I really wanted to like this but it broke me out in tiny itchy bumps on my cheeks. It feels sooo nice and acts as primer under my foundation, and it helps it last longer too but it just broke me out.

I hate to be the Debbie Downer here for such a high rated product but I gave it about 3 weeks and I think I may end up returning it to Sephora. First, when applied, it feels like a primer to me and for some reason I hate that feel on my skin. Granted, though it is light, it feels to me like my skin is being coated and can't breathe. Also, I didn't see a "brightening" effect at all and for the ridiculous price of $54 I expect some kind of benefit. I think it caused a few clogged pores as well. Still searching for my HG.

Fav sunscreen so far! This left a matte and brightened effect on my face. Just a naturally fairer look - wouldn't call it a 'white cast'. I bring it in my handbag everywhere I go in case I need to top up. Would definitely buy again.

I am always looking for a combination UV - moisturinzing product that is light and not too greasy. This one does it for me! I love the fact that this is a UV 40 product, as I want at least an SPF 30 or above now that I am a bit older. The fragrance does not linger, and is not offensive. It feels a bit dry going on, and does not make my face oily, nor has it caused breakouts (so many products do!). I am very pleasantly surprised and will keep this on my shelf.

Expensive, but it is my first facial sunscreen ever and also my last.
When applied on skin it appears to leave a white cas,t but after 15 minutes it blends in your skin no matter how dark or tanned you are.
HOLY GRAIL
UPDATE: After 2 weeks of use the sunscreen made my skin very soft due to its protection from the harmful rays of the sun but unfortunately it broke me out. I now have teeny tiny bumps on my cheeks that are quite itchy. If I wear makeup over it it looks like the bumps are inside my skin therefore making me look like i have a allergic reaction.

I love this--esp for the summer. It's super thin and has the smell of old timey varnish--not unpleasant though I can see why other reviewers found it to be a bit "chemical." (I just imagine its the smell of some Provencal lavender farmer's tool shed.) I tend to get shiny in the heat and this just stops that from happening. It's a bit pricy but for me, its my big splurge and I think its worth it. (And now all the Olay products are getting up there too so it's really not much of a step up, pricewise.) Love it!

Unfortunately, I have to agree with some of the reviewers: this left a white cast on my face (NC25). :( The first day I used it, my husband asked me why I looked so pale. The second day I used a little less and the brightening effect wasn't as strong but still visible. It's really sad because the texture of this sunscreen is like a fluid which applies easily and is absorbed very well. It is neither drying nor has it an oily effect on my skin. I will try to mix this fluid with a tinted moisturizer and hope that it will darken a little bit because my attempt to use more bronzer to balance out the whitish effect went wrong, it just looked to obvious and fake. Not the natural look I am after!
Update: I'm so happy that I found the perfect way to make this work :) I mix it with Lancome Tropiques Minerale Bronzing Fluid Smooth Tan Effect SPF 10 in 01 Ocre Doree and it takes away the withish effect. Instead, I have a lovely sheer bronzing fluid with high SPF. I just add 3 squirts to the bottle, shake it well and it lasts me for about 4-5 months.

I wanted to love this sunscreen, and I hate to be the voice of dissent among all these great reviews, but it just didn't work for me. It dried to a matte finish on my skin, but it left a white cast to my dark complexion (NW40). Perhaps I put too much on, but it looked just awful. Everything else about it was pretty good-- not a bad smell, nice packaging, not oily, nice finish, good sun protection-- but this is too grave of a sin for me to forgive, especially for the steep price tag.

I got this to go with the other products in the line and after reading these reviews. Here is my take on it.
1. Can't see how much in the bottle since the pump situation
2. Very chemical smell for a natural product. In fact hated the smell so much that returned it
3. Thin fluid that absorbed well but also made my face slightly shiny.
Wish was more natural than the chemical it appeared. Maybe I got a "spoiled" bottle.

This is by far the best sunscreen lotion I have ever used! I couldn't find any faults with it.
1. Dries matte, non-sticky or oily, it just absorbs into skin so well.
2. Smells good, smells natural, I guess it's from the immortelle flower.
3. Brightens my face.
I used to have the older version which doesn't have the daisy ingredient then. Though I still prefer the older version for being less oily, this still works great! Never will I consider other brands or range for my sunscreen lotion.

I use only natural products on my face !!!!
I wash my face with l'occitane 8% shea butter soap bar, follow with avene thermal water and while moist spread 2-3 drops of argan oil (or grapessed oil).
I am using this sunscreen for a week now and I am LOVING it !!!! it completes my routine beautifully!!!! It's light, makes skin super soft and it's defenently brightening!!! my skin glows!!!!
excellent under mineral powder !!! LOVE IT!!!
UPDATE: i contacted l'occitane and they informed me that this contains nanoparticles...so i stopped using it...its a shame because it was a nice product...

