Mineral sunscreens can leave a strange-colored cast on the face and body that is especially visible on people with dark skin. The higher the SPF protection, the more obvious it looks.
This is why I rely on chemical sunscreens for sun protection. However, companies have developed new innovations to combat this issue. They are all aware of the dreaded “casket-ready” grey look that can happen when someone with brown skin puts on a foundation product that has a high level of mineral SPF. The ones I tried in the past were terrible, but I decided to give some new ones a chance.

Beekman 1802 Milk Tint SPF 43 Tinted Primer Serum in Deep

The promo photos clued me in that I would not find my perfect shade in this range. However, I’ve long been intrigued by Beekman 1802 and knew that if I had the opportunity to stack Ulta rewards with a 20% off coupon, then I would take it.
That happened, and that’s why I was able to finally try it! For once, this was something I wanted that had zero hype. If anything, the most I heard people saying about it was that they were putting it in their anti-hauls, including me! That’s right! Two years ago I actually said I wouldn’t buy it.

This tint has a runny consistency and it ranges between sheer to medium coverage depending on how many drops are used. It’s very wet on the skin for a while, but given enough time it actually can set on my face without powder. This may be because I have dry skin. I initially tested this out on bare skin. Once I started putting skincare underneath, it took much longer to set. When I use this as a primer, even if I pair it with a foundation that is self-setting, it will no longer set on its own completely and it won’t be transfer-proof. Adding powder then helps to lock it onto my face. My skin feels nicely hydrated with this on, including after being powdered so long as that powder I use isn’t too mattifying or too drying.

My biggest problem area though is my nose. For some reason, I have a hard time getting it to stick there, but longevity isn’t an issue anywhere else. Also, my concealer notoriously doesn’t play well with a lot of other makeup. If I apply the KVD Good Apple Concealer first and then this Beekman product second, it won’t blend into the concealer and I get a harsh line that’s also patchy. So, I have to reapply additional concealer where the two edges meet.

I think this tint looks fantastic and smooth alone, and it can make my foundations that I add on top look better because it’s adding extra hydration. However, because it can also increase the amount of makeup transfer and become too emollient if there are too many products underneath and on top, I prefer not to risk using it as a primer except on my driest of days. That emollient issue can shorten the wear time, which a primer at its core is supposed to extend above all other functions.

The amount of product needed for full 43 SPF protection isn’t realistic to put on one’s face. It would look too foundation-heavy and feel uncomfortable as well. I learned from my mistake when I applied the usual amount needed to get medium coverage and then tried to add foundation on top, then had to redo my look because of how overdone my face looked and felt. Essentially, I find it best to apply a slightly less than normal amount of facial sunscreen so that the amount needed for adequate tint coverage can finish providing the remaining necessary sun protection.

The undertone of the Deep shade is red, but I’ve been a little red this summer, so it doesn’t look that off. However, the photo below shows how the color can look very different (orange) when I forget to shake it. Though the combination turned into my usual color match that time, I don’t want to risk throwing off the proportions of ingredients.
This product comes in an extremely heavy ceramic-looking glass bottle and there is an agitator ball inside. When I decided to take this back overseas with me, I transferred it into a clean airless pump bottle and forgot that I would still need to shake it to ensure the pigments were evenly dispersed with every use.

While we’re discussing the bottle, I think I should mention that even the brand site lists a warning that the bottle can leak, especially during travel. So, luggage weigh limit aside, this was another reason I thought it best to change bottles. It’s quite a shame though because it felt so nice and high-end.

As a skincare and makeup hybrid, I think Beekman 1802 succeeded in making a good product. I will enjoy this while I have it, but I most likely won’t repurchase it. My reasons for that are that I prefer higher coverage makeup, I don’t see myself switching to a new concealer anytime soon, and it’s not going to be a good undertone match when my skin starts to return to its normal shade after summer.

Toty Ilumina CC Cream SPF 50+ Perfecting Fluid in 5W1

This is essentially a foundation that the brand describes as giving a “medium, buildable flawless coverage with natural luminous finish.” When I use a dense brush, I can get high to full coverage. Achieving low coverage is doable, but more difficult because the formula isn’t the easiest to spread thinly. It’s a thick liquid that kept breaking the tips off my sokoho goat brush, so I recommend using synthetic bristles only. I thought using my fingers could help, but the spread is actually harder to control that way and missing spots are easier to see because of the coverage level. I like what this provides, so this isn’t a problem for me, but someone wanting sheer to light coverage out of this “CC cream” might want to reconsidering buying this.

Shade 5W1 doesn’t look too unnatural for me, though it’s better if I apply as thin of a layer as possible. It appears matte on my face, though it can look more natural if I use hydrating spray on top and/or illuminating primer underneath. This admittedly looked less matte the one time I tried it in Florida when I first bought it, so the change of climate is a factor in this difference.

I give this brand a lot of credit for having some deeper options with SPF 50+ mineral sunscreen without it going grey. It’s honestly not pushing the envelope though in terms of shade range considering there’s currently only one option darker than mine (5W2). I can admit there were zero mineral skin tints that worked for me a decade ago, and now there are some, but does that technology really stop at one shade darker than mine? Merit recently launched their mineral tinted sunscreens in SPF 45, and their range goes a lot deeper than Toty’s. However, I’ve heard Merit’s gives practically no coverage, so I guess the two lines can’t really be compared.

I noticed MAC Fix+ can break this down a bit, as I had to pat the product back in with my brush, but all was fine after that. The finish looks very smooth and nice, not just because of covering imperfections. I think part of the reason why there is difficulty spreading it is because as it dries it turns into a velvety/powdery finish and texture. This is a very low transferring foundation that sets on me without requiring powder.

Some products Toty sells are fragrance free, but this foundation is not one of them. It was a nice floral-soapy kind of scent when I first had it, but by now it’s starting the change a little a year and a half later. It doesn’t smell off, but it is noticeably a little different. This has a 12 month POA date, but I want to keep using it on and off for a while longer to feel like it wasn’t a waste of money.
I didn’t realize before I left that I wouldn’t be able to order it again in Germany, knowing this product was made in Spain and they’re partnered with Cantabria Labs. Shipping within the EU is usually easy. However, the Toty brand itself is US based and they don’t do international shipping at this time. So, I wouldn’t be able to repurchase it even if I wanted to. I’m happy something like this exists, but I will just stick to using my daily sunscreen and adding foundation on top afterwards.

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, so this is my PSA to remind everyone to wear at least some form of sun protection! That’s all I’ve got for today! I hope this has been helpful.

-Lili ❤