Recently I mentioned on Instagram that I don't buy SPF 30 sunscreen any more because I don't find it necessary given the number of cosmetically-elegant SPF 50 products on the market that work under makeup. When someone asked what I'd recommend and I went to link a post on the topic, I did realise that the last time I shared something definitive was in 2021 and there have been so many amazing additions to the market since then! These products all feature next-generation sunscreen filters that are both more cosmetically-elegant and less likely to cause you skin irritation. So, let's talk makeup-friendly SPF 50: 2024 edition...
First up: a new entry from the drugstore: the L'Oreal Bright Reveal Dark Spot UV Fluid SPF 50+ | £19.99 | full review | demo. This has honestly been my everyday default sunscreen lately because it really does do it all for my skin. It offers broad spectrum SPF 50+ with niacinamide to help reduce existing dark spots as well as protecting your skin against future discolouration. And I just love the texture and finish on my skin. I have dry skin but this isn't overtly glowy nor is it matte; it has a shine-free, hydrating but satin-soft finish. It melts in effortlessly without any cast and never pills with my makeup; my complexion products just glide over the top of this really nicely and everything meld together perfectly so it doesn't even feel like I'm wearing sunscreen.
Next, we have my first pick from a brand that's going to have a couple of appearances here: the Ultra Violette Supreme Screen Hydrating Skinscreen SPF 50+ | £34 | full review | demo. As a dry-skinned person, this is the one I like the look of the most, though it's not always what I reach for every day because it's on the pricier side of things! This is a moisturising sunscreen / moisturiser / primer kind of hybrid product with a peachy tint that doesn't leave a cast because it's very sheer, but does have a slight corrective effect and also offers visible light protection (alongside Aussie made and approved broad-spectrum SPF 50+ protection). This is an ultra-elegant formula that honestly just feels like a makeup primer; there's no pilling and it has a lovely glowy finish. It's probably not for oily skin types, but my dry skin loves this and how it softens up any dry patches so my makeup goes on perfectly over the top. If you have dry skin and you mostly use makeup primers for hydration and to even things out for a softer, smoother skin finish then try swapping it for this instead!
Another formula that I loved in 2021 and still love today (despite the fact they still haven't improved this dropper component...) is the Hello Sunday the One That's a Serum SPF 50+ | £20 | full review | demo. I love a serum sunscreen and I think this still has to be my #1, if I'm being honest (though the dropper does struggle to pick up enough product after a certain point, I tolerate it for this formula!) This product has an ultra-light fluid-serum formula that melts in like a serum, but obviously you need to apply this at the end of your skincare routine the same as every other sunscreen. This definitely has a more radiant finish though it's not quite as dewy-looking as the Supreme Screen if you're more in the normal skin category. The application over the top of this is dreamy and again; it doesn't even feel like I've applied sunscreen. This and the Ultra Violette are kind of my got-to products when it's not necessarily an 'everyday' thing but I'm going to an occasion or heading out for dinner on holiday and I want my makeup to look really good without compromising on protection.
It's time for another new entry to the league: the Garnier Vitamin C Daily UV Glow Fluid SPF50+ | £12.99 | full review | demo. This is a great example of the kind of formula that just didn't really exist in 2021 at a reasonable price unless perhaps you were willing to order something from South Korea and wait for a few weeks! This is a true primer sunscreen that reminds me of something like the Becca Backlight Priming Filter in that it's a hydrating luminous gel, but you're also getting amazing protection from this product, which almost feels like a bonus... I know I've waxed lyrical about this product, but I do have to flag that it won't be for everyone because it's a tinted product and I just so happen to be within the range of skin tones that this product serves! If I was on the Garnier product development team, I'd be looking at a champagne shade for pale skin tones and a deep bronze for darker skin tones next. But - in the meantime - if you're within the medium-ish range then definitely give this a go for £13! It doesn't pill and it adds that dewy, luminous background (or Backlight!) glow to the skin that looks gorgeous under makeup.
Of course, we have to get a K-beauty formula in here, and I think overall the product I reach for and enjoy the most for under makeup has to be the Klairs All-Day Airy Sunscreen SPF 50+ PA++++ | £20 (15% off with code JASMINETALKSBEAUTY (affiliate)) | full review | demo. This is a true melting water-sunscreen that has a hydrating yet incredibly lightweight feel and texture on the skin. It feels hydrating but it's not overly surface-dewy, so I do think that along with the L'Oreal; it's one of the more universal options in this post. It honestly just feels like a gel-cream moisturiser on the skin that's barely 'adding' anything, besides a very welcome boost of water-based hydration. Of course it doesn't pill and my makeup goes on really nice over it; whilst it doesn't necessarily enhance my makeup application like some of the other products I've mentioned here, it deserves its spot in this post because it works really well underneath my makeup because it's so tracless and melts so beautifully.
Finally, perhaps my most marmite pick: the Ultra Violette Queen Screen Luminising Skinscreen Serum SPF 50+* | £38 | full review | demo. This isn't going to be for everyone, but when I want full-blast glow: this is what I reach for! I personally wouldn't wear this other than under makeup because it's not only a fluid serum sunscreen (with an even lighter texture than the Hello Sunday formula we discussed) but it does have a sheen running through it. It's nothing too chunky or glitterball-looking, but it's probably a bit much for a no-makeup day! This melts in beautifully and has a hydrating formula that leaves my skin glowing but also has that more surface level sheen that adds a 'from within' highlight when used under makeup. It doesn't pill and you are getting that amazing SPF 50+ and Aussie-regulator-approved protection, but the glitz won't be for everyone!
Have you tried any of these? What are your favourite sunscreens to use under makeup?
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