Among all the spf products I have tried in my entire life I think I have found the real keeper:
1. Quickly absorbed, since it contains plant essence oil which doesnt clot pore;
2. Feel and looking like I have put on nothing, slightly matt but thats okay to me;
3. Higher portion of effective spf ingredients than most spf products(also most importantly), the main and effective spf ingredient in it is titanium dioxide which is a mineral spf so its less likely to cause allergy than chemical spf. And the best part about it is that if you are using a mineral based spf product you wont have to wait for it to absorb into your skin after you put it on cuz thats really irritating, it reflexs the UV rays right after the application dries.
I notice there are tons of spf products in the market thats labelled mineral based however the effective spf ingredients are only bout 6% in most of them and in fact you will need about 2ml on a 1cm² to get the exact protection on the package that claims to provide. Where this L'occitane shield has 11.52% titanium dioxide in it(though the old packaged one has 14% in it), I wont need to put on tons of product on my face and still getting the right protection I desire.

I would say I've found the 'it' sun protection lotion in this. I bought it at the DFS in Sydney and happy to do so as in Singapore it was $20 more expensive. The texture is velvet soft. It penetrate into skin without living a white film. I put it on top of my UNT Aqua fortis and it seem to be enough for normal winter skin. I love how it does not leave unpleasant smell either. Will always be purchasing this from now on. It's my perfect city sunblock, just perfect under makeup! Hopefully L'occitane never discontinue this lotion.

I love this stuff! I have combination early middle-aged skin with regular monthly flare-ups, and am paranoid about sun exposure and the damage that comes with it. I also find that almost every moisturizer with sunscreen I've tried gives me the dreaded little white bumps.
I've using this for 3 weeks both with and in lieu of a moisturizer, sometimes with make up and sometimes without. Even without a moisturizer, it makes my skin feel softer and smoother all day. With a moisturizer (my beloved Eucerin Hydro-Balance, which is my HG except it doesn't have SPF), my skin feels and looks great, soft and clean but not tight. It also doesn't get tacky or cause me to sweat even when it's hot. Haven't noticed any lightening of dark spots, but skin tone generally does seem a bit more even. I still get cyclical flare-ups, but that's hormonal and I don't expect skin cream to fix it. And best of all -- no little white bumps. (Of course it's only been 3 weeks, but still, that's a record so far.)
Packaging is great too: lovely opaque white glass bottle with pump, and you can easily switch the pump into closed mode if you are traveling. Looks very nice on the shelf.
The scent is a tiny bit aggressive ("DAISY! I am from FRANCE and I contain DAISY!") right out of the pump, but it's not awful and it doesn't linger.

I have not used this product yet (only the Moisture Cream so far), but will likely try it - please disregard the rating. I wanted to post the ingredients listing for those who value this information in making skin care purchase choices.
L’Occitane Brightening Shield SPF40
Active Ingredients:
TITANIUM DIOXIDE 11.52%
Inactive ingredients:
CYCLOPENTASILOXANE-AQUA/WATER-CYCLOMETHICONE-CORN STARCH MODIFIED-POLYGLYCERYL-3 POLYDIMETHYL-SILOXETHYL DIMETHICONE-ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE-STEARIC ACID –BELLIS PERENNIS (DAISY) FLOWER EXTRACT-PEG-12 DIMETHICONE-SODIUM CHLORIDE-GLYCERIN-TOCOPHERYL ACETATE-HELICHRYSUM ITALICUM EXTRACT-BENZOIC ACID-DEHYDROACETIC ACID-CAPRYLYL GLYCOL-RETINYL PALMITATE-SUCROSE PALMITATE-BUTYLENE GLYCOL-HALIANTHUS ANNUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED EXTRACT-GLYCERYL LINOLEATE-HEDERA HELIX (IVY)LEAF/STEM EXTRACT-PHYTIC ACID-POLYAMINOPROPYL BIGUANIDE-POTASSIUM SORBATE-BIOTIN-PEG/PPG-18/18 DIMETHICONE-PHENOXYETHANOL-PEG-8-PARFUM/FRAGRANCE –PPG-1-PEG-9 LAURYL GLYCOL ETHER-SODIUM POLYACRYLATE-OENOTHERA BIENNIS (EVENING PRIMOSE)OIL-BORAGO OFFICINALIS SEED OIL-LIMONENE-HEXYL-CINNAMAL-LINALOOL-BENZYL SALICYLATE-ALPHA-ISOMETHYL IONONE.
I will update when/if I use it. Hope this helps