Clarins UV Plus HP Sunscreen

RATING (out of 5 stars): 3.5 stars

COST: $41 for 1.7 ounces

THE SKINNY: Major SPF power. Check. Glide on formula. Check. Smooth texture with moisture. Check.

The only problem with Clarins UV Plus HP Sunscreen (SPF 40) is that it's not waterproof. Sadly I found myself wiping it off and into my eyes during a run.

On the flip side, this would be a great daily sunscreen (if you makeup is lacking SPF). It glides on so smooth and actually feels great on skin. Nothing like what you imagine from some of the drugstore sunscreens.

I do find it irritating though that something this pricey isn't waterproof. Really?

KEEP OR TOSS: Keep.

CHECK IT OUT: You can find Clarins at Sephora.

-- Tested by Carrie

Suntegrity Face Sunscreen and Primer

RATING (out of 5 stars): 3.5 stars

COST: $45 for 1.7 ounces

THE SKINNY: I need a good sunscreen for my face all year round.

I had never seen or tried Suntegrity Face Sunscreen and Primer until the little packet came in a Sephora grab bag. But it was a great choice for a long run in the winter sun and wind.

The formula is super thick and coats extremely well. It was not greasy at all and my skin actually felt moisturized. (And I came inside after more than two hours without even a hint of redness.)

The formula contains SPF 30 and can be used under makeup as well.

KEEP OR TOSS: Keep.

CHECK IT OUT: Suntegrity is an Allure Best of Beauty winner, always a sure sign that a product is worth a try. You can find it online.

-- Tested by Carrie

MD Solar Science Mineral Tinted Creme

RATING (out of 5 stars): 2 stars

COST: $32

THE SKINNY: I knew nothing about MD Solar Science Mineral Tinted Creme when this little packet came as a sample from Sephora. But as I read a little about it, the idea seemed nice: A mineral sunscreen that doubles as a face primer.

Great idea. But it is so silky that my makeup practically slid off. Dusting on a powder did not even really help.

The good news is the mineral sunscreen did feel good. Coverage was OK for a tinted cream and it blended nicely. But it seems like this would only work for a day at the pool. And I am not sure I need tinted sunscreen for that.

So while this seems like a great idea. It did not quite work in reality. And this is a $32 sunscreen ... so it needs to be pretty close to perfect.

KEEP OR TOSS: Still a little undecided on this one.

CHECK IT OUT: Learn more from MD Solar Science.

-- Tested by Carrie

Hang Ten Classic Sport SPF 50

RATING (out of 5 stars): 2 stars

COST: $12.99

THE SKINNY: I remember Hang Ten sun products from the 1980s. Who knew the brand was still around?

Not me. I had a little chuckle when I opened a recent Ipsy bag and saw a large sample of Hang Ten Classic Sport.

The product is exactly as I remember from the '80s, too. That's not good. Today's products are light, oil-free and often come in aerosol cans. Hang Ten Classic Sport is watery and a little sticky and left my skin feeling oily.

I used the sunscreen during a recent tennis match in partly sunny and 90+ degree temperatures. I didn't get sunburned, but if I touched my skin I got that sheen on my fingers. At the end of the match, I just felt sticky.

KEEP OR TOSS: Keep, but only because it's good to throw in my workout bag.

CHECK IT OUT: If you want to try it, buy online at Hang Ten's site.

-- Tested by Shay

Shiseido Urban Environment Tinted UV Protector

RATING (out of 5 stars): 3.5 stars

COST: $30

THE SKINNY: If you're looking for a tinted moisturizer that protects from sun, UV and environmental damage, Shiseido Urban Environment Tinted UV Protector might be for you.

I like the extreme lightness of this moisturizer. It's almost runny, which makes it easy to apply in hot weather. It covers evenly and provides an amazing SPF 43. It's water resistant for about 40 minutes, Shiseido says.

This is a great tinted product for days when you need light coverage. It's not dewy. It won't help hide blemishes. It will blend into your natural skin tone.

And it will help protect your skin from a bright and sunny day. Who can complain about that?

KEEP OR TOSS: Keep.

CHECK IT OUT: Shiseido Urban Environment Tinted UV Protector comes in three shades.

-- Tested by Shay

COOLA Mineral Face SPF 20 Rose Essence Tint

RATING (out of 5 stars): 4 stars

COST: $36 for 1.7 ounces

THE SKINNY: Sad that this mineral sunscreen is only SPF 20 or I'd be forever converted. This is a creamy moisturizer with great color. It adds a lot of luminosity and bronzing to my skin tone, giving me that "I just sat in the sun for a few hours" glow.

The tint lasts all day, and the lotion does adequate job of controlling the oily patches. I can live with adequate because this is a sunscreen, not a BB cream.

The only real drawback is the smell, which is a little like a clinical sunscreen.

Ingredients include plankton to help rejuvenate skin and cucumber to calm it.

KEEP OR TOSS: Keep.

CHECK IT OUT: COOLA offers three lines of certified organic sun protection, and all products are up to 97 percent certified organic and are manufactured using solar power.

-- Tested by Shay

Supergoop SPF 30 City Sunscreen Serum

RATING (out of 5 stars): 2.5 stars

COST: $42 for 1.7 ounces (smaller options available at Ulta)

THE SKINNY: The thing that bugs me the most about sunscreens is this: Even the ones designed for your face still feel heavy and slightly sticky. I really liked the idea of a serum sunscreen, especially at SPF 30, but Supergoop's serum feels just as heavy and sticky as nearly everything else I've tried.

