronto when we visited there.

    12. Austin, Philly, Minneapolis, Annapolis, Kent Island (MD) or Saint Michael’s (MD) (though they’re farther from an airport). The research triangle in NC has some great spots; Raleigh is big but smaller Cary is growing but still kind of quaint. The area around Hershey Park in PA also has some nice spots; the Troeg’s brewery and their snack bar are fun if you like beer. Mystic CT isn’t that close to an airport, but Rhode Island has some nice places too.

    13. If you haven’t done it already, Philly has a great food scene and super walkable. Hubs planned is own modified National Treasure tour (didn’t realize his itinerary until halfway through) and also going to see the Rocky statute. We had a great long weekend there.

      1. I personally don’t see the appeal of the Rocky statue, but the Art Museum is fantastic!

        1. It is a Gen X guy thing. Cannot explain why there is reliably a line up of guys making their wives to a full on photo shoot.

      3. When we visited (by car) there was a great circulator that would get you to the sights and the Reading Market.

    14. The chislic at the Sioux Falls airport was divine. Give me all of the delicious meat!

    15. It’s certainly not under the radar, but I’m in Philly and our food scene is fantastic.

    20. Portland, ME
      Providence, RI
      Traverse City, MI

      also seconding Montreal and Quebec City if Canada is OK

    21. The Twin Cities! Owamni is about to reopen and definitely worth a visit. I’d catch a show at the Guthrie before/after a meal at Owamni. The Walker + a meal at Gai Noi. Lots of other good stuff to do and tasty food to eat in the Twin Cities, too.

      1. MSP is an outstanding food city. I was so impressed when I moved here from Philly. Cheap and easy flight from Chicago. Plenty of fun sights and restaurants to fill up a weekend. My favs are Tongue in Cheek, Hai Hai, Alma, Colita. Take out from On’s Thai Kitchen. Can’t wait to try Diane’s Place.

      1. Where do you recommend eating in Newport / Newport area? I am thinking about a trip in Sept and want to eat all the steamers, clam cakes, fried clams and more by the water.

    23. I’d probably go to other cities above this one but it hasn’t been mentioned yet and in case it’s an easy drive or direct flight or whatever: Cleveland has a surprisingly good food scene.

    24. In your shoes I might consider a mini-road trip around North Carolina, eating BBQ.

    28. Kansas City has direct flights from both Chicago airports. Besides the BBQ, there is a lot going on in the food scene right now. For interesting stuff to do, there is the KCMO public library, whose parking garage is painted to look like a row of library books, the World War I monument and museum, and the Nelson Atkins Museum (the building is set up to be the net for a giant badminton game). The 13th & Vine Jazz Heritage District has amazing live music, plus the Negro Leagues Museum.

      I live about 40 minutes away from downtime Kansas City, in Lawrence, Kansas. Our food scene is on par with KC’s right now.

  2. Just snagged this! For those that use Rakuten, you can get 10% back on Dermstore right now. I also used my FSA.

    1. I’ve done it twice and had fine experiences both times. The most recent was 10.5 years ago so no recs but I just found a bigger outfit online and it all worked out.

    2. Same experience as the previous poster. I did it 11 years ago so I don’t have a current rec but it was very smooth, no issues.

  4. what food festivals do you make time for in your city (and elsewhere)? the suggestion for the Taste of Buffalo suggestion inspired me to look up the pickle festival in my city and then I got curious

    2. There’s a dumpling festival in my city later this month, that sadly I can’t get to. It focuses on any food in a dough jacket, so pierogi and empanadas qualify.

    3. The one I ever really cared for was the Les Dames d’Escoffier festival because it was very high caliber.

        1. Not a dumb question. Overall I’d say James Beard is less fancy (though still somewhat fancy) and more hipster/trendy. Michelin is stuffier, old school fine dining. JB is awarded to the chef and only the food is relevant. Michelin ratings are for restaurants not chefs and factor in service and ambiance too. There’s definitely some overlap though.

    5. I love my city’s little arts festival. I love having a few prints from local artists of natural features of the area that I love, I love wandering around and seeing the wacky lawn statues or stained glass whirligigs or the one guy that sells bonsais juniper trees. It hits the spot where it’s not too big and crowded, but it’s big enough to attract genuinely interesting and talented artists.

