Listen, I get it: You’ve heard enough about Coachella. But before it was the hoopla that is Bieberchella, it was just a music festival I attended with my best friend. We’ve gone three years in a row and basically have it all down to a science. We arrive on the Thursday before, spend all afternoon at the pool, and get to bed early so we can hit the ground running for three days at the festival (usually with pool mornings mixed in). It’s four long days in the desert sun—and the most important thing I pack is sunscreen.
I’m a beauty editor, so of course, I’m not limiting myself to one sunscreen for the entire trip. And it’s not how I approach basically all weekend getaways during which sun will be involved. I pack a body sunscreen, a face sunscreen for under makeup, and a tinted formula for makeup-free days. Let me break it all down, including exactly what I brought.
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I’ve tested hundreds of face sunscreens in the last eight years as a beauty editor. And no, I can’t pick a favorite. But this gel SPF was fantastic for the festival—so much so, I can already tell I’m going to use it constantly this summer. Unlike creamy sunscreens, this one is an invisible gel that glides over skin, leaving behind a matte, smooth finish on skin. But it’s not the same silicone-based texture as other gel SPFs I’ve tried. Instead, it’s slightly hydrating, all the while feeling lightweight and velvety on my skin.
Held up surprisingly well under all this makeup for both of us!
This, specifically, really came in handy under makeup. I was wearing merely a sheer skin tint all over my face, but I went all the way with the rest of my face: setting powder, blush, face gems, eyeshadow, mascara—the whole nine yards. And everything got a very healthy spritz of matte setting spray afterward to lock it in. A heavy, goopy sunscreen underneath it all would feel so uncomfortable and likely decrease my makeup’s wear. This sunscreen, instead, played extremely well underneath it all, providing a soft canvas that also helped grip my makeup on my face rather than melt off in the heat.
The real testament was how much my friend loved it too. She’s somehow even pickier than I am, scoffing at anything that could cause a whitecast or feel too thick on her face. “Oh, I like this,” she called from the bathroom after she tested it the first time. “Wait, can I use the gel one?” she said (a few times) afterward when we were doing our daily sunscreen applications.
Before going to the festival, laying out by the pool, or legit doing anything that would expose my body to the UV 10 in California, I doused myself in this SPF mist. It’s so lightweight that I don’t even need to rub it in. Most sunscreen sprays say they’re one-and-done. “Just mist and go!” But that’s never the case for me. I always have to rub it in to some extent. Neutrogena Ultra Sheer is different, though. It’s got a super-fine mist that offers a 360 spritz that doesn’t have to be massaged in to make its way onto every crevice of my skin. Sure, I might rub it in a little, but I really don’t have to.
I joke every year that people probably think my bestie and I are dating the way we rub each other down with SPF (we’re not in love, just really proactive about suncare!!!). But I don’t think we caught dating allegations this time. All we had to do was spray down each other’s backs, no touching required!
In fact, we used so much of this during the weekend that my friend and I went through nearly an entire bottle. But I’d say it paid off. Neither of us left CA with sunburns (which usually isn’t the case for our previous warm-weather trips).
It also makes my skin a little glowy, but not with a sticky residue that would pick up dust or sand and make me feel icky all day long. Unfortunately, you can’t bring aerosol cans into the festival, so I would spray my entire body with this just before heading out for the day, and then I packed my Ultra Sheer Invisible Gel in my bag to reapply on any exposed skin until the sun went down.
Now, you could easily stop there. But I’m an overpacker and like options. When I’m at the pool or running errands, I’m fine with a formula that’s a bit more hydrating, and if it can add a teensy bit of coverage, I love it even more. This mineral SPF from EltaMD is my favorite tinted sunscreen and has been for a few summers now. I actually began testing it after Hailey Bieber shouted it out, and since the Biebers were the theme of the whole weekend, it seemed like the perfect fit to bring along.
Me, 20 minutes after landing, soaking in every moment of sun after the longest NYC winter (lol).
Upon first application in the bathroom of Palm Springs airport, I immediately remembered why I love this so much. It helps even out my skin tone and makes my face look smooth and fresh, like I just woke up with dewy skin. But it’s not greasy, nor is it pore-clogging—two things I absolutely cannot take with an SPF.
I do wish it came in multiple shades (the brand’s UV Daily SPF comes in two shades—meh, but better—but it’s not a fully mineral sunscreen if that’s important to you).
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with more than seven years of experience researching, writing, and editing skincare stories.
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
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