Sunscreen. It’s important…not only for my over 35 year old skin, but for all skin types. I won’t lie to you–I used to be a tanning queen back when Jersey Shore and GTL were a thing. A) Don’t judge 😉 B) Bonus points if you know what GTL is.

Since I have gotten older I have started to put more stock into using sunscreen daily. Even in the winter months when the sun has all but disappeared. For the last year or so my go-to product has been the Ultra-Light Hydrating Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50+ for face ($24). This is a really lovely facial sunscreen. It soaks in to my skin quickly and I have had no issues applying makeup on top of it. This sunscreen ticks most of my boxes: hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, and paraben-free. It is also non-comedogenic, soap-free, oil-free, soy-free, and gluten free. It has a light watery texture that mixes well with any moisturizer that I use on my face.

During the summer months when my skin is glowing (aka a sweaty mess), and the thought of wearing a medium coverage foundation is horrifying, I like to wear a tinted sunscreen. Two birds, one very, very light coverage sunscreen. A few years ago, I received a free sample of the CoTZ Face Natural Skin Tone SPF 40 ($24). I liked it so much that I have purchased it since then. It has an interesting texture that melts into my skin and leaves a slight natural tint. It is free of oils, fragrances, preservatives, parabens, PABA, Gluten, and Phthalates. This sunscreen is also sweat and water-proof which, as most of you know, is key during the hot, humid summer months.

As my first makeup post, I am going to talk about one of my favorite topics…mascara. More specifically, high end vs. drug store mascara.

I have always been a huge fan of Maybelline’s the falsies waterproof mascara specifically because it addresses all of my wants: lengthens, adds volume and doesn’t run when I tear up…which as an emotional person, I do a lot. But I received Tarte’s light, camera, lashes mascara as a sample in a Birchbox and I fell in love. It wasn’t waterproof which was a slight drawback, but since I liked the formulation so much I looked passed that aspect. I liked it so much that I decided to buy a full size waterproof version in hopes that it would have the same effect.

Needless to say I was let down. I just figured it should have the same consistency as the non-waterproof version, but it doesn’t. It is quite a better more watery which makes the drying time way to significant for daily use. And if you want more than one coat…forget it. On a positive note, it does give as much volume and length as the original version.

Although I am disappointed in the formulation of the Tarte mascara I tend to reach for it when I have loads of time to do my makeup and really like the end results. But on a day-to-day basis Maybelline’s the falsies takes the cake and will most likely be my “holy grail” mascara for the the foreseeable future.