The sensation doesn't last long, as the serum soaks into your skin fairly quickly. But that's not enough to make me love this product. It's still thicker and heavier than I think it should be.

City Sunscreen Serum is more designed to help hide the signs of aging than to be a lightweight sunscreen option.

KEEP OR TOSS: Keep, but I'm still sticking with Shiseido's Urban Environment Oil-Free UV Protector Broad Spectrum SPF 42 for Face. It's the most lightweight sunscreen I've tried.

CHECK IT OUT: City Sunscreen Serum is a non-greasy sunscreen.

-- Tested by Shay

Supergoop Daily Correct CC cream

RATING (out of 5 stars): 3 stars

COST: $32

THE SKINNY: The one makeup product I can't live without is Urban Decay's Naked Skin BB cream. But I don't like having to layer Urban Decay, SPF 20, with a facial sunscreen in the summer. It's too heavy.

So I was really excited to try Supergoop's Daily Correct CC cream because a CC cream has better coverage and this product has SPF 35.

As much as I want to love Supergoop, I don't. It's heavy, like a foundation and like every other CC cream I've tried, and the color isn't quite right. The Medium Light looks chalky against my summer tan. And I'm sure the Medium Dark will be too much color for my normally fair complexion. Urban Decay compliments my skintone perfectly.

Plus, this CC cream doesn't absorb and blend as well as Urban Decay does. The blemish-control of the CC cream isn't as skin perfecting as I want it to be. And it feels slightly sticky all day long.

But I will choose the CC cream, look at feel be damned, on bright sunny summer days because it protects from sun (UVA, UVB, and infrared rays) all day long. And that's important to me.

KEEP OR TOSS: Keep, but only because of the SPF. Urban Decay's Naked Skin is still my favorite.

CHECK IT OUT: Daily Correct CC Cream is available in Light Medium and Medium Dark.

-- Tested by Shay

Julep Daylight Defense SPF 30

RATING (out of 5 stars): 3.5 stars

COST: $28 for 3 ounces

THE SKINNY: Julep Daylight Defense SPF 30 was an extra freebie in a recent Julep Maven box. I love the idea of a summer moisturizer that you can use on your hands and face with a high-level SPF.

The scent was light with a hint of oranges -- I loved the perfectly summer fragrance.

But the lotion was a little too thick for my combination skin. I really loved the feel and sun protection but was left with a lot of shine along the T-zone. So, for me, this is much more of a winter product. The moisture is just a little too much for the heat. (And SPF is good year round!)

I bet the formula is great for people with drier skin than mine.

But for now, I will probably use it on my hands rather than face because I can't get enough of the orange-y smell.

KEEP OR TOSS: I'll use the sample that came in my Julep Maven box, but it seems a little pricey for a product that I can't use for half of the year.

CHECK IT OUT: I really love the Julep Maven program. It allows me to try a lot of new products (not just nail polish) for $20 a month and you can skip months without foregoing the membership. Check it out and make sure to search for a promo code, you can usually get your first month for a penny! You can also but products such as Daylight Defense on their own -- no membership required.

-- Tested by Carrie

Clinique Long Last Glosswear SPF 15

RATING (out of 5 stars): 3.5 stars

COST: $15

THE SKINNY: The name of this product says it all.

Clinique's Long Last Glosswear does indeed last a long time. It stayed put most of the morning -- even through my first cup of coffee.

I tried "Bamboo Pink" and loved the soft, subtle yet shimmery look. It had just the right amount of shine without being overly-glossy.

Long Last Glosswear also contains SPF 15 (a great bonus) and I even applied it before an outing to the pool. (I can justify lip gloss at the pool because it was a pool party.)

This gloss is a bit on the tacky side, though. I don't recommend it for windy days because you will keep pulling your hair out of the gloss. It is also somewhat pricey but Clinique runs a lot of promotions so try to pair it up with one of those deals for extra freebies!

KEEP OR TOSS: Keep. I really wish my sample were bigger.

CHECK IT OUT: You can buy this gloss at department store Clinique counters, or buy it online direct from the company, Clinique also has a bunch of other customer reviews on their site and most of them are pretty good also.

-- Tested by Carrie

 

Clinique Super City Block SPF 40

RATING (out of 5 stars): 4 stars

COST: $19 for 1.4 ounces

THE SKINNY: Using this product was a lesson in reading the information packet BEFORE using the product. I did not do that and my first experience with it was a little disastrous.

What Clinique Super City Block SPF 40 is not: A daily moisturizer with sunscreen.

What Clinique Super City Block SPF 40 is: A lightweight sunscreen that you can use in place of primer. (What a concept!)

Once I figured out how this product worked, I liked it -- a lot. It is a super light, non greasy sunscreen with SPF 40 that you can apply AFTER your moisturizer to help block the sun's damaging rays. It has a great little bit of tint and sheen to give you a glowy look even before you step outside.

It sets your makeup as well and no extra priming is necessary. This is a great summertime/hot day product. And now that I have used it a few times, I am not sure how I did without. It may sound cliche, but I really do feel cooler!

But be aware, this product really does nothing when worn alone. In my first attempt I used it as a moisturizer and wondered why my face was flaky and tight all day. (That's what I get for not reading more before rushing to judgment, I guess.)

KEEP OR TOSS: Keep. What a great concept.

CHECK IT OUT: Super City Block is available at makeup counters, Sephora and direct from Clinique.

-- Tested by Carrie