Latest news with #MattescreenSunscreen
Daily Mirror
02-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
I tried 3 tinted SPFs promising foundation coverage– one covered my pigmentation
Our head of beauty goes barefaced to test new tinted SPFs from Supergoop!, Beauty of Joseon and Merit... I have a confession: I don't like applying suncream to my face. I feel guilty even typing it, being a beauty editor and all. Don't get me wrong, I completely appreciate the importance of wearing it every day, and I will do it, but I've just never found the whole applying and wearing experience pleasant. Even formulas promising to be non-sticky, fast-absorbing and ultra-lightweight feel claggy or greasy to me. I just feel cleaner when I'm not wearing the extra SPF layer on my skin. But this year, after turning 32, I've really started to notice a change in my skin. Patches of pigmentation on my cheeks have started to appear, and I don't have that youthful glow that I've taken for granted my whole life. So, in a bid to keep my skin looking as healthy as possible for as long as possible, I've made it my mission to take daily suncare more seriously – because, as we all know, diligent SPF usage can ward off signs of premature ageing. I may be a little late to the 'I love SPF party', but I have picked a good year to become a devotee. I've seen more and more launches from SPF brands promising tinted coverage to rival foundations, water-light textures to rival your usual day serum, and pore-diffusing formulas that mimic a good primer. In fact, three landed on our Mirror beauty desk the exact week I made it my mission to find my perfect product in Beauty of Joseon's Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen, Supergoop!'s Mattescreen or Merit's The Uniform Tinted Mineral Sunscreen. Spoiler: One of them has indeed turned out to be juuuust right... A note before we start: I will just say that all of these SPFs can give a nice tint, but they won't ever be a foundation, and vice versa. SPF tests are based on applying 2mg per square centimetre of skin, which is a lot more product than most people use for make-up. So, I'm trying to find a tinted SPF that comes as close to a foundation as possible while still being very much an SPF. Supergoop's Mattescreen Sunscreen SPF30 Shop it for £36.50 Pros: Genuinely mattifying without feeling chalky or tight Smooth, silicone-primer-like texture that grips make-up Helps foundation stay in place all day Mineral formula with zinc oxide, ideal for sensitive or reactive skin Light tint that blends well and reduces white cast Doesn't pill under other skincare or make-up Cons: £34 price tag is on the higher side One universal shade made to blend with a 'broad range of skin tones' – but darker skin tones report it can give a slight ashy cast Matte finish may not suit those who prefer a dewy look SPF30 is good, but not the highest available (worth noting, though, that the brand has many other SPF50s) Zoe says: "I absolutely love this SPF because it feels like a primer, cutting down my number one issue with many SPFs: how greasy they feel. It actually reminds me of the Smashbox silicone-based primer I used to wear when I went out for a big night out and wanted to make-up to really last. I will keep wearing this under a foundation, but I think it's easy to see from my before-and-after shot that it doesn't offer much in the way of coverage. However, with only one universal tint shade currently available, there's no way it could be so tinted that it suits only one skin tone. I do like how it mattifies my skin, and it really doesn't feel like an SPF to apply, so it's hard to fault it for anything other than it being a factor 30 instead of 50 and not covering blemishes or pigmentation." Beauty of Joseon Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF30 Shop it for £17 Pros The texture is super lightweight and serum-like Has a soft, natural finish that's not too matte or too glowy Comes with a sheer tint that gives a nice blurring effect No fragrance Available in 12 flexible shades The price is pretty reasonable, especially for something you'd use every day Cons SPF30 is fine for everyday use, but might not cut it if you're out in strong sun for long Doesn't shout about its UVA protection, which could be a worry if you're prone to pigmentation (like me) It's not the longest-lasting, on account of it being very sheer Zoe says:" When I first applied this, I was almost certain it wouldn't be for me. It's water-light, which is really lovely, but it's so sheer. For a girl like me who has a very shiny face anyway (read: oily), it made me feel like Edward Cullen from Twilight when he goes into the sunshine. However, once I let it settle in, it really grew on me. It genuinely feels weightless on my skin, and I love the shade choice available. From my photos, I can also see how much it evened out my skin tone, despite not giving much coverage in a typical base sense. I left this out for my 64-year-old mum to try, and she LOVES it. She says it makes her look so youthful. If you're looking for an anti-ageing tint, or you love the K-beauty 'glass skin' look, this will be for you." Merit Beauty The Uniform Tinted Mineral Sunscreen SPF50 Shop it for £34 Pros Feels lightweight on the skin, almost like you're not wearing anything Has a natural, satin finish– not too matte or too dewy Comes in 15 shades that are designed to adapt well to a variety of skin tones Uses 100% mineral zinc oxide for SPF 50 protection, and doesn't leave a white cast Made without silicones, oils, or fragrance, so it's a good shout for sensitive or acne-prone skin Sheer but buildable coverage that evens out tone without looking heavy or cakey Cons Can cling to dry patches if your skin isn't well prepped Some users have reported a bit of pilling when layered over certain moisturisers or serums At £34, it's definitely on the spendy side for a daily SPF Zoe says: "I teased earlier that I found my perfect SPF match, and this is the one I was referring to. I love it, and I never thought I'd say that about an SPF. I went a shade darker in the tint than I normally would in a foundation, and it gave me both the look of instant bronzing drops and a lightweight foundation. I felt like my skin looked healthier and smoother, and even my patches of pigmentation were covered. It's definitely lighter than a foundation, but it also meant I could skip a base layer. In fact, I tested layering it under my regular foundation, and I have to say it looks much better on its own. It's very quickly become my holiday, weekend and working from home go-to– and it's definitely worth the price."
