I’m a Beauty Editor, and These Are the SPFs I Swear By During Summer

As a beauty editor, I’m often asked which skincare product makes the biggest difference in a routine, and my answer is always the same: SPF.

Wearing sun protection can give you both short-term and long-term benefits. In the long term, you’re helping prevent not only skin cancer but also sun damage, which can show up in the form of pigmentation, fine lines, wrinkles and skin laxity. In the short term, wearing SPF every day (not just on the days when it’s sunny, but even on cloudy winter days) can boost your complexion, improving redness, evening the skin tone and preserving skin’s collagen stores, helping the skin stay bouncy. In short, think of SPF as your skincare insurance, safeguarding your skin now and in the future.

However, it’s important to find an SPF that you like to wear that meets your skin’s needs and your lifestyle. Wearing the wrong one is often why people end up not wearing it at all. Perhaps you have oily skin and want a lightweight formula, or sensitive skin that might benefit better from a mineral SPF (which is less likely to sting your eyes, FYI). Some might prefer an SPF that doubles as their makeup primer, and others might want a tinted SPF to top up throughout the day. SPF can only do its job if you’re wearing it, so you might as well find one you want to wear to reap those sun-protection benefits.

I recently took a countryside escape to Beaverbrook and packed my three favourite Beauty Pie SPFs: the Traceless Mineral Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen + Primer (£17), the Featherlight Super Healthy Skin™ Featherlight UVA/UVB SPF 50 Sunscreen + Primer (£15) and the Luminous Mineral Skin Tint Broad-Spectrum SPF 40 Suncreen
(£17).

Beauty Pie has become my go-to for luxury-level beauty that’s on par with more expensive brands out there, and the SPFs are a firm favourite in the Who What Wear office. Scroll ahead to see how I like to wear them on rotation throughout every summer activity from a pool day to a picnic to cocktail hour.

When I arrived at the hotel, I made a beeline for the pool—it was one of the first days of the year that reached over 24°, so forgive me. Whether you’re headed to the local lido or spending the day at the beach, SPF is always a must when you’re out in the sun. For days spent poolside, I always call upon Beauty Pie’s Traceless Mineral Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen + Primer (£17). I have sensitive skin and find that this mineral formula plays well with my eczema-prone complexion, and it never stings my sensitive eyes.

This SPF 30 boasts a silky formula that melts into the skin with a non-greasy finish and, unlike many mineral SPFs, leaves zero white cast. I like wearing it on its own as it gives my skin a hydrated glow without being slick. (Someone actually stopped me to compliment my skin as I headed to the pool whilst I was wearing this.) For beach or pool days, I pair it with a waterproof mascara, a slick of brow gel and an SPF lip balm, and I’m good to go. This being said, as a primer, it also wears nicely underneath makeup if you want to follow up with foundation on top for day-to-day wear.

What’s more, it’s a vegan mineral SPF and contains niacinamide to help refine pores and brighten the skin, argan oil to nourish the skin and Indian beech seed extract, which shields the skin from oxidative stress. An SPF that boosts your skin as you wear it? Yes, please.

It’s imperative to reapply your SPF regularly, ideally every two hours and after swimming and towelling dry. A good rule of thumb is to apply two fingers’ worth of product to your face to ensure you’re applying enough to stay protected from the sun. The Traceless Mineral Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen + Primer has become a staple in my beach bag and allows for no-fuss top-ups in the sun to protect my skin on even the sunniest days.

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After a day spent at the pool, it was time to get ready for dinner. We were heading out for cocktails at golden hour, and the sun was still pretty strong, so I switched to my Featherlight Super Healthy Skin™ Featherlight UVA/UVB SPF 50 Sunscreen + Primer (£15) as I started getting ready.

This SPF has single-handedly replaced my makeup primer—it’s that good underneath makeup. My most common gripe with SPF is that some feel heavy or pill underneath makeup, but not this one. True to its name, it has a featherlight texture—almost water-like—that absorbs straight into the skin, leaving a primed and silky canvas for makeup application without clogging my pores or making my skin greasy. It’s ideal if you’re attending events such as weddings or festivals where you want to wear makeup but ensure your skin is protected too. The chemical formula is virtually invisible, making it a great option for all skin tones as it doesn’t leave a white cast behind.

This SPF improves both the look and longevity of my foundation. My skin looks smoother, and I notice the benefits of the skincare ingredients, one of which is Vitafreeze, a clever trio of tomato stem cell extract, peptides and sugar molecules that work in tandem to reduce stress in the skin. Vitis vita (a grape extract) also aids skin detoxification and hydration for a glowing complexion when you remove it at the end of the day.

Use this as the last step in your skincare routine, and if you’re wearing makeup, allow 60 seconds after applying it before applying foundation. I swept some bronzer over my cheekbones to fake a sun-kissed glow before applying a bronzy eye shadow and fixing it with a setting spray before heading out into golden hour.

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On days when I want to wear a little bit of makeup and still look polished, I reach for the Luminous Mineral Skin Tint Broad-Spectrum SPF 40 Sunscreen (£17), which has become my favourite skin tint of the summer with the bonus of SPF 40 protection. I put it to the test at the Beauty Pie picnic at Beaverbrook’s orchard—yes it was as lovely as it sounds—and guess what? I haven’t stopped wearing it since! I’m truly obsessed!

It comes in eight shades that stretch across skin tones from dark to fair. (I wear the shade Light.) Think of it as half skin tint, half SPF. It has a lightweight formula that dries down to a radiant finish that isn’t shiny. I like that it’s sheer enough to allow my freckles to peek through but has enough coverage to disguise redness and leave my skin looking more even-toned and glowing. It effortlessly blends into the skin, whether you choose to apply it with your fingertips or buff in with a makeup brush.

The tinted SPF also features amazing skincare ingredients: hydrating hyaluronic acid to plump, vitamins E and C to shield the skin, microalgae to help firm the skin, and polyphenols, phospholipids and AHAs, which smooth and add radiance to the skin. I like to layer this over my skincare and SPF in the morning as an extra line of defence against UVA and UVB rays and use it to top up my protection throughout the day. Pat on some cream blush and gloss, and you have a low-key makeup look to take you from picnic to sundown.

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See the full Beauty Pie SPF range and more here.