ROAD TEST: We tried Zoe Foster Blake’s new Go-To face sunscreen. Here are our thoughts.

It’s hard to remember a more highly anticipated beauty launch than Zoe Foster Blake’s physical sunscreen, Go-To Zincredible. Maybe when Urban Decay released the Naked eyeshadow palettes, but even then, I don’t think there was as much mass hysteria.

It’s the effect Zoe has on her fans, and it’s easy to see why.

A beauty editor for many years, Zoe then went on to use her extensive knowledge to write books about beauty and of course, launch her own skincare line Go-To. Instantly, thousands of devoted customers were born and not long after, they asked Zoe, ‘are you going to make a sunscreen?’.

The answer was yes.

In 2014, Zoe set out to formulate a physical (i.e. mineral) SPF for the Go-To range. A long time fan of mineral sunscreen, it made sense for her own brand to offer the very product she says is a non-negotiable.

Fast forward to late 2018 and it turns out that task wasn’t as easy as it sounds.

“Four years ago, I began working on a daily moisturiser with physical sun protection. I saw a gap in the market for a natural daily moisturiser with broad spectrum, mineral UV protection, that was riddled with Zinc Oxide and antioxidants… but not greasy, full of shit, shiny, pore clogging or ghosting,” Zoe said in a brand statement.

A post shared by ZOË FOSTER BLAKE (@zotheysay) on Oct 1, 2018 at 2:46am PDT

“It had to feel SENSATIONAL, look incredible on the skin, be a perfect makeup base, and be free from chemical UV absorbers, silicones, synthetics, parabens, sulfates (SLS/SLES), PEGs, GMOs, mineral oils, petrolatum, synthetic colours, and animal testing. The perfect everyday moisturiser, anti-ager and sun defence, in other words.

“It was f*cking impossible. It really was. My god. Never make a sunscreen. It’s the worst. Anyway. After almost 200 versions, a million setbacks, and more than one night of me crying into my wine, I am jittery with excitement that we’re almost ready to go to market. I believe we have made something very special.”

After hundreds of iterations and no doubt much frustration on Zoe’s part, the end result is the Go-To Zincredible, $45.

“This is the perfect all-in-one for an Average Day: commuting, the office, errands, grabbing lunch. (Around 90 minutes of sun exposure.) And since it offers clean, mineral SPF 15 protection, it’s ideal for even sensitive, congested or compromised (post-procedure) skin,” she said.

Zoe also explained exactly how to use it – including how much – because one of the biggest mistake people make with sunscreen application is simply not using enough.

“Apply no less than three to four pumps as the last step of your skin care, (after cleansing, toners, serums, oils etc), and before your makeup. From the forehead to the cleavage, please.”

I’ve been testing a lab sample Zoe kindly supplied to me for the past week. My first impression was that it applied like a dream - it’s lightweight but still nourishing and left my skin with a lovely glow.

As instructed, I applied it after my skincare and before my base. Looked great and felt good, too. Fast forward to mid-afternoon and my combination skin was fairly shiny down the t-zone. I cursed my oily predisposition, as I so often do.

The next day I skipped my usual skincare and applied it after a face mist only and before my base. That afternoon I was still a bit shiny but less so.

My base (IT Cosmetics CC Cream, in case you were wondering) can be quite dewy, so I feel that combo was partly to blame. The following day I wore it under a matte full coverage foundation and the finish was much better for me.

To be honest, I was hoping for a higher sun protection factor but as Zoe has been really candid about, it’s been a tough slog to create this product, and physical sunscreens and notoriously difficult to formulate.

I also spied on Instagram that Zoe is working on a higher SPF version as I type this, and so of course like all her other fans, I await with bated breath (I just won’t hold it, in case it takes a few more years).

Are you going to try Zoe Foster Blake's face sunscreen? What face sunscreen products do you already love?

P.S. Love all things beauty? Come hang out with Leigh Campbell in the latest episode of Mamamia's You Beauty podcast, and in our You Beauty Facebook group . It's a blast.