Daily Mirror
26-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
I've tested 100 face SPFs– I swear by this mineral one that feels like a primer
Supergoop's Mattescreen Sunscreen is our head of beauty's top buy for summer 2025... If you'd told me a few years ago that I'd be genuinely excited about a sunscreen, I would probably have snorted. Despite knowing how important daily SPF is – and despite having tested around 100+ products during my decade as a beauty editor, sunscreen, in my mind, always conjured up images of greasy layers, clogged pores and a mirror-like shiny forehead– and I don't mean in a nice 'glass skin' way. I'd try new formulas with hope, only to feel disappointed after a few days of oiliness, irritation or feeling sticky. But then I found Supergoop's Mattescreen Sunscreen SPF30, and I can finally say I'm proudly on board the daily SPF wagon. I was sent a tube of this a few months ago, but being blissfully unaware of just how good it is, I put it to the side in a 'test later' pile. After all, I didn't have high expectations for it, given my track record with most other facial SPF products. Fast forward to today, and it's the only sunscreen I wear now. It's earned permanent status in my make-up bag, and I'll rave about it to anyone who stays standing still near me for long enough (I'm not joking, I even told a girl on the tube about it). Supergoop's Mattescreen Sunscreen SPF30 Pros: Genuinely mattifying without feeling chalky or tight Smooth, silicone-primer-like texture that grips make-up Helps foundation stay in place all day Mineral formula with zinc oxide, ideal for sensitive or reactive skin Light tint that blends well and reduces white cast Doesn't pill under other skincare or make-up Cons: £34 price tag is on the higher side Matte finish may not suit those who prefer a dewy look SPF30 is good, but not the highest available (worth noting, though, that the brand has many other SPF50s) Tint may not blend seamlessly on very deep skin tones What makes this SPF special, for me, is the finish. The name Mattescreen isn't a joke, it truly does what it says. It leaves my skin with a soft, satin-matte texture that looks and feels like a silicone-based primer. If you've ever liked the feel of a product like Smashbox Photo Finish or Benefit's POREfessional, imagine that kind of smooth grip, but with sun protection built in. It creates an even, slightly blurring base that makes applying foundation or tinted moisturiser easy. No sliding, no separating, no weird patches around the nose or chin. As someone with combination skin that leans oily in the T-zone, this mattifying effect is what I didn't know was missing from the SPFs I was choosing. I don't need to layer on powder or blot every couple of hours anymore. On good days, I even skip foundation altogether and just wear Mattescreen over moisturiser with a bit of concealer. It gives a soft-focus finish that's flattering on its own. Another big plus is that it doesn't irritate my very fussy skin. That's often been my issue with traditional chemical sunscreens, which tend to cause redness or little breakouts around the jawline. But the mineral formulation here has stayed gentle and reliable through these mini heatwaves we've had, and even the odd hormonal flare-up. All in all, I'd happily recommend it to anyone who's struggled to find a sunscreen that fits into a makeup-wearing routine. It's rare to find an SPF that doesn't feel like a compromise, but Supergoop's Mattescreen delivers on everything I want it to: it protects, it smooths, it stays put and, most importantly, it doesn't make me dread applying sunscreen every morning. Would I get a higher factor SPF if I were sunbathing or out in direct sunlight for hours? Yes – I'd probably use something like Ultra Violette Future Fluid SPF 50+ Superlight Mineral Skinsceen, £38, which isn't quite as mattifying but is lovely to use and packs an SPF50 formula.