  5. If you sense that you may have a PR situation about to blow up, have you used a crisis communications team? How do you find a good one and what do their engagement letters look like? Specifically, do colleges and universities do this, especially when budgets are tight? If not, is going to”no comment” your only other way to get through a mess of publicity? I’m hoping that wiser heads will abandon an activity that is likely to blow up and have a big PR hit (so that will be the first google result people see), but that won’t happen.

    1. Assuming you have an established relationship with a law firm, ask the law firm for recommendations. In my experience, any situation that needs an outside crisis PR team also needs lawyers involved.

    2. I work in higher ed comms (regular, not crisis). We have folks in house who specialize in crisis comms but as the previous poster said for anything really big lawyers are involved also.

      TBH, I feel like the university I work at just sort of ignores all bad publicity. People make a stink about various things, some legitimate, some more insignificant, and nothing changes. As the most selective of the affordable public options in our state, we have an essentially infinite supply of students, and with the job market the way it is it’s not like faculty and staff looking to get out have a lot of options either. So I don’t think the admin really cares about bad PR because it doesn’t affect their bottom line. Maybe it’s different at other places.

          1. I feel like if you are Duke or UVA or an Ivy, you ignore because the average kid who wants to go there will still go there and it won’t keep anyone but an affected sibling from applying. Lower-ranked SLACs should care and no one really has the budget outside of flagships, who really don’t need to care.

    3. There are PR firms that specialize in crisis PR. Look for options in your area. Reach out to orgs like PRSA or IABC for a list of members who do that work.

  6. Flying chicago to Madrid with my tween and I can’t spring for the business class but thinking about getting the premium economy upgrade. Talk to me about bulkhead seats. Do you like them? Hate them? We will likely sleep or read most of flight.

    1. I like them in regular economy for the extra legroom. Premium economy is much roomier so they’re not as necessary there, and the last time I flew premium economy I went with non-bulkhead seats so I could keep my stuff at my feet for the whole flight.

    2. I think they’re a PITA because I like complete access to my personal item. I don’t want to fuss around with the overhead compartment any more than I have to.

    3. Sometimes with the bulkhead, the tray is in the armrest, so the seats are narrower.

    4. The terminology can be confusing so is it extra-legroom standard economy or true “premium” economy? Either way, I would prefer a different row, but I’d care less in premium economy.

      If extra-legroom but regular seats, I dont like it because of what the other poster said below about tray table and screen in arm rests so you have a narrower seat. You will also have to store all your belongings in overhead bin, especially during taxi, takeoff, and landing.

      If true premium economy, the seats are much larger and more like domestic business class so the fixed sides issue is not as much of a problem, and it will likely be the same in all rows of premium economy. The only concern here is putting your bags overhead.

      1. yes in premium economy the seats and armrests are much wider than economy seats (more like domestic first class seats) so I don’t think the TV being in the armrest affects the width of the seat. At least not on United. YMMV on other airlines.

    5. Would check your flight’s particular configuation, some bulkhead seats are either next to the toilets or bassinets, both of which can mean a less than peaceful flight.

      If either of you have really long legs, it might be worth it anyway, but otherwise I’d look at the other premium seats first.

    6. The bulkhead PE seats on American Airlines are usually right behind the lavs – noisy, smelly, and people use the bulkhead foot space to wait in / cross the plane to the other lav. Check the seat map carefully.

  7. This is such a low-stakes update post but it came to mind because the same situation presented itself again! I posted last year(?) about wanting to do a hike with a 6 am shuttle start on a family vacation and my sister gave me grief for not doing the 10 am start, which I refuse to do because the area gets exceptionally crowded and hot at midday. I did the 6 am, she didn’t go, we met up later, it was fine. However, we’re now doing a family long weekend in southern Utah this summer (which is way hotter than where we were before but convenient to older family who will be coming) and wants to do an “afternoon hike” that’s straight uphill when the heat index is likely to be over 100. Girl, no.

    1. No. That’s a good way to die. Any good safety planning for that is likely going to have you carrying a very heavy amount of water and an expensive in-reach. Check how much you will be billed for the rescue. No bueno!

      1. Yes, indeed. She enjoys heat but come on – even heat lovers don’t want to hike at the absolute peak temp in Utah/Arizona. There’s partially a competitive sister dynamic here in her suggestions but luckily I’m old enough not to take the bait (and I’m not perfect myself in our relationship, far from it).

