Why I Use Different Sunscreens on Makeup and No-Makeup Days
I recently realized something about sunscreen: what I want from it changes depending on whether I’m wearing makeup that day.
During the week, Monday through Friday, I rarely wear full makeup to work unless I have something special going on. Most days, my routine is very simple: sunscreen, followed by a tone-up cream. That’s it.
On weekends, when I’m more likely to wear makeup, I apply sunscreen first and then use a cushion foundation before finishing the rest of my makeup.
I never really thought much about needing different sunscreens for these two routines—until recently.
I Tried the FULLY Rice Ceramide Moisture Sunscreen
I bought the FULLY Rice Ceramide Moisture Sunscreen SPF 50 after seeing it advertised by Korean celebrities.
What caught my attention was how it was described: lightweight like an essence, comfortable around the eyes, naturally glowy, and especially good under makeup because it doesn’t cause makeup to pill or slide around.
After trying it myself, I could understand exactly what they meant.
It really does feel almost like applying a skincare essence rather than a traditional sunscreen.
With many sunscreens, you can feel where you’ve applied them because of the thicker texture. With this one, it spreads so easily and absorbs so naturally that sometimes I can barely tell where I’ve already applied it.
It leaves a beautiful, subtle glow too—not an oily shine, just that healthy-looking bit of radiance.
And I do like it.
But I started noticing something on my no-makeup days.
Shop FULLY Rice Ceramide Moisture Sunscreen on Amazon →
When I Don’t Wear Foundation, I Want a Little More
Because I don’t wear foundation during the week, my sunscreen and tone-up cream are basically my entire base makeup.
And I realized that I actually like my sunscreen to leave just a little bit of something behind.
Not coverage in the way a foundation provides coverage. It’s more like a very thin veil over the skin that makes everything look slightly smoother and more put together.
The FULLY sunscreen disappears so beautifully into my skin that I almost don’t feel like I’m wearing anything.
That can be a great thing—especially when I’m putting foundation over it.
But when I’m not wearing foundation, I found myself missing that slightly more polished look.
So I went back to something I had used before.
Going Back to La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5 SPF 50
I bought the La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5 SPF 50 again and started using it with my d’Alba tone-up cream.
And immediately I thought,
Yes. This is the look I was missing.
With the Cicaplast B5 underneath and the tone-up cream on top, my skin looks a little smoother, brighter, and more polished—even without foundation.
Of course, it doesn’t make my skin look perfectly covered. I’m still not wearing foundation.
But it gives me that soft, slightly filtered look that makes me feel good when I look in the mirror.
I’ve actually had people tell me that my skin looks good when I’m wearing this combination, and I’ve been asked what products I use.
For me, that’s exactly what I want from my weekday routine.
Shop La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5 SPF 50 on Amazon →
So Which Sunscreen Do I Like Better?
Actually, I like both. Just for different reasons.
On days when I’m wearing a cushion foundation or doing a full face of makeup, I can see myself reaching for the FULLY Rice Ceramide Moisture Sunscreen. Its lightweight, essence-like texture makes a lot of sense underneath makeup.
But Monday through Friday, when I usually skip foundation, I prefer the La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5 SPF 50 with d’Alba tone-up cream.
It gives me just enough of that finished-skin feeling without making me feel like I need to put on foundation.
And I think that was the biggest thing I learned from trying these two sunscreens.
Sometimes it isn’t about finding the best sunscreen.
It’s about finding the sunscreen that works best for how you want your skin to look that day.
For me, right now, that means one sunscreen for my makeup days—and another for the days when sunscreen and tone-up cream are all I want to wear.
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