My vanity has been overflowing with tinted sunscreens this year. All of a sudden, everyone decided to mix the product I know is most important (sunscreen) with my favorite to test (skin tints)—and I just can’t say no. Bring me a tinted SPF, and I’m like putty in your hands.
I got really excited when Beauty of Joseon sent me their newest, the Dayscreen Lightweight Tinted SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen, a new take on their beloved sunscreens that blew up stateside after only being available for so long in Korea. Everyone knows that Korean sunscreen is the best. For the most part, it’s always lightweight and don’t feel like sunscreen. A tinted version? Sounds like my dream.
Beauty of Joseon’s Relief Sun SPF 50 isn’t available in the U.S., but it went viral anyway, with people ordering (potentially counterfeit) tubes on Amazon and having them shipped from Asia via Yesstyle. Everyone on my feeds was talking about this sunscreen, raving on and on about how it feels like a soothing, hydrating lotion over a goopy sunscreen that leaves a white cast. But the Dayscreen Tinted Mineral SPF? It’s so much better, IMO.
About the formula
Mineral sunscreen gets a bad rap. Made with zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide, these SPFs often have a thick consistency that leaves a chalky residue on skin. But they’re really damn effective at sun protection, as they actually physically block and reflect the sun’s rays off your skin. Chemical filters, on the other hand, absorb them by converting UV rays into heat and releasing them from your skin. This process is what can potentially make chemical filters irritating, hence why many dermatologists recommend mineral filters instead for sensitive and acne-prone skin.
Beauty of Joseon’s Tinted Mineral SPF uses zinc oxide (17 percent, to be exact), but it’s not just that. The tint comes in 15 shades, ranging from ultra-fair and rosy to warm tan to deep with neutral undertones. Many SPF tints have abysmal shade ranges, so this immediately impressed me. As far as coverage, the brand boasts light-to-medium coverage that blurs pores and lasts 12 hours.
My review
A lot of tinted sunscreens I’ve tested lately and over the years really are just a tint. They rarely come in a lot of shades, often only masking the white cast of mineral filters rather than actually evening out my skin tone or providing enough coverage to skip foundation. They’re also usually very glowy—great for a hydrated, fresh look, but horrible for my oily, acne-prone skin in the dead of summer.
Beauty of Joseon’s Tinted Mineral Dayscreen is fully the antithesis of all of these sentiments.
The texture
I knew I was going to love it upon first swipe on the back of my hand. The liquid isn’t too runny but also is thin enough to just glide right over my skin without adhering to dry patches or texture. I also could tell it was going to have a satin finish that blurred skin, but I worried it might make my face look a bit too dry. But the velvety finish doesn’t detract from the product’s hydrating ability, thanks to ceramides and fermented brown rice. My skin doesn’t look parched at all—just smoothed out. A hydrating primer can also make this a bit glowier too.
The coverage
I was blown away by how well this covered my skin. Don’t expect Haus Labs Triclone Foundation-level coverage by any means, but it’s easily the most foundation-like tinted SPF I’ve tried. I have acne scars, some active zits, and dark circles on my face, but with this, you wouldn’t even really know. It smooths everything out, leaving my face soft and fresh, not cakey.
The shades
The first day I tested, I wore shade 25N—it was perfect for my light-to-medium skin with no self-tanner. But after two very long days at the beach and a fresh application of tanning drops, I’ve been wearing shade 29N too. The flexibility of the shades is nice, but I really love all of the options. I know, 15 shades don’t seem like a lot when there are foundations with over 50 on the market. But the actual range between them all—meaning the depth from the lightest to deepest—is fantastic. A wide breadth of people could use this and not feel like they’re underrepresented.
Final thoughts
I’ve worn this nearly every day since I first got it. To the office, to dinner, to the beach, out at night—I can’t stop. And with skin that looks this good and is protected from the sun all at once, I won’t.
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Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with eight years of experience researching, writing, and editing hair, makeup, nail, and fragrance stories. She’s tested thousands of beauty products in her tenure as a beauty editor. She’s become very picky about products over the years, only calling out her absolute favorites.
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.