        1. One of my biggest pet peeves is people who say unbelievably hot weather is ok because it’s “dry heat.” I was at my friend’s house in California when her AC broke in 100 degree weather and she wouldn’t stop going on and on about how it was ok because “it’s a dry heat” and “it gets cool at night.” Girl, 100 degrees is 100 degrees whether it’s dry or wet. Nobody wants to be in these temperatures!

          1. Haha, I love that you posted that because we share this pet peeve and I come across it all the time (I’m in the Bay Area). No people, dry 100 is hot af! And sadly re: climate change, there are MANY nights where it barely cools off anymore.

          2. We went to Vegas in June, and I was so miserable. Dry heat, whatever. I’m from an area of the country that gets plenty of hot weather in the summer, but Vegas was a special kind of awful. There’s no cloud cover at all. Extreme heat triggers IBS for me, so … yeah. Really fun!

          5. Also: where it is a dry heat, there is usually zero shade in the day. What is worse than dead? Sunburned and dead.

      2. She won’t go the hike anyway, so just plan around her nonsense announcements.

    3. I remember your prior post. That is nutty! Tell her you’re not ready to die just yet.

    4. I really enjoy the heat (I don’t mind the DC summers!) but hiking in super hot weather is just a bad idea.

      1. That’s so sad. The Bright Angel Trail is no joke. We hiked up it (from the river) in March and it was hard enough then – if I were doing it in August, I would start at 2 am.

    7. A friend of mine literally died of heat stroke hiking on a hot day. Girl, no.

    8. If she’s secretly trying to kill off your older and/or more physically vulnerable family members, she is being smart.

  8. Are rocket books worth it? I feel like the last time I looked they were a lot more expensive than $38.

    1. Rocket book like the reusable notebook? In short, no.

      Longer – I had the microwave one, but after a few cycles the book was really warped. Hard to use and just generally unprofessional in appearance.

      I also had the wipe-off one, but used it outdoors once and a misting of rain destroyed all of my notes, frustratingly.

      I have upgraded to an iPad mini with a “paper like” film on the screen and the apple pen. I use one note. It’s a million times better. More expensive for sure, but I can much more easily find and edit old notes, plus it’s much less fussy.

  9. Wait. Scotland and England each get a World Cup team? Make this make sense. The US and Texas don’t get their own teams. Maybe Puerto Rico makes sense?

    I kinda get Netherlands and Curaçao because they are not close to each other (ditto how France has overseas departments or whatever).

    Helps this non-soccer sports person.

    1. This is not sports specific. Scotland and England (and Wales and Northern Ireland) are separate countries, although currently and confusingly part of the same nation.

      1. How are they separate countries? They have a combined military, currency, and foreign policy. Like Maryland in the US.

        1. They’re constituent countries not sovereign countries, because they have unified government. But you sound really really uneducated insisting Scotland is no different than Maryland. It’s completely different than the US state system. There’s plenty of information out there that you can Google.

        2. Not everything is reducible to American systems. You sound really ignorant — take a beat to learn something here.

          1. I’ve never been more accurately aware of the fact that less than half of Americans have a passport. This is embarrassingly ignorant for a supposedly “over-achieving” woman.

        4. This is an embarrassingly, gross over simplification, but it might help to think of it this way. England and Scotland were entirely separate countries until the 17th century (England’s periodic invasions not withstanding). With the death of Elizabeth I in 1603, James IV of Scotland became James I of England. That did not merge the two countries into a single entity. It just meant that there was one person serving as monarch of both. That distinction has not gone away in the intervening 300+ years.

          If you ever travel to Scotland, I would highly recommend you not refer to them as English! Those divisions run deep.

    2. Man, if this revelation has got you this worked up I don’t know what to tell you.

      Hawaii is generally their own team in international surf competitions if it makes you feel better.

    3. Scotland has it’s own Parliament, bank notes, flag, education system, legal system, if you want to buy property it’s a different system to the English one…

      The comparison with US and Texas doesn’t work, that would be like having a UK team and a Welsh one – one for the union and one for a single country within the union.

    4. Uhhh Scotland and England are separate countries that together with the countries of Northern Ireland and Wales form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. They’re countries, not states or territories.

    5. Firstly, it’s called football outside the USA.

      Secondly, they are separate countries.

      Thirdly, if you want to have a question, how about “why is Australia allowed to compete in Eurovision?”

Comments are